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crowns are for those who have been victorious. Who ever crowns one who has not even stripped for the opponent? since one must not only conquer, but also compete lawfully, according to the Apostle; and this is to neglect not even a small part of what has been commanded; but to do each thing as we have been commanded. For blessed, it says, is that servant, whom his Lord when he comes will find, not doing as it chanced, but doing so; and, If you offer correctly, but do not divide correctly, you have sinned. But we, thinking to have done one of the commandments 31.893 (for I would not say, that we have done them; for they are all connected to one another according to the sound purpose of the word, so that in the breaking of one the rest are of necessity broken with it), do not expect wrath for the things neglected, but await honors for what was supposedly achieved. He who from the ten talents of the deposit held back one or two, but paid back the rest, is not known as grateful for the repayment of the majority, but is convicted as unjust and greedy for the theft of the minority.

But why do I say theft? since he who was entrusted with the one talent, and then gave back that very thing whole and intact which he had received, because he did not add to what was given, is condemned. He who honored his father for ten years, but later inflicted a single blow, is not honored as a benefactor, but is condemned as a parricide. Go, says the Lord, make disciples of all nations, teaching them, not to observe some things and neglect others, but to observe all that I have commanded you. And the Apostle writes accordingly: Giving no offense in anything, that the ministry be not blamed, but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God. For if not all things were necessary for us for the purpose of salvation, not all the commandments would have been written, nor would it have been proclaimed that all must necessarily be kept. What is the benefit to me of other achievements, if I, by calling my brother a fool, am to be liable to hellfire? For what is the benefit of freedom from many things to one who is held in slavery by one? For he who commits sin, it says, is a slave of sin. And what is the gain of freedom from passion in many things to one whose body is corrupted by one passion? Therefore, someone says, will the multitudes of Christians who do not keep all the commandments have the keeping of some of them to no profit? To this it is good to recall the blessed Peter, who after so many achievements, and such beatitudes, heard on account of one thing only: If I do not wash you, you have no part with me. And I leave aside saying, that not even that itself was an indication of sloth or contempt, but was an expression of honor and reverence. And yet, one might say, it is written: Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; so that the very invocation of the name of the Lord is sufficient to save the one who 31.896 calls. But let this one also hear the Apostle saying: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? But if you believe, hear the Lord saying: Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Indeed, even he who does the will of the Lord, but not as God wills, nor doing this in a disposition of love towards God, has the diligence of his work to no profit, according to the voice of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, who said that they do it to be seen by men; truly I say to you, that they have their reward. Whence Paul the apostle was taught to say, that Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing. In general, I perceive these three differences of disposition toward the indispensable necessity of obedience. For either fearing punishments we turn away from evil, and are in the disposition of a slave; or, pursuing the gains from the reward, for the sake of our own benefit we fulfill the commandments, and in this we resemble those

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στέφα νοι τῶν νενικηκότων εἰσί. Τίς ποτε στεφανοῖ τὸν μηδὲ ἀποδύντα πρὸς τὸν ἀντίπαλον; ὁπότε οὐ νικῆ σαι δεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ νομίμως ἀθλῆσαι, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον· τοῦτο δέ ἐστι τὸ μηδὲ μικρὸν μὲν παριέναι τι τῶν διατεταγμένων· οὕτω δὲ ἕκαστον ποιῆσαι, ὡς προστετάγμεθα. Μακάριος γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος, ὃν ἐλθὼν ὁ Κύριος εὑρήσει, οὐχὶ ποιοῦντα ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἀλλὰ ποιοῦντα οὕτως· καὶ, Ἐὰν ὀρθῶς μὲν προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς, ἥμαρτες. Ἡμεῖς δὲ, μίαν που τῶν ἐντολῶν 31.893 πεποιηκέναι νομίσαντες (οὐ γὰρ ἂν φαίην, ὅτι ποιή σαντες· πᾶσαι γὰρ ἀλλήλων ἔχονται κατὰ τὸν ὑγιῆ τοῦ λόγου σκοπὸν, ὡς ἐν τῇ λύσει τῆς μιᾶς καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς ἐξ ἀνάγκης συγκαταλύεσθαι), οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς παρεθεῖσι τὴν ὀργὴν ἐκδεχόμεθα, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ κατορθωθέντι δῆθεν τὰς τιμὰς ἀναμένομεν. Ὁ ἐκ τῶν δέκα ταλάντων τῆς παρακαταθήκης ἕν που ἢ δύο παρακατασχὼν, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ ἀποτίσας, οὐχὶ εὐγνώμων διὰ τὴν τῶν πλειόνων ἀπότισιν γνωρίζεται, ἀλλὰ ἄδικος καὶ πλεονέκτης ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἐλατ τόνων ἀποστερήσει ἐλέγχεται.

Τί δὲ λέγω ἀποστερήσει; ὁπότε ὁ τὸ ἓν τάλαντον πιστευθεὶς, εἶτα ἀποδοὺς αὐτὸ ἐκεῖνο ὁλόκληρον καὶ ἀκέραιον ὃ ὑπ εδέξατο, ὅτι μὴ προσειργάσατο τῷ δοθέντι, κατακρί νεται. Ὁ δέκα ἔτη τὸν πατέρα τιμήσας, μίαν δὲ πληγὴν ὕστερον ἐμβαλὼν μόνην, οὐχ ὡς εὐεργέτης τιμᾶται, ἀλλ' ὡς πατραλοίας καταδικάζεται. Πορευ θέντες, φησὶν ὁ Κύριος, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς, οὐχὶ τὰ μὲν τηρεῖν, τῶν δὲ ἀμελεῖν, ἀλλὰ τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετει λάμην ὑμῖν. Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἀκολούθως γράφει· Μηδεμίαν ἐν μηδενὶ διδόντες προσκοπὴν, ἵνα μὴ μωμηθῇ ἡ διακονία, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ συνιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς Θεοῦ διάκονοι. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ πάντα ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸν τῆς σωτηρίας σκοπὸν ἀναγκαῖα ἦν, οὐδ' ἂν ἐγράφησαν πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντολαὶ, οὐδ' ἂν πᾶσαι φυ λαχθῆναι ἀναγκαίως διηγορεύθησαν. Τί μοι τὸ ὄφελος τῶν ἄλλων κατορθωμάτων, εἰ μέλλοιμι, μωρὸν εἰπὼν τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ἔνοχος ἔσεσθαι τῇ γεέννῃ; Τί γὰρ ὄφε λος τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν ἐλευθερίας τῷ ὑφ' ἑνὸς κρα τουμένῳ εἰς δουλείαν; Ὁ γὰρ ποιῶν, φησὶ, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Τί δὲ τὸ κέρ δος τῆς ἐν πολλοῖς ἀπαθείας τῷ ὑφ' ἑνὸς πάθους φθειρομένῳ τὸ σῶμα; Ἄρα οὖν, φησί τις, τὰ πλήθη τῶν Χρι στιανῶν μὴ φυλάσσοντα πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς, ἀνόνητον ἕξει τήν τινων φυλακήν; Πρὸς τοῦτο τοῦ μακαρίου Πέτρου μνημονεῦσαι καλὸν, τοῦ μετὰ τοσαῦτα μὲν κατορθώματα, τοιούτους δὲ τοὺς μακαρισμοὺς, ἐφ' ἑνὶ μόνῳ ἀκούοντος· Ἐὰν μὴ νίψω σε, οὐκ ἔχεις μέρος μετ' ἐμοῦ. Ἐῶ δὲ λέγειν, ὅτι οὐδὲ αὐτὸ ἐκεῖνο ῥᾳθυμίας οὐδὲ καταφρονήσεως εἶχεν ἔνδειξιν, ἀλλὰ τιμῆς καὶ εὐλαβείας ἦν ἔμφασις. Καὶ μὴν, εἴποι τις ἂν, γέγραπται· Πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, σωθήσεται· ὥστε ἀρκεῖ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ἐπίκλησις τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου σῶσαι τὸν ἐπι 31.896 καλούμενον. Ἀλλ' ἀκουέτω καὶ οὗτος τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Πῶς οὖν ἐπικαλέσονται, εἰς ὃν οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν; Εἰ δὲ πιστεύεις, ἄκουε τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι, Κύριε, Κύριε, εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρα νοῖς. Ὅπου γε καὶ ὁ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Κυρίου ἐρ γαζόμενος, μὴ καθὼς θέλει δὲ ὁ Θεὸς, μηδὲ ἐν δια θέσει τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπης τοῦτο ποιῶν, ἀνόνητον ἔχει τὴν τοῦ ἔργου σπουδὴν, κατὰ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰπόντος, ὅτι Ποιοῦσι πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἀπέχουσι τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν. Ὅθεν Παῦλος ὁ ἀπόστολος ἐπαιδεύθη εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Κἂν ψω μίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου, ἵνα καυθήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι. Ὅλως δὲ τρεῖς ταύτας ἐγὼ διαφορὰς τῆς διαθέσεως πρὸς τὴν ἀπαραίτητον ἀνάγκην τῆς ὑπακοῆς καθορῶ. Ἢ γὰρ φοβούμενοι τὰς κολάσεις ἐκκλίνομεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ, καί ἐσμεν ἐν τῇ διαθέσει τῇ δουλικῇ· ἢ, τὰ ἐκ τοῦ μισθοῦ κέρδη διώκοντες, τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἕνεκεν ὠφελείας πλη ροῦμεν τὰ προστάγματα, καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο προσεοίκα μεν τοῖς