28

reject admonition. Patient. Well has he added this; for the teacher must especially have this; since everything becomes in vain. For if fishermen, often casting their nets through the whole day and not succeeding, do not give up, much more should we. For see what happens: It often happens that from continuous teaching the plow of the word, having descended into the depth of the soul, cuts out the passion that troubles it. For one who has heard ten thousand times will be persuaded of something; for it is not possible for a person hearing continuously to be unaffected. There are times, therefore, when, being on the point of being persuaded, because we have given up, he has lost everything. And the same thing happens as if someone unskilled in farming were to treat a vine: having planted it, he might dig around it in the first year, and in the second seek to receive fruit, and again in the third, and not receiving any, then, when the three years have passed, despairing, he would finally abandon it in the fourth, when he was about to receive the return for those labors. But having said, Patient, he is not content, but adds, saying: In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves. For the teacher must especially do this in meekness; for it is not possible for a soul that needs to learn to be able to comprehend anything useful with audacity and strife; for even if it is about to pay attention, being bewildered it will know nothing. For he who is to learn something useful must, before all else, be well-disposed toward the teacher; and if this has not been first established, it is not possible for anything necessary or useful to come about; but one would not be well-disposed toward one who is audacious and insolent. How then, he says, "A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject"? He means the incorrigible one, whom he knows to be incurably sick. If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil. But what he says is this: Perhaps there will be some correction; but "perhaps" is for things that are uncertain. So one must stand aloof only from those about whom we can clearly declare, and concerning whom we are persuaded, that they will not change, no matter what happens. In meekness, he says. Do you see that one must approach those who wish to learn in this way, and never desist from discussion before proof? Who are taken captive by him at his will. Well has he said, Taken captive; for meanwhile they are swimming in error. See how he teaches to be humble-minded. He did not say, "Lest perhaps you might be able," but, "Lest perhaps the Lord might give them to recover their senses." And if anything happens, it is all of the Lord; you plant, you water, he sows and makes it bear fruit. Let us not then be puffed up, as though we ourselves 62.633 persuade anyone, even if we do persuade them. And being taken captive, he says, by him at his will. One might say this not concerning doctrines, but also concerning life; for his will is to live rightly. And there are some in the snare of the devil on account of their life also; therefore one must not grow weary with these either. Lest perhaps they may recover their senses, he says, having been taken captive to do his will. And the "Lest perhaps" is indicative of great long-suffering; for not to do the will of God is a snare of the devil. 3. For just as a sparrow, even if it is not held entirely, but by one part, I mean by the foot, is under the power of the one who set the trap; so also we, even if we are not held entirely, both by faith and by life, but by life only, are under the power of the devil. For not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, he says, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; and again, I know you not, depart from me, you that work iniquity. Do you see that there is no gain from faith, when the Master does not know us? And to the virgins he says the same thing: I know you not. What then is the gain of virginity and of many toils, when the Master does not know them? And in many places

28

νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ. Ἀνεξίκακον. Καλῶς τοῦτο προσέθηκε· μάλιστα γὰρ τοῦτο ἔχειν χρὴ τὸν διδάσκαλον· ἐπεὶ πάντα μάτην γίνεται. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἁλιεῖς πολλάκις δι' ὅλης ἡμέρας βάλλοντες τὰ δίκτυα, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιτυγχάνοντες οὐκ ἀπαγορεύουσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς. Ὅρα γὰρ τί γίνεται· Συμβαίνει πολλάκις ἀπὸ τῆς συνεχοῦς διδασκαλίας εἰς τὸ βάθος τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ τοῦ λόγου ἄροτρον κατελθὸν ἐκκόψαι τὸ ἐνοχλοῦν αὐτῇ πάθος. Ὁ γὰρ μυριάκις ἀκούσας, πείσεταί τι· οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπον ἀκούοντα συνεχῶς, μηδὲν παθεῖν. Ἔστιν οὖν ὅτε μέλλων πείθεσθαι, ἡμῶν ἀπαγορευσάντων, τὸ πᾶν ἀπώλεσε. Καὶ ταὐτὸν γίνεται, οἷον ἂν εἴ τις γεωργίας ἄπειρος τὴν ἄμπελον· φυτευθεῖσαν σκάπτοι μὲν ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ πρώτῳ, ἐν δὲ τῷ δευτέρῳ ζητῶν λήψεσθαι καρπὸν, καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ, καὶ μὴ λαμβάνων, εἶτα τῶν τριῶν ἐτῶν παρελθόντων ἀπογνοὺς, τότε λοιπὸν αὐτὴν καταλείποι ἐν τῷ τετάρτῳ, ὅτε τῶν πόνων ἐκείνων ἔμελλε κομίζεσθαι τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. Εἰπὼν δὲ, Ἀνεξίκακον, οὐκ ἀρκεῖται, ἀλλ' ἐπάγει λέγων· Ἐν πραότητι παιδεύοντα τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους. Μάλιστα γὰρ τὸν διδάσκοντα τοῦτο χρὴ ποιεῖν ἐν πραότητι· οὐ γὰρ ἔνι ψυχὴν δεομένην μαθεῖν, μετὰ θρασύτητος καὶ μάχης δυνηθῆναί τι τῶν χρησίμων συνιδεῖν· κἂν γὰρ μέλλῃ προσέχειν, ἀπορηθεῖσα οὐδὲν εἴσεται. ∆εῖ γὰρ τὸν μέλλοντά τι τῶν χρησίμων μαθεῖν, πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἡδέως ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν διδάσκοντα· τούτου δὲ μὴ προκατασκευασθέντος, οὐκ ἔνι γενέσθαι τι τῶν δεόντων οὐδὲ τῶν χρησίμων· ἡδέως δὲ οὐκ ἄν τις σχοίη πρὸς τὸν θρασυνόμενον καὶ ὑβρίζοντα. Πῶς οὖν αἱρετικὸν, φησὶν, ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν ἢ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ; Τὸν ἀδιόρθωτον λέγει, ὃν οἶδεν ἀνίατα νοσοῦντα. Μή ποτε δῷ αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς μετάνοιαν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας, καὶ ἀνανήψωσιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἴσως ἔσται τις διόρθωσις· τὸ δὲ, ἴσως, ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδήλων ἐστίν. Ὥστε ἐκείνων μόνον ἀφίστασθαι χρὴ, περὶ ὧν δυνάμεθα σαφῶς ἀποφήνασθαι, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὧν πεπείσμεθα, ὅτι οὐδ' ἂν ὁτιοῦν γένηται, μεταστήσονται. Ἐν πραότητι, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τοὺς βουλομένους μαθεῖν οὕτω χρὴ προσίεσθαι, καὶ μηδέποτε πρὸ τῆς ἀποδείξεως ἀφίστασθαι τῶν διαλέξεων; Ἐζωγρημένοι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα. Καλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐζωγρημένοι· τέως γὰρ ἐν πλάνῃ νήχονται. Ὅρα πῶς διδάσκει μετριοφρονεῖν. Οὐκ εἶπε, Μή ποτε δυνηθῇς, ἀλλὰ, Μή ποτε δῷ αὐτοῖς ὁ Κύριος ἀνανῆψαι. Κἂν γένηταί τι, τοῦ Κυρίου τὸ πᾶν γίνεται· σὺ φυτεύεις, σὺ ποτίζεις, ἐκεῖνος σπείρει καὶ ποιεῖ καρποφορεῖν. Μή ποτε τοίνυν διακεώμεθα, ὡς αὐτοί 62.633 τινα πείθοντες, κἂν πείσωμεν. Καὶ ζωγρηθέντες, φησὶν, ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ περὶ δογμάτων ἄν τις εἴποι, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ βίου· τὸ γὰρ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ὀρθῶς βιοῦν. Εἰσὶ δέ τινες ἐν τῇ παγίδι τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ βίου ἕνεκεν· οὐ τοίνυν οὐδὲ πρὸς τούτους περικακεῖν χρή. Μή ποτε ἀνανήψωσι, φησὶν, ἐζωγρημένοι εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα. Τὸ δὲ, Μή ποτε, πολλῆς μακροθυμίας ἐστὶ δεικτικόν· τὸ γὰρ μὴ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, παγὶς διαβολική. γʹ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ στρουθὸς, κἂν μὴ ἐξ ὅλου τοῦ μέρους κατέχηται, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἑνὸς, τοῦ ποδὸς λέγω, ὑπὸ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐστὶ τοῦ τὴν παγίδα θέντος· οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς, κἂν μὴ ἐξ ὅλου κατεχώμεθα, καὶ ἐκ πίστεως καὶ ἐκ βίου, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ βίου μόνον, ὑπὸ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐσμὲν τοῦ διαβόλου. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ λέγων μοι, Κύριε, Κύριε, φησὶν, εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν· καὶ πάλιν, Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς, ἀποχωρεῖτε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι κέρδος οὐδὲν ἐκ τῆς πίστεως, ὅταν ἡμᾶς ἀγνοῇ ὁ ∆εσπότης; Καὶ ταῖς παρθένοις τὸ αὐτό φησιν· Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Τί οὖν τὸ κέρδος τῆς παρθενίας καὶ τῶν πολλῶν ἱδρώτων, ὅταν ἀγνοῇ αὐτὰς ὁ ∆εσπότης; Καὶ πολλαχοῦ