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they brought forward trustworthy witnesses; not only these who are found in Scripture. But, "By two and three witnesses every word shall be established," so that we might not extend the account of the narrative at length. Therefore, may the Lord God, having snatched us from this error and shame and reproach, arrange for us to live in modesty; and may he make you to be with your spouses in a pure conscience, and kind and cheerful to your children and servants, and your neighbors, so that you may be deemed worthy to become partakers of the kingdom of heaven. But since I promised to speak of the third order, that of widowhood, I shall do this also, using a few words about them. A widow, according to the apostle Paul, ought to be such a woman: one who has raised children, who partakes in the memorials of the saints, who performs service to strangers, and who does not run after the pursuits of her own thoughts. For he says, she is clothed, after the death of her husband, in the tunic of widowhood, and is contrite, showing herself in all her ways. But a disorderly widow is a wild beast, and going through houses, she utters unseemly words: I am poor, a widow un- 56.538 supported; I had great wealth in fields, in houses, and in four-footed animals and clothing, and my husband, being uninitiated in worldly craft, consumed it; I had a costly dowry; whatever I told him he did not obey; but I was an advocate for his own way of thinking, even unwillingly; he left me nothing. The one whom she embraced and held in her arms while he was alive, this one after his death she has made a spectacle to her friends and relatives. Such a woman after the death of her husband looks around here and there, where she might find a secret lover, and on the pretext of prayer or care for her house she becomes a spectacle to the many; and performing lawless acts, and conceiving in her womb, she keeps it secret, contriving countless schemes against herself, to expel the infant from her womb, either by poison, or by means of other lawless women. And she does not hold the fear of God who oversees all things in her heart; but in committing sin she does not blush, and she is ashamed and abashed at the fruit that comes from her. For how many slaves have I seen become masters because of the love of pleasure of such wicked women? Freeborn children standing by them with fear and trembling, having their hands bound to their breasts, even if they do not wish it, and these men walking about with golden belts and silken clothes? Have you heard, Christ-lovers, the explanation of the word? Do you know the subject of the story? I have related the triumphs of licentious and foolish women. These ways Eve taught, and the condemnation for this, and the taste of disobedience. But having briefly remembered the modest and glorious women, we shall bring our discourse to a close. Behold for me the modest woman of Zarephath, who fed the prophet Elijah in a time of famine. Behold for me the Shunammite, who showed hospitality to Elisha in her house, for which reason he also raised her son. Behold for me Hannah, who broke the bonds of barrenness, and gave birth to Samuel, and through prayer and supplication was revealed as a mother. Behold for me Sarah and Rebecca, their pure and undefiled life together, which they showed to the patriarchs. Behold for me Susanna, who through modesty condemned unjust elders to death. Emulate these women, the undefiled nature of one, the prayer of another; the hospitality of another, the modesty of another, the God-pleasing nature of another, so that you may attain the kingdom of heaven; which may it be for all of us to attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father is honor and glory, with the holy and life-giving

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μάρτυρας ἀξιοπίστους παρήγαγον· οὐχὶ τούτους μόνον ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ ἐγκειμένους. Ἀλλ' Ἐπὶ δύο καὶ τριῶν μαρτύρων πᾶν ῥῆμα σταθήσεται, ἵνα μὴ μακρὸν τὸν λόγον τῆς διηγήσεως ἐφαπλώσωμεν. ∆ιὸ ἡμᾶς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκσπάσας ἐκ τῆς πλάνης ταύτης καὶ τῆς αἰσχύνης καὶ τοῦ ὀνειδισμοῦ, καὶ ἐν σωφροσύνῃ διάγειν οἰκονομήσει· καὶ ὑμᾶς ἐν καθαρῷ συνειδότι πρὸς τοὺς συζύγους εἶναι, καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τοὺς δούλους, καὶ τοὺς πλησίον προσηνεῖς καὶ ἱλαροὺς ἀπεργάσαιτο, ὅπως καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀξιωθήσησθε συμμέτοχοι γενέσθαι. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ τρίτον τάγμα ἐπηγγειλάμην τὸ τῆς χηρείας εἰπεῖν, τοῦτο καὶ ποιήσομαι, μικροῖς καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν χρησάμενος ῥήμασι. Χήραν γυναῖκα κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον Παῦλον τοιαύτην εἶναι χρή· τεκνοτρόφον, τῶν ἁγίων ταῖς μνείαις κοινωνοῦσαν, ξένοις τὴν διακονίαν ἐκτελεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἐπιτρέχειν ἐν ἐπιτηδεύμασι τῶν ἑαυτῆς λογισμῶν. Φησὶ γὰρ, περιβεβλημένη, μετὰ θάνατον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς, χιτῶνα χηροσύνης, καὶ κατανενυγμένη, πᾶσι δεικνυομένη τοῖς ἤθεσιν. Ἄτακτος δὲ χήρα ἄγριον θηρίον ὑπάρχει, καὶ κατ' οἴκους διερχομένη, ῥήματα ἀπρεπῆ προβάλλεται· Πτωχὴ ὑπάρχω, χήρα ἀπερί 56.538 στατος· πλοῦτος πολὺς ὑπῆρχέ μοι ἔν τε ἀγροῖς, ἐν οἴκοις, καὶ τετραπόδοις καὶ ἱματισμοῖς, καὶ ὁ σύζυγός μου ἀμύητος ὢν τέχνης κοσμικῆς, αὐτὰ κατηνάλωσε· προὶξ ὑπῆρχέ μοι πολυτελής· ὅσα αὐτῷ ἐλάλουν οὐχ ὑπήκουεν· ἀλλὰ τῷ ἰδίῳ φρονήματι αὐτοῦ καὶ μὴ θέλουσα συνήγορος ὑπῆρχον· οὐδέν μοι κατέλιπεν. Ὃν δὲ ζῶντα ἠσπάζετο καὶ ἠγκαλίζετο, τοῦτον μετὰ θάνατον θρίαμβον τοῖς φίλοις καὶ τοῖς συγγενέσιν ἐποίησεν. Ἡ τοιαύτη μετὰ θάνατον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς, περιβλέπεται ἔνθεν κἀκεῖθεν, ποῦ παράκοιτον εὕρῃ κρύφιον, καὶ προφάσει προσευχῆς ἢ ἐπιμελείας τοῦ οἴκου αὐτῆς θρίαμβος τοῖς πολλοῖς καθίσταται· καὶ πράξεις ἀθεμίτους ἐκτελοῦσα, καὶ κατὰ γαστρὸς συλλαμβάνουσα, κρύφιον αὐτὸ κατέχει, μυρία τεχνάσματα πρὸς ἑαυτὴν περιποιοῦσα, πρὸς τὸ ἐκτρῶσαι τὸ βρέφος ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς, εἴτε διὰ δηλητηρίου, εἴτε δι' ἑτέρων παρανόμων γυναικῶν. Καὶ τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἐφορῶντος τὰ πάντα οὐ κατέχει ἐν τῇ ἑαυτῆς καρδίᾳ· ἀλλὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν πράττουσα οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷ, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν τὸν γινόμενον ἐξ αὐτῆς αἰσχύνεται καὶ ἐντρέπεται. Πόσους γὰρ ἑώρακα δούλους δεσπότας διὰ φιληδονίαν κακοήθων τοιούτων γυναικῶν; τοὺς ἐλευθέρους παῖδας μετὰ φόβου, καὶ τρόμου παρεστῶτας αὐτοῖς, τὰς χεῖρας ἐν τοῖς στέρνοις αὐτῶν δεδεμένας ἔχοντας, κἂν μὴ θέλωσι, καὶ τούτους χρυσοζώνους καὶ σηρικοφόρους περιπατοῦντας; Ἠκούσατε, φιλόχριστοι, τοῦ λόγου τὴν ἐξήγησιν; ἐγνωρίσατε τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τῆς ἱστορίας; Ἐδιηγησάμην τῶν γυναικῶν τῶν ἀκολάστων καὶ ἀφρόνων τὰ τρόπαια. Τούτους τοὺς τρόπους ἡ Εὔα ἐδίδαξε, καὶ ἡ ταύτης ἐπιτίμησις, καὶ τῆς παρακοῆς ἡ γεῦσις. Ἀλλὰ τῶν σωφρόνων καὶ ἐνδόξων γυναικῶν μνημονεύσαντες ὀλίγον, καταπαύσομεν τὸν λόγον. Ἴδε μοι σώφρονα γυναῖκα τὴν Σαραφθίαν, τὴν τὸν προφήτην Ἠλίαν θρέψασαν ἐν καιρῷ λιμοῦ. Ἴδε μοι τὴν Σωμανῖτιν, ἥτις ἐφιλοξένισε τὸν Ἐλισσαῖον ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτῆς, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ τὸν παῖδα αὐτῆς ἀνέστησεν. Ἴδε μοι τὴν Ἄνναν, τὴν τῆς στειρώσεως δεσμὰ διαλύσασαν, καὶ τέξασαν τὸν Σαμουὴλ, καὶ διὰ προσευχῆς καὶ δεήσεως μητέρα ἀναδειχθεῖσαν. Ἴδε μοι τὴν Σάῤῥαν καὶ τὴν Ῥεβέκκαν, τὴν καθαρὰν καὶ ἀμίαντον αὐτῶν συνοίκησιν, ἣν ἐπεδείξαντο τοῖς πατριάρχαις. Ἴδε μοι τὴν Σωσάνναν, τὴν διὰ σωφροσύνης κατακρίνασαν θανάτῳ πρεσβυτέρους ἀδίκους. Ταύτας τὰς γυναῖκας ζηλώσατε, τῆς μὲν τὸ ἀμίαντον, τῆς δὲ τὴν προσευχήν· ἄλλης τὸ φιλόξενον, ἑτέρας τὴν σωφροσύνην, ἄλλης τὸ θεάρεστον, ἵνα τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπιτύχητε· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ τιμὴ καὶ δόξα, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ