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pastimes and synagogues, those in the city, and those in the suburb, the caves of the robbers, the haunts of the demons. Do not then betray their salvation, but having looked around and inquired, bring back the sick to Christ, so that both in the present life, and in the life to come, we may receive a recompense much greater than our good deeds, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

48.903 Having delivered a long homily against the Jews on the previous day and

being afflicted with hoarseness from the length of what was said, he now delivered this one. The Sixth Discourse.

1. Wild beasts, as long as they graze in the woods, and happen to be unpracticed in fighting with men,

are somewhat tamer and gentler; but when the hunters capture them and lead them into the cities, and having shut them up, stir them to the battle of the beast-fighters, then, when they have leaped upon and tasted flesh and drunk human blood, they would not easily abstain from this feast thereafter, but run to this table with great desire. This is indeed what we have experienced. For since we have taken up the battle against the Jews, and having pounced upon their shameless contradictions, we have demolished their reasonings, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and have brought their thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ, we have somehow developed a greater desire for the wars against them. But what can I do? You see that my voice has grown weaker, and is not able to suffice for such a great length again; and I seem now to be suffering the same thing as if a soldier, having cut down some of his adversaries, and having fallen with great fury upon the enemy's phalanx 48.904 and having struck down many bodies, then having broken his sword, should return again to his own side with despondency. But rather, our suffering is more grievous. For a soldier who has broken his sword is able to snatch one from another of those standing by and to use his rage, and to show his great eagerness; but when a voice has grown weary, it is not possible to take a voice from another. What then? Shall we also turn back? But the tyranny of your love does not permit it. I am ashamed both by the presence of the father, and I am ashamed by your eagerness. Therefore I shall even attempt to undertake things beyond my power, entrusting everything to his prayers and to your love. But let none of you condemn the discourse as untimely, if, though the martyrs have summoned us today, we, having set aside the narrative of their contests, are stripping for a fight against the Jews; for this discourse is also more desired by them; for from our encomiums they would not become any more glorious. For what need would they have of our tongue, whose struggles are beyond mortal nature, and whose prizes are beyond power and thought? They have laughed at the present life, they have trampled on tortures and punishments, they have looked down on death, they have been winged toward heaven, they have been delivered from the storm of the affairs of life, into 48.905 the calm harbor they have sailed, carrying not gold and silver and costly garments, but inviolable treasures, endurance, courage and love. They now belong to the choir of Paul, winged by the expectation of their crowns before the crowns themselves, and having now escaped the uncertainty of the future. What need then would these have of our words? For this reason this subject is more desired by them. For from our encomiums, as I said before

48

διαγωγὰς καὶ συναγωγὰς, τάς τε ἐν τῇ πόλει, τάς τε ἐν τῷ προαστείῳ, τὰ σπήλαια τῶν λῃστῶν, τὰ τῶν δαιμόνων καταγώγια. Μὴ τοίνυν προδῶτε τὴν σωτηρίαν ἐκείνων, ἀλλὰ περιεργασάμενοι καὶ πολυπραγμονήσαντες, τοὺς νοσοῦντας ἐπαναγάγετε τῷ Χριστῷ, ἵνα καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον, καὶ κατὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν, τὴν πολλῷ τῶν κατορθωμάτων μείζονα ἀντίδοσιν ἀπολάβωμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

48.903 Τῇ προτεραίᾳ μακρὰν ὁμιλίαν εἰπὼν κατὰ Ἰουδαίων καὶ

βράγχῳ κατασχεθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ μήκους τῶν εἰρημένων, νῦν ταύτην εἶπεν. Λόγος ἕκτος.

αʹ.Τὰ θηρία ἕως μὲν ἂν τὰς ὕλας νέμηται, καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἀνθρώπους μάχης

ἀμελέτητα ὄντα τυγχάνῃ, ἡμερώτερά πώς ἐστι καὶ πραότερα· ἐπειδὰν δὲ αὐτὰ λαβόντες οἱ κυνηγέται εἰς τὰς πόλεις ἀγάγωσι, καὶ κατακλείσαντες πρὸς τὸν τῶν θηριομάχων διεγείρωσι πόλεμον, εἶτα ἐπιπηδήσαντα σαρκὸς ἀπογεύσηται καὶ αἷμα ἀνθρώπινον πίῃ, οὐκ ἂν ῥᾳδίως ταύτης ἀποσταίη λοιπὸν τῆς θοίνης, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς ἐπὶ ταύτην τρέχει τὴν τράπεζαν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς πεπόνθαμεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῆς πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἡψάμεθα μάχης, καὶ ἐπιπηδήσαντες αὐτῶν ταῖς ἀναισχύντοις ἀντιῤῥήσεσι, τοὺς λογισμοὺς αὐτῶν καθείλομεν, καὶ πᾶν ὕψωμα ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὰ νοήματα ἐξῃχμαλωτίσαμεν εἰς τὴν ὑπακοὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐπιθυμίαν πλείονά πως ἐσχήκαμεν τῶν πρὸς ἐκείνους πολέμων. Ἀλλὰ τί πάθω; Ὁρᾶτέ μοι τὴν φωνὴν ἀσθενεστέραν γενομένην, καὶ πρὸς τοσοῦτον πάλιν μῆκος ἀρκεῖν οὐ δυναμένην· καὶ ταυτό μοι δοκῶ πάσχειν νῦν, οἷον ἂν εἴ τις στρατιώτης κατακόψας τινὰς τῶν ἀντιπάλων, καὶ μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ θυμοῦ τῇ φάλαγγι τῶν ἐχθρῶν 48.904 ἐπιπεσὼν, καὶ πολλὰ σώματα κατενεγκὼν, εἶτα διακλάσας τὸ ξίφος, μετὰ ἀθυμίας πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ πάλιν ἐπαναστρέφοι. Μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ἡμέτερον χαλεπώτερον πάθος. Στρατιώτῃ μὲν γὰρ διακλάσαντι τὸ ξίφος ἔξεστι παρ' ἑτέρου τινὸς τῶν ἑστώτων ἁρπάσαι καὶ τῷ θυμῷ χρήσασθαι, καὶ τὴν προθυμίαν ἐπιδείξασθαι τὴν πολλήν· φωνῆς δὲ καμούσης, παρ' ἑτέρου φωνὴν λαβεῖν οὐκ ἔνι. Τί οὖν; ὑποστρέψομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης ἡ τυραννίς. Αἰδοῦμαι καὶ τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν παρουσίαν, αἰδοῦμαι δὲ καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν προθυμίαν. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ τοῖς ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἐπιχειρῆσαι πειράσομαι, ταῖς εὐχαῖς τούτου καὶ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ τὸ πᾶν ἐπιῤῥίψας ἀγάπῃ. Μηδεὶς δὲ ὑμῶν ἀκαιρίαν καταγινωσκέτω τοῦ λόγου, εἰ, τῶν μαρτύρων ἡμᾶς καλεσάντων τήμερον, ἡμεῖς τὴν διήγησιν τῶν ἐκείνων ἄθλων ἀφέντες, πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἀποδυόμεθα· καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνοις ποθεινότερος οὗτος ὁ λόγος· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐγκωμίων οὐδὲν ἂν αὐτοὶ λαμπρότεροι γένοιντο. Τί γὰρ ἂν δέοιντο τῆς ἡμετέρας γλώττης, ὧν καὶ τὰ παλαίσματα ὑπὲρ τὴν θνητὴν φύσιν ἐστὶ, καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα ὑπὲρ δύναμιν καὶ διάνοιαν; Κατεγέλασαν τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, κατεπάτησαν βασανιστήρια καὶ κολάσεις, ὑπερεῖδον θανάτου, πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐπτερώθησαν, ἀπηλλάγησαν τῆς ζάλης τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων, εἰς 48.905 τὸν εὔδιον κατέπλευσαν λιμένα, οὐ χρυσὸν καὶ ἄργυρον καὶ ἱμάτια πολυτελῆ, ἀλλὰ θησαυροὺς ἀσύλους ἐπιφερόμενοι, ὑπομονὴν, ἀνδρείαν καὶ ἀγάπην. Εἰς τὸν Παύλου τελοῦσι χορὸν νῦν, πρὸ τῶν στεφάνων αὐτῶν πτερούμενοι τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῶν στεφάνων, καὶ τὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἄδηλον λοιπὸν διαφυγόντες. Τί οὖν ἂν δέοιντο τῶν ἡμετέρων οὗτοι λόγων; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὕτη ποθεινοτέρα αὐτοῖς ἡ ὑπόθεσις. Ἀπὸ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐγκωμίων, ὅπερ ἔφθην