II.

Now while the land of the Indians lay under the shroud of this moonless night, and while the Faithful were harried on every side, and the champions of ungodliness prospered, the very air reeking with the smell of bloody sacrifices, a certain mall of the royal household, chief satrap in rank, in courage, stature, comeliness, and in all those qualities which mark beauty of body and nobility of soul, far above all his Fellows, hearing of this iniquitous decree, bade farewell to all the grovelling pomps and vanities of the world, joined the ranks of the monks, and retired across the border into the desert. There, by fastings and vigils, and by diligent study of the divine oracles, he throughly purged his senses, and illumined a soul, set free from every passion, with the glorious light of a perfect calm.

But when the king, who loved and esteemed him highly, heard thereof, he was grieved in spirit at the loss of his friend, but his anger was the more hotly kindled against the monks. And so he sent everywhere in search of him, leaving "no stone unturned," as the saying is, to find him. After a long while, they that were sent in quest of him, having learnt that he abode in the desert, after diligent search, apprehended him and brought him before the king's judgement seat. When the king saw him in such vile and coarse raiment who before had been clad in rich apparel,--saw him, who had lived in the lap of luxury, shrunken and wasted by the severe practice of discipline, and bearing about in his body outward and visible signs of his hermit-life, he was filled with mingled grief and fury, and, in speech blended of these two passions, he spoke unto him thus:

"O you dullard and mad man, wherefore hast you exchanged your honour for shame, and your glorious estate for this unseemly show? To what end has the president of my kingdom, and chief commander of my realm made himself the laughingstock of boys, and not only forgotten utterly our friendship and fellowship, but revolted against nature herself, and had no pity on his own children, and cared naught for riches and all the splendour of the world, and chosen ignominy such as this rather than the glory that men covet? And what shall it profit you to have chosen above all gods and men him whom they call Jesus, and to have preferred this rough life of sackcloth to the pleasures and delights of a life of bliss."

When the man of God heard these words, he made reply, at once courteous and unruffled: "If it be your pleasure, O king, to converse with me, remove your enemies out of mid court; which done, I will answer you concerning whatsoever you mayest desire to learn; for while these are here, I cannot speak with you. But, without speech, torment me, kill me, do as you wilt, for "the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world,' as says my divine teacher." The king said, "And who are these enemies whom you biddest me turn out of court?" The saintly man answered and said, "Anger and Desire. For at the beginning these twain were brought into being by the Creator to be fellow-workers with nature; and such they still are to those 'who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.' But in you who are altogether carnal, having nothing of the Spirit, they are adversaries, and play the part of enemies and foemen. For Desire, working in you, stirs up pleasure, but, when made of none effect, Anger. To-day therefore let these be banished from you, and let Wisdom and Righteousness sit to hear and judge that which we say. For if you put Anger and Desire out of court, and in their room bring in Wisdom and Righteousness, I will truthfully tell you all." Then spoke the king, "Lo I yield to your request, and will banish out of the assembly both Desire and Anger, and make Wisdom and Righteousness to sit between us. So now, tell me without fear, how wast you so greatly taken with this error, to prefer the bird in the bush to the bird already in the hand?"

The hermit answered and said, "O king, if you askest the cause how I came to despise things temporal, and to devote my whole self to the hope of things eternal, hearken unto me. In former days, when I was still but a stripling, I heard a certain good and wholesome saying, which, by its three took my soul by storm; and the remembrance of it, like some divine seed, being planted in my heart, unmoved, was preserved ever until it took root, blossomed, and bare that fruit which you see in me. Now the meaning of that sentence was this: 'It seemed good to the foolish to despise the things that are, as though they were not, and to cleave and cling to the things that are not, as though they were. So he, that has never tasted the sweetness of the things that are, will not be able to understand the nature of the things that are not. And never having understood them, how shall he despise them?' Now that saying meant by 'things that are' the things eternal and fixed, but by 'things that are not' earthly life, luxury, the prosperity that deceives, whereon, O king, your heart alas! is fixed amiss. Time was when I also clung thereto myself. But the force of that sentence continually goading my heart, stirred my governing power, my mind, to make the better choice. But 'the law of sin, warring against the law of my mind,' and binding me, as with iron chains, held me captive to the love of things present.

"But 'after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour' was pleased to deliver me from that harsh captivity, he enabled my mind to overcome the law of sin, and opened mine eyes to discern good from evil. Thereupon I perceived and looked, and behold! all things present are vanity and vexation of spirit, as somewhere in his writings says Solomon the wise. Then was the veil of sin lifted from mine heart, and the dullness, proceeding from the grossness of my body, which pressed upon my soul, was scattered, and I perceived the end for which I was created, and how that it behoved me to move upward to my Creator by the keeping of his Commandments. Wherefore I left all and followed him, and I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord that he delivered me out of the mire, and from the making of bricks, and from the harsh and deadly ruler of the darkness of this world, and that he showed me the short and easy road whereby I shall be able, in this earthen body, eagerly to embrace the Angelic life. Seeking to attain to it the sooner, I chose to walk the strait and narrow way, renouncing the vanity of things present and the unstable changes and chances thereof, and refusing to call anything good except the true good, from which you, O king, art miserably sundered and alienated. Wherefore also we ourselves were alienated and separated from you, because you wert falling into plain and manifest destruction, and wouldst constrain us also to descend into like peril. But as long as we were tried in the warfare of this world, we failed in no point of duty. Thou thyself will bear me witness that we were never charged with sloth or heedlessness.

"But when you hast endeavoured to rob us of the chiefest of all blessings, our religion, and to deprive us of God, the worst of deprivations, and, in this intent, dost remind us of past honours and preferments, how should I not rightly tax you with ignorance of good, seeing that you dost at all compare these two things, righteousness toward God, and human friendship, and glory, that runs away like water? And how, in such ease, may we have fellowship with you, and not the rather deny ourselves friendship and honours and love of children, and if there be any other tie greater than these? When we see you, O king, the rather forgetting your reverence toward that God, who gives you the power to live and breathe, Christ Jesus, the Lord of all; who, being alike without beginning, and coeternal with the Father, and having created the heavens and the earth by his word, made man with his own hands and endowed him with immortality, and set him king of all on earth and assigned him Paradise, the fairest place of all, as his royal dwelling. But man, beguiled by envy, and (wo is me!) caught by the bait of pleasure, miserably fell from all these blessings. So he that once was enviable became a piteous spectacle, and by his misfortune deserving of tears. Wherefore he, that had made and fashioned us, looked again with eyes of compassion upon the work of his own hands. He, not laying aside his God-head, which he had from the beginning, was made man for our sakes, like ourselves, but without sin, and was content to suffer death upon the Cross. He overthrew the foeman that from the beginning had looked with malice on our race; he rescued us from that bitter captivity; he, of his goodness, restored to us our former freedom, and, of his tender love towards mankind, raised us up again to that place from whence by our disobedience we had fallen, granting us even greater honour than at the first.

"Him therefore, who endured such sufferings for our sakes, and again bestowed such blessings upon us, him dost you reject and scoff at his Cross? And, thyself wholly riveted to carnal delights and deadly passions, dost you proclaim the idols of shame and dishonour gods? Not only hast you alienated thyself from the commonwealth of heavenly felicity but you hast also severed from the same all others who obey your commands, to the peril of their souls. Know therefore that I will not obey you, nor join you in such ingratitude to God-ward; neither will I deny my benefactor and Saviour, though you slay me by wild beasts, or give me to the fire and sword, as you hast the power. For I neither fear death, nor desire the present world, having passed judgement on the frailty and vanity thereof. For what is there profitable, abiding or stable therein? Nay, in very existence, great is the misery, great the pain, great and ceaseless the attendant care. Of its gladness and enjoyment the yoke-fellows are dejection and pain. Its riches is poverty; its loftiness die lowest humiliation; and who shall tell the full tale of its miseries, which Saint John the Divine has shown me in few words? For he says, 'The whole world lies in wickedness'; and, 'Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof, but he that does the will of God abides for ever.' Seeking, then, this good will of God, I have forsaken everything, and joined myself to those who possess the same desire, and seek after the same God. Amongst these there is no strife or envy, sorrow or care, but all run the like race that they may obtain those everlasting habitations which the Father of lights has prepared for them that love him. Them have I gained for my fathers, my brothers, my friends and mine acquaintances. But from my former friends and brethren 'I have got me away far off, and lodged in the wilderness' waiting for the God, who saves me from faintness of spirit, and from the stormy tempest."

When the man of God had made answer thus gently and in good reason, the king was stirred by anger, and was minded cruelly to torment the saint; but again he hesitated and delayed, regarding his venerable and noble mien. So he answered and said:

"Unhappy man, that hast contrived your own utter ruin, driven thereto, I ween, by fate, surely you hast made your tongue as sharp as your wits. Hence you hast uttered these vain and ambiguous babblings. Had I not promised, at the beginning of our converse, to banish Anger from mid court, I had now given your body to be burned. But since you hast prevented and tied me down fast by my words, I bear with your effrontery, by reason of my former friendship with you. Now, arise, and flee for ever from my sight, lest I see you again and miserably destroy you."

So the man of God went out and withdrew to the desert, grieved to have lost the crown of martyrdom, but daily a martyr in his conscience, and 'wrestling against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness'; as says Blessed Paul. But after his departure, the king waxed yet more wroth, and devised a yet fiercer persecution of the monastic order, while treating with greater honour the ministers and temple-keepers of his idols.

While the king was under this terrible delusion and error, there was born unto him a son, a right goodly child, whose beauty from his very birth was prophetic of his future fortunes. Nowhere in that land, they said, had there ever been seen so charming and lovely a babe. Full of the keenest joy at the birth of the child, the king called him Ioasaph, and in his folly went in person to the temples of his idols, for to do sacrifice and offer hymns of praise to his still more foolish gods, unaware of the real giver of all good things, to whom he should have offered the spiritual sacrifice. He then, ascribing the cause Of his son's birth to things lifeless and dumb, sent out into all quarters to gather the people together to celebrate his son's birth-day: and you might have seen all the folk running together for fear of the king, and bringing their offerings ready for the sacrifice, according to the store at each man's hand, and his favour toward his lord. But chiefly the king stirred them up to emulation. He brought full many oxen, of goodly size, for sacrifice, and thus, making a feast for all his people, he bestowed largesses on all his counsellors and officers, and on all his soldiers, and all the poor, and men of low degree.

II

Τῆς τοιαύτης οὖν σκοτομήνης τὴν τῶν Ἰνδῶν καταλαβούσης, καὶ τῶν μὲν πιστῶν πάντοθεν ἐλαυνομένων, τῶν δὲ τῆς ἀσεβείας ὑπασπιστῶν κρατυνομένων, αἵμασί τε καὶ κνίσαις τῶν θυσιῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ δὴ τοῦ ἀέρος μολυνομένου, εἷς τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως, ἀρχισατράπης τὴν ἀξίαν, ψυχῆς παραστήματι, μεγέθει τε καὶ κάλλει, καὶ πᾶσιν ἄλλοις, οἷς ὥρα σώματος καὶ γενναιότης ψυχῆς ἀνδρείας χαρακτηρίζεσθαι πέφυκε, τῶν ἄλλων ἐτύγχανε διαφέρων. τὸ ἀσεβὲς οὖν ἐκεῖνο πρόσταγμα ἀκούσας οὗτος, χαίρειν εἰπὼν τῇ ματαίᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ κάτω συρομένῃ δόξῃ τε καὶ τρυφῇ, ταῖς τῶν μοναχῶν λογάσιν ἑαυτὸν ἐγκατέμιξεν, ὑπερόριος γενόμενος ἐν ἐρήμοις τόποις, νηστείαις τε καὶ ἀγρυπνίαις καὶ τῇ τῶν θείων λογίων ἐπιμελεῖ μελέτῃ τὰς αἰσθήσεις ἄριστα ἐκκαθάρας, καὶ τὴν ψυχήν, πάσης ἀπαλλάξας ἐμπαθοῦς σχέσεως, τῷ τῆς ἀπαθείας φωτὶ κατελάμπρυνεν. ὁ δὲ βασιλεύς, πάνυ τοῦτον φιλῶν καὶ διὰ τιμῆς ἄγων, ὡς ἤκουσε ταῦτα, ἤλγησε μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ φίλου στερήσει, ἐξεκαύθη δὲ πλέον τῇ κατὰ τῶν μοναζόντων ὀργῇ. καὶ δὴ κατὰ ζήτησιν αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ ἀποστείλας, καὶ πάντα λίθον κινήσας, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, ὥστε τοῦτον ἐφευρεῖν, μετὰ οὖν χρόνον ἱκανὸν οἱ εἰς ἐπιζήτησιν αὐτοῦ πεμφθέντες, ὡς ᾔσθοντο ἐν ἐρήμοις αὐτὸν τὰς οἰκήσεις ἔχοντα, διερευνήσαντες καὶ συλλαβόμενοι, τῷ τοῦ βασιλέως παρέστησαν βήματι. ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν οὕτω πενιχρᾷ καὶ τραχυτάτῃ ἐσθῆτι τὸν λαμπροῖς ποτε ἱματίοις ἠμφιεσμένον, καὶ τὸν πολλῇ συζῶντα τρυφῇ τεταριχευμένον τῇ σκληρᾷ τῆς ἀσκήσεως ἀγωγῇ, καὶ τοῦ ἐρημικοῦ βίου ἐναργῶς περικείμενον τὰ γνωρίσματα, λύπης ὁμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς ἐπεπλήρωτο, καί, ἐξ ἀμφοῖν τὸν λόγον κεράσας, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν:

Ὦ ἀνόητε καὶ φρενοβλαβές, τίνος χάριν ἀντηλλάξω τῆς τιμῆς αἰσχύνην, καὶ τῆς λαμπρᾶς δόξης τὴν ἀσχήμονα ταύτην ἰδέαν; ὁ πρόεδρος τῆς ἐμῆς βασιλείας καὶ ἀρχιστράτηγος τῆς ἐμῆς δυναστείας, παίγνιον μειρακίων σεαυτὸν καταστήσας, οὐ μόνον τῆς ἡμετέρας φιλίας καὶ παρρησίας μακρὰν λήθην πεποιηκώς, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῆς κατεξαναστὰς τῆς φύσεως, καὶ μηδὲ τῶν ἰδίων τέκνων οἶκτον λαβών, πλοῦτόν τε καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν τοῦ βίου περιφάνειαν εἰς οὐδὲν λογισάμενος, τὴν τοσαύτην ἀδοξίαν τῆς περιβλέπτου προέκρινας δόξης, ἵνα τί σοι γένηται; καὶ τί ἐντεῦθεν κερδήσεις, ὅτι πάντων θεῶν τε καὶ ἀνθρώπων τὸν λεγόμενον προτετίμηκας Ἰησοῦν, καὶ τὴν σκληρὰν ταύτην καὶ δυσείμονα ἀγωγὴν τῶν ἡδέων καὶ ἀπολαυστικῶν τοῦ γλυκυτάτου βίου;

Τούτων ἀκούσας ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος, χαριέντως ἅμα καὶ ὁμαλῶς ἀπεκρίνατο: Εἰ λόγον πρός με συνᾶραι θέλεις, ὦ βασιλεῦ, τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ἐκ μέσου τοῦ δικαστηρίου ποίησον, καὶ τηνικαῦτα ἀποκρινοῦμαί σοι περὶ ὧν ἂν ζητήσῃς μαθεῖν: ἐκείνων γὰρ συμπαρόντων σοι, οὐδεὶς ἐμοὶ πρός σε λόγος. ἐκτὸς δὲ λόγου τιμώρει, σφάττε, ποίει ὃ θέλεις: ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὁ κόσμος ἐσταύρωται, κἀγὼ τῷ κόσμῳ, φησὶν ὁ θεῖος καὶ ἐμὸς διδάσκαλος. τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως εἰπόντος, Καὶ τίνες οἱ ἐχθροὶ οὗτοι, οὓς ἐκ μέσου ποιῆσαί με προστάσσεις; φησὶν ὁ θεῖος ἀνήρ: Ὁ θυμὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία: ταῦτα γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν συνεργοὶ τῆς φύσεως ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ παρήχθησαν, καὶ νῦν ὡσαύτως ἔχουσι τοῖς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα πολιτευομένοις, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα: ἐν ὑμῖν δέ, οἵτινες τὸ ὅλον ἐστὲ σάρκες, μηδὲν ἔχοντες τοῦ πνεύματος, ἀντίδικοι γεγόνασι, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ πολεμίων διαπράττονται. ἡ γὰρ ἐπιθυμία ἐν ὑμῖν, ἐνεργουμένη μέν, ἡδονὴν ἐγείρει, καταργουμένη δέ, θυμόν. ἀπέστω οὖν ταῦτα σήμερον ἀπὸ σοῦ, προκαθεζέσθωσαν δὲ εἰς ἀκρόασιν τῶν λεγομένων καὶ κρίσιν ἡ φρόνησις καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη. εἰ γὰρ τὸν θυμὸν καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκ μέσου ποιήσεις, ἀντεισάξεις δὲ τὴν φρόνησιν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, φιλαλήθως πάντα λέξω σοι. πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ βασιλεὺς ἔφη: Ἰδού, εἴξας σου τῇ ἀξιώσει, ἐκβαλῶ τοῦ συνεδρίου τήν τε ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ τὸν θυμόν, μεσάζειν δὲ τὴν φρόνησιν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ποιήσω. λέγε μοι λοιπὸν ἀδεῶς πόθεν σοι ἡ τοσαύτη ἐγένετο πλάνη, καὶ τὸ προτιμᾶν τὰ ἐν κεναῖς ἐλπίσι τῶν ἐν χερσὶ βλεπομένων.

Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ ἐρημίτης εἶπεν: Εἰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ζητεῖς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, πόθεν μοι γέγονε τῶν προσκαίρων μὲν ὑπεριδεῖν, ὅλον δὲ ἐμαυτὸν ταῖς αἰωνίοις ἐπιδοῦναι ἐλπίσιν, ἄκουσον. ἐν ἡμέραις ἀρχαίαις, ἔτι κομιδῇ νέος ὑπάρχων, ἤκουσά τι ῥῆμα ἀγαθὸν καὶ σωτήριον, καί με κατ' ἄκρας ἡ τούτου δύναμις εἷλε, καί, ὥσπερ τις θεῖος σπόρος, ἡ τούτου μνήμη, τῇ ἐμῇ φυτευθεῖσα καρδίᾳ, ἀχώριστος εἰς ἀεὶ διετηρήθη ὡς καὶ ῥιζωθῆναι, καὶ ἐκβλαστῆσαι, καὶ ὃν ὁρᾷς καρπὸν ἐνεγκεῖν ἐν ἐμοί. ἡ δὲ τοῦ ῥήματος δύναμις τοιαύτη τις ἦν: Ἔδοξε, φησί, τοῖς ἀνοήτοις τῶν ὄντων μὲν καταφρονεῖν ὡς μὴ ὄντων, τῶν μὴ ὄντων δὲ ὡς ὄντων ἀντέχεσθαί τε καὶ περιέχεσθαι: ὁ μὴ γευσάμενος οὖν τῆς τῶν ὄντων γλυκύτητος, οὐ δυνήσεται τῶν μὴ ὄντων καταμαθεῖν τὴν φύσιν: μὴ καταμαθὼν δέ, πῶς αὐτῶν ὑπερόψεται; ὄντα μὲν οὖν ἐκάλεσεν ὁ λόγος τὰ αἰώνια καὶ μὴ σαλευόμενα μὴ ὄντα δὲ τὸν ἐνταῦθα βίον καὶ τὴν τρυφὴν καὶ τὴν ψευδομένην εὐημερίαν: οἷς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, κακῶς φεῦ, ἡ σὴ προσήλωται καρδία. κἀγὼ δέ ποτε τούτων ἀντειχόμην: ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ ῥήματος δύναμις, νύττουσά μου τὴν ψυχὴν ἀδιαλείπτως, ἐξήγειρε τὸν ἡγεμόνα νοῦν εἰς ἐκλογὴν τοῦ κρείττονος: ὁ δὲ νόμος τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀντιστρατευόμενος τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου, καὶ ὥς τισι σιδηροπέδαις δεσμῶν με, τῇ προσπαθείᾳ τῶν παρόντων αἰχμάλωτον κατεῖχεν.

Ὅτε δὲ εὐδόκησεν ἡ χρηστότης καὶ ἀγαθοσύνη τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Θεοῦ ἐξελέσθαι με τῆς χαλεπῆς ἐκείνης αἰχμαλωσίας, ἐνίσχυσέ μου τὸν νοῦν περιγενέσθαι τοῦ νόμου τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ διήνοιξέ μου τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς διακρίνειν τὸ φαῦλον ἀπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος. τότε δή, τότε κατενόησα καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ πάντα τὰ παρόντα ματαιότης καὶ προαίρεσις πνεύματος, καθά που καὶ Σολομῶν ὁ σοφώτατος ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῦ ἔφη συγγράμμασι: τότε περιῃρέθη τῆς καρδίας μου τὸ κάλυμμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ἡ ἐκ σωματικῆς παχύτητος ἐπικειμένη τῇ ψυχῇ μου ἀμαύρωσις διεσκεδάσθη, καὶ ἔγνων εἰς ὃ γέγονα καὶ ὅτι δεῖ με πρὸς τὸν δημιουργὸν ἀναβῆναι, διὰ τῆς τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐργασίας. ὅθεν, πάντα καταλιπών, αὐτῷ ἠκολούθησα καὶ εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐρύσατό με τοῦ πηλοῦ καὶ τῆς πλινθείας, καὶ τοῦ ἀπηνοῦς καὶ ὀλεθρίου ἄρχοντος τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ ἔδειξέ μοι ὁδὸν σύντομον καὶ ῥᾳδίαν, δι' ἧς δυνήσομαι ἐν τῷ ὀστρακίνῳ τούτῳ σώματι τὴν ἀγγελικὴν ἀσπάσασθαι πολιτείαν, ἥνπερ φθάσαι ζητῶν, τὴν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην εἱλόμην βαδίζειν ὁδόν, πάνυ καταγνοὺς τῆς τῶν παρόντων ματαιότητος καὶ τῆς ἀστάτου φορᾶς τούτων καὶ περιφορᾶς, καὶ μὴ πειθόμενος ἄλλο τι καλὸν ὀνομάζειν πρὸ τοῦ ὄντος καλοῦ, οὗπερ σὺ ἐλεεινῶς, ὦ βασιλεῦ, διερράγης τε καὶ διέστης. ὅθεν καὶ ἡμεῖς διέστημέν σου καὶ διῃρέθημεν, διὰ τὸ εἰς σαφῆ καὶ ὡμολογημένην σέ τε καταπίπτειν ἀπώλειαν καὶ πρὸς ἴσον κατενεχθῆναι καὶ ἡμᾶς κίνδυνον ἀναγκάζειν. ἕως μὲν γὰρ περὶ μόνην τὴν κοσμικὴν στρατείαν ἐξηταζόμεθα, οὐδὲν τῶν δεόντων ἡμεῖς ἐνελίπομεν: μαρτυρήσεις μοι καὶ αὐτὸς ὅτιπερ οὐδὲ ῥᾳθυμίαν τινὰ οὐδὲ ἀμέλειάν ποτε ἐνεκλήθημεν.

Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ τῶν καλῶν τὸ κεφάλαιον ἀφελέσθαι ἐφιλονείκησας ἡμᾶς, τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ζημιῶσαι τὴν ἐσχάτην ταύτην ζημίαν, τιμῶν τε διὰ τοῦτο καὶ φιλοτιμίας ἀναμιμνήσκεις, πῶς οὐκ ἀμαθῶς ἔχειν σε τοῦ καλοῦ δικαίως ἂν εἴποιμι, ὅτι καὶ παραβάλλεις ὅλως αὐτὰ πρὸς ἄλληλα, εὐσέβειάν φημι πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ φιλίαν ἀνθρωπίνην καὶ δόξαν τὴν ἴσα παραρρέουσαν ὕδατι; πῶς δέ σοι καὶ κοινωνοὶ ἐσόμεθα ἐπὶ τούτῳ, καὶ οὐχί, τοὐναντίον, καὶ φιλίαν, καὶ τιμήν, καὶ στοργὴν τέκνων καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο μεῖζον ἦν, ἀρνησόμεθα; ὁρῶντές σε μᾶλλον, ὦ βασιλεῦ, ἀγνωμονοῦντα πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, τὸν καὶ αὐτό σοι τὸ εἶναι καὶ τὸ ἀναπνεῖν παρεχόμενον, ὅς ἐστι Χριστὸς Ἰησοῦς, ὁ Κύριος τῶν ἁπάντων, ὃς συνάναρχος ὢν καὶ συναΐδιος τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς τῷ λόγῳ καὶ τὴν γῆν ὑποστήσας, τὸν ἄνθρωπόν τε χερσὶν οἰκείαις ἐδημιούργησε καὶ ἀθανασίᾳ τοῦτον ἐτίμησε, καὶ βασιλέα τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς κατεστήσατο, καθάπερ τινὰ βασίλεια τὸ κάλλιστον ἁπάντων ἀποτάξας αὐτῷ, τὸν παράδεισον. ὁ δέ, φθόνῳ κλαπεὶς καὶ ἡδονῇ (φεῦ μοι) δελεασθείς, ἀθλίως τούτων ἐξέπεσε πάντων: καὶ ὁ πρὶν ζηλωτὸς ἐλεεινὸς ὡρᾶτο καὶ δακρύων διὰ τὴν συμφορὰν ἄξιος. ὁ πλάσας τοίνυν ἡμᾶς καὶ δημιουργήσας φιλανθρώποις πάλιν ἰδὼν ὀφθαλμοῖς τὸ τῶν οἰκείων χειρῶν ἔργον, τὸ Θεὸς εἶναι μὴ μεταβαλών, ὅπερ ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ἐγένετο δι' ἡμᾶς ἀναμαρτήτως ὅπερ ἡμεῖς, καὶ σταυρὸν ἑκουσίως καὶ θάνατον ὑπομείνας, τὸν ἄνωθεν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ γένει βασκαίνοντα κατέβαλε πολέμιον, καί, ἡμᾶς τῆς πικρᾶς ἐκείνης αἰχμαλωσίας ἀνασωσάμενος, τὴν προτέραν ἀπέδωκε φιλαγάθως ἐλευθερίαν, καί, ὅθεν διὰ τὴν παρακοὴν ἐκπεπτώκαμεν, ἐκεῖ πᾶλιν διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ἡμᾶς ἐπανήγαγε, μείζονος ἡμᾶς ἢ πρότερον τιμῆς ἀξιώσας.

Τὸν δὴ τοιαῦτα δι' ἡμᾶς παθόντα καὶ τοιούτων ἡμᾶς πάλιν καταξιώσαντα, τοῦτον αὐτὸς ἀθετεῖς καὶ εἰς τὸν ἐκείνου σταυρὸν ἀποσκώπτεις; ὅλος δὲ τῇ τρυφῇ τοῦ σώματος καὶ τοῖς ὀλεθρίοις προσηλωμένος πάθεσι, θεοὺς ἀναγορεύεις τὰ τῆς ἀτιμίας καὶ αἰσχύνης εἴδωλα; οὐ μόνον σεαυτὸν τῆς τῶν οὐρανίων ἀγαθῶν συναφείας ἀλλότριον κατεσκεύασας, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς πειθομένους τοῖς σοῖς προστάγμασι ταύτης ἤδη ἀπέρρηξας, καὶ ψυχικῷ κινδύνῳ παρέδωκας. ἴσθι τοίνυν ὡς ἔγωγε οὐ πεισθήσομαί σοι, οὔτε μὴν κοινωνήσω σοι τῆς τοιαύτης εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἀχαριστίας, οὐδὲ τὸν ἐμὸν εὐεργέτην καὶ Σωτῆρα ἀρνήσομαι, εἰ καὶ θηρίοις ἀναλώσεις, εἰ ξίφει καὶ πυρὶ παραδώσεις με, ἃ τῆς σῆς ἐξουσίας ἐστίν. οὔτε γὰρ θάνατον δέδοικα, οὔτε ποθῶ τὰ παρόντα, πολλὴν αὐτῶν καταγνοὺς τὴν ἀσθένειαν καὶ ματαιότητα. τί γὰρ αὐτῶν χρήσιμον, ἢ μόνιμον, ἢ διαρκές; καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ εἶναι πολλὴ συνυπάρχει αὐτοῖς ἡ ταλαιπωρία, πολλὴ ἡ λύπη, πολλὴ καὶ ἀδιάσπαστος ἡ μέριμνα. τῇ γὰρ εὐφροσύνῃ αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπολαύσει πᾶσα συνέζευκται κατήφεια καὶ ὀδύνη: ὁ πλοῦτος αὐτῶν πτωχεία ἐστί, καὶ τὸ ὕψος αὐτῶν ταπείνωσις ἐσχάτη. καὶ τίς ἐξαριθμήσει τὰ τούτων κακά; ἅπερ δι' ὀλίγων ῥημάτων ὑπέδειξέ μοι ὁ ἐμὸς θεολόγος. φησὶ γάρ: Ὁ κόσμος ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται: καί, Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον, μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ ἡ ἀλαζονία τοῦ βίου: καί, ὁ κόσμος παράγεται καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὐτοῦ: ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. τοῦτο ἐγὼ ζητῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἀφῆκα πάντα, καὶ ἐκολλήθην τοῖς τὸν αὐτὸν κεκτημένοις πόθον καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκζητοῦσι Θεόν: ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν ἔρις ἢ φθόνος, λύπαι τε καὶ μέριμναι, ἀλλὰ πάντες τὸν ἴσον τρέχουσι δρόμον, ἵνα καταλάβωσι τὰς αἰωνίας μονάς, ἃς ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Πατὴρ τῶν φώτων τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. τούτους ἐγὼ γεννήτορας, τούτους ἀδελφούς, τούτους φίλους καὶ γνωστοὺς ἐκτησάμην: τῶν δέ ποτέ μου φίλων καὶ ἀδελφῶν Ἐμάκρυνα φυγαδεύων, καὶ ηὐλίσθην ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ προσδεχόμενος τὸν Θεόν, τὸν σώζοντά με ἀπὸ ὀλιγοψυχίας καὶ ἀπὸ καταιγίδος.

Τούτων εὐκαίρως οὕτω καὶ ἡδέως τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνθρώπῳ ὑπαγορευθέντων, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκινεῖτο μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ, καὶ πικρῶς αἰκίζειν τὸν ἅγιον ἠβούλετο, ὤκνει δὲ πάλιν καὶ ἀνεβάλλετο, τὸ αἰδέσιμον αὐτοῦ καὶ περιφανὲς εὐλαβούμενος. ὑπολαβὼν δὲ ἔφη πρὸς αὐτόν.

Πανταχόθεν, ἄθλιε, τὴν σεαυτοῦ ἐκμελετήσας ἀπώλειαν, πρὸς ταύτην, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὑπὸ τῆς τύχης συνελαυνόμενος, ἠκόνησας τὸν νοῦν ἅμα καὶ τὴν γλῶτταν: ὅθεν ἀσαφῆ τινα καὶ ματαίαν βαττολογίαν διεξῆλθες. καὶ εἰ μὴ κατ' ἀρχὰς τοῦ λόγου ἐπηγγειλάμην σοι ἐκ μέσου τοῦ συνεδρίου τὸν θυμὸν ποιήσασθαι, νῦν ἂν πυρί σου τὰς σάρκας παρέδωκα. ἐπεὶ δὲ προλαβὼν τοιούτοις με κατησφαλίσω τοῖς ῥήμασιν, ἀνέχομαί σου τοῦ θράσους, τῆς προτέρας μου ἕνεκεν πρός σε φιλίας. ἀναστὰς οὖν, λοιπὸν φεῦγε ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν μου, μηκέτι σε ὄψομαι καὶ κακῶς ἀπολέσω.

Καὶ ἐξελθὼν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, λυπούμενος μὲν ὅτι οὐ μεμαρτύρηκε, μαρτυρῶν δὲ καθ' ἡμέραν τῇ συνειδήσει καὶ ἀντιπαλαίων πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, ὡς φησὶν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος. ἐκείνου μὲν οὖν ἀποδημήσαντος, πλέον ὁ βασιλεὺς ὀργισθεὶς διωγμὸν σφοδρότερον κατὰ τοῦ μοναχικοῦ ἐκμελετᾷ τάγματος, πλείονος δὲ τιμῆς τοὺς τῶν εἰδώλων ἀξιοῖ θεραπευτάς τε καὶ νεωκόρους.

Ἐν τοιαύτῃ δὲ ὄντος τοῦ βασιλέως πλάνῃ δεινῇ καὶ ἀπάτῃ, γεννᾶται αὐτῷ παιδίον, πάνυ εὐμορφότατον, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐπανθούσης αὐτῷ ὡραιότητος τὸ μέλλον προσημαῖνον. ἐλέγετο γὰρ μηδαμοῦ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐκείνῃ τοιοῦτόν ποτε φανῆναι χαριέστατον καὶ περικαλλὲς παιδίον. χαρᾶς δὲ μεγίστης ἐπὶ τῇ γεννήσει τοῦ παιδὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς πλησθείς, τοῦτον μὲν Ἰωάσαφ ἐκάλεσεν, αὐτὸς δὲ πρὸς τοὺς εἰδωλικοὺς ναοὺς ἀνοήτως ἀπῄει τοῖς ἀνοητοτέροις αὐτῶν θεοῖς θύσων καὶ εὐχαριστηρίους ὕμνους ἀποδώσων, ἀγνοῶν τίς ὁ τῶν καλῶν ἁπάντων ἀληθῶς αἴτιος, πρὸς ὃν ἔδει τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀναφέρειν θυσίαν. ἐκεῖνος οὖν, τοῖς ἀψύχοις καὶ κωφοῖς τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς γεννήσεως ἀνατιθείς, πανταχοῦ διέπεμπε συναγαγεῖν τὰ πλήθη εἰς τὰ τούτου γενέθλια: καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν πάντας συρρέοντας τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ βασιλέως, ἐπαγομένους τε τὰ πρὸς τὴν θυσίαν εὐτρεπισμένα, ὡς ἑκάστῳ ἡ χεὶρ εὐπόρει καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εὔνοια εἶχε. μάλιστα δὲ αὐτοὺς ἠρέθιζε πρὸς φιλοτιμίαν αὐτός, ταύρους καταθῦσαι φέρων ὅτι πλείστους καὶ εὐμεγέθεις, καὶ οὕτω πάνδημον ἑορτὴν τελέσας, πάντας ἐφιλοτιμεῖτο δώροις ὅσοι τε τῆς βουλῆς ἦσαν καὶ τῶν ἐν τέλει, καὶ ὅσοι περὶ τὸ στρατιωτικόν, ὅσοι τε τῶν εὐτελῶν καὶ ἀσήμων.