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shall we endure the labors for virtue? If we are so coarse toward hearing, how is it clear that we are aroused for action? If we shall neglect the easier thing, how shall we bear the more difficult? But great is the affliction, great is the violence. But hear that the violent take the kingdom of heaven by force, that straight and afflicted is the way that leads to life. Since, therefore, we are walking a straight and afflicted way, we must also distress and afflict ourselves, so that we may be able to pass through the straight and afflicted way. For he who makes himself broad would not so easily run through the straitened way, but he who contains, and afflicts, and presses himself. 2. For our inquiry today is not about random things, but concerning a question that had its beginning yesterday, but did not receive its solution because the things proposed were many. What then is this? We were inquiring about the imposition of names, which God placed upon the saints. This matter seems to be a bare one, if someone should hear of it; but it holds a great treasure, if one pays attention with precision. For the gold-bearing earth lying in the mines, the inexperienced, seeing it simply, think it to be only 51.126 bare earth, and to have nothing more than other earth; but those who perceive it with the eyes of their craft know the nobility of this earth, and delivering it to the test of fire, they uncover all its excellence. So it is also with the divine Scriptures; those who simply read the letters, think them to be bare letters having nothing more than others; but those who perceive them with the eyes of faith, just as those others with the instruments of their craft, delivering them to the fire of the Spirit for examination, will easily see all their gold. From where then did the beginning of the inquiry come? For we did not simply fall into this treatise, lest someone should accuse us of being untimely; but we desired to speak of the achievements of Paul, as the Acts of the Apostles were being read to you, and we took up the beginning of the history; and we found the beginning of the narrative to be thus: But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. Immediately the change of name disturbed you; for we find in all the Epistles, and in those introductions, him being called not Saul, but Paul, and this happens not only in his case, but also in that of many others. For indeed Peter was called Simon before this, and the children of Zebedee, James and John, were later renamed Sons of thunder, and in the Old Testament one might see this very custom prevailing in some cases; for Abraham, previously called Abram, was afterwards called Abraham, and Sarra was before this Sara, and afterwards was named Sarra, and Jacob was afterwards addressed as Israel; therefore it seemed to us out of place to pass over so great a treasure of names simply. And one might find this also happening in the case of secular rulers; for they too have a double designation of names. For see: Porcius Festus, it says, succeeded Felix; and again, A certain man was with the proconsul called Sergius Paulus; and he who delivered Christ to the Jews was called Pontius Pilate. And not only for rulers, but also for soldiers the names are often double, and for those who have taken up private life, from some cause and reason the appellation has become double. But concerning them, there is no profit for us in asking from where they were so called; but when God gives a name, one must show all diligence to find the reason. For God is not accustomed to do or to say anything simply or at random, but each thing with its proper wisdom. Why then was he called Saul when he was persecuting, and renamed Paul when he believed? Some say that when he was causing uproar and disturbing and

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πόνους τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ὑπομενοῦμεν; εἰ πρὸς τὴν ἀκρόασιν οὕτω βάναυσοι, πόθεν δῆλον, ὅτι πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξίν ἐσμεν διεγηγερμένοι; εἰ τὸ εὐκολώτερον παραπεμψώμεθα, πῶς τὸ δυσκολώτερον οἴσομεν; Ἀλλὰ πολλὴ ἡ στενοχωρία, πολλὴ ἡ βία. Ἀλλ' ἄκουσον ὅτι βιασταὶ ἁρπάζουσι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅτι στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωήν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην ὁδὸν βαδίζομεν, δεῖ ἡμᾶς καὶ ἑαυτοὺς στενοχωρεῖν καὶ θλίβειν, ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν διοδεῦσαι τὴν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην ὁδόν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐμπλατύνων ἑαυτὸν, οὐκ ἂν οὕτω ῥᾳδίως τὴν ἐστενωμένην ὁδὸν διαδράμοι, ἀλλ' ὁ συνέχων, καὶ θλίβων, καὶ πιέζων. βʹ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ περὶ τῶν τυχόντων ἐστὶν ἡμῖν ἡ ζήτησις τήμερον, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ζητήματος τὴν ἀρχὴν μὲν λαβόντος χθὲς, τὴν δὲ λύσιν μὴ λαβόντος διὰ τὸ πολλὰ γενέσθαι τὰ προβληθέντα. Τί δὴ τοῦτό ἐστι; Περὶ τῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων θέσεως ἐζητοῦμεν, ἅπερ ἐπέθηκε τοῖς ἁγίοις ὁ Θεός. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα δοκεῖ μὲν ψιλὸν εἶναι, εἴ τις ἀκούσειε· πολὺν δὲ ἔχει θησαυρὸν, εἴ τις μετὰ ἀκριβείας προσέχοι. Καὶ γὰρ τὴν χρυσῖτιν γῆν τὴν ἐν τοῖς μετάλλοις κειμένην οἱ μὲν ἄπειροι καὶ ἁπλῶς ὁρῶντες γῆν νομίζουσιν εἶναι μόνον 51.126 ψιλὴν, καὶ οὐδὲν πλέον ἔχειν τῆς ἑτέρας· οἱ δὲ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῆς τέχνης καταμανθάνοντες ἴσασι τῆς γῆς ταύτης τὴν εὐγένειαν, καὶ τῷ πυρὶ παραδόντες αὐτῆς τὴν βάσανον, ἅπασαν αὐτῆς ἐκκαλύπτουσι τὴν ὑπεροχήν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, οἱ μὲν ἁπλῶς ἀναγινώσκοντες τὰ γράμματα, γράμματα εἶναι νομίζουσι ψιλὰ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πλέον ἔχειν οὐδέν· οἱ δὲ τοῖς τῆς πίστεως ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτὰ καταμανθάνοντες, καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι τοῖς τῆς τέχνης ὀργάνοις, πυρὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος παραδιδόντες αὐτῶν τὴν ἐξέτασιν, ἅπαντα τὸν χρυσὸν αὐτῶν ὄψονται ῥᾳδίως. Πόθεν οὖν ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς ζητήσεως γέγονεν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐνεπέσαμεν εἰς τὴν πραγματείαν ταύτην, ἵνα μή τις ἡμῶν ἀκαιρίαν καταγινώσκῃ· ἀλλ' ἐπεθυμήσαμεν εἰπεῖν τὰ Παύλου κατορθώματα, τῶν Πράξεων τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ὑμῖν ὑπαναγινωσκομένων, καὶ ἡψάμεθα τοῦ προοιμίου τῆς ἱστορίας· ηὕραμεν δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ διηγήματος οὕτως ἔχουσαν· Σαῦλος δὲ ἔτι ἐμπνέων ἀπειλῆς καὶ φόνου εἰς τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ Κυρίου. Εὐθέως ὑμᾶς διετάραξεν ἡ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐναλλαγή· εὑρίσκομεν γὰρ ἐν ταῖς Ἐπιστολαῖς ἁπάσαις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις ἐκείνοις οὐ Σαῦλον αὐτὸν, ἀλλὰ Παῦλον καλούμενον, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτου μόνου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἑτέρων γινόμενον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Πέτρος Σίμων ἐλέγετο πρὸ τούτου, καὶ τὰ τέκνα Ζεβεδαίου Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης Υἱοὶ βροντῆς μετωνομάσθησαν ὕστερον, καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ δὲ τὸ ἔθος αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἴδοι τις ἂν ἐπ' ἐνίων κρατῆσαν· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ πρότερον Ἀβρὰμ λεγόμενος μετὰ ταῦτα Ἀβραὰμ ἐκαλεῖτο, καὶ Σάῤῥα πρὸ τούτου Σάρα, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Σάῤῥα ὠνομάσθη, καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα Ἰσραὴλ προσηγορεύετο· ἄτοπον οὖν ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν εἶναι τοσοῦτον ὀνομάτων θησαυρὸν παραδραμεῖν ἁπλῶς. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ ἀρχόντων τῶν ἔξωθεν συμβαῖνον εὕροι τις ἄν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνοις διπλοῦς ὁ χρηματισμὸς τῶν ὀνομάτων. Ὅρα δέ· ∆ιεδέξατο, φησὶ, τὸν Φήλικα Πόρτιος Φῆστος· καὶ πάλιν, Συνῆν τις τῷ ἀνθυπάτῳ καλουμένῳ Σεργίῳ Παύλῳ· καὶ ὁ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐκδοὺς τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις Πόντιος Πιλάτος ἐλέγετο. Οὐ τοῖς ἄρχουσι δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στρατιώταις πολλάκις διπλᾶ τὰ ὀνόματα, καὶ τοῖς τὸν ἰδιωτικὸν ἀνῃρημένοις βίον ἀπὸ αἰτίας τινὸς καὶ ὑποθέσεως διπλῆ γέγονεν ἡ προσηγορία. Ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ μὲν ἐκείνων οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ὄφελος ζητεῖν πόθεν οὕτως ἐκλήθησαν· ὅταν δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ὀνομάζῃ, πᾶσαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι σπουδὴν χρὴ ὡς εὑρεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς οὔτε εἰκῆ οὔτε ποιεῖν οὔτε λέγειν ὁ Θεὸς εἴωθεν, ἀλλ' ἕκαστον μετὰ τῆς αὐτῷ προσηκούσης σοφίας. Τί δήποτε οὖν Σαῦλος ἐλέγετο, ὅτε ἐδίωκεν, καὶ Παῦλος μετωνομάσθη, ὅτε ἐπίστευσε; Τινές φασιν ὅτι ἡνίκα μὲν ἐθορύβει καὶ ἐτάραττε καὶ