Homilies on the Statues

^8. But as I was saying:— When Paul had caught him, and he said, “Almost you persuade me to be a Christian,” Paul answered thus, “I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.” What do you say, O Paul? When you write to the Ephesians, you say, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called.” And when you speak to Timothy, “Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil-doer, even unto bonds.” And again, when to Philemon, thus; “Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ.” And again, when debating with the Jews, you say, “For the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” And writing to the Philippians, you say, “Many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” Every where you bear about the chain, everywhere you put forward your bonds, and boastest in the thing. But when you come to the tribunal, you betray your philosophy, where it were right to have spoken the most boldly, and sayest to the judge, “I would to God that you might become a Christian 'without' these bonds!” Yet surely if the bonds were good, and so good, that they could be the means of making others to grow bold in the cause of true religion; (for this very thing you declared before, when you said, “Many of the brethren, waxing confident by my bonds, did speak the word without fear”); for what reason do you not glory in this thing in the presence of the judge, but doest even the reverse?