Homily XI.

Rom. VI. 5

“For if we have been planted together172    Better: “United with him by the likeness” or “united with the likeness.” See, note *, p. 409.—G.B.S.in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection.”

What I had before occasion to remark, that I mention here too, that he continually digresseth into exhortation, without making any twofold division as he does in the other Epistles, and setting apart the former portion for doctrines, and the latter for the care of moral instruction. Here then he does not do so, but blends the latter with the subject throughout, so as to gain it an easy admission. Here then he says there are two mortifyings, and two deaths, and that one is done by Christ in Baptism, and the other it is our duty to effect by earnestness afterwards. For that our former sins were buried, came of His gift. But the remaining dead to sin after baptism must be the work of our own earnestness, however much we find God here also giving us large help. For this is not the only thing Baptism has the power to do, to obliterate our former transgressions; for it also secures against subsequent ones. As then in the case of the former, thy contribution was faith that they might be obliterated, so also in those subsequent to this, show thou forth the change in thine aims, that thou mayest not defile thyself again. For it is this and the like that he is counselling thee when he says, “for if we have been planted together in the likeness of His Death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection.” Do you observe, how he rouses the hearer by leading him straightway up to his Master, and taking great pains to show the strong likeness? This is why he does not say “in death,” lest you should gainsay it, but, “in the likeness of His Death.” For our essence itself hath not died, but the man of sins, that is, wickedness. And he does not say, “for if we have been” partakers of “the likeness of His Death;” but what? “If we have been planted together,” so, by the mention of planting, giving a hint of the fruit resulting to us from it. For as His Body, by being buried in the earth, brought forth as the fruit of it the salvation of the world; thus ours also, being buried in baptism, bore as fruit righteousness, sanctification, adoption, countless blessings. And it will bear also hereafter the gift of the resurrection. Since then we were buried in water, He in earth, and we in regard to sin, He in regard to His Body, this is why he did not say, “we were planted together in His Death,” but “in the likeness of His Death.” For both the one and the other is death, but not that of the same subject. If then he says, “we have been planted together in His Death,173    The construction here is harsh, and seems to require “in the likeness of.” we shall be in that of His Resurrection,” speaking here of the Resurrection which (Gr. be of His Resurrection) is to come. For since when he was upon the subject of the Death before, and said, “Know ye not, brethren, that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into His Death?” he had not made any clear statement about the Resurrection, but only about the way of life after baptism, bidding men walk in newness of life; therefore he here resumes the same subject, and proceeds to foretell to us clearly that Resurrection. And that you may know that he is not speaking of that resulting from baptism, but about the other, after saying, “for if we were planted together in the likeness of His Death,” he does not say that we shall be in the likeness of His Resurrection,174    The word likeness in our version is in italics as an addition, and unless it is understood, the construction is scarcely grammatical; but this interpretation favors the reading questioned in the last note. Perhaps also St. Chrysostom may have taken the words thus, “If we have been in likeness planted together with His Death,” which would be a parallel construction. but we shall belong to the Resurrection.175    The word σύμφευτοι should be rendered “united with” (as in R.V.)—literally “grown together,” from συν—φύω, not “planted together” (A.V.) as if from συν—φευτεύω. The Dat. τῷ ὁμοιώματι may be taken as instrumental after σύμ. γεγόν. (R.V., Weiss), or (I think better), after σύν in composition (Thayer’s Lex., Meyer), because there is no indirect object expressed and on the former view one must be supplied (as αὐτῶ, or χριστῷ). We must supply in the apodosis, σύμφευτοι τῷ ὀμοιώματι. The ὁμοίωμα here means that which corresponds to the death and resurrection of Christ, i.e. our moral death to sin and resurrection to a holy life (vid. vv. 2, 4), or (dropping the figure) the cessation of the old life and the beginning of the new. If the former occurs, the latter also must take place and thus the objection that if sin makes grace abound we should continue in sin, contradicts the very idea of the Christian life which is that of freedom from sin and continuance in holiness. The interp. of Chrys. is somewhat confused, apparently by not clearly apprehending the fact that Paul is dealing with an analogy to the death and resurrection of Christ.—G.B.S. For to prevent thy saying, and how, if we did not die as He died, are we to rise as He rose? when he mentioned the Death, he did not say, “planted together in the Death,” but, “in the likeness of His Death.” But when he mentioned the Resurrection, he did not say, “in the likeness of the Resurrection,” but we shall be “of the Resurrection” itself. And he does not say, We have been made, but we shall be, by this word again plainly meaning that Resurrection which has not yet taken place, but will hereafter. Then with a view to give credibility to what he says, he points out another Resurrection which is brought about here before that one, that from that which is present thou mayest believe also that which is to come. For after saying, “we shall be planted together in the Resurrection,” he adds,

Ver. 6. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed.”

So putting together both the cause and the demonstration of the Resurrection which is to come. And he does not say is crucified, but is crucified with Him, so bringing baptism near to the Cross. And on this score also it was that he said above, “We have been planted together in the likeness of His Death that the body of sin might be destroyed,” not giving that name to this body of ours, but to all iniquity. For as he calls the whole sum of wickedness the old man, thus again the wickedness which is made up of the different parts of iniquity he calls the body of that man. And that what I am saying is not mere guesswork, hearken to Paul’s own interpretation of this very thing in what comes next. For after saying, “that the body of sin might be destroyed,” he adds, “that henceforth we should not serve sin.”176    Verse 6 urges the same thought under the specific figure of the crucifixion of the body. The use of this figure almost necessitates the use of the word body to carry it out. As the one is figurative, so is the other. By σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας is not meant “the body which is sin—or sinful,” but the body which is under the sway of sin. In the moral process of the new life the body so far as ruled by sin—as being the seat of evil passions and desires—is destroyed in this character. Paul could hardly have employed this figure had he not regarded the body as the special manifestation-point of sin.—G.B.S. For the way in which I would have it dead is not so that ye should be destroyed and die, but so that ye sin not. And as he goes on he makes this still clearer.

Ver. 7. “For he that is dead,” he says, “is freed (Gr. justified) from sin.”

This he says of every man, that as he that is dead is henceforth freed from sinning, lying as a dead body, so must177    The necessity spoken of is clearly, from the context, that of obligation. he that has come up from baptism, since he has died there once for all, remain ever dead to sin. If then thou hast died in baptism, remain dead, for any one that dies can sin no more; but if thou sinnest, thou marrest God’s gift. After requiring of us then heroism (Gr. philosophy) of this degree, he presently brings in the crown also, in these words.

Ver. 8. “Now if we be dead with Christ.”

And indeed even before the crown, this is in itself the greater crown, the partaking with our Master. But he says, I give even another reward. Of what kind is it? It is life eternal. For “we believe,” he says, “that we shall also live with Him.” And whence is this clear?

Ver. 9. “That Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more.”

And notice again his undauntedness,178    φιλονεικίαν, his determination to take the highest ground, and give up no single point. and how he makes the thing good from opposite grounds. Since then it was likely that some would feel perplexed at the Cross and the Death, he shows that this very thing is a ground for feeling confident henceforward.

For suppose not, he says, because He once died, that He is mortal, for this is the very reason of His being immortal. For His death hath been the death of death, and because He did die, He therefore doth not die. For even that death

Ver. 10. “He died unto sin.”

What does “unto sin”179    Or “by sin.” mean? It means that He was not subject even to that one, but for our sin, that He might destroy it, and cut away its sinews and all its power, therefore He died. Do you see how he affrighteth them? For if He does not die again, then there is no second laver, then do thou keep from all inclinableness to sin. For all this he says to make a stand against the “let us do evil that good may come. Let us remain in sin that grace may abound.” To take away this conception then, root and branch, it is, that he sets down all this. But in that “He liveth, He liveth unto God,” he says,—that is, unchangeably, so that death hath no more any dominion over Him. For if it was not through any liability to it that He died the former death, save only for the sin of others, much less will He die again now that He hath done that sin away. And this he says in the Epistle to the Hebrews also, “But now once,” he says, “in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Heb. ix. 26–28.) And he both points out the power of the life that is according to God, and also the strength of sin. For with regard to the life according to God, he showeth that Christ shall die no more. With regard to sin, that if it brought about the death even of the Sinless, how can it do otherwise than be the ruin of those that are subject to it? And then as he had discoursed about His life; that none might say, What hath that which you have been saying to do with us? he adds,

Ver. 11. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God.”

He well says, “reckon,” because there is no setting that, which he is speaking of, before the eyes as yet. And what are we to reckon? one may ask. That we “are dead unto sin, but alive unto God. In Jesus Christ our Lord.” For he that so liveth will lay hold of every virtue, as having Jesus Himself for his ally. For that is what, “in Christ,” means, for if He raised them when dead, much more when alive will He be able to keep them so.

Ver. 12. “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.”

He does not say, let not the flesh live or act, but, “let not sin reign,”180    In all this there is a design to obviate Manichæan notions concerning matter, and the opinion resulting from them, that we must be content to live in sin as unavoidable. for He came not to destroy our nature, but to set our free choice aright. Then to show that it is not through any force or necessity that we are held down by iniquity, but willingly, he does not say, let it not tyrannize, a word that would imply a necessity, but let it not reign. For it is absurd for those who are being conducted to the kingdom of heaven to have sin empress over them, and for those who are called to reign with Christ to choose to be the captives of sin, as though one should hurl the diadem from off his head, and choose to be the slave of a frantic woman, who came begging, and was clothed in rags. Next since it was a heavy task to get the upper hand of sin, see how he shows it to be even easy, and how he allays the labor by saying, “in your mortal body.” For this shows that the struggles were but for a time, and would soon bring themselves to a close. At the same time he reminds us of our former evil plight, and of the root of death, as it was from this that, contrary even to its beginning, it became mortal. Yet it is possible even for one with a mortal body not to sin. Do you see the abundancy of Christ’s grace? For Adam, though as yet he had not a mortal body, fell. But thou, who hast received one even subject to death, canst be crowned. How then, is it that “sin reigns?” he says. It is not from any power of its own, but from thy listlessness. Wherefore after saying, “let it not reign,” he also points out the mode of this reigning, by going on to say “that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” For it is not honor to concede to it (i.e. to the body) all things at will, nay, it is slavery in the extreme, and the height of dishonor; for when it doth what it listeth, then is it bereft of all liberties; but when it is put under restraints, then it best keeps its own proper rank.

Ver. 13. “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin…but as instruments of righteousness.”

The body then is indifferent between vice and virtue, as also instruments (or arms) are. But either effect is wrought by him that useth it. As if a soldier fighting in his country’s behalf, and a robber who was arming against the inhabitants, had the same weapons for defence. For the fault is not laid to the suit of armor, but to those that use it to an ill end. And this one may say of the flesh too which becomes this or that owing to the mind’s decision, not owing to its own nature. For if it be curious after the beauty of another, the eye becomes an instrument of iniquity, not through any agency of its own (for what is of the eye, is but seeing, not seeing amiss), but through the fault of the thought which commands it. But if you bridle it, it becomes an instrument of righteousness. Thus with the tongue, thus with the hands, thus with all the other members. And he well calls sin unrighteousness. For by sinning a man deals unrighteously either by himself or by his neighbor, or rather by himself more than by his neighbor. Having then led us away from wickedness, he leads us to virtue, in these words:

“But yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead.”

See how by his bare words he exhorts them, on that side naming “sin” and on this “God.” For by showing what a difference there is between the rulers, he casts out of all excuse the soldier that leaveth God, and desireth to serve under the dominion of sin. But it is not only in this way, but also by the sequel, that he establishes this; by saying, “as alive from the dead.” For by these he shows the wretchedness of the other, and the greatness of God’s gift. For consider, he says, what you were, and what you have been made. What then were ye? Dead, and ruined by a destruction which could not from any quarter be repaired. For neither was there any one who had the power to assist you. And what have ye been made out of those dead ones? Alive with immortal life. And by whom? By the all-powerful God. Ye ought therefore to marshal yourselves under Him with as much cheerful readiness, as men would who had been made alive from being dead.

“And your members as instruments of righteousness.”

Hence, the body is not evil, since it may be made an arm181    ὅπλαis most usually arms, secondarily any instruments. of righteousness. But by calling it an arm, he makes it clear that there is a hard warfare at hand for us. And for this reason we need strong armor, and also a noble spirit, and one acquainted too with the ways of this warfare; and above all we need a commander. The Commander however is standing by, ever ready to help us, and abiding unconquerable, and has furnished us with strong arms likewise. Farther, we have need of a purpose of mind to handle them as should be, so that we may both obey our Commander, and take the field for our country. Having then given us this vigorous exhortation, and reminded us of arms, and battle, and wars, see how he encourages the soldier again and cherishes182    ἀλείφει. anoints. Hannibal, before his victory on the Trebia, sent oil round to his battalions to refresh their limbs. Ignibus ante tentoria factis, oleoque per manipulos, ut mollirent artus, misso, et cibo per otium capto, etc. Liv. xxi. 55. his ready spirit.

Ver. 14. “For sin shall no more have dominion over you; for ye are not under the Law, but under grace.”

If then sin hath no more dominion over us, why does he lay so great a charge upon them as he does in the words, “Let not sin reign in your mortal body,” and, “yield not ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin?” What does that here said mean then? He is sowing a kind of seed in this statement, which he means to develop afterwards, and to cultivate in a powerful argument. What then is this statement? It is this; that our body, before Christ’s coming, was an easy prey to the assaults of sin. For after death a great swarm of passions entered also. And for this cause it was not lightsome for running the race of virtue. For there was no Spirit present to assist, nor any baptism of power to mortify. (John vii. 39.) But as some horse (Plato Phædr. §74) that answereth not the rein, it ran indeed, but made frequent slips, the Law meanwhile announcing what was to be done and what not, yet not conveying into those in the race anything over and above exhortation by means of words. But when Christ had come, the effort became afterwards more easy, and therefore we had a more distant goal (μείζονα τὰ σκάμματα) set us, in that the assistance we had given us was greater. Wherefore also Christ saith, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt. v. 20.) But this he says more clearly in the sequel. But at present he alludes here briefly to it, to show that unless we stoop down very low to it, sin will not get the better of us. For it is not the Law only that exhorteth us, but grace too which also remitted our former sins, and secures us against future ones. For it promised them crowns after toils, but this (i.e. grace) crowned them first, and then led them to the contest. Now it seems to me that he is not signifying here the whole life of a believer, but instituting a comparison between the Baptism and the Law. And this he says in another passage also; “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.” (2 Cor. iii. 6.) For the Law convinceth of transgression, but grace undoes transgression. As then the former by convincing establisheth sin so the latter by forgiving suffereth us not to be under sin. And so thou art in two ways set free from this thraldom; both in thy not being under the Law, and in thy enjoying grace. After then he had by these words given the hearer a breathing time, he again furnishes him a safeguard, by introducing an exhortation in reply to an objection, and by saying as follows.

Ver. 15. “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the Law, but under grace? God forbid.”

So he first adopted a form of adjuration, because it was an absurd thing he had named. And then he makes his discourse pass on to exhortation, and shows the great facility of the struggle, in the following words.183    The Argument of the vv. 15–23 is briefly this: Does the principle that we are not under the (Mosaic) law lead to lawlessness and sin? No! for, although we are freed from the Mosaic law as such, we are still under the law of righteousness (cf. 1 Cor. ix. 21 “Not being without law to God, but under law to Christ). We are free from the law and free from sin, but are bondsmen to righteousness. See esp. 18. “And being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.”—G.B.S.

Ver. 16. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

I do not, he would say, mention hell as yet, nor that great (ms. Bodl. long) punishment, but the shame it is in this world, when ye become slaves, and slaves of your own accord too, and sin’s slaves, and when the wages are such as a second death. For if before baptism, it wrought death of the body, and the wound required so great attendance, that the Lord of all came down to die, and so put a stop to the evil; if after so great a gift, and so great liberty, it seize thee again, while thou bendest down under it willingly, what is there that it may not do? Do not then run into such a pit, or willingly give thyself up. For in the case of wars, soldiers are often given up even against their will. But in this case, unless thou desertest of thyself, there is no one who will get the better of thee. Having then tried to shame them by a sense of duty, he alarms them also by the rewards, and lays before them the wages of both; righteousness, and death, and that a death not like the former, but far worse. For if Christ is to die no more, who is to do away with death? No one! We must then be punished, and have vengeance taken upon us forever. For a death preceptible to the senses is not still to come in this case, as in the former, which gives the body rest, and separates it from the soul. “For the last enemy, death, is destroyed” (1 Cor. xv. 26), whence the punishment will be deathless. But not to them that obey, for righteousness, and the blessings springing from it, will be their rewards.

Ver. 17. “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered unto you.” (Lit. “into which ye were delivered.”)

After shaming them by the slavery, after alarming them by the rewards, and so exhorting them, he again rights them by calling the benefits to mind. For by these he shows that they were great evils from which they were freed, and that not by any labors of their own, and that things henceforth would be more manageable. Just as any one who has rescued a captive from a cruel tyrant, and advises him not to run away back to him, reminds him of his grievous thraldom; so does Paul set the evils passed away most emphatically before us, by giving thanks to God. For it was no human power that could set us free from all those evils, but, “thanks be to God,” who was willing and able to do such great things. And he well says, “Ye have obeyed from the heart.” Ye were neither forced nor pressed, but ye came over of your own accord, with willing mind. Now this is like one that praises and rebukes at once. For after having willingly come, and not having had any necessity to undergo, what allowance can you claim, or what excuse can you make, if you run away back to your former estate? Next that you may learn that it came not of your own willing temper only, but the whole of it of God’s grace also, after saying, “Ye have obeyed from the heart,” he adds, “that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” For the obedience from the heart shows the free will. But the being delivered, hints the assistance from God. But what is the form of doctrine?184    Tit. ii. 12; 1 Tim. i. 10; are instances of a similar use of the term “doctrine.” Compare Eph. iv. 19–24, from which context the phrase, “Even as Truth is in Jesus,” appears to be used nearly in the same sense. It is living aright, and in conformity with the best conversation.

Ver. 18. “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.”

There are two gifts of God which he here points out. The “freeing from sin,” and also the “making them servants to righteousness,” which is better than any freedom. For God hath done the same as if a person were to take an orphan, who had been carried away by savages into their own country, and were not only to free him from captivity, but were to set a kind father over him, and bring him to very great dignity. And this has been done in our case. For it was not our old evils alone that He freed us from, since He even led us to the life of angels, and paved the way for us to the best conversation, handing us over to the safe keeping of righteousness, and killing our former evils, and deadening the old man, and leading us to an immortal life.

Let us then continue living this life; for many of those who seem to breathe and to walk about are in a more wretched plight than the dead. For there are different kinds of deadness; and one there is of the body, according to which Abraham was dead, and still was not dead. For “God,” He says, “is not a God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matt. xxii. 32.) Another is of the soul which Christ alludes to when He says, “Let the dead bury their dead.” (ib. viii. 22.) Another, which is even the subject of praise, which is brought about by religion (φιλοσοφίας), of which Paul saith, “Mortify your members which are upon the earth.” (Col. iii. 5.) Another, which is the cause even of this, the one which takes place in baptism. “For our old man,” he says, “has been crucified” (ver. 6), that is, has been deadened. Since then we know this, let us flee from the deadness by which, even though alive, we die. And let us not be afraid of that with which common death comes on. But the other two, whereof one is blissful, having been given by God, the other praiseworthy (cf. Ar. Eth. i. 12), which is accomplished by ourselves together with God, let us both choose and be emulous of. And of those two, one doth David pronounce blessed, when he says, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven” (Ps. xxxii. 1); and the other, Paul holds in admiration, saying, and writing to the Galatians, “They that be Christ’s have crucified the flesh.” (Gal. v. 24.) But of the other couple, one Christ declares to be easy to hold in contempt, when He says, “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul:” and the other fearful, for, “Fear” (He says) “Him that is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.” (Matt. x. 28.) And therefore let us flee from this, and choose that deadness which is held blessed and admirable; that of the other two, we may escape the one and not185    So 4 mss. Sav. and 3 mss. omit “not,” but the sense requires it. fear the other: for it is not the least good to us to see the sun, and to eat and drink, unless the life of good words be with us. For what would be the advantage, pray, of a king dressed in a purple robe and possessed of arms, but without a single subject, and exposed to all that had a mind to attack and insult him? In like manner it will be no advantage to a Christian to have faith, and the gift of baptism, and yet be open to all the passions. In that way the disgrace will be greater, and the shame more. For as such an one having the diadem and purple is so far from gaining by this dress any honor to himself, that he even does disgrace to that by his own shame: so the believer also, who leadeth a corrupt life, is so far from becoming, as such, an object of respect, that he is only the more one of scorn. “For as many,” it says, “as sinned without law, shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law.” (Rom. ii. 12). And in the Epistle to the Hebrews, he says, “He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who had trodden under foot the Son of God?” (Heb. x. 28, 29.) And with reason. For I placed (He might say) all the passions in subjection to thee by baptism. How then comes it that thou hast disgraced so great a gift, and hast become one thing instead of another? I have killed and buried thy former transgressions, like worms—how is it that thou hast bred others?—for sins are worse than worms, since these do harm to the body, those to the soul; and those make the more offensive stench. Yet we perceive it not, and so we are at no pains to purge them out. Thus the drunkard knows not how disgustful the stale wine is, but he that is not drunken has a distinct perception of it. So with sins also, he that lives soberly knows thoroughly that other mire, and the stain. But he that gives himself up to wickedness, like a man made drowsy with drunkenness, does not even know the very fact that he is ill. And this is the most grievous part of vice, that it does not allow those who fall into it even to see the greatness of their own bane, but as they lie in the mire, they think they are enjoying perfumes. And so they have not even the power of getting free, but when full of worms, like men that pride themselves in precious stones, so do they exult in these. And for this reason they have not so much as the will to kill them, but they even nourish these up, and multiply them in themselves, until they send them on to the worms of the world to come. For these are providers for those, and are not only providers, but even the fathers of those that never die; as it says, “their worm shall not die.” (Mark ix. 44.) These kindle the hell which never extinguishes. To prevent this from happening then, let us do away with this fountain of evil, and extinguish the furnace, and let us draw up the root of wickedness from beneath, since you will do no good by cutting the tree off from above, if the root remains below, and sends up fresh shoots of the same kind again. What then is the root of the evils? Learn from the good husbandman (i.e. St. Paul 1 Cor. iii. 6–9), who has an accurate knowledge of such things, and tends the spiritual vine and cultivates the whole world. Now what does he say is the cause of all the evils? The love of money. For the “love of money is the root of all evils.” (1 Tim. vi. 10). Hence come fightings, and enmities and wars; hence emulations, and railings, and suspicions, and insults; hence murders, and thefts, and violations of sepulchres.

Through this, not cities and countries only, but roads and habitable and inhabitable parts, and mountains, and groves, and hills, and, in a word, all places are filled with blood and murder. And not even from the sea has this evil withdrawn, but even there also with great fury hath it revelled, since pirates beset it on all sides, thus devising a new mode of robbery. Through this have the laws of nature been subverted, and the claims of relationship set aside, and the laws of piety itself186    So Field from one ms. Vulg. “of our very being,”—οὐσίας for ὁσίας. broken through. For the thraldom of money hath armed, not against the living only, but even against the departed too, the right hands of such men. And at death even, they make no truce with them, but bursting open the sepulchres, they put forth their impious hands even against dead bodies, and not even him that hath let go of life will they suffer to be let go from their plotting. And all the evils that you may find, whether in the house or in the market-place, or in the courts of law, or in the senate, or in the king’s palace, or in any other place whatsoever, it is from this that you will find they all spring. For this evil it is, this assuredly, which fills all places with blood and murder, this lights up the flame of hell, this makes cities as wretchedly off as a wilderness, yea, even much worse. For those that beset the high roads, one can easily be on one’s guard against, as not being always upon attack. But they who in the midst of cities imitate them are so much the worse than them, in that these are harder to guard against, and dare to do openly what the others do with secrecy. For those laws, which have been made with a view to stopping their iniquity, they draw even into alliance and fill the cities with this kind of murders and pollutions. Is it not murder, pray, and worse than murder, to hand the poor man over to famine, and to cast him into prison, and to expose him not to famine only, but to tortures too, and to countless acts of insolence? For even if you do not do these things yourself to him, yet you are the occasion of their being done, you do them more than the ministers who execute them. The murderer plunges his sword into a man at once, and after giving him pain for a short time, he does not carry the torture any farther. But do you who by your calumnies, by your harassings, by your plottings, make light darkess to him, and set him upon desiring death ten thousand times over, consider how many deaths you perpetrate instead of one only? And what is worse than all, you plunder and are grasping, not impelled to it by poverty, without any hunger to necessitate you, but that your horse’s bridle may be spattered over with gold enough, or the ceiling of your house, or the capitals of your pillars. And what hell is there that this conduct would not deserve, when it is a brother, and one that has shared with yourself in blessings unutterable, and has been so highly honored by the Lord, whom you, in order that you may deck out stones, and floors, and the bodies of animals with neither reason, nor perception of these ornaments, are casting into countless calamities? And your dog187    Or “the pillar” and so in the next line κιών and κιόνα for κύων and κύνα. is well attended too, while man, or rather Christ, for the sake of the hound, and all these things I have named, is straitened with extreme hunger. What can be worse than such confusion? What more grievous than such lawlessness as this? What streams of fire will be enough for such a soul? He that was made in the Image of God stands in unseemly plight, through thy inhumanity; but the faces of the mules that draw thy wife glisten with gold in abundance, as do the skins and woods which compose that canopy. And if it is a seat that is to be made, or a footstool, they are all made of gold and silver. But the member of Christ, for whom also He came hither from Heaven, and shed His precious Blood, does not even enjoy the food that is necessary for him, owing to thy rapaciousness. But the couches are mantled with silver on every side, while the bodies of the saints are deprived even of necessary clothing. And to thee Christ is less precious than anything else, servants, or mules, or couch, or chair, or footstool; for I pass over furniture of still meaner use than these, leaving it to you to know of it. But if thou art shocked at hearing this, stand aloof from doing it, and then the words spoken will not harm thee. Stand aloof, and cease from this madness. For plain madness it is, such eagerness about these things. Wherefore letting go of these things, let us look up, late as it is, towards Heaven, and let us call to mind the Day which is coming, let us bethink ourselves of that awful tribunal, and the exact accounts, and the sentence incorruptible. Let us consider that God, who sees all these things, sends no lightnings from Heaven; and yet what is done deserves not thunderbolts merely. Yet He neither doth this, nor doth He let the sea loose upon us, nor doth He burst the earth in twain, He quencheth not the sun, nor doth He hurl the heaven with its stars upon us. He doth not move aught from its place, but suffereth them to hold their course, and the whole creation to minister to us. Pondering all this then, let us be awestruck with the greatness of His love toward man, and let us return to that noble origin which belongs to us, since at present certainly we are in no better plight than the creatures without reason, but even in a much worse one. For they do love their kin, and need but the community of nature to cause affection towards each other. But thou who besides nature hast countless causes to draw thee together and attach thee to the member of thyself; the being honored with the Word, the partaking in one religion, the sharing in countless blessings; art become of wilder nature than they, by displaying so much carefulness about profitless things, and leaving the Temples of God to perish in hunger and nakedness, and often surrounding them also with a thousand evils. For if it is from love of glory that you do these things, it is much more binding on you to show your brother attention, than your horse. For the better the creature that enjoys the act of kindness, the brighter the crown that is woven for such carefulness. Since now while thou fallest into the contrary of all this, thou pullest upon thyself accusers without number, yet perceivest it not. For who is there that will not speak ill of thee? who that will not indite thee as guilty of the greatest atrocity and misanthrophy, when he sees that thou disregardest the human race, and settest that of senseless creatures above men, and besides senseless creatures, even the furniture of thy house? Hast thou not heard the Apostles say, that they who first received the word sold both “houses and lands” (Acts iv. 34), that they might support the brethren? but you plunder both houses and lands, that you may adorn a horse or wood-work, or skins, or walls, or a pavement. And what is worse is, that it is not men only, but women too are afflicted with this madness, and urge their husbands to this empty sort of pains, by forcing them to lay out their money upon anything rather than the necessary things. And if any one accuse them for this, they are practised with a defence, itself loaded with much to be accused. For both the one and the other are done at once, says one.

What say you? are you not afraid to utter such a thing, and to set the same store by horses and mules and couches and footstools, as by Christ an hungered? Or rather not even comparing them at all, but giving the larger share to these, and to Him meting out with difficulty a scant share? Dost thou not know that all belongs to Him, both thou and thine? Dost thou not know that He fashioned thy body, as well as gave thee a soul, and apportioned thee the whole world? but thou art not for giving a little recompense to Him. But if thou lettest a little hut, thou requirest the rent with the utmost rigor, and though reaping the whole of His creation, and dwelling in so wide a world, thou hast not courage to lay down even a little rent, but has given up to vainglory thyself and all thou hast. For this is that whereof all these things come. The horse is none the better above his natural excellence for having this ornament, neither yet is the person mounted upon him, for sometimes he is only in the less esteem for it; since many neglect the rider and turn their eyes to the horse’s ornaments, and to the attendants behind and before, and to the fan-bearers. But the man, who is lackeyed by these, they hate and turn their heads from, as a common enemy. But this does not happen when thou adornest thy soul, for then men, and angels, and the Lord of angels, all weave thee a crown. And so, if thou art in love with glory, stand aloof from the things which thou art now doing, and show thy taste not in thy house, but in thy soul, that thou mayest become brilliant and conspicuous. For now nothing can be more cheap than thou art, with thy soul unfurnished, and but the handsomeness of thy house for a screen. But if thou art impatient of hearing me speak in this way, listen to what one of those that are without did, and at all events be shamed by their philosophy. For it is said that a certain one of them, who went into a palace that shone with gold in abundance, and glistened with the great beauty of the marbles and the columns, when he saw the floor strewed with carpets in all directions, spat in the face of the master of the house, and when found fault with for it said, that since there was no other part of the house where he could do this, he was obliged to do this affront to his face. See how ridiculous a man is, who displays his taste in exteriors, and how little he is in the eyes of all reasonable men. And with good reason. For if a person were to leave thy wife to be clad in rags, and to be neglected, and clothed thy maid-servants with brilliant dresses, thou wouldest not bear it meekly, but wouldest be exasperated, and say that it was insulting in the extreme. Reason then in this way about your soul. When you display your taste in walls then, and pavement, and furniture, and other things of the kind, and do not give liberally in alms, or practise the other parts of a religious life (φιλοσοφίαν); you do nothing less than this, or rather what is worse than this by far. For the difference between servant and mistress is nothing, but between soul and flesh, there is a great disparity. But if it be so with the flesh, much more is it with a house or a couch or a footstool. What kind of excuse then dost thou deserve, who puttest silver on all these, but for it hast no regard, though it be covered with filthy rags, squalid, hungry, and full of wounds, torn by hounds unnumbered (Luke xvi. 20, 21); and after all this fanciest that thou shalt get thee glory by displaying thy taste in externals wound about thee? And this is the very height of phrenzy, while ridiculed, reproached, disgraced, dishonored, and falling into the severest punishment, still to be vain of these things! Wherefore, I beseech you, laying all this to heart, let us become sober-minded, late as it is, and become our own masters, and transfer this adorning from outward things to our souls. For so it will abide safe from spoiling, and will make us equal to the angels, and will entertain us with unaltering good, which may we all attain by the grace and love toward man, etc.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΑʹ. Εἰ γὰρ σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θα νάτου αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐσό μεθα. αʹ. Ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἔφθην εἰπὼν, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ἐρῶ, ὅτι εἰς τὸν ἠθικὸν συνεχῶς ἐκβαίνει λόγον, οὐχ ὥσπερ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις Ἐπιστολαῖς, διαιρῶν αὐτὰς εἰς δύο, τὸ μὲν πρῶτον τοῖς δόγμασιν ἀφορίζει, τὸ δὲ ἕτερον τῇ τῶν ἠθῶν ἐπιμελείᾳ: ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐνταῦθα οὕτως, ἀλλὰ δι' ὅλης αὐτῆς ἀναμὶξ τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ὥστε εὐπαράδεκτον γενέσθαι τὸν λόγον. Δύο τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα νεκρώσεις εἶναί φησι, καὶ θανάτους δύο: καὶ τὴν μὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγενῆσθαι ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, τὴν δὲ ὑφ' ἡμῶν ὀφείλειν γίνεσθαι διὰ τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα σπουδῆς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ταφῆναι τὰ πρότερα ἁμαρτήματα, τῆς αὐτοῦ γέγονε δωρεᾶς: τὸ δὲ μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα μεῖναι νεκροὺς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, τῆς ἡμετέρας δεῖ γενέσθαι ἔργον σπουδῆς, εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα πολλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸν Θεὸν ὁρῶμεν βοηθοῦντα ἡμῖν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο ἰσχύει τὸ βάπτισμα μόνον τὸ τὰ πρότερα ἀφανίσαι πλημμελήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ἀσφαλίζεται. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν ἐκείνοις τὴν πίστιν εἰσήνεγκας, ἵνα ἀφανισθῇ: οὕτω καὶ ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς προθυμίας ἐπίδειξαι τὴν μεταβολὴν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν σαυτὸν καταῤῥυπάνῃς. Ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα συμβουλεύων φησίν: Εἰ γὰρ σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐσόμεθα. Εἶδες πῶς ἐπῆρε τὸν ἀκροατὴν, πρὸς τὸν Δεσπότην εὐθέως αὐτὸν ἀναγαγὼν τὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλὴν δεῖξαι σπουδάσας τὴν ὁμοιότητα; Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ εἶπε, Θανάτῳ, ἵνα μὴ ἀντείπῃς, ἀλλ' Ὁμοιώματι θανάτου: οὐ γὰρ ἡ οὐσία αὐτὴ ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν ἄνθρωπος, τουτέστιν, ἡ κακία. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Εἰ γὰρ ἐκοινωνήσαμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου: ἀλλὰ τί; Εἰ γὰρ σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν, τῷ τῆς φυτείας ὀνόματι τὸν ἐκ ταύτης καρπὸν ἡμῖν αἰνιξάμενος. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ταφὲν ἐν τῇ γῇ καρπὸν τῆς οἰκουμένης τὴν σωτηρίαν ἤνεγκεν: οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἡμέτερον ταφὲν ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, καρπὸν ἤνεγκε τὴν δικαιοσύνην, τὸν ἁγιασμὸν, τὴν υἱοθεσίαν, τὰ μυρία ἀγαθά: οἴσει δὲ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ὕστερον δῶρον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐν ὕδατι, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐν γῇ, καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας λόγον, ἐκεῖνος δὲ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ σώματος ἐτάφη, διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπε, Σύμφυτοι τῷ θανάτῳ, ἀλλὰ, Τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου: θάνατος μὲν γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκεῖνο, ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὑποκειμένου. Εἰ τοίνυν, φησὶν, ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ἐγενόμεθα σύμφυτοι, καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐσόμεθα: ἀνάστασιν ἐνταῦθα τὴν μέλλουσαν λέγων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀνωτέρω περὶ θανάτου διαλεχθεὶς καὶ εἰπὼν, Ἢ ἀγνοεῖτε, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅτι ὅσοι εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθημεν, εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν; οὐδὲν περὶ ἀναστάσεως διελέχθη σαφῶς, ἀλλὰ περὶ πολιτείας τῆς μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα, κελεύσας ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατῆσαι: διὰ τοῦτο ἐνταῦθα τὸν αὐτὸν ἀναλαβὼν λόγον, ἐκείνην ἡμῖν λοιπὸν προαναφωνεῖ τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐ περὶ ταύτης φησὶ τῆς ἐκ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἐκείνης: εἰπὼν, Εἰ γὰρ σύμφυτοι γεγόναμεν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ, οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Τοῦ ὁμοιώματος τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐσόμεθα, ἀλλὰ, Καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃς, Καὶ πῶς, εἰ μὴ ἀπεθάνομεν ὡς ἀπέθανεν, ἀναστησόμεθα ὡς ἀνέστη; ἡνίκα μὲν τοῦ θανάτου ἐμνημόνευσεν, οὐκ εἶπε, Σύμφυτοι τῷ θανάτῳ, ἀλλὰ, Τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου: ἡνίκα δὲ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, οὐκ εἶπε, Τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς ἀναστάσεως, ἀλλ' Αὐτῆς τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐσόμεθα. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Γεγόναμεν, ἀλλ' Ἐσόμεθα, καὶ τούτῳ πάλιν δηλῶν τῷ ῥήματι ἐκείνην τὴν οὐδέπω γεγενημένην ἀνάστασιν, ἀλλὰ μέλλουσαν. Εἶτα βουλόμενος ἀξιόπιστον ποιῆσαι τὸν λόγον, δείκνυσιν ἑτέραν ἀνάστασιν ἐνταῦθα γενομένην πρὸ ἐκείνης, ἵνα ἀπὸ τῆς παρούσης καὶ τῇ μελλούσῃ πιστεύσῃς. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι σύμφυτοι ἐσόμεθα τῆς ἀναστάσεως, ἐπήγαγε: Τοῦτο γινώσκοντες, ὅτι ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος συνεσταυρώθη, ἵνα καταργηθῇ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας: ὁμοῦ καὶ αἰτίαν καὶ ἀπόδειξιν τῆς μελλούσης τιθεὶς ἀναστάσεως. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐσταύρωται, ἀλλὰ, Συνεσταύρωται, ἐγγὺς ἄγων τὸ βάπτισμα τῷ σταυρῷ. Διὸ καὶ ἀνωτέρω ἔλεγε, Σύμφυτοι τῷ ὁμοιώματι τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ γεγόναμεν, ἵνα καταργηθῇ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, οὐ τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο οὕτω καλῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πονηρίαν ἅπασαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον λέγει τὴν ὁλόκληρον κακίαν, οὕτω καὶ σῶμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκείνου τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν διαφόρων μερῶν πονηρίας συγκειμένην πάλιν κακίαν. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ στοχασμὸς τὸ εἰρημένον, ἀπὸ τοῦ Παύλου τοῦτο αὐτὸ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ἑρμηνεύσαντος ἄκουσον. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ἵνα καταργηθῇ τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐπήγαγε: Τοῦ μηκέτι δουλεύειν ἡμᾶς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. Ταύτῃ γὰρ αὐτὸ εἶναι βούλομαι νεκρὸν, οὐχ ὥστε ἀφανισθῆναι καὶ ἀποθανεῖν, ἀλλ' ὥστε μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν. Καὶ προϊὼν ἔτι σαφέστερον αὐτὸ ποιεῖ: Ὁ γὰρ ἀποθανὼν, φησὶ, δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Περὶ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι ὥσπερ ὁ ἀποθανὼν ἀπήλλακται τὸ λοιπὸν τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν, νεκρὸς κείμενος, οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἀναβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος: ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἅπαξ ἀπέθανεν ἐκεῖ, νεκρὸν δεῖ μένειν διαπαντὸς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. βʹ. Εἰ τοίνυν ἀπέθανες ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, μένε νεκρός: καὶ γὰρ ἕκαστος ἀποθανὼν, οὐκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν δύναιτ' ἄν: εἰ δὲ ἁμαρτάνεις, λυμαίνῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δωρεάν. Ἀπαιτήσας τοίνυν τοσαύτην ἡμᾶς φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ τὸν στέφανον ταχέως ἐπήγαγε, λέγων: Εἰ δὲ ἀπεθάνομεν σὺν Χριστῷ. Καίτοι καὶ τοῦτο πρὸ τοῦ στεφάνου μέγιστος στέφανος, τὸ κοινωνῆσαι τῷ Δεσπότῃ: πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον δίδωμί σοι, φησὶν, ἔπαθλον. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν. Πιστεύομεν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι καὶ συζήσομεν αὐτῷ. Καὶ πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Εἰδότες, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν, οὐκέτι ἀποθνήσκει. Καὶ σκόπει πάλιν αὐτοῦ τὴν φιλονεικίαν, καὶ πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων αὐτὸ κατασκευάζει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν τινας θορυβεῖσθαι διὰ τὸν σταυρὸν καὶ τὸν θάνατον, δείκνυσιν ὅτι δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο χρὴ θαῤῥεῖν λοιπόν. Μὴ γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ ἅπαξ ἀπέθανε, φησὶ, νομίσῃς αὐτὸν θνητὸν εἶναι: καὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ἀθάνατος μένει: θανάτου γὰρ θάνατος ὁ θάνατος αὐτοῦ γέγονε: καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀπέθανε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀποθνήσκει: καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον τὸν θάνατον Τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀπέθανε. Τί ἐστι, Τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ; Τουτέστιν, οὐδὲ ἐκείνῳ ὑπεύθυνος ἦν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν. Ἵνα γὰρ αὐτὴν ἀνέλῃ, καὶ ἐκκόψῃ τὰ νεῦρα αὐτῆς καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἅπασαν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀπέθανεν. Εἶδες πῶς ἐφόβησεν; Εἰ γὰρ οὐκ ἀποθνήσκει δεύτερον, οὐδὲ λουτρόν ἐστι δεύτερον: εἰ δὲ λουτρὸν οὐκ ἔστι δεύτερον, μηδὲ σὺ πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν ἐπιῤῥεπῶς ἔχε. Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα λέγει, πρὸς ἐκεῖνο ἱστάμενος τὸ, Ποιήσωμεν τὰ κακὰ, ἵνα ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ τὸ, Ἐπιμενοῦμεν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἵνα ἡ χάρις πλεονάσῃ. Πρόῤῥιζον τοίνυν τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπόληψιν ἀναιρῶν, ἅπαντα ταῦτα τίθησιν. Ὃ δὲ ζῇ, τῷ Θεῷ ζῇ, φησί: τουτέστιν ἀκαταλύτως, ὡς μηκέτι κρατεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ θανάτου. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸν πρότερον θάνατον οὐχ ὑπεύθυνος ὢν ἀπέθανεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἑτέρων ἁμαρτίαν: πολλῷ μᾶλλον νῦν οὐκ ἀποθανεῖται, καταλύσας αὐτήν. Ὃ καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους ἔλεγεν: Ἅπαξ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων εἰς ἀθέτησιν ἁμαρτίας διὰ τῆς θυσίας αὐτοῦ πεφανέρωται. Καὶ καθόσον ἀπόκειται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἅπαξ ἀποθανεῖν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἅπαξ προσενεχθεὶς εἰς τὸ πολλῶν ἀνενεγκεῖν ἁμαρτίας, ἐκ δευτέρου χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας, ὀφθήσεται τοῖς αὐτὸν ἀπεκδεχομένοις εἰς σωτηρίαν. Δείκνυσι δὲ καὶ τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν ζωῆς τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν δύναμιν: τῆς μὲν κατὰ Θεὸν ζωῆς, ὅτι οὐκέτι ἀποθανεῖται: τῆς δὲ ἁμαρτίας, ὅτι εἰ τὸν ἀναμάρτητον αὕτη παρεσκεύαζεν ἀποθανεῖν, τοὺς ὑπευθύνους ὄντας πῶς οὐκ ἀπολεῖ; Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ ζωῆς διελέχθη, ἵνα μὴ λέγῃ τις, Τί οὖν πρὸς ἡμᾶς τὸ εἰρημένον; ἐπήγαγεν: Οὕτω καὶ ὑμεῖς λογίζεσθε ἑαυτοὺς, φησὶ, νεκροὺς μὲν εἶναι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ζῶντας δὲ τῷ Θεῷ. Καλῶς εἶπε, Λογίζεσθε, ἐπειδὴ ὄψει παραστῆσαι τὸ λεγόμενον τέως οὐκ ἔστι. Καὶ τί λογιζόμεθα, φησί; Νεκροὺς μὲν εἶναι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ζῶντας δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν: ὁ γὰρ οὕτω ζῶν πάσης ἐπιλήψεται ἀρετῆς, αὐτὸν ἔχων σύμμαχον τὸν Ἰησοῦν: τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἐν Χριστῷ. Εἰ γὰρ νεκροὺς ὄντας ἀνέστησε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ζῶντας κατασχεῖν δυνήσεται. Μὴ οὖν βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι, εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν αὐτῇ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ οὖν ζήτω ἡ σὰρξ, μηδὲ ἐνεργείτω, ἀλλ' Ἡ ἁμαρτία μὴ βασιλευέτω: οὐ γὰρ τὴν φύσιν ἦλθεν ἀνελεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν διορθῶσαι. Εἶτα δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐ βίᾳ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ κατεχόμεθα ὑπὸ τῆς πονηρίας, ἀλλ' ἑκόντες, οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ τυραννείτω, ὅπερ ἀνάγκης ἦν, ἀλλὰ, Μὴ βασιλευέτω. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον εἰς βασιλείαν ἀγομένους τῶν οὐρανῶν, βασιλίδα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἔχειν, καὶ καλουμένους συμβασιλεῦσαι τῷ Χριστῷ, αἱρεῖσθαι γενέσθαι τῆς ἁμαρτίας αἰχμαλώτους: ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸ διάδημα ῥίψας ἀπὸ τῆς κεφαλῆς, δαιμονώσῃ γυναικὶ καὶ προσαιτούσῃ καὶ ῥάκια περιβεβλημένῃ δουλεύειν ἐθέλοι. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ βαρὺ τὸ περιγενέσθαι ἁμαρτίας, ὅρα πῶς καὶ κοῦφον ἔδειξε, καὶ τὸν πόνον παρεμυθήσατο εἰπὼν, Ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι. Τοῦτο γὰρ δείκνυσι προσκαίρους ὄντας τοὺς ἀγῶνας, καὶ ταχέως καταλυομένους: ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τῶν προτέρων ἡμᾶς ἀναμιμνήσκει κακῶν, καὶ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου ῥίζης: ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν θνητὸν γέγονεν. Ἀλλ' ἔξεστι καὶ θνητὸν ἔχοντα σῶμα, μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν. Εἶδες τὴν περιουσίαν τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἀδὰμ οὐδέπω θνητὸν ἔχων, ὤλισθε: σὺ δὲ καὶ θανάτου λαβὼν ὑπεύθυνον ὂν, στεφανωθῆναι δυνήσῃ. Καὶ πῶς βασιλεύει, φησὶν, ἡ ἁμαρτία; Οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς σῆς ῥᾳθυμίας. Διὰ τοῦτο εἰπὼν, Μὴ βασιλευέτω, καὶ τὸν τρόπον δείκνυσι τῆς τοιαύτης βασιλείας, ἐπάγων καὶ λέγων: Εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν αὐτῇ ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι τιμὴ τὸ μετ' ἐξουσίας αὐτῷ πάντα χαρίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐσχάτη δουλεία καὶ ἀτιμίας ἐπίτασις. Ὅταν γὰρ ἃ βούλεται πράττῃ, τότε ἐλευθερίας ἐστέρηται πάσης: ὅταν δὲ κωλύηται, τότε μάλιστα τὴν οἰκείαν ἀξίαν διατηρεῖ. Μηδὲ παριστάνετε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα ἀδικίας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ὅπλα δικαιοσύνης. γʹ. Οὐκοῦν μέσον τὸ σῶμα κακίας καὶ ἀρετῆς, καθάπερ οὖν καὶ τὰ ὅπλα: ἑκάτερα δὲ τὰ ἔργα παρὰ τὸν χρώμενον γίνεται: ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ καὶ στρατιώτης ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος ἀγωνιζόμενος, καὶ λῃστὴς κατὰ τῶν ἐνοικούντων ὁπλιζόμενος, τοῖς αὐτοῖς φράττοιντο ὅπλοις: οὐ γὰρ τῆς παντευχίας τὸ ἔγκλημα, ἀλλὰ τῶν εἰς τὸ κακὸν χρωμένων. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο γινομένης παρὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς γνώμην, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν φύσιν. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ περιεργάσῃ κάλλος ἀλλότριον, ὅπλον ἀδικίας γέγονεν ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς, οὐ παρὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐνέργειαν (ὀφθαλμοῦ γὰρ τὸ ὁρᾷν, οὐ τὸ κακῶς ὁρᾷν), ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ κελεύσαντος λογισμοῦ πονηρίαν: ἂν δὲ χαλινώσῃς αὐτὸν, δικαιοσύνης γέγονεν ὅπλον. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ γλώττης, οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ χειρῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων. Καλῶς δὲ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀδικίαν ἐκάλεσεν: ἢ γὰρ ἑαυτόν τις, ἢ τὸν πλησίον ἁμαρτάνων ἀδικεῖ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἑαυτὸν πρὸ τοῦ πλησίον. Ἀπαγαγὼν τοίνυν τῆς πονηρίας, ἄγει πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν, λέγων: Ἀλλὰ παραστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ, ὡς ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶντας. Ὅρα πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων γυμνῶν προτρέπει, ἐκεῖ μὲν ἁμαρτίαν εἰπὼν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸν Θεόν. Δείξας γὰρ ὅσον τὸ μέσον τῶν βασιλευόντων, πάσης συγγνώμης τὸν στρατιώτην ἐξέβαλε, τὸν ἀφέντα μὲν τὸν Θεὸν, ἐπιθυμήσαντα δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας τάττεσθαι βασιλείαν. Οὐ ταύτῃ δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς τοῦτο κατασκευάζει λέγων, Ὡς ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶντας. Διὰ γὰρ τούτων δείκνυσι κἀκείνης τὴν λύμην, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεᾶς τὸ μέγεθος. Ἐννοήσατε γὰρ, φησὶ, τίνες ἦτε, καὶ τί γεγόνατε. Τίνες οὖν ἦτε; Νεκροὶ καὶ ἀπολωλότες ἀπώλειαν οὐδαμόθεν διορθωθῆναι δυναμένην: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν τις ὁ βοηθῆσαι δυνάμενος. Καὶ τίνες ἐξ ἐκείνων γεγόνατε τῶν νεκρῶν; Ζῶντες ζωὴν ἀθάνατον. Καὶ διὰ τίνος; Διὰ τοῦ πάντα δυναμένου Θεοῦ. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦτον τάττεσθαι δίκαιον μετὰ προθυμίας τοσαύτης, μεθ' ὅσης εἰκὸς τοὺς ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ζῶντας γενομένους. Καὶ τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα δικαιοσύνης τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐκοῦν οὐ πονηρὸν τὸ σῶμα, εἴ γε ὅπλον δικαιοσύνης αὐτὸ γενέσθαι δυνατόν. Ὅπλον δὲ εἰπὼν, ἐδήλωσεν, ὅτι καὶ πόλεμος ἐφέστηκε χαλεπός. Διὸ καὶ παντευχίας ἡμῖν δεῖ ἰσχυρᾶς, καὶ γνώμης γενναίας, καὶ τὰ τῶν πολέμων τούτων ἐπισταμένης καλῶς, καὶ πρό γε πάντων στρατηγοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν στρατηγὸς παρέστηκεν, ἀεὶ πρὸς συμμαχίαν ἕτοιμος ὢν, καὶ ἀχείρωτος μένων, καὶ τὰ ὅπλα δὲ ἰσχυρὰ κατεσκεύασεν ἡμῖν, δεῖ δὲ λοιπὸν προαιρέσεως τῆς εἰς δέον αὐτὰ μεταχειριζομένης, ὥστε καὶ τῷ στρατηγῷ πείθεσθαι, καὶ τὸ ὅπλα ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος τίθεσθαι. Παρακελευσάμενος τοίνυν ἡμῖν οὕτω μεγάλα, καὶ ὅπλων καὶ μάχης καὶ πολέμων ἀναμνήσας, ὅρα πῶς πάλιν θαῤῥύνει τὸν στρατιώτην, καὶ ἀλείφει τὴν προθυμίαν, λέγων: Ἁμαρτία γὰρ ὑμῶν οὐκέτι κυριεύσει: οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑπὸ νόμον, ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ χάριν. Εἰ οὖν ἁμαρτία ἡμῶν οὐκέτι κυριεύει, τίνος ἕνεκεν τοσαῦτα παρεγγυᾷς, λέγων: Μὴ βασιλευέτω ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι: καὶ, Μὴ παριστάνετε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν ὅπλα ἀδικίας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ; Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; Σπερματικόν τινα καταβάλλεται λόγον ἐνταῦθα, ὃν ὕστερον ἀναπτύσσειν μέλλει, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἐργάζεσθαι τῆς κατασκευῆς. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ λόγος; Τὸ σῶμα ἡμῶν πρὸ μὲν τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας εὐχείρωτον ἦν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸν θάνατον καὶ πολὺς παθῶν ἐπεισῆλθεν ἐσμός: διόπερ οὐδὲ σφόδρα κοῦφον ἦν πρὸς τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀρετῆς δρόμον. Οὔτε γὰρ Πνεῦμα παρῆν τὸ βοηθοῦν, οὔτε βάπτισμα τὸ νεκρῶσαι δυνάμενον, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις ἵππος δυσήνιος, ἔτρεχε μὲν, διημάρτανε δὲ πολλάκις, τοῦ νόμου τὰ πρακτέα καὶ τὰ μὴ τοιαῦτα διαγορεύοντος μὲν, πλέον δὲ οὐδὲν τῆς διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων παραινέσεως τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις εἰσφέροντος: ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς παραγέγονε, τὰ παλαίσματα λοιπὸν εὐκολώτερα γέγονε. Διὸ καὶ μείζονα ἡμῖν προετέθη τὰ σκάμματα, ἅτε μείζονος μετεσχηκόσι τῆς βοηθείας. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν: Ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλέον τῶν Γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς σαφέστερον λέγει, τέως δὲ αὐτὸ αἰνίττεται διὰ βραχέων ἐνταῦθα, δεικνὺς, ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ σφόδρα ἑαυτοὺς ὑποκατακλίνωμεν, οὐ περιέσται ἡμῶν ἡ ἁμαρτία. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι νόμος ὁ κελεύων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ χάρις ἡ καὶ τὰ πρότερα ἀφεῖσα, καὶ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ἀσφαλιζομένη. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ μετὰ τοὺς πόνους τοὺς στεφάνους ἐπήγγελτο, αὕτη δὲ πρότερον ἐστεφάνωσε, καὶ τότε εἰς τοὺς ἀγῶνας εἵλκυσεν. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ οὐδὲ πάντα τὸν βίον τοῦ πιστοῦ ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεσθαι, ἀλλὰ σύγκρισιν βαπτίσματος ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦ νόμου: ὅπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν, ὅτι Τὸ μὲν γράμμα ἀποκτείνει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα ζωοποιεῖ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος ἐλέγχει τὴν παράβασιν, ἡ δὲ χάρις λύει τὴν παράβασιν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖνος ἐλέγχων συνίστησι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, οὕτως αὕτη συγχωροῦσα οὐκ ἀφίησιν εἶναι ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίαν: ὥστε διπλῇ τῆς τυραννίδος εἶ ταύτης ἀπηλλαγμένος, τῷ τε μὴ ὑπὸ νόμον εἶναι, καὶ τῷ χάριτος ἀπολελαυκέναι. δʹ. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τούτοις ἀναπνεῦσαι πεποίηκε τὸν ἀκροατὴν, ἀσφαλίζεται πάλιν αὐτὸν, ἐξ ἀντιθέσεως παραίνεσιν εἰσάγων, καὶ λέγων οὕτω: Τί οὖν; ἁμαρτήσομεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὑπὸ νόμον, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ χάριν; Μὴ γένοιτο. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τῇ ἀπαγορεύσει, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα ἄτοπον εἶναι τὸ λεγόμενον, κέχρηται: ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ εἰς παραίνεσιν ἐξάγει τὸν λόγον, καὶ δείκνυσι πολλὴν οὖσαν τὴν εὐκολίαν τῶν ἀγώνων, οὕτω λέγων: Οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ᾧ παριστάνετε ἑαυτοὺς δούλους εἰς ὑπακοὴν, δοῦλοί ἐστε, ᾧ ὑπακούετε, ἤτοι ἁμαρτίας εἰς θάνατον, ἢ ὑπακοῆς εἰς δικαιοσύνην; Οὔπω λέγω τὴν γέενναν, φησὶν, οὐδὲ τὴν πολλὴν ἐκείνην κόλασιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐνταῦθα αἰσχύνην, ὅταν δοῦλοι γίνησθε, καὶ ἑκόντες δοῦλοι, καὶ ἁμαρτίας δοῦλοι, καὶ ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ μισθῷ, ὥστε πάλιν ἀποθανεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος θάνατον εἰργάσατο σωματικὸν, καὶ τοσαύτης ἐδεήθη τῆς θεραπείας τὸ ἕλκος, ὥστε τὸν Δεσπότην ἁπάντων εἰς θάνατον κατελθεῖν, καὶ οὕτω λῦσαι τὸ κακὸν, μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην δωρεὰν, καὶ ἐλευθερίαν, λαμβάνουσά σε ἑκόντα αὕτη πάλιν ὑποκατακλινόμενον, τί οὐκ ἐργάσεται; Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον δράμῃς βάραθρον, μηδὲ ἑκὼν σεαυτὸν προδῷς. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν πολέμων καὶ ἄκοντες παραδίδονται πολλάκις οἱ στρατιῶται: ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἂν μὴ αὐτὸς αὐτομολήσῃς, οὐδείς σου περιέσται. Ἐντρέψας τοίνυν ἀπὸ τοῦ πρέποντος, φοβεῖ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπάθλων, καὶ τίθησιν ἀμφοτέρων τὰ ἐπίχειρα, δικαιοσύνην καὶ θάνατον: θάνατον δὲ οὐ τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον. Εἰ γὰρ οὐκέτι ἀποθανεῖται Χριστὸς, τίς λύσει τὸν θάνατον ἐκεῖνον; Οὐδείς. Οὐκοῦν ἀνάγκη διόλου κολάζεσθαι καὶ τιμωρεῖσθαι: οὐκέτι γὰρ θάνατος παραγίνεται αἰσθητὸς, καθάπερ ἐνταῦθα, ἀναπαύων τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς διαιρῶν: Ἔσχατος γὰρ ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατος. Ὅθεν ἀθάνατος ἔσται ἡ κόλασις, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ τοῖς ὑπακούουσι Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ δικαιοσύνη, καὶ τὰ ἐκ ταύτης βλαστάνοντα ἀγαθὰ, ἔσται τὰ ἔπαθλα, Χάρις δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἦτε δοῦλοι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ὑπηκούσατε δὲ ἐκ καρδίας εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς. Ἐντρέψας ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας, φοβήσας ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπάθλων καὶ προτρέψας, ἀνορθοῖ πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς μνήμης τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν αὐτούς. Διὰ γὰρ τούτων δείκνυσιν, ὅτι τε μεγάλων ἀπηλλάγησαν κακῶν, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ οἰκείων πόνων, καὶ ὅτι τὰ μέλλοντα εὐκολώτερα. Καθάπερ γάρ τις ὠμοῦ τυράννου τὸν αἰχμάλωτον ἐξελόμενος, καὶ παραινῶν μὴ παλινδρομῆσαι πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀναμιμνήσκει τῆς χαλεπῆς αὐτοῦ τυραννίδος: οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐμφαντικώτατα τὰ παρελθόντα ἐνδείκνυται κακὰ διὰ τοῦ εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνης ἰσχύος ἦν, φησὶν, ἐκείνων ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάξαι πάντων, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ χάρις τῷ τοσαῦτα καὶ βουληθέντι καὶ δυνηθέντι. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπεν, Ὑπηκούσατε ἐκ καρδίας: οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠναγκάσθητε οὐδὲ ἐβιάσθητε, ἀλλ' ἑκόντες μετὰ προθυμίας ἀπέστητε. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐγκωμιάζοντός ἐστιν ὁμοῦ, καὶ καθαπτομένου. Οἱ γὰρ ἑκόντες προσελθόντες, καὶ μηδεμίαν ὑπομείναντες ἀνάγκην, ποίαν ἂν σχοίητε συγγνώμην, τίνα δὲ ἀπολογίαν ἐπὶ τὰ πρότερα παλινδρομοῦντες; Εἶτα ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι οὐ τῆς αὐτῶν εὐγνωμοσύνης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος τὸ πᾶν γέγονεν, εἰπὼν, Ὑπηκούσατε ἐκ καρδίας, ἐπήγαγεν, Εἰς ὃν παρεδόθητε τύπον διδαχῆς. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ὑπακοὴ ἡ ἐκ καρδίας τὸ αὐτεξούσιον δηλοῖ, τὸ δὲ παραδοθῆναι, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βοήθειαν αἰνίττεται. Τίς δὲ ὁ τύπος τῆς διδαχῆς; Ὀρθῶς ζῇν καὶ μετὰ πολιτείας ἀρίστης. Ἐλευθερωθέντες δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἐδουλώθητε τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. Δύο ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσι τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεὰς, τό τε ἁμαρτίας ἐλευθερῶσαι, καὶ τὸ δουλῶσαι τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ, ὅπερ ἐλευθερίας ἁπάσης ἄμεινόν ἐστι. Καὶ γὰρ ταὐτὸν πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεὸς, οἷον ἂν εἴ τις παῖδα ὀρφανὸν λαβὼν ὑπὸ βαρβάρων εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν ἀπενεχθέντα γῆν, μὴ μόνον τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀπαλλάξειεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατέρα ἑαυτὸν αὐτῷ κηδεμονικὸν ἐπιστήσειε, καὶ εἰς μεγίστην ἀξίαν ἀγάγοι: ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν γέγονεν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τῶν παλαιῶν κακῶν ἠλευθέρωσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ἀγγελικὸν ἤγαγε βίον, καὶ ὁδὸν ἡμῖν πολιτείας ἔτεμεν ἀρίστης, τῇ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀσφαλείᾳ παραδοὺς, καὶ τὰ παλαιὰ ἀποκτείνας κακὰ, καὶ νεκρώσας τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ζωὴν χειραγωγήσας ἡμᾶς τὴν ἀθάνατον. Μένωμεν τοίνυν ταύτην ζῶντες: πολλοὶ γὰρ τῶν δοκούντων ἐμπνεῖν καὶ βαδίζειν, νεκρῶν ἀθλιώτερον διάκεινται. εʹ. Καὶ γὰρ διάφοροι νεκρότητός εἰσι τρόποι: καὶ ἔστιν εἷς μὲν ὁ τοῦ σώματος, καθ' ὃν ὁ Ἀβραὰμ νεκρὸς ὢν, οὐκ ἦν νεκρός: Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔστι Θεὸς νεκρῶν, ἀλλὰ ζώντων: ἕτερος ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς, ὃν ὁ Χριστὸς αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγεν. Ἄφες τοὺς νεκροὺς θάψαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς: ἄλλος ὁ καὶ ἐπαινετὸς, ὁ διὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας γινόμενος, περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ Παῦλος: Νεκρώσατε ὑμῶν τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς: ἕτερος ὁ καὶ τούτου γεγενημένος αἴτιος, ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος: Ὁ γὰρ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος, φησὶν, ἐσταύρωται, τουτέστι νενέκρωται. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, ἐκείνην μὲν φύγωμεν τὴν νέκρωσιν, καθ' ἣν καὶ ζῶντες ἀποθνήσκομεν: ταύτην δὲ μὴ δείσωμεν, καθ' ἣν ὁ κοινὸς ἔπεισι θάνατος. Τὰς δὲ ἑτέρας δύο, ὧν ἡ μέν ἐστι μακαριστὴ ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοθεῖσα, ἡ δὲ ἐπαινετὴ ἡ παρ' ἡμῶν καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατορθουμένη, καὶ ἑλώμεθα καὶ ζηλώσωμεν. Τούτων δὲ τῶν δύο τὴν μὲν ὁ Δαυῒδ μακαρίζει λέγων: Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι: τὴν δὲ ὁ Παῦλος θαυμάζει, Γαλάταις γράφων, ὅτι Οἱ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν σάρκα ἐσταύρωσαν. Τῆς δὲ ἑτέρας συζυγίας τὴν μὲν εὐκαταφρόνητον εἶναί φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς λέγων: Μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεινόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι: τὴν δὲ φοβερὰν, Φοβήθητε γὰρ τὸν δυνάμενον καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ. Διὸ ταύτην φυγόντες, ἐκείνην ἑλώμεθα τὴν νεκρότητα, τὴν μακαριζομένην καὶ θαυμαζομένην, ἵνα τῶν ἑτέρων τῶν δύο τὴν μὲν φύγωμεν, τὴν δὲ φοβηθῶμεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὄφελος ἡμῖν οὐδὲν τὸν ἥλιον ὁρῶσι, καὶ ἐσθίουσι καὶ πίνουσιν, ἂν μὴ ἡ διὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ζωὴ παρῇ. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, εἰπέ μοι, βασιλέως ἁλουργίδα μὲν περικειμένου καὶ ὅπλα ἔχοντος, οὐδένα δὲ ὑπήκοον κεκτημένου, ἀλλὰ προκειμένου πᾶσι τοῖς βουλομένοις ἐνάλλεσθαι καὶ ὑβρίζειν αὐτόν; Οὕτω καὶ Χριστιανοῦ οὐδὲν ἔσται κέρδος πίστιν μὲν ἔχοντος καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δωρεὰν, πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς πάθεσι ὑποκειμένου: μείζων γὰρ οὕτως ἡ ὕβρις ἔσται, καὶ πλείων ἡ αἰσχύνη. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὁ τὸ διάδημα περικείμενος καὶ τὴν ἁλουργίδα, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῆς στολῆς κερδανεῖ ταύτης εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν τιμὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείνην καθυβρίζει διὰ τῆς οἰκείας αἰσχύνης: οὕτω καὶ ὁ πιστὸς βίον διεφθαρμένον ζῶν, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἐντεῦθεν αἰδέσιμος ἔσται, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως καταγέλαστος. Ὅσοι γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον, ἀνόμως καὶ ἀπολοῦνται: καὶ ὅσοι ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον, διὰ νόμου κριθήσονται. Καὶ Ἑβραίοις δὲ ἐπιστέλλων, ἔλεγεν: Ἀθετήσας τις νόμον Μωϋσέως, χωρὶς οἰκτιρμῶν ἐπὶ δυσὶν ἢ τρισὶ μάρτυσιν ἀποθνήσκει. Πόσῳ δοκεῖτε χείρονος ἀξιωθήσεται τιμωρίας ὁ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταπατήσας; Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως: καὶ γὰρ ὑπέταξά σοι πάντα τὰ πάθη, φησὶ, διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος. Τί οὖν γέγονεν, ὅτι εἰς τοσαύτην ἐξύβρισας δωρεὰν, καὶ γέγονας ἕτερος ἀνθ' ἑτέρου; Ἀπέκτεινα καὶ ἔθαψά σου τὰ πρότερα πλημμελήματα, καθάπερ σκώληκας: τί τοίνυν ἕτερα ἔτεκες; καὶ γὰρ σκωλήκων χείρω τὰ ἁμαρτήματα: οὗτοι μὲν γὰρ τὸ σῶμα, ἐκεῖνα δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν λυμαίνεται, καὶ πλείονα ποιεῖ τὴν δυσωδίαν. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς οὐκ αἰσθανόμεθα: διόπερ αὐτὴν οὐδὲ ἐκκαθᾶραι σπεύδομεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ μεθύων οἶδε πόση τοῦ σεσηπότος οἴνου ἡ βδελυγμία, ἀλλ' ὁ μὴ μεθύων ἀκριβῶς ταῦτα ἐπίσταται. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὁ μὲν σωφρόνως ζῶν, μετὰ ἀκριβείας οἶδε τὸν βόρβορον ἐκείνων καὶ τὴν κηλῖδα: ὁ δὲ τῇ πονηρίᾳ ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοὺς, καθάπερ μέθῃ τινὶ κεκαρωμένος, οὐδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο οἶδεν, ὅτι νοσεῖ. Καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα τῆς κακίας τὸ χαλεπώτατον, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἰδεῖν ἀφίησι τοὺς εἰς αὐτὴν ἐμπεσόντας τῆς οἰκείας λύμης τὸ μέγεθος, ἀλλ' ἐν βορβόρῳ κείμενοι μύρων ἀπολαύειν νομίζουσι: διόπερ οὐδὲ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι δύνανται, ἀλλὰ σκωλήκων γέμοντες, ὥσπερ λίθοις τιμίοις καλλωπιζόμενοι, οὕτως ἐναβρύνονται. Διὰ ταῦτα αὐτοὺς οὐδὲ ἀποκτεῖναι ἐθέλουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρέφουσι καὶ αὔξουσιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ἕως ἂν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τοὺς τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος παραπέμψωσι σκώληκας. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνων οὗτοι πρόξενοι: οὐ πρόξενοι δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πατέρες εἰσὶν ἐκείνων τῶν μηδέποτε τελευτώντων. Ὁ γὰρ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ τελευτήσει, φησίν. Οὗτοι τὴν γέενναν ἀνάπτουσι τὴν μηδέποτε σβεννυμένην. Ἵν' οὖν ταῦτα μὴ γένηται, τὴν πηγὴν τῶν κακῶν ἀνέλωμεν, καὶ τὴν κάμινον σβέσωμεν, καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν τῆς πονηρίας κάτωθεν ἀνασπάσωμεν: ἐπεὶ καὶ δένδρον πονηρὸν ἂν ἀποτέμῃς ἄνωθεν, οὐδὲν πλέον ἐποίησας, τῆς ῥίζης κάτω μενούσης, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ βλαστανούσης πάλιν. Τίς οὖν ἡ ῥίζα τῶν κακῶν; Μάθε παρὰ τοῦ καλοῦ φυτουργοῦ, τοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀκριβῶς ἐπισταμένου, καὶ τὴν ἄμπελον τὴν πνευματικὴν θεραπεύοντος, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην γεωργοῦντος ἅπασαν. Τίνα οὖν οὗτός φησιν εἶναι τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν κακῶν ἁπάντων; Τὴν τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίαν. Ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν, φησὶν, ἡ φιλαργυρία. Ἐντεῦθεν μάχαι καὶ ἔχθραι καὶ πόλεμοι, ἐντεῦθεν φιλονεικίαι καὶ λοιδορίαι καὶ ὑποψίαι καὶ ὕβρεις, ἐντεῦθεν φόνοι καὶ κλοπαὶ καὶ τυμβωρυχίαι: διὰ ταύτην οὐ πόλεις καὶ χῶραι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁδοὶ, καὶ οἰκουμένη καὶ ἀοίκητος, καὶ ὄρη, καὶ νάπαι, καὶ βουνοὶ καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς αἱμάτων γέμει καὶ φόνων. Καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς θαλάττης ἀπέσχετο τουτὶ τὸ κακὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖ μετὰ πολλῆς εἰσεκώμασε τῆς μανίας, τῶν πειρατῶν αὐτὴν πολιορκούντων πάντοθεν, καὶ καινόν τινα λῃστείας ἐπινοούντων τρόπον. Διὰ ταύτην καὶ οἱ τῆς φύσεως ἀνετράπησαν νόμοι, καὶ οἱ τῆς συγγενείας ἐκινήθησαν θεσμοὶ, καὶ τὰ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτῆς διέφθαρται δίκαια. Ϛʹ. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν χρημάτων τυραννὶς οὐ κατὰ τῶν ζώντων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἀποθανόντων τὰς τοιαύτας ὥπλισε δεξιάς: καὶ οὐδὲ τῷ θανάτῳ πρὸς αὐτοὺς σπένδονται, ἀλλὰ θήκας ἀναῤῥηγνύντες, καὶ κατὰ νεκρῶν σωμάτων τὰς μιαρὰς ἐκτείνουσι χεῖρας, οὐδὲ τὸν ἀπαλλαγέντα τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀφιέντες ἀπηλλάχθαι ἐπιβουλῆς. Καὶ ὅσα ἂν εὕρῃς κακὰ, κἂν ἐν οἰκίᾳ, κἂν ἐν ἀγορᾷ, κἂν ἐν δικαστηρίοις, κἂν ἐν βουλευτηρίοις, κἂν ἐν βασιλείοις, κἂν ὁπουδήποτε, ἐντεῦθεν πάντα ὄψει βλαστάνοντα. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, τοῦτο τὸ κακὸν ὃ πάντα αἱμάτων καὶ φόνων ἐνέπλησε, τοῦτο τὴν φλόγα τῆς γεέννης ἀνῆψε, τοῦτο τῆς ἐρημίας τὰς πόλεις οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακεῖσθαι ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῷ χεῖρον. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐφεδρεύοντας καὶ φυλάσσεσθαι ῥᾴδιον, ἅτε οὐ διὰ παντὸς ἐπιτιθεμένους: οἱ δὲ ἐν μέσαις ταῖς πόλεσιν ἐκείνους μιμούμενοι, τοσούτῳ χείρους ἐκείνων, ὅσῳ καὶ δυσφύλακτοι μᾶλλον αὐτῶν, καὶ μετὰ παῤῥησίας ταῦτα τολμῶσιν, ἃ μετὰ τοῦ λανθάνειν ἐκεῖνοι. Τοὺς γὰρ ἐπ' ἀναιρέσει τῆς πονηρίας αὐτῶν κειμένους νόμους, τούτους καὶ εἰς συμμαχίαν ἕλκοντες, τῶν τοιούτων φόνων καὶ μιασμάτων τὰς πόλεις ἐνέπλησαν. Ἢ οὐ φόνος, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ φόνου χεῖρον, τὸ λιμῷ παραδοῦναι πένητα καὶ εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐμβαλεῖν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ λιμοῦ καὶ βασάνοις ἐκδοῦναι καὶ μυρίοις αἰκισμοῖς; Κἂν γὰρ αὐτὸς ταῦτα μὴ ποιῇς, παρέχῃς δὲ τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ γίνεσθαι, τῶν διακονουμένων μᾶλλον αὐτὰ ἐργάζῃ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀνδροφόνος ὁμοῦ τὸ ξίφος ἐνέπηξε, καὶ μικρὸν λυπήσας χρόνον οὐκέτι περαιτέρω προάγει τὴν βάσανον: σὺ δὲ ταῖς συκοφαντίαις, ταῖς ἐπηρείαις, ταῖς ἐπιβουλαῖς τὸ φῶς ἐργαζόμενος αὐτῷ σκότος, καὶ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ καθιστὰς τοῦ μυριάκις ἀποθανεῖν, ἐννόησον ὅσους ἐργάζῃ ἀνθ' ἑνὸς θανάτους. Καὶ τὸ δὴ πάντων χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι ἁρπάζεις καὶ πλεονεκτεῖς, οὐχ ὑπὸ πενίας ὠθούμενος οὐδὲ λιμοῦ σε καταναγκάζοντος, ἀλλ' ἵνα ὁ τοῦ ἵππου χαλινὸς ἀλείφηται πολλῷ τῷ χρυσῷ, καὶ ὁ τῆς οἰκίας ὄροφος, καὶ αἱ τῶν κιόνων κεφαλαί. Καὶ πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴη ταῦτα γεέννης ἄξια, ὅταν τὸν ἀδελφὸν, καὶ τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων σοι κοινωνήσαντα ἀγαθῶν, καὶ οὕτω παρὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου σου τιμηθέντα, ἵνα λίθους καλλωπίσῃς καὶ ἔδαφος καὶ σώματα ἀλόγων ζώων οὐδὲ αἰσθανομένων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, εἰς μυρίας ἐμβάλλῃς συμφοράς; Καὶ ὁ μὲν κύων ἐν ἐπιμελείᾳ πολλῇ, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς, διὰ τὸν κύνα καὶ πάντα τὰ εἰρημένα εἰς ἔσχατον κατακλείεται λιμόν. Τί ταύτης τῆς συγχύσεως χεῖρον; τί τῆς παρανομίας ταύτης χαλεπώτερον; πόσοι ποταμοὶ πυρὸς ἀρκέσουσι τῇ τοιαύτῃ ψυχῇ; Ὁ μὲν κατ' εἰκόνα τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγενημένος ἕστηκεν ἀσχημονῶν διὰ τὴν σὴν ἀπανθρωπίαν: αἱ δὲ ὄψεις τῶν ἡμιόνων τῶν τὴν γυναῖκα φερουσῶν τὴν σὴν πολλῷ καταλάμπονται χρυσίῳ, καὶ τὰ δέρματα καὶ τὰ ξύλα τὰ τὴν στέγην ἐκείνην ὑφαίνοντα: κἂν θρόνον κατασκευάσαι δέῃ, κἂν ὑποπόδιον, πάντα ὑπὸ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου κατασκευάζονται: τὸ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μέλος, καὶ δι' ὃν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ παραγέγονε, καὶ τὸ τίμιον αἷμα ἐξέχεεν, οὐδὲ τῆς ἀναγκαίας ἀπολαύει τροφῆς διὰ τὴν πλεονεξίαν τὴν σήν. Ἀλλ' αἱ μὲν κλῖναι ἀργύρῳ πάντοθέν εἰσι περιβεβλημέναι, τὰ δὲ σώματα τῶν ἁγίων καὶ τῆς ἀναγκαίας ἀπεστέρηται σκέπης: καὶ πάντων σοι γέγονεν ἀτιμότερος ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ οἰκετῶν καὶ ἡμιόνων καὶ κλίνης καὶ θρόνου καὶ ὑποποδίου. Τὰ γὰρ ἔτι τούτων ἀτιμότερα σκεύη παρίημι καταλιμπάνων ὑμῖν εἰδέναι. Εἰ δὲ φρίττεις ταῦτα ἀκούων, ἀπόστηθι πράσσων, καὶ οὐδέν σε βλάψει τὰ εἰρημένα: ἀπόστηθι, καὶ στῆθι τῆς μανίας ταύτης: καὶ γὰρ μανία σαφὴς ἡ περὶ ταῦτα σπουδή. Διὸ ταῦτα ἀφέντες ἀναβλέψωμεν ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἀναμνησθῶμεν τῆς μελλούσης ἡμέρας, ἐννοήσωμεν τὸ φοβερὸν δικαστήριον καὶ τὰς ἠκριβωμένας εὐθύνας καὶ τὴν ἀδέκαστον ψῆφον: λογισώμεθα, ὅτι ταῦτα πάντα ὁρῶν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ κεραυνοὺς ἄνωθεν πέμπει: καίτοι γε οὐ σκηπτῶν ἄξια τὰ γινόμενα μόνον. Ἀλλ' οὔτε τοῦτο ποιεῖ, οὔτε τὴν θάλασσαν ἡμῖν ἐπαφίησιν, οὐ τὴν γῆν ῥήγνυσι μέσην, οὐ τὸν ἥλιον σβέννυσιν, οὐ τὸν οὐρανὸν ῥίπτει μετὰ τῶν ἀστέρων, οὐ πάντα ἁπλῶς ἐκ μέσου ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' ἀφίησιν ἐν τάξει εἶναι καὶ διακονεῖσθαι ἡμῖν τὴν κτίσιν ἅπασαν. Ταῦτ' οὖν λογισάμενοι, τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὸ μέγεθος φρίξωμεν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν εὐγένειαν ἐπανέλθωμεν: ὡς νῦν γε τῶν ἀλόγων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμεθα, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ χεῖρον. Ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ τὰ συγγενῆ, καὶ ἀρκεῖται τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῆς φύσεως εἰς τὴν πρὸς ἄλληλα φιλοστοργίαν. Σὺ δὲ μετὰ τῆς φύσεως μυρίας ἔχων ὑποθέσεις συναγούσας σε καὶ σφιγγούσας πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα μέλη, τὸ τετιμῆσθαι λόγῳ, τὸ μετέχειν εὐσεβείας, τὸ κοινωνῆσαι μυρίων ἀγαθῶν, ἐκείνων ἀγριώτερος γέγονας, εἰς μὲν τὰ ἀνότητα πολλὴν τὴν σπουδὴν ἐνδεικνύμενος, τοὺς δὲ ναοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ λιμῷ καὶ γυμνότητι παρορῶν ἀπολλυμένους, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ μυρίοις περιβάλλων κακοῖς. Εἰ γὰρ δόξης ἐρῶν ταῦτα ποιεῖς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ ἵππου θεραπεύειν δεῖ. Ὅσῳ γὰρ βελτίων ὁ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀπολαύων, τοσούτῳ καὶ λαμπρότερός σοι πλέκεται τῆς τοιαύτης σπουδῆς ὁ στέφανος: ὡς νῦν γε τοῖς ἐναντίοις περιπίπτων, καὶ μυρίους ἐπισπώμενος κατὰ σεαυτοῦ κατηγόρους, οὐκ αἰσθάνῃ. Τίς γάρ σε οὐκ ἐρεῖ κακῶς; τίς γάρ σε οὐ γράψεται τῆς ἐσχάτης ὠμότητος καὶ μισανθρωπίας, ὁρῶν τὸ μὲν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀτιμάζοντα γένος, τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀλόγων πρὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποιούμενον, καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἀλόγων τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τὰ ἔπιπλα; Οὐκ ἤκουσας τῶν ἀποστόλων λεγόντων, ὅτι οἱ πρῶτοι τὸν λόγον δεξάμενοι καὶ οἰκίας καὶ χωρία ἐπώλουν, ἵνα τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τρέφωσι; Σὺ δὲ καὶ οἰκίας καὶ χωρία ἁρπάζεις, ἵνα ἵππον κοσμήσῃς καὶ ξύλα καὶ δέρματα, καὶ τοίχους καὶ ἔδαφος. Καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι οὐκ ἄνδρες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες ταύτην μαίνονται τὴν μανίαν, καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας εἰς τὴν τοιαύτην ἀλείφουσι ματαιοπονίαν, πανταχοῦ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις δαπανᾷν ἀναγκάζουσαι: κἂν ἐγκαλέσῃ τις ὑπὲρ τούτων, μεμελετήκασιν ἀπολογίαν πολλῆς κατηγορίας γέμουσαν. Καὶ γὰρ ταῦτα κἀκεῖνα γίνεται, φησί. Τί φής; οὐ δέδοικας τοιαῦτα φθεγγόμενος, καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἵππων καὶ τῶν ἡμιόνων, καὶ τῶν κλινῶν καὶ τῶν ὑποποδίων τὸν Χριστὸν πεινῶντα ἀριθμῶν; μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ μετὰ τούτων, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν πλέον μέρος τούτοις, ἐκείνῳ δὲ μόλις ὀλίγον ἀπονέμων μέρος. Οὐκ οἶσθα, ὅτι πάντα αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ, καὶ τὰ σά; οὐκ οἶσθα, ὅτι καὶ σῶμα αὐτὸς διέπλασε, καὶ ψυχὴν ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ τὸν κόσμον ἀπένειμεν ἅπαντα; Σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ μικρὰν τούτῳ ἀντιδίδως ἀμοιβήν: ἀλλ' ἂν μὲν οἰκίσκον μικρὸν ἐκμισθώσῃς, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀκριβείας τὸν μισθὸν ἀπαιτεῖς, τὴν δὲ κτίσιν αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν καρπούμενος, καὶ κόσμον τοσοῦτον οἰκῶν, οὐδὲ ὀλίγον ἀνέχῃ μισθὸν καταβαλεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κενοδοξίᾳ καὶ σαυτὸν καὶ τὰ σαυτοῦ πάντα ἐξέδωκας: καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν ἅπαντα ταῦτα ἤρτηνται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἵππος βελτίων ἂν γένοιτο πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτοῦ, τὸν κόσμον περιθέμενος τοῦτον, οὔτε ὁ καθήμενος ἐπ' αὐτοῦ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ ἀτιμότερος. Πολλοὶ γὰρ ἀφέντες τὸν ὀχούμενον, πρὸς τὸν κόσμον τοῦ ἵππου τρέπουσι τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ τοὺς ἑπομένους οἰκέτας καὶ τοὺς προηγουμένους καὶ τοὺς σοβοῦντας: τὸν δὲ ὑπὸ τούτων δορυφορούμενον καὶ μισοῦσι, καὶ ἀποστρέφονται ὡς κοινὸν ἐχθρόν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὅταν τὴν ψυχὴν κοσμῇς, τοῦτο συμβαίνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄνθρωποι καὶ ἄγγελοι καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀγγέλων Δεσπότης, πάντες σοι τὸν στέφανον πλέκουσιν. Ὥστε, εἰ δόξης ἐρᾷς, ἀπόστηθι τούτων ὧν νῦν ποιεῖς, καὶ μὴ τὴν οἰκίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ψυχὴν καλλώπιζε, ἵνα γένῃ λαμπρὸς καὶ περιφανής: ὡς νῦν γε οὐδέν σου γένοιτ' ἂν εὐτελέστερον ἐρήμην ἔχοντος τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκίας προβαλλομένου κάλλος. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀνέχῃ τῶν παρ' ἐμοῦ λεγομένων, ἄκουσον τί τῶν ἔξωθέν τις ἐποίησε, καὶ αἰσχύνθητι τὴν γοῦν ἐκείνων φιλοσοφίαν. Λέγεται γάρ τις ἐκείνων εἰς οἰκίαν λαμπρὰν εἰσελθὼν, πολλῷ μὲν καταλαμπομένην χρυσίῳ, πολλῷ δὲ ἀπαστράπτουσαν τῷ τῶν μαρμάρων καὶ τῶν κιόνων κάλλει, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸ ἔδαφος εἶδε πανταχοῦ τάπητας ἔχον ἐστορεσμένους, εἰς τὴν ὄψιν ἐμπτύσαι τοῦ τῆς οἰκίας δεσπότου: εἶτα ἐγκαλούμενος εἰπεῖν, διὰ τὸ μηδαμοῦ τῆς οἰκίας ἑτέρωθι τοῦτο ἐξεῖναι ποιῆσαι, εἰς τὴν ὄψιν ἀναγκασθῆναι ὑβρίσαι τὴν ἐκείνου. Ὁρᾷς πῶς καταγέλαστος ὁ τὰ ἔξωθεν καλλωπίζων ἐστὶ, καὶ παρὰ πᾶσιν εὐκαταφρόνητος τοῖς νοῦν ἔχουσι; Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ τὴν σύνοικόν τις ἀφεὶς τὴν σὴν ῥάκια περικεῖσθαι, καὶ ἠμελημένην εἶναι, τὰς θεραπαινίδας λαμπρᾷ περιέβαλε στολῇ, πράως ἂν ἤνεγκας, ἀλλὰ παρωξύνθης, καὶ ὕβριν ἂν τὸ πρᾶγμα ἔφησας εἶναι τὴν ἐσχάτην. Τοῦτο τοίνυν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς λογίζου. Ὅταν γὰρ τοὺς μὲν τοίχους καὶ τὸ ἔδαφος καὶ τὰ ἔπιπλα καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα καλλωπίζῃς, ἐλεημοσύνην δὲ μὴ παρέχῃς δαψιλῆ, μηδὲ τὴν ἄλλην ἀσκῇς φιλοσοφίαν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τοῦτο ποιεῖς, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον. Τῆς μὲν γὰρ δούλης καὶ τῆς δεσποίνης οὐδὲν τὸ μέσον, τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς πολὺ τὸ διάφορον: εἰ δὲ τῆς σαρκὸς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς οἰκίας, καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τῆς κλίνης καὶ τοῦ ὑποποδίου. Ποίας οὖν ἄξιος ἀπολογίας ἂν εἴης, ταῦτα μὲν ἅπαντα ἀργυρίῳ πολλῷ περιβάλλων, ἐκείνην δὲ περιορῶν ῥακοδυτοῦσαν, αὐχμῶσαν, πεινῶσαν, τραυμάτων γέμουσαν, ὑπὸ μυρίων σπαραττομένην κυνῶν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἅπαντα καὶ δοξάζεσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ καλλωπισμοῦ τῶν ἔξωθεν περικειμένων νομίζων; ὃ δὴ μάλιστα τῆς ἐσχάτης παραπληξίας ἐστὶ, τὸ γελώμενον καὶ ὀνειδιζόμενον, καὶ ἀσχημονοῦντα καὶ ἀτιμαζόμενον, καὶ εἰς ἐσχάτην ἐμπίπτοντα: κόλασιν, ἔτι καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζεσθαι τούτοις. Διὸ παρακαλῶ, ταῦτα πάντα ἐννοήσαντες ἀνανήψωμεν ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε, καὶ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν γενώμεθα, καὶ τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν μετενέγκωμεν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἄσυλος μένει, καὶ ἡμᾶς τοῖς ἀγγέλοις ἴσους ἐργάζεται, καὶ τὰ ἀκίνητα προξενήσει καλά: ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.