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and consumed this transgressor? How then did heaven not fall at the same time and the sun was not extinguished and the stars at one so scorned? O Your forbearance again, he would say, Savior, and Your goodness and Your mercy! For truly these deeds of this most wretched one are beyond all pardon, which everyone hearing will cry out: Did justice then leave this man alive? And how, being just, did it even deign for this man to be in the land of the living? But if he should suppose I have perhaps written falsely, grant forgiveness to this man, as You are compassionate; for, being ignorant of Your long-suffering, Savior, and the abyss of Your love for mankind, and hearing the wickedness of my works, he justly delivered this verdict. If, he says, justice has left this man unpunished, then there is no judgment. But You especially, because You are about to judge, (192) are now long-suffering for this reason, my God; for You desire the salvation of all, awaiting their repentance from their works, by Your just forbearance. For it is of a just man not to strike those who fall, but rather to extend a hand to them in every way, which You, my good Master, doing, have not failed nor will you ever fail. The life of all men is a struggle, and all men are servants of You, the creator; yet we have, both small and great, implacable enemies, the rulers of darkness. If, therefore, You Yourself do not rather extend a hand, but will allow them to overpower us, where is Your justice, where is Your love for mankind? For we became his slaves by our own mind, by our own choice, but You, coming, redeemed us with Your spotless and precious blood and brought us to Your Father, my God, as a gift, whom the enemy seeing, cannot bear at all,

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καί ἀνάλωσε τόν παραβάτην τοῦτον; Πῶς δέ οὐρανός οὐ συνέπεσεν ἅμα καί συνεσβέσθη ἥλιος καί τά ἄστρα ἐπί τῷ οὕτως καταπεφρονηκότι; Ὤ τῆς σῆς αὖθις ἀνοχῆς, εἴπῃ, Σῶτερ, καί τῆς ἀγαθότητος καί τοῦ ἐλέους! Ὄντως γάρ εἰσιν ὑπέρ συγγνώμην πᾶσαν αἱ πράξεις αὗται τοῦ παναθλίου τούτου, ἅς ὁ ἀκούων πᾶς τις ἀναβοήσει˙ τοῦτον ἡ δίκη ἄρα εἴασε ζῶντα; Καί πῶς δικαία οὖσα κἄν ὅλως τοῦτον εἶναι κατεδέξατο ἐν γῇ τῶν ζώντων; Εἰ δ᾿ ὑπολάβοι ψευδῆ με ἴσως γράψαι, τούτῳ τήν συγχώρησιν δός ὡς οἰκτίρμων˙ ἀγνοῶν γάρ σου τό μακρόθυμον, Σῶτερ, καί τήν ἄβυσσον τῆς σῆς φιλανθρωπίας, καί τῶν ἔργων μου τά ἄτοπα ἀκούσας τήν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκε δικαίως ταύτην. Εἰ τοῦτον, λέγων, ἀνεύθυνον ἡ δίκη καταλέλοιπε, λοιπόν κρίσις οὐκ ἔστι. Σύ δέ μάλιστα, ὅτι μέλλεις τοῦ κρῖναι, (192) νῦν μακροθυμεῖς διά τοῦτο, Θεέ μου˙ θέλεις γάρ πάντως τήν πάντων σωτηρίαν, τήν μετάνοιαν ἐκδεχόμενος τούτων τήν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων, ἀνοχῇ σου δικαίᾳ. ∆ικαίου καί γάρ οὐ τούς πίπτοντας παίειν, χεῖρα δέ μᾶλλον πάντως ὀρέγειν τούτοις, ὅπερ ποιῶν σύ, ὁ καλός μου ∆εσπότης, οὐκ ἐνέλιπες οὐδέ ποτε ἐλλείψεις. Ὁ βίος πάλη πάντων ἀνθρώπων πέλει, δοῦλοι δέ πάντες ἄνθρωποι σοῦ, τοῦ κτίστου˙ ἔχομεν δ᾿ ὅμως μικροί τε καί μεγάλοι ἔχθρούς ἀσπόνδους, ἄρχοντας τούς τοῦ σκότους. Εἰ μή οὖν αὐτός ὀρέξεις μᾶλλον χεῖρα, ἀλλ᾿ αὐτούς ἡμῶν κατισχύσει ἀφήσεις, ποῦ τό δίκαιον, ποῦ τό φιλάνθρωπόν σου; ∆οῦλοι γάρ ἡμεῖς γεγόναμεν ἐκείνου ἰδίᾳ γνώμῃ, ἰδίᾳ προαιρέσει, αὐτός δέ ἡμᾶς ἐλθών ἐξηγοράσω τῷ ἀχράντῳ σου αἵματι καί τιμίῳ καί τῷ σῷ Πατρί προσήγαγες, Θεέ μου, δῶρον, οὕς ὁρῶν ἐχθρός ὅλως οὐ στέγει,