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seems to be grievous, and this makes it sweet; to take the things of others is sweet, and it does not allow this to appear sweet, but prepares one to flee it as wicked. Again, to speak evil seems sweet to all; this it shows to be bitter, but to speak well to be sweet; for nothing is so sweet to us as to praise the one who is loved. Again, anger has a certain pleasure; but in this case no longer, but all its sinews have been destroyed; and if the beloved grieves the one who loves, anger nowhere appears, but tears and exhortations and supplications; so far is he from being provoked. And if he sees him sinning, he mourns and is pained; but this pain also brings pleasure; for of love, both the tears and the grief are sweeter than any laughter and joy. For those who laugh are not so refreshed as those who weep for friends; and if you disbelieve, stop their tears, and they are as vexed as if they had suffered irreparable harm. But to love has a strange pleasure, he says. Away with it, and speak well, O man; for nothing is so pure from such pleasure as genuine love. For do not speak to me of this common 63.578 and vulgar kind, which is a disease rather than love, but of that which Paul seeks, which looks to the benefit of those who are loved, and you will see that these are more affectionate than fathers, and just as those who love money would not choose to spend money, but would rather be in want than see it diminished; so too he who is well-disposed toward someone would choose to suffer ten thousand things rather than see the beloved harmed. What then, he says, if they are enemies and Greeks, must we not hate them? We must hate, but not them, but their doctrine; not the man, but the wicked deed, the corrupt opinion. For the man is the work of God, but the error is the work of the devil. For if we must hate the enemies of God, we must hate not only the impious, but also sinners, and thus we will be worse than wild beasts, turning away from all; and puffed up with madness, just like that Pharisee. But Paul did not command so, but how? Warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. What then when he says, he says, If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him? This is said especially concerning brethren; yet not this simply, but this also with gentleness. For do not cut off what follows, but add also what comes after; for having said, Have no company, he added, And count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Do you see how he commanded to hate the evil deed, not the man? For it is the work of the devil to tear us from one another; and he has been very zealous to destroy love, that he might cut off the way of correction, and hold that man in error, and you in disbelief and enmity, and thus block off the way of his salvation. For when the physician hates the sick man and flees him, and the sick man turns away from the physician, when will the sick one be raised up, when neither the one calls him, nor the other goes to him? And for what reason do you turn away and flee from him? because he is impious? Therefore, for this reason you must approach and heal, that you may raise up the one who is sick. But if he is incurably sick, still you were commanded to do your part; since even Judas was incurably sick, and God did not cease from healing him. Therefore, do not you grow weary either; for even if after much effort you do not deliver him from his impiety, you will receive the reward of one who did deliver him, and you will prepare him to marvel at your gentleness; and thus all this glory will pass 63.579 to God. For even if you perform wonders, even if you raise the dead, even if you do anything whatever, the Greeks will never so marvel at you as when they see you exhibiting a gentle and mild and sweet disposition. And this is no small achievement; for many will also be completely delivered from evil. For nothing is able to attract so much as love. For at those things they will even be jealous of you, I mean at the signs and the wonders; but at this also

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λυπηρὸν εἶναι δοκεῖ, καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτὸ αὕτη ἡδύ· τὸ λαμβάνειν τὰ ἑτέρων ἡδὺ, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησιν αὐτὸ φαίνεσθαι ἡδὺ, ἀλλὰ φεύγειν, ὡς μοχθηρὸν, παρασκευάζει. Πάλιν τὸ κακῶς λέγειν γλυκὺ πᾶσιν εἶναι δοκεῖ· αὕτη τοῦτο μὲν πικρὸν ἀποφαίνεται, τὸ δὲ καλῶς λέγειν ἡδύ· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ὡς τὸν φιλούμενον ἐγκωμιάζειν ἡμῖν ἡδύ. Πάλιν ὁ θυμὸς ἔχει τινὰ ἡδονήν· ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα οὐκέτι, ἀλλὰ πάντα αὐτοῦ τὰ νεῦρα ἀνῄρηται· κἂν λυπήσῃ τὸν φιλοῦντα ὁ ἀγαπώμενος, θυμὸς μὲν οὐδαμοῦ φαίνεται, δάκρυα δὲ καὶ παρακλήσεις καὶ ἱκετηρίαι· τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦ παροξυνθῆναι. Κἂν ἴδῃ ἁμαρτάνοντα, πενθεῖ καὶ ὀδυνᾶται· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀδύνη αὕτη ἡδονὴν φέρει· τῆς γὰρ ἀγάπης καὶ τὰ δάκρυα καὶ ἡ λύπη γέλωτος παντὸς ἡδίω καὶ χαρᾶς. Οὐχ οὕτω γοῦν ἀναπαύονται οἱ γελῶντες, ὡς ὑπὲρ φίλων κλαίοντες· κἂν ἀπιστῇς, ἐπίσχες αὐτῶν τὰ δάκρυα, καὶ ὡς τὰ ἀνήκεστα παθόντες, οὕτω δυσχεραίνουσιν. Ἀλλ' ἡδονὴν ἔχει, φησὶν, ἄτοπον τὸ φιλεῖν. Ἄπαγε, καὶ εὐφήμει, ἄνθρωπε· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἡδονῆς καθαρεύει τοιαύτης, ὡς ἀγάπη γνησία. Μὴ γάρ μοι ταύτην εἴπῃς τὴν δη 63.578 μώδη καὶ ἀγοραῖον, καὶ νόσον μᾶλλον ἢ ἀγάπην οὖσαν, ἀλλὰ ταύτην, ἢν ὁ Παῦλος ἐπιζητεῖ, τὴν τὸ συμφέρον τῶν ἀγαπωμένων σκοποῦσαν, καὶ ὄψει ὅτι πατέρων οὗτοι φιλοστοργότεροι, καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ χρήματα φιλοῦντες, οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιντο δαπανῆσαι χρήματα, ἀλλ' ἥδιον ἂν ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ γένοιντο, ἢ ἐκεῖνα ἴδοιεν ἐλαττούμενα· οὕτω καὶ ὁ πρός τινα ἡδέως ἔχων, μυρία ἂν ἕλοιτο παθεῖν, ἢ τὸν ἀγαπώμενον καταβλαπτόμενον ἰδεῖν. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, ἐὰν ἐχθροὶ ὦσι καὶ Ἕλληνες, οὐ δεῖ μισεῖν; ∆εῖ μισεῖν μὲν, οὐκ ἐκείνους δὲ, ἀλλὰ τὸ δόγμα· οὐ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὴν πονηρὰν πρᾶξιν, τὴν διεφθαρμένην γνώμην. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ἔργον Θεοῦ, ἡ δὲ πλάνη ἔργον τοῦ διαβόλου. Εἰ γὰρ δεῖ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ μισεῖν, οὐχὶ ἀσεβεῖς δεῖ μισεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς, καὶ οὕτως ἐσόμεθα θηρίων χείρους, πάντας ἀποστρεφόμενοι· καὶ ἀπονοίᾳ φυσώμενοι, καθάπερ ὁ Φαρισαῖος ἐκεῖνος. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ Παῦλος οὕτως ἐκέλευσεν, ἀλλὰ πῶς; Νουθετεῖτε τοὺς ἀτάκτους, παραμυθεῖσθε τοὺς ὀλιγοψύχους, ἀντέχεσθε τῶν ἀσθενῶν, μακροθυμεῖτε πρὸς πάντας. Τί οὖν ὅταν λέγῃ, φησὶν, Εἴ τις οὐχ ὑπακούει τὸν λόγον ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, τοῦτον σημειοῦσθε, καὶ μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε αὐτῷ; Μάλιστα μὲν περὶ ἀδελφῶν τοῦτο εἴρηται· πλὴν οὔτε τοῦτο ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ ἡμερότητος. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ περικόψῃς τὰ ἑξῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα προστίθει· καὶ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε, ἐπήγαγε, Καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐχθρὸν ἡγεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ νουθετεῖτε ὡς ἀδελφόν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τὸ ἔργον μισεῖν τὸ φαῦλον, οὐ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐκέλευσε; Καὶ γὰρ ἔργον τοῦ διαβόλου τὸ διασπᾷν ἡμᾶς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων· καὶ σφόδρα ἐσπούδακεν ἀνελεῖν τὴν ἀγάπην, ἵνα ἐκκόψῃ τῆς διορθώσεως τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ κατάσχῃ ἐκεῖνον ἐν πλάνῃ, σὲ δὲ ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ τε καὶ ἀπεχθείᾳ, εἶθ' οὕτως ἀποτειχίσῃ τῆς ἐκείνου σωτηρίας τὴν ὁδόν. Ὅταν γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς μισῇ τὸν κάμνοντα καὶ φεύγῃ, καὶ ὁ κάμνων τὸν ἰατρὸν ἀποστρέφηται, πότε ἀναστήσεται ὁ νοσῶν, ὅταν μήτε ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸν καλῇ, μήτε οὗτος πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπίῃ; Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν καὶ ἀποστρέφῃ καὶ φεύγεις αὐτόν; ὅτι ἀσεβής ἐστιν; Οὐκοῦν διὰ τοῦτο δεῖ προσιέναι καὶ θεραπεύειν, ἵνα ἀναστήσῃς νοσοῦντα. Εἰ δὲ ἀνίατα νοσεῖ, ἀλλὰ σὺ τὸ σαυτοῦ ποιεῖν ἐκελεύσθης· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Ἰούδας ἀνίατα ἐνόσει, καὶ οὐ διέλιπεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς θεραπεύων. Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ σὺ ἀποκάμῃς· κἂν γὰρ πολλὰ σπουδάσας μὴ ἀπαλλάξῃς τῆς ἀσεβείας αὐτὸν, καὶ τοῦ ἀπαλλάξαντος λήψῃ τὸν μισθὸν, καὶ παρασκευάσεις αὐτὸν θαυμάζειν σου τὴν ἡμερότητα· καὶ οὕτως εἰς 63.579 τὸν Θεὸν ἡ δόξα ἅπασα αὕτη διαβήσεται. Κἂν γὰρ θαύματα ποιῇς, κἂν νεκροὺς ἐγείρῃς, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἐργάσῃ, οὐδέποτέ σε οὕτω θαυμάσονται Ἕλληνες, ὡς ὅταν ἴδωσι πρᾶον καὶ ἥμερον καὶ γλυκὺν παρεχόμενον τρόπον. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο κατόρθωμα· πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ τέλεον ἀπαλλαγήσονται τοῦ κακοῦ. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπισπάσασθαι δύναται, ὡς ἀγάπη. Ἐπ' ἐκείνοις μὲν γάρ σε καὶ ζηλοτυπήσουσι, τοῖς σημείοις λέγω καὶ τοῖς θαύμασιν· ἐπὶ τούτῳ δὲ καὶ