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we have taught, who become all things to all men, I know not whether, that we might save all, or destroy them.
ΚΕʹ. What say you? Do we persuade you with these words, and have we won? Or do we need even stronger words to persuade? Yes, by the Trinity itself, which we honor and you honor, by our common hope, and by the building up of this people, grant me this favor; send us away with prayers; let this be for me the proclamation of my contest; give me the letter of dismissal, as kings do to their soldiers; and, if you wish, with a hand of testimony, that I may have the honor; but if not, as you wish; I will not at all dispute about this, 36.489 until God sees how our affairs stand. Whom then shall we introduce in our place? The Lord will see for himself a shepherd for leadership, as He saw a sheep for a whole burnt offering. I seek this one thing only, let him be one of the envied, not of the pitied; not of those who are pleasing to all in all things, but of those who know how to offend in some things for the sake of what is better; for the one is most pleasant here, but the other most profitable hereafter. You, then, prepare for us the farewell speeches; and I will give you my valedictory.
Κςʹ. Farewell, Anastasia, my namesake of piety. For you have raised up for us the Word when it was still despised; the place of our common victory, the new Shiloh, in which we first pitched the tabernacle, which for forty years was carried about and wandered in the desert. And you, this great and famous temple, the new inheritance, which have now received from the Word the gift of being great, which, when it was formerly Jebus, we have made Jerusalem; and you, as many as are immediately next to this in beauty, each having taken a different part of the city, like certain bonds and making the neighborhood your own; whom, despite this weakness, not we, but grace with us, has filled, though despaired of. Farewells, apostles, the good colony, my teachers of the contest, even if I did not often celebrate with you, perhaps carrying about in the body the Satan of your Paul for your benefit, because of whom I now am sent away from you. Farewell to me, O throne, this envied and dangerous height, council of high priests, of priests honored for their reverence and age, and all the other ministers of God about the holy table, and approaching God who approaches. Farewells, choirs of Nazarenes, harmonies of psalmody, all-night vigils, gravity of virgins, decency of women, assemblies of widows, of orphans, eyes of the poor, looking to God and to us. Farewells, homes hospitable and 36.492 Christ-loving, and supporters of my weakness. Farewells, lovers of my words, and courses, and concourses, and styluses seen and unseen, and the hard-pressed railing, this for those pushing about the word. Farewells, O emperors, and palaces, and all the attendants and household about the emperor; whether faithful to the emperor, I know not; but for the most part, unfaithful to God. Clap your hands, shout aloud, raise on high your orator. The wicked and babbling tongue has become silent for you; yet it shall not be altogether silent; for it will fight by hand and ink; but for the present, we are silent.
ΚΖʹ. Farewell, O great and Christ-loving city (for I will testify to the truth, even if your zeal is not according to knowledge; our separation has made us kinder). Approach the truth; be converted, at least late; honor God, more than is your custom. It is not change that has the shame, but adherence to evil has perdition. Farewell, East and West, for whom, and by whom, we are warred against; witness He who will bring you peace, if a few imitate my withdrawal. For those who yield their thrones will not also lose God, but will have the throne above, which is much higher and safer than these. Upon all and before all I will cry out; Farewells, angels, guardians of this Church, and of my presence and departure, if indeed in
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ἐπαιδεύσαμεν, οἳ πᾶσι πάντα γινόμεθα, οὐκ οἶδα πότερον, ἵνα σώσωμεν πάντας, ἢ ἀπωλέσωμεν.
ΚΕʹ. Τί φατε; Πείθομεν ὑμᾶς τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις, καὶ νενικήκαμεν; Ἢ δεῖ καὶ στεῤῥοτέρων λόγων ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸ πείθειν; Ναὶ, πρὸς τῆς Τριάδος αὐτῆς, ἣν πρεσβεύομεν καὶ πρεσβεύετε, πρὸς τῆς κοινῆς ἡμῶν ἐλπίδος, καὶ τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦδε συμπήξεως, δότε μοι τὴν χάριν ταύτην· μετὰ εὐχῶν ἡμᾶς ἀπο πέμψατε· αὕτη γενέσθω μοι τῆς ἀθλήσεως ἡ ἀνάῤ ῥησις· δότε μοι τὸ γράμμα τῆς ἀφέσεως, ὥσπερ τοῖς στρατιωτικοῖς οἱ βασιλεῖς· καὶ, εἰ βούλεσθε, μετὰ δεξιᾶς τῆς μαρτυρίας, ἵν' ἔχω τὸ ἐπιτίμιον· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ὅπως βούλεσθε· οὐδὲν περὶ τούτου διοίσο 36.489 μαι, ἕως ἂν Θεὸς ἴδῃ τὰ ἡμέτερα ὅπως ἂν ἔχῃ. Τίνα οὖν ἀντεισάξομεν; Ὄψεται ἑαυτῷ Κύριος ποιμένα εἰς προστασίαν, ὡς πρόβατον εἶδεν εἰς ὁλοκάρ πωσιν. Ἓν τοῦτο ἐπιζητῶ μόνον, τῶν φθονουμέ νων ἔστω τις, μὴ τῶν ἐλεουμένων· μὴ τῶν πάν τα πᾶσι χαριζομένων, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἃ καὶ προσ κρούειν εἰδότων ὑπὲρ τοῦ βελτίονος· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐν ταῦθα ἥδιστον, τὸ δὲ ἐκεῖθεν λυσιτελέστατον. Ὑμεῖς μὲν οὖν τοὺς προπεμπτηρίους ἡμῖν μελετήσατε λόγους· ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῖν ἀποδώσω τὸν συντακτήριον. Κςʹ. Χαίροις, Ἀναστασία μοι τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπ ώνυμε. Σὺ γὰρ τὸν λόγον ἡμῖν ἐξανέστησας ἔτι κατα φρονούμενον· τὸ τῆς κοινῆς νίκης χωρίον, ἡ νέα Ση λὼμ, ἐν ᾗ πρῶτον τὴν σκηνὴν ἐπήξαμεν, τεσσα ράκοντα ἔτη περιφερομένην ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ πλανωμένην. Σύ τε ὁ μέγας ναὸς οὗτος καὶ πε ριβόητος, ἡ νέα κληρονομία, τὸ νῦν μέγας εἶναι παρὰ τοῦ Λόγου λαβὼν, ὃν Ἰεβοῦς πρότερον ὅντα, Ἱερουσαλὴμ πεποιήκαμεν· ὑμεῖς τε ὅσοι μετὰ τοῦτον εὐθὺς τοῖς κάλλεσιν, ἄλλος ἄλλο τι τῆς πόλεως μέρος διειληφότες, ὥσπερ σύνδεσμοί τινες καὶ τὸ Γειτονοῦν οἰκειούμενοι· οὓς μετὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας ταύτης, οὐχ ἡμεῖς, ἡ χάρις δὲ σὺν ἡμῖν ἐπλήρωσε τοῖς ἀπεγνωσμένοις. Χαίρετε, ἀπόστολοι, ἡ καλὴ μετοικία, οἱ ἐμοὶ διδάσκαλοι τῆς ἀθλήσεως, εἰ καὶ μὴ πολλάκις ὑμῖν ἐπανηγύρισα, ἴσως τὸν τοῦ ὑμετέρου Παύλου Σατᾶν περιφέρων ἐν τῷ σώματι πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον, δι' ὃν νῦν ὑμῶν ἀποικίζομαι. Χαῖρέ μοι, ὦ καθέδρα, τὸ ἐπίφθονον ὕψος τοῦτο καὶ ἐπικίνδυνον, ἀρχιερέων συνέδριον, ἱερέων αἰδοῖ καὶ χρόνῳ τετιμημένον, ὅσον τε ἄλλο περὶ τὴν ἱερὰν τράπεζαν λειτουργικὸν Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐγγίζον Θεῷ τῷ ἐγγίζοντι. Χαίρετε, Ναζαραίων χοροστασίαι, ψαλμῳδιῶν ἁρμονίαι, στάσεις πάννυχοι, παρθένων σεμνότης, γυναικῶν εὐκοσμία, χηρῶν, ὀρφανῶν συστήματα, πτωχῶν ὀφθαλμοὶ, πρὸς Θεὸν καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς βλέποντες. Χαίρετε, οἶκοι φιλόξενοι καὶ 36.492 φιλόχριστοι, καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀσθενείας ἀντιλήπτορες. Χαίρετε, τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων ἐρασταὶ, καὶ δρόμοι, καὶ συνδρομαὶ, καὶ γραφίδες φανεραὶ καὶ λανθάνουσαι, καὶ ἡ βιαζομένη κιγκλὶς, αὕτη τοῖς περὶ τὸν λόγον ὠθιζομένοις. Χαίρετε, ὦ βασιλεῖς, καὶ βασίλεια, ὅσον τε περὶ τὸν βασιλέα θεραπευτικὸν καὶ οἰκίδιον· εἰ μὲν καὶ βασιλεῖ πιστὸν, οὐκ οἶδα· Θεῷ δὲ τὸ πλεῖον ἄπιστον. Κροτήσατε χεῖρας, ὀξὺ βοήσατε, ἄρατε εἰς ὕψος τὸν ῥήτορα ὑμῶν. Σεσίγηκεν ὑμῖν ἡ πονηρὰ γλῶσσα καὶ λάλος· οὐ μὴν σιγήσεται παντάπασιν· μαχήσεται γὰρ διὰ χειρὸς καὶ μέλανος· τὸ δ' οὖν παρὸν σεσιγήκαμεν.
ΚΖʹ. Χαῖρε, ὦ μεγαλόπολι καὶ φιλόχριστε (μαρτυρήσω γὰρ τἀληθῆ, καὶ εἰ μὴ κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν ὁ ζῆλος· πεποίηκε χρηστοτέρους ἡμᾶς ἡ διάζευξις). Πρόσιτε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· μετασκευάζεσθε ὀψὲ γοῦν· τιμήσατε Θεὸν, πλέον τῆς συνηθείας. Οὐχ ἡ μετάθεσις τὸ αἰσχρὸν ἔχει, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ κακοῦ τήρησις τὴν ἀπώλειαν. Χαίροις, Ἀνατολὴ καὶ ∆ύσις, ὑπὲρ ὧν, καὶ ὑφ' ὧν πολεμούμεθα· μάρτυς ὁ εἰρηνεύσων ὑμᾶς, ἂν ὀλίγοι μιμήσωνται τὴν ἐμὴν ὑποχώρησιν. Οὐ γὰρ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀπολοῦσιν οἱ τῶν θρόνων παραχωρήσαντες, ἀλλ' ἕξουσι τὴν ἄνω καθέδραν, ἣ πολὺ τούτων ἐστὶν ὑψηλοτέρα τε καὶ ἀσφαλεστέρα. Ἐπὶ πᾶσί τε καὶ πρὸ πάντων βοήσομαι· Χαίρετε, ἄγγελοι, τῆσδε τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἔφοροι, καὶ τῆς ἐμῆς παρουσίας καὶ ἐκδημίας, εἴπερ ἐν