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to consider power and luxury to be more worthless than spring flowers. 23.4 And these things not one teaches alone, nor two and three, but the whole people, and not through words only, but also through deeds by which they suffer, by which they conquer, by which they prevail over those who plot against them, by which they endure all things more steadfastly than adamant and more strongly than rock, not moving weapons, not stirring up war, not shooting a bow, nor arrows, but each one clothed with a wall of patience, of carefulness, of gentleness, of courage, by suffering ill putting to shame those who do it from great superiority.

24.t Chapter 24. That those who have transgressed these things also from here the penalty

they pay

24.1 Now therefore these, with a cheerful countenance, with free eyes, using unspeakable boldness, burst into the marketplace, move about in houses, go over to the assembly; but those who did these things, at each of the devices which they bring forth, covering their faces and having an evil conscience within, trembling, fearing, thus go about. 24.2 And just as the beasts that are hard to kill, after a first and second blow, falling more violently upon the points of the spears, push a more grievous blow against themselves, receiving the wounds into their very vitals; and the waves, being broken on the rocks, with more violent rush destroy and dissolve themselves; so also these men, by the things through which they plot, dig the pits for themselves rather than for others. 24.3 For those who are plotted against throughout the world have lovers, praisers, admirers, proclaimers, crowners, those who know, those who do not know, those learning their affairs from the deeds, those from report, countless who suffer with them, those who contend with them, all who pray together with them for good things; but those who plot have as many who hate them and many more, accusers, slanderers, those who convict, those who put to shame, those who utter countless curses, those who desire to see them in punishment and vengeance. 24.4 And these things are here; but the things there, what word will represent? For if someone who has scandalized one person is condemned to so great a punishment, that it is better for a millstone to be hung upon his neck and for him to be drowned in the sea; consider how many penalties these men will pay in that terrible tribunal then, how many punishments they will undergo, as far as it depended on them, having disturbed the whole world, having overthrown so many Churches, having warred against so great a peace, having set countless scandals everywhere? 24.5 But those who suffered what they suffered from them, will stand with the martyrs, with the apostles, with the noble and lofty men, shining from their right actions, from their sufferings, from their crowns, from their prizes, from their great boldness. 24.6 And they will see them being punished, but to snatch them from the punishment, even if they should wish ten thousand times, they will not be able; but these will make supplication, and they will profit nothing. For if he who passed by one poor man, Lazarus, underwent so great a penalty and received no comfort, what will these men suffer, who have persecuted and scandalized so many? 24.7 Considering all these things therefore, and gathering from the divine Scriptures as many things as are similar to these, preparing for yourselves a safe wall, and for the weaker yet these narratives as medicines, stand firm and unmoveable, awaiting the good things laid up for you. 24.8 For certainly, certainly a reward will be laid up for you, not equal to the labors, but from great abundance unspeakable. For such is the philanthropic God; with great generosity those doing something good

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δυναστείαν καὶ τρυφήν, τῶν ἠρινῶν ἀνθῶν εὐτελέστερα εἶναι νομίζειν. 23.4 Καὶ ταῦτα οὐχ εἷς παιδεύει μόνον, οὐδὲ δύο καὶ τρεῖς, ἀλλὰ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς καὶ οὐ διὰ ῥημάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ πραγμάτων δι' ὧν πάσχουσι, δι' ὧν νικῶσι, δι' ὧν περιγίνονται τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων, δι' ὧν ἀδάμαντος στερρότερον καὶ πέτρας ἰσχυρότερον ἅπαντα στέγουσιν, οὐχ ὅπλα κινοῦντες, οὐ πόλεμον ἀναρριπίζοντες, οὐ τόξον, οὐ βέλη ἀφιέντες, ἀλλ' ὑπομονῆς τεῖχος ἕκαστος περιβεβλημένος, ἐμμελείας, πραότητος, ἀνδρείας, τῷ πάσχειν κακῶς τοὺς ποιοῦντας ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος καταισχύνοντες.

24.t Κεφ. κδʹ. Ὅτι οἱ ταῦτα παρανομήσαντες καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δίκην

διδόασι

24.1 Νῦν γοῦν οὗτοι μὲν φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ, ἐλευθέροις τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, παρρησίᾳ ἀφάτῳ κεχρημένοι, εἰς ἀγορὰν ἐμβάλλουσιν, ἐν οἰκίαις στρέφονται, πρὸς τὴν σύναξιν αὐτομολοῦσιν· οἱ δὲ ταῦτα ἐργασάμενοι, καθ' ἕκαστον τῶν μηχανημάτων ὧν προσάγουσιν, ἐγκαλυπτόμενοι καὶ πονηρὸν ἔνδον ἔχοντες συνειδός, τρέμοντες, δεδοικότες, οὕτω περιίασι. 24.2 Καὶ καθάπερ τὰ δυσθάνατα τῶν θηρίων μετὰ προτέραν καὶ δευτέραν πληγὴν σφοδροτέρως ἐπιπίπτοντα ταῖς αἰχμαῖς τῶν δοράτων, χαλεπωτέραν καθ' ἑαυτῶν ὠθεῖ τὴν πληγήν, τὰ τραύματα εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ σπλάγχνα δεχόμενα· καὶ τὰ κύματα ταῖς πέτραις ῥηγνύμενα, τῇ σφοδροτέρᾳ ῥύμῃ ἑαυτὰ ἀφανίζει καὶ διαλύει· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτοι δι' ὧν ἐπιβουλεύουσιν, ἑαυτοῖς μᾶλλον ἢ ἑτέροις τὰ βάραθρα ἀνορύττουσιν. 24.3 Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιβουλευόμενοι τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἐραστὰς ἔχουσιν, ἐπαινέτας, θαυμαστάς, ἀνακηρύττοντας, στεφανοῦντας, τοὺς εἰδότας, τοὺς οὐκ εἰδότας, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων, τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς φήμης τὰ ἐκείνων μανθάνοντας, τοὺς συναλγοῦντας μυρίους, τοὺς συναγωνιζομένους, τοὺς τὰ χρηστὰ συνευχομένους αὐτοῖς πάντας· οἱ δὲ ἐπιβουλεύοντες τοὺς μισοῦντας τοσούτους καὶ πολλῷ πλείους, τοὺς κατηγόρους, τοὺς διαβάλλοντας, τοὺς ἐλέγχοντας, τοὺς καταισχύνοντας, τοὺς ἐπαρωμένους μυρία, τοὺς ἐπιθυμοῦντας αὐτοὺς ἰδεῖν ἐν κολάσει καὶ τιμωρίᾳ. 24.4 Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐνταῦθα· τὰ δὲ ἐκεῖ ποῖος παραστήσει λόγος; Εἰ γὰρ ἕνα τις σκανδαλίσας τοσαύτῃ κολάσει κατακρίνεται, ὡς συμφέρειν μύλον κρεμασθῆναι ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ καταποντισθῆναι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν· ἐννόησον πόσας δώσουσιν οὗτοι δίκας ἐν τῷ φοβερῷ δικαστηρίῳ τότε ἐκείνῳ, πόσας ὑποστήσονται τιμωρίας, τό γε εἰς αὐτοὺς ἧκον, τὴν οἰκουμένην ταράξαντες ἅπασαν, τοσαύτας ἀνατρέψαντες Ἐκκλησίας, τοσαύτῃ πολεμήσαντες εἰρήνῃ, μυρία πανταχοῦ σκάνδαλα θέντες; 24.5 Οἱ δὲ παρ' ἐκείνων παθόντες ἅπερ ἔπαθον, μετὰ τῶν μαρτύρων, μετὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων, μετὰ τῶν γενναίων καὶ ὑψηλῶν ἀνδρῶν στήσονται, λάμποντες ἀπὸ τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ἀπὸ τῶν παθῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν στεφάνων, ἀπὸ τῶν βραβείων, ἀπὸ τῆς πολλῆς παρρησίας. 24.6 Καὶ ὄψονται μὲν αὐτοὺς κολαζομένους, ἐξαρπάσαι δέ, κἂν μυριάκις βουληθῶσι, τῆς κολάσεως οὐ δυνήσονται· ἀλλὰ θήσουσι μὲν ἱκετηρίαν οὗτοι, οὐδὲν δὲ ὀνήσουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ πένητα ἕνα παραδραμὼν τὸν Λάζαρον τοσαύτην ὑπέμεινε δίκην καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ἔτυχε παραμυθίας, τί πείσονται οὗτοι, τοσούτους διώξαντες καὶ σκανδαλίσαντες; 24.7 Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα λογιζόμενοι καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ἐοικότα ἀπὸ τῶν θείων συλλέγοντες Γραφῶν, ἑαυτοῖς μὲν τεῖχος ἀσφαλές, τοῖς δὲ ἀσθενεστέροις ἔτι φάρμακα ταῦτα κατασκευάζοντες τὰ διηγήματα, στήκετε ἑδραῖοι καὶ ἀμετακίνητοι, τὰ ὑποκείμενα ὑμῖν ἀγαθὰ ἀναμένοντες. 24.8 Πάντως γάρ, πάντως κείσεται ὑμῖν ἀμοιβή, οὐ τῶν πόνων ἴση, ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος ἄφατος. Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεός· μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς φιλοτιμίας τοὺς ἀγαθόν τι