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God gave the presbytery. Thus it is sometimes possible, when presbyters are living slothfully and negligently, for the young to be found more honorable. Falsely named, therefore, are the presbyters among the Jews; for God took away, as a warrior and a Prophet, so also a presbyter, from their people. But let the Church pray, that a presbyter, worthy of this title, not be taken away from it. And how great this is, we have learned in the case of Abraham; for many who were older than him are numbered in the generations above; and Adam lived nine hundred and thirty years, and Methuselah lived nine hundred and seventy years, and died; and Noah lived nine hundred years; and none of them was an elder. But Abraham was an elder according to the testimony of Sarah, saying: "It has not yet happened for me until now, and my lord is an elder." But he was an elder because of the virtue that made his soul white-haired. 3.105 And a captain of fifty. The Lord of Sabaoth threatens to take away, along with the others, also a captain of fifty of the Jews. What does this mean? That he is allowing all the well-ordered economy and administration concerning them to be thrown into confusion, speaking of the whole from a part. For since captains of thousands and captains of hundreds and captains of fifties and captains of tens were established by Moses, according to the counsel of Jethro (so that they might bear with the people and take upon themselves the lesser judgments of those needing judgment), the threat to them is that this arrangement will be taken away. For this reason he threatens that a captain of fifty will also be taken away from them, a warrior and a judge and a diviner and a Prophet and a presbyter. 3.106 And a wonderful Counselor. Much that is necessary and useful comes from counsel for the life of men, because no one is sufficient for himself in all things, but needs partners more in the choice of what is advantageous than in physical activities. So that a man without counsel is a ship without a pilot, given over randomly to the impulses of the winds. If, therefore, in deliberations about ordinary matters we take counselors, when we deliberate about the soul and the things pertaining to it, how should we not seek out wonderful counselors? The Jews, therefore, from the time they made the wicked counsel of how they would hand over the Lord, the Lord took away from them the wonderful Counselor, whose counsels they marveled at; For they were astonished at his teaching; but they did not heed his exhortations. And how is he not a wonderful Counselor, who, instead of "An eye for an eye," counsels him who strikes the right cheek to turn to him the other also? Not to be angry, not to go to law, not to desire shameful things; not to consider an enemy, but to love those who hate? Not to be anxious about perishable things, not to be puffed up in thought; not to seek small things from God, to have one's heart in heaven, transferring one's treasures there? To be with God, to be a lover of the brethren? To be sympathetic, to share what one has? Not to place what is defiled in foods, but in the heart and in the will? This one, who counsels such things, so divine and wonderful, the Lord took away because he was not received by them. Therefore, there is no longer a wonderful Counselor among them. And let us pray that this Church not be deprived of a wonderful Counselor, so that, whenever the time for counsel concerning necessary things comes upon someone, having come to this house (the common council-chamber of souls), he may find a word of comfort, which produces a kind of light for finding what is necessary for souls. But he who, when good counsel is present, walks according to the will of his own vain heart, is like Rehoboam, who, having dishonored the saving opinion of the elders, followed the younger men, who had been brought up with him, on whose account he also fell from the kingdom of the ten tribes. 3.107 And a wise master builder. After the benefit of the wonderful Counselor was taken from the Jews (who was shown to be the Lord

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ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ πρεσβυτέριον. Οὕτως ἐνδέχεταί ποτε, πρεσβυτέρων ῥᾳθύμως καὶ ἠμε λημένως βιούντων, προτιμοτέρους εὑρίσκεσθαι νέους. Ψευ δώνυμοι τοίνυν οἱ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις πρεσβύτεροι· ἀφεῖλε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς πολεμιστὴν καὶ Προφήτην, οὕτω καὶ πρεσβύτε ρον, ἀπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτῶν. Ἡ δὲ Ἐκκλησία εὐχέσθω, μὴ ἀφαιρεθῆναι αὐτῆς πρεσβύτερον, τὸν τῆς προσηγορίας ἄξιον ταύτης. Τοῦτο δὲ ἡλίκον ἐστὶν, ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ με μαθήκαμεν· ὅτι πολυχρονιώτεροι μὲν αὐτοῦ πολλοὶ κατη ρίθμηνται ἐν ταῖς ἄνω γενεαῖς· ἔζησε δὲ Ἀδὰμ ἐννεακόσια καὶ τριάκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἔζησε Μαθουσάλα ἐννεακόσια καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη, καὶ ἀπέθανε· καὶ ἔζησε Νῶε ἐννεακόσια ἔτη· καὶ πρεσβύτερος ἐκείνων οὐδείς. Ἀλλ' Ἀβραὰμ πρεσβύτερος κατὰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Σάῤῥας, λεγούσης· Οὔπω μέν μοι γέγονεν ἕως τοῦ νῦν, ὁ δὲ κύριός μου πρεσβύτε ρος. Πρεσβύτερος δὲ ἦν διὰ τὴν πολιώσασαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀρετήν. 3.105 Καὶ πεντηκόνταρχον. Ἀφαιρήσειν μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀπειλεῖ Κύριος Σαβαὼθ καὶ πεντηκόνταρχον τῶν Ἰουδαίων. Τί τοῦτο λέγων; Ὅτι πᾶσαν τὴν εὔτακτον περὶ αὐτοὺς οἰκονομίαν καὶ διοίκησιν ἀφίησι συγχυθῆναι, ἀπὸ μέρους τὸ ὅλον λέγων. Χιλιάρχων γὰρ καὶ ἑκατοντάρχων καὶ πεντηκοντάρχων καὶ δεκάρχων, κατὰ τὴν συμβουλὴν Ἰοθὼρ, ὑπὸ Μωϋσέως καταστάντων (ὥστε δια βαστάζειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαὸν καὶ τὰ ἥσσονα κρίματα τῶν δεομένων κρίσεως ἐφ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀναδέχεσθαι) ἡ ἀπειλὴ αὐ τοῖς ἐστι, τὴν διακόσμησιν ταύτην ἀφαιρεθήσεσθαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀφαιρεθήσεσθαι αὐτῶν καὶ πεντηκόνταρχον ἀπειλεῖ, πολεμιστὴν καὶ δικαστὴν καὶ στοχαστὴν καὶ Προφήτην καὶ πρεσβύτερον. 3.106 Καὶ θαυμαστὸν Σύμβουλον. Πολὺ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον καὶ χρήσιμον ἐκ τῆς συμβουλῆς τῷ βίῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, διὰ τὸ ἕνα μηδένα ἑαυτῷ ἐξαρκεῖν πρὸς πάντα, ἀλλὰ δεῖσθαι κοινωνῶν πλέον κατὰ τὴν τῶν συμφε ρόντων ἐκλογὴν, ἢ κατὰ τὰς ἐνεργείας τὰς σωματικάς. Ὥστε ἀσυμβούλευτος ἄνθρωπος πλοῖόν ἐστιν ἀκυβέρνητον, ὡς ἔτυχε ταῖς φοραῖς τῶν πνευμάτων ἐκδεδομένον. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐν ταῖς περὶ τῶν τυχόντων σκέψεσι συμβούλους παραλαμ βάνομεν, ὅταν ὑπὲρ ψυχῆς καὶ τῶν διαφερόντων αὐτῇ βου λευώμεθα, πῶς οὐχὶ τοὺς θαυμαστοὺς συμβούλους ἐπιζητη τέον ἡμῖν; Ἰουδαῖοι τοίνυν ἀφ' οὗ τὸ πονηρὸν συμβούλιον ἐποιήσαντο τὸ πῶς παραδώσουσι τὸν Κύριον, ἀφεῖλεν αὐτῶν ὁ Κύριος τὸν θαυμαστὸν Σύμβουλον, οὗ τὰς μὲν συμβουλὰς ἐθαύμαζον· Ἐξεπλήσσοντο γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ· ταῖς δὲ παραι νέσεσιν οὐ προσεῖχον. Πῶς δὲ οὐ θαυμαστὸς Σύμβουλος, ὁ ἀντὶ τοῦ Ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ, συμβουλεύων, τῷ ῥα πίζοντι τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέφειν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην; μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι, μὴ δικάζεσθαι, μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν τῶν αἰσχρῶν· ἐχθρὸν μὴ ἡγεῖσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀγαπᾷν τοὺς μισοῦντας; μὴ μεριμνᾷν περὶ τῶν φθαρτῶν, μὴ μετεωρίζεσθαι τὴν διάνοιαν· μὴ ζητεῖν παρὰ Θεοῦ τὰ μικρά, ἐν οὐρανῷ τὴν καρδίαν ἔχειν, ἐκεῖ μετατιθέντα τοὺς θησαυρούς; Θεῷ συνεῖναι, φιλάδελφον εἶναι; συμπαθῆ, κοινωνικὸν ὧν ἔχει; μὴ ἐν βρώμασι τὸ μιαρὸν, ἀλλ' ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ προαιρέσει τίθεσθαι; Τοῦτον τὸν τὰ τοιαῦτα συμβουλεύοντα, οὕτω θεῖα καὶ θαυ μαστὰ, διὰ τὸ μὴ δεχθῆναι παρ' αὐτῶν, ἀφεῖλεν ὁ Κύριος. Οὐκέτι οὖν θαυμαστὸς παρ' αὐτοῖς Σύμβουλος. Εὐξώμεθα δὲ μὴ ἀποστερηθῆναι θαυμαστοῦ Συμβούλου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ταύτην, ἵνα, ἐπειδὰν καταλάβῃ τινὰ καιρὸς τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀναγκαίων βουλῆς, ἀπαντήσας εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον (τὸ κοινὸν τῶν ψυχῶν βουλευτήριον) εὕρῃ λόγον παρακλήσεως, οἷόν τι φῶς πρὸς τὴν εὕρεσιν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐμποιοῦντα. Ὁ δὲ, παρούσης συμβουλῆς ἀγαθῆς, τῷ θε λήματι τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ πορευόμενος τῆς ματαίας, ὅμοιός ἐστι τῷ Ῥοβοὰμ, ὃς, ἀτιμάσας τὴν σώζουσαν γνώμην τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ἠκολούθει τοῖς νεωτέροις, τοῖς συνεκτραφεῖσιν αὐτῷ, δι' οὓς καὶ τῶν δέκα φυλῶν τῆς βασιλείας ἐξέπεσεν. 3.107 Καὶ σοφὸν ἀρχιτέκτονα. Μετὰ τὸ ἀρθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὴν ὠφέλειαν τοῦ θαυ μαστοῦ Συμβούλου (ὃς ἐδείκνυτο ὢν ὁ Κύριος