Homily X.

Rom. V. 12

“Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon (διἥλθεν6 mss.εἴς…) all men, for that all have sinned.”

As the best physicians always take great pains to discover the source of diseases, and go to the very fountain of the mischief, so doth the blessed Paul also. Hence after having said that we were justified, and having shown it from the Patriarch, and from the Spirit, and from the dying of Christ (for He would not have died unless He intended to justify), he next confirms from other sources also what he had at such length demonstrated. And he confirms his proposition from things opposite, that is, from death and sin. How, and in what way? He enquires whence death came in, and how it prevailed. How then did death come in and prevail? “Through the sin of one.” But what means, “for that all have sinned?” This; he having once fallen, even they that had not eaten of the tree did from him, all of them, become mortal.156    This whole passage is introduced to show the glory and power of Christ’s salvation as able to conquer the power of sin and death. The case of Adam’s sin is not introduced for its own sake but as a background on which to exhibit the greatness of God’s grace. Two erroneous assumptions are often made in respect to this passage (1) that Adam’s sin and not God’s grace in Christ is the chief theme, and (2) that the Apostle intends here to set forth a theory of original sin. This verse contains four points (1) Sin came into the world by the agency of one man—Adam. (2) In consequence of sin came death. (3) In virtue of the causal relation between sin and death, the latter extended itself to all men, for the reason (4) that all sinned. The ὥσπερshows that this is used as an illustrative parallel to magnify the greatness of grace which is mightier than sin (cf. πολλῷ μᾶλλον vv. 15–17).—G.B.S.

Ver. 13. “For until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed where there is no law.”

The phrase “till the Law” some think he used of the time before the giving of the Law—that of Abel, for instance, or of Noah, or of Abraham—till Moses was born. What was the sin in those days, at this rate? some say he means that in Paradise. For hitherto it was not done away, (he would say,) but the fruit of it was yet in vigor. For it had borne that death whereof all partake, which prevailed and lorded over us. Why then does he proceed, “But sin is not imputed when there is no law?” It was by way of objection from the Jews, say they who have spoken on our side,157    οἱ τὰ ἡμέτερα εἰρηκότες. The passage is corrupt in Savile: most mss. read φασὶν and λέγοντα. that he laid this position down and said, if there be no sin without the Law, how came death to consume all those before the Law? But to me it seems that the sense presently to be given has more to be said for it, and suits better with the Apostle’s meaning. And what sense is this? In saying, that “till the Law sin was in the world,” what he seems to me to mean is this, that after the Law was given the sin resulting from the transgression of it prevailed, and prevailed too so long as the Law existed. For sin, he says, can have no existence if there be no law.158    The apostle does not say that there can be no sin if there is no law. He says the exact contrary. He elsewhere says (iv. 15) that where there is no law there is no transgression. By “law” here he means positive, statutory commands and prohibitions. His meaning here is: God does not reckon ἁμαρτία as παράβασις where there is no explicit commandment. But sin was in the world during all this period previous to the Mosaic law, as proved by the reign of death. It extended its sway and penalty even to those who had not sinned, as Adam did, against positive enactment. We know well on what principle the apostle justifies his position that there is sin even where no written commandment is transgressed. The principle has been already developed viz.: there is a moral law implanted in the human heart (i. 19, 21; ii. 15). To offend against this is sin (though not transgression, which implies positive law) and induces death as its consequence.—G.B.S. If then it was this sin, he means, from the transgression of the Law that brought forth death, how was it that all before the Law died? For if it is in sin that death hath its origin, but when there is no law, sin is not imputed, how came death to prevail? From whence it is clear, that it was not this sin, the transgression, that is, of the Law, but that of Adam’s disobedience, which marred all things. Now what is the proof of this? The fact that even before the Law all died: for “death reigned,” he says, “from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned.”

How did it reign? “After the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come.” Now this is why Adam is a type of Christ. How a type? it will be said. Why in that, as the former became to those who were sprung from him, although they had not eaten of the tree, the cause of that death which by his eating was introduced; thus also did Christ become to those sprung from Him, even though they had not wrought righteousness, the Provider159    πρόξενος. of that righteousness which through His Cross160    The comparison of the two Trees is very frequent in the Fathers; see St. Cyr. Cat. xiii. §19, p. 152, O.T. Tert. adv. Judæos, §13. He graciously bestowed on us all. For this reason, at every turn he keeps to the “one,” and is continually bringing it before us, when he says, “As by one man sin entered into the world”—and, “If through the offence of one many be dead:” and, “Not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift;” and, “The judgment was by one to condemnation:” and again, “If by one (or, the one) man’s offence death reigned by one;” and “Therefore as by the offence of one.” And again, “As by one man’s disobedience many (or, the many) were made sinners.” And so he letteth not go of the one, that when the Jew says to thee, How came it, that by the well-doing of this one Person, Christ, the world was saved? thou mightest be able to say to him, How by the disobedience of this one person, Adam, came it to be condemned? And yet sin and grace are not equivalents, death and life are not equivalents, the Devil and God are not equivalents, but there is a boundless space between them. When then as well from the nature of the thing as from the power of Him that transacteth it, and from the very suitableness thereof (for it suiteth much better with God to save than to punish), the preëminence and victory is upon this side, what one word have you to say for unbelief, tell me? However, that what had been done was reasonable, he shows in the following words.

Ver. 15. “But not as the offence, so is also the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto the many.”

For what he says is somewhat of this kind. If sin had so extensive effects, and the sin of one man too; how can grace, and that the grace of God, not the Father only, but also the Son, do otherwise than be the more abundant of the two? For the latter is far the more reasonable supposition. For that one man should be punished on account of another does not seem to be much in accordance with reason. But for one to be saved on account of another is at once more suitable and more reasonable. If then the former took place, much more may the latter. Hence he has shown from these grounds the likelihood and reasonableness of it. For when the former had been made good, this would then be readily admitted. But that it is even necessarily so, he makes good from what follows. How then does he make it good?

Ver. 16. “And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.”

And what is this that he is speaking of? It is that sin had power to bring in death and condemnation; but grace did not do away that one sin only, but also those that followed after in its train. Lest then the words “as” and “so” might seem to make the measure of the blessings and the evils equal, and that you might not think, upon hearing of Adam, that it was only that sin which he had brought in which was done away with, he says that it was from many offences that an indemnity was brought about. How is this plain? Because after the numberless sins committed after that in paradise, the matter issued in justification. But where righteousness is, there of necessity follows by all means life, and the countless blessings, as does death where sin was. For righteousness is more than life, since it is even the root of life. That there were several goods then brought in, and that it was not that sin only that was taken away, but all the rest along with it, he points out when he says, that “the gift was of many offences unto justification.” In which a proof is necessarily included, that death was also torn up by the roots. But since he had said, that the second was greater than the first, he is obliged to give further grounds again for this same thing. For, before, he had said that if one man’s sin slew all, much more will the grace of One have the power to save. After that he shows that it was not that sin only that was done away by the grace, but all the rest too, and that it was not that the sins were done away only, but that righteousness was given. And Christ did not merely do the same amount of good that Adam did of harm, but far more and greater good. Since then he had made such declarations as these, he wants again here also further confirmation of these. And how does he give this confirmation? He says,

Ver. 17. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift and (so Field with most mss.) of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

What he says, amounts to this nearly. What armed death against the world? The one man’s eating from the tree only. If then death attained so great power from one offence, when it is found that certain received a grace and righteousness out of all proportion to that sin, how shall they still be liable to death? And for this cause, he does not here say “grace,” but “superabundance of grace.” For it was not as much as we must have to do away the sin only, that we received of His grace, but even far more. For we were at once freed from punishment, and put off all iniquity, and were also born again from above (John iii. 3) and rose again with the old man buried, and were redeemed, justified, led up to adoption, sanctified, made brothers of the Only-begotten, and joint heirs and of one Body with Him, and counted for His Flesh, and even as a Body with the Head, so were we united unto Him! All these things then Paul calls a “superabundance” of grace, showing that what we received was not a medicine only to countervail the wound, but even health, and comeliness, and honor, and glory and dignities far transcending our natural state. And of these each in itself was enough to do away with death, but when all manifestly run together in one, there is not the least vestige of it left, nor can a shadow of it be seen, so entirely is it done away. As then if any one were to cast a person who owed ten mites (ὀβόλους) into prison, and not the man himself only, but wife and children and servants for his sake; and another were to come and not to pay down the ten mites only, but to give also ten thousand talents of gold, and to lead the prisoner into the king’s courts, and to the throne of the highest power, and were to make him partaker of the highest honor and every kind of magnificence, the creditor would not be able to remember the ten mites; so hath our case been. For Christ hath paid down far more than we owe, yea as much more as the illimitable ocean is than a little drop. Do not then, O man, hesitate as thou seest so great a store of blessings, nor enquire how that mere spark of death and sin was done away, when such a sea of gifts was brought in upon it. For this is what Paul intimated by saying that “they who have received the abundance of the grace and righteousness shall reign in life.” And as he had now clearly demonstrated this, he again makes use of his former argument, clenching it by taking up the same word afresh, and saying that if for that offence all were punished, then they may be justified too by these means.161    Chrys. has well apprehended v. 15–17 as an argument a fortiori. Here are three contrasts between the principles of sin and grace to show the superior power of the latter: (1) It is a much more reasonable and supposable case that many should find life in one man’s act than that many should suffer death in consequence of one man’s sin, v. 15. (2) The condemnation has in it (so to speak) only the power of one sin; the gracious gift overcomes many trespasses, v. 16. (3) Life in Christ must be greater than death in Adam.—G.B.S. And so he says,

Ver. 18. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”

And he insists again upon it, saying,

Ver. 19. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.

What he says seems indeed to involve no small question: but if any one attends to it diligently, this too will admit of an easy solution. What then is the question? It is the saying that through the offence of one many were made sinners. For the fact that when he had sinned and become mortal, those who were of him should be so also, is nothing unlikely. But how would it follow that from his disobedience another would become a sinner? For at this rate a man of this sort will not even deserve punishment, if, that is, it was not from his own self that he became a sinner. What then does the word “sinners” mean here? To me it seems to mean liable to punishment and condemned to death. Now that by Adam’s death we all became mortals, he had shown clearly and at large. But the question now is, for what purpose was this done? But this he does not go on to add: for it contributed nothing to his present object. For it is against a Jew that the contest is, who doubted and made scorn of the righteousness by One. And for this reason after showing that the punishment too was brought in by one upon all, the reason why this was so he has not added. For he is not for superfluities, but keeps merely to what is necessary. For this is what the principles of disputation did not oblige him to say any more than the Jew; and therefore he leaves it unsolved. But if any of you were to enquire with a view to learn, we should give this answer: That we are so far from taking any harm from this death and condemnation162    i.e. since we have been redeemed. See on Rom. ix. 11., if we be sober-minded, that we are the gainers even by having become mortal, first, because it is not an immortal body in which we sin; secondly, because we get numberless grounds for being religious (φιλοσοφίας). For to be moderate, and to be temperate, and to be subdued, and to keep ourselves clear of all wickedness, is what death by its presence and by its being expected persuades us to. But following with these, or rather even before these, it hath introduced other greater blessings besides. For it is from hence that the crowns of the martyrs come, and the rewards of the Apostles. Thus was Abel justified, thus was Abraham, in having slain his son, thus was John, who for Christ’s sake was taken off, thus were the Three Children, thus was Daniel. For if we be so minded, not death only, but even the devil himself will be unable to hurt us. And besides there is this also to be said, that immortality awaits us, and after having been chastened a little while, we shall enjoy the blessings to come without fear, being as if in a sort of school in the present life, under instruction by means of disease, tribulation, temptations, and poverty, and the other apparent evils, with a view to our becoming fit for the reception of the blessings of the world to come.

Ver. 20. “Moreover the Law entered: that the offence might abound.”

Since then he had shown that the world was condemned from Adam, but from Christ was saved and freed from condemnation, he now seasonably enters upon the discussion of the Law, here again undermining the high notions of it. For it was so far from doing any good, he means, or from being any way helpful, but the disorder was only increased by its having come in. But the particle “that” again does not assign the cause, but the result. For the purpose of its being given was not “in order that” it might abound, for it was given to diminish and destroy the offence. But it resulted the opposite way, not owing to the nature of the Law, but owing to the listlessness of those who received it.163    The Author’s view of ἵνα πλεονάσῃ cannot be exegetically justified. Paul teaches that it was the purpose of the dispensation of law which came in between Adam and Christ to make transgression abound (cf. Gal. iii. 9). The meaning is not that its purpose in coming in alongside (παρεισῆλθεν) of this reign of sin was to increase sin; but to make sin appear as such, to exhibit it as transgression and to reveal it in its true character to the consciousness of men. Only through the law could sin appear as transgression and thus be apprehended by men in the clearest manner as contrary to God’s will (cf. iv. 15 and v. 13).—G.B.S. But why did he not say the Law was given, but “the Law entered by the way?” It was to show that the need of it was temporary, and not absolute or imperative. And this he says also to the Galatians, showing the very same thing another way. “For before faith came,” he says, “we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” And so it was not for itself, but for another, that it kept the flock. For since the Jews were somewhat gross-minded, and enervated, and indifferent to the gifts themselves, this was why the Law was given, that it might convict them the more, and clearly teach them their own condition, and by increasing the accusation might the more repress them. But be not thou afraid, for it was not that the punishment might be greater that this was done, but that the grace might be seen to be greater. And this is why he proceeds,

“But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

He does not say did abound, but “did much more abound.” For it was not remission from punishment only that He gave us, but that from sins, and life also. As if any were not merely to free a man with a fever from his disease, but to give him also beauty, and strength, and rank; or again, were not to give one an hungered nourishment only, but were to put him in possession of great riches, and were to set him in the highest authority. And how did sin abound? some will say. The Law gave countless commands. Now since they transgressed them all, trangression became more abundant. Do you see what a great difference there is between grace and the Law? For the one became an addition to the condemnation, but the other, a further abundance of gifts. Having then mentioned the unspeakable munificence, he again discusses the beginning and the root both of death and of life. What then is the root of death? It is sin. Wherefore also he saith,

Ver. 21. “That as sin reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This he says to show that the latter ranks as a king, the former, death, as a soldier, being marshalled under the latter, and armed by it. If then the latter (i.e. sin) armed death, it is plain enough that the righteousness destructive hereof, which by grace was introduced, not only disarms death, but even destroys it, and undoes entirely the dominion thereof, in that it is the greatest of the two, as being brought in not by man and the devil, but by God and grace, and leading our life unto a goodlier estate, and to blessings unlimited. For of it there will never be any end (to give you a view of its superiority from this also). For the other cast us out of our present life, but grace, when it came, gave us not the present life, but the immortal and eternal one. But for all these things Christ is our voucher. Doubt not then for thy life if thou hast righteousness, for righteousness is greater than life as being mother of it.

Chap. vi. ver. 1. “What then? shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.”

He is again turning off to exhortation, yet introducing it not directly, lest he should seem to many to be irksome and vexing, but as if it rose out of the doctrines. For if, even so diversifying his address, he was afraid of their being offended at what he said, and therefore said, “I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort,” (Rom. xv. 15) much more would he have seemed to them, had he not done so, to be too harsh. Since then he showed the greatness of the grace by the greatness of the sins it healed, and owing to this it seemed in the eyes of the unthinking to be an encouragement to sin (for if the reason, they would say, why greater grace was shown, was because we had done great sins, let us not give over sinning, that grace may be more displayed still), now that they might not say this or suspect it, see how he turns the objection back again. First he does it by his deprecation. “God forbid.” And this he is in the habit of doing at things confessed on all hands to be absurd. And then he lays down an irrefragable argument. And what is it?

Ver. 2. “How shall we,” he says, “that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”

What does “we are dead” mean? Does it mean that as for that, and as far as it goes, we have all received the sentence164    ἀπόφασιν ἐδεξάμεθα, see the same phrase, Hom. vii. p. 382. of death? or, that we became dead to it by believing any being165    i.e. baptized, St. Cyr. Cat. Intr. §1. p. 1, O.T. enlightened. This is what one should rather say, since the sequel makes this clearly right. But what is becoming dead to it? The not obeying it in anything any more. For this baptism effected once for all, it made us dead to it. But this must of our own earnestness thenceforth continually be maintained, so that, although sin issue countless commands to us, we may never again obey it, but abide unmovable as a dead man doth. And indeed he elsewhere saith that sin itself is dead. But there he sets that down as wishing to show that virtue is easy, (Rom. vii. 8?) But here, as he earnestly desires to rouse the hearer, he puts the death on his side. Next, since what was said was obscure, he again explains, using what he had said also in the way of reproof.

Ver. 3, 4. “Know ye not,” he says, “my brethren, that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death? therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death.”

What does being “baptized into His Death” mean? That it is with a view to our dying as He did. For Baptism is the Cross. What the Cross then, and Burial, is to Christ, that Baptism hath been to us, even if not in the same respects. For He died Himself and was buried in the Flesh, but we have done both to sin. Wherefore he does not say, planted together in His Death, but in the likeness of His Death. For both the one and the other is a death, but not of the same subject; since the one is of the Flesh, that of Christ; the other of sin, which is our own. As then that is real, so is this. But if it be real, then166    Or “still,” εἰ καὶ ἀληθὴς. what is of our part again must be contributed. And so he proceeds,

“That as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

Here he hints, along with the duty of a careful walk, at the subject of the resurrection. In what way? Do you believe, he means, that Christ died, and that He was raised again? Believe then the same of thyself. For this is like to the other, since both Cross and Burial is thine. For if thou hast shared in Death and Burial, much more wilt thou in Resurrection and Life. For now the greater is done away with, the sin I mean, it is not right to doubt any longer about the lesser, the doing away of death.

But this he leaves for the present to the conscience of his hearers to reason out, but himself, after the resurrection to come had been set before us, demands of us another, even the new conversation, which is brought about in the present life by a change of habits.167    St. Gr. Naz. Jamb. xx; 271, p. 228 (in Ed. Ben. xxiv. 277, p. 508). B. What? have I not the cleansing laver yet? A. You have, but mind! B. Mind what? A. Not for your habits, but for past transgressions. B. Nay, but for habits! What? A. Only if thou be first at work to cleanse them. See Tert. de Pœn. §6, 7, and the beginning of the next Homily. When then the fornicator becomes chaste, the covetous man merciful, the harsh subdued, even here a resurrection has taken place, the prelude to the other. And how is it a resurrection? Why, because sin is mortified, and righteousness hath risen again, and the old life hath been made to vanish, and this new and angelic one is being lived in. But when you hear of a new life, look for a great alteration, a wide change. But tears come into my eyes, and I groan deeply to think how great religiousness (φιλοσοφίαν) Paul requires of us, and what listlessness we have yielded ourselves up to, going back after our baptism to the oldness we before had, and returning to Egypt, and remembering the garlic after the manna. (Num. xi. 5.) For ten or twenty days at the very time of our Illumination, we undergo a change, but then take up our former doings again. But it is not for a set number of days, but for our whole life, that Paul requires of us such a conversation. But we go back to our former vomit, thus after the youth of grace building up the old age of sins. For either the love of money, or the slavery to desires not convenient, or any other sin whatsoever, useth to make the worker thereof old. “Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Heb. viii. 13.) For there is no body, there surely is none, to be seen as palsied by length of time, as a soul is decayed and tottering with many sins. Such an one gets carried on to the last degree of doting, yielding indistinct sounds, like men that are very old and crazed, being surcharged with rheum, and great distortion of mind, and forgetfulness, and with scales upon its eyes, and168    Mar. φανεῖται, 4 mss. φαινομένη. disgustful to men, and an easy prey to the devil. Such then are the souls of sinners; not so those of the righteous, for they are youthful and well-favored, and are in the very prime of life throughout, ever ready for any fight or struggle. But those of sinners, if they receive even a small shock, straightway fall and are undone. And it was this the Prophet made appear, when he said, that like as the chaff which the wind scattereth from the face of the earth (Ps. i. 4), thus are they that live in sin whirled to and fro, and exposed to every sort of harm. For they neither see like a healthy person, nor hear with simplicity, they speak not articulately, but are oppressed with great shortness of breath. They have their mouth overflowing with spittle. And would it were but spittle, and nothing offensive! But now they send forth words more fetid than any mire, and what is worst, they have not power even to spit this saliva of words away from them, but taking it in their hand with much lewdness, they smear it on again, so as to be coagulating, and hard to perspire through.169    διατμέω. ap. Hipp. p. 505. 10. Liddell & Scott, sub. v. or to cut through, from διατέμνω. Perhaps ye are sickened with this description. Ought ye not, then to be more so at the reality? For if these things when happening in the body are disgustful, much more when in the soul. Such was that son who wasted out all his share, and was reduced to the greatest wretchedness, and was in a feebler state than any imbecile or disordered person. But when he was willing, he became suddenly young by his decision alone and his change. For as soon as he had said, “I will return to my Father,” this one word conveyed to him all blessings; or rather not the bare word, but the deed which he added to the word. For he did not say, “Let me go back,” and then stay there; but said, Let me go back, and went back, and returned the whole of that way. Thus let us also do; and even if we have gotten carried beyond the boundary, let us go up to our Father’s house, and not stay lingering over the length of the journey. For if we be willing, the way back again is easy and very speedy. Only let us leave the strange and foreign land; for this is what sin is, drawing us far away from our Father’s house; let us leave her then, that we may speedily return to the house of our Father. For our Father hath a natural yearning towards us, and will honor us if we be changed, no less than those that are unattainted, if we change, but even more, just as the father showed that son the greater honor. For he had greater pleasure himself at receiving back his son. And how am I to go back again? one may say. Do but put a beginning upon the business, and the whole is done. Stay from vice, and go no farther into it, and thou hast laid hold of the whole already. For as in the case of the sick, being no worse may be a beginning of getting better, so is the case with vice also. Go no further, and then your deeds of wickedness will have an end. And if you do so for two days, you will keep off on the third day more easily; and after three days you will add ten, then twenty, then an hundred, then your whole life. (Cf. Hom. xvii. on St. Matt. p. 267, O.T.) For the further thou goest on, the easier wilt thou see the way to be, and thou wilt stand on the summit itself, and wilt at once enjoy many goods. For so it was when the prodigal came back, there were flutes, and harps, and dancings, and feasts, and assemblings: and he who might have called his son to account for his ill-timed extravagance, and flight to such a distance, did nothing of the sort, but looked upon him as unattainted, and could not find it in him even to use the language of reproach, or rather, even to mention barely to him the former things, but threw himself upon him, and kissed him, and killed the calf, and put a robe upon him, and placed on him abundant honors. Let us then, as we have such examples before us, be of good cheer and keep from despair. For He is not so well pleased with being called Master, as Father, nor with having a slave as with having a son. And this is what He liketh rather than that. This then is why He did all that He has done; and “spared not even His Only-begotten Son” (Rom. viii. 32), that we might receive the adoption of sons, that we might love Him, not as a Master only, but as a Father. And if He obtained this of us He taketh delight therein as one that has glory given him, and proclaimeth it to all though He needeth nothing of ours. This is what, in Abraham’s case for instance, He everywhere does, using these words, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And yet it was they of His household who should have found an honor in this; but now it is the Lord evidently who does this; for this is why He says to Peter, “Lovest thou Me more than these?” (John xxi. 17) to show that He seeketh nothing so much as this from us. For this too He bade Abraham offer his son to Him, that He might make it known to all that He was greatly beloved170    This passage is one among many which show how the fides formata was that which the Fathers contemplated. by the patriarch. Now this desire to be loved exceedingly comes from loving exceedingly. For this cause too He said to the Apostles, “He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me.” (Matt. x. 37.) For this cause He bids us esteem that even which is in the most close connection with us, our soul (or, life, v. 39, and John xii. 25), as second to the love of him, since He wisheth to be beloved by us with exceeding entireness. For we too, if we have no strong feelings about a person, have no strong desire for his friendship either, though he be great and noble; whereas when we love any one warmly and really, though the person loved be of low rank and humble, yet we esteem love from him as a very great honor. And for this reason He Himself also called it glory not to be loved by us only, but even to suffer those shameful things in our behalf. (ib. 23.) However, those things were a glory owing to love only. But whatever we suffer for Him, it is not for love alone; but even for the sake of the greatness and dignity of Him we long for, that it would with good reason both be called glory, and be so indeed. Let us then incur dangers for Him as if running for the greatest crowns, and let us esteem neither poverty, nor disease, nor affront, nor calumny, nor death itself, to be heavy and burdensome, when it is for Him that we suffer these things. For if we be right-minded, we are the greatest possible gainers by these things, as neither from the contrary to these shall we if not right-minded gain any advantage. But consider; does any one affront thee and war against thee? Doth he not thereby set thee upon thy guard, and give thee an opportunity of growing like unto God? For if thou lovest him that plots against thee, thou wilt be like Him that “maketh His Sun to rise upon the evil and good.” (Matt. v. 45.) Does another take thy money away? If thou bearest it nobly, thou shalt receive the same reward as they who have spent all they have upon the poor. For it says, “Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.” (Heb. x. 34.) Has any one reviled thee and abused thee, whether truly or falsely, he weaves for thee a very great crown if thou bearest meekly his contumely; since he too, who calumniates, provides for us an abundant reward. For “rejoice,” it says, “and be exceeding glad, when men say all manner of evil against you falsely, because great is your reward in Heaven.” (Matt. v. 12, 11.) And he too that speaketh truth against us is of the greatest service, if we do but bear meekly what is said. For the Pharisee spake evil of the Publican, and with truth, still instead of a Publican he made him a righteous man. (Luke xviii. 11.) And what need to go into particular instances. For any one that will go to the conflicts of Job may learn all these points accurately. And this is why Paul said, “God for us, who against us?” (Rom. viii. 31.) As then by being earnest, we gain even from things that vex us, so by being listless, we do not even improve from things that favor us. For what did Judas profit, tell me, by being with Christ? or what profit was the Law to the Jew? or Paradise to Adam? or what did Moses profit those in the wilderness? And so we should leave all, and look to one point only, how we may husband aright our own resources. And if we do this, not even the devil himself will ever get the better of us, but will make our profiting the greater, by putting us upon being watchful. Now in this way it is that Paul rouses the Ephesians, by describing his fierceness. Yet we sleep and snore, though we have to do with so crafty an enemy. And if we were aware of a serpent171    See Macarius on the Keeping of the Heart, c. 1. translated in Penn’s Institutes of Christian Perfection, p. 2. nestling by our bed, we should make much ado to kill him. But when the devil nestleth in our souls, we fancy that we take no harm, but lie at our ease; and the reason is, that we see him not with the eyes of our body. And yet this is why we should rouse us the more and be sober. For against an enemy whom one can perceive, one may easily be on guard; but one that cannot be seen, if we be not continually in arms, we shall not easily escape. And the more so, because he hath no notion of open combat (for he would surely be soon defeated), but often under the appearance of friendship he insinuates the venom of his cruel malice. In this way it was that he suborned Job’s wife, by putting on the mask of natural affectionateness, to give that wretchless advice. And so when conversing with Adam, he puts on the air of one concerned and watching over his interests, and saith, that “your eyes shall be opened in the day that ye eat of the tree.” (Gen. iii. 5.) Thus Jephtha too he persuaded, under the pretext of religion, to slay his daughter, and to offer the sacrifice the Law forbade. Do you see what his wiles are, what his varying warfare? Be then on thy guard, and arm thyself at all points with the weapons of the Spirit, get exactly acquainted with his plans, that thou mayest both keep from being caught, and easily catch him. For it was thus that Paul got the better of him, by getting exactly acquainted with these. And so he says, “for we are not ignorant of his devices.” (2 Cor. ii. 11.) Let us then also be earnest in learning and avoiding his stratagems, that after obtaining a victory over him, we may, whether in this present life or in that which is to come, be proclaimed conquerors, and obtain those unalloyed blessings, by the grace and love toward man, etc.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ιʹ. Διὰ τοῦτο, ὥσπερ δι' ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἡ ἁμαρτία εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθε, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος: καὶ οὕτως εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους διῆλ θεν ὁ θάνατος, ἐφ' ᾧ πάντες ἥμαρτον. αʹ. Καθάπερ οἱ τῶν ἰατρῶν ἄριστοι τὴν ῥίζαν ἀεὶ πολυπραγμονοῦσι τῶν νοσημάτων, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἔρχονται τὴν πηγὴν τοῦ κακοῦ: οὕτω καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι ἐδικαιώθημεν, καὶ δείξας ἀπὸ τοῦ πατριάρχου καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἀπέθανεν, εἰ μὴ ἔμελλε δικαιοῦν), κατασκευάζει λοιπὸν καὶ ἑτέρωθεν τὰ διὰ τούτων ἀποδειχθέντα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων συνιστὰς τὸ προκείμενον, τουτέστιν, ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, πῶς καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ ζητεῖ, καὶ πόθεν εἰσῆλθεν ὁ θάνατος, καὶ πῶς ἐκράτησε. Πῶς οὖν εἰσῆλθεν ὁ θάνατος, καὶ ἐκράτησε; Διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ ἑνός. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἐφ' ᾧ πάντες ἥμαρτον; Ἐκείνου πεσόντος, καὶ οἱ μὴ φαγόντες ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου γεγόνασιν ἐξ ἐκείνου πάντες θνητοί. Ἄχρι γὰρ νόμου ἁμαρτία ἦν ἐν κόσμῳ: ἁμαρτία δὲ οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται, μὴ ὄντος νόμου. Τὸ, Ἄχρι νόμου, τινὲς τὸν χρόνον ἐκεῖνον νομίζουσιν αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι τὸν πρὸ τῆς τοῦ νόμου δόσεως: οἷον τὸν ἐπὶ Ἄβελ, τὸν ἐπὶ Νῶε, τὸν ἐπὶ Ἀβραὰμ, τὸν ἕως ὅτε Μωϋσῆς ἐγεννήθη. Ποία οὖν τότε ἦν ἡ ἁμαρτία; Τινές φασι τὴν ἐν παραδείσῳ λέγειν αὐτόν: οὐδέπω γὰρ ἦν λυθεῖσα, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἤνθει αὐτῆς ὁ καρπός: τὸν γὰρ κοινὸν ἐκείνη θάνατον ἤνεγκεν, ὃς ἐκράτει καὶ ἐτυράννει. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐπάγει, Ἁμαρτία δὲ οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται, μὴ ὄντος νόμου; Ἐξ ἀντιθέσεως τῶν Ἰουδαίων, φησὶν, οἱ τὰ ἡμέτερα εἰρηκότες τοῦτο αὐτὸν τεθεικέναι λέγονται, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἔστιν ἁμαρτία χωρὶς νόμου, πῶς ὁ θάνατος ἀνήλισκε πάντας τοὺς πρὸ τοῦ νόμου; Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ τὸ λεχθήσεσθαι μέλλον λόγον ἔχειν μᾶλλον, καὶ τῇ ἀποστολικῇ συμβαίνειν διανοίᾳ. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; Εἰπὼν, ὅτι ἄχρι νόμου ἁμαρτία ἦν ἐν κόσμῳ, τοῦτό μοι δοκεῖ λέγειν, ὅτι τοῦ νόμου δοθέντος, ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐκράτει ἡ ἐκ τῆς παραβάσεως, καὶ ἕως τότε ἐκράτει, ἕως καὶ νόμος ἦν: οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναται συστῆναι, φησὶν, ἁμαρτία, μὴ ὄντος νόμου. Εἰ τοίνυν αὕτη ἡ ἁμαρτία, φησὶν, ἐκ τῆς τοῦ νόμου παραβάσεως τὸν θάνατον ἔτικτε, πῶς οἱ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου πάντες ἀπέθνησκον; Εἰ γὰρ ἐξ ἁμαρτίας ὁ θάνατος τὴν ῥίζαν ἔσχε, νόμου δὲ οὐκ ὄντος ἡ ἁμαρτία οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται, πῶς ὁ θάνατος ἐκράτει; Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὐχ αὕτη ἡ ἁμαρτία ἡ τῆς τοῦ νόμου παραβάσεως, ἀλλ' ἐκείνη ἡ τῆς τοῦ Ἀδὰμ παρακοῆς, αὕτη ἦν ἡ πάντα λυμαινομένη. Καὶ τίς ἡ τούτου ἀπόδειξις; Τὸ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου πάντας ἀποθνήσκειν. Ἐβασίλευσε γὰρ ὁ θάνατος, φησὶν, ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι Μωϋσέως, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας. Πῶς ἐβασίλευσεν; Ἐν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως Ἀδὰμ, ὅς ἐστι τύπος τοῦ μέλλοντος. Διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ τύπος ἐστὶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ Ἀδάμ. Πῶς τύπος; φησίν. Ὅτι, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος τοῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καίτοι γε μὴ φαγοῦσιν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, γέγονεν αἴτιος θανάτου τοῦ διὰ τὴν βρῶσιν εἰσαχθέντος: οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καίτοι γε οὐ δικαιοπραγήσασι, γέγονε πρόξενος δικαιοσύνης, ἣν διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν ἐχαρίσατο. Διὰ τοῦτο ἄνω καὶ κάτω τοῦ ἑνὸς ἔχεται, καὶ συνεχῶς τοῦτο εἰς μέσον φέρει, λέγων: Ὥσπερ δι' ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἡ ἁμαρτία εἰς τὸν κόσμον εἰσῆλθε: καὶ, Ἐν τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι οἱ πολλοὶ ἀπέθανον: καὶ, Οὐχ ὡς δι' ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος, τὸ δώρημα: καὶ, Τὸ κρῖμα ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς κατάκριμα: καὶ πάλιν, Εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι ὁ θάνατος ἐβασίλευσε διὰ τοῦ ἑνός: καὶ, Ἆρα οὖν ὡς δι' ἑνὸς παραπτώματος: καὶ πάλιν, Ὥσπερ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοί: καὶ οὐκ ἀφίσταται τοῦ ἑνὸς, ἵν' ὅταν λέγῃ σοι ὁ Ἰουδαῖος, Πῶς, ἑνὸς κατορθώσαντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἡ οἰκουμένη ἐσώθη; δυνηθῇς αὐτῷ λέγειν, Πῶς, ἑνὸς παρακούσαντος τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, ἡ οἰκουμένη κατεκρίθη; Καίτοι γε οὐκ ἴσον ἁμαρτία καὶ χάρις, οὐκ ἴσον θάνατος καὶ ζωὴ, οὐκ ἴσον διάβολος καὶ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἄπειρον τὸ μέσον. Ὅταν οὖν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ πράγματος φύσεως, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ μετελθόντος δυνάμεως, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ πρέποντος (πολὺ γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ τοῦτο πρεπωδέστερον, τὸ σώζειν, ἢ τὸ κολάζειν), ἐνταῦθα ἡ ὑπεροχὴ καὶ τὰ νικητήρια, τίνα ἂν ἔχοις λόγον εἰς ἀπιστίαν, εἰπέ μοι; Ὅτι μὲν οὖν κατὰ λόγον τὸ γεγενημένον, ἔδειξεν εἰπών: Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς τὸ παράπτωμα, οὕτω καὶ τὸ χάρισμα. Εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι οἱ πολλοὶ ἀπέθανον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ ἐν χάριτι τῇ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς τοὺς πολλοὺς ἐπερίσσευσεν. Ὃ γὰρ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν: Εἰ ἡ ἁμαρτία τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσε, καὶ ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτία ἑνός: χάρις, καὶ Θεοῦ χάρις, καὶ οὐ Πατρὸς μόνου, ἀλλὰ καὶ Υἱοῦ, πῶς οὐ περιέσται μειζόνως; πολλῷ γὰρ τοῦτο εὐλογώτερον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἕτερον δι' ἕτερον κολάζεσθαι, οὐ σφόδρα δοκεῖ λόγον ἔχειν: τὸ δὲ ἕτερον δι' ἕτερον σώζεσθαι, καὶ πρεπωδέστερον μᾶλλον καὶ εὐλογώτερον. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐκεῖνο γέγονε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦτο. βʹ. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν εἰκὸς καὶ εὔλογον, ἐκ τούτων ἔδειξε: καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνου κατασκευασθέντος, εὐπαράδεκτον τοῦτο λοιπὸν ἔμελλεν εἶναι: ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἀναγκαῖον, ἐκ τῶν ἑξῆς κατασκευάζει. Πῶς οὖν τοῦτο κατασκευάζει; Οὐχ ὡς δι' ἑνὸς ἁμαρτήσαντος τὸ δώρημα, φησί: τὸ μὲν γὰρ κρῖμα ἐξ ἑνὸς εἰς κατάκριμα: τὸ δὲ χάρισμα ἐκ πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων εἰς δικαίωμα. Καὶ τί ποτέ ἐστι τοῦτο τὸ λεγόμενον; Ὅτι τὸν μὲν θάνατον καὶ τὸ κατάκριμα ἴσχυσεν ἁμαρτία μία εἰσενεγκεῖν: ἡ δὲ χάρις οὐ τὴν μίαν ἐκείνην ἁμαρτίαν ἀνεῖλε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς μετ' ἐκείνην ἐπεισελθούσας. Ἵνα γὰρ τὸ, ὡς, καὶ τὸ, οὕτω, τιθέμενον, μὴ ἴσον εἰσάγῃ μέτρον τῶν ἀγαθῶν πρὸς τὰ κακὰ, μηδὲ νομίσῃς ἀκούων τὸν Ἀδὰμ, ἐκείνην ἀνῃρῆσθαι μόνην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἣν ἐκεῖνος εἰσήνεγκε, λέγει ὅτι πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων ἡ ἀναίρεσις γέγονε. Πόθεν δῆλον; Ὅτι μετὰ τὰς ἀπείρους ἁμαρτίας τὰς μετ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ εἰς δικαίωμα τὸ πρᾶγμα ἐξέβη. Ὅπου δὲ δικαιοσύνη, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ ζωὴ πάντως ἕπεται, καὶ τὰ μυρία ἀγαθὰ, ὥσπερ οὖν, ὅπου ἁμαρτία, θάνατος. Πλέον γὰρ τῆς ζωῆς ἡ δικαιοσύνη, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ῥίζα ἐστὶ ζωῆς. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν πλείονα εἰσῆκται τὰ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ οὐκ ἐκείνη ἀνῄρηται ἡ ἁμαρτία μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ λοιπαὶ, ἔδειξεν εἰπών: Τὸ δὲ χάρισμα ἐκ πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων εἰς δικαίωμα. Ὅθεν ἀναγκαίως συναποδέδεικται καὶ τὸ τὸν θάνατον πρόῤῥιζον ἀνεσπάσθαι. Χρεία δὲ κατασκευάσαι λοιπὸν, ἐπειδὴ μεῖζον εἶπε τοῦ προτέρου τὸ δεύτερον, καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πάλιν. Πρότερον μὲν γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Εἰ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτία ἀπέκτεινε πάντας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καὶ ἑνὸς χάρις σῶσαι δυνήσεται: μετὰ ταῦτα ἔδειξεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐκείνη ἀνῃρέθη μόνον ἡ ἁμαρτία διὰ τῆς χάριτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ λοιπαὶ, καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτίαι ἀνῃρέθησαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δικαιοσύνη ἐδόθη: καὶ οὐ τοσοῦτον ὠφέλησε μόνον ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅσον ἔβλαψεν ὁ Ἀδὰμ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλεῖον καὶ μεῖζον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τοιαῦτα ἀπεφήνατο, δεῖται πάλιν καὶ ἐνταῦθα κατασκευῆς πλείονος. Πῶς οὖν αὐτὸ κατασκευάζει, Εἰ γὰρ τῷ τοῦ ἑνὸς παραπτώματι, φησὶν, ὁ θάνατος ἐβασίλευσε διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ τὴν περισσείαν τῆς χάριτος καὶ τῆς δωρεᾶς τῆς δικαιοσύνης λαμβάνοντες, ἐν ζωῇ βασιλεύουσι διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι: Τί τὸν θάνατον ὥπλισε κατὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης; Τὸ φαγεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου μόνον τὸν ἕνα ἄνθρωπον. Εἰ οὖν ὁ θάνατος τοσαύτην ἔλαβεν ἰσχὺν ἐξ ἑνὸς παραπτώματος, ὅταν εὑρεθῶσί τινες πολλῷ μείζονα τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐκείνης λαβόντες χάριν καὶ δικαιοσύνην, πῶς δυνήσονται εἶναι λοιπὸν ὑπεύθυνοι τῷ θανάτῳ; Διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπεν ἐνταῦθα, χάριν, ἀλλὰ, Περισσείαν χάριτος: οὐ γὰρ ὅσον ἐχρῄζομεν εἰς τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀναίρεσιν, τοσοῦτον ἐλάβομεν μόνον ἐκ τῆς χάριτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ κολάσεως ἀπηλλάγημεν, καὶ κακίαν ἀπεδοσάμεθα πᾶσαν, καὶ ἀνεγεννήθημεν ἄνωθεν, καὶ ἀνέστημεν τοῦ παλαιοῦ ταφέντος ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ἀπελυτρώθημεν, καὶ ἡγιάσθημεν, καὶ εἰς υἱοθεσίαν ἤχθημεν, καὶ ἐδικαιώθημεν, καὶ ἐγενόμεθα ἀδελφοὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς, καὶ συγκληρονόμοι καὶ σύσσωμοι αὐτοῦ κατέστημεν, καὶ εἰς τὴν σάρκα αὐτοῦ τελοῦμεν, καὶ ὥσπερ σῶμα κεφαλῇ, οὕτως ἡνώμεθα. Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα περισσείαν χάριτος ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Παῦλος, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ φάρμακον ἐλάβομεν ἀντίῤῥοπον τοῦ τραύματος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑγείαν καὶ εὐμορφίαν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν καὶ ἀξιώματα πολὺ τὴν ἡμετέραν ὑπερβαίνοντα φύσιν. Καὶ τούτων μὲν ἕκαστον ἱκανὸν ἦν καθ' ἑαυτὸ λῦσαι τὸν θάνατον: ὅταν δὲ ἅπαντα ὁμοῦ συντρέχοντα φαίνηται, οὐδὲ ἴχνος αὐτοῦ λοιπὸν, οὐδὲ σκιὰν φανῆναι δυνατὸν, ἄρδην ἀφανισθέντος. Ὥσπερ οὖν εἴ τις ὀβολοὺς δέκα ὀφείλοντά τινα εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐμβάλοι, οὐκ αὐτὸν δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκα καὶ παιδία καὶ οἰκέτας δι' αὐτόν: ἐλθὼν δὲ ἕτερος μὴ τοὺς δέκα ὀβολοὺς καταβάλοι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μυρία χρυσοῦ τάλαντα χαρίσαιτο, καὶ εἰς βασιλικὰς αὐλὰς εἰσαγάγοι τὸν δεσμώτην, καὶ εἰς θρόνον ἀρχῆς ὑψηλοτάτης, καὶ κοινωνὸν τῆς ἀνωτάτης τιμῆς ποιήσειε καὶ τῆς ἄλλης περιφανείας, οὐκ ἂν δύναιτο λοιπὸν μεμνῆσθαι τῶν δέκα ὀβολῶν ὁ δανείσας: οὕτω καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν γέγονε. Πολλῷ γὰρ πλείονα ὧν ὀφείλομεν κατέβαλεν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ τοσούτῳ πλείονα, ὅσῳ πρὸς ῥανίδα μικρὰν πέλαγος ἄπειρον Μὴ τοίνυν ἀμφίβαλλε, ἄνθρωπε, τοσοῦτον πλοῦτον ὁρῶν ἀγαθῶν, μηδὲ ζήτει πῶς ὁ σπινθὴρ ἐκεῖνος τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐλύθη, τοσαύτης θαλάττης χαρισμάτων ἐπενεχθείσης αὐτῷ. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ Παῦλος ᾐνίξατο εἰπὼν, ὅτι Οἱ τὴν περισσείαν τῆς χάριτος καὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης λαβόντες, ἐν ζωῇ βασιλεύσουσι: καὶ ἐπειδὴ σαφῶς τοῦτο ἀπέδειξε, πάλιν τῷ πρώτῳ κέχρηται συλλογισμῷ, ἐπισφίγγων αὐτὸν τῇ ἐπαναλήψει, καὶ λέγων, ὅτι, εἰ διὰ τοῦ παραπτώματος ἐκείνου ἐκολάσθησαν ἅπαντες, δύναιντ' ἂν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δικαιωθῆναι. Διὸ καὶ λέγει: Ἄρα οὖν ὡς δι' ἑνὸς παραπτώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς κατάκριμα, οὕτω καὶ δι' ἑνὸς δικαιώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς δικαίωσιν ζωῆς. Καὶ ἐπαγωνίζεται πάλιν αὐτῷ, οὕτω λέγων: Ὥσπερ γὰρ διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ἁμαρτωλοὶ κατεστάθησαν οἱ πολλοὶ, οὕτω καὶ διὰ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς δίκαιοι κατασταθήσονται οἱ πολλοί. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ζήτημα οὐ μικρὸν ἔχειν τὸ εἰρημένον: ἂν δέ τις ἀκριβῶς προσέχῃ, καὶ τοῦτο εὐκόλως λυθήσεται. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ ζήτημα; Τὸ λέγειν διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτωλοὺς γενέσθαι πολλούς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτόντος ἐκείνου καὶ γενομένου θνητοῦ, καὶ τοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοιούτους εἶναι, οὐδὲν ἀπεικός: τὸ δὲ ἐκ τῆς παρακοῆς ἐκείνου ἕτερον ἁμαρτωλὸν γενέσθαι, ποίαν ἂν ἀκολουθίαν σχοίη; Εὑρεθήσεται γὰρ οὕτω μηδὲ δίκην ὀφείλων ὁ τοιοῦτος, εἴ γε μὴ οἴκοθεν γέγονεν ἁμαρτωλός. γʹ. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα τὸ, Ἁμαρτωλοί; Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τὸ ὑπεύθυνοι κολάσει καὶ καταδεδικασμένοι θανάτῳ. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἀποθανόντος πάντες ἐγενόμεθα θνητοὶ, σαφῶς καὶ διὰ πολλῶν ἔδειξε: τὸ δὲ ζητούμενον, τίνος ἕνεκεν τοῦτο γέγονεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκέτι τοῦτο προστίθησιν: οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν συντελεῖ: πρὸς γὰρ Ἰουδαῖον ἡ μάχη τὸν ἀμφιβάλλοντα καὶ καταγελῶντα τῆς διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς δικαιοσύνης. Διὰ τοῦτο δείξας καὶ τὴν κόλασιν ἐξ ἑνὸς ἐξενεχθεῖσαν εἰς ἅπαντας, τίνος ἕνεκεν τοῦτο γέγονε, οὐκέτι προσέθηκεν: οὐ γάρ ἐστι περιττὸς, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἔχεται μόνον. Τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ αὐτὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν Ἰουδαῖον ἠνάγκαζε λοιπὸν ὁ τὸν ἀγώνων νόμος εἰπεῖν: διόπερ ἀφίησιν ἄλυτον. Εἰ δὲ ὑμῶν τις ζητοίη μαθεῖν, ἐροῦμεν τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν παρεβλάβημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου τούτου καὶ τῆς καταδίκης, ἐὰν νήφωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκερδάναμεν θνητοὶ γενόμενοι: πρῶτον, τὸ μὴ ἐν ἀθανάτῳ σώματι ἁμαρτάνειν: δεύτερον, ὥστε μυρίας ἔχειν φιλοσοφίας ὑποθέσεις. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ μετριάζειν καὶ σωφρονεῖν καὶ κατεστάλθαι καὶ πάσης ἀπηλλάχθαι κακίας, καὶ παρὼν καὶ προσδοκώμενος ὁ θάνατος ἀναπείθει. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸ τούτων καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα εἰσήγαγεν ἀγαθά. Ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ οἱ τῶν μαρτύρων στέφανοι, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων βραβεῖα: οὕτως ὁ Ἄβελ ἐδικαιώθη, οὕτως ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τὸν υἱὸν κατασφάξας, οὕτως ὁ Ἰωάννης διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀναιρεθεὶς, οὕτως οἱ παῖδες οἱ τρεῖς, οὕτως ὁ Δανιήλ. Ἂν γὰρ θέλωμεν, οὐ μόνον ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος ἡμᾶς βλάψαι δυνήσεται. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων κἀκεῖνο ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἀθανασία ἡμᾶς ἐκδέξεται, καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον νουθετηθέντες χρόνον, μετὰ ἀδείας ἀπολαυσόμεθα τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ὥσπερ ἐν διδασκαλείῳ τινὶ τῷ παρόντι βίῳ διὰ νόσου καὶ θλίψεως καὶ πειρασμῶν καὶ πενίας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι δεινῶν παιδευόμενοι εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι ἐπιτήδειοι εἰς τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ὑποδοχήν. Νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν, ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔδειξεν ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ Ἀδὰμ καταδικασθεῖσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σωθεῖσαν, καὶ τῆς καταδίκης ἀπαλλαγεῖσαν, εὐκαίρως καὶ περὶ τοῦ νόμου ζητεῖ λοιπὸν πάλιν, τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν ὑποτεμνόμενος. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐδὲν ὤνησε, φησὶν, οὐδὲ μόνον οὐδὲν ἐβοήθησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ηὐξήθη τὸ νόσημα παρεισελθόντος αὐτοῦ. Τὸ δὲ, Ἵνα, ἐνταῦθα οὐκ αἰτιολογίας πάλιν, ἀλλ' ἐκβάσεώς ἐστιν. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐδόθη, ἵνα πλεονάσῃ, ἀλλ' ἐδόθη μὲν ὥστε μειῶσαι καὶ ἀνελεῖν τὸ παράπτωμα: ἐξέβη δὲ τοὐναντίον, οὐ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ νόμου φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν τῶν δεξαμένων ῥᾳθυμίαν. Διὰ τί δὲ οὐκ εἶπε, Νόμος ἐδόθη, ἀλλὰ, Νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθε; Πρόσκαιρον αὐτοῦ δεικνὺς τὴν χρείαν οὖσαν, καὶ οὐ κυρίαν οὐδὲ προηγουμένην: ὃ καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας φησὶν, ἑτέρως τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δηλῶν: Πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστιν ὑπὸ νόμον, φησὶν, ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκεκλεισμένοι εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι. Ὥστε οὐχ ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλ' ἑτέρῳ τὴν ποίμνην ἐφύλαττεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ βάναυσοί τινες ἦσαν Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ ἐκλελυμένοι, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς τὰς δωρεὰς ἀναπεπτωκότες, τούτου χάριν ὁ νόμος ἐδόθη, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ἐλέγξῃ μειζόνως, καὶ διδάξῃ σαφῶς ἐν οἷς εἰσι, καὶ τὴν κατηγορίαν αὐξήσας ἐπισφίγξῃ μᾶλλον αὐτούς. Ἀλλὰ μὴ φοβηθῇς: οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ μείζω γενέσθαι τὴν κόλασιν τοῦτο ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ μείζονα φανῆναι τὴν χάριν. Διὸ ἐπήγαγεν, Οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπερίσσευσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ, Ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν. Οὐ γὰρ κολάσεως ἀπήλλαξε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσιν καὶ ζωὴν ἔδωκε, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἃ πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν: ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸν πυρέττοντα μὴ νόσου μόνον ἐλευθερώσειεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡραῖον ἐργάσαιτο καὶ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ ἔντιμον, ἢ τὸν πεινῶντα πάλιν μὴ θρέψειε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ποιήσειε χρημάτων εἶναι κύριον, καὶ ἐπ' ἀρχὴν ἀγάγοι μεγίστην. Καὶ πῶς ἐπλεόνασε τὸ ἁμάρτημα, φησί; Μυρίας ἔδωκεν ἐντολὰς ὁ νόμος: ἐπεὶ οὖν πάσας ὑπερέβησαν, ἐπλεόνασε τὸ ἁμάρτημα. Εἶδες πόσον τὸ μέσον τῆς χάριτος καὶ τοῦ νόμου; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ καὶ προσθήκη κατακρίσεως ἐγένετο, ἡ δὲ πλεονασμὸς δωρεᾶς. δʹ. Εἰπὼν δὲ τὴν ἄφατον φιλοτιμίαν, ζητεῖ πάλιν τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν καὶ τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τῆς ζωῆς. Τίς οὖν τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ῥίζα; Ἡ ἁμαρτία: διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν: Ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐβασίλευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ, οὕτω καὶ ἡ χάρις βασιλεύσῃ διὰ δικαιοσύνης εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔφη, δεικνὺς ταύτην μὲν ἐν τάξει βασιλέως, τὸν δὲ θάνατον ἐν τάξει στρατιώτου ὑπ' αὐτῇ ταττόμενον, καὶ ὑπὸ ταύτης καθοπλιζόμενον. Οὐκοῦν εἰ αὐτὴ τὸν θάνατον καθώπλισεν, εὔδηλον ὅτι ἡ ἀναιρετικὴ ταύτης δικαιοσύνη ἡ διὰ τῆς χάριτος εἰσενεχθεῖσα οὐ μόνον ἀφοπλίζει τὸν θάνατον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀναιρεῖ, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνης καταλύει βασιλείαν ἅπασαν, ὅσῳ καὶ μείζων ταύτης ἐκείνη, οὐ δι' ἀνθρώπου ἢ διαβόλου, ἀλλὰ διὰ Θεοῦ καὶ χάριτος εἰσαγομένη, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ χρηστότερον ἄγουσα τὴν ζωὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν καὶ ἀπέραντον ἀγαθόν: οὐκ ἔτι γὰρ αὐτῆς ἔσται πέρας, ἵνα καὶ ἐντεῦθεν μάθῃς τὸ πλέον. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ τῆς παρούσης ἐξέβαλε ζωῆς: ἡ δὲ χάρις ἐλθοῦσα οὐ τὴν παροῦσαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀθάνατον ἡμῖν ἐδωρήσατο καὶ αἰώνιον. Τούτων δὲ πάντων πρόξενος ἡμῖν ὁ Χριστός. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀμφίβαλλε περὶ ζωῆς, δικαιοσύνην ἔχων: καὶ γὰρ μείζων ἡ δικαιοσύνη τῆς ζωῆς, ἐπεὶ καὶ μήτηρ αὐτῆς ἐστι. Τί οὖν; ἐπιμενοῦμεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσῃ; Μὴ γένοιτο. Πάλιν εἰς τὸν ἠθικὸν ἐκβαίνει λόγον, οὐχὶ προηγουμένως αὐτὸν εἰσάγων, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ φορτικὸς εἶναι πολλοῖς καὶ ἐπαχθὴς, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς τῶν δογμάτων ἀκολουθίας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ οὕτω ποικίλλων τὸν λόγον ἐφείδετο, μή ποτε δυσχεράνωσιν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα (διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε, Τολμηρότερον δὲ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ἀπὸ μέρους), πολλῷ μᾶλλον, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἐποίησε, τραχύτερος ἂν αὐτοῖς ὤφθη. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔδειξε μεγάλην οὖσαν τὴν χάριν τῷ μεγάλα ἰάσασθαι ἁμαρτήματα, ἐκ δὲ τούτου ἐδόκει παρὰ τοῖς ἀνοήτοις προτροπὴ τὸ λεγόμενον εἰς ἁμαρτίαν εἶναι. Εἰ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο μείζων ἐφάνη ἡ χάρις, φησὶν, ἐπειδὴ μεγάλα ἡμάρτομεν, μὴ ἀποστῶμεν ἁμαρτάνοντες, ἵνα πλείων ἡ χάρις δειχθῇ: ἵν' οὖν μὴ ταῦτα λέγωσιν ἢ ὑπονοῶσιν, ὅρα πῶς ἀνατρέπει τὴν ἀντίθεσιν, πρῶτον μὲν τῇ ἀπαγορεύσει, λέγων, Μὴ γένοιτο: ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν σφόδρα ὡμολογημένων ἀτόπων ποιεῖν εἴωθεν: ἔπειτα καὶ λογισμὸν τίθησιν ἀναντίῤῥητον. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτον; Οἵτινες ἀπεθάνομεν, φησὶ, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, πῶς ἔτι ζήσομεν ἐν αὐτῇ; Τί ἐστιν, Ἀπεθάνομεν; Ἢ ὅτι, τὸ ἐκείνης μέρος καὶ τὸ εἰς αὐτὴν ἧκον, ἀπόφασιν ἐδεξάμεθα πάντες: ἢ ὅτι νεκροὶ γεγόναμεν αὐτῇ, πιστεύσαντες καὶ φωτισθέντες: ὃ καὶ μᾶλλον ἔστιν εἰπεῖν: τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς κείμενον ἐμφαίνει. Τί δέ ἐστιν, νεκροὺς αὐτῇ γεγονέναι; Τὸ πρὸς μηδὲν ὑπακούειν αὐτῇ λοιπόν. Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ μὲν βάπτισμα ἐποίησεν ἅπαξ, ἐνέκρωσεν ἡμᾶς αὐτῇ: δεῖ δὲ λοιπὸν παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας σπουδῆς κατορθοῦσθαι αὐτὸ διηνεκῶς, ὥστε, κἂν μυρία ἐπιτάττῃ, μηκέτι ὑπακούειν, ἀλλὰ μένειν ἀκίνητον ὥσπερ τὸν νεκρόν. Καίτοι γε ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν, ὅτι αὕτη ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀπέθανεν: ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μὲν εὔκολον βουλόμενος δεῖξαι τὴν ἀρετὴν, τοῦτο τίθησιν: ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ἐπειδὴ διεγεῖραι σπεύδει τὸν ἀκροατὴν, ἐπ' αὐτὸν μεταφέρει τὸν θάνατον. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ ἀσαφὲς ἦν τὸ εἰρημένον, ἑρμηνεύει πάλιν αὐτὸ καὶ ἐπιπληκτικῶς τῷ λόγῳ χρώμενος. Ἣ ἀγνοεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι ὅσοι εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθημεν, εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν; Συνετάφημεν οὖν αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος εἰς τὸν θάνατον. Τί ἐστιν, Εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν; Εἰς τὸ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀποθανεῖν ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος: σταυρὸς γάρ ἐστι τὸ βάπτισμα. Ὅπερ οὖν ὁ σταυρὸς τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ ὁ τάφος, τοῦτο ἡμῖν τὸ βάπτισμα γέγονεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν: αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ σαρκὶ καὶ ἀπέθανε καὶ ἐτάφη, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀμφότερα. Διὸ οὐκ εἶπε Σύμφυτοι τῷ θανάτῳ, ἀλλὰ, Τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου. Θάνατος μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὑποκειμένου: ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν σαρκὸς ὁ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ δὲ ἁμαρτίας ὁ ἡμέτερος. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖνος ἀληθὴς, οὕτω καὶ οὗτος. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἀληθὴς, δεῖ καὶ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν συνενεχθῆναι πάλιν: διὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν: Ἵνα ὥσπερ ἠγέρθη Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν διὰ τῆς δόξης τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατήσωμεν. Ἐνταῦθα μετὰ τῆς ἐπιμελείας τοῦ βίου καὶ τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως αἰνίττεται λόγον. Πῶς; Ἐπίστευσας, φησὶν, ὅτι ἀπέθανεν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ ὅτι ἠγέρθη; Οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸ σὸν πίστευε: τοῦτο γὰρ ἔοικεν ἐκείνῳ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸ σὸν καὶ σταυρὸς καὶ τάφος. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν θανάτῳ ἐκοινώνησας καὶ ταφῇ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν ἀναστάσει καὶ ζωῇ: τοῦ γὰρ μείζονος λυθέντος, τῆς ἁμαρτίας, οὐ δεῖ περὶ τοῦ ἐλάττονος ἀμφιβάλλειν λοιπὸν, τῆς τοῦ θανάτου ἀναιρέσεως. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν τέως ἀφίησι λογίζεσθαι τῷ συνειδότι τῶν ἀκροωμένων, αὐτὸς δὲ προκειμένης τῆς μελλούσης, ἑτέραν ἡμᾶς ἀνάστασιν ἀπαιτεῖ, τὴν καινὴν πολιτείαν, τὴν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον ἐκ τῆς τῶν τρόπων μεταβολῆς γινομένην. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ πόρνος γένηται σώφρων, καὶ ὁ πλεονέκτης ἐλεήμων, καὶ ὁ τραχὺς ἥμερος, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀνάστασις γέγονεν ἐκείνης οὖσα προοίμιον. Καὶ πῶς ἀνάστασις; Τῆς μὲν ἁμαρτίας νεκρωθείσης, τῆς δὲ δικαιοσύνης ἀναστάσης, καὶ τῆς μὲν παλαιᾶς ζωῆς ἀφανισθείσης, τῆς δὲ καινῆς ταύτης καὶ ἀγγελικῆς πολιτευομένης. Ὅταν δὲ ἀκούσῃς καινὴν ζωὴν, πολλὴν ζήτει τὴν ἐναλλαγὴν, καὶ μεγάλην τὴν μεταβολήν. εʹ. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ δακρῦσαί μοι λοιπὸν ἔπεισι καὶ στενάξαι μέγα, ὅταν ἐννοήσω πόσην μὲν ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ φιλοσοφίαν ὁ Παῦλος, πόσῃ δὲ ἑαυτοὺς ἐξεδώκαμεν ῥᾳθυμίᾳ, μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρότερον ἐπανιόντες γῆρας, καὶ εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἀνακάμπτοντες, καὶ τῶν σκορόδων μεμνημένοι μετὰ τὸ μάννα. Δέκα γὰρ καὶ εἴκοσιν ἡμέρας παρ' αὐτὸ τὸ βάπτισμα μεταβαλλόμενοι, τοῖς προτέροις πάλιν ἐπιχειροῦμεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀριθμὸν ἡμερῶν τακτὸν, ἀλλ' ὅλον ἡμᾶς τὸν βίον ἀπαιτεῖ ταύτην τὴν πολιτείαν ὁ Παῦλος: ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν πρότερον ἐπανερχόμεθα ἔμετον, μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος νεότητα, τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν κατασκευάζοντες γῆρας. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ χρημάτων ἐρᾷν, καὶ τὸ δουλεύειν ἐπιθυμίαις ἀτόποις, καὶ πᾶσα ἁπλῶς ἁμαρτία παλαιοῦν εἴωθε τὸν ἐργαζόμενον: τὸ δὲ παλαιούμενον καὶ γηράσκον ἐγγὺς ἀφανισμοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτω σῶμα ὑπὸ χρόνων παραλελυμένον ἰδεῖν, ὡς ψυχὴν ὑπὸ ἁμαρτημάτων πολλῶν σαθρουμένην καὶ καταπίπτουσαν. Ἡ γὰρ εἰς ἐσχάτην ληρωδίαν ἐξάγεται λοιπὸν, ἄσημα φθεγγομένη καθάπερ οἱ γεγηρακότες καὶ παραπαίοντες, καὶ κορύζης ἀναπεπλησμένη καὶ παραπληξίας πολλῆς καὶ λήθης, καὶ λήμας πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχουσα, καὶ ἀνθρώποις βδελυρὰ, καὶ τῷ διαβόλῳ εὐχείρωτος: καὶ γὰρ τοιαῦται αἱ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ψυχαί. Ἀλλ' οὐχ αἱ τῶν δικαίων, ἀλλὰ νεάζουσι καὶ σφριγῶσι, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἄνθει τῆς ἡλικίας εἰσὶ διαπαντὸς, πρὸς ἅπασαν μάχην καὶ πάλην ἀεὶ παρεσκευασμέναι: αἱ δὲ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν κἂν μικρὰν δέξωνται προσβολὴν, ἔπεσόν τε εὐθέως καὶ ἀπώλοντο. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ὡσεὶ χνοῦς, ὃν ἐκρίπτει ὁ ἄνεμος ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς, οὕτως εἰσὶν εὐρίπιστοι, καὶ εἰς ἐπήρειαν πᾶσι προκείμενοι, οἱ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ζῶντες. Οὔτε γὰρ ὁρῶσιν ὑγιῶς, οὔτ' ἀκούουσιν εἰλικρινῶς, οὐ φθέγγονται ἔναρθρα, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς μὲν γέμουσι τῆς λυγγὸς, πολὺν δὲ ἐν τῷ στόματι περιῤῥέοντα τὸν σίελον περιφέρουσι. Καὶ εἴθε σίελον, καὶ οὐδὲν ἦν ἄτοπον: νυνὶ δὲ παντὸς βορβόρου ῥήματα δυσωδέστερα προΐενται, καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἀποπτύσαι τὸν σίελον τούτων τῶν ῥημάτων ἰσχύουσιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ χειρὶ δεχόμενοι μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς βδελυρίας, πάλιν αὐτὸν προστρίβονται παχὺν ὄντα καὶ δυσδιάτμητον. Τάχα ναυτιᾶτε πρὸς τὴν διήγησιν: οὐκοῦν μᾶλλον πρὸς τὴν πρᾶξιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν σώματι ταῦτα ἀηδῆ συμβαίνοντα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ. Τοιοῦτος ἦν ἐκεῖνος ὁ παῖς ὁ πάντα τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κατηναλωκὼς, καὶ εἰς ἐσχάτην κακίαν κατενεχθεὶς, παντὸς ληροῦντος καὶ νενοσηκότος ἀσθενέστερον διακείμενος. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐβουλήθη, γέγονεν ἄφνω νέος, ἀπὸ γνώμης μόνης καὶ μεταστάσεως. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐπιστρέψω πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου, τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο αὐτῷ πάντα ἐκόμισε τἀγαθά: μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τὸ ῥῆμα ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔργον τῷ ῥήματι προστεθέν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐπανέλθω, καὶ ἔμεινεν: ἀλλ' εἶπεν, Ἐπανέλθω, καὶ ἐπανῆλθε, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν πᾶσαν ὑπέστρεψεν ἐκείνην. Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ποιῶμεν: κἂν εἰς τὴν ὑπερορίαν ἀπενεχθῶμεν, ἐπανέλθωμεν πρὸς τὸν πατρῷον οἶκον, καὶ μὴ κατοκνήσωμεν πρὸς τὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ μῆκος. Ἂν βουληθῶμεν, εὔκολος ἡ ἐπάνοδος γίνεται καὶ ταχίστη, μόνον ἀφῶμεν τὴν ξένην καὶ τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν: τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ ἁμαρτία, πόῤῥω τῆς οἰκίας ἡμᾶς ἀπάγουσα τοῦ πατρός. Ἀφῶμεν τοίνυν αὐτὴν, ἵνα ταχέως πρὸς τὸν πατρῷον ἐπανέλθωμεν οἶκον. Καὶ γὰρ φιλόστοργός ἐστιν ὁ πατὴρ, καὶ τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων οὐχ ἧττον ἡμᾶς ἀγαπήσει μεταβαλλομένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλέον: ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐκεῖνον ὁ πατὴρ τότε μειζόνως ἐτίμησε: καὶ γὰρ μειζόνως αὐτὸς ἥσθη τὸν παῖδα ἀπολαβών. Καὶ πῶς ἐπανέλθω, φησίν; Ἀρχὴν ἐπίθες τῷ πράγματι μόνον, καὶ τὸ πᾶν γέγονε: στῆθι τῆς κακίας, καὶ μὴ προέλθῃς περαιτέρω, καὶ ἤδη τοῦ παντὸς ἐπελάβου. Καθάπερ γὰρ τοῖς κάμνουσι τὸ μὴ χεῖρον σχεῖν ἀρχὴ γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦ βέλτιον ἔχειν, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κακίας συμβαίνει: μὴ περαιτέρω προβῇς, καὶ τέλος ἕξει σοι τὰ τῆς πονηρίας. Κἂν δύο ποιήσῃς τοῦτο ἡμέρας, τῇ τρίτῃ εὐκολώτερον ἀποστήσῃ, καὶ μετὰ τὰς τρεῖς, καὶ δέκα προσθήσεις, εἶτα εἴκοσιν, εἶτα ἑκατὸν, εἶτα τὸν βίον ἅπαντα. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν προβαίνῃς, εὐκολώτερον ὄψει τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὴν στήσῃ τὴν κορυφὴν, καὶ πολλῶν ἀθρόον ἀπολαύσεις τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τότε, ὅτε ὁ ἄσωτος ἐπανῆλθεν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ αὐλοὶ καὶ κιθάραι καὶ χοροὶ καὶ θαλίαι καὶ πανηγύρεις ἦσαν: καὶ ὁ ὀφείλων ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀκαίρου δαπάνης καὶ τῆς οὕτω μακρᾶς φυγῆς τὸν παῖδα ἀπαιτῆσαι δίκην, οὐδὲν τούτων ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ὡς εὐδοκιμηκότα εἶδε, καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι ῥημάτων ὀνειδίσαι τῷ παιδὶ, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸν ἀναμνῆσαι τῶν προτέρων ἠνέσχετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ περιεχύθη, καὶ κατεφίλησε, καὶ μόσχον ἔθυσε, καὶ στολὴν ἐνέδυσε, καὶ ἐν πολλῷ τῷ κόσμῳ κατέστησε. Ταῦτα οὖν ἔχοντες καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ ὑποδείγματα, θαῤῥῶμεν καὶ μὴ ἀπογινώσκωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω χαίρει καλούμενος Δεσπότης, ὡς Πατὴρ, οὐδὲ δοῦλον ἔχων, ὡς υἱόν: καὶ μᾶλλον τοῦτο βούλεται, ἢ ἐκεῖνο. Διὰ τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ πάντα ἐποίησεν ἅπερ ἐποίησε, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ ἐφείσατο, ἵνα τὴν υἱοθεσίαν ἀπολάβωμεν, ἵνα μὴ ὡς Δεσπότην μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς Πατέρα αὐτὸν ἀγαπῶμεν. Κἂν τύχῃ τούτου παρ' ἡμῶν, καθάπερ τις δοξαζόμενος ἐναβρύνεται, καὶ εἰς πάντας αὐτὸ ἐκφέρει, ὁ μηδενὸς δεόμενος τῶν ἡμετέρων. Τοῦτο γοῦν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἐποίησε, πανταχοῦ λέγων, Ἐγὼ ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ. Καίτοι γε τοὺς οἰκέτας ἐχρῆν καλλωπίζεσθαι τούτῳ: νῦν δὲ ὁ Δεσπότης φαίνεται τοῦτο ποιῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Πέτρῳ φησὶ, Φιλεῖς με πλέον τούτων; δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐδὲν πρὸ τούτου ζητεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν υἱὸν θῦσαι ἐκέλευσεν, ἵνα δείξῃ πᾶσιν, ὅτι σφόδρα φιλεῖται παρὰ τοῦ πατριάρχου. Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ σφόδρα φιλεῖσθαι ἐθέλειν, ἀπὸ τοῦ σφόδρα φιλεῖν γίνεται. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔλεγεν: Ὁ φιλῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος. Ϛʹ. Διὰ τοῦτο, ὃ πάντων ἡμῖν ἐστιν οἰκειότερον ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ ταύτην δευτέραν κελεύει τίθεσθαι τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης, ἐπειδὴ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἁπάσης βούλεται φιλεῖσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν. Καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς, ὅταν μὲν μὴ σφόδρα περί τινα ὦμεν διακείμενοι, οὐδὲ τῆς παρ' ἐκείνου σφόδρα δεόμεθα φιλίας, κἂν μέγας ᾖ καὶ περιφανής: ὅταν δὲ θερμῶς τινα καὶ γνησίως φιλῶμεν, κἂν εὐτελὴς, κἂν μικρὸς ὁ φιλούμενος, μεγίστην τιθέμεθα δόξαν τὸ παρ' ἐκείνου φίλτρον. Διὸ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐ τὸ φιλεῖσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παθεῖν τὰ ἐπονείδιστα ἐκεῖνα, δόξαν ἐκάλει. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα μὲν δι' ἀγάπην μόνον δόξα ἦν: ἃ δὲ ἂν ἡμεῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάθωμεν, οὐ δι' ἀγάπην μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ ποθουμένου καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν, δόξα ἂν εἰκότως καὶ καλοῖτο καὶ εἴη. Ὡς ἐπὶ στεφάνους τοίνυν μεγίστους τρέχωμεν τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ κινδύνους, καὶ μήτε πενίαν μήτε νόσον μήτε ἐπήρειαν, μὴ συκοφαντίαν, μὴ αὐτὸν τὸν θάνατον νομίζωμεν εἶναι βαρὺ καὶ ἐπαχθὲς, ὅταν δι' αὐτὸν ταῦτα ὑπομένωμεν. Ἂν γὰρ νήφωμεν, τὰ μέγιστα διὰ τούτων ἁπάντων κερδανοῦμεν: ὥσπερ οὖν ἐὰν μὴ νήφωμεν, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων καρπωσόμεθά τι χρηστόν. Σκόπει δέ: ἐπηρεάζει σοί τις καὶ πολεμεῖ; Οὐκοῦν ἐγρηγορέναι σε παρασκευάζει, καὶ ἀφορμήν σοι παρέχει τοῦ γενέσθαι ὅμοιον τῷ Θεῷ. Ἂν γὰρ ἀγαπήσῃς τὸν ἐπιβουλεύοντα, ὅμοιος ἔσῃ τῷ Τὸν ἥλιον ἀνατέλλοντι ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθούς. Ἕτερος ἀφαιρεῖταί σου τὰ χρήματα; Ἂν γενναίως ἐνέγκῃς, τοῖς εἰς πένητας πάντα δεδαπανηκόσι τὸν αὐτὸν λήψῃ μισθόν. Καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν, φησὶ, μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε, γινώσκοντες κρείττονα ἔχειν ὕπαρξιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, καὶ μένουσαν. Εἶπέ τις κακῶς καὶ ὠνείδισεν; Ἄν τε ἀληθῆ ταῦτα ᾖ, ἄν τε ψευδῆ, στέφανόν σοι μέγιστον ἔπλεξεν, ἂν πράως τὴν λοιδορίαν ἐνέγκῃς. Ὅ τε γὰρ συκοφαντῶν πολὺν ἡμῖν προξενεῖ τὸν μισθὸν (Χαίρετε γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅταν εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς), ὅ τε ἀληθῆ λέγων πάλιν τὰ μέγιστα ὠφελεῖ, μόνον ἂν πράως ἐνέγκωμεν τὰ λεγόμενα. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Φαρισαῖος ἀληθεύων τὸν τελώνην ἔλεγε κακῶς, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀντὶ τελώνου δίκαιον ἐποίησε. Καὶ τί δεῖ καθ' ἕκαστον λέγειν, ἔξεστι γὰρ ἐπελθόντα τοὺς ἄθλους τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἅπαντα ταῦτα μετ' ἀκριβείας μαθεῖν. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν: Εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, τίς καθ' ἡμῶν; Ὥσπερ οὖν σπουδάζοντες καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λυπούντων κερδαίνομεν, οὕτω ῥᾳθυμοῦντες οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ὠφελούντων ἀμείνους γινόμεθα. Τί γὰρ τὸν Ἰούδαν ὠφέλησεν, εἰπέ μοι, ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνουσία; τί δὲ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ὁ νόμος; τί δὲ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ὁ παράδεισος; τί δὲ τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Μωϋσῆς; Διά τοι τοῦτο πάντα ἀφέντας, ἓν δεῖ σκοπεῖν μόνον, ὅπως τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οἰκονομήσωμεν καλῶς: κἂν τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος ἡμῶν περιέσται ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως ἡμᾶς ὠφελήσει, νήφειν παρασκευάζων. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τοὺς Ἐφεσίους ὁ Παῦλος διήγειρε, τὴν ἐκείνου διηγούμενος ἀγριότητα. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς καθεύδομεν καὶ ῥέγχομεν καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς οὕτω πονηρὸν πολέμιον ἔχοντες. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ὄφιν ἐμφωλεύοντα ἔγνωμεν παρὰ τὴν κλίνην τὴν ἡμετέραν, πολλὴν ἂν ἐποιησάμεθα σπουδὴν ὥστε αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν: τοῦ διαβόλου δὲ ἐμφωλεύοντος ἡμῶν ταῖς ψυχαῖς, οὐδὲν ἡγούμεθα πάσχειν δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ἀναπεπτώκαμεν. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς οὐχ ὁρῶμεν αὐτὸν τοῖς τοῦ σώματος: καίτοι διὰ τοῦτο ἐχρῆν ἐγρηγορέναι μᾶλλον καὶ νήφειν. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ αἰσθητὸν πολέμιον κἂν φυλάξαιτό τις ῥᾳδίως, τὸν δὲ ἀόρατον, ἂν μὴ διὰ παντὸς ὦμεν καθωπλισμένοι, οὐ δυνησόμεθα εὐκόλως διαφυγεῖν: καὶ μάλιστα, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξ εὐθείας οἶδε πολεμεῖν: ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἑάλω ταχέως: ἀλλὰ σχήματι πολλάκις φιλίας τὸν τῆς ὠμότητος ἰὸν ἐνίησιν. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ Ἰὼβ παρεσκεύασε, προσωπεῖον φιλοστοργίας ὑποδῦσαν τὴν πονηρὰν ἐκείνην εἰσενεγκεῖν συμβουλήν: οὕτω καὶ τῷ Ἀδὰμ διαλεγόμενος, ὑποκρίνεται τὸ κηδεμονικὸν καὶ προστατικὸν, λέγων, ὅτι Ἀνοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου. Οὕτω καὶ τὸν Ἰεφθάε ἀνέπεισε προσχήματι εὐσεβείας τὴν θυγατέρα κατασφάξαι, καὶ τὴν παράνομον θυσίαν ἀνενεγκεῖν. Εἶδες αὐτοῦ τὰς μεθοδείας; εἶδες τὸν ποικίλον πόλεμον; Φυλάττου τοίνυν, καὶ πανταχόθεν φράττου τοῖς ὅπλοις τοῖς πνευματικοῖς, καὶ καταμάνθανε τὰς ἐκείνου μηχανὰς μετὰ ἀκριβείας, ἵνα καὶ ἀνάλωτος ᾖς καὶ ἕλῃς αὐτὸν εὐκόλως: ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος οὕτως αὐτοῦ περιεγένετο, ταῦτα μετὰ ἀκριβείας καταμανθάνων: διὸ καὶ ἔλεγεν: Οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν καὶ μαθεῖν καὶ φυγεῖν τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς αὐτοῦ σπουδάσωμεν, ἵνα τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ νίκην ἀράμενοι, καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, καὶ κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα ἀνακηρυχθῶμεν αἰῶνα, καὶ τῶν ἀκηράτων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.