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Well? If you do not know how to manage your own member, when will you be able to draw in one from without and join him to yourself? But what am I to do? I am very ill-disposed toward a flood of tears, otherwise I would have released abundant fountains from my eyes, according to that prophet, seeing countless wars on this field more grievous than those. For he, seeing barbarians approaching, said, My bowels ache; but I, seeing men drawn up under one general, then rising up against one another and biting and tearing one another's members, some for the sake of money, others for glory, and others simply and randomly laughing and mocking, and inflicting countless wounds on one another, and corpses more grievous than those in war, and the name of brothers remaining a bare name only, I cannot devise any lament worthy of this tragedy. Be ashamed, then, be ashamed of this table, of which we all partake, of Christ who was slain for us, the sacrifice that lies upon it. Robbers who share salt are no longer robbers toward those with whom they have shared, but the table changes their character, and makes those fiercer than wild beasts gentler than sheep; but we, partaking of such a table, sharing in such food, arm ourselves against one another, when we ought to do this against the devil who wars against us all. For this very reason we become weaker, and he stronger each day. For we are not fortified with one another against him, but we stand with him against one another, and use him as a general for such battle arrays, when we ought to war against him alone. But now, leaving him aside, we bend our bows against our brothers. What bows, you say? Those from the tongue and mouth. For not only javelins and arrows, but also words inflict wounds much more bitter than arrows. And how will we be able to end this war, you say? If you consider that in speaking evil of your brother, you pour forth mire from your mouth; if you consider that you slander a member of Christ, that you devour your own flesh, that you make that fearful and incorruptible tribunal more bitter for yourself, that the arrow destroys not the one who is struck, but you who shot it. But did he do some wrong and act badly? Groan, do not speak evil; weep, not for your own injury, but for his destruction, just as your Master wept for Judas, not because 60.466 He Himself was being crucified, but because that one was betraying Him. Did he insult and revile you? Entreat God to be merciful to him quickly. He is your brother, he loosed the same birth-pangs for you; he is your member, he was called to the same table. But he tramples upon me all the more, you say. Therefore the reward is greater and more abundant. For this reason especially it is right to let go of anger, because he has received a mortal blow, because the devil has wounded him. 9. Do not you, then, rebuke him, nor cast yourself down with him; for as long as you stand, you are able to save him also; but if you cast yourself down by reviling in return, who will raise you both up then? The one who was wounded? But he will not be able, lying down. But you who have fallen with him? And how, not being strong enough to give a hand to yourself, will you have strength for another? Stand, then, nobly, and holding forth your shield, and drag your brother, even being dead, from the battle through long-suffering. Did anger wound him? Do not you wound him also, but even cast out the first dart. For if we thus converse with one another, we shall all quickly be healthy; but if we arm ourselves against one another, there is no longer need of the devil for our destruction. For all war is grievous, but especially civil war. But this is even more grievous than civil war, inasmuch as the rights of our polity are greater, and rather even of kinship itself. A brother once killed Abel, and shed a kinsman's blood; but this murder is more lawless than that one, inasmuch as the ties of kinship are greater, and the aspects of the death more grievous. For he wounded the body, but you the sword against the soul

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καλῶς; εἰ τὸ μέλος τὸ σὸν οὐκ ἐπίστασαι μεταχειρίσασθαι, πότε τὸν ἔξωθεν ἐπισπάσασθαι δυνήσῃ καὶ συνάψαι ἑαυτῷ; Ἀλλὰ τί πάθω; Σφόδρα δυσχερῶς ἔχω πρὸς δακρύων ἐπιῤῥοὴν, ἐπεὶ πηγὰς ἂν ἀφῆκα δαψιλεῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν, κατὰ τὸν προφήτην ἐκεῖνον, μυρίους πολέμους ἐπὶ τοῦ πεδίου τούτου βλέπων ἐκείνων χαλεπωτέρους. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ βαρβάρους ἐπιόντας ὁρῶν, ἔλεγε, Τὴν κοιλίαν μου ἀλγῶ· ἐγὼ δὲ ὑφ' ἑνὶ στρατηγῷ παραταττομένους βλέπων, εἶτα κατ' ἀλλήλων ἱσταμένους καὶ δάκνοντας καὶ σπαράττοντας τὰ ἀλλήλων μέλη, τοὺς μὲν διὰ χρήματα, τοὺς δὲ διὰ δόξαν, τοὺς δὲ ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ καταγελῶντας καὶ καταχλευάζοντας, καὶ μυρία τραύματα ἀλλήλοις ἐπάγοντας, καὶ νεκροὺς τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ χαλεπωτέρους, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὄνομα ψιλὸν μόνον λοιπὸν ὂν, οὐδὲ ἔχω τινὰ ἄξιον τῆς τραγῳδίας ταύτης ἐπινοῆσαι θρῆνον. Αἰδέσθητε τοίνυν, αἰδέσθητε τὴν τράπεζαν ταύτην, ἧς κοινωνοῦμεν ἅπαντες, τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς σφαγέντα Χριστὸν, τὸ θῦμα τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῆς κείμενον. Λῃσταὶ κοινωνοῦντες ἁλῶν, οὐκέτι εἰσὶ λῃσταὶ πρὸς οὓς ἂν κοινωνήσωσιν, ἀλλὰ μεταβάλλει τὸν τρόπον ἡ τράπεζα, καὶ τοὺς τῶν θηρίων ἀγριωτέρους προβάτων ἡμερωτέρους ποιεῖ· ἡμεῖς δὲ τοιαύτης τραπέζης μετέχοντες, τοιαύτης κοινωνοῦντες τροφῆς, ὁπλιζόμεθα κατ' ἀλλήλων, δέον κατὰ τοῦ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν πολεμοῦντος διαβόλου τοῦτο ποιεῖν. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο ἡμεῖς μὲν ἀσθενέστεροι, ἐκεῖνος δὲ ἰσχυρότερος καθ' ἑκάστην γίνεται τὴν ἡμέραν. Οὐ γὰρ μετ' ἀλλήλων φραττόμεθα κατ' ἐκείνου, ἀλλὰ μετ' ἐκείνου κατ' ἀλλήλων ἱστάμεθα, καὶ αὐτῷ στρατηγῷ πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας χρώμεθα παρατάξεις, δέον αὐτῷ μόνῳ πολεμεῖν. Νυνὶ δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἀφέντες, κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰ τόξα τείνομεν. Ποῖα τόξα, φησί; Τὰ ἀπὸ γλώττης καὶ στόματος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀκόντια καὶ βέλη μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ῥήματα πολὺ τῶν βελῶν πικρότερα ἐργάζεται τραύματα. Καὶ πῶς δυνησόμεθα τοῦτον καταλῦσαι τὸν πόλεμον, φησίν; Ἂν ἐννοήσῃς, ὅτι τὸν ἀδελφὸν λέγων κακῶς, βόρβορον ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματός σου προχέεις, ἂν ἐννοήσῃς, ὅτι τὸ μέλος τοῦ Χριστοῦ διαβάλλεις, ὅτι τὰς σάρκας κατεσθίεις τὰς σὰς, ὅτι τὸ δικαστήριόν σοι πικρότερον ποιεῖς τὸ φοβερὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἀδέκαστον, ὅτι τὸ βέλος οὐ τὸν πληγέντα, ἀλλὰ σὲ τὸν τοξεύσαντα ἀναιρεῖ. Ἀλλ' ἠδίκησέ τι καὶ κακῶς ἐποίησε; Στέναξον, μὴ κακῶς εἴπῃς· δάκρυσον, μὴ διὰ τὴν σὴν ἀδικίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀπώλειαν τὴν ἐκείνου, καθὼς καὶ ὁ σὸς ∆εσπότης τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐδάκρυσεν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ 60.466 αὐτὸς ἐσταυροῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐκεῖνος προεδίδου. Ὕβρισέ σε καὶ ἐλοιδόρησε; Παρακάλεσον τὸν Θεὸν ὥστε ἵλεων αὐτῷ γενέσθαι ταχέως. Ἀδελφός ἐστι σὸς, τὰς αὐτάς σοι ἔλυσεν ὠδῖνας· μέλος ἐστὶ σὸν, ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκλήθη τράπεζαν. Ἀλλὰ πλέον ἐπεμβαίνει μοι, φησίν. Οὐκοῦν μείζων καὶ πλείων ὁ μισθός. Ταύτῃ μάλιστα τὸν θυμὸν ἀφεῖναι δίκαιον, ἐπειδὴ καιρίαν ἐδέξατο τὴν πληγὴν, ἐπειδὴ ἔτρωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος. θʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐπιπλήξῃς καὶ σὺ, μηδὲ καταβάλῃς σαυτὸν μετ' ἐκείνου· ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἕστηκας, δύνασαι κἀκεῖνον διασῶσαι· ἂν δὲ σαυτὸν καταῤῥήξῃς διὰ τοῦ ἀνθυβρίσαι, τίς ὑμᾶς ἀναστήσει λοιπόν; ἐκεῖνος ὁ τρωθείς; Ἀλλ' οὐ δυνήσεται κείμενος. Ἀλλὰ σὺ ὁ πεσὼν μετ' ἐκείνου; Καὶ πῶς, οὐκ ἀρκέσας σεαυτῷ χεῖρα δοῦναι, ἰσχύσεις ἑτέρῳ; Στῆθι τοίνυν γενναίως, καὶ τὴν ἀσπίδα προβαλλόμενος, καὶ νεκρὸν ὄντα ἕλκυσον ἀπὸ τῆς μάχης τὸν σὸν ἀδελφὸν διὰ τῆς μακροθυμίας. Ἔτρωσεν αὐτὸν ὁ θυμός; Μὴ τρώσῃς καὶ σὺ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πρότερον ἔκβαλε βέλος. Ἂν γὰρ οὕτως ἀλλήλοις ὁμιλῶμεν, ταχέως πάντες ὑγιεῖς ἐσόμεθα· ἂν δὲ κατ' ἀλλήλων ὁπλιζώμεθα, οὐδὲ τοῦ διαβόλου χρεία λοιπὸν πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀπώλειαν. Ἅπας μὲν γὰρ ὁ πόλεμος χαλεπὸς, μάλιστα δὲ ὁ ἐμφύλιος. Οὗτος δὲ καὶ τοῦ ἐμφυλίου χαλεπώτερος, ὅσῳ μείζονα τῆς πολιτείας ἡμῖν τὰ δικαιώματα, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τῆς συγγενείας αὐτῆς. Ἀπέκτεινέ ποτε τὸν Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφὸς, καὶ αἷμα ἐξέχεε συγγενικόν· ἀλλ' οὗτος ἐκείνου παρανομώτερος ὁ φόνος, ὅσῳ καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀγχιστείας μείζω, καὶ τὰ τοῦ θανάτου χαλεπώτερα. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ τὸ σῶμα ἔτρωσε, σὺ δὲ κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ ξίφος