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a furnace, attempting to snatch him from a harsh winter and bring him to anchor in tranquility; then, when the surging sea prevailed and the ship became waterlogged, as she was being shipwrecked, him fleeing the waves and running to the firm rock of chastity, and leaving his garments in her hands, and appearing more brilliant in his nakedness than those who are clothed in purple, and like some radiant champion and trophy-bearer, setting up the trophy of chastity. 22.17 And not even with these things do we end the memory, but proceeding further, we see him again being led away to prison, bound, in squalor, wasting away there for a long time. And for these reasons especially we admire him again, we call him blessed, we are amazed, we praise him. And if someone is chaste, thinking of him he becomes more chaste; and if he is licentious, he is more quickly converted to chastity by the narrative and is made better by the story. 22.18 Therefore, recounting all these things, do not be disturbed, but even profit from what is happening; and let the endurance of those who contend be a teacher of fortitude for you, and seeing the entire life of noble and lofty men woven from such things, be not confused, nor troubled, neither by your own temptations, nor by those common to all; for indeed the Church also was so nourished from the beginning, so it grew. Therefore, be not surprised by anything; for nothing unlikely has happened. 22.19 But just as in worldly affairs, not where there is chaff and grass, nor where there is sand, but where there is gold and pearls, there pirates and wreckers and robbers and burglars continually annoy and plot, so also the devil, wherever he sees spiritual wealth being gathered and an abundance of piety increasing, there he sets up and brings forward his devices. But if those who are plotted against are sober, not only are they not diminished in any way from this, but they also gather a greater wealth of virtue; which is indeed what has happened now.

23.t Ch. 23. That the things which are happening are a very great sign of the Church's success and that these things have benefited many

23.1 And this a very great sign, of the wealth of achievements

and of the courage of the Church, one might make it. For when that wicked demon saw her flourishing, successful, in a brief moment of time raised to a height, much zeal arising in her, both the progress of the successful toward what is better, and the conversion of those living in sins to repentance, the whole world being instructed from this city; he set in motion all his devices and kindled civil wars. 23.2 And just as in the case of Job, now the loss of his possessions, now childlessness, now sickness of the body, now the tongue of his wife, now the reproaches and jests and revilings of his friends, he stirred up against the righteous man and brought every kind of device; so also in the case of the Church, through friends, through enemies, through those numbered among the clergy, through those enrolled in military service, through those honored with the episcopacy, through many and various persons he set in motion his own devices. 23.3 But nevertheless, having contrived so many things, not only did he not shake her, but he even made her more illustrious. For she did not so instruct everyone then, when she was not troubled, as now she teaches the world to endure, to be self-controlled, to bear temptations, to show patience, to despise worldly things, to consider wealth as nothing, to laugh at honor, to disdain death, to despise life, to disregard fatherland, family, friends, relatives, to strip for all kinds of slaughter, to tumble upon swords, all the brilliant things of the present life, I mean honors and glories and

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κάμινον, χειμῶνος ἐξαρπάσαι ἐπιχειροῦντα χαλεποῦ καὶ εἰς τὴν γαλήνην ὁρμίζοντα· εἶτα ἐπειδὴ τὸ κλυδώνιον ὑπερέσχε καὶ ὑπέραντλον τὸ πλοῖον γέγονε, ναυαγούσης ἐκείνης, φεύγοντα τὰ κύματα καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν στερεὰν τῆς σωφροσύνης πέτραν τρέχοντα καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ἐν ταῖς ἐκείνης καταλιμπάνοντα χερσὶ καὶ τῶν τὰς πορφυρίδας περιβεβλημένων λαμπρότερον ἐν τῇ γυμνότητι φαινόμενον καὶ καθάπερ ἀριστέα τινὰ καὶ τροπαιοῦχον φαιδρόν, τὸ τρόπαιον ἱστῶντα τῆς σωφροσύνης. 22.17 Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐν τούτοις καταλύομεν τὴν μνήμην, ἀλλὰ περαιτέρω προϊόντες, ὁρῶμεν αὐτὸν πάλιν εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἀπαγόμενον, δεδεμένον, αὐχμῶντα, πολὺν ἐκεῖ τηκόμενον χρόνον. Καὶ διὰ ταῦτα μάλιστα θαυμάζομεν πάλιν αὐτόν, μακαρίζομεν, ἐκπληττόμεθα, ἐπαινοῦμεν. Κἂν σώφρων τις ᾖ, ἐννοῶν αὐτὸν σωφρονέστερος γίνεται· κἂν ἀκόλαστος, τάχιον τῷ διηγήματι πρὸς σωφροσύνην μεθίσταται καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἱστορίας ἀμείνων καθίσταται. 22.18 Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἅπαντα ἀναλέγοντες, μηδὲν θορυβεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ καὶ κερδαίνετε ἐκ τῶν γινομένων· καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀθλούντων ὑπομονὴ γινέσθω καρτερίας ὑμῖν διδάσκαλος καὶ πάντα τὸν βίον τῶν γενναίων καὶ ὑψηλῶν ἀνδρῶν ὁρῶντες διὰ τοιούτων ὑφαινόμενον, μὴ συγχεῖσθε, μηδὲ ταράττεσθε, μήτε τοῖς ἰδίοις, μήτε τοῖς κοινοῖς πειρασμοῖς· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ Ἐκκλησία ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὕτως ἐτράφη, οὕτως ηὐξήθη. Μηδὲν οὖν ξενίζεσθε· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀπεικὸς γέγονεν. 22.19 Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν βιωτικῶν, οὐκ ἔνθα ἄχυρα καὶ χόρτος, οὐδὲ ἔνθα ἄμμος, ἀλλ' ἔνθα χρυσίον καὶ μαργαρῖται, ἐκεῖ πειραταὶ καὶ καταποντισταὶ καὶ λῃσταὶ καὶ τοιχωρύχοι συνεχῶς ἐνοχλοῦσι καὶ ἐπιβουλεύουσιν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἔνθα ἂν ἴδῃ πλοῦτον συναγόμενον τὸν κατὰ ψυχὴν καὶ εὐπορίαν εὐσεβείας ἐπιτεινομένην, ἐκεῖ τὰ μηχανήματα ἵστησι καὶ προσάγει. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν οἱ ἐπιβουλευόμενοι νήφωσιν, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἐλαττοῦνται ἐντεῦθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μείζονα τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς ἀρετῆς συνάγουσιν· ὃ δὴ καὶ νῦν γέγονε.

23.t Κεφ. κγʹ. Ὅτι μέγιστον σημεῖον τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὰ γινόμενα καὶ πολλοὺς ταῦτα ὠφέλησεν

23.1 Καὶ μέγιστον ἄν τις τοῦτο σημεῖον καὶ τοῦ πλούτου τῶν κατορθωμάτων

καὶ τῆς ἀνδρείας, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ποιήσειεν. Ὅτε γὰρ εἶδεν αὐτὴν ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων ἐκεῖνος ἀνθοῦσαν, εὐδοκιμοῦσαν, ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ πρὸς ὕψος ἀνενεχθεῖσαν, πολλὴν σπουδὴν ἐν αὐτῇ γινομένην καὶ τὴν μὲν τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἐπίδοσιν, τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ζώντων τὴν εἰς μετάνοιαν μετάστασιν, πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης κατηχουμένην· πάντα ἐκίνησεν αὐτοῦ τὰ μηχανήματα καὶ ἐμφυλίους ἀνῆψε πολέμους. 23.2 Καὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ, νῦν μὲν τὴν ἀποβολὴν τῶν χρημάτων, νῦν δὲ τὴν ἀπαιδίαν, νῦν δὲ τὴν ἀρρωστίαν τοῦ σώματος, νῦν δὲ τῆς γυναικὸς τὴν γλῶτταν, νῦν δὲ τῶν φίλων τὰ ὀνείδη καὶ τὰ σκώμματα καὶ τὰς λοιδορίας ἐκίνει κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου καὶ πᾶν εἶδος μηχανημάτων προσῆγεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, διὰ φίλων, δι' ἐχθρῶν, διὰ τῶν εἰς κλῆρον τελούντων, διὰ τῶν εἰς στρατείαν καταλεγομένων, διὰ τῶν ἐπισκοπῇ τετιμημένων, διὰ πολλῶν καὶ παντοδαπῶν προσώπων τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐκίνησεν. 23.3 Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τοσαῦτα μηχανησάμενος, οὐ μόνον αὐτὴν οὐκ ἐσάλευσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπροτέραν ἐποίησεν. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τότε μὴ ἐνοχλουμένη πάντας ἐπαίδευσεν ὡς νῦν τὴν οἰκουμένην διδάσκει καρτερεῖν, ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, φέρειν πειρασμούς, ὑπομονὴν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, καταφρονεῖν τῶν βιωτικῶν, μηδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι πλοῦτον, καταγελᾶν τιμῆς, ὑπερορᾶν θανάτου, καταφρονεῖν ζωῆς, πατρίδα παρορᾶν, οἰκείους, φίλους, συγγενεῖς, πρὸς σφαγὰς ἀποδύεσθαι παντοδαπάς, κατὰ ξιφῶν κυβιστᾶν, τὰ λαμπρὰ ἅπαντα τοῦ παρόντος βίου, τιμὰς λέγω καὶ δόξας καὶ