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It went forth, not remaining within, in order that it might show the lawlessness and the measure and the talent of lead that was lifted up. What each of these signifies, it is good to pause and consider. 1.363 Therefore, the measure shown going forth is the fullness of all wickedness and impiety; which, not yet belonging “to the Amorites and the other nations,” did not punish the aforementioned nations, which suffered punishment then when their sins were filled up, with no form of wrongdoing being absent, according to what was said about certain ones: “Woe, sinful nation, a people full of sins.” 1.364 In the same way also it was said concerning those who were filled with adulterous desire for the most chaste Susanna: “And the two elders came, full of lawless thought.” And concerning Elymas the magician, the Apostle spoke aptly, delivering his rebukes to him most stingingly: “O full of all deceit and all villainy, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?” 1.365 This interpretation is established especially from what the Savior said to the Jews who said: “If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets. So you testify against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets; fill up, then, you also the measure of your fathers.” 1.366 For even if they committed countless murderous offenses against the prophets, yet there remained for the filling up of the measure of their impieties the audacity against Jesus who said these things, by which they encompassed him with a cross; for then, then was the measure of their impiety filled up, when along with those who had prophesied they condemned to death the one who was prophesied. 1.367 Just as, then, there is a measure of sins for those who are to be punished, so also there is a measure of good works and thoughts for those who have chosen a virtuous life, fashioned according to piety. And this measure is filled when no righteous purpose and holiness is lacking. 1.368 Regarding these two orders, the good and the evil, the Savior said: “With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” For to those who have filled up the praiseworthy measure are measured in addition promises which man “has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor have they entered into the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love him.” But to those who have filled the blameworthy and accursed measure of the worst works and words and thoughts, punishment is measured back, brought on according to what is deserved, so that one goes out “into the outer darkness,” and another goes away “into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” 1.369 Consider whether the Savior spoke concerning both measures or only that of righteous works: “A good measure, shaken together, pressed down, overflowing, they will give into your lap,” ...your governing faculty. 1.370 But perhaps it was said only concerning that of the virtuous, since the judge gives a reward a hundredfold and greater than “what we ask or think,” it not being logical for a measure to be given to those whose every lawlessness the knower of hearts, who understands the mind of all, does not observe, giving to such a measure not shaken, not pressed down, not overflowing, but lacking and unfulfilled, so to speak, of the mercy and goodness of him “who examines the sons of men with his eyelids.” 1.371 In the middle of the blameworthy measure one woman was seen sitting, being none other than lawlessness and the opposing power that suggests it. For the prophet himself said, pointing to this woman: “This is the lawlessness of all the earth,” by which I mean of humanity, which he also called unrighteousness: “For everyone who practices unrighteousness,” he says, “also practices lawlessness, and lawlessness is sin.” 1.372 Consequently, the one being initiated sees a talent of lead being lifted up and the woman, having been lifted up, thrown into the middle of the measure, being lawlessness. But why not

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ἐξῆλθεν, ἔνδον οὐ μένων, ἵνα δείξῃ τὴν ἀνομίαν καὶ τὸ μέτρον καὶ τὸ τάλαντον τοῦ ἐξαιρομένου μολίβου. Τί δὲ τούτων ἕκαστον σημαίνει, καλὸν ἐπιστήσαντα θεωρῆσαι. 1.363 Ἔστι τοίνυν τὸ δεικνύμενον ἐκπορευόμενον μέτρον, τὸ πλήρωμα πάσης κακίας καὶ ἀσεβείας· ὅπερ οὔπω ὑπάρχον «τοῖς Ἀμορραίοις καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν», οὐκ ἐκόλαζεν τὰ ὠνομασμένα ἔθνη, τότε τιμωρίαν ὑφιστάμενα ὅταν ἀναπληρωθῶσιν αὐτῶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, οὐδενὸς εἴδους ἀδικήματος ἀπόντος, κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν περί τινων· «Οὐαὶ ἔθνος ἁμαρτωλόν, λαο`̣ς πλήρης ἁμαρτιῶν.» 1.364 Τῷ αὐτῷ τρόπῳ καὶ περὶ τῶν πλησθέντων κατὰ Σωσάννης τῆς σωφρονεστάτης ἔρωτι μο̣ιχικῷ εἴρηται· «Ἦλθον δὲ καὶ οἱ δύο πρεσβύτεροι πλήρεις ἀνόμου ἐννο̣ίας.» Καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἐλύμα δὲ τοῦ μάγου εὐθυβόλως ὁ Ἀπόστολοςεἶπεν, πληκτικώτατα προφέρων τοὺς ἐλεγμοὺς αὐτῷ· «Ὦ πλήρης δόλου καὶ πάσης ῥᾳδιουργίας, υἱὲ διαβόλου, ἐχθρὲ πάσης δικαιοσύνης, οὐ παύῃ διασ̣τ̣ρ̣ε´̣φων τὰς ὁδοὺς Κυρίου τὰς εὐθείας;» 1.365 Κατασκευάζεται δὲ ἡ θεωρία αὕτη μάλιστα ἐξ ὧν εἶπεν ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς εἰποῦσιν Ἰουδαίοις· «Εἰ ἦμεν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἤμεθα κοινωνοὶ αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ αἵματι τῶν προφητῶν. Ὥστε μαρτυρεῖτε ὅτι υἱοί ἐστε τῶν ἀποκτεινάντων τοὺς προφήτας· πληρώσατε οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς τὸ μέτρον τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν.» 1.366 Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μυρία κατὰ τῶν προφητῶν φονικῶς ἐπλημμέλησαν, ἀλλ' οὖν ἔλιπεν πρὸς ἀναπλήρωσιν τοῦ μέτρου τῶν ἀσεβημάτων ἡ κατὰ τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος Ἰησοῦ τόλμα καθ' ἣν σταυρῷ αὐτὸν περιβεβλήκασιν· τότε γὰρ τότε τὸ μέτρον τῆς δυσσεβείας αὐτῶν πεπλήρωται, ὅτε σὺν τοῖς προφητεύσασιν τὸν προφητευθέντα κατέκριναν θανάτῳ. 1.367 Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐστιν μέτρον ἁμαρτημάτων τοῖς κολαστέοις, οὕτω καὶ μέτρον ἀγαθῶν ἔργων καὶ φρονημάτων τοῖς τὸν σπουδαῖον καὶ κατ' εὐσέβειαν πεποιωμένον βίον ἑλομένοις. Πληροῦται δὲ καὶ τὸ μέτρον τοῦτο ὅταν μηδεμία δικαία γνώμη καὶ ὁσιότης ἀπῇ. 1.368 Πρὸς τὰ δύο τάγματα ταῦτα, τό τε ἀγαθὸν καὶ πονηρόν, ὁ Σωτὴρ εἶπεν· «Ὧι μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν.» Τοῖς γὰρ τὸ ἐπαινετὸν πληρώσασιν μέτρον ἐπιμετροῦνται ἐπαγγελίαι ἃς ἄνθρωπος «οὐκ εἶδεν οὐδὲ ἤκουσεν οὐδ' ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβησαν, ἑτοιμασθεῖσαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν.» Τοῖς δὲ τὸ ψεκτὸν καὶ ἐπάρατον χειρίσ̣των ἔργων λόγων τε καὶ νοημάτων ἀντιμετρεῖται ἡ κόλασις κατ' ἀξίαν ἐπιφερομένη, ὡς τὸν μὲν ἐξελθεῖν «εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον», τὸν δ' ἀπιέναι «εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ». 1.369 Ἐπίστησον εἰ κατ' α᾿̣μφοτέρων τῶν μέτρων ἢ μόνου τοῦ τῶν δικαίων ἔργων εἶπεν ὁ Σωτήρ· «Μέτρον καλόν, σεσαλευμένον, πεπιεσμένον, ὑπ̣ερεκχυννόμενον δώσουσιν εἰς τὸν κόλπον ὑμῶν», τ̣·····η̣ν τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ὑμῶν. 1.370 Τάχα δὲ περὶ τοῦ τῶν σπο̣υ̣δ̣α̣ίων μόνου εἴρηται, ἑκατονταπλασίονα καὶ μείζονα «ὧν αἰτοῦμεν καὶ νοοῦμεν» διδόντος τοῦ κριτοῦ τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν, οὐκ ὄντος ἀκολούθου δίδοσθαι μέτρον τοῖς ὧν μὴ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας παρατηρεῖται ὁ καρδιογνώστης καὶ πάντων τὸν νοῦν ἐπιστάμενος, μέτρον διδοὺς τοῖς τοιούτοις οὐ σαλευόμενον, οὐ πιεζόμενον, οὐχ ὑπερεκχυννόμενον, ἀλλ' ἐλλεῖπον καὶ ἀπλήρωτον, ἵν' οὕτω φράσω, ἀπὸ ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ ἀγαθότητος «τοῦ βλεφάροις ἐξετάζοντος τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων». 1.371 Εἰς τὸ μέσον τοῦ ἐπιψόγου μέτρου μία γυνὴ ὤφθη καθημένη, οὐκ ἄλλη τῆς ἀνομίας οὖσα καὶ τῆς ὑποβαλλούσης αὐτὴν ἀντικειμένης δυνάμεως. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ προφήτης εἶπεν, δακτυλοδεικτῶν ταύτην τὴν γυναῖκα· «Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία πάσης τῆς γῆς», φημὶ δὲ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος, ἣν καὶ ἀδικίαν ὠνόμασεν· «Πᾶς γάρ, φησίν, ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἀδικίαν καὶ τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ, καὶ ἡ ἀνομία ἐστὶν ἡ ἁμαρτία.» 1.372 Ἑπομένως ὁρᾷ ὁ μυσταγωγούμενος ἐξαιρόμενον μολίβου τάλαντον καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ἐξηρμένην ῥερῖφθαι ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ μέτρου, οὖσαν ἀνομίαν. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ οὐχ