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it is. For I did not say that sin no longer introduces servitude, but that all sin is allotted to servitude, and I blamed only the nature of sin, not the difference of sin. Therefore, just as all incurable diseases lead to death, but not all are of the same nature; so also all sins give birth to servitude, but not all are of the same nature. Eve sinned by touching the tree, and was condemned for it. For this reason, do not you sin again another sin perhaps more grievous than hers. This is also worth saying about slaves, this also about the ruled, that the first ones introduced sin, but those who succeeded them after held the power of dominion through the things they transgressed. I can also defend myself in another way; that many, having returned to virtue, were freed from domination. And first, if you please, let us exercise the argument on women, so that you may see how the blessed Paul, who placed the bonds on them, himself released them again. If any woman, he says, has an unbe 54.600 lieving husband, and he consents to live with her, let her not leave him. Why? For what do you know, O woman, whether you will save your husband? And how, he says, can a woman save him? By teaching, catechizing, leading to the word of piety. And yet yesterday, O blessed Paul, you were saying, "I do not permit a woman to teach." How then do you again make her a teacher of her husband? I do not do this by contradicting myself, but being in very great agreement. Hear then for what reason he cast her out, and for what reason he brings her back again to the throne of teaching, so that you may learn the wisdom of Paul. Let the man teach, he says. Why? For he was not deceived. For Adam, he says, was not deceived. Let the woman learn, he says. Why? For she was deceived. For the woman, he says, being deceived, fell into transgression. But here it is the opposite. For when the husband is an unbeliever, but the wife is a believer, let the woman teach, he says. Why? Because she has not been deceived; for she is a believer. Therefore, let the man learn; for he has been deceived; for he is an unbeliever. The roles of teaching have been reversed, he says; let the roles of dominion therefore also be reversed. Do you see how everywhere he shows that servitude follows not nature, but deceit and sin? Deceit therefore came to the woman from the beginning, subjection followed deceit; after this, deceit moved to the man, subjection also moved. And just as in the beginning He entrusted the salvation of the woman to the man, since he was not deceived, saying thus, "Your turning shall be to your husband, and he will rule over you"; so also here in the case of the believing wife who has an unbelieving husband, he entrusts the salvation of the husband to the wife, saying: "For what do you know, O woman, whether you will save your husband?" What could be clearer than this proof, that servitude follows not nature, but sin? This can also be said of slaves. Were you called as a slave? Let it not concern you. Do you see how again he shows servitude to be a mere name, when virtue is present? But if you are also able to become free, make use of it rather, that is, rather remain in servitude. Why? For he who was called in the Lord as a slave, is the Lord's freedman. Do you see that slavery is only a name, but in reality it is freedom? But for what reason did he let him remain a slave? So that you may learn the abundance of freedom. For just as it was much more marvelous than extinguishing the furnace in the case of the three youths to preserve their bodies unharmed while it remained, so it is much greater and more marvelous than abolishing servitude to show freedom while it remains. For this reason he says: "But if you are also able to become free, make use of it rather;" that is, remain a slave; for you have the truest freedom. 2. Do you wish to see this also in the case of rulers? Nebuchadnezzar was king, and he lit the furnace with much vehemence, and the three youths into the midst

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ἐστίν. Ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐκ εἶπον, ὅτι ἤδη μὲν ἡ ἁμαρτία δουλείαν οὐκ εἰσάγει, ἀλλ' ὅτι πᾶσα ἁμαρτία δουλείᾳ συγκεκλήρωται, καὶ φύσιν ἁμαρτίας, οὐ διαφορὰν ἁμαρτίας ᾐτιασάμην μόνον. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἅπαντα μὲν τὰ ἀνίατα νοσήματα εἰς θάνατον ἄγει, οὐχ ἅπαντα δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐστι φύσεως· οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἅπαντα μὲν δουλείαν τίκτει, οὐχ ἅπαντα δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐστι φύσεως. Ἥμαρτεν ἡ Εὔα ἁψαμένη τοῦ ξύλου, καὶ κατεκρίθη δι' αὐτό. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μὴ ἁμαρτήσῃς σὺ πάλιν ἑτέραν ἴσως ἐκείνης ἁμαρτίαν χαλεπωτέραν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δούλων ἄξιον εἰπεῖν, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρχομένων, ὅτι εἰσήγαγον μὲν οἱ πρῶτοι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, οἱ δὲ μετ' ἐκείνους διαδεξάμενοι κατέσχον τῆς δεσποτείας τὴν δύναμιν δι' ὧν ἐπλημμέλησαν. Ἔχω καὶ ἑτέρως ἀπολογήσασθαι· ὅτι πολλοὶ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἐπανελθόντες, ἀπηλλάγησαν τῆς δεσποτείας. Καὶ πρότερον, εἰ δοκεῖ, ἐπὶ τῶν γυναικῶν τὸν λόγον γυμνάσωμεν, ἵν' ἴδῃς πῶς ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ὁ περιθεὶς αὐταῖς τὰ δεσμὰ, αὐτὸς αὐτὰ πάλιν ἀνῆκε. Εἴ τις γυνὴ, φησὶν, ἄνδρα ἔχει ἄπι 54.600 στον, καὶ αὐτὸς συνευδοκεῖ οἰκεῖν μετ' αὐτῆς, μὴ ἀφιέτω αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ τί; Τί γὰρ οἶδας, γύναι, εἰ τὸν ἄνδρα σώσεις; Καὶ πῶς, φησὶ, δύναται σῶσαι γυνή; ∆ιδάσκουσα, κατηχοῦσα, ἐνάγουσα πρὸς τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας λόγον. Καίτοι χθὲς, ὦ μακάριε Παῦλε, ἔλεγες, ὅτι Γυναικὶ διδάσκειν οὐκ ἐπιτρέπω. Πῶς οὖν πάλιν διδάσκαλον αὐτὴν ποιεῖς τοῦ ἀνδρός; Οὐχὶ μαχόμενος ἐμαυτῷ τοῦτο ποιῶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα συμφωνῶν. Ἄκουε γοῦν καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτὴν ἐξέβαλε, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτὴν πάλιν ἐπανάγει πρὸς τὸν τῆς διδασκαλίας θρόνον, ἵνα μάθῃς τὴν Παύλου σοφίαν. ∆ιδασκέτω, φησὶν, ὁ ἀνήρ. ∆ιὰ τί; Οὐκ ἠπατήθη γάρ. Ἀδὰμ γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἠπατήθη. Μανθανέτω, φησὶν, ἡ γυνή. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἠπατήθη γάρ. Ἡ γυνὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπατηθεῖσα ἐν παραβάσει γέγονεν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ ἐναντίον. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ἄπιστος ᾖ ὁ ἀνὴρ, πιστὴ δὲ ἡ γυνὴ, διδασκέτω, φησὶν, ἡ γυνή. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι οὐκ ἠπάτηται· πιστὴ γάρ ἐστι. Μανθανέτω τοίνυν ὁ ἀνήρ· ἠπατήθη γάρ· ἄπιστος γάρ ἐστιν. Ἀντεστράφη, φησὶ, τὰ τῆς διδασκαλίας· ἀντεστράφθω λοιπὸν καὶ τὰ τῆς δεσποτείας. Εἶδες πῶς πανταχοῦ οὐ τῇ φύσει, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀπάτῃ καὶ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ δείκνυσι τὴν δουλείαν ἀκολουθοῦσαν; Ἦλθε τοίνυν πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα ἡ ἀπάτη παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἠκολούθησε τῇ ἀπάτῃ ἡ ὑποταγή· μετέστη μετὰ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα ἡ ἀπάτη, μετέστη καὶ ἡ ὑποταγή. Καὶ καθάπερ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῷ ἀνδρὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῆς γυναικὸς ἐνεπίστευσεν, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἠπάτητο, οὑτωσὶ λέγων, Πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα σου ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐπὶ τῆς πιστῆς τῆς τὸν ἄπιστον ἄνδρα ἐχούσης, τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐμπιστεύει τῇ γυναικὶ, λέγων· Τί γὰρ οἶδας, γύναι, εἰ τὸν ἄνδρα σώσεις; Τί ταύτης τῆς ἀποδείξεως σαφέστερον γένοιτ' ἂν, τοῦ μὴ τῇ φύσει τὴν δουλείαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἕπεσθαι; Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δούλων ἔστιν εἰπεῖν. ∆οῦλος ἐκλήθης; Μή σοι μελέτω. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πάλιν δείκνυσι ψιλὸν ὄνομα τὴν δουλείαν οὖσαν, ὅταν ἀρετὴ παρῇ; Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ δύνασαι ἐλεύθερος γενέσθαι, μᾶλλον χρῆσαι, τουτέστι, μᾶλλον μένε ἐν τῇ δουλείᾳ. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὁ γὰρ ἐν Κυρίῳ κληθεὶς δοῦλος, ἀπελεύθερος Κυρίου ἐστίν. Εἶδες μέχρι προσηγορίας τὴν δουλείαν, ἐν τῷ πράγματι δὲ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν; Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν ἀφῆκε μένειν δοῦλον; Ἵνα τῆς ἐλευθερίας μάθῃς τὴν περιουσίαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῦ σβέσαι τὴν κάμινον τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν τριῶν παίδων πολὺ θαυμαστότερον ἦν τὸ μενούσης αὐτῆς ἀσινῆ διατηρῆσαι τὰ σώματα· οὕτω τοῦ λῦσαι τὴν δουλείαν τὸ μενούσης αὐτῆς δεῖξαι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν πολλῷ μεῖζόν ἐστι καὶ θαυμαστότερον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Εἰ καὶ δύνασαι ἐλεύθερος γενέσθαι, μᾶλλον χρῆσαι· τουτέστι, μένε δοῦλος· τὴν γὰρ ἀληθεστάτην ἔχεις ἐλευθερίαν. βʹ. Βούλει καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦτο ἰδεῖν; Βασιλεὺς ἦν ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, καὶ τὴν κάμινον ἀνῆψε μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος, καὶ τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας εἰς μέσον