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when a sharing of names occurs they say they do not become synonymous. But Scripture is not so; but when it sees a great kinship of philosophy, even if different names are given to those who share a way of life with one another, it calls them by the same appellation. And it is not far to seek the proof of this, but by bringing this very John, the son of Zacharias, into our midst. For when the disciples asked if Elijah was to come again, he answered: And that if you are willing to accept it? This is Elijah who is to come. And yet he was called John; but since he had the manner 52.764 of Elijah, for this reason he also shared this appellation with him; since he possessed the spirit of Elijah, for this reason also the name of Elijah. For both dwelt in desert places; and the one was clothed in a sheepskin, the other in a garment of hair; and their table was likewise humble and simple. And the one became the servant of the first coming, the other will be of the future one. Since, therefore, their way of life and clothing, and the places they frequented, and their ministry were one, and all things were the same for them; for this reason he also gave one name to both, showing that even if someone has a different name, he can be synonymous with him whose way of life he has emulated. d. Since, therefore, this is the undisputed rule, and this the precise definition of synonyms in Holy Scripture, come, let us show how this wise father of ours also emulated the way of John, so that you may learn that he would more rightly inherit his appellation. That one had no table, nor couch, nor house on earth; but neither did this one ever have one. And you are witnesses of this, how he spent all his time, demonstrating an apostolic life, possessing nothing of his own, but being fed by others, while he himself persevered in prayer and in the teaching of the word. That one preached, spending his time beyond the river in the wilderness; and this one, having once taken the whole city beyond the river, taught sound doctrine. That one dwelt in a prison and was beheaded for his boldness on behalf of the law; but this one also was often driven from his homeland for his boldness on behalf of the faith, and often was he also beheaded for this same reason, if not in experience, yet in intention. For the enemies of the truth, not bearing the power of his tongue, stitched together countless plots from every side, and the Lord delivered him from them all. Come, then, let us listen to this tongue, for which he was both endangered and saved. Concerning which one would not err in saying this, which Moses said concerning the land of promise. And what did he say about that? A land flowing with milk and honey. This can also be said about his tongue: a tongue flowing with milk and honey. Therefore, that we may enjoy the milk and be filled with the honey, having ended our speech here, let us listen to the lyre and the trumpet. For when I consider the pleasure of the words, I call his voice a lyre; but when I consider the power of the thoughts, a kind of war trumpet, and such a one as the Jews had when they brought down the walls of Jericho. For just as then the sound of the trumpets, falling upon the stones more fiercely than fire, consumed and spent everything; so also his voice now, falling upon the strongholds of the heretics no less than that trumpet, casts down reasonings, 52.765 and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. But that you may learn these things not through our tongue, but through his, let us end 52.766 our speech, sending up glory to God, who has provided such teachers, for to him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

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τῶν ὀνομάτων συμβαίνῃ κοινωνία οὔ φασι γίνεσθαι συνωνύμους. Ἡ Γραφὴ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως· ἀλλ' ὅταν ἴδῃ πολλὴν τῆς φιλοσοφίας τὴν συγγένειαν, κἂν ἕτερα ὀνόματα ᾖ κείμενα τοῖς κατὰ τὸν τρόπον κοινωνοῦσιν ἀλλήλοις, ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς αὐτοὺς προσ ηγορίας καλεῖ. Καὶ τούτου οὐ πόῤῥωθέν ἐστι παρα σχεῖν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τοῦτον τὸν Ἰωάννην τὸν Ζαχαρίου παραγαγόντες εἰς μέσον. Τῶν γὰρ μαθητῶν ἐρωτησάντων, εἰ μέλλοι παραγίνεσθαι πά λιν Ἠλίας, ἀπεκρίνατο· Καὶ ὅτι εἰ θέλετε δέξασθαι; Οὗτός ἐστιν Ἠλίας ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι. Καὶ μὴν Ἰωάννης ἐλέγετο· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ Ἠλίου τὸν τρόπον 52.764 εἶχε, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῆς προσηγορίας αὐτῷ μετέδωκε ταύτης· ἐπειδὴ τὸ πνεῦμα Ἠλίου ἐκτήσατο, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ ὄνομα Ἠλίου. Καὶ γὰρ ἐρήμους χώρας ᾤκησαν ἀμφότεροι· καὶ ὁ μὲν μηλωτὴν, ὁ δὲ τρί χινον ἱμάτιον περιεβέβλητο· καὶ τράπεζα ὁμοίως αὐ τοῖς εὐτελὴς καὶ λιτὴ ἦν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν τῆς προτέρας παρουσίας διάκονος γέγονεν, ὁ δὲ ἔσται τῆς μελλού σης αὖθις. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ διαίτης τρόπος καὶ ἱματίων περιβολὴ, καὶ τόπων διατριβαὶ, καὶ διακονία μία, καὶ πάντα ἴσα ἦν αὐτοῖς· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὄνομα ἓν ἀμφοτέροις ἐπέθηκε, δεικνὺς ὅτι κἂν ἕτερόν τις ὄνομα ἔχῃ, δύναται εἶναι ἐκείνῳ συνώνυμος, οὗ τὸν τρόπον ἐζήλωσεν. δʹ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀναμφισβήτητος οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ κανὼν, καὶ ἀκριβὴς οὗτος συνωνύμων ὅρος παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ, φέρε, δείξωμεν ὅπως καὶ τὸν τρόπον ἐζήλωσε τὸν Ἰωάννου ὁ σοφὸς οὗτος ἡμῶν πατὴρ, ἵνα μάθητε ὅτι καὶ τῆς προσηγορίας οὗτος δικαιότερον ἂν κληρονομήσειε τῆς ἐκείνου. Οὐκ ἦν ἐκείνῳ τράπεζα, οὐδὲ κλίνη, οὐδὲ οἰκία ἐπὶ γῆς· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τούτῳ ποτὲ ἐγένετο. Καὶ τούτου μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς, πῶς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον διετέλεσεν, ἀποστολικὸν ἐπιδεικνύμενος βίον, μηδὲν ἴδιον ἔχων, ἀλλὰ παρ' ἑτέρων τρεφόμενος, αὐτὸς τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ λόγου προσκαρτερῶν. Ἐκήρυξεν ἐκεῖνος, πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ διατρίβων ἐν ταῖς ἐρημίαις· καὶ οὗτος πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ποτε τὴν πόλιν πᾶσαν λαβὼν, τὴν ὑγιῆ διδασκαλίαν ἐπαίδευσεν. Ὤκησεν ἐκεῖνος εἰς δεσμωτήριον καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπετμήθη διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ νόμου παῤῥησίαν· ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος πολλάκις τῆς πατρίδος ἐξέπεσε διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως παῤῥησίαν, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπετμήθη διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην αἰτίαν, εἰ καὶ μὴ τῇ πείρᾳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ προθέσει. Οὐ γὰρ φέροντες οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὶ τὴν τῆς γλώττης αὐτοῦ δύναμιν, μυρίας πάντοθεν ἔῤῥαπτον ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ ἐκ πασῶν αὐτὸν ἐῤῥύσατο Κύριος. Φέρε οὖν γλώττης ἀκούσωμεν ταύτης, δι' ἣν καὶ ἐκινδύνευσε καὶ ἐσώθη. Περὶ ἧς οὐκ ἄν τις ἁμάρτοι τοῦτο εἰπὼν, ὃ περὶ τῆς γῆς [τῆς] ἐπαγγελίας εἴρηκε Μωσῆς. Τί δὲ περὶ ἐκείνης εἶπεν; Γῆν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι. Τοῦτο καὶ περὶ τῆς γλώττης ἔστιν εἰπεῖν· γλῶττα ῥέουσα γάλα καὶ μέλι τούτου. Ἵν' οὖν καὶ γάλακτος ἀπολαύσωμεν, καὶ τοῦ μέλιτος ἐμφορηθῶμεν ἐνταῦθα τὸν ἡμέτερον καταπαύσαντες λόγον, ἀκούσωμεν τῆς λύρας καὶ τῆς σάλπιγγος. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐννοήσω τῶν ῥημάτων, λύραν καλῶ τὴν τούτου φωνήν· ὅταν δὲ τὸ δυνατὸν τῶν νοημάτων, σάλπιγγά τινα πολεμικὴν, καὶ τοιαύτην, οἵαν εἶχον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἡνίκα τὰ τῆς Ἱεριχὼ τείχη κατέβαλον. Καθάπερ γὰρ τότε ἡ τῶν σαλπίγγων ἠχὴ, πυρὸς σφοδρότερον τοῖς λίθοις προσπίπτουσα, πάντα ἀνήλισκε καὶ ἐδαπάνα· οὕτω καὶ ἡ τούτου φωνὴ νῦν, οὐχ ἧττον τῆς σάλπιγγος ἐκείνης τοῖς τῶν αἱρετικῶν ὀχυρώμασιν ἐμπεσοῦσα, λογι 52.765 σμοὺς καθαιρεῖ, καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας γλώττης, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς τούτου ταῦτα μάθητε, ἀνα 52.766 παύσωμεν τὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον, δόξαν ἀναπέμψαντες τῷ Θεῷ, τῷ τοιούτους παρασχόντι διδασκάλους, ὅτι αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.