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knowing that being fed and given drink could harm him most, if he remained continually in his enmity, he might put away his anger. For thus he will be able to extinguish the coals of fire. So that both the punishment and the retribution that is laid up draws the one who was wronged to do good to the one who grieved him, and frightens and rouses up the one who provoked him, and pushes him toward reconciliation with the one who feeds and gives him drink. With a double bond then he bound them both to one another, both by that of the good deed, and by that of the retribution. For the difficult thing is to begin and find an entrance for reconciliation; but once this is opened in whatever way, all the things after this will be easy and effortless. For even if at the beginning the one who has been grieved feeds his enemy in the hope of punishment, yet in the very act of feeding, becoming a friend, he will be able to cast out the desire for retribution. For having become a friend, he would no longer feed the one reconciled to him with such an expectation. Again, the one who provoked, seeing the one he had wronged choosing to feed him and give him drink, for this very reason, and out of fear for the punishment laid up for him, casts out all his enmity, even if he be ten thousand times made of iron, and harsh, and adamant, being put to shame by the kindness of the one who feeds him, and fearing the punishment laid up for him, if he should remain an enemy after the meal. For this very reason he did not stop his exhortation here, but when he had emptied the anger of each, then he also corrects their purpose, saying, Be not overcome by evil. For if you remain, he says, bearing a grudge and taking revenge, you seem to be overcoming your enemy, but you are overcome by evil, that is, by anger; so, if you wish to overcome, be reconciled, and do not proceed against him. For this is the glorious victory, when in what is good, that is, in longsuffering, you overcome evil, having cast out anger and malice. But from the beginning the one who was wronged and inflamed would not have endured these words. For this reason, when he had sated his passion, then he also led him to the best reason for reconciliation, and did not allow him to remain in the evil hope of retribution. Have you seen the wisdom of a lawgiver? And that you may learn that he introduced this law because of the weakness of those not enduring to be joined to one another otherwise, listen how Christ, legislating this same thing, did not set the same prize; but having said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you," which is to feed and give drink, he did not add, "For in so doing you will heap coals of fire upon their heads," but what? "That you may be like your Father 51.183 in heaven." Rightly. For he was speaking to Peter, James, and John, and to the rest of the chorus of apostles; for this reason he set this as the prize. But if you say that even so the command is burdensome, you are again making a greater defense for Paul to us, but you deprive yourself of all excuse. Why so? Because this thing that seems to be burdensome, I show you was accomplished in the Old [Testament], when there was not yet a display of so much philosophy. For for this reason Paul also did not introduce the law in his own words, but using the very sayings with which the one who introduced it from the beginning established it, so that he might leave no excuse for those who do not keep it. For, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink," is not Paul's saying first, but Solomon's. For this reason he set down the words, in order to persuade the hearer, that it is a most shameful thing, to consider an old law, and one often accomplished by the ancients, to be burdensome and grievous, now that such an advance has been made in philosophy. And which of the ancients accomplished it, you say? Many others indeed, but especially David with greater abundance. He did not only feed his enemy, nor give him drink, but also when he was in danger

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εἰδὼς, ὅτι τὰ μέγιστα αὐτὸν καταβλάψαι δύναιτ' ἂν τὸ ψωμίζεσθαι καὶ ποτίζεσθαι, εἰ μένοι διηνεκῶς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀπεχθείας, καταλύσῃ τὴν ὀργήν. Οὕτω γὰρ τοὺς ἄνθρακας τοῦ πυρὸς σβέσαι δυνήσεται. Ὥστε καὶ ἡ κόλασις καὶ ἡ τιμωρία κειμένη τόν τε ἠδικημένον ἐπισπᾶται εἰς εὐεργεσίαν τοῦ λελυπηκότος, τόν τε παροξύναντα φοβεῖ καὶ διανίστησι, καὶ πρὸς καταλλαγὴν ὠθεῖ τοῦ τρέφοντος καὶ ποτίζοντος. ∆ιπλῷ τοίνυν ἀμφοτέρους συνέδησε δεσμῷ πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ τῷ τῆς εὐεργεσίας, καὶ τῷ τῆς τιμωρίας. Τὸ γὰρ δυσχερὲς, ἄρχειν καὶ εἴσοδον εὑρεῖν τῇ καταλλαγῇ· ταύτης δὲ ἀνοιγείσης οἱῳδήποτε τρόπῳ, τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα ῥᾴδια ἔσται καὶ εὔκολα. Κἂν γὰρ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐλπίδι κολάσεως τρέφῃ τὸν ἐχθρὸν ὁ λελυπημένος, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ τῷ τρέφειν γινόμενος φίλος, ἐκβαλεῖν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν δυνήσεται τῆς τιμωρίας. Φίλος γὰρ γενόμενος, οὐκέτι ἂν τοιαύτῃ θρέψειε προσδοκίᾳ τὸν καταλλαγέντα αὐτῷ. Πάλιν ὁ παροξύνας, ἰδὼν τὸν ἠδικημένον τρέφειν αὐτὸν καὶ ποτίζειν προαιρούμενον, διά γε τοῦτο αὐτὸ, καὶ τὸν φόβον τῆς ἀποκειμένης αὐτῷ κολάσεως, πᾶσαν ἐκβάλλει τὴν ἀπέχθειαν, κἂν μυριάκις σιδηροῦς ᾖ, καὶ ἀπηνὴς, καὶ ἀδάμας, τήν τε φιλοφροσύνην τοῦ τρέφοντος δυσωπούμενος, καὶ τὴν ἀποκειμένην αὐτῷ κόλασιν δεδοικὼς, εἰ μένοι μετὰ τὴν τροφὴν ἐχθρὸς ὤν. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἔστη τῆς παραινέσεως, ἀλλ' ὅτε ἐκένωσεν ἑκατέρου τὴν ὀργὴν, τότε καὶ τὴν γνώμην αὐτῶν διορθοῦται λέγων, Μὴ νικῶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ. Ἂν γὰρ μένῃς, φησὶ, μνησικακῶν καὶ ἀμυνόμενος, δοκεῖς μὲν τὸν ἐχθρὸν νικᾷν, νικᾶσαι δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ, τουτέστιν, ὑπὸ τῆς ὀργῆς· ὥστε, εἰ βούλει νικῆσαι, καταλλάγηθι, καὶ μὴ ἐπεξέλθῃς. Αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ λαμπρὰ νίκη, ὅταν ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ, τουτέστι, τῇ ἀνεξικακίᾳ νικήσῃς τὸ κακὸν, τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ τὴν μνησικακίαν ἐκβαλών. Ἀλλὰ τούτων ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὐκ ἂν ἠνέσχετο τῶν ῥημάτων ὁ ἠδικημένος καὶ φλεγμαίνων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε αὐτοῦ τὸν θυμὸν ἐκόρεσε, τότε καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρίστην αὐτὸν ἤγαγε τῆς καταλλαγῆς αἰτίαν, καὶ οὐκ ἀφῆκεν ἐναπομεῖναι τῇ πονηρᾷ τῆς τιμωρίας ἐλπίδι. Εἶδες νομοθέτου σοφίαν; Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν οὐκ ἀνεχομένων ἄλλως ἑαυτοῖς συνάπτεσθαι, τοῦτον εἰσήγαγε τὸν νόμον, ἄκουσον πῶς ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο νομοθετῶν, οὐ τὸ αὐτὸ τέθεικεν ἔπαθλον· ἀλλ' εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν, καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τρέφειν καὶ ποτίζειν, οὐκ ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι Τοῦτο γὰρ ποιοῦντες ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσετε ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ τί; Ὅπως γένησθε ὅμοιοι τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ 51.183 ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εἰκότως· Πέτρῳ γὰρ, Ἰακώβῳ καὶ Ἰωάννῃ διελέγετο, καὶ τῷ λοιπῷ τῶν ἀποστόλων χορῷ· διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ τέθεικεν ἔπαθλον. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις, ὅτι καὶ οὕτω φορτικὸν τὸ ἐπίταγμα, μειζόνως μὲν ὑπὲρ Παύλου πάλιν ἡμῖν ἀπολογῇ, σαυτὸν δὲ πάσης συγγνώμης ἀποστερεῖς. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι τοῦτο τὸ δοκοῦν εἶναι φορτικὸν, ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ σοι δείκνυμι κατορθούμενον, ὅτε οὔπω τοσαύτης φιλοσοφίας ἐπίδειξις ἦν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος οὐχὶ οἰκείοις ῥήμασι τὸν νόμον εἰσήγαγεν, ἀλλ' αὐταῖς χρησάμενος ταῖς ῥήσεσιν, αἷς ὁ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτὸν εἰσαγαγὼν ἔθηκεν, ἵνα μηδεμίαν συγγνώμην καταλείπῃ τοῖς μὴ τηροῦσιν αὐτόν. Τὸ γὰρ, Ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτὸν, ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτὸν, οὐχὶ Παύλου ἐστὶ πρῶτον ῥῆμα, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Σολομῶντος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὰ ῥήματα τέθεικεν, ἵνα πείσῃ τὸν ἀκροατὴν, ὅτι τῶν αἰσχίστων ἐστὶ, παλαιὸν νόμον, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἀρχαίων κατορθωθέντα πολλάκις, νῦν εἰς τοσαύτην ἐπιδοθέντα φιλοσοφίαν φορτικὸν εἶναι νομίζειν καὶ ἐπαχθῆ. Καὶ τίς αὐτὸν τῶν ἀρχαίων κατώρθωσε, φησί; Πολλοὶ μὲν καὶ ἄλλοι, μάλιστα δὲ ὁ ∆αυῒδ μετὰ πλείονος τῆς περιουσίας. Οὐ μὲν ἐψώμισε τὸν ἐχθρὸν, οὐδὲ ἐπότισε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κινδυνεύοντα