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worthy of being accused, but also of being crowned; and if he is silent, then to be accused. Since David also, if he had been silent about Goliath, they would not have allowed him to go out to the battle-line, nor to set up that brilliant trophy. For this reason I have already spoken to you many times, and now I say beforehand, no longer advising, but commanding and ordering; let him who wishes, hear, but let him who does not wish, disobey; that if you persist in the evils done by you, I will not endure it, nor will I receive you, nor will I allow you to step on these thresholds. For what need have I of a multitude of sick people? The disciples were twelve, and hear what Christ says to them: Do you also wish to go away? For if we flatter completely, when will we recover ourselves, when will we be of use? But, he says, there are many heresies, and they change their minds. This is a cold saying; Better is one who does the will of the Lord, than ten thousand transgressors. Since what do you want, tell me, to have ten thousand runaway and thieving servants, or one who is well-disposed? Let him who wishes, leap away, I endure no one. These words have corrupted everything; that he may depart, he says, and be transferred to another heresy. He is weak, condescend. Until when? For how long? Once and twice and thrice? Not forever? Behold, I command again and testify according to the blessed Paul, that, If I come again, I will not spare. And when I am about to be judged at the tribunal of Christ, you too will stand far off and the favor from you, while I render my accounts. So it is profitable for those who sin to be bitten by the pain of words, so that they may be delivered from the shame of deeds. I know that we are all under penances, and that no one will boast of having a pure heart; but this is not the terrible thing, that we do not have a pure heart, but that not having such, we do not even approach the one who is able to make it 63.615 pure. I know that the words sting; but what am I to do? if we do not apply bitter medicines, the wounds will not be removed; if we do apply bitter ones, you do not bear the pain. I am in a strait on all sides. But nevertheless it is necessary to hold back the hand for the future; for the things that have been said are sufficient for the correction of those who pay attention. But if we remain uncorrected, we will be delivered into the very hands of the judge; and you know for certain, how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God. For he who has accomplished nothing at all is idle and quickly despairs; but he who is conscious in himself that he has fulfilled at least one commandment, becoming hopeful from this, will proceed again with greater zeal to the remaining ones; then having taken on another, he will stand upon another. For if in the case of money, the more one acquires, the more one desires; much more might one see this happening in the case of spiritual achievements. For this reason I beg and implore you, remember these my words not only on the present day, but also at home and in the marketplace, and wherever you may be. If only it were possible for me to be with you always, and I would not have needed this long accusation; but now, since this is not possible, remember my words in my stead; and when you are sitting at table, consider that I am coming in and standing by, and that these things which I now say here are ringing in your ears. And wherever any word about me should arise among you, in place of all things remember this commandment; and render this to me as the reward for my love for you. And this we advise, not only to those who speak evil, but also to those who listen to others conversing, to shut their ears, and to imitate the prophet who says: Him that secretly slanders his neighbor, him I drove out. And say to the accuser: If you had someone to praise and eulogize, I would have opened my ears, and I would have received the word; but if you wish to speak evil, I block the entrance to your words; for I do not endure receiving dung and mire. For what profit is it to me to learn that so-and-so is wicked? The greatest harm, therefore, 63.616 and the utmost loss comes from this. For what defense or pardon shall we have, when not even taking our own affairs into mind, thus the affairs of others

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ἐγκαλεῖσθαι ἄξιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ στεφανοῦσθαι· κἂν σιγᾷ, τότε ἐγκαλεῖσθαι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ, εἰ ἐσίγησεν ἐπὶ τοῦ Γολιὰθ, οὐκ ἂν εἴασαν αὐτὸν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν παράταξιν, οὐδὲ τὸ λαμπρὸν ἐκεῖνο στῆσαι τρόπαιον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἤδη διελέχθην ὑμῖν πολλάκις, καὶ νῦν προλέγω, οὐκέτι παραινῶν, ἀλλ' ἐπιτάττων καὶ παραγγέλλων· ὁ βουλόμενος ἀκουέτω, ὁ δὲ μὴ βουλόμενος, ἀπειθείτω· ὅτι ἂν ἐπιμείνητε τοῖς παρ' ὑμῶν γινομένοις κακοῖς, οὐκ ἀνέξομαι, οὐδὲ δέξομαι ὑμᾶς, οὐδὲ ἀφήσω τῶν οὐδῶν ἐπιβῆναι τούτων. Τί γάρ μοι δεῖ πλήθους νοσούντων; ∆ώδεκα ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς πρὸς αὐτούς· Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε ὑπάγειν; Ἂν γὰρ δι' ὅλου κολακεύωμεν, πότε ἀνακτησόμεθα, πότε ὠφελήσομεν; Ἀλλ' εἰσὶ, φησὶν, αἱρέσεις πολλαὶ, καὶ μετατίθενται. Ψυχρὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος· Κρείσσων εἷς ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα Κυρίου, ἢ μυρίοι παράνομοι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ τί βούλει, εἰπέ μοι, μυρίους δραπέτας ἔχειν καὶ κλέπτας οἰκέτας, ἢ ἕνα εὔνουν; Ὁ βουλόμενος ἀποπηδάτω, οὐκ ἀνέχομαι οὐδενός. Ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα τὰ πάντα διέφθειρεν· ἵνα ἀπέλθῃ, φησὶ, καὶ μετατεθῇ πρὸς ἑτέραν αἵρεσιν Ἀσθενής ἐστι, συγκατάβηθι. Μέχρι τίνος; μέχρι πότε; ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρίς; μὴ διαπαντός; Ἰδοὺ παρεγγυῶ πάλιν καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, ὅτι, Ἂν ἔλθω εἰς τὸ πάλιν, οὐ φείσομαι. Καὶ ὅταν μέλλω κρίνεσθαι ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, μακρὰν καὶ ὑμεῖς στήσεσθε καὶ ἡ παρ' ὑμῶν χάρις, ἐμοῦ τὰς εὐθύνας παρέχοντος. Ὥστε συμφέρει δάκνεσθαι διὰ τῆς τῶν ῥημάτων ἀλγηδόνος τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, ἵνα τῆς διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων αἰσχύνης ἀπαλλαγῶσιν. Οἶδα ὅτι πάντες ἐσμὲν ἐν ἐπιτιμίοις, καὶ ὅτι οὐδεὶς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν· ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ δεινὸν, ὅτι ἁγνὴν καρδίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοιαύτην μὴ ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ τῷ δυναμένῳ ποιῆσαι ταύ 63.615 την ἁγνὴν προσερχόμεθα. Οἶδα ὅτι δάκνει τὰ ῥήματα· ἀλλὰ τί πάθω; εἰ μὴ πικρὰ ἐπιθῶμεν τὰ φάρμακα, τὰ τραύματα οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται· ἂν πικρὰ ἐπιθῶμεν, ὑμεῖς τὴν ὀδύνην οὐ φέρετε. Στενά μοι πάντοθεν. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ ἀναγκαῖον ἀνασχεῖν τὴν χεῖρα λοιπόν· καὶ γὰρ ἱκανὰ τὰ εἰρημένα πρὸς διόρθωσιν τῶν προσεχόντων. Ἂν δὲ ἀδιόρθωτοι μείνωμεν, εἰς αὐτὰς τὰς τοῦ κριτοῦ παραδοθησόμεθα χεῖρας· ἴστε δὲ πάντως, ὡς φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας Θεοῦ ζῶντος. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μηδὲν κατωρθωκὼς ὅλως ῥᾳθυμεῖ καὶ ἀναπίπτει ταχέως· ὁ δὲ συνειδὼς ἑαυτῷ, ὅτι μίαν γοῦν ἐντολὴν ἐπλήρωσέ τινα, εὔελπις ἀπὸ ταύτης γενόμενος, μετὰ πλείονος σπουδῆς ἐπὶ τὰς λοιπὰς βαδιεῖται πάλιν· εἶτα ἑτέραν προσλαβὼν ἐφ' ἑτέραν ἀποστήσεται. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν χρημάτων ὅσῳπερ ἄν τις πλείονα περιβάληται, τοσούτῳ πλειόνων ἐφίεται· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν κατορθωμάτων τοῦτο συμβαῖνον ἴδοι τις ἄν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ, τούτων μου τῶν ῥημάτων μὴ κατὰ τὴν παροῦσαν ἡμέραν μέμνησθε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς, καὶ ὅπουπερ ἂν διατρίβητε. Εἴθε μοι δυνατὸν ἦν ὑμῖν ἀεὶ συγγίνεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἄν μοι τῆς μακρᾶς ταύτης ἐδέησε κατηγορίας· νῦν δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔνι, ἀντ' ἐμοῦ τῶν ἐμῶν μέμνησθε ῥημάτων· καὶ ἐπὶ τραπέζης καθήμενοι, ἐπεισιέναι με νομίζετε καὶ παρεστάναι, καὶ ταῦτα ἐνηχεῖν, ἅπερ ἐνταῦθα λέγω νῦν. Καὶ ὅπουπερ ἂν περὶ ἐμοῦ λόγος γένηται ὑμῖν, ἀντὶ πάντων ταύτης μέμνησθε τῆς ἐντολῆς· καὶ ταύτην μοι τῆς περὶ ὑμᾶς ἀγάπης ἀπόδοτε τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ παραινοῦμεν, οὐ τοῖς κακῶς μόνον λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἀκούουσι διαλεγομένων ἑτέρων, τὰς ἀκοὰς ἀποφράττειν, καὶ τὸν προφήτην μιμεῖσθαι τὸν λέγοντα· Τὸν καταλαλοῦντα λάθρα τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, τοῦτον ἐξεδίωκον. Καὶ εἰπὲ πρὸς τὸν κατηγοροῦντα. Εἰ εἶχες ἐπαινέσαι τινὰ καὶ ἐγκωμιάσαι, ἤνοιξα ἂν τὰς ἀκοὰς, καὶ ἐδεξάμην τὸν λόγον· ἂν δὲ κακῶς θέλῃς εἰπεῖν, ἀποφράττω τὴν εἴσοδον τοῖς ῥήμασιν· οὐ γὰρ ἀνέχομαι κόπρον καὶ βόρβορον δέχεσθαι. Τί γάρ μοι κέρδος μαθεῖν ὅτι πονηρὸς ὁ δεῖνα; Μέγιστον μὲν οὖν 63.616 ἀπὸ τούτου βλάβος καὶ ἐσχάτη ζημία. Ποίαν γὰρ ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν ἢ συγγνώμην, ὅταν τὰ ἡμέτερα μηδὲ εἰς νοῦν λαμβάνοντες, οὕτω τὰ ἀλλότρια