inner doors, and having made a prayer they set the fire, and immediately the whole temple caught and was burned. As many of the soldiers and the foreigners as were able, plundered from the fire what they found, whether gold or silver or iron or lead.

70 There was a man there, one of the leaders of the soldiers, whom they call a tribune, supervising the burning of the temple; he was a Christian in appearance, but in what was unseen by the many, he was an idolater. This man, therefore, being present and seeing both the burning and the plundering by the soldiers, was furious, and under the pretext of their good order, he mercilessly flogged whomever he found carrying any of the spoils. While these things were happening and the walls were being destroyed by the fire, suddenly a burning piece of wood falls upon the tribune and brings a double death upon him; for having split his head open, it burned the rest of his body. And immediately both the faithful soldiers and the Christ-loving people, knowing the facts about him, that he was inclined towards idols, glorified God and recited that psalm which says: “Why do you boast in evil, O mighty one? Your tongue has devised iniquity all the day. Like a sharpened razor you have wrought deceit. You have loved evil more than goodness, iniquity more than to speak righteousness. You have loved all words of destruction, a deceitful tongue. For this reason God will tear you down forever, he will pluck you up, and remove you from your dwelling, and your root from the land of the living” and the rest of the psalm. And the temple continued burning for many days.

71 After this a search of the houses also took place. For there were many idols in most courtyards, and those that were found were either handed over to the fire, or thrown into the mire. And books filled with sorcery were also found, which they themselves called sacred, from which the idol-mad performed their rites and other unholy things, and these suffered equally, just like their gods.

72 And many ran to the holy faith, some out of fear, others condemning their former way of life, but the holy church opened its doors to all; for it remembered the holy scripture which says: “To him who knocks it will be opened, and he who seeks finds,” and again: “Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed.” And some of the faithful said to the holy bishop that it was not right to receive those approaching out of fear, but those with a good intention.

73 But the holy bishop said to those who were saying these things: There are also circumstantial virtues that happen to men; for just as someone having an ungrateful servant first admonishes him always to be grateful and to serve with a simple heart, but when he finds him in no way obeying the admonition, then finally out of necessity he brings upon him fear and stripes and bonds and other such things, not wishing to destroy him but to save him and to recognize what is right, so also you must understand God to be long-suffering in our ungratefulness, and often exhorting us to what is beneficial both through scriptures and other holy men, but when we do not obey, wishing in all things as a good and man-loving master to acquire us and not to push us away, he brings his fear and discipline upon us, calling us with necessity to recognize what is right. Wherefore the divine scripture says: “When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and rose early to God.” And again it says concerning those who leap away and are discontented with God: “With bit and bridle you will restrain the jaws of those who do not draw near to you.” There is a need, therefore, my children, for humanity to be reminded through both fears and threats and discipline. For this reason it says again: “It is good for me that you have humbled me, that I might learn your statutes.” These things have been said by me because of those who wish to approach our holy faith. For even if they approach hesitatingly, time is able to soften them, with Christ's consent. So that I may report the other thing to you,

ἐνδοτέρας θύρας, καὶ ποιήσαντες εὐχὴν προσῆψαν τὸ πῦρ, καὶ εὐθέως διέλαβεν πᾶς ὁ ναὸς καὶ ἐκαύθη. Ὅσοι δὲ τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ τῶν ξένων ἠδύναντο, διήρπαζον ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς ἃ ηὕρισκον, εἴτε χρυσὸν εἴτε ἄργυρον ἢ σίδηρον ἢ μόλιβδον.

70 Ἦν δὲ ἀνὴρ τῶν ἐκεῖσε ἐξάρχων τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ὃν τριβοῦνον καλοῦσιν, ἐφιστάμενος τῇ καύσει τοῦ ναοῦ· ἦν δὲ Χριστιανὸς κατὰ τὸ φαινόμενον, κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἄδηλον τοῖς πολλοῖς, ἦν εἰδωλολάτρης. Οὗτος οὖν παριστάμενος καὶ ὁρῶν τήν τε καῦσιν καὶ τὴν διαρπαγὴν τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐπρίετο, καὶ προφάσει τῆς εὐταξίας αὐτῶν ἐμάστιζεν ἀφειδῶς ὃν ηὕρισκεν φέροντά τι τῶν σκύλων. Τούτων γινομένων καὶ καταφθαρέντων τῶν τοίχων ἐκ τοῦ πυρός, ἄφνω ξύλον καιόμενον ἐπιπίπτει τῷ τριβούνῳ καὶ διπλοῦν τὸν θάνατον ἐπάγει αὐτῷ· διαρρῆξαν γὰρ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, τὸ ὑπόλοιπον σῶμα ἔκαυσεν. Καὶ εὐθέως οἵ τε πιστοὶ στρατιῶται καὶ οἱ τοῦ φιλοχρίστου λαοῦ γνόντες τὰ κατ' αὐτόν, ὅτι ἐπιρρεπὴς ἦν πρὸς τὰ εἴδωλα, ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν καὶ εἶπαν ἐκεῖνον τὸν ψαλμὸν τὸν λέγοντα· «Τί ἐγκαυχᾷ ἐν κακίᾳ ὁ δυνατός; Ἀνομίαν ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐλογίσατο ἡ γλῶσσά σου. Ὡσεὶ ξυρὸν ἠκονημένον ἐποίησας δόλον. Ἠγάπησας κακίαν ὑπὲρ ἀγαθωσύνην, ἀδικίαν ὑπὲρ τὸ λαλῆσαι δικαιοσύνην. Ἠγάπησας πάντα ῥήματα καταποντισμοῦ, γλῶσσαν δολίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς καθέλοι σε εἰς τέλος, ἐκτίλαι σε, καὶ μεταναστεύσαι σε ἀπὸ σκηνώματός σου καὶ τὸ ῥίζωμά σου ἐκ γῆς ζώντων» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς τοῦ ψαλμοῦ. Ἐπέμενεν δὲ τὸ ἱερὸν καιόμενον ἐπὶ πλείστας ἡμέρας.

71 Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τῶν οἰκιῶν ἐγένετο ἔρευνα. Πολλὰ γὰρ ὑπῆρχεν εἴδωλα ἐν πλείσταις αὐλαῖς, καὶ τὰ εὑρισκόμενα τὰ μὲν πυρὶ παρεδίδοντο, τὰ δὲ εἰς βόρβορον ἐρρίπτοντο. Εὑρίσκοντο δὲ καὶ βιβλία πεπληρωμένα γοητείας, ἅτινα ἱερὰ αὐτοὶ ἔλεγον, ἐξ ὧν τὰς τελετὰς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἀθέμιτα ἐποίουν οἱ τῆς εἰδωλομανίας, καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ ὁμοίως ἴσα τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν ἔπασχον.

72 Προσέτρεχον δὲ πολλοὶ τῇ ἁγίᾳ πίστει, καὶ οἳ μὲν φόβῳ οἳ δὲ καταγινώσκοντες τῆς προτέρας ἑαυτῶν διαγωγῆς, πᾶσι δὲ τὰς θύρας ἤνοιγεν ἡ ἁγία ἐκκλησία· ἐμνημόνευε γὰρ τῆς ἁγίας γραφῆς τῆς λεγούσης· «Τῷ κρούοντι ἀνοιγήσεται καὶ ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει» καὶ πάλιν· «Εἴτε προφάσει εἴτε ἀληθείᾳ Χριστὸς καταγγέλλεται». Ἔλεγον δὲ καί τινες τῶν πιστῶν τῷ ὁσίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ ὅτι οὐκ ἔδει δέξασθαι τοὺς διὰ φόβον προσεχομένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἀγαθῇ προαιρέσει.

73 Ὁ δὲ ὅσιος ἐπίσκοπος ἔλεγεν πρὸς τοὺς ταῦτα λέγοντας· Εἰσὶν καὶ περιστατικαὶ ἀρεταὶ συμβαίνουσαι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ὥσπερ γὰρ οἰκέτην τις κεκτημένος ἀγνώμονα πρότερον νουθετεῖ αὐτὸν διὰ παντὸς εὐγνωμονῆσαι καὶ ἁπλῇ καρδίᾳ ἐξυπηρετήσασθαι, ἐπὰν δὲ οὐδαμῶς αὐτὸν εὕρῃ πειθόμενον τῇ νουθεσίᾳ, τότε λοιπὸν κατὰ ἀνάγκην τούτῳ ἐπάγει τὸν φόβον καὶ πληγὰς καὶ δεσμὰ καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα, οὐ θέλων αὐτὸν ἀπολέσαι ἀλλὰ σῶσαι καὶ ἐπιγνῶναι τὸ δέον, τοιοῦτον καὶ τὸν θεὸν ὑπολάβετε μακροθυμοῦντα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγνωμοσύνῃ ἡμῶν, πολλάκις δὲ παραινοῦντα ἡμῖν τὰ συμφέροντα διά τε γραφῶν καὶ ἄλλων ἁγίων ἀνδρῶν, ἡμῶν δὲ μὴ πειθομένων, θέλων ἐν πᾶσιν ὡς ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος δεσπότης κτήσασθαι ἡμᾶς καὶ μὴ ἀπώσασθαι, τὸν φόβον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν παιδείαν ἐπάγει ἡμῖν, προσκαλούμενος ἡμᾶς μετ' ἀνάγκης ἐπιγνῶναι τὸ δέον. ∆ιὸ λέγει ἡ θεία γραφή· «Ὅταν ἀπέκτεννεν αὐτούς, τότε ἐξεζήτουν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπέστρεφον καὶ ὤρθριζον πρὸς τὸν θεόν». Καὶ πάλιν λέγει διὰ τοὺς ἀποσκιρτῶντας καὶ δυσαυχενοῦντας ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ· «Ἐν κημῷ καὶ χαλινῷ τὰς σιαγόνας αὐτῶν ἄγξεις τῶν μὴ ἐγγιζόντων πρὸς σέ». Χρεία οὖν ἐστι, τέκνα μου, τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ὑπομνῄσκεσθαι διά τε φόβων καὶ ἀπειλῶν καὶ παιδείας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πάλιν λέγει· «Ἀγαθόν μοι ὅτι ἐταπείνωσάς με, ὅπως ἂν μάθω τὰ δικαιώματά σου». Ταῦτα δέ μοι εἴρηται διὰ τοὺς βουλομένους προσελθεῖν τῇ ἁγίᾳ ἡμῶν πίστει. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ διστάζοντες προσέλθωσιν, δύναται καὶ ὁ χρόνος αὐτοὺς μαλάξαι, Χριστοῦ ἐπινεύοντος. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ τὸ ἄλλο ἀπαγγείλω ὑμῖν,