[The Vain Zeal Which the Heathens and Jews Show in Frequenting Their Temples and Synagogues is a Proper Example and Motive to Excite Christians to Frequent the Church. ]

LX. And how can he be other than an adversary to God, who takes pains about temporary things night and day, but takes no care of things eternal? who takes care of washings and temporary food every day, but does not take care of those that endure for ever? How can such a one even now avoid hearing that word of the Lord, “The Gentiles are justified more than you?”  260  Ezek. xvi. 52. as He says, by way of reproach, to Jerusalem, “Sodom is justified rather than thou.” For if the Gentiles every day, when they arise from sleep, run to their idols to worship them, and before all their work and all their labours do first of all pray to them, and in their feasts and in their solemnities do not keep away, but attend upon them; and not only those upon the place, but those living far distant do the same; and in their public shows all come together, as into a synagogue: in the same manner those which are vainly called Jews, when they have worked six days, on the seventh day rest, and come together into their synagogue, never leaving nor neglecting either rest from labour or assembling together, while yet they are deprived of the efficacy of the word in their unbelief, nay, and of the force of that name Judah, by which they call themselves,—for Judah is interpreted  Confession ,—but these do not confess to God (having unjustly occasioned the suffering on the cross), so as to be saved on their repentance;—if, therefore, those who are not saved frequently assemble together for such purposes as do not profit them, what apology wilt thou make to the Lord God who forsakest His Church, not imitating so much as the heathen, but by such thy absence growest slothful, or turnest apostate, or actest wickedness? To whom the Lord says by Jeremiah: “Ye have not kept my ordinances; nay, ye have not walked according to the ordinances of the heathen, and you have in a manner exceeded them.”  261  Ezek. v. 7, xvi. 47. And again: “Israel has justified his soul more than treacherous Judah.”  262  Jer. iii. 11. And afterwards: “Will the Gentiles change their gods which are not gods?  263  One V. ms. inserts here, “and elsewhere through another.” Wherefore pass over to the isles of Chittim, and behold, and send to Kedar, and observe diligently whether such things have been done. For those nations have not changed their ordinances; but,” says He, “my people has changed its glory for that which will not profit.”  264  Jer. ii. 11, 10. How, therefore, will any one make his apology who has despised or absented himself from the church of God?

[60] Πῶς δὲ οὐ πολέμιος Θεοῦ ὁ περὶ τὰ πρόσκαιρα μὲν νύκτα καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν σπουδάζων, τῶν δὲ αἰωνίων ἀμελῶν; Καὶ λουτρῶν μὲν καὶ προσκαίρου τροφῆς ἑκάστης μεταποιούμενος, τῶν δὲ ἀεὶ παραμενόντων οὐκ ἐπιστρεφόμενος; Πῶς δὲ οὐχὶ καὶ νῦν ἐρεῖ τῷ τοιούτῳ ὁ Κύριος: »Ἐδικαιώθη ὑπὲρ ὑμᾶς τὰ ἔθνη«, ὥσπερ καὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὀνειδίζων ἔλεγεν: »Ἐδικαιώθη Σόδομα ἐκ σοῦ;« Εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἔθνη ἐξ ὕπνου αὐτῶν καθ' ἡμέραν ἀναστάντα τρέχει ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα τοῦ λατρεύειν αὐτοῖς, καὶ πρὸ παντὸς ἔργου καὶ πάσης πράξεως πρῶτον αὐτοῖς προσεύχονται, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἑορταῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς πανηγύρεσιν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀφυστεροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ σχολάζουσιν, οὐχ οἱ τοπικοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ πόρρωθεν οἰκοῦντες, καὶ ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις αὐτῶν ὡς ἐν συναγωγῇ πάντες συνέρχονται. Ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ μάτην λεγόμενοι Ἰουδαῖοι καθ' ἓξ ἡμέρας ἀργοῦντες τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ συνίασιν εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτῶν, οὐδέποτε παραφίοντες ἢ παραμελοῦντες οὔτε τῆς ἀργίας αὐτῶν οὔτε τῆς συναγωγῆς αὐτῶν, οἱ τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ Λόγου ἐν τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ αὐτῶν κενωθέντες, προσέτι δὲ καὶ οὗ ὀνόματος ἑαυτοὺς καλοῦσιν Ἰούδα: Ἰούδας γὰρ ἐξομολόγησις ἑρμηνεύεται, οὗτοι δὲ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐξομολογούμενοι Θεῷ τὸ πάθημα τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρανόμως πεποιηκότες, ἵνα καὶ μεταγνόντες σωθῶσιν. Εἰ οὖν οἱ μὴ σῳζόμενοι ἐν οἷς οὐκ ὠφελοῦνται πυκνάζουσιν, σὺ τί ἂν ἀπολογήσῃ Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ ἀπολειπόμενος καὶ μηδὲ τὰ ἔθνη μιμούμενος, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ ἀπολείπεσθαι ῥᾳθυμῶν ἢ ἀποστατῶν ἢ κακοποιῶν; Οἷς λέγει ὁ Κύριος διὰ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου: »Τὰ δικαιώματά μου οὐκ ἐφυλάξατε, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κατὰ τὰ δικαιώματα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπορεύθητε, παρ' ὀλίγον καὶ ὑπερβάλλετε αὐτούς.« Καὶ πάλιν: »Ἐδικαίωσεν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀσυνθέτου Ἰούδα.« Καὶ ἑξῆς: »Εἰ ἀλλάξονται ἔθνη θεοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ οὗτοι οὐκ εἰσὶν θεοί: ὅτι διέλθετε νήσους Χετιεὶμ καὶ ἴδετε, καὶ εἰς Κηδὰρ ἀποστείλατε καὶ νοήσατε σφόδρα, εἰ γέγονεν τοιαῦτα: ὅτι ἐκεῖνα μὲν οὐκ ἀμείβουσιν τὰ ἑαυτῶν νόμιμα, ὁ δὲ λαός μου, φησίν, ἠλλάξατο τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, ἐξ ἧς οὐκ ὠφεληθήσεται.« Πῶς οὖν ἀπολογήσεταί τις ὀλιγωρήσας ἢ ἐκστὰς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ; Εἰ δέ τις τὴν τοῦ ἔργου τοῦ ἰδίου πρόφασιν ἐπιφέρων ὀλιγωρεῖ προφασιζόμενος προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, γινωσκέτω ὁ τοιοῦτος, ὡς αἱ τέχναι τῶν πιστῶν ἐπέργιά εἰσιν, ἔργον δὲ ἡ θεοσέβεια. Τὰς οὖν τέχνας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν παρέργῳ ποιεῖτε εἰς διατροφὴν ὑμῶν, ἔργῳ δὲ τὴν θεοσέβειαν ἀσκεῖτε, ὡς καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἔλεγεν: »Ἐργάζεσθε μὴ τὴν βρῶσιν τὴν ἀπολλυμένην, ἀλλὰ τὴν μένουσαν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.« Καὶ πάλιν: »Τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσητε εἰς ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος.«