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and persuade them to no longer fall into the same things, and we have a sufficient defense. But if he will not tolerate it, neither with our counsel, nor with your exhortation, I will henceforth use the authority which God has given us, not for tearing down, but for building up.

4. For this reason I say beforehand, and I cry out with a loud voice, that if anyone after this exhortation and teaching should desert to the lawless ruin of the theaters, I will not receive him inside these precincts, I will not give him a share of the mysteries, I will not permit him to touch the holy table; but just as shepherds keep the sheep that are full of scab away from the healthy ones, so that they may not transmit the disease to the rest, so indeed will I also do. For if in the old days the leper was commanded to sit outside the camp, and even if he was a king, he was cast out with his diadem, much more shall we cast out from this holy camp the one whose soul is leprous. For just as at the beginning I used exhortation and counsel, so now also after so much exhortation and teaching it is necessary henceforth to apply the knife as well. For it is now a year that I have been in your city, and I have not ceased often and continually exhorting you on these things. Since, therefore, some have remained in the rottenness, 56.269 come, let us henceforth apply the knife. For if I do not have iron, I have a word sharper than iron; and if I do not carry fire, I have a teaching hotter than fire, able to burn more intensely. Therefore, do not despise our decision. For if we are lowly and utterly pitiful, nevertheless we have been entrusted by the grace of God with a dignity that is able to accomplish these things. Let such people, therefore, be cast out, so that those who are healthy may become healthier for us, and those who are sick may recover themselves from their grievous illness. But if you have shuddered hearing this decision (for I see you are all looking gloomy and downcast), let them change, and the things of the decision are loosed. For just as we received authority to bind, so also to loose, and to bring back again. For we do not wish to cut off our brothers, but to ward off reproach from the Church. For now both Greeks will laugh at us, and Jews will mock us, when we thus overlook ourselves sinning. But then even they will praise us greatly, and will admire the Church, having come to respect our laws. Therefore, let no one of those who persist in the same fornication set foot in the church, but let him be rebuked by you also, and let him be a common enemy. For 'if anyone,' it says, 'does not obey our word through this letter, take note of that person, and do not associate with him.' Do this: neither share speech with him, nor receive him into your house, nor share your table, nor your coming in, nor your going out, nor the marketplace; and thus we will easily reclaim them. And just as hunters, driving the hard-to-catch beasts not from one side, but from all around, cast them into the dragnet; so indeed let us also drive together those who have become like wild beasts, and we will quickly cast them into the nets of salvation, we from here, you from there. So that this may happen, you also be indignant with us, 56.270 or rather, grieve for the laws of God, and for a little while turn away from these brothers who are sick with such things and are lawless, so that you may have them for ever. For it is no small judgment for you, if you overlook so great a destruction, but you will have the greatest punishment. For if in the houses of men one of the servants is caught pilfering silver or gold, not only is the one who was caught punished, but also those who knew and did not report it, much more so in the case of the Church. For God will then say to you: Seeing from my house not silver, nor a golden vessel stolen, but self-control plundered, and the one who received the precious body, and partook of such a sacrifice, going away to the devil's territory, and committing such lawless acts, how did you keep silent? how did you bear it? how did you not report it to the priest? and not

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καὶ πεῖσον μηκέτι τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν, καὶ ἀρκοῦσαν ἔχομεν ἀπολογίαν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀνέχοιτο, μηδὲ ἡμῶν συμβουλευόντων, μηδὲ ὑμῶν παραινούντων, τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ χρήσομαι λοιπὸν, ᾗ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν οὐκ εἰς καθαίρεσιν, ἀλλ' εἰς οἰκοδομήν.

δʹ. ∆ιὰ δὲ τοῦτο προλέγω, καὶ λαμπρᾷ βοῶ τῇ φωνῇ, ὅτι εἴ τις μετὰ τὴν παραίνεσιν ταύτην καὶ διδασκαλίαν ἐπὶ τὴν παράνομον τῶν θεάτρων αὐτομολήσειε λύμην, οὐ δέξομαι αὐτὸν εἴσω τουτωνὶ τῶν περιβόλων, οὐ μεταδώσω μυστηρίων, οὐκ ἀφήσω τῆς ἱερᾶς ἅψασθαι τραπέζης· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ ποιμένες τὰ ψώρας ἐμπεπλησμένα πρόβατα τῶν ὑγιαινόντων ἀπείργουσιν, ὥστε μὴ μεταδοῦναι τοῖς λοιποῖς τῆς νόσου· οὕτω δὴ ἐργάσομαι κἀγώ. Εἰ γὰρ τὸ παλαιὸν ὁ λεπρὸς ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐκελεύετο καθῆναι, κἂν βασιλεὺς ἦν, ἐξεβάλλετο μετὰ τοῦ διαδήματος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς τὸν τὴν ψυχὴν λεπροῦντα ταύτης ἐκβαλοῦμεν τῆς ἱερᾶς παρεμβολῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν παραινέσει καὶ συμβολῇ ἐχρησάμην, οὕτω καὶ νῦν μετὰ τοσαύτην παραίνεσιν καὶ διδασκαλίαν ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν καὶ τομὴν ἐπαγαγεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐνιαυτὸν ἔχω λοιπὸν τῆς πόλεως ἐπιβὰς τῆς ὑμετέρας, καὶ οὐ διέλιπον πολλάκις καὶ συνεχῶς ταῦτα ὑμῖν παραινῶν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐναπέμεινάν τινες τῇ σηπεδόνι, 56.269 φέρε λοιπὸν τὴν τομὴν ἐπαγάγωμεν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ σιδήριον ἔχω, ἀλλ' ἔχω λόγον σιδήρου τομώτερον· εἰ καὶ μὴ πῦρ βαστάζω, ἀλλ' ἔστι μοι διδασκαλία πυρὸς θερμοτέρα, εὐτονώτερον δυναμένη καίειν. Μὴ οὖν καταφρόνει τῆς ἀποφάσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας. Εἰ γὰρ εὐτελεῖς ἡμεῖς καὶ σφόδρα οἰκτροὶ, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐνεχειρίσθημεν ἀξίαν παρὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος τὴν δυναμένην ταῦτα ἐργάζεσθαι. Ἐκβαλλέσθωσαν τοίνυν οἱ τοιοῦτοι, ἵνα οἵ τε ὑγιαίνοντες ἡμῖν ὑγιεινότεροι γένωνται, οἵ τε νοσοῦντες ἀνακτήσωνται ἑαυτοὺς ἐκ τῆς χαλεπῆς ἀῤῥωστίας. Εἰ δὲ ἐφρίξατε ταύτην ἀκούσαντες τὴν ἀπόφασιν (καὶ γὰρ ὁρῶ πάντας στυγνάζοντας καὶ συνεσταλμένους ὄντας), μεταβαλλέσθωσαν, καὶ λέλυται τὰ τῆς ἀποφάσεως. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐξουσίαν ἐλάβομεν δῆσαι, οὕτως καὶ λῦσαι, καὶ πάλιν ἐπαγαγεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν ἀποκόψαι βουλόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὄνειδος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀποκρούσασθαι. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ καὶ Ἕλληνες ἡμῶν καταγελάσονται, καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι κωμῳδήσουσιν, ὅταν ἁμαρτάνοντας ἑαυτοὺς οὕτως περιορῶμεν. Τότε δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι σφόδρα ἡμᾶς ἐπαινέσουσι, καὶ θαυμάσονται τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν αἰδεσθέντες νόμων. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν τῶν ἐπιμενόντων τῇ αὐτῇ πορνείᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐπιβαινέτω, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφ' ὑμῶν ἐπιτιμάσθω, καὶ κοινὸς ἔστω πολέμιος. Εἴ τις γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐχ ὑπακούσῃ τῷ λόγῳ ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, τοῦτον σημειοῦσθε, καὶ μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε αὐτῷ. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιήσατε· μήτε λόγου μετάδοτε, μήτε εἰς οἰκίαν δέξησθε, μήτε τραπέζης κοινωνήσητε, μήτε εἰσόδου, μήτε ἐξόδου, μήτε ἀγορᾶς· καὶ οὕτω ῥᾳδίως αὐτοὺς ἀνακτησόμεθα. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ κυνηγοὶ τὰ δυσάλωτα τῶν θηρίων οὐκ ἐξ ἑνὸς μέρους, ἀλλὰ πάντοθεν ἐλαύνοντες, εἰς τὴν σαγήνην ἐμβάλλουσιν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοὺς ἐκθηριωθέντας συνελάσωμεν, καὶ ταχέως εἰς τὰ δίκτυα τῆς σωτηρίας ἐμβαλοῦμεν, ἡμεῖς ἐντεῦθεν, ὑμεῖς ἐκεῖθεν. Ἵν' οὖν τοῦτο γένηται, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἡμῖν συναγανακτήσατε, 56.270 μᾶλλον δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμων ἀλγήσατε, καὶ μικρὸν ἀποστράφητε τούτους τὰ τοιαῦτα νοσοῦντας καὶ παρανομοῦντας τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ἵνα διηνεκῶς αὐτοὺς ἔχητε. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ τυχὸν ὑμῖν ἐστι κρίμα, εἰ παρίδητε τοσαύτην ἀπώλειαν, ἀλλὰ μεγίστην ἕξετε τιμωρίαν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκίαις ἂν ἁλῷ τις τῶν οἰκετῶν ἀργύριον ἢ χρυσίον ὑφελόμενος, οὐκ αὐτὸς κολάζεται μόνον ὁ ἁλοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ συνειδότες καὶ μὴ καταγγείλαντες, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Ἐρεῖ γάρ σοι τηνικαῦτα ὁ Θεός· Ὁρῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ ἐμοῦ οὐκ ἀργύριον, οὐδὲ χρυσοῦν σκεῦος κλαπὲν, ἀλλὰ σωφροσύνην συληθεῖσαν, καὶ τὸν λαβόντα τὸ σῶμα τὸ τίμιον, καὶ τοιαύτης μετασχόντα θυσίας, ἀπελθόντα εἰς τὸ τοῦ διαβόλου χωρίον, καὶ τοιαῦτα παρανομήσαντα, πῶς ἐσίγησας; πῶς ἤνεγκας; πῶς οὐκ ἀπήγγειλας τῷ ἱερεῖ; καὶ οὐ