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the righteous man, not only in the present life, but in the one to come, will live. “But the righteous shall live by faith.” He says this, that the ancients also were saved by faith, of whom he makes a list in the epistle to the Hebrews. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,” Having exhorted them to come to the 95.449 preaching from the good things, he again works the exhortation from the opposite things; for one must work the exhortation either by promising good things or by frightening them. Therefore he sets them near the divine tribunal. “who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God has shown it to them. For his invisible things from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, both his eternal power and Godhead,” And who are these? The children of the Greeks, who assign the worship of God to wood and stones, and, as much as in them lies, do injustice to the glory of God, even if it is not done injustice. “so that they are without excuse. Because, knowing God, they did not glorify him as God, or give thanks, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened; professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” And yet God did not do these things for this reason, even if this resulted; for he did not set forth so much teaching in order to deprive them of an excuse, but so that they might know him; but being ignorant, they deprived themselves of all excuse. “And changed the glory of the incorruptible God.” To show the accusation of their judgment; for what one has, this he changes. “into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.” See how many are the accusations: first, that they did not know God; second, that having great starting-points for this, they went astray; third, that they said they were wise; fourth, that they brought that reverence down to demons and stones and wood. “Wherefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts, to uncleanness,” The word ‘gave them up’ is used instead of ‘allowed’. “to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.” From this they have their punishment even before the divine tribunal; for they themselves did these things to themselves, which their enemies would not have had the strength to do to them. “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator,” He shows that impiety is the first of all licentiousness. Who is blessed for ever, Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. 95.452 For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, he gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. Even if those men, he says, abandoning him, worshipped beasts, yet his glory was in no way corrupted; for he is blessed. “Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, evil, covetousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, whisperings, backbiters, haters of God, insolent, proud, boasters.” Having stated the general, he then goes through the evils in detail, which impiety has wrought. hated by God. “Inventors of evil things.” In order that it might become an accusation of their judgment, he called them inventors of evil things. “Disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful; who, knowing the judgment of God.” And they have stood against nature, he says. “That they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Having set two objections, he has here refuted both. For what could you say, he says, that you do not know what must be done? You then, even if you are the cause of not knowing, having abandoned the

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δίκαιος, οὐ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα μόνον βίον, ἀλλὰ τὸν μέλλοντα ζήσεται. «Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται.» Τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι καὶ οἱ παλαιοὶ ἐκ πίστεως ἐσώθησαν, ὧν αὐτὸς κατάλογον ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους ποιεῖται. «Ἀποκαλύπτεται γὰρ ὀργὴ Θεοῦ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν ἀνθρώπων,» Ἀπὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν προτρεψάμενος ἐπὶ τὸ κή 95.449 ρυγμα ἐλθεῖν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων πάλιν ἐργάζεται τὴν προτροπήν· ἢ γὰρ ὑπισχνούμενον ἀγαθὰ, ἢ ἐκφοβοῦντα δεῖ τὴν προτροπὴν ἐργάζεσθαι. Ἐγγὺς οὖν παρίστησιν αὐτοὺς τοῦ θείου δικαστηρίου. «Τῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐν ἀδικίᾳ κατεχόντων, διότι τὸ γνωστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φανερόν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς. Ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐφανέρωσε. Τὰ γὰρ ὁρατὰ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεότης,» Καὶ τίνες οὗτοι; Οἱ Ἑλλήνων παῖδες, οἱ ξύλοις καὶ λίθοις ἀνατιθέντες τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ προσκύνησιν, καὶ ὅσον εἰς αὐτοὺς ἀδικοῦντες τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξαν, εἰ καὶ οὐκ ἀδικεῖται. «Εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀναπολογήτους. ∆ιότι γνόντες τὸν Θεὸν, οὐκ ὡς Θεὸν ἐδόξασαν, ἢ εὐχαρίστησαν, ἀλλ' ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία· φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ, ἐμωράνθησαν.» Καίτοι οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ ὁ Θεὸς, εἰ καὶ τοῦτο ἐξέβη· οὐ γὰρ ἵνα αὐτοὺς ἀπολογίας ἀποστερήσῃ, διδασκαλίαν τοσαύτην εἰς μέσον ἔθηκεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα αὐτὸν ἐπιγνῶσιν· ἀγνοήσαντες δὲ, πάσης ἑαυτοὺς ἀπεστέρησαν ἀπολογίας. «Καὶ ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου Θεοῦ.» Ἵνα δείξῃ τῆς γνώμης αὐτῶν τὸ κατηγόρημα· ὃ γὰρ ἔχει τις, τοῦτο ἀλλάσσει. «Ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν.» Ὅρα πόσα τὰ κατηγορήματα· πρῶτον, ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνωσαν Θεόν· δεύτερον, ὅτι ἔχοντες ἀφορμὰς εἰς τοῦτο μεγάλας, ἀπώλισθον· τρίτον, ὅτι σοφοὶ λέγοντες εἶναι· τέταρτον, ὅτι εἰς δαίμονας κατήγαγον καὶ λίθους καὶ ξύλα τὸ σέβας ἐκεῖνο. «∆ιὸ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν, εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν,» Τὸ παρέδωκεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ εἴασεν κεῖται. «Τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς.» Ἐντεῦθεν ἔχουσι τὴν δίκην καὶ πρὸ θείου δικαιωτηρίου· καὶ αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ταῦτα διέθηκαν, ἅπερ ἂν αὐτοὺς οἱ ἐχθροὶ διαθεῖναι οὐκ ἴσχυσαν. «Οἵ τινες μετήλλαξαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ψεύδει, καὶ ἐσεβάσθησαν καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν Κτίσαντα,» «∆είκνυσιν ὡς πάσης ἀσελγείας ἡ ἀσεβεία ἐστὶ πρώτη. Ὅς ἐστιν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας, Ἀμήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας. 95.452 Αἵ τε γὰρ θήλειαι αὐτῶν μετήλλαξαν τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν εἰς τὴν παρὰ φύσιν. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄῤῥενες ἀφέντες τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν τῆς θηλείας, ἐξεκαύθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρέξει αὐτῶν εἰς ἀλλήλους, ἄρσενες ἐν ἄρσεσι τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην κατεργασάμενοι, καὶ τὴν ἀντιμισθίαν ἣν ἔδει τῆς πλάνης αὐτῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀπολαμβάνοντες. Καὶ καθὼς οὐκ ἐδοκίμασαν ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν τῇ γνώσει, παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν, ποιεῖν τὰ μὴ καθήκοντα.» Εἰ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι, φησὶν, ἀφέντες αὐτὸν, προσεκύνησαν κνωδάλοις, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν αὐτοῦ παρεφθάρη δόξα· ἔστι γὰρ εὐλογητός. «Πεπληρωμένους πάσῃ ἀδικίᾳ, κακίᾳ, πονηρίᾳ, πλεονεξίᾳ· μεστοὺς φθόνου, φόνου, ἔριδος, δόλου, κακοηθείας, ψιθυρίας, καταλάλους, θεοστυγεῖς, ὑβριστὰς, ὑπερηφάνους, ἀλαζόνας.» Εἰπὼν τὸ γενικὸν, καὶ κατ' εἶδος λοιπὸν διεξέρχεται τὰ κακὰ, ἅπερ ἡ ἀσέβεια εἰργάσατο. θεομισεῖς. «Ἐφευρετὰς κακῶν.» Ἵνα τῆς γνώμης λοιπὸν γένηται κατηγόρημα, ἐφευρετὰς κακῶν αὐτοὺς προσηγόρευσεν. «Γονεῦσιν ἀπειθεῖς, ἀσυνέτους, ἀσυνθέτους, ἀστόργους, ἀνελεήμονας· οἵτινες τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπιγινώσκοντες.» Καὶ κατὰ τῆς φύσεως ἔστησαν, φησίν. «Ὅτι οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράσσοντες, ἄξιοι θανάτου εἰσὶν, οὐ μόνον αὐτὰ ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνευδοκοῦσιν τοῖς πράσσουσιν.» ∆ύο θεὶς ἀντιθέσεις, ἐνταῦθα ἀνεῖλεν ἀμφοτέρας. Τί γὰρ ἂν εἴποις, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐκ οἶδας τὰ πρακτέα; Σὺ μὲν οὖν εἰ καὶ τοῦ μὴ εἰδέναι αἴτιος, ἀφεὶς τὸν