he says, that before the entire first cockcrowing is completed, you will deny me three times. But when Mark says, “before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times,” he is indicating the crows contained within the entire first cockcrowing, and says that before the two individual crows have come forth, you will deny me a third time; which itself also indicates that before the entire first cockcrowing has passed, you will deny me a third time; for the entire cockcrowing often has three or four crows. Therefore, the evangelists are in great agreement with one another on this point; for when Mark and the other evangelists imply the same thing, that Peter denied him a third time before the whole first cockcrowing was completed and sounded, but the others state it more generally and summarily; for they do not specify at which sounding of the first cockcrowing—whether the first or the second or the third—Peter's denial occurred, but they only say that immediately after he had denied a third time, the cock crowed, but whether this crow was the first of the first cockcrowing or the second, they do not indicate. Mark, however, says everything with precision; for he says after the first denial: "And he went out into the forecourt, and the cock crowed." Behold, you have the first denial, that it occurred near the first crow of the first cockcrowing; then the second and the third denial; for they happened in succession to one another; for he says that after a little while again those who stood by were speaking to Peter, and so forth. These two denials, therefore, occurred between the first and second crows of the first cockcrowing; for he says, "He began to swear, 'I do not know the man.' And a second time the cock crowed." Therefore, the other evangelists, mentioning this crow, did not specify as he did that it was the second time, that is, it was the second crow of the first cockcrowing. For this reason, there seemed to be an appearance of disagreement in the sayings. But why, when he had already denied for the first time at the first crow of the first cockcrowing, did Peter not remember the word? Because he had not yet denied for the third time and was not yet completely pierced in his mind, nor had he let go of the great rashness of his arrogance, but was still fervent and contentious, as if he would not deny completely. Therefore, the Lord allows him not only to deny, but to deny three times, and not only three times, but also to deny with an oath. When, therefore, the fall became great, the sign of the fall followed—the cock's crow—and the Lord, coming out, looked upon him; then he remembered the word, then he ceased from his confidence, then he recognized the fall, then he healed the wound. And see how many things coincided to bring him to an awareness of the fall: the greatness of the sin itself, the sign of the sin, the Lord himself looking upon him. And whom then? Peter, the rock, the fervent one, the key-bearer, the one ready for death, the leader, the one who loved the Lord more than the others. Let us flee, therefore, beloved, considering these things, from trusting in ourselves and thinking we can accomplish any good from our own zeal alone. The affliction is evil; it raises grievous welts. And Christ permits Peter to fall, both to turn him away, as we said, from trusting in himself, and teaching him to consider every achievement to be from grace from above, and because he had been entrusted with great things; for he was the rock of the church and he himself received the keys and countless other things. Therefore, so that he might not be exalted, these things were ordained; for Paul also says, "A thorn was given me in the flesh," and so forth. And if bodily afflictions prevent one from being exalted, how much more one that touches the soul itself. And besides. Since he had been entrusted to teach and guide the world, so that, being fervent, he would not proceed more bitterly and unforgivingly against those who, through weakness of the flesh, slip from the higher things, he is allowed to fall, so that through his own suffering he himself might become more forgiving to sinners if they repent. And for our admonition and

φησιν, ὅτι πρὶν αὐτὴ ἀπαρτισθῇ ἡ ὅλη ἀλεκτοροφωνία ἡ πρώτη, τρὶς ἀπαρνήσῃ με. ὅταν δὲ ὁ Μᾶρκος φησίν· πρὶν ἢ δὶς ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι, τρὶς ἀπαρνήσῃ με τὰς ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ πρώτῃ ἀλεκτοροφωνίᾳ περιεχομένας φωνήσεις δηλοῖ καί φησιν, ὅτι πρὶν ἢ τὰς δύο τὰς κατὰ μέρος φωνήσεις προελθεῖν, τρίτον ἀπαρνήσῃ με· ὅπερ καὶ αὐτὸ δηλοῖ, ὅτι πρὶν τὴν ὅλην ἀλεκτοροφωνίαν τὴν πρώτην παρελθεῖν, τρίτον ἀπαρνήσῃ με· ἡ γὰρ ὅλη ἀλεκτοροφωνία καὶ τρεῖς καὶ τέσσαρας πολλάκις ἔχει φωνήσεις. λίαν οὖν συμφωνοῦσιν κατὰ τοῦτο ἀλλήλοις οἱ εὐαγγελισταί· ὅτε γὰρ Μᾶρκος καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι εὐαγγελισταὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὑποδηλοῦσιν, ὅτι οὔπω τῆς πρώτης ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ὅλης ἀπαρτισθείσης καὶ ἐκφωνηθείσης ὁ Πέτρος τρίτον ἠρνήσατο, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι ὁλοσχερέστερον καὶ κεφαλαιωδέστερον αὐτό φασιν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπισημαίνονται ἐν ποίᾳ ἐκφωνήσει τῆς πρώτης ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ἢ ἡ πρώτη ἢ ἡ δευτέρα ἢ ἡ τρίτη ἄρνησις τοῦ Πέτρου ἐγένετο, μόνον δέ φασιν, ὅτι τρίτον ἀρνησαμένου εὐθέως φώνησις γέγονεν ἀλέκτορος, ἆρα δὲ ἡ πρώτη τῆς πρώτης ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ἦν αὕτη ἡ φώνησις ἢ ἡ δευτέρα, οὐδὲν ἐπιδηλοῦσιν. ὁ μέντοι γε Μᾶρκος πάντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας λέγει· φησὶν γὰρ μετὰ τὴν πρώτην ἄρνησιν· καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω εἰς τὸ προαύλιον καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν . ἰδοὺ ἔχεις τὴν πρώτην ἄρνησιν, ὅτι ἐγγὺς τῆς πρώτης φωνήσεως τῆς πρώτης ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ἐγένετο· εἶτα ἡ δευτέρα καὶ ἡ τρίτη ἄρνησις· συνεχῶς γὰρ ἀλλήλαις ἐγένοντο· φησὶν γάρ, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν πάλιν οἱ παρεστῶτες ἔλεγον τῷ Πέτρῳ καὶ ἑξῆς. αὐταὶ οὖν αἱ δύο ἀρνήσεις μεταξὺ γεγόνασιν τῆς πρώτης καὶ δευτέρας φωνήσεως τῆς πρώτης ἀλεκτοροφωνίας· φησὶν γάρ· ἤρξατο ὀμνύναι, ὅτι οὐκ οἶδα τὸν ἄνθρωπον καὶ ἐκ δευτέρου ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν . ταύτης οὖν τῆς φωνήσεως καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι εὐαγγελισταὶ μνημονεύσαντες οὐκ ἐπεσημήναντο ὥσπερ οὗτος, ὅτι ἡ ἐκ δευτέρου ἦν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἡ δευτέρα φώνησις τῆς πρώτης ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ἦν. διὸ καὶ διαφωνίας ἐδόκει φαντασία τοῖς ῥητοῖς ὑπάρχειν. διὰ τί δὲ μὴ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην φώνησιν τῆς πρώτης ἀλεκτοροφωνίας ἤδη τὸ πρῶτον ἀρνησάμενος ὁ Πέτρος ἀνεμνήσθη τὸ ῥῆμα; ὅτι οὔπω ἦν τὸ τρίτον ἀρνησάμενος καὶ οὔπω τελείως κατανυγεὶς ἦν τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ τὴν πολλὴν χαλάσας τῆς αὐθαδείας προπέτειαν, ἀλλ' ἔτι ὑπόθερμος ἦν καὶ φιλόνεικος ὡς οὐ τελείως ἀρνήσεται. διὸ καὶ ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν ὁ δεσπότης οὐ μόνον ἀρνήσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρὶς ἀρνήσασθαι καὶ οὐ μόνον τρίς, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ ὅρκου ἀρνήσασθαι. ὅταν οὖν μέγα τὸ πτῶμα γένηται, καὶ τὸ σημεῖον τοῦ πτώματος ἠκολούθησεν ἡ τοῦ ἀλέκτορος φωνὴ καὶ ὁ δεσπότης ἐξερχόμενος ἐνέβλεψεν αὐτῷ· τότε ἀνεμνήσθη τὸ ῥῆμα , τότε ἀπέστη τοῦ θαρρεῖν, τότε ἐπέγνω τὸ πτῶμα, τότε ἰάτρευσεν τὸ τραῦμα. καὶ ὅρα, πόσα συνέδραμον, ἵνα εἰς συναίσθησιν αὐτὸν ἀγάγωσιν τοῦ πτώματος· αὐτὸ τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος, τὸ σημεῖον τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος, αὐτὸς ἐμβλέψας ὁ δεσπότης. καὶ τίνα τότε; τὸν Πέτρον, τὴν πέτραν, τὸν θερμόν, τὸν κλειδοῦχον, τὸν πρὸς θάνατον ἕτοιμον, τὸν κορυφαῖον, τὸν πλέον τῶν ἄλλων φιλοῦντα τὸν κύριον. φύγωμεν οὖν, ἀγαπητοί, ἐννοοῦντες ταῦτα τὸ πεποιθέναι ἑαυτοῖς καὶ νομίζειν δύνασθαί τι ἀγαθὸν ἐξανύσειν ἐξ ἰδίας μόνης προθυμίας. κακὸν τὸ πάθος, χαλεποὺς ἐγείρει τοὺς μώλωπας. συγχωρεῖ τε τῷ Πέτρῳ πεσεῖν ὁ Χριστός, ἀποστῆναί τε αὐτόν, ὡς ἔφημεν, τοῦ μὴ πεποιθέναι ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλὰ πᾶν κατόρθωμα τῆς ἄνωθεν χάριτος ἡγεῖσθαι παιδεύων καὶ ὅτι μεγάλα ἦν ἐμπεπιστευμένος· πέτρα γὰρ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τὰς κλεῖς αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο καὶ μυρία ἄλλα. ἵνα οὖν μὴ ὑπεραρθῇ, ταῦτα ᾠκονόμητο· λέγει γὰρ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος· ἐδόθη μοι σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκὶ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. εἰ δὲ τὰ σωματικὰ πάθη κωλύουσιν ὑπεραίρεσθαι, τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῆς καθαψάμενον μᾶλλον. ἄλλως τε. ἐπειδὴ τὸν κόσμον ἦν ἐμπεπιστευμένος διδάσκειν καὶ ὁδηγεῖν, ἵνα μὴ θερμὸς ὢν πικρότερον καὶ ἀσυγγνώστως ἐπεξέρχηται τοὺς ἀσθενείᾳ σαρκὸς τῶν ὑψηλοτέρων ὀλισθαίνοντας, παραχωρεῖται πεσεῖν, ἵνα τῷ οἰκείῳ πάθει συγγνωμονικώτερος καὶ αὐτὸς τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἂν μετανοῶσιν γίνηται. καὶ εἰς ἡμετέραν δὲ νουθεσίαν καὶ