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all these things leading us away from the matter. For this is truly a passion; and just as the body suffers, or has a fever or is wounded, so also is this. And he did not say, Restrain, but, Mortify, so that it may not rise again; and put away. What is mortified, we put away; for example, if there are calluses on the body, the body is dead, and we put it away. But if you cut it while it is alive, it causes pain; but if it is deadened, we do not even feel it. So it is also with the passions; it makes the soul unclean, it makes the immortal soul subject to passion. How covetousness is called idolatry, we have often said. For the things that most tyrannize the human race are these: covetousness and licentiousness and evil desire. For which things' sake, he says, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. He calls them sons of disobedience, depriving them of pardon, and showing that it is because of not being persuaded that they are in these things. In which you also, he says, once walked, and were persuaded. He shows them to be still in them, and praises them, saying thus: But now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language. Not against them, but against others he directs his discourse, so as not to wound. And he calls revilings blasphemies, just as he calls wrath wickedness. And elsewhere, to cause shame, that We are members of one another. As it were, he makes them craftsmen of men, some casting away, others receiving. He said there, The members; here, All things, he says: the heart, wrath, the mouth, 62.357 blasphemy, the eyes, fornication, covetousness, hands and feet, lying, the thought itself, and the old mind. It has one royal form, that of Christ. These seem to me to be rather from the Gentiles, to whom he also addresses himself, showing that the members have one royal form, even if one is greater and the other less. For just as earth, being sand, first losing its own form, later becomes golden; and just as wool, whatever it may be, receives another appearance, and has hidden the former one; so indeed also the faithful one. Forbearing, he says, one another. He showed what is just: you forbear him, and he you; which he says in the one to the Galatians, Bear one another's burdens. And be thankful, he says. Indeed, he seeks this everywhere; for this is the chief of good things. 5. Let us therefore give thanks in all things, whatever may happen; for this is thanksgiving. For to do this in prosperity is not a great thing; for the very nature of the circumstances pushes one to this; but when we give thanks while in the most extreme circumstances, then it is wonderful. For when for those things for which others blaspheme and despair, we give thanks, see how great the philosophy is. First, you have gladdened God; second, you have shamed the devil; third, you have even shown what has happened to be nothing; for at the same time you both give thanks, and God cuts short the pain, and the devil departs. For if you despair, since he has accomplished what he wanted, he stands by, and God, since he has been blasphemed, forsakes you, and the terrible thing is intensified; but if you give thanks, since he gains nothing, he departs, and God, since he has been honored, honors you in return more greatly; and it is not possible for a man who gives thanks for evils to be sensible of the evils. For the soul rejoices since it is succeeding, it immediately has a bright conscience, it is gladdened by its own praises; and it is not possible for the bright soul to be gloomy. But in that case, with the misfortune, the conscience also lies upon it, scourging it; but in this case it crowns and proclaims. Nothing is holier than that tongue which in evils gives thanks to God; truly it lacks nothing of the martyrs'; both this one and that one are crowned alike. For over this one also stands an executioner compelling it to deny God through blasphemy, the devil stands over it, tearing it with executioner's reasonings, with despondencies

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πάντων τούτων ἀπάγων ἡμᾶς τοῦ πράγματος. Πάθος γὰρ ὄντως τοῦτό ἐστι· καὶ καθάπερ τὸ σῶμα πάσχει, ἢ πυρέττει ἢ τραυματίζεται, οὕτω καὶ τοῦτο. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπίσχετε, ἀλλὰ, Νεκρώσατε, ὥστε μηδὲ ἀναστῆναι λοιπόν· καὶ ἀπόθεσθε. Τὸ νεκρούμενον ἀποτιθέμεθα· οἷον, τύλοι ἂν ὦσιν ἐν τῷ σώματι, τὸ σῶμα νεκρόν ἐστι, καὶ ἀποτιθέμεθα αὐτό. Ἀλλὰ ἐὰν μὲν ζῶν κόψῃς, ἀλγηδόνα παρέχει· ἂν δὲ νενεκρωμένον, οὐδὲ αἰσθανόμεθα. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν παθῶν· ἀκάθαρτον ποιεῖ τὴν ψυχὴν, παθητὴν ποιεῖ τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἀθάνατον. Πῶς εἰδωλολατρεία εἴρηται ἡ πλεονεξία, πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν. Τὰ τυραννοῦντα γὰρ μάλιστα τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, ταῦτά ἐστι, πλεονεξία καὶ ἀκολασία καὶ ἐπιθυμία κακή. ∆ι' ἃ ἔρχεται, φησὶν, ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας. Υἱοὺς ἀπειθείας λέγει, ἀποστερῶν αὐτοὺς συγγνώμης, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι παρὰ τὸ μὴ πεισθῆναι ἐν τούτοις εἰσίν. Ἐν οἷς καὶ ὑμεῖς, φησὶ, περιεπατήσατέ ποτε, καὶ ἐπείσθητε. ∆είκνυσιν αὐτοὺς ἔτι ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐγκωμιάζει οὕτω λέγων· Νυνὶ δὲ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀπόθεσθε τὰ πάντα, ὀργὴν, θυμὸν, κακίαν. βλασφημίαν, αἰσχρολογίαν. Οὐκ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἐφ' ἑτέρους προάγει τὸν λόγον, ὥστε μὴ πλῆξαι. Καὶ βλασφημίας δὲ τὰς λοιδορίας λέγει, καθάπερ θυμὸν τὴν πονηρίαν καλεῖ. Ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ ἐντρεπτικῶς, ὅτι Ἀλλήλων ἐσμὲν μέλη. Ὥσπερ δημιουργοὺς αὐτοὺς κατασκευάζει τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τὸν μὲν ῥιπτούντων, τὸν δὲ δεχομένων. Εἶπεν ἐκεῖ, Τὰ μέλη, ἐνταῦθα, Πάντα, φησὶ, τὴν καρδίαν, τὸν θυμὸν, τὸ στόμα, τὴν 62.357 βλασφημίαν, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, τὴν πορνείαν, τὴν πλεονεξίαν, χεῖρας καὶ πόδας, ψεῦδος, τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτὴν, καὶ τὸν νοῦν τὸν παλαιόν. Μίαν ἔχει μορφὴν βασιλικὴν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ∆οκοῦσί μοι ἐξ ἐθνῶν εἶναι μᾶλλον οὗτοι, πρὸς οὓς καὶ ἀποτείνεται, δεικνὺς ὅτι μίαν ἔχει μορφὴν βασιλικὴν τὰ μέλη, κἂν ὁ μὲν μείζων ᾗ, ὁ δὲ ἐλάττων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡ γῆ ψάμμος οὖσα τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπολλῦσα πρότερον μορφὴν, ὕστερον χρυσῆ γίνεται· καὶ καθάπερ τὰ ἔρια, οἷα ἂν ᾖ, ἑτέραν δέχεται ὄψιν, καὶ τὴν προτέραν ἔκρυψεν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ πιστός. Ἀνεχόμενοι, φησὶν, ἀλλήλων. Ἔδειξε τὸ δίκαιον· ἀνέχου σὺ ἐκείνου, καὶ ἐκεῖνός σου· ὅπερ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας φησὶν, Ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε. Καὶ εὐχάριστοι, φησὶ, γίνεσθε. Μάλιστα μὲν πανταχοῦ τοῦτο ζητεῖ· τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν γὰρ τοῦτό ἐστιν. εʹ. Εὐχαριστῶμεν τοίνυν ἐν πᾶσιν, ὅπερ ἂν γένηται· τοῦτο γὰρ εὐχαριστία. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῇ εὐπραγίᾳ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, οὐ μέγα· αὐτὴ γὰρ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ φύσις ἐπὶ τοῦτο ὠθεῖ· ὅταν δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ὄντες εὐχαριστῶμεν, τότε ἐστὶ θαυμαστόν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐφ' οἷς ἕτεροι βλασφημοῦσι καὶ ἀποδυσπετοῦσιν, ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστῶμεν, ὅρα πόση ἡ φιλοσοφία. Πρῶτον, τὸν Θεὸν ηὔφρανας· δεύτερον, τὸν διάβολον κατῄσχυνας· τρίτον, καὶ τὸ γενόμενον οὐδὲν ἀπέφηνας· ὁμοῦ γὰρ σύ τε εὐχαριστεῖς, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ὀδύνην ὑποτέμνεται, καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἀφίσταται. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἀποδυσπετήσῃς, ἅτε ἀνύσας ὅπερ ἤθελεν, ἐφέστηκε, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἅτε βλασφημηθεὶς, ἐγκαταλιμπάνει, καὶ ἐπιτείνεται τὸ δεινόν· ἐὰν δὲ εὐχαριστήσῃς, ἅτε μηδὲν ὠφελῶν, ἀφίσταται, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἅτε τιμηθεὶς, ἀντιτιμᾷ μειζόνως· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπον εὐχαριστοῦντα ἐπὶ τοῖς κακοῖς αἰσθέσθαι τῶν κακῶν. Χαίρει γὰρ ἡ ψυχὴ ἅτε κατορθοῦσα, εὐθέως φαιδρὸν ἔχει τὸ συνειδὸς, γάννυται τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις τοῖς ἑαυτῆς· τὴν δὲ φαιδρὰν οὐκ ἔνι σκυθρωπὴν εἶναι. Ἐκεῖ δὲ μετὰ τῆς συμφορᾶς καὶ τὸ συνειδὸς ἐπίκειται μαστίζον· ἐνταῦθα δὲ στεφανοῖ καὶ ἀνακηρύττει. Οὐδὲν τῆς γλώττης ἐκείνης ἁγιώτερον τῆς ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς εὐχαριστούσης τῷ Θεῷ· ὄντως τῆς τῶν μαρτύρων οὐδὲν ἀποδεῖ· ὁμοίως καὶ αὕτη, κἀκεῖνος στεφανοῦται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταύτῃ ἐφέστηκε δήμιος ἀναγκάζων ἀρνήσασθαι τὸν Θεὸν διὰ τῆς βλασφημίας, ἐφέστηκεν ὁ διάβολος δημίοις λογισμοῖς καταξαίνων, ἀθυμίαις