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a reef, nor wild beasts, but a sea and an ocean full of sweet fragrance; here ships are not moving from earth to earth, but moving their mooring from earth to heaven, not having money, not gold, nor silver, but faith, and love, and zeal, and wisdom.

2. Come then, therefore, let us with precision launch the ship which is never destroyed, nor endures shipwreck. But attend with precision to what is being said; for the psalm today leads us out to battle against the heretics, not so that we may strike them while they are standing, but 50.701 so that we may raise them up as they lie fallen; for such is our war; it does not make dead men from the living, but it makes living men from the dead, being full of gentleness and much forbearance. For I do not persecute with deeds, but I pursue with words, not the heretic, but the heresy; I do not turn away from the man, but I hate the error, and I wish to win him over. I do not have a war against his substance; for substance is the work of God; but I wish to correct the opinion, which the devil has corrupted. So also a physician, when treating a sick person, does not make war on the body, but destroys the body's affliction.

And so if I make war on heretics, I do not make war on the men themselves, but I wish to cast out the error, and to purge the corruption. It is my custom to be persecuted and not to persecute, to be driven out and not to drive out. Thus also Christ was victorious, not by crucifying, but by being crucified, not by striking, but by being struck. If I have spoken wrongly, He says, bear witness to the wrong; but if well, why do you strike me? The Master of the world makes his defense to the servant of the high priest, and being struck on the mouth, from whence came the word, and He bridled the sea, and raised the four-days-dead Lazarus from the dead; from whence evil fled away, from whence diseases and sins were loosed; this is the wonder of the Crucified One. For being able to release a thunderbolt, and to shake the earth, and to wither the hand of the servant, He did none of these things, but He even makes a defense, and is victorious through meekness, teaching you, being a man, never to be indignant; even if you are crucified, even if you receive a blow, that you should say the same things as your Master: If I have spoken wrongly, bear witness to the wrong; but if well, why do you strike me? And see his love for mankind, how He avenges the things of His servants, but passes over the things concerning Himself. There was once a certain prophet, and he was rebuking an impious king, and coming, he says: Altar, altar, hear. For since king Jeroboam was standing offering sacrifice to the idols, the prophet came and speaks to the altar. What are you doing, O prophet? You have left the man, and you speak to the altar? Yes, he says. Why? Because the man has become more senseless than a stone, I leave him, and I speak to this, so that you may learn that the stone hears, and the man does not hear. Hear, altar, hear, and immediately the altar was broken apart. The king stretched out his hand, wishing to seize the prophet, and he was not able to draw it back. Do you see that the altar heard more than the king? do you see that he left the rational being, and speaks to the irrational thing, so that through its obedience he might correct the other's senselessness and wickedness? The altar was broken apart, and the king's wickedness was not broken apart. But see what happened; the king stretched out his hand to take the prophet, and immediately his hand was withered.

Since by the punishment of the altar he did not become better, by his own chastisement he is taught obedience to God. For I, sparing you, wished to release my wrath upon a stone; but since the stone did not become your teacher, you receive the punishment. And he stretched out his hand, and immediately it was withered. The trophy of the prophet therefore stood, and the king was not able to draw it back. Where is the diadem? Where are the purple robes? Where are the breastplates? Where are the shields? Where is the army? Where are the spears? God commanded, and 50.702 all those things perished; they stood by

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σκόπελος, οὔτε θηρία, ἀλλὰ θάλαττα καὶ πέλαγος γέμον εὐωδίας· ἐνταῦθα πλοῖα οὐκ ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς γῆν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ γῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν μεθορμιζόμενα, οὐ χρήματα ἔχοντα, οὐ χρυσὸν, οὐδὲ ἄργυρον, ἀλλὰ πίστιν, καὶ ἀγάπην, καὶ ζῆλον, καὶ σοφίαν.

βʹ. Φέρε δὴ τοίνυν μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐφίεμεν τὸ πλοῖον μηδέποτε ἀπολλύμενον, μηδὲ ναυάγιον ὑπομένον. Ἀλλὰ προσέχετε μετὰ ἀκριβείας τοῖς λεγομένοις· ὁ γὰρ ψαλμὸς ἡμᾶς σήμερον εἰς παράταξιν ἐξάγει τῶν αἱρετικῶν, οὐχ ἵνα αὐτοὺς ἑστῶτας βάλλωμεν, ἀλλ' 50.701 ἵνα κειμένους ἀναστήσωμεν· τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῶν ὁ πόλεμος· οὐκ ἀπὸ ζώντων νεκροὺς ἐργάζεται, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ζῶντας κατασκευάζει, ἡμερότητος γέμων καὶ πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιεικείας. Οὐ γὰρ ἐλαύνω πράγματι, ἀλλὰ τῷ λόγῳ διώκω, οὐ τὸν αἱρετικὸν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αἵρεσιν, οὐ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποστρέφομαι, ἀλλὰ τὴν πλάνην μισῶ, καὶ ἐπισπάσασθαι βούλομαι· οὐκ ἔχω πόλεμον πρὸς οὐσίαν· Θεοῦ γὰρ ἔργον ἡ οὐσία· ἀλλὰ τὴν γνώμην διορθώσασθαι βούλομαι, ἣν διέφθειρεν ὁ διάβολος. Οὕτω καὶ ἰατρὸς ἄῤῥωστον θεραπεύων, οὐ τῷ σώματι πολεμεῖ, ἀλλὰ τοῦ σώματος τὴν κακίαν ἀναιρεῖ.

Κἀγὼ τοίνυν ἐὰν πολεμήσω αἱρετικοῖς, οὐκ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις πολεμῶ, ἀλλὰ τὴν πλάνην ἐκβαλεῖν βούλομαι, καὶ τὴν σηπεδόνα ἐκκαθᾶραι. Ἐμοὶ ἔθος ἐστὶ διώκεσθαι καὶ μὴ διώκειν, ἐλαύνεσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐλαύνειν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς περιεγένετο, οὐ σταυρώσας, ἀλλὰ σταυρωθεὶς, οὐ ῥαπίσας, ἀλλὰ ῥαπισθείς. Εἰ μὲν κακῶς ἐλάλησα, φησὶ, μαρτύρησον περὶ τοῦ κακοῦ· εἰ δὲ καλῶς, τί με δέρεις; Ὁ ∆εσπότης τῆς οἰκουμένης τῷ δούλῳ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως ἀπολογεῖται, καὶ ῥαπισθεὶς τὸ στόμα, ὅθεν ἐξῆλθε ῥῆμα, καὶ τὴν θάλατταν ἐχαλίνωσε, καὶ τετραήμερον Λάζαρον ἐκ νεκρῶν ἤγειρεν· ὅθεν κακία ἐδραπέτευσεν, ὅθεν νοσήματα καὶ ἁμαρτήματα ἐλύετο· τοῦτο τοῦ σταυρωθέντος τὸ θαῦμα. Καὶ γὰρ δυνάμενος κεραυνὸν ἀφεῖναι, καὶ τὴν γῆν σεῖσαι, καὶ τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ δούλου ξηρᾶναι, οὐδὲν τούτων ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπολογεῖται, καὶ πραότητι περιγίνεται, σὲ παιδεύων ἄνθρωπον ὄντα μηδέποτε ἀγανακτεῖν· κἂν σταυρωθῇς, κἂν ῥάπισμα λάβῃς, τὰ αὐτὰ ἵνα λέγῃς ὡς ὁ ∆εσπότης σου· Εἰ μὲν κακῶς ἐλάλησα, μαρτύρησον περὶ τοῦ κακοῦ· εἰ δὲ καλῶς, τί με δέρεις; Καὶ ὅρα αὐτοῦ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, πῶς τὰ μὲν τῶν δούλων ἐκδικεῖ, τὰ δὲ ἑαυτοῦ παρατρέχει. Ἐγένετό τίς ποτε προφήτης, καὶ βασιλέα ἀσεβοῦντα διήλεγχε, καὶ ἐλθών φησι· Θυσιαστήριον, θυσιαστήριον, ἄκουσον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἱεροβοὰμ εἱστήκει τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἀναφέρων θυσίαν, ἐλθὼν ὁ προφήτης τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ διαλέγεται. Τί ποιεῖς, ὦ προφῆτα; τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀφῆκας, καὶ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ διαλέγῃ; Ναὶ, φησί. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἐπειδὴ λίθου ἀναισθητότερος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐγένετο, ἐκεῖνον ἀφίημι, καὶ τούτῳ διαλέγομαι, ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι ὁ λίθος ἀκούει, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἀκούει. Ἄκουσον, θυσιαστήριον, ἄκουσον, καὶ εὐθέως ἐῤῥάγη τὸ θυσιαστήριον. Ἐξέτεινε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ὁ βασιλεὺς, πιάσαι τὸν προφήτην βουλόμενος, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο συστεῖλαι αὐτήν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι μᾶλλον τὸ θυσιαστήριον ἤκουσεν, ἢ ὁ βασιλεύς; ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸν λογικὸν ἀφῆκε, καὶ τῷ ἀλόγῳ διαλέγεται, ἵνα διὰ τῆς τούτου ὑπακοῆς τὴν ἐκείνου ἀναισθησίαν καὶ κακίαν διορθώσηται; Ἐῤῥάγη τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ἡ κακία τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ ἐῤῥάγη. Ἀλλ' ὅρα τὸ γεγενημένον· ἐξέτεινε τὴν χεῖρα ὁ βασιλεὺς λαβεῖν τὸ προφήτην, καὶ εὐθέως ἐξηράνθη ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ.

Ἐπειδὴ τῇ τιμωρίᾳ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου οὐκ ἐγένετο βελτίων, τῇ οἰκείᾳ κολάσει παιδεύεται τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ὑπακοήν. Ἐγὼ μὲν γάρ σου φειδόμενος εἰς λίθον ἠθέλησα ἀφεῖναι τὴν ὀργήν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἐγένετό σοι διδάσκαλος ὁ λίθος, λάμβανε σὺ τὴν τιμωρίαν. Καὶ ἐξέτεινε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ παραυτίκα ἐξηράνθη. Εἱστήκει λοιπὸν τὸ τρόπαιον τοῦ προφήτου, καὶ συστεῖλαι αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἠδύνατο. Ποῦ τὸ διάδημα; ποῦ αἱ πορφυρίδες; ποῦ οἱ θώρακες; ποῦ αἱ ἀσπίδες; ποῦ τὸ στρατόπεδον; ποῦ τὰ δόρατα; Ὁ Θεὸς ἐκέλευσε, καὶ 50.702 πάντα ἐκεῖνα ἀπώλετο· παρειστήκεισαν