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to be revived, and a seed to be left for Israel; that we might not become like Sodom and Gomorrah, whose wickedness was notorious, but whose destruction was even more notorious, being overwhelmed with fire and brimstone. For this reason a horn of salvation was raised up for us who were already lying low, and a cornerstone, binding us to himself and to one another, was laid in due season, either a purifying fire for worthless and wicked matter, or a farmer's winnowing-shovel, by which the light and the heavy of doctrines are distinguished, or a sword cutting out the roots of wickedness; and the Word finds his ally, and the Spirit takes possession of him who will breathe for him.

Ηʹ. Thus indeed and for these reasons, by the vote of all the people, not according to the wicked model that later prevailed, nor murderously and tyrannically, but apostolically and spiritually, he is elevated to the throne of Mark, a successor no less to the piety than to the presidency. For in the one, he is many generations removed from him, but in the other, he is found to be immediately after him. This indeed must be considered the succession in the proper sense. For the one is of the same mind and the same throne, but the other of a contrary opinion and a contrary throne. And the one has the name, the other the reality of succession. For not the one who used force, but the one who was constrained is the successor; nor the one who broke the law, but the one who was appointed lawfully; nor the one who holds contrary opinions, but the one of the same faith; unless someone were to speak of a successor in the same way as disease of health, and darkness of light, and a storm of calm, and madness of sanity.

Θʹ. And since he is so appointed, so also does he administer his office. For he does not at once seize the throne, like those who snatch a tyranny or an unexpected inheritance, and behave insolently from satiety. For these things belong to illegitimate and counterfeit priests, and to those unworthy of the profession; who having contributed nothing beforehand to the priesthood, nor having labored for the good, are shown to be at once disciples and teachers of piety, and purify before they have been purified. Yesterday sacrilegious, and today priests; yesterday outside the holy places, and today mystagogues. Old in wickedness, and new in piety; 35.1092 which is a work of human favor, not of the Spirit. Who, when they have gone through everything with violence, finally tyrannize even piety; of whom not the character is trusted for the rank, but the rank for the character, with the order being greatly reversed; who owe more sacrifices for themselves than for the ignorances of the people; and they certainly err in one of two ways, either by needing forgiveness, they forgive beyond measure, so that wickedness is not checked, but even taught, or by the harshness of their rule, they cover up their own faults. Of which he was neither; but he was lofty in his deeds, but humble in his spirit; and in virtue inaccessible, but in meeting with others very accessible, gentle, without anger, sympathetic, pleasant in speech, more pleasant in character, angelic in appearance, more angelic in thought, calm in reproof, instructive in praise; and to spoil neither of these good things by lack of measure, but to make both his reproof fatherly, and his praise authoritative; neither his gentleness weak, nor his severity harsh; but the one forbearance, the other prudence, and both philosophy; needing very little speech on account of his character, which was sufficient for instruction; and very little of the rod on account of his speech; and even less of the knife, on account of the rod striking moderately.

Ιʹ. Why should I portray the man for you? Paul has already written; on the one hand, in what he sings of the great high priest who has passed through the heavens (for my discourse will dare even to this point, since Scripture knows to call Christs those who live according to Christ); on the other hand, in what he legislates, writing to Timothy for him, fashioning in his word the one who is to preside over the episcopate. For if you would set the law as a rule beside him who is praised for these things, you will know clearly the uprightness, Come now, celebrate with me as I labor at my discourse, and to run past most things

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ἀναζωοποιηθῆναι, καὶ σπέρμα τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὑπολειφθῆναι· ἵνα μὴ γενώμεθα ὡς Σόδομα καὶ Γόμοῤῥα, ὧν περιβόητος μὲν ἡ κακία, περι βοητοτέρα δὲ ἡ ἀπώλεια, πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ κατακλυσθέντων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἠγέρθη κέρας σωτηρίας ἡμῖν ἤδη κειμένοις, καὶ λίθος ἀκρογωνιαῖος, συνδέων ἑαυτῷ τε καὶ ἀλλήλοις ἡμᾶς, ἐνεβλήθη κατὰ καιρὸν, ἣ πῦρ καθαρτήριον τῆς φαύλης ὕλης καὶ μοχθηρᾶς, ἢ πτύον γεωργικὸν, ᾧ τὸ κοῦφον τῶν δογμάτων καὶ τὸ βαρὺ διακρίνεται, ἢ μάχαιρα τὰς τῆς κακίας ῥί ζας ἐκτέμνουσα· καὶ ὁ Λόγος εὑρίσκει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ σύμμαχον, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα καταλαμβάνει τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πνεύσοντα.

Ηʹ. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν καὶ διὰ ταῦτα, ψήφῳ τοῦ λαοῦ παντὸς, οὐ κατὰ τὸν ὕστερον νικήσαντα πονηρὸν τύ πον, οὐδὲ φονικῶς τε καὶ τυραννικῶς, ἀλλ' ἀποστο λικῶς τε καὶ πνευματικῶς, ἐπὶ τὸν Μάρκου θρόνον ἀνάγεται, οὐχ ἧττον τῆς εὐσεβείας, ἢ τῆς προ εδρίας διάδοχος· τῇ μὲν γὰρ πολλοστὸς ἀπ' ἐκείνου, τῇ δὲ εὐθὺς μετ' ἐκεῖνον εὑρίσκεται· ἣν δὴ καὶ κυρίως ὑποληπτέον διαδοχήν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὁμό γνωμον καὶ ὁμόθρονον, τὸ δὲ ἀντίδοξον καὶ ἀντίθρο νον· καὶ ἡ μὲν προσηγορίαν, ἡ δὲ ἀλήθειαν ἔχει διαδοχῆς. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ βιασάμενος, ἀλλ' ὁ βιασθεὶς διάδοχος· οὐδὲ ὁ παρανομήσας, ἀλλ' ὁ προβληθεὶς ἐννόμως· οὐδὲ ὁ τἀναντία δοξάζων, ἀλλ' ὁ τῆς αὐτῆς πίστεως· εἰ μὴ οὕτω τις λέγοι διάδοχον, ὡς νόσον ὑγιείας, καὶ φωτὸς σκότος, καὶ ζάλην γαλήνης, καὶ συνέσεως ἔκστασιν.

Θʹ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὕτω προβάλλεται, οὕτω καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν διατίθεται. Οὐ γὰρ ὁμοῦ τε καταλαμβά νει τὸν θρόνον, ὥσπερ οἱ τυραννίδα τινὰ, ἢ κληρονο μίαν παρὰ δόξαν ἁρπάσαντες, καὶ ὑβρίζει διὰ τὸν κόρον. Ταῦτα γὰρ τῶν νόθων καὶ παρεγγράπτων ἱερέων ἐστὶ, καὶ τοῦ ἐπαγγέλματος ἀναξίων· οἳ μηδὲν τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ προεισενεγκόντες, μηδὲ τοῦ κα λοῦ προταλαιπωρήσαντες, ὁμοῦ τε μαθηταὶ καὶ δι δάσκαλοι τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀναδείκνυνται, καὶ πρὶν καθ αρθῆναι καθαίρουσι· χθὲς ἱερόσυλοι, καὶ σήμερον ἱερεῖς· χθὲς τῶν ἁγίων ἔξω, καὶ μυσταγωγοὶ σήμε ρον· παλαιοὶ τὴν κακίαν, καὶ σχέδιοι τὴν εὐσέβειαν· 35.1092 ὃ ἔργον χάριτος ἀνθρωπίνης, οὐ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος· οἳ, ὅταν πάντα διεξέλθωσι βιαζόμενοι, τελευταῖον τυραννοῦσι καὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν· ὧν οὐχ ὁ τρόπος τὸν βαθμὸν, ὁ βαθμὸς δὲ τὸν τρόπον πιστεύεται, παρὰ πολὺ τῆς τάξεως ἐναλλαττομένης· οἳ πλείους ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν, ἢ τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ ἀγνοημάτων, τὰς θυσίας ὀφείλουσι· καὶ πάντως τῶν δύω τὸ ἕτερον ἁμαρτά νουσιν, ἢ τῷ δεῖσθαι συγγνώμης, ἄμετρα συγγινώ σκοντες, ὡς ἂν μήτε ἀνακόπτοιτο κακία, ἀλλὰ καὶ διδάσκοιτο, ἢ τῇ τραχύτητι τῆς ἀρχῆς, τὰ ἑαυτῶν συγκαλύπτοντες. Ὧν οὐδέτερον ἐκεῖνος· ἀλλ' ἦν ὑψη λὸς μὲν τοῖς ἔργοις, ταπεινὸς δὲ τῷ φρονήματι· καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀρετὴν ἀπρόσιτος, τὴν ἐντυχίαν δὲ καὶ λίαν εὐπρόσιτος, πρᾶος, ἀόργητος, συμπαθὴς, ἡδὺς τὸν λόγον, ἡδίων τὸν τρόπον, ἀγγελικὸς τὸ εἶδος, ἀγγελικώτερος τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπιτιμῆσαι γαληνὸς, ἐπαινέ σαι παιδευτικός· καὶ μηδέτερον τῶν καλῶν τῇ ἀμετρίᾳ λυμήνασθαι, ἀλλὰ ποιῆσαι καὶ τὴν ἐπιτίμη σιν πατρικὴν, καὶ τὸν ἔπαινον ἀρχικόν· μήτε τὸ ἁπαλὸν ἔκλυτον, μήτε στυφὸν τὸ αὐστηρόν· ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἐπιείκειαν, τὸ δὲ φρόνησιν, καὶ φιλοσοφίαν ἀμφότερα· ἐλάχιστα μὲν λόγου διὰ τὸν τρόπον δεόμενος ἀρκοῦντα πρὸς παιδαγωγίαν· ἐλάχιστα δὲ ῥάβδου διὰ τὸν λόγον· ἔτι δὲ ἐλάττω τομῆς, διὰ τὴν ῥάβδον μετρίως πλήττουσαν.

Ιʹ. Τί ἂν ὑμῖν ἀναζωγραφοίην τὸν ἄνδρα; Παῦλος προλαβὼν ἔγραψε· τοῦτο μὲν, ἐν οἷς τὸν ἀρχιερέα τὸν μέγαν, τὸν διεληλυθότα τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀνυμνεῖ (τολμήσει γάρ μοι καὶ μέχρι τούτων ὁ λόγος, ἐπειδὴ Χριστοὺς οἶδε καλεῖν ἡ Γραφὴ τοὺς ζῶντας κατὰ Χριστόν)· τοῦτο δὲ, ἐν οἷς Τιμοθέῳ πρὸς αὐτὸν γράφων νομοθετεῖ, τυπῶν τῷ λόγῳ τὸν ἐπισκο πῆς προστησόμενον. Εἰ γὰρ ὡς κανόνα τὸν νόμον παραθείης τῷ ταῦτα ἐπαινουμένῳ, γνώσῃ σα φῶς τὴν εὐθύτητα, ∆εῦρο δὴ συμπανηγυρίσατέ μοι περὶ τὸν λόγον κάμνοντι, καὶ τὰ μὲν πλείω παρατρέ χειν