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departing. And this he said, reminding them of ancient history. Therefore he also uses 95.652 this word, which Moses also used towards the Jews, bringing a charge of idolatry from the person of God. For they, he says, have provoked me to jealousy with that which is not God. “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial. All things are lawful for me, but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's.” Since it was likely for them to say, I am perfect, and master of myself, and I taste of the things set before me without being harmed, for this reason he says: Yes, you are perfect, and master of yourself, but do not consider this, but whether the thing honored has harm and destruction. “Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience's sake.” Having said that it is impossible to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons, and having drawn them away completely from those tables, from Jewish examples, from human reasonings, from the dread mysteries, from the things performed in the idols, and having put great fear in them, so that he might not by this fear push them into another extreme, as if they were forced to use more curiosity than is necessary, setting them free from this necessity, he says: Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions. For if, he says, you eat in ignorance, and do not see, you are not subject to punishment. For the matter is then one of ignorance, not of gluttony. For to learn what the thing set before you is, is the same as giving occasions to the conscience. “For the earth is the Lord's, and its fullness.” Not of the demons. And if the earth, also the fruits and the irrational animals. And if all things are His, nothing is unclean, but it becomes unclean in another way, from the intention and the disobedience. “If any of the unbelievers invites you, and you wish to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for conscience's sake.” See again the moderation. For he neither commanded nor legislated to go, nor did he forbid it. But again he frees those who go from all suspicion. Why? Lest so much curiosity might seem to be from some fear and cowardice. “But if someone says to you, This is offered to an idol, do not eat, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience. And I say conscience, not my own, but that of the other.” For he commands to abstain, not as if they had any power, but as things to be abhorred. Therefore, do not flee them as able to harm; for they have no power. Partake indifferently; for it is the table of enemies and of dishonored 95.653 ones. Therefore he said, For the sake of the one who informed you and for conscience, lest he be harmed. “For why is my liberty judged by another's conscience?” Calling freedom that which is unobserved and unhindered. For this is freedom, being delivered from Jewish bondage. And what he says is this: God has made me free, and superior to all harm, but the Greek does not know how to judge my philosophy, nor does he perceive the munificence of my Master; but he will condemn, and will say to himself, that they who seem to abstain from idols, partake of the things offered to them. “If I partake with grace, why am I blasphemed for that for which I give thanks? Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Of what does he partake with grace, but of the gifts of God? For His grace is so great, as to make the soul unpolluted, and superior to every stain. “Give no offense, either to the Jews, or to the Greeks, or to the Church of God.” That is, offer no harm to anyone. For not only must one not strike the brethren, but not even those outside. “Just as I also please all in all things, not seeking my own profit, but that of the many, that they may be saved.”

CHAP. XI. “Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ.” Since he made them accountable

both for the harm of the Greeks, and of the Jews, and the heavy thing

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ἀποχωροῦντες. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν, ἀναμιμνήσκων αὐτοὺς παλαιᾶς ἱστορίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ τῇ λέξει ταύτῃ κέ 95.652 χρηται, ᾗ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους Μωϋσὴς ἐχρήσατο, ἐγκαλῶν ὑπὲρ εἰδωλολατρείας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ, φησὶ, παρεζήλωσάν με ἐπ' οὐ Θεῷ. «Πάντα μοι ἔξεστιν, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντα συμφέρει. Πάντα μοι ἔξεστιν, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντα οἰκοδομεῖ. Μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἑτέρου ἕκαστος.» Ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτοὺς λέγειν, ὅτι Τέλειός εἰμι, καὶ κύριος ἐμαυτοῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν βλαπτόμενος ἀπογεύομαι τῶν προκειμένων, τούτου χάριν φησί· Ναὶ τέλειος εἶ, καὶ σαυτοῦ κύριος, ἀλλὰ μὴ τοῦτο σκόπει, ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν βλάβην ἔχει τὸ τιμώμενον καὶ καταστροφήν. «Πᾶν τὸ ἐν μακέλλῳ πωλούμενον ἐσθίετε, μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντες διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν.» Εἰπὼν ὅτι ἀδύνατον ποτήριον Κυρίου πίνειν καὶ ποτήριον δαιμονίων, καὶ καθάπαξ ἀπαγαγὼν τῶν τραπεζῶν ἐκείνων, ἀπὸ παραδειγμάτων Ἰουδαϊκῶν, ἀπὸ λογισμῶν ἀνθρωπίνων, ἀπὸ τῶν μυστηρίων τῶν φρικτῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις τελουμένων, καὶ πολὺν φόβον αὐτοῖς ἐνθεὶς, ἵνα μὴ τῷ φόβῳ τούτῳ πάλιν εἰς ἑτέραν αὐτοὺς ἐξωθήσῃ, ὡσεὶ καὶ ἀναγκασθῶσι πλείονι περιεργίᾳ τοῦ δέοντος χρήσασθαι, ἀφεὶς αὐτοὺς ταύτης τῆς ἀνάγκης ἐλευθέρους, φησίν· Πᾶν τὸ ἐν μακέλλῳ πωλούμενον ἐσθίετε, μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντες. Ἐὰν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀγνοῶν φάγῃς, καὶ μὴ ἴδῃς, οὐχ ὑπόκεισαι τιμωρίᾳ. Τῆς γὰρ ἀγνοίας τὸ πρᾶγμα λοιπὸν, οὐ τῆς λαιμαργίας. Τὸ γὰρ μανθάνειν τὸ προκείμενον, ὅ τί ποτέ ἐστιν, ταυτόν ἐστι τὰς ἀφορμὰς διδόναι τῆς συνειδήσεως. «Τοῦ γὰρ Κυρίου ἡ γῆ, καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς.» Οὐχὶ τῶν δαιμονίων. Εἰ δὲ ἡ γῆ, καὶ οἱ καρποὶ καὶ τὰ ἄλογα. Εἰ δὲ αὐτοῦ πάντα, οὐδὲν ἀκάθαρτον, ἀλλ' ἑτέρως ἀκάθαρτον γίνεται, ἀπὸ τῆς διανοίας καὶ τῆς παρακοῆς. «Εἰ δέ τις καλεῖ ὑμᾶς τῶν ἀπίστων, καὶ θέλετε πορεύεσθαι, πᾶν τὸ παρατιθέμενον ὑμῖν ἐσθίετε, μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντες διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν.» Ὅρα πάλιν τὴν συμμετρίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπέταξεν καὶ ἐνομοθέτησεν ἀπιέναι, οὐδὲ ἐκώλυσεν. Ἀπιόντας δὲ πάλιν ἀπαλλάττει πάσης ὑποψίας. ∆ιὰ τί; ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ φόβου τινὸς εἶναι ἡ τοσαύτη πολυπραγμοσύνη καὶ δειλίας. «Ἐὰν δέ τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ· Τοῦτο εἰδωλόθυτόν ἐστιν, μὴ ἐσθίετε, δι' ἐκεῖνον τὸν μηνύσαντα, καὶ τὴν συνείδησιν. Συνείδησιν δὲ λέγω, οὐχὶ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ ἑτέρου.» Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὡς ἐχόντων ἰσχὺν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐβδελυγμένων ἀπέχεσθαι κελεύει. Μήτε τοίνυν ὡς δυνάμενα καταβλάψαι φεῦγε· οὐδεμίαν γὰρ ἔχουσιν ἰσχύν. Ἀδιαφόρως μέτεχε· ἐχθρῶν γάρ ἐστιν καὶ ἠτιμωμέ 95.653 νων τράπεζα. ∆ιὸ ἔλεγε, ∆ιὰ τὸν μηνύσαντα καὶ τὴν συνείδησιν, ἵνα μὴ βλαβῇ. «Ἵνα τί γὰρ ἡ ἐλευθερία μου κρίνεται ὑπὸ ἄλλης συνειδήσεως;» Ἐλευθερίαν τὸ ἀπαρατήρητον καὶ ἀκώλυτον λέγων. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐλευθερία ἐστὶν, Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἀπηλλαγμένης δουλείας. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐλεύθερόν με πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ πάσης βλάβης ἀνώτερον, ἀλλ' οὐκ οἶδεν ὁ Ἕλλην δικάζειν τῇ ἐμῇ φιλοσοφίᾳ, οὐδὲ τὴν τοῦ ∆εσπότου μου φιλοτιμίαν συνορᾷ· ἀλλὰ καταγνώσεται, καὶ ἐρεῖ πρὸς αὐτὸν, ὡς δοκοῦντες ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν εἰδώλων, τῶν ἐκείνοις προσαγομένων ἔχονται. «Εἰ ἐγὼ χάριτι μετέχω, τί βλασφημοῦμαι ὑπὲρ οὗ ἐγὼ εὐχαριστῶ; εἴτε οὖν ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε.» Τίνος μετέχει χάριτι, ἢ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεῶν; ἡ γὰρ χάρις αὐτοῦ τοσαύτη, ὡς κατασκευάσαι τὴν ψυχὴν ἀμόλυντον, καὶ ἀνωτέραν πάσης κηλίδος. «Ἀπρόσκοποι γίνεσθε, καὶ Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ Ἕλλησι, καὶ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Τουτέστιν, Μηδεμίαν παρέχετε βλάβην μηδενί. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἀδελφοὺς οὐ δεῖ πλήττειν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοὺς ἔξωθεν. «Καθὼς κἀγὼ πάντα πᾶσιν ἀρέσκω, μὴ ζητῶν τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ συμφέρον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν, ἵνα σωθῶσι.»

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΑʹ. «Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, ὡς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ.» Ἐπειδὴ ὑπευθύνους αὐτοὺς

ἐποίησεν, καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἑλλήνων βλάβης, καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ βαρὺ τὸ