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of sin, but I am just. For it is possible to find this form in the scripture, as Paul also writes to the Corinthians: "if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised." For he does not say this from his own person, but with respect to their supposition. And if I am blameless, I will turn out crooked. This also is of the same thought, with him showing that if 251 knowing nothing against myself I have been subjected to tribulations, you say this happens because of sin; being "blameless" I will "turn out crooked" according to you; but blameless and just differ in concept. And being blameless is twofold, the one by doing nothing, the other by acting justly; which is praiseworthy, as was also said to Abraham: "be well-pleasing before me and become blameless," but the "blameless" of the Hebrews is not from virtue. And this the scriptural spirit testified for him even from the beginning. For if I acted impiously, I do not know it in my soul, but my life is taken away. That is, having been impious in my soul I do not know it, or I am not aware of myself having been impious, nor is my soul conscious of this; and Paul says something similar to this: "I am conscious of nothing in myself." But even if I do not know, he says, that I have been impious, yet my life is taken away; that is: he is in hardships until death. But he said this to draw their attention, that it is possible even for one who has not sinned to fall into painful things. And it is a great testimony to be conscious of nothing against oneself. Therefore I said: wrath destroys a great and powerful man, because the wicked are in an extraordinary death. 252 He wishes to teach that the painful things, which he calls wrath, or even death, are common both to kings and to private citizens. And it seems he is also stirring them up not to think that because of the dignities they possess they have been freed from similar things; for these things are common both to the virtuous and the wicked, both to the free and the slave, both to the private citizen and the ruler, and simply to all. But the things sent on account of wickedness are peculiar to sinners, being completely separate from the just; for "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." But concerning the wicked it is said: "The death of sinners is evil." And the dissolution of the soul from the body is the same; but punishment succeeds the wicked man, so that on account of this his death is extraordinary, while promise and divine rewards succeed the virtuous man; for "the Lord lifts up the meek." And for each of the just there is a similar voice, according to which they say: "who lifts me up from the gates of death." Of what death, indeed, if not that which drags the soul down from the blessed life? For this one, having been lifted up from the gates of death, comes to the gates of the blessed life, adding next: "that I may declare all your praises 253 in the gates of the daughter of Zion." And these are virtuous actions and entrances into good works. But the just are laughed at, and are delivered into the hands of an impious one. The wicked, he says, are indeed in the death, as has been said, the extraordinary one, but the just are laughed at by the wicked doing this, when they see them in tribulations. This is not a reproach of the just, but of those who mock in ignorance, that they are delivered into the hands of an impious one; which he says, making clear in a way, finally, the cause of his own misfortune. For it was not fitting to say immediately that for the sake of a contest I have been delivered into the hands of an impious one and that the temptation is of such a kind; for sometimes as if boasting he would give an opportunity for a hold to the adversary. He will cover the faces of its judges. He reveals the harshness of the impious one covering their faces in order to deceitfully bring about deception. Therefore it is said: "Who will uncover the face of his garment, and who would enter into the fold of his breastplate?" For at times changing faces through the same things he often approaches someone with deceit, anointing him for avarice 254 by means of putting forward needs. From the same wickedness hypocrites are also formed, being "on the inside ravenous wolves," but on the outside appearing as sheep, fearful indeed and what

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ἁ μαρτίας, ἀλλὰ δίκαιός εἰμι. ἔστιν γὰρ εὑρεῖν τὸ εἶδος τοῦτο ἐν τῇ γραφῇ, καθὰ καὶ Κορινθίοις γράφει Παῦλος· "εἰ νεκροὶ οὐκ ἐγείρονται, οὐδὲ Χριστὸς ἐγήγερται." οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἰδίου προσώπου τοῦτο λέγει, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων ὑπόνοιαν. ἐάν τε ὦ ἄμεμπτος, σκολιὸς ἀποβήσομαι. τῆς αὐτῆς διανοίας ἐστὶν καὶ τοῦτο δηλοῦντος αὐτοῦ, ὅτι εἰ 251 οὐδὲν ἐμαυτῷ συνειδὼς περιστάσεσιν ὑποβέβλημαι, τοῦτό φατε δι' ἁμαρτίας γίνεσθαι· "ἄμεμπτος" ὢν "σκολιὸς ἀποβήσομαι" «κ»αθ' ὑμᾶς· ἄμεμπτος δὲ καὶ δίκαιος τῇ ἐπινοίᾳ διαφέρει. ἔστιν δὲ τὸ ἄμεμπτον διττόν, τὸ μὲν τῷ μηδὲν ἐνεργεῖν, τὸ δὲ τῷ δικαιοπραγεῖν· ὅπερ ἐπαινετόν ἐστιν, ω῾̣ς καὶ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ εἰρῆσθαι· "εὐαρέστει ἐναντίον μου καὶ γίνου ἄμεμπτος," τὸ δὲ τῶν Ἑβραίων ἄμεμπτον οὐκ ἐξ ἀρετῆς ἐστιν. τοῦτο δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸ συνγραφικὸν ἐμαρτύρησεν πνεῦμα. εἴ τε γὰρ ἠσέβησα, οὐκ οἶδα τῇ ψυχῇ, πλὴν ἀφαιρε»ῖ»ταί μου ἡ ζωή. ἤτοι τῇ ψυχῇ ἀσεβήσας οὐκ οἶδα ἢ ἀσεβήσαν τα ἐμαυτὸν οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι, οὐδὲ σύνοιδεν ἡ ψυχή μου τοῦτο· καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δὲ ὅμοιον τούτῳ φησίν· "οὐδὲν ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα." πλὴν εἰ καὶ οὐκ οἶδα, φησίν, ἀσεβήσας, ἀλλ' ἀφαιρεῖταί μου ἡ ζωή· ὅ ἐστιν· ἐν κακοπαθείαις ἄχρι θανάτου τυγχάνει. τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν ἐφιστάνων αὐτούς, ὅτι ἔστιν καὶ μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντα περιπεσεῖν ἐπιπόνοις. μεγάλη δὲ μαρτυρία ἐστὶν τὸ μηδὲν ἑαυτῶι συνειδέναι. διὸ εἶπον· μέγαν καὶ δυνάστην ἀπολλύει ὀργή, ὅτι φαῦλοι ἐν θανάτῳ ἐξαισίῳ. 252 παιδεῦσαι βούλεται, ὅτι τὰ ἐπίπονα, ἅπερ ὀργὴν λέγει, ἢ καὶ τὸν θάνατον κοιν̣ὰ εἰ῀̣ναι καὶ βασιλεῦσιν καὶ ἰδιώταις. ἔοικεν δὲ καὶ διεγείρειν αὐτο»ὺς» πρὸς τὸ μὴ νομίζειν, ὅτι δι' ἃ περίκεινται ἀξιώματα τῶν ὁμοίων ἀπηλλάγησαν· ταῦτα γὰρ κοινὰ καὶ σπουδαίῳ καὶ φαύλῳ καὶ ἐλευθέρῳ καὶ δούλωι καὶ ἰδιώτῃ καὶ ἄρχοντι καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς ἅπασιν. τὰ δὲ διὰ φαυλότητα ε᾿̣π̣ιπεμπόμενα ἴδια τῶν ἁμαρτ»αν»όν»τ»ων καθέστηκεν κεχωρισμέ να πάντῃ τῶν δικαίων· "τίμιος" γὰρ "ἐναντίον κυρίου ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ." περὶ δὲ τῶν φαύλων εἴρηται· "θάνατος ἁμαρτωλῶν πονηρός." καὶ τὸ μὲν τῆς διαλύσεως τῆς ψυχῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος ταὐτόν· διαδέχεται δὲ τὸν φαῦλον κόλασις, ὡς διὰ τοῦτο εἶναι αὐτοῦ τὸν θάνατον ἐξαίσιον, τὸν δὲ σπουδαῖον ἐπαγγελία καὶ ἀμοιβαὶ θεῖαι διαδέχονται· "ἀναλαμβάνων" γὰρ "πραεῖς ὁ κύριος." καὶ ἑκάστῳ τῶν δικαίων ὁμοία φωνή, καθ' ἣν λέγουσιν· "ὁ ὑψῶν με ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου." ποίου δὴ θανάτου ἢ τοῦ κατασπῶντος τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπὸ τῆς μακαρίας ζωῆς; οὗτος γὰρ ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου ὑψωθεὶς εἰς τὰς πύλας ἔρχεται τῆς μακαρίας ζωῆς ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρων· "ὅπως ἂν ἐξαγγείλω πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις 253 σου ἐν ταῖς πύλαις τῆς θυγατρὸς Σίων." αὕται δέ εἰσιν ἐνάιρετοι πράξεις καὶ εἴσοδοι εἰς τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἔργα. ἀλλὰ δίκαιοι καταγελῶνται, παραδέδονται δὲ εἰς χεῖρας ἀσεβοῦς. οἱ μὲν φαῦλοι, φησίν, τῷ ὄντι ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ, ὡς εἴρηται, τῷ ἐξαισί ω τυγχάνουσιν, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι καταγελῶνται τῶν φαύλων τοῦτο ποιούντων, ὅταν αὐτοὺς θεάσωνται ὄντας ἐν περιστάσεσιν. οὐκ ἔστιν τοῦτο ψόγος τῶν δικαίων, ἀλλὰ τῶν διαχλευαζόντων ἀγνοούντων, ὅτι παραδέδονται εἰς χεῖρας ἀσεβοῦς· ὅπερ φησὶ φανεροποιῶν πως λοιπὸν τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς κακοπραγίας ἑαυτοῦ. οὐ γὰρ ἦν πρέπον αὐτόθεν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἀγῶνος ἕνεκα εἰς χεῖρας ἀσεβοῦς παραδέδομαι καὶ πειρασμὸς τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ἐνίοτε γὰρ ὡς περιαυτιζόμενος ἐδίδου χώραν τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ λαβῆς. πρόσωπα κριτῶν αὐτοῦ συνκαλύψει. τὴν χαλεπότητα τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς ἐμφαίνει καλύπτοντος αὐτοῦ τὰ πρόσωπα πρὸς τὸ δολίως ἀπάτην προσάγειν. εἴρηται οὖν· "τίς ἀποκαλύψει ἔνδυμα προσώπου αὐτοῦ, εἰς δὲ πτύξιν θώρακος αὐτοῦ, τίς ἂν εἰσέλθοι;" ἐσθότε γὰρ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐξαλλάττων «τὰ» πρόσωπα ἀπάτῃ πολλάκις πρόσεισί τινι ἀλείφων αὐτὸν εἰς φιλαργυ254 ρίαν διὰ τοῦ τὰς χρείας προβάλλεσθαι. ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτ̣ῆς κακίας καὶ ὑποκριταὶ συνίστανται "ἔσωθεν" ὄντες "λύκοι ἅρπαγες", ἔξωθεν δὲ πρόβατα φαινόμενοι, φοβεροὶ μὲν κα»ὶ» ὅ