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constantly by the vapors? what of the channels of the blood, boiling and being obstructed? what of those receptacles, the liver, the spleen? what of the very trenches of dung? And the difficult thing is that we take care of these trenches of dung, so that they are not blocked up and send the dung upwards, and we do everything for this, pushing with poles, dragging with mattocks; but the trenches of our own stomach we do not cleanse, but we block and stuff them; and of the dung rising up, where the king himself sits, I mean the brain, we take no care. For this reason, we do not do all things as having a well-ordered king, but as having some unclean dog. For this reason God placed those members far away, so as to receive no harm from them. But we do not allow it, but corrupt everything by our lack of measure. What could one say of the other evils? Block up the channels of the trenches, and you will see a plague immediately produced. Then does not a stench falling upon us from without produce a plague, while that which is within, and blocked up on all sides by the covering of the body, and having no way to be dispersed, does it not work countless diseases for both the body and the soul? And the terrible thing is that many are displeased with God, saying, "What is this? He has legislated for us to carry dung"; but they themselves increase the dung. For this reason God legislated, that at least in this way He might deliver from luxury, that at least in this way He might persuade not to be attached to the things of this life. But you do not even so endure to cease from luxury, but up to the throat, up to the time of the table, or rather not even until then does the pleasure remain, you persist in luxury. For has not the pleasure passed the tongue and the neck, and been extinguished? For the sensation is in the tasting, but after this it is no more, but there is great unpleasantness, either from the stomach not digesting, or doing so with great difficulty. Rightly therefore did he say, She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. For there is nothing for the soul that lives in pleasure to hear or to say; ma 62.571 it becomes soft, ignoble, unmanly, slavish, cowardly, full of insolence, flattery, ignorance, full of anger, irascibility, of all evils, but destitute of the opposite goods. For this reason he says: And these things command, that they may be blameless. Do you see that the matter is one of legislation? He does not entrust it to choice; command, he says, not to live in luxury, as it is an acknowledged evil, as it is not possible or permissible for one who lives in luxury to partake of the mysteries. And these things command, that they may be blameless, he says. Do you see that the matter lies among sins? For that which is in the choice, even if it is not done, does not at all prevent one from being blameless. Therefore, obeying Paul, 62.572 let us also command that the widows who live in pleasure be outside the list of widows. For if a soldier who attends to baths and theaters and business is judged as a deserter, how much more the widows. Let us not seek rest here, that we may find it there; let us not live in pleasure here, that we may live in pleasure there in the true pleasure, the true luxury, which produces no evil, but has countless good things; of which may it be granted for us all to partake, in Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 14. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, the faith

he has denied, and is worse than an infidel. 1. Many think that their own virtue is sufficient for their salvation; even if the

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συνεχῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀτμῶν; τί δὲ τοὺς ὀχετοὺς τοῦ αἵματος ζέοντος καὶ ἐμφραττομένου; τί δὲ τὰς δεξαμενὰς ἐκείνας, τὸ ἧπαρ, τὸν σπλῆνα; τί δὲ αὐτὰς τὰς ἀμάρας τῆς κόπρου; Καὶ τὸ χαλεπὸν, ὅτι ταύτας μὲν τὰς ἀμάρας τῆς κόπρου προνοούμεθα, ὅπως μὴ ἐμφραγῶσι, καὶ τὴν κόπρον εἰς τὰ ἄνω πέμψωσι, καὶ πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου πράττομεν, κοντοῖς ὠθοῦντες, μακέλλαις σύροντες· τὰς δὲ ἀμάρας τῆς ἡμετέρας γαστρὸς οὐ διακαθαίρομεν, ἀλλ' ἐμφράττομεν καὶ πιλοῦμεν· καὶ τῆς κόπρου ἀνιούσης ἄνω, ἔνθα ὁ βασιλεὺς αὐτὸς κάθηται, τὸν ἐγκέφαλον λέγω, οὐδεμίαν ποιούμεθα πρόνοιαν. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο οὐχ ὡς βασιλέα ἔχοντες κόσμιον, οὕτω πάντα πράττομεν, ἀλλ' ὡς κύνα τινὰ ἀκάθαρτον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς πόῤῥω ἀπῴκισεν ἐκεῖνα τὰ μέλη, ὥστε μηδεμίαν ἐξ αὐτῶν δέχεσθαι λύμην. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐῶμεν ἡμεῖς, ἀλλὰ πάντα διαφθείρομεν τῇ ἀμετρίᾳ. Τί δ' ἄν τις εἴποι τὰ ἄλλα κακά; Ἀπόφραξον τοὺς ὀχετοὺς τῶν ἀμαρῶν, καὶ ὄψει λοιμὸν εὐθέως τικτόμενον. Εἶτα ἡ μὲν ἔξωθεν προσπεσοῦσα δυσωδία λοιμὸν τίκτει, ἡ δὲ ἔνδον οὖσα, καὶ πάντοθεν ἐμπεφραγμένη τῷ στεγανῷ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ μὴ ἔχουσα πόθεν διαφορηθῇ, μυρίας οὐκ ἐργάζεται νόσους καὶ τῷ σώματι καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ; Καὶ τὸ δεινὸν, ὅτι πρὸς μὲν τὸν Θεὸν πολλοὶ δυσχεραίνουσι, Τί ποτε τοῦτό ἐστι; λέγοντες· κόπρον βαστάζειν ἡμᾶς ἐνομοθέτησεν· αὐτοὶ δὲ τὴν κόπρον αὔξουσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς ἐνομοθέτησεν, ἵνα κἂν οὕτω τῆς τρυφῆς ἀπαλλάξῃ, ἵνα κἂν οὕτω πείσῃ μὴ προσηλῶσθαι τοῖς βιωτικοῖς. Σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀνέχῃ παύσασθαι τῆς τρυφῆς, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοῦ φάρυγγος, μέχρι τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς τραπέζης, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ μέχρι τότε τῆς ἡδονῆς παραμενούσης, ἐπιμένεις τῇ τρυφῇ. Ἢ οὐχ ἅμα μὲν παρέδραμε τὴν γλῶτταν καὶ τὸν αὐχένα, καὶ ἔσβεσται τὰ τῆς ἡδονῆς; Ἡ γὰρ αἴσθησις ἐν τῇ γεύσει, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα οὐκέτι, ἀλλὰ πολλὴ ἡ ἀηδία, ἢ μὴ κατεργαζομένου τοῦ στομάχου, ἢ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δυσκολίας τοῦτο ποιοῦντος. Εἰκότως ἄρα ἔλεγεν, Ἡ σπαταλῶσα, ζῶσα τέθνηκεν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε ἀκοῦσαι, οὔτε εἰπεῖν τὴν σπαταλῶσαν ψυχήν· μα 62.571 λακὴ γίνεται, ἀγεννὴς, ἄνανδρος, ἀνελευθέρα, δειλὴ, θρασύτητος, κολακείας, ἀμαθίας πλήρης, θυμοῦ, ἀκροχολίας, πάντων τῶν κακῶν μεστὴ, τῶν δὲ ἐναντίων ἀγαθῶν ἔρημος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι· Καὶ ταῦτα παράγγελλε, ἵνα ἀνεπίληπτοι ὦσιν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι νομοθεσίας τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν; Οὐ τῇ προαιρέσει ἐπιτρέπει αὐτό· παράγγελλε, φησὶ, μὴ τρυφᾷν, ὡς ὡμολογημένου ὄντος κακοῦ, ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν οὐδὲ ἐγχωροῦν τὸν τρυφῶντα μυστηρίων μετέχειν. Καὶ ταῦτα παράγγελλε, ἵνα ἀνεπίληπτοι ὦσι, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι κεῖται τὸ πρᾶγμα; Τὸ γὰρ ἐν τῇ προαιρέσει ὂν, κἂν μὴ πραχθῇ, οὐδὲν κωλύει ἀνεπίληπτον εἶναι. Οὐκοῦν τῷ Παύλῳ πειθόμενοι 62.572 καὶ ἡμεῖς παραγγέλλωμεν τὰς σπαταλώσας τῶν χηρῶν ἐκτὸς εἶναι τοῦ καταλόγου τῶν χηρῶν. Εἰ γὰρ στρατιώτης λουτροῖς καὶ θεάτροις προσανέχων καὶ πραγματείαις, καθάπερ τις λειποτάκτης κρίνεται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αἱ χῆραι. Μὴ ζητῶμεν ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἄνεσιν, ἵνα ἐκεῖ αὐτὴν εὕρωμεν· μὴ σπαταλῶμεν ἐνταῦθα, ἵνα ἐκεῖ σπαταλήσωμεν τὴν ὄντως σπατάλην, τὴν ὄντως τρυφὴν, τὴν οὐδὲν τίκτουσαν κακὸν, τὴν μυρία ἀγαθὰ ἔχουσαν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, ἐν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ι∆ʹ. Εἰ δέ τις τῶν ἰδίων, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προνοεῖ, τὴν πίστιν

ἤρνηται, καὶ ἔστιν ἀπίστου χείρων. αʹ. Πολλοὶ νομίζουσιν ἀρκεῖν ἑαυτοῖς πρὸς σωτηρίαν τὴν οἰκείαν ἀρετήν· κἂν τὰ