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a certain prophet said: "And I said, I will not tend you. Let that which is dying die, and that which is failing fail," and the rest. "Let a man eat the flesh of his neighbor." For vision and prophecy were sealed after the cross of the Savior. Therefore to those who [did not] receive the word, Paul says, "Behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us." But he also distinguished among the nations, setting apart for himself the worthy, and choosing the called from those who were not such. But in the assembly of gods, God standing distinguishes; but among the nations he will judge. For to the saints distinguishing is fitting, for the knowledge of his worthiness. But for those who have lived in vain, judging. And so, some say, all those outside of piety are judged for this very reason; but according to the different life and conduct of each, the judgment is also different. Thus, therefore, the evangelical word, having distinguished a great people from the nations, convicted, either convicting those who believed in him of their former error, or convicting those who did not believe in him, perishing through their own fault 1877. And through the "he will convict," the justice of the judgment is shown. "For I will convict you," he says, "and I will set it before your face." But here the conviction is through witnesses; but in the tribunal of secret things, the deeds themselves are presented to us, with each sin being presented to the sinner in its own form. And there the conviction is for the establishment of the justice of the judgment; but here it is for correction. For we are bitterly tormented, having gained a consciousness of our sins, being previously unconscious. Those, therefore, who have accepted him, being delivered from every warlike disposition, live in peace, freed from the demons that formerly held sway, to whom the Savior says: "My peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you." This indeed the Word also gave as a sign of the times, saying that the instruments of war would be changed into instruments of peace, when all were again raging against one another. For one would not find such a peaceful state as under Roman rule after the advent of the Savior, among nations and cities and fields. Therefore he says, and they shall learn war no more. And the useful end of convictions is to change the turbulent to peace. For the law and word of Christ preached peace to those near and to those far off, to Jews and Gentiles, so that the destroying sword, becoming a plow preparing for the life-giving seeds of wisdom to be engendered in rational souls, softening what was hardened, overturning thorns; and the javelin, that which strikes from afar and repels, into that which gathers near and binds together. For a sickle, gathering together the scattered for fellowship, prepares the sheaves to be bound. And they contribute to the spiritual harvest itself, about which he says: "Lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white." To which he sends the disciples. For no warmonger is fit for such a harvest. Therefore, as they have no instrument of war in their heart, he has given them authority to bring peace to the houses they come to; which was not the case as long as the word of the wisdom of the world was fervently at work. For they brought the sharpened sword of reason, gleaming with practice and persuasiveness, against each other; but when it was announced, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace," all falsehood was silenced by the truth, and there is no longer a word for the teachers who practice verbal disputes. But he also philanthropically calls the Jews to the grace of the saving bath. 59. 9And now, O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord. For he has forsaken his people, the house of Jacob9, etc. 1880 Most lovingly he exhorts his own to accept the peace poured out upon all nations, and the light of the Gospel. And most exhortingly, bringing himself into the exhortation, he submitted. And he calls them not Jacob (for they are unworthy), but as his empty house. And defending God for the people being forsaken
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τις ἔφη προφήτης· "Καὶ εἶπα, οὐ μὴ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς. Τὸ ἀποθνῆσκον ἀποθνησκέτω, καὶ τὸ ἐκλειπὸν ἐκλειπέτω," καὶ τὰ κατάλοιπα. "Ἐσθιέτω ἄνθρωπος τὰς σάρκας τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ." Ἐσφραγίσθη γὰρ ὅρασις καὶ προφητεία μετὰ τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος σταυρόν. ∆ιὸ [καὶ μὴ] δεξαμένοις τὸν λόγον ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, "Ἰδοὺ στρεφόμεθα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐντέταλται ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος." Αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ διέκρινεν ἀναμέσον τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀφορίσας ἑαυτῷ τοὺς ἀξίους, καὶ ἐκλεξάμενος τοὺς κλητοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν μὴ τοιούτων. Ἀλλ' ἐν μὲν συναγωγῇ Θεῶν στὰς Θεὸς διακρινεῖ· ἀναμέσον δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν κρινεῖ. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἁγίοις τὸ διακρίνεσθαι πρέπει, πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀξίας αὐτοῦ γνῶσιν. Τοῖς δὲ μάτην βεβιωκόσιν τὸ κρίνεσθαι. Καὶ πάντες μὲν οὖν, φασί τινες, οἱ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐκτὸς κατ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο κρίνονται· πρὸς δὲ τὸν διάφορον ἐκάστου βίον καὶ πολιτείαν καὶ ἡ κρίσις διάφορος. Οὕτως οὖν ὁ εὐαγγελικὸς λόγος, τῶν ἐθνῶν διακρίνας [τὸν] λαὸν πολὺν, ἤλεγξεν, ἤτοι τοὺς πιστεύσαντας εἰς αὐτὸν, τὴν προτέραν αὐτῶν πλάνην ἐλέγξας, ἢ τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ πιστεύσαντας ἐλέγξας, παρὰ τὴν αὐτῶν αἰτίαν 1877 ἀπολλυμένους. ∆ιὰ δὲ τοῦ ἐλέγξει, τὸ δίκαιον τῆς κρίσεως δείκνυται. "Ἐλέγξω γάρ σε, φησὶ, καὶ παραστήσω κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου." Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα μὲν διὰ μαρτύρων ὁ ἔλεγχος· ἐν δὲ τῷ τῶν κρυπτῶν δικαστηρίῳ, αὐτὰ ἡμῖν τὰ πράγματα παρίστανται, ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ σχήματι ἑκάστης ἁμαρτίας παρισταμένης τῷ ἁμαρτήσαντι. Κἀκεῖ μὲν ὁ ἔλεγχος εἰς σύστασιν τοῦ δικαίου τῆς κρίσεως· ἐνταῦθα δὲ πρὸς διόρθωσιν. Βασανιζόμεθα γὰρ πικρῶς, τῶν ἡμαρτημένων λαβόντες συναίσθησιν, ἀναισθητοῦντες τὸ πρότερον. Οἱ δὴ οὖν καταδεξάμενοι αὐτὸν, πάσης πολεμικῆς προαιρέσεως ἀπαλλαγέντες, ἐν εἰρήνῃ διάγουσιν, ἀπηλλαγμένοι τῶν πάλαι κρατούντων δαιμόνων, οἷς φησιν ὁ Σωτήρ· "Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν." Ὃ δὴ καὶ σημεῖον τῶν χρόνων ὁ λόγος ἐδίδου, φήσας τὰ πολεμικὰ πρὸς εἰρήνης ὄργανα μετατίθεσθαι, πάλιν πάντων ἐπ' ἀλλήλους μεμηνότων. Οὐκ ἂν γὰρ εὕροι τις τοιαύτην εἰρηναίαν κατάστασιν, ὁποίαν ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἀρχῆς μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίαν, κατὰ ἔθνη καὶ πόλεις τε καὶ ἀγρούς. ∆ιό φησι, καὶ οὐ μὴ μάθωσιν ἔτι πολεμεῖν. Τὸ δὲ τῶν ἐλέγχων εὔχρηστον τέλος, τὸ τοὺς ταραχώδεις εἰς εἰρήνην μεταβαλεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ Χριστοῦ νόμος καὶ λόγος εἰρήνην ἐκήρυξεν τοῖς ἐγγὺς, καὶ τοῖς μακρὰν, Ἰουδαίοις καὶ ἔθνεσιν, ὡς τὴν φθείρουσαν μάχαιραν, ζωοποιῶν σπερμάτων τῶν ἐκ τῆς σοφίας ταῖς λογικαῖς ψυχαῖς ἐγγινομένων εἶναι παρασκευαστικὴν ἄροτρον γενομένην ἁπαλύνον τὰ πεπορωμένα, ἀκάνθας ἀνατρέπον· τὴν δὲ ζιβύνην, τὸ πόῤῥωθεν κατακοντίζον καὶ ἀπωθούμενον, εἰς τὸ συνάγον ἐγγὺς καὶ συνδετικόν. ∆ρεπάνη γὰρ τὰ διεσκορπισμένα συναγαγοῦσα πρὸς κοινωνίαν, συνδεῖσθαι παρασκευάζει τὰ δράγματα. Πρὸς δὲ τὸ λογικὸν αὐταὶ θέρος συμβάλλονται, περὶ οὗ φησιν· "Ἐπάρατε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν, καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι αἱ χῶραι λευκαί εἰσιν." Πρὸς ὃν ἀποστέλλει τοὺς μαθητάς. Πολεμοποιὸς γὰρ οὐδεὶς πρὸς τοιοῦτο θέρος ἐστὶν ἐπιτήδειος. Ὡς οὖν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ πολέμου μὴ ἔχουσιν ὄργανον δέδωκεν ἐξουσίαν εἰρήνην ἐναφιέναι τοῖς οἴκοις εἰς οὓς ἀφίκονται· ὅπερ οὐκ ἦν ἕως ἐνείργει τὸ διαπύρως ὁ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σοφίας λόγος. Ἠκουνημένη γὰρ μελέτῃ καὶ πιθανότητι στίλβουσαν τοῦ λόγου τὴν μάχαιραν ἀλλήλοις προσέφερον· ὡς δὲ κατηγγέλει, "∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη," ἅπαν ὅσον ψεῦδος τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ὑπεσιώπησε, καὶ οὐκέτι τοῖς διδασκάλοις λογομαχίας τρίβουσιν λόγος. Ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν χάριν τοῦ σωτηρίου λουτροῦ φιλανθρώπως καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους καλεῖ. εθʹ. 9Καὶ νῦν ὁ οἶκος Ἰακὼβ, δεῦτε καὶ πορευθῶμεν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ Κυρίου. Ἀνῆκε γὰρ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰακὼβ9, κ.τ.λ. 1880 Φιλοστόργως ἄγαν παρακαλεῖ τοὺς οἰκείους καταδέξασθαι τὴν πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι χυθεῖσαν εἰρήνην, καὶ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τὸ φῶς. Παρορμητικῶς δὲ ἄγαν ἑαυτὸν τῇ παραινέσει φέρων ὑπέβαλεν. Καλεῖ δὲ αὐτοὺς οὐκ Ἰακώβ (ἀνάξιοι γὰρ), ἀλλ' ὡς οἶκον τούτου διακενόν. Ὑπεραπολογούμενος δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦ ἀνεθῆναι τὸν λαὸν