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of darkness. If, then, someone bears the pains, and gives thanks, he has received the crown of martyrdom. For example, the child is sick, and she gives thanks to God; this is a crown for her. Is not despondency worse than any torment? but it does not force her to utter a bitter word. It dies; has she again given thanks? She has become a daughter of Abraham. For even if she did not slay it with her own hand, yet she was pleased at the sacrifice, which is the same thing; for she was not indignant when the gift was taken away. It fell sick again; did she not make amulets? It is reckoned to her as martyrdom; for she sacrificed her son in her will. For what if those things do no good, but are of deceit and mockery? but still there were those who persuaded her that they do good; and she chose rather to see her child dead, than to endure idolatry. As, therefore, she is a martyr, whether she does 62.358 this for herself, or for her child, or for her husband, or any other of her loved ones; so the other is an idolatress. For it is clear that she would have sacrificed, if it were possible to sacrifice; or rather she has already performed the act of sacrifice. For amulets, even if those who make money from them philosophize endlessly, saying that we call upon God, and do nothing more, and things like that, and the old woman is a Christian and faithful, the practice is idolatry. Are you faithful? Make the sign of the cross, say. This alone is the weapon I have, this the medicine; I know no other. Tell me, if a physician comes, and leaving aside the medicines of his art, uses incantations, shall we call him a physician? By no means; for we do not see the medicines of the medical art. So neither here are the remedies of Christianity. And others again attach the names of rivers, and dare countless such things. Behold, I say, and I forewarn you all, that if anyone is caught, I will not spare him again, whether he makes an amulet, or an incantation, or anything else of such art. What then, he says, if the child dies? If it lives in this way, then it has died; but if it dies without those things, then it has lived. Now, if you see him consorting with harlots, you pray that he be buried, and you say. For what is the benefit of living? but when you see him in danger for his salvation, you wish to see him alive? Have you not heard Christ saying, "He who loses his life will find it; but he who finds it will lose it"? do you believe what has been said, or do they seem to you to be myths? Tell me, if someone says, "Take him to an idol's temple, and he will live," will you endure it? "No," she says. "Why?" "Because it compels one to commit idolatry; but here there is no idolatry, but simply an incantation," she says. For this is the satanic notion, this the diabolical method, to conceal the error, and to give the poison in honey as medicine. Since he knows he cannot persuade you by that way, he has walked this road to amulets and old wives' fables; and so the cross is dishonored, and written charms are preferred; Christ is cast out, and a drunken, babbling old woman is brought in; our mystery is trodden under foot, and the error of the devil dances. For what reason then, he says, does God not reprove it? He has in many places reproved help from such things, and has not persuaded you; henceforth He leaves you to your error; For God, it says, gave them over to a reprobate mind. These things not even a Greek with sense would endure. It is said that a certain demagogue in Athens once wore these things; then a certain philosopher, his teacher, seeing it, rebuked him, blamed him, bit him, mocked him; but we are so wretchedly disposed, as to believe in these things too. And why, he says, are there not now those who raise the dead and perform healings? Why, for the present I do not say; but why are there not now those who despise the present life? why do we serve God for a wage? When human nature was weaker, when faith had to be planted, there were many such people; but now He does not want us to be dependent on these signs, but to be ready for death. Why then do you cling to the present life? why do you not see the things to come? and for the sake of this one you endure even idolatry, but for the sake of that one you cannot even restrain despondency? For this reason there are not such people now, because that life has appeared worthless to us, if indeed

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σκοτῶν. Ἂν τοίνυν ἐνέγκῃ τὰς ἀλγηδόνας τις, καὶ εὐχαριστήσῃ, μαρτυρίου στέφανον ἔλαχεν. Οἷον, τὸ παιδίον νοσεῖ, καὶ εὐχαριστεῖ τῷ Θεῷ· τοῦτο αὐτῇ στέφανος. Πόσης βασάνου οὐ χείρων ἡ ἀθυμία; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀναγκάζει ῥῆμα ἐκβαλεῖν πικρόν. Ἀποθνήσκει· πάλιν ηὐχαρίστησε; Γέγονε θυγάτηρ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἔσφαξε χειρὶ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῇ θυσίᾳ ἥσθη, ὅπερ ἴσον ἐστίν· οὐ γὰρ ἠγανάκτησε λαμβανομένου τοῦ δώρου. Πάλιν ἐνόσησεν· οὐκ ἐποίησε περίαπτα; Μαρτύριον αὐτῇ λογίζεται· κατέθυσε γὰρ τὸν υἱὸν τῇ γνώμῃ. Τί γὰρ, εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ὠφελεῖ ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλ' ἀπάτης ἐστὶ καὶ χλεύης; ἀλλ' ὅμως ἦσαν οἱ πείθοντες ὅτι ὠφελεῖ· καὶ εἵλετο μᾶλλον νεκρὸν τὸ παιδίον ἰδεῖν, ἢ εἰδωλολατρείας ἀνασχέσθαι. Ὥσπερ οὖν αὕτη μάρτυς, ἄν τε ἐφ' ἑαυτῆς, ἄν τε ἐπὶ τοῦ παιδὸς ἐργά 62.358 ζηται τοῦτο, ἄν τε ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, ἢ ἑτέρου τινὸς τῶν φιλτάτων· οὕτως ἡ ἑτέρα εἰδωλολάτρις. ∆ῆλον γὰρ ὅτι ἔθυσεν ἂν, εἰ ἦν θῦσαι· μᾶλλον δὲ ἤδη ἐποίησε τὸ τῆς θυσίας. Τὰ γὰρ περίαπτα, κἂν μυρία φιλοσοφῶσιν οἱ ἐκ τούτων χρηματιζόμενοι, λέγοντες ὅτι τὸν Θεὸν καλοῦμεν, καὶ οὐδὲν πλέον ποιοῦμεν, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, καὶ Χριστιανή ἐστιν ἡ γραῦς καὶ πιστὴ, εἰδωλολατρεία τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι. Πιστὴ εἶ; σφράγισον, εἰπέ. Τοῦτο ἔχω τὸ ὅπλον μόνον, τοῦτο τὸ φάρμακον· ἄλλο δὲ οὐκ οἶδα. Εἰπέ μοι, ἐὰν προσελθὼν ἰατρὸς, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἰατρικῆς φάρμακα ἀφεὶς, ἐπᾴδῃ, τοῦτον ἰατρὸν ἐροῦμεν; Οὐδαμῶς· τὰ γὰρ τῆς ἰατρικῆς οὐχ ὁρῶμεν φάρμακα. Οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα τὰ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ. Ἕτεραι δὲ πάλιν ποταμῶν ὀνόματα περιάπτουσι, καὶ μυρία τοιαῦτα τολμῶσιν. Ἰδοὺ λέγω, καὶ προλέγω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἐάν τις ἁλῷ, οὐ φείσομαι πάλιν, ἄν τε περίαπτον, ἄν τε ἐπῳδὴν, ἄν τε ἄλλο τι τῆς τέχνης τῆς τοιαύτης ποιῇ. Τί οὖν, ἀποθάνῃ, φησὶ, τὸ παιδίον; Ἂν οὕτω ζήσῃ, τότε ἀπέθανεν· ἂν δὲ ἄνευ ἐκείνων ἀποθάνῃ, τότε ἔζησε. Νῦν δὲ ἂν μὲν πόρναις ἴδῃς προσέχοντα, εὔχῃ κατορυγῆναι, καὶ λέγεις. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος τοῦ ζῇν; ὑπὲρ δὲ σωτηρίας ὁρῶσα κινδυνεύοντα, βούλει ζῶντα ὁρᾷν; Οὐκ ἤκουσας τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι Ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ, εὑρήσει αὐτήν· ὁ δὲ εὑρὼν, ἀπολέσει αὐτήν; πιστεύεις τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἢ μῦθοί σοι δοκοῦσιν εἶναι; Εἰπὲ δή μοι, ἐὰν εἴπῃ τις, ὅτι Ἀπάγαγε εἰς εἰδωλεῖον, καὶ ζήσεται, ἀνέξῃ; Οὒ, φησί. ∆ιὰ τίς Ὅτι εἰδωλολατρεῖν ἀναγκάζει· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰδωλολατρεία, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς ἐπῳδὴ, φησίν. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ σατανικὴ ἔννοια, αὕτη ἡ μεθοδεία ἡ διαβολικὴ, συγκαλύπτειν τὴν πλάνην, καὶ ἐν μέλιτι τὸ δηλητήριον διδόναι φάρμακον. Ἐπειδὴ οἶδεν ἐκεῖθέν σε οὐ πείθων, ταύτην ἐβάδισε τὴν ὁδὸν εἰς περιάμματα καὶ γραώδεις μύθους· καὶ ὁ μὲν σταυρὸς ἠτίμωται, τὰ δὲ γράμματα προτετίμηται· ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκβέβληται, καὶ εἰσάγεται μεθύουσα γραῦς καὶ ληροῦσα· τὸ μυστήριον πεπάτηται τὸ ἡμέτερον, καὶ πλάνη χορεύει τοῦ διαβόλου. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἐλέγχει, φησὶν, ὁ Θεός; Τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων βοήθειαν πολλαχοῦ ἤλεγξε, καὶ οὐκ ἔπεισέ σε· λοιπὸν ἀφίησι τῇ πλάνῃ· Παρέδωκε γὰρ αὐτοὺς, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐδ' ἂν Ἕλλην νοῦν ἔχων ἀνάσχοιτο. Λέγεταί τις δημαγωγός ποτε ἐν Ἀθήναις ταῦτα περιτεθῆναι· εἶτα φιλόσοφός τις ἐκείνου διδάσκαλος ἰδὼν, ἐπετίμησεν, ἐμέμψατο, ἔδακεν, ἐκωμῴδησεν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὕτως ἀθλίως διακείμεθα, ὡς καὶ τούτοις πιστεύειν. Καὶ διὰ τί μή εἰσι νῦν οἱ ἀνιστῶντες, φησὶ, νεκροὺς καὶ ἰάσεις ἐπιτελοῦντες; ∆ιὰ τί, τέως οὐ λέγω· διὰ τί δὲ μή εἰσι νῦν οἱ τῆς παρούσης καταφρονοῦντες ζωῆς; διὰ τί ἐπὶ μισθῷ δουλεύομεν τῷ Θεῷ; Ὅτε ἀσθενέστερον διέκειτο ἡ φύσις ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη, ὅτε φυτευθῆναι τὴν πίστιν ἔδει, ἦσαν καὶ τοιοῦτοι πολλοί· νῦν δὲ οὐ βούλεται ἡμᾶς τούτων ἠρτῆσθαι τῶν σημείων, ἀλλ' ἑτοίμους εἶναι πρὸς θάνατον. Τί τοίνυν τῆς παρούσης ἔχῃ ζωῆς; τί τὰ μέλλοντα οὐχ ὁρᾷς; καὶ ὑπὲρ μὲν ταύτης καὶ εἰδωλολατρεῖν ἀνέχῃ, ὑπὲρ δὲ ἐκείνης οὐδὲ ἀθυμίας κατασχεῖν; ∆ιὰ ταῦτα οὐκ εἰσὶ νῦν τοιοῦτοι, ὅτι ἄτιμος ἡμῖν ἐφάνη ἐκείνη ἡ ζωὴ, εἴ γε