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is the object of such a plot. Let us not, therefore, be cast down, beloved. We do not care so much for our own salvation as God who made us; we are not so concerned about suffering no evil, as is He who gave us our soul, and after that gave so many good things. Let us wing ourselves with these hopes, and let us listen to what is about to be said with our accustomed eagerness. Recently I delivered a long discourse to your love, and I saw all of you following along, and no one turning back from the middle of the road. I thank you for that eagerness, and I have received the reward for my labors; but at that time I also asked you for another reward along with that one; perhaps you know and remember. And what was the reward? To punish and discipline the blasphemers throughout the city, to restrain those who insult and act insolently toward God. I do not think that I said these things then of my own accord, but that God, foreseeing what was to come, put the words into our mind; for if we had punished those who dared such things, these things which have happened now would not have happened. How much better it would have been, even if 49.38 it was necessary to be in danger, to suffer something while disciplining and instructing them, which would have brought us the crown of martyrdom, than now to be afraid, and to tremble, and to expect death from their disorder? Behold, the sin was of a few, and the charge becomes common to all; behold, because of them we all are afraid now, and we ourselves are enduring the punishments for what they have dared. But if we had preemptively cast them out of the city, and disciplined them, and corrected the diseased member, we would not be fearing the present fear. I know that the character of the city has from of old been noble, but some foreigners and mongrels, profane and destructive men, who have despaired of their own salvation, have dared what they have dared. For this reason, I did not cease crying out and protesting always: let us punish the madness of the blasphemers, let us correct their mind, let us provide for their salvation; and even if we must die for doing this, the matter will bring us great gain; let us not overlook our common Master being insulted; to overlook such things will bring some great evil upon the city.

4. I foretold these things, these things have now come to pass, and we are paying the penalty for that negligence. You overlooked God being insulted; behold, he has allowed the emperor to be insulted; and the danger of the utmost penalties to hang over all, so that in this fear we might pay the penalty for that negligence. Was it in vain or rashly that I foretold these things, and continually troubled your love? But nevertheless, nothing more came of it; but let it happen now, and having been corrected by the present disaster, let us restrain their disorderly madness. Let us stop their mouths, let us shut them up like deadly springs, and let us change them to the contrary, and by all means the evils that have befallen the city will cease. The church is not a theater, that we should listen for pleasure; it is necessary to depart from here having been profited, having gained something more and great, thus one must depart; since we attend in vain and to no purpose, if after being entertained for a time we should depart thus, having become destitute and empty of the benefit from what was said. What benefit to me is this applause? And what of the praise and the acclamations? My praise is for you to show through your works all that is said; then I am to be emulated and blessed, not when you approve, but when you do with all eagerness whatever you hear from us. Let each one correct his neighbor; for "Build up one another," he says. For if we do not do this, the offense committed by each one will bring some common and unbearable harm to the city. Behold, though having no complicity in what has happened, we fear no less than those who have dared, and we shudder, lest the emperor's wrath seize all; and it is not a sufficient defense for us to say: I was not present, I was not aware, I did not take part in what happened. For this very reason, therefore, he says, you are punished, and you pay the ultimate penalty,

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τοιαύτης ἕστηκεν ἐπιβουλῆς. Μὴ τοίνυν καταπέσωμεν, ἀγαπητοί. Οὐχ οὕτως ἡμεῖς φροντίζομεν τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας, ὡς ὁ ποιήσας ἡμᾶς Θεός· οὐχ οὕτως ἡμῖν μέλει τοῦ μηδὲν παθεῖν δεινὸν, ὡς τῷ τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῖν χαρισαμένῳ, καὶ τοσαῦτα δόντι μετὰ ταῦτα ἀγαθά. Ταύταις ἑαυτοὺς πτερώσωμεν ταῖς ἐλπίσι, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ῥηθήσεσθαι μετὰ τῆς εἰωθυίας ἀκούσωμεν προθυμίας. Μακρὰν πρῴην ἀπέτεινα πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην δημηγορίαν, καὶ πάντας εἶδον παρακολουθοῦντας, καὶ οὐδένα ἐκ μέσης ὑποστρέψαντα τῆς ὁδοῦ. Χάριν ὑμῖν ἀντὶ τῆς προθυμίας ἔχω ἐκείνης, καὶ τῶν πόνων τὸν μισθὸν ἀπείληφα· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον μετ' ἐκείνου μισθὸν ὑμᾶς ᾔτησα τότε· τάχα ἴστε καὶ μέμνησθε. Τίς δὲ ἦν ὁ μισθός; Τοὺς βλασφήμους τοὺς κατὰ τὴν πόλιν κολάζειν καὶ σωφρονίζειν, τοὺς εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ὑβρίζοντας καὶ παροινοῦντας κατέχειν· οὐκ οἶμαι ταῦτα ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ τότε εἰρηκέναι, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ μέλλοντα προειδότος εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐμβεβληκέναι τὰ ῥήματα· εἰ γὰρ τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα τολμῶντας ἐκολάζομεν, οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα ἐξέβη νῦν, ἅπερ ἐξέβη. Πόσῳ βέλτιον ἦν, εἰ καὶ 49.38 κινδυνεύειν ἔδει, σωφρονίζοντα αὐτοὺς καὶ παιδεύοντα παθεῖν τι, ὃ καὶ μαρτυρίου στέφανον ἡμῖν ἐκόμιζεν, ἢ νῦν δεδοικέναι, καὶ τρέμειν, καὶ θάνατον προσδοκᾷν ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀταξίας; Ἰδοὺ τὸ ἁμάρτημα γέγονεν ὀλίγων, καὶ τὸ ἔγκλημα γίνεται κοινόν· ἰδοὺ δι' ἐκείνους ἅπαντες δεδοίκαμεν νῦν, καὶ τῶν ἐκείνοις τετολμημένων αὐτοὶ τὰς τιμωρίας ὑπομένομεν. Εἰ δὲ προλαβόντες αὐτοὺς ἐξεβάλομεν τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἐσωφρονίσαμεν, καὶ τὸ νενοσηκὸς διωρθώσαμεν μέλος, οὐκ ἂν τὸν παρόντα ἐφοβούμεθα φόβον. Οἶδα ὅτι τῆς πόλεως τὸ ἦθος ἄνωθεν ἐλεύθερον, ξένοι δέ τινες καὶ μιγάδες ἄνθρωποι, μιαροὶ καὶ ὀλέθριοι, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀπεγνωκότες σωτηρίας ἐτόλμησαν, ἅπερ ἐτόλμησαν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα βοῶν ἀεὶ καὶ διαμαρτυρόμενος οὐ διέλειπον· κολάσωμεν τῶν βλασφημούντων τὴν μανίαν, σωφρονίσωμεν αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, προνοήσωμεν αὐτῶν τῆς σωτηρίας· κἂν ἀποθανεῖν δέῃ τοῦτο ποιοῦντας, μέγα ἡμῖν οἴσει τὸ πρᾶγμα κέρδος· μὴ παρίδωμεν τὸν κοινὸν ὑβριζόμενον ∆εσπότην· μέγα τι τέξεται τῇ πόλει κακὸν τὸ τὰ τοιαῦτα περιορᾷν.

δʹ. Ταῦτα προὔλεγον, ταῦτα ἐξέβη νῦν, καὶ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ἐκείνης τίνομεν δίκας. Τὸν Θεὸν ὑβριζόμενον περιεῖδες· ἰδοὺ συνεχώρησεν ὑβρισθῆναι βασιλέα· καὶ τὸν περὶ τῶν ἐσχάτων ἐπικρεμασθῆναι πᾶσι κίνδυνον, ἵνα ἐν τῷ φόβῳ τούτῳ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ἐκείνης δῶμεν δίκην. Ἆρα μὴ μάτην, μηδὲ εἰκῆ ταῦτα προὔλεγον, καὶ συνεχῶς ἠνώχλουν τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἀγάπῃ; Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν γέγονε πλέον, ἀλλὰ γενέσθω νῦν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς παρούσης σωφρονισθέντες συμφορᾶς, ἐπίσχωμεν τὴν ἄτακτον ἐκείνων μανίαν. Ἐμφράξωμεν αὐτῶν τὰ στόματα, καθάπερ πηγὰς θανατηφόρους ἀποκλείσωμεν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον μεταβάλωμεν, καὶ πάντως στήσεται τὰ κατειληφότα τὴν πόλιν κακά. Οὐκ ἔστι θέατρον ἡ ἐκκλησία, ἵνα πρὸς τέρψιν ἀκούωμεν· ὠφεληθέντας ἐντεῦθεν ἀπιέναι χρὴ, κερδάναντάς τι πλέον καὶ μέγα, οὕτως ἀναχωρεῖν δεῖ· ἐπεὶ μάτην καὶ εἰκῆ παραγινόμεθα, εἰ πρὸς καιρὸν ψυχαγωγηθέντες οὕτως ἀναχωροίημεν, ἔρημοι καὶ κενοὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν λεγομένων ὠφελείας γενόμενοι. Τί μοι τῶν κρότων ὄφελος τούτων; τί δὲ τῶν ἐπαίνων καὶ τῶν θορύβων; Ἔπαινος ἐμὸς τὸ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ὑμᾶς ἐπιδεῖξαι τὰ λεγόμενα ἅπαντα· τότε ἐγὼ ζηλωτὸς καὶ μακάριος, οὐχ ὅταν ἀποδέχησθε, ἀλλ' ὅταν ποιῆτε μετὰ προθυμίας ἁπάσης, ἅπερ ἂν ἀκούσητε παρ' ἡμῶν. Ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον διορθούσθω· Οἰκοδομεῖτε γὰρ εἷς τὸν ἕνα, φησίν· ἂν γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ποιῶμεν, ἡ παρ' ἑκάστου γινομένη πλημμέλεια κοινήν τινα καὶ ἀφόρητον οἴσει τὴν βλάβην τῇ πόλει. Ἰδοὺ, μηδὲν συνειδότες τοῖς γεγενημένοις τῶν τετολμηκότων οὐκ ἔλαττον δεδοίκαμεν, καὶ φρίττομεν, μὴ πάντας ὁ τοῦ βασιλέως θυμὸς καταλάβῃ· καὶ οὐκ ἀρκεῖ εἰς ἀπολογίαν ἡμῖν τὸ λέγειν· Οὐ παρήμην, οὐ συνῄδειν, οὐκ ἐκοινώνησα τῶν γεγενημένων. ∆ι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο κολάζου, φησὶ, καὶ δίδου δίκην τὴν ἐσχάτην,