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among the divine writings. For our salvation requires a change from our former ways, so that we may become other than what we are, so that we may cease to be what we are, and begin another life, which we happened to possess before the transgression.

For you were not such in the sight of God, as you have become from childhood, nor did you have such a character from the God-made creation, as from human birth. Hear therefore the Lord swearing, and be afraid; for, Amen, He says, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, begin a newer life, leave behind the life grown old in sins; let him who was a fornicator yesterday be chaste today; let him who was immoderately drunk yesterday be a faster today; cast away what has evilly come upon you later, so that you may receive again what was well given from the beginning. It is a small thing to remain unperturbed and free from anger. He who wishes to be in the image and likeness of God, ought to be despised by all, to be spat upon, to be treated with contempt, through words, through deeds. For this reason He commanded not to return evils to the one who has done wrong, so that you, by not retaliating against the wrongdoer, may not lose your natural gentleness. Therefore do not become wise in your own sight, as if you were justified in defending yourself against the wrongdoer. Remember the sacred teachings of Paul: Do not be, he says, wise in your own conceits, nor repaying evil for evil. It is not good to become an adversary, nor to seek justice for yourself, but cast your case upon God, who brings retribution without anger upon the wrongdoers; For do not avenge yourselves, he says, but give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

Do not say, God repays, I will repay also; consider what Christ 48.1072 showed you when he came into the world, to show the saving pattern of life, and emulate this, that you may be saved. For he did not come as a judge, nor defending himself against those who rose up against him; and yet he was not seeking gain for himself through forbearance, but working out salvation for the world. For Christ's forbearance has cast down the audacity of the devil, and the Lord's gentleness has wrestled down the fierce anger of the Evil One. And so you, therefore, set forth the pattern for imitation. He was not angered at those who insulted him, but hearing that he was a Samaritan and had a demon, he answers gently and meekly to those who said it; I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father; but you dishonor me; yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks and judges. Therefore, you also, do not avenge yourself, but await the judge. For if the judge himself, having come in human form, did not repay when he was able, but waited for the judgment of God For when he was reviled, he says, he did not revile in return, when he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges justly, and so you, therefore, do likewise, and imitate the Master, who even up to the cross endured the godless insolence, and offers salvation to those worthy of destruction. For he even said to the Father, Forgive them this sin; for they do not know what they are doing. The brother has done wrong, he was shown to be unworthy of brotherhood; but you, do not destroy the brotherhood. The brother has imitated the brothers of Joseph, he has armed himself for fratricide, he has appeared as an enemy instead of a brother, he has shown an excess of wickedness, though wronged in nothing he does wrong. But you do the opposite, so that you too may say according to the psalmist David: With those who hate peace, I was peaceful. Overcome evil with good, provoke him to good, dissolve his anger with gentleness, show him that he unjustly persecutes the Christ in you, showing yourself not worthy of being persecuted. But he is incorrigible, and is not changed by your gentleness. And while beasts are changed toward human gentleness, he has become wilder than beasts.

Do not be contentious with such a one, nor bring out anger against anger; but turn away just as the wise helmsman turns from the difficult rocks; and guard yourself just as

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παρὰ τοῖς θείοις γράμμασι. Μεταβολῆς γὰρ τῶν προτέρων ἡ σωτηρία ἡ ἡμετέρα δεῖται, ἵνα ἕτεροι παρ' ὅ ἐσμεν γενώμεθα, ἵνα παυσώμεθα ὅπερ ἐσμὲν, ἐναρξώμεθα δὲ ἕτερον βίον, ὃν πρὸ τῆς παραβάσεως κρατοῦντες ἐτυγχάνομεν.

Οὐκ ἦσθα γὰρ τοιοῦτος παρὰ Θεῷ, οἷος ἐκ παίδων γέγονας, οὐδὲ τοιοῦτον ἐκ τῆς θεοποιήτου πλάσεως εἶχες τὸ ἦθος, οἷον ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης γενέσεως. Ἄκουσον τοίνυν ὀμνύοντος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ φοβήθητι· Ἀμὴν γὰρ, φησὶ, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μή τις ἄνωθεν γεννηθῇ, οὐ δύναται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. ∆ιὸ ἄρξαι βίον καινότερον, κατάλειπε τὸν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις παλαιωθέντα βίον· ὁ χθὲς πόρνος σήμερον γενέσθω σώφρων· ὁ χθὲς ἀμέτρως μεθύων σήμερον γενέσθω νηστευτής· τὸ κακῶς ὕστερον ἐπιγενόμενον ἀπόῤῥιψον, ἵνα τὸ καλῶς ἐξ ἀρχῆς δεδομένον ἐπαναλάβῃς. Μικρόν ἐστιν τὸ ἀτάραχον καὶ ἀόργητον διατελεῖν. Ὁ θέλων κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν Θεοῦ εἶναι, ὀφείλει ὑπὸ πάντων καταφρονεῖσθαι, διαπτύεσθαι, ἐξευτελίζεσθαι, διὰ ῥημάτων, διὰ πραγμάτων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ οὐδὲ ἀνταποδιδόναι κακὰ τῷ ἠδικηκότι ἐκέλευσεν, ἵνα μὴ ἀνταποδιδοὺς τῷ ἀδικοῦντι, τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἀπολέσῃς ἠπιότητα. Μὴ τοίνυν γένῃ κατὰ σεαυτὸν φρόνιμος, ὡς δίκαιος ὢν τοῦ ἀμύνασθαι τὸν ἀδικοῦντα. Μέμνησο τῶν ἱερῶν τοῦ Παύλου διδασκαλιῶν· Μὴ γίνεσθε, φησὶ, φρόνιμοι παρ' ἑαυτοῖς, μηδὲ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδιδόντες. Οὐκ ἔστι καλὸν ἀντίδικον γενέσθαι, οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ τὴν δίκην ζητεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐπίῤῥιψον τὴν δίκην σου Θεῷ, τῷ τὴν ἄμυναν ἀοργήτως ἐπάγοντι τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι· Μὴ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ δότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ· γέγραπται γὰρ, Ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει Κύριος.

Μὴ λέγε, Θεὸς ἀνταποδίδωσιν, ἀνταποδώσω κἀγώ· σκέψαι τί σοι Χριστὸς 48.1072 ἐπέδειξεν εἰς κόσμον ἐλθὼν, ἵνα τὸν σωτήριον τῆς ζωῆς ἐπιδείξῃ τύπον, καὶ τοῦτον ζήλωσον, ἵνα σωθῇς. Οὐκ ἦλθε γὰρ κριτὴς, οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐπανισταμένους ἀμυνόμενος· καίτοι γε οὐχ ἑαυτῷ διὰ τῆς ἀνεξικακίας κέρδος μνηστευόμενος, ἀλλὰ τῷ κόσμῳ τὴν σωτηρίαν πραγματευόμενος. Ἡ γὰρ Χριστοῦ ἀνεξικακία τὴν τοῦ διαβόλου θρασύτητα καταβέβληκε, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου ἠπιότης τὸν ἄγριον θυμὸν τοῦ Πονηροῦ κατεπάλαισε. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν τὸν τύπον εἰς μίμησιν προτίθει. Οὐκ ὠργίσθη τοῖς ἐξυβρίσασιν, ἀλλὰ Σαμαρείτης καὶ δαιμονιῶν ἀκούων, ἠπίως καὶ πραέως πρὸς τοὺς λέγοντας ἀποκρίνεται· Ἐγὼ δαιμόνιον οὐκ ἔχω, ἀλλὰ τιμῶ τὸν Πατέρα μου· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀτιμάζετέ με· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ ζητῶ τὴν δόξαν μου· ἔστιν ὁ ζητῶν καὶ κρίνων. Οὐκοῦν καὶ σὺ μὴ ἑαυτὸν ἐκδίκει, ἀλλ' ἀνάμενε τὸν κριτήν. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ κριτὴς ἐν ἀνθρωπίνῳ σχήματι ἐλθὼν οὐκ ἀνταπέδωκε δυνάμενος, ἀλλὰ ἐξεδέχετο κρίσιν Θεοῦ Λοιδορούμενος γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἀντελοιδόρει, πάσχων οὐκ ἠπείλει, παρεδίδου δὲ τῷ κρίνοντι δικαίως, καὶ σὺ τοίνυν ποίησον οὕτω, καὶ μίμησαι τὸν ∆εσπότην, ὃς καὶ μέχρι σταυροῦ τὴν ἄθεον ὕβριν ἐβάστασε, καὶ τοῖς ἀξίοις ἀπωλείας σωτηρίαν ἐπιπροτείνει. Καὶ γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα ἔλεγεν, Ἄφες αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσιν. Ἠδίκησεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς, ἀνάξιος τῆς ἀδελφότητος ὤφθη· ἀλλὰ σὺ μὴ διαφθείρῃς τὴν ἀδελφότητα. Ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἐμιμήσατο τοὺς τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἀδελφοὺς, ἀδελφοκτονίαν ὡπλίσατο, ἐχθρὸς ἀνεφάνη ἀντ' ἀδελφοῦ, πονηρίας ἔδειξεν ὑπερβολὴν, οὐδὲν ἀδικούμενος ἀδικεῖ. Ἀλλὰ σὺ τὸ ἐναντίον ποίησον, ἵνα εἴπῃς καὶ σὺ κατὰ τὸν μελῳδὸν ∆αυΐδ· Μετὰ τῶν μισούντων τὴν εἰρήνην ἤμην εἰρηνικός. Νίκα ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸν κακὸν, προκαλοῦ αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν, λῦσον τὸν θυμὸν ἠπιότητι, δεῖξον αὐτῷ ὅτι ἀδίκως διώκει τὸν ἐν σοὶ Χριστὸν, οὐκ ἄξιον τοῦ διώκεσθαι σεαυτὸν ἐπιδεικνύων. Ἀλλ' ἀδιόρθωτός ἐστι, καὶ πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἡμερότητα οὐ μεταβάλλεται. Καὶ θηρία μὲν μεταβάλλεται εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡμερότητα, ἐκεῖνος δὲ τῶν θηρίων ἀγριώτερος καθέστηκε.

Μὴ φιλονείκει πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον, μηδὲ ἀντιπαρεξάγαγε θυμῷ θυμόν· ἔκκλινον δὲ ὥσπερ τὰς χαλεπὰς τῶν πετρῶν ὁ σοφὸς κυβερνήτης· φύλαξαι δὲ ὥσπερ