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of his kingdom all things that cause sin and those who do iniquity, and they will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." After saying these things he added: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 11.83 These things we also say to you in exhortation, O friends. For we do not compel you to receive the divine gifts unwillingly, but by entreating and beseeching and demonstrating their greatness. For this reason we also repeat this master's and wonderful saying: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

12.t ON PRACTICAL VIRTUE.

12.1 The roots indeed bear and nourish the trees, but the branches and the leaves and the fruit hanging among them adorn them. For if someone should cut off the branches and strip bare the foliage, it becomes useless and is stripped of its beauty, and the foundation of the roots 12.2 is shown to be entirely superfluous. And the body likewise needs eyes that see and guide the other senses, but it also needs feet that move and carry the body, and hands that work and provide food and 12.3 drink and the other necessities for all the members. And indeed, tunics and cloaks and outer garments, and in short all clothing, are not made by the warp threads alone; for there is a need also for a weft thread 12.4 to be woven in and fitted together with the warp threads. Why then have I gone through these things? Not because I am fond of idle talk, O men, but to show through these images the materials of the most perfect philosophy. For truly, the knowledge of divine things is the greatest and most immense good, but it is not sufficient to render perfect the one who is deemed worthy of it. 12.5 For good action must be joined to knowledge. For what the root is to the tree, the eye to the body, and the warp threads to woven fabrics, this the knowledge of truth and sure faith become to souls. But it is necessary not only to know 12.6 what one ought to believe about the divine, but also to live according to his laws. For just as those who are taught painting or shoemaking or some other craft, they are eager to learn these things not only that they may have knowledge, but also that they may practice them with their hands and show themselves by their works to be imitators of their teachers, so also must the lovers of piety be taught not only theology and natural philosophy, but also be instructed in the laws of practical virtue and keep them to the best of their ability and try to impress and shape the form of the soul according to them. 12.7 For he who thus orders and shapes his soul not only takes on the impress of the divine laws, but he also becomes a living and rational image of the lawgiver himself. Teaching this, the great herald of truth cries out: "Be therefore imitators of God." And indeed, his master also exhorts, saying: "Be imitators of your Father who is in heaven." And again: "Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father 12.8 is perfect." And he imitates, as far as is possible, the God of all who desires those things and equally hates those things which the master himself both hates and loves. But what things are displeasing to him, and what in turn are dear to him, the divine laws clearly teach. 12.9 For we hear the divine David crying out: "For you are not a God who takes pleasure in iniquity; nor will the evil-doer dwell with you, nor will the transgressors stand before your eyes; you have hated, Lord, all who work iniquity; you will destroy all who speak falsehood. The Lord abhors the man of blood and deceit." 12.10 And having shown us in these things the disposition of the lawgiver, in another psalm he introduced a person who had taken on precisely these characteristics, praying to the lawgiver and saying:

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βασιλείας αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ σκάνδαλα καὶ τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὴν ἀνομίαν, καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. Τότε οἱ δίκαιοι ἐκλάμψουσιν ὡς ὁ ἥλιος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν." Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἐπήγαγεν· "Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω." 11.83 Ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν, ὦ φίλοι ἄνδρες, παραινοῦντές φαμεν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἄκοντας τὰς θείας λαβεῖν ἀναγκάζομεν δωρεάς, ἀλλὰ παρακαλοῦντες καὶ λιπαροῦντες καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τούτων ἐπιδεικνύντες. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ τὴν δεσποτικὴν ταύτην καὶ θαυμασίαν ἐπιλέγομεν ῥῆσιν· "Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω."

12.t ΠΕΡΙ ΠΡΑΚΤΙΚΗΣ ΑΡΕΤΗΣ.

12.1 Τὰ δένδρα φέρουσι μὲν αἱ ῥίζαι καὶ τρέφουσι, κοσμοῦσι δὲ οἱ κλάδοι καὶ τὰ φύλλα καὶ ὁ μεταξὺ τούτων ᾐωρημένος καρπός. Εἰ γὰρ δή τις ἐκτέμνοι τοὺς κλάδους καὶ ψιλώσοι τὴν κόμην, ἄχρηστα γίνεται καὶ γυμνοῦται τῆς εὐπρεπείας, καὶ περιττὴ παντελῶς ἡ 12.2 τῶν ῥιζῶν ἀποφαίνεται βάσις. Καὶ τὸ σῶμα δὲ ὡσαύτως δεῖται μὲν ὀφθαλμῶν ὁρώντων καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ποδηγούντων αἰσθήσεις, δεῖται δὲ καὶ ποδῶν μεταβαινόντων καὶ τὸ σῶμα φερόντων καὶ χειρῶν ἐργαζομένων καὶ τοῖς μορίοις ἅπασι καὶ τροφὴν καὶ 12.3 πόσιν καὶ τὴν ἄλλην χρείαν ποριζουσῶν. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ χιτῶνας καὶ χλαίνας καὶ ἐφεστρίδας καὶ ξυλλήβδην ἅπαντα τὰ ἐσθήματα οὐ μόνοι ποιοῦσιν οἱ στήμονες· χρεία γάρ που καὶ κρόκης ἐνυ 12.4 φαινομένης καὶ ξυναρμοζομένης τοῖς στήμοσιν. Τί δήποτε ταῦτα διεξῆλθον; Οὐ τὸν ὕθλον, ὦ ἄνδρες, στέργων, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶνδε τῶν εἰκόνων τῆς τελεωτάτης φιλοσοφίας τὰς ὕλας ἐπιδεικνύς. Μέγιστον μὲν γὰρ ἀληθῶς καὶ παμμέγεθες ἀγαθὸν τῶν θείων ἡ γνῶσις, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπόχρη τέλειον ἀποφῆναι τὸν ταύτης ἀξιού 12.5 μενον. ∆εῖ γάρ που τὴν ἀγαθὴν πρᾶξιν ξυναφθῆναι τῇ γνώσει. Ὅπερ γάρ ἐστι δένδρῳ ῥίζα καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς σώματι καὶ οἱ στήμονες τοῖς ὑφάσμασι, τοῦτο ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ γνῶσις καὶ ἡ βεβαία γίνεται πίστις. Χρὴ δὲ οὐ μόνον εἰδέναι, 12.6 τί προσήκει περὶ τοῦ θείου δοξάζειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς ἐκείνου πολιτεύεσθαι νόμους. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ ζωγραφικὴν ἢ σκυτοτομικὴν ἢ ἄλλην τινὰ παιδευόμενοι τέχνην, οὐχ ὅπως μόνον ἐπίστωνται ταῦτα μανθάνειν σπουδάζουσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ χειρουργῶσι καὶ μιμητὰς σφᾶς αὐτοὺς τῶν διδασκάλων τοῖς ἔργοις δεικνύωσιν, οὕτω δεῖ καὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας τοὺς ἐραστὰς μὴ μόνον θεολογίαν καὶ φυσιολογίαν παιδεύεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τῆς πρακτικῆς ἀρε τῆς ἐκπαιδεύεσθαι νόμους καὶ τούτους φυλάττειν εἰς δύναμιν καὶ πρὸς τούτους πειρᾶσθαι τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκτυποῦν καὶ διασκευάζειν τὸ εἶδος. 12.7 Ὁ γὰρ δὴ οὕτω ῥυθμίζων τε καὶ διαμορφῶν τὴν ψυχὴν οὐ μόνον τῶν θείων νόμων τοὺς χαρακτῆρας ἐκμάττεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦ γε τοῦ νομοθέτου ζῶσά τις εἰκὼν καὶ λογικὴ γίνεται. Τοῦτό τοι διδάσκων καὶ ὁ μέγας κῆρυξ τῆς ἀληθείας βοᾷ· "Γίνεσθε οὖν μιμηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ." Καὶ μέντοι καὶ ὁ τούτου δεσπότης παραινεῖ λέγων· "Γίνεσθε μιμηταὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς." Καὶ πάλιν· "Γίνεσθε τέλειοι, καθὼς ὁ πατὴρ 12.8 ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τέλειός ἐστιν." Μιμεῖται δέ, ὡς ἔνεστι, τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν ὁ ποθῶν ἐκεῖνα καὶ ἐχθραίνων ὁμοίως, ἅπερ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ δεσπότης ἐχθραίνει τε καὶ φιλεῖ. Τίνα δὲ αὐτῷ δυσμενῆ, καὶ τίνα αὖ προσφιλῆ, διαρρήδην οἱ θεῖοι διδάσκουσι 12.9 νόμοι. Ἀκούομεν γὰρ τοῦ θεσπεσίου βοῶντος ∆αυίδ· "Ὅτι οὐχὶ Θεὸς θέλων ἀνομίαν σὺ εἶ, οὐδὲ παροικήσει σοι πονηρευόμενος, οὐδὲ διαμενοῦσι παράνομοι κατέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου· ἐμίση σας, Κύριε, πάντας τοὺς ἐργαζομένους τὴν ἀνομίαν· ἀπολεῖς πάντας τοὺς λαλοῦντας τὸ ψεῦδος. Ἄνδρα αἱμάτων καὶ δόλιον 12.10 βδελύσσεται Κύριος." Ἐν τούτοις δὲ ἡμῖν ἐπιδείξας τὴν τοῦ νομοθέτου διάθεσιν, ἐν ἑτέρᾳ μελῳδίᾳ πρόσωπον εἰσήγαγε τούσδε τοὺς χαρακτήρας ἀκριβῶς ἐκμαξάμενον καὶ τῷ νομοθέτῃ προ σευχόμενον καὶ λέγοντα·