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her; Do you know what prophet, or historian, or apostle, or evangelist said these things? I think not, except for a few; and these same ones again, if we should bring forth a testimony from elsewhere, 63.75 will experience the same thing as you. For behold, I will speak this same saying, spoken in other words: Wash yourselves, become clean, put away your evils from your souls from before my eyes, learn to do good, seek out judgment, cease your tongue from evil, and do good, learn to do good. Do you see that virtue has need of teaching? For this one says, I will teach you the fear of the Lord; but that one: Learn to do good. Do you then know where these things are written? I think not, except for a few. And yet every week these things are read to you twice or even three times; and the reader, coming up, first says whose book it is, of such-and-such a prophet, perhaps, or apostle, or evangelist, and then he says what he says, so that they may be clearer to you, and that you may know not only what is written, but also the cause of what is written, and who has said these things. But all is in vain, all is for nothing; for all diligence has been emptied 63.76 into the things of this life, and of spiritual things there is no account. For this reason not even those things turn out for you according to your mind, but there are many difficulties there also. Christ therefore says: Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you; and these things He said would be given as an addition; but we have reversed the order, and we seek the earth, and the good things on the earth, as if those things would be given to us as an addition. For this reason we have neither these things, nor those. Let us then at some time become sober, and become desirers of the good things to come; for thus these things also will follow. For it is not possible for one who seeks the things of God, not also to obtain human things; this is a declaration of Truth itself which says this. Let us not then do otherwise, but let us hold fast to the counsel of Christ, that we may not fall away from all things. But God is able to give us compunction, and to make us better, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY IX.

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, unto perfection

let us go on, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permit. 1. Have you heard how many things Paul charged against the Hebrews who wished always to be learning about the same things? and rightly so. For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God. But I fear lest it might be seasonable to say these things to you also, that though for the time you ought to be teachers, you do not even hold the rank of disciples, but always hearing the same things, and about the same things, you are disposed as if hearing nothing; and if anyone should ask you, no one will be able to answer, except for a very few and easily counted. And this is no small loss. For often the inattention of the disciples does not permit the teacher, who wishes to advance further, and to touch on more mystical and higher doctrines. For just as in the case of schoolmasters, if a boy hearing the letters always does not retain them, there will always be a necessity for him to din the same things into the child, and he will not stop teaching before he is able to learn those things accurately; for it is of great folly, not having set the first things in well, to lead him on to others; so indeed also in the case of the church, if while we are always saying the same things, you learn nothing more, we will never cease saying the same things. For if our discourse were for display and ambition,

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αὐτήν· Ἆρα ἴστε, τίς ταῦτα εἶπε προφήτης, ἢ ἱστοριογράφος, ἢ ἀπόστολος, ἢ εὐαγγελιστής; Οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι, πλὴν ὀλίγων· καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ οὗτοι πάλιν, ἐὰν παραγάγωμεν μαρτυρίαν ἑτέρωθεν, 63.75 τὸ αὐτὸ ὑμῖν πείσονται. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, ἐρῶ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ῥητὸν, ῥήμασιν ἑτέροις εἰρημένον· Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γένεσθε, ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου, μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν, ἐκζητήσατε κρίσιν, παῦσον τὴν γλῶσσάν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ, καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθὸν, μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι διδασκαλίας δεῖται ἡ ἀρετή; Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ λέγει, Φόβον Κυρίου διδάξω ὑμᾶς· ἐκεῖνος δέ· Μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν. Ἆρ' οὖν ἴστε ποῦ ταῦτα ἔγκειται; Οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι, πλὴν ὀλίγων. Καίτοι καθ' ἑκάστην ἑβδομάδα δὶς ἢ καὶ τρὶς ταῦτα ὑμῖν ἀναγινώσκεται· καὶ ἀνελθὼν ὁ ἀναγνώστης λέγει πρῶτον τὸ βιβλίον τίνος ἐστὶ, τοῦ δεῖνος τυχὸν προφήτου, ἢ ἀποστόλου, ἢ εὐαγγελιστοῦ, καὶ τότε λέγει ἃ λέγει, ὥστε εὐσημότερα ὑμῖν εἶναι, καὶ μὴ μόνον τὰ ἐγκείμενα εἰδέναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν γεγραμμένων, καὶ τίς ταῦτα εἴρηκεν. Ἀλλὰ πάντα εἰκῆ, ἀλλὰ πάντα μάτην· πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ σπουδὴ εἰς τὰ βιωτικὰ κεκένω 63.76 ται, καὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν λόγος οὐδείς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνα ὑμῖν κατὰ γνώμην ἐκβαίνει, ἀλλὰ πολλαὶ κἀκεῖ δυσκολίαι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Χριστός φησιν· Αἰτεῖτε τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν· καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν προσθήκης εἶπε μέρει δοθήσεσθαι· ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν τάξιν ἀντεστρέψαμεν, καὶ ζητοῦμεν τὴν γῆν, καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὡς ἐκείνων ἐν προσθήκης μέρει δοθησομένων ἡμῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὔτε ταῦτα, οὔτε ἐκεῖνα ἔχομεν. Ἀνανήψωμεν οὖν ποτε, καὶ γενώμεθα τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιθυμηταί· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα ἕψεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔνι τὸν τὰ κατὰ Θεὸν ζητοῦντα, μὴ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐπιτυχεῖν· ἀπόφασίς ἐστι τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτῆς τοῦτο λεγούσης. Μὴ τοίνυν ἄλλως ποιῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἀντεχώμεθα τῆς συμβουλῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα μὴ πάντων ἐκπέσωμεν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἱκανός ἐστι κατανύξαι ἡμᾶς, καὶ ποιῆσαι βελτίους, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, καὶ προσκύνησις, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Θʹ.

∆ιὸ ἀφέντες τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λό γον, ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα

φερώμεθα, μὴ πάλιν θεμέλιον καταβαλλόμενοι μετανοίας ἀπὸ νε κρῶν ἔργων, καὶ πίστεως ἐπὶ Θεὸν, βαπτισμῶν διδαχῆς, ἐπιθέσεώς τε χειρῶν, ἀναστάσεώς τε νεκρῶν, καὶ κρίματος αἰωνίου. Καὶ τοῦτο ποιήσομεν, ἐάνπερ ἐπιτρέπῃ ὁ Θεός. αʹ. Ἠκούσατε ὅσα Ἑβραίοις ἐνεκάλεσεν ὁ Παῦλος βουλομένοις ἀεὶ μανθάνειν περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν; καὶ εἰκότως. Ὀφείλοντες γὰρ εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, πάλιν χρείαν ἔχετε τοῦ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς, τίνα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ Θεοῦ. ∆έδοικα δὲ μὴ καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ταῦτα καιρὸν ἂν ἔχοι λέγεσθαι, ὅτι ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, οὐδὲ μαθητῶν τάξιν ἐπέχετε, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ἀκούοντες, καὶ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν, ὡς οὐδενὸς ἀκούοντες, οὕτω διάκεισθε· κἂν ἔρηταί τις ὑμᾶς, οὐδεὶς ἀποκρίνασθαι δυνήσεται, πλὴν ὀλίγων σφόδρα καὶ εὐαριθμήτων. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μικρὰ ζημία. Πολλάκις γὰρ τὸν διδάσκαλον βουλόμενον προελθεῖν περαιτέρω, καὶ μυστικωτέρων ἅψασθαι, καὶ ὑψηλοτέρων λόγων, οὐκ ἀφίησιν ἡ ἀπροσεξία τῶν μαθητευομένων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν γραμματιστῶν, ἂν ἀεὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα ἀκούων ὁ παῖς μὴ κρατῇ, ἀεὶ ἔσται αὐτῷ ἀνάγκη τὰ αὐτὰ ἐνηχεῖν τῷ παιδὶ, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀποστήσεται διδάσκων, ἕως ἂν ἐκεῖνα μαθεῖν ἀκριβῶς δυνηθῇ· καὶ γὰρ ἀνοίας ἐστὶ πολλῆς, τὰ πρότερα μὴ ἐνθέντα καλῶς, ἐφ' ἕτερα ἄγειν αὐτόν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἂν ἀεὶ τὰ αὐτὰ λεγόντων ἡμῶν, μηδὲν πλέον μανθάνετε, οὐδέποτε τὰ αὐτὰ λέγοντες παυσόμεθα. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιδείξεως ἦν ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος καὶ φιλοτιμίας,