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many as action, a silent exhortation. 77.5 We consider it a great thing to receive justice from those who have done wrong; a great thing, I say (for this is also useful for the correction of others), but much greater and more divine than this is to endure suffering. For the one puts a stop to wickedness, but the other persuades men to be good, which is much better and more perfect than not being evil. 77.6 Let us consider that a great business of loving-kindness is set before us and let us forgive the things done to us, so that we ourselves may obtain forgiveness, and let us bring forth goodness in return for goodness. 77.7 Phinehas was called a zealot because he pierced the Midianite woman through with the fornicator and took away reproach from the sons of Israel; but he was praised more because he prayed for the people when they sinned. Let us therefore stand and make propitiation and let the plague cease, as it is written, and let this be counted to us for righteousness. 77.8 Moses also was praised because he killed the Egyptian, grieving for the Israelite; but he was admired more because through prayer he healed his sister Miriam, who had become leprous for murmuring. 77.9 Consider also what follows: the Ninevites are threatened with destruction, but they buy off their sin with tears. Manasseh was the most lawless among kings, but among those who were saved he is most illustrious because of his lamentation. 77.10 20What shall I do with you, O Ephraim,20 is said by God. How great an utterance of anger; and a defense follows. What is swifter than loving-kindness? The disciples ask for the fire of Sodom against those who were leading Jesus away, but he rejects the vengeance. Peter cuts off the ear of Malchus, one of the insolent men, but Jesus restores it. 77.11 And what of him who asked if he should forgive his brother who sins seven times? Is he not condemned for pettiness? For to seven times is added seventy times. And what of the debtor in the Gospels, who did not forgive what had been forgiven him? Is he not made to pay more bitterly for this reason? And what of the model of the prayer? Does it not wish to secure forgiveness by forgiving? 77.12 Having so many examples, let us imitate God's loving-kindness and not wish them to learn from us how great an evil is the requital of sins. Do you see the sequence of goodness? First he lays down the law, then he commands, promises, threatens, reproaches, raises his hand, holds back, threatens again; when he is forced, he inflicts a blow, and this little by little, opening a way for corrections. 77.13 Therefore, let us not strike all at once (for it is not safe), but having been made prudent by fear, let us conquer by loving-kindness and let us receive the reverence of debtors, having tormented them more by their conscience than by anger. Let us not wither a fig tree still able to bear fruit, let us not condemn it as useless and cumbering the ground, which the charge and care of a skilled husbandman may perhaps cure. 77.14 Let us not in so short a time destroy so great and renowned a work, perhaps through the insolence and envy of the evil one, but let us wish to appear lovers of mankind rather than exact, and lovers of the poor more than lovers of justice; nor let us tolerate those who inflame us to this more than those who restrain us, and reflecting, if nothing else, on the shame if we should seem to be contending against the poor, who have this great advantage, that even if they do wrong, they are pitied because of their misfortune. 77.15 Now imagine all the poor and the feeders of the poor falling at your feet, and all the monks and virgins supplicating on their behalf. Grant this favor to all in their place (since they have also been sufficiently crushed, as is clear from their entreating us), and above all to us who intercede for them. 77.16 And if it seems a terrible thing to you to be dishonored by them, let it seem much more terrible not to be heard when we exhort you to these things. And may God forgive the good Paul for the outrages he committed against us. 78.T TO THEOTEKNOS 78.1 We know that it is difficult, when the injustice is recent and anger is still boiling, for reasonings to be accepted; for anger and grief are blind, and especially when righteous indignation is present. 78.2 Nevertheless, since we ourselves also of those who have been wronged together

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πολλοὺς ὡς ἡ πρᾶξις, ἡ σιωπῶσα παραίνεσις. 77.5 Μέγα νομίζομεν εἶναι τὸ δίκας παρὰ τῶν ἠδικηκότων λαβεῖν· μέγα φημὶ (καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο χρήσιμον εἰς τὴν τῶν ἄλλων διόρθωσιν), ἀλλὰ πολλῷ τούτου μεῖζον καὶ θεϊκώτερον τὸ καρτερεῖν πάσχοντας. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ τὴν κακίαν ἐπιστομίζει, τοῦτο δὲ χρηστοὺς εἶναι πείθει, ὃ τοῦ μὴ κακοὺς εἶναι πολὺ κρεῖττόν ἐστι καὶ τελεώτερον. 77.6 Μεγάλην ἡμῖν νομίσωμεν προκεῖσθαι πραγματείαν φιλανθρωπίας καὶ συγχωρήσωμεν τὰ εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ τύχωμεν συγχωρήσεως, καὶ προεισενέγκωμεν χρηστό τητα τῇ χρηστότητι. 77.7 Ζηλωτὴς ἤκουσε Φινεές, ὅτι τὴν Μαδιανῖτιν τῷ πόρνῳ συνεξεκέντησε καὶ ἐξεῖλεν ὄνειδος ἐξ υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ· ἀλλ' ἐπῃνέθη πλέον, ὅτι τοῦ λαοῦ προσηύξατο πταίσαντος. Στῶμεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ ἐξιλασώμεθα καὶ κοπασάτω ἡ θραῦσις, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, καὶ λογισθήτω τοῦτο ἡμῖν εἰς δικαιοσύνην. 77.8 Ἐπῃνέθη καὶ Μωϋσῆς, ὅτι τὸν Αἰγύπτιον ἀνεῖλε τῷ Ἰσραηλίτῃ περιαλγήσας· ἀλλ' ἐθαυμάσθη πλέον, ὅτι Μαριὰμ τὴν ἀδελφὴν διὰ τὸ γογγύσαι λεπρωθεῖσαν διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς ἐθράπευσε. 77.9 Σκόπει καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ἀπειλοῦνται Νινευῖται καταστροφήν, ἀλλὰ δάκρυσιν ἐξωνοῦνται τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Μανασσῆς ἐν βασιλεῦσι παρανομώτατος, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς σωθεῖσι διὰ θρῆνον περιφανέσ τατος. 77.10 20Τί σε διαθῶ, Ἐφραΐμ20, παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγεται. Ὅσης ὀργῆς ὁ λόγος· καὶ ὑπερασπισμὸς ἐπάγε ται. Τί τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ταχύτερον; Πῦρ Σοδομιτικὸν αἰτοῦσιν οἱ μαθηταὶ κατὰ τῶν ἀγόντων τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ὃ δὲ ἀπαξιοῖ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν. Τέμνει Μάλχου τὸ ὠτίον Πέτρος, ἑνὸς τῶν ὑβριστῶν, Ἰησοῦς δὲ ἀποκαθίστησι. 77.11 Τί δὲ ὁ ἐρωτήσας εἰ ἑπτάκις τῷ ἀδελφῷ συγχωρητέον πταίσαντι; Οὐ μικρολογίαν καταγινώσκεται; Τῷ γὰρ ἑπτάκις τὸ ἑβδομηκοντάκις προστίθεται. Τί δὲ ὁ χρεωφειλέτης ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, ὁ μὴ συγχωρήσας ἃ συγκεχώρηται; Οὐ πικρότερον διὰ τοῦτο εἰσπράττεται; Τί δὲ ἡ τύπωσις τῆς εὐχῆς; Οὐκ ἀφέσει βούλεται τὴν ἄφεσιν πραγματεύεσθαι; 77.12 Τοσαῦτα ἔχοντες ὑποδείγματα, μιμησώμεθα Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ μὴ βουληθῶμεν μαθεῖν αὐτοὺς ἀφ' ἡμῶν ὅσον κακὸν ἁμαρτίας ἀντίδοσις. Ὁρᾷς ἀκολουθίαν χρηστότητος; Νομοθετεῖ πρῶτον, εἶτα διακελεύεται, ὑπισχνεῖται, ἀπειλεῖ, ὀνειδίζει, ἐπανατείνεται, κατέχει, ἀπειλεῖ πάλιν· ὅταν ἐκβιασθῇ, πληγὴν ἐπάγει, καὶ ταύτην κατὰ μικρόν, χώραν ὑπανοίγων ταῖς διορθώσεσι. 77.13 Μὴ τοίνυν μηδὲ αὐτοὶ πλήξωμεν ἀθρόως (οὐ γὰρ ἀσφαλές), ἀλλὰ τῷ φόβῳ σωφρονίσαντες τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ νικήσωμεν καὶ λάβωμεν ὑποχρέους εὐλαβείας τῷ συνειδότι πλέον ἢ τῇ ὀργῇ βασανίσαντες. Μὴ ξηράνωμεν συκῆν ἔτι καρ ποφορεῖν δυναμένην, μὴ ὡς ἀχρήστου καταγνῶμεν καὶ καταργούσης τὸν τόπον, ἣν θεραπεύσει τυχὸν τεχνίτου γεωργοῦ προστασία καὶ ἐπιμέλεια. 77.14 Μὴ τοσοῦτον ἔργον καὶ περιβόητον δι' ἐπήρειαν ἴσως τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ φθόνον οὕτως ἐν βραχεῖ καταλύσωμεν, ἀλλὰ βουληθῶμεν φιλάνθρωποι φανῆναι μᾶλλον ἢ ἐντελεῖς, καὶ φιλόπτωχοι πλέον ἢ φιλοδίκαιοι· μηδὲ τῶν ὑπεκκαιόντων ἡμᾶς εἰς τοῦτο πλέον ἢ τῶν κατεχόντων ἀνεχώμεθα καὶ τὸ αἰσχρόν, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, ἐνθυμηθέντες εἰ δόξαιμεν πρὸς πτωχοὺς ἀγωνίζεσθαι, οἳ τοῦτο μέγα πλεονεκτοῦσι, τό, κἂν ἀδικῶσι, ἐλεεῖσθαι διὰ τὴν συμφοράν. 77.15 Νῦν οἴου πάντας μέν σοι προσπίπτειν πτωχούς τε καὶ πτωχοτρόφους, πάντας δὲ μοναστὰς καὶ παρθένους ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἱκετεύοντας. ∆ὸς τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀντὶ τούτων τὴν χάριν (ἐπειδὴ καὶ συνετρί βησαν ἱκανῶς, ὡς δῆλον ἐξ ὧν ἡμῶν ἐδεήθησαν), καὶ πρὸ πάντων ἡμῖν τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν πρεσβεύουσιν. 77.16 Οὓς εἴ σοι δεινὸν εἶναι φαίνεται τὸ παρ' αὐτῶν ἀτιμασθῆναι, πολλῷ φανήτω δεινότερον τό σοι παραινοῦντας ταῦτα μὴ ἀκουσθῆναι. Τῷ δὲ καλῷ Παύλῳ συγχωρήσειεν ὁ Θεὸς ἃ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἐξύβρισεν. 78.Τ ΘΕΟΤΕΚΝΩΙ 78.1 Οἴδαμεν ὅτι χαλεπόν ἐστι, προσφάτου τῆς ἀδικίας οὔσης καὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ ζέοντος ἔτι, παραδεχθῆναι τοὺς λογισμούς· τυφλὸν γὰρ ὁ θυμὸς καὶ ἡ λύπη, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν τὸ δικαίως ἀγανακτεῖν παρῇ. 78.2 Ὅμως ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτοὶ τῶν συνηδικημένων