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our; and again, For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, neither in flattering words, nor in a cloak of covetousness. Do you see the blamelessness? And again, Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. Then after these things, I die daily, I protest by our boasting, which I have in Christ Jesus; and again, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution? and again, In much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments; Then his management: I became to the Jews as a Jew, to them that are without law, as without law, to them that are under the law, as under the law; and he shaves his head, and does countless things. But the sum of all, in the power of the Holy Spirit. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things, he says, which Christ has not wrought by me; and again, For what is it wherein you were inferior to other churches? and again, for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. For without these things it is not possible. Therefore it was not because of his signs that they became believers; for the signs did not do this; nor from these did he think it right to be high-minded, but from the others. For one must be both blameless and a good manager and a risk-taker and apt to teach. By these he achieved the more; if these things were present, there was no need of signs. 62.47 We see him, at any rate, even before the signs, having accomplished countless such things. But now we, having none of these things, wish to rule over all. For if one of these is separated from the other, the remainder becomes useless. For what is the benefit of being a risk-taker, when one's life is reprehensible? For if the light that is in you be darkness, he says, how great is that darkness? What is the benefit of having a blameless life, while being sluggish and drowsy? For if any man will not take up his cross, he says, and follow after me, he is not worthy of me; and, Unless one lay down his life for the sheep. And what is the benefit of being both of these, and not being a good manager, in knowing how one ought to answer every man? Even if the signs are not in us, these two are in us. But nevertheless, though he brought forward so many things about himself, he attributed the whole to grace. This is the mark of a grateful servant. And we would never have learned of his achievements, if he had not come to a necessity of the matter. Are we worthy even to be mindful of Paul? He, though he had grace assisting him, was not content, but brought in countless dangers; but we, deprived of that boldness, from where, tell me, do we expect either to keep those entrusted to us, or to gain those who have not yet come, men practiced in living luxuriously and seeking rest everywhere, and not able even in a dream to bear dangers, or rather not willing, and being as far from his wisdom, as heaven is from earth? For this reason also those under us are far removed from those of that time, since the disciples of that time were better than the teachers of now, shut up in the midst of peoples and tyrants, and having enemies on all sides, and not for a short time being drawn down and bent. Hear, at any rate, what he says to the Philippians; That to you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. And to the Thessalonians again, that You became followers of the churches of God which are in Judæa. And writing to the Hebrews he said; And you took joyfully the spoiling of your goods. And to the Colossians also he testifies saying; For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God; and to these very ones he testifies of many dangers. And writing to the Galatians he says; Have you suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. And you see them all occupied with doing good. For this reason grace was at work then, for this reason they also lived in right actions, And hear what he writes to the Corinthians, whom he accuses of countless things; does he not also testify to them, saying, But your zealous mind, but your earnest desire? And again concerning this, how many things he testifies to them, these things one would not see happening even in teachers now; so that all is gone and has perished. And the cause is, that love has grown cold, that those who sin are not punished (for hear him writing to Timothy, and

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ἡμῶν· καὶ πάλιν, Ἡ γὰρ παράκλησις ἡμῶν οὐκ ἐκ πλάνης, οὐδὲ ἐξ ἀκαθαρσίας, οὔτε ἐν λόγῳ κολακείας, οὔτε ἐν προφάσει πλεονεξίας. Εἶδες τὸ ἄμωμον; Καὶ πάλιν, Προνοούμενοι καλὰ, οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων. Εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα, Καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκω, νὴ τὴν ἡμετέραν καύχησιν, ἣν ἔχω ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ πάλιν, Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; θλῖψις, ἢ στενοχωρία, ἢ διωγμός; καὶ πάλιν, Ἐν ὑπομονῇ πολλῇ, ἐν θλίψεσιν, ἐν ἀνάγκαις, ἐν διωγμοῖς, ἐν στενοχωρίαις, ἐν πληγαῖς, ἐν φυλακαῖς· Εἶτα ἡ οἰκονομία αὐτοῦ· Γέγονα τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὡς Ἰουδαῖος, τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος, τοῖς ὑπὸ νόμον ὡς ὑπὸ νόμον· καὶ ξυρᾶται, καὶ μυρία ποιεῖ. Τὸ δὲ πάντων κεφάλαιον, ἐν δυνάμει Πνεύματος ἁγίου. Οὐ γὰρ τολμήσω λαλῆσαί τι, φησὶν, ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο Χριστὸς δι' ἐμοῦ· καὶ πάλιν, Τί γάρ ἐστιν, ὃ ἡττήθητε ὑπὲρ τὰς λοιπὰς Ἐκκλησίας; καὶ πάλιν, Οὐδὲν γὰρ ὑστέρησα τῶν ὑπερλίαν ἀποστόλων, εἰ καὶ οὐδέν εἰμι. Τούτων γὰρ ἄνευ οὐ δυνατόν. Οὐ διὰ τὰ σημεῖα οὖν αὐτοῦ ἐγένοντο πιστοί· οὐ γὰρ τὰ σημεῖα τοῦτο ἐποίει· οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τούτων ἠξίου μέγα φρονεῖν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων. ∆εῖ γὰρ καὶ ἄληπτον εἶναι καὶ οἰκονομικὸν καὶ ῥιψοκίνδυνον καὶ διδακτικόν. Τούτοις τὸ πλέον κατώρθου· εἰ ταῦτα ἦν, οὐδὲν ἔδει σημείων. 62.47 Ὁρῶμεν γοῦν αὐτὸν καὶ πρὸ τῶν σημείων μυρία τοιαῦτα κατωρθωκότα. Νῦν δὲ οὐδὲν τούτων ἔχοντες ἡμεῖς, βουλόμεθα πάντων κρατεῖν. Θάτερον γὰρ ἂν διασπασθῇ θατέρου, τὸ λοιπὸν ἄχρηστον γίνεται. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ῥιψοκίνδυνον εἶναι, βίου ὄντα ἐπιληψίμου; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐν σοὶ σκότος, φησὶ, τὸ σκότος πόσον; Τί τὸ ὄφελος βίου εἶναι ἀλήπτου, νωθρὸν ὄντα καὶ ὑπνηλόν; Ἐὰν γὰρ μή τις ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, καὶ ἀκολουθήσῃ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος· καὶ, Ἐὰν μή τις θῇ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων. Τί δὲ ὄφελος εἶναι ταῦτα ἀμφότερα, καὶ μὴ εἶναι οἰκονομικὸν, τῷ εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνασθαι; Εἰ καὶ τὰ σημεῖα οὐκ ἐν ἡμῖν, ταῦτα ἀμφότερα ἐν ἡμῖν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσαῦτα εἰσφέρων περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, τὸ πᾶν ἐλογίζετο τῇ χάριτι. Τοῦτο εὐγνώμονος οἰκέτου. Καὶ οὐδ' ἂν ἐμάθομεν αὐτοῦ ποτε τὰ κατορθώματα, εἰ μὴ εἰς ἀνάγκην κατέστη τοῦ πράγματος. Ἆρα ἄξιοί ἐσμεν κἂν μεμνῆσθαι Παύλου; Ἐκεῖνος καὶ τὴν χάριν ἔχων βοηθοῦσαν, οὐκ ἠρκεῖτο, ἀλλὰ μυρίους εἰσέφερε κινδύνους· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀπεστερημένοι τῆς παῤῥησίας ἐκείνης, πόθεν, εἰπέ μοι, προσδοκῶμεν ἢ τοὺς ἐγχειρισθέντας φυλάξαι, ἢ τοὺς οὐδέπω προσελθόντας προσλαβεῖν, ἄνθρωποι τρυφᾷν μεμελετηκότες καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν πανταχοῦ ζητοῦντες, καὶ κινδύνους οὐδὲ ὄναρ ἐνεγκεῖν δυνάμενοι, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ θέλοντες, τῆς δὲ σοφίας ἐκείνου τοσοῦτον ἀπέχοντες, ὅσον ὁ οὐρανὸς τῆς γῆς; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ ὑφ' ἡμῖν πολὺ τῶν τότε ἀφεστήκασιν, ἐπειδὴ οἱ τότε μαθηταὶ τῶν νῦν διδασκάλων κρείττους ἦσαν, ἐν μέσοις δήμοις καὶ τυράννοις ἀπειλημμένοι, καὶ πάντας πάντοθεν ἔχοντες πολεμίους, καὶ οὐδὲ πρὸς βραχὺ καθελκόμενοι καὶ ἐπικαμπτόμενοι. Ἄκουε γοῦν τί φησι Φιλιππησίοις· Ὅτι ὑμῖν ἐχαρίσθη τὸ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, οὐ μόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάσχειν. Θεσσαλονικεῦσι δὲ πάλιν, ὅτι Μιμηταὶ ἐγένεσθε τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ. Καὶ Ἑβραίοις δὲ γράφων ἔλεγε· Καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ὑμῶν μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξασθε. Καὶ Κολοσσαεῦσι δὲ μαρτυρεῖ λέγων· Ἀπεθάνετε γὰρ, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ αὐτοῖς δὲ τούτοις πολλοὺς κινδύνους μαρτυρεῖ. Καὶ Γαλάταις δὲ γράφων λέγει· Τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῆ, εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῆ. Καὶ ὁρᾷς αὐτοὺς περὶ εὐποιίας πάντας ἐσχολακότας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ χάρις ἐνήργει τότε, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν κατορθώμασιν ἔζων, Ἄκουε δὲ καὶ Κορινθίοις τί γράφει, οἷς μυρία ἐγκαλεῖ· οὐχὶ καὶ αὐτοῖς μαρτυρεῖ, λέγων, Ἀλλὰ τὸν ζῆλον ὑμῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπιπόθησιν; Καὶ πάλιν περὶ τούτου ὅσα αὐτοῖς μαρτυρεῖ, ταῦτα οὐδὲ ἐν διδασκάλοις ἴδοι τις ἂν γινόμενα νῦν· ὥστε πάντα οἴχεται καὶ ἀπόλωλε. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, τὸ τὴν ἀγάπην ἐψύχθαι, τὸ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας μὴ κολάζεσθαι (ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ γράφοντος τῷ Τιμοθέῳ, καὶ