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not only corrupting, but also destroying the soul, and making it worse and more worthless, do you not leap away? Hear, says a certain wise man, do not stand, but leap away, do not linger, fearing even the briefest delay in these matters. We say these things, not fearing the strength of their dogmas, but 50.757 fearing your weakness. For to us, by the grace of God, their teachings seem weaker than spiderwebs, to those who are founded in the faith, and even if they enchant our ears ten thousand times, they only incur all the more laughter from us, just like those who are mad and have lost their senses; but we fear your weakness. I do not say what has been said against all, but against those who are liable to what is said. Since even Paul, the master of all, not only demonstrating doctrine but also against the disputes of outsiders to his disciple Timothy, advises him to avoid empty talk. The time of our life is short, the provision for salvation is small. If then we spend this short time that was given to us for learning something useful on superfluous and unprofitable and harmful hearings, when then will we find another time for learning the necessary and urgent things? For indeed, even if it were long, it would be necessary to spend it all on useful things; but when it is both little and brief, how is it not the height of folly to expend its shortness on dogmas that corrupt our soul? What need have you of medicine? Do not receive a wound, do not waste time on healing what you receive 50.758 from others, and have; from the divine Scriptures compose what is sound, and if someone comes forward saying something different, block your ears, leap away immediately, do not linger. And if, when a council against kings was held, you would not have endured to take part in the assembly, since by the fellowship of hearing, even if no consent were given, you would certainly be in danger; when something is said against God, and a dogma full of accusation against him is being exercised, will you not flee, will you not hate the blasphemous tongue, will you not shut the godless mouths? And how will you be able to pray to God with confidence, while partaking in the slanders against him? I beg you, do not. These things were not said by me to those present, but rather also to those present. For even if you are not responsible, yet to those whom you know are suffering from this disease, pour out these and more words, so as to uproot the evil. And may it be by the prayers of the saints and friends of God—for indeed our words are not as strong as the confidence of their prayer—may it be that all of us, and all who contribute to the fullness of the Church, having been freed from these evils, may stand with confidence before the judgment seat of Christ, to whom be the glory. Amen.

CONCERNING FATE AND PROVIDENCE, DISCOURSE 3. I know that I spoke recently to your love concerning fate, but nothing prevents me from exercising my discourse on the same subject today as well; not because the affliction is strong, but because our indolence is unspeakable, which makes even small maladies great. Since it is clear even to a blind man by nature, that the faithful person needs neither words nor teaching for fleeing from this evil. For just as it is not necessary to persuade one who lives in our world, and is governed by our laws, and is subject to the same kings, that he must not introduce the Persian constitution into our own, but only to forbid it; so also here. For of the

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διαφθείροντος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ψυχὴν ἀπολλύντος, καὶ χείρω καὶ φαυλοτέραν ἐργαζομένου, οὐκ ἀποπηδᾷς; Ἄκουσον, φησί τις σοφὸς ἀνὴρ, μὴ στήσῃς, ἀλλ' ἀποπήδησον, μὴ ἐγχρονίσῃς, καὶ τὴν βραχυτάτην ἐν τούτοις δεδοικὼς διατριβήν. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγομεν, οὐ τὴν ἰσχὺν τῶν παρ' ἐκείνοις δογμάτων δεδοικότες, ἀλλὰ 50.757 τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀσθένειαν φοβούμενοι. Ἡμῖν γὰρ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι ἀραχνίων ἀσθενέστερα τὰ ἐκείνων φαίνεται, τοῖς τεθεμελιωμένοις τῇ πίστει, κἂν μυριάκις ἡμῶν ἐπᾴδωσι τὰς ἀκοὰς, τοσούτῳ πλείω τὸν γέλωτα ὀφλισκάνουσι παρ' ἡμῶν, καθάπερ οἱ μεμηνότες καὶ τῶν οἰκείων φρενῶν ἐξεστηκότες· τὴν δὲ ὑμετέραν ἀσθένειαν δεδοίκαμεν. Οὐ κατὰ πάντων λέγω τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν ὑπευθύνων τοῖς λεγομένοις ὄντων. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος, ὁ πάντων κρατῶν, οὐχὶ διδασκαλίαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐπιδεικνὺς τῷ μαθητῇ Τιμοθέῳ τὰς λογομαχίας, τὰς κενοφωνίας περιίστασθαι παραινεῖ. Ὀλίγος ἐστὶν ὁ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν χρόνος, βραχὺ τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας ἐφόδιον. Ἂν οὖν αὐτὸν τὸν βραχὺν χρόνον τὸν δοθέντα ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸ μαθεῖν τι τῶν χρησίμων, εἰς περιττὰς καὶ ἀνονήτους καὶ βλαβερὰς ἀναλώσωμεν ἀκροάσεις, πότε λοιπὸν εὐπορήσομεν ἑτέρου πρὸς τὸ μαθεῖν τὰ ἀναγκαῖα καὶ κατεπείγοντα; Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ, εἰ καὶ μακρὸς ἦν, πάντα αὐτὸν εἰς τὰ χρήσιμα ἀναλίσκειν ἔδει· ὅταν δὲ καὶ ὀλίγος ᾖ καὶ βραχὺς, πῶς οὐκ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας τὴν ὀλιγότητα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰ διαφθείροντα δόγματα τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν δαπανᾷν; Τί σοι χρεία φαρμάκου; μὴ δέξῃ πληγὴν, μὴ τὸν χρόνον ἀναλώσῃς εἰς τὸ θεραπεύειν, ἃ λαμβά 50.758 νεις παρ' ἑτέρων, καὶ ἔχεις· ἀπὸ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν τὸ ὑγιὲς συγκρότει, κἂν προσέλθῃ τις ἕτερόν τι λέγων, ἀπόφραξον τὰ ὦτα, ἀποπήδησον εὐθέως, μὴ ἐγχρονίσῃς. Καὶ εἰ, κατὰ βασιλέων συλλόγου γενομένου, οὐκ ἂν ἠνέσχου μετασχεῖν τοῦ συνεδρίου, ὡς τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς ἀκροάσεως, εἰ καὶ μὴ συγκατάθεσις γένοιτο, κινδυνεύσων πάντως· ὅταν κατὰ Θεοῦ λέγηταί τι, καὶ δόγμα τῆς αὐτοῦ γέμον κατηγορίας γυμνάζηται, οὐκ ἀποφεύξῃ, οὐ μισήσεις τὴν βλάσφημον γλῶτταν, οὐκ ἐμφράξεις τὰ ἄθεα στόματα; Καὶ πῶς δυνήσῃ μετὰ παῤῥησίας εὔχεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν, ταῖς διαβολαῖς ταῖς κατ' αὐτοῦ κοινωνῶν; Μὴ, παρακαλῶ. Ταῦτά μοι οὐ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας εἴρηται, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς παρόντας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀνεύθυνοι, ἀλλ' οὕστινας ἴστε ταύτην νοσοῦντας τὴν νόσον, τούτοις καὶ ἑτέροις πλείοσιν ἐπαντλᾶτε ῥήμασιν, ὥστε πρόῤῥιζον ἀνασπάσαι τὸ κακόν. Γένοιτο δὲ εὐχαῖς τῶν ἁγίων καὶ φίλων τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν ἰσχύει τὰ ῥήματα, ὅσον τῆς ἐκείνων εὐχῆς ἡ παῤῥησία, γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς, καὶ ὅσοι πρὸς τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας συντελοῦσι, τούτων ἀπαλλαγέντας τῶν κακῶν, μετὰ παῤῥησίας στῆναι ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα. Ἀμήν.

ΠΕΡΙ ΕΙΜΑΡΜΕΝΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΝΟΙΑΣ Λόγος γʹ. Οἶδα πρῴην περὶ εἱμαρμένης εἰπὼν πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν κωλύει καὶ τήμερον περὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ὑποθέσεως γυμνάσαι τὸν λόγον· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τὸ πάθος ἐστὶν ἰσχυρὸν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἡ ῥᾳθυμία ἡμῶν ἐστιν ἄφατος, ἡ καὶ τὰ μικρὰ μεγάλα ποιοῦσα τῶν νοσημάτων. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τυφλῷ δῆλόν ἐστι φύσει, ὅτι τὸν πιστὸν οὐδὲ λόγων οὐδὲ διδασκαλίας δεῖσθαι χρὴ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κακοῦ τούτου φυγήν. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὸν οἰκοῦντα τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένην, καὶ νόμοις πολιτευόμενον τοῖς παρ' ἡμῖν, καὶ βασιλεῦσιν ὑποτεταγμένον τοῖς αὐτοῖς, οὐ δεῖ πείθειν, ὅτι τὴν Περσικὴν πολιτείαν ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ εἰσάγειν οὐ χρὴ, ἀλλ' ἀπαγορεύειν μόνον· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Τῶν γὰρ