5

For if one is going to put forward such excuses, you will keep none of the commandments. And yet, in the case of human laws, you never dare to put this forward, nor to say it, but willingly 64.1052 and unwillingly you accept what is written. Besides, you will never undergo compulsion; for he who has heard the beatitudes that came before, and has prepared himself to be such as Christ commanded, will undergo no such compulsion from anyone, being revered and venerable among all. What is that which is more than yes, and no? The oath, not in order to swear falsely; for no one needs to learn that this is from the evil one and superfluous, but the contrary; but the superfluous and the more is the oath. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months; and he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. So that even in this way, being wasted by famine, they might come to the Creator; so that the famine might become for them an occasion for salvation. For nothing, he says, can discipline, except famine, so that being disciplined even in this way, they might go to the Creator of all.

-And a little after: The word of the prophet went forth, and immediately the air was changed, the heaven became brass, not having changed its nature, but having reined in its energy. Immediately the elements were transformed. The word of the prophet fell like a raging fever into the loins of the earth, and immediately all things were dried up, and all things were laid waste, and disappeared. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the way of truth, and someone brings him back, let him know that he who brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. And how must one bring them back? Just as with the farmers' seeds, it is sown once, but it does not remain forever, but needs much preparation. And if they do not, by turning up the soil, protect what is sown, they have sown for the birds and for all the seed-gathering fowls. So also we, if we do not by constant remembrance protect what has been sown; for the devil snatches it away, and our own laziness destroys it. And the sun scorches it, and the rain floods it, and thorns choke it. So that it is not enough to sow once and be done, but it requires much diligence, scaring away the birds of the air, cutting out the thorns, filling the rocky places with much earth; preventing and walling off and destroying every pest. But in the case of the earth, everything is the farmer's; for it lies soulless, ready only to be acted upon; but not so in the case of this spiritual earth. Not everything is the teachers', but if not the greater part, at least half is the disciples'. It is our part, therefore, to sow the seed, but yours to do what is said.

64.1053 IN PRIMAM S. PETRI EPISTOLAM.

CHAPTER ONE.

For a little while now, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the

proof of your faith, being much more precious than gold which is perishable, though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; whom not having seen, you love. The righteous are afflicted, that they may be crowned; sinners, that they may pay the penalty for their sins. But not all sinners pay the penalty here, lest the many disbelieve in the resurrection; not all the righteous are afflicted, lest you should think that wickedness is praiseworthy, and should hate virtue. knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things, like silver or gold, from your futile

5

Ἐπεὶ εἰ μέλλει τὰς τοιαύτας προβάλλεσθαι προφάσεις, οὐδὲν φυλάξεις τῶν ἐπιταχθέντων. Καίτοιγε ἐπὶ τῶν νόμων τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων οὐδαμοῦ τοῦτο τολμᾷς προβαλέσθαι, οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ἑκὼν 64.1052 καὶ ἄκων καταδέχῃ τὰ γεγραμμένα. Ἄλλως δὲ οὐδὲ ἀνάγκην ὑποστήσῃ ποτέ· ὁ γὰρ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν μακαρισμῶν ἀκούσας, καὶ τοιοῦτον ἑαυτὸν παρασκευάσας, οἷον ἐπέταξεν ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐδεμίαν παρ' οὐδενὸς ὑποστήσεται τοιαύτην ἀνάγκην, αἰδέσιμος ὢν παρὰ πᾶσι καὶ σεμνός. Τί ἐστι τὸ περιττὸν τοῦ ναὶ, καὶ τοῦ οὔ; Ὁ ὅρκος οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸ ἐπιορκεῖν· ἐκεῖνο γὰρ οὐδεὶς δεῖται μαθεῖν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐστι καὶ περιττὸν, ἀλλ' ἐναντίον· τὸ δὲ περιττὸν καὶ τὸ πλέον ὁ ὅρκος ἐστίν. Ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν, καὶ προσευχῇ προσηύξατο τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι, καὶ οὐκ ἔβρεξεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐνιαυτοὺς τρεῖς καὶ μῆνας ἕξ· καὶ πάλιν προσηύξατο, καὶ ὁ οὐρανὸς ὑετὸν ἔδωκε, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐβλάστησε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς. Ἵνα κἂν οὕτω τῷ λιμῷ τηκόμενοι ἐπὶ τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν φθάσωσιν· ἵνα ὁ λιμὸς ὑπόθεσις αὐτοῖς σωτηρίας γένηται. Οὐδὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, δύναται παιδεῦσαι, εἰ μὴ λιμὸς, ἵνα κἂν οὕτω παιδευόμενοι, ἐπὶ τὸν πάντων Κτίστην χωρήσωσι.

-Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ προφήτου, καὶ εὐθὺς ὁ ἀὴρ μετεβλήθη, ὁ οὐρανὸς χαλκοῦς ἐγένετο, οὐ τὴν φύσιν μεταβαλὼν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐνέργειαν χαλινώσας. Εὐθὺς τὰ στοιχεῖα μετεσχηματίζετο. Ἐνέπεσεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ προφήτου καθάπερ πυρετὸς λάβρος εἰς τὰς λαγόνας τῆς γῆς, καὶ πάντα εὐθὺς ἐξηραίνετο, καὶ πάντα ἠρημοῦτο, καὶ ἠφανίζετο. Ἀδελφοί μου, ἐάν τις ἐν ὑμῖν πλανηθῇ ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ τις αὐτὸν, γινωσκέτω ὅτι ὁ ἐπιστρέψας ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐκ πλάνης ὁδοῦ αὐτοῦ, σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου, καὶ καλύψει πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν. Καὶ πῶς χρὴ ἐπιστρέφειν; καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν γεωργῶν τὰ σπέρματα, καταβάλλεται μὲν ἅπαξ, οὐ μένει δὲ διαπαντὸς, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς δεῖται τῆς κατασκευῆς. Κἂν μὴ τὴν γῆν ἀναμοχλεύσαντες περιστείλωσι τὰ καταβαλλόμενα, τοῖς ὄρνισιν ἔσπειραν καὶ τοῖς σπερμολόγοις ὀρνέοις πᾶσιν. Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἂν μὴ τῇ συνεχεῖ μνήμῃ τὰ καταβληθέντα περιστείλωμεν· καὶ γὰρ ὁ διάβολος ἐξαρπάζει, καὶ ἡ ἡμετέρα ῥᾳθυμία ἀπόλλυσι. Καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ξηραίνει, καὶ ὑετὸς ἐπικλύζει, καὶ ἄκανθαι πνίγουσι. Ὥστε οὐκ ἀρκεῖ μόνον ἅπαξ καταβάλλοντα ἀπηλλάχθαι, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς δεῖται προσεδρείας, ἀποσοβοῦν τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, τὰς ἀκάνθας ἐκκόπτοντα, τὰ πετρώδη γῆς πληροῦντα πολλῆς· πᾶσαν λύμην κωλύοντα καὶ ἀποτειχίζοντα καὶ ἀναιροῦντα. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς γῆς τὸ πᾶν τοῦ γεωργοῦ γίνεται· ἄψυχος γὰρ ἐκείνη ὑπόκειται, πρὸς τὸ παθεῖν ἕτοιμος οὖσα μόνον· ἐπὶ δὲ ταύτης τῆς γῆς τῆς πνευματικῆς οὐδαμῶς. Οὐ τῶν διδασκάλων ἐστὶ τὸ πᾶν, ἀλλ' εἰ μὴ τὸ πλέον, τὸ γοῦν ἥμισυ τῶν μαθητῶν. Ἡμῶν μὲν οὖν ἐστι καταβάλλειν τὸν σπόρον, ὑμῶν δὲ ποιεῖν τὰ λεγόμενα.

64.1053 IN PRIMAM S. PETRI EPISTOLAM.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΠΡΩΤΟΝ.

Ὀλίγον ἄρτι, εἰ δέον ἐστὶ, λυπηθέντας ἐν ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς, ἵνα τὸ

δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως πολὺ τιμιώτερον χρυσίου τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου, διὰ πυρὸς δὲ δοκιμαζομένου, εὑρεθῇ εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ δόξαν, καὶ τιμὴν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· ὃν οὐκ εἰδότες ἀγαπᾶτε. Οἱ δίκαιοι θλίβονται, ἵνα στεφανωθῶσιν· οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ, ἵνα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν δίκην ἐκτίσωσιν. Οὐ πάντες δὲ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ δίκην ἐνταῦθα τιννύουσιν, ἵνα μὴ τῇ ἀναστάσει οἱ πολλοὶ ἀπιστήσωσιν· οὐ πάντες οἱ δίκαιοι θλίβονται, ἵνα μὴ τὴν κακίαν ἐπαινετὴν εἶναι νομίσῃς, καὶ μισήσῃς τὴν ἀρετήν. Εἰδότες ὅτι οὐ φθαρτοῖς, ἀργυρίῳ ἢ χρυσίῳ, ἐλυτρώθητε ἐκ τῆς ματαίας