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to those things that had happened before, has led him into this blinding excess; therefore, so that he too might become better than himself, perhaps something ought also to be done by us, so that he might learn that he is a man and has no authority for insolence and dishonor against those of like mind and like honor. 249.28 For behold, let it be granted that it is true (I speak hypothetically) that something grievous has been done by me against him; what tribunal was established against us for the things that were done or suspected? What proof has convicted the injustice? What canons were read against us? What lawful decision of a bishop ratified the judgment against us? 249.29 And if any of these things had been done lawfully, the danger would surely have concerned his rank; but what canons have legislated for insolence against liberty and dishonor against peers? 249.30 20Judge a righteous judgment20, you who look to God, in what do you consider the dishonor against us to be pardonable? 249.31 If the dignity were to be judged according to the priesthood, the privilege from the synod has been one and the same for both, or rather the care for the correction of common affairs, so that in this they are equal. 249.32 But if some were to look at us by ourselves, stripped of the dignity of the priesthood, what more does the one have than the other? Birth? Education? Freedom among the best and most esteemed? Knowledge? These things can be found either in equal measure with us or certainly not in a lesser one. 249.33 But does he speak of wealth? May it not be necessary to have to recount these things about him. Or is it sufficient to say only how much he had at the beginning and how much he has now, and to leave it to others to seek out the sources of the increase of his wealth, which until the present is being increased and nourished almost every day through his fine practices. 249.34 What then is the authority for this insolence against us, if there is neither superiority of birth, nor prominence of rank, nor surpassing power of words, nor is there any pre-existing benefaction? 249.35 Since even if these things were so, even then the insolence against free men would be unpardonable; but since none of these things is the case, I do not think it is right to overlook so great a disease of pride as being incurable. But the cure is to bend the arrogance and to deflate the empty bulk, once the puff of pride has been a little breathed out; but how this might happen, will be God's concern.

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πρότερον γεγενημένοις, εἰς ταύτην αὐτὸν ἤγαγε τὴν τύφουσαν ἀμετρίαν· οὐκοῦν ὡς ἂν κἀκεῖνος ἑαυτοῦ γένοιτο κρείττων, τάχα τι προσήκει καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν γενέσθαι, ὡς ἂν μάθοι ἄνθρωπος ὢν καὶ οὐδεμίαν κατὰ τῶν ὁμοφρόνων τε καὶ ὁμοτίμων ὕβρεως καὶ ἀτιμίας τὴν αὐθεντίαν ἔχων. 249.28 Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀληθὲς εἶναι δεδόσθω (λέγω δὲ καθ' ὑπόθεσιν) γεγενῆσθαι παρ' ἐμοῦ τι λυπηρὸν κατ' ἐκείνου· ποῖον συνέστη καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς γενομένοις ἢ ὑπονοουμένοις κριτήριον; Τίς ἀπόδειξις τὴν ἀδικίαν ἀπήλεγξεν; Τίνες κανόνες καθ' ἡμῶν ἀνεγνώσθησαν; Ποία ἔννομος ἐπισ-κόπου ἀπόφασις τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν κρίσιν ἐκύρωσεν; 249.29 Εἰ δέ τι καὶ ἐγεγόνει τούτων ἐννόμως, πάντως ἂν περὶ τὸν βαθμὸν ὁ κίνδυνος ἦν· ὕβριν δὲ κατὰ ἐλευθερίας καὶ ἀτιμίαν κατὰ τῶν ὁμοτίμων ποῖοι κανόνες ἐνομοθέτησαν; 249.30 20Κρίμα δίκαιον κρίνατε20 οἱ πρὸς Θεὸν ὁρῶντες, ἐν τίνι συγγνωστὴν ἡγεῖσθε τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν ἀτιμίαν; 249.31 Εἰ κατὰ τὴν ἱερωσύνην τὸ ἀξίωμα κρίνοιτο, ἴση παρὰ τῆς συνόδου καὶ μία γέγονεν ἀμφοτέροις ἡ προνομία, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡ φροντὶς τῆς τῶν κοινῶν διορθώσεως, ὡς ἐν τούτῳ τὸ ἴσον ἔχειν. 249.32 Εἰ δέ τινες ἡμᾶς γυμνοὺς τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἱερωσύνην ἀξιώματος ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν βλέποιεν, τί τοῦ ἑτέρου πλέον ἔχει ὁ ἕτερος; Γένος; Παίδευσιν; Ἐλευθερίαν πρὸς τοὺς ἀρίστους τε καὶ εὐδοκιμωτάτους; Γνῶσιν; Ταῦτα ἢ ἐν τῷ ἴσῳ καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ἢ πάντως οὐκ ἐν ἐλάσσονι. 249.33 Ἀλλὰ πλοῦτον λέγει; Μὴ γένοιτο εἰς ἀνάγκην ἐλθεῖν ταῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ διηγήσασ- θαι. Ἦ τοσοῦτον ἀρκεῖ μόνον εἰπεῖν, ὅσος ἦν τὸ κατ' ἀρχὰς καὶ νῦν ὅσος ἐγένετο, καὶ καταλιπεῖν ἄλλοις ἀναζητῆσαι τῆς αὐξήσεως τοῦ πλούτου τὰς ἀφορμὰς τοῦ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος καθ' ἑκάστην μικροῦ δεῖν ἡμέραν διὰ τῶν καλῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐξομένου τε καὶ τρεφομένου. 249.34 Τίς οὖν τῆς καθ' ἡμῶν ὕβρεως ἡ ἐξουσία, εἰ μήτε γένους ὑπεροχὴ μήτε ἀξιώματος περιφάνεια μήτε δύναμις ὑπερ-βάλλουσα λόγων, μηδὲ ἔστιν εὐεργεσία τις προϋπάρξασα; 249.35 Ὁπότε καὶ εἰ ταῦτα ἦν, καὶ οὕτως ἂν ἦν τὸ κατὰ τὴν ὕβριν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐλευθέρων ἀσύγγνωστον· μηδενὸς δὲ τούτων ὄντος οὐκ οἶμαι καλῶς ἔχειν τὴν τοσαύτην τοῦ τύφου νόσον περιιδεῖν ἀθεράπευτον. Θεραπεία δέ ἐστι τὸ ἐπικλῖναι τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ διαστεῖλαι τὸν διάκενον ὄγκον, μικρὸν διαπνευσθέντος τοῦ κατὰ τὸν τῦφον φυσήμα-τος· ὅπως δ' ἂν γένοιτο τοῦτο, Θεῷ μελήσει.