2.  What then is my defence?9    1 Cor. ix. 3.  If it be false, you must convict me, but if true, you on behalf of whom10    On behalf of, i.e., the Christians of Constantinople, whose Pastor he had been, who were present at the time in the church. and in whose presence I speak, must bear witness to it.  For you are my defence, my witnesses, and my crown of rejoicing,11    1 Thess. ii. 19. if I also may venture to boast myself a little in the Apostle’s language.  This flock was, when it was small and poor, as far as appearances went, nay, not even a flock, but a slight trace and relic of a flock, without order, or shepherd, or bounds, with neither right to pasturage, nor the defence of a fold, wandering upon the mountains and in caves and dens of the earth,12    Heb. xi. 38. scattered and dispersed hither and thither as each one could find shelter or pasture, or could gratefully secure its own safety; like that flock which was harassed by lions, dispersed by tempest, or scattered in darkness, the lamentation of prophets who compared it to the misfortunes of Israel,13    Ezek. xxxi. ii. given up to the Gentiles; over which we also lamented, so long as our lot was worthy of lamentation.  For in very deed we also were thrust out and cast off, and scattered upon every mountain and hill, from the need of a shepherd:14    Ib. xxxiv. 6.  and a dreadful storm fell upon the Church, and fearful beasts assailed her, who do not even now, after the calm, spare us, but without being ashamed of themselves, wield a greater power than the time should allow; while a gloomy darkness, far more oppressive than the ninth plague of Egypt, the darkness which might be felt,15    Exod. x. 21. enveloped and concealed everything, so that we could scarcely even see one another.

Βʹ. Τίς οὖν ἡ ἀπολογία; Καὶ εἰ μὲν ψευδὴς, ἐλέγξατε: εἰ δὲ ἀληθὴς, μαρτυρήσατε ὑμεῖς, ὑπὲρ ὧν, καὶ ἐν οἷς ὁ λόγος. Ὑμεῖς γάρ μοι καὶ ἀπολογία, καὶ μάρτυρες, καὶ καυχήσεως στέφανος, ἵνα τολμήσω κἀγώ τι τῶν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου νεανιεύσασθαι. Τοῦτο τὸ ποίμνιον ἦν, ὅτε μικρόν τε καὶ ἀτελὲς ἦν, ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁρωμένοις, καὶ οὐδὲ ποίμνιον, ἀλλὰ ποίμνης τι μικρὸν ἴχνος, ἢ λείψανον, ἀσύντακτον, καὶ ἀνεπίσκοπον, καὶ ἀόριστον, μήτε νομὴν ἐλευθέραν ἔχον, μήτε μάνδρᾳ περιεχόμενον, πλανώμενον ἐν ὄρεσι, καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς, ἄλλο ἀλλαχοῦ διεσπαρμένον τε καὶ διεῤῥιμμένον, ὡς ἕκαστον ἔτυχε σκεπόμενον, ἢ νεμόμενον, καὶ διακλέπτον ἀγαπητικῶς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίαν: οἷον ἐκεῖνο τὸ ποίμνιον, ὃ λέοντες ἐξῶσαν, ἢ ζάλη διέλυσεν, ἢ σκοτόμαινα διεσκέδασεν: ὂ θρηνοῦσι μὲν προφῆται, τοῖς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπεικάζοντες πάθεσι, παραδεδομένου τοῖς ἔθνεσιν: ἐθρηνήσαμεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἐφ' ὅσον θρήνων ἐπράττομεν ἄξια. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐξώσθημεν καὶ ἀπεῤῥίφημεν, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸν διεσπάρημεν, ὡς ἐν ἐρημίᾳ ποιμένος: καὶ πονηρός τις χειμὼν κατέσχε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ δεινοὶ θῆρες ἐπιπεπτώκασιν, οἱ μηδὲ νῦν μετὰ τὴν αἰθρίαν ἡμῶν φειδόμενοι: ἀλλ' ἀναισχυντοῦντες εἶναι, καὶ τοῦ καιροῦ δυνατώτεροι: καὶ σκυθρωπή τις σκοτόμαινα ἐπέλαβε πάντα καὶ συνεκάλυψε, πολὺ τῆς ἐνάτης τῶν Αἰγυπτίων πληγῆς βαρυτέρα, τοῦ ψηλαφητοῦ λέγω σκότους, ὑφ' οὗ μικροῦ δεῖν μηδὲ ἀλλήλους ἰδεῖν ἐδυνήθημεν.