Churches And Islands

Πολλαὶ δὲ, καὶ οῦ πᾶσαι. διὰ τῶν κακοδόξαν· οὐ χρὴ χαίρειν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι. Νήσους γὰρ ἔαθ' ὅτε τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερὸν τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἀποκαλεῖ· οἶον ἐν θαλάσσῃ κειμένας ἐν τῷδε τῷ τόπῳ, καὶ πικροῖς ὕδασι περιεχομένας ταῖς ἐν αὐτῷ περιστάσεσι, καὶ ὡς ῥαγδαιοτάτοις κύμασι καταπαιομένας τοῖς διωγμοῖς· πλήν ἀδιαπτώτως ἐρηρεισμένας, καὶ ἀνεχούσας ὑψοῦ, καὶ ταῖς θλίψεσιν οὐ βαπτιζομένας. Ἀκλόνηται γὰρ διὰ Χριστὸν αἱ Ἐκκλησίας, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῶν. Οὐκοῦν ἐι δὴ βούλοιτο τις νήσους ἐννοεῖν τὰη ἐξ ἐθνῶν οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρέποντος βαδιεῖται σκοποῦ. Ἐγκαινίζονται γοῦν πρὸς Θεὸν νῆσοι τῷ Ἠσαῖᾳ, αἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίαι, ἄρτι καθιστάμεναι, καὶ τῆς ἀλυρᾶς ἀπιστίας ἀνακύπτουσι, καὶ πῆξιν λαμβάνουσι τῷ Θεῷ βάσιμον. Καλῶς τοίνυν κάνταῦθα τὰς ψυχάς τῶν ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς τὸ ἐδραῖον τε καὶ ἀμετάθετον ἐπιδεικνυμένων, νήσους ὠνόμασεν, ἅς πάντοθεν μὲν διαλαμβάνει ἡ τῆς κακίας ἄλμη, οὐ μὴν τοσοῦτον ἰσχύει προσπίπτουσα, ὡς καὶ σάλον τινὰ τῷ παγίῷ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐμποιῆσαι. Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισάρειος, Ὑπομνηματα Ἐις Τους ψαλμους, ψαλμος ϟϚ' Source: Migne PG 23.1225c-d

Let the many isles rejoice... 1 Many but not all, because of vainglory; it is not for the impious to rejoice. For when Scripture names the churches islands, they are as set in the places of the sea, and the bitter waters surrounding them there are trials, and the fury of the beating of the waves are as persecutions, but they are ceaselessly supported and raised up to the heights, and tribulations do not overwhelm them. For the churches persist as the immovable work of Christ, and the gates of hell shall not overcome them. 2 If, therefore, by islands someone is pleased to understand the Churches of the nations, he does not wander from true sight. For those known to God as islands in Isaiah 3 are without doubt the Churches of the nations, which were recently established, drawn up from the false sea of disbelief and given solidity, that they might be able to take to the way of God. And then also revealed here are the souls of those who are firm and immovable in trials, being called isles, on which every side crashes the storm of wickedness, but it is not able to overturn them because with the firmness of virtue they bear the blows. Eusebius of Caesarea, Commentary on the Psalms, Psalm 96 1 Ps 96.1 2 Mt 16.18 3 Isaiah 41.1