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their blood, then the Lord will save those who are defended, having become His people like sheep, since the stones able to be built upon the divine foundation will become easily moved, so as to roll upon the land of God, being made light and easily moved by the one who takes from them the burden and stoniness. For thus rolling upon the holy land of God they will build themselves up, being harmoniously placed into the walls of the holy city and the building of the temple of God. 3.218 But we must consider what is meant by those who are consumed by the ones defended by God almighty being buried by the stones of a sling. 3.219 The rebuking words of censure, like stones sent accurately by a sling, will consume the sinners, so that they are no longer enemies of God, the wickedness for which they were opposed to the graces of God having been consumed, since they were hidden by the stones of the sling, having been made like them. For just as "love covering a multitude of sins" does not permit the sins it has hidden to exist any longer, being completely destroyed, so the rebuking and correcting words, coming against those at whom they are slung, will bury them, becoming their covering, their blood being drunk like wine, so as to gladden and greatly cheer those who drink, so that the altars henceforth become bowls, vessels ministering to gladness. 3.220 For how does he not partake of a divine drink, who offers a sacrifice of praise and righteousness? For just as those who do not perform sacred rites in the way they should cover the altar with tears, of Him who says to them most reprovingly: "You were covering my altar with tears; is it still worthy to look upon your sacrifice, or to receive a gift from your hands?" Let these things, then, be said to those who sacrifice with impiety; but for those who perform sacred rites piously so that their sacrifices are acceptable, the altars will be bowls productive of gladness, so that being thus consecrated they will be saved, having been shown in a luminous state, on a spiritual day, when they will be saved as sheep being transformed into the people of God. 3.221 For the first state of those beginning well and as they should, is to be led like a flock by the best shepherd, so that after this, having been shown to be a people from sheep, they may be ruled by him who was formerly their shepherd, who after being named the people of the Almighty, will also be parts of the city being built by the Lord of hosts. 3.222 Holy stones rolling upon the land of God because they have become light and buoyant, being placed henceforth ·························· on the unmovable foundation ······························· stones that have become ····················· they build, the foremost of the apostles, Peter ··············· writes: "To whom coming ······· a stone chosen and precious in the sight of God, you yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 3.223 If concerning such ones ·························· those who give glory ······ "If these should be silent, the stones will cry out," pa································ holiness and the a································ land of God, which all sings to ············· having worshiped him, according to what is written in the Psalms, in one place: "Sing to the Lord, all the earth," and in another: "Let all the earth worship you and sing psalms to you" ······················ 3.224 taking "they are drunk like wine" ·············· the raw and for murders a·························· those who are consumed were ··························· casting at the saying with ·························· with both battle and strife ···························· with seven books concerning the ························ to a wise man. 3.225 Zach. IX, 17: For if anything is good, it is his; and if anything is beautiful, it is from him, grain for the young men and fragrant wine for the maidens. 3.226 Being the good that is properly to be chosen ············ and the irrefutably praiseworthy

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αἷμα αὐτῶν, τὸ τηνικαῦτα σώσει Κύριος τοὺς ὑπερασπιζομένους ὡς πρόβατα λαὸν αὐτοῦ γεγενημένους, ἐπείπερ οἱ δυνάμενοι λίθοι ἐποικοδομηθῆναι τῷ θείῳ θεμελίῳ εὐκίνητοι γενήσονται, ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κυλίεσθαι, κούφους καὶ εὐκινήτους γινομένους πρὸς τοῦ αἴροντος ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὸ ἄχθος καὶ λιθῶδες. Οὕτω γὰρ κυλιόμενοι ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ γῆς ἑαυτοὺς οἰκοδομήσουσιν, ἁρμονίως ἐμβιβαζόμενοι εἰς τὰ τείχη τῆς πόλεως τῆς ἁγίας καὶ τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. 3.218 Τί δὲ βούλεται τὸ καταχώννυσθαι λίθοις σφενδόνης τοὺς καταναλισκομένους ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπερασπιζομένων ὑπὸ Θεοῦ παντοκράτορος θεωρητέον. 3.219 Οἱ τῆς ἐπιτιμίας ἐλεγκτικοὶ λόγοι, οἷα λίθοι εὐθίκτως ὑπὸ σφενδόνης πεμπόμενοι, καταναλώσουσιν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς, ὥστε μηκέτ' εἶναι ἐχθροὺς Θεοῦ, καταναλωθείσης τῆς κακίας δι' ἣν ἦσαν ἀντικείμενοι ταῖς Θεοῦ χάρισιν, ἐπείπερ κατεκρύβησαν ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς σφενδόνης λίθων ποιωθέντες κατ' αὐτούς. Ὡς γὰρ «ἡ ἀγάπη καλύπτουσα πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν» οὐκ ἐᾷ ἔτι εἶναι ἃς ἔκρυψεν ἁμαρτίας ἐξ ὅλων ἀφανιζομένας, οὕτως οἱ ἐπιπληκτικοὶ καὶ ἐλεγκτικοὶ λόγοι ἐπερχόμενοι καθ' ὧν σφενδονίζονται, καταχώσουσιν αὐτοὺς κάλυμμα αὐτῶν γινόμενοι, ἐκπινομένου δίκην οἴνου τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῶν, ὡς εὐφραίνειν καὶ ἄγαν διαχεῖν τοὺς πιόντας, ὡς λοιπὸν φιάλας, σκεύη εὐφροσύνης ὑπηρετικά, τὰ θυσιαστήρια γενέσθαι. 3.220 Πῶς γὰρ οὐ θείας μεταλαμβ̣άνει πόσεως ὁ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως καὶ δικαιοσύνης θύων; Ὡς γὰρ οἱ μὴ ὃν δεῖ τρόπον ἱερουργοῦντες καλύπτουσιν ἐν δάκρυσιν τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ ἐλεγκτικώτατα πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγοντος· «Ἐκαλύπτετε ἐν δάκρυσιν τὸ θυσιαστήριόν μου· ἔτι ἄξιον ἐπιβλέψαι εἰς θυσίαν ὑμῶν, ἢ λαβεῖν δῶρον ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν;» Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν λεγέσθω τοῖς μετὰ ἀσεβείας θύουσιν· τοῖς δὲ εὐσεβῶς ἱερουργοῦσιν ὡς δεκτὰς εἶναι τὰς θυσίας αὐτῶν, φιάλαι εὐφροσύνης ποιητικαὶ ἔσονται τὰ θυσιαστήρια, ἵν' οὕτω ἱερωμένοι σωθήσονται, ἐν φωτεινῇ καταστάσει ἀναδειχθέντες, ἡμέρᾳ νοητῇ τυγχανούσῃ, ὅτε σωθήσονται ὡς πρόβατα εἰς λαὸν Θεοῦ μεταποιούμενοι. 3.221 Πρώτη γὰρ κατάστασις τῶν εὖ καὶ ὡς δεῖ ἀρχομένων, τὸ ποίμνης δίκην ἄγεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀρίστου ποιμένος, ἵνα μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκ προβάτων λαὸς ἀναδειχθέντες βασιλευθῶσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πρότερον ποιμένος γενομένου αὐτῶν, οἵτινες μετὰ τὸ χρηματίσαι λαὸς τοῦ παντοκράτορος, καὶ μέρη ἔσονται τῆς οἰκοδομουμένης ὑπὸ Κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων πόλεως. 3.222 Ἅγιοι λίθοι κυλιόμενοι ἐπὶ τῆς Θεοῦ γῆς διὰ τὸ κοῦφον καὶ ἐλαφρὸν γεγενημένοι, ἐπιτιθέμενοι λοιπὸν ·························· ἀμετακινήτῳ θεμελίῳ ······························· ους γεναμένους λίθους ····················· οἰκοδομοῦσιν, ὁ πρόκριτος τῶν ἀποστόλων Πέτρος ··············· γράφει· «Πρὸς ὃν προσερχόμενοι ······· παρὰ Θεῷ ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον λίθον, καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικὸς εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» 3.223 Εἰ περὶ τῶν τοιου´̣των ·························· τοὺς δοξολογοῦντας ······ «Ἐὰν οὗτοι σιωπήσουσιν, οἱ λίθοι κεκράξονται», πα································ ἁγιότητα καὶ τὴν α································ Θεοῦ γῆς, ἥτις πᾶσα ᾄδει τῳ῀̣ ············· προσκυνήσασα αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὰ γραφέντα ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς, ὅπου μέν· «Ἄισατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, πᾶσα ἡ γῆ», ὅπου δέ· «Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυνησάτωσάν σοι καὶ ψαλάτωσάν σοι» ······················ 3.224 λαμβάνων τὸ «ἐκπίονται ὡς οἶνον» ·············· τὸ ὠμὸν καὶ πρὸς φόνους α·························· θησαν οἱ καταναλούμενοι. ··························· βάλλοντες τῷ ῥητῷ τῇ κατ·························· μάχῃ τε καὶ στάσει πολε···························· λοις ἑπτὰ βιβλίοις περὶ τῆς ························ ἀνδρὶ σοφῷ. 3.225 Zach. IX, 17: Ὅτι εἴ τι ἀγαθόν, αὐτοῦ· καὶ εἴ τι καλόν, παρ' αὐτοῦ, σῖτος νεανίσκοις καὶ οἶνος εὐωδιάζω̣ν εἰς παρθένους. 3.226 Τὸ κυρίως αἱρετὸν ἀγαθὸν ὑπάρχον ············ καὶ τὸ ἀναντιρρήτως ἐπαινε̣τὸν