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101.1 But if I should wish to select all the testimonies from all the scriptures, my mind is small, weak and unskilled, yet because of their number I fear that I might extend my discourse to great length; but to put it briefly, I will say that our salvation is concise, and in all things 101.2 it is the same, since one hope of the resurrection has been preached to us. But the unbelieving disbelieve these things, the heretics corrupt them, the contentious do not accept them, the vainglorious reject them. But may God grant mercy to all and 101.3 illuminate their darkened thoughts. For the Greeks, not having received the Holy Spirit, will be convicted by the truth and by all the testimonies mentioned before, but especially by you, the sons of 101.4 the holy church of God and of the orthodox faith. For you teach, having received the Holy Spirit and having been deemed worthy of fitting speech "in the opening of the mouth," first, that having been deemed worthy to be disciples of Christ, the "chief shepherd" and "protector of our souls" *, having gathered nourishment for the flocks of Christ, your own peoples, and taking care that both yourselves and the livestock of God, I mean, anyone who wishes to be benefited, you may nourish from the holy land 101.5 which is hinted at in Moses. And who of those who are right-minded, looking to you, the devout and faithful, O orthodox and sons of the church—for in speaking of some I speak of all the sons of truth 101.6 according to what is written—who would doubt these things? For being sons of a wise and most courageous woman, whose fame is found in Solomon when he says, "Who will find a courageous woman?" as she is rare, or rather 101.7 one of a kind, you will choose what is better and you will love what is beneficial. And by "courageous woman" understand for me the church of God, your mother, than whom nothing is more courageous, dying in each persecution that is stirred up for the sake of her own husband's name. 102.1 This most gracious one, then, asks her own bridegroom precisely in the book of the songs, "Where do you pasture? Where do you rest at midday?" And Christ pastures in the aforesaid holy land, and not only does he pasture, but he also commands to untie the sandal from the feet of the 102.2 shepherds, as he first says to Moses; having received the tradition from him, you yourselves also first safely guide those who are being introduced into holy knowledge, taking care that the sandals of each one are untied. 102.3 But the sandals of each of us have a difference. For each has shod himself with his own deed. And henceforth, each one, obeying you the disciples and good shepherds, one who had shod himself with idolatry, has unshod himself by your admonition, another has unshod himself of adultery, 102.4 another of fornication, another of theft, and another of greed. And not only this, but also renouncing hateful speech and shameful words with blessed hopes "under the mighty hand" of the good shepherd through you, the good ones, the disciples, each one gives himself over to be pastured; for 102.5 each will certainly abstain from error. And you set the truth before their eyes, debasing idols and openly proclaiming the error concerning them—for you do not consider them dead, since they never lived, but empty and vain and non-existent, reasonably teaching everyone 102.6 always. For they never existed, so that they might be anything; but they are evil demons, a setting forth of the human mind, which has strengthened the occasions for pleasures; and from this, each person's own passion has dared to be ratified 102.7 as an object of worship. For at the very first, when this was innovated among men through the malice of demons, this was declared "the first fornication," and the idols were prefigured by sketches. Then his own craft, which each had in hand, through which he had his prosperity, he handed down to his own people for worship

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101.1 Εἰ δὲ βουληθείην τὰς πάσας μαρτυρίας ἐκ πασῶν τῶν γραφῶν ἐκλέξασθαι, μικρὸς μὲν ὁ ἡμέτερος νοῦς βραχύς τε καὶ ἰδιώτης, ὅμως διὰ τὸ πλῆθος δέδια μὴ εἰς πολὺ πλάτος ἐπεκτείνω τὸν λόγον· συνελὼν δὲ ἐρῶ ὅτι ἡ ἡμῶν σωτηρία σύντομός ἐστιν, ἐν πᾶσι δὲ 101.2 ὁμοία, μιᾶς ἐλπίδος τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡμῖν κεκηρυγμένης. ταῦτα δὲ ἀπιστοῦσιν ἄπιστοι, παραφθείρουσι κακόδοξοι, οὐ δέχονται φιλόνεικοι, ἀπωθοῦνται κενόδοξοι. τοῖς δὲ πᾶσιν ὁ θεὸς τὸ ἔλεος παράσχῃ καὶ 101.3 διαυγάσῃ τὰ ζεζοφωμένα τῶν διανοημάτων. Ἕλληνες μὲν γὰρ μὴ λαβόντες πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐλεγχθήσονται ὑπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ πασῶν τῶν προλεχθεισῶν μαρτυριῶν, μάλιστα δὲ ὑφ' ὑμῶν τῶν υἱῶν τῆς 101.4 ἁγίας τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίας καὶ ὀρθοδόξου πίστεως. διδάσκετε γάρ, λαβόντες πνεῦμα ἅγιον καταξιωθέντες τε λόγου εὐθέτου «ἐν ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματος», πρῶτον μέν, ὅτι μαθηταὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καταξιωθέντες εἶναι τοῦ «ἀρχιποίμενος» καὶ «προστάτου τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν» *, ὡς τὰ τρόφιμα τοῖς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποιμνίοις τοῖς ἑαυτῶν λαοῖς συναγαγόντες μεριμνῶντές τε ὅπως ἑαυτούς τε καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ θρέμματα, φημὶ δὲ τὸν βουλόμενον πάντως ὠφελεῖσθαι, ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας γῆς 101.5 τῆς παρὰ Μωυσῇ αἰνιττομένης θρέψητε. τίς δὲ τῶν εὖ φρονούντων εἰς ὑμᾶς τοὺς εὐλαβεῖς καὶ πιστοὺς σκοπῶν, ὦ ὀρθόδοξοι καὶ υἱοὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐνίους γὰρ λέγων πάντας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας 101.6 λέγω, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, τίς περὶ τούτων ἀμφιβάλοι; σοφῆς γὰρ ὄντες καὶ ἀνδρειοτάτης υἱοὶ γυναικός, ἧς τὸ κλέος παρὰ Σολομῶντι λέγοντι «γυναῖκα ἀνδρείαν τίς εὑρήσει;» ὡς σπανίας οὔσης, μᾶλλον 101.7 δὲ μιᾶς, τὸ κρεῖττον ἐκλέξεσθε καὶ τὸ ὠφέλιμον ἀγαπήσετε. ἀνδρείαν δὲ γυναῖκα νοεῖτέ μοι τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, τὴν ὑμῶν μητέρα, ἧς οὐδὲν ἀνδρειότερον, θνῃσκούσης καθ' ἕκαστον ἐπεγειρόμενον διωγμὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἰδίου ἀνδρός. 102.1 Αὕτη οὖν ἡ ἐπιεικεστάτη τὸν ἴδιον νυμφίον ἀκριβῶς ἐρωτᾷ ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῶν ᾀσμάτων «ποῦ ποιμαίνεις; ποῦ κοιτάζεις ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ;» ποιμαίνει δὲ Χριστὸς ἐν ἁγίᾳ γῇ τῇ προειρημένῃ καὶ οὐ μόνον ποιμαίνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ προστάσσει λύειν τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν τῶν 102.2 ποιμένων, ὡς Μωυσῇ πρῶτον λέγει· παρ' οὗ τὴν παράδοσιν παρειληφότες καὶ αὐτοὶ τοὺς εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ἐπιστήμην εἰσαγομένους ἀσφαλῶς χειραγωγεῖτε πρῶτον, τὰ ὑποδήματα ἑκάστου ἐπιλύεσθαι ἐπιμελό102.3 μενοι. ὑποδήματα δὲ ἑκάστου ἡμῶν ἔχει διαφοράν. τῇ γὰρ ἰδίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ πράξει ἕκαστος ὑπεδήσατο. καὶ λοιπὸν ὑμῶν τῶν μαθητῶν καὶ καλῶν ποιμένων ὑπακούων ἕκαστος, ὃς μὲν ὑπεδήσατο εἰδωλολατρείαν, ὑπελύσατο τῇ ὑμῶν νουθεσίᾳ, ἄλλος δὲ μοιχείαν ὑπελύσατο, 102.4 ἕτερος πορνείαν, ἄλλος κλοπήν, ὃς δὲ πλεονεξίαν. οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγοις στυγητοῖς καὶ αἰσχροῖς ῥήμασιν ἀποτασσόμενοι μακαρίαις ἐλπίσιν «ὑπὸ χεῖρα κραταιὰν» τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ποιμένος δι' ὑμῶν τῶν καλῶν, τῶν μαθητῶν ἕκαστος βουκολεῖσθαι παραδίδωσιν ἑαυτόν· ἀφέξεται 102.5 γὰρ ἕκαστος πάντως τῆς πλάνης. καὶ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν παρατίθεσθε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, εἴδωλα μὲν παραχαράττοντες καὶ ἀναφανδὸν τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν πλάνην ἀνακηρύττοντες οὔτε γὰρ νεκροὺς τούτους ἡγεῖσθε, ἐπεὶ μήποτε ἔζησαν, κενὰ δὲ καὶ μάταια καὶ οὐκ ὄντα εἰκότως πάντας 102.6 πάντοτε διδάσκοντες. οὐ γὰρ ἦσάν ποτε, ἵνα τι ὦσιν ἐκεῖνοι· εἰσὶ δὲ κακοδαίμονες, ἀνθρωπίνης διανοίας παράθεσις, ἡδονῶν ἀφορμὰς ἐπιρρώσασα· καὶ ἔνθεν ὑπὸ ἑκάστου τὸ ἴδιον πάθος εἰς σέβασμα 102.7 κυρωθὲν τετόλμηται. πρῶτον γὰρ εὐθὺς ὅτε τοῦτο τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐκαινοτόμητο διὰ δαιμόνων κακουργίας, «πρώτη» αὕτη «πορνεία» ἀπεφθέγγετο καὶ σκιογραφίαις τὰ εἴδωλα προετυποῦτο. ἔπειτα τέχνην τὴν ἰδίαν, ἣν μετὰ χεῖρας εἶχεν ἕκαστος, δι' ἧς τὴν εὐπορίαν ἔσχεν, εἰς σέβασμα τοῖς ἰδίοις παρεδίδου