but it casts out a Hellenic suspicion. But if it is necessary to use an absolute argument, it speaks of the subjection of Christ as taking place through the church; for when the church is subjected, having nothing illegitimate or counterfeit, but offering to God a sincere and pure disposition, then it will be genuinely subjected to him. The saying is forced, he says, and not sufficient to persuade the ungrateful man. Therefore, that you may learn that whatever such things are attributed to Christ are observed in the church of Christ, I will present to you as a witness the very Master of the church; but a little from the beginning, so that what is said may be clear. While Christ was in this world in the flesh, fulfilling the human economy for the salvation of the world, the savior of the inhabited world was persecuted by Jews and driven about by the enemies of the truth, and the fount of benefaction was treated ungratefully by those who were enjoying the benefaction; but when he had fulfilled the whole economy through his passion, he passed over to the heavenly choirs, departing in the body, but in truth filling all things; and having taken up on high the body which he had put on, he sat at the right hand of the Majesty on high, not as having received some foreign and alien glory, but bestowing such great worth on the mortal body. So then after the ascension and the release from the passions, after that much-praised resurrection and the removal to the heavens, being worshipped by every super-celestial host, with every angelic guard standing by him, he was therefore neither among those afflicted nor among those persecuted nor among those driven about, since he saw Paul raging against the church, breathing great wrath against the saints, he who was in no way persecuted after the passion, but living in such great honor and divine glory, says to him: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And yet I am not persecuting you; for you hold the presidency in the heavens. Why are you persecuting me? He makes the sufferings of the church his own. Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Do you see that the persecution of the church is ascribed to Christ, the head of the church? Just as, therefore, when the church is being persecuted he says he himself is being persecuted, so also now Paul says that when the church is being subjected, Christ is being subjected. Take for me also another proof of the argument; for on the testimony of two or three witnesses every word will be established; not as though the Master’s voice needs another testimony, but because Christ in speaking is credible to believers, but incredible in his testimony to unbelievers; we do not fortify the Master's voice, but we muzzle heretical ingratitude. This Paul, having learned from Christ himself that the persecution of the church is referred to Christ, knowing then that indeed whatever the church might suffer has its reference to Christ, he himself also, following in the tracks of the royal words, says somewhere in one of his epistles: I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. Is Christ then still afflicted again after ascending into the heavens? But see what is added: I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for the sake of his body, which is the church. Do you see how Christ makes his own the sufferings and the honor of the church? Did you honor the church? You have honored Christ. Did you persecute the church? Even if not in sight, yet in intention you have persecuted Christ. Consider how great is the danger of those who grieve the church, how great the crown of those who honor the church; he who rejects you rejects me, says the Savior. I recognize the voice, O Master, as holding to the paternal sequence; for the Father also spoke such things concerning his ancient prophets, making his own the insolence against the righteous. For when Abimelech the king of the Philistines was taking Sarah, who was Abraham's wife, God says to him: Return the wife to the man, for he is a prophet and will pray for you. But he, defending himself, says: Lord, I did not know that she is his wife; I did this in a pure heart. What then did God say to him? I too knew that you did this in a pure heart; for this reason I spared you from sinning against me.

ἀλλ' ὑπόνοιαν ἑλληνικὴν ἐκβάλλει. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ ἀπολύτῳ χρήσασθαι λόγῳ, ὑποταγὴν λέγει τοῦ Χριστοῦ γινομένην τὴν διὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ὅταν γὰρ ἡ ἐκκλησία ὑποταγῇ μηδὲν νόθον ἔχουσα μηδὲ κίβδηλον, ἀλλ' εἰλικρινῆ καὶ ἄνοθον προςφέρουσα τῷ θεῷ τὴν διάθεσιν, τότε αὐτῷ γνησίως ὑποταγήσεται. Βεβιασμένον, φησί, τὸ ῥῆμα καὶ οὐχ ἱκανὸν πεῖσαι τὸν ἀγνώμονα. Οὐκοῦν ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι ὅσα τοιαῦτα ἀνατίθεται τῷ Χριστῷ, τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιθεωρεῖται τοῦ Χριστοῦ, αὐτόν σοι παραστήσω μάρτυρα τὸν δεσπότην τῆς ἐκκλησίας· ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ἄνωθεν, ἵνα ᾖ σαφῆ τὰ λεγόμενα. Ἕως ἦν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸς τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην οἰκονομίαν πληρῶν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηρίας, ἐδιώκετο παρὰ Ἰουδαίων καὶ περιηλαύνετο παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ σωτὴρ τῆς οἰκουμένης καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀπολαυόντων τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἡ πηγὴ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἠγνωμονεῖτο· ὅτε δὲ πᾶσαν ἐπλήρωσε τὴν οἰκονομίαν διὰ τοῦ πάθους, εἰς τοὺς οὐρανίους μετέστη χοροὺς τῷ μὲν σώματι μεθιστάμενος, τῇ δὲ ἀληθείᾳ τὰ πάντα πληρῶν· ἀναλαβὼν δὲ εἰς ὕψος ὅπερ ἐνεδύσατο σῶμα ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν ὑψηλοῖς οὐχ οἷόν τινα ξένην καὶ ἀλλοτρίαν δόξαν λαβών, ἀλλὰ τῷ θνητῷ σώματι τὴν τοσαύτην ἀξίαν περιτιθείς. Μετά γ' οὖν τὴν ἀνάληψιν καὶ τῶν παθῶν τὴν ἀπαλλαγήν, μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ἐκείνην τὴν πολυΰμνητον καὶ τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς μετάστασιν ὑπὸ πάσης στρατιᾶς προςκυνούμενος τῆς ὑπερουρανίου, πάσης αὐτῷ ἀγγελικῆς δορυφορίας παρεστώσης, οὔκουν οὔτε ἐν τοῖς θλιβομένοις ὢν οὔτε ἐν τοῖς διω154 κομένοις οὔτε ἐν τοῖς περιελαυνομένοις, ἐπειδὴ μεμηνότα τὸν Παῦλον εἶδε κατὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, πολὺν πνέοντα τὸν θυμὸν κατὰ τῶν ἁγίων, φησὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ μηδαμοῦ διωκόμενος μετὰ τὸ πάθος, ἀλλ' ἐν τιμῇ τοσαύτῃ καὶ δόξῃ θεϊκῇ διάγων· Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις; Καὶ μὴν οὐ σὲ διώκω· τὴν γὰρ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἔχεις προεδρίαν. Τί με διώκεις; Οἰκειοῦται τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὰ πάθη. Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις; Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι ὁ διωγμὸς τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπιγράφεται τῷ Χριστῷ τῇ κεφαλῇ τῆς ἐκκλησίας; Ὥςπερ οὖν διωκομένης τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἑαυτὸν λέγει διώκεσθαι, οὕτω καὶ νῦν ὁ Παῦλος ὑποταττομένης τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὸν Χριστὸν λέγει ὑποτάσσεσθαι. Λάβε μοι καὶ ἑτέραν ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ λόγου· ἐπὶ γὰρ δύο καὶ τριῶν μαρτύρων σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα· οὐχ ὡς τῆς δεσποτικῆς φωνῆς προςδεομένης ἑτέρας μαρτυρίας, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ Χριστὸς λαλῶν τοῖς μὲν πιστοῖς πιστός, τοῖς δὲ ἀπίστοις ἀπίθανος τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ· οὐ τὴν δεσποτικὴν ὀχυροῦμεν φωνήν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αἱρετικὴν ἐπιστομίζομεν ἀγνωμοσύνην. Παῦλος οὗτος παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθών, ὅτι διωγμὸς ἐκκλησίας εἰς Χριστὸν ἀναφέρεται, εἰδὼς λοιπόν, ὅτι δὴ πᾶν ὅπερ ἂν ἡ ἐκκλησία πάθῃ εἰς Χριστὸν τὴν ἀναφορὰν ἔχει, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκολουθῶν τοῖς ἴχνεσι τῶν βασιλικῶν λόγων λέγει που ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἐπιστολῶν· Ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἔτι οὖν πάλιν Χριστὸς θλίβεται μετὰ τὸ ἀνελθεῖν εἰς οὐρανούς; Ἀλλ' ὅρα τὸ ἐπαγόμενον· Ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκίμου ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησία. Ὁρᾷς, ὅπως οἰκειοῦται τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὰ πάθη καὶ τὴν τιμὴν ὁ Χριστός; Ἐτίμησας ἐκκλησίαν; Χριστὸν ἐτίμησας. Ἐδίωξας ἐκκλησίαν; Εἰ καὶ μὴ τῇ ὄψει, ἀλλὰ τῇ προαιρέσει 155 Χριστὸν ἐδίωξας. Ἐννόησον, ὅσος ὁ κίνδυνος τῶν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν λυπούντων, ὅσος ὁ στέφανος τῶν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τιμώντων· ὁ ὑμᾶς ἀθετῶν ἐμὲ ἀθετεῖ, φησὶν ὁ σωτήρ. Γνωρίζω τὴν φωνήν, ὦ δέσποτα, πατρικῆς ἀκολουθίας ἐχομένην· καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ τοιαῦτα περὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων αὐτοῦ προφητῶν ἐλάλει οἰκειούμενος τὴν ὕβριν τῶν δικαίων. Ὅτε γὰρ Ἀβιμέλεχ ὁ βασιλεὺς Φυλιστιεὶμ ἐλάμβανε τὴν Σάρραν τῷ Ἀβραὰμ οὖσαν γυναῖκα, λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ θεός· Ἀπόδος τῷ ἀνδρὶ τὴν γυναῖκα, ὅτι προφήτης ἐστὶ καὶ προςεύξεται ὑπὲρ σοῦ. Ὁ δὲ ἀπολογούμενός φησι· Κύριε, οὐκ ᾔδειν, ὅτι γυνὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν· ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ τοῦτο ἐποίησα. Τί οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ θεός; Κἀγὼ ᾔδειν, ὅτι ἐν καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ τοῦτο ἐποίησας· διὰ τοῦτο ἐφεισάμην σου τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν εἰς ἐμέ.