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also happens for silver; for both are born from the same intention, and he who has stolen a small thing will not refuse to steal a large one also; but if it is not present, this has not happened because of him, but because of the circumstance of the matter. The poor man who wrongs the poorer would not, if he were able, have overlooked the rich man also, but the matter is henceforth a result of his weakness, not of his will. So-and-so rules, he says, and seizes the things of those who are ruled. But do you not seize? Tell me. For do not tell me that he takes talents of gold, but you ten obols; since also in almsgiving, some put in gold, but she put in two mites, and contributed no less than they. Why? For the intention is judged, and not the gift. Then in the case of almsgiving you think it right for God to judge thus, and that you should receive no less because of your poverty, if you put in two mites, than those who have deposited ten thousand talents of gold, but not so in the case of greed? And how could this be reasonable? Just as she, having put in two mites, contributed no less 62.618 from her intention, so you also, having stolen two mites, are in no better state than they are, but if one must say something astonishing, you are even more covetous than them. For just as if someone commits adultery with the king's wife, or with the poor man's, or with the slave's, he is equally an adulterer, the sin being judged not by the difference of the persons, but by the wickedness of the will of him who dared; so also it is here. And I would rather call him an adulterer who commits adultery with any ordinary woman, than him who does so with the queen herself; for in the latter case there was wealth and beauty and many other things to attract, but here there is nothing; so that this man would be more of an adulterer. Again, I would rather call him a drunkard who has used poor wine; so also him a covetous man who does not even despise small things. For he who seizes many things might perhaps despise small things; but he who steals small things, by no means despises great things; so that this man is more of a thief. For he who does not despise silver, how would he despise gold? So whenever we accuse rulers, let us consider our own affairs, and we shall find that we ourselves are more thievish and more covetous than they, if we judge these things not by the deed, but by the intention, as it is indeed right to judge. For tell me, if one should be brought forward having taken the poor man's things, and another the rich man's, will they not both pay a like penalty? What then? Is not the murderer equally a murderer, whether he kills a cripple and a poor man, or a rich and handsome one? Therefore, whenever we say that so-and-so has seized so-and-so's field, let us consider our own affairs, and so we shall neither condemn others, and we shall marvel at the long-suffering of God, and we shall not be indignant that judgment does not come upon them, and we ourselves shall be more reluctant to do evil deeds. For when we see that we ourselves are also liable to the same things, we will no longer be similarly displeased, but we shall stand aloof from sins, and shall obtain the good things to come in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 4. You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore

endure hardship, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, that he may please the one who enlisted him.

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τε ἐπὶ ἀργυρίου γένηται· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς αὐτῆς διανοίας ἀμφότερα τίκτεται, καὶ ὁ τὸ μικρὸν ὑφελόμενος οὐ παραιτήσεται καὶ μέγα ὑφελέσθαι· εἰ δὲ μὴ πάρεστιν, οὐ παρ' ἐκεῖνον τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος συντυχίαν. Ὁ τὸν πενέστερον ἀδικῶν πένης, οὐκ ἂν, εἴ γε ἐδύνατο, καὶ τὸν πλουτοῦντα παρεῖδεν, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας, οὐ τῆς ἐκείνου προαιρέσεως τὸ πρᾶγμα γίνεται λοιπόν. Ὁ δεῖνα ἄρχει, φησὶ, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀρχομένων ἁρπάζει. Σὺ δὲ οὐχ ἁρπάζεις; εἰπέ μοι. Μὴ γάρ μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι χρυσίου μὲν τάλαντα ἐκεῖνος, σὺ δὲ ὀβολοὺς δέκα· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐλεημοσύνῃ οἱ μὲν ἔβαλον χρυσίον, ἡ δὲ δύο λεπτὰ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἤνεγκεν ἐκείνων. ∆ιὰ τί, Ἡ γὰρ προαίρεσις κρίνεται, καὶ οὐχ ἡ δόσις. Εἶτα ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἀξιοῖς οὕτω δικάζειν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ μηδὲν ἔλαττον διὰ τὴν πενίαν ἀποφέρεσθαι, εἰ δύο λεπτὰ καταβάλοις, τῶν μυρία τάλαντα καταθεμένων χρυσίου, ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς πλεονεξίας οὐχ οὕτω; καὶ πῶς ἂν ἔχοι λόγον; Ὥσπερ ἐκείνη δύο λεπτὰ καταβαλοῦσα, ἀπὸ τῆς προαιρέσεως οὐδὲν 62.618 ἔλαττον ἤνεγκεν, οὕτω καὶ σὺ δύο λεπτὰ ὑφελόμενος, οὐδὲν ἄμεινον ἐκείνων διάκεισαι, ἀλλ' εἰ δεῖ τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν εἰπεῖν, μᾶλλον αὐτῶν πλεονεκτεῖς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ κἂν τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως τις μοιχεύσῃ γυναῖκα, κἂν τὴν τοῦ πένητος, κἂν τὴν τοῦ δούλου, ὁμοίως ἐστὶ μοιχὸς, οὐ τῇ διαφορᾷ τῶν προσώπων τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος κρινομένου, ἀλλὰ τῇ μοχθηρίᾳ τῆς τοῦ τολμήσαντος προαιρέσεως· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Καὶ μᾶλλον ἐγὼ μοιχὸν ἂν εἴποιμι τὸν εἰς τὴν τυχοῦσαν μοιχευόμενον, ἢ τὸν εἰς τὴν βασιλίδα αὐτήν· ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ὁ πλοῦτος καὶ ἡ ὥρα καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα ἦν τὰ ἐπισπώμενα, ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδέν· ὥστε μᾶλλον οὗτος ἂν εἴη μοιχός. Πάλιν, μέθυσον ἐκεῖνον ἂν εἴποιμι μᾶλλον τὸν τῷ φαύλῳ οἴνῳ προσκεχρημένον· οὕτω καὶ πλεονέκτην τὸν μηδὲ τῶν μικρῶν καταφρονοῦντα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τὰ πολλὰ ἁρπάζων τῶν μικρῶν ἴσως καταφρονήσειεν ἄν· ὁ δὲ τὰ μικρὰ ὑφελόμενος, τῶν μεγάλων οὐδαμῶς· ὥστε μᾶλλον οὗτος κλέπτης ἐστίν. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ καταφρονῶν ἀργυρίου, πῶς ἂν χρυσίου καταφρονήσειεν; Ὥστε ὅταν τῶν ἀρχόντων κατηγορῶμεν, τὰ ἡμέτερα αὐτῶν ἀναλογισώμεθα, καὶ εὑρήσομεν μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς καὶ κλέπτοντας καὶ πλεονεκτοῦντας πλέον ἐκείνων, εἰ μὴ τῷ πράγματι, ἀλλὰ τῇ προαιρέσει ταῦτα κρίνομεν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ κρίνειν δίκαιον. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἴ τις προσενεχθείη τὰ τοῦ πένητος λαβὼν, ἕτερος δὲ τὰ τοῦ πλουσίου, οὐχ ὁμοίαν ἀμφότεροι τίσουσι δίκην; Τί δέ; ὁ φονεὺς οὐχ ὁμοίως ἐστὶ φονεὺς, ἄν τε ἀνάπηρον καὶ πένητα, ἄν τε πλούσιον καὶ καλὸν ἀποκτείνῃ; Ὅταν οὖν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα τοῦ δεῖνος τὸ χωρίον ἥρπασεν, ἐννοήσωμεν τὰ ἑαυτῶν, καὶ οὕτως οὔτε τοὺς ἄλλους κατακρινοῦμεν, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν θαυμασόμεθα τῆς μακροθυμίας, καὶ οὐκ ἀγανακτήσομεν, ὅτι ἡ κρίσις οὐκ ἔρχεται ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ὀκνηρότεροι ἐσόμεθα πρὸς τὴν τῶν κακῶν ἐργασίαν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδωμεν τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὑπευθύνους ὄντας καὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς, οὐκέτι ὁμοίως δυσχερανοῦμεν, ἀλλ' ἀποστησόμεθα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ ἐπιτευξόμεθα τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ μετὰ Πατρὸς καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ∆ʹ. Σὺ οὖν, τέκνον μου, ἐνδυναμοῦ ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῇ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἃ ἤκουσας παρ' ἐμοῦ διὰ πολλῶν μαρτύρων, ταῦτα παράθου πιστοῖς ἀνθρώποις, οἵτινες ἱκανοὶ ἔσονται καὶ ἑτέρους διδάξαι. Σὺ οὖν

κακοπάθησον, ὡς καλὸς στρα τιώτης Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις, ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ.