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that many who are notorious for the most shameful things often do not bear it calmly when they are called what they are, but become savage and beast-like, as if they were suffering the most terrible things. So if one calls a woman who has prostituted herself, or a boy who has been debauched, by the name of this most shameful act, he has become an irreconcilable enemy, as if he had done the greatest injustice. And one might see not only these, but also the greedy man, and the drunkard, and the braggart, and simply all who have committed more terrible deeds, not so much bitten and pained by doing them and by the opinion of the many, as by the names of their own actions. And I know many who have been brought to their senses in this way, and have become more reasonable through reproaches. But you have taken away even this consolation; and what is more grievous, you give them this exhortation not only through words, but also through deeds, by building splendid houses, buying expensive fields, surrounding them with other ostentation, and through all these things overshadowing their soul with a thick cloud. How then shall I be able to be persuaded that it is possible for these to be saved, when I see them being encouraged to do those things which Christ declared would certainly destroy those who do them? when I see you despising their soul, as if it were some secondary matter, but caring for things that are truly superfluous as if they were necessary and primary? For you do everything so that your child may have the best servant, and horse, and garment; but how he himself might become good, you never bear even to think, but while advancing your zeal even to wood and stones, you do not deem the soul worthy of even the smallest part of this care; but so that a wonderful statue may stand in your house, and the roof may become golden, you endure everything; but that the soul, the most precious statue of all, may become golden, you are not even willing to care.

8. But I have not yet mentioned the pinnacle of evils, nor have I uncovered the chief point of the calamity, though I have often come to speak of it and blushed, and often been ashamed. What then is this? For now I must dare and speak of it. For it would be great cowardice, when about to remove some evil, not to dare even to utter a sound about it, as if silence would heal the disease by itself. Therefore we will not be silent, even if we are to be ashamed and blush ten thousand times. For not even a physician, when about to cleanse a gangrene, will refuse to handle the knife, and to put his fingers to the very bottom of the wound; therefore neither will we refuse the discourse concerning these things, by as much as the gangrene is more grievous. What then is the evil? A certain new and lawless love has reveled its way into our life; a grievous and incurable disease has befallen us; a plague more grievous than all plagues has descended; some new and unbearable lawlessness has been devised; for not only are the established 47.361 laws, but also the very laws of nature are overturned. Fornication is henceforth a small matter in the account of licentiousness; and just as in pains, a more tyrannical suffering coming upon the former has hidden the sensation of it, so also the excess of this outrage no longer makes what is unbearable, licentiousness concerning a woman, appear unbearable. For it seems a desirable thing to be able to escape these nets, and the female sex is now in danger of being superfluous, since young men in their place fulfill all their functions. And this is not yet the terrible thing, but that so great an abomination is dared with much impunity, and lawlessness has become a law. No one fears, nor trembles any longer; no one is ashamed, nor blushes, but they even pride themselves on this ridiculousness, and those who are sensible seem to be mad, and those who admonish, to be delirious; and if they happen to be weaker, they are beaten down by blows; but if stronger, they are mocked, laughed at, washed with a thousand taunts. There is no benefit from courts, nor laws, nor tutors, nor fathers, nor attendants, nor

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πολλοὺς πολλάκις ἐπὶ τοῖς αἰσχίστοις ὄντας περιφανεῖς μὴ φέρειν πράως καλουμένους τοῦτο, ὅπερ εἰσὶν, ἀλλ' ἀγριαίνειν καὶ ἐκθηριοῦσθαι, ὡς τὰ δεινότατα πάσχοντας. Τὴν γοῦν ἡταιρηκυῖαν γυναῖκα, καὶ τὸν πεπορνευμένον παῖδα ἂν καλέσῃ τις ἀπὸ τῆς αἰσχίστης πράξεως ταύτης, ἀκατάλλακτος γέγονεν ἐχθρὸς, ἅτε τὰ μέγιστα ἠδικηκώς. Καὶ οὐ τούτους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν πλεονέκτην, καὶ τὸν μέθυσον, καὶ τὸν ἀλαζόνα, καὶ πάντας ἁπλῶς τοὺς τὰ δεινότερα ἐργασαμένους ἴδοι τις ἂν οὐχ οὕτως ἐπὶ τῷ πράττειν αὐτὰ καὶ τῇ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν δόξῃ δακνομένους καὶ ἀλγοῦντας, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῖς τῶν οἰκείων ἔργων ὀνόμασι. Πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ σωφρονισθέντας οἶδα τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ, καὶ γενομένους τοῖς ὀνείδεσιν ἐπιεικεστέρους Ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς καὶ ταύτην ἀνῃρήκατε τὴν παραμυθίαν· καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι οὐ διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ταύτην αὐτοῖς ποιεῖσθε τὴν παραίνεσιν, οἰκίας οἰκοδομοῦντες λαμπρὰς, ἀγροὺς ὠνούμενοι πολυτελεῖς, τὴν ἄλλην περιβάλλοντες φαντασίαν, καὶ διὰ πάντων πυκνῷ τινι νέφει συσκιάζοντες αὐτῶν τὴν ψυχήν. Πόθεν οὖν δυνήσομαι πεισθῆναι, ὅτι σωθῆναι οἷόν τε τούτους, ὅταν ἴδω πρὸς ταῦτα παρακαλουμένους, ἃ τοὺς ποιοῦντας ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπεφήνατο πάντως ἀπολέσθαι; ὅταν θεάσωμαι τῆς μὲν ψυχῆς αὐτῶν, ὥσπερ τινὸς παρέργου, καταφρονοῦντας ὑμᾶς, τῶν δὲ ὄντως περιττῶν, ὡς ἀναγκαίων καὶ προηγουμένων φροντίζοντας; Ὅπως μὲν γὰρ οἰκέτης ἔσται, καὶ ὅπως ἵππος, καὶ ὅπως ἱμάτιον τῷ παιδὶ κάλλιστον, πάντα ποιεῖτε· ὅπως δὲ αὐτὸς γένοιτο καλὸς, οὐδὲ ἐννοῆσαί ποτε ἀνέχεσθε, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύλων καὶ λίθων μέχρι τούτου προάγοντες τὴν σπουδὴν, τὴν ψυχὴν οὐδὲ τοῦ πολλοστοῦ τῆς ἐπιμελείας ταύτης ἀξιοῦτε μέρους· ἀλλ' ἵνα μὲν ἄγαλμα ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἑστήκῃ θαυμαστὸν, καὶ ἡ στέγη γένηται χρυσῆ, πάντα ὑπομένετε· τὸ δὲ πάντων τιμιώτερον ἄγαλμα ἡ ψυχὴ ὅπως γένηται χρυσῆ, οὐδὲ φροντίζειν ἐθέλετε.

ηʹ. Ἀλλ' οὔπω τὸν κολοφῶνα τῶν κακῶν εἶπον, οὐδὲ τὸ κεφάλαιον ἐξεκάλυψα τῆς συμφορᾶς, πολλάκις μὲν ἐλθὼν εἰπεῖν καὶ ἐρυθριάσας, πολλάκις δὲ καὶ αἰσχυνθείς. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τοῦτο; τολμητέον γὰρ ἤδη καὶ λεκτέον αὐτό. Καὶ γὰρ ἀνανδρίας ἂν εἴη πολλῆς, μέλλοντας τι κακὸν ἐξαιρεῖν, μηδὲ φωνὴν ἀφιέναι τολμᾷν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ, ὡς τῆς σιγῆς αὐτομάτως ἰασομένης τὴν νόσον. Οὐ τοίνυν σιγήσομεν, κἂν μυριάκις αἰσχύνεσθαι μέλλωμεν καὶ ἐρυθριᾷν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἰατρὸς μέλλων σηπεδόνα καθαίρειν, παραιτήσεται μεταχειρίσασθαι σίδηρον, καὶ καθεῖναι δακτύλους εἰς αὐτὸν τοῦ τραύματος τὸν πυθμένα· οὐκοῦν οὐδὲ ἡμεῖς τὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων λόγον παραιτησόμεθα, ὅσῳ καὶ χαλεπωτέρα ἡ σηπεδών. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ κακόν; Ἔρως καινός τις καὶ παράνομος εἰς τὸν ἡμέτερον εἰσεκώμασε βίον· νόσημα ἐπέπεσε χαλεπὸν καὶ ἀνίατον· λοιμὸς κατέσκηψε πάντων λοιμῶν χαλεπώτερος· καινή τις παρανομία ἐπενοήθη καὶ ἀφόρητος· οὐ γὰρ οἱ θετοὶ 47.361 μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ τῆς φύσεως ἀνατρέπονται νόμοι. Μικρὸν εἰς ἀσελγείας λόγον πορνεία λοιπόν· καὶ καθάπερ ἐν ταῖς ὀδύναις τὸ τυραννικώτερον πάθος τοῦ προτέρου τὴν αἴσθησιν ἔκρυψεν ἐπελθὸν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ τῆς ὕβρεως ταύτης ὑπερβολὴ οὐκέτι ἀφόρητον ποιεῖ φαίνεσθαι τὸ ἀφόρητον, τὴν περὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ἀσέλγειαν. Ἀγαπητὸν γὰρ εἶναι δοκεῖ τὸ δυνηθῆναι τὰ δίκτυα ταῦτα διαφυγεῖν, καὶ κινδυνεύει λοιπὸν περιττὸν εἶναι τὸ τῶν γυναικῶν γένος, τῶν νέων ἀντ' ἐκείνων πάντα τὰ ἐκείνων πληρούντων. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτό πω δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τολμᾶται τῆς ἀδείας μύσος τοσοῦτον, καὶ νόμος γέγονεν ἡ παρανομία. Οὐδεὶς δέδοικεν, οὐδὲ τρέμει λοιπόν· οὐδεὶς αἰσχύνεται, οὐδὲ ἐρυθριᾷ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζεται τῷ γέλωτι τούτῳ, καὶ μαίνεσθαι δοκοῦσιν οἱ σωφρονοῦντες, καὶ παραπαίειν οἱ νουθετοῦντες· κἂν μὲν ἀσθενέστεροι τύχωσιν ὄντες, συνεκόπησαν ταῖς πληγαῖς· ἂν δὲ δυνατώτεροι, χλευάζονται, γελῶνται, μυρίοις πλύνονται σκώμμασιν. Οὐδὲν ὄφελος δικαστηρίων, οὐδὲ νόμων, οὐδὲ παιδαγωγῶν, οὐ πατέρων, οὐκ ἀκολούθων, οὐ