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of those who had received benefits, of the disciples, of those who had enjoyed such great salvation, all having disappeared, all having fled away. But that wicked suspicion which they spread concerning the resurrection, saying that "His disciples came and stole him," how many did it scandalize, how many did it trip up for a time? For that report prevailed then, although it was fabricated and bought with money; but nevertheless it prevailed with some, after the seals, after such a manifest display of the truth. For the multitude did not even know the teaching concerning the resurrection, seeing that not even the disciples themselves understood it. "For they did not yet know," it says, "that he must rise from the dead." How many, then, do you think were scandalized in those days? But nevertheless the long-suffering God bore it, ordering all things by His own wisdom and unsearchable counsel. 7.5 Then after those days, again the disciples were hiding, concealed, put to flight, fearing, trembling, continually changing from place to place, thus they remained hidden, and after fifty days having begun to appear and to work signs, not even so did they enjoy security. But even after that, countless scandals arose among the weaker ones as they were being scourged, the Church being troubled, they themselves being persecuted, their enemies prevailing in many places and causing disturbances. For when they had acquired great boldness from the signs, then again the death of Stephen brought about a severe persecution and scattered everyone and threw the Church into confusion; and again the disciples' affairs were in fear, and again in flight, and again in distress. And so the affairs of the Church continually increased, when it flourished through signs, when it appeared bright from the beginning. And one was let down through a window and thus escaped the hands of the ruler; another an angel brought out and so delivered him from his chains; others, market-people and artisans, received them as they were persecuted by those in power and cared for them in every way, women sellers of purple and tent-makers and tanners living in the very outskirts of the cities, by the shore and the sea. And often they did not dare to appear even in the middle of the cities; and if they themselves dared, their hosts did not dare. And thus matters were woven together through trials, not through ease, and those who were formerly scandalized were afterwards set right and those who had gone astray were brought back and what had been torn down was built up more grandly. For this reason also when Paul asked for the preaching to proceed through ease alone, the all-wise and resourceful God did not allow the disciple, but though he pleaded many times He did not consent, but said: "My grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness." If you wish, then, now also to reckon the good things with the painful, you will see many things that have happened, and if not signs and wonders, yet things like signs, unspeakable proofs of God's great providence and help. But that you may not hear everything from us with ease, I leave this part to you, so that you may recount everything with exactness and set them beside the painful things and, being engaged in a good occupation, thus lead yourself away from despondency; for from this too you will receive great comfort. Please give many greetings from us to your entire blessed household. May you continue in good health and good spirits, my most revered and God-beloved lady. If you wish to write me long letters, then tell me such things, not deceiving me, however, that you have put away all despondency and are living at ease. For such is the medicine of these letters as to produce in you great cheerfulness and you will see me writing continually. But do not write to me again that "I have much comfort from your letters," for that I know myself, but that you have as much as I wish, that you are not troubled, that you are not weeping, but in

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εὐεργετηθέντων, τῶν μαθητῶν, τῶν τοσαύτης ἀπολελαυκότων σωτηρίας, πάντων φρούδων γενομένων, πάντων ἀποπηδησάντων. Ἡ δὲ πονηρὰ ἐκείνη ὑπόληψις ἣν κατεσκέδασαν τῆς ἀναστάσεως εἰπόντες ὅτι «Ἦλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔκλεψαν αὐτόν,» πόσους ἐσκανδάλισε, πόσους ὑπεσκέλισε τέως; Καὶ γὰρ ἐκράτησεν ὁ λόγος τότε, καίτοι γε πεπλασμένος ὢν καὶ χρημάτων γενόμενος ὠνητός· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκράτησε παρά τισι, μετὰ τὰ σήμαντρα, μετὰ τὴν περιφάνειαν τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν τοσαύτην. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ᾔδεσαν λόγον τὸ πλῆθος ὅπου γε οὐδὲ αὐτοὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ ἠπίσταντο. «Οὐδὲ γὰρ ᾔδεσαν, φησί, τότε ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι.» Πόσους τοίνυν οἴει κατὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας σκανδαλισθῆναι; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ μακρόθυμος Θεὸς ἠνείχετο τῇ οἰκείᾳ σοφίᾳ καὶ ἀπορρήτῳ πάντα οἰκονομῶν. 7.5 Εἶτα μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας, πάλιν κρυπτόμενοι, λανθάνοντες, φυγαδευόμενοι οἱ μαθηταί, δεδοικότες, τρέμοντες, τόπον ἐκ τόπου συνεχῶς ἀμείβοντες, οὕτως ἐλάνθανον, καὶ μετὰ πεντήκοντα ἡμέρας ἀρξάμενοι φαίνεσθαι καὶ σημείων ἅπτεσθαι, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀδείας ἀπήλαυσαν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνα, μυρία σκάνδαλα μαστιζομένων αὐτῶν ἐγίνετο ἐν τοῖς ἀσθενεστέροις, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ταραττομένης, αὐτῶν ἐλαυνομένων, τῶν ἐχθρῶν κρατούντων πολλαχοῦ καὶ θορυβούντων. Ὅτε γὰρ τὴν πολλὴν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων ἐκτήσαντο παρρησίαν, τότε πάλιν ἡ Στεφάνου τελευτὴ διωγμὸν χαλεπὸν εἰργάσατο καὶ πάντας διέσπειρε καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐν θορύβῳ κατέστησε· καὶ πάλιν ἐν φόβῳ τὰ τῶν μαθητῶν, καὶ πάλιν ἐν φυγῇ, καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἀγωνίᾳ. Καὶ οὕτω διαπαντὸς τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ηὔξετο, ὅτε ἤνθει διὰ τῶν σημείων, ὅτε φαιδρὰ ἐκ προοιμίων ἐφαίνετο. Καὶ ὁ μὲν διὰ θυρίδος ἐχαλᾶτο καὶ οὕτως ἐξέφυγε τοῦ ἄρχοντος τὰς χεῖρας· τοὺς δὲ ἄγγελος ἐξέβαλε καὶ οὕτως τῶν ἁλύσεων ἀπήλλαττε· τοὺς δὲ ἀγοραῖοι καὶ χειροτέχναι ὑποδεχόμενοι παρὰ τῶν ἐν δυναστείαις ἐλαυνομένους πάντα ἐθεράπευον τρόπον, πορφυροπώλιδες γυναῖκες καὶ σκηνορράφοι καὶ σκυτοδέψαι πρὸς αὐτὰς οἰκοῦντες τὰς ἐσχατιὰς τῶν πόλεων, παρ' αἰγιαλὸν καὶ θάλασσαν. Πολλάκις δὲ οὐδὲ ἐν μέσαις ἐτόλμων φαίνεσθαι ταῖς πόλεσιν· εἰ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐτόλμων, ἀλλ' οἱ ξενοδόχοι οὐκ ἐτόλμων. Καὶ οὕτως ὑφαίνετο τὰ πράγματα διὰ πειρασμῶν, οὐ δι' ἀνέσεων, καὶ οἱ πρώην σκανδαλισθέντες μετὰ ταῦτα διωρθοῦντο καὶ οἱ πλανηθέντες ἐπανήγοντο καὶ τὰ κατεσκαμμένα ᾠκοδομεῖτο μειζόνως. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παύλου αἰτήσαντος δι' ἀνέσεως μόνης βαδίζειν τὸ κήρυγμα, ὁ πάνσοφος καὶ εὐμήχανος Θεὸς οὐκ ἠνέσχετο τοῦ μαθητοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις παρακαλοῦντος οὐκ ἐπένευσεν, ἀλλ' εἶπεν· «Ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου· ἡ γὰρ δύναμίς μου ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελειοῦται.» Εἰ βούλει τοίνυν καὶ νῦν λογίσασθαι μετὰ τῶν λυπηρῶν τὰ χρηστά, πολλὰ ὄψει γεγενημένα, καὶ εἰ μὴ σημεῖα καὶ θαύματα, ἀλλ' ἐοικότα σημείοις πράγματα, δείγματα τῆς πολλῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας καὶ ἀντιλήψεως ἄφατα. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ πάντα μετ' εὐκολίας παρ' ἡμῶν ἀκούῃς, τοῦτό σοι καταλιμπάνω τὸ μέρος, ὥστε μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἀναλέξαι πάντα καὶ παραθεῖναι τοῖς λυπηροῖς καὶ καλὴν ἀσχολουμένη ἀσχολίαν οὕτως ἀπαγαγεῖν σαυτὴν τῆς ἀθυμίας· πολλὴν γὰρ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δέξῃ τὴν παράκλησιν. Πάντα σου τὸν εὐλογήμενον οἶκον παρ' ἡμῶν πολλὰ προσειπεῖν παρακλήθητι. Ἐρρωμένη, εὐθυμουμένη διατελοίης, δέσποινά μου αἰδεσιμωτάτη καὶ θεοφιλεστάτη. Εἰ βούλει μοι μακρὰ γράφειν, καὶ τοιαῦτα δήλωσόν μοι, μὴ ἀπατῶσα μέντοι με, ὅτι πᾶσαν ἀπέθου τὴν ἀθυμίαν καὶ ἐν ἀνέσει διάγεις. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ τῶν γραμμάτων τούτων τὸ φάρμακον ὡς καὶ εὐθυμίαν σοι ἐμποιῆσαι πολλὴν καὶ ὄψει συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλοντα. Ἀλλὰ μή μοι γράψῃς πάλιν ὅτι «Παραμυθίαν ἔχω πολλὴν ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων σου», τοῦτο γὰρ οἶδα κἀγώ, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοσαύτην ὅσην ἐγὼ βούλομαι, ὅτι οὐ συγχέῃ, ὅτι οὐ δακρύεις, ἀλλ' ἐν