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he was great, because he is earth and ashes. For he who knows how great the distance is between God and men, knows himself. Hear also other beatitudes. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” God blesses, and you forbid it? Do the Scriptures speak as we wish, or ought we to follow them as they are written? And these things are against us.

Contentiousness is not good, cutting off hope. But since we promise forgiveness after baptism (for this is most conducive to wickedness), the Apostle writes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, that “Fornication is actually reported among you, and such fornication as is not even named among the Gentiles.” You have heard the magnitude of the evil, hear also the magnitude of the sentence. “When you are gathered together,” he says, “and my spirit, with the power of Christ, to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved.” He chastises, for he does not cast him off as an enemy. In the first, he delivered him to Satan; but in the second he writes nothing contrary to the first. “to confirm your love toward him, lest such a one be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.” The Apostle loosed even the things that could not be loosed. At that time he says to deliver such a one to Satan; after this, writing about the same one and forgiving, he says: “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us.” For if he takes one of us, he has 31.1485 gotten an advantage of us. A sheep goes out from the flock, it becomes food for wolves. Bring it in, that it may escape the plot; just as good shepherds, even if the sheep is taken, they at least hasten to get the skin. If it is good to snatch the skin of a dead one, is it not worthy to take a soul from the mouth of the wolf? And in war a champion is wounded, and it is not because he was wounded that he is not crowned; but he received wounds while accomplishing many things. Does God count the one evil, but not count the many good things? How many martyrs, having first denied, on the second occasion reversed their defeat? But having denied not with the mind, but with the tongue. For the flesh is weak. By denying he falls away, again by confessing he is called back. For God does not keep the evil things, and set aside the good. And someone being tortured, often gave in, not bearing, not the zeal, but the pain. But having been overcome, and receiving a respite, he is called back. Will the small word be held against him, and the tortures not be counted? But God is the judge, not the audacity of men. Do you dare to legislate for God, who knows our weakness, and supplies help, and will give the victory? How many did not bear witness from a good life? Therefore, because desire returned, will they be deprived of their labors? We are not angels, but men; and we fall and rise up, and often in the same hour. “And star differs from star in glory.” Why? For if there is some measure of righteousness, all ought to have the same amount; but if some shine like the sun, and others gleam like the moon, and others shine according to the difference of the stars, it is clear that one excels another; and it is clear that the one who is diminished has small sins.

But if forgiveness were for no one who has sinned, the difference would be in the variety. But since it is necessary to show that those who have fallen away after baptism are saved, I speak with fear, lest you should fall away contrary to my wish; for I very much want those who receive baptism not to sin. But if some should ever fall away unwillingly, I do not wish what those who do away with repentance wish, who do not wish for us to die together with the cross; but what the Apostle wishes, both to be buried with him, and to no longer live in sin, this I do wish. “But I do not set aside the grace of God,” the Apostle says, writing to the Galatians, that they received the Spirit. Do you seek anything clearer than this? But he adds: “Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” Therefore, they have received the Spirit. And again: “This only I want

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ἦν μέγας, διότι γῆ ἐστι καὶ σποδός. Ὁ γὰρ γινώσκων ὅσον μεταξὺ Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, οἶδεν ἑαυτόν. Ἄκουε καὶ ἄλλους μακαρισμούς. «Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφείθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι.» Θεὸς μακαρίζει, καὶ σὺ ἀποκωλύεις; Ἆρα πότερον ὡς βουλόμεθα λέγουσιν αἱ Γραφαὶ, ἢ ὡς γέγραπται ὀφείλομεν ἀκολουθῆσαι; Καὶ ταῦτα καθ' ἡμῶν.

Οὐ καλὴ ἡ φιλονεικία, ἐλπίδα ἀποκό πτουσα. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐπαγγελλόμεθα μετὰ τὸ βά πτισμα συγχώρησιν (τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ συνεκτικώτατον πρὸς τὴν κακουργίαν), γράφει ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ προτέρᾳ Ἐπιστολῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους, ὅτι «Πορνεία ὅλως ἐν ὑμῖν ὀνομάζεται, καὶ τοιαύτη πορνεία ἥτις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὀνομάζεται.» Ἠκούσατε τὸ μέ γεθος τοῦ κακοῦ, ἀκούσατε καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς ἀποφάσεως. «Συναχθέντων, φησὶν, ὑμῶν, καὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ πνεύματος ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Χριστοῦ, παρα δοῦναι τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρ κὸς, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ.» Παιδεύει, οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἐχθρὸς ἀποῤῥίπτει. Ἐν μὲν τῇ προτέρᾳ τῷ Σατανᾷ παραδέδωκεν· ἐν δὲ τῇ δευτέρᾳ γράφει οὐδὲν τῇ προτέρᾳ ἐναντίον. «Κυρῶσαι εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπην, μὴ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῆς λύπης ἀπόληται ὁ τοιοῦτος.» Ἔλυσε καὶ τὰ ἄλυτα ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Τότε λέγει παραδοῦναι τὸν τοιοῦτον τῷ Σατανᾷ· μετὰ ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ γράφων καὶ συγχωρῶν, φησίν· «Ἵνα μὴ πλεονεκτη θῶμεν ὑπὸ Σατανᾷ.» Ἐὰν γὰρ λάβῃ τινὰ ἡμῶν, καὶ 31.1485 ἐπλεονέκτησεν ἡμῶν. Ἐξέρχεται πρόβατον ἀπὸ ποί μνης, λύκων γίνεται βορά. Εἰσάγαγε, ἵνα φύγῃ τὴν ἐπιβουλήν· ὥσπερ οἱ ἀγαθοὶ ποιμένες, κἂν ἀρθῇ τὸ πρόβατον, δέρμα γοῦν σπεύδουσι λαβεῖν. Εἰ δέρμα νεκροῦ καλὸν ἀποσπάσαι, ψυχὴν ἀπὸ στόματος λύκου οὐκ ἄξιον λαμβάνειν; Καὶ ἐν πολέμῳ τιτρώ σκεται ἀριστεὺς, καὶ οὐχ ὅτι ἐτρώθη, διὰ τοῦτο οὐ στέφεται· ἀλλ' ἔλαβε τραύματα πολλὰ ἐργασάμενος. Τὸ μὲν ἓν λογίζεται κακὸν, τὰ δὲ πολλὰ ἀγαθὰ οὐ λογίζεται Θεός· Πόσοι μάρτυρες, πρῶτον ἀρνησάμε νοι, τὸ δεύτερον ἀνεκαλέσαντο τὴν ἧτταν; Ἀλλ' ἀρ νησάμενοι οὐχὶ τῇ διανοίᾳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ γλώττῃ. Ἡ σὰρξ γὰρ ἀσθενής. Ἀπαρνούμενος ἐκπίπτει, πάλιν ὁμο λογῶν ἀνακαλεῖται. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ κακὰ φυλάττει ὁ Θεὸς, τὰ δὲ καλὰ ἀθετεῖ. Καὶ βασανιζόμενός τις, πολλάκις ἐνέδωκε, μὴ ἐνεγκὼν, οὐ τὴν προθυμίαν, ἀλλὰ τὸν πόνον. Ἀλλὰ κατενεχθεὶς, καὶ ἄνεσιν λαβὼν, ἀνακα λεῖται. Τὸ μικρὸν ῥῆμα φυλαχθήσεται αὐτῷ, αἱ δὲ βάσανοι οὐκ ἀριθμηθήσονται; Ἀλλὰ Θεὸς κριτὴς, οὐκ ἀνθρώπων ἡ τόλμα. Τολμᾷς νομοθετεῖν Θεῷ, ὃς οἶδε τὴν ἀσθένειαν, καὶ χορηγεῖ τὴν βοήθειαν, καὶ δώσει τὴν νίκην; Πόσοι οὐκ ἀπὸ καλοῦ βίου ἐμαρτύρησαν; Ἆρα ἐπειδὴ ἐπέστρεψεν ἐπιθυμία, ἀποστερηθήσονται τῶν καμάτων; Οὐκ ἄγγελοί ἐσμεν, ἀλλ' ἄνθρωποι· καὶ πίπτομεν καὶ ἐγειρόμεθα, καὶ πολλάκις τῆς αὐτῆς ὥρας. «Καὶ ἀστὴρ ἀστέρος διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ.» ∆ιὰ τί; Εἰ γὰρ μέτρον τί ἐστι τῆς δικαιοσύνης, πάντες ὀφείλουσι τὸ ἴσον ἔχειν· εἰ δὲ οἱ μὲν λάμπουσιν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, οἱ δὲ αὐγάζουσιν ὡς σελήνη, οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὴν διαφορὰν τῶν ἄστρων λάμπουσι, δῆλον, ὅτι ἄλλος ὑπερέχει· ὁ δὲ ἐλαττούμενος δῆλον ὅτι ἔχει μικρὰ ἁμαρτήματα.

Εἰ δὲ οὐδενὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος ἡ ἄφεσις, ἡ διαφορὰ ἦν ἐν τῇ ποικιλίᾳ. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι δεῖξαι μετὰ τὸ βά-πτισμα σωζομένους τοὺς παραπεσόντας, φοβούμενος λέγω, μὴ παρὰ τὸ ἐμὸν βούλημα ἀποστῆτε· πάνυ γὰρ θέλω τοὺς λαμβάνοντας τὸ βάπτισμα μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν. Εἰ δὲ παραπίπτοιέν ποτέ τινες μὴ βουλόμενοι, οὐ βούλομαι ὃ βούλονται οἱ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἀναιροῦντες, μὴ βουλόμενοι συναποθανεῖν ἡμᾶς τῷ σταυρῷ· ἀλλ' ὃ Ἀπόστολος, καὶ συνταφῆναι αὐτῷ, καὶ μηκέτι ζῇν ἁμαρτίᾳ, τοῦτο μὲν βούλομαι. «Οὐκ ἀθετῶ δὲ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ,» Γαλάταις γράφων ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησιν, ὅτι ἔλαβον Πνεῦμα. Μὴ τούτου ἐναργέστερον ζητεῖς; Ἀλλ' ἐπιφέρει· «Οὕτως ἀνόητοί ἐστε, ἐναρξάμενοι Πνεύματι, νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε.» Οὐκοῦν εἰλήφασι Πνεῦμα. Καὶ πάλιν· «Τοῦτο μόνον θέλω