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of those using omens, or amulets, or incantations, all of which are foreign to Christianity.

1. I have come to demand from your love the fruits of the things formerly spoken; for we do not speak for this reason, that you might only hear, but that you might also remember the things spoken and provide to us the demonstration through works; or rather, not to us, but to God who knows the secrets of the mind. For this reason it is also called catechesis, so that even when we are absent the word may resound in your minds. And do not be surprised if after only ten days have passed we have come to demand the fruits of the seeds; for it is possible in one day both to cast down seeds and to make a harvest; for not by our own power alone, but also being empowered by the impulse from God, are we thus called to the contests. As many, therefore, as have accepted the things that were said, and have fulfilled them through their works, let them continue, stretching forward to the things that are before; but as many as have not yet taken up this good work, let them take it up from this point, so that by their subsequent zeal they may ward off the condemnation that comes from sloth. For it is possible, it is possible even for one who has been exceedingly slothful to save all the loss of past time by using zeal hereafter. Wherefore he says, Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the provocation. And he says this exhorting and advising, never to despair, but as long as we are here, to have good hopes, and to lay hold of the things before, and to press on toward the prize of the upward call of God. Let us do this, therefore, and let us examine the names of this great gift. For just as ignorance of the magnitude of a dignity makes those who are honored more slothful, so knowledge of it renders them thankful and makes them more zealous. And in any case it would be shameful and ridiculous, while enjoying such great glory and honor from God, not even to know what its names are intended to signify. And what am I saying about this gift? For if you consider the common name of our race, you will receive the greatest instruction and exhortation toward virtue. For we do not define this name, man, 49.232 according to those outside, but as the divine Scripture has commanded. For a man is not one who simply has the hands and feet of a man, nor one who is only rational, but one who practices piety and virtue with boldness. Hear, at any rate, what it says about Job; for having said, that "There was a man in the land of Uz," it does not describe him by those definitions which those outside use, nor does it say this, that he had two feet and broad nails, but putting together the characteristics of that piety, it said, "just, true, God-fearing, abstaining from every evil thing," showing that this is what a man is. Just as, therefore, another also says: "Fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man." But if the name "man" provides so great an exhortation to virtue, how much more the name "faithful"? For you are called faithful for this reason, because you both believe in God, and are yourself entrusted by Him with righteousness, holiness, purity of soul, adoption, the kingdom of heaven; He has entrusted and deposited these things with you; you in turn have entrusted and deposited other things with Him: almsgiving, prayers, moderation, all other virtue. And what am I saying, almsgiving? Even if you give Him a cup of cold water, you will not lose even this, but He guards this also with exactness for that day, and will repay it with great abundance; for this indeed is the wonderful thing, that He not only guards the deposits, but also increases them in His repayments. This He commanded you also to do according to your ability, in those things with which you were entrusted, to increase the holiness which you received, and the righteousness from

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κληδονισμοῖς, ἢ περιάπτοις, ἢ ἐπῳδαῖς κεχρημένων, ἅπερ ἅπαντα ἀλλότρια Χριστιανισμοῦ.

αʹ. Τῶν πρώην εἰρημένων πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην πρότερον τοὺς καρποὺς

παρεγενόμην ἀπαιτήσων ὑμᾶς· οὐδὲ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο λέγομεν, ἵνα ἀκούσητε μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ μνημονεύητε τῶν εἰρημένων καὶ τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπίδειξιν ἡμῖν παράσχητε· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχ ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας εἰδότι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ κατήχησις λέγεται, ἵνα καὶ ἀπόντων ἡμῶν ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ἐνηχῇ ταῖς διανοίαις. Καὶ μὴ θαυμάσητε, εἰ δέκα ἡμερῶν διαγενομένων μόνον τοὺς καρποὺς ἤλθομεν ἀπαιτήσοντες τῶν σπερμάτων· καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ δυνατὸν ὁμοῦ καὶ σπέρματα καταβαλεῖν καὶ ἀμητὸν ποιήσασθαι· οὐ γὰρ οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπῇ δυναμούμενοι, οὕτω πρὸς τοὺς ἀγῶνας καλούμεθα. Ὅσοι μὲν οὖν κατεδέξαντο τὰ εἰρημένα, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπλήρωσαν, μενέτωσαν ἐπεκτεινόμενοι πρὸς τὰ ἔμπροσθεν· ὅσοι δὲ οὐδέπω τῆς ἀγαθῆς ταύτης ἐργασίας ἥψαντο, ἐντεῦθεν ἁψάσθωσαν, ἵνα καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας καταδίκην τῇ μετὰ ταῦτα προθυμίᾳ ἀποκρούσωνται. Ἔνι γὰρ, ἔνι καὶ τὸν ἐῤῥᾳθυμηκότα σφόδρα μετὰ ταῦτα χρησάμενον τῇ προθυμίᾳ τοῦ παρελθόντος χρόνου πᾶσαν ἀνασῶσαι τὴν ζημίαν. ∆ιό φησι, Σήμερον ἐὰν τῆς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσητε, μὴ σκληρύνητε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐν τῷ παραπικρασμῷ. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει παραινῶν καὶ συμβουλεύων, μηδέποτε ἀπογινώσκειν, ἀλλ' ἕως ἂν ἐνταῦθα ὦμεν, χρηστὰς ἔχειν τὰς ἐλπίδας, καὶ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι, καὶ πρὸς τὸ βραβεῖον διώκειν τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ποιήσωμεν, καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τῆς μεγάλης ταύτης ἐξετάσωμεν δωρεᾶς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀγνοούμενον ἀξιώματος μέγεθος ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ποιεῖ τοὺς τιμωμένους, οὕτω γνωριζόμενον εὐχαρίστους καθίστησι καὶ σπουδαιοτέρους ἐργάζεται. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ αἰσχρὸν ἂν εἴη καὶ καταγέλαστον τοσαύτης ἀπολαύοντας δόξης παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τιμῆς, μηδὲ τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῆς εἰδέναι τί ποτε ἐνδείξασθαι βούλεται. Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ τῆς δωρεᾶς ταύτης; ἂν γὰρ τὸ κοινὸν τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν ἐννοήσῃς ὄνομα, μεγίστην πρὸς ἀρετὴν λήψῃ διδασκαλίαν καὶ παράκλησιν. Τὸ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος τοῦτο ὄνομα 49.232 οὐ κατὰ τοὺς ἔξωθεν ἡμεῖς ὁριζόμεθα, ἀλλ' ὡς ἡ θεία Γραφὴ ἐκέλευσεν. Ἄνθρωπος γάρ ἐστιν, οὐχ ὅστις ἁπλῶς χεῖρας καὶ πόδας ἔχει ἀνθρώπου, οὐδ' ὅστις ἐστὶ λογικὸς μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅστις εὐσέβειαν καὶ ἀρετὴν μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἀσκεῖ. Ἄκουσον γοῦν περὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ τί φησιν· εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι Ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι ἄνθρωπος ἦν, οὐκ ἀπὸ τούτων αὐτὸν ὑπογράφει τῶν ὅρων, ἀφ' ὧν οἱ ἔξωθεν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι πόδας δύο εἶχε καὶ ὄνυχας πλατεῖς, ἀλλὰ τὰ γνωριστικὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐκείνης συντιθεὶς ἔλεγε, ∆ίκαιος, ἀληθινὸς, θεοσεβὴς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος, δεικνὺς ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος. Καθάπερ οὖν καὶ ἕτερός φησι· Τὸν Θεὸν φοβοῦ, καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ φύλασσε, ὅτι τοῦτο πᾶς ἄνθρωπος. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ἄνθρωπος ὄνομα τοσαύτην εἰς ἀρετὴν παράκλησιν παρέχει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ πιστός; Πιστὸς γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο καλῇ, ὅτι καὶ πιστεύεις τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ πιστεύῃ παρ' αὐτοῦ αὐτὸς δικαιοσύνην. ἁγιωσύνην, καθαρότητα ψυχῆς, υἱοθεσίαν, βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν· ἐνεπίστευσε καὶ ταῦτά σοι παρακατέθετο· σὺ πάλιν ἕτερα αὐτῷ ἐνεπίστευσας καὶ παρακατέθου, ἐλεημοσύνην, εὐχὰς, σωφροσύνην, τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν ἀρετήν. Καὶ τί λέγω ἐλεημοσύνην; κἂν ψυχροῦ αὐτῷ ποτήριον δῷς, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀπολέσεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο μετ' ἀκριβείας φυλάσσει εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀποδώσει τῆς περιουσίας· τὸ γὰρ δὴ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι οὐ φυλάττει τὰς παρακαταθήκας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλεονάζει ταύτας ταῖς ἀντιδόσεσι. Τοῦτο καὶ σοὶ ποιεῖν ἐκέλευσε κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν σὴν, ἐν οἷς ἐνεπιστεύθης, τὴν ἁγιωσύνην ἣν ἔλαβες ἐπιτείνειν, καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἀπὸ