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For a weak soul is then fully convinced, not if it simply hears, but if it learns something more. And Christ also takes great care for this, when, having sat down on the mountain, he discussed with the disciples all things with accuracy concerning the consummation. Why? So that those who bring in the antichrists and false christs might have no room. And he himself also gives many signs, one indeed and greatest, saying, when the Gospel is preached to all the nations; and another, so that one not be deceived concerning his coming; Like lightning, he says, 62.470 he will come, not hidden in some corner, but shining everywhere; it does not need one to announce it, so bright is it, just as the lightning does not need one to announce it. And he spoke somewhere also about the antichrist, when he said: I have come in my Father’s name, and you did not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. And he said that the successive and unspeakable calamities were a proof of this; and that Elijah must come. The Thessalonians, then, were at that time perplexed about these things, but their perplexity has become useful to us; for these things are useful not only to them, but also to us, so that we may be freed from childish myths and old wives' tales. Or have you not often heard, when you were children, some people saying many things about the name of the antichrist, and about bending the knees? For while our minds are still tender, the devil sows these things in them, so that the doctrine might grow up with us, so that he might be able to deceive. Paul, then, would not have omitted these things when speaking about the antichrist, if indeed they were useful. Let us not, therefore, seek these things. For he will not come thus, bending his knees, but, ‘exalting himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.’ For just as the devil fell through desperation, so also is the one energized by him anointed for desperation. 2. Therefore, I exhort, let us all strive to be far from this passion, so that we may not fall into his judgment, so that we may not become liable to the same punishment, so that we may not share in his penalty. Not a recent convert, he says, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Therefore, the one who is puffed up with pride pays the same penalty as the devil. For the beginning of pride, it says, is not to know the Lord; the beginning of sin is pride, the first impulse and movement toward evil; and perhaps indeed also its root and foundation. For ‘beginning’ signifies either the first impulse toward evil, or the constitution; as one might say, the beginning of temperance is to abstain from an unseemly sight, that is, the first impulse; but if we say, the beginning of temperance is fasting, that is, the foundation and system. So also desperation is the beginning of sin; for from it every sin begins, and by it it is held together. For that, whatever good things we may do, this vice does not permit them to remain and not fall apart, but is like some root, not allowing them not to be shaken, is clear from this: see how many things the Pharisee did, but nothing profited him; for he did not cut out the root, but it ruined everything. From desperation comes contempt for the poor, desire for money, lust for power, longing for glory; such a person is defensive toward insult. For the desperate man does not endure to be insulted even by his superiors, much less by his inferiors; and he who does not endure to be insulted, also does not endure to suffer evil. See how pride is the beginning of sin. And how is not knowing the Lord the beginning of pride? Rightly so; for he who knows God as he ought to be known, who knows that the 62.471 Son of God humbled himself so much, is not exalted; but he who does not know these things, is exalted; for pride anoints for desperation. For tell me, from what source do these who war against the Church say that they know God? Is it not from desperation? Behold, not knowing the Lord, into what a precipice

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γὰρ τότε πληροφορεῖται ψυχὴ ἀσθενὴς, οὐκ ἐὰν ἁπλῶς ἀκούσῃ, ἀλλ' ἐὰν μάθῃ τι πλέον. Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ πολλὴν ὑπὲρ τούτου ποιεῖται φροντίδα, ὅτε καθεσθεὶς ἐν τῷ ὄρει, πάντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας διελέγετο τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὰ περὶ τῆς συντελείας. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἵνα μὴ ἔχωσι χώραν οἱ τοὺς ἀντιχρίστους εἰσάγοντες καὶ ψευδοχρίστους. Καὶ πολλὰ τίθησι καὶ αὐτὸς σημεῖα, ἓν μὲν καὶ μέγιστον, λέγων, ὅταν κηρυχθῇ εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον· ἕτερον δὲ, ὥστε μὴ πλανᾶσθαι περὶ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ· Ὡς ἀστραπὴ, φησὶν, 62.470 ἥξει, οὐκ ἐν γωνίᾳ τινὶ κρυπτομένη, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ λάμπουσα· οὐ δεῖται τοῦ μηνύσοντος, οὕτως ἐστὶ λαμπρὰ, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἡ ἀστραπὴ δεῖται τοῦ μηνύσοντος. Εἶπε δέ που καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου, ἡνίκα ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ ἦλθον ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Πατρός μου, καὶ οὐκ ἐδέξασθέ με· ἐὰν ἄλλος ἔλθῃ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἰδίῳ, ἐκεῖνον λήψεσθε. Καὶ τὰς ἐπαλλήλους δὲ καὶ ἀφάτους συμφορὰς τεκμήριον εἶναι τούτου ἔλεγε· καὶ ὅτι Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν. Ἠπόρουν μὲν οὖν τότε οἱ Θεσσαλονικεῖς ταῦτα, ἡμῖν δὲ χρησίμη γέγονεν ἡ ἐκείνων ἀπορία· οὐ γὰρ πρὸς ἐκείνους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ταῦτα χρήσιμα, ἵνα τῶν μύθων τῶν παιδικῶν καὶ τῶν ληρημάτων τῶν γραϊκῶν ἀπαλλαγῶμεν. Ἢ οὐκ ἠκούσατε πολλάκις ἐν παισὶν ὄντες καὶ περὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου πολλὰ λεγόντων τινῶν, καὶ περὶ τοῦ κάμπτειν τὰ γόνατα; Ἔτι γὰρ ἁπαλαῖς οὔσαις ταῖς διανοίαις ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἐγκατασπείρει ταῦτα ὁ διάβολος, ἵνα ἡμῖν τὸ δόγμα συναυξηθῇ, ἵνα ἀπατῆσαι δυνηθῇ. Οὐκ ἂν οὖν ταῦτα παρῆκεν ὁ Παῦλος περὶ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου διαλεγόμενος, εἴ γε χρήσιμα ἦν. Μὴ δὴ ταῦτα ζητῶμεν. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἥξει κλίνων τὰ γόνατα, ἀλλ', Ὑπεραιρόμενος ἐπὶ πάντα θεὸν λεγόμενον ἢ σέβασμα, ὥστε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς θεὸν καθίσαι, ἀποδεικνύντα ἑαυτὸν ὅτι ἐστὶ θεός. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ διάβολος ἐξ ἀπονοίας ἔπεσεν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἐνεργούμενος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἀλειφόμενος. βʹ. ∆ιὸ, παρακαλῶ, πάντες σπουδάζωμεν πόῤῥω γενέσθαι τοῦ πάθους τούτου, ἵνα μὴ τῷ κρίματι τῷ ἐκείνου περιπέσωμεν, ἵνα μὴ τῆς κολάσεως ὑπεύθυνοι γενώμεθα τῆς αὐτῆς, ἵνα μὴ τῇ τιμωρίᾳ κοινωνήσωμεν τῇ αὐτοῦ. Μὴ νεόφυτον, φησὶν, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου. Ἄρα ὁ τετυφωμένος τὴν αὐτὴν τῷ διαβόλῳ δίδωσι δίκην. Ἀρχὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὑπερηφανίας τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι τὸν Κύριον· ἀρχὴ ἁμαρτίας ὑπερηφανία, πρώτη ὁρμὴ καὶ κίνησις ἐπὶ τὸ κακόν· τάχα μὲν οὖν καὶ ῥίζα καὶ ὑποβάθρα. Ἡ γὰρ ἀρχὴ ἢ τὴν πρώτην ὁρμὴν δηλοῖ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κακὸν, ἢ τὴν σύστασιν· ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, ἀρχὴ σωφροσύνης τὸ ἀπέχεσθαι θέας ἀτόπου, τουτέστι, πρώτη ὁρμή· ἂν δὲ εἴπωμεν, ἀρχὴ σωφροσύνης νηστεία, τουτέστι, θεμέλιος καὶ σύστημα. Οὕτω καὶ ἁμαρτίας ἀρχή ἐστιν ἡ ἀπόνοια· καὶ γὰρ ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἄρχεται πᾶσα ἁμαρτία, καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῆς συγκροτεῖται. Ὅτι γὰρ, ὅσα ἂν πράττωμεν ἀγαθὰ, οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτὰ ἡ κακία διαμεῖναι καὶ μὴ διαπεσεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ῥίζα τίς ἐστιν, οὐκ ἐῶσα μὴ διασαλευθῆναι, δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν· ὅρα πόσα ὁ Φαρισαῖος εἰργάσατο, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ὤνησε· τὴν γὰρ ῥίζαν οὐκ ἐξέκοψεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὴ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐλυμήνατο. Ἐξ ἀπονοίας ὑπεροψία πενήτων γίνεται, ἐπιθυμία χρημάτων, ἔρως ἀρχῆς, πόθος δόξης· πρὸς ὕβριν ἀμυντικὸς ὁ τοιοῦτος. Ὁ γὰρ ἀπονενοημένος, οὐδὲ παρὰ τῶν μειζόνων, μήτι γε παρὰ τῶν ἐλαττόνων ἀνέχεται ὑβρίζεσθαι· ὁ δὲ μὴ ἀνεχόμενος ὑβρίζεσθαι, οὐδὲ παθεῖν κακῶς ἀνέχεται. Ὅρα πῶς ἀρχὴ ἁμαρτίας ὑπερηφανία. Πῶς δὲ ἀρχὴ ὑπερηφανίας τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι τὸν Κύριον; Εἰκότως· ὁ γὰρ εἰδὼς τὸν Θεὸν ὡς εἰδέναι χρὴ, ὁ εἰδὼς ὅτι ὁ 62.471 Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοσοῦτον ἐταπεινοφρόνησεν, οὐκ ἐπαίρεται· ὁ δὲ ταῦτα μὴ εἰδὼς, ἐπαίρεται· πρὸς ἀπόνοιαν γὰρ ἀλείφει ἡ ὑπερηφανία. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, πόθεν οὗτοι οἱ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν πολεμοῦντές φασιν εἰδέναι τὸν Θεόν; οὐχὶ ἀπὸ ἀπονοίας; Ἰδοὺ τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι τὸν Κύριον, εἰς οἷον κρημνὸν