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that the prisoners and the exiles might have some consolation for their great suffering and they joyfully accepted the seizure of their property, according to that apostolic saying; others were driven out, some from their country, others even from life itself. 19.11 Seeing, then, such great wealth, such great gain, such great commerce gathered for the Church, so many treasures being stored up, those who were formerly listless becoming hotter than fire, and those devoted to the theaters going out into the deserts and making the glens and mountains a church, and with no one leading the flock out, the sheep transferring to the rank of shepherds and the soldiers to that of the general, on account of their boldness and courage, and all performing the assemblies with fitting warmth, zeal, and care, are you not astonished and amazed at how great an achievement has come from this? 19.12 For indeed not only those living uprightly, but also many of those maddened by the theaters and devoted to the horse races, set ablaze by a zeal hotter than fire, put aside all that madness and almost leapt upon the very swords, speaking boldly to rulers, despising tortures, mocking threats, showing how much virtue prevails and how it is possible for one who is utterly perishing, having repented and changed, to touch the very vault of the heavens. 19.13 Seeing therefore such great prizes, so many crowns being woven, such great teaching taking place, whence, tell me, are you scandalized? From those who have perished, he says. But, as I said and will not cease to say, let these men reckon to themselves the cause of their destruction. For our discourse, striving throughout, has shown this. Let me speak of another achievement. How many wearing a mask of piety, how many having a feigned meekness, how many thought to be someone great, and were not, were suddenly exposed at the present time, and the things of their deceit flowed away from them and they were shown to be what they were, not what they pretended to be and deceived? 19.14 And this is not a small thing, but indeed a very great one for the benefit of those willing to pay attention, to discern those who have the skins of sheep and that the wolves so hidden are not mixed with the true sheep. For this time has become a furnace, exposing the bronze in the coins, melting the lead, burning up the chaff, revealing the precious materials to be more precious. Paul also, signifying this, said: "For there must also be factions, that those who are approved may become evident among you."

20.t Ch. 20. That even in the time of the apostles worse things happened

20.1 Therefore let none of these things scandalize you, not a priest who has now become wicked

and leaping upon the flock more savagely than any wolf, not one of the rulers showing much cruelty. For consider that even in the time of the apostles worse things than these happened. 20.2 For he who then held the scepter was the mystery of lawlessness—for so Paul called him—having pursued every form of evil and having surpassed all in wickedness, but this harmed neither the Church nor those noble men in any way, but even revealed them to be more illustrious; and the priests of the Jews were so base and wicked that the people were commanded to flee the emulation of their life; 20.3 'For on the seat of Moses,' says the Savior, 'the scribes and the Pharisees have sat; therefore, all that they tell you to do, do; but do not do according to their works'; and yet what could be more wicked than priests, whose emulation was destined to destroy those who imitated them? But nevertheless, though those who ruled then were such, those who shone, those who were crowned were in no way harmed, but were glorified all the more. Therefore one should not be surprised by the

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τοὺς δεσμώτας καὶ τοὺς ἐξορίστους ἔχειν τινὰ παραμυθίαν τῆς τοσαύτης ταλαιπωρίας καὶ τὴν ἁρπαγὴν τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μετὰ χαρᾶς προσεδέξαντο κατὰ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ἐκεῖνο λόγιον· ἕτεροι, οἱ μὲν πατρίδος, οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς ἐξεβλήθησαν τῆς ζωῆς. 19.11 Ὁρῶν τοίνυν τοσοῦτον πλοῦτον, τοσοῦτον κέρδος, τοσαύτην ἐμπορίαν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ συνηγμένην, τοσούτους θησαυροὺς ἀποτιθεμένους, πυρὸς σφοδροτέρους γινομένους τοὺς πρότερον ἀναπεπτωκότας καὶ τοὺς θεάτροις προσηλωμένους εἰς τὰς ἐρημίας ἐξιόντας καὶ τὰς νάπας καὶ τὰ ὄρη ποιοῦντας ἐκκλησίαν καὶ οὐδενὸς ἐξάγοντος τὴν ἀγέλην, εἰς τὴν τῶν ποιμένων τάξιν μεταστάντα τὰ πρόβατα καὶ τοὺς στρατιώτας εἰς τὴν τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, παρρησίας ἕνεκεν καὶ ἀνδρείας καὶ πάντας μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης θερμότητος, σπουδῆς, ἐμμελείας, τὰς συνάξεις ἐπιτελοῦντας, οὐκ ἐκπλήττῃ καὶ θαυμάζεις, ὅσον ἐκ τούτου κατόρθωμα γέγονεν; 19.12 Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον οἱ ὀρθῶς βιοῦντες, ἀλλὰ πολλοὶ καὶ τῶν περὶ τὰ θέατρα μεμηνότων καὶ ἱπποδρομίας προσεχόντων, ὑπὸ τοῦ ζήλου πυρὸς σφοδροτέρου πυρωθέντες, πᾶσαν ἐκείνην ἀπέθεντο τὴν μανίαν καὶ κατ' αὐτῶν τῶν ξιφῶν σχεδὸν ἐπήδησαν, πρὸς ἄρχοντας παρρησιαζόμενοι, βασάνων καταφρονοῦντες, ἀπειλῶν καταγελῶντες, δεικνύντες ὅσον ἰσχύει ἀρετὴ καὶ πῶς ἔνι τὸν σφόδρα ἀπολλύμενον, μετανοήσαντα καὶ μεταστάντα αὐτῆς ἅψασθαι τῶν οὐρανῶν τῆς ἁψῖδος. 19.13 Τοσαῦτα οὖν βραβεῖα ὁρῶν, τοσούτους στεφάνους πλεκομένους, τοσαύτην διδασκαλίαν γινομένην, πόθεν, εἰπέ μοι, σκανδαλίζῃ; Ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπολωλότων, φησίν. Ἀλλ', ὅπερ ἔφην καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι, οὗτοι ἑαυτοῖς λογιζέσθωσαν τῆς ἀπωλείας τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Τοῦτο γὰρ δι' ὅλου ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν ἀγωνιζόμενος ἔδειξεν. Εἴπω καὶ ἕτερον κατόρθωμα. Πόσοι προσωπεῖον εὐλαβείας περικείμενοι, πόσοι πεπλασμένην πραότητα ἔχοντες, πόσοι μεγάλοι τινὲς εἶναι νομιζόμενοι, καὶ οὐκ ὄντες, ἀθρόον ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος διηλέγχθησαν καιροῦ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀπάτης αὐτοῖς διερρύη καὶ ὅπερ ἦσαν ἐφάνησαν, οὐχ ὅπερ ὑπεκρίνοντο καὶ ἠπάτων; 19.14 Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα μέγιστον εἰς ὠφέλειαν τῶν ἐθελόντων προσέχειν, τὸ διαγνῶναι τοὺς ἔχοντας τῶν προβάτων τὰς δορὰς καὶ μὴ ἀναμίγνυσθαι τοὺς λύκους τοὺς οὕτω κρυπτομένους τοῖς ὄντως προβάτοις. Καὶ γὰρ κάμινος γέγονεν ὁ καιρὸς οὗτος, τὰ χαλκὸν ἔχοντα τῶν νομισμάτων διελέγχων, τὸν μόλιβδον κατατήκων, τὴν καλάμην κατακαίων, τὰς τιμίας ὕλας τιμιωτέρας ἀποφαίνων. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος σημαίνων ἔλεγε· «∆εῖ δὲ καὶ αἱρέσεις εἶναι, ἵνα οἱ δόκιμοι φανεροὶ γένωνται ἐν ὑμῖν.»

20.t Κεφ. κʹ. Ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων χαλεπώτερα συνέβη

20.1 Μηδὲν οὖν σε τούτων σκανδαλιζέτω, μὴ ἱερεὺς νῦν φαῦλος γεγενημένος

καὶ λύκου παντὸς ἀγριώτερον ἐπιπηδῶν τῇ ἀγέλῃ, μὴ τῶν κρατούντων τις πολλὴν ὠμότητα ἐνδεικνύμενος. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων συνέβη τούτων χαλεπώτερα. 20.2 Ὅ τε γὰρ κρατῶν τότε τὸ σκῆπτρον, τὸ μυστήριον τῆς ἀνομίας ἦν- οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸν ὁ Παῦλος ἐκάλεσε-πᾶν εἶδος κακίας ἐπελθὼν καὶ πάντας ἀποκρύψας τῇ πονηρίᾳ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν οὔτε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, οὔτε τοὺς γενναίους ἐκείνους ἄνδρας τοῦτο παρέβλαψεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπροτέρους ἀπέφηνεν· οἵ τε ἱερεῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὕτω φαῦλοι καὶ πονηροί τινες ἦσαν ὡς κελεύεσθαι τοὺς λαοὺς τὸν ζῆλον αὐτῶν τοῦ βίου φεύγειν· 20.3 «Ἐπὶ γὰρ τῆς Μωυσέως καθέδρας, φησὶν ὁ Σωτήρ, ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἂν λέγωσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε· κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε»· καίτοι τί γένοιτ' ἂν πονηρότερον ἱερέων, ὧν ὁ ζῆλος ἀπολλύειν ἔμελλε τοὺς μιμουμένους; Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοιούτων ὄντων τῶν τότε κρατούντων, οἱ λάμψαντες, οἱ στεφανωθέντες οὐδὲν παρεβλάβησαν, ἀλλὰ μειζόνως ἐδοξάσθησαν. Οὐ τοίνυν ξενίζεσθαι χρὴ τοῖς