his “light burden,” to subject oneself again to the yoke of demons and to bear the burden of the heaviest sin after we have come to know that “the heart is ashes” of those who serve idols and “their life is more worthless than clay,” and after we have said: “How our fathers acquired false idols, and there is no one among them who brings rain.” 33 Not only long ago did Nebuchadnezzar set up the “golden image” nor only then did he threaten Ananias and Azarias and Misael, if they did not worship, to cast them “into the fiery furnace,” but even now Nebuchadnezzar says the same things to us, the Hebrews who have crossed over and are true. But let us, so that we may experience the heavenly dew that extinguishes every fire from us and cools our ruling faculty, imitate those holy men, lest even now Haman should want you Mordecais to worship him, but you should say: I will not place “the glory of men above the glory of the God” of Israel. Let us destroy Bel by the word of God and let us kill the dragon with Daniel, so that when we approach the mouths of lions we may be able to suffer nothing from them, since only those who are the causes of our present struggle will be devoured by the lions that are unable to devour us. Let us hold fast that in the brave deeds of Job this also is said: “placing my hand upon my mouth I kissed it, and let this then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity;” and it is likely that they will command us to place our hand on our mouth and to kiss. 34 And let us observe this, that the things concerning martyrdom are not prophesied by the Savior in his words to the many but in those to the apostles. For when it has been said before: “These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them: Go not into the way of the Gentiles” and so on, there follows: “Beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak; <for it will be given you in that hour what you shall speak.> For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another, and if they persecute you from this one, flee to another; for truly I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel, before the Son of Man comes.” And Luke also records such things: “And when they bring you to the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how you should defend yourselves or what you should say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very <the> hour what you must say.” And after other things: “Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on how to defend yourselves; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. And not a hair of your head will perish. In your patience possess your souls.” And Mark also says such things: “But when they lead you to deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand nor practice beforehand <what you should say>, but whatever is given to you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake; but he who endures to the end will be saved.” And these things in Matthew, which exhort to martyrdom, are said to no others than the twelve; whom we also must hear, being in the hearing brothers of the apostles who heard and being numbered with the apostles. But the sayings

«ἐλαφρὸν» αὐτοῦ «φορτίον» πάλιν ἑαυτὸν ὑποβαλεῖν ζυγῷ δαιμόνων καὶ φορτίον βαστά ξαι βαρυτάτης ἁμαρτίας μετὰ τὸ ἐγνωκέναι ἡμᾶς ὅτι «σποδὸς ἡ καρ δία» τῶν εἰδώλοις λατρευόντων καὶ «πηλοῦ ἀτιμότερος ὁ βίος» αὐτῶν καὶ μετὰ τὸ εἰρηκέναι ἡμᾶς· «ὡς ψευδῆ ἐκτήσαντο οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν εἴδωλα, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὑετίζων.» 33 Οὐ πάλαι μόνον ἵστη τὴν «χρυσῆν εἰκόνα» Ναβουχοδο νόσορ οὐδὲ τότε μόνον ἠπείλει τῷ Ἀνανίᾳ καὶ Ἀζαρίᾳ καὶ Μισαὴλ, εἰ μὴ προσκυνήσαιεν, ἐμβαλεῖν αὐτοὺς «εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς», ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ τὰ αὐτὰ λέγει ἡμῖν τοῖς περατικοῖς καὶ ἀληθινοῖς Ἑβραίοις. ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ἵνα δρόσου οὐρανίου πειραθῶμεν σβεννυούσης πᾶν πῦρ ἀφ' ἡμῶν καὶ καταψυχούσης ἡμῶν τὸ ἡγεμονι κὸν, τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἐκείνους μιμησώμεθα, μή ποτε καὶ νῦν ὁ Ἀμὰν θέλῃ τοὺς Μαρδοχαίους ὑμᾶς προσκυνῆσαι αὐτῷ, ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς εἴπατε· οὐ θήσω «δόξαν ἀνθρώπων ὑπεράνω δόξης θεοῦ» Ἰσραήλ. τὸν Βὴλ τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καταστρέψωμεν καὶ τὸν δράκοντα μετὰ τοῦ ∆α νιὴλ ἀποκτείνωμεν, ἵνα στόμασι λεόντων πλησιάζοντες μηδὲν ἀπ' αὐ τῶν παθεῖν δυνηθῶμεν μόνων τῶν αἰτίων ἡμῖν τοῦ παρόντος ἀγῶ νος καταβρωθησομένων ὑπὸ τῶν ἡμᾶς μὴ δυναμένων καταπιεῖν λεόν των. κρατῶμεν ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμασι τοῦ Ἰὼβ εἴρηται καὶ τό· «ἐπιθεὶς τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ στόματί μου ἐφίλησα, καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἄρα ἀνομία ἡ μεγίστη λογισθείη·» εἰκὸς δὲ ὅτι ἐπιτάξουσιν ἡμῶν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ στόματι καὶ φιλῆσαι. 34 Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ παρατηρήσωμεν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τοὺς πολλοὺς λόγοις τὰ περὶ μαρτυρίου προφητεύεται ὑπὸ τοῦ σω τῆρος ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους. προειρημένου γὰρ τοῦ· «τούτους τοὺς δώδεκα ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς παραγγείλας αὐτοῖς· εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ ἀπέλθητε» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἐπιφέρεται τό· «προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· παραδώσουσι γὰρ ὑμᾶς εἰς συνέδρια, καὶ ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶν μαστιγώσουσιν ὑμᾶς· καὶ ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνας καὶ βασι λεῖς ἀχθήσεσθε ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. ὅταν δὲ παραδῶσιν ὑμᾶς, μὴ μεριμνήσητε, πῶς ἢ τί λαλήσητε· <δοθήσεται γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ τί λαλήσητε·> οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ λαλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ πατρὸς τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν. παραδώσει δὲ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν εἰς θάνατον καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον, καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς καὶ θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς. καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου. ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται. ὅταν δὲ διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἑτέραν, κἂν ἐκ ταύτης διώκωσιν, φεύγετε εἰς τὴν ἄλλην· ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.» καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς δὲ τοιαῦτα ἀναγράφει· «ὅταν δὲ φέρωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τὰς συναγωγὰς καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ἐξουσίας, μὴ μεριμνήσητε, πῶς ἀπολογήσησθε ἢ τί εἴπητε· τὸ γὰρ ἅγιον πνεῦμα διδάξει ὑμᾶς ἐν αὐτῇ <τῇ> ὥρᾳ ἃ δεῖ εἰπεῖν.» καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· «θέσθε οὖν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν μὴ μελετᾶν ἀπολογηθῆναι· ἐγὼ γὰρ δώσω ὑμῖν στόμα καὶ σοφίαν, ᾗ οὐ δυνήσονται ἀντιστῆναι ἢ ἀντειπεῖν πάντες οἱ ἀντικεί μενοι ὑμῖν. παραδοθήσεσθε δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ γονέων καὶ ἀδελφῶν καὶ συγγενῶν καὶ φίλων, καὶ θανατώσουσιν ἐξ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἔσεσθε μισού μενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου. καὶ θρὶξ ἐκ τῆς κεφαλῆς ὑμῶν οὐ μὴ ἀπόληται· ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσασθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν.» τοιαῦτα δὲ καὶ ὁ Μάρκος φησίν· «ὅταν δὲ ἄγωσιν ὑμᾶς πα ραδιδόντες, μὴ προμεριμνᾶτε μηδὲ προμελετᾶτε <τί λαλήσητε>, ἀλλ' ὃ ἐὰν δοθῇ ὑμῖν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ, ἐκεῖνο λαλεῖτε· οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑμεῖς οἱ λαλοῦντες ἀλλὰ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. παραδώσει δὲ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελ φὸν εἰς θάνατον καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον, καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς καὶ θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς. καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου· ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται.» καὶ ταῦτα δὲ παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ ἐπὶ μαρτύριον προτρεπόμενα οὐ πρὸς ἄλλους ἢ τοὺς δώδεκα εἴρηται· ὧν ἀκούειν καὶ ἡμᾶς δεήσει ἐν τῷ ἀκούειν ἐσομένους ἀδελφοὺς τῶν ἀκουσάντων ἀποστόλων καὶ ἀποστόλοις συγκαταριθμησομένους. τὰ δὲ ῥητὰ