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he will be more careless about building again. But one must not be careless even so; but again to apply oneself with zeal. 3. Let us then lay down daily laws for ourselves; for the time being let us begin from the easy things; let us cut off the frequent swearing of our mouth, let us put a bridle on the tongue, let no one swear by God. Here there is no expense, here there is no toil, here there is no practice of time; it is enough to be willing, and the whole thing is done; for the matter is one of habit. Yes, I beseech and I beg, let us apply such zeal. Tell me now, if I had commanded you to contribute money, would not each one have eagerly contributed according to his ability? if you saw me in the utmost dangers, would you not, cutting even from your flesh, if it were possible, have given it? I am in danger now also, and a great one, and if in addition to this I were also living in a prison, or had received countless blows, or happened to be in the mines, I would not have suffered more than this. Therefore, lend a hand. For consider how great the danger is, not to be able to set right even this smallest thing (and I call it smallest, as far as toil is concerned). What shall I say then, when I am accused? Why did you not reprove? Why did you not command? Why did you not lay down a law? Why did you not restrain those who did not obey? It is not enough for me to say, that I admonished. But there was need, he says, of a more vehement rebuke; since even Eli admonished. But may it never happen that you be compared to those sons. He too admonished, and said: Do not, my children, do not do so; evil is the report which I hear of you. But as the Scripture goes on, it says that he did not admonish his sons. And this it says, because he did not do this vehemently, nor with rebuke. For how is it not absurd, that in the synagogues of the Jews the laws are so strong, that if the teacher commands, all things are done; but here we are so despised and cast aside? I do not care for my own glory (for my glory is your good repute), but for your salvation. Every day we cry out, we ring in your ears; but no one listens; and we show no severity. I fear lest we give an account on the day to come for this untimely and great kindness. Therefore with a great and clear voice I proclaim to all, and I testify, that those who display this transgression, those who utter things from the evil one (for this is what an oath is), should not step upon the ecclesiastical thresholds. And let the deadline for you be the present month, so that you may set it right. For do not say to me, that the necessity of business presses me, that I am distrusted. For the time being, cut off those from habit. I know that 60.74 many will laugh at us, but it is better for us to be laughed at now, than to be mourned then; and those who are mad will laugh. For who, tell me, that has sense will laugh at a commandment being kept? But if they do laugh, such people will laugh not at us, but at Christ. Did you shudder at what was said? I know it too. If then I introduced this law, the laughter would be mine as well; but if the lawgiver is another, the mockery passes on to him. And Christ was once spat upon, and was struck on the cheek and slapped. He endures these things now also, and it is nothing unlikely. For this reason hell has been prepared, for this reason the undying worm. Behold, again I say and I testify; Let him who wishes, laugh; let him who wishes, mock; for this we are set, to be laughed at and mocked, to suffer all things. We are the refuse of the world, according to the blessed Paul. If anyone does not wish to set this commandment right, as with a trumpet through my word I forbid such a one from stepping on the ecclesiastical thresholds, even if he be a ruler, even if he himself is the one wearing the diadem. Either depose me from this office, or while I remain do not surround me with dangers. I cannot bear to ascend this throne without accomplishing great things. For if this is not possible, it is better to stand below. For nothing is more wretched than a ruler who benefits his subjects in nothing. Again, exert yourselves, and pay attention, I beseech you; or rather to say, let us exert ourselves, and there will certainly be some gain. Fast,

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ῥᾳθυμότερος ἔσται περὶ τὸ πάλιν οἰκοδομεῖν. Ἀλλ' οὐ δεῖ ῥᾳθυμεῖν οὐδὲ οὕτως· ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἔχεσθαι τῆς σπουδῆς. γʹ. Θῶμεν τοίνυν ἑαυτοῖς νόμους καθημερινούς· τέως ἀπὸ τῶν εὐκόλων ἀρξώμεθα· περικόψωμεν ἡμῶν τὴν πολυορκίαν τοῦ στόματος, χαλινὸν ἐπιθῶμεν τῇ γλώττῃ, μηδεὶς ὀμνύτω τὸν Θεόν. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθα δαπάνη, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθα κάματος, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθα χρόνου μελέτη· ἀρκεῖ θελῆσαι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν γέγονε· συνηθείας γὰρ τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι. Ναὶ παρακαλῶ καὶ δέομαι, σπουδὴν τοιαύτην εἰσενέγκωμεν. Εἰπὲ δή μοι, εἰ χρήματα ἐκέλευσα εἰσενεγκεῖν, οὐκ ἂν προθύμως ἕκαστος τὰ κατὰ δύναμιν συνεβάλεσθε; εἴ με ἐν κινδύνοις ἑωρᾶτε τοῖς ἐσχάτοις, οὐκ ἂν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς, εἴ γε οἷόν τε ἦν, ἀποτεμόντες ἔδοτε ἄν; Ἐν κινδύνῳ καὶ νῦν εἰμι καὶ πολλῷ, καὶ ὡς ἂν εἰ καὶ μετὰ τούτου καὶ δεσμωτήριον ᾤκουν, ἢ μυρίας ἔλαβον πληγὰς, ἢ εἰς μέταλλα ἐτύγχανον, οὐκ ἂν τούτου πλέον ἤλγησα. Χεῖρα τοίνυν ὀρέξατε. Ἐννοήσατε γὰρ, ὅσος κίνδυνος, μηδὲ τὸ μικρότατον τοῦτο (μικρότατον δὲ λέγω, ὅσον εἰς πόνον ἥκει) δυνηθῆναι κατορθῶσαι. Τί ἐρῶ τότε ἐγκαλούμενος; διατί μὴ διηλέγχθης; διατί μὴ ἐπέταξας; διατί μὴ νόμον ἔθηκας; διατί τοὺς μὴ πειθομένους οὐκ ἐκώλυσας; Οὐκ ἀρκεῖ μοι εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐνουθέτησα. Ἀλλὰ καὶ σφοδροτέρας, φησὶν, ἐπιτιμήσεως ἔδει· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Ἠλεὶ ἐνουθέτει. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτο ὑμᾶς ἐκείνοις παραβαλεῖν τοῖς παισί. Κἀκεῖνος ἐνουθέτει, καὶ ἔλεγε· Μὴ τέκνα, μὴ ποιεῖτε οὕτω· πονηρὰ ἡ ἀκοὴ, ἣν ἐγὼ ἀκούω περὶ ὑμῶν. Ἀλλὰ προϊοῦσα ἡ Γραφή φησιν, ὅτι οὐκ ἐνουθέτει τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, ἐπειδὴ οὐ σφοδρῶς, οὐδὲ μετ' ἐπιπλήξεως τοῦτο ἐποίει. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἐν μὲν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς τῶν Ἰουδαίων οὕτως ἰσχυροὺς εἶναι τοὺς νόμους, κἂν ὁ διδάσκων ἐπιτάξῃ πάντα γίνεσθαι· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὕτως ἡμᾶς καταπεφρονῆσθαι καὶ ἀπεῤῥῖφθαι; Οὐ τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ δόξης μοι μέλει (δόξα γὰρ ἐμὴ, ἡ ὑμετέρα εὐδοκίμησις), ἀλλὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας. Καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν βοῶμεν, ἐνηχοῦμεν ὑμῶν ταῖς ἀκοαῖς· ὁ δὲ ἀκούων οὐδείς· καὶ οὐδὲν σφοδρὸν ἐπιδεικνύμεθα. Φοβοῦμαι, μὴ τῆς ἀκαίρου ταύτης καὶ πολλῆς φιλανθρωπίας λόγον κατὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ἡμέραν ὑπόσχωμεν. ∆ιὸ μεγάλῃ καὶ λαμπρᾷ τῇ φωνῇ κηρύττω πᾶσι, καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι, ὥστε τοὺς τὴν παράβασιν ταύτην ἐπιδεικνυμένους, τοὺς τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ φθεγγομένους (τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ὅρκος), τῶν οὐδῶν μὴ ἐπιβαίνειν τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν. Προθεσμία δὲ ὑμῖν ἔστω ὁ μὴν ὁ παρὼν, ὥστε κατορθῶσαι. Μὴ γάρ μοι εἴπῃς, ὅτι Μὲ ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀνάγκη κατεπείγει, ὅτι ἀπιστοῦμαι. Τέως τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας περίκοπτε. Οἶδα, ὅτι 60.74 πολλοὶ γελάσονται ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ βέλτιον ἡμᾶς γελᾶσθαι νῦν, ἢ κλαίεσθαι τότε· γελάσονται δὲ ὅσοι μαίνονται. Τίς γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, νοῦν ἔχων φυλαττομένης ἐντολῆς γελάσεται; Εἰ δὲ ἄρα γελάσονται, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ τὸν Χριστὸν οἱ τοιοῦτοι γελάσονται. Ἐφρίξατε τὸ εἰρημένον; Οἶδα κἀγώ. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐγὼ τὸν νόμον τοῦτον εἰσήγαγον, ἐμὸς ἂν εἴη καὶ ὁ γέλως· εἰ δὲ ὁ νομοθέτης ἕτερός ἐστιν, ἐκεῖ διαβαίνει ἡ χλευασία. Καὶ ἐνεπτύσθη ποτὲ ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ ἐπὶ κόῤῥης ἐπλήγη καὶ ἐῤῥαπίσθη. Ἀνέχεται καὶ νῦν ταῦτα, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀπεικός. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γέεννα ἡτοίμασται, διὰ τοῦτο σκώληξ ἀτελεύτητος. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν λέγω καὶ διαμαρτύρομαι· Ὁ βουλόμενος γελάτω, ὁ βουλόμενος χλευαζέτω· εἰς τοῦτο κείμεθα, εἰς τὸ γελᾶσθαι καὶ χλευάζεσθαι, εἰς τὸ πάντα παθεῖν. Περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐσμὲν, κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον. Εἴ τις μὴ βούλεται κατορθῶσαι τοῦτο τὸ ἐπίταγμα, ὥσπερ σάλπιγγί τινι διὰ τοῦ λόγου ἀπαγορεύω τῶν οὐδῶν μὴ ἐπιβαίνειν τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν τῷ τοιούτῳ, κἂν ἄρχων ᾖ, κἂν αὐτὸς ὁ τὸ διάδημα περικείμενος. Ἢ καθέλετέ με ταυτησὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἢ μένοντα μὴ περιβάλλετε κινδύνοις. Οὐκ ἀνέχομαι ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον τοῦτον ἀναβαίνειν μὴ μεγάλα κατορθῶν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο δυνατὸν, βέλτιον ἑστάναι κάτω. Ἄρχοντος γὰρ μηδὲν τοὺς ἀρχομένους ὠφελοῦντος οὐδὲν ἀθλιώτερον. Ἔτι συντείνατε ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ προσέχετε, παρακαλῶ· ἢ μᾶλλον εἰπεῖν, συντείνωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ πάντως ἔσται τι πλέον. Νηστεύσατε,