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60.410 receiving it. For, being ashamed to accept faith and to seem ignorant of heavenly things. they cast themselves into the dust of myriad reasonings. Then, O wretched and miserable man, worthy of countless tears, if someone asks you how the heaven came to be, and how the earth; why do I say the heaven and the earth? how were you yourself born, how were you nourished and grew up, are you not ashamed of your ignorance? but if some discourse is made concerning the Only-Begotten, do you, out of shame, cast yourself into a pit of destruction, thinking it unworthy of yourself not to know everything? And yet contentiousness is unworthy, and meddling unseasonably. And what do I say about dogmas? For we have been delivered from the wickedness of this present life from nowhere else than through faith. Thus also all who shone before this, thus Abraham, thus Isaac, thus Jacob; thus also the harlot was saved, both she in the Old, and she in the New. For by faith, he says, Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had welcomed the spies. Nor did she say to herself: And how will these men, being captives and fugitives and migrants, and living the life of nomads, be able to overcome us who have a city and walls and towers? For if she had said these things to herself, she would have destroyed both herself and them; which is indeed what the forefathers of those who were then saved suffered. For they, when they saw men who were great and tall, sought the manner of victory, and all perished without war or battle array. Do you see how great is the abyss of unbelief, and how great the wall of faith? For the one brought down countless thousands; but the other not only saved a harlot woman, but also made her a leader of so great a people. Knowing these things, therefore, and more than these, let us never demand from God an account of things that happen, but whatever He may command, let us accept; and let us not be curious nor meddle, even if what is commanded seems absurd to human reasonings. For what, tell me, seems more absurd than for the one who begot him to slay his only-begotten and legitimate child? But nevertheless, the just man, being commanded, was not curious about this, but from the worthiness of the one commanding he accepted the command alone, and obeyed. And another, being commanded by God to strike a prophet, because he was curious about the seeming absurdity of the matter, and did not simply obey, paid the ultimate penalty; but the one who struck was well-pleasing. And Saul, for sparing men contrary to what seemed good to God, fell from his kingdom, and suffered irreparable things. And one could find many more examples than these, through all of which we are taught never to demand a reason for God's commands, but only to yield and obey. But if it is perilous to be curious about what He commands, and the ultimate punishment is laid up for meddlers; what defense will they ever have who are curious about things far more secret and awesome than these, that is, how He begot the Son, and in what manner, and what is the essence? Knowing these things, therefore, let us with all goodwill receive faith, the mother of all good things, so that, sailing as in a calm harbor, we may both maintain right doctrines, and guiding our life with security, may attain to the eternal good things, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, power, honor, and worship, with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY III.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness

of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. a. See the wisdom of Paul, how after exhorting from the kinder things, he turns his discourse to the more fearful things. For after saying that the Gospel is the cause of salvation, that it is of life, that it is the power of God, that it is productive of salvation and righteousness, he also says the things that are able to frighten those who do not pay heed.

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60.410 λαμβάνουσα. Αἰσχυνόμενοι γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ παραδέχεσθαι πίστιν καὶ δοκεῖν ἀγνοεῖν τὰ οὐράνια. εἰς κονιορτὸν ἑαυτοὺς μυρίων λογισμῶν ἐμβάλλουσιν. Εἶτα, ἄθλιε καὶ ταλαίπωρε καὶ μυρίων ἄξιε δακρύων, ἂν μέν τίς σε ἔρηται, πῶς ὁ οὐρανὸς γέγονεν, καὶ πῶς ἡ γῆ· τί λέγω τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν; πῶς αὐτὸς ἐτέχθης, πῶς ἐτράφης καὶ ηὐξήθης, οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ τὴν ἄγνοιαν; ἐὰν δὲ περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς γίνηταί τις λόγος, δι' αἰσχύνην εἰς βάραθρον ἑαυτὸν ἐμβάλλεις ἀπωλείας, ἀνάξιον σεαυτῷ νομίζων τὸ μὴ πάντα εἰδέναι; Καὶ μὴν ἀνάξιον ἡ φιλονεικία, καὶ τὸ πολυπραγμονεῖν ἀκαίρως. Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ δογμάτων; Αὐτῆς γὰρ τῆς κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον πονηρίας οὐδαμόθεν ἀπηλλάγημεν ἄλλοθεν, ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ τῆς πίστεως. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ πρὸ τούτου ἔλαμψαν ἅπαντες, οὕτως ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, οὕτως ὁ Ἰσαὰκ, οὕτως ὁ Ἰακώβ· οὕτω καὶ ἡ πόρνη ἐσώθη, καὶ ἡ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, καὶ ἡ ἐν τῇ Καινῇ. Πίστει γὰρ, φησὶ, Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐ συναπώλετο τοῖς ἀπειθήσασι, δεξαμένη τοὺς κατασκόπους. Οὐδὲ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν εἶπε· Καὶ πῶς δυνήσονται οὗτοι αἰχμάλωτοι καὶ φυγάδες ὄντες καὶ μετανάσται, καὶ νομάδων βίον ζῶντες, ἡμῶν τῶν πόλιν ἐχόντων καὶ τείχη καὶ πύργους περιγενέσθαι; ὡς εἰ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ταῦτα εἶπε, καὶ ἑαυτὴν καὶ ἐκείνους ἂν προσαπώλεσεν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ οἱ πρόγονοι τῶν τότε σωθέντων ἔπαθον. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ἄνδρας ἰδόντες μεγάλους καὶ εὐμήκεις, τὸν τρόπον τῆς νίκης ἐζήτουν, ἀπώλοντο χωρὶς πολέμου καὶ παρατάξεως ἅπαντες. Εἶδες πόσον τῆς ἀπιστίας τὸ βάραθρον, καὶ πόσον τῆς πίστεως τὸ τεῖχος; Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀπείρους κατήνεγκε χιλιάδας· αὕτη δὲ πόρνην γυναῖκα οὐ μόνον διέσωσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δήμου τοσούτου πρόστασιν ἐποίησε. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, καὶ τὰ τούτων πλείονα, μηδέποτε τὸν Θεὸν εὐθύνας τῶν γινομένων ἀπαιτῶμεν, ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἂν ἐπιτάξῃ, δεχώμεθα· καὶ μὴ περιεργαζώμεθα μηδὲ πολυπραγμονῶμεν, κἂν ἀνθρωπίνοις λογισμοῖς ἄτοπον εἶναι δοκῇ τὸ κελευόμενον. Τί γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, τοῦ σφάξαι μονογενῆ παῖδα καὶ γνήσιον, αὐτὸν τὸν γεγεννηκότα, ἀτοπώτερον εἶναι δοκεῖ; Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ δίκαιος κελευσθεὶς, οὐ περιειργάσατο τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς ἀξίας τοῦ κελεύσαντος ἐδέξατο τὸ ἐπίταγμα μόνον, καὶ ὑπήκουσε. Καὶ ἕτερος δὲ προφήτην παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ κελευσθεὶς ῥαπίσαι, ἐπειδὴ τὸ δοκοῦν ἄτοπον εἶναι τοῦ πράγματος περιειργάσατο, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ὑπήκουσε, δίκην ἔδωκε τὴν ἐσχάτην· ὁ δὲ πλήξας εὐδοκίμησε. Καὶ ὁ Σαοὺλ δὲ σώσας ἀνθρώπους παρὰ τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, τῆς βασιλείας ἐξέπεσε, καὶ τὰ ἀνήκεστα ἔπαθε. Καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα τούτων ἄν τις εὕροι παραδείγματα, δι' ὧν ἁπάντων παιδευόμεθα μηδέποτε τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγον ἀπαιτεῖν, ἀλλ' εἴκειν καὶ πείθεσθαι μόνον. Εἰ δὲ, ἅπερ ἂν ἐπιτάξῃ, περιεργάζεσθαι ἐπισφαλὲς, καὶ ἐσχάτη κόλασις κεῖται τοῖς πολυπραγμονοῦσι· οἱ τὰ πολλῷ τούτων ἀποῤῥητότερα καὶ φρικωδέστερα περιεργαζόμενοι, τουτέστι πῶς ἐγέννησε τὸν Υἱὸν, καὶ τίνι τρόπῳ, καὶ τίς ἡ οὐσία, τίνα ἕξουσιν ἀπολογίαν ποτέ; Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, τὴν πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν μητέρα πίστιν μετὰ πάσης ὑποδεχώμεθα τῆς εὐνοίας, ἵνα ὥσπερ ἐν γαληνῷ πλέοντες λιμένι τά τε ὀρθὰ διατηρῶμεν δόγματα, καὶ τὸν βίον ἡμῶν μετὰ ἀσφαλείας κατευθύνοντες, τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Γʹ.

Ἀποκαλύπτεται γὰρ ὀργὴ Θεοῦ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἐπὶ πᾶ σαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν

ἀνθρώπων τῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐν ἀδικίᾳ κατεχόντων. αʹ. Ὅρα τὴν Παύλου σύνεσιν, πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν χρηστοτέρων προτρέψας, ἐπὶ τὰ φοβερώτερα τρέπει τὸν λόγον. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι σωτηρίας αἴτιον τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ὅτι ζωῆς, ὅτι Θεοῦ δύναμις, ὅτι σωτηρίας καὶ δικαιοσύνης ποιητικὸν, λέγει καὶ τὰ φοβῆσαι δυνάμενα τοὺς οὐ προσέχοντας.