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that brought this forward, A man shall leave his father and his mother and again he added, that it is spoken of Christ 62.142 and the Church. For concerning her the Psalmist also says: Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people, and your father's house; and the king will desire your beauty. ∆For this reason Christ also said: I came forth from the Father, and have come. But when I say, that He left the Father, do not think it is such as it is with men, a change of place. For just as He is said to go out, not because He went out, but because of the flesh, so also the phrase, He left the Father. Why then did he not also say concerning the wife, She shall be joined to her husband? Why is this? Because he was discoursing on love, and he was speaking to the husband. For to her indeed, discoursing on fear, he says: The husband is the head of the wife; and again, that Christ also is the head of the Church; but to him he discourses on love, and to him he entrusted the matters of love, and the things concerning love he uttered to him, binding and gluing him together. For the man who leaves his father for his wife, and then again leaves and abandons this very wife, of what pardon would he be worthy? Do you not see how much honor God wants her to enjoy, that having led you away from your father, He has nailed you to her? What then, if our part is done, he says, but she does not follow? But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But when you hear of fear, demand the fear that is fitting for a free woman, not as from a slave; for she is your body; for if you do this, you insult yourself, dishonoring your own body. And what is this fear? That she not contradict, that she not rise up, that she not desire the first place; it is enough for the fear to stand at these points. But if you love, as you were commanded, you will accomplish greater things; or rather, you will no longer accomplish this by fear, but love itself will accomplish something. The gender is somehow weaker, needing much help, much condescension. But what would they say who are joined in second marriages? I do not say this to condemn, far from it; for the Apostle also permitted it; but also with much condescension; provide all things for her, do and suffer all things for her sake; a necessity is laid upon you. Here he does not think it right to introduce the counsel from external examples, which he does in many places. For it was sufficient, being great and powerful, that of Christ; or rather, also for the reason of subjection. He shall leave, he says, his father and his mother. Behold, this is from without. But he did not say, And shall dwell with, but, Shall be joined unto, indicating the precise union, the love with vehemence. And he was not content with this, but also by the addition he showed the subjection in such a way that the two no longer appear to be two. He did not say, One spirit, he did not say, One soul; for that is evident, and possible for everyone; but so, as to be one flesh. ʹ. This is a second authority, having a beginning and much equality of honor; but nevertheless the husband has something more. This is the greatest salvation of a house. For he took that example of Christ not only for the need to love, but also to order. That she might be, he says, holy and without blemish; and the phrase, Of the flesh, refers to loving, and the phrase, Shall be joined unto, likewise refers to loving. For if 62.143 you make her holy and without blemish, all things follow. Seek the things of God, and human things will follow with much ease. Order your wife, and thus the house is held together. Hear Paul saying: And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their own husbands at home. If we so manage our own houses, we will also be fit for the oversight of the Church; for the house is a small Church. Thus it is possible for good husbands and wives, having become so, to surpass all. Consider Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, the three hundred and eighteen members of his household; how the whole house was ordered, how it was all full of reverence. She also fulfilled the apostolic command, and she feared her husband; for hear her

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ἐκεῖνο παρήγαγε τὸ, Καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ πάλιν ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι Εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν 62.142 εἴρηται καὶ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Περὶ γὰρ ταύτης καὶ ὁ Ψαλμῳδός φησιν· Ἄκουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, καὶ κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου· καὶ ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ἥκω. Ἀλλ' ὅταν εἴπω, ὅτι τὸν Πατέρα κατέλιπε, μὴ τοιοῦτον νομίσῃς, οἷον ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων, τόπων μετάβασιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκβῆναι λέγεται, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἐξῆλθεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν σάρκα, οὕτω καὶ τὸ, Κατέλιπε τὸν Πατέρα. ∆ιὰ τί οὖν μὴ καὶ περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς εἶπε, Προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς; Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι περὶ ἀγάπης διελέγετο, καὶ τῷ ἀνδρὶ διελέγετο. Ἐκείνῃ μὲν γὰρ περὶ φόβου διαλεγόμενος, φησίν· Ἀνήρ ἐστι κεφαλὴ τῆς γυναικός· καὶ πάλιν, ὅτι Καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς κεφαλὴ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας· περὶ δὲ ἀγάπης αὐτῷ διαλέγεται, καὶ αὐτῷ τὰ ταύτης ἐνεχείρισε, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ἀγάπης πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐφθέγξατο, συσφίγγων αὐτὸν καὶ συγκολλῶν. Ὁ γὰρ τὸν πατέρα διὰ τὴν γυναῖκα ἀφεὶς, καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ ταύτην πάλιν ἀφεὶς καὶ καταλιμπάνων, ποίας ἂν εἴη ἄξιος συγγνώμης; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς πόσης αὐτὴν ἀπολαύειν βούλεται τιμῆς ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι σε τοῦ πατρὸς ἀπαγαγὼν, ταύτῃ προσήλωσε; Τί οὖν, ἂν τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν γένηται, φησὶν, ἐκείνη δὲ μὴ ἀκολουθῇ; Εἰ δὲ ὁ ἄπιστος χωρίζεται, χωριζέσθω. Οὐ δεδούλωται ὁ ἀδελφὸς, ἢ ἡ ἀδελφὴ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις. Ἀλλ' ὅταν ἀκούῃς φόβον, ἐλευθέρᾳ προσήκοντα φόβον ἀπαίτει, μὴ καθὼς παρὰ δούλης· σῶμα γάρ ἐστι σόν· ἂν γὰρ τοῦτο ποιήσῃς, σαυτὸν καθυβρίζεις, τὸ σῶμα ἀτιμάζων τὸ σόν. Ποῖος δέ ἐστιν ὁ φόβος; Ὥστε μὴ ἀντιλέγειν, ὥστε μὴ ἐπανίστασθαι, ὥστε μὴ τῶν πρωτείων ἐρᾷν· ἀρκεῖ μέχρι τούτων ἑστάναι τὸν φόβον. Ἂν δὲ ἀγαπᾷς, ὡς ἐκελεύσθης, μείζονα ἐργάσῃ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκέτι φόβῳ τοῦτο ἐργάσῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ ἀγάπη ἐργάζεταί τι. Ἀσθενέστερόν πως τὸ γένος ἐστὶν, πολλῆς δεόμενον τῆς βοηθείας, πολλῆς τῆς συγκαταβάσεως. Τί δὲ ἂν εἴποιεν οἱ δευτέροις συναπτόμενοι γάμοις; Οὐχὶ κατακρίνων λέγω, μὴ γένοιτο· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἀπόστολος συνεχώρησεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα συγκαταβαίνων· πάντα αὐτῇ πόριζε, πάντα ὑπὲρ ἐκείνης πρᾶττε, καὶ ταλαιπωροῦ· ἀνάγκη σοι ἐπίκειται. Ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἀξιοῖ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν παραδειγμάτων εἰσάγειν τὴν συμβουλὴν, ὅπερ πολλαχοῦ ποιεῖ. Ἤρκει γὰρ μέγα καὶ σφοδρὸν ὂν τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ εἰς ὑποταγῆς λόγον. Καταλείψει, φησὶ, τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα. Ἰδοὺ τοῦτο ἔξωθεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπε, Καὶ συνοικήσει, ἀλλὰ, Προσκολληθήσεται, τὴν ἀκριβῆ ἕνωσιν, τὴν μετὰ σφοδρότητος ἀγάπην δηλῶν. Καὶ οὐδὲ τούτῳ ἠρκέσθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ ἐπαγωγῇ ἔδειξε τὴν ὑποταγὴν οὕτως, ὡς μηκέτι τοὺς δύο φαίνεσθαι δύο. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Εἰς πνεῦμα, οὐκ εἶπεν, Εἰς ψυχήν· ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ δῆλον, καὶ παντὶ δυνατόν· ἀλλ' οὕτως, ὡς εἰς σάρκα μίαν εἶναι. ʹ. ∆ευτέρα ἐστὶν ἀρχὴ αὕτη, ἀρχὴν ἔχουσα καὶ πολλὴν τὴν ὁμοτιμίαν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἔχει τι πλέον ὁ ἀνήρ. Τοῦτο σωτηρία μεγίστη οἰκίας. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρέλαβεν, οὐκ εἰς τὸ δεῖν ἀγαπᾷν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ῥυθμίζειν. Ἵνα ᾖ, φησὶν, ἁγία καὶ ἄμωμος· τὸ δὲ, Τῆς σαρκὸς, εἰς τὸ ἀγαπᾷν, καὶ τὸ, Προσκολληθήσεται, ὁμοίως εἰς τὸ ἀγαπᾷν. Ἂν 62.143 γὰρ αὐτὴν κατασκευάσῃς ἁγίαν καὶ ἄμωμον, πάντα ἕπεται. Ζήτει τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ἀκολουθήσει μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκολίας. Ῥύθμιζε τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ οὕτω συγκροτεῖται ἡ οἰκία. Ἄκουε τοῦ Παύλου λέγοντος· Εἰ δέ τι μαθεῖν θέλουσιν, ἐν οἴκῳ τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας ἐπερωτάτωσαν. Ἂν οὕτω τὰς οἰκίας διοικῶμεν τὰς ἑαυτῶν, καὶ πρὸς Ἐκκλησίας ἐπιστασίαν ἐσόμεθα ἐπιτήδειοι· καὶ ἡ οἰκία γὰρ Ἐκκλησία ἐστὶ μικρά. Οὕτως ἔνι ἄνδρας καὶ γυναῖκας γενομένους ἀγαθοὺς, πάντας ὑπερβαλέσθαι. Ἐννόησον τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, τὴν Σάῤῥαν, τὸν Ἰσαὰκ,τοὺς τριακοσίους δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ οἰκογενεῖς· πῶς πᾶσα ἡ οἰκία συγκεκρότητο, πῶς ἅπασα εὐλαβείας ἔγεμεν. Ἐκείνη καὶ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ἐπλήρου παράγγελμα, καὶ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐφοβεῖτο· ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτῆς