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the pupils of the eyes, in the very same way the drunkard also, whenever an excess of wine enters and corrupts the judgment of his thoughts, similarly to that one not only sends forth foam from his mouth and lies thrown down no better than the dead, but also often sends forth a putrid liquid from his mouth. And from this, then, he becomes unpleasant to friends, and burdensome to his wife, and ridiculous to his children, and easily despised by his servants, and is set forth simply to all who see him as a subject of indecency and of laughter. 5.11 Do you see how such men are in a more wretched state even than those possessed by demons? Do you wish to learn, along with all these things, the chief of evils as well? For though I have said so much, I have not yet added the climax; the drunkard also becomes a stranger to the kingdom of heaven. And hear the blessed Paul saying: “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor drunkards will inherit the kingdom of God.” But perhaps someone might say: What then? Are the idolater and the adulterer and the drunkard alike cast out of the kingdom? -Do not wish to learn these things from me, beloved. For I have read a divine law that holds thus: therefore do not investigate these things, whether the drunkard receives the same punishment as they, but consider this, that he likewise endures the loss of the kingdom; and he who is outside of it, what consolation will he have then? 5.12 And I say these things now, not condemning those present, may it not be so! for I am persuaded that you are pure of this passion through the grace of God, and of this I take as the greatest proof your gathering here with eagerness, your zeal for hearing this spiritual teaching. For it is not possible for one who is not sober and watchful to desire the divine oracles. But I say these things, wishing through you for all others also to be instructed and for you to become more secure, so as never to be captured by this passion. 5.13 For such men would be more irrational even than the irrational animals themselves. And how? I will tell you: when irrational animals are thirsty, they stop their desire at the point of need, and would never endure to go beyond their need; but rational men do not consider how they might soothe their thirst, but how, having become submerged, they might work a more grievous shipwreck for themselves. For just as a ship that has taken on too much water is quickly sunk, so also a man who has transgressed the limits of need and has placed a greater burden on his stomach has sunk his mind and has ruined the nobility of his soul. 5.14 Therefore it is fitting for you to take great care, beloved, so as to correct your neighbors and to snatch them from this surging wave, so that not only for yourselves but also for the salvation of others you may receive a great reward. Thus also Paul said: “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.” And again: “Build one another up.” Therefore do not look only to this, that you yourself are healthy and have been delivered from the disease, but take great care and concern so that your member also may be freed from the harm that comes from this and may escape the disease. “For we are members of one another, and if one member suffers, all the members must suffer with it, and if one member is honored, all the members must rejoice with it.” 5.15 There was not so great a need for exhortation and counsel for you during the season of the holy forty days as there is now. For then the occasion of the fast made you temperate even when you were unwilling; but now I dread and fear the license and the indolence born from it. For human nature is so useless for nothing as it is for relaxation; wherefore also the man-loving Master, from the beginning and from of old, placing a kind of bridle on the human race, condemned man to toil and hardship, exercising great providence for our salvation. 5.16 For we are continually in need of a bridle, so that we may walk in an orderly manner, since the Jews also from this drew upon themselves the wrath from above. For when they enjoyed much relaxation and were in a state of license, having been delivered from the harsh slavery in Egypt, when it was necessary to give greater thanksgiving

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ὀφθαλμῶν τὰς κόρας, τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ὁ μεθύων, ἐπειδὰν ἡ τοῦ οἴνου ἀμετρία ἐπεισελθοῦσα διαφθείρῃ τὸ κριτήριον τῶν λογισμῶν, ὁμοίως ἐκείνῳ οὐ μόνον ἀφρὸν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος προΐεται οὐδὲ τῶν νεκρῶν χεῖρον ἐρριμμένος κεῖται, ἀλλὰ καὶ χυμὸν πολλάκις σεσηπότα ἐκ τοῦ στόματος προΐησι. Καὶ ἐντεῦθεν λοιπὸν γίνεται καὶ φίλοις ἀηδὴς καὶ γυναικὶ ἐπαχθὴς καὶ παισὶ καταγέλαστος καὶ οἰκέταις εὐκαταφρόνητος καὶ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ἀσχημοσύνης ὑπόθεσις πρόκειται καὶ γέλωτος. 5.11 Εἶδες πῶς καὶ τῶν δαιμονώντων ἀθλιώτερον οἱ τοιοῦτοι διάκεινται; Βούλει μαθεῖν μετὰ τούτων ἁπάντων καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν κακῶν; Τοσαῦτα γὰρ εἰρηκὼς οὐδέπω τὸν κολοφῶνα ἐπήγαγον· ὁ μεθύων καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀλλότριος γίνεται. Καὶ ἄκουε τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου λέγοντος· «Μὴ πλανᾶσθε· οὔτε πόρνοι, οὔτε εἰδωλολάτραι, οὔτε μοιχοί, οὔτε ἀρρενοκοῖται, οὔτε μέθυσοι βασιλείαν Θεοῦ κληρονομήσουσιν.» Ἀλλ' ἴσως εἴποι τις ἄν· Τί οὖν; Καὶ ὁ εἰδωλολάτρης καὶ ὁ μοιχὸς καὶ ὁ μέθυσος ὁμοίως τῆς βασιλείας ἐκτὸς γίνονται; -Μὴ παρ' ἐμοῦ ταῦτα θέλε μανθάνειν, ἀγαπητέ. Ἐγὼ γὰρ θεῖον ἀνέγνων νόμον οὕτως ἔχοντα· μὴ τοίνυν ταῦτα περιεργάζου εἰ τὴν αὐτὴν τιμωρίαν ἐκείνοις δίδωσιν ὁ μεθύων ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο σκόπει ὅτι ὁμοίως τῆς βασιλείας τὴν στέρησιν ὑπομένει· ὁ δὲ ταύτης ἐκτὸς γεγονώς, ποίαν ἕξει λοιπὸν παραμυθίαν; 5.12 Καὶ ταῦτα νῦν λέγω, οὐ τῶν παρόντων καταγινώσκων, μὴ γένοιτο· πέπεισμαι γὰρ ὅτι καθαροὶ τοῦ πάθους ὑμεῖς τυγχάνετε διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν καὶ τούτου μέγιστον ποιοῦμαι δεῖγμα τὴν ἐνταῦθα μετὰ προθυμίας ὑμῶν συνέλευσιν, τὴν σπουδὴν τὴν περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῆς πνευματικῆς ταύτης διδασκαλίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔνι τὸν μὴ νήφοντα καὶ ἐγρηγορότα θείων λογίων ἐπιθυμεῖν. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λέγω βουλόμενος δι' ὑμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας παιδεύεσθαι καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀσφαλεστέρους γενέσθαι ὥστε μηδέποτε ἁλῶναι τούτῳ τῷ πάθει. 5.13 Οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ἀλόγων ἂν εἶεν ἀλογώτεροι. Καὶ πῶς; Ἐγὼ λέγω· τὰ ἄλογα ἐπειδὰν διψῇ μέχρι τῆς χρείας τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἵστησι καὶ οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἀνάσχοιτο ὑπερβῆναι τὴν χρείαν· ἄνθρωποι δὲ οἱ λογικοὶ οὐ τοῦτο σκοποῦσιν ὅπως τὸ δίψος παραμυθήσωνται, ἀλλ' ὅπως ὑποβρύχιοι γενόμενοι χαλεπώτερον ἑαυτοῖς ἐργάσωνται τὸ ναυάγιον. Καθάπερ γὰρ πλοῖον ὑπέραντλον γεγονὸς ταχέως καταβαπτίζεται, οὕτω καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὑπερβὰς τῆς χρείας τοὺς ὅρους καὶ μεῖζον ἐπιθεὶς τὸ φορτίον τῇ γαστρὶ κατέδυσεν αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν εὐγένειαν ἐλυμήνατο. 5.14 ∆ιὸ πολλὴν ὑμᾶς προσήκει ποιεῖσθαι τὴν φροντίδα, ἀγαπητοί, ὥστε τοὺς πλησίον διορθοῦν καὶ ἐξαρπάζειν τοῦ κλυδωνίου τούτου, ἵνα μὴ μόνον ὑπὲρ τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἑτέρων σωτηρίας πολὺν κομίσησθε τὸν μισθόν. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· «Μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ πλησίον συμφέρον.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Οἰκοδομεῖτε εἷς τὸν ἕνα.» Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο ἴδῃς ὅτι αὐτὸς ὑγιαίνεις καὶ ἀπήλλαξαι τῆς νόσου, ἀλλὰ πολλὴν ποιοῦ τὴν φροντίδα καὶ τὴν μέριμναν ὥστε καὶ τὸ μέλος τὸ σὸν ἐλευθερωθῆναι τῆς ἐντεῦθεν βλάβης καὶ τὴν νόσον διαφυγεῖν. «Μέλη γάρ ἐσμεν ἀλλήλων καὶ εἴτε πάσχει ἓν μέλος συμπάσχειν χρὴ πάντα τὰ μέλη καὶ εἴτε δοξάζεται ἓν μέλος συγχαίρειν δεῖ πάντα τὰ μέλη.» 5.15 Οὐ τοσαύτης ὑμῖν παραινέσεως καὶ συμβουλῆς ἦν χρεία κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἁγίας τεσσαρακοστῆς καιρὸν ὅση νῦν. Τότε μὲν γὰρ ἡ τῆς νηστείας ὑπόθεσις καὶ ἄκοντας ὑμᾶς ἐσωφρόνιζε· νυνὶ δὲ δέδοικα καὶ φοβοῦμαι τὴν ἄδειαν καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταύτης τικτομένην ῥᾳθυμίαν. Πρὸς οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἄχρηστον ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις ὡς πρὸς ἄνεσιν· διὸ καὶ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος δεσπότης ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐκ προοιμίων ὥσπερ χαλινόν τινα ἐπιθεὶς τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει πόνῳ καὶ ταλαιπωρίᾳ τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατεδίκασε, πολλὴν τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν τὴν πρόνοιαν ποιούμενος. 5.16 ∆ιηνεκῶς γὰρ δεόμεθα χαλινοῦ ὥστε εὔτακτα βαδίζειν, ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐντεῦθεν τὴν ἄνωθεν ὀργὴν ἐπεσπάσαντο. Ὅτε γὰρ πολλῆς ἀπέλαυσαν τῆς ἀνέσεως καὶ ἐν ἀδείᾳ γεγόνασι, τῆς σκληρᾶς δουλείας ἀπαλλαγέντες τῆς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, δέον πλείονα τὴν εὐχαριστίαν