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he will give more easily from what he has. For it is not the measure of substance, but the measure of will, that is disposed to produce almsgiving; since that widow then cast in two mites, and surpassed those who boasted in their wealth, and the other widow with a handful of meal and a little oil gave hospitality to that soul which reached to heaven, and for neither of them was poverty an obstacle. Do not then make superfluous and unprofitable excuses; for He does not demand an abundance of contribution, but a wealth of purpose; which is shown not from the measure of what is given, but from the eagerness of those who provide. 48.771 You are poor, and poorer than all men? But you are not poorer than that widow, who surpassed the rich who gave out of their great abundance. But are you also in want of necessary food? But you are not more destitute than the Sidonian woman, who having come to the very bottom of the famine, with death now expected, and a chorus of children standing around, not even so did she spare what she had, but through her intense poverty she purchased unspeakable wealth, making her hand a threshing-floor and her water-jar a wine-press, causing many things to spring from a few. But let us go on to the subject before us, that we may not make continuous digressions. Since therefore the bridegroom was about to come, the virgins were discussing these things with one another. But those ones sent them to them that sell; but it was no longer the time to buy oil; reasonably so.

For those who sell are only in the present life; but after the departure from here and the closing of the theatre, it is no longer possible to find a remedy for what has been done, nor pardon and defense, but it is necessary then to be punished; which also happened then. For when the bridegroom came, some went in having their lamps bright, but others, having arrived too late for the entrance, knocked on the doors of the bridechamber, and heard that fearful saying: Depart, I do not know you. Have you seen Him again both honoring and punishing, both crowning and chastising, both receiving and sending away, and being Lord of either part of the judgment? This one may see also in the case of the vineyard, this also in the case of the five and two talents, and of the one; for some He accepted, and put them in charge of more things, but the other He commanded to be bound and cast outside into the outer darkness.

3. But what is their harsh argument, or rather, one full of much folly? To have indeed

authority both to punish and to crown, both to chastise and to give rewards, but the highest precedence, he says, and the most exalted honor, this He said it was not His to give. What then if you should learn that nothing is excepted from His decree, will you ever put away this untimely contentiousness? Therefore hear Him again saying: The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son. If therefore He has all judgment, nothing has been excepted from His decree; for He who has all judgment is Lord both to chastise and to crown all. But the word, 'has given,' do not hear in a human way here, beloved; for He did not give to one who did not have it, nor did He beget Him imperfect, nor did it come to Him later, but 'has given' is of this sort, that He begot Him such, perfect, complete. And He has used this word, that you may not think there are two unbegotten gods, but that you may know both the root and the fruit; not that you should think this was added to Him later. For when asked elsewhere, 'Are You then a king?' He did not say, 'I have received the kingdom'; He did not say, that the kingdom was added to him later; but, 'For this I have been born.' If He was born a complete king, it is clear that He is also a critic and a judge; for it is especially the part of a king 48.772 to judge, and to give sentence, and to honor, and to punish. And

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εὐκολώτερον ἐκ τῶν ὄντων προήσεται. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ μέτρα τῆς οὐσίας, ἀλλὰ τὰ μέτρα τῆς γνώμης τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἐργάζεσθαι πέφυκεν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ χήρα ἐκείνη τότε δύο κατέβαλεν ὀβολοὺς, καὶ τοὺς τῷ πλούτῳ κομῶντας ὑπερηκόντισε, καὶ ἡ ἑτέρα χήρα ἐν δρακὶ ἀλεύρου καὶ ὀλίγῳ ἐλαίῳ τὴν οὐρανομήκη ψυχὴν ἐκείνην ἐξενοδόχησε, καὶ οὐδεμιᾷ τούτων γέγονεν ἡ πενία κώλυμα. Μὴ δὴ προφασίζου περιττὰ καὶ ἀνόνητα· οὐ γὰρ περιουσίαν εἰσφορᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ, ἀλλὰ πλοῦτον προαιρέσεως· ὃς οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ μέτρου τῶν δεδομένων, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς προθυμίας τῶν παρεχόντων δείκνυται. 48.771 Πένης εἶ, καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων πενέστερος; ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶ τῆς χήρας ἐκείνης πτωχότερος, ἣ τοὺς πλουτοῦντας ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος ὑπερηκόντισεν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς ἀπορεῖς τῆς ἀναγκαίας τροφῆς; ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶ τῆς Σιδωνίας ἀπορώτερος, ἣ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλθοῦσα τοῦ λιμοῦ τὸν πυθμένα, τοῦ θανάτου προσδοκωμένου λοιπὸν, καὶ χοροῦ παίδων περιεστῶτος, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐφείσατο τῶν ὄντων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἐπιτεταμένης πενίας πλοῦτον ἄφατον ἐπρίατο, ἅλωνα τὴν χεῖρα καὶ ληνὸν τὴν ὑδρίαν ἐργασαμένη, ἐξ ὀλίγων πολλὰ πηγάζειν παρασκευάσασα. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἴωμεν, ἵνα μὴ συνεχεῖς τὰς παρεκτροπὰς ποιώμεθα. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ἔμελλεν ὁ νυμφίος ἔρχεσθαι, ταῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλας αἱ παρθένοι διελέγοντο. Ἐκεῖναι δὲ πρὸς τοὺς πωλοῦντας ἔπεμπον αὐτάς· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν καιρὸς οὐκέτι λοιπὸν ἀγοράζειν ἔλαιον· εἰκότως.

Οἱ γὰρ πωλοῦντες ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ μόνον εἰσί· μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν καὶ τὸ λυθῆναι τὸ θέατρον οὐκ ἔστι λοιπὸν φάρμακον τοῖς γεγενημένοις εὑρεῖν, οὐδὲ συγγνώμην καὶ ἀπολογίαν, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν κολάζεσθαι· ὅπερ καὶ τότε γέγονεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἦλθεν ὁ νυμφίος, αἱ μὲν εἰσῆλθον λαμπρὰς ἔχουσαι τὰς λαμπάδας, αἱ δὲ, ὑστερήσασαι τῆς εἰσόδου, τὰς θύρας ἐπάτασσον τοῦ νυμφῶνος, καὶ τὸ φοβερὸν ῥῆμα ἐκεῖνο ἤκουον· Ὑπάγετε, οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Εἶδες αὐτὸν πάλιν καὶ τιμῶντα καὶ κολάζοντα, καὶ στεφανοῦντα καὶ τιμωροῦντα, καὶ δεχόμενον καὶ ἀποπέμποντα, καὶ ἑκατέρου τοῦ μέρους τῆς κρίσεως ὄντα κύριον; Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πέντε καὶ δύο ταλάντων, καὶ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἴδοι τις ἄν· τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ἀπεδέξατο, καὶ εἰσήγαγεν ἐπὶ πλείοσι, τὸν δὲ ἐκέλευσε δεθέντα ἔξω βάλλεσθαι εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον.

γʹ. Ἀλλὰ τίς αὐτῶν ὁ δριμὺς λόγος, μᾶλλον δὲ πολλῆς ἀνοίας γέμων; ἔχειν μὲν

ἐξουσίαν καὶ κολάζειν καὶ στεφανοῦν, καὶ τιμωρεῖσθαι καὶ ἀμοιβὰς διδόναι, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀνωτάτω προεδρίαν, φησὶ, καὶ τὴν ὑψηλοτάτην τιμὴν, ταύτην ἔφησεν οὐκ εἶναι αὐτοῦ δοῦναι· Τί οὖν ἐὰν μάθῃς ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστιν ὑπεξῃρημένον αὐτοῦ τῆς ψήφου, ἀποθήσῃ ποτὲ τὴν ἄκαιρον ταύτην φιλονεικίαν; Οὐκοῦν αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἄκουε λέγοντος· Ὁ Πατὴρ οὐ κρίνει οὐδένα, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τὴν κρίσιν δέδωκε τῷ Υἱῷ. Εἰ τοίνυν πᾶσαν ἔχει τὴν κρίσιν, οὐδὲν ὑπεξῄρηται τῆς ψήφου· ὁ γὰρ πᾶσαν ἔχων τὴν κρίσιν, κύριός ἐστι πάντας καὶ τιμωρεῖσθαι καὶ στεφανοῦν. Τὸ δὲ, ἔδωκεν, ἐνταῦθα μὴ ἀνθρωπίνως ἀκούσῃς, ἀγαπητέ· οὐ γὰρ οὐκ ἔχοντι ἔδωκεν, οὐδὲ ἀτελῆ ἐγέννησεν, οὐδὲ ὕστερον αὐτῷ προσεγένετο, ἀλλὰ τὸ, ἔδωκε, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι, τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν ἐγέννησε, τέλειον, ἀπηρτισμένον. Ταύτῃ δὲ κέχρηται τῇ λέξει, ἵνα μὴ δύο γεννητοὺς νομίσῃς θεοὺς, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἰδῇς καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν καὶ τὸν καρπόν· οὐχ ἵνα ὕστερον αὐτῷ προσγεγενῆσθαι νομίσῃς τοῦτο. Καὶ γὰρ ἐρωτώμενος ἀλλαχοῦ, Οὐκοῦν βασιλεὺς εἶ σύ; οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἔλαβον τὴν βασιλείαν· οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι προσεγένετο αὐτῷ ὕστερον ἡ βασιλεία· ἀλλ', ὅτι Ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι. Εἰ βασιλεὺς ἀπηρτισμένος ἐγεννήθη, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ κριτὴς καὶ δικαστής· βασιλέως γὰρ 48.772 μάλιστα τὸ κρίνειν, καὶ δικάζειν, καὶ τιμᾷν, καὶ τιμωρεῖσθαι. Καὶ