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may innocence preserved in me become for me the procurer of all virtues; whence I did not set before my eyes a lawless thing.

For I did not have the aim of sinning, nor was it my purpose to transgress, working things alien to salvation; but before my eyes was the fear of God, the keeping of commandments, works of righteousness, all conduct according to the law. I did not set before my eyes a lawless thing. For as many as have the aim of sinning, for them it is also proposed to transgress, and they have sin as it were leading the way, first being defined in the heart, then also having stretched the whole eye of the mind towards it, thus they run to transgression. But I was a stranger to these things. For there was not before my eyes a lawless thing, but my whole aim was to live according to the law. But I have also hated them that work transgressions. Not only did I myself not wish to act against the law of God, but I also hated those who transgressed any of the commandments; For I have hated them that work transgressions.

Here, "I have hated them that work transgressions" must be understood in two ways. For some transgress the commandments of God, and the ordinances, and the judgments; and these are transgressors of the law. Others again transgress the very saving confession of the Master, and they are transgressors against God. But there is a great difference between the transgression of the two. For the former still have hope of salvation, possessing the root of the knowledge of God; but the latter have fallen completely from salvation, having denied the very author of salvation. Therefore, he says, I have hated all those who work transgressions. For the beginning of sin is to depart from God, as the wisest says. But we not only do not hate the transgressors, but we also greet them as friends, when it is necessary not even to say "hail" to such people; For there is no peace for the ungodly, says the Lord; and we eat and drink with them, whose very meeting we ought to avoid, 55.633 and not even to consider as men those who have delivered themselves to demons, and have dedicated their own lives to lifeless stones and woods. Or does not the same prophet teach us elsewhere, saying: Did I not hate them that hate thee, O Lord, and was I not grieved with thine enemies? I have hated them with a perfect hatred, they have become mine enemies. Let us therefore also imitate the prophet, and let us hate those who work transgressions, lest through our indifferent communion with them we be found collaborators in their transgression. For in every way communion with them is to be hated, because having turned from the light they walk in darkness (For what communion has light with darkness?), and because having denied the name of Christ, they put upon themselves the name of Beliar (And what concord has Christ with Beliar?), and because having avoided the entrance here, they are mad for temples of idols, having defiled their own lives with pollutions; And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? Therefore I have hated them that work transgressions. A crooked heart has not cleaved to me; when the wicked one turned from me, I knew him not.

Again here, beloved, attend to the power of what has been said. A crooked heart has not cleaved to me. There was nothing crooked in me, nor perverse, but even if the things that afflict are myriad, even if the things that happen are wicked, even if the things that oppose are contrary, A crooked heart has not cleaved to me, no wicked reasoning, no alien thought. Not because I am afflicted, not because I am distressed, not because I see sinners thriving, and the ungodly growing rich, and all the lawless prospering, am I perverted in my heart, thinking wicked things and saying: Why do the ungodly live, and grow strong in wealth? Their seed is according to their soul, their houses thrive; Their oxen are fat. I have nowhere reasoned about these things, but even if they thrive, and I am afflicted, I know that The affliction

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ἀκακία ἐν ἐμοὶ σωζομένη πάντων γένηταί μοι πρόξενος· τῶν ἀρετῶν· ὅθεν Οὐ προετιθέμην πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου πρᾶγμα παράνομον.

Οὐ γὰρ εἶχον σκοπὸν τοῦ ἁμαρτά νειν, οὐδὲ προέκειτό μοι παρανομεῖν, ἀλλότρια τῆς σωτη ρίας κατεργαζομένῳ· ἀλλ' ἦν πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου φόβος Θεοῦ, τήρησις ἐντολῶν, ἔργα δικαιοσύνης, πᾶσα κατὰ νόμον πολιτεία. Οὐ προετιθέμην πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου πρᾶγμα παράνομον. Ὅσοις γὰρ σκοπὸς τοῦ ἁμαρ τάνειν, τούτοις πρόκειται καὶ τὸ παρανομεῖν, καὶ ἔχουσιν ὥσπερ προηγουμένην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, πρότερον ὁριζόμενον κατὰ καρδίαν, ἔπειτα καὶ ὅλον εἰς αὐτὴν ἀνατείναντες τὸ ὄμμα τῆς διανοίας, οὕτω τρέχουσιν εἰς τὴν παρανο μίαν. Ἐγὼ δὲ τούτων ἀλλότριος ἤμην. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν μου πρᾶγμα παράνομον, ἀλλ' ὅλος μοι ὁ σκοπὸς ἦν, τὸ κατὰ νόμον πολιτεύεσθαι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ Ποιοῦν τας παραβάσεις ἐμίσησα. Οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς ἐγὼ οὐδὲ παρὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον πράττειν ἠβουλόμην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς παραβαίνοντάς τι τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐμίσουν· Ποιοῦντας γὰρ παραβάσεις ἐμίσησα.

Ἐνταῦθα δὲ διττῶς νοητέον τὸ, Ποιοῦντας παραβά σεις ἐμίσησα. Οἱ μὲν γάρ εἰσι παραβαίνοντες τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολὰς, καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα. καὶ τὰ κρίματα· καὶ εἰσὶν οὗτοι παραβάται νόμου. Ἄλλοι πάλιν παραβαίνου σιν αὐτὴν τὴν σωτήριον τοῦ ∆εσπότου ὁμολογίαν, καὶ εἰσὶ παραβάται Θεοῦ. Πολλὴ δὲ διαφορὰ μεταξὺ τῆς τῶν ἀμφοτέρων παραβάσεως. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἔτι ἐλπίδα ἔχουσι σωτηρίας, τὴν ῥίζαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ γνώσεως κεκτημένοι οἱ δὲ πάντη τῆς σωτηρίας ἐκπεπτώκασιν, αὐτὸν τὸν αἴ τιον τῆς σωτηρίας ἀρνησάμενοι. Ἐγὼ οὖν, φησὶ πάντας Τοὺς ποιοῦντας παραβάσεις ἐμίσησα. Ἀρχὴ γὰρ ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίστασθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὥς φησιν ὁ σο φώτατος. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐ μισοῦμεν τοὺς παραβά τας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς φίλους ἀσπαζόμεθα, δέον τοῖς τοιούτοις μηδὲ τὸ χαίρειν λέγειν· Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ εἰρήνη τοῖς ἀσεβέσι, λέγει Κύριος· καὶ μετ' αὐτῶν ἐσθίομεν καὶ πίνομεν, ὧν καὶ τὴν ἀπάντησιν ἀποφεύγειν ὀφείλομεν. 55.633 καὶ μηδὲ ἀνθρώπους ἡγεῖσθαι τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἑαυτοὺς παραδεδωκότας, καὶ ἀψύχοις λίθοις, καὶ ξύλοις τὴν ἑαυ τῶν ζωὴν ἀνατεθεικότας. Ἢ οὐ διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ἀλλαχοῦ ὁ αὐτὸς προφήτης λέγων· Οὐχὶ τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε, Κύριε, ἐμίσησα, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ἐξετηκό μην· Τέλειον μῖσος ἐμίσουν αὐτοὺς, εἰς ἐχθροὺς ἐγένοντό μοι; Μιμησώμεθα οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸν προφή την, καὶ μισήσωμεν τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὰς παραβάσεις, ἵνα μὴ διὰ τῆς ἀδιαφόρου ἡμῶν κοινωνίας πρὸς αὐτοὺς συν εργοὶ τῆς παραβάσεως αὐτῶν εὑρεθῶμεν. Κατὰ πάντα γὰρ μισητέον τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς κοινωνίαν, ὅτι τὸ φῶς ἀποστραφέντες ἐν τῷ σκότει πορεύονται (Τίς δὲ κοινω νία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος;), καὶ ὅτι τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ ὄνομα ἀρνησάμενοι, τὸ τοῦ Βελιὰρ ὄνομα ἑαυτοῖς περιτιθέασι (Τίς δὲ συμφώνησις Χριστοῦ πρὸς Βελιάρ;), καὶ ὅτι ἀποφυγόντες τὴν ἐνταῦθα εἴσοδον, ναοῖς εἰδώλων περι μεμήνασι, τὴν ἑαυτῶν ζωὴν τοῖς μιάσμασι συμμιάναν τες· Τίς δὲ συγκατάθεσις ναῷ Θεοῦ μετὰ εἰδώλων; Ποιοῦντας οὖν παραβάσεις ἐμίσησα. Οὐκ ἐκολλήθη μοι καρδία σκαμβή· ἐκκλίνοντος ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ πονηροῦ οὐκ ἐγίνωσκον.

Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα, ἀγαπητὲ, πρόσεχε τὴν δύναμιν τῶν εἰρημένων. Οὐκ ἐκολλήθη μοι καρδία σκαμβή. Οὐδὲν ἦν ἐν ἐμοὶ σκολιὸν, οὐδὲ στραγγαλιῶδες, ἀλλὰ κἂν μυρία ᾖ τὰ θλίβοντα, κἂν πο νηρὰ τὰ συμβαίνοντα, κἂν ἐναντία τὰ ἀντιπίπτοντα, Ἐμοὶ οὐκ ἐκολλήθη καρδία σκαμβὴ, οὐ διαλογισμὸς πονηρὸς, οὐκ ἐνθύμησις ἀλλοτρία. Οὐχ ὅτι θλίβομαι, οὐχ ὅτι στενοχωροῦμαι, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ὁρῶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εὐθη νοῦντας, καὶ ἀσεβεῖς πλουτοῦντας, καὶ πάντας τοὺς παρανόμους κατευθυνομένους, ἐγὼ διαστρέφομαι τῇ καρδίᾳ πονηρὰ λογιζόμενος, καὶ λέγων· Ἵνα τί ἀσεβεῖς ζῶσι, καὶ κραταιοῦνται ἐν τῷ πλούτῳ; Ὁ σπόρος αὐτῶν κατὰ ψυχὴν, οἱ οἶκοι αὐτῶν εὐθηνοῦσιν· Οἱ βόες αὐτῶν παχεῖς. Οὐκ ἐλογισάμην περὶ τούτων οὐδα μοῦ, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐκεῖνοι εὐθηνῶσιν, ἐγὼ δὲ θλίβωμαι, οἶδα ὅτι Ἡ θλίψις