they were strengthened and bound together. For they knew that, Straight and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there are that find it. They remembered the patriarch Abraham, that being the only worshipper of God in all the earth, he did not follow the multitude of the impious, but the law was for him a prize of piety and righteousness; whence, as from a good root, these fruits of piety fittingly sprouted forth. For from him came patriarchs, and the lawgiver Moses, and the prophets, and all the theologians; from him also, preeminently, that saving and immortal flower of righteousness, the Incarnation of the Savior; from that lineage these three youths also did not deny their noble birth; they remembered also Lot, sojourning in Sodom, but far removed in his ways; they considered also Joseph, alone in Egypt practicing self-control, and being a school of piety. Whence also these, being confined among so many thousands, seeing the many, reasoned that, Broad and spacious is the way that leads to destruction, and many are they who find it; but looking again at themselves and the furnace, they remembered also wisdom saying somewhere, that, As gold is tested in a furnace, so God chooses hearts. For this reason neither did the trumpet sounding its martial tune frighten them, nor did the lyre charming their ears dissolve the tones of their piety, nor indeed did all the rest of the symphony of music dissolve the good and harmonious symphony of piety, but they opposed the good symphony with their good confession. But that foolish and impious tyrant, when those with Ananias were reported as disobeying the 56.596 command of lawlessness, his soul being pressed down with diabolical pride, and having assumed, so to speak, the very appearance of the ruler of wickedness, summoning them, says: Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? He thought piety was a pretense, and asks if those professing piety truly dare to oppose royal commands; but he was about to be taught by experience itself that the men of God not only spit upon the tyrant's threats, but would also trample upon the very heat of the fire by the power of their piety. Now therefore, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, pipe, and lyre, sambuca and psaltery, and symphony, and every kind of music, falling down, worship the golden image which I have set up. 2. He well interpreted the worship of demons, Falling down, worship. It is impossible for those who worship demons not to fall into ruin, and fall away from the truth. But if, he says, you do not worship, you shall be cast in that very hour into the furnace of burning fire. Surely if it is a furnace, it is clear that it is fire; and if it is fire, it is clear that it is burning; but he magnifies and expands the threat, in order to bend the mind of piety; In that very hour you shall be cast into the furnace of burning fire. And up to this point the things of his arrogance are tolerable; but see what he adds after this: And what god is there who will deliver you out of my hands? This is another Pharaoh; for he too said to Moses: Who is the god, that I should obey him? I do not know the Lord, says the impious one, and I will not let the people go. O the great arrogance of men! O the great long-suffering of God! A man utters, and God endures; the clay speaks, and the creator is long-suffering; a fleshly tongue utters, and the Master of the bodiless angels has compassion. He who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. On this it is timely to remember Isaiah saying, Why is earth and ashes proud? Do you wish to marvel at God's long-suffering? Consider the insult made against you; how it has been deemed unbearable to you. Someone is often insulted by a servant, and immediately

ἐστερεοῦντο καὶ συνεσφίγγοντο. Ἤδεισαν γὰρ, ὅτι Στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν. Ἐμέμνηντο τοῦ πατριάρχου Ἀβραὰμ, ὅτι μόνος ὣν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ προσκυνητὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἠκολούθησε τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἀσεβούντων, ἀλλὰ νόμος ἦν αὐτῷ εὐσεβείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἔπαθλον· ὅθεν εἰκότως ἐξ αὐτοῦ τε οἷον ἔκ τινος ῥίζης ἀγαθῆς ἐβλάστησαν οὗτοι οἱ τῆς εὐσεβείας καρποί. Ἐξ αὐτοῦ γὰρ καὶ πατριάρχαι, καὶ ὁ νομοθέτης Μωϋσῆς, καὶ οἱ προφῆται, καὶ πάντες οἱ θεολόγοι· ἐξ αὐτοῦ δὲ προηγουμένως καὶ τὸ σωτήριον ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἀθάνατον τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἄνθος, ἡ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀνανθρώπησις· ἐξ ἐκείνης καὶ οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες οὗτοι οὐκ ἠρνήσαντο τὴν εὐγένειαν· ἐμέμνηντο καὶ τοῦ Λὼτ παροικοῦντος μὲν ἐν Σοδόμοις, μακρὰν δὲ τοῖς τρόποις ἀπῳκισμένου· ἐλάμβανον ἐν νῷ καὶ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ μόνον ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ σωφροσύνης ἀντιποιούμενον, καὶ εὐσεβείας ὄντα φροντιστήριον. Ὅθεν καὶ οὗτοι ἐν τοσαύταις μυριάσιν ἀπειλημμένοι τοὺς πολλοὺς μὲν ὁρῶντες ἐλογίζοντο, ὅτι Πλατεῖα καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν· πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς δὲ πάλιν βλέποντες καὶ τὴν κάμινον, ἐμέμνηντο καὶ τῆς σοφίας ὧδέ που λεγούσης, ὅτι Ὥσπερ δοκιμάζεται ἐν καμίνῳ χρυσὸς, οὕτως ἐκλέγεται καρδίας ὁ Θεός. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὔτε σάλπιγξ αὐτοὺς τὸ πολεμικὸν ἠχοῦσα μέλος ἐφόβησεν, οὔτε λύρα τὰς ἀκοὰς θέλγουσα τοὺς τόνους τῆς εὐσεβείας διέλυσεν, οὔτε μὴν ἡ λοιπὴ πᾶσα συμφωνία τῆς μουσικῆς τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἐναρμόνιον τῆς εὐσεβείας συμφωνίαν διέλυσεν, ἀλλ' ἀντέστησαν τῇ καλῇ συμφωνίᾳ τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν. Ὁ δὲ κακόφρων ἐκεῖνος καὶ δυσσεβὴς τύραννος, ὡς προηγγέλθησαν οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀνανίαν ἀπειθοῦντες τῷ 56.596 προστάγματι τῆς ἀνομίας, διαβολικῷ τύφῳ τὴν ψυχὴν πεπιεσμένος, καὶ αὐτὴν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τοῦ ἄρχοντος τῆς κακίας τὴν ὄψιν ἀναλαβὼν, προσκαλεσάμενος αὐτούς φησιν· Εἰ ἀληθῶς, Σιδρὰχ, Μισὰχ, καὶ Ἀβδεναγὼ, τοῖς θεοῖς μου οὐ λατρεύετε, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ ᾗ ἔστησα οὐ προσκυνεῖτε; Ἐνόμισε σχῆμα εἶναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ ἐρωτᾷ εἰ ἀληθῶς βασιλικοῖς προστάγμασιν ἀντιπίπτειν τολμῶσιν οἱ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι· ἔμελλε δὲ παρ' αὐτῆς τῆς πείρας διδάσκεσθαι, ὅτι οἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι οὐ μόνον τοῦ τυράννου τὰς ἀπειλὰς διαπτύουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν ἀκμὴν τῇ δυνάμει τῆς εὐσεβείας καταπατήσουσι. Νῦν οὖν ὡς ἂν ἀκούσητε τῆς φωνῆς τῆς σάλπιγγος, σύριγγός τε καὶ κιθάρας, σαμβύκης τε καὶ ψαλτηρίου, καὶ συμφωνίας, καὶ παντὸς γένους μουσικῶν, πίπτοντες προσκυνεῖτε τῇ εἰκόνι χρυσῇ, ᾗ ἔστησα. βʹ. Καλῶς ἡρμήνευσε τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων προσκύνησιν, Πεσόντες προσκυνεῖτε. Ἀμήχανον τοὺς δαίμονας προσκυνοῦντας μὴ πεσεῖν μὲν εἰς ὄλεθρον, ἐκπεσεῖν δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας. Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ, φησὶ, προσκυνήσητε, αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐμβληθήσεσθε εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν καιομένην. Πάντως εἰ κάμινός ἐστι, δῆλον ὅτι πῦρ ἐστιν· εἰ δὲ πῦρ ἐστιν, δῆλον καὶ καιομένη· ἀλλὰ μεγαλύνει καὶ πλατύνει τὴν ἀπειλὴν, ἵνα κάμψῃ τὴν γνώμην τῆς εὐσεβείας· Αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐμβληθήσεσθε εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν καιομένην. Καὶ φορητὰ μὲν μέχρι τούτου τὰ τῆς ἀλαζονείας· ὅρα δὲ τί μετὰ ταῦτα προστίθησιν· Καὶ τίς ἐστι θεὸς, ὃς ἐξελεῖται ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου; Ἄλλος οὗτος Φαραώ· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος πρὸς τὸν Μωϋσῆν φησι· Τίς ἐστι θεὸς, οὗ ἐπακούσομαι; Οὐκ οἶδα, φησὶν ὁ δυσσεβὴς, τὸν Κύριον, καὶ τὸν λαὸν οὐκ ἐξαποστελῶ. Ὢ τῆς πολλῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀλαζονείας! ὢ τῆς μεγάλης τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίας! Φθέγγεται ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἀνέχεται Θεός· λαλεῖ ὁ πηλὸς, καὶ μακροθυμεῖ ὁ πλαστουργός· φθέγγεται γλῶσσα σαρκίνη, καὶ σπλαγχνίζεται ὁ τῶν ἀσωμάτων ἀγγέλων ∆εσπότης. Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα. Εὔκαιρον ἐπὶ τούτου μνησθῆναι τοῦ Ἡσαΐου λέγοντος, Τί ἀλαζονεύεται γῆ καὶ σποδός; Θέλεις θαυμάσαι Θεοῦ μακροθυμίαν; Ἐννόησον τὴν εἰς σὲ γενομένην ὕβριν· πῶς ἀφόρητός σοι εἶναι νενόμισται. Ὑβρίζεταί τις πολλάκις ὑπὸ οἰκέτου, καὶ εὐθέως