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worthy of scepters? You arrive at the harbor and prepare a shipwreck for yourself; you go to the physician to heal your wounds and you depart having made them worse. And what pardon will there be for you then? But if even before some were so indifferent concerning their own salvation, let them now at least be persuaded to be rid of this defilement; for if he forbade the use of costly garments, much more powders and paints. 1.39 After these things I exhort both men and women to completely avoid omens and observations; for these are the trifles of the Greeks and of those still possessed by error, to be superstitious about the voice of the raven and the squeak of the mouse and the creaking of a beam, to welcome with pleasure encounters with those who have lived shamefully, but to flee those with people of piety and gravity as causes of countless evils. See how many are the devil's devices; for not only does he want us to be bereft of virtue and inclined toward vice, but he also contrives to instill hatred in us so that we turn away from those who pursue virtue. And again, not only does he want us to pursue wicked things, but he also hastens and is eager to make us familiar with them, preparing us to accept them with pleasure. 1.40 Do not consider these things to be small or of no account, but sufficient to sink a soul and lead it to the very depth of wickedness. For this, this is the plot of the evil demon, so as to trip us up even by means of small things. But you, the new soldiers of Christ, both men and women—for this army of Christ knows no distinction of nature—from this moment cut out every such habit, as you are about to receive the king of all, so cleanse your mind that no stain may darken your thoughts. 1.41 But if anyone has an enemy, let him be reconciled, considering what things he himself, immersed in so many sins, is about to receive from the master, and let him forgive his neighbor the offenses committed against him. "For," it says, "let none of you imagine evil against his neighbor in your hearts." Therefore if anyone holds contracts and collection of interest, let him tear them up. "For," it says, "tear apart the unjust contract." And to put it simply, let him show beforehand what is from himself, so that he may receive with great abundance what is from the master. 1.42 And above all, train your tongue to be pure of oaths; I do not mean of false oaths, but also of those oaths made rashly and in vain and to the harm of those who swear. "For it was said," he says, "You shall not swear falsely. But I say to you, do not swear at all." You have heard, "do not swear at all"; no longer tolerate meddling with what has been legislated by the master, but obey the one who commanded and in all things cleanse your mind. 1.43 Let there be no more talk for you of horse races and of the spectacle of the lawless theaters, for those too are kindlings of licentiousness, nor of the cruel pleasure of the wild beasts. For tell me, what pleasure is it to see one of your own race, who shares the same nature as you, being torn apart by savage beasts? And do you not fear nor shudder lest a thunderbolt, coming down from above, should set your head on fire? For you, so to speak, sharpen the teeth of the beast; for your part, through your own voice, you yourself commit the murder, if not with your hand, then with your tongue. 1.44 Do not, I beg you, do not take counsel so carelessly concerning your own salvation. Consider your dignity and be ashamed; for if someone is proud of a human dignity and often refrains from doing something so as not to bring reproach upon that dignity, ought you not, who are about to acquire so great a dignity, to make yourself venerable already? For your dignity is such that it extends along with the present age and journeys with you into the life to come. And what is this? You are henceforth called a Christian through the love of God for mankind, and faithful. Behold, not one dignity, but two; you are soon to put on Christ and it befits you, as with him being present with you everywhere, so also to act

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ἄξια σκηπτῶν; Εἰς τὸν λιμένα παραγίνῃ καὶ ναυάγιον σαυτῇ κατασκευάζῃ· πρὸς τὸν ἰατρὸν ἔρχῃ τὰ ἕλκη θεραπεῦσαι καὶ μείζονα αὐτὰ ἐργαζομένη ἀπέρχῃ. Καὶ τίς σοι λοιπὸν ἔσται συγγνώμη; Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πρότερόν τινες ἦσαν οὕτω ῥᾳθύμως περὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν διακείμεναι, νῦν γοῦν πεισθήτωσαν ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς λύμης ταύτης· εἰ γὰρ ἱματίοις πολυτελέσι κεχρῆσθαι ἀπηγόρευσε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῖς ἐπιτρίμμασι καὶ ταῖς ὑπογραφαῖς. 1.39 Μετὰ δὲ τούτων παρακαλῶ καὶ ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκας τοὺς κληδονισμοὺς καὶ τὰς παρατηρήσεις πάντη φεύγειν· ταῦτα γὰρ Ἑλλήνων ἐστὶ καὶ τῶν ἔτι τῇ πλάνῃ προκατειλημμένων ληρήματα, τὸ τοῦ κόρακος τὴν φωνὴν περιεργάζεσθαι καὶ τοῦ μυὸς τὸν ψόφον καὶ τῆς δοκοῦ τὸν τρισμόν, τὸ τὰς ὑπαντήσεις τῶν μὲν αἰσχρῶς βεβιωκότων μεθ' ἡδονῆς δέχεσθαι τὰς δὲ τῶν ἐν εὐλαβείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι ὡς αἰτίας μυρίων κακῶν φεύγειν. Ὅρα πόσαι τοῦ διαβόλου αἱ μηχαναί· οὐ μόνον γὰρ ἐρήμους ἡμᾶς εἶναι βούλεται τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ πρὸς τὴν κακίαν νενευκέναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μῖσος ἡμῖν ἐνθεῖναι κατασκευάζει ὡς καὶ ἀποστρέφεσθαι τοὺς τὴν ἀρετὴν μετιόντας. Καὶ πάλιν οὐ μόνον μετιέναι ἡμᾶς τὰ πονηρὰ βούλεται ἀλλὰ καὶ οἰκειῶσαι ἡμᾶς πρὸς αὐτὰ σπεύδει καὶ ἐπείγεται, παρασκευάζων μεθ' ἡδονῆς αὐτὰ προσίεσθαι. 1.40 Ταῦτα μὴ μικρὰ εἶναι νομίσητε μηδὲ τὰ τυχόντα ἀλλ' ἱκανὰ καταβαπτίσαι ψυχὴν καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν πυθμένα τῆς κακίας ἀγαγεῖν. Αὕτη γάρ, αὕτη τοῦ πονηροῦ δαίμονος ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ ὥστε καὶ διὰ τῶν μικρῶν ὑποσκελίζειν. Ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς οἱ νέοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ στρατιῶται καὶ ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες, τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ στρατόπεδον οὐκ οἶδε φύσεως διαφοράν, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη πᾶσαν τοιαύτην συνήθειαν ἐκκόψαντες ὡς μέλλοντες τὸν ἁπάντων βασιλέα ὑποδέχεσθαι, οὕτως ἐκκαθάρατε ὑμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν ὥστε μηδένα ῥύπον ἐπισκοτεῖν τοῖς ὑμετέροις λογισμοῖς. 1.41 Ἀλλὰ κἂν ἐχθρὸν ἔχῃ τις καταλλαττέσθω, ἐννοῶν οἵων αὐτὸς μέλλει τυγχάνειν παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου τοσούτοις ἁμαρτήμασι βεβαπτισμένος καὶ ἀφιέτω τῷ πλησίον τὰ εἰς αὑτὸν ἐπταισμένα. «Κακίαν γάρ, φησίν, ἕκαστος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ μὴ λογιζέσθω ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν.» Κἂν γραμματεῖα τοίνυν τις ἔχῃ καὶ τόκων συναγωγήν, ταῦτα διασπάτω. «Συγγραφὴν γὰρ ἄδικον, φησί, διάσπα.» Καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν προλαμβάνων τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιδεικνύσθω ἵνα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δαψιλείας τὰ παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου δέξηται. 1.42 Καὶ πρὸ πάντων τὴν γλῶτταν παιδεύετε τῶν ὅρκων καθαρεύειν· οὐ λέγω τῶν ἐπιόρκων ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ὅρκων τῶν εἰκῇ καὶ μάτην γινομένων καὶ ἐπὶ κακῷ τῶν ὀμνύντων. «Ἐρρέθη γάρ φησιν· οὐκ ἐπιορκήσεις. Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως.» Ἤκουσας μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως, μηκέτι λοιπὸν ἀνέχου περιεργάζεσθαι τὰ παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου νομοθετηθέντα ἀλλὰ πείθου τῷ προστάξαντι καὶ διὰ πάντων ἐκκάθαιρέ σου τὴν διάνοιαν. 1.43 Μηκέτι ἱπποδρομίας ἔστω σοι λόγος καὶ τῆς θέας τῶν παρανόμων θεάτρων, ἀσελγείας γάρ ἐστι κἀκεῖνα ὑπεκκαύματα, μηδὲ τῆς ὠμῆς τῶν θηρίων τέρψεως. Ποία γὰρ εἰπέ μοι τέρψις ἰδεῖν τὸν ὁμογενῆ καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς σοι φύσεως κοινωνοῦντα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνημέρων θηρίων σπαραττόμενον; Καὶ οὐ δέδοικας οὐδὲ φρίττεις μὴ σκηπτὸς ἄνωθεν κατενεχθεὶς ἐμπρήσῃ σου τὴν κεφαλήν; Σὺ γὰρ ἀκονᾷς ὡς εἰπεῖν τοῦ θηρίου τοὺς ὀδόντας· τό γε σὸν μέρος διὰ τῆς οἰκείας φωνῆς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐργάζῃ τὸν φόνον, εἰ καὶ μὴ τῇ χειρὶ ἀλλὰ τῇ γλώττῃ. 1.44 Μή, παρακαλῶ, μὴ οὕτω ῥᾳθύμως περὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν βουλεύεσθε σωτηρίας. Ἐννόει σου τὴν ἀξίαν καὶ αἰδέσθητι· εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἀνθρωπίνῳ τις ἀξιώματι μέγα φρονεῖ καὶ πολλάκις παραιτεῖταί τι διαπράξασθαι ἵνα μὴ ὕβριν τῷ ἀξιώματι προστρίψηται, σὺ τοσοῦτον ἀξίωμα μέλλων κτᾶσθαι οὐκ ὀφείλεις ἤδη σαυτὸν αἰδέσιμον καταστῆσαι; Τὸ γὰρ ἀξίωμά σου τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν ὡς καὶ τῷ παρόντι αἰῶνι συνπαρεκτείνεσθαι καὶ εἰς τὴν μέλλουσάν σοι συναποδημεῖν ζωήν. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι; Χριστιανὸς ἀκούεις λοιπὸν διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ πιστός. Ἰδοὺ οὐχ ἓν ἀξίωμα ἀλλὰ δύο· τὸν Χριστὸν μέλλεις μετ' οὐ πολὺ ἐνδύεσθαι καὶ προσήκει σε ὡς ἐκείνου σοι πανταχοῦ συμπαρόντος οὕτω καὶ πράττειν