12

But the tear was for what had happened before; not only for the Christians and the insolence which had befallen them, which was brought on by the evil one, and permitted by God for reasons He knows, and perhaps through our pride which needed cleansing; but also for his own soul, and for those who were carried away by him to the same destruction.

Νʹ. For some lament their final blows and the torments here; those for whom this life is considered the only one, and their mind does not reach to the things beyond, nor do they think there is any reckoning and retribution for things lived here; but they live the life of irrational beings, living for the day and always for the present, measuring happiness by this one thing, the ease of this life, and its opposite, unhappiness, by what opposes them; but it comes upon me to mourn them more for the torments beyond, and the punishment laid up for the wicked. And I do not yet say the greatest thing, being cast out from God itself, how great a punishment it is for them. 35.576

ΝΑʹ. How can I not weep for the wretched man? how can I not weep more for those who ran to him than for those who were persecuted? and more for him who carried them off than for those who deserted to wickedness? But rather, for them it is no terrible thing to suffer for Christ, but even the most blessed of all things, not only on account of the things beyond, but also on account of the glory and confidence here, which they graciously obtained for themselves through dangers; but for the others, what they have already suffered is a prelude to the things laid up and threatened; and it would have been better for them if they had been punished longer here than to be reserved for the tribunals there. These things, then, are because of the law, which commands not to rejoice at the fall of an enemy, and which demands sympathy from those who stand firm; but I must return my discourse to him again.

ΝΒʹ. What is this great love of strife for evil? What is this desire for impiety? what is this race to destruction? From where does a disciple of Christ become such a Christ-hater, one who has conversed with so many words of truth, and has both spoken and heard those things which lead to salvation? For he had no sooner inherited the kingdom, than he makes a display of his impiety, as if ashamed of ever having been a Christian, or bearing a grudge against Christians for this, with whom he shared the name. And his first audacious act, as those who glory in his secrets say (into what sort of discussions I am forced to fall!), he washes away his baptism with unholy blood, setting the consummation of his pollution against our consummation, a sow wallowing in the mire, according to the proverb; and he unhallows his hands, cleansing them from the unbloody sacrifice through which we have communion with Christ, both in his sufferings and his divinity; and he establishes his palace with entrails and sacrifices, using evil counselors for an evil rule.

ΝΓʹ. But since I have mentioned entrails, and the man's superstition concerning such things, or rather, more appropriately, his evil-daimon-worship, I do not know whether to commit to writing the celebrated wonder, or to disbe- 35.577 -lieve those who speak of it. For I myself am wavering in my opinion, and I do not know to which side to lean, since things that might be justly believed are mixed with those unworthy of belief; for it is not incredible that something was signified by so great an innovation of evil and impiety, but has often already happened at the greatest changes; but this manner of it is at least to me exceedingly worthy of wonder, and to all who wish and believe that pure things are purely revealed.

Ν∆ʹ. So what is said, is that as he was sacrificing, the entrails displayed the cross being crowned, which to the others caused shuddering, and anguish, and an awareness of our power; but to the teacher of impiety, also courage

12

ἐκ δὲ τῶν προ λαβόντων τὸ δάκρυον· οὐχ ὑπὲρ Χριστιανῶν μόνον καὶ τῆς συμπεσούσης αὐτοῖς ἐπηρείας, ἢ παρὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ προσπεσούσης, καὶ παρὰ Θεοῦ συγχω ρηθείσης δι' ἃς οἶδεν αἰτίας, καὶ τυχὸν διὰ τὴν ἔπαρ σιν ἡμῶν δεομένην καθάρσεως· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐκείνου ψυχῆς, καὶ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ συναρ πασθέντων πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ἀπώλειαν.

Νʹ. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τὰς τελευταίας αὐτῶν πληγὰς καὶ τὰς ἐντεῦθεν βασάνους ὀδύρονται· οἷς τὸ ζῇν τοῦτο νομίζεται μόνον, καὶ οὐκ ἐξικνοῦνται τῇ διανοίᾳ πρὸς τὰ ἐκεῖθεν, οὐδὲ εἶναί τινα νομίζουσι τῶν τῇδε βεβιωμένων λογισμὸν καὶ ἀντίδοσιν· ἀλλὰ ζῶσι βίον ἀλόγων, τὸ πρὸς ἡμέραν καὶ τὸ παρὸν ἀεὶ βιοτεύοντες, ἑνὶ τούτῳ, τῇ ἐντεῦθεν ῥᾳστώνῃ με τροῦντες τὸ εὐδαιμονεῖν, καὶ τῷ ἐναντίῳ τὸ κακο δαιμονεῖν τοῖς ἀντιπίπτουσιν· ἐμοὶ δὲ πλέον θρηνεῖν αὐτοὺς ἔπεισι τῶν ἐκεῖθεν βασάνων, καὶ τῆς ἀπο κειμένης τοῖς πονηροῖς κολάσεως. Καὶ οὔπω λέγω τὸ μέγιστον, αὐτὸ τὸ ἐξωσθῆναι Θεοῦ, πηλίκον αὐ τοῖς εἰς κόλασιν. 35.576

ΝΑʹ. Πῶς μὴ δακρύσω τὸν ἄθλιον; πῶς μὴ πλέον μὲν τῶν δεδιωγμένων τοὺς προσδραμόντας; πλέον δὲ τῶν αὐτομολησάντων εἰς τὴν κακίαν θρηνήσω τὸν συναρπάσαντα; Μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς μὲν οὐδὲν δεινὸν τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ παθεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων μακαριστό τατον, οὐ διὰ τὰ ἐκεῖθεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν εὐδοξίαν καὶ παῤῥησίαν, ἢν διὰ τῶν κιν δύνων ἐαυτοῖς ἐχαρίσαντο· τοῖς δὲ προοίμιον τῶν ἀποκειμένων καὶ ἀπειλουμένων, ἅπερ ἤδη πεπόν θασι· καὶ βέλτιον ἦν αὐτοῖς, εἰ ἐντεῦθεν μακρότερον ἐκολάσθησαν ἢ τοῖς ἐκεῖ δικαιωτηρίοις ἐτα μιεύθησαν. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν διὰ τὸν νόμον, τὸν τῷ πτώματι τοῦ ἐχθροῦ μὴ ἐπιχαίρειν κελεύοντα, καὶ τὸ συμπαθὲς ἀπαιτοῦντα παρὰ τῶν ἑστηκότων· ἐμοὶ δὲ πάλιν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπανακτέον τὸν λόγον.

ΝΒʹ. Τίς ἡ τοσαύτη τοῦ κακοῦ φιλονεικία; Τίς ὁ τῆς ἀσεβείας ἔρως; τίς ὁ δρόμος τῆς ἀπω λείας; Πόθεν οὕτω μισόχριστος ὁ Χριστοῦ μαθητὴς, ὁ τοσούτοις λόγοις τῆς ἀληθείας προσομιλήσας, καὶ τὰ μὲν εἰπὼν, τὰ δὲ ἀκούσας τῶν φερόντων εἰς σω τηρίαν; Οὐ γὰρ ἔφθη κληρονομήσας τὴν βασιλείαν, καὶ παῤῥησιάζεται τὴν ἀσέβειαν, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ γε νέσθαι ποτὲ Χριστιανὸς αἰσχυνόμενος, ἢ μνησικακῶν ὑπὲρ τούτου Χριστιανοῖς, οἷς τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐκοινώ νησε. Καὶ τὸ μὲν πρῶτον αὐτῷ τῶν τολμημάτων, ὡς οἱ τοῖς ἀποῤῥήτοις ἐκείνου καλλωπιζόμενοι (εἰς οἴους ἐμπίπτειν ἀναγκάζομαι λόγους!), αἵματι μὲν οὐχ ὁσίῳ τὸ λουτρὸν ἀποῤῥύπτεται, τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς τε λειώσει τὴν τελείωσιν τοῦ μύσους ἀντιτιθεὶς, ὗς ἐν βορβόρῳ κυλισθεὶς, κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν· καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἀφαγνίζεται τῆς ἀναιμάκτου θυσίας ἀποκαθαίρων δι' ἧς ἡμεῖς Χριστῷ κοινωνοῦμεν, καὶ τῶν παθημάτων καὶ τῆς θεότητος· ἐντόμοις δὲ καὶ θυσίαις καθιστᾷ τὰ βασίλεια, κακοῖς συμβού λοις κακῆς ἀρχῆς χρώμενος.

ΝΓʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδή γε ἐντόμων ἐμνήσθην, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τοῦ ἀνδρὸς δεισιδαιμονίας, ἢ κακοδαιμονίας εἰπεῖν οἰκειότερον, οὐκ οἶδα πότερον γραφῇ παραδῶ τὸ θρυλλούμενον θαῦμα, ἢ ἀπι 35.577 στήσω τοῖς λέγουσι. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ταλαντεύομαι τὴν γνώμην, καὶ οὐκ ἔχω ὁποτέρωσε νεύσω, με μιγμένων τῶν δικαίως ἂν πιστευθέντων τοῖς οὐκ ἀξίοις πίστεως· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐπισημῆναί τι τῇ τοσαύτῃ τοῦ κακοῦ καινοτομίᾳ καὶ δυσσεβείᾳ τῶν οὐκ ἀπί στων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις ἤδη συμβεβηκότων περὶ τὰς μεγίστας μεταβολάς· τὸ δὲ καὶ τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον σφόδρα ἐμοὶ γοῦν θαύματος ἄξιον, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς καθαρῶς δηλοῦσθαι τὰ καθαρὰ βουλομένοις τε καὶ νομίζουσι.

Ν∆ʹ. Τὸ δ' οὖν λεγόμενον, ὅτι θυομένῳ τὰ σπλάγχνα τὸν σταυρὸν ἀναδείκνυσι στεφανούμενον, ὃ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις φρίκην παρέσχε, καὶ ἀγωνίαν, καὶ τοῦ ἡμετέ ρου κράτους συναίσθησιν· τῷ δὲ διδασκάλῳ τῆς ἀσεβείας καὶ θάρσος