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who has fallen. For this reason he is remembered not only while living, but also after he has died. Therefore, O man, if you wish both here to obtain continual glory, and there to enjoy steadfast good things, imitate the virtue of the just man, emulate his wisdom, demonstrate through your works this 54.695 forbearance, so that, having endured the same labors as he, you may also be deemed worthy of the same good things; may it be that we all attain these things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. HOMILY III. That it is perilous to go up to the theaters, and that it makes men perfect adulterers,

and that this is a cause of despondency and war; and that David surpassed every form of forbearance in the matters concerning Saul; and that to

bear robbery meekly is equal to giving alms. 1. I think many of those who formerly left us, and deserted to the theaters of iniquity, are present today. And I wished to know them clearly, so as to cast them out from the sacred portals, not that they might remain outside forever, but that having been corrected they might return again; since fathers also often cast erring children out of the house, and keep them from the table, not that they may be deprived of these things for all time, but that, having become better by this admonition, they may return to their paternal inheritance with fitting honor. This, indeed, shepherds also do: they keep the sheep infected with scab away from the healthy ones, so that, having cast off their wicked disease, they may return again with safety to the healthy sheep, and not, while still sick, infect the whole flock with that disease. For this very reason we also wished to know them; but even if we cannot distinguish them with our physical eyes, the word will surely recognize them, and taking hold of their conscience will easily persuade them to go out willingly, teaching that only he is within who has a disposition worthy of dwelling here. Since he who partakes of this sacred assembly with a corrupt way of life, even if he brings his body in here, has been cast out, and is driven away more than those who are shut out and are not yet able to partake of the holy table. For those who have been cast out according to the laws of God, and remain outside, for the time being have good hopes; for if they are willing to correct the trespasses for which they were cast out of the Church, they will be able to return again with a clear conscience. But those who have defiled themselves, and have been commanded not to enter before they cleanse away the stain from their sins, and then act shamelessly, make their wound more grievous, and their ulcer greater. For it is not so grievous to sin as is the shamelessness after the sin, and the not obeying the priests who command such things. And what great sin have these committed, one might say, that they should be cast out from these sacred precincts? And what other sin greater than this do you seek, when, having made themselves perfect adulterers, they shamelessly, like raging dogs, leap upon this holy table? And if you wish to learn also the manner of the adultery, I will not tell you my own word, but that of Him who is to judge our whole life: For he who looks at a woman, he says, to lust after her, 54.696 has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If, then, a woman encountered by chance in the marketplace and dressed as she may be, has often captivated the one who looked curiously at her by the sight of her appearance; those who not simply nor by chance, but with such great earnestness, as even

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πεσόντα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐχὶ ζῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τελευτήσας μνημονεύεται. Ὥστε εἰ βούλει καὶ σὺ καὶ ἐνταῦθα διηνεκοῦς δόξης τυχεῖν, ἄνθρωπε, κἀκεῖ τῶν ἀκινήτων ἀπολαῦσαι καλῶν, μίμησαι τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ δικαίου, ζήλωσον τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, ἐπίδειξαι διὰ τῶν ἔργων τὴν 54.695 ἀνεξικακίαν ταύτην, ἵνα τοὺς αὐτοὺς ὑπομείνας αὐτῷ πόνους, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξιωθῇς ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ Πατρὶ σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Γʹ. Ὅτι ἐπισφαλὲς τὸ εἰς θέατρα ἀναβαίνειν, καὶ ὅτι μοιχοὺς

ἀπηρτισμένους ποιεῖ, καὶ ὅτι ἀθυμίας αἴτιον καὶ πολέμου τοῦτο· καὶ ὅτι πᾶν ἀνεξικακίας εἶδος ὑπερεβάλετο ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν Σαούλ· καὶ ὅτι τὸ

φέρειν ἁρπαγὴν πράως τοῦ δοῦναι ἐλεημοσύνην ἴσον. αʹ. Πολλοὺς οἶμαι τῶν πρώην καταλιπόντων ἡμᾶς, καὶ πρὸς τὰ θέατρα τῆς παρανομίας αὐτομολησάντων παρεῖναι τήμερον. Καὶ ἐβουλόμην εἰδέναι τούτους σαφῶς, ὥστε αὐτοὺς τῶν ἱερῶν ἐκβαλεῖν προθύρων, οὐχ ἵνα μένωσιν ἔξω διηνεκῶς, ἀλλ' ἵνα διορθωθέντες ἐπανέλθωσι πάλιν· ἐπεὶ καὶ πατέρες παῖδας σφαλλομένους τῆς οἰκίας ἐκβάλλουσι πολλάκις, καὶ τῆς τραπέζης ἀπείργουσιν, οὐχ ἵνα διὰ παντὸς τούτων ἐκπέσωσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα βελτίους τῇ νουθεσίᾳ ταύτῃ γενόμενοι, μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης δόξης εἰς τὸν πατρῷον ἐπανέλθωσι κλῆρον. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ποιμένες ποιοῦσι, τὰ ψώρας ἐμπεπλησμένα πρόβατα τῶν ὑγιαινόντων ἀπείργουσιν, ἵνα τὴν μοχθηρὰν ἀποθέμενα τὴν ἀῤῥωστίαν, μετ' ἀσφαλείας πρὸς τὰ ὑγιαίνοντα ἐπανέλθῃ πάλιν, καὶ μὴ νοσοῦντα τὴν ἀγέλην ἅπασαν ἐμπλήσῃ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἐκείνης. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐβουλόμεθα τούτους εἰδέναι· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοὺς διακρῖναι δυνάμεθα, ὁ λόγος αὐτοὺς ἐπιγνώσεται πάντως, καὶ τοῦ συνειδότος αὐτῶν ἐπιλαβόμενος πείσει ῥᾳδίως ἑκόντας αὐτοὺς ἐξελθεῖν, διδάσκων ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἔνδον ἐστὶ μόνος, ὁ τῆς ἐνταῦθα διατριβῆς ἀξίαν ἔχων τὴν γνώμην· ὡς ὁ μετὰ πολιτείας διεφθαρμένης τοῦ ἱεροῦ τούτου μετέχων συλλόγου, κἂν τὸ σῶμα ἐνταῦθα εἰσάγῃ, ἐκβέβληται, καὶ τῶν ἀποκεκλεισμένων ἔξω καὶ μηδέπω δυναμένων τῆς ἱερᾶς μετασχεῖν τραπέζης μᾶλλον ἀπελήλαται. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ οἱ κατὰ τοὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμους ἐκβληθέντες, καὶ μένοντες ἔξω, τέως χρηστὰς ἔχουσι τὰς ἐλπίδας· κἂν γὰρ ἐθέλωσι διορθώσασθαι τὰ παραπτώματα, δι' ἃ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐξέπεσον, δυνήσονται μετὰ καθαροῦ συνειδότος πάλιν ἐπανελθεῖν. Οἱ δὲ μολύναντες ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ κελευσθέντες μὴ πρότερον ἐπιβῆναι, ἕως ἂν ἀποκαθάρωνται τὴν κηλῖδα τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, εἶτα ἀναισχυντοῦντες, χαλεπώτερον τὸ τραῦμα ἐργάζονται, καὶ μεῖζον τὸ ἕλκος. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐστὶ χαλεπὸν, ὡς ἡ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀναισχυντία, καὶ τὸ μὴ πείθεσθαι τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τὰ τοιαῦτα κελεύουσι. Καὶ τί τοσοῦτον ἡμάρτηται τούτοις, φησὶν, ὥστε αὐτοὺς ἐκβαλεῖν τῶν ἱερῶν τούτων περιβόλων; Καὶ ποίαν ἑτέραν ταύτης ζητεῖς μείζονα ἁμαρτίαν, ὅταν μοιχοὺς ἑαυτοὺς ἀπηρτισμένους ποιήσαντες, ἀναιδῶς, καθάπερ κύνες λυττῶντες, ἐπιπηδῶσι τῇ ἱερᾷ ταύτῃ τραπέζῃ; Καὶ εἰ βούλει μαθεῖν καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς μοιχείας, οὐκ ἐμὸν ἐρῶ σοι λόγον, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἡμῶν δικάζειν τὴν ζωὴν ἅπασαν· Ὁ γὰρ ἐμβλέψας, φησὶ, γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτῆς, 54.696 ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀπὸ ταὐτομάτου κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν ἐντυχοῦσα γυνὴ καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἐσταλμένη τὸν περιέργως ἰδόντα εἷλε πολλάκις τῇ τῆς ὄψεως θεωρίᾳ· οἱ μὴ ἁπλῶς μηδὲ ἀπὸ ταὐτομάτου, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ σπουδῆς τοσαύτης, ὡς καὶ