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7.88 That is, you have gone out from the world in your way of thinking; do not again darken with earthly things your way of thinking, which has already been enlightened unto heaven. 7.89 Let not your outward appearance be Jerusalem, but your ways Egyptian.

7.90 See that you do not cover the wolf within with a sheep's skin, nor crown the thistle with the flowers of a pomegranate. 7.91 The clothing is taken away, the sheep's character is sought. 7.92 The leaves fall, the cluster of grapes is sought. 7.93 The outward flowers fall away, the character appears; for the nature of the thistle reveals itself. 7.94 Thus, for virgins, there is no need of the body, but there is need of guileless ways. 7.95 Thus, the leaves do not feed the farmer, but the fruit makes him glad. 7.96 Thus understand me also in all things; for it is not necessary to discuss these things in fine detail. 7.97 For the thoughts of the wise, leaping to the mind, consider the subtlety of words a burden. 7.98 I urge you, therefore, to become no mere appearance, but let the deed precede the appearance, so that while works are being performed with propriety, some may not be found by us to be improper in their works. 8.99 Often, therefore, when a daughter desires to hasten toward better things, a mother, caring for the young or being deceived by so-called temporary beauty, and perhaps also wasting away with envy, hastens to make her daughter a child of this age and not to be wedded to God. 8.100 But everything that is considered terrible lies in wait; but do not be a coward, O child; your eye upward where the desired one is; keep to the tracks of that one who went before, Thecla of whom you hear.

8.101 Even if what is said is a digression; even if Theocleia is distressed, even if Thamyris grieves, even if Alexander takes his place, even if the judge threatens, let not the love-charm be extinguished. 8.102 For it is beneficial for the young to be crucified with Jesus Christ. 8.103 Who shall separate those who love him from the love of Christ? 8.104 Not tribulation, not distress, not judges, not orators, not the sword, nor any other creature will be able to separate from the love of Christ. 8.105 But even if you become bereft of parents, yet you are not bereft of God. 8.106 And if you forget the house of your father, yet the king will desire your beauty. 8.107 Come then, therefore, whether very rich, or ill-favored, whether you are poor, or a day-laborer. 8.108 Take heart, come; for the bridegroom Jesus Christ is not a lover of fading beauty, nor does he turn away poverty. 8.109 For the same grace invites the small and the great, but it tests their choices, and thus accepts those who have armed their virtue with sound reasoning. 8.110 And these things also apply to a son hastening to present his body; the father stirs up enmity against his own child, not being able to recognize such a virtuous achievement. 8.111 He considers foolishness, according to the divine letter, what is wise with God. 8.112 But do not hesitate, O young man, do not prefer a mortal father or mother or any other. 8.113 He declared worthy of himself, as is written in the gospel, those whom Jesus called: leave the boat, leave the father and the nets for a catch, even if the hopes of life are many, even if Zebedee is troubled. 8.114 Prefer nothing at all to God, or rather to your own salvation, so that you may also be with John, bearing a dignity enthroned with him. 8.115 For thus God promised that those who have left father or mother or brothers or fields or houses will sit on twelve thrones in the kingdom of heaven. 9.116 These things he said to virgins, these things he said to those who hear; for he himself enclosed all, so that all might run together to him. 9.117 And not only did he command these things to those who practice virginity, but also: whoever has left wife and children and the rest, will inherit many times more and eternal life. 9.118 He did not speak of separating, but that those who have, should be as though not having, because the time is short, not loosing the bond, but sowing temperance, in order to choke intemperance. 9.119 And since the marks of the

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7.88 Τουτέστιν ἐξῆλθες ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τῷ φρονήματι· μὴ πάλιν τοῖς γηΐνοις σκότιζε τὸ φθάσαν εἰς οὐρανὸν φωτισθῆναι σὸν φρόνημα. 7.89 Μὴ τὸ σχῆμα Ἱερουσαλήμ, οἱ δὲ τρόποι Αἰγύπτιοι.

7.90 Βλέπε μὴ δορᾷ προβάτων τὸν ἔνδον λύκον σκεπάζῃς, μηδὲ ἄνθεσι ῥόας τὸν τρίβολον στέφῃς. 7.91 Αἴρεται τὸ ἔνδυμα, ζητεῖται ὁ τοῦ προβάτου τρόπος. 7.92 Πίπτει τὰ φύλλα, ζητεῖται ὁ βότρυς. 7.93 Ἀπορρεῖ τὰ ἔξωθεν ἄνθη, φαίνεται ὁ τρόπος· τοῦ γὰρ τριβόλου ἡ φύσις ἑαυτὴν δηλοῖ. 7.94 Οὕτω τῶν παρθένων, οὐ τοῦ σώματος, χρεία, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀδόλων τρόπων χρεία. 7.95 Οὕτω τὸν γεωργὸν οὐ τὰ φύλλα τρέφει, ἀλλ' ὁ καρπὸς εὐφραίνει. 7.96 Οὕτω μοι νόει καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων· οὐ γὰρ ταῦτα δεῖ λεπτῶς διαλέγεσθαι. 7.97 Τῶν γὰρ σοφῶν αἱ διάνοιαι τῷ νῷ προσπηδῶσαι ἄχθος ἡγοῦνται τὴν λεπτότητα τῶν λόγων. 7.98 Μηδὲν οὖν σχῆμα γενέσθαι παρακαλῶ, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ σχήματος προηγείσθω, ἵνα μὴ ἄλλως τῶν ἔργων εὐσχημονούντων τινὲς ἡμῖν ἀσχήμονες τῶν ἔργων εὑρεθεῖεν. 8.99 Πολλάκις οὖν καὶ θυγατρὸς ποθούσης σπεύδειν τὰ κρείττονα, μήτηρ κηδομένη τῶν νέων ἢ κάλλει προσκαίρῳ τῷ νομιζομένῳ πλανωμένη, τάχα δὲ καὶ φθόνῳ τηκομένη, σπεύδει ποιῆσαι τὴν θυγατέρα τέκνον τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου καὶ οὐ θεῷ νυμφευθῆναι. 8.100 Ἀλλ' ἐνεδρεύει πᾶν ὅ τι νομιζόμενον δεινόν· ἀλλὰ μὴ ἀποδειλιάσῃς, ὦ τέκνον· ἄνω τὸ ὄμμα ὅπου ὁ ποθούμενος· τήρει τὰ ἴχνη τῆς προλαβούσης ἐκείνης, ἧς ἀκούεις Θέκλης.

8.101 Εἰ καὶ παρεκβατικὸν τὸ λεγόμενον· κἂν Θεόκλεια ταράσσηται, κἂν Θάμυρις πενθῇ, κἂν Ἀλέξανδρος διαδέχηται, κἂν ὁ δικαστὴς ἀπειλῇ, μὴ σβεννύσθω τὸ φίλτρον. 8.102 Τοῖς γὰρ νέοις ὠφέλιμον τὸ πρὸς Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀνασταυροῦσθαι. 8.103 Τίς χωρίσει τοὺς αὐτὸν ἐρωμένους ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; 8.104 Οὐ θλίψις, οὐ στενοχωρία, οὐ δίκασται, οὐ ῥήτορες, οὐ ξίφος, οὔτε τις ἑτέρα κτίσις δυνήσεται χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ. 8.105 Ἀλλὰ κἂν ἔρημος γένῃ γονέων, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔρημος θεοῦ. 8.106 Κἂν ἐπιλάθῃ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, ἀλλ' ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου 8.107 ∆εῦρο δὴ οὖν, κἂν πολύολβος, κἂν δύσοπτος, κἂν πένης ὑπάρχῃς, κἂν χερνήτης. 8.108 Θάρσει, ἐλθέ· ὁ γὰρ νυμφίος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς οὐ τοῦ μαραινομένου κάλλους ἐράσκεται, οὐδὲ τὴν πενίαν ἀποστρέφεται. 8.109 Μικρὸν γὰρ καὶ μέγαν ἡ αὐτὴ χάρις προσκαλεῖται, ἀλλὰ τὰς προαιρέσεις δοκιμάζει, καὶ οὕτως ἀποδέχεται τοὺς σώφρονι λογισμῷ καθοπλισμένους τὴν ἀρετήν. 8.110 Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ υἱοῦ σπεύδοντος παραστῆσαι τὸ σῶμα· ὁ πατὴρ ἔχθραν ἐγείρει πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον παῖδα, μὴ δυνάμενος γνῶναι τὸ κατόρθωμα τὸ τοιοῦτον. 8.111 Μωρίαν ἡγεῖται, κατὰ τὸ θεῖον γράμμα, τὸ σοφὸν παρὰ θεῷ. 8.112 Ἀλλὰ μὴ ὀκλάσῃς, ὦ νεανίσκε, μὴ προτιμήσῃς θνητὸν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ ἕτερόν τινα. 8.113 Ἀξίους ἑαυτοῦ ἀπεφήνατο, ὡς ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ γέγραπται, οὓς φωνήσας Ἰησοῦς· ἄφες τὸ πλοῖον, ἄφες τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὰ δίκτυα εἰς ἄγραν, κἂν ἐλπίδες τοῦ βίου πολλαί, κἂν Ζεβεδαῖος ταράσσηται. 8.114 Μηδὲν ὅλως θεοῦ προτιμήσῃς, μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίας, ἵνα ᾖς καὶ μετὰ Ἰωάννου, ὁμόθρονον αὐτοῦ ἀξίαν φορῶν. 8.115 Οὕτω γὰρ ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ θεὸς τοὺς καταλείψαντας πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ ἀδελφοὺς ἢ ἀγροὺς ἢ οἰκίας ἐπὶ δεκαδύο θρόνους καθίσεσθαι ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. 9.116 Ταῦτα εἶπε πρὸς παρθένους, ταῦτα εἶπε πρὸς τοὺς ἀκούοντας· τοὺς γὰρ πάντας αὐτὸς συνέκλεισε, καὶ οἱ πάντες εἰς αὐτὸν ἵνα συν τρέχωσιν. 9.117 Οὐ μόνον δὲ [ἐν] τοῖς παρθενεύουσι ταῦτα ἐνετείλατο, ἀλλὰ καί· ὅστις ἀφῆκε γυναῖκα καὶ τέκνα καὶ τὰ λοιπά, πολυ πλασίονα καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. 9.118 Οὐ χωρίζων εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἔχοντας, ἵνα μὴ ὡς ἔχοντες ὦσι διὰ τὸ τὸν καιρὸν συνεσταλμένον εἶναι, οὐ τὴν δέσιν λύων, ἀλλὰ τὴν σωφρο σύνην σπείρων, ἵνα τὴν ἀκρασίαν πνίξῃ. 9.119 Καὶ ἐπεὶ τὰ στίγματα τοῦ