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is the kingdom of heaven; blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth;” and the other things that follow these, it is easy for one who wishes, having unfolded the divine Books, to learn. For he will find these things both in the distribution of the talents, and in the parable of the ten virgins, and in the figurative division of the lambs and the goats, and in the seed that received the tares, and in the dragnet, which those who let it down into the sea did indeed cast, and having caught the fish indiscriminately, thus then made the best division. And countless such things can be found also in the apostolic teachings. Leaving these things, therefore, for the lovers of learning to investigate, as they would introduce infinite 83.724 length to the discourse, I will proceed to the next parts of the discourse. Besides, it is superfluous, and quite redundant, to make proofs of the rewards of virtue from the divine Scripture. For those who believe that the God of all provides for men, do not need our words, but are satisfied with the eyes of faith, and with the teaching of the divinely inspired oracles; while those who have not yet believed, but are held in the gloom of unbelief, and are sick with ingratitude toward the Creator, cannot bear to hearken to the oracles of the divine Scripture. For this reason, leaving aside for the present the proofs from there, let us refute them with natural reasonings. Let us then ask them, concerning temperance, and justice, and the other parts of virtue, whether they consider them to be good, and causes of good, or do they number them with evil? But not even the father of evil himself would ever bear to say this. For how could he who wages war daily against the workers of these things as against his enemies, and always sets intemperance against temperance, and injustice against justice? It is necessary, therefore, that they agree with their master, and not try to surpass in evil the one who begot it. For the disciple is not above the master, according to the Lord's saying. Again, therefore, let us ask them further: If, then, these things are noble, and the noblest of noble things, and good, and the best of good things, and no one would contradict that these things are so unless he were utterly mad, and deprived of his senses, it is fitting, clearly, that the lovers of these things be called noble and good, and to have a fruit, not only equal to their labors, but even many times over. For how is it not absurd, that the farmer who casts seeds reaps a manifold reward for his labors, and likewise the planter who plants trees has the pangs of labor for the comfort of the fruits; but those who take pride in virtue, and become grove-keepers of this divine paradise, and contribute much sweat and much labor to the care of these plants, should alone have fruitless labor, and unrewarded sweat? And that those who train their bodies and their voices should both enjoy crowns, and receive prizes, and be adorned with the applause of the spectators; but virtue should appear more dishonored than athletics and boxing; and have neither spectators, nor a judge, nor a prize, nor a reward, nor a crown, this greatest contest? And the actors of tragedy and comedy have something to look to as they practice their art, and they endure the labors in the hope of crowns; and charioteers dare dangers expecting victory, and awaiting the praise from the spectators; and they also expect the 83.725 pay from the horse-breeders. And the helmsman, looking out for the harbors, dares the waves, and being entertained by the desire for profit, endures the assaults of the storms. And the shoemaker, and the coppersmith, and everyone who practices some art, expects the end of his labors, and yoking the hope of benefit to the hardship of his art, has pleasure in his sweat

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ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομή σουσι τὴν γῆν·» καὶ τἄλλα τὰ τούτοις ἑπόμενα, ῥᾴ διον τῷ βουλομένῳ τὰς θείας ἀναπτύξαντι Βίβλους καταμαθεῖν. Εὐρήσει γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν τα λάντων διανομῇ, καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν δέκα παρθένων παρα βολῇ, καὶ ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀμνῶν καὶ τῶν ἐρίφων τροπικῇ διαιρέσει, καὶ ἐν τῷ σπόρῳ τῷ τὰ ζιζάνια δεξαμένῳ, καὶ ἐν τῇ σαγήνῃ, ἣν καθῆκαν μὲν οἱ χα λάσαντες εἰς τὸ πέλαγος, ἀορίστως δὲ τοὺς ἰχθύας θηρεύσαντες, οὕτω λοιπὸν ἀρίστην δὴ τὴν διαίρεσιν ἐποιήσατο. Μυρία δὲ τοιαῦτα καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς διδάγμασιν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν τοῖς φιλομαθέσι καταλιπὼν ἐρευνᾷν, ὡς μῆκος ἄπει 83.724 ρον ἐμποιοῦντα τῷ λόγῳ, ἐπὶ τὰ συνεχῆ βαδιοῦμαι τοῦ λόγου. Ἄλλως τε δὲ περιττὸν, καὶ λίαν παρέλ κον, τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀντιδόσεων ἀπὸ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς τὰς ἀποδείξεις ποιήσασθαι. Οἵ τε γὰρ πιστεύοντες προνοεῖν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, τῶν ἡμετέρων οὐ προσδέονται λόγων, ἀλλ' ἀρκοῦνται τοῖς τῆς πίστεως ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ τῇ τῶν θεοπνεύστων λο γίων διδασκαλίᾳ· οἵ τε μηδέπω πεπιστευκότες, ἀλλὰ τῷ τῆς ἀπιστίας κατεχόμενοι ζόφῳ, καὶ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Πεποιηκότος ἀχαριστίαν νενοσηκότες, τῶν τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ἐπαΐειν οὐκ ἀνέχονται λογίων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, τὰς ἐκεῖθεν ἀποδείξεις ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος καταλιπόντες τοῖς φυσικοῖς αὐτοὺς διελέγξωμεν συλλογισμοῖς. Πυθώμεθα τοίνυν αὐτῶν, τὴν σωφροσύνην, καὶ δι καιοσύνην, καὶ τἄλλα τῆς ἀρετῆς μόρια, πότερον ἀγαθὰ νομίζουσιν εἶναι, καὶ ἀγαθῶν αἴτια, ἢ τῇ κα κίᾳ συγκαταλέγουσιν; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο οὐδ' αὐτὸς εἰπεῖν ὁ τῆς κακίας πατὴρ ἀνάσχοιτ' ἂν πώποτε. Πῶς γὰρ ὅ τε τοῖς τούτων ἐργάταις ὡς ἐναντίοις ὁσημέ ραι πολεμῶν, καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀκολασίαν τῇ σωφρο σύνῃ, τῇ δὲ δικαιοσύνῃ τὴν ἀδικίαν ἀντιτάττων ἀεί; Ἀνάγκη τοίνυν αὐτοὺς συνομολογεῖν τῷ διδασκάλῳ, καὶ μὴ πειραθῆναι νικᾷν ἐν κακίᾳ τὸν ταύτην γεγεννηκότα. Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ μαθητὴς ὑπὲρ τὸν διδά σκαλον, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνήν. Πάλιν τοίνυν αὐτοὺς προσερωτήσωμεν· Εἰ τοίνυν καλὰ ταῦτα, καὶ καλῶν κάλλιστα, καὶ ἀγαθὰ, καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἄριστα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντείποι ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχειν μὴ σφόδρα παραπαίων, καὶ τὸ φρονεῖν ἀφῃρημένος, προσήκει δηλονότι τοὺς τούτων ἐραστὰς καλοὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς ὀνομάζεσθαι, καὶ καρπὸν ἔχειν, οὐ μόνον τῶν πόνων ἰσόῤῥοπον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλαπλάσιον. Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἄτοπον, τὸν μὲν γηπόνον σπέρματα καταβάλλοντα πολλαπλάσια δρέπεσθαι τῶν πόνων τὰ ἐπίχειρα, καὶ τὸν φυτουργὸν ὡσαύτως δένδρα φυ τεύοντα, παραψυχὴν ἔχειν τῶν καρπῶν τὰς ὠδῖνας· τοὺς δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ κομῶντας, καὶ ἀλσοκόμους τοῦ θείου τούτου παραδείσου γιγνομένους, καὶ πολὺν μὲν ἱδρῶτα, πολὺν δὲ πόνον εἰς τὴν τῶν φυτῶν τούτων εἰσφέροντας ἐπιμέλειαν, μόνους ἄκαρπον ἔχειν τὸν πόνον, καὶ ἀγέραστον τὸν ἱδρῶτα; Καὶ τοὺς μὲν σωμασκοῦντας καὶ φωνασκοῦντας, καὶ στεφάνων ἀπολαύειν, καὶ βραβεῖα λαμβάνειν, καὶ τοῖς παρὰ τῶν θεατῶν ταινιοῦσθαι κρότοις· τὴν δὲ ἀρετὴν ἀθλητικῆς καὶ πυκτικῆς ἀτιμοτέραν φανῆναι· καὶ μήτε θεατὰς ἔχειν, μήτε ἀγωνοθέτην, μήτε γέρας, μήτε βραβεῖον, μήτε στέφανον, τὸν μέγιστον τοῦτον ἀγῶνα; Καὶ τραγῳδίας μὲν καὶ κωμῳδίας ὑποκριταὶ, ἔχουσιν εἰς ὃ βλέποντες τὴν τέχνην μετίασι, καὶ τῇ τῶν στεφάνων ἐλπίδι τῶν πόνων ἀνέχονται· καὶ ἁρμάτων δὲ ἡνίοχοι κινδύνων κατατολμῶσι τὴν νίκην προσμένοντες, καὶ τὴν παρὰ τῶν θεατῶν ἀναμένοντες εὐφημίαν· προσδέχονται δὲ καὶ τὸν παρὰ τῶν ἱππο 83.725 τρόφων μισθόν. Καὶ ὁ κυβερνήτης τοὺς λιμένας περισκοπῶν, τῶν κυμάτων κατατολμᾷ, καὶ τῇ τοῦ κέρδους ἐπιθυμίᾳ ψυχαγωγούμενος, φέρει τῶν κατ αιγίδων τὰς προσβολάς. Καὶ ὁ σκυτοτόμος δὲ, καὶ ὁ χαλκοτύπος, καὶ ἅπας τέχνην τινὰ μεταχειριζόμε νος, τὸ τέλος τῶν πόνων προσδέχεται, καὶ τὴν τῆς ὠφελείας ἐλπίδα τῇ περὶ τὴν τέχνην ταλαιπωρίᾳ παραζευγνὺς, ἡδονὴν ἔχει τοῖς ἱδρῶσι