Homily IX.

John i. 11

“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.”

[1.] If ye remember our former reflections, we shall the more zealously proceed with the building up193   al. “the dispensing.” of what remains, as doing so for great gain. For so will our discourse be more intelligible to you who remember what has been already said, and we shall not need much labor, because you are able through your great love of learning to see more clearly into what remains. The man who is always losing what is given to him will always need a teacher, and will never know anything; but he who retains what he has received, and so receives in addition what remains, will quickly be a teacher instead of a learner, and useful not only to himself, but to all others also; as, conjecturing from their great readiness to hear, I anticipate that this assembly will specially be. Come then, let us lay up in your souls, as in a safe treasury, the Lord’s money, and unfold, as far as the grace of the Spirit may afford us power, the words this day set before us.

He (St. John) had said, speaking of the old times, that “the world knew him not” ( ver. 10 ); afterwards he comes down in his narrative to the times of the proclamation (of the Gospel), and says, “He came to His own, and His own received Him not,” now calling the Jews “His own,” as His peculiar people, or perhaps even all mankind, as created by Him. And as above, when perplexed at the folly of the many, and ashamed of our common nature, he said that “the world by Him was made,” and having been made, did not recognize its Maker; so here again, being troubled beyond bearing194   δυσανασχετῶν at the stupidity of the Jews and the many, he sets forth the charge in a yet more striking manner, saying, that “His own received Him not,” and that too when “He came to them.” And not only he, but the prophets also, wondering, said the very same, as did afterwards Paul, amazed at the very same things. Thus did the prophets cry aloud in the person of Christ, saying, “A people whom I have not known, have served Me; as soon as they heard Me, they obeyed Me; the strange children have dealt falsely with Me.195   “lied unto me.” LXX. The strange children have waxed aged, and have halted from their paths.” ( Ps. xviii. 43–45 , LXX.) And again, “They to whom it had not been told concerning Him, shall see, and they which had not heard, shall understand.” And, “I was found of them that sought Me not” ( Isa. lii. 15 ); “I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.” ( Isa. xlv. 1, as quoted Rom. x. 20.) And Paul, in his Epistles to the Romans, has said, “What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for: but the election hath obtained it.” ( Rom. xi. 7.) And again; “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained unto righteousness: but Israel which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.” ( Rom. ix. 30.)

For it is a thing indeed worthy of our amazement, how they who were nurtured in (knowledge of) the prophetical books, who heard Moses every day telling them ten thousand things concerning the coming of the Christ, and the other prophets afterwards, who moreover themselves beheld Christ Himself daily working miracles among them, giving up His time196   al. “conversing with.” to them alone, neither as yet allowing His disciples to depart into the way of the Gentiles, or to enter into a city of Samaritans, nor doing so Himself, but everywhere197   ἄ νω καὶ κάτω declaring that He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel ( Matt. x. 5 ): how, (I say), while they saw the signs, and heard the Prophets, and had Christ Himself continually putting them in remembrance, they yet made themselves once for all so blind and dull, as by none of these things to be brought to faith in Christ. ( Matt. xv. 24.) While they of the Gentiles, who had enjoyed none of these things, who had never heard the oracles of God, not, as one may say, so much as in a dream, but ever ranging among the fables of madmen, (for heathen philosophy is this,) having ever in their hands198   ἀ νελίττοντες, “unrolling.” the sillinesses of their poets, nailed to stocks and stones, and neither in doctrines nor in conversation199   πολιτείας. possessing anything good or sound. (For their way of life was more impure and more accursed than their doctrine. As was likely; for when they saw their gods delighting in all wickedness, worshiped by shameful words, and more shameful deeds, reckoning this festivity and praise, and moreover honored by foul murders, and child-slaughters, how should not they emulate these things?) Still, fallen as they were as low as the very depth of wickedness, on a sudden, as by the agency of some machine, they have appeared to us shining from on high, and from the very summit of heaven.

How then and whence came it to pass? Hear Paul telling you. For that blessed person searching exactly into these things, ceased not until he had found the cause, and had declared it to all others. What then is it? and whence came such blindness upon the Jews? Hear him who was entrusted with this stewardship declare. What then does he say in resolving this doubt of the many? ( 1 Cor. ix. 17.) “For they,” says he, “being ignorant of God’s righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” ( Rom. x. 3.) Wherefore they have suffered this. And again, explaining the same matter in other terms, he says, “What shall we say then? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained unto righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith; but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.” ( Rom. ix. 30, 32.) His meaning is this: “These men’s unbelief has been the cause of their misfortunes, and their haughtiness was parent of their unbelief.” For when having before enjoyed greater privileges than the heathen,200   ̔ Ελλήνων. through having received the law, through knowing God, and the rest which Paul enumerates, they after the coming of Christ saw the heathen and themselves called on equal terms through faith, and after faith received one of the circumcision in nothing preferred to the Gentile, they came to envy and were stung by their haughtiness, and could not endure the unspeakable and exceeding lovingkindness of the Lord. So this has happened to them from nothing else but pride, and wickedness, and unkindness.

[2.] For in what, O most foolish of men, are ye injured by the care201   κηδεμονίας. bestowed on others? How are your blessings made less through having others to share the same? But of a truth wickedness is blind, and cannot readily perceive anything that it ought. Being therefore stung by the prospect of having others to share the same confidence,202   παῤῥησίας. they thrust a sword against themselves, and cast themselves out from the lovingkindness of God. And with good reason. For He saith, “Friend, I do thee no wrong, I will give to ‘these also’ even as unto thee.” ( Matt. xx. 14.) Or rather, these Jews are not deserving even of these words. For the man in the parable if he was discontented, could yet speak of the labors and weariness, the heat and sweat, of a whole day. But what could these men have to tell? nothing like this, but slothfulness and profligacy and ten thousand evil things of which all the prophets continued ever to accuse them, and by which they like the Gentiles had offended against God. And Paul declaring this says, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God: being justified freely by His grace.” ( Rom. x. 12; Rom. iii. 22–24.) And on this head he treats profitably and very wisely throughout that Epistle. But in a former part of it he proves that they are worthy of still greater punishment. “For as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law” ( Rom. ii. 12 ); that is to say, more severely, as having for their accuser the law as well as nature. And not for this only, but for that they have been the cause that God is blasphemed among the Gentiles: “My203   τοῦ Θεοῦ G. T. Name,” He saith, “is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you.” ( Rom. ii. 24; Isa. lii. 5.)

Since now this it was that stung them most, (for the thing appeared incredible even to those of the circumcision who believed, and therefore they brought it as a charge against Peter, when he was come up to them from Cesarea, that he “went in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them” ( Acts xi. 3 ); and after that they had learned the dispensation of God, even so still204   al. “again.” they wondered how “on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost” ( Acts x. 45 ): showing by their astonishment that they could never have expected so incredible a thing,) since then he knew that this touched them nearest, see how he has emptied205   al. “he does all things that he may empty.” their pride and relaxed206   al. “may relax.” their highly swelling insolence. For after having discoursed on the case of the heathen,207   τῶν ̔Ελληνίκων. and shown that they had not from any quarter any excuse, or hope of salvation, and after having definitely charged them both with the perversion208   διαστροφή. of their doctrines and the uncleanness of their lives, he shifts his argument to the Jews; and209   al. “then.” after recounting all the expressions of the Prophet, in which he had said that they were polluted, treacherous, hypocritical persons, and had “altogether become unprofitable,” that there was “none” among them “that seeketh after God,” that they had “all gone out of the way” ( Rom. iii. 12 ), and the like, he adds, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” ( Rom. iii. 19.) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” ( Rom. iii. 23.)

Why then exaltest thou thyself, O Jew? why art thou high minded? for thy mouth also is stopped, thy boldness also is taken away, thou also with all the world art become guilty, and, like others, art placed in need of being justified freely. Thou oughtest surely even if thou hadst stood upright and hadst had great boldness with God, not even so to have envied those who should be pitied and saved through His lovingkindness. This is the extreme of wickedness, to pine at the blessings of others; especially when this was to be effected without any loss of thine. If indeed the salvation of others had been prejudicial to thy advantages, thy grieving might have been reasonable; though not even then would it have been so to one who had learned true wisdom.210   φιλοσοφεῖν. But if thy reward is not increased by the punishment of another, nor diminished by his welfare, why dost thou bewail thyself because that other is freely saved? As I said, thou oughtest not, even wert thou (one) of the approved, to be pained at the salvation which cometh to the Gentiles through grace. But when thou, who art guilty before thy Lord of the same things as they, and hast thyself offended, art displeased at the good of others, and thinkest great things, as if thou alone oughtest to be partaker of the grace, thou art guilty not only of envy and insolence, but of extreme folly, and mayest be liable to all the severest torments; for thou hast planted within thyself the root of all evils, pride.

Wherefore a wise man has said, “Pride is the beginning of sin” ( Ecclus. x. 13 ): that is, its root, its source, its mother. By this the first created was banished from that happy abode: by this the devil who deceived him had fallen from that height of dignity; from which that accursed one, knowing that the nature of the sin was sufficient to cast down even from heaven itself, came this way when he labored to bring down Adam from such high honor. For having puffed him up with the promise that he should be as a God, so he broke him down, and cast him down into the very gulfs of hell.211   ᾅ δου. Because nothing so alienates men from the lovingkindness of God, and gives them over to the fire of the pit,212   γεέννης. as the tyranny of pride. For when this is present with us, our whole life becomes impure, even though we fulfill temperance, chastity, fasting, prayer, almsgiving, anything. For, “Every one,” saith the wise man, “that is proud in heart is an abomination213   “Unclean,” LXX. to the Lord.” ( Prov. xvi. 5.) Let us then restrain this swelling of the soul, let us cut up by the roots this lump of pride, if at least we would wish to be clean, and to escape the punishment appointed for the devil. For that the proud must fall under the same punishment as that (wicked) one, hear Paul declare; “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the judgment, and the snare of the devil.” 214    1 Tim. iii. 6, 7 (partially quoted). What is “the judgment”?215   κρίμα, “condemnation,” E.V. He means, into the same “condemnation,” the same punishment. How then does he say, that a man may avoid this dreadful thing? By reflecting upon216   al. “calculating.” his own nature, upon the number of his sins, upon the greatness of the torments in that place, upon the transitory nature of the things which seem bright in this world, differing in nothing from grass, and more fading than the flowers of spring. If we continually stir within ourselves these considerations, and keep in mind those who have walked most upright, the devil, though he strive ten thousand ways, will not be able to lift217   ἐ πᾶραι. us up, nor even to trip218   ὑ ποσκελίσαι (a gymnastic term like the preceding). us at all. May the God who is the God of the humble, the good and merciful God, grant both to you and me a broken and humbled heart, so shall we be enabled easily to order the rest aright, to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory forever and ever. Amen.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Θʹ. Εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. αʹ. Ἂν τῶν προτέρων διαμνημονεύητε νοημάτων, μετὰ πλείονος προθυμίας καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἐποικοδομήσομεν, ὡς ἐπὶ κέρδει τοῦτο ποιοῦντες μεγάλῳ. Οὕτω γὰρ ὑμῖν τε εὐμαθέστερος ἔσται ὁ λόγος, τῶν ἤδη λεχθέντων μεμνημένοις, καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐ πολλοῦ δεησόμεθα πόνου, δυναμένων ὑμῶν διὰ τῆς πολλῆς φιλομαθείας ὀξύτερον τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐνορᾷν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀεὶ τὰ διδόμενα ἀπολλὺς, ἀεὶ δεήσεται τοῦ διδάξοντος, καὶ οὐδέποτε εἴσεται οὐδέν: ὁ δὲ ἅπερ ἂν λάβῃ φυλάττων, καὶ οὕτω τὰ λοιπὰ προσλαμβάνων, ταχέως ἀντὶ μαθητοῦ διδάσκαλος ἔσται, καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι χρήσιμος. Ὅπερ μάλιστα ταύτην ἔσεσθαι προσδοκῶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, ἀπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ταύτης τεκμαιρόμενος φιληκοΐας. Φέρε οὖν ὡς ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ θησαυροφυλακίῳ ταῖς ὑμετέραις ψυχαῖς τὸ ἀργύριον τοῦ Κυρίου παρακαταθώμεθα, καὶ τὰ σήμερον ἡμῖν προτεθέντα ἀναπτύξωμεν, ὡς ἂν ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος παρέχῃ χάρις. Εἶπεν, ὅτι Ὁ κόσμος αὐτὸν οὐκ ἔγνω, περὶ τῶν ἄνω χρόνων λέγων. Κάτεισι λοιπὸν τῷ λόγῳ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς τοῦ κηρύγματος χρόνους, καί φησιν: Εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ περιέλαβον: ἰδίους Ἰουδαίους λέγων νῦν, ὡς λαὸν περιούσιον, ἢ καὶ πάντας δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὡς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένους. Καὶ καθάπερ ἀνωτέρω διαπορῶν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνοίᾳ τῶν πολλῶν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς κοινῆς αἰσχυνόμενος φύσεως ἔλεγεν, ὅτι ὁ κόσμος δι' αὐτοῦ γενόμενος, τὸν δημιουργὸν οὐκ ἐγνώρισεν: οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα πάλιν, ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καὶ τῇ τῶν πολλῶν δυσανασχετῶν ἀγνωμοσύνῃ, πληκτικώτερον τίθησι τὴν κατηγορίαν, λέγων, ὅτι Οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον, καὶ ταῦτα αὐτὸν ἐλθόντα πρὸς αὐτούς. Καὶ οὐχ οὗτος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ προφῆται θαυμάζοντες ἔλεγον τὸ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο: καὶ Παῦλος δὲ ὕστερον ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐκπληττόμενος. Καὶ οἱ μὲν προφῆται οὕτως ἐβόων, ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντες: Λαὸς, ὃν οὐκ ἔγνων, ἐδούλευσέ μοι, εἰς ἀκοὴν ὠτίου ὑπήκουσέ μου: υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐψεύσαντό με, υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐπαλαιώθησαν, καὶ ἐχώλαναν ἀπὸ τῶν τρίβων αὐτῶν. Καὶ πάλιν: Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὄψονται, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασι, συνήσουσι: καὶ, Εὑρέθην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν: ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσι. Παῦλος δὲ Ῥωμαίοις ἐπιστέλλων ἔλεγε: Τί οὖν; ὃ ἐπεζήτει Ἰσραὴλ, τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπέτυχεν: ἡ δὲ ἐκλογὴ ἐπέτυχε. Καὶ πάλιν: Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; Ὅτι ἔθνη τὰ μὴ διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην, κατέλαβε δικαιοσύνην: Ἰσραὴλ δὲ διώκων νόμον δικαιοσύνης, εἰς νόμον δικαιοσύνης οὐκ ἔφθασε. Καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ὄντως ἐκπλήξεως ἄξιον, πῶς οἱ μὲν ἐν ταῖς προφητικαῖς ἀνατραφέντες βίβλοις, καὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως καθ' ἑκάστην ἀκούοντες τὴν ἡμέραν, μυρία περὶ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος παρουσίας, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν μετὰ ταῦτα προφητῶν, ἔτι τε αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν θεώμενοι, καθ' ἑκάστην αὐτοῖς θαυματουργοῦντα, καὶ μόνοις αὐτοῖς ὁμιλοῦντα, καὶ μήτε τοῖς μαθηταῖς συγχωροῦντα τέως εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν ἀπελθεῖν ἢ εἰς πόλιν Σαμαρειτῶν εἰσελθεῖν, μήτε αὐτὸν τοῦτο ποιοῦντα, ἀλλ' ἄνω καὶ κάτω λέγοντα, πρὸς τὰ πρόβατα ἀπεστάλθαι τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ: ὅμως καὶ τῶν σημείων ἀπολαύοντες, καὶ τῶν προφητῶν καθ' ἡμέραν ἀκούοντες, καὶ αὐτὸν συνεχῶς αὐτοὺς ἀναμιμνήσκοντα ἔχοντες, οὕτω καθάπαξ ἐπήρωσαν ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἐκώφωσαν, ὡς μηδενὶ τούτων ἐναχθῆναι πρὸς τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πίστιν ἰσχῦσαι. Οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἐθνῶν τούτων μὲν οὐδενὸς ἀπολαύσαντες, οὔτε θείων ποτὲ λογίων ἀκούσαντες, οὐδὲ ὅσον ὄναρ εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ τοῖς τῶν παραπαιόντων ἐνστρεφόμενοι μύθοις (τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἔξωθεν φιλοσοφία), καὶ ποιητῶν λήρους ἀνελίττοντες, καὶ ξύλοις καὶ λίθοις προσηλωμένοι, καὶ οὔτε δογμάτων οὔτε πολιτείας ἕνεκεν εἰδότες τι χρηστὸν καὶ ὑγιὲς (καὶ γὰρ ὁ βίος αὐτοῖς τῶν δογμάτων ἀκαθαρτότερος ἦν καὶ ἐναγέστερος. Πῶς δὲ οὔκ; Ἔμελλον τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν πάσῃ κακίᾳ χαίροντας ὁρῶντες, καὶ δι' αἰσχρῶν μὲν ῥημάτων, δι' αἰσχροτέρων δὲ θεραπευομένους πραγμάτων, καὶ τοῦτο νομίζοντας ἑορτὴν καὶ τιμήν: ἔτι γε μὴν καὶ δι' ἀκαθάρτων φόνων καὶ παιδοκτονιῶν τιμωμένους, κἀκείνους εἰς ταῦτα ζηλοῦντες): ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν πυθμένα τῆς κακίας καταπεσόντες, ἐξαίφνης ὥσπερ ἔκ τινος μηχανῆς ἄνωθεν ἡμῖν καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν τῆς κορυφῆς ἀνεφάνησαν διαλάμποντες. Πῶς οὖν τοῦτο γέγονε, καὶ πόθεν; Ἄκουσον Παύλου λέγοντος. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος ἐκεῖνος ταῦτα ἀκριβῶς ζητῶν, οὐκ ἀπέστη ἕως οὗ τὴν αἰτίαν εὗρε, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ταύτην ἐδήλωσεν ἅπασι. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν αὕτη; καὶ πόθεν ἡ τοσαύτη πώρωσις αὐτοῖς; Ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ τοῦ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ταύτην ἐμπιστευθέντος ταῦτα λέγοντος. Τί οὖν οὗτος λέγει, τὴν διαπόρησιν τῶν πολλῶν λύων ταύτην; Ἀγνοοῦντες, φησὶ, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ζητοῦντες τὴν ἰδίαν δικαιοσύνην στῆσαι, τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν. Διὸ ταῦτα ἔπαθον. Καὶ πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἑτέρως ἑρμηνεύων, φησί: Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; Ὅτι ἔθνη τὰ μὴ διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην, κατέλαβε δικαιοσύνην, δικαιοσύνην δὲ τὴν ἐκ πίστεως: Ἰσραὴλ δὲ διώκων νόμον δικαιοσύνης, εἰς νόμον δικαιοσύνης οὐκ ἔφθασεν. Εἰπὲ καὶ διατί; Ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως: προσέκοψαν γὰρ τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν: Ἀπιστία τούτων γέγονεν αὐτοῖς αἰτία τῶν κακῶν: ταύτην δὲ ἔτεκεν ἡ ἀπόνοια. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πρὸ τούτου πλέον ἔχοντες Ἑλλήνων, τῷ τὸν νόμον εἰληφέναι καὶ Θεὸν εἰδέναι, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἅπερ ὁ Παῦλός φησι μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν εἶδον ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς ὁμοτιμίας καλουμένους κἀκείνους καὶ αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐδὲν πλέον ἔχοντα τὸν ἐκ περιτομῆς τοῦ ἐξ ἐθνῶν μετὰ τὴν πίστιν: ἐδήχθησαν ὑπὸ ἀπονοίας εἰς βασκανίαν ἐλθόντες, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Δεσπότου φιλανθρωπίαν τὴν ἄφατον καὶ ὑπερβάλλουσαν οὐκ ἤνεγκαν. Τοῦτο δὲ αὐτοῖς ἑτέρωθεν μὲν οὐδαμόθεν, ἐξ ἀλαζονείας δὲ καὶ πονηρίας καὶ μισανθρωπίας γέγονε. βʹ. Τί γὰρ, ὦ πάντων ὑμεῖς ἀνοητότεροι, κατεβλάπτεσθε ἐκ τῆς εἰς ἑτέρους γινομένης κηδεμονίας; πῶς δὲ τὰ ὑμέτερα ἠλαττοῦτο ἀγαθὰ, τῷ κοινωνοὺς ἑτέρους ἔχειν τῶν αὐτῶν; Ἀλλὰ τυφλὸν ὄντως ἡ πονηρία, καὶ τῶν δεόντων οὐδὲν δύναται συνιδεῖν ταχέως Δηχθέντες τοίνυν τῷ κοινωνοὺς μέλλειν ἔχειν τῆς αὐτῆς παῤῥησίας, καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸ ξίφος ὤθησαν, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἐκβαλόντες ἑαυτούς: καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ἑταῖρε γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἀδικῶ σε: θέλω δὲ καὶ τούτοις δοῦναι ὥσπερ καὶ σοί. Μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τούτων ἄξιοι τῶν λόγων οὗτοι. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ εἰ καὶ ἐδυσχέραινεν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἔχων εἰπεῖν ἡμέρας ὁλοκλήρου πόνους, καὶ ταλαιπωρίας καὶ θάλπη καὶ ἱδρῶτας: οὗτοι δὲ τί ἔχοιεν ἂν εἰπεῖν; Τοιοῦτον μὲν οὐδέν: ῥᾳθυμίαν δὲ καὶ ἀσωτίαν, καὶ τὰ μυρία κακὰ, ἃ διαπαντὸς κατηγοροῦντες αὐτῶν διετέλουν οἱ προφῆται πάντες, δι' ἃ καὶ αὐτοὶ ὁμοίως τοῖς ἔθνεσι προσκεκρούκεσαν τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος δηλῶν ἔλεγεν: Οὐ γάρ ἐστι διαστολὴ Ἰουδαίου τε καὶ Ἕλληνος: πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον, καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν ἅπαν τὸ κεφάλαιον χρησίμως καὶ σφόδρα συνετῶς κατ' ἐκείνην γυμνάζει τὴν ἐπιστολήν. Ἀνωτέρω δὲ καὶ μείζονος δείκνυσι κολάσεως ἀξίους εἶναι. Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον, διὰ νόμου κριθήσονται, φησί: τουτέστι, χαλεπώτερον, μετὰ τῆς φύσεως καὶ τὸν νόμον κατήγορον ἔχοντες. Οὐ ταύτῃ δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ τῷ παρὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσι τοῦ τὸν Θεὸν βλασφημεῖσθαι γεγενῆσθαι αἴτιοι: Τὸ γὰρ ὄνομά μου, φησὶ, δι' ὑμᾶς βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοῦτο μάλιστα ἦν τὸ δάκνον αὐτούς: καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν ἐκ περιτομῆς παράδοξον τὸ πρᾶγμα εἶναι ἐδόκει: διὸ καὶ ἐνεκάλουν τῷ Πέτρῳ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ Καισαρείας ἐπανελθόντι, ὅτι πρὸς ἄνδρας ἀκροβυστίαν ἔχοντας εἰσῆλθε, καὶ συνέφαγεν αὐτοῖς: καὶ μετὰ τὸ μαθεῖν τὴν οἰκονομίαν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πάλιν καὶ οὕτως ἐθαύμαζον, πῶς καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη ἡ δωρεὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐκκέχυται, τῷ ἐκπλήττεσθαι ἐνδεικνύμενοι, ὡς οὐκ ἄν ποτε τοῦτο προσεδόκησαν τὸ παράδοξον: ἐπεὶ οὖν ᾔδει ὅτι μάλιστα αὐτῶν τοῦτο καθήπτετο, πάντα ποιεῖ ὅπως αὐτῶν τὸν τῦφον κενώσῃ, καὶ τὴν ἀλαζονείαν ἐκλύσῃ σφόδρα οἰδοῦσαν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς τοῦτο ποιεῖ: Διαλεχθεὶς περὶ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν, καὶ δείξας αὐτοὺς οὐδεμίαν ἔχοντας οὐδαμόθεν ἀπολογίαν, οὐδὲ ἐλπίδα σωτηρίας, κατηγορήσας τε ἀκριβῶς καὶ τῆς τῶν δογμάτων αὐτῶν διαστροφῆς, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὸν βίον ἀκαθαρσίας, μετατίθησιν ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τὸν λόγον: καὶ τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ Προφήτου καταλέξας ἅπαντα δι' ὧν ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνος, ὅτι μιαροί τινες ἦσαν καὶ δολεροὶ καὶ ὕπουλοι, καὶ πάντες ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐκζητεῖ τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' ἐξέκλιναν πάντες, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἐπήγαγεν: Οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὅσα ὁ νόμος λέγει, τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λαλεῖ, ἵνα πᾶν στόμα φραγῇ, καὶ ὑπόδικος γένηται πᾶς ὁ κόσμος τῷ Θεῷ. Πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον, καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τί οὖν ἐπαίρεις σαυτὸν, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε; τί μέγα φρονεῖς; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σὸν ἐμπέφρακται στόμα, καὶ ἡ σὴ παῤῥησία ἀνῄρηται, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ κόσμου παντὸς καὶ σὺ γέγονας ὑπόδικος, καὶ ὁμοίως τοῖς ἄλλοις ἐν χρείᾳ καθέστηκας τοῦ δωρεὰν δικαιωθῆναι. Ἐχρῆν μὲν οὖν μηδὲ εἰ κατωρθωκὼς ἦς, καὶ παῤῥησίαν πολλὴν εἶχες πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, μηδὲ οὕτω τοῖς μέλλουσιν ἐλεεῖσθαι καὶ σώζεσθαι διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν φθονεῖν. Πονηρίας γὰρ τοῦτο ἐσχάτης, ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων τήκεσθαι ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ μάλιστα ὅτε μηδὲ μετὰ τῆς σῆς τοῦτο ἔμελλε γίνεσθαι ζημίας. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἄλλων σωτηρία τοῖς σοῖς ἐλυμαίνετο καλοῖς, λόγον ἂν εἶχε τὸ ἀλγεῖν: καίτοι γε οὐδὲ τοῦτο κατὰ τὸν μεμαθηκότα φιλοσοφεῖν. Εἰ δὲ μήτε κολαζομένου θατέρου πλεονάζει σοι τὰ τῶν μισθῶν, μήτε εὖ πάσχοντος ἐλαττοῦται, τίνος ἕνεκεν σὺ κόπτεις σαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἕτερος σώζεται δωρεάν; Ἐχρῆν μὲν οὖν, ὅπερ ἔφην, μηδὲ εἰ τῶν εὐδοκιμηκότων ἦς, ἐπὶ τῇ κατὰ χάριν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη γινομένῃ δάκνεσθαι σωτηρίᾳ: ὅταν δὲ τῶν αὐτῶν ὑπεύθυνος ὢν τῷ Δεσπότῃ, καὶ προσκεκρουκὼς καὶ αὐτὸς, δυσχεραίνῃς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἀγαθοῖς, καὶ μέγα φρονῇς ὡς αὐτὸς ὀφείλων μόνος τῆς χάριτος μετασχεῖν, οὐ βασκανίας μόνον καὶ ἀπονοίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας, καὶ πάντων τῶν χαλεπωτάτων ἂν εἴης ὑπεύθυνος βασανιστηρίων: τὴν γὰρ τῶν κακῶν ῥίζαν ἁπάντων ἐν σεαυτῷ κατεφύτευσας τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν. Διὸ καί τις σοφὸς ἔλεγεν: Ἀρχὴ ἁμαρτίας ὑπερηφανία: τουτέστι, ῥίζα καὶ πηγὴ καὶ μήτηρ. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ πρωτόπλαστος ἐξέπεσε τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης διαγωγῆς: οὕτω καὶ ὁ τοῦτον ἀπατήσας διάβολος ἀπ' ἐκείνου κατηνέχθη τοῦ τῆς ἀξίας ὕψους. Ὅθεν εἰδὼς ὁ μιαρὸς τῆς ἁμαρτίας ταύτης τὴν φύσιν ἱκανὴν οὖσαν καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν καταβαλεῖν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ταύτην ἦλθε τὴν ὁδὸν, ὅτε τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀπὸ τῆς τοσαύτης κατενεγκεῖν ἐσπούδασε τιμῆς. Τῇ γὰρ ἐπαγγελίᾳ τῆς ἰσοθεΐας φυσήσας αὐτὸν, οὕτω κατέῤῥηξε καὶ κατέβαλεν εἰς αὐτὰ τοῦ ᾅδου τὰ βάραθρα. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας ἀλλοτριοῖ, καὶ τῷ τῆς γεέννης παραδίδωσι πυρὶ, ὡς ἡ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας τυραννίς. Ταύτης γὰρ ἡμῖν παρούσης, ἅπας ἡμῶν ὁ βίος ἀκάθαρτος γίνεται, κἂν σωφροσύνην, κἂν παρθενίαν, κἂν νηστείαν, κἂν εὐχὰς, κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἐπιτελῶμεν. Ἀκάθαρτος γὰρ, φησὶ, παρὰ Κυρίῳ πᾶς ὑψηλοκάρδιος. Καταστέλλωμεν οὖν τοῦτο τὸ φύσημα τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ τὸν ὄγκον τοῦτον ἀνακόπτωμεν, εἴ γε ἐθέλοιμεν εἶναι καθαροὶ, καὶ τῆς τῷ διαβόλῳ κειμένης ἀπηλλάχθαι κολάσεως. Ὅτι γὰρ τὸν ἀλαζόνα τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκείνῳ παθεῖν ἀνάγκη, ἄκουσον τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος: Μὴ νεόφυτον, ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς, εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ καὶ παγίδα τοῦ διαβόλου. Τί ἐστι κρῖμα; Εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν, φησὶ, καταδίκην, εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν κόλασιν. Πῶς οὖν ἄν τις ἐκφύγοι τοῦτο τὸ δεινὸν, φησίν; Εἴ γε ἀναλογίσαιτο τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φύσιν, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ βασανιστηρίων τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα δοκούντων λαμπρῶν τὸ πρόσκαιρον οὐδὲν χόρτου διαφέρον, καὶ τῶν ἐαρινῶν ἀνθέων μᾶλλον μαραινόμενον. Ἂν τούτους συνεχῶς παρ' ἑαυτοῖς κινῶμεν τοὺς λογισμοὺς, καὶ τοὺς τὰ μέγιστα κατωρθωκότας ἐπὶ μνήμης ἔχωμεν, οὐ ῥᾳδίως ὁ διάβολος ἐπᾶραι δυνήσεται, κἂν μυρία φιλονεικῇ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὑποσκελίσαι τὴν ἀρχήν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ὁ τῶν ταπεινῶν, ὁ χρηστὸς καὶ ἐπιεικὴς, αὐτὸς καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ ἡμῖν παράσχοι καρδίαν συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνησόμεθα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα μετ' εὐκολίας κατορθοῦν, εἰς δόξαν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ δόξα τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.