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comes to the light. For how could a defiled man, who worse than swine rolling in the mire, sullies himself with the bodies of all women, and is a lover of money, and not at all desirous of self-control, undertake this life? "They have made a business of the matter," he says. From this comes the hardening, from this the dizziness of the mind. It is possible even when the light has shone to be in darkness, when the eyes are weak; and they become weak 62.94, either by an influx of evil humors, or by a flood of discharge. So indeed also here, whenever the great rush of worldly affairs overwhelms our mind's faculty of discernment, it is in darkness; and just as lying in deep water, we would not be able to see the sun, as if the great quantity of water above acted as a kind of diaphragm; so indeed also in the eyes of the mind there comes a hardening of the heart, when no fear shakes the soul. "There is no fear of God," he says, "before his eyes." And again: "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" But hardening comes from nowhere else than from insensibility; this blocks up the passages. For when a congealed fluid is gathered into one place, the limb becomes dead and insensible; even if you burn it, or cut it, or do anything whatever, it does not feel. So also they, having once given themselves over to licentiousness, even if you bring the word to them like fire or like iron, nothing touches them, nothing reaches them; for their limb has become dead once for all; and unless you remove the insensibility, so as to touch healthy members, you do everything in vain. "In greediness," he says. Here especially he took away their excuse. For it was possible for them, if they wished, neither to be greedy, nor to be licentious, nor to be gluttonous, and to enjoy their desires; it was possible to partake of money, and possible to partake of pleasure and luxury with moderation; but since they used the matter without measure, they corrupted everything. "To work uncleanness," he says. Do you see how he deprives them of excuse, by saying "to work uncleanness"? "Not by falling into it," he says, "did they sin, but they worked these terrible things, and used the matter with practice." In all uncleanness. All uncleanness is adultery, fornication, pederasty, envy, all intemperance and licentiousness. But you, he says, did not so learn Christ, if indeed you have heard Him, and have been taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus. The phrase, "If indeed you have heard Him," is not of one who doubts, but of one who strongly affirms, just as he also says elsewhere: "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you." That is, "You did not learn Christ for these things." If indeed you have heard Him, and have been taught in Him, as the truth is in Christ Jesus, that you put off concerning the former manner of life the old man 62.95. Therefore, to live rightly is also to learn Christ. For he who lives wickedly, does not know God, and is not known by Him. For hear him saying elsewhere: "They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him." As the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning the former manner of life the old man. That is, "You did not agree to these things." What is with us is not vanity, but truth; just as the doctrines are true, so also is the life. For sin is vanity and a lie; but the right life is truth; for it also has a great end; but intemperance ends in nothing. "Which is being corrupted," he says, "according to the desires of his deceit." Just as his desires are corrupted, so also is he. 2. How then are his desires corrupted? By death all things are dissolved; for hear the Prophet saying: "In that very day all his thoughts shall perish." And not by death only, but also by many other things; for example, beauty, when sickness and old age come on, has withdrawn and died and been corrupted; the strength of the body is again overcome by the same things; luxury, even this does not have the same pleasure in old age. And this is clear to us from Barzillai. You surely know the story. Or again, in another way desire itself corrupts and destroys him. For just as wool, from which

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ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν δύναιτο μιαρὸς ἀνὴρ, καὶ μᾶλλον τῶν ἐγκαλινδουμένων βορβόρῳ χοίρων τοῖς ἁπασῶν τῶν γυναικῶν σώμασιν ἐμφυρόμενος, καὶ χρημάτων ἐρῶν, καὶ οὐδὲ ὅλως σωφροσύνης ἐφιέμενος, τοῦτον ἀναδέξασθαι τὸν βίον; Ἐργασίαν, φησὶν, ἔθεντο τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ἀπὸ τούτου ἡ πώρωσις, ἀπὸ τούτου ἡ σκοτομήνη τῆς διανοίας. Ἔστι καὶ φωτὸς λάμψαντος ἐσκοτίσθαι, ὅταν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἀσθενεῖς ὦσιν· ἀσθε 62.94 νεῖς δὲ γίνονται, ἢ χυμῶν ἐπιῤῥοῇ πονηρῶν, ἢ ῥεύματος πλημμύρᾳ. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα, ὅταν ἡ πολλὴ ῥύμη τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων τὸ διορατικὸν ἡμῶν ἐπικλύσῃ τῆς διανοίας, ἐν σκοτώσει γίνεται· καὶ καθάπερ ἐν ὕδατι κατὰ βάθους κείμενοι, τὸν ἥλιον οὐκ ἂν δυνηθείημεν ὁρᾷν, ὥσπερ τινὸς διαφράγματος τοῦ πολλοῦ ἄνωθεν ἐπικειμένου ὕδατος· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τῆς διανοίας γίνεται πώρωσις τῆς καρδίας, ὅταν μηδεὶς τὴν ψυχὴν κατασείῃ φόβος. Οὐκ ἔστι φόβος Θεοῦ, φησὶν, ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν· Εἶπεν ἄφρων ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Οὐκ ἔστι Θεός. Πώρωσις δὲ οὐδαμόθεν γίνεται, ἀλλ' ἢ ἀπὸ ἀναισθησίας· τοῦτο διαφράττει τοὺς πόρους. Ὅταν γὰρ ῥεῦμα πεπηγὸς εἰς ἕνα συνάγηται τόπον, νεκρὸν γίνεται τὸ μέλος καὶ ἀναίσθητον· κἂν καύσῃς, κἂν τέμῃς, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ποιῇς, οὐκ αἰσθάνεται. Οὕτω καὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἅπαξ ἑαυτοὺς δόντες τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ, κἂν πυρὸς δίκην, κἂν σιδήρου ἐπαγάγῃς αὑτοῖς τὸν λόγον, οὐδὲν καθάπτεται, οὐδὲν καθικνεῖται αὐτῶν· νενέκρωται γὰρ αὐτῶν ἅπαξ τὸ μέλος· κἂν μὴ τὴν ἀναισθησίαν ἀνέλῃς, ὥστε ὑγιαινόντων ἅψασθαι μελῶν, πάντα εἰκῆ ποιεῖς. Ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ, φησίν. Ἐνταῦθα μάλιστα αὐτῶν τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἀφείλετο. Ἐξῆν γὰρ αὐτοῖς, εἴ γε ἐβούλοντο, μήτε πλεονεκτεῖν, μήτε ἀσελγαίνειν, μήτε γαστρίζεσθαι, καὶ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀπολαύειν· ἐξῆν καὶ χρημάτων, ἐξῆν καὶ ἡδονῆς καὶ τρυφῆς μετέχειν μετὰ συμμετρίας· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀμέτρως ἐχρήσαντο τῷ πράγματι, πάντα διέφθειραν. Εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας, φησίν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς αὐτοὺς ἀποστερεῖ συγγνώμης, ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας εἰπών; Οὐ παραπεσόντες, φησὶν, ἥμαρτον, ἀλλ' εἰργάζοντο αὐτὰ τὰ δεινὰ, καὶ μελέτῃ τῷ πράγματι ἐκέχρηντο. Ἐν πάσῃ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ. Ἀκαθαρσία πᾶσα μοιχεία, πορνεία, παιδεραστία, φθόνος, πᾶσα ἀκολασία καὶ ἀσέλγεια. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστὸν, φησὶν, εἴ γε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε, καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ. Τὸ, Εἴ γε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε, οὐκ ἀμφιβάλλοντός ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα διαβεβαιουμένου, καθάπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν· Εἴπερ δίκαιον παρὰ Θεῷ ἀνταποδοῦναι τοῖς θλίβουσιν ὑμᾶς θλῖψιν. Τουτέστιν, Οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐμάθετε τὸν Χριστόν. Εἴ γε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε, καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρω 62.95 πον. Ἄρα καὶ τοῦτο μαθεῖν ἐστι τὸν Χριστὸν, τὸ ὀρθῶς βιοῦν. Ὁ γὰρ πονηρῶς βιῶν, ἀγνοεῖ τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἀγνοεῖται παρ' αὐτοῦ. Ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγοντος· Θεὸν ὁμολογοῦσιν εἰδέναι, τοῖς δὲ ἔργοις ἀρνοῦνται. Καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ, ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον. Τουτέστιν, Οὐκ ἐπὶ τούτοις συνέθου. Οὐ ματαιότης τὰ παρ' ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' ἀλήθεια· ὥσπερ τὰ δόγματα ἀληθῆ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ βίος. Ματαιότης γὰρ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶ καὶ ψεῦδος· ὁ δὲ βίος ὁ ὀρθὸς, ἀλήθεια· ἔχει γὰρ καὶ τέλος μέγα· ἡ δὲ ἀκολασία εἰς οὐδὲν τελευτᾷ. Τὸν φθειρόμενον, φησὶν, κατὰ τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀπάτης αὑτοῦ. Ὥσπερ αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι αὐτοῦ φθείρονται, οὕτω καὶ αὐτός. βʹ. Πῶς ἄρα αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι αὐτοῦ φθείρονται; Τῷ θανάτῳ πάντα λύεται· ἄκουε γὰρ τοῦ Προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἀπολοῦνται πάντες οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὐ τῷ θανάτῳ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλοις πολλοῖς· οἷον τὸ κάλλος, καὶ νόσου καὶ γήρως ἐπελθόντος, ὑπεξέστη καὶ ἀπέθανε καὶ ἐφθάρη· ἡ ῥώμη τοῦ σώματος τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάλιν ἁλίσκεται· ἡ τρυφὴ οὐδὲ αὕτη τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει ἐν γήρᾳ ἡδονήν. Καὶ δῆλον ἡμῖν τοῦτο ἀπὸ τοῦ Βερζελλῆ. Ἴστε πάντως τὴν ἱστορίαν. Ἢ ἑτέρως πάλιν τοῦτον αὐτὸν φθείρει καὶ ἀπόλλυσιν ἡ ἐπιθυμία. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὸ ἔριον, ἀφ' ὧν