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so as to jump away and escape the rebuke, it is necessary therefore to restrain them with gentleness and forbearance. For such a person, not only by speaking but even by being seen, will be burdensome to those who are sinning; "For he is burdensome to us," it says, "even to look at"; for these reasons it is necessary to show much gentleness. For these reasons the account brought before your eyes both the one who had sinned and the one wishing to correct him. For the wise among physicians, when they are about to cut away putrefied limbs, or to extract stones wedged in the passages, or to correct some other defect of nature, do not do this by taking the sick person into a corner, but by setting him forth in the middle of the marketplaces and gathering a theater of onlookers from those passing by, they thus perform the incision. And they do this, not wishing to make a show of human misfortunes, but teaching those who watch through the bodies of others to take great care for their own health. So also does Scripture do; whenever it takes one of the sinners, it sets him forth on the high place of the proclamation, not in the middle of the marketplaces, but in the middle of the earth; and having gathered the theater of the inhabited world, it thus displays the healing, teaching us to be more secure concerning our own salvation. Let us see, then, how the priest attempted to correct this one at that time. He did not say: O defiled and utterly defiled one, you have overturned and confused all things, you have leapt to the extreme of impiety; nor did he extend long speeches of accusation, but just as those who cut are eager to make <the wound> quickly, by the speed of the incision stealing away the sensation of pain, so also this man by his brevity cut short the king's inflammation. For what a cutting instrument is to wounds, this a reproof is to sins. And he shows us forbearance, among other things, also through his brevity. But if you wish to see also the sharpness of his words, and where he hid the iron, listen: "It is not lawful for you," he says, "to burn incense to the Lord, but only for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who have been consecrated." There he gave the blow. How? I will tell you. For why did he not say, "To the priests," simply, but added "of Aaron"? This Aaron became the first high priest, and in his time such a daring deed was attempted. For Dathan and Korah and Abiram, having conspired against him with certain others, attempted to cast him out of his office; but some the earth split apart and swallowed, and others fire coming down from above consumed. Wishing, therefore, to remind him of this story, he reminded him of Aaron who was wronged then, so as to direct his thought to the calamity of those who had done the wrong. But nevertheless, nothing more came of it; but this was not due to the priest, but to the king's audacity. For when he should have praised what was said and acknowledged thanks for the counsel, he became angry, it says, and made the wound worse. For sin is not so great an evil as shamelessness after the sin. 5.3 But David was not so; but how? After the accusation made by Nathan concerning Bathsheba; "I have sinned against the Lord," he says. Did you see a contrite heart? did you see a humbled soul? did you see how even the falls of the saints are useful? For just as beautiful bodies even in sickness show us many traces of their comeliness, so also the souls of the saints even in their very failings bear the marks of their own virtue. And yet he was accused by the prophet in the midst of the palace, with many present; but this one was inside, in the inner sanctuary, and had the reproof without a witness; but not even so did he bear the rebuke. What then? did he remain incurable? By no means, and this was due to the love of God for mankind; but just as in the case of the lunatic, when the disciples were not able to cast out the demon, Christ

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ὥστε ἀποπηδῆσαι καὶ τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν διαφυγεῖν, δεῖ οὖν κατέχειν αὐτοὺς τῇ πραότητι καὶ τῇ ἐπιεικείᾳ. Οὐ γὰρ φωνὴν μόνον ἀφιεὶς ὁ τοιοῦτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλεπόμενος, βαρὺς ἔσται τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν· "Βαρὺς γὰρ ἡμῖν, φησίν, ἐστὶ καὶ βλεπόμενος"· διὰ ταῦτα πολλὴν χρὴ τὴν πραότητα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ὑμῖν καὶ ὁ λόγος ὑπ' ὄψεσιν ἤγαγε καὶ τὸν ἡμαρτηκότα καὶ τὸν διορθοῦν αὐτὸν βουλόμενον. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ σοφοὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν, ὅταν μέλλωσι σεσηπότα τέμνειν μέλη, ἢ λίθους τοῖς πόροις ἐναπεσφηνωμένους ἐξέλκειν, ἢ ἄλλο τι τῆς φύσεως ἁμάρτημα διορθοῦν, οὐκ εἰς γωνίαν λαβόντες τὸν κάμνοντα τοῦτο ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ἐν μέσαις αὐτὸν προθέντες ταῖς ἀγοραῖς καὶ θέατρον ἐκ τῶν παριόντων περιστήσαντες, οὕτως ἐπάγουσι τὴν τομήν. Ποιοῦσι δὲ τοῦτο, οὐχὶ ταῖς ἀνθρωπίναις ἐμπομπεύειν βουλόμενοι συμφοραῖς, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὁρῶντας ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις παιδεύοντες σώμασι πολλὴν τῆς οἰκείας ὑγιείας ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πρόνοιαν. Οὕτω καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ ποιεῖ· ἐπειδάν τινα λάβῃ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων, ἐφ' ὑψηλοῦ τοῦ κηρύγματος αὐτὸν προτίθησιν, οὐκ ἐν μέσαις ἀγοραῖς, ἀλλ' ἐν μέσῃ τῇ γῇ· καὶ τὸ τῆς οἰκουμένης περιστήσασα θέατρον, οὕτω τὴν ἰατρείαν ἐπιδείκνυται, παιδεύουσα ἡμᾶς ἀσφαλεστέρους περὶ τὴν οἰκείαν εἶναι σωτηρίαν. Ἴδωμεν οὖν πῶς ἐπεχείρει τοῦτον ὁ ἱερεὺς διορθώσασθαι τότε. Οὐκ εἶπεν· Ὦ μιαρὲ καὶ παμμίαρε, πάντα ἀνέτρεψας καὶ συνέχεας, εἰς ἔσχατον ἀσεβείας ἐξεπήδησας· οὐδὲ μακροὺς ἐξέτεινε κατηγορίας λόγους, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οἱ τέμνοντες, τοῦτο ποιεῖν συντόμως σπουδάζουσιν <τὸ τρῆμα>, τῷ τάχει τῆς τομῆς κλέπτοντες τῆς ὀδύνης τὴν αἴσθησιν, οὕτω καὶ οὗτος τῇ βραχυλογίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν φλεγμονὴν ὑπετέμετο. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν τραυμάτων τομεύς, τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἔλεγχος. Καὶ τὴν μὲν ἐπιείκειαν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ διὰ τῆς βραχυλογίας ἡμῖν ἐπιδείκνυται. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ τὸ τομὸν τῶν ῥημάτων ἰδεῖν, καὶ ποῦ τὸ σιδήριον ἐνέκρυψεν, ἄκουσον· "Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι, φησί, θυμιᾶσαι Κυρίῳ, ἀλλ' ἢ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι, τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἀαρών, τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις." Ἐνταῦθα ἔδωκε τὴν πληγήν. Πῶς; ἐγὼ λέγω. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ οὐκ εἶπεν· Τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν, ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ προσέθηκε τὸν Ἀαρών; Οὗτος ὁ Ἀαρὼν ἀρχιερεὺς ἐγένετο πρῶτος καὶ ἐτολμήθη κατὰ τοὺς ἐκείνου χρόνους τοιοῦτον τόλμημα. ∆αθὰν γὰρ καὶ Κορὲ καὶ Ἀβειρὼν συστάντες κατ' αὐτοῦ μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων τινῶν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐπεχείρησαν· ἀλλ' ἐνίους μὲν ἡ γῆ διαστᾶσα κατέπιεν, τοὺς δὲ πῦρ ἄνωθεν κατενεχθὲν κατέφλεξεν. Ταύτης οὖν αὐτὸν τῆς ἱστορίας ὑπομνῆσαι βουλόμενος, ἀνέμνησεν αὐτὸν τοῦ Ἀαρὼν τοῦ τότε ἀδικη θέντος, ὥστε πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἠδικηκότων συμφορὰν παραπέμψαι τὴν τούτου διάνοιαν. Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἐγένετο πλέον· ἀλλ' οὐ παρὰ τὸν ἱερέα, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως θρασύτητα. ∆έον γὰρ ἐπαινέσαι τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ χάριν ὁμολογῆσαι τῆς συμβουλῆς, ὁ δὲ ἐθυμώθη, φησί, καὶ τὸ ἕλκος εἰργάσατο χαλεπώτερον. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἁμαρτία κακόν, ὡς ἡ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἀναισχυντία. 5.3 Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ∆αυὶδ οὕτως· ἀλλὰ πῶς; Μετὰ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ναθὰν γενομένην κατηγορίαν τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ Βηρσαβεέ· "Ἡμάρτηκα τῷ Κυρίῳ", φησίν. Εἶδες συντετριμμένην καρδίαν; εἶδες τεταπεινωμένην ψυχήν; εἶδες πῶς καὶ τὰ πτώματα τῶν ἁγίων χρήσιμα; Καθάπερ γὰρ τὰ λαμπρὰ τῶν σωμάτων καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρρωστίας πολλὰ τῆς εὐμορφίας ἡμῖν ἐνδείκνυται τὰ ἴχνη, οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἁγίων αἱ ψυχαὶ καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς παραπτώμασι τῆς οἰκείας ἀρετῆς τὰ σύμβολα φέρουσιν. Καίτοι γε ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἐν μέσοις τοῖς βασιλείοις κατηγορεῖτο παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου, παρόντων πολλῶν· οὗτος δὲ ἔνδον ἐν τοῖς ἀδύτοις, καὶ ἀμάρτυρον εἶχε τὸν ἔλεγχον· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἤνεγκε τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν. Τί οὖν; ἀνίατος ἔμεινεν; Οὐδαμῶς, καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ σεληνιαζομένου, τῶν μαθητῶν οὐκ ἰσχυσάντων τὸν δαίμονα ἐκβαλεῖν, ὁ Χριστός