97. And how very clever was the argument of him that was at once executioner and sovereign, law-breaker, and law-maker; or, to speak more correctly, rather "enemy and avenger," according to our way of speaking. "That it was part of our religion neither to resist injury nor to go to law, nor to possess anything at all, nor to consider anything one's own, but to live in the other world, and to despise things present as though they were not; neither is it lawful for anyone to return evil for evil, but when they are smitten on the one cheek to turn the other also to the smiter, and to be stripped of the coat after the cloak;" and perhaps he will add, "ought to pray for those that injured them, and wish well to their persecutors." 'Tis very true he could not help knowing all this----he that once was a Reader of the divine oracles, was a candidate for the honour of the great pulpit, and used to glorify the Martyrs by the gift of churches and of consecrated lands!

ϞΖʹ. Καὶ ὁ λόγος ὡς πάνσοφος τοῦ φονευτοῦ καὶ προστάτου, καὶ παρανόμου καὶ νομοθέτου, ἢ, ἵν' οἰκειότερον εἴπω, τοῦ ἐχθροῦ καὶ ἐκδικητοῦ, κατὰ τὸν ἡμετέρον λόγον: εἶναι γὰρ τοῦ ἡμετέρου νόμου μήτε ἀμύνεσθαι, μήτε δικάζεσθαι, μήτε κεκτῆσθαί τι τὴν ἀρχὴν, μήτε νομίζειν ἴδιόν τι: ἀλλὰ ζῇν ἑτέρωθι, καὶ τῶν παρόντων καταφρονεῖν ὡς οὐκ ὄντων: κακοῦ δὲ μὴ ἀντιδιδόναι, μηδὲ ἐξεῖναι, κακόν: μηδὲ τὴν παρειὰν παιομένους φείδεσθαι τῆς ἑτέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτην ἐμπαρέχειν τῷ παίοντι, καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα τῷ ἱματίῳ προσαποδύεσθαι. Προσθήσει δὲ ἴσως, ὅτι καὶ ὑπερεύχεσθαι τῶν ἀδικούντων, καὶ τὰ κάλλιστα βούλεσθαι τοῖς διώκουσι. Τί δὲ οὐκ ἔμελλε ταῦτα γινώσκειν ἀκριβῶς ὁ τῶν θείων ὑπαναγνώστης ποτὲ λογίων, καὶ τῆς τοῦ μεγάλου βήματος ἠξιωμένος τιμῆς, καὶ τοὺς μάρτυρας τιμῶν σηκοῖς τε καὶ τεμένεσιν;