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being today those who make these accusations, and for this reason having received this see, the one fought over and envied; it is no wonder, if we should be worn out by both sides, and stand out of the way after many toils and labors, so that they might attack each other at close quarters, and with all their wrath, with no dividing wall or hindrance in between. To define and establish these things, therefore, belongs especially to God, who binds all things together; and then also to men, to whom what is good is an object of zeal, and the good of concord is known; beginning from the Trinity, to whom nothing is so proper as to be one in nature, and at peace with itself; and shared by the angelic and divine powers, who are at peace both with God and with each other; and proceeding to all creation, whose order is freedom from strife; and having its citizenship in us, in the soul, by the sequence and fellowship of the virtues, and in the body, by the good harmony and proportion of the members or the elements to one another; of which the one is and is called beauty, and the other health.

ΙΕʹ. And I for my part praise Solomon's saying, that appoints a time for everything, so also for war and for peace. This only will I add, that the time for both must be observed, since it is sometimes good to make war, according to his law and reason; but as long as it is possible, we must incline rather to peace; for this is both loftier and more godlike. How absurd it is, to consider concord best in private, but not most advantageous in public. And that a house and a city are best governed, which has no, or very little, strife against itself, or suffering this, is most quickly restored and healed; but for the commonwealth of the Church, that something else is better and more fitting. 35.1149 And that each person should strive to be at peace with himself (for individual peace is desirable, and is mastery over the passions); but not to appear the same towards others, but to consider the destruction of one's neighbor as one's own glory. And that God commands us to forgive even those who sin against us, not seven times, but many times that number, since forgiving brings about being forgiven; but that we should more readily injure even those who do us no wrong, than be benefited by others. And to know that so great a blessedness is laid up for the peacemakers, that they alone in the order of the saved are called sons of God; but that we ourselves, being lovers of enmity, should then think we are also doing things pleasing to God, who suffered for us, that He might make peace with Himself, and destroy the war in us. Ιςʹ. By no means, O friends and brothers, let us think this way. Let us reverence the gift of the Peacemaker, the peace which He left to us when He departed from here, as some other farewell gift. Let us know one war, the one against the opposing power. Let us say, "Brothers," even to those who hate us, if they will but accept it. Let us concede a small thing, that we may receive the greater thing in return, concord. Let us be defeated, that we may conquer. See the laws of athletic contests, and the struggles of wrestlers, who often, by lying beneath, conquer those on top. Let us emulate these, not the most insatiable of feasters, or of merchants; of whom the ones, immoderately gorging on what is set before them, and the others, having overloaded their ship, sooner burst and sank together, than they enjoyed any of their greed, so that to gain small things, they suffered great losses. I therefore both cry out and protest these things, and I will not cease to do as the Scripture says: For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest; for my soul faints for those who are being destroyed, who become victims not of the sword, nor victims of famine, but victims of love of glory or love of power; so that it happens to the fallen to be hated rather than pitied. But you, if you accept my words, this is better for both of us; but if you spit upon and dismiss them, with passion conquering reason, for my part, I have sufficiently fulfilled my duty both to God and to men; for nothing,

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ὄντες σήμερον οἱ ταῦτα κατηγοροῦντες, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν καθέδραν ταύτην δεξάμενοι, τὴν ἐπίμαχον καὶ ἐπίφθονον· θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲν, εἰ ὑπ' ἀμφοτέρων ἐκτριβείημεν, καὶ σταίημεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτας καὶ πόνους, ἵν' ἐγγύθεν ἀλλήλους βάλλωσι, καὶ παντὶ τῷ θυμῷ, μηδενὸς ὄντος ἐν μέσῳ διατειχίσματος καὶ κωλύματος. Ταῦτα οὖν ὁρίσαι καὶ στῆσαι μάλιστα μὲν Θεοῦ, τοῦ πάντα συνδέοντος· ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ὅσοις τὸ καλὸν διεσπούδασται, καὶ τὸ τῆς ὁμονοίας ἀγαθὸν γνωρίζεται· ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς Τριάδος ἀρξάμενον, ἧς οὐδὲν οὕτως ἴδιον ὡς τὸ ἓν τῇ φύσει, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν εἰρηναῖον· μεταληφθὲν δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγελικῶν καὶ θείων δυνάμεων, αἳ καὶ πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ πρὸς ἀλλήλας εἰρηνικῶς ἔχουσι· προελθὸν δὲ μέχρι πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, ἧς κόσμος τὸ ἀστασίαστον· ἐν ἡμῖν δὲ πολιτευσάμενον, κατὰ μὲν ψυχὴν τῇ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀντακολουθήσει καὶ κοινωνίᾳ, κατὰ δὲ σῶμα τῇ τῶν μελῶν ἢ τῶν στοιχείων πρὸς ἄλληλα εὐαρμοστίᾳ καὶ συμμετρίᾳ· ὧν τὸ μὲν κάλλος, τὸ δὲ ὑγίεια ἔστι τε καὶ ὀνομάζεται.

ΙΕʹ. Ἐπαινῶ δὲ ἔγωγε καὶ τὸ τοῦ Σολομῶντος, ὥσπερ παντὶ πράγματι, οὕτω δὲ καὶ πολέμῳ καὶ εἰρήνῃ νομοθετοῦντος καιρόν. Ἐκεῖνο προσθήσω μόνον, ἀμφοτέρων μὲν τὸν καιρὸν τηρητέον, ἐπειδὴ καὶ πολεμεῖν ἔστι ποτὲ καλῶς, κατὰ τὸν ἐκείνου νόμον καὶ λόγον· ἕως δ' ἂν ἐξῇ, πρὸς τὴν εἰρήνην μᾶλλον ἀποκλιτέον· τοῦτο γὰρ ὑψηλότερόν τε καὶ θεοειδέστερον. Ὡς ἔστιν ἄτοπον, ἰδίᾳ μὲν ἄριστον ὑπολαμβάνειν τὸ τῆς ὁμονοίας, δημοσίᾳ δὲ μὴ λυσιτελέστατον. Καὶ οἰκίαν μὲν καὶ πόλιν ταύτην ἄριστα διοικεῖσθαι, ἥτις ἂν μηδὲν ἢ ὡς ἐλάχιστα στασιάζῃ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν, ἢ τοῦτο πάσχουσα, τάχιστα ἐπανίῃ καὶ θεραπεύηται· τῷ δὲ κοινῷ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἄλλο τι βέλτιον εἶναι καὶ πρεπωδέστερον. 35.1149 Καὶ αὐτὸν μὲν ἕκαστον, ὅπως ἂν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν εἰρηνεύῃ, σπουδάζειν (εἰρήνη δὲ τὸ καθ' ἕκαστον αἱρετὸν, καὶ ἡ κατὰ τῶν παθῶν δεσποτεία)· πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἄλλους μὴ τὸν αὐτὸν φαίνεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἡγεῖσθαι δόξαν ἑαυτοῦ, τὴν τοῦ πλησίον κατάλυσιν. Καὶ τὸν μὲν Θεὸν ἀφιέναι κελεύειν καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν εἰς ἡμᾶς, μὴ ὅτι ἑπτάκις, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις τοσοῦτον, ὡς τοῦ ἀφιέναι τὸ ἀφίεσθαι προξενοῦντος· ἡμᾶς δὲ καὶ τοῖς οὐδὲν ἀδικοῦσι προθυμότερον ἐπηρεάζειν, ἢ παρ' ἄλλων εὐεργετεῖσθαι. Καὶ τοσαύτην μὲν εἰδέναι τοῖς εἰρηνοποιοῖς ἀποκειμένην μακαριότητα, ὥστε καὶ υἱοὺς Θεοῦ προσαγορεύεσθαι μόνους ἐν τῇ τάξει τῶν σωζομένων· αὐτοὺς δὲ καὶ φιλέχθρως ἔχοντας, ἔπειτα οἴεσθαι καὶ φίλα πράττειν Θεῷ, τῷ παθόντι δι' ἡμᾶς, ἵνα πρὸς ἑαυτὸν εἰρηνεύσῃ, καὶ καταλύσῃ τὸν ἐν ἡμῖν πόλεμον. Ιςʹ. Μηδαμῶς, ὦ φίλοι καὶ ἀδελφοὶ, οὕτω διανοώμεθα. Αἰδεσθῶμεν τὸ δῶρον τοῦ εἰρηνικοῦ, τὴν εἰρήνην, ἣν ἐνθένδε ἀπιὼν ἀφῆκεν ἡμῖν, ὥσπερ ἄλλο τι ἐξιτήριον. Ἕνα πόλεμον εἰδῶμεν, τὸν κατὰ τῆς ἀντικειμένης δυνάμεως. Εἴπωμεν ἀδελφοὶ καὶ τοῖς μισοῦσιν ἡμᾶς, ἂν ἄρα δέχωνται. Συγχωρήσωμέν τι μικρὸν, ἵνα τὸ μεῖζον ἀντιλάβωμεν, τὴν ὁμόνοιαν. Ἡττηθῶμεν, ἵνα νικήσωμεν. Ὁρᾶτε νόμους ἀθλήσεως, καὶ παλαιστῶν ἀγωνίσματα, οἳ τῷ κάτω κεῖσθαι πολλάκις νικῶσι τοὺς ὑπερκειμένους. Τούτους ζηλώσωμεν, μὴ τῶν δαιτυμόνων τοὺς ἀπληστοτέρους, ἢ τῶν ἐμπόρων· ὧν οἱ μὲν ἀμέτρως ἐμφορηθέντες τῶν προκειμένων, οἱ δὲ τὴν ναῦν φορτίσαντες, θᾶττον ἐῤῥάγησαν καὶ συγκατέδυσαν, ἤ τι τῆς ἀπληστίας ἀπέλαυσαν, ἵνα μικρὰ κερδάνωσι, τὰ μεγάλα ζημιωθέντες. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν ταῦτα καὶ βοῶ καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι, καὶ τὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ποιῶν οὐ παύσομαι· ∆ιὰ Σιὼν οὐ σιωπήσομαι, καὶ διὰ Ἱερουσαλὴμ οὐκ ἀνήσω· καὶ γὰρ ἐκλείπει ἡ ψυχή μου ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀναιρουμένοις, οἵτινες οὐ τραυματίαι μαχαίρας, οὐδὲ τραυματίαι λιμοῦ γινόμεθα, τραυματίαι δὲ φιλοδοξίας ἢ φιλαρχίας· ὡς μηδὲ τὸ ἐλεεῖσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ μισεῖσθαι συμβαίνειν τοῖς πίπτουσιν. Ὑμεῖς δὲ, εἰ μὲν δέχοισθε τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους, τοῦτο ἄμεινον ἀμφοτέροις· εἰ δὲ διαπτύοιτε καὶ ἀποπέμποισθε, νικῶντος τοῦ πάθους τὸν λογισμὸν, ἐμοὶ μὲν ἱκανῶς ἀφωσίωται καὶ τὰ πρὸς Θεὸν, καὶ τὰ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους· οὐδὲν γὰρ,