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to prepare themselves, grace is present even now; and even if the beasts are hungry, they will not touch your side. For if they were ashamed when they saw a servile body, when they see the members of Christ (for this is what we believers are), how will they not be quiet? But if they are not quiet, it is the fault of those who were thrown in. For many provide great expense for these lions, by feeding prostitutes, breaking up marriages, defending themselves against enemies; wherefore, before they reach the ground, they are torn apart. But this did not happen in the case of Daniel, nor will it happen to us, if we should wish, but something more will happen than what happened then. For there the lions did not do harm, but to us, if we are sober, even those who do wrong will benefit us. Thus indeed Paul became illustrious from those who insulted and plotted against him, thus Job from those many plagues, thus Jeremiah from the pit of mire, thus Noah from the flood, thus Abel from the plot, thus Moses from the murderous Jews, thus Elisha, thus each one of those great men, not from relaxation and luxury, but from afflictions and trials they wove for themselves glorious crowns. Wherefore Christ, knowing this reason for renown, said to his disciples: In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. What then? he says; were not many overthrown by terrible things? Not because of the nature of the temptations, but because of their own indolence; but He who with the temptation also makes the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it, may He Himself stand by us all, and extend His hand, that being gloriously proclaimed, we may obtain the eternal crowns, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, dominion, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY IV.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. For even their women

did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use 60.416 of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another. All passions, then, are dishonorable, but especially the 60.417 madness for men; for the soul suffers more in sins and is more ashamed than the body in its diseases. But see how here too he deprives them of excuse, just as in the case of doctrines, saying in the case of women, They changed the natural use. For no one can say, he says, that being prevented from lawful intercourse, they came to this, nor that not having the means to fulfill their desire, they ran aground upon this strange madness; for "to change" belongs to those who have something; which is what he also said when discussing doctrines: Who changed the truth of God into a lie. And in the case of the men, he again declared the same thing in another way, saying: Leaving the natural use of the woman. And like those women, he casts these men out from all defense, accusing them not only that they had enjoyment, and leaving what they had, went to another, but that having dishonored the natural, they ran to the unnatural. But things against nature are more difficult and more unpleasant, so that they could not even speak of pleasure; for genuine pleasure is that which is according to nature; but when God forsakes, all things are turned upside down. For this reason not only was their doctrine satanic, but their life was diabolical. When, therefore, he was discoursing about doctrines, he brought forward the world and the human mind, saying that by the understanding given by God through the things that are seen, they were able to be led to the Creator, but then not being willing, they remained without excuse. But here, instead of the world, he has set down natural pleasure, which they could enjoy with greater freedom and

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ἑαυτοὺς κατασκευάσαι, πάρεστι καὶ νῦν ἡ χάρις· κἂν πεινᾷ τὰ θηρία, οὐχ ἅψεταί σου τῆς πλευρᾶς. Εἰ γὰρ σῶμα δουλικὸν ἰδόντες ᾐδέσθησαν, τὰ μέλη τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεασάμενοι (τοῦτο γάρ ἐσμεν οἱ πιστοὶ), πῶς οὐχ ἡσυχάσουσιν; Εἰ δὲ οὐχ ἡσυχάσουσι, παρὰ τὴν τῶν ἐμβληθέντων αἰτίαν. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ τοῖς λέουσι τούτοις πολλὴν παρέχουσι δαπάνην, πόρνας τρέφοντες, γάμους διορύττοντες, ἐχθροὺς ἀμυνόμενοι· διὸ πρὶν πρὸς τὸ ἔδαφος ἐλθεῖν, διασπῶνται. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ ∆ανιὴλ τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐφ' ἡμῶν, εἰ βουληθείημεν, τοῦτο ἔσται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλέον τι συμβήσεται τῶν γενομένων τότε. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἠδίκησαν οἱ λέοντες, ἡμᾶς δὲ, ἐὰν νήφωμεν, καὶ ὠφελήσουσιν οἱ ἀδικοῦντες. Οὕτω γοῦν ὁ Παῦλος λαμπρὸς ἐγένετο ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων καὶ ἐπιβουλευόντων, οὕτως ὁ Ἰὼβ ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν πληγῶν ἐκείνων, οὕτως ὁ Ἱερεμίας ἀπὸ τοῦ λάκκου τοῦ βορβόρου, οὕτως ὁ Νῶε ἀπὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, οὕτως ὁ Ἄβελ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, οὕτως ὁ Μωϋσῆς ἀπὸ τῶν φονώντων Ἰουδαίων, οὕτως ὁ Ἐλισσαῖος, οὕτως ἕκαστος τῶν μεγάλων ἐκείνων, οὐκ ἀπὸ ἀνέσεως καὶ τρυφῆς, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ θλίψεων καὶ πειρασμῶν λαμπροὺς ἀνεδήσαντο στεφάνους. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ταύτην εἰδὼς τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔλεγεν· Ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ θλίψιν ἕξετε· ἀλλὰ θαρσεῖτε, ἐγὼ νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον. Τί οὖν; φησίν· οὐ πολλοὶ περιετράπησαν ὑπὸ τῶν δεινῶν; Οὐ παρὰ τὴν τῶν πειρασμῶν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ῥᾳθυμίαν· ὁ δὲ ποιῶν σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν τοῦ δύνασθαι ὑπενεγκεῖν, αὐτὸς παρασταίη πᾶσιν ἡμῖν, καὶ χεῖρα ὀρέξειεν, ἵνα λαμπρῶς ἀνακηρυχθέντες, τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπιτύχωμεν στεφάνων, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, τιμὴ, κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ∆ʹ.

∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς εἰς πάθη ἀτι μίας. Αἵ τε γὰρ θήλειαι

αὐτῶν μετήλλαξαν τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν εἰς τὴν παρὰ φύσιν. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄῤῥενες, ἀφέντες τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν 60.416 τῆς θηλείας, ἐξεκαύθησαν ἐν τῇ ὀρέξει αὐτῶν εἰς ἀλλήλους. Πάντα μὲν οὖν ἄτιμα τὰ πάθη, μάλιστα δὲ ἡ κατὰ 60.417 τῶν ἀῤῥένων μανία· καὶ γὰρ πάσχει ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ἡ ψυχὴ μᾶλλον καὶ καταισχύνεται, ἢ τὸ σῶμα ἐν τοῖς νοσήμασι. Θέα δὲ πῶς αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐνταῦθα συγγνώμης ἀποστερεῖ, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν δογμάτων, ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν θηλειῶν εἰπὼν, Μετήλλαξαν τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔχει τις εἰπεῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι κωλυθεῖσαι τῆς κατὰ νόμον μίξεως, ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἦλθον, οὔθ' ὅτι οὐκ ἔχουσαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν πληρῶσαι, πρὸς τὴν ἀλλόκοτον ταύτην λύσσαν ἐξώκειλαν· τὸ γὰρ μεταλλάξαι, τῶν ἐχόντων ἐστίν· ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δογμάτων διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγε· Μετήλλαξαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ψεύδει. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἀῤῥένων πάλιν ἑτέρως τὸ αὐτὸ ἐδήλωσεν, εἰπών· Ἀφέντες τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν τῆς θηλείας. Καὶ ὁμοίως ἐκείναις καὶ τούτους ἐκβάλλει πάσης ἀπολογίας, κατηγορῶν αὐτῶν, οὐ μόνον ὅτι εἶχον ἀπόλαυσιν, καὶ ἀφέντες ἣν εἶχον, ἐπ' ἄλλην ἦλθον, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἀτιμάσαντες, ἐπὶ τὴν παρὰ φύσιν ἔδραμον. ∆υσκολώτερα δὲ τὰ παρὰ φύσιν καὶ ἀηδέστερα, ὥστε οὐδὲ ἡδονὴν ἂν ἔχοιεν εἰπεῖν· ἡ γὰρ γνησία ἡδονὴ ἡ κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν· ἀλλ' ὅταν ὁ Θεὸς ἐγκαταλίπῃ, πάντα ἄνω καὶ κάτω γίνεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐ τὸ δόγμα αὐτοῖς σατανικὸν μόνον ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ βίος διαβολικός. Ὅτε μὲν οὖν περὶ δογμάτων διελέγετο, τὸν κόσμον εἰς μέσον ἔθηκε καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην, εἰπὼν, ὅτι τῇ συνέσει τῇ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δεδομένῃ διὰ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἠδύναντο χειραγωγηθῆναι πρὸς τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν, εἶτα μὴ βουληθέντες, ἔμειναν ἀσύγγνωστοι. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ κόσμου τὴν κατὰ φύσιν τέθεικεν ἡδονὴν, ἧς ἠδύναντο μετὰ ἀδείας πλείονος ἀπολαύοντες καὶ