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showing, and making it plain, that it is possible for them also to receive. See, how both by works and by words they were instructed, and they did not pay attention, so that their condemnation might be just. For this very reason God also allowed them to be brought to the court, that they might also be instructed, if indeed they wished to learn, and that the apostles might be trained for boldness. But when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and wanted to kill them. See the excess of wickedness. When they ought to have been astonished at what they heard, they are instead cut to the heart, and plot to kill them for no reason. But it is necessary now to look at the readings from the beginning. But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them out and said, Go, and standing in the temple speak to the people all the words of this life. Having brought them out; he does not lead them away himself, but lets them go; so that in this way also their intrepidity might be known, which they also showed by entering the temple at night and teaching. But if the guards had thrown them out, as they thought, they would have fled, if indeed they had been persuaded to go out; or rather, if they had thrown them out, they would not have stood in the temple, but would have run away. But no one is so foolish as not to perceive this. Did we not strictly command you, he says? If then they had also obeyed you, you rightly call them to account; but if from that time they said they would not obey, the charges are superfluous, superfluous also the commands. See the inconsistency of the charges, and the exceeding folly. They wish, then, to show the intentions of the Jews to be murderous, as not doing these things for truth, but because they wished to take vengeance. For this reason the apostles do not answer them boldly; for they were teachers; and yet who, having stirred up the whole city, and enjoying so much grace, would not have said something and uttered something great? But not these men; for they were not angry, but pitied them and wept, and considered how they might deliver them from their error and their anger. And they no longer say to them: You judge; but they declare, saying: Whom God raised up; by this making it plain, that these things are according to the will of God. But they did not say, Did we not also tell you then, We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard? For they are not ambitious; but again they say the same things, the cross, the resurrection. And they do not say why He was crucified; that it was for us; but they hint at it, but not yet openly, wishing for the time being to make them afraid. Tell me, what rhetoric is here? None; so without contrived argument they preached the Gospel of life. And having said that He exalted Him, he also says for what purpose, To give repentance, he adds, to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. But these things for the time seemed incredible, they say. What do you say? And how are they not rather credible, things which neither rulers nor the multitude could contradict; but the one were silenced, the others were taught? And we, 60.108 he says, are witnesses of these words. Of what words? That He promised forgiveness, that He promised repentance; for the resurrection was by now confessed. But that He gives forgiveness, we bear witness, and the Holy Spirit, Who would not have come, had not sins first been loosed; so that this is an indisputable proof. You hear of forgiveness of sins, wretched man, and that He does not demand punishment, and you wish to kill? And of how much wickedness is this not a sign? And yet it was necessary either to convict them of lying, or being unable, to be persuaded; but if they did not wish to be persuaded, not to kill. For what was worthy of death? But they in their anger did not even perceive what had happened. See how here, having mentioned the audacious deed, they speak about forgiveness, showing that the things that had been done were worthy of death, but the things given were given as to the well-disposed. How else could one have persuaded them than by speaking as if to men who were approved? And see the malice; they set the Sadducees against them, who were especially grieved at the resurrection. But they gained nothing from their wickedness. But perhaps someone will say: And what man, enjoying such things as the apostles did, would not have become great? But see for me, before they enjoyed the grace, how they were persevering with one accord in the

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δεικνύντες, καὶ δηλοῦντες, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοῖς δυνατὸν λαβεῖν. Ὅρα, πῶς καὶ δι' ἔργων καὶ διὰ ῥημάτων ἐπαιδεύοντο, καὶ οὐ προσεῖχον, ἵνα δικαία αὐτοῖς ἡ κατάκρισις γένηται. ∆ιὰ γάρ τοι τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς συνεχώρει ἄγεσθαι αὐτοὺς εἰς δικαστήριον, ἵνα καὶ ἐκεῖνοι παιδεύωνται, εἴ γε μανθάνειν ἐβούλοντο, καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι εἰς παῤῥησίαν ἀλείφωνται. Οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες, διεπρίοντο, καὶ ἐβούλοντο ἀνελεῖν αὐτούς. Ὅρα κακίας ὑπερβολήν. ∆έον ἐφ' οἷς ἤκουσαν καταπλαγῆναι, οἱ δὲ διαπρίονται, καὶ βουλεύονται εἰκῆ ἀνελεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἀναγκαῖον λοιπὸν ἄνωθεν ἰδεῖν τὰ ἀνεγνωσμένα. Ἄγγελος δὲ Κυρίου διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς ἤνοιξε τὰς πύλας τῆς φυλακῆς, καὶ ἐξαγαγὼν αὐτοὺς εἶπεν· Πορεύεσθε, καὶ σταθέντες λαλεῖτε ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ τῷ λαῷ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης. Ἐξαγαγών· οὐκ αὐτὸς ἀπάγει αὐτοὺς, ἀλλ' ἀφίησιν· ὥστε καὶ ταύτῃ αὐτῶν γνωσθῆναι τὸ ἀκατάπληκτον, ὃ καὶ ἔδειξαν νυκτὸς εἰσελθόντες εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν καὶ διδάσκοντες. Εἰ δὲ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς οἱ φύλακες, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι ἐνόμιζον, ἔφυγον ἂν, εἴ γε πεισθέντες ἐξῆλθον· μᾶλλον δὲ, εἰ ἐξέβαλον αὐτοὺς ἐκεῖνοι, οὐκ ἂν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἔστησαν, ἀλλ' ἀπέδρασαν ἄν. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἀνόητος ὥστε μὴ συνιδεῖν. Οὐχὶ παραγγελίᾳ παρηγγείλαμεν ὑμῖν, φησί; Εἰ μὲν οὖν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐπείσθησαν ὑμῖν, καλῶς εὐθύνετε· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου εἶπον μὴ πεισθήσεσθαι, περιτταὶ αἱ εὐθῦναι, περιτταὶ καὶ αἱ παραγγελίαι. Ὅρα ἐγκλημάτων ἀνακολουθίαν, καὶ ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἄνοιαν. Φονικὰς λοιπὸν βούλονται δεῖξαι τὰς προαιρέσεις τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὡς οὐ δι' ἀλήθειαν ταῦτα ποιούντων, ἀλλ' ὥστε ἀμύνασθαι βουλομένων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ οὐδὲ θρασέως αὐτοῖς ἀποκρίνονται οἱ ἀπόστολοι· διδάσκαλοι γὰρ ἦσαν· καίτοι τίς οὐκ ἂν τὴν πόλιν ἅπασαν ἀναρτησάμενος, καὶ τοσαύτης ἀπολαύων χάριτος, εἶπεν ἂν δή τι καὶ ἐφθέγξατο μέγα; Ἀλλ' οὐχ οὗτοι· οὐ γὰρ ὠργίζοντο, ἀλλ' ἠλέουν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐδάκρυον, καὶ ἐσκόπουν, ὅπως αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλάξωσι τῆς πλάνης καὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ ἔτι λέγουσι πρὸς αὐτούς· Ὑμεῖς κρίνατε· ἀλλ' ἀποφαίνονται λέγοντες· Ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρε· διὰ τούτου δηλοῦντες, ὅτι κατὰ γνώμην τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτά ἐστιν. Οὐκ εἶπον δὲ, ὅτι Οὐκ εἴπομεν ὑμῖν καὶ τότε, Ἡμεῖς οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἃ εἴδομεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν, μὴ λαλεῖν; οὐ γάρ εἰσι φιλότιμοι· ἀλλὰ πάλιν τὰ αὐτά φασι, τὸν σταυρὸν, τὴν ἀνάστασιν. Καὶ οὐ λέγουσι, διὰ τί ἐσταυρώθη· ὅτι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· ἀλλ' αἰνίττονται μὲν, οὔπω δὲ φανερῶς, τέως αὐτοὺς φοβῆσαι βουλόμενοι. Εἰπέ μοι, ποία ῥητορεία ἐνταῦθα; Οὐδεμία· οὕτω χωρὶς κατασκευῆς τὸ τῆς ζωῆς ἐκήρυττον Εὐαγγέλιον. Εἰπὼν δὲ, ὅτι Ὕψωσε, λέγει καὶ ἐπὶ τίνι, Ἐπὶ τῷ δοῦναι μετάνοιαν, ἐπάγων, τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν. Ἀλλ' ἀπίθανα ταῦτα τέως ἐδόκει, φασί. Τί λέγεις; καὶ πῶς οὐ πιθανὰ μᾶλλον, οἷς γε οὐκ ἄρχοντες ἀντειπεῖν εἶχον, οὐ πλῆθος· ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἐπεστομίζοντο, οἱ δὲ ἐδιδάσκοντο; Καὶ ἡμεῖς, 60.108 φησὶ, μάρτυρες τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων ἐσμέν. Ποίων; Ὅτι ἄφεσιν, ὅτι μετάνοιαν ἐπηγγείλατο· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀνάστασις ἦν λοιπὸν ὡμολογημένη. Ὅτι δὲ ἄφεσιν δίδωσιν, ἡμεῖς μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ οὐκ ἂν ἐπῆλθε, μὴ πρότερον τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν λυθεισῶν· ὥστε ἀναμφισβήτητον τεκμήριον τοῦτό ἐστιν. Ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀκούεις, ἄθλιε, καὶ ὅτι οὐ δίκην ἀπαιτεῖ, καὶ βούλει ἀνελεῖν; Καὶ πόσης ταῦτα οὐχὶ κακίας; Καίτοι ἢ διελέγξαι ψευδομένους ἐχρῆν, ἢ μὴ δυναμένους, πεισθῆναι· εἰ δὲ μὴ ἐβούλοντο πεισθῆναι, μὴ ἀνελεῖν. Τί γὰρ ἦν ἀναιρέσεως ἄξιον; Οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ θυμοῦ οὐδὲ συνεῖδον τὸ γεγενημένον. Ὅρα, πῶς ἐνταῦθα μνημονεύσαντες τοῦ τολμήματος, περὶ ἀφέσεως διαλέγονται, δεικνύντες, ὅτι τὰ μὲν γεγενημένα ἄξια θανάτου, τὰ δὲ διδόμενα ὡς εὐγνώμοσιν ἐδίδοντο. Πῶς ἂν ἄλλως τις ἔπεισεν αὐτοὺς ἢ ὡς εὐδοκιμοῦντας εἰπών; Καὶ ὅρα τὴν κακουργίαν· τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους αὐτοῖς ἐφιστῶσιν, οἳ μάλιστα ἤλγουν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναστάσει. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τῆς πονηρίας ἀπώναντο. Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις· Καὶ τίς ἄνθρωπος τοιούτων ἀπολαύων, οἵων οἱ ἀπόστολοι, οὐκ ἂν μέγας ἐγένετο; Ἀλλ' ὅρα μοι πρὶν ἢ ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς χάριτος, πῶς ἦσαν προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν τῇ