118

to dwell and of all freedom wherever he might wish, he preferred the affliction of the people and the hardship in a foreign land to staying at home. So also Moses, leaving the palace and his life there, ran to their misfortunes. And Daniel remained without food for twenty-six days, afflicting himself with a most severe fast, that he might reconcile God to them; and the three young men, being in the furnace and in such a great fire, offered supplication on their behalf. For they were not grieving for themselves, who were saved; but since they thought they had the greatest confidence then, for this reason they prayed on their behalf. Wherefore they also said: ‘Let us be accepted in a contrite soul and a spirit of humility.’ For their sake Jesus rent his garments; for their sake Ezekiel mourned and lamented, seeing them being slaughtered; and Jeremiah said: ‘Leave me, I will weep bitterly.’ And before this, since he did not dare to ask for a complete forgiveness of their terrible deeds, he sought a fixed time, saying: ‘How long, O Lord?’ For the entire race of the saints is full of tender affection. Wherefore Paul also said: ‘Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind.’ 9. Do you see the precision of the saying, and how he wants us to be continually merciful? For he did not say, ‘Be merciful,’ simply, but, ‘Put on’; so that just as a garment is always with us, so also is mercy. And he did not simply say, ‘Mercy,’ but, ‘Bowels of mercies,’ that we might imitate a natural affection. But we do the opposite; even if someone approaches asking for a single obol, we insult him, we revile him, we call him an impostor. Do you not shudder, O man, do you not blush, calling someone an impostor for a loaf of bread? And if such a person is indeed an impostor, for this reason he deserves to be pitied, because he is so pressed by hunger as to put on such a mask. And this is a charge against our own cruelty. For since we do not consent to give easily, they are forced to devise countless schemes, so as to outwit our inhumanity and to soften our harshness. Besides, if he were asking for silver and gold, your suspicion would have some reason; but if he approaches you for necessary food, why do you philosophize out of season, and make uselessly precise distinctions, accusing him of idleness and sloth? For if we must say these things, we must say them not to others, but to ourselves. Therefore, when you approach God asking forgiveness for your sins, remember these words, and you will know that it is more just for you to hear these things 60.536 from God than for the poor man to hear them from you. But yet God never said these words to you, such as, ‘Depart; for you are an impostor, for you continually enter the church and hear my laws, but in the marketplace you prefer gold and desire and friendship and simply everything to my commandments; and now you become humble, but after the prayer you are insolent and cruel and inhuman; depart, therefore, from here, and approach me no more.’ For we were worthy to hear these things, and more than these; but yet he never reproached us with anything of the sort, but is long-suffering and fulfills all things on his part, and gives more than what we ask. Therefore, considering these things, let us relieve the poverty of those in need, and even if they are being impostors, let us not be overly precise. For we too are in need of such a salvation that comes with pardon, with loving-kindness, with much mercy. For it is not possible, it is not, for those who are strictly examined according to our own standards to ever be saved, but it is necessary for all to be punished and to perish. Let us not, therefore, become bitter judges of others, lest we too be required to give a strict account; for we have sins greater than any pardon. So let us rather pity those who commit unpardonable sins, so that we too may store up such mercy for ourselves beforehand; and yet, however generously we may act, we will never be able to show such loving-kindness as we ourselves need from the loving-kind God. How then is it not absurd, when we are ourselves in need of so many things, to be overly precise about our fellow-servants, and to do everything against ourselves? For you do not so much declare him unworthy of your beneficence,

118

οἰκεῖν καὶ ἐλευθερίας ἁπάσης ὅπου βούλοιτο, προετίμησε τῆς οἴκοι διατριβῆς τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ κακουχίαν καὶ τὴν ἐν ἀλλοτρίᾳ ταλαιπωρίαν. Οὕτω καὶ Μωϋσῆς τὰ βασίλεια καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖ διατριβὴν ἀφεὶς, πρὸς τὰς ἐκείνων ἔδραμε συμφοράς. Καὶ ∆ανιὴλ δὲ ἐν εἰκοσιὲξ ἡμέραις ἄσιτος ἔμεινεν, ἄγχων ἑαυτὸν τῇ βαρυτάτῃ νηστείᾳ, ἵνα τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῖς καταλλάξῃ· καὶ οἱ παῖδες δὲ οἱ τρεῖς ἐν καμίνῳ ὄντες καὶ τοσούτῳ πυρὶ, τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἱκετηρίαν ἀνέφερον. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν ἤλγουν τῶν σεσωσμένων· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τότε μάλιστα ᾤοντο παῤῥησίαν ἔχειν, διὰ τοῦτο ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐδέοντο. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγον· Ἐν ψυχῇ συντετριμμένῃ καὶ πνεύματι ταπεινώσεως προσδεχθείημεν. ∆ιὰ τούτους καὶ Ἰησοῦς τὰ ἱμάτια διέῤῥηξε· διὰ τούτους καὶ Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐθρήνει καὶ ὠλοφύρετο κατακοπτομένους ὁρῶν· καὶ Ἱερεμίας ἔλεγεν· Ἄφετέ με, πικρῶς κλαύσομαι. Καὶ πρὸ τούτου δὲ, ἐπειδὴ ἀξιῶσαι ὑπὲρ συγχωρήσεως τῶν δεινῶν παντελοῦς οὐκ ἐτόλμα, προθεσμίαν ἐζήτει λέγων· Ἕως πότε, Κύριε; φιλόστοργον γὰρ ἅπαν τὸ τῶν ἁγίων γένος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ἐνδύσασθε οὖν, ὡς ἐκλεκτοὶ Θεοῦ ἅγιοι, σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμῶν, χρηστότητα, ταπεινοφροσύνην. θʹ. Ὁρᾷς τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τοῦ ῥήματος, καὶ πῶς διηνεκῶς ἐλεήμονας ἡμᾶς βούλεται εἶναι; Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐλεήσατε, ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ', Ἐνδύσασθε· ἵνα ὥσπερ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἀεὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν ἐστιν, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, Ἐλεημοσύνην, ἀλλὰ, Σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμῶν, ἵνα φυσικὴν μιμησώμεθα φιλοστοργίαν. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς τἀναντία ποιοῦμεν· κἂν προσέλθῃ τις αἰτῶν ὀβολὸν ἕνα, ὑβρίζομεν, λοιδοροῦμεν, ἐπιθέτην καλοῦμεν. Οὐ φρίττεις, ἄνθρωπε, οὐκ ἐρυθριᾷς, ἐπιθέτην ὑπὲρ ἄρτου καλῶν; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπίθεσιν ὁ τοιοῦτος ποιεῖ, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐλεεῖσθαι δίκαιος, ὅτι οὕτως ὑπὸ λιμοῦ πιέζεται ὡς τοιοῦτον ὑποδῦναι προσωπεῖον. Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἡμετέρας ὠμότητος ἔγκλημα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εὐκόλως παρέχειν οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα, μυρίας ἀναγκάζονται ἐπινοεῖν μηχανὰς, ὥστε ἡμῶν σοφίσασθαι τὴν ἀπανθρωπίαν, καὶ τὴν τραχύτητα καταμαλάξαι. Ἄλλως δὲ, εἰ μὲν ἀργύριον ᾔτει καὶ χρυσίον, εἶχεν ἄν σοι τὰ τῆς ὑποψίας λόγον· εἰ δὲ ὑπὲρ ἀναγκαίας σοι τροφῆς προσέρχεται, τί φιλοσοφεῖς ἀκαίρως, καὶ ἀκριβολογεῖ περιττὰ, ἀργίαν ἐγκαλῶν καὶ ὄκνον; Εἰ γὰρ δεῖ ταῦτα λέγειν, οὐχ ἑτέροις, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς ἐπιλέγειν δεῖ. Ὅταν γοῦν τῷ Θεῷ προσίῃς ἁμαρτημάτων αἰτῶν συγχώρησιν, τούτων ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν ῥημάτων, καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι δικαιότερον ταῦτα αὐτὸς ἀκούσῃ 60.536 παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ὁ πένης παρὰ σοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδέποτε πρὸς σὲ ταῦτα εἶπε τὰ ῥήματα ὁ Θεὸς, οἷον, Ἀπόστηθι· καὶ γὰρ ἐπιθέτης εἶ, εἰς μὲν ἐκκλησίαν εἰσιὼν συνεχῶς, καὶ νόμων ἀκούων τῶν ἐμῶν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀγορᾷ καὶ χρυσίον καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν καὶ φιλίαν καὶ πάντα ἁπλῶς προτιμῶν τῶν ἐμῶν ἐπιταγμάτων· καὶ νῦν μὲν ταπεινὸς γίνῃ, μετὰ δὲ τὴν εὐχὴν καὶ θρασὺς καὶ ὠμὸς καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος· ἄπιθι τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν, καὶ μηκέτι μοι πρόσιθι. Ταῦτα γὰρ, καὶ τούτων πλείονα ἀκούειν ἦμεν ἄξιοι· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδέποτε τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν ὠνείδισεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μακροθυμεῖ καὶ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ πάντα πληροῖ, καὶ πλείονα ὧν αἰτοῦμεν δίδωσι. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοοῦντες, λύσωμεν τὴν πενίαν τοῖς δεομένοις, κἂν ἐπίθεσιν ποιῶσι, μὴ ἀκριβολογώμεθα. Τοιαύτης γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς χρῄζομεν σωτηρίας τῆς μετὰ συγγνώμης, τῆς μετὰ φιλανθρωπίας, τῆς μετὰ ἐλέους πολλοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι, τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐξεταζομένων ἀκριβῶς, σωθῆναί ποτε, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη κολασθῆναι καὶ ἀπολέσθαι πάντας. Μὴ τοίνυν γινώμεθα ἑτέρων πικροὶ δικασταὶ, ἵνα μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀκριβεῖς ἀπαιτηθῶμεν εὐθύνας· καὶ γὰρ ἔχομεν ἁμαρτήματα συγγνώμης πάσης μείζονα. Ὥστε ἐκείνους μᾶλλον ἐλεῶμεν τοὺς τὰ ἀσύγγνωστα ἁμαρτάνοντας, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ τοιοῦτον ἑαυτοῖς προαποθώμεθα ἔλεον· καίτοι ὅσα ἂν φιλοτιμησώμεθα, οὐδέποτε δυνησόμεθα τοιαύτην εἰσενεγκεῖν φιλανθρωπίαν, οἵας χρῄζομεν ἡμεῖς παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, τοσούτων ὄντας ἐν χρείᾳ αὐτοὺς, ἀκριβολογεῖσθαι περὶ τοὺς ἡμετέρους συνδούλους, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἅπαντα πράττειν; Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἐκεῖνον ἀνάξιον ἀποφαίνεις τῆς εὐεργεσίας τῆς σῆς,