Homily III.

John i. 1

“In the beginning was the Word.”

[1.] On the subject of attention in hearkening it is superfluous to exhort you any more, so quickly have you shown by your actions the effects of my advice. For your manner of running together, your attentive postures, the thrusting one another in your eagerness to get the inner places, where my voice may more clearly be heard by you, your unwillingness to retire from the press until this spiritual assembly be dissolved, the clapping of hands, the murmurs of applause; in a word, all things of this kind may be considered proofs of the fervor of your souls, and of your desire to hear. So that on this point it is superfluous to exhort you. One thing, however, it is necessary for us to bid and entreat, that you continue to have the same zeal, and manifest it not here only, but that also when you are at home, you converse man with wife, and father with son, concerning these matters. And say somewhat of yourselves, and require somewhat in return from them; and so all contribute to this excellent banquet.39   ἔ ρανον, a feast to which all the guests contributed.

For let no one tell me that our children ought not to be occupied with these things; they ought not only to be occupied with them, but to be zealous about them only. And although on account of your infirmity I do not assert this, nor take them away from their worldly learning,40   al. “study.” just as I do not draw you either from your civil business; yet of these seven days I claim that you dedicate one to the common Lord of us all. For is it not a strange thing that we should bid our domestics slave for us all their time, and ourselves apportion not even a little of our leisure to God; and this too when all our service adds nothing to Him, (for the Godhead is incapable of want,) but turns out to our own advantage? And yet when you take your children into the theaters, you allege neither their mathematical lessons, nor anything of the kind; but if it be required to gain or collect anything spiritual, you call the matter a waste of time. And how shall you not anger God, if you find leisure and assign a season for everything else, and yet think it a troublesome and unseasonable thing for your children to take in hand what relates to Him?

Do not so, brethren, do not so. It is this very age that most of all needs the hearing these things; for from its tenderness it readily stores up what is said; and what children hear is impressed as a seal on the wax of their minds. Besides, it is then that their life begins to incline to vice or virtue; and if from the very gates41   al. “beginning.” and portals one lead them away from iniquity, and guide them by the hand to the best road, he will fix them for the time to come in a sort of habit and nature, and they will not, even if they be willing, easily change for the worse, since this force of custom draws them to the performance of good actions. So that we shall see them become more worthy of respect than those who have grown old, and they will be more useful in civil matters, displaying in youth the qualities of the aged.

For, as I before said, it cannot be that they who enjoy the hearing of such things as these, and who are in the company of such an Apostle, should depart without receiving some great and remarkable advantage, be it man, woman, or youth, that partakes of this table. If we train by words the animals which we have, and so tame them, how much more shall we effect this with men by this spiritual teaching, when there is a wide difference between the remedy in each case, and the subject healed as well. For neither is there so much fierceness in us as in the brutes, since theirs is from nature, ours from choice; nor is the power of the words the same, for the power of the first is that of the human intellect, the power of the second is that of the might and grace of the Spirit.42   i.e. Man is more tractable than brutes, the words of the Spirit more powerful than words of reason. Let then the man who despairs of himself consider the tame animals, and he shall no longer be thus affected; let him come continually to this house of healing, let him hear at all times the laws of the Spirit, and on retiring home let him write down in his mind the things which he has heard; so shall his hopes be good and his confidence great, as he feels his progress by experience. For when the devil sees the law of God written in the soul, and the heart become tablets to write it on, he will not approach any more. Since wherever the king’s writing is, not engraved on a pillar of brass, but stamped by the Holy Ghost on a mind loving God, and bright with abundant grace, that (evil one) will not be able even to look at it, but from afar will turn his back upon us. For nothing is so terrible to him and to the thoughts which are suggested by him as a mind careful about Divine matters, and a soul which ever hangs over this fountain. Such an one can nothing present annoy, even though it be displeasing; nothing puff up or make proud, even though it be favorable; but amidst all this storm and surge it will even enjoy a great calm.

[2.] For confusion arises within us, not from the nature of circumstances, but from the infirmity of our minds; for if we were thus affected by reason of what befalls us, then, (as we all sail the same sea, and it is impossible to escape waves and spray,) all men must needs be troubled; but if there are some who stand beyond the influence of the storm and the raging sea, then it is clear that it is not circumstances which make the storm, but the condition of our own mind. If therefore we so order the mind that it may bear all things contentedly, we shall have no storm nor even a ripple, but always a clear calm.

After professing that I should say nothing on these points, I know not how I have been carried away into such a length of exhortation. Pardon my prolixity; for I fear, yes, I greatly fear lest this zeal of ours should ever become weaker. Did I feel confident respecting it, I would not now have said to you anything on these matters, since it is sufficient to make all things easy to you. But it is time in what follows to proceed to the matters proposed for consideration to-day; that you may not come weary to the contest. For we have contests against the enemies of the truth, against those who use every artifice to destroy the honor of the Son of God, or rather their own. This remains for ever as it now is, nothing lessened by the blaspheming tongue, but they, by seeking eagerly to pull down Him whom they say they worship, fill their faces with shame and their souls with punishment.

What then do they say when we assert what we have asserted? “That the words, ‘in the beginning was the Word,’ do not denote eternity absolutely, for that this same expression was used also concerning heaven and earth.” What enormous shamelessness and irreverence! I speak to thee concerning God, and dost thou bring the earth into the argument, and men who are of the earth? At this rate, since Christ is called Son of God, and God, Man who is called Son of God must be God also. For, “I have said, Ye are Gods, and all of you are children of the Most High.” ( Ps. lxxxii. 6.) Wilt thou contend with the Only-Begotten concerning Sonship, and assert that in that respect He enjoys nothing more than thou? “By no means,” is the reply. And yet thou doest this even though thou say not so in words. “How?” Because thou sayest that thou by grace art partaker of the adoption, and He in like manner. For by saying that He is not Son by nature, thou only makest him to be so by grace.

However, let us see the proofs which they produce to us. “In the beginning,” it is said, “God made the Heaven and the earth, and the earth was invisible and unformed.” ( Gen. i. 2.) And, “There ‘was’ a man of Ramathaim Zophim.” ( 1 Sam. i. 1.) These are what they think strong arguments, and they are strong; but it is to prove the correctness of the doctrines asserted by us, while they are utterly powerless to establish their blasphemy. For tell me, what has the word “was” in common with the word “made”? What hath God in common with man? Why dost thou mix what may not be mixed? Why confound things which are distinct, why bring low what is above? In that place it is not the expression “was” only which denotes eternity, but that One “was in the beginning.” And that other, “The Word was”; for as the word “being,” when used concerning man, only distinguishes present time, but when concerning God, denotes eternity,43   al. “one ever and through all time.” so “was,” when used respecting our nature, signifies to us past time, and that too limited, but when respecting God it declares eternity. It would have been enough then when one had heard the words “earth” and “man,” to imagine nothing more concerning them than what one may fitly think of a nature that came into being,44   τὰ ὄντα are opposed to τὰ γενόμενα in the Platonic philosophy. The reading here should be γενητῇ for γεννητῇ, as in the ms. Baroc. no. 210, in the Bodl. Library. Our Lord is γεννητὸς ἀγενητῶς. for that which came to be, be it what it may, hath come to be either in time, or the age before time was, but the Son of God is above not only times, but all ages which were before, for He is the Creator and Maker of them, as the Apostle says, “by whom also He made the ages.” Now the Maker necessarily is, before the thing made. Yet since some are so senseless, as even after this to have higher notions concerning creatures than is their due, by the expression “He made,” and by that other, “there was a man,” he lays hold beforehand of the mind of his hearer, and cuts up all shamelessness by the roots. For all that has been made, both heaven and earth, has been made in time, and has its beginning in time, and none of them is without beginning, as having been made: so that when you hear that “he made the earth,” and that “there was a man,” you are trifling45   al. “trifle not.” to no purpose, and weaving a tissue of useless folly.

For I can mention even another thing by way of going further. What is it? It is, that if it had been said of the earth, “In the beginning was the earth,” and of man, “In the beginning was the man,” we must not even then have imagined any greater things concerning them than what we have now determined.46   al. “is now contained in them.” For the terms “earth” and “man” as they are presupposed, whatever may be said concerning them, do not allow the mind to imagine to itself anything greater concerning them than what we know at present. Just as “the Word,” although but little be said of It, does not allow us to think (respecting It) anything low or poor. Since in proceeding he says of the earth, “The earth was invisible and unformed.” For having said that “He made” it, and having settled its proper limit, he afterwards declares fearlessly what follows, as knowing that there is no one so silly as to suppose that it is without beginning and uncreated, since the word “earth,” and that other “made,” are enough to convince even a very simple person that it is not eternal nor increate, but one of those things created in time.

[3.] Besides, the expression “was,” applied to the earth and to man, is not indicative of absolute existence. But in the case of a man (it denotes) his being of a certain place, in that of the earth its being in a certain way. For he has not said absolutely “the earth was,” and then held his peace, but has taught how it was even after its creation, as that it was “invisible and unformed,” as yet covered by the waters and in confusion. So in the case of Elkanah he does not merely say that “there was a man,” but adds also whence he was, “of Armathaim Zophim.” But in the case of “the Word,” it is not so. I am ashamed to try these cases, one against the other, for if we find fault with those who do so in the case of men, when there is a great difference in the virtue of those who are so tried, though in truth their substance be one; where the difference both of nature and of everything else is so infinite, is it not the extremest madness to raise such questions? But may He who is blasphemed by them be merciful to us. For it was not we who invented the necessity of such discussions, but they who war against their own salvation laid it on us.

What then do I say? That this first “was,” applied to “the Word,” is only indicative of His eternal Being, (for “In the beginning,” he saith, “was the Word,”) and that the second “was,” (“and the Word was with God,”) denotes His relative Being. For since to be eternal and without beginning is most peculiar to God, this he puts first; and then, lest any one hearing that He was “in the beginning,” should assert, that He was “unbegotten” also, he immediately remedies this by saying, before he declares what He was, that He was “with God.” And he has prevented any one from supposing, that this “Word” is simply such a one as is either uttered47   προφορικὸν. or conceived,48   ἐ νδιάθετον. by the addition, as I beforesaid, of the article, as well as by this second expression. For he does not say, was “in God,” but was “with God”: declaring to us His eternity as to person.49   ὑ πόστασιν. Then, as he advances, he has more clearly revealed it, by adding, that this “Word” also “was God.”

“But yet created,” it may be said. What then hindered him from saying, that “In the beginning God made the Word”? at least Moses speaking of the earth says, not that “in the beginning was the earth,” but that “He made it,” and then it was. What now hindered John from saying in like manner, that “In the beginning God made the Word”? For if Moses feared lest any one should assert that the earth was uncreated,50   ἀ γένητον. much more ought John to have feared this respecting the Son, if He was indeed created. The world being visible, by this very circumstance proclaims its Maker, (“the heavens,” says the Psalmist, “declare the glory of God”— Ps. xix. 1 ), but the Son is invisible, and is greatly, infinitely, higher than all creation. If now, in the one instance, where we needed neither argument nor teaching to know that the world is created, 51   γενητός. yet the prophet sets down this fact clearly and before all others; much more should John have declared the same concerning the Son, if He had really been created.52   κτισθεὶς.

“Yes,” it may be said, “but Peter has asserted this clearly and openly.” Where and when? “When speaking to the Jews he said, that ‘God hath made Him both Lord and Christ.’” ( Acts ii. 36.) Why dost thou not add what follows, “That same Jesus whom ye have crucified”? or dost thou not know that of the words, part relate to His unmixed Nature, part to His Incarnation?53   οἰκονομία signifies all that Christ did and suffered on earth for the salvation of mankind. Vide Euseb. Hist. Ecc. i. 1, Not. 11, ed. Heinichen. But if this be not the case, and thou wilt absolutely understand all as referring to the Godhead, then thou wilt make the Godhead capable of suffering; but if not capable of suffering, then not created. For if blood had flowed from that divine and ineffable Nature, and if that Nature, and not the flesh, had been torn and cut by the nails upon the cross, on this supposition your quibbling would have had reason; but if not even the devil himself could utter such a blasphemy, why dost thou feign to be ignorant with ignorance so unpardonable, and such as not the evil spirits themselves could pretend? Besides the expressions “Lord” and “Christ” belong not to His Essence, but to His dignity; for the one refers to His Power,54   ἐ ξουσία. the other to his having been anointed. What then wouldest thou say con cerning the Son of God? for if he were even, as you assert, created, this argument could not have place. For He was not first created and afterwards God chose Him, nor does He hold a kingdom which could be thrown aside, but one which belongs by nature to His Essence; since, when asked if He were a King, He answers, “To this end was I born.” ( c. xviii. 37.) But Peter speaks as concerning one chosen, because his argument wholly refers to the Dispensation.

[4.] And why dost thou wonder if Peter says this? for Paul, reasoning with the Athenians, calls Him “Man” only, saying, “By that Man whom He hath ordained, whereof He hath given assurance to all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” ( Acts xvii. 31.) He speaks nothing concerning “the form of God” ( Philip. ii. 6 ), nor that He was “equal to Him,” nor that He was the “brightness of His glory.” ( Heb. i. 3.) And with reason. The time for words like these was not yet come; but it would have contented him that they should in the meanwhile admit that He was Man, and that He rose again from the dead. Christ Himself acted in the same manner, from whom Paul having learned, used this reserve.55   οὕτω τὰ πράγματα ᾠκονόμει. For He did not at once reveal to us His Divinity, but was at first held to be a Prophet and a good man;56   al. “and Christ, simply a Man.” but afterwards His real nature was shown by His works and words. On this account Peter too at first used this method, (for this was the first sermon that he made to the Jews;) and because they were not yet able clearly to understand anything respecting His Godhead, he dwelt on the arguments relating to His Incarnation; that their ears being exercised in these, might open a way to the rest of his teaching. And if any one will go through all the sermon from the beginning, he will find what I say very observable, for he (Peter) calls Him “Man,” and dwells on the accounts of His Passion, His Resurrection, and His generation according to the flesh. Paul too when he says, “Who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh” ( Rom. i. 3 ), only teaches us that the word “made”57   “made,” E.V. is taken with a view58   παρείληπται ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας, “adopted in reference to.” to His Incarnation, as we allow. But the son of thunder is now speaking to us concerning His Ineffable and Eternal59   προαιώνιος. Existence, and therefore he leaves the word “made” and puts “was”; yet if He were created, this point he needs must most especially have determined. For if Paul feared that some foolish persons might suppose that He shall be greater than the Father, and have Him who begat Him made subject to Him, (for this is the reason why the Apostle in sending to the Corinthians writes, “But when He saith, All things are put under Him, it is manifest that He is excepted which did put all things under Him,” yet who could possibly imagine that the Father, even in common with all things, will be subject to the Son?) if, I say, he nevertheless feared these foolish imaginations, and says, “He is excepted that did put all things under Him;” much more if the Son of God were indeed created, ought John to have feared lest any one should suppose Him uncreated, and to have taught on this point before any other.

But now, since He was Begotten, with good reason neither John nor any other, whether apostle or prophet, hath asserted that He was created. Neither had it been so would the Only-Begotten Himself have let it pass unmentioned. For He who spoke of Himself so humbly from condescension60   συγκατάβασις. would certainly not have been silent on this matter. And I think it not unreasonable to suppose, that He would be more likely to have the higher Nature, and say nothing of it, than not having it to pass by this omission, and fail to make known that He had it not. For in the first case there was a good excuse for silence, namely, His desire to teach mankind humility by being silent as to the greatness of His attributes; but in the second case you can find no just excuse for silence. For why should He who declined many of His real attributes have been, if He were created, silent as to His having been made? He who, in order to teach humility, often uttered expressions of lowliness, such as did not properly belong to Him, much more if He had been indeed created, would not have failed to speak of this. Do you not see Him, in order that none may imagine Him not to have been begotten,61   ἀ γέννητον. doing and saying everything to show that He was so, uttering words unworthy both of His dignity and His essence, and descending to the humble character of a Prophet? For the expression, “As I hear, I judge” ( v. 30 ); and that other, “He hath told Me what I should say, and what I should speak” ( xii. 49 ), and the like, belong merely to a prophet. If now, from His desire to remove this suspicion, He did not disdain to utter words thus lowly, much more if He were created would He have said many like words, that none might suppose Him to be uncreated; as, “Think not that I am begotten of the Father; I am created, not begotten, nor do I share His essence.” But as it is, He does the very contrary, and utters words which compel men, even against their will and desire, to admit the opposite opinion. As, “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me” ( xiv. 11 ); and, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father.” ( xiv. 9.) And, “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.” ( v. 23.) “As the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.” ( v. 21.) “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” ( v. 17.) “As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father.” ( x. 15.) “I and My Father are One.” ( x. 30.) And everywhere by putting the “as,” and the “so,” and the “being with the Father,” He declares His undeviating likeness to Him.62   τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπαραλλαξίαν. His power in Himself He manifests by these, as well as by many other words; as when He says, “Peace, be still.” ( Mark iv. 39.) “I will, be thou clean.” ( Matt. viii. 3.) “Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him.” ( Mark ix. 25.) And again, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger.” ( Matt. v. 21, 22.) And all the other laws which He gave, and wonders which He worked, are sufficient to show His power, or rather, I should say, a very small part of them is enough to bring over and convince any, except the utterly insensate.

[5.] But vainglory63   al. “love of rule.” is a thing powerful to blind even to very evident truths the minds of those ensnared by it, and to persuade them to dispute against what is allowed by others; nay, it instigates64   ἀ λείφει. some who know and are persuaded of the truth to pretended ignorance and opposition. As took place in the case of the Jews, for they did not through ignorance deny the Son of God, but that they might obtain honor from the multitude; “they believed,” says the Evangelist, but were afraid, “lest they should be put out of the synagogue.” ( xii. 40.) And so they gave up65   προέτειναν. their salvation to others.66   i.e. gave up their salvation rather than offend others. For it cannot be that he who is so zealous a slave to the glory of this present world can obtain the glory which is from God. Wherefore He rebuked them, saying, “How can ye believe, which receive honor of men, and seek not the honor which cometh from God?” ( v. 44.) This passion is a sort of deep intoxication, and makes him who is subdued by it hard to recover. And having detached the souls of its captives from heavenly things, it nails them to earth, and lets them not look up to the true light, but persuades them ever to wallow in the mire, giving them masters so powerful, that they have the rule over them without needing to use commands. For the man who is sick of this disease, does of his own accord, and without bidding, all that he thinks will be agreeable to his masters. On their account he clothes himself in rich apparel, and beautifies his face, taking these pains not for himself but for others; and he leads about a train of followers through the market-place, that others may admire him, and all that he does he goes through, merely out of obsequiousness to the rest of the world. Can any state of mind be more wretched than this? That others may admire him, he is ever being precipitated67   κατακρημνίζεται. to ruin.

Would you learn what a tyrannous sway it exercises? Why surely, the words of Christ are sufficient to show it all. But yet listen to these further remarks.68   al. “but it may be seen from this.” If you will ask any of those men who mingle in state affairs and incur great expenses, why they lavish so much gold, and what their so vast expenditure means; you will hear from them, that it is for nothing else but to gratify the people. If again you ask what the people may be; they will say, that it is a thing full of confusion and turbulent, made up for the most part of folly, tossed blindly to and fro like the waves of the sea, and often composed of varying and adverse opinions. Must not the man who has such a master be more pitiable than any one? And yet strange though it be, it is not so strange that worldly men should be eager about these things; but that those who say that they have started away from the world should be sick of this same disease, or rather of one more grievous still, this is the strangest thing of all. For with the first the loss extends only to money, but in the last case the danger reaches to the soul. For when men alter a right faith for reputation’s sake, and dishonor God that they may be in high repute themselves, tell me, what excess of stupidity and madness must there not be in what they do? Other passions, even if they are very hurtful, at least bring some pleasure with them, though it be but for a time and fleeting; those who love money, or wine, or women, have, with their hurt, a pleasure, though a brief one. But those who are taken captives by this passion, live a life continually embittered and stripped of enjoyment, for they do not obtain what they earnestly desire, glory, I mean, from the many. They think they enjoy it, but do not really, because the thing they aim at is not glory at all. And therefore their state of mind is not called glory,69   δόξα. but a something void of glory, vaingloriousness,70   κενοδοξία, lit. “empty glory.” so have all the ancients named it, and with good reason; inasmuch as it is quite empty, and contains nothing bright or glorious within it, but as players’ masks seem to be bright and lovely, but are hollow within, (for which cause, though they be more beautiful than natural faces, yet they never draw any to love them,) even so, or rather yet more wretchedly, has the applause of the multitude tricked out for us this passion, dangerous as an antagonist, and cruel as a master. Its countenance alone is bright, but within it is no more like the mask’s mere emptiness, but crammed with dishonor, and full of savage tyranny. Whence then, it may be asked, has this passion, so unreasonable, so devoid of pleasure, its birth? Whence else but from a low, mean soul? It cannot be that one who is captivated by love of applause should imagine readily anything great or noble; he needs must be base, mean, dishonorable, little. He who does nothing for virtue’s sake, but to please men worthy of no consideration, and who ever makes account of their mistaken and erring opinions, how can he be worth anything? Consider; if any one should ask him, What do you think of the many? he clearly would say, “that they are thoughtless, and not to be regarded.” Then if any one again should ask him, “Would you choose to be like them?” I do not suppose he could possibly desire to be like them. Must it not then be excessively ridiculous to seek the good opinion of those whom you never would choose to resemble?

[6.] Do you say that they are many and a sort of collective body? this is the very reason why you ought most to despise them. If when taken singly they are contemptible, still more will this be the case when they are many; for when they are assembled together, their individual folly is increased by numbers, and becomes greater. So that a man might possibly take a single one of them and set him right, but could not do so with them when together, because then their folly becomes intense, and they are led like sheep, and follow in every direction the opinions of one another. Tell me, will you seek to obtain this vulgar glory? Do not, I beg and entreat you. It turns everything upside down; it is the mother of avarice, of slander, of false witness, of treacheries; it arms and exasperates those who have received no injury against those who have inflicted none. He who has fallen into this disease neither knows friendship nor remembers old companionship, and knows not how to respect any one at all; he has cast away from his soul all goodness, and is at war with every one, unstable, without natural affection.

Again, the passion of anger, tyrannical though it be and hard to bear, still is not wont always to disturb, but only when it has persons that excite it; but that of vainglory is ever active, and there is no time, as one may say, when it can cease, since reason neither hinders nor restrains it, but it is always with us not only persuading us to sin, but snatching from our hands anything which we may chance to do aright, or sometimes not allowing us to do right at all. If Paul calls covetousness idolatry, what ought we to name that which is mother, and root, and source of it, I mean, vainglory? We cannot possibly find any term such as its wickedness deserves. Beloved, let us now return to our senses; let us put off this filthy garment, let us rend and cut it off from us, let us at some time or other become free with true freedom, and be sensible of the nobility71   εὐγενεία, “high birth.” which has been given to us by God; let us despise vulgar applause. For nothing is so ridiculous and disgraceful as this passion, nothing so full of shame and dishonor. One may in many ways see, that to love honor, is dishonor; and that true honor consists in neglecting honor, in making no account of it, but in saying and doing everything according to what seems good to God. In this way we shall be able to receive a reward from Him who sees exactly all our doings, if we are content to have Him only for a spectator. What need we other eyes, when He who shall confer the prize is ever beholding our actions? Is it not a strange thing that, whatever a servant does, he should do to please his master, should seek nothing more than his master’s observation, desire not to attract other eyes (though they be great men who are looking on) to his conduct, but aim at one thing only, that his master may observe him; while we who have a Lord so great, seek other spectators who can nothing profit, but rather hurt us by their observation, and make all our labor vain? Not so, I beseech you. Let us call Him to applaud and view our actions from whom we shall receive our rewards. Let us have nothing to do with human eyes. For if we should even desire to attain this honor, we shall then attain to it, when we seek that which cometh from God alone. For, He saith, “Them that honor Me, I will honor.” ( 1 Sam. ii. 30 .) And even as we are best supplied with riches when we despise them, and seek only the wealth which cometh from God (“Seek,” he saith, “the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you”— Matt. vi. 33 ); so it is in the case of honor. When the granting either of riches or honor is no longer attended with danger to us, then God gives them freely; and it is then unattended with danger, when they have not the rule or power over us, do not command us as slaves, but belong to us as masters and free men. For the reason that He wishes us not to love them is, that we may not be ruled by them; and if we succeed in this respect, He gives us them with great liberality. Tell me, what is brighter than Paul, when he says, “We seek not honor of men, neither of you, nor yet of others.” ( 1 Thess. ii. 6.) What then is richer than him who hath nothing, and yet possesseth all things? for as I said, when we are not mastered by them, then we shall master them, then we shall receive them. If then we desire to obtain honor, let us shun honor, so shall we be enabled after accomplishing the laws of God to obtain both the good things which are here, and those which are promised, by the grace of Christ, with whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Γʹ. Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος. αʹ. Προσοχῆς μὲν ἕνεκεν τῆς περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν, περιττὸν λοιπὸν ὑμῖν παραινεῖν: οὕτω ταχέως τὴν παραίνεσιν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων ἐδείξατε. Ἥ τε γὰρ συνδρομὴ, τό τε ἀτενὲς τῆς στάσεως, καὶ τὸ συνωθοῦντας ἀλλήλους τὸν ἐνδοτέρω τόπον ἐπείγεσθαι καταλαβεῖν, καὶ ὅθεν ἂν εὐσημοτέρα γένοιτο ὑμῖν ἡ παρ' ἡμῶν φωνὴ, καὶ τὸ πιεζομένους μὴ θέλειν ἀναχωρεῖν, ἕως ἂν τὸ πνευματικὸν τοῦτο διαλυθῇ θέατρον, καὶ οἱ κρότοι, καὶ οἱ θόρυβοι, καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς τὰ τοιαῦτα, τεκμήριον τῆς ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ θερμότητος ἂν εἴη καὶ τῆς φιληκοΐας ὑμῶν. Διὸ καὶ περιττὸν περὶ τούτου παρεγγυᾷν: ἐκεῖνο μέντοι εἰπεῖν καὶ παρακαλέσαι ἀναγκαῖον ἡμῖν, ὥστε μεῖναι ταύτην ἔχοντας τὴν σπουδήν: καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐνταῦθα αὐτὴν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἴκοι γενομένους, τὸν ἄνδρα πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα, τὸν πατέρα πρὸς τὸν παῖδα περὶ τούτων διαλέγεσθαι: καὶ λέγειν μὲν τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ, ἀπαιτεῖν δὲ τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων, καὶ τὸν καλὸν τοῦτον εἰσφέρειν ἅπαντας ἔρανον. Μὴ γάρ μοι λεγέτω τις, ὅτι τὰ παιδία πρὸς ταῦτα ἡμῖν ἀπησχολῆσθαι οὐ χρή: ἐχρῆν μὲν γὰρ οὐ μόνον ἀπησχολῆσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τούτοις μόνοις ἔχειν τὴν σπουδήν. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν ὑμῶν οὐ λέγω τοῦτο, οὐδὲ αὐτὰ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἀπάγω σχολῆς, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ὑμᾶς τῶν πολιτικῶν ἀφέλκω πραγμάτων. Ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ τούτων ἡμερῶν μίαν ἀξιῶ τῷ κοινῷ πάντων ἡμῶν ἀναθεῖναι Δεσπότῃ. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, τοὺς μὲν οἰκέτας ἡμῖν κελεύειν ἅπαντα δουλεύειν τὸν χρόνον, ἡμᾶς δὲ μηδὲ τὴν ἐλάττω σχολὴν ἀπονέμειν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ταῦτα τῆς δουλείας ἁπάσης ἐκείνῳ μὲν οὐδὲν προστιθείσης (ἀνενδεὲς γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον), εἰς τὸ συμφέρον δὲ περιισταμένης ἡμῖν; Ἀλλ' εἰς θέατρα μὲν αὐτοὺς ἄγοντες, οὔτε μαθήματα, οὔτε ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων προβάλλεσθε: ἂν δέ τι τῶν πνευματικῶν κερδᾶναι δέοι καὶ συναγαγεῖν, ἀσχολίαν τὸ πρᾶγμα ὀνομάζετε. Καὶ πῶς οὐ παροξυνεῖτε τὸν Θεὸν, πᾶσι μὲν τοῖς ἄλλοις σχολάζοντες καὶ καιρὸν ἀπονέμοντες, τὸ δὲ τὰ αὐτοῦ μεταχειρίζειν, ὀχληρὸν καὶ οὐκ εὔκαιρον εἶναι νομίζοντες τοῖς παισίν; Μὴ ταῦτα, μὴ, ἀδελφοί. Καὶ γὰρ αὕτη μάλιστα ἡ ἡλικία τούτων δεῖται τῶν ἀκουσμάτων. Ἁπαλὴ γὰρ οὖσα, ταχέως ἐναποτίθεται τὰ λεγόμενα, καθάπερ τινὸς σφραγῖδος τῆς ἀκροάσεως ἐν κηρῷ τῇ διανοίᾳ τῇ τούτων ἐντυπουμένης. Ἄλλως τε καὶ ὁ βίος αὐτοῖς τότε ἀρχὴν ἔχει πρὸς κακίαν ἀποκλῖναι ἢ ἀρετήν. Ἂν οὖν τις αὐτοὺς ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἀρχῶν καὶ τῶν προθύρων ἀπαγάγῃ μὲν τῆς πονηρίας, χειραγωγήσῃ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀρίστην ὁδὸν, ὥσπερ εἰς ἕξιν τινὰ καὶ φύσιν αὐτοὺς καταστήσει λοιπόν: καὶ οὐδὲ ἑκόντες μεταβαλοῦνται ῥᾳδίως πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον, τῆς συνηθείας ταύτης ἑλκούσης αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐργασίαν. Οὕτως ἡμῖν τῶν γεγηρακότων αἰδεσιμώτεροι γενήσονται, καὶ τοῖς πολιτικοῖς χρησιμώτεροι πράγμασιν, ἐν νεότητι τὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐπιδεικνύμενοι. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, ὥσπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, τοιαύτης ἀπολαύοντας ἀκροάσεως, καὶ ἀποστόλῳ τοιούτῳ συγγινομένους, μὴ μέγα τι καὶ γενναῖον ἀγαθὸν λαβόντας ἀπελθεῖν, κἂν ἀνὴρ, κἂν γυνὴ, κἂν νέος ὁ ταύτης μετέχων τῆς τραπέζης ᾖ. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ θηρία τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν λόγῳ ῥυθμίζοντες ἡμεροῦμεν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τῇ πνευματικῇ ταύτῃ διδασκαλίᾳ τοὺς ἄνδρας τοῦτο ἐργασόμεθα, ὅταν καὶ τοῦ φαρμάκου καὶ τοῦ θεραπευομένου πολὺ τὸ μέσον ᾖ; Οὔτε γὰρ ἡ ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγριότης τοσαύτη, ὅση ἡ ἐν ἐκείνοις: ἡ μὲν γὰρ φύσεως, ἡ δὲ προαιρέσεώς ἐστιν: οὔτε τῶν λόγων ἡ ἰσχὺς ἡ αὐτή. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνης ἐστὶ διανοίας, αὕτη δὲ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος δυνάμεως καὶ τῆς χάριτος. Ὁ τοίνυν ἀπογινώσκων ἑαυτοῦ, τὰ θηρία ἐννοείτω τὰ ἥμερα, καὶ οὐδέποτε τοῦτο πείσεται: συνεχῶς παρὰ τοῦτο ἴτω τὸ ἰατρεῖον, τῶν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀκουέτω νόμων διὰ παντὸς τοῦ καιροῦ, καὶ οἴκαδε ἀπελθὼν ἀπογραφέτω τὰ ἀκουσθέντα τῇ διανοίᾳ: καὶ οὕτως ἔσται ἐν ἐλπίσι χρησταῖς καὶ ἀσφαλείᾳ πολλῇ, τῇ πείρᾳ τῆς προκοπῆς αἰσθανόμενος Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ διάβολος ἴδῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν νόμον ἐγγραφέντα τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ πλάκας αὐτοῦ γενομένην τὴν καρδίαν, οὐ προσελεύσεται λοιπόν. Ἔνθα γὰρ ἂν ᾖ γράμματα βασιλικὰ, οὐκ ἐν στήλῃ χαραγέντα χαλκῇ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ θεοφιλοῦς διανοίας ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι τυπωθέντα, καὶ πολλῆς ἀποστίλβοντα τῆς χάριτος, οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι ἐκεῖνος δυνήσεται, ἀλλὰ πόῤῥωθεν ἡμῖν δώσει τὰ νῶτα. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω φοβερὸν ἐκείνῳ καὶ τοῖς παρ' ἐκείνου ὑποτιθεμένοις λογισμοῖς, ὡς διάνοια τὰ θεῖα μελετῶσα, καὶ ψυχὴ ταύτῃ διαπαντὸς ἐγκειμένη τῇ πηγῇ. Τὴν γὰρ τοιαύτην οὐ λυπῆσαί τι τῶν παρόντων δυνήσεται, κἂν ἀηδὲς ᾖ, οὐ φυσῆσαι καὶ ἐπᾶραι, κἂν αἴσιον ᾖ: ἀλλ' ἐν τοσούτῳ χειμῶνι καὶ ζάλῃ γαλήνης ἀπολαύσεται πολλῆς. βʹ. Οὐ γὰρ παρὰ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων φύσιν ὁ θόρυβος ἡμῖν ἐγγίνεται, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς διανοίας τῆς ἡμετέρας. Ἐπεὶ εἰ παρὰ τὰ συμβαίνοντα τοῦτο ἐπάσχομεν, πάντας ἀνθρώπους ταράττεσθαι ἔδει. Πάντες γὰρ τὴν αὐτὴν πλέομεν θάλατταν, καὶ κυμάτων καὶ ἅλμης ἐκτὸς εἶναι ἀμήχανον. Εἰ δέ εἰσιν, οἳ τοῦ χειμῶνος ἑστήκασιν ἔξω καὶ τῆς θαλάττης μαινομένης, εὔδηλον ὅτι τὸν χειμῶνα οὐ τὰ πράγματα ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' ἡ κατάστασις τῆς διανοίας τῆς ἡμετέρας. Ἂν οὖν αὐτὴν κατασκευάσωμεν οὕτως, ὡς πάντα φέρειν εὐκόλως, οὐκ ἔσται χειμὼν ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ κλυδώνιον, λευκῆς ἀεὶ τῆς γαλήνης οὔσης. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα πῶς προθέμενος μηδὲν ὑπὲρ τούτων εἰπεῖν, εἰς τοσοῦτον ταύτης ἐξηνέχθην τῆς παραινέσεως. Σύγγνωτε οὖν τῆς μακρηγορίας ἡμῖν. Καὶ γὰρ δέδοικα, καὶ σφόδρα δέδοικα, μήποτε ἀσθενεστέρα ἡμῖν αὕτη γένηται ἡ σπουδή: ὡς εἴ γε ἐθάῤῥουν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, οὐδὲν ἂν διελέχθην τούτων ὑμῖν νῦν: ἱκανὴ γὰρ αὕτη πάντα ὑμῖν ἐξευμαρίσαι τὰ πράγματα. Ὥρα δὲ λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὰ προκείμενα τήμερον ἰέναι, ὥστε μὴ κεκμηκότας ὑμᾶς προσβάλλειν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν. Ἀγῶνες γὰρ ἡμῖν πρόκεινται πρὸς τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὺς, πρὸς τοὺς πάντα μηχανωμένους, ὥστε καθελεῖν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν ἑαυτῶν. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ μένει διαπαντὸς, οἵαπέρ ἐστιν, οὐδὲν παρὰ τῆς βλασφήμου γλώττης ἐλαττουμένη: ἐκεῖνοι δὲ, ὅν φασι προσκυνεῖν, καθελεῖν σπουδάζοντες, τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ἀτιμίας πληροῦσι καὶ κολάσεως τὴν ψυχήν. Τίνα οὖν ἐστιν ἅ φασιν, ἡμῶν ταῦτα λεγόντων, ἐκεῖνοι; Ὅτι τὸ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, οὐ τὸ ἀΐδιον δείκνυσιν ἁπλῶς: καὶ γὰρ καὶ περὶ οὐρανοῦ τοῦτο καὶ περὶ γῆς ἐλέχθη. Ὢ τῆς ἀναισχυντίας καὶ τῆς ἀνευλαβείας τῆς πολλῆς. Περὶ Θεοῦ σοι διαλέγομαι, καὶ σύ μοι τὴν γῆν φέρεις εἰς μέσον, καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀνθρώπους; Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ Υἱὸς Θεοῦ ὁ Χριστὸς λέγεται καὶ Θεὸς, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος υἱὸς Θεοῦ λέγεται καὶ θεός (Ἐγὼ γὰρ εἶπα, Θεοί ἐστε, φησὶ, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες), φιλονεικήσεις τῷ Μονογενεῖ τῆς υἱότητος, καὶ οὐδὲν φήσεις αὐτὸν ἔχειν κατὰ τοῦτό σου πλέον; Οὐδαμῶς, φησί. Καὶ μὴν τοῦτο ποιεῖς, κἂν μὴ τῷ λόγῳ λέγῃς. Πῶς; Ὅτι καὶ σὺ χάριτι φῂς τῆς υἱοθεσίας μετειληφέναι καὶ αὐτὸν οὕτω: τῷ γὰρ μὴ φύσει λέγειν αὐτὸν υἱὸν οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ χάριτι εἶναι τοῦτο κατασκευάζεις. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν καὶ τὰς μαρτυρίας, ἃς παράγουσιν ἡμῖν. Ἐν ἀρχῇ, φησὶν, ἐποίησε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. Ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος. Καὶ, Ἦν ἄνθρωπος ἐξ Ἀρμαθαὶμ Σιφᾶ. Ταῦτά ἐστιν ἃ νομίζουσιν εἶναι ἰσχυρά. Καὶ ἔστιν ἰσχυρά: ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ δεῖξαι τὴν παρ' ἡμῶν λεγομένην ὀρθότητα τῶν δογμάτων: πρὸς δὲ τὸ στῆσαι τὴν βλασφημίαν αὐτῶν ἀσθενέστερά πως ἁπάντων. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, κοινὸν ἔχει πρὸς τὸ, Ἐποίησε, τὸ, Ἦν; τί δὲ ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον; Τί τὰ ἄμικτα μιγνύεις, καὶ συγχεῖς τὰ διαιρούμενα, καὶ τὰ ἄνω τὰ κάτω ποιεῖς; Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ τὸ, Ἦν, οὐ δείκνυσι τὸ ἀΐδιον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν, καὶ τὸ, Ὁ Λόγος ἦν. Ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ, ὢν, ὅταν μὲν περὶ ἀνθρώπου λέγηται, τὸν ἐνεστῶτα χρόνον δηλοῖ μόνον: ὅταν δὲ περὶ Θεοῦ, τὸ ἀΐδιον δείκνυσιν: οὕτω καὶ τὸ, Ἦν, περὶ μὲν τῆς ἡμετέρας λεγόμενον φύσεως, τὸν παρελθόντα σημαίνει χρόνον ἡμῖν, καὶ αὐτὸν τοῦτον πεπερατωμένον: ὅταν δὲ περὶ Θεοῦ, τὸ ἀΐδιον ἐμφαίνει. Ἤρκει μὲν οὖν ἀκούσαντα γῆν, καὶ ἀκούσαντα ἄνθρωπον, μηδὲν πλέον ὑποπτεῦσαι περὶ αὐτῶν, ὧν τῇ φύσει τῇ γεννητῇ προσῆκε νοεῖν. Τὸ γὰρ γενόμενον, ὅτι ἂν ᾖ, χρόνῳ ἢ αἰῶνι γέγονεν: ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ χρόνων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἰώνων πάντων ἀνώτερος. Δημιουργὸς γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐστι καὶ ποιητής: Δι' οὗ γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας ἐποίησεν. Ὁ δὲ ποιητὴς πρὸ τῶν ποιημάτων πάντως ἐστίν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὕτως ἀναίσθητοί τινές εἰσιν, ὡς καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μεῖζόν τι περὶ αὐτῶν τῆς ἀξίας ὑπονοεῖν, τῷ, Ἐποίησε, ῥήματι, καὶ τῷ, Ἄνθρωπος ἦν, προκαταλαμβάνει τὴν διάνοιαν τοῦ ἀκροατοῦ, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀναισχυντίαν ἐκκόπτει. Πᾶν γὰρ τὸ ποιηθὲν, καὶ οὐρανὸς καὶ γῆ, χρόνῳ πεποίηται, καὶ ἀρχὴν ἔχει χρονικὴν, καὶ ἄναρχον τούτων οὐδὲν, ἐπειδὴ γέγονεν. Ὥστε ὅταν ἀκούσῃς. ὅτι Ἐποίησε τὴν γῆν, καὶ ὅτι Ἄνθρωπος ἦν, περιττὰ λοιπὸν φλυαρεῖς, ἀνόνητόν τινα ἐλίττων λῆρον. Ἐγὼ γὰρ καὶ ἑτέραν ὑπερβολὴν εἴποιμι ἄν. Ποίαν δὴ ταύτην; Ὅτι εἰ καὶ περὶ τῆς γῆς εἴρητο τὸ, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ἡ γῆ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὐδὲ οὕτως ὑποπτεῦσαί τι μεῖζον περὶ αὐτῶν τῶν νῦν ἐγνωσμένων ἐχρῆν ἡμῖν. Ἡ γὰρ τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου προσηγορία προλαβοῦσα, ὅσα ἂν περὶ αὐτῶν λέγηται, οὐκ ἀφίησι τὴν διάνοιαν μεῖζόν τι φαντασθῆναι περὶ αὐτῶν, ὧν νῦν ἴσμεν: ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ὁ Λόγος, κἂν μικρόν τι περὶ αὐτοῦ λεχθῇ, οὐκ ἀφίησι ταπεινὸν ἐννοῆσαί τι καὶ εὐτελές: ἐπεὶ καὶ προϊών φησι περὶ τῆς γῆς: Ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι ἐποίησεν αὐτὴν, καὶ θεὶς αὐτῇ τὸν οἰκεῖον ὅρον, ἀδεῶς λοιπὸν τὰ ἑξῆς φθέγγεται, εἰδὼς ὅτι οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἀνόητός ἐστιν, ὡς ἄναρχον αὐτὴν καὶ ἀγένητον ὑποπτεῦσαι. Τὸ γὰρ τῆς γῆς ὄνομα καὶ τὸ, Ἐποίησεν, ἱκανὰ καὶ τὸν σφόδρα ἠλίθιον πεῖσαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀΐδιος οὐδὲ ἀγένητος, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐν χρόνῳ γενομένων ἐστί. γʹ. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων τὸ, Ἦν, ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, οὐ τοῦ εἶναι ἁπλῶς ἐστι σημαντικόν: ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦδε τοῦ χωρίου εἶναι: ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς γῆς, τοῦ πῶς εἶναι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν, ἁπλῶς, καὶ ἐσίγησεν: ἀλλὰ πῶς ἦν καὶ μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι ἐδίδαξεν, οἷον, ὅτι Ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος, ἔτι τοῖς ὕδασι κρυπτομένη καὶ φυρομένη. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἑλκανᾶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἦν ἄνθρωπος, μόνον, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε καὶ πόθεν ἦν δηλῶν, τὸ ἐξ Ἀρμαθαὶμ Σιφᾶ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ Λόγου οὐχ οὕτω. Καὶ αἰσχύνομαι μὲν ταῦτα τούτοις ἀντεξετάζων. Εἰ γὰρ τοῖς ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν ἐπιτιμῶμεν, ὅταν πολὺ τὸ μέσον τῆς ἀρετῆς τῶν ἐξεταζομένων ᾖ, καίτοι γε τῆς οὐσίας μιᾶς οὔσης: ὅταν καὶ τῆς φύσεως καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων οὕτως ἄπειρον ᾖ τὸ μέσον, πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτης μανίας τὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα κινεῖν; Ἀλλ' ἵλεως ἡμῖν αὐτὸς ὁ βλασφημούμενος παρ' ἐκείνων εἴη. Τὴν γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων λόγων ἀνάγκην οὐχ ἡμεῖς ἐφευρήκαμεν, ἀλλ' οἱ τῇ ἑαυτῶν πολεμοῦντες σωτηρίᾳ ἡμῖν παρέσχον. Τί οὖν φημι; Ὅτι τοῦτο τὸ, Ἦν, ἐπὶ τοῦ Λόγου, τοῦ εἶναι ἀϊδίως μόνον ἐστὶ δηλωτικόν: Ἐν ἀρχῇ γὰρ ἦν, φησὶν, ὁ Λόγος: τὸ δεύτερον δὲ ἦν, τοῦ πρός τινα εἶναι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μάλιστα τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἴδιον, τὸ ἀΐδιον καὶ ἄναρχον, τοῦτο πρῶτον τέθεικεν. Εἶτα, ἵνα μή τις ἀκούων τὸ, ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ, καὶ ἀγέννητον αὐτὸν εἴπῃ, εὐθέως αὐτὸ παρεμυθήσατο, πρὸ τοῦ εἰπεῖν τί ἦν, εἰπὼν ὅτι Πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἦν. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ Λόγον αὐτὸν ἁπλῶς νομίσῃ τις εἶναι προφορικὸν ἢ ἐνδιάθετον, τῇ τοῦ ἄρθρου προσθήκῃ, καθάπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, καὶ διὰ τῆς δευτέρας ταύτης τοῦτο ἀνεῖλε ῥήσεως. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐν Θεῷ ἦν, ἀλλὰ, Πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἦν, τὴν καθ' ὑπόστασιν αὐτοῦ ἀϊδιότητα ἐμφαίνων ἡμῖν. Εἶτα καὶ σαφέστερον αὐτὸ προϊὼν ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἐπαγαγὼν, ὅτι ὁ Λόγος οὗτος καὶ Θεὸς ἦν. Ἀλλὰ πεποιημένος, φησί. Τί οὖν ἐκώλυε τοῦτο εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Λόγον; Περὶ γοῦν τῆς γῆς διαλεγόμενος ὁ Μωϋσῆς, οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ἡ γῆ, ἀλλ' ὅτι Ἐποίησεν αὐτὴν, καὶ τότε ἦν. Τί τοίνυν ἐκώλυε καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην οὕτως εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Λόγον; Εἰ γὰρ περὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦτο ἔδεισεν ὁ Μωϋσῆς, μή τις αὐτὴν ἀγένητον εἴπῃ: πολλῷ μᾶλλον περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ φοβηθῆναι ἐχρῆν τὸν Ἰωάννην, εἴ γε κτιστὸς ἦν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ κόσμος, ὁρατὸς ὢν, αὐτόθεν κηρύττει τὸν Ποιητήν (Οἱ οὐρανοὶ γὰρ, φησὶ, διηγοῦνται δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ): ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς ἀόρατός ἐστι, καὶ τὴν κτίσιν σφόδρα καὶ ἀπείρως ὑπεραναβέβηκεν. Εἰ τοίνυν ἔνθα μηδὲ λόγου καὶ διδασκαλίας ἡμῖν ἔδει πρὸς τὸ μαθεῖν, ὅτι γενητὸς ὁ κόσμος ἐστὶν, ὅμως σαφῶς αὐτὸ καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων τίθησιν ὁ Προφήτης: πολλῷ μᾶλλον περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦτο τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐχρῆν εἰπεῖν, εἴ γε κτισθεὶς ἦν. Ναὶ, φησίν: ἀλλ' ὁ Πέτρος τοῦτο εἶπε σαφῶς καὶ διαῤῥήδην. Ποῦ καὶ πότε; Ὅτε Ἰουδαίοις διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν, Ὅτι Κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησε. Τί οὖν καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς οὐ προσέθηκας, ὅτι Τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε; Ἢ ἀγνοεῖς ὅτι τῶν λεγομένων τὰ μὲν τῆς ἀκηράτου φύσεως, τὰ δὲ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἐστίν; Εἰ δὲ μή ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἁπλῶς ἐπὶ τῆς θεότητος ἐκδέξῃ, καὶ παθητὸν εἰσάξεις τὸ Θεῖον: εἰ δὲ μὴ παθητὸν, οὐδὲ ποιητόν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς θείας αὐτῆς καὶ ἀῤῥήτου φύσεως τὸ αἷμα ἔῤῥευσε, καὶ ἀντὶ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτὴ τοῖς κατὰ τὸν σταυρὸν ἥλοις διῃρεῖτο καὶ ἐτέμνετο, λόγον ἂν εἶχέ σου κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ σόφισμα. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο οὐδ' ἂν αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος βλασφημήσειε, τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτὸς ἀγνοεῖν προσποιῇ ἀσύγγνωστον οὕτως ἄγνοιαν, καὶ ἣν οὐδ' ἂν οἱ δαίμονες ὑπεκρίναντο; Ἄλλως τε τὸ Κύριος καὶ τὸ Χριστὸς, οὐκ ἔστιν οὐσίας, ἀλλ' ἀξιώματος. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐστὶ, τὸ δὲ τοῦ χρισθῆναι. Τί οὖν ἂν εἴποις περὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ κτιστὸς ἦν καθ' ὑμᾶς, τοῦτο οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι χώραν: οὐ γὰρ δὴ πρότερον ἐγένετο, καὶ τότε αὐτὸν ἐχειροτόνησεν ὁ Θεός: οὐδὲ ἀπόβλητον ἔχει τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ φύσει καὶ οὐσιωμένην. Ἐρωτηθεὶς γὰρ εἰ βασιλεὺς εἴη, Ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι, φησίν. Ὁ δὲ Πέτρος, ὡς περί τινος χειροτονηθέντος, οὕτω διαλέγεται. Περὶ γὰρ τῆς οἰκονομίας ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ πάσης. δʹ. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ τοῦτο ὁ Πέτρος φησίν; Ἀθηναίοις γὰρ διαλεγόμενος ὁ Παῦλος, ἄνδρα αὐτὸν καλεῖ μόνον, οὕτω λέγων: Ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισε πίστιν παρασχὼν πᾶσιν, ἀναστήσας αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν: καὶ οὐδὲν περὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγει μορφῆς, οὐδὲ ὅτι ἴσος αὐτῷ, οὐδὲ ὅτι ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ: εἰκότως. Οὔπω γὰρ τούτων καιρὸς τῶν ῥημάτων ἦν, ἀλλ' ἀγαπητὸν ἦν αὐτοὺς παραδέξασθαι τέως ὅτι ἄνθρωπός ἐστι, καὶ ὅτι ἀνέστη. Οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἐποίησε Χριστός: παρ' οὗ καὶ Παῦλος μαθὼν, οὕτω τὰ πράγματα ᾠκονόμει. Οὐ γὰρ εὐθέως ἡμῖν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν θεότητα ἐξεκάλυψεν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν ἐνομίζετο εἶναι προφήτης καὶ Χριστὸς ἁπλῶς ἄνθρωπος: ὕστερον δὲ ἐφάνη διὰ τῶν ἔργων καὶ τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦτο ὅπερ ἦν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἐν ἀρχῇ τούτῳ κέχρηται τῷ τρόπῳ: καὶ γὰρ ταύτην πρώτην πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἐδημηγόρει δημηγορίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδὲν περὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ τέως σαφὲς μαθεῖν ἴσχυον, διὰ τοῦτο τοῖς περὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἐνδιατρίβει λόγοις, ἵνα τούτοις ἡ ἀκοὴ γυμνασθεῖσα, τῇ λοιπῇ προοδοποιήσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ. Καὶ εἰ βούλοιτό τις τὴν δημηγορίαν πᾶσαν ἄνωθεν διελθεῖν, εὑρήσει τοῦτο ὃ λέγω σφόδρα διαλάμπον. Καὶ γὰρ ἄνδρα αὐτὸν καλεῖ καὶ αὐτὸς, καὶ τοῖς τοῦ πάθους, καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, καὶ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσεως ἐνδιατρίβει λόγοις. Καὶ Παῦλος δὲ, ὅταν λέγῃ: Τοῦ γενομένου ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυῒδ κατὰ σάρκα, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἡμᾶς παιδεύει, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸ, Ἐποίησεν, ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας παρείληπται, ὃ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμολογοῦμεν. Ἀλλ' ὁ τῆς βροντῆς υἱὸς περὶ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου καὶ προαιωνίου ἡμῖν ὑπάρξεως διαλέγεται νῦν. Διὰ τοῦτο τὸ, Ἐποίησεν, ἀφεὶς, τὸ, Ἦν, ἔθηκεν. Ἐχρῆν δὲ εἰ κτιστὸς ἦν, τοῦτο μάλιστα διορίσασθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος ἔδεισε μή τις ὑποπτεύσῃ τῶν ἀνοήτων, ὅτι τοῦ Πατρὸς ἔσται μείζων, καὶ ὑποτεταγμένον ἕξει τὸν γεννήσαντα: διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο Κορινθίοις ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγεν: Ὅταν δὲ εἴπῃ, ὅτι Ὑποτέτακται, δῆλον ὅτι ἐκτὸς τοῦ ὑποτάξαντος αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα: καίτοι τίς ἂν ὑπονοήσειεν, ὅτι ὁ Πατὴρ ὑποταγήσεταί ποτε τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ μετὰ τῶν πάντων; ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰ καὶ τὰς ἀλόγους ταύτας ὑπονοίας δέδοικε, καί φησιν, ἐκτὸς τοῦ ὑποτάξαντος αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα: πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν Ἰωάννην, εἰ κτιστὸς ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, φοβηθῆναι ἔδει, μή τις αὐτὸν ἄκτιστον νομίσῃ, καὶ τοῦτο πρὸ πάντων διδάξαι. Νῦν δὲ, ἐπειδὴ γεννητὸς ἦν, εἰκότως οὔτε αὐτὸς, οὔτε ἄλλος οὐδεὶς, οὐκ ἀπόστολος, οὐ προφήτης, κτιστὸν αὐτὸν ἔφησαν εἶναι. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Μονογενὴς οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸ παρῆκεν, εἰ τοῦτο ἦν. Ὁ γὰρ τὰ οὕτω ταπεινὰ φθεγγόμενος διὰ συγκατάβασιν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦτο οὐκ ἂν ἐσιώπησεν. Οἶμαι γὰρ οὐκ ἀπεικὸς, μᾶλλον ἔχοντα τὸ ὑψηλὸν σιγῆσαι, ἢ μὴ ἔχοντα παραλιπεῖν τοῦτο αὐτὸν, καὶ μὴ διδάξαι ὅτι οὐκ ἔχει. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ εὔλογος πρόφασις τῆς σιγῆς ἦν, τὸ βούλεσθαι διδάσκειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ταπεινοφρονεῖν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σιγᾷν τὰ μεγάλα τῶν προσόντων αὐτῷ: ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδεμίαν ἔχοις εἰπεῖν δικαίαν πρόφασιν τῆς σιωπῆς. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν ἐσίγα, εἰ κτιστὸς ἦν, τὸ γεγενῆσθαι, ὁ καὶ τῶν προσόντων πολλὰ παραιτούμενος; Ὥστε ὁ διὰ τὴν τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης διδασκαλίαν καὶ τὰ μὴ προσόντα αὐτῷ πολλάκις εἰπὼν ταπεινὰ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, εἰ κτιστὸς ἦν, τοῦτο οὐκ ἂν παρέλιπεν. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν, ἵνα μηδεὶς αὐτὸν ἀγέννητον ὑπολάβῃ, πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου καὶ ποιοῦντα καὶ λέγοντα, καὶ ἀνάξια αὐτοῦ φθεγγόμενον τῆς ἀξίας καὶ τῆς οὐσίας, καὶ εἰς προφήτου ταπεινότητα καταβαίνοντα; Τὸ γὰρ, Καθὼς ἀκούω κρίνω: καὶ τὸ, Ἐκεῖνός μοι εἶπε τί εἴπω καὶ τί λαλήσω, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, προφητῶν μόνον ἐστίν. Εἰ τοίνυν ταύτην θέλων τὴν ὑποψίαν ἀνελεῖν, οὕτω ταπεινὰ φθέγξασθαι οὐκ ἀπηξίωσε ῥήματα: πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἂν, εἰ κτιστὸς ἦν, ἵνα μὴ ἄκτιστόν τις αὐτὸν ὑποπτεύσῃ, πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἂν εἶπεν: οἷον, Μὴ νομίζετέ με γεγεννῆσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός: πεποίημαι ἐγὼ, οὐ γεγέννημαι, οὐδέ εἰμι τῆς οὐσίας ἐκείνου. Νῦν δὲ πᾶν τοὐναντίον ποιεῖ: ἐκεῖνα γὰρ φθέγγεται τὰ ῥήματα, ἃ καὶ τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους ἀναγκάζει καὶ ἄκοντας τὴν ἐναντίαν δέξασθαι ὑπόνοιαν, οἷον, ὅτι Ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί: καὶ, Τοσοῦτον χρόνον μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωκάς με, Φίλιππε; Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα: καὶ, Ἵνα πάντες τιμῶσι τὸν Υἱὸν, καθὼς τιμῶσι τὸν Πατέρα. Ὥσπερ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐγείρει τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ ζωοποιεῖ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς, οὓς θέλει, ζωοποιεῖ. Ὁ Πατήρ μου ἕως ἄρτι ἐργάζεται, κἀγὼ ἐργάζομαι. Καθὼς γινώσκει με ὁ Πατὴρ, κἀγὼ γινώσκω τὸν Πατέρα. Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν. Καὶ πανταχοῦ τὸ ὥσπερ Καὶ τὸ οὕτω τιθεὶς, καὶ τὸ ἓν εἶναι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπαραλλαξίαν δηλοῖ: τὴν δὲ αὐθεντίαν, καὶ διὰ τούτων μὲν, καὶ δι' ἑτέρων δὲ πλειόνων ἐνδείκνυται: οἷον ὅταν λέγῃ: Σιώπα, πεφίμωσο: Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι: Σοὶ λέγω, τὸ δαιμόνιον τὸ κωφὸν καὶ ἄλαλον, ἔξελθε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τὸ, Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐῤῥέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις, Οὐ φονεύσεις: ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ εἰκῆ, ἔνοχος ἔσται. Καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τοιαῦτα νομοθετεῖ καὶ θαυματουργεῖ, ἱκανὰ δεῖξαι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐξουσίαν: μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν αὐτῶν μέρος ἱκανὸν τοὺς μὴ λίαν ἀναισθητοῦντας προσαγαγέσθαι καὶ πεῖσαι. εʹ. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ δεινὸν ἡ κενοδοξία καὶ πρὸς τὰ λίαν φανερὰ ἀποτυφλῶσαι τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν ὑπ' αὐτῆς ἁλισκομένων, καὶ τοῖς ὡμολογημένοις πεῖσαι φιλονεικεῖν: ἑτέρους δὲ καὶ σφόδρα εἰδότας τἀληθὲς καὶ πεπεισμένους, εἰς ὑπόκρισιν καὶ ἀντίστασιν ἀλείφει. Ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐγίνετο. Οὐ γὰρ δι' ἄγνοιαν ἠρνοῦντο τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν τύχωσι τιμῆς. Καὶ γὰρ, Ἐπίστευον εἰς αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἐφοβοῦντο ἵνα μὴ ἀποσυνάγωγοι γένωνται, καὶ τὴν αὑτῶν προέτειναν σωτηρίαν ἑτέροις. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι τὸν οὕτω σφοδρῶς τῇ παρούσῃ δουλεύοντα δόξῃ, τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τυχεῖν. Διὸ καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτοῖς, εἰπών: Πῶς δύνασθε πιστεύειν, δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ ζητοῦντες; Μέθη γάρ τίς ἐστι βαθεῖα: καὶ διὸ δυσανάγωγον τὸν χειρωθέντα ποιεῖ τοῦτο τὸ πάθος. Αὕτη τῶν ἁλόντων τὴν ψυχὴν ἀποσχίσασα τῶν οὐρανῶν, τῇ γῇ προσηλοῖ, καὶ πρὸς τὸ φῶς ἀναβλέψαι τὸ ἀληθινὸν οὐκ ἀφίησιν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ βορβόρῳ διαπαντὸς καλινδεῖσθαι πείθει, κατασκευάζουσα δεσπότας αὐτοῖς οὕτω δυνατοὺς, ὡς χωρὶς ἐπιταγμάτων αὐτῶν κρατεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ τοῦτο νοσῶν τὸ νόσημα, καὶ μηδενὸς κελεύοντος, αὐτομάτως ποιεῖ πάντα, ὅσαπερ ἂν οἴηται τέρπειν αὐτοῦ τοὺς κυρίους. Καὶ γὰρ ἱμάτια καλὰ περιτίθεται δι' ἐκείνους, καὶ καλλωπίζει τὴν ὄψιν, οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἑτέροις ἐπιτηδεύων, καὶ ἀκολούθους περιάγει κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν, ἵνα θαυμάζηται παρ' ἑτέρων: καὶ πάντα ἃ ποιεῖ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων ἕνεκεν ἀρεσκείας ὑπομένει μόνης. Ἆρα γένοιτ' ἄν τι τούτου χαλεπώτερον πάθος; Ἵνα ἕτεροι θαυμάσωσιν αὐτὸν, κατακρημνίζεται συνεχῶς. Ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δεῖξαι πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν τυραννίδα: πλὴν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἔστιν αὐτὴν συνιδεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐθελήσεις ἐρωτῆσαί τινα τῶν πολιτευομένων καὶ τὰ πολυτελῆ δαπανώντων δαπανήματα, τίνος ἕνεκεν τοσοῦτον κενοῦσι χρυσίον, καὶ τί βούλεται αὐτοῖς ἡ τοσαύτη δαπάνη, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἀκούσῃ παρ' αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' ἢ τοῦ δήμου τὴν ἀρέσκειαν. Εἰ δὲ πάλιν ἔροιο τί δήποτε ὁ δῆμός ἐστιν, ἐροῦσι, Πρᾶγμα θορύβου γέμον καὶ ταραχῶδες, καὶ ἐξ ἀνοίας τὸ πλέον συγκείμενον, ἁπλῶς φερόμενον, κατὰ τὰ τῆς θαλάττης κύματα, πολλάκις καὶ ἐκ ποικίλου καὶ μαχομένης συνιστάμενον γνώμης. Ὅταν οὖν τις τοιοῦτον ἔχῃ δεσπότην, τίνος ἐλεεινότερος οὐκ ἂν εἴη; Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἀνθρώπους βιωτικοὺς περὶ ταῦτα ἐπτοῆσθαι, οὐχ οὕτω δεινόν: καίπερ ὂν δεινόν: τὸ δὲ τοὺς τοῦ κόσμου λέγοντας ἀποπεπηδηκέναι τὰ αὐτὰ νοσεῖν, μᾶλλον δὲ χαλεπώτερα, τοῦτο μάλιστά ἐστι τὸ δεινόν. Ἐκείνοις μὲν γὰρ μέχρι χρημάτων ἡ ζημία: ἐνταῦθα δὲ μέχρι ψυχῆς ὁ κίνδυνος. Ὅταν γὰρ διὰ δόξαν πίστιν ἀμείβωσιν ὀρθὴν, καὶ ἵνα αὐτοὶ δοξάζωνται, τὸν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζωσι, τίνα ὑπερβολὴν οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι βλακείας καὶ μανίας τὸ γινόμενον; εἰπέ μοι. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα πάθη, κἂν πολλὴν τὴν βλάβην ἔχῃ, φέρει γοῦν τινα καὶ ἡδονὴν, εἰ καὶ πρόσκαιρον καὶ βραχεῖαν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ φιλοχρήματος, καὶ ὁ φίλοινος, καὶ ὁ φιλογύνης, ἔχουσί τινα μετὰ τῆς βλάβης καὶ ἡδονὴν, εἰ καὶ βραχεῖαν: οἱ δὲ τοῦ πάθους αἰχμάλωτοι τούτου, διαπαντὸς κατάπικρον ζῶσι βίον καὶ ἡδονῆς ἀπεστερημένον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπιτυγχάνουσιν οὗ σφόδρα ἐρῶσι, δόξης λέγω τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν: ἀλλὰ δοκοῦσι μὲν ἀπολαύειν αὐτῆς, οὐκ ἀπολαύουσι δὲ, διὰ τὸ μηδὲ εἶναι δόξαν τὸ πρᾶγμα. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ δόξα, ἀλλὰ κενὸν δόξης πρᾶγμα εἴρηται τὸ πάθος: κενοδοξίαν δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ οἱ παλαιοὶ πάντες εἰκότως ἐκάλεσαν. Διάκενος γάρ ἐστιν, ἔνδον οὐδὲν ἔχουσα λαμπρὸν καὶ ἐπίδοξον. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τὰ προσωπεῖα δοκεῖ μὲν εἶναι λαμπρὰ καὶ ἐπέραστα, κενὰ δὲ ἔνδον ἐστί: διὸ καὶ τῶν σωματικῶν ὄψεων εὐπρεπέστερα ὄντα, οὐδένα οὐδέποτε πρὸς τὸν ἔρωτα εἷλε τὸν αὐτῶν: οὕτω, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀθλιώτερον, καὶ ἡ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν δόξα, τὸ δυσκαταγώνιστον τοῦτο καὶ τυραννικὸν πάθος ἡμῖν ἐσχημάτισεν. Ὄψιν γὰρ ἔχει μόνην λαμπρὰν, τὰ δὲ ἔνδον αὐτῆς οὐκ ἔτι κενὰ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀτιμίας ἀνάμεστα, καὶ ὠμῆς γέμει τῆς τυραννίδος. Πόθεν οὖν τίκτεται τοῦτο τὸ πάθος, οὕτως ἄλογον ὂν, καὶ ἡδονὴν οὐκ ἔχον, φησί; Πόθεν; Οὐχ ἑτέρωθεν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἀπὸ ψυχῆς ταπεινῆς καὶ εὐτελοῦς. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι τὸν ὑπὸ δόξης ἁλόντα, μέγα τι καὶ νεανικὸν ἐννοῆσαι ταχέως: ἀλλ' αἰσχρὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι δεῖ, καὶ εὐτελῆ, καὶ ἄτιμον, καὶ μικρόν. Ὁ γὰρ δι' ἀρετὴν μὲν μηδὲν ποιῶν, ἵνα δὲ ἀνδράσιν ἀρέσκῃ μηδενὸς ἀξίοις λόγου, καὶ πανταχοῦ τὴν ἐκείνων ψῆφον τιθέμενος τὴν ἐσφαλμένην καὶ πλανωμένην, πῶς ἂν ἄξιος εἴη τινός; Σκόπει δέ. Εἴ τις αὐτὸν ἔροιτο: Σὺ δὲ τί νομίζεις εἶναι τοὺς πολλούς; εὔδηλον ὅτι ῥᾳθύμους καὶ ἠμελημένους ἐρεῖ. Τί δέ; ἕλοιο ἂν γενέσθαι κατ' ἐκείνους; Εἴ τις αὐτὸν ἔροιτο πάλιν, οὐκ ἄν μοι δοκεῖ θελῆσαι γενέσθαι. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἔσχατος γέλως, τὴν τούτων δόξαν θηρεύειν, ὧν οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιο γενέσθαι παραπλήσιός ποτε; Ϛʹ. Εἰ δὲ λέγοις, ὅτι πολλοὶ καὶ συνεστηκότες τινές εἰσι, διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα αὐτῶν καταφρονεῖν ἐχρῆν. Εἰ γὰρ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ὄντες εἰσὶν εὐκαταφρόνητοι, ὅταν πολλοὶ γένωνται, μειζόνως τοῦτο συμβήσεται. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον ἄνοια, συλλεγέντων ὁμοῦ, μείζων ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους αὐξηθεῖσα γίνεται. Διὸ καὶ καθ' ἕνα μὲν αὐτῶν εἰ λάβοι, ποτὲ ἄν τις καὶ διορθώσειεν: ὁμοῦ δὲ ὄντας, οὐκ ἂν δυνηθείη ῥᾳδίως, διὰ τὸ τὴν ἄνοιαν ἐπιτείνεσθαι, καὶ δίκην θρεμμάτων ἄγεσθαι, καὶ πανταχοῦ ταῖς παρ' ἀλλήλων ἕπεσθαι δόξαις. Ταύτης οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν ἀντιποιήσεσθε δόξης; Μὴ, δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ. Τοῦτο γὰρ πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω πεποίηκε: τοῦτο πλεονεξίαν ἔτεκε, βασκανίαν, κατηγορίαν, ἐπιβουλάς: τοῦτο τοὺς οὐδὲν ἠδικημένους κατὰ τῶν οὐδὲν ἠδικηκότων ὁπλίζει καὶ ἐκθηριοῖ. Καὶ οὔτε φιλίαν οἶδεν ὁ τούτῳ τῷ νοσήματι περιπεσὼν, οὐ συνηθείας μέμνηται, οὐκ αἰδεῖσθαι οὐδένα ὅλως ἐπίσταται: ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ῥίψας τὰ καλὰ, πρὸς πάντας ἐκπεπολέμωται, ἄστατος, ἄστοργος ὤν. Καὶ τὸ μὲν τῆς ὀργῆς πάθος, εἰ καὶ αὐτὸ τυραννικόν τί ἐστι καὶ ἀφόρητον, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀεὶ διενοχλεῖν εἴωθεν, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἔχῃ τοὺς παροξύνοντας μόνον: τὸ δὲ τῆς κενοδοξίας διαπαντὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι καιρὸς, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἐν ᾧ λῆξαι δυνήσεται, μὴ λογισμοῦ κωλύοντος αὐτὴν καὶ καταστέλλοντος, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ πάρεστιν, οὐ μόνον ἀναπείθουσα ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀλλὰ κἂν τύχωμέν τι κατορθοῦντες, καὶ τοῦτο ἀφαρπάζουσα τῶν χειρῶν, ἔστι δὲ ὅτε οὐδὲ ἀφιεῖσα τὴν ἀρχὴν κατορθῶσαι. Εἰ δὲ τὴν πλεονεξίαν ὁ Παῦλος εἰδωλολατρείαν καλεῖ: τὴν ταύτης μητέρα καὶ ῥίζαν καὶ πηγὴν, τὴν κενοδοξίαν λέγω, τί δίκαιον ὀνομάσαι; Οὐδὲ γὰρ προσηγορίαν τῆς κακίας ἀξίαν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. Ἀνανήψωμεν τοίνυν, ἀγαπητοὶ, καὶ τὸ πονηρὸν ἀποδυσώμεθα τοῦτο ἱμάτιον, καὶ διαῤῥήξωμεν καὶ ἀποτέμωμεν, καὶ γενώμεθά ποτε ἐλεύθεροι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν τὴν ἀληθῆ, καὶ λάβωμεν αἴσθησιν τῆς εὐγενείας τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δεδομένης ἡμῖν: καταφρονήσωμεν τῆς τῶν πολλῶν δόξης. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω καταγέλαστον καὶ ἄτιμον, ὡς τοῦτο τὸ πάθος: οὐδὲν οὕτως αἰσχύνης γέμον καὶ πολλῆς ἀδοξίας. Καὶ τοῦτο πολλαχόθεν ἴδοι τις ἂν, ὅτι τὸ μὲν δόξης ἐρᾷν, ἀδοξία, δόξα δὲ ὄντως, τὸ ταύτης ὑπερορᾷν, καὶ μηδένα αὐτῆς ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν ἅπαντα καὶ λέγειν καὶ ποιεῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα καὶ μισθὸν λαβεῖν παρὰ τοῦ τὰ ἡμέτερα ὁρῶντος ἀκριβῶς, ὅταν αὐτῷ μόνῳ ἀρκώμεθα θεατῇ. Τί γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ ἑτέρων ὀφθαλμῶν δεῖ, τοῦ τιμᾷν μέλλοντος ἡμᾶς ὁρῶντος ἀεὶ τὰ γινόμενα παρ' ἡμῶν; Πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἄτοπον, τὸν μὲν οἰκέτην πάντα ὅσαπερ ἂν ποιῇ, εἰς ἀρέσκειαν τοῦ δεσπότου ποιεῖν, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητεῖν τῆς θεωρίας τῆς τούτου, μηδὲ ἑτέρους ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐφέλκεσθαι πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν, κἂν μεγάλοι οἱ θεωροῦντες ὦσιν, ἀλλ' ἓν μόνον σκοπεῖν ὅπως ὁ δεσπότης θεάσηται: ἡμᾶς δὲ τοιοῦτον ἔχοντας Κύριον, ἑτέρους ἐπιζητεῖν θεατὰς τοὺς ὠφελῆσαι μὲν οὐδὲν, βλάψαι δὲ ἐκ τῆς θεωρίας δυναμένους, καὶ κενῶσαι πάντα τὸν πόνον ἡμῖν; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ: ἀλλ' ὅθεν ἔχομεν τοὺς μισθοὺς λαβεῖν, τοῦτον καλῶμεν ἐπαινέτην τῶν γινομένων, τοῦτον θεατήν. Μηδὲν ἡμῖν καὶ ἀνθρωπίνοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ἔστω. Εἰ γὰρ ἐθέλοιμεν καὶ ταύτης ἐπιτυχεῖν τῆς δόξης, τότε αὐτῆς ἐπιτευξόμεθα, ὅταν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζητῶμεν μόνην. Τοὺς γὰρ δοξάζοντάς με δοξάσω, φησί. Καὶ ὥσπερ χρημάτων τότε μάλιστα εὐποροῦμεν, ὅταν καταφρονῶμεν αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζητῶμεν πλοῦτον μόνον (Ζητεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν): οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς δόξης, ὅταν ἡμῖν λοιπὸν ἀκίνδυνος ἡ δόσις ᾖ καὶ ἡ τῶν χρημάτων καὶ ἡ τῆς δόξης, τότε αὐτὴν ἐπιδαψιλεύσεται ὁ Θεός. Ἀκίνδυνος δὲ τότε ἐστὶν, ὅταν ἡμῶν μὴ κρατῇ, μηδὲ περιγίνηται, μηδὲ ὡς δούλοις αὐτὴ ἐπιτάττῃ, ἀλλ' ὡς δεσπόταις καὶ ὡς ἐλευθέροις παραγίνηται. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο οὐδὲ βούλεται αὐτῶν ἡμᾶς ἐρᾷν, ἵνα μὴ κρατώμεθα παρ' αὐτῶν. Κἂν τοῦτο κατορθώσωμεν, δίδωσιν ἡμῖν αὐτὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δαψιλείας. Τί γὰρ Παύλου λαμπρότερον, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦ λέγοντος: Οὐ ζητοῦμεν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν, οὔτε ἀφ' ὑμῶν, οὔτε ἀπ' ἄλλων; τί δὲ εὐπορώτερον τοῦ μηδὲν ἔχοντος, καὶ πάντα κατέχοντος; Ὅταν γὰρ, ὅπερ ἔφην, μὴ κρατώμεθα ὑπ' αὐτῶν, τότε αὐτῶν κρατήσομεν, τότε αὐτὰ ληψόμεθα. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐπιθυμοῦμεν ἐπιτυχεῖν δόξης, φεύγωμεν δόξαν: οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὺς νόμους ἀνύσαντες, τυχεῖν καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.