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still fearing and trembling, those who disbelieve in the resurrection. "But I do not disbelieve in the resurrection," one says, "but I long for their company." Why then, tell me, when he goes away, even on a long journey, do you not do the same things? "But I weep even then," she says, "and I lament, longing for him." But the former is truly of one longing for company, while the latter is of one who has despaired of his return. Consider what you are singing at that time: "Return, my soul, to your rest, because the Lord has been good to you"; and again, "I will not fear evil, for you are with me"; and again, "You are my refuge from the affliction that surrounds me." Consider what these psalms mean. But you do not pay attention, but are drunk with grief. At least observe carefully at the funerals of others, so that you may have a remedy in your own. "Return, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has been good to you," you say, and you weep? Is this not a stage play, is it not hypocrisy? For if you truly believe what you say, you grieve in vain; but if you are playing and acting, and believe them to be myths, why do you sing psalms at all? Why do you tolerate those who are present? Why do you not drive away those who are singing? "But that," she says, "is for madmen." And the other is much more so. For the present, then, I exhort; but as time goes on, I will deal with the matter more forcefully; for I am greatly afraid that in this way some grievous disease may creep into the Church. Let us, therefore, correct this lamentation later; but for now I command and testify to both rich and poor, both women and men. May it be that you all pass through life without mourning, 63.44 and that according to the proper law, fathers, having grown old, may be sent forth by their sons, and mothers by their daughters and grandchildren and great-grandchildren in a ripe old age, and that nowhere there be an untimely death. May this indeed happen, and for this I pray, and I exhort the leaders and all of you to beseech God for one another, and to make this a common prayer; but if, which may it not be nor happen, some bitter death should occur (and I say bitter, not in its nature; for death is no longer bitter; for it differs in no way from sleep; but I say bitter, with respect to our disposition); if, therefore, this should happen, and some should hire these wailing women, believe what I say, for I will not speak otherwise, but as I feel; let him who wishes be angry; I will bar him from the church for a long time as I would an idolater. For if Paul calls the covetous man an idolater, much more so the one who introduces the practices of idolaters over a believer. For what reason, tell me, do you call the presbyters, and the singers? Is it not to offer consolation, not to honor the departed? Why then do you insult him? Why do you make a public show of him? Why do you play, as if on a stage? We come, philosophizing about the resurrection, teaching all, even those who have not yet been struck, through the honor paid to him, to bear it nobly if ever such a thing should happen; but you bring in those who tear down our work, at least for their part? 2. What is worse than this laughter and mockery? What is more grievous than this irregularity? Be ashamed and abashed; but if you do not wish to, we will not tolerate the introduction of such destructive customs into the church; "For those who sin," he says, "rebuke before all." And to those wretched and miserable women we forbid, through you, from ever coming to the funerals of the faithful, so that we may not in fact compel them to mourn their own evils, and teach them not to do these things at the misfortunes of others, but rather to lament their own calamities; for even an affectionate father, when he has an unruly son, not only advises him not to associate with wicked men, but also frightens them. Behold, therefore, I exhort both you and them through you, that you should neither call such women, nor should they attend. And may the word accomplish something more and the threat have force; but if, which may it not be, we are despised, we shall then be compelled to put the threat into action, disciplining you with the ecclesiastical laws,

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δεδοικότες ἔτι καὶ φρίττοντες, οἱ τῇ ἀναστάσει διαπιστοῦντες. Ἀλλ' οὐ τῇ ἀναστάσει διαπιστῶ, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν συνήθειαν ἐπιζητῶ. ∆ιὰ τί οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, ὅταν ἀποδημῇ, καὶ ἀποδημίαν μακρὰν, οὐ τὰ αὐτὰ ποιεῖς; Ἀλλὰ κλαίω καὶ τότε, φησὶ, καὶ θρηνῶ ἐπιζητοῦσα. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μὲν ὄντως συνήθειαν ἐπιζητούσης ἐστὶ, τοῦτο δὲ ἀπεγνωκυίας τὴν ἐπάνοδον. Ἐννόησον τί ψάλλεις κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον· Ἐπίστρεψον, ψυχή μου, εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου, ὅτι Κύριος εὐηργέτησέ σε· καὶ πάλιν, Οὐ φοβηθήσομαι κακὰ, ὅτι σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ εἶ· καὶ πάλιν, Σύ μου εἶ καταφυγὴ ἀπὸ θλίψεως τῆς περιεχούσης με. Ἐννόησον τί βούλονται οὗτοι οἱ ψαλμοί. Ἀλλ' οὐ προσέχεις, ἀλλὰ μεθύεις ὑπὸ τοῦ πένθους. Κἂν ἐν τοῖς ἑτέρων κηδεύμασι κατανόησον ἀκριβῶς, ἵνα ἔχῃς φάρμακον ἐν τοῖς σοῖς. Ἐπίστρεψον, ψυχή μου, εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου, ὅτι Κύριος εὐηργέτησέ σε, λέγεις, καὶ δακρύεις; οὐχὶ σκηνὴ ταῦτά ἐστιν, οὐχ ὑπόκρισις; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὄντως πιστεύεις οἷς λέγεις, περιττῶς πενθεῖς· εἰ δὲ παίζεις καὶ ὑποκρίνῃ καὶ μύθους αὐτὰ εἶναι νομίζεις, τί καὶ ψάλλεις; τί καὶ ἀνέχῃ τῶν παραγινομένων; διὰ τί μὴ ἀπελαύνεις τοὺς ψάλλοντας; Ἀλλὰ μαινομένων τοῦτο, φησί. Κἀκεῖνο πολλῷ μᾶλλον. Τέως μὲν οὖν παραινῶ· τοῦ χρόνου δὲ προϊόντος σφοδρότερον τῷ πράγματι χρήσομαι· καὶ γὰρ μειζόνως δέδοικα, μὴ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ χαλεπή τις νόσος ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑπεισέλθῃ. Τοῦτον μὲν οὖν τὸν κοπετὸν ὕστερον ἐπανορθωσώμεθα· τέως δὲ παραγγέλλω καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι καὶ πλουσίοις καὶ πένησι, καὶ γυναιξὶ καὶ ἀνδράσι. Γένοιτο μὲν οὖν πάντας ὑμᾶς ἀπενθήτους τὸν βίον 63.44 ἐξελθεῖν, καὶ κατὰ νόμον τὸν προσήκοντα πατέρας ὑπὸ τῶν υἱῶν γεγηρακότας προπέμψεσθαι καὶ μητέρας ὑπὸ θυγατέρων καὶ ἐγγόνων καὶ μετεγγόνων ἐν λιπαρῷ τῷ γήρᾳ, καὶ μηδαμοῦ γενέσθαι ἄωρον θάνατον. Γένοιτο μὲν οὖν τοῦτο, καὶ τοῦτο εὔχομαι, καὶ τοὺς προέδρους δὲ καὶ πάντας ὑμᾶς ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων παρακαλῶ δεηθῆναι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ κοινὴν ποιήσασθαι ταύτην εὐχήν· εἰ δὲ, ὅπερ ἀπείη μηδὲ συμβαίη, πικρός τις γένηται θάνατος (πικρὸς δὲ λέγω, οὐ τῇ φύσει· οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστι λοιπὸν πικρὸς ὁ θάνατος· ὕπνου γὰρ οὐδὲν διενήνοχεν· ἀλλὰ πικρὸς λέγω, πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν διάθεσιν)· εἰ οὖν οὗτος συμβαίη, καί τινες τὰς θρηνούσας ταύτας μισθώσαιντο, πιστεύσατέ μοι λέγοντι, οὐκ ἄλλως γὰρ ἐρῶ, ἀλλ' ὡς ἔχω· ὁ βουλόμενος ὀργιζέσθω· πολὺν αὐτὸν χρόνον τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀπείρξω ὡς τὸν εἰδωλολάτρην. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν πλεονέκτην εἰδωλολάτρην καλεῖ ὁ Παῦλος, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ἐπὶ πιστοῦ τὰ τῶν εἰδωλολατρῶν ἐπεισφέροντα. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι, πρεσβυτέρους καλεῖς, καὶ τοὺς ψάλλοντας; οὐχ ὥστε παραμυθήσασθαι, οὐχ ὥστε τιμῆσαι τὸν ἀπελθόντα; Τί τοίνυν αὐτὸν ὑβρίζεις; τί δὲ παραδειγματίζεις; τί δὲ παίζεις, ὥσπερ ἐν σκηνῇ; Ἡμεῖς ἐρχόμεθα τὰ περὶ ἀναστάσεως φιλοσοφοῦντες, πάντας παιδεύοντες, καὶ τοὺς μηδέπω πεπληγμένους, διὰ τῆς εἰς ἐκεῖνον τιμῆς, εἴ ποτε συμβαίη τι τοιοῦτον, φέρειν γενναίως· σὺ δὲ ἄγεις τοὺς τὰ ἡμέτερα καθαιροῦντας, τό γε αὐτῶν μέρος; ʹ. Τί τούτου τοῦ γέλωτος καὶ τῆς χλευασίας χεῖρον; τί ταύτης τῆς ἀνωμαλίας βαρύτερον; Αἰσχύνθητε καὶ ἐντράπητε· εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλεσθε, ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα ἔθη τοιαῦτα ὀλέθρια τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπεισαγαγεῖν· Τοὺς γὰρ ἁμαρτάνοντας, φησὶν, ἐνώπιον πάντων ἔλεγχε. Κἀκείναις δὲ ταῖς ταλαιπώροις καὶ ἀθλίαις δι' ὑμῶν ἀπαγορεύομεν, μηδέποτε ταῖς τῶν πιστῶν ἐκφοραῖς ἐπεισιέναι, ἵνα μὴ ὄντως τὰ οἰκεῖα αὐτὰς ἀναγκάσωμεν θρηνεῖν κακὰ, καὶ παιδεύσωμεν μὴ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις ταῦτα ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὰς οἰκείας συμφορὰς μᾶλλον ὀδύρεσθαι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ πατὴρ φιλόστοργος, ὅταν υἱὸν ἄτακτον ἔχῃ, οὐκ ἐκείνῳ μόνον παραινεῖ μὴ πλησιάζειν τοῖς πονηροῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείνους φοβεῖ. Ἰδοὺ τοίνυν καὶ ὑμῖν κἀκείναις δι' ὑμῶν παραινῶ, ὥστε μήτε ὑμᾶς καλεῖν τὰς τοιαύτας, μήτε ἐκείνας παραγίνεσθαι. Καὶ γένοιτο μὲν τὸν λόγον τι ἐργάσασθαι πλέον καὶ τὴν ἀπειλὴν ἰσχῦσαι· εἰ δὲ, ὅπερ ἀπείη, καταφρονηθῶμεν, ἀναγκασθησόμεθα λοιπὸν εἰς ἔργον ἀγαγεῖν τὴν ἀπειλὴν, ὑμᾶς μὲν τοῖς νόμοις παιδεύοντες τοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς,