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And what is greater, is that not only for us, but also the terrible things that happen to others are accustomed to benefit us greatly; and we ourselves, having suffered nothing, but seeing others being punished, are made sober-minded no less than they. One might see this happening also in the case of right actions; for just as when the wicked are punished, others become better; so when the good accomplish something, many are led to the same zeal; this is indeed what happened in the case of fleeing from oaths. For many, seeing others put away the evil habit of oaths, imitated their earnestness, and overcame the sin; therefore we also more readily take up the same exhortation 49.142 again. For let no one say to me that many have succeeded; this is not what is sought, but that all should. Until I see this, I cannot breathe. That shepherd had a hundred sheep, and when one went astray, he was not sensible of the salvation of the ninety-nine, until he found the lost one and gave it back to the flock. Do you not see this happening also with the body? For if we only stub and bend back a toenail, the whole body suffers with that part. Do not say this, then, that only a few are left who have not succeeded, but consider this, that these few, if not corrected, corrupt many others. For there was one who had committed fornication among the Corinthians, and yet Paul mourned as if the whole city had been lost. And very reasonably; for he knew that if that man were not quickly brought to his senses, the disease, proceeding on its way, would run through all the others. I saw lately in the court those illustrious men bound and being led away through the middle of the marketplace, and when some were marveling at the excess of the insolence, others said, "There is nothing to marvel at; for wherever there is a capital crime, rank is of no help." Therefore, much more, wherever there is impiety, rank is of no help.

5. Considering these things, therefore, let us rouse ourselves; for if you do not bring your own earnestness, all our efforts are superfluous. Why so? Because the power of teaching is not like the other arts. For whatever kind of vessel the silversmith forges and puts away, such will he find it again when he comes the next day; and the coppersmith, and the stonemason, and each of the craftsmen, whatever kind of work he leaves, such will he get back again; but with us it is not so, but entirely the opposite; for we forge not lifeless vessels, but rational souls. For this reason we do not find you such as we leave you, but after we have taken you and with much labor molded you, corrected you, made you more fervent, when you have gone out, the circumstance of affairs surrounding you on all sides perverts you again, and provides a greater difficulty for us. For this reason I beg and beseech you to lend a hand, and as much earnestness as I exert here for your correction, so much care show for your salvation when you depart from here. For would that it were possible for me to act rightly on your behalf, and for you to receive the prizes of the right actions, and I would not have troubled you so much. But what can I do? This is impossible; "For He will render to each one according to his works." Just as a mother, then, seeing her child feverish, standing by it as it is suffocating and burning, weeping often said to the sick child, "Would that it were possible for me, my child, to take upon myself your fever, and to draw the flame upon myself;" so also do I now say: "Would that it were possible for me, by laboring on your behalf, to set all things right for you;" but this is not so, it is not so, but each one must give an account for the things done by himself, and one would not see another being punished for another. For this reason I am pained and I weep, because on that day when you are accused I will not be able to stand by you; for in the first place, I do not have such great confidence before God. And even if I had confidence, I am not holier than Moses, nor more righteous than Samuel, whom to such a degree 49.143

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καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον, ὅτι οὐχ ἡμῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέροις συμπίπτοντα τὰ δεινὰ μεγάλα ἡμᾶς ὠφελεῖν εἴωθε· καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν μηδέν τι παθόντες, ἑτέρους δὲ κολαζομένους ἰδόντες οὐκ ἔλαττον ἐκείνων ἐσωφρονίσθημεν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κατορθωμάτων συμβαῖνον ἵδοι τις ἄν· ὥσπερ γὰρ κολαζομένων τῶν κακῶν ἕτεροι βελτίους γίνονται· οὕτω τῶν ἀγαθῶν τι κατορθούντων, πολλοὶ εἰς τὸν ἴσον ἐνάγονται ζῆλον· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν ὅρκων συνέβη φυγῆς. Πολλοὶ γὰρ ἑτέρους ἰδόντες τὴν πονηρὰν ἀποθεμένους τῶν ὅρκων συνήθειαν, ἐμιμήσαντο τὴν σπουδὴν, καὶ περιεγένοντο τῆς ἁμαρτίας· διὸ καὶ ἡμεῖς προθυμότερον τῆς αὐτῆς ἁπτόμεθα πάλιν παρ 49.142 αινέσεως. Μὴ γάρ μοι λεγέτω τις, ὅτι πολλοὶ κατώρθωσαν· οὐ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ζητούμενον, ἀλλ' ἵνα πάντες. Ἔως δ' ἂν μὴ τοῦτο ἴδω, οὐ δύναμαι ἀναπνεῦσαι. Ὁ ποιμὴν ἐκεῖνος ἑκατὸν πρόβατα εἶχε, καὶ ἑνὸς πλανηθέντος, οὐκ ἐλάμβανεν αἴσθησιν τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα, ἕως ἂν τὸ ἀπολωλὸς εὗρε καὶ τῇ ποίμνῃ πάλιν ἀπέδωκεν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος τοῦτο γινόμενον; ἐὰν γὰρ τὸν ὄνυχα μόνον προσπταίσαντες ἀναστρέψωμεν, ὅλον τῷ μέλει συναλγεῖ τὸ σῶμα. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο εἴπῃς, ὡς ὀλίγοι τινὲς ὑπελείφθησαν οἱ μὴ κατωρθωκότες, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο σκόπει ὅτι οὗτοι οἱ ὀλίγοι μὴ διορθωθέντες πολλοὺς διαφθείρουσιν ἑτέρους. Καὶ γὰρ εἷς ἦν ὁ πεπορνευκὼς παρὰ Κορινθίοις, καὶ ὅμως οὕτως ἔστενεν ὁ Παῦλος ὡς ὅλης τῆς πόλεως ἀπολωλυίας. Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· ᾔδει γὰρ ὅτι μὴ σωφρονισθέντος ἐκείνου ταχέως τὸ νόσημα βαδίζον ὁδῷ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπιδραμεῖται πάντας. Εἶδον πρώην ἐν τῷ δικαστηρίῳ δεδεμένους καὶ ἀπαγομένους διὰ μέσης τῆς ἀγορᾶς τοὺς περιφανεῖς ἐκείνους ἄνδρας, καί τινων θαυμαζόντων διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ὕβρεως, Οὐδὲν χρὴ θαυμάζειν, ἕτεροι ἔλεγον· ἔνθα γὰρ ἂν ᾖ καθοσίωσις, ἀξίωμα οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ. Οὐκοῦν πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔνθα ἂν ἀσέβεια ᾖ, ἀξίωμα οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ.

εʹ. Ταῦτα οὖν ἐννοοῦντες διαναστήσωμεν ἑαυτούς· ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν σπουδὴν ὑμεῖς εἰσενέγκητε, περιττὰ τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ἅπαντα. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι οὐχ ὥσπερ αἱ λοιπαὶ τέχναι, οὕτω καὶ ἡ διδασκαλική ἐστι δύναμις. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀργυροκόπος οἷον ἂν χαλκεύσῃ τὸ σκεῦος καὶ ἀπόθηται, τοιοῦτον ἐλθὼν τῇ ἐπιούσῃ πάλιν εὐρήσει· καὶ ὁ χαλκοτύπος, καὶ ὁ λιθοξόος, καὶ τῶν δημιουργῶν ἕκαστος οἷον ἂν ἀφῇ τὸ οἰκεῖον ἔργον, τοιοῦτον ἀπολήψεται πάλιν· ἐπὶ δὲ ἡμῶν οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν· οὐ γὰρ ἄψυχα σκεύη, ἀλλὰ ψυχὰς χαλκεύομεν λογικάς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐ τοιούτους ὑμᾶς εὑρίσκομεν οἵους καταλιμπάνομεν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὰν λαβόντες μετὰ πολλοῦ καμάτου διαπλάσωμεν, διορθώσωμεν, θερμοτέρους ἐργασώμεθα, ἐξελθόντας ὑμᾶς ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων περίστασις πανταχόθεν περιστοιχιζομένη διαστρέφει πάλιν, καὶ πλείονα παρέχει τὴν δυσκολίαν ἡμῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δέομαι καὶ ἀντιβολῶ χεῖρα ὀρέξαι, καὶ ὅσην ἐνταῦθα ποιοῦμαι τὴν σπουδὴν πρὸς τὴν διόρθωσιν τὴν ὑμετέραν, τοσαύτην ἀπελθόντες ἐντεῦθεν ἐπιδείκνυσθε περὶ τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν ὑμετέραν φροντίδα. Εἴθε μὲν γὰρ δυνατὸν ἦν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐμὲ κατορθοῦν, καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα ὑμᾶς λαμβάνειν τῶν κατορθωμάτων, καὶ οὐκ ἂν τοσοῦτον ἠνώχλησα. Ἀλλὰ τί πάθω; τοῦτο ἀμήχανον· ἑκάστῳ γὰρ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀποδώσει. Ὥσπερ οὖν μήτηρ ὁρῶσα τὸ παιδίον πυρέττον, παρεστῶσα ἀγχομένῳ καὶ καιομένῳ, θρηνοῦσα πολλάκις εἶπε πρὸς τὸ νοσοῦν παιδίον, Εἴθε μοι δυνατὸν ἦν, τέκνον, τὸν πυρετὸν ἀναδέξασθαι τὸν σὸν, καὶ ἐπ' ἐμαυτὴν ἑλκύσαι τὴν φλόγα· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐγὼ λέγω νῦν· Εἴθε δυνατὸν ἦν ἐμὲ πονήσαντα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κατορθῶσαι πάντων· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο, οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ τῶν αὐτῷ πραττομένων ἕκαστον ἀνάγκη δοῦναι τὰς εὐθύνας, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἴδοι τις ἕτερον ὑπὲρ ἑτέρου κολαζόμενον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὀδυνῶμαι καὶ θρηνῶ, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ὑμῖν ἐκείνην ἐγκαλουμένοις οὐ δυνήσομαι παραστῆναι· μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ παῤῥησία μοι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν ἐστι τοσαύτη. Εἰ δὲ καὶ παῤῥησίαν εἶχον, οὐκ εἰμὶ Μωσέως ἁγιώτερος, οὐδὲ Σαμουὴλ δικαιότερος, οὓς ἐπὶ τοσοῦ 49.143