Homily VIII.

Rom. IV. 1, 2

“What shall we then say that Abraham, our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.”

He had said (5 mss. εἶπεν), that the world had become guilty before God, and that all had sinned, and that boasting was excluded, and that it was impossible to be saved otherwise than by faith. He is now intent upon showing that this salvation, so far from being matter of shame, was even the cause of a bright glory, and a greater than that through works. For since the being saved, yet with shame, had somewhat of dejection in it, he next takes away this suspicion too. And indeed he has hinted at the same already, by calling it not barely salvation, but “righteousness. Therein” (he says) “is the righteousness of God revealed.” (Rom. i. 17.) For he that is saved as a righteous man has a confidence accompanying his salvation. And he calls it not “righteousness” only, but also the setting forth of the righteousness of God. But God is set forth in things which are glorious and shining, and great. However, he nevertheless draws support for this from what he is at present upon, and carries his discourse forward by the method of question. And this he is always in the habit of doing both for clearness sake, and for the sake of confidence in what is said. Above, for instance, he did it, where he says, “What advantage then hath the Jew?” (ib. iii. 1.) and, “What then have we more than they?”110    Rom. iii. 9, τί οὖν προκατέχομεν περισσόν; as 2 mss. of Matt. read at the beginning of the last Homily. So too some mss. of the text, and the Syriac version. (ib. 9) and again, “where then is boasting? it is excluded” (Rom. iii. 27): and here, “what then shall we say that Abraham our father?” etc. Now since the Jews kept turning over and over the fact, that the Patriarch, and friend of God, was the first to receive circumcision, he wishes to show, that it was by faith that he too was justified. And this was quite a vantage ground to insist upon (περιουσία νίκης πολλἥς). For for a person who had no works, to be justified by faith, was nothing unlikely. But for a person richly adorned with good deeds, not to be made just from hence, but from faith, this is the thing to cause wonder, and to set the power of faith in a strong light. And this is why he passes by all the others, and leads his discourse back to this man. And he calls him “father, as pertaining to the flesh,” to throw them out of the genuine relationship (συγγενείας γνησίας) to him, and to pave the Gentiles’ way to kinsmanship111    ἀγχιστείαν, which the orators use for right of inheritance as next of kin. See verses 13, 14; c. viii. 17; ix. 8; Gal. iii. 7, 15, 16, 18; Heb. ix. 16, 26; which renders it probable that there is reference to the death of Christ, (see Rev. xiii. 8.) and so to the idea of “Testament,” in the Ep. to the Galatians. with him. And then he says, “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory: but not before God.” After saying that God “justified the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith,” and making the same sufficiently sure in what he said before, he now proves it by Abraham more clearly than he promised, and pitches the battle for faith against works, and makes this righteous man the subject of the whole struggle; and that not without special meaning. Wherefore also he sets him up very high by calling him “forefather,” and putting a constraint upon them to comply with him in all points. For, Tell me not, he would say, about the Jews, nor bring this man or that before me. For I will go up to the very head of all, and the source whence circumcision took its rise. For “if Abraham,” he says, “was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory: but not before God.”112    St. Chrysostom understands πρὸς τὸν θεὸν not “as claiming credit with God,” but “glorying in reference to God,” in which He has a share. He takes the argument to be, “If Abraham was justified by works he hath not whereof to glory before God” (in this sense), “but can only glory in himself: as it is, he hath whereof to glory before God, and therefore was not justified by works.” What is here said is not plain, and so one must make it plainer. For there are two “gloryings,” one of works, and one of faith. After saying then, “if he was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God;” he points out that he might have whereof to glory from faith also,113    4 mss. that he that is of faith might also have whereof to glory. yea and much greater reason for it. For the great power of Paul is especially displayed in this, that he turns what is objected to the other side, and shows that what seemed rather to be on the side of salvation by works, viz. glorying or boldness of claim (παρρησιάζεσθαι) belonged much more truly to that by faith. For he that glorieth in his works has his own labors to put forward: but he that finds his honor in having faith in God, has a much greater ground for glorying to show, in that it is God that he glorifieth and magnifieth. For those things which the nature of the visible world tells him not of, in receiving these by faith in Him, he at once displays sincere love towards Him, and heralds His power clearly forth. Now this is the character of the noblest soul, and the philosophic114    φιλοσόφου γνώμης, the word is used (as frequently by Christian writers) in the sense of choosing wisdom for the guide of life. spirit, and lofty mind. For to abstain from stealing and murdering is trifling sort of acquirement, but to believe that it is possible for God to do things impossible requires a soul of no mean stature, and earnestly affected towards Him; for this is a sign of sincere love. For he indeed honors God, who fulfils the commandments, but he doth so in a much greater degree who thus followeth wisdom (φιλοσοφὥν) by his faith. The former obeys Him, but the latter receives that opinion of Him which is fitting, and glorifies Him, and feels wonder at Him more than that evinced by works. For that glorying pertains to him that does aright, but this glorifieth God, and lieth wholly in Him. For he glorieth at conceiving great things concerning Him, which redound to His glory. And this is why he speaks of having whereof to glory before God. And not for this only, but also for another reason: for he who is a believer glorieth again, not only because he loveth God in sincerity, but also because he hath enjoyed great honor and love from him. For as he shows his love to Him by having great thoughts about Him, (for this is a proof of love), so doth God also love him, though deserving to suffer for countless sins, not in freeing him from punishment only, but even by making him righteous. He then hath whereof to glory, as having been counted worthy of mighty love.

Ver. 4. “For115    So the mss., omitting v. 3. to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”

Then is not this last the greatest? he means. By no means: for it is to the believer that it is reckoned. But it would not have been reckoned, unless there were something that he contributed himself. And so he too hath God for his debtor, and debtor too for no common things, but great and high ones. For to show his high-mindedness and spiritual understanding, he does not say “to him that believeth” merely, but

Ver. 5. “To him that believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly.”

For reflect how great a thing it is to be persuaded and have full confidence that God is able on a sudden not to free a man who has lived in impiety from punishment only, but even to make him just, and to count him worthy of those immortal honors. Do not then suppose that this one is lowered in that it is not reckoned unto the former of grace. For this is the very thing that makes the believer glorious; the fact of his enjoying so great grace, of his displaying so great faith. And note too that the recompense is greater. For to the former a reward is given, to the latter righteousness. Now righteousness is much greater than a reward. For righteousness is a recompense which most fully comprehends several rewards. Therefore after proving this from Abraham, he introduces David also as giving his suffrage in favor of the statement made. What then doth David say? and whom doth he pronounce blessed? is it him that triumphs116    So Vulg. and Field: most mss. have καμόντα “that hath toiled.” in works, or him that hath enjoyed grace? him that hath obtained pardon and a gift? And when I speak of blessedness, I mean the chiefest of all good things; for as righteousness is greater than a reward, so is blessedness greater than righteousness. Having then shown that the righteousness is better, not owing to Abraham’s having received it only but also from reasonings (for he117    Or “it”; i.e. the righteousness of faith. hath whereof to boast, he says, before God118    So several mss. Vulg. “but not before God.” But the text suits St. Chrysostom’s view of the argument: see p. 112, note c.); he again uses another mode of showing that it is more dignified, by bringing David in to give his suffrage this way. For he also, he says, pronounces him blessed who is so made righteous, saying,

Ver. 7. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven.”

And he seems to be bringing a testimony beside his purpose. For it does not say, Blessed are they whose faith is reckoned for righteousness. But he does so on purpose, not through inadvertency, to show the greater superiority. For if he be blessed that by grace received forgiveness, much more is he that is made just, and that exhibits faith. For where blessedness is, there all shame is removed, and there is much glory, since blessedness is a greater degree both of reward and of glory. And for this cause what is the advantage of the other he states as unwritten, “Now to him that worketh is the reward reckoned not of grace;” but what the advantage of the faithful is, he brings Scriptural testimony to prove, saying, As David saith, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”119    6 mss. om. and whose, etc. What, he means, is it that you say? Is it that “it is not of debt but of grace that he120    So 5 mss. Sav. “thou receivest,” which scarcely makes sense. receives forgiveness?” But see it is this person who is pronounced blessed. For he would not have pronounced him so, unless he saw him in the enjoyment of great glory. And he does not say this “forgiveness” then comes upon the circumcision; but what saith he?

Ver. 9. “Cometh this blessedness then” (which is the greater thing) “upon the circumcision or upon the uncircumcision?”

For now the subject of enquiry is, With whom is this good and great thing to be found; is it with the circumcision or with the uncircumcision? And notice its superiority! For he shows that it is so far from shunning the uncircumcision, that it even dwelt gladly with it before the circumcision. For since he that pronounced it blessed was David, who was himself also in a state of circumcision, and he was speaking to those in that state, see how eagerly Paul contends for applying what he said to the uncircumcised. For after joining the ascription of blessedness to righteousness, and showing that they are one and the same thing, he enquires how Abraham came to be righteous. For if the ascription of blessedness belong to the righteous, and Abraham was made righteous, let us see how he was made righteous, as uncircumcised or circumcised? Uncircumcised, he says.

“For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.”121    Chrys. is free from the polemical treatment of the subject of justification which has been so prominent in modern expositions. The following points may be suggested: (1) It is the imputation of faith which here receives chief emphasis—λογίζεται ἡ πίστις αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην (vv. 3, 5, 6, 8, 9). (2) Although λογίζεσθαι is an actus forensis, it has an ethical counterpart involved in the very conception of faith and righteousness. (3) While faith is not to be identified with righteousness, it can be reckoned as such because it involves the soul’s commitment to a life of fellowship with Christ, in which a perfect righteousness is guaranteed and increasingly secured. This righteousness is real as well as putative. (4) The power and value of faith are in its object, not in its own inherent moral excellence. It brings the believer into real and vital union with God and Christ. The δικαιοσὑνη θεοῦ is the righteousness of which God is the author but in faith we appropriate it and God makes it ours. Man does not attain it by any act of goodness; he receives it from God as a gift of grace. It is God’s righteousness as coming from God; it is man’s as being imparted to him on condition of faith.—G.B.S.

After mentioning the Scripture above (for he said, “What saith the Scripture? Abraham believed in God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness,”) here he goes on to secure also the judgment of the speakers, and shows that justification took place in the uncircumcision. Then from these grounds he solves another objection which is starting up. For if when in uncircumcision, one might say he was justified, to what purpose was the circumcision brought in?

Ver. 11. “He received it,” he says, “a sign and122    Text, “the sign of circumcision, a seal,” etc. All our copies, however, and those of Matth. agree. The whole verse, in fact, is paraphrased rather than quoted. seal of the righteousness that was by the faith, which he had being yet uncircumcised.”

See you how he shows the Jews to be as it were of the class of parasites (i.e. guests), rather than those in uncircumcision, and that these were added to the others?123    The meaning seems to be that the faithful Jews were brought in as it were to the house of Abraham, and added to the number of the faithful already existing as uncircumcised, and children of Abraham by their faith. The reading of Savile’s text, ᾗ καὶ τούτους τοὺς ἐν ἀκροβυστί& 139· ἐκείνοις προσερριμμένους, means, “in that these too, that were in uncircumcision, were added to them,” which is inconsistent with the context and is not noticed in the Ben. Edition. Possibly the passage is still corrupt. For if he was justified and crowned while in uncircumcision, the Jews came in afterwards, Abraham is then the father first of the uncircumcised, which through faith appertain to him, and then of those in the circumcision. For he is a forefather of two lines. See you faith lightening up? for till it came the patriarch was not justified. See you the uncircumcision offering no hindrance? for he was uncircumcised, yet was not hindered from being justified. The circumcision therefore is behind the faith. And why wonder that it is behind the faith, when it is even behind the uncircumcision. Nor is it behind faith only, but very far inferior to it, even so far as the sign is to the reality of which it is the sign; for instance, as the seal is to the soldier. (See Hom. iii. on 2 Cor. at the end.) And why, he says, did he want a seal then? He did not want it himself. For what purpose then did he receive it? With a view to his being the father alike of them that believe in uncircumcision and in circumcision. But not of those in circumcision absolutely: wherefore he goes on to say, “To them who are not of the circumcision only.” For if to the uncircumcised, it is not in that he is uncircumcised that he is their father, although justified in uncircumcision; but in that they imitated his faith; much less is it owing to circumcision that he is the forefather of those in the state of circumcision, unless faith also be added. For he says that the reason of his receiving circumcision was that either of us two parties might have him for a forefather, and that those in the uncircumcision might not thrust aside those in the circumcision.124    4 mss. “and that neither those in circumcision might thrust away the uncircumcised, nor the uncircumcised those in circumcision.” See how the former had him for their forefather first. Now if the circumcision be of dignity owing to its preaching righteousness, the uncircumcision even hath no small preeminence in having received it before the circumcision. Then wilt thou be able to have him as a forefather when thou walkest in the steps of that faith, and art not contentious, nor a causer of division in bringing in the Law. What faith? tell me.

Ver. 12. “Which he had being yet uncircumcised.”

Here again he lays low the lofty spirit of the Jews by reminding them of the time of the justification. And he well says, “the steps,” that you as well as Abraham may believe in the resurrection of bodies that are dead. For he also displayed his faith upon this point. And so if you reject the uncircumcision, be informed for certain that the circumcision is of no more use unto you. For if you follow not in the steps of his faith, though you were ten thousand times in a state of circumcision, you will not be Abraham’s offspring. For even he received the circumcision for this end, that the man in a state of uncircumcision might not cast thee off. Do not then demand this of him too.125    i.e. “do not require him to be circumcised.” See Rom. xiv. 3; Gal. vi. 12, 15, etc. For it was you whom the thing was to be an assistance to, not he. But he calls it a sign of the righteousness. And this also was for thy sake, since now it is not even this: for thou then wert in need of bodily signs, but now there is no need of them. “And was it not possible,” one might say, “from his faith to learn the goodness of his soul?” Yes, it was possible but thou stoodest in need of this addition also. For since thou didst not imitate the goodness of his soul, and wert not able to see it, a sensible circumcision was given thee, that, after having become accustomed to this of the body, thou mightest by little and little be led on to the true love of wisdom in the soul also, and that having with much seriousness received it as a very great privilege, thou mightest be instructed to imitate and revere thine ancestor. This object then had God not only in the circumcision, but in all the other rites, the sacrifices, I mean, and the sabbath, and feasts. Now that it was for thy sake that he received the circumcision, learn from the sequel. For after saying that he received a sign and a seal, he gives the reason also as follows. That he might be the father of the circumcision—to those who received the spiritual circumcision also, since if you have only this (i.e. the carnal), no farther good will come to you. For this is then a sign, when the reality of which it is the sign is found with thee, that is, faith; since if thou have not this, the sign to thee has no longer the power of a sign, for what is it to be the sign of? or what the seal of, when there is nothing to be sealed? much as if you were to show one a purse with a seal to it, when there was nothing laid up within. And so the circumcision is ridiculous if there be no faith within. For if it be a sign of righteousness, but you have not righteousness, then you have no sign either. For the reason of your receiving a sign was that you might seek diligently for that reality whereof you have the sign: so that if you had been sure of diligently seeking thereafter without it, then you had not needed it. But this is not the only thing that circumcision proclaims, namely righteousness, but righteousness in even an uncircumcised man. Circumcision then does but proclaim, that there is no need of circumcision.

Ver. 14. “For if they which are of the Law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect.”126    According to vv. 14–17, the promise cannot be through the law because that would annul faith and destroy the promise entirely (14). The principle of law is quid pro quo and on that basis alone there is no room for faith and promise. Claim, debt and reward, are the ideas which stand on the plane of law. Justification by law would imply no act of trust, obedience or gracious promise, but would be matter of reward simply. But since man is a sinner, it is inconceivable that he be justified on this basis, and the gospel of a gracious salvation is the only hope. To reject the latter is to exclude the possibility of any salvation whatever. Only by clinging to the Gospel can the Jew find any ground of hope in the ancient promises and covenants.—G.B.S.

He had shown that faith is necessary, that it is older than circumcision, that it is more mighty than the Law, that it establisheth the Law. For if all sinned, it was necessary: if one being uncircumcised was justified, it is older: if the knowledge of sin is by the Law and yet it was without the Law made evident,127    i.e. as justifying. Rom. iii. 21. it is more mighty: if it has testimony borne to it by the Law, and establisheth the Law, it is not opposed to it, but friendly and allied to it. Again, he shows upon other grounds too that it was not even possible by the Law to attain to the inheritance, and after having matched it with the circumcision, and gained it the victory, he brings it besides into contrast with the Law in these words, “For if they which are of the Law be heirs, faith is made void.” To prevent them anyone from saying that one may have faith and also keep up the Law, he shows this to be impracticable. For he that clings to the Law, as if of saving force, does disparagement to faith’s power; and so he says, “faith is made void,” that is, there is no need of salvation by grace. For then it cannot show forth its own proper power; “and the promise is made of none effect.” This is because the Jew might say, What need have I of faith? If then this held, the things that were promised, would be taken away along with faith. See how in all points he combats with them from the early times and from the Patriarch. For having shown from thence that righteousness and faith went together in the inheritance, he now shows that the promise did likewise. For to prevent the Jew from saying, What matters it to me if Abraham was justified by faith? Paul says, neither can what you are interested with, the promise of the inheritance, come into effect apart from it: which was what scared them most. But what promise is he speaking of? That of his being “the heir of the world,” and that in him all should be blessed. And how does he say that this promise is made of none effect?

Ver. 15. “Because the Law worketh wrath: for where no Law is, there is no transgression.”

Now if it worketh wrath, and renders them liable for transgression, it is plain that it makes them so to a curse also. But they that are liable under a curse, and punishments, and transgression, are not worthy of inheriting, but of being punished and rejected. What then happens? faith comes, drawing on it the grace, so that the promise comes into effect. For where grace is, there is a remitting, and where remitting is, there is no punishment. Punishment then being removed, and righteousness succeeding from faith, there is no obstacle to our becoming heirs of the promise.

Ver. 16. “Therefore it is of faith,” he says, “that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed.”

You see that it is not the Law only that faith establisheth, but the promise of God also that it will not allow to fall to the ground. But the Law, on the other hand, by being kept128    These words are very important, as they show that the Law was not held empty in itself, but at this time, i.e. since Christianity. to unseasonably, makes even the faith of none effect, and hindereth the promise. By this he shows that faith, so far from being superfluous, is even necessary to that degree, that without it there is no being saved. For the Law worketh wrath, as all have transgressed it. But this doth not even suffer wrath to arise at all: for “where no Law is,” he says, “there is no transgression.” Do you see how he not only does away with sin after it has existed, but does not even allow it to be produced? And this is why he says “by grace.” For what end? Not with a view to their being put to shame, but to the end that the promise might be sure to all the seed. Here he lays down two blessings, both that the things given are sure, and also that they are to all the seed, so gathering in those of the Gentiles, and showing that the Jews are without, if they contend against the faith. For this is a surer thing than that. For faith doeth thee no hurt (be not contentious), but even now thou art in danger from the Law, it preserves thee. Next having said, “to all the seed,” he defines what seed he meaneth. That which is of faith, he says, so blending with it129    Or perhaps “fixing the relationship,” i.e. of Abraham to the Gentiles, συνάπτων. their relationship to the Gentiles, and showing that they must not be proud of Abraham who do not believe as he did. And see a third thing which faith effected besides. It makes the relationship to that righteous man more definite (ἀκρι βεστέραν), and holds him up as the ancestor of a more numerous issue. And this is why he does not say merely Abraham, but “our father,” ours who believe. Then he also seals what he has said by the testimony—

Ver. 17. “As it is written,” he says, “I have made thee a father of many nations.”

Do you observe that this was ordered by Providence from of old? What then, he means, does He say this on account of the Ishmaelites, or of the Amalekites, or of the Hagarenes? This however, as he goes on he proves more distinctly not to be said of these. But as yet he presses forward to another point, by which means he proves this very thing by defining the mode of the relationship, and establishing it with a vast reach of mind. What then does he say?

“Before (or, answering to, κατέναντι) Him Whom he believed, even God.”

But his meaning is something of this sort, as God is not the God of a part, but the Father of all, so is he also. And again, as God is a father not by way of the relationship of nature, but by way of the affiance of faith, so is he also inasmuch as it is obedience that makes him father of us all. For since they thought nothing of this relationship, as clinging to that grosser one, he shows that this is the truer relationship by lifting his discourse up to God. And along with this he makes it plain that this was the reward of faith that he received. Consequently, if it were not so, and he were the father of all the dwellers upon earth, the expression before (or answering to) would be out of place, while the gift of God would be curtailed. For the “before,” is equivalent to “alike with.” Since where is the marvel, pray, in a man’s being the father of those sprung from himself? This is what is every man’s lot. But the extraordinary thing is, that those whom by nature he had not, them he received by the gift of God. And so if thou wouldest believe that the patriarch was honored, believe that he is the father of all. But after saying, “before Him Whom he believed, even God,” he does not pause here, but goes on thus; “Who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were,” so laying beforehand his foundations for discoursing upon the resurrection. And it was serviceable also to his present purpose. For if He could “quicken the dead” and bring in “those things that were not as though they were,” then could He also make those who were not born of him to be his children. And this is why he does not say, bringing in the things which are not, but calling them, so showing the greater ease of it. For as it is easy to us to call the things which are by name, so to Him it is easy, yea, and much easier to give a subsistence to things that are not. But after saying, that the gift of God was great and unspeakable, and having discoursed concerning His power, he shows farther that Abraham’s faith was deserving of the gift, that you may not suppose him to have been honored without reason. And after raising the attention of his hearers to prevent the Jew from clamoring and making doubts, and saying, “And how is it possible for those who are not children to become children?” he passes on to speak of the patriarch, and says,

Ver. 18. “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.”

How was it that he “believed in hope against hope?” It was against man’s hope, in hope which is of God. (For he is showing the loftiness of the action, and leaving no room for disbelieving what is said.) Things which are contrary to one another, yet faith blends them together. But if he were speaking about such as were from Ishmael, this language would be superfluous: for it was not by faith but by nature that they were begotten. But he bringeth Isaac also before us. For it was not concerning those nations that he believed, but concerning him who was to be from his barren wife. If then it be a reward to be father of many nations, it would be so of those nations clearly of whom he so believed. For that you may know that he is speaking of them, listen to what follows.

Ver. 19. “And being not weak in faith, he considered130    Nearly all mss. omit “not”: as do the oldest of the N.T. his own body now dead.”

Do you see how he gives the obstacles, as well as the high spirit of the righteous man which surmounts all? “Against hope,” he says, was that which was promised: this is the first obstacle. For Abraham had no other person who had received a son in this way to look to. They that were after him looked to him, but he to no one, save to God only. And this is why he said, “against hope.” Then, “his body now dead.” This is a second. And, “the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” This is a third, aye and a fourth131    i.e. Sarah’s personal barrenness, and her present age. obstacle.

Ver. 20. “But he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief.”

For God neither gave any proof nor made any sign, but there were only bare words promising such things as nature did not hold out any hopes of. Yet still he says, “he staggered not.” He does not say, “He did not disbelieve,” but, “He staggered not,” that is, he neither doubted nor hesitated though the hindrances were so great. From this we learn, that if God promise even countless impossibilities, and he that heareth doth not receive them, it is not the nature of things that is to blame, but the unreasonableness of him who receiveth them not. “But was strong in faith.” See the pertinacity of Paul.132    6 mss. φιλονεικίαν, Sav. φιλοσοφίαν, 1 ms. σοφίαν, which makes better sense than the reading of Savile. For since this discourse was about them that work and them that believe, he shows that the believer works more than the other, and requires more power, and great strength, and sustains no common degree of labor. For they counted faith worthless, as having no labor in it. Insisting then upon this, he shows that it is not only he that succeeds in temperance, or any other virtue of this sort, but he that displays faith also who requires even greater power. For as the one needs strength to beat off the reasonings133    λογισμούς. It may be used for imaginations, as by Macarius: but perhaps St. Chrysostom is thinking of Arist. Eth. vii. iii. 9, 10. of intemperance, so hath the faithful also need of a soul endued with power, that he may thrust aside the suggestions of unbelief. How then did he become “strong?” By trusting the matter, he replies, to faith and not to reasonings: else he had fallen. But how came he to thrive in faith itself? By giving glory to God, he says.

Ver. 21. “And being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.”

Abstaining then from curious questionings is glorifying God, as indulging in them is transgressing. But if by entering into curious questions, and searching out things below, we fail to glorify Him, much more if we be over curious in the matter of the Lord’s generation, shall we suffer to the utmost for our insolence. For if the type of the resurrection is not to be searched into, much less those unutterable and awestriking subjects.134    Tertull. de Res. Carn. cap. xii. Totus hic ordo revolubilis rerum, etc. And he does not use the word “believed” merely, but, “being fully persuaded.” For such a thing is faith, it is clearer than the demonstration by reasons, and persuades more fully. For it is not possible for another reasoning succeeding to it to shake135    Or, “destroy”—διαλῦσαι, for διασαλεῦσαι. Savile’s reading seems the most forcible, but the other makes good sense. it afterwards. He indeed that is persuaded with words may have his persuasion altered too by them. But he that stays himself upon faith, hath henceforward fortified his hearing against words that may do hurt to it. Having said then, that he was justified by faith, he shows that he glorified God by that faith; which is a thing specially belonging to a good life. For, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven.” (Matt. v. 16.) But lo! this is shown also to belong to faith! Again, as works need power, so doth faith. For in their case the body often shareth the toil, but in the faith the well-doing belongeth to the soul alone. And so the labor is greater, since it has no one to share the struggles with it. Do you observe how he shows that all that belonged to works attached to faith in a far greater degree, as having whereof to glory before God,—requiring power and labor,—and again, glorifying God? And after saying, that “what He had promised, He is able also to perform,” he seems to me to speak beforehand of things to come. For it is not things present merely that He promises, but also things to come. For the present are a type of the other. It is then a sign of a weak, little, and pitiful mind not to believe. And so when any make faith a charge against us, let us make want of faith a charge against them in return, as pitiful, and little-minded, and foolish, and weak, and no better in disposition than asses. For as believing belongs to a lofty and high-born soul, so disbelieving doth to a most unreasonable and worthless one, and such as is sunken drowsily (κατενηνεγμένης) into the senselessness of brutes. Therefore having left these, let us imitate the Patriarch, and glorify God as he gave Him glory. And what does it mean, gave Him glory? He held in mind His majesty, His boundless power. And having formed a just conception of Him, he was also “fully persuaded” about His promises.

Let us then also glorify Him by faith as well as by works, that we may also attain to the reward of being glorified by Him. “For them that glorify Me, I will glorify” (1 Sam. ii. 30), He says: and indeed, if there were no reward, the very privilege of glorifying God were itself a glory. For if men take a pride in the mere fact of speaking eulogies of kings, even if there be no other fruit of it; consider how glorious it must be, that our Lord is glorified by us: as again, how great a punishment to cause Him to be by our means blasphemed. And yet this very being glorified, He wisheth to be brought about for our sakes, since He doth not need it Himself. For what distance dost thou suppose to be between God and man? as great as that between men and worms? or as great as between Angels and worms? But when I have mentioned a distance even thus great, I have not at all expressed it: since to express its greatness is impossible. Would you, now, wish to have a great and marked reputation among worms? Surely not. If then thou that lovest glory, wouldest not wish for this, how should He Who is far removed from this passion, and so much farther above us, stand in need of glory from thee? Nevertheless, free from the want of it as He is, still He saith that He desireth it for thy sake. For if He endured for thy sake to become a slave, why wonder that He upon the same ground layeth claim to the other particulars also? For He counts nothing unworthy of Himself which may be conducive to our salvation. Since then we aware of this, let us shun sin altogether, because by reason of it He is blasphemed. For it says, “flee from sin, as from the face of a serpent: if thou comest too near unto it, it will bite thee” (Ecclus. xxi. 2): for it is not it that comes to us, but we that desert to it. God has so ordered things that the Devil should not prevail over us by compulsion (Gr. tyranny): since else none would have stood against his might. And on this account He set him a distant abode, as a kind of robber and tyrant.136    Tyrant was the name given to any rebel who set himself up for Emperor. And unless he find a person unarmed and solitary for his assaults, he doth not venture to attack him. Except he see us travelling by the desert,137    See St. Chrys. on Matt. iv. 1; Hom. 13 in St. Matt. p. 174 O.T., and the Catena Aurea on the same place, Oxf. Trans. p. 117, etc. Being alone is represented as always exposing us to temptation, though it is sometimes done for holy purposes, and for greater victory. he has not the courage to come near us. But the desert and place of the Devil is nothing else than sin. We then have need of the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, not only that we may not get evil intreated, but that ever should he be minded to leap138    Alluding perhaps to the sons of Sceva, and then to Goliath. upon us, we may cut off his head. Need we have of continual prayer that he may be bruised under our feet, for he is shameless and full of hardihood, and this though he fights from beneath. But yet even so he gets the victory: and the reason is, that we are not earnestly set upon being above his blows. For he has not even the power to lift himself very high, but he trails along upon the ground. And of this the serpent is a type. But if God set him in that rank from the beginning, much more will He now. But if thou dost not know what fighting from beneath may be, I also will try to explain to thee the manner of this war. What then may this fighting “from beneath” (John viii. 23) be? It is standing upon the lower things of the world to buffet us, such as pleasure and riches and all the goods of this life. And for this reason, whoever he seeth flying toward heaven, first, he will not even be able to leap so far. Secondly, even if he should attempt he will speedily fall. For he hath no feet; be not afraid: he hath no wings; fear not. He trails upon the earth, and the things of the earth. Do thou then have naught in common with the earth, and thou wilt not need labor even. For he hath not any knowledge of open fight: but as a serpent he hideth him in the thorns, nestling evermore in the “deceitfulness of riches.” (Matt. xiii. 22.) And if thou wert to cut away the thorns, he will easily be put to flight, being detected:139    Sav. mar. and 5 mss. δῆλος: Vulg. δειλὸς a coward. and if thou knowest how to charm him with the inspired charms he will straightway be struck. For we have, we surely have, spiritual charms, even the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the might of the Cross. This charm will not only bring the serpent out of his lurking places, and cast him into the fire (Acts xxviii. 5), but even wounds it healeth. But if some that have said this Name have not been healed, it came of their own little faith, and was not owing to any weakness in what they said. For some did throng Jesus and press Him (Luke viii. 44, 45), and got no good therefrom. But the woman with an issue, without even touching His Body, but merely the hem of His garment, stanched a flux of blood of so long standing. (So St. Aug. Serm. LXII. iii. 4, p. 124 O.T.) This Name is fearful alike to devils, and to passions, and to diseases. In this then let us find a pleasure, herewith let us fortify ourselves. It was thus Paul waxed great, and yet he was of the like nature with ourselves, so the whole choir of the Disciples. But faith had made him a perfectly different person, and so much did it abound in them, that even their garments had great force. (Acts xix. 12.) What excuse then shall we deserve, if even the shadows and the garments of those men drave off death (Acts v. 15), but our very prayers do not so much as bring the passions down? What is the reason140    Compare Bp. Taylor, Worthy Communicant, Sect. iv. 10 t. xv. p. 480. of it? Our temper is widely different. For what nature gives, is as much ours as theirs. For he was born and brought up just as we are, and dwelt upon the earth and breathed the air, as we do. But in other points he was far greater and better than we are, in zeal, in faith, and love. Let us then imitate him. Let us allow Christ to speak through us. He desireth it more than we do: and by reason of this, He prepared this instrument, and would not have it remain useless and idle, but wisheth to keep it ever in hand. Why then dost thou not make it serviceable for the Maker’s hand, but lettest it become unstrung, and makest it relaxed through luxury, and unfittest the whole harp for His use, when thou oughtest to keep the members141    Or tunes, the word is ambiguous in the original. of it in full stretch, and well strung, and braced with spiritual salt.142    The substance used was probably not salt, but something possessing astringent properties. For if Christ see our soul thus attuned, He will send forth His sounds even by it. And when this taketh place, then shalt thou see Angels leaping for joy, (σκιρτὥντας) and Archangels too, and the Cherubim.

Let us then become worthy of His spotless hands. Let us invite Him to strike even upon our heart. For He rather needeth not any inviting. Only make it worthy of that touch, and He will be foremost in running unto thee. For if in consideration of their attainments not yet reached, He runneth to them (for when Paul was not yet so advanced He yet framed that praise for him) when He seeth one fully furnished, what is there that He will not do? But if Christ shall sound forth and the Spirit shall indeed light upon us, and we shall be better than the heaven, having not the sun and the moon fixed in our body, but the Lord of both sun and moon and angels dwelling in us and walking in us. And this I say, not that we may raise the dead, or cleanse the lepers, but that we may show forth what is a greater miracle than all these—charity. For wheresoever this glorious thing shall be there the Son taketh up His abode along with the Father, and the grace of the Spirit frequenteth. For “where two or three are gathered together in My Name,” it says, “there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. xviii. 20.) Now this is for great affection, and for those that are very intimate friends, to have those whom they love on either side of them. Who then, he means, is so wretched as not to wish to have Christ in the midst? We that are at variance with one another! And haply some one may ridicule me and ask, What is it that you mean? Do you not see that we are all within the same walls, and under the same enclosure of the Church, standing under the same fold with unanimity; that no one fighteth, that we be under the same shepherd, crying aloud in common, listening in common to what is being said, sending up our prayers in common,—and yet mention fighting and variance? Fighting I do mention, and I am not mad nor out of my sober mind. For I see what I see, and know that we are under the same fold, and the same shepherd. Yet for this cause I make the greater lamentation, because, though there are so many circumstances to draw us together, we are at variance. And what sedition, it will be said, see you here? Here truly I see none. But when we have broken up, such an one accuses such another, another is openly insulting, another grudges, another is fraudulent, and rapacious, and violent, another indulges in unlawful love, another frames countless schemes of deceit. And if it were possible to open your souls, then ye would see all things distinctly, and know that I am not mad. Do you not see in a camp, that when it is peace, men lay down their arms and cross over unarmed and undefended into the camp of the enemy, but when they are protected with arms, and with guards and outposts, the nights are spent in watching, and the fires are kept continually burning, this state of things is no longer peace but war? Now this is what may be seen among us. For we are on our guard against one another, and fear one another and talk each of us into his neighbor’s ear. And if we see any one else present, we hold our peace, and draw in all we were going to say. And this is not like men that feel confidence, but like those that are strictly on their guard. “But these things we do (some one may say,) not to do wrong, but to escape having it done us.” Yea, for this I grieve, that living as we do among brethren, we need be on our guard against having wrong done us; and we light up so many fires, and set guards and out-posts! The reason is the prevalence of falsehood, the prevalence of craft, the prevailing secession of charity, and war without truce. By this means one may find men that feel more confidence in Gentiles (Greeks) than in Christians. And yet, how ashamed we ought to be of this; how we ought to weep and bewail at it! “What then, some may say, is to become of me? such and such an one is of ungainly temper, and vexatious.” Where then is your religion (Gr. philosophy)? where are the laws of the Apostles, which bid us bear one another’s burdens? (Gal. vi. 2.) For if you have no notion of dealing well by your brother, when are you to be able to do so by a stranger? If you have not learnt how to treat a member of your own self, when are you likely to draw to you any from without, and to knit him to yourself? But how am I to feel? I am vexed exceedingly almost to tears, for I could have sent forth large fountains from mine eyes (Jer. ix. 1), as that Prophet says, seeing as I do countless enemies upon the plain more galling than those he saw. For he said, upon seeing the aliens coming against them, “My bowels! I am pained at my bowels.” (ib. iv. 19.) But when I see men arrayed under one leader, yet standing against one another, and biting and tearing their own members, some for money’s sake, and some for glory’s, and others quite at random ridiculing and mocking and wounding one another in countless ways, and corpses too worse treated than those in war, and that it is but the bare name of the brethren that is now left, myself feel my inability to devise any lament fitting such a catastrophe as this! Reverence now, oh reverence, this Table whereof we all are partakers! (1 Cor. x. 16–18.) Christ, Who was slain for us, the Victim that is placed thereon! (Heb. xiii. 10.) Robbers when they once partake of salt, cease to be robbers in regard to those with whom they have partaken thereof; that table changes their dispositions, and men fiercer than wild beasts it makes gentler than lambs. But we though partakers of such a Table, and sharers of such food as that, arm ourselves against one another, when we ought to arm against him who is carrying on a war against all of us, the devil. Yet this is why we grow weaker and he stronger every day. For we do not join to form in defence against him, but along with him we stand against each other, and use him as a commander for such hostile arrays, when it is he alone that we ought to be fighting with. But now letting him pass, we bend the bow against our brethren only. What bows, you will say? Those of the tongue and the mouth. For it is not javelins and darts only, but words too, keener far than darts, that inflict wounds. And how shall we be able to bring this war to an issue? one will ask. If thou perceivest that when thou speakest ill of thy brother, thou art casting up mire out of thy mouth, if thou perceivest that it is a member of Christ that thou art slandering, that thou art eating up thine own flesh (Ps. xxvii. 2), that thou art making the judgment set for thee more bitter (fearful and uncorrupt as it is), that the shaft is killing not him that is smitten, but thyself that shot it forth.

But he did you some wrong, may be, and injured you? Groan at it, and do not rail. Weep, not for the wrong done thee, but for his perdition, as thy Master also wept at Judas, not because Himself was to be crucified, but because he was a traitor. Has he insulted thee and abused thee? Beseech God for him, that He may speedily become appeased toward him. He is thy brother, he is a member of thee, the fruit of the same pangs as thyself, he has been invited to the same Table. But he only makes fresh assaults upon me, it may be said. Then is thy reward all the greater for this. On this ground then there is the best reason for abating one’s anger, since it is a mortal wound that he has received, since the devil hath wounded him. Do not thou then give a further blow, nor cast thyself down together with him. For so long as thou standest thou hast the means of saving him also. But if thou dash thyself down by insulting deeds in return, who is then to lift you both up? Will he that is wounded? Nay, for he cannot, now that he is down. But wilt thou that art fallen along with him? And how shalt thou, that couldest not support thine own self, be able to lend a hand to another? Stand therefore now nobly, and setting thy shield before thee, and draw him, now he is dead, away from the battle by thy long-suffering. Rage hath wounded him, do not thou also wound him, but cast out even that first shaft. For if we associate with each other on such terms, we shall soon all of us become healthful. But if we arm ourselves against one another, there will be no farther need even of the devil to our ruin. For all war is an evil, and civil war especially. But this is a sorer evil than even a civil one, as our mutual rights are greater than those of citizenship, yea, than of kindred itself. Of old, Abel’s brother slew him and shed the blood of his kinsman. But this murder is more lawless than that, in that the rights of kinsmanship are greater, and the death a sorer evil. For he wounded the body, but thou hast whetted thy sword against the soul. “But thou didst first suffer ill.” Yes, but it is not suffering ill, but doing it, that is really suffering ill. Now consider; Cain was the slayer, Abel was the slain. Who then was the dead? He that after death crieth, (for He saith, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth to Me,”) (Gen. iv. 10), or he who while he lived was yet trembling and in fear? He was, assuredly he was, more an object of pity than any dead man. Seest thou how to be wronged is better, though a man come even to be murdered? learn that to wrong is worse, though a man should be strong enough even to kill. He smote and cast down his brother, yet the latter was crowned, the former was punished. Abel was made away with and slain wrongfully, but he even when dead accused (comp. John v. 45), and convicted and overcame: the other, though alive, was speechless, and was ashamed, and was convicted, and effected the opposite of what he intended. For he made away with him because he saw him beloved, expecting to cast him out of the love also. Yet he did but make the love more intense, and God sought him more when dead, saying, “Where is thy brother Abel?” (Gen. iv. 9.) For thou hast not extinguished the desire towards him by thine envy, but hast kindled it up the more. Thou hast not lessened his honor by slaying him, but hast made it the more ample. Yet before this God had even made him subject to thee, whereas since thou hast slain him, even when dead, he will take vengeance upon thee. So great was my love towards him. Who then was the condemned person, the punisher or the punished? He that enjoyed so great honor from God, or he that was given up to a certain novel and unexpected punishment? Thou didst not fear him (he would say) while alive, thou shalt fear him therefore when dead. Thou didst not tremble when on the point of thrusting with the sword. Thou shalt be seized, now the blood is shed, with a continual trembling. While alive he was thy servant, and thou showedst no forbearance to him. For this reason, now he is dead, he hath become a master thou shalt be afraid of. Thinking then upon these things, beloved, let us flee from envy, let us extinguish malice, let us recompense one another with charity, that we may reap the blessings rising from it, both in the present life and the life which is to come, by the grace and love toward man, etc. Amen.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ηʹ. Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν εὑρη κέναι κατὰ σάρκα; Εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. αʹ. Εἰπὼν, ὅτι ὑπόδικος ἐγένετο ὁ κόσμος τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ὅτι πάντες ἥμαρτον, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἔνι σωθῆναι ἑτέρως, ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ πίστεως, σπουδάζει δεῖξαι λοιπὸν, ὅτι οὐδὲ αἰσχύνης ἡ σωτηρία αὕτη, ἀλλὰ καὶ δόξης λαμπρᾶς αἰτία, καὶ μείζονος τῆς διὰ τῶν ἔργων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ μετ' αἰσχύνης σώζεσθαι εἶχέ τινα καὶ ἀθυμίαν, καὶ ταύτην ἀναιρεῖ τὴν ὑποψίαν λοιπόν: καίτοι γε καὶ ἤδη αὐτὸ ᾐνίξατο, οὐ σωτηρίαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δικαιοσύνην καλέσας: Δικαιοσύνη γὰρ Θεοῦ, φησὶν, ἐν αὐτῷ ἀποκαλύπτεται: ὁ γὰρ οὕτω σωζόμενος, ὡς δίκαιος μετὰ παῤῥησίας σώζεται. Καὶ οὐ δικαιοσύνην μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔνδειξιν Θεοῦ: Θεὸς δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐνδόξοις ἐνδείκνυται καὶ λαμπροῖς καὶ μεγάλοις. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν προκειμένων αὐτὸ κατασκευάζει, κατὰ ἐρώτησιν προάγων τὸν λόγον, ὅπερ ἀεὶ ποιεῖν εἴωθε σαφηνείας τε ἕνεκεν καὶ τοῦ θαῤῥεῖν τοῖς λεγομένοις. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀνωτέρω οὕτω πεποίηκε, Τί οὖν τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ Ἰουδαίου; λέγων: καὶ, Τί οὖν προκατέχομεν περισσόν; καὶ πάλιν, Ποῦ ἡ καύχησις; ἐξεκλείσθη: καὶ ἐνταῦθα, Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄνω καὶ κάτω τοῦτο ἔστρεφον Ἰουδαῖοι, ὅτι ὁ πατριάρχης καὶ τῷ Θεῷ φίλος περιτομὴν ἐδέξατο πρῶτος, βούλεται δεῖξαι, ὅτι καὶ ἐκεῖνος ἐκ πίστεως ἐδικαιώθη: ὅπερ ἦν περιουσία νίκης πολλῆς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔργα μὴ ἔχοντα ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῆναί τινα, οὐδὲν ἀπεικός: τὸ δὲ κομῶντα ἐν κατορθώμασι μὴ ἐντεῦθεν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ πίστεως γενέσθαι δίκαιον, τοῦτο ἦν τὸ θαυμαστὸν καὶ μάλιστα τῆς πίστεως τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐμφαῖνον. Διὸ δὴ τοὺς ἄλλους παραδραμὼν πάντας, ἐπὶ τοῦτον ἀνάγει τὸν λόγον. Πατέρα δὲ αὐτὸν κατὰ σάρκα ἐκάλεσεν, ἐκβάλλων αὐτοὺς τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν γνησίας συγγενείας, καὶ προοδοποιῶν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγχιστείαν. Εἶτά φησιν: Εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Εἰπὼν οὖν, ὅτι δικαιοῖ περιτομὴν ἐκ πίστεως ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἀκροβυστίαν διὰ τῆς πίστεως, καὶ κατασκευάσας αὐτὸ ἱκανῶς ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ μειζόνως αὐτὸ δείκνυσιν ἢ ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ ποιεῖ τὴν μάχην τῇ πίστει πρὸς τὰ ἔργα, καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα ὅλον περὶ τὸν δίκαιον ἵστησι: καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς. Διὸ καὶ σφόδρα σεμνύνει προπάτορα καλῶν, καὶ ἀνάγκην αὐτοῖς ἐπιτιθεὶς τοῦ πείθεσθαι ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτῷ. Μὴ γάρ μοι τὸν Ἰουδαῖον εἴπῃς, φησὶ, μηδὲ τὸν δεῖνα καὶ τὸν δεῖνα ἀγάγῃς εἰς μέσον: ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν ἁπάντων, καὶ ὅθεν ἡ περιτομὴ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔλαβεν, ἄνειμι. Εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, φησὶν, ἔχει καύχημα, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Ἀσαφὲς τὸ εἰρημένον: οὐκοῦν ἀναγκαῖον αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι σαφέστερον. Δύο γάρ ἐστι καυχήματα, τὸ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν, Εἰ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἔδειξεν, ὅτι καὶ ἀπὸ πίστεως δύναιτ' ἂν ἔχειν καύχημα, καὶ πολλῷ μεῖζον. Ἡ γὰρ πολλὴ τοῦ Παύλου δύναμις ἐν τούτῳ μάλιστα δείκνυται, ὅτι εἰς τοὐναντίον περιέτρεψε τὸ προκείμενον, καὶ ὅπερ εἶχεν ἡ διὰ τῶν ἔργων σωτηρία, τὸ καυχᾶσθαι καὶ παῤῥησιάζεσθαι, τοῦτο ἔδειξε πολλῷ πλέον τῆς πίστεως ὄν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις καυχώμενος, τοὺς οἰκείους ἔχει προβάλλεσθαι πόνους: ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ πιστεῦσαι τῷ Θεῷ καλλωπιζόμενος, πολλῷ μείζονα καυχήσεως ἀφορμὴν ἐπιδείκνυται, ἅτε δοξάσας καὶ μεγαλύνας τὸν Κύριον. Ἃ γὰρ οὐχ ὑπηγόρευσεν ἡ φύσις τῶν ὁρωμένων, ταῦτα ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως καταδεξάμενος τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν, καὶ τὴν γνησίαν ἀγάπην τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπεδείξατο, καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτοῦ λαμπρῶς ἀνεκήρυξε. Τοῦτο δὲ γενναιοτάτης ψυχῆς καὶ φιλοσόφου γνώμης καὶ ὑψηλῆς διανοίας. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ μὴ κλέψαι μηδὲ φονεῦσαι, καὶ τῶν τυχόντων ἐστί: τὸ δὲ πιστεῦσαι, ὅτι τὰ ἀδύνατα δύναται Θεὸς, μεγαλοφυοῦς τινος δεῖται ψυχῆς, καὶ σφόδρα περὶ αὐτὸν διακειμένης: καὶ γὰρ ἀγάπης γνησίας τοῦτο σημεῖόν ἐστι. Τιμᾷ μὲν γὰρ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ὁ τὰς ἐντολὰς πληρῶν, πολλῷ δὲ μειζόνως οὗτος ὁ διὰ τῆς πίστεως φιλοσοφῶν: ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ ὑπήκουσεν αὐτῷ, οὗτος δὲ τὴν προσήκουσαν ἔλαβε περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν, καὶ τῆς διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιδείξεως μειζόνως ἐδόξασε καὶ ἐθαύμασεν. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν οὖν τὸ καύχημα τοῦ κατορθοῦντός ἐστι, τοῦτο δὲ τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζει, καὶ ὅλον ἐστὶν αὐτοῦ: καυχᾶται γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ περὶ αὐτοῦ μεγάλα φαντάζεσθαι, ἅπερ εἰς τὴν ἐκείνου διαβαίνει δόξαν. Διὰ τοῦτό φησι, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἔχειν αὐτὸν τὸ καύχημα: οὐ διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἕτερον. Καυχᾶται γὰρ πάλιν ὁ πιστὸς, οὐχ ὅτι τὸν Θεὸν ἐφίλησε μόνον γνησίως, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πολλῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ τιμῆς ἀπήλαυσε καὶ ἀγάπης. Ὥσπερ γὰρ αὐτὸς αὐτὸν ἠγάπησε μεγάλα περὶ αὐτοῦ φαντασθείς: τοῦτο γὰρ ἀγάπης δεῖγμα: οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἐφίλησε μυρίοις ὑπεύθυνον ὄντα, οὐχὶ κολάσεως ἀπαλλάξας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκαιον ἐργασάμενος, Ἔχει τοίνυν καυχᾶσθαι ὡς μεγάλης καταξιωθεὶς ἀγάπης. Τί γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ λέγει; Ἐπίστευσεν Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην. Τῷ δὲ ἐργαζομένῳ ὁ μισθὸς οὐ λογίζεται κατὰ χάριν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ὀφείλημα. Οὐκοῦν τοῦτο μεῖζον, φησίν; Οὐδαμῶς: καὶ γὰρ τῷ πιστεύοντι λογίζεται: οὐκ ἂν δὲ ἐλογίσθη, εἰ μὴ καὶ αὐτός τι εἰσήνεγκεν. βʹ. Ὥστε καὶ οὗτος ὀφειλέτην ἔχει τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ οὐ τῶν τυχόντων ὀφειλέτην, ἀλλὰ μεγάλων καὶ ὑψηλῶν πραγμάτων. Δεικνὺς γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν μεγαλόνοιαν καὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν διάνοιαν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, Τῷ πιστεύοντι, ἀλλὰ, Τῷ πιστεύοντι ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ. Λογίζεται ἡ πίστις αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ἡλίκον ἐστὶ πεισθῆναι καὶ πληροφορηθῆναι, ὅτι δύναται ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἐν ἀσεβείᾳ βεβιωκότα τοῦτον ἐξαίφνης οὐχὶ κολάσεως ἐλευθερῶσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δίκαιον ποιῆσαι, καὶ τῶν ἀθανάτων ἐκείνων ἀξιῶσαι τιμῶν. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσῃς τοῦτον ἐλαττοῦσθαι, ἐπειδὴ ἐκείνῳ οὐ κατὰ χάριν λογίζεται. Αὐτὸ γὰρ τοῦτο μάλιστα ποιεῖ τὸν πιστὸν εἶναι λαμπρὸν, τὸ τοσαύτης ἀπολαῦσαι χάριτος, τὸ τοιαύτην πίστιν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Καὶ ὅρα καὶ τὴν ἀντίδοσιν μείζονα. Ἐκείνῳ μὲν γὰρ μισθὸς δίδοται, τούτῳ δὲ δικαιοσύνη: πολὺ δὲ μείζων μισθοῦ δικαιοσύνη: πολλῶν γάρ ἐστι μισθῶν περιεκτικωτάτη ἀντίδοσις ἡ δικαιοσύνη. Δείξας τοίνυν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τοῦτο, καὶ τὸν Δαυῒδ ἐπάγει λοιπὸν ψηφιζόμενον τοῖς εἰρημένοις. Τί οὖν φησιν ὁ Δαυῒδ, καὶ τίνα μακαρίζει; τὸν ἐν ἔργοις κομῶντα, ἢ τὸν χάριτος ἀπολελαυκότα, τὸν ἀφέσεως καὶ δωρεᾶς τετυχηκότα; Μακαριότητα δὲ ὅταν εἴπω, τὴν κορυφὴν λέγω τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων. Ὥσπερ γὰρ μισθοῦ πλέον ἡ δικαιοσύνη, οὕτω δικαιοσύνης πλέον ὁ μακαρισμός. Δείξας τοίνυν τὴν δικαιοσύνην βελτίω, οὐ τῷ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ αὐτὴν εἰληφέναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ λογισμῶν (Ἔχει γὰρ καύχημα, φησὶν, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν): καὶ ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ πάλιν αὐτὴν ἀποφαίνει σεμνοτέραν, τὸν Δαυῒδ εἰσάγων αὐτῇ ψηφιζόμενον: καὶ γὰρ οὗτος, φησὶ, τὸν οὕτω δικαιωθέντα μακαρίζει λέγων: Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν οὐ προσήκουσαν παράγειν μαρτυρίαν: οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε: Μακάριοι ὧν ἡ πίστις εἰς δικαιοσύνην ἐλογίσθη: ποιεῖ δὲ αὐτὸ ἑκὼν, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν, ἵνα πλείονα δείξῃ τὴν ὑπερβολήν. Εἰ γὰρ μακάριος οὗτος ὁ λαβὼν ἄφεσιν ἀπὸ χάριτος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ δικαιωθεὶς, καὶ ὁ πίστιν ἐπιδειξάμενος. Ὅπου δὲ μακαρισμὸς, αἰσχύνη πᾶσα ἀνῄρηται, καὶ πολλὴ ἡ δόξα: ἐπίτασις γάρ ἐστι καὶ μισθῶν καὶ δόξης ὁ μακαρισμός. Διὰ τοῦτο, ὃ μέν ἐστιν ἐκείνου πλεονέκτημα, ἄγραφον τίθησιν, εἰπών: Τῷ γὰρ ἐργαζομένῳ ὁ μισθὸς οὐ λογίζεται κατὰ χάριν: ὃ δέ ἐστι τοῦ πιστοῦ προτέρημα, τοῦτο δι' ἐγγράφου μαρτυρίας κατασκευάζει, λέγων: Καθὼς εἶπε Δαυΐδ: Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. Τί γὰρ λέγεις, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐ κατὰ ὀφείλημα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ χάριν λαμβάνεις τὴν ἄφεσιν; Ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μακαριζόμενος: οὐκ ἂν δὲ αὐτὸν ἐμακάρισεν, εἰ μὴ καὶ δόξης εἶδεν ἀπολαύοντα πολλῆς. Καὶ οὐ λέγει: Ἡ ἄφεσις οὖν αὕτη ἐπὶ τὴν περιτομήν: ἀλλὰ τί; Ὁ μακαρισμὸς οὖν οὗτος (ὅπερ πλέον ἦν) ἐπὶ τὴν περιτομὴν, ἢ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν; Ζητεῖται γὰρ λοιπὸν τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῦτο καὶ μέγα μετὰ τίνος ἕστηκεν, ἆρα μετὰ τῆς περιτομῆς, ἢ μετὰ τῆς ἀκροβυστίας. Καὶ ὅρα τὴν ὑπερβολήν: δείκνυσι γὰρ αὐτὸ οὐ μόνον οὐ φεῦγον τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμφιλοχωροῦν αὐτῇ πρὸ τῆς περιτομῆς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ μακαρίζων καὶ αὐτὸς ἐμπερίτομος ἦν ὁ Δαυῒδ, καὶ ἐμπεριτόμοις διελέγετο, ὅρα πῶς ἐφιλονείκησεν ὁ Παῦλος εἰς τὸν ἀκρόβυστον ἀγαγεῖν τὸ εἰρημένον. Συνάψας γὰρ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τὸν μακαρισμὸν, καὶ δείξας ἀμφότερα ἓν, ζητεῖ πῶς ἐδικαιώθη ὁ Ἀβραάμ. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ μακαρισμὸς τοῦ δικαίου, ἐδικαιώθη δὲ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, ἴδωμεν πῶς ἐδικαιώθη, ἀκρόβυστος ὢν ἢ ἐμπερίτομος. Ἀκρόβυστος, φησί. Πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη; ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι, ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ; Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ καὶ λέγομεν γὰρ, ὅτι ἐλογίσθη τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἡ πίστις εἰς δικαιοσύνην. Ἀνωτέρω τὴν Γραφὴν εἰπὼν (Τί γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ λέγει; φησίν. Ἐπίστευσεν Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην), ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὴν τῶν λεγόντων προσλαμβάνει κρίσιν λοιπὸν, καὶ δείκνυσιν ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ τὴν δικαιοσύνην γεγενημένην. Εἶτα ἀπὸ τούτων ἀντίθεσιν ἑτέραν ἀνακύπτουσαν λύει: εἰ γὰρ ἀκρόβυστος ὢν, φησὶν, ἐδικαιώθη, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐπεισῆλθεν ἡ περιτομή; Σημεῖον ἔλαβε, φησὶ, καὶ σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς, ἡνίκα ἦν ἀκρόβυστος, γενομένης αὐτῷ. Εἶδες πῶς ἔδειξεν ὡς ἐν τάξει παρασίτων τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ὄντας; ἢ καὶ τούτους τοὺς ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ ἐκείνοις προσεῤῥιμμένους; Εἰ γὰρ ἐδικαιώθη μὲν ἀκρόβυστος ὢν καὶ ἐστεφανώθη, ὕστερον δὲ τὴν περιτομὴν ἔλαβεν, ὕστερον δὲ ἐπεισῆλθον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, οὐκοῦν τῶν ἀκροβύστων πρῶτόν ἐστι πατὴρ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τῶν διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτῷ προσηκόντων, καὶ τότε τῶν ἐν περιτομῇ: διπλοῦς γάρ ἐστι πρόγονος. Εἶδες τὴν πίστιν λάμπουσαν; Ἕως γὰρ ἦλθεν αὕτη, οὐκ ἐδικαιώθη ὁ πατριάρχης. Εἶδες τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν οὐδὲν ἐμποδίζουσαν; Καὶ γὰρ ἀκρόβυστος ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἐκωλύθη δικαιωθῆναι. Ὑστέρα ἄρα τῆς πίστεως ἡ περιτομή. γʹ. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις εἰ τῆς πίστεως ἡ περιτομὴ, ὅπου γε καὶ τῆς ἀκροβυστίας; Οὐχ ὑστέρα δὲ μόνον τῆς πίστεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα αὐτῆς καταδεεστέρα, καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον σημεῖον τοῦ πράγματος οὗπέρ ἐστι σημεῖον: οἷον ὅσον ἡ σφραγὶς τοῦ στρατιώτου. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν σφραγῖδος ἐδεῖτο, φησίν; Οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐδεῖτο. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν αὐτὴν ἐδέξατο; Εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα κοινὸν καὶ τῶν πιστευόντων δι' ἀκροβυστίας, καὶ τῶν ἐν περιτομῇ: ἀλλ' οὐχ ἁπλῶς τῶν ἐν περιτομῇ: διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει: Τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον. Εἰ γὰρ τῶν ἀκροβύστων, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἀκρόβυστός ἐστι, διὰ τοῦτό ἐστι πατὴρ, καίτοι γε ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ δικαιωθεὶς, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὴν πίστιν αὐτοῦ ἐζήλωσαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῶν ἐμπεριτόμων οὐκ ἔσται διὰ τὴν περιτομὴν πρόγονος, εἰ μὴ προσγένοιτο καὶ ἡ πίστις. Περιτομὴν γὰρ ἔλαβεν, ἵνα ἑκάτεροι, φησὶν, αὐτὸν ἔχωμεν πρόγονον, καὶ οἱ ἀκρόβυστοι μὴ ἀπώσωνται τοὺς ἐμπεριτόμους. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὗτοι προπάτορα ἔσχον αὐτὸν πρῶτοι; Εἰ δὲ σεμνὸν ἡ περιτομὴ, ὅτι κηρύττει τὴν δικαιοσύνην, οὐ μικρὰν καὶ ἡ ἀκροβυστία προεδρίαν ἔχει πρὸ τῆς περιτομῆς αὐτὴν δεξαμένη: τότε οὖν αὐτὸν δυνήσῃ προπάτορα ἔχειν, ὅταν στοιχήσῃς τοῖς ἴχνεσι τῆς πίστεως, καὶ μηδὲ φιλονεικῇς μηδὲ στασιάζῃς τὸν νόμον ἐπεισάγων. Ποίας, εἰπέ μοι, πίστεως; Τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ. Πάλιν καταστέλλει τὸ φύσημα τὸ Ἰουδαϊκὸν, ἀναμιμνήσκων τοῦ χρόνου τῆς δικαιοσύνης. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, Τοῖς ἴχνεσιν, ἵνα ὁμοίως ἐκείνῳ πιστεύσῃς εἰς νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν σωμάτων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος περὶ τοῦτο τὴν πίστιν ἐπεδείξατο: ὥστε εἰ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν ἐκβάλλεις, μάνθανε σαφῶς, ὅτι οὐδέν σοι οὐδὲ τῆς περιτομῆς ὄφελος. Ἂν γὰρ μὴ τοῖς ἴχνεσιν ἀκολουθήσῃς τῆς πίστεως, κἂν μυριάκις ᾖς ἐμπερίτομος, οὐκ ἔσῃ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἔκγονος: ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν περιτομὴν διὰ τοῦτο ἔλαβεν, ἵνα σὲ ὁ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ μὴ ἐκβάλλῃ. Μὴ δὴ καὶ ἐκεῖνον τοῦτο ἀπαίτει: σοὶ γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμα βοήθεια γέγονεν, οὐκ ἐκείνῳ. Ἀλλὰ σημεῖον αὐτὸ δικαιοσύνης, φησί. Καὶ τοῦτο διὰ σὲ, ἐπεὶ νῦν οὐδὲ τοῦτό ἐστι: τότε γὰρ σὺ τῶν σωματικῶν ἔχρῃζες σημείων, νῦν δὲ οὐ χρεία τούτων. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς πίστεως, φησὶν, οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν αὐτοῦ καταμαθεῖν τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀρετήν; Δυνατὸν μὲν ἦν, σὺ δὲ καὶ ταύτης ἔχρῃζες τῆς προσθήκης. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ἀρετὴν οὐκ ἐζήλωσας οὐδὲ ἰδεῖν ἠδυνήθης, ἐδόθη σοι ἡ αἰσθητὴ περιτομὴ, ἵνα ἐμμελετήσας τῷ σωματικῷ τούτῳ, κατὰ μικρὸν χειραγωγηθῇς καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὴν ὑποδεξάμενος τῆς σπουδῆς ὡς ἀξίωμα μέγιστον, παιδευθῇς μιμεῖσθαι καὶ αἰδεῖσθαι τὸν πρόγονον. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ μόνον ὁ Θεὸς κατεσκεύασεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν, οἷον θυσίαις λέγω καὶ σάββασι καὶ ἑορταῖς. Ὅτι γὰρ διὰ σὲ περιτομὴν ἔλαβεν, ἄκουσον τῶν ἑξῆς: εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι σημεῖον ἔλαβε καὶ σφραγῖδα, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τίθησι, λέγων: Εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα περιτομῆς, τούτοις τοῖς καὶ τὴν νοητὴν προσλαμβάνουσιν: ὡς ἐὰν ταύτην μόνον ἔχῃς, οὐδέν σοι γενήσεται πλέον. Σημεῖον γὰρ τότε τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅταν τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὗ τοῦτό ἐστι σημεῖον, φαίνηται παρὰ σοὶ, τουτέστιν ἡ πίστις: ὡς, ἂν μὴ ταύτην ἔχῃς, οὐδὲ τὸ σημεῖον λοιπὸν εἶναι σημεῖον δύναται. Τίνος γὰρ ἔσται σημεῖον, τίνος δὲ σφραγὶς, οὐκ ὄντος τοῦ σφραγιζομένου; ὡς ἂν εἰ καὶ βαλάντιον ἐπιδεικνύεις ἡμῖν σφραγῖδα ἔχον, μηδενὸς ἔνδον ἀποκειμένου: ὥστε καταγέλαστος ἡ περιτομὴ, τῆς πίστεως ἔνδον οὐκ οὔσης. Εἰ γὰρ δικαιοσύνης ἐστὶ σημεῖον, δικαιοσύνην δὲ οὐκ ἔχεις, οὐδὲ σημεῖον ἔχεις. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἔλαβες σημεῖον, ἵνα τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπιζητῇς, οὗ τὸ σημεῖον ἔχεις: ὡς, εἴ γε ἔμελλες αὐτὸ χωρὶς τούτου ἐπιζητεῖν, οὐκ ἂν ἐδέησέ σοι τούτου. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ κηρύττει μόνον ἡ περιτομὴ, τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ δικαιοσύνην. Οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλλο κηρύττει ἡ περιτομὴ, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐ χρεία περιτομῆς. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐκ νόμου, κληρονόμοι: κεκένωται ἡ πίστις, καὶ κατήργηται ἡ ἐπαγγελία. Ἔδειξεν, ὅτι ἀναγκαία ἡ πίστις, ὅτι πρεσβυτέρα περιτομῆς, ὅτι νόμου ἰσχυροτέρα, ὅτι συνίστησι νόμον. Εἰ γὰρ πάντες ἥμαρτον, ἀναγκαία: εἰ ἀκρόβυστος ὢν ἐδικαιώθη, πρεσβυτέρα: εἰ διὰ νόμου ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας, χωρὶς δὲ νόμου πεφανέρωται, ἰσχυροτέρα: εἰ μαρτυρεῖται ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τὸν νόμον ἵστησιν, οὐκ ἐναντία, ἀλλὰ φίλη καὶ σύμμαχος. Δείκνυσι πάλιν καὶ ἑτέρωθεν, ὅτι οὐδὲ δυνατὸν ἦν διὰ νόμου τὴν κληρονομίαν λαβεῖν: καὶ παραβαλὼν αὐτὴν τῇ περιτομῇ, καὶ λαβὼν τὰ νικητήρια, ἀντεπεξάγει πάλιν αὐτὴν τῷ νόμῳ, οὕτω λέγων: Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐκ νόμου, κληρονόμοι, κεκένωται ἡ πίστις. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις λέγῃ, ὅτι καὶ πίστιν δυνατὸν ἔχειν καὶ νόμον τηρῆσαι, δείκνυσιν ὅτι ἀμήχανον. Ὁ γὰρ ἐχόμενος τοῦ νόμου ὡς σώζοντος, ἀτιμάζει τῆς πίστεως τὴν δύναμιν. Διό φησι: Κεκένωται ἡ πίστις: τουτέστιν, οὐ χρεία τῆς κατὰ χάριν σωτηρίας: οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται τὴν ἰσχὺν τὴν ἑαυτῆς ἐπιδείξασθαι: καὶ κατήργηται ἡ ἐπαγγελία. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἰουδαῖος ἴσως ἂν εἴποι: Τί γάρ μοι χρεία πίστεως; Οὐκοῦν εἰ τοῦτο ἀληθὲς, μετὰ τῆς πίστεως καὶ τὰ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἀνῄρηται. δʹ. Ὅρα ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ἄνωθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ πατριάρχου μαχόμενον. Δείξας γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν τὴν δικαιοσύνην τῇ πίστει συγκεκληρωμένην, δείκνυσι καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ὁμοίως. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃ ὁ Ἰουδαῖος: Τί γάρ μοι μέλει, εἰ διὰ πίστεως ἐδικαιώθη Ἀβραάμ; λέγει ὁ Παῦλος, ὅτι Οὐδὲ τὸ σοὶ διαφέρον, ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῆς κληρονομίας δύναται εἰς ἔργον ἐλθεῖν ἐκείνης χωρίς: ὃ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἐκφοβεῖ. Ποίαν δὲ ἐπαγγελίαν, φησί; Τὸ κληρονόμον αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ πάντας ἐνευλογεῖσθαι. Καὶ πῶς κατήργηται ἡ ἐπαγγελία αὕτη, φησίν: Ὅτι ὁ νόμος ὀργὴν κατεργάζεται: οὗ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι νόμος, οὐδὲ παράβασις. Εἰ δὲ ὀργὴν κατεργάζεται καὶ παραβάσει ὑπευθύνους ποιεῖ, εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ κατάρᾳ: οἱ δὲ κατάρᾳ καὶ τιμωρίᾳ καὶ παραβάσει ὄντες ὑπεύθυνοι, οὗτοι οὐ κληρονομεῖν ἄξιοι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ δίκην διδόναι καὶ ἐκβάλλεσθαι. Τί οὖν γίνεται; Ἔρχεται ἡ πίστις ἐφελκομένη τῇ χάριτι, ὥστε τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν εἰς ἔργον ἐξελθεῖν, Ὅπου γὰρ χάρις, συγχώρησις: ὅπου δὲ συγχώρησις, οὐδεμία κόλασις: κολάσεως δὲ ἀνῃρημένης, καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἐπιγενομένης ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως, οὐδὲν τὸ κωλύον κληρονόμους ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως. Διὰ τοῦτο οὖν ἐκ πίστεως, φησὶν, ἵνα κατὰ χάριν, εἰς τὸ εἶναι βεβαίαν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι, οὐ τῷ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραὰμ, ὅς ἐστι πατὴρ πάντων ἡμῶν. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι οὐ τὸν νόμον ἵστησι μόνον ἡ πίστις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἀφίησι διαπεσεῖν: ὁ δὲ νόμος τοὐναντίον καὶ τὴν πίστιν καταργεῖ παρὰ καιρὸν τηρούμενος, καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν κωλύει; Διὰ τούτων δείκνυσιν οὐ μόνον οὐ περιττὴν τὴν πίστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως ἀναγκαίαν, ὡς μηδὲ εἶναι ταύτης ἄνευ σωθῆναι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος ὀργὴν ποιεῖ: πάντες γὰρ αὐτὸν παρέβησαν: αὕτη δὲ οὐδὲ συστῆναι τὴν ὀργὴν ἀφίησι τὴν ἀρχήν: Οὗ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι, φησὶ, νόμος οὐδὲ παράβασις. Εἶδες πῶς οὐ μόνον γενομένην ἀφανίζει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ φυῆναι αὐτὴν ἀφίησι; Διὰ τοῦτό φησι: Κατὰ χάριν. Εἰς τὸ τί; Οὐκ εἰς τὸ καταισχυνθῆναι, ἀλλ', Εἰς τὸ εἶναι βεβαίαν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι. Δύο τίθησιν ἐνταῦθα τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ὅτι καὶ βέβαια τὰ διδόμενα, καὶ παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι, τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν συνεισάγων, καὶ δεικνὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐκτὸς ὄντας, ἂν πρὸς τὴν πίστιν φιλονεικήσωσι. Τοῦτο γὰρ βέβαιον μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκεῖνο: οὐ γὰρ ζημιοῖ ἡ πίστις, μὴ φιλονείκει, ἀλλὰ καὶ κινδυνεύοντά σε ἐκ τοῦ νόμου διασώζει. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ εἶπε, Παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι, διορίζει ποίῳ σπέρματι. Τῷ ἐκ τῆς πίστεως, φησὶ, συνάπτων τὴν πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη συγγένειαν, καὶ δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐδὲ δύνανται φρονεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ οἱ μὴ πιστεύοντες ὁμοίως ἐκείνῳ. Ἰδοὺ καὶ τρίτον ἡ πίστις ἄλλο εἰργάσατο: τὴν γὰρ συγγένειαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν δίκαιον ἀκριβεστέραν ἐποίησε, καὶ πλειόνων ἐκγόνων ἀπέφηνε πρόγονον: διὸ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Ἀβραὰμ, ἀλλὰ, Τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν τῶν πιστῶν. Εἶτα καὶ τῇ μαρτυρίᾳ ἐπισφραγίζων τὸ εἰρημένον, Καθὼς γέγραπται, φησὶν, ὅτι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε. Εἶδες ταῦτα ἄνωθεν οἰκονομούμενα; Τί οὖν, φησὶν, εἰ περὶ τῶν Ἰσμαηλιτῶν ἢ τῶν Ἀμαληκιτῶν ἢ τῶν Ἀγαρηνῶν ταῦτα λέγει; Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν προϊὼν σαφέστερον δείκνυσιν οὐ περὶ ἐκείνων εἰρημένον: τέως δὲ ἐφ' ἕτερον ἐπείγεται, δι' οὗ καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν, ὁριζόμενος τῆς τοιαύτης συγγενείας τὸν τρόπον, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὸ τῆς μεγαλονοίας κατασκευάζων. Τί γάρ φησι; Κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσε Θεοῦ: ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν: Ὥσπερ ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἔστι μερικὸς Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ πάντων πατὴρ, οὕτω καὶ αὐτός. Καὶ πάλιν, Ὥσπερ ὁ Θεὸς πατήρ ἐστιν οὐ κατὰ τὴν φυσικὴν συγγένειαν, ἀλλὰ κατ' οἰκείωσιν πίστεως, οὕτω καὶ αὐτός: ἡ γὰρ ὑπακοὴ ποιεῖ πατέρα πάντων ἡμῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐνόμιζον εἶναι ταύτην τὴν συγγένειαν, τὴν παχυτέραν ἐκείνην κατασχόντες, δείκνυσι ταύτην κυριωτέραν, ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν τὸν λόγον ἀναγαγών. Καὶ μετὰ τούτων κἀκεῖνο ἐμφαίνει, ὅτι καὶ ἀμοιβὴν τῆς πίστεως ταύτην ἔλαβεν: ὥστε ἂν μὴ τοῦτο ᾖ, κἂν πάντων ᾖ πατὴρ τῶν τὴν γῆν οἰκούντων, τὸ, Κατέναντι, οὐκ ἔχει χώραν, ἀλλ' ἠκρωτηρίασται ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεά: τὸ γὰρ κατέναντι, ὁμοίως ἐστί. Ποῦ γὰρ θαυμαστὸν, εἰπέ μοι, τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ πατέρα εἶναι; τοῦτο γὰρ ἕκαστος κέκτηται τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Τὸ γὰρ παράδοξον ἐκεῖνό ἐστιν, οὓς οὐκ εἶχεν ἐκ φύσεως, τούτους ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεᾶς λαβεῖν. εʹ. Ὥστε εἰ βούλει πιστεῦσαι, ὅτι ἐτιμήθη ὁ πατριάρχης, πίστευσον, ὅτι πάντων ἐστὶ πατήρ. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσε Θεοῦ, οὐκ ἔστη μέχρι τούτου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπήγαγε: Τοῦ ζωοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκροὺς, καὶ καλοῦντος τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα: ἤδη τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως προκαταβαλλόμενος λόγον. Καὶ εἰς τὸ προκείμενον δὲ αὐτῷ χρήσιμος ἦν. Εἰ γὰρ δυνατὸν αὐτῷ νεκροὺς ζωοποιῆσαι, καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα παραγαγεῖν, δυνατὸν αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς μὴ τεχθέντας ἐξ αὐτοῦ ποιῆσαι παῖδας αὐτοῦ. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ εἶπε, Καὶ παράγοντος τὰ οὐκ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα, ἀλλὰ, Καλοῦντος, τὴν πλείονα εὐκολίαν δηλῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡμῖν εὔκολον τὰ ὄντα καλέσαι, οὕτως αὐτῷ ῥᾴδιον, καὶ πολλῷ ῥᾷον, τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὑποστήσασθαι. Εἰπὼν δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δωρεὰν μεγάλην οὖσαν καὶ ἄφατον, καὶ περὶ τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ διαλεχθεὶς, δείκνυσι καὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τὴν πίστιν ἀξίαν οὖσαν τῆς δωρεᾶς, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς αὐτὸν εἰκῆ τετιμῆσθαι. Καὶ τὸν ἀκροατὴν δὲ ἀναστήσας, ἵνα μὴ θορυβῆται, μηδὲ ἀμφιβάλλῃ ὁ Ἰουδαῖος καὶ λέγῃ, Καὶ πῶς δυνατὸν τοὺς οὐκ ὄντας παῖδας γενέσθαι παῖδας; μετάγει τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὸν πατριάρχην, καί φησιν: Ὃς παρ' ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον: Οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου. Πῶς παρ' ἐλπίδα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσε; Παρ' ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην, ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Δείκνυσι γὰρ καὶ τὸ μεγαλεῖον τοῦ πράγματος, καὶ οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἀπιστηθῆναι τὸ λεγόμενον: ἅπερ ἐναντία ἀλλήλοις ἐστὶν, ἀλλ' ἡ πίστις αὐτὰ συνεκέρασεν. Εἰ δὲ περὶ ἐκείνων ἔλεγε τῶν ἐκ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, περιττὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος: ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ οὐ κατὰ πίστιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ φύσιν ἐτέχθησαν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ εἰς μέσον ἄγει: οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ἐπίστευσε τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς στείρας γυναικὸς ἐσομένου. Εἰ τοίνυν μισθός ἐστι τὸ πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν γενέσθαι, ἐκείνων τῶν ἐθνῶν ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐπίστευσε δῆλον ὅτι. Ἵνα γὰρ μάθῃς, ὅτι περὶ τούτων φησὶν, ἄκουσον τῶν ἑξῆς: Καὶ μὴ ἀσθενήσας τῇ πίστει, οὐ κατενόησε τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα νενεκρωμένον, ἑκατονταέτης που ὑπάρχων, καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν τῆς μήτρας τῆς Σάῤῥας. Εἶδες πῶς τίθησι καὶ τὰ κωλύματα, καὶ τὴν ὑψηλὴν τοῦ δικαίου γνώμην πάντα ὑπερβαίνουσαν; Παρ' ἐλπίδα, φησὶ, τὸ ἐπαγγελθέν. Τοῦτο κώλυμα πρῶτον: οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶχεν αὐτὸς ἕτερον Ἀβραὰμ οὕτω λαβόντα παῖδα ἰδεῖν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ μετ' αὐτὸν, εἰς αὐτὸν ἔβλεπον: ἐκεῖνος δὲ εἰς οὐδένα, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν Θεὸν μόνον: διὸ καὶ, Παρ' ἐλπίδα, ἔλεγεν. Εἶτα τὸ σῶμα νενεκρωμένον: δεύτερον τοῦτο: καὶ ἡ νέκρωσις τῆς μήτρας Σάῤῥας: τοῦτο καὶ τρίτον καὶ τέταρτον. Εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπόδειξιν ἔδωκεν, οὔτε σημεῖον ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ ῥήματα ἦν ψιλὰ μόνον, ἐπαγγελλόμενα ἅπερ οὐχ ὑπισχνεῖτο ἡ φύσις. Ἀλλ' ὅμως Οὐ διεκρίθη, φησίν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Οὐκ ἠπίστησεν, ἀλλ', Οὐ διεκρίθη: τουτέστιν, οὐδὲ ἐνεδοίασεν, οὐδὲ ἀμφέβαλε, καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων τῶν κωλυμάτων. Ἀπὸ τούτων μανθάνομεν, ὅτι κἂν μυρία ὁ Θεὸς ἀδύνατα ἐπαγγέλληται, μὴ καταδέξηται δὲ ὁ ἀκούων, οὐ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων φύσεώς ἐστιν ἡ ἀσθένεια, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀνοίας τῆς τοῦ μὴ δεχομένου. Ἀλλ' ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει. Ὅρα Παύλου φιλοσοφίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ περὶ τῶν ἐργαζομένων καὶ τῶν πιστευόντων ἦν ὁ λόγος, δείκνυσι τὸν πιστεύοντα ἐργαζόμενον μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκεῖνον, καὶ πλείονος δεόμενον δυνάμεως καὶ πολλῆς τῆς ἰσχύος, καὶ οὐ τὸν τυχόντα ὑπομένοντα πόνον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐξευτέλιζον τὴν πίστιν ὡς οὐκ ἔχουσαν πόνον. Πρὸς τοῦτο τοίνυν ἱστάμενος δείκνυσιν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ὁ σωφροσύνην κατορθῶν ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ πίστιν ἐπιδεικνύμενος, δυνάμεως δεῖται πλείονος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος χρείαν ἔχει ἰσχύος, ἵνα τοὺς τῆς ἀκολασίας διακρούσηται λογισμούς: οὕτω καὶ οὗτος χρείαν ἔχει δυνατῆς ψυχῆς, ἵνα τὰς τῆς ἀπιστίας ἐξωθήσηται ἐννοίας. Πῶς οὖν ἐγένετο ἰσχυρός; Τῇ πίστει, φησὶν, οὐ λογισμοῖς τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐπιτρέψας: ἐπεὶ ἂν κατέπεσε. Πῶς δὲ αὐτὴν τὴν πίστιν κατώρθωσε; Δοὺς δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ, φησὶ, καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς, ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται, δυνατός ἐστι καὶ ποιῆσαι. Ἄρα τὸ μὴ περιεργάζεσθαι, δοξάζειν ἐστὶ τὸν Θεὸν, ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ περιεργάζεσθαι, πλημμελεῖν. Εἰ δὲ τὰ κάτω περιεργαζόμενοι καὶ ζητοῦντες οὐ δοξάζομεν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὴν τοῦ Δεσπότου γέννησιν πολυπραγμονοῦντες, ὡς ὑβρίζοντες τὰ ἔσχατα πεισόμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν τύπον τῆς ἀναστάσεως οὐ χρὴ ζητεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἐκεῖνα καὶ φρικτά. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε πιστεύσας ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ, Πληροφορηθείς. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ πίστις, τῆς ἀπὸ λογισμῶν ἀποδείξεως, σαφεστέρα, καὶ μᾶλλον πείθει: οὐ γὰρ ἔστι λογισμὸν ἕτερον ἐπεισελθόντα αὐτῇ διασαλεῦσαι λοιπόν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ λόγοις πειθόμενος καὶ μεταπεισθῆναι δύναται: ὁ δὲ τῇ πίστει βεβαιούμενος ἀπετείχισε λοιπὸν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀκοὴν τοῖς λυμαινομένοις αὐτὴν λόγοις. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν, ὅτι ἀπὸ πίστεως ἐδικαιώθη, δείκνυσιν, ὅτι καὶ ἐδόξασε τὸν Θεὸν ἀπὸ τῆς πίστεως: ὃ βίου μάλιστά ἐστιν ἴδιον. Λαμψάτω γὰρ ὑμῶν τὸ φῶς ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ἰδοὺ τοῦτο τῆς πίστεως ὂν ἐφάνη. Πάλιν δὲ ὥσπερ τὰ ἔργα δεῖται δυνάμεως, οὕτω καὶ ἡ πίστις. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ πολλάκις καὶ τὸ σῶμα μερίζεται τὸν ἱδρῶτα: ἐκεῖ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς γυμνῆς ἐστι τὸ κατόρθωμα. Ὥστε μείζων ὁ πόνος, ὅταν μηδὲ τὸν διανεμόμενον πρὸς αὐτὴν ἔχῃ τοὺς ἀγῶνας. Ϛʹ. Εἶδες πῶς πάντα, ἅπερ ἦν ἔργων, ἔδειξε μετὰ πλείονος περιουσίας τῇ πίστει προσόντα, οἷον τὸ καυχᾶσθαι πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, τὸ δυνάμεως δεῖσθαι καὶ πόνου, τὸ δοξάζειν πάλιν τὸν Θεόν; Εἰπὼν δὲ, Ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται, δυνατός ἐστι καὶ ποιῆσαι, δοκεῖ μοι καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων προαναφωνεῖν: οὐ γὰρ τὰ παρόντα ἐπηγγείλατο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα: ταῦτα γὰρ τύπος ἐκείνων. Ἄρα ἀσθενοῦς διανοίας τὸ μὴ πιστεύειν, καὶ μικρᾶς καὶ ταλαιπώρου. Ὥστε ὅταν ἡμῖν ἐγκαλῶσι τὴν πίστιν τινὲς, ἀντεγκαλῶμεν ἡμεῖς τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτοῖς, ὡς ταλαιπώροις καὶ μικροψύχοις καὶ ἀνοήτοις καὶ ἀσθενέσιν καὶ ὄνων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακειμένοις. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ πιστεύειν ὑψηλῆς καὶ μεγαλοφυοῦς ψυχῆς: οὕτω τὸ ἀπιστεῖν ἀλογωτάτης καὶ εὐτελοῦς καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν κτηνῶν ἄνοιαν κατενηνεγμένης. Διόπερ ἐκείνους ἀφέντες, τὸν πατριάρχην ζηλώσωμεν, καὶ δοξάσωμεν τὸν Θεὸν, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνος ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ δόξαν. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ δόξαν; Ἐνενόησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, τὴν ἄπειρον δύναμιν: καὶ τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἔννοιαν λαβὼν, οὕτως ἐπληροφορήθη περὶ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων. Δοξάσωμεν τοίνυν αὐτὸν καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ διὰ πίστεως καὶ διὰ ἔργων, ἵνα καὶ μισθὸν λάβωμεν τὸ παρ' αὐτοῦ δοξασθῆναι: Τοὺς δοξάζοντας γάρ με δοξάσω, φησί. Καίτοι εἰ καὶ μηδεὶς ἔκειτο μισθὸς, αὐτὸ τοῦτο δόξα ἦν τὸ καταξιωθῆναι δοξάσαι Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ εἰς βασιλέας εὐφημίας λέγοντες ἄνθρωποι, αὐτῷ τούτῳ καλλωπίζονται μόνῳ, κἂν μηδὲν ᾖ καρπώσασθαι ἕτερον: ἐννόησον πόσης ἂν εἴη δόξης τὸ δι' ἡμᾶς τὸν Δεσπότην δοξάζεσθαι τὸν ἡμέτερον, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ κολάσεως τὸ ποιεῖν αὐτὸν βλασφημεῖσθαι δι' ἡμᾶς: καίτοι καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ τὸ δοξάζεσθαι, δι' ἡμᾶς βούλεται γίνεσθαι: αὐτὸς γὰρ οὐ δεῖται τοῦ πράγματος. Πόσον γὰρ οἴει τὸ μέσον εἶναι Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων; ἆρα ὅσον ἀνθρώπων καὶ σκωλήκων; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν οὐδέπω εἴρηκα, καὶ τοσοῦτον τὸ μέσον θείς: οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰπεῖν δυνατὸν ὅσον. Ἆρ' οὖν θελήσεις σὺ παρὰ σκώληξιν δόξαν ἔχειν μεγάλην καὶ λαμπράν; Οὐδαμῶς. Εἰ τοίνυν ὁ δόξης ἐρῶν σὺ οὐκ ἂν θελήσαις τοῦτο: ὁ τοῦ πάθους ἀπηλλαγμένος τούτου, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀνώτερος ὢν, πῶς ἂν ἐδεήθη τῆς παρὰ σοῦ δόξης; Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ μὴ δεόμενος, φησὶν αὐτῆς ἐφίεσθαι διὰ σέ. Εἰ γὰρ γενέσθαι δοῦλος ὑπέμεινε διὰ σὲ, τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀντέχεται τῆς αὐτῆς ἕνεκεν ὑποθέσεως; Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἡγεῖται ἀνάξιον ἑαυτοῦ, ὅπερ ἂν πρὸς τὴν σωτηρίαν φέρῃ τὴν ἡμετέραν. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, φεύγωμεν ἁμαρτίαν πᾶσαν, δι' ἧς αὐτὸς βλασφημεῖται. Ὡς γὰρ ἀπὸ προσώπου ὄφεως, φησὶ, φεῦγε ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας. Ἐὰν προσέλθῃς πρὸς αὐτὴν, δήξεταί σε: οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὴ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἔρχεται, ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς πρὸς αὐτὴν αὐτομολοῦμεν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς καὶ τοῦτο κατεσκεύασεν ὥστε μὴ τυραννίδι περιγίνεσθαι τὸν διάβολον: ἦ γὰρ ἂν οὐδεὶς ἔστη πρὸς τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐκείνου. Διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἀπῴκισεν ὥσπερ λῃστήν τινα καὶ τύραννον: κἂν μή τινα λάβῃ γυμνὸν καὶ ἔρημον εἰς τὰς αὐτοῦ καταδύσεις, οὐ τολμᾷ ἐπελθεῖν: ἂν μὴ τὴν ἔρημον ὁδεύοντας ἡμᾶς ἴδῃ, οὐ θαῤῥεῖ προσελθεῖν: ἔρημος δὲ καὶ διαβόλου τόπος οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ ἡ ἁμαρτία. Δεῖ τοίνυν ἡμῖν τοῦ θυρεοῦ τῆς πίστεως, τῆς περικεφαλαίας τοῦ σωτηρίου, τῆς μαχαίρας τοῦ πνεύματος: οὐχ ἵνα μὴ πάθωμεν μόνον κακῶς, ἀλλ' ἵνα, κἂν ἐπιπηδῆσαι θελήσῃ, τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτέμωμεν ἐκείνου: δεῖ συνεχῶν ἡμῖν εὐχῶν, ἵνα συντριβῇ ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν. Ἀναίσχυντος γάρ ἐστι καὶ μιαρὸς, καὶ ταῦτα κάτωθεν μαχόμενος: ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτω νικᾷ. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ὅτι οὐ σπουδάζομεν ἡμεῖς ὑψηλότεροι τῶν ἐκείνου γενέσθαι πληγῶν: οὐδὲ γὰρ οἷός τέ ἐστιν ἐπαρθῆναι μέγα, ἀλλὰ κάτω σύρεται. Καὶ τούτου τύπος ὁ ὄφις. Εἰ δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὕτως αὐτὸν ἔταξεν ὁ Θεὸς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον νῦν. Εἰ δὲ ἀγνοεῖς τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ κάτωθεν μάχεσθαι, ἐγώ σοι καὶ ἑρμηνεῦσαι τοῦ πολέμου τούτου τὸν τρόπον πειράσομαι. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ κάτωθεν μάχεσθαι; Τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν κάτω πυκτεύειν πραγμάτων, ἀπὸ τῆς ἡδονῆς, ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου, ἀπὸ τῶν βιωτικῶν ἁπάντων. Διὰ τοῦτο, ἂν ἴδῃ τινὰ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν πετόμενον, πρῶτον μὲν οὐδὲ ἐπιπηδῆσαι πρὸς αὐτὸν δυνήσεται: δεύτερον δὲ, κἂν ἐπιχειρήσῃ, ταχέως πεσεῖται: οὐ γὰρ ἔχει πόδας, μὴ φοβηθῇς: οὐκ ἔχει πτερὰ, μὴ δείσῃς: ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς σύρεται, καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ γῇ πράγμασι. Μηδὲν οὖν σοι πρὸς τὴν γῆν ἔστω κοινὸν, καὶ οὐδὲ πόνου δεήσει. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἶδε τὴν ἐξ ἐναντίας μάχην, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ὄφις ταῖς ἀκάνθαις ἐγκρύπτεται τῇ ἀπάτῃ τοῦ πλούτου συνεχῶς ἐμφωλεύων. Κἂν ἐκτέμῃς τὰς ἀκάνθας, φεύξεται ῥᾳδίως δειλὸς γενόμενος, κἂν ἐπᾴδειν εἰδῇς αὐτῷ τὰς θείας ἐπῳδὰς, τρωθήσεται εὐθέως. Εἰσὶ γὰρ ἡμῖν, εἰσὶν ἐπῳδαὶ πνευματικαὶ, τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ τοῦ σταυροῦ δύναμις. Αὕτη ἡ ἐπῳδὴ οὐχὶ τῶν χηραμῶν ἐξάγει μόνον, καὶ εἰς πῦρ ἐμβάλλει τὸν δράκοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τραύματα ἰᾶται. Εἰ δὲ καὶ πολλοὶ λέγοντες οὐκ ἰάθησαν, παρὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ὀλιγοπιστίαν, οὐ παρὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τοῦ λεχθέντος: ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν οἱ μὲν ὤθουν καὶ ἔθλιβον, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐκέρδαινον: ἡ δὲ αἱμοῤῥοοῦσα οὐδὲ τοῦ σώματος ἁψαμένη, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ κρασπέδου μόνον, χρονίους ἔστησεν αἱμάτων πηγάς. Τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα καὶ δαίμοσι φοβερὸν καὶ πάθεσι καὶ νοσήμασι. Τούτῳ τοίνυν καλλωπιζώμεθα, τούτῳ τειχίζωμεν ἑαυτούς. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐγένετο μέγας, καίτοι τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως ἡμῖν κἀκεῖνος ἦν, ἀλλ' ἡ πίστις αὐτὸν ἄλλον ἀντ' ἄλλου πεποίηκε, καὶ τοσαύτη ἦν ἡ περιουσία, ὡς καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ πολλὴν ἔχειν ἰσχύν. Ποίας οὖν ἂν εἴημεν ἀπολογίας ἄξιοι, εἴ γε ἐκείνων μὲν καὶ αἱ σκιαὶ καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια θάνατον ἤλαυνον, ἡμῶν δὲ οὐδὲ αἱ εὐχαὶ τὰ πάθη καταστέλλουσι; Τί οὖν τὸ αἴτιον; Πολλὴ τῆς γνώμης ἡ διαφορά: ὡς τά γε τῆς φύσεως ἴσα καὶ κοινά: καὶ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἡμῖν καὶ ἐτέχθη καὶ ἐτράφη, καὶ τὴν γῆν ᾤκησε, καὶ ἀέρα ἀνέπνευσεν: ἀλλὰ τὰ ἄλλα πολὺ μείζων ἡμῶν ἦν καὶ βελτίων, τὸν ζῆλον, τὴν πίστιν, τὴν ἀγάπην. Μιμησώμεθα τοίνυν αὐτὸν, δῶμεν καὶ δι' ἡμῶν φθέγξασθαι τῷ Χριστῷ: ἐπιθυμεῖ μᾶλλον τοῦτο ἡμῶν αὐτὸς, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸ ὄργανον κατεσκεύασε τοῦτο, καὶ οὐ θέλει μένειν ἄχρηστον αὐτὸ καὶ ἀργὸν, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ μετὰ χεῖρας ἔχειν αὐτὸ βούλεται. Τί τοίνυν οὐ παρασκευάζεις ἕτοιμον αὐτὸ τῇ τοῦ τεχνίτου χειρὶ, ἀλλὰ χαλᾷς τὰς νευρὰς, καὶ μαλακωτέρας ποιεῖς τῇ τρυφῇ, καὶ ἄχρηστον ὅλην κατασκευάζεις αὐτῷ τὴν κιθάραν, δέον ἐπισφίγγειν καὶ νευροῦν τὰ μέλη, καὶ ἐπιστύφειν τῷ ἅλατι τῷ πνευματικῷ; Ἂν γὰρ οὕτως ἡρμοσμένην αὐτὴν ἴδῃ, ἠχήσει καὶ διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ψυχῆς ὁ Χριστός. Τοιούτου δὲ γενομένου, καὶ ἀγγέλους ὄψει σκιρτῶντας καὶ ἀρχαγγέλους καὶ τὰ Χερουβίμ. Γενώμεθα τοίνυν ἄξιοι τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀμώμων: παρακαλέσωμεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν κροῦσαι καρδίαν: μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ παρακλήσεως δεῖται: μόνον ἀξίαν αὐτὴν κατασκεύασον τῆς ἁφῆς ἐκείνης, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιδραμεῖταί σοι πρότερος. Εἰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτρέχει (οὔπω γὰρ τῷ Παύλῳ τοιούτῳ γεγενημένῳ τὸ ἐγκώμιον ὕφανεν), ὅταν ἀπηρτισμένον ἴδῃ, τί οὐκ ἐργάσεται; Ἂν δὲ Χριστὸς ἠχήσῃ, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐπιπτήσεται πάντως, καὶ ἐσόμεθα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ βελτίους, οὐχ ἥλιον ἔχοντες ἐνεστιγμένον τῷ σώματι καὶ σελήνην, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἀγγέλων Δεσπότην ἐνοικοῦντα καὶ ἐμπεριπατοῦντα ἡμῖν. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα νεκροὺς ἀναστήσωμεν, οὐδὲ λεπροὺς ἵνα καθάρωμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὸ πάντων τούτων σημεῖον μεῖζον ἐπιδειξώμεθα, τὴν ἀγάπην. Ὅπου γὰρ ἂν ᾖ τοῦτο τὸ καλὸν, εὐθέως καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς ἐφίσταται μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπιφοιτᾷ χάρις. Οὗ γὰρ ἐὰν ὦσι, φησὶ, δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. Ὃ πολλῆς διαθέσεώς ἐστι καὶ τῶν σφόδρα φιλούντων, τοὺς φιλουμένους ἑκατέρωθεν ἔχειν. Καὶ τίς οὕτως ἄθλιος, φησὶν, ὡς μὴ βούλεσθαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἔχειν μέσον; Ἡμεῖς οἱ πρὸς ἀλλήλους στασιάζοντες. Καὶ τάχα μου καταγελάσεταί τις καὶ ἐρεῖ, Τί λέγεις; ὁρᾷς πάντας ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῖς αὐτοῖς τείχεσιν ὄντας, ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν τῆς ἐκκλησίας σηκὸν, ὑπὸ τὴν αὐτὴν μάνδραν μεθ' ὁμονοίας ἑστῶτας, οὐδένα μαχόμενον, ὑπὸ τῷ αὐτῷ ποιμένι κοινῇ βοῶντας, κοινῇ τῶν λεγομένων ἀκροωμένους, κοινῇ τὰς εὐχὰς ἀναπέμποντας, καὶ μάχης μέμνησαι καὶ στάσεως; Μάχης μέμνημαι, καὶ οὐ μαίνομαι οὐδὲ ἐξέστηκα. Ὁρῶ μὲν γὰρ ἃ ὁρῶ, καὶ οἶδα ὅτι ὑπὸ τὸν σηκὸν τὸν αὐτόν ἐσμεν καὶ τὸν ποιμένα. Διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μάλιστα θρηνῶ, ὅτι τοσούτων ἡμᾶς συναγόντων πραγμάτων, στασιάζομεν. Καὶ ποίαν στάσιν, φησὶν, εἶδες ἐνταῦθα; Ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὐδεμίαν: ἐπειδὰν δὲ διαλυθῶμεν, ὁ δεῖνα τὸν δεῖνα κατηγορεῖ, ἕτερος ὑβρίζει φανερῶς, ἄλλος βασκαίνει, πλεονεκτεῖ καὶ ἁρπάζει. καὶ βιάζεται ἕτερος, ἄλλος ἐρᾷ κακῶς, ἄλλος μυρίους ῥάπτει δόλους. Καὶ εἰ τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν ἐκκαλύψαι ἐνῆν, τότε ἂν εἴδετε ταῦτα πάντα ἀκριβῶς, καὶ ἔγνωτε ὅτι οὐ μαίνομαι. ηʹ. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις, ὅτι εἰρήνης μὲν οὔσης, τὰ ὅπλα ἀποθέμενοι, γυμνοὶ καὶ ἄφρακτοι εἰς τὸ τῶν πολεμίων στρατόπεδον διαβαίνουσιν; Ὅταν δὲ φράττωνται ὅπλοις, καὶ φυλακαὶ καὶ προφυλακαὶ καὶ ἄγρυπνοι νύκτες, καὶ πυρὰ καίεται διηνεκὴς, οὐκέτι εἰρήνη τὸ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ πόλεμος. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν: καὶ γὰρ ἀλλήλους φυλαττόμεθα καὶ δεδοίκαμεν καὶ πρὸς τὸ οὖς ἕκαστος τῷ πλησίον διαλεγόμεθα, κἂν παραγενόμενον ἕτερον ἴδωμεν, σιγῶμεν καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μέσου συστέλλομεν ἅπαντα: ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστι θαῤῥούντων, ἀλλὰ σφόδρα φυλαττομένων. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ποιοῦμεν, φησὶν, οὐχ ὥστε ἀδικῆσαι, ἀλλ' ὥστε μὴ ἀδικηθῆναι. Διὰ τοῦτο πενθῶ, ὅτι μεταξὺ ζῶντες ἀδελφῶν, φυλακῆς δεόμεθα πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀδικηθῆναι, καὶ πυρὰ καίομεν τοσαῦτα, καὶ φυλακὰς καὶ προφυλακὰς τίθεμεν. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, πολὺ τὸ ψεῦδος, πολὺς ὁ δόλος, πολλὴ τῆς ἀγάπης ἡ ἀναίρεσις, καὶ πόλεμος ἄσπονδος. Διά τοι τοῦτο πολλοὺς εὕροι τις ἂν Ἕλλησι θαῤῥοῦντας μᾶλλον ἢ Χριστιανοῖς: καίτοι πόσης ἂν εἴη αἰσχύνης ἄξια ταῦτα; πόσων δακρύων, πόσων οἰμωγῶν; Καὶ τί πάθω, φησί; δυστροπός ἐστιν ὁ δεῖνα καὶ μοχθηρός. Καὶ ποῦ τὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας τῆς σῆς; ποῦ δὲ οἱ νόμοι οἱ ἀποστολικοὶ οἱ κελεύοντες ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζειν; Εἰ γὰρ ἀδελφῷ χρήσασθαι οὐκ οἶδας, πότε δυνήσῃ χρήσασθαι ἀλλοτρίῳ καλῶς; εἰ τὸ μέλος τὸ σὸν οὐκ ἐπίστασαι μεταχειρίσασθαι, πότε τὸν ἔξωθεν ἐπισπάσασθαι δυνήσῃ καὶ συνάψαι ἑαυτῷ; Ἀλλὰ τί πάθω; Σφόδρα δυσχερῶς ἔχω πρὸς δακρύων ἐπιῤῥοὴν, ἐπεὶ πηγὰς ἂν ἀφῆκα δαψιλεῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, κατὰ τὸν προφήτην ἐκεῖνον, μυρίους πολέμους ἐπὶ τοῦ πεδίου τούτου βλέπων ἐκείνων χαλεπωτέρους. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ βαρβάρους ἐπιόντας ὁρῶν, ἔλεγε, Τὴν κοιλίαν μου ἀλγῶ: ἐγὼ δὲ ὑφ' ἑνὶ στρατηγῷ παραταττομένους βλέπων, εἶτα κατ' ἀλλήλων ἱσταμένους καὶ δάκνοντας καὶ σπαράττοντας τὰ ἀλλήλων μέλη, τοὺς μὲν διὰ χρήματα, τοὺς δὲ διὰ δόξαν, τοὺς δὲ ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ καταγελῶντας καὶ καταχλευάζοντας, καὶ μυρία τραύματα ἀλλήλοις ἐπάγοντας, καὶ νεκροὺς τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ χαλεπωτέρους, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὄνομα ψιλὸν μόνον λοιπὸν ὂν, οὐδὲ ἔχω τινὰ ἄξιον τῆς τραγῳδίας ταύτης ἐπινοῆσαι θρῆνον. Αἰδέσθητε τοίνυν, αἰδέσθητε τὴν τράπεζαν ταύτην, ἧς κοινωνοῦμεν ἅπαντες, τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς σφαγέντα Χριστὸν, τὸ θῦμα τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῆς κείμενον. Λῃσταὶ κοινωνοῦντες ἁλῶν, οὐκέτι εἰσὶ λῃσταὶ πρὸς οὓς ἂν κοινωνήσωσιν, ἀλλὰ μεταβάλλει τὸν τρόπον ἡ τράπεζα, καὶ τοὺς τῶν θηρίων ἀγριωτέρους προβάτων ἡμερωτέρους ποιεῖ: ἡμεῖς δὲ τοιαύτης τραπέζης μετέχοντες, τοιαύτης κοινωνοῦντες τροφῆς, ὁπλιζόμεθα κατ' ἀλλήλων, δέον κατὰ τοῦ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν πολεμοῦντος διαβόλου τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Διά τοι τοῦτο ἡμεῖς μὲν ἀσθενέστεροι, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἰσχυρότερος καθ' ἑκάστην γίνεται τὴν ἡμέραν. Οὐ γὰρ μετ' ἀλλήλων φραττόμεθα κατ' ἐκείνου, ἀλλὰ μετ' ἐκείνου κατ' ἀλλήλων ἱστάμεθα, καὶ αὐτῷ στρατηγῷ πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας χρώμεθα παρατάξεις, δέον αὐτῷ μόνῳ πολεμεῖν. Νυνὶ δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἀφέντες, κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰ τόξα τείνομεν. Ποῖα τόξα, φησί; Τὰ ἀπὸ γλώττης καὶ στόματος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀκόντια καὶ βέλη μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ῥήματα πολὺ τῶν βελῶν πικρότερα ἐργάζεται τραύματα. Καὶ πῶς δυνησόμεθα τοῦτον καταλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον, φησίν; Ἂν ἐννοήσῃς, ὅτι τὸν ἀδελφὸν λέγων κακῶς, βόρβορον ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματός σου προχέεις, ἂν ἐννοήσῃς, ὅτι τὸ μέλος τοῦ Χριστοῦ διαβάλλεις, ὅτι τὰς σάρκας κατεσθίεις τὰς σὰς, ὅτι τὸ δικαστήριόν σοι πικρότερον ποιεῖς τὸ φοβερὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἀδέκαστον, ὅτι τὸ βέλος οὐ τὸν πληγέντα, ἀλλὰ σὲ τὸν τοξεύσαντα ἀναιρεῖ. Ἀλλ' ἠδίκησέ τι καὶ κακῶς ἐποίησε; Στέναξον, μὴ κακῶς εἴπῃς: δάκρυσον, μὴ διὰ τὴν σὴν ἀδικίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀπώλειαν τὴν ἐκείνου, καθὼς καὶ ὁ σὸς Δεσπότης τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐδάκρυσεν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς ἐσταυροῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖνος προεδίδου. Ὕβρισέ σε καὶ ἐλοιδόρησε; Παρακάλεσον τὸν Θεὸν ὥστε ἵλεων αὐτῷ γενέσθαι ταχέως. Ἀδελφός ἐστι σὸς, τὰς αὐτάς σοι ἔλυσεν ὠδῖνας: μέλος ἐστὶ σὸν, ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκλήθη τράπεζαν. Ἀλλὰ πλέον ἐπεμβαίνει μοι, φησίν. Οὐκοῦν μείζων καὶ πλείων ὁ μισθός. Ταύτῃ μάλιστα τὸν θυμὸν ἀφεῖναι δίκαιον, ἐπειδὴ καιρίαν ἐδέξατο τὴν πληγὴν, ἐπειδὴ ἔτρωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος. θʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπιπλήξῃς καὶ σὺ, μηδὲ καταβάλῃς σαυτὸν μετ' ἐκείνου: ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἕστηκας, δύνασαι κἀκεῖνον διασῶσαι: ἂν δὲ σαυτὸν καταῤῥήξῃς διὰ τοῦ ἀνθυβρίσαι, τίς ὑμᾶς ἀναστήσει λοιπόν; ἐκεῖνος ὁ τρωθείς; Ἀλλ' οὐ δυνήσεται κείμενος. Ἀλλὰ σὺ ὁ πεσὼν μετ' ἐκείνου; Καὶ πῶς, οὐκ ἀρκέσας σεαυτῷ χεῖρα δοῦναι, ἰσχύσεις ἑτέρῳ; Στῆθι τοίνυν γενναίως, καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα προβαλλόμενος, καὶ νεκρὸν ὄντα ἕλκυσον ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης τὸν σὸν ἀδελφὸν διὰ τῆς μακροθυμίας. Ἔτρωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ θυμός; Μὴ τρώσῃς καὶ σὺ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πρότερον ἔκβαλε βέλος. Ἂν γὰρ οὕτως ἀλλήλοις ὁμιλῶμεν, ταχέως πάντες ὑγιεῖς ἐσόμεθα: ἂν δὲ κατ' ἀλλήλων ὁπλιζώμεθα, οὐδὲ τοῦ διαβόλου χρεία λοιπὸν πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπώλειαν. Ἅπας μὲν γὰρ ὁ πόλεμος χαλεπὸς, μάλιστα δὲ ὁ ἐμφύλιος. Οὗτος δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἐμφυλίου χαλεπώτερος, ὅσῳ μείζονα τῆς πολιτείας ἡμῖν τὰ δικαιώματα, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τῆς συγγενείας αὐτῆς. Ἀπέκτεινέ ποτε τὸν Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφὸς, καὶ αἷμα ἐξέχεε συγγενικόν: ἀλλ' οὗτος ἐκείνου παρανομώτερος ὁ φόνος, ὅσῳ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀγχιστείας μείζω, καὶ τὰ τοῦ θανάτου χαλεπώτερα. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ τὸ σῶμα ἔτρωσε, σὺ δὲ κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ ξίφος ἠκόνησας. Ἀλλ' ἔπαθες πρῶτος κακῶς; Ἀλλ' οὐ τὸ παθεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ποιῆσαι κακῶς, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ παθεῖν κακῶς. Σκόπει δέ: ἔσφαξεν ὁ Κάϊν, ἐσφάγη ὁ Ἄβελ: τίς οὖν ἦν ὁ νεκρός; Ὁ μετὰ τὸν θάνατον βοῶν: Φωνὴ γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῦ αἵματος Ἄβελ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με: ἢ ὁ ἐν τῷ ζῇν τρέμων καὶ δεδοικώς; Οὗτος γὰρ, οὗτος νεκροῦ παντὸς ἐλεεινότερος ἦν. Εἶδες πῶς βέλτιον τὸ ἀδικεῖσθαι, κἂν μέχρι φόνου τις χωρῇ; Μάθε πῶς χεῖρον τὸ ἀδικεῖν, κἂν μέχρις αἵματός τις ἰσχύσῃ. Ἔπληξε καὶ κατέβαλε τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐστεφανοῦτο, ὁ δὲ ἐκολάζετο: ἀνῃρέθη καὶ ἐσφάγη παρὰ τὸ δίκαιον ὁ Ἄβελ, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν τελευτῶν κατηγόρει καὶ ἀνῄρει καὶ ἐχειροῦτο: ὁ δὲ καὶ ζῶν ἐσίγα καὶ ᾐσχύνετο καὶ ἡλίσκετο, καὶ τοὐναντίον οὗπερ ἤθελε κατεσκεύαζεν. Ἀνῄρει γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ ἀγαπώμενον εἶδε, προσδοκῶν καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐκβάλλειν αὐτόν: ἐπέτεινε δὲ τὸ φίλτρον μειζόνως, καὶ ἀποθανόντα μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἐπεζήτει, Ποῦ ἐστιν Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; λέγων. Οὐ γὰρ ἔσβεσας τὸν πόθον τῷ φθόνῳ, ἀλλ' ἀνῆψας μᾶλλον: οὐκ ἠλάττωσας τὴν τιμὴν τῇ σφαγῇ, ἀλλ' ἐπέτεινας πλέον. Πρὸ τούτου μὲν γάρ σοι καὶ ὑπέταξεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός: ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτὸν ἀνεῖλες, καὶ τετελευτηκώς σε τιμωρήσεται: τοσοῦτον ἐμοὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸ φίλτρον. Τίς οὖν ἦν ὁ καταδικασθείς; ὁ κολάζων, ἢ ὁ κολαζόμενος; ὁ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύων παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ τιμῆς, ἢ ὁ καινῇ τινι καὶ παραδόξῳ διδόμενος τιμωρίᾳ; Οὐκ ἐφοβήθης αὐτὸν ζῶντα, φησίν: οὐκοῦν φοβήθητι τελευτήσαντα: οὐκ ἔτρεμες μέλλων ἐπάγειν τὸ ξίφος: ληφθήσῃ τρόμῳ μετὰ τὸ ἐκχέαι τὸ αἷμα διηνεκεῖ: ζῶν σοι δοῦλος ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἠνείχου: διὰ τοῦτο τελευτήσας, δεσπότης σοι γέγονε φοβερός. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοοῦντες, ἀγαπητοὶ, φύγωμεν φθόνον, σβέσωμεν κακίαν, ἀγάπην ἀντιδιδόντες ἀλλήλοις, ἵνα τὰ ἐκ ταύτης καρπωσώμεθα ἀγαθὰ, καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, καὶ κατὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.