mind; so that the wandering gaze does not cause the heart also to wander. But when the eyes are covered, the ears are not hindered from receiving the saving word. For just as those experienced in the goldsmith's craft, by applying breath to the fire through certain fine instruments, and fanning into flame the gold hidden in the crucible, by exciting the adjacent flame find what they seek; so also the exorcists, by casting in fear through the divine Spirit, and rekindling the soul, as if in a crucible, in the body; the enemy demon flees, but salvation remains, and the hope of eternal life remains, and henceforth the soul, having been cleansed from sins, has salvation. Let us abide, therefore, in hope, brethren, and give ourselves up, and hope; so that the God of all, seeing our purpose, may cleanse us from sins, and grant us good hopes for our affairs, and give us repentance unto salvation. God has called, and you have been called. 10 Persevere in the instructions; even if we prolong our discourse at great length, let not your mind grow weary; for you are taking up arms against the adverse power; you are taking up arms against heresies, against Jews, and Samaritans, and Gentiles. You have many enemies, take up many darts; for you have many to shoot at; and you need to learn how to strike down the Greek, how to contend against a heretic, against a Jew and a Samaritan. And the weapons are ready, and the sword of the Spirit most ready; but it is also necessary to stretch forth the right hand with a good will, that you may fight the Lord's battle, that you may conquer adverse powers, that you may be invincible against every heretical matter. 11 And let this also be a charge to you; learn the things that are spoken, and keep them for ever. Do not think that these are the customary homilies; for those also are good, and worthy of faith; but if we neglect them today, we learn tomorrow; but if the teachings concerning the laver of regeneration, delivered in their proper sequence, are neglected today, when will it be set right? Consider [for me] it to be the season for planting trees; if we do not dig and make the hole deep, when can that which has once been badly planted be planted well at another time? Consider for me the instruction to be a building; [if we do not dig deep, and lay a foundation,] if we do not in order join the structure together with the bonds of building, so that nothing is found loose, and the building becomes unsound, there is no benefit even from the former labor; but it is necessary for stone to follow stone in order, and for corner to follow corner; and by [our] dressing off the superfluous parts, so the complete building may rise. Thus we bring to you as it were stones of knowledge; you must hear about the living God; you must hear about judgment; you must hear about Christ; you must hear about the resurrection; and many things are spoken in order, now spoken of scattered, but then presented in harmony. But if you do not join them together into one whole, and remember the first things with the second, the builder builds indeed, but you will have an unsound building. 12 When, therefore, the instruction is given, if a fellow catechumen asks you what the teachers said, tell nothing to one who is outside; for we are entrusting to you a mystery, and a hope of the age to come. Guard the mystery for Him who gives the reward. Let no one ever say to you, "What harm is it, if I also learn?" The sick also ask for wine; but if it is given at the wrong time, it produces delirium; and two evils result, the sick person perishes, and the physician is slandered. So it is with the catechumen, if he should hear from one of the faithful; the catechumen becomes delirious, for he does not know what he has heard, and he finds fault with the matter, and scoffs at what is said; and the faithful person is condemned as a traitor. But you now stand on the border, see to it that you do not speak it out; not that the things spoken are not worthy to be spoken, but because the ear is unworthy to receive them. You too were once a catechumen, and I did not explain to you the things set before you. When by experience you have grasped the height of the things being taught, then you will know that the catechumens are unworthy of hearing them. 13 You who have been enrolled have become sons and daughters of one mother; when you enter before the hour

διάνοια· ἵνα μὴ τὸ βλέμμα ῥεμβόμενον ποιήσῃ ῥέμβεσθαι καὶ τὴν καρδίαν. Τῶν δὲ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐσκεπασμένων, οὐκ ἐμποδίζεται τὰ ὦτα δέξασθαι τὸ σωτήριον. Ὃν γὰρ τρόπον οἱ τῆς χρυσοχοϊκῆς ἐργασίας ἔμπειροι, διὰ τινῶν λεπτῶν ὀργάνων τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ πυρὶ παρεμβάλλοντες, καὶ τὸ ἐν τῇ χώνῃ κεκρυμμένον χρυσίον ἀναφυσῶντες, τὴν παρακειμένην ἐρεθίζοντες φλόγα εὑρίσκουσι τὸ ζητούμενον· οὕτω τῶν ἐπορκιζόντων, διὰ Πνεύματος θείου ἐμβαλλόντων τὸν φόβον, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν χώνῃ, τῷ σώματι, τὴν ψυχὴν ἀναζωπυρούντων· φεύγει μὲν ὁ ἐχθρὸς δαίμων, παραμένει δὲ ἡ σωτηρία, καὶ παραμένει ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, καὶ λοιπὸν ἡ ψυχὴ καθαρθεῖσα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἔχει τὴν σωτηρίαν. Παραμένωμεν τοίνυν τῇ ἐλπίδι, ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ δῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ ἐλπίσωμεν· ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς τῶν ὅλων, τὴν ἡμετέραν προαίρεσιν ἰδὼν, καθάρῃ μὲν ἡμᾶς τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, ἐλπίδας δὲ ἡμῖν ἀγαθὰς παράσχῃ τῶν πραγμά των, καὶ δώῃ ἡμῖν μετάνοιαν σωτηρίας. Θεὸς ἐκάλεσε, σὺ δὲ ἐκλήθης. 10 Παράμενε ταῖς κατηχήσεσιν· εἰ καὶ πολλὰ παρατείνωμεν λέγοντες, μήποτε ἡ διάνοιά σου ἐκλυθῇ· ὅπλα γὰρ λαμβάνεις κατὰ ἀντικειμένης ἐνεργείας· ὅπλα λαμβάνεις κατὰ αἱρέσεων, κατὰ Ἰουδαίων, καὶ Σαμαρειτῶν, καὶ Ἐθνῶν· πολλοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἔχεις, πολλὰ βέλη λάμβανε· πρὸς πολλοὺς γὰρ ἀκοντίζεις· καὶ χρεία σοι μαθεῖν πῶς κατακοντίσῃς τὸν Ἕλληνα, πῶς ἀγωνίσῃ πρὸς αἱρετικὸν, πρὸς Ἰουδαῖον καὶ Σαμαρείτην· καὶ τὰ μὲν ὅπλα ἕτοιμα, καὶ τὸ ξίφος τοῦ Πνεύματος ἑτοιμότατον· δεῖ δὲ καὶ δεξιὰς τείνειν διὰ προαιρέσεως ἀγαθῆς, ἵνα πόλεμον Κυρίου πολεμήσῃς, ἵνα νικήσῃς ἀντικειμένας ἐνεργείας, ἵνα ἀήττητος γένῃ παντὶ αἱρετικῷ πράγματι. 11 Παραγγελία δέ σοι καὶ τοῦτο ἔστω· τὰ λεγόμενα μάνθανε, καὶ τήρει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Μὴ νομίσῃς τὰς συνήθεις εἶναι προσομιλίας· κἀκεῖναι μὲν γὰρ ἀγαθαὶ, καὶ πίστεως ἀξίαι· ἀλλ' ἐὰν σήμερον ἀμελήσωμεν, αὔριον μανθάνομεν· τὰ δὲ περὶ τοῦ λουτροῦ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας κατ' ἀκολουθίαν διαδιδόμενα διδάγματα ἐὰν σήμερον ἀμεληθῇ, πότε κατορθωθήσεται; Νόμισόν [μοι] φυτείας εἶναι δένδρων καιρόν· ἐὰν μὴ σκάψωμεν καὶ βαθύνωμεν, πότε δύναται ἄλλοτε καλῶς φυτευθῆναι τὸ ἅπαξ κακῶς φυτευθέν; Νόμισόν μοι οἰκοδομὴν εἶναι τὴν κατήχησιν· [ἐὰν μὴ βαθύνωμεν, καὶ θεμέλιον θῶμεν,] ἐὰν μὴ κατ' ἀκολουθίαν δεσμοῖς οἰκοδομῆς ἁρμολογήσωμεν τὸν δόμον, ἵνα μὴ εὑρεθῇ τι χαῦνον, καὶ σαθρὰ γένηται ἡ οἰκοδομὴ, οὐδὲν ὄφελος οὐδὲ τοῦ προτέρου κόπου· ἀλλὰ δεῖ κατ' ἀκολουθίαν λίθον μὲν λίθῳ ἀκολουθεῖν, καὶ γωνίαν γωνίᾳ ἕπεσθαι· ἀποξεόντων δὲ [ἡμῶν] τὰ περιττὰ, οὕτως τελείαν οἰκοδομὴν ἀναβαίνειν· οὕτω προσφέρομέν σοι λίθους ὥσπερ γνώσεως· δεῖ ἀκούειν τὰ περὶ Θεοῦ ζῶντος· δεῖ ἀκούειν τὰ περὶ κρίσεως· δεῖ ἀκούειν τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ· δεῖ ἀκούειν τὰ περὶ ἀναστάσεως· καὶ πολλά ἐστιν ἀκολούθως λεγόμενα, νῦν μὲν σποράδην εἰρημένα, τότε δὲ καθ' ἁρμονίαν προσφερόμενα· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ συνάψῃς ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ, καὶ μνημονεύσῃς τῶν πρώτων καὶ τῶν δευτέρων, ὁ μὲν οἰκοδομῶν οἰκοδομεῖ, σὺ δὲ σαθρὰν ἕξεις τὴν οἰκοδομήν. 12 Ὅτε τοίνυν ἡ κατήχησις λέγηται, ἐάν σε κατηχούμενος ἐξετάσῃ, τί εἰρήκασιν οἱ διδάσκοντες, μηδὲν λέγε τῷ ἔξω· μυστήριον γάρ σοι παραδίδομεν, καὶ ἐλπίδα μέλλοντος αἰῶνος· τήρησον τὸ μυστήριον τῷ μισθαποδότῃ. Μή ποτέ σοί τις εἴπῃ· τί βλάπτῃ, ἐὰν κἀγὼ μάθω; Καὶ οἱ νοσοῦντες τὸν οἶνον ζητοῦσιν· ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἀκαίρως δοθῇ, φρενῖτιν ἐργάζεται· καὶ δύο κακὰ γίνεται, καὶ ὁ νοσῶν ἀπόλλυται, καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς διαβάλλεται· οὕτως ὁ κατηχούμενος, ἐὰν ἀκούσῃ παρὰ πιστοῦ· καὶ ὁ κατηχούμενος φρενιτιᾷ, οὐκ οἶδε γὰρ τί ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐλέγχει τὸ πρᾶγμα, καὶ ἐκμυκτηρίζει τὸ λεγόμενον· καὶ ὁ πιστὸς ὡς προδότης κατακρίνεται. Ἤδη δὲ σὺ ἐν μεθορίῳ στήκεις, βλέπε μοι μὴ ἐκλαλήσῃς· οὐχ ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια λαλιᾶς τὰ λεγόμενα, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἡ ἀκοὴ ἀναξία τοῦ δέξασθαι· ἦς καὶ σύ ποτε κατηχούμενος, οὐ διηγησάμην σοι τὰ προκείμενα· ὅταν τῇ πείρᾳ λάβῃς τὸ ὕψωμα τῶν διδασκομένων, τότε ἂν γνώσῃ, ὅτι ἀνάξιοι οἱ κατηχούμενοι τῆς ἀκοῆς. 13 Μιᾶς μητρὸς γεγόνατε υἱοὶ καὶ θυγατέρες, οἱ ἀπογραφέντες· ὅταν εἰσέλθητε πρὸ τῆς ὥρας