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casting, they are given over to beast-like reasonings, and to wicked demons who work unclean things. Indeed, the threat came upon Israel when, on account of their sin against the Lord, they were given over to the nations and left to become plunder and a trampling ground for their enemies. 5.146 Then he says: And I will tear down its wall, and it shall be for trampling. Above, recounting his benefactions to the people, he says, "I put a fence around it and built a tower"; but here, "I will take away its fence and tear down the wall," speaking of the wall instead of the tower (as I think); since a tower is also four walls joined to each other at the corners, so that there too the tower is to be understood as the high enclosure of the vineyard's walls, to make it inaccessible and unassailable to its adversaries. And our wall is torn down when, through laziness, we make ourselves unworthy of the protection from the divine doctrines. For to the righteous, God is a tower from the face of the enemy; but from the sinner, because of abandonment, all security and the defense of every fortress is taken away. And I will let my vineyard go, and it shall not be pruned, nor shall it be dug. From this it is clear that the letting go of sinners happens through abandonment. For of whom he takes thought, the Word says: "I will not let you go, nor will I ever abandon you"; but of those whom he has completely given up on, he leaves them free to do the desires of their flesh and of their minds, since discipline would be useless for them. "I will let the vineyard go," he says. And what happens to it from this? "It shall not be pruned," he says, "nor shall it be dug any longer." For just as those who prune the vine restrain its power (so that it may proceed in a managed and sober way, through the bearing of necessary fruit), so also a soul, when bent by afflictions, is, as it were, drawn in and humbled to its benefit, and is brought back to its proper care for itself, choosing what is necessary and useful in its affairs. But the one let go, like some neglected vine, runs wild with wood and pours itself out on useless and unprofitable things, making all the display of its works for the deceit of the many. For he who does the work of perishable things is like a vine that puts forth wood and leaves and tendrils, but does not produce wine that brings gladness, which could be laid up in the royal storehouses. 5.147 Therefore the vineyard that is let go suffers two terrible things: it is neither pruned (he says) nor dug. It has been said what "not to be pruned" means, that is, not to be disciplined by circumstances, which is ordained for the benefit of those who are afflicted. But one is "dug" who is taught to take all the matter surrounding him for his own benefit. For example, a rich man is undug, one whose soul is pressed down by the weight of earthly things; upon whom no heavenly rain descends; for it does not reach the root, since much vanity is heaped upon it. But he who has been taught by the word of compunction to put away the crowd of earthly and perishable matters, and to breathe again from the constraint, and to uncover his hidden things, and to overturn the roots of bitterness, and, as it were, to dry them out through repentance, this is the one who has been dug. Therefore also the growth of thorns is prevented, that is, the cares of this life will have no place in the overturning of earthly things. Furthermore, with regard to "not being pruned," what is said in the Gospel according to John must be brought in: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes it away; and every branch that bears fruit, he cleanses it, that it may bear more fruit." The bad steward therefore says, "I am not strong enough to dig"; but the good and wise steward will dig around it with knowledge, that is, he will stir up all his possessions and appropriate them to his former life; showing that just as the earth, when removed from the root, becomes nourishment for the plant (but when lying upon it, it presses and weighs it down), so also the abundance of wealth, when lying upon

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βάλλοντες, ἔκδοτοί εἰσι τοῖς βοσκηματώδεσι λογισμοῖς, καὶ πονηροῖς δαιμονίοις τοῖς τὰ ἀκάθαρτα ἐνεργοῦσιν. Ἐπὶ μέντοι τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἔφθασεν ἡ ἀπειλὴ, ὅτε διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἁμαρτίαν ἔκδοτοι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀφεθέντες, εἰς διαρ παγὴν ἐγένοντο καὶ καταπάτημα τῶν πολεμίων. 5.146 Εἶτά φησι· Καὶ καθελῶ τὸν τοῖχον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσται εἰς καταπάτημα. Ἐν τοῖς ἄνω διηγούμενος τὰς παρ' ἑαυτοῦ εἰς τὸν λαὸν εὐεργεσίας, Φραγμὸν (φησὶ) περιέθηκα καὶ ᾠκοδόμησα πύργον· ἐνταῦθα δὲ Ἀφελῶ τὸν φραγμὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ κα θελῶ τὸν τοῖχον, ἀντὶ πύργου (ὡς οἶμαι) τὸν τοῖχον λέ γων· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ πύργος τέσσαρές εἰσι τοῖχοι κατὰ γωνίας ἀλλήλοις συναπτόμενοι, ὥστε κἀκεῖ πύργον νοεῖσθαι τὴν ὑψηλὴν τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος τῶν τοίχων περιβολὴν, πρὸς τὸ ἀνέμβατον αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ ἀνεπιχείρητον τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις. Καὶ ἡμῶν δὲ τοῖχος καθαιρεῖται, ὅταν ἀναξίους ἑαυ τοὺς τῆς ἐκ τῶν θείων δογμάτων φυλακῆς διὰ ῥᾳθυμίας ποιήσωμεν. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ δικαίῳ πύργος ἐστὶν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐχθροῦ· τοῦ δὲ ἁμαρτωλοῦ διὰ τὴν ἐγκατάλειψιν περιαιρεῖται πᾶσα ἀσφάλεια καὶ παντὸς ὀχυρώματος προ βολή. Καὶ ἀνήσω τὸν ἀμπελῶνά μου καὶ οὐ μὴ τμηθῇ, οὐδὲ μὴ σκαφῇ. Ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον, ὅτι ἡ ἄνεσις τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν κατὰ ἐγκατάλειψιν γίνεται. Ὧν μὲν γὰρ προνοεῖται, ὁ λόγος φησίν· Οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ, οὐδ' οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλείπω· ὧν δ' ἂν παντελῶς ἀπογνῷ, τούτους ἀνέτους ἀφίησι ποιεῖν τὰ θελήματα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν αὐτῶν, ὡς τῆς παιδευτικῆς ἀνωφελοῦς αὐτοῖς ἐσομένης. Ἀνήσω οὖν (φησὶ) τὸν ἀμπελῶνα. Καὶ τί τὸ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτῷ συμβαῖνον; Οὐ μὴ τμηθῇ (φησὶν) οὐδὲ μὴ σκαφῇ ἔτι. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ τὴν ἄμπε λον τέμνοντες, συνέχουσιν αὐτῆς τὴν δύναμιν (ὥστε τετα μιευμένως καὶ σωφρόνως, διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων φορᾶς, προϊέναι) οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ ἐπικαμπτομένη ταῖς θλίψεσιν, οἱο νεὶ συστέλλεται καὶ ταπεινοῦται λυσιτελῶς, καὶ πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἑαυτῆς ἐπιμέλειαν ἐπανάγεται, τὸ ἀναγκαῖον καὶ ὠφέλιμον ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν αἱρουμένη. Ἡ δὲ ἀφεθεῖσα ἄνετος, οἷόν τις ἄμπελος ἀτημέλητος, ὑλομανεῖ καὶ ἐκχεῖται περὶ τὰ ἄχρηστα καὶ ἀνωφελῆ, πρὸς τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἀπά την πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν ἔργων ἐπίδειξιν ποιουμένη. Ὁ γὰρ τῶν φθαρτῶν τὴν ἐργασίαν ποιούμενος, ὅμοιός ἐστιν ἀμπέλῳ, ξύλα καὶ φύλλα καὶ ἕλικας ἐκτρεφούσῃ, οἶνον δὲ εὐφρο σύνης ποιητικὸν, εἰς ἀποθήκας βασιλικὰς ἀποτεθῆναι δυνά μενον, μὴ ποιούσῃ. 5.147 Ὁ οὖν ἀνεθεὶς ἀμπελὼν δύο πάσχει δεινά· οὔτε τέμνεται (φησὶν) οὔτε σκάπτεται. Εἴρηται τί τὸ μὴ τέμνε σθαι, τουτέστι μὴ κατακονδυλίζεσθαι ταῖς περιστάσεσιν, ὅπερ ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τῶν θλιβομένων οἰκονομεῖται. Σκάπτεται δὲ ὁ πᾶσαν τὴν περικειμένην αὐτῷ ὕλην διδασκόμενος πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ὠφέλειαν λαμβάνειν. Οἷον ἄσκαφός ἐστιν πλούσιος, ὁ τῷ βάρει τῶν γηΐνων τὴν ψυχὴν πιεζόμενος· πρὸς ὃν οὔτε ὑετὸς οὐράνιος καταβαίνει· οὐ γὰρ ἐφικνεῖται τῆς ῥίζης, πολλῆς ἐπ' αὐτῆς συμπεφορημένης τῆς ματαιό τητος. Ὁ μέντοι τῷ κατανυκτικῷ λόγῳ ἀποσκευάσασθαι τὸν ὄχλον τῶν γηΐνων πραγμάτων καὶ φθαρτῶν διδαχθεὶς, καὶ ἀναπνεῦσαι μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς συνοχῆς, ἐκκαλύψαι δὲ ἑαυ τοῦ τὰ κρυπτὰ, ἀνατρέψαι δὲ τὰς τῆς πικρίας ῥίζας, καὶ οἱονεὶ ξηρᾶναι διὰ μετανοίας, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ σκαφείς. ∆ιόπερ καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀκανθῶν χύσις κωλύεται, τουτέστιν αἱ μέριμναι τοῦ βίου τούτου οὐδεμίαν ἕξουσι χώραν ἐν τῇ ἀνατροπῇ τῶν γηΐνων. Ἔτι πρὸς τὸ μὴ τμηθῆναι καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην Εὐαγγελίῳ εἰρημένον παραληπτέον· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινὴ, καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστι. Πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν, αἴρει αὐτό· καὶ πᾶν τὸ καρπὸν φέρον, καθαίρει αὐτὸ, ἵνα καρπὸν πλείονα φέρῃ. Ὁ μὲν οὖν κακὸς οἰκονόμος Σκάπτειν (φησὶν) οὐκ ἰσχύω· ὁ δὲ ἀγαθὸς καὶ φρόνιμος οἰκονόμος ἐπιστημόνως περισκά ψει, τουτέστιν ἀνακινήσει πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ καὶ τῇ προηγουμένῃ ἑαυτοῦ ζωῇ προσοικειώσει· δεικνὺς, ὅτι ὥσπερ ἡ γῆ, ἀφισταμένη μὲν τῆς ῥίζης, τροφὴ τοῦ φυτοῦ γίνεται (ἐπικειμένη δὲ αὐτῇ, θλίβει αὐτὴν καὶ βαρύνει) οὕτω καὶ ἡ τῶν χρημάτων περιβολὴ, ἐπικειμένη μὲν