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roses among the thorns, and sheep among myriad wolves, traveling a path contrary to all, and not being cut off. For if among a multitude this very thing brings difficulty, and when many are doing the opposite, the one walking alone against the multitude endures many things, and if in sailing it is also difficult, when the surge is carrying one the opposite way, to steer the ship in the opposite direction; much more so in the case of virtue. For this very reason this just man, since he alone had laid hold of it, while all were walking the opposite way 55.145, takes refuge in the providence of God, saying: Save me, Lord. He reveals nothing else, then, from this than this: I have need of a hand from above, of the impulse from the heavens, of that alliance. For traveling a path contrary to all, I have need of much providence. And he did not say, 'Save me, because a holy one has not come to be,' but, 'Because the holy one has failed,' showing that even those who existed have perished, since wickedness has prevailed, and the disease has taken over. Paul also fears this, saying: Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? And again: Bad company corrupts good morals. What is, 'Truths have diminished'? Truths are many. Just as in the case of colors, and of other kinds, some are true, and others false, and there is a true purple, and a false purple, and so with saffron, and with stones, and with perfumes, and with other such things; so also in the case of virtues. For truth is that which truly is, but falsehood is that which is not. Since, then, these things were distorted and obscured, not having lost their substance of themselves, but having been put to flight by men; for this reason he did not say only, 'Truths have diminished,' but he added, 'From the sons of men,' wishing to make this very thing clear. But consider: There is a true adornment; and there is a false one. What then is the true adornment? That which concerns the soul. And what is the false? That which concerns the body. There is true wealth; and there is false. False is that of money, true is that of right actions. There is gladness, the one false, the other true, and beauties, and powers, and glories. But the majority of men, abandoning the truth of these things, pursue the false. For just as there is a true man, and a false one; true is the one who is living and active, false is the one who is drawn; so also is it to be seen in the case of virtues. 2. Each man has spoken vain things to his neighbor. Deceitful lips in a heart and in a heart have spoken evils. Another says, 'He speaks in one heart and another heart.' He speaks of two evils here, both that they have spoken vain things, and that it was to their neighbor; he either calls false things vain, or superfluous and unprofitable things. Paul also says something like this, saying: Do not lie to one another. And the more difficult thing is that all were corrupted. For this reason he did not say, 'This one,' and 'that one,' but, 'Each one.' For the wickedness was not simply superficial, but from below, and from the heart. 'In a heart and in a heart,' which another interpreter said, 'In one heart and another heart,' teaching that their duplicity in heart is great. This is more bitter than all enemies. For they are manifest and clear, whence they are also easy to guard against; but these, putting forward one mask, and being another, become difficult to detect for those who are being plotted against, being much more dangerous than those who hide their swords. The Lord will destroy all deceitful lips, and the boastful tongue, those who say: We will magnify our tongue. Another, 'We will be powerful.' Our lips are our own. Another, 'They are with us.' Who is our lord? Another, 'Who will be lord over us?' Have you seen the concern of the Prophet, how he prays on their behalf? For what has been said 55.146 is not against them, but on their behalf. For he did not say

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μεταξὺ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ῥόδα, καὶ ἐν μυρίοις λύκοις πρόβατα, τὴν ἐναντίαν πᾶσιν ὁδεύοντες ὁδὸν, καὶ μὴ διακοπτόμενοι. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ πλήθους αὐτὸ τοῦτο δυσκολίαν φέρει, καὶ πολλῶν τὴν ἐναντίαν ποιουμένων, ὁ μόνος ἀπεναντίας τοῦ πλήθους βαδίζων πολλὰ ὑπομένει πράγματα, καὶ εἰ ἐν ναυτιλίᾳ δὲ χαλεπὸν, τοῦ ῥοθίου τὴν ἐναντίαν φερομένου, πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίαν τὸ πλοῖον ἰθύνειν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ δίκαιος οὗτος, ἅτε δὴ μόνος αὐτῆς ἐπειλημμένος, πάντων τὴν ἐναντίαν βαδιζόν 55.145 των, ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόνοιαν καταφεύγει, λέγων· Σῶσόν με, Κύριε. Οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλλο, ἢ τοῦτο ἐντεῦθεν δηλοῖ· Τῆς ἄνωθέν μοι χρεία χειρὸς, τῆς ῥοπῆς τῆς ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, τῆς συμμαχίας ἐκείνης. Τὴν γὰρ ἐναντίαν πᾶσιν ὁδεύων ὁδὸν, πολλῆς δέομαι τῆς προνοίας. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Σῶσόν με, ὅτι οὐ γέγονεν ὅσιος, ἀλλ', Ὅτι ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος, δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ οἱ ὄντες ἀπώλοντο, ἐπειδὴ ἐπεκράτησεν ἡ κακία, καὶ περιεγένετο ἡ νόσος. Τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος φοβεῖται λέγων· Οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα ζυμοῖ; Καὶ πάλιν· Φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί. Τί ἐστιν, Ὠλιγώθησαν αἱ ἀλήθειαι; Πολλαί εἰσιν αἱ ἀλήθειαι. Καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν χρωμάτων, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰδῶν, τὰ μέν ἐστιν ἀληθῆ, τὰ δὲ ψευδῆ, καὶ ἔστι πορφύρα ἀληθὴς, καὶ πορφύρα ψευδὴς, καὶ ἐπὶ κρόκου, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λίθων, καὶ ἐπὶ ἀρωμάτων, καὶ ἐπὶ ἑτέρων τοιούτων· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν. Ἀλήθεια γὰρ τὸ ὄντως ὂν, ψεῦδος δὲ τὸ μὴ ὄν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ταῦτα διέστραπτο καὶ ἠμαύρωτο, οὐ τὴν ὑπόστασιν ἀπολέσαντα ἐξ ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φυγαδευθέντα· διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπε μόνον, ὅτι Ὠλιγώθησαν αἱ ἀλήθειαι, ἀλλ', Ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, προσέθηκε, τοῦτο αὐτὸ δηλῶσαι βουλόμενος. Σκόπει δέ· Ἔστι κόσμος ἀληθής· ἔστι καὶ ψευδής. Τίς οὖν ὁ ἀληθὴς κόσμος; Ὁ περὶ ψυχήν. Τίς δὲ ψευδής; Ὁ περὶ σῶμα. Ἔστιπλοῦτος ἀληθής· ἔστι καὶ ψευδής. Ψευδὴς ὁ τῶν χρημάτων, ἀληθὴς ὁ τῶν κατορθωμάτων. Ἔστιν εὐφροσύνη, ἡ μὲν ψευδὴς, ἡ δὲ ἀληθὴς, καὶ κάλλη, καὶ δυναστεῖαι, καὶ δόξαι. Ἀλλ' οἱ πλείους τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τὴν ἀλήθειαν τούτων ἀφέντες, τὰ ψευδῆ διώκουσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος ἀληθὴς, καὶ ψευδής· ἀληθὴς μὲν ὁ ζῶν καὶ ἐνεργῶν, ψευδὴς δὲ ὁ γεγραμμένος· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. βʹ. Μάταια ἐλάλησεν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ. Χείλη δόλια ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἐλάλησαν κακά. Ἄλλος φησὶν, Ἐν καρδίᾳ ἄλλῃ καὶ ἄλλῃ λαλεῖ. ∆ύο κακίας λέγει ἐνταῦθα, καὶ ὅτι μάταια ἐλάλησαν, καὶ ὅτι πρὸς τὸν πλησίον· ἢ τὰ ψευδῆ μάταιά φησιν, ἢ τὰ περιττὰ καὶ ἀνόνητα. Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησι λέγων· Μὴ ψεύδεσθε εἰς ἀλλήλους. Καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι πάντες ἦσαν διεφθαρμένοι. ∆ιὸ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὁ δεῖνα, καὶ ὁ δεῖνα, ἀλλ', Ἕκαστος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἁπλῶς ἐπιπόλαιος ἡ κακία, ἀλλὰ κάτωθεν, καὶ ἀπὸ καρδίας. Ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ ἐν καρδίᾳ, ὅπερ ἕτερος ἑρμηνευτὴς, Ἐν καρδίᾳ ἄλλῃ καὶ ἄλλῃ, εἶπε, διδάσκων ὅτι πολλὴ διπλόη αὐτῶν ἐν καρδίᾳ. Τοῦτο πολεμίων πάντων πικρότερον. Οἱ μὲν γάρ εἰσι φανεροὶ καὶ δῆλοι, ὅθεν καὶ εὐφύλακτοι γίνονται· οὗτοι δὲ ἕτερον προσωπεῖον προβαλλόμενοι, καὶ ἕτερον ὄντες, δυσφώρατοι τοῖς ἐπιβουλευομένοις καθίστανται, τῶν τὰ ξίφη κρυπτόντων ὄντες πολλῷ χαλεπώτεροι. Ἐξολοθρεύσει Κύριος πάντα τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια, καὶ γλῶσσαν μεγαλοῤῥήμονα, τοὺς εἰπόντας· Τὴν γλῶσσαν ἡμῶν μεγαλυνοῦμεν. Ἄλλος, ∆υναστεύσομεν. Τὰ χείλη ἡμῶν παρ' ἡμῖν ἐστιν. Ἄλλος, Σὺν ἡμῖν πάρεστι. Τίς ἡμῶν κύριός ἐστιν; Ἄλλος, Τίς κυριεύσει ἡμῶν; Εἶδες κηδεμονίαν Προφήτου, πῶς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εὔχεται; Οὐ γὰρ δὴ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐστι τὸ 55.146 εἰρημένον, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν