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of the flock (for nothing prevents us from using the same example again) we shut up the sick ones inside, and keep them in darkness, and give them other food, not allowing them to partake of fresh air, or pure grass, or the spring outside. And here, therefore, this voice is like a kind of bond. You cannot say, 'I did not know, I was ignorant that danger follows the matter;' indeed, Paul also testified to this. But you will say, 'I have not read it?' This is not an apology, but also an accusation; every day you enter into the church, and you are still ignorant of this? 5. But so that you may not have even this as an excuse, 63.133 for this reason with a loud voice, with an awesome cry, just as some herald raising his hand on high, standing tall, having become conspicuous to all, and crying out loudly in that awesome silence, the priest calls some and excludes others, doing this not with his hand, but more clearly with his tongue than with his hand. For that voice falling upon our hearing, like a hand pushes some away and casts them out, and brings others in and presents them. Tell me, I ask, in the Olympic games does not the herald stand crying loud and high, 'If anyone accuses this man, saying that he is a slave, or a thief, or of wicked habits?' and yet those contests are not of the soul, nor of good character, but of strength and body. If, then, where there is training of bodies, much examination of character takes place, how much more here, where the whole soul competes? Therefore our herald now stands, not taking hold of each by the head and bringing him forward, but taking hold of all at once by the head that is within; he does not set up others as accusers against them, but they themselves against themselves; for he does not say, 'Does anyone accuse this man?' but what? 'If anyone accuses himself.' For when he says, 'Holy things for the holy,' he says this: 'If anyone is not holy, let him not approach.' He does not simply say, 'Pure from sins,' but, 'Holy'; for it is not only freedom from sins that makes one holy, but also the presence of the Spirit, and the wealth of good works. I do not wish only, he says, that you be freed from mire, but also that you be white and beautiful. For if the Babylonian king, choosing the young men from the captivity, selected those beautiful in form and handsome in appearance; how much more must we, standing at the royal table, be beautiful in the form of the soul, having a golden ornament, a clean robe, royal sandals, the face of the soul well-formed, a golden ornament put around it, the girdle of truth. Let such a one approach, and let him touch the royal cups. But if anyone dressed in rags, being filthy, squalid, should wish to come to the royal table, see what he will suffer, since the forty days are not sufficient to wash away the sins committed in all his time. For if Gehenna is not sufficient, 63.134 although it is eternal (for this reason it is eternal), much more this short time. For we have not shown a strong repentance, but a weak one. Eunuchs especially ought to stand by the king; I mean eunuchs who are pure in mind, having no filth nor spot, lofty in thought, having the eye of the soul gentle and keen-sighted, quick-moving and sharp, but not sleepy nor supine, full of much freedom, but far from shamelessness and recklessness, wakeful, healthy, neither exceedingly grim and downcast, nor dissipated and languid. We are masters to fashion this eye, and to make it keen-sighted and beautiful. For when we lead it not to smoke, nor to dust (for such are all human affairs), but to the gentle breeze, to the light air, to the things that are lofty, and high, and full of great quiet and purity and much delight, we shall quickly restore it, and we shall strengthen it as it luxuriates in such a sight. Have you seen covetousness, and someone having great wealth? Do not turn your eye there; the thing is mire, it is smoke, a foul vapor, darkness
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ποίμνης (οὐδὲν γὰρ κωλύει τῷ αὐτῷ ὑποδείγματι πάλιν χρήσασθαι) τὰ μὲν νοσερὰ ἔνδον ἀποκλείομεν, καὶ ἐν σκότῳ κατέχομεν, καὶ ἑτέρας μεταδίδομεν τροφῆς, οὔτε ἀέρος καθαροῦ, οὔτε πόας εἰλικρινοῦς, οὔτε πηγῆς τῆς ἔξω συγχωροῦντες μεταλαβεῖν. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν αὕτη ἡ φωνὴ ἀντὶ δεσμοῦ τινός ἐστιν. Οὐκ ἔχεις εἰπεῖν, Οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἠγνόουν ὅτι κίνδυνος ἕπεται τῷ πράγματι· μάλιστα μὲν οὖν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος τοῦτο διεμαρτύρατο. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖς ὅτι, Οὐκ ἀνέγνων; Οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο ἀπολογία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔγκλημα· καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν εἰσέρχῃ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἔτι τοῦτο ἀγνοεῖς; εʹ. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἵνα μηδὲ τοῦτο ἔχῃς προφασίζεσθαι, 63.133 τούτου χάριν μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ, φρικτῇ τῇ βοῇ, καθάπερ τις κήρυξ τὴν χεῖρα αἴρων εἰς τὸ ὕψος, ὑψηλὸς ἑστὼς, πᾶσι κατάδηλος γεγονὼς, καὶ μέγα ἐπ' ἐκείνῃ τῇ φρικτῇ ἡσυχίᾳ ἀνακραυγάζων, τοὺς μὲν καλεῖ, τοὺς δὲ ἀπείργει ὁ ἱερεὺς, οὐ τῇ χειρὶ τοῦτο ποιῶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ γλώττῃ τῆς χειρὸς τρανότερον. Ἡ γὰρ φωνὴ ἐκείνη εἰς τὴν ἀκοὴν ἐμπίπτουσα τὴν ἡμετέραν, καθάπερ χεὶρ τοὺς μὲν ὠθεῖ καὶ ἐκβάλλει, τοὺς δὲ εἰσάγει καὶ παρίστησιν. Εἰπὲ δή μοι, παρακαλῶ, ἐν τοῖς Ὀλυμπιακοῖς ἀγῶσιν οὐχὶ ἕστηκεν ὁ κήρυξ βοῶν μέγα καὶ ὑψηλὸν, Εἴ τις τούτου κατηγορεῖ, λέγων, μὴ δοῦλός ἐστι, μὴ κλέπτης, μὴ τρόπων πονηρῶν; καίτοι τὰ ἀγωνίσματα ἐκεῖνα οὔτε ψυχῆς ἐστιν, οὔτε τρόπου ἀγαθοῦ, ἀλλὰ ῥώμης καὶ σώματος. Εἰ τοίνυν ἔνθα σωμάτων ἐστὶν ἄσκησις, πολλὴ προαιρέσεως ἐξέτασις γίνεται, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐνταῦθα, ἔνθα τὸ πᾶν ψυχὴ ἀθλεῖ; Ἕστηκε τοίνυν καὶ νῦν ὁ παρ' ἡμῖν κήρυξ, οὐ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἕκαστον κατέχων καὶ παράγων, ἀλλὰ πάντας ὁμοῦ τῆς κεφαλῆς τῆς ἔνδον κατέχων· οὐκ ἐφίστησιν ἄλλους αὐτοῖς κατηγόρους, ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ λέγει, Μή τις τούτου κατηγορεῖ; ἀλλὰ τί; Εἴ τις ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορεῖ. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπῃ, Τὰ ἅγια τοῖς ἁγίοις, τοῦτο λέγει· Εἴ τις οὐκ ἔστιν ἅγιος, μὴ προσίτω. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς φησιν, Ἁμαρτημάτων καθαρὸς, ἀλλ', Ἅγιος· τὸν γὰρ ἅγιον οὐχ ἡ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγὴ ποιεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος παρουσία, καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων πλοῦτος. Οὐ βούλομαι μόνον, φησὶ, βορβόρου ἀπηλλάχθαι ὑμᾶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ λευκοὺς εἶναι καὶ ὡραίους. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Βαβυλώνιος βασιλεὺς, ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐκλεγόμενος τοὺς νεανίσκους, καλοὺς τῷ εἴδει καὶ ὡραίους τῇ ὄψει ἐξελέξατο· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς παρισταμένους τῇ τραπέζῃ τῇ βασιλικῇ, καλοὺς τῷ εἴδει εἶναι δεῖ τῷ τῆς ψυχῆς, τὸν κόσμον ἔχοντας χρυσοῦν, τὴν στολὴν καθαρὰν, τὰ ὑποδήματα βασιλικὰ, τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς ψυχῆς εὔμορφον, τὸν κόσμον αὐτῇ περικεῖσθαι τὸν χρυσοῦν, τὴν ζώνην τῆς ἀληθείας. Ὁ τοιοῦτος προσίτω, καὶ ποτηρίων ἁπτέσθω βασιλικῶν. Εἰ δέ τις ῥάκια ἠμφιεσμένος, ῥυπῶν, αὐχμῶν ἐπεισιέναι τῇ βασιλικῇ βούλοιτο τραπέζῃ, ὅρα ὅσα πείσεται, οὐκ ἀρκουσῶν τῶν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν τὰ ἐν παντὶ τῷ χρόνῳ πεπλημμελημένα ἀπολούσασθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ γέεννα οὐκ ἀρκεῖ, 63.134 καίτοι γε αἰώνιος οὖσα (διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αἰώνιός ἐστι), πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ βραχὺς οὗτος χρόνος. Οὐ γὰρ μετάνοιαν ἰσχυρὰν ἐπεδειξάμεθα, ἀλλ' ἀσθενῆ. Τοὺς εὐνούχους μάλιστα δεῖ παρεστάναι τῷ βασιλεῖ· εὐνούχους λέγω, τοὺς τὴν διάνοιαν λευκοὺς, μηδένα ἔχοντας ῥύπον μηδὲ σπῖλον, ὑψηλοὺς τῇ διανοίᾳ, τὸ ὄμμα ἥμερον τῆς ψυχῆς ἔχοντας καὶ ὀξυδερκὲς, εὐπερίστροφον καὶ γοργὸν, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὑπνηλὸν μηδὲ ὕπτιον, ἐλευθερίας γέμον πολλῆς, πόῤῥω ἀναισχυντίας γε μὴν καὶ ἰταμότητος, ἐγρηγορὸς, ὑγιὲς, μήτε στυγνὸν σφόδρα καὶ κατηφὲς, μήτε διακεχυμένον καὶ ὑγρόν. Τοῦτον ἡμεῖς κύριοι δημιουργῆσαι τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, καὶ ὀξυδερκῆ ποιῆσαι καὶ καλόν. Ὅταν γὰρ αὐτὸν μὴ πρὸς τὸν καπνὸν ἄγωμεν, μηδὲ πρὸς τὴν κόνιν (τοιαῦτα γὰρ πάντα τὰ ἀνθρώπινα πράγματα), ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν αὔραν τὴν λεπτὴν, πρὸς τὸν κοῦφον ἀέρα, πρὸς τὰ μετέωρα, καὶ ὑψηλὰ, καὶ ἡσυχίας γέμοντα πολλῆς καὶ καθαρότητος καὶ πολλῆς τῆς τέρψεως, ἀνακτησόμεθα ταχέως αὐτὸν, καὶ ῥώσομεν ἐντρυφῶντα τῇ τοιαύτῃ θέᾳ. Εἶδες πλεονεξίαν, καὶ πλοῦτον πολὺν ἔχοντά τινα; μὴ ἐπαγάγῃς ἐκεῖ τὸν ὀφθαλμόν σου· βόρβορός ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, καπνός ἐστιν, ἀτμὸς πονηρὸς, σκότος