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Isaiah cries aloud: "When you turn back and groan, then you shall be saved, and you will know where you were when you trusted in vain things." And in the prologue, having recounted the many transgressions of the people, and having shown the incurability of the disease, "For there is," he said, "no salve to apply, nor oil, nor bandages." After a little, he brought to them the cure of repentance, to which he said: "Wash yourselves, be clean, take away your wickednesses from your souls from before my eyes. Cease from your wickednesses, learn to do good, seek judgment, deliver the wronged from the hand of the one who wrongs him." Then he promises to make them like white wool and snow, 83.549 even if they should have a crimson and scarlet color; This is possible for God alone; for dyers change white into other colors, but they are not able to change any other of the colors into white; but for the Creator all things are easy. But we would lengthen our discourse beyond measure if we were to collect all the exhortations of the prophets; for both the prophetic song and the oracles of the other prophets are full of these things. But those who have inherited the arrogance of Novatus, say that after baptism a cure should not be offered to those who sin. But they should have understood, that the ancients also had as a type of the sacred mysteries the purifications and the divine rites. And so that we may refute their folly from a great abundance of evidence, let us bring Aaron into the midst. For he, having been anointed, and ordained the first high priest, and having received the grace of the divine Spirit, yielded to the impious requests of the lawless people, and constructed the image of the calf, and offered sacrifices with the other Levites; but nevertheless he obtained pardon, and continued serving as high priest until his death. And the great David, being a prophet and possessing the grace of the divine Spirit dwelling within him, committed two grievous transgressions, but he healed his wounds through repentance, and was not stripped of the grace of the Spirit, but even after his sin he prophesied many things to come. What would they say about the one who had committed fornication in Corinth, who not only had been deemed worthy of the divine mysteries, but had also obtained a teaching charism? on whose account, since those under him were proud of him as of one wise and educated, the divine Apostle accused them, saying: "And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you." But nevertheless, having delivered to Satan him who was a teacher and had dared to commit a very great transgression, again he snatched him from his hands, and restored him to the body of the Church. For he writes thus in the second Epistle: "To whom you forgive anything, I also. For if I have forgiven anything, to whom I have forgiven it, for your sakes." And lest anyone should suppose that he had done this for the sake of human favor, he added: "in the person of Christ," that is, as the Master of all is watching, as knowing that this which is happening is also pleasing to Him. Wherefore he also adds the reason: "Lest we should be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices." -"So that you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow." The teachers of the Church had such compassion; for they were spiritual physicians, preserving the health of the strong, 83.552 and driving out the diseases of those who were ill. Treating of this, he also included these things in his letters to them: "Lest, when I come again, my God should humble me among you, and I shall mourn many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." Thus the Galatians who were turned aside from the faith, and after the call of grace and the partaking of the divine mysteries, having received circumcision, and of the

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Ἡσαΐας βοᾷ· "Ὅταν ἀποστραφεὶς στενάξῃς, τότε σωθήσῃ, καὶ γνώσῃ ποῦ ἦσθα ὅτε ἐπεποίθεις ἐπὶ τοῖς μα ταίοις." Κἀν τῷ προοιμίῳ δὲ παμπόλλας τοῦ λαοῦ παρανομίας διεξελθὼν, καὶ δείξας τὸ τῆς νόσου δυσ ίατον, "Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ, ἔφη, μάλαγμα ἐπιθεῖναι, οὔτε ἔλαιον, οὔτε καταδέσμους." Μετ' ὀλίγα, τὴν τῆς μετανοίας αὐτοῖς προσήγαγε θεραπείαν, πρὸς ἣν ἔλεγε· "Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γίνεσθε, ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου. Παύσασθε ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν, μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν, ἐκζητήσατε κρίσιν, ῥύσασθε ἀδικούμενον ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδικοῦντος αὐτόν." Εἶτα ὑπισχνεῖται ἐρίῳ λευκῷ καὶ χιόνι παραπλησίους 83.549 αὐτοὺς ἀποφαίνειν, εἰ καὶ κόκκινον καὶ φοινικὴν ἔχοιεν χροιάν· Τοῦτο δὲ μόνῳ τῷ Θεῷ δυνατόν· οἱ γὰρ δευσοποιοὶ εἰς μὲν ἄλλα χρώματα τὸ λευκὸν μεταβάλλουσιν, ἄλλο δέ τι τῶν χρωμάτων μεταβα λεῖν εἰς λευκὸν οὐκ ἰσχύουσι· τῷ δὲ Ποιητῇ πάντα ῥᾴδια. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ πέρα τοῦ μέτρου μηκυνοῦμεν τὸν λόγον, εἰ πάσας τὰς τῶν προφητῶν παραινέσεις συλλέξαιμεν· πλήρης γὰρ τούτων καὶ ἡ προφητικὴ μελῳδία, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων προφητῶν τὰ θεσπίσματα. Ἀλλ' οἱ τὸν Ναυάτου διαδεξάμενοι τῦφον, μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμά φασι μὴ χρῆναι τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι θερα πείαν προσφέρειν. Ἔδει δὲ αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν, ὡς καὶ οἱ παλαιοὶ τύπον εἶχον τῶν ἱερῶν μυστηρίων τὰ περιῤῥαντήρια, καὶ τὰς θείας ἱερουργίας. Ἵνα δὲ ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος τὴν ἄνοιαν αὐτὴν διελέγξωμεν, τὸν Ἀαρὼν εἰς μέσον ἀγάγωμεν. Οὗτος γὰρ χρι σθεὶς, καὶ πρῶτος ἀρχιερεὺς χειροτονηθεὶς, καὶ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν δεξάμενος, εἶξε μὲν ταῖς δυσσεβέσιν αἰτήσεσι τοῦ παρανόμου λαοῦ, κατ εσκεύασε δὲ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ μόσχου, καὶ θυσίας μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων προσενήνοχε Λευϊτῶν· ἀλλ' ὅμως συγ γνώμης τετύχηκε, καὶ ἀρχιερατεύων μέχρι τελευτῆς διετέλεσε. Καὶ ὁ μέγας δὲ ∆αβὶδ, προφήτης ὢν καὶ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν ἔνοικον κεκτημένος, δύο χαλεπὰς παρανομίας εἰργάσατο, ἀλλὰ τὰ τραύ ματα διὰ μετανοίας ἰάσατο, καὶ οὐκ ἐγυμνώθη τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν πολλὰ τῶν ἐσομένων ἐθέσπισε. Περὶ τοῦ ἐν Κορίνθῳ πεπορνευκότος τί ἂν εἴποιεν, ὃς οὐ μό νον θείων μυστηρίων ἠξίωτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ διδασκαλι κοῦ τετύχηκεν χαρίσματος; οὗ δὴ χάριν ὡς ἐπὶ σοφῷ καὶ πεπαιδευμένῳ μέγα φρονούντων τῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνῳ τελούντων, ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος κατηγόρησεν εἰπών· "Καὶ ὑμεῖς πεφυσιωμένοι ἐστὲ, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐπενθήσατε, ἵνα ἐξαρθῇ ἐκ μέσου ὑμῶν ὁ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ποιήσας." Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ διδάσκαλον ὄντα, καὶ μεγίστην παρανομίαν τετολμηκότα παραδοὺς τῷ Σατανᾷ, πάλιν αὐτὸν ἐξήρπασε τῶν ἐκείνου χειρῶν, καὶ τῷ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀποδέδωκε σώματι. Γράφει δὲ οὕτως ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ Ἐπιστολῇ· "Ὧ δέ τι χαρίζεσθε, καὶ ἐγώ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ εἴ τι κεχάρισμαι, ᾧ κεχάρισμαι, δι' ὑμᾶς." Καὶ ἵνα μή τις αὐ τὸν ὑπολάβῃ πρὸς χάριν ἀνθρώπων τοῦτο πεποιηκέ ναι, προστέθεικεν· "Ἐν προσώπῳ Χριστοῦ, τουτ έστιν ὡς ὁρῶντος τοῦ ∆εσπότου τῶν ὅλων, ὡς ἐπι στάμενος, ὅτι καὶ αὐτῷ ἀρέσκει τοῦτο γιγνόμενον." Ὅθεν καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπάγει· "Ἵνα μὴ πλεονεκτηθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ· οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν." -"Ὥστε ὑμᾶς μᾶλλον χαρίσασθαι, καὶ παρακαλέσαι, μήπως τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ κα ταποθῇ ὁ τοιοῦτος." Τοιαύτην εἶχον εὐσπλαγχνίαν οἱ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διδάσκαλοι· ἰατροὶ γὰρ ἦσαν πνευματικοὶ, τῶν μὲν ἐῤῥωμένων τὴν ὑγείαν φυλάτ 83.552 τοντες, τῶν δὲ κακῶς διακειμένων τὰς νόσους ἐλαύ νοντες. Τοῦτο πραγματευόμενος, καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς πρὸς τούτοις ἐντέθεικε γράμμασι· "Μὴ πάλιν ἐλθόντα με ταπεινώσῃ ὁ Θεός μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων, καὶ μὴ με τανοησάντων ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ, καὶ πορνείᾳ καὶ ἀσελγείᾳ ᾗ ἔπραξαν." Οὕτως Γαλάτας παρατρα πέντας τῆς πίστεως, καὶ μετὰ τὴν κλῆσιν τῆς χάριτος καὶ τὴν τῶν θείων μυστηρίων ἀπόλαυσιν, τὴν περιτομὴν δεξαμένους, καὶ τῶν