29

But that Simon the magician, since having repented he ran to the gift through baptism and enjoyed the grace and the Lord's generosity, but he did not bring a worthy mind but showed great indolence, suddenly he became bereft of so great a gift, so as to receive counsel from the first of the apostles to heal the magnitude of the transgression through repentance; “For repent,” he says, “from this wickedness of yours, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.” 5.22 But may it never happen that any of those gathered here should ever suffer such a thing, but that, according to the blessed Paul, all may advance in virtue to such a degree as to be deemed worthy of more abundant generosity from the Lord. For it is not ordinary things, beloved, of which we have been deemed worthy; it surpasses all human understanding, the magnitude of the gifts given overcomes our reasoning. For consider, I ask you, what great authority you have been entrusted with and what kind of dignity you have received from the king of all. For you who were formerly a slave, a captive, an offender, were suddenly raised up to adoption. Therefore, do not be indolent nor allow this dignity to be taken from you nor that you become bereft of this spiritual wealth. For if you are not willing, no one will ever be able to take away the things given to you by God. 5.23 And yet in human affairs this is not possible. For when someone obtains some dignity from the king of the earth, its removal does not lie in his own judgment, but he who provided the dignity is himself also lord of its removal, and when he wishes, he strips the recipient of the dignity and suddenly makes him a private citizen and removes him from power. But in the case of our king it is all the opposite; for the dignity once given to us through his love for mankind, I mean adoption, sanctification, the grace of the Spirit, if we are not indolent, no one will ever be able to take these things away from us. And what am I saying, take away? For if he sees we have become grateful for what has already been provided, he also works an addition for us and with great generosity again increases the gifts from himself. 5.24 Knowing, therefore, that after the grace of God everything lies in us and in our zeal, let us be grateful for what has already been given, so that we may also make ourselves worthy of greater things. Therefore I exhort you, both those recently deemed worthy of the divine gift, show great vigilance and keep the spiritual garment provided to you clean and spotless, and those of us who long ago received this gift, let us show a great change of life. For there is, there is a way back if we wish, and it is possible to return to our former beauty and radiance, if only we contribute what is from ourselves. 5.25 For in the case of bodily beauty, it is impossible for an appearance that has once become shapeless and has lost its former beauty through old age or sickness or some other bodily circumstance to return again to its prime. For the affliction is of nature, and for this reason it is impossible to return to the former radiance of beauty. But in the case of the soul, if we wish, even this is possible through the ineffable love for mankind of God, and for a soul that has once been defiled and become misshapen and shameful through a multitude of sins to return quickly to its former beauty, if we would show great and exact repentance. 5.26 But these things I say to myself and to those deemed worthy of baptism long ago. But you, the new soldiers of Christ, be persuaded by me, and strive in every way to keep your garment clean; for it is much better to have care and concern for its radiance now, so as to remain in purity continually and to receive no stain, than, having been indolent, to weep and lament later so as to wipe away the resulting filth. Do not, I beg you, suffer the same things as we have, but let the indolence of those who came before become for you a cause of security. 5.27 And just as spiritual soldiers, noble

29

δὲ Σιμὼν ἐκεῖνος ὁ μάγος, ἐπειδὴ μετανοήσας ἐπὶ τὴν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος δωρεὰν ἔδραμε καὶ τῆς χάριτος μὲν ἀπέλαυσε καὶ τῆς φιλοτιμίας τῆς δεσποτικῆς, οὐκ ἀξίαν δὲ γνώμην εἰσήνεγκεν ἀλλὰ πολλὴν τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐπεδείξατο, ἀθρόον ἔρημος ἐγένετο τῆς τοσαύτης δωρεᾶς ὡς καὶ συμβουλὴν δέξασθαι παρὰ τοῦ πρώτου τῶν ἀποστόλων διὰ μετανοίας τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πλημμελήματος ἰάσασθαι· «Μετανόησον γάρ, φησίν, ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας σου ταύτης, εἰ ἄρα ἀφεθήσεταί σοι ἡ ἐπίνοια τῆς καρδίας σου.» 5.22 Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτό τινα τῶν ἐνταῦθα συνειλεγμένων τοιοῦτόν τι ὑποστῆναί ποτε, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον πάντας εἰς τοσαύτην ἐπιδοῦναι τὴν ἀρετὴν ὡς δαψιλεστέρας ἀξιωθῆναι τῆς παρὰ τοῦ δεσπότου φιλοτιμίας. Μὴ γὰρ τὰ τυχόντα ἐστίν, ἀγαπητέ, ὧν ἠξιώθημεν· πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπερβαίνει διάνοιαν, νικᾷ τὸν λογισμὸν τὸν ἡμέτερον τῶν δεδωρημένων τὸ μέγεθος. Ἐννόησον γάρ μοι ὅσην ἀρχὴν ἐνεπιστεύθης καὶ οἷον ἀξίωμα ἔλαβες παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων βασιλέως. Ὁ πρότερον γὰρ δοῦλος, ὁ αἰχμάλωτος, ὁ προσκεκρουκώς, εἰς υἱοθεσίαν ἀθρόον ἀνηνέχθης. Οὐκοῦν μὴ ῥᾳθυμήσῃς μηδὲ συγχωρήσῃς ἀφαιρεθῆναί σου τοῦτο τὸ ἀξίωμα μηδὲ ἔρημόν σε γενέσθαι τοῦ πλούτου τούτου τοῦ πνευματικοῦ. Ἐὰν γὰρ σὺ μὴ βουληθῇς, οὐδείς ποτε ἀφελέσθαι δυνήσεται τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ σοι δεδωρημένα. 5.23 Καίτοι ἐπὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων τοῦτο οὐκ ἔνι. Ὅταν γάρ τις ἀξιώματός τινος τύχῃ παρὰ τοῦ τῆς γῆς βασιλέως, οὐκ ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ γνώμῃ κεῖται ἡ ἀφαίρεσις, ἀλλ' ὁ τὴν ἀξίαν παρασχὼν αὐτὸς καὶ τῆς ἀφαιρέσεώς ἐστι κύριος καὶ ὅτε βούλεται γυμνοῖ τῆς ἀξίας τὸν εἰληφότα καὶ ἰδιώτην ἀθρόον ἀπεργάζεται καὶ παραλύει τῆς ἀρχῆς. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ ἡμετέρου τοὐναντίον ἅπαν· τὸ γὰρ ἀξίωμα διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν ἅπαξ ἡμῖν δωρηθέν, τὴν υἱοθεσίαν λέγω, τὸν ἁγιασμόν, τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν, εἰ μὴ ῥᾳθυμήσαιμεν, οὐδεὶς οὐδέποτε ἡμῶν ἀφελέσθαι ταῦτα δυνήσεται. Καὶ τί λέγω ἀφελέσθαι, ἐὰν γὰρ ἴδῃ εὐγνώμονας γεγενημένους παρὰ τὰ ἤδη παρασχεθέντα καὶ προσθήκην ἡμῖν ἐργάζεται καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς φιλοτιμίας πάλιν αὔξει τὰς παρ' ἑαυτοῦ δωρεάς. 5.24 Εἰδότες τοίνυν ὅτι μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν ἐν ἡμῖν κεῖται τὸ πᾶν καὶ ἐν τῇ σπουδῇ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, εὐγνώμονες γενώμεθα περὶ τὰ ἤδη δωρηθέντα ἵνα καὶ μειζόνων ἑαυτοὺς ἀξίους καταστήσωμεν. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ, οἵ τε πρόσφατον ἀξιωθέντες τῆς θείας δωρεᾶς πολλὴν τὴν φυλακὴν ἐπιδείξασθε καὶ τὸ παρασχεθὲν ὑμῖν ἔνδυμα πνευματικὸν καθαρὸν καὶ ἀκηλίδωτον διαφυλάττετε, οἵ τε πάλαι ταύτης τυχόντες τῆς δωρεᾶς πολλὴν τοῦ βίου τὴν μεταβολὴν ἐπιδειξώμεθα. Ἔστι γάρ, ἔστιν ἐπάνοδος ἐὰν βουλώμεθα καὶ δυνατὸν εἰς τὴν προτέραν ἐπανελθεῖν εὐμορφίαν καὶ φαιδρότητα ἐὰν μόνον τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσενέγκωμεν. 5.25 Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ σωματικοῦ κάλλους ἀμήχανον τὴν ἅπαξ ἄμορφον γενομένην ὄψιν καὶ ὑπὸ γήρως ἢ ὑπὸ νόσου ἢ ὑπὸ ἑτέρας τινὸς σωματικῆς περιστάσεως τὸ πρότερον ἀπολέσασαν κάλλος εἰς ἀκμὴν πάλιν ἐπανελθεῖν. Φύσεως γάρ ἐστι τὸ πάθος καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀδύνατον πρὸς τὴν προτέραν ἐπανελθεῖν τῆς εὐμορφίας φαιδρότητα. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἐὰν βουλώμεθα, καὶ τοῦτο γενέσθαι δυνατὸν διὰ τὴν ἄφατον τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν, καὶ τὴν ἅπαξ καταρρυπωθεῖσαν καὶ διὰ τοῦ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων πλήθους δυσειδῆ καὶ αἰσχρὰν γενομένην ταχέως ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν ἐπανελθεῖν εὐμορφίαν, εἰ πολλὴν καὶ ἀκριβῆ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐπιδειξαίμεθα. 5.26 Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν λέγω καὶ τοὺς πάλαι τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἀξιωθέντας. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ νέοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ στρατιῶται, ἐμοὶ πείσθητε, καὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ σπουδάσατε καθαρὸν ὑμῶν τὸ ἔνδυμα διατηρῆσαι· πολλῷ γὰρ βέλτιον ὑπὲρ τῆς φαιδρότητος νῦν ἔχειν τὴν μέριμναν καὶ τὴν φροντίδα ὥστε διηνεκῶς ἐν καθαρότητι διαμένειν καὶ μηδεμίαν δέξασθαι κηλῖδα ἢ ῥᾳθυμήσαντας ὕστερον δακρύειν καὶ κόπτεσθαι ὥστε τὸν ἐπιγενόμενον ἀποσμήξασθαι ῥύπον. Μὴ δὴ τὰ αὐτὰ ἡμῖν πάθητε, παρακαλῶ, ἀλλ' ἡ τῶν προλαβόντων ῥᾳθυμία ὑμῖν ἀσφαλείας ὑπόθεσις γενέσθω. 5.27 Καὶ καθάπερ στρατιῶται πνευματικοί, γενναῖοι