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let us keep. Do not tell me that many have fasted, but correct the many. I have not spent so many words for this reason, that you might accuse the many, but that you might make the many few, or rather, not even few, but that you might save them too. Therefore, do not parade 48.934 the sins, but heal them. For just as those who parade sins, and have devoted themselves to this alone, even if those who have sinned are few, make them seem to be many; so those who conceal them, and silence those who parade them, and take care of those who have fallen, even if they are many, both correct those men easily, and do not allow anyone else to be harmed by their reputation. Have you not heard that David, lamenting Saul, said: How have the mighty fallen? Do not announce it in Gath, nor proclaim the good news in the streets of Ascalon, so that the daughters of the foreigners may not rejoice, nor the daughters of the uncircumcised exult. And if he did not want a manifest matter to be paraded, so that it might not become a pleasure to the adversaries, how much more must these things not be brought forth to the ears of those outside, or rather, not even to those among us, so that neither the enemies hearing them may rejoice, nor our own people learning of them may fall away, but we must conceal and fence them in from every side. Do not tell me, "I told so-and-so"; keep the matter to yourself. For just as you could not bear to be silent, so neither will he endure it. Fifth. I say these things not only concerning the present fast, but also concerning countless other sins. Let us not consider this alone, if many are those being led astray, but let us consider that, how we may lead them away. Let us not exalt the things of the enemy, and tear down our own; let us not declare them strong, and our own things weak; but let us do the complete opposite. For reputation often knows how to cast down and to raise up a soul, and to instill a zeal that does not exist, and to destroy again one that does. For this reason I advise to increase those reputations which exalt our affairs, and make them appear great; but not those which pour down reproach upon the community of the brethren. And if we hear something good, let us bring it forth to all; but if something base and wicked, let us hide it within ourselves, and let us do everything to remove it. And now therefore, let us go about, let us investigate, let us see the fallen, and even if it is necessary to enter a house, let us not hesitate. But if the one who has fallen should be unknown, and in no way related to you, inquire and investigate who his friend and intimate is, and to whom he is most persuaded, and taking him, enter into the house; do not be ashamed, nor blush. For if you were entering to ask for money, or to receive some favor from him, it would be reasonable to be ashamed; but if you are running for the sake of his salvation, the reason for your entrance absolves you of all blame. So sit beside him, and speak to him, making your beginning from another topic, so that the correction may be unsuspected. Do you praise, tell me, the Jews, because they crucified Christ, and blaspheme against him now, and call him a lawbreaker? In no way will he endure it, if he is a Christian, even if he Judaizes ten thousand times, he will not endure to say, "I praise them"; but he will stop up his hearing and say to you, "May it not be so, speak well, man." Then when you have his consent, repeat it again, and say: How then do you have fellowship with them, tell me? How do you share in the feast, how do you fast with them? Then accuse them of their ignorance; tell of all the lawlessness which in the days before I went through for your love, which is convicted by the place, by the time, 48.935 by the temple, by the prediction of the prophets; show how they do all things rashly and in vain, and will never return to their former state, and that it is not lawful for them to perform any such thing outside of Jerusalem. And besides these things, remind him of Gehenna, of the fearful judgment seat of the Lord, of the reckonings there, and that we shall give an account for all these things, and that no small punishment is appointed

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κατέχωμεν. Μή μοι λέγε, ὅτι πολλοὶ ἐνήστευσαν, ἀλλὰ διόρθωσαι τοὺς πολλούς. Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο τοσούτους ἀνήλωσα λόγους, ἵνα κατηγορήσῃς τῶν πολλῶν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τοὺς πολλοὺς ποιήσῃς ὀλίγους, μᾶλλον δὲ μηδὲ ὀλίγους, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὺς διασώσῃς. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐκπόμπευε 48.934 τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἀλλὰ θεράπευε. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ἐκπομπεύοντες, καὶ εἰς τοῦτο μόνον ἐσχολακότες, κἂν ὀλίγοι ὦσιν οἱ ἡμαρτηκότες, πολλοὺς αὐτοὺς νομίζεσθαι ποιοῦσιν· οὕτως οἱ συστέλλοντες, καὶ τοὺς ἐκπομπεύοντας ἐπιστομίζοντες, καὶ τῶν πεπτωκότων ἐπιμελούμενοι, κἂν πολλοὶ ὦσιν, αὐτούς τε ἐκείνους διορθοῦνται ῥᾳδίως, καὶ οὐδένα ἕτερον ἐκ τῆς τούτων ἀφιᾶσι παραβλαβῆναι φήμης. Οὐκ ἤκουσας ὅτι θρηνῶν τὸν Σαοὺλ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἔλεγε· Πῶς ἔπεσον δυνατοί; Μὴ ἀναγγείλητε εἰς Γὲθ, μηδὲ εὐαγγελίσησθε ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς Ἀσκάλωνος, ὅπως μὴ εὐφρανθῶσι θυγατέρες ἀλλοφύλων, μηδὲ γαυριάσωσι θυγατέρες ἀπεριτμήτων. Εἰ δὲ πρᾶγμα φανερὸν οὐκ ἐβούλετο ἐκπομπεύεσθαι, ὥστε μὴ γενέσθαι τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἡδονὴν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ταῦτα οὐ δεῖ ἐκφέρειν εἰς τὰς ἔξωθεν ἀκοὰς, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ εἰς τὰς παρ' ἡμῖν, ἵνα μήτε οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἀκούοντες χαίρωσι, μήτε οἱ οἰκεῖοι μανθάνοντες καταπίπτωσιν, ἀλλὰ συστέλλειν καὶ περιφράσσειν πανταχόθεν. Μή μοι λέγε, ὅτι Τῷ δεῖνι εἶπον· παρὰ σαυτῷ κάτεχε τὸ ῥῆμα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ σὺ οὐκ ἐκαρτέρησας σιγῆσαι, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος ἀνέξεται. εʹ. Ταῦτα οὐ περὶ τῆς παρούσης νηστείας λέγω μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ἄλλων μυρίων ἁμαρτημάτων. Μὴ τοῦτο σκοπῶμεν μόνον, εἰ πολλοὶ οἱ παρασυρόμενοι, ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖνο σκοπήσωμεν, ὅπως αὐτοὺς ἀπαγάγωμεν. Μὴ ἐπαίρωμεν τὰ τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα καθαιρῶμεν· μὴ ἰσχυροὺς ἐκείνους ἀποφαίνωμεν, τὰ δὲ ἡμέτερα ἀσθενῆ· ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν ἐργασώμεθα. Οἶδε καὶ φήμη πολλάκις καθελεῖν καὶ ἀναστῆσαι ψυχὴν, καὶ τὴν οὐκ οὖσαν προθυμίαν ἐμβαλεῖν, καὶ τὴν οὖσαν καταλῦσαι πάλιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παραινῶ τὰς φήμας αὔξειν ἐκείνας, αἳ τὰ ἡμέτερα αἴρουσι πράγματα, καὶ μεγάλα ποιοῦσι φαίνεσθαι· ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐκείνας, αἳ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καταχέουσιν ὄνειδος. Κἂν μὲν ἀκούσωμέν τι χρηστὸν, εἰς πάντας ἐκφέρωμεν· ἂν δέ τι φαῦλον καὶ πονηρὸν, παρ' ἑαυτοῖς κατακρύψωμεν, καὶ ὅπως ἀνέλωμεν αὐτὸ πάντα ποιήσωμεν. Καὶ νῦν τοίνυν περιέλθωμεν, πολυπραγμονήσωμεν, ἴδωμεν τοὺς πεσόντας, κἂν εἰς οἰκίαν δέῃ εἰσελθεῖν, μὴ κατοκνήσωμεν. Εἰ δὲ ἄγνωστος εἴη, καὶ μηδαμόθεν σοι προσήκων ὁ πεπτωκὼς, περιέργασαι καὶ πολυπραγμόνησον, τίνα ἔχει φίλον καὶ ἐπιτήδειον, καὶ τίνι μάλιστα πείθεται, κἀκεῖνον λαβὼν, εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν· μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς, μηδὲ ἐρυθριάσῃς. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ χρήματα εἰσῄεις αἰτήσων, ἢ χάριν τινὰ ληψόμενος παρ' αὐτοῦ, εἰκὸς ἦν αἰσχύνεσθαι· εἰ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐκείνου σωτηρίας τρέχεις, ἡ τῆς εἰσόδου πρόφασις ἁπάντων ἀπαλάττει σε τῶν ἐγκλημάτων. Παρακάθισον δὴ, καὶ εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἑτέρωθεν ποιησάμενος τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὥστε ἀνύποπτον γενέσθαι τὴν διόρθωσιν. Ἐπαινεῖς, εἰπέ μοι, τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ὅτι τὸν Χριστὸν ἐσταύρωσαν, καὶ βλασφημοῦσιν εἰς αὐτὸν νῦν, καὶ παράνομον αὐτὸν καλοῦσι; Πάντως οὐκ ἀνέξεται, ἐὰν ᾖ Χριστιανὸς, κἂν μυριάκις ἰουδαΐζῃ, οὐκ ἀνέξεται εἰπεῖν ὅτι Ἐπαινῶ· ἀλλ' ἐμφράξει τὴν ἀκοὴν καὶ ἐρεῖ πρὸς σὲ, Μὴ γένοιτο, εὐφήμει, ἄνθρωπε. Εἶτα ὅταν αὐτοῦ λάβῃς τὴν συγκατάθεσιν, πάλιν ἐπανάλαβε, καὶ εἰπέ· Πῶς οὖν αὐτοῖς κοινωνεῖς, εἰπέ μοι; πῶς μετέχεις τῆς ἑορτῆς, πῶς μετ' ἐκείνων νηστεύεις; Εἶτα κατηγόρησον αὐτῶν τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης· εἰπὲ τὴν παρανομίαν ἅπασαν ἣν ἐν ταῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἡμέραις διῆλθον πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ και48.935 ροῦ, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς προῤῥήσεως τῶν προφητῶν ἐλεγχομένην· δεῖξον πῶς εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην ἅπαντα πράττουσι, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἐπὶ τὴν προτέραν ἐπανήξουσι πολιτείαν, καὶ ὅτι οὐ θέμις αὐτοῖς ἔξω τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐπιτελεῖν. Καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἀνάμνησον τῆς γεέννης, τοῦ φοβεροῦ βήματος τοῦ Κυρίου, τῶν εὐθυνῶν τῶν ἐκεῖ, καὶ ὅτι τούτων ἁπάντων δώσομεν λόγον, καὶ τιμωρία τις οὐ μικρὰ κεῖται