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And just as those who do wrong and are greedy and seize things, and inflict countless evils on their neighbors, when they have departed to that place, and have seen those who suffered these things—for they will certainly see them, he says, and this is clear from the rich man and Lazarus—will not even be able to open their mouths, nor to say anything and make a defense, but filled with great shame and condemnation, will be carried away from the sight of those men to the rivers of fire; so also those who live and teach and catechize, seeing those saved by them advocating for them there, will be filled with great confidence. And Paul, making this clear, said, We are your boast, just as you also are ours. When, tell me? In the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. And again Christ exhorts, saying, Make for yourselves friends from the mammon of unrighteousness, so that when you fail, they may receive you into their eternal dwellings. Do you see that great confidence will come to us from those who are now receiving our benefits. If, where there is an expenditure of money, the crowns are so many, the reward so great, the recompense so much; where there is a benefit of the soul, how will the good things for us not be many and great? For if that Tabitha, having clothed widows and set poverty right, returned from death to life again, and the tears of those who had received benefits brought back a departed soul to the body again, when the resurrection had not yet appeared, what will the tears of those people not accomplish, whoever may be saved by you? For just as the widows standing around her showed her alive from being dead, so also then those who are now saved standing around you, will cause you to enjoy much loving-kindness, and will snatch you from the fire of Gehenna. Knowing these things, therefore, let us not be fervent and aroused only for the present hour, but kindle the fire, which you now have; and going out, distribute the salvation of the city, and even if you do not know, seek out those who are sick with such things. For so we will also discourse to you more readily, having learned through their very works that we have not sown on a rock, and you yourselves will be more zealous about the work of virtue. For just as in the case of money, the one who has gained two gold coins receives more zeal to collect and gather even ten and twenty; so also it happens in the case of virtue, the one who has done and accomplished some good work, from the very work of the accomplishment receives a certain encouragement and exhortation, so as to take up other things as well. So that, therefore, we may both save our brothers, and store up for ourselves forgiveness for our sins, or rather, much confidence, and before all other things, prepare for the name of God to be glorified, going out with wives and children and servants on this hunt and chase, let us snatch from the snare of the devil those 48.927 taken captive by him for his will; and let us not desist until we have fulfilled everything on our part, whether they are persuaded or not persuaded; or rather, it is impossible for them, being Christians, not to be persuaded. But so that you may not have even this excuse, I say this, when, having poured out many words, and having fulfilled everything on your part, you see him not being persuaded, lead him to the priests, and certainly by the grace of God they will overcome the prey, and the whole will be yours, who led him by the hand. Speak these things, husbands to wives, and wives to husbands, and fathers to children, and friends to friends. Let the Jews also learn, and those who seem to be ranked with us, but 48.928 think the things of those others, that we have a certain zeal and care and vigilance for our brothers who are deserting to them. And certainly those men, before we do, will drive away those from us who go there; or rather, no one will dare to take refuge with them any longer, but the body of the Church will be pure, And may God, who wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, both strengthen you for this hunt, and lead those others away from this error, and having saved all in common, deem worthy

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Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ἀδικοῦντες καὶ πλεονεκτοῦντες καὶ ἁρπάζοντες, καὶ μυρία τοῖς πλησίον διατιθέντες κακὰ, ἀπελθόντες ἐκεῖ, καὶ τοὺς ταῦτα παθόντας ἰδόντες ὄψονται γὰρ, φησὶν, αὐτοὺς πάντως, καὶ δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ πλουσίου καὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου τοῦτο, οὐδὲ ἀνοῖξαι στόμα δυνήσονται, οὐδὲ εἰπεῖν τι καὶ ἀπολογήσασθαι, ἀλλὰ αἰσχύνης πολλῆς ἐμπλησθέντες καὶ καταγνώσεως, ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως τῆς ἐκείνων ἐπὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς ἀπενεχθήσονται τοῦ πυρός· οὕτως οἱ ζῶντες καὶ διδάσκοντες καὶ κατηχοῦντες, ἰδόντες τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῶν διασωθέντας συνηγοροῦντας αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ, πολλῆς ἐμπλησθήσονται τῆς παῤῥησίας. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος δηλῶν ἔλεγε, Καύχημα ὑμῶν ἐσμεν, καθάπερ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἡμῶν. Πότε, εἰπέ; Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Χριστὸς παραινεῖ λέγων, Ποιήσατε ὑμῖν φίλους ἐκ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ τῆς ἀδικίας, ἵνα ὅταν ἐκλίπητε, δέξωνται ὑμᾶς εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους αὐτῶν σκηνάς. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι πολλὴ παῤῥησία ἡμῖν γενήσεται ἐκ τῶν νῦν εὐεργετουμένων παρ' ἡμῶν. Εἰ δὲ, ὅπου χρημάτων δαπάνη, τοσοῦτοι οἱ στέφανοι, τοσοῦτος ὁ μισθὸς, τοσαύτη ἡ ἀμοιβή· ὅπου ψυχῆς ὠφέλεια, πῶς οὐ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ἡμῖν ἔσται τὰ ἀγαθά; Εἰ γὰρ ἡ Ταβιθὰ ἐκείνη, χήρας ἐνδύσασα καὶ πενίαν διορθώσασα, ἀπὸ θανάτου πάλιν εἰς ζωὴν ἐπανῆλθε, καὶ τὰ δάκρυα τῶν εὐεργετηθέντων ψυχὴν ἀπελθοῦσαν ἐπανήγαγεν εἰς σῶμα πάλιν, οὔπω τῆς ἀναστάσεως φανείσης, τί οὐκ ἐργάσεται τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐκείνων τὰ δάκρυα, ὅσοι ἂν ὑπὸ σοῦ διασωθῶσιν; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ταύτην περιστᾶσαι αἱ χῆραι ζῶσαν ἀπὸ νεκρᾶς ἔδειξαν, οὕτω καὶ σὲ τότε περιστάντες οἱ διασωθέντες νῦν, ποιήσουσι πολλῆς ἀπολαῦσαι φιλανθρωπίας, καὶ τοῦ τῆς γεέννης πυρὸς ἐξαρπάσουσι. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, μὴ μέχρι τῆς παρούσης ὥρας θερμοὶ καὶ διεγηγερμένοι ὦμεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ τὸ πῦρ, ὅπερ ἔχετε νῦν, ἀνάψατε· καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἔξω, διανείμασθε τὴν σωτηρίαν τῆς πόλεως, κἂν ἀγνοῆτε, περιεργάσασθε τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα νοσοῦντας. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν προθυμότερον διαλεξόμεθα, διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν μαθόντες, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς πέτραν ἐσπείραμεν, καὶ ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ προθυμότεροι περὶ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐργασίαν ἔσεσθε. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν χρημάτων ὁ δύο κερδάνας χρυσίνους, πλείονα λαμβάνει προθυμίαν, πρὸς τὸ καὶ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσι συλλέξαι καὶ συναγαγεῖν· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς γίνεται, ὁ ποιήσας τι καλὸν ἔργον καὶ κατορθώσας, ἀπ' αὐτῆς τοῦ κατορθώματος τῆς ἐργασίας τινὰ παράκλησιν λαμβάνει καὶ παραίνεσιν, ὥστε καὶ ἑτέρων ἅψασθαι. Ἵν' οὖν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διασώσωμεν, καὶ ἑαυτοῖς συγγνώμην ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις, μᾶλλον δὲ παῤῥησίαν πολλὴν προαποθώμεθα, καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ δοξάζεσθαι παρασκευάσωμεν, μετὰ γυναικῶν καὶ παιδίων καὶ οἰκετῶν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄγραν ταύτην καὶ τὴν θήραν ἐξελθόντες, ἐκσπάσωμεν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος τοὺς 48.927 ἐζωγρημένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα· καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἀποστῶμεν, ἕως ἂν τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ἅπαντα πληρώσωμεν, ἄν τε πείθωνται, ἄν τε μὴ πείθωνται· μᾶλλον δὲ ἀδύνατον Χριστιανοὺς ὄντας μὴ πεισθῆναι. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἵνα μηδὲ ταύτην ἔχητε πρόφασιν, ἐκεῖνο λέγω, ὅταν πολλὰ κενώσας ῥήματα, καὶ πάντα πληρώσας τὰ παρὰ σαυτοῦ, ἴδῃς αὐτὸν μὴ πειθόμενον, ἄγαγε πρὸς τοὺς ἱερεῖς, καὶ πάντως τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι περιέσονται τῆς θήρας, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἔσται σὸν τοῦ χειραγωγήσαντος. Ταῦτα καὶ γυναιξὶν οἱ ἄνδρες διαλέγεσθε, καὶ γυναῖκες ἀνδράσι, καὶ παισὶ πατέρες, καὶ φίλοι φίλοις. Μαθέτωσαν καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ οἱ μεθ' ἡμῶν μὲν τετάχθαι δοκοῦντες, τὰ δὲ ἐκείνων 48.928 φρονοῦντες, ὅτι σπουδή τις ἡμῖν ἐστι καὶ φροντὶς καὶ ἀγρυπνία ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων τῶν πρὸς ἐκείνους αὐτομολούντων. Καὶ πάντως πρὸ ἡμῶν ἐκεῖνοι διώσονται τοὺς παρ' ἡμῶν ἐκεῖ φοιτῶντας· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τολμήσει λοιπόν τις καταφυγεῖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἔσται τὸ σῶμα καθαρὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς, ὁ θέλων πάντας σωθῆναι ἀνθρώπους, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν, ὑμᾶς τε πρὸς τὴν θήραν ταύτην δυναμώσειεν, ἐκείνους δὲ τῆς πλάνης ταύτης ἀπαγάγοι, καὶ πάντας κοινῇ διασώσας, καταξιώσειε