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he saw, so that regarding the word we might show them to be slanderers. Therefore, they brought this charge against him, and a second one that: "3the rulers of the clairvoyant race, of the holy priesthood, of the royal people," he called "rulers of Sodom," and the people whom God loved, whom God honored, he called "a people of Gomorrah"3. For these two charges they slandered him, although they knew beforehand that these things were not said by him in this way, but when the idol fell, so that they might not appear to be avenging what was not shown to be a god, but they attached some charge to him. Isaiah might also say: "scourges were gathered against me, and I did not know". And consider the malevolence of Manasseh: so that he might remain being tortured for a long hour, he sawed him with a wooden saw, so that his flesh, being scraped by those millstones, might produce a greater and more long-lasting pain. Since: they bring on punishments as to an evildoer, and on this account are they scourges? -but I did not know them as scourges; for I struggled and was crowned through them. Then I was tested by them, if I was such as they thought to punish. Hypothetically: those who worked slander against her also somehow gently scourged Susanna; for she had fallen into such fear as to say: "I am hemmed in on every side". If they brought on the evil deeds as against one who had committed adultery, they were scourges. But she did not know them; for she was not licentious. Let virtue therefore be fish-glue for the saints. Let fire be brought, such as the burnings of shameful passion. He did not know that the present thing is a burning, that is, he was not tested, but the fish-glue, being physical, is consumed by the fire, and then the fire lays hold of that which was anointed and not previously harmed. But since virtue is fire-proof, the as-it-were fish-glue always remains and the fire never prevails against the one who has virtue. Since: "he made the most High his refuge, and a scourge will not come near his tent"? -we have found many who were scourged and died while being scourged. If therefore we say that he who is scourged with perceptible scourges does not feel their pains, it is not a contest. This is not a great thing and anyone could have endured it. But they did not know, and this while the scourges were compelling them to be tested and to do something unwillingly. Behold, the examples of Susanna have become clear, let that of Joseph also be taken: scourges were brought as against a licentious person, and neither knew anything. Naboth was plotted against and scourged as one who blessed God, as the devil said instead of "blasphemed", and he did not know; for did he not renounce his reverence for God. Since: is it not said catachrestically: "he will hide you from the scourges of the tongue"? What is the "3scourge of the tongue"3? -do not take it sensorially. It is a false word, a slander. Thus also the evil powers, since they lay hold rather with scourges of the ruling faculty of one who is unguarded towards them, are called "3scourges"3. And that these scourges are such, "3they were gathered"3. But to be gathered is against someone rational. 15 they were divided and were not pierced with compunction. Unanimity for evil is a great wickedness, it is 219 harmful. Therefore, those who came from the east once agreed, and came to the plain of Shinar, where Nebuchadnezzar also raised his image. And see that this is wicked. And it is interpreted as "3a gnashing of teeth"3. And often teeth are taken for words; "the teeth" at least "of sinners he broke," and surely we do not say these perceptible molars; for this was never recorded. And: "the molars of lions the Lord has crushed." He does not say these things about the perceptible four-footed and wild beasts, but about such men. Unanimity for evil, therefore, is most wicked. But the scattering of these and the division is something good. If those men perceive that on account of their own wickedness from

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εἶδεν, ἵνα ὡς πρὸς τὴν λέξιν δείξωμεν αὐτοὺς συκοφάντας. τοῦτο οὖν τὸ ἔνκλημα προσηγίοχαν αὐτῷ καὶ δεύτερον ὅτι· "3τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοῦ διορατικοῦ γένους, τοῦ ἱερατεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, τοῦ βασιλικοῦ λαοῦ, εἶπεν "Σοδόμων ἄρχοντας", καὶ τὸν λαὸν ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ θεός, ὃν ἐτίμα ὁ θεός, "λαὸν Γομόρρων" εἶπεν"3. διὰ ταῦτα τὰ δύο ἐνκλήματα ἐσυκοφάντησαν αὐτὸν καίτοι πρότερον εἰδότες ὅτι οὐχ οὕτως ἐλέγοντο παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ὅτε κατέπεσεν τὸ εἴδωλον, ἵνα μὴ φανῶσιν ὡς ἐκδικοῦντες τὸ μὴ φανὲν θεόν, ἀλλὰ αὐτῷ προσῆψαν ἔνκλημά τι. εἴποιεν ἂν καὶ ὁ Ἰσαίας· "συνήχθησαν κατ' ἐμοῦ μάστιγες, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων". καὶ τὴν κακοήθειαν τοῦ Μανασὴ σκόπει· ἵνα ἐπὶ πολλὴν ὥραν μείνῃ βασανιζόμενος, ξυλίνῳ πρίονι αὐτὸν ἔπρισεν, ἵνα ξεόμεναι αἱ σάρκες ὑπὸ τῶν μυλῶν ἐκείνων πλείονα ἀλγηδόνα καὶ πολυχρονιωτέραν κατασκευάσωσιν. ἐπερ · ὅτι προσάγουσιν κολάσεις ὡς κακούργῳ, καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο μάστιγές εἰσιν; -ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐκ ἔγνων αὐτὰς μάστιγας· ἠγωνισάμην γὰρ καὶ ἐστέφθην δι' αὐτῶν. τότε δὲ ἐπειρώμην αὐτῶν, εἰ τοιοῦτος ἤμην, οἷον ἐδόκουν ἐκεῖνοι κολάζειν. καθ' ὑπόθεσιν· ἠρέμα δέ πως καὶ ἐμάστιξαν τὴν Σωσάννην οἱ κατ' αὐτῆς διαβολὴν ἐργασάμενοι· εἰς τοσοῦτον γὰρ δέος ἦν ἐκπεσοῦσα ὡς εἰπεῖν· "στενά μοι πάντοθεν". εἰ ὡς κατὰ μοιχευθείσης προσέφερον τὰ κακουργήματα, μάστιγες ἦσαν. οὐκ ἔγνω δὲ αὐτά· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν ἀκόλαστος. ἡ ἀρετὴ οὖν ἔστω τοῖς ἁγίοις ἰχθυόκολλον. προσφερέσθω πῦρ οἷον αἱ πυρώσεις τῆς αἰσχροπαθείας. οὐκ ἔγνω ὅτι πύρωσίς ἐστιν ἡ παροῦσα, τουτέστιν οὐκ ἐπειράθη, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἰχθυόκολλον σωματικὸν ὂν ἀναλίσκεται ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρός, καὶ τότε καθάπτεται τὸ πῦρ ἐκείνου τοῦ χρισθέντος καὶ μὴ βλαβέντος πρότερον. τῷ δὲ τὴν ἀρετὴν πυράμονον εἶναι τὸ ὡσανεὶ ἰχθυόκολλον ἀεὶ μένει καὶ οὐδέποτε τὸ πῦρ ἰσχύει κατὰ τοῦ ἔχοντος τὴν ἀρετήν. ἐπερ · "τὸν ὕψιστον ἔθετο καταφυγὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ μάστιξ οὐκ ἐνγιεῖ τῷ σκηνώματι αὐτοῦ"; -εὕρομεν πολλοὺς μαστιχθέντας καὶ τεθνηκότας ἐν τῷ μαστίζεσθαι. ἐὰν οὖν λέγωμεν ὅτι ὁ ταῖς αἰσθηταῖς μάστιξιν μαστιζόμενος οὐκ αἴσθεται τὰς ἀλγηδ̣όνας αὐτῶν, οὔκ ἐστιν ἀγώνισμα. οὐ μέγα τοῦτο καὶ πᾶς τις ἠδύνατο τοῦτο ὑποστῆναι. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, καὶ τοῦτο βιαζομένων τῶν μαστίγων εἰς τὸ πειραθῆναι αὐτῶν καὶ ἀβούλητόν τι ποιῆσαι. ἰδοὺ φανερὰ γέγονεν τὰ παραδείγματα τῆς Σωσάννης, ληφθήτω καὶ τὸ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ· ὡς κατὰ ἀκολάστου μάςτιγες προσηνέχθησαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω οὐδέτερος οὐδέν. ὁ Ναβουθαὶν ἐπεβουλεύθη καὶ ἐμαστίχθη ὡς θεὸν εὐλογήσας, ὡς ὁ διάβολος εἶπεν ἀντὶ τοῦ βλασφημήσας, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω· μὴ γὰρ ἐξωμόσατο τὴν θεοσέβειαν. ἐπερ · οὐ λέγεται καταχρηστικῶς· "ἀπὸ μαστίγων γλώσσης σε κρύψει"; τί ἐστιν ἡ "3μάστιξ τῆς γλώττης"3; -μὴ αἰσθητικῶς αὐτὸ λαμβάνεις. λόγος ψευδής ἐστιν, συκοφαντία. οὕτω καὶ αἱ πονηραὶ δυνάμεις ἐπεὶ καθάπτονται μᾶλλον τῶν μαςτίγων τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ τοῦ ἀφυλάκτως πρὸς αὐτὰς ἐσχηκότος, "3μάστιγες"3 λέγονται. καὶ ὅτι τοιοῦτο αὗται αἱ μάστιγες, "3συνήχθησαν"3. τὸ δὲ συναχθῆναι κατά τινος λογικοῦ ἐστιν. 15 διεσχίσθησαν καὶ οὐ κατηνύγησαν. ἡ ἐπὶ κακοῖς ὁμοφροσύνη φαῦλον μέγα ἐστίν, βλαβερόν 219 ἐστιν. συνεφώνησαν οὖν ποτε οἱ ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ ἐλθόντες εἰς τὸ πεδίον Σενναά, ὅπου καὶ Ναβουχοδονοσσὸρ ἤγειρεν τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ. καὶ ὅρα ὅτι φαῦλόν ἐστιν τοῦτο. ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ "3ὀδόντων ἐκτιναγμός"3. πολλάκις δὲ οἱ ὀδόντες ἀντὶ λόγων λαμβάνονται· "ὀδόντας" γοῦν "ἁμαρτωλῶν συνέτριψεν", καὶ οὐ δήπου λέγομεν ὅτι ταύτας τὰς αἰσθητὰς μύλας· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτό ποτε ἱστορήθη. καί· "τὰς μύλας τῶν λεόντων συνέθλασεν κύριος". οὐ περὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν τῶν τετραπόδων καὶ ἀγρίων λέγει θηρῶν ταῦτα λέγει, ἀλλὰ ἀνθρώπων τοιούτων. ἡ ἐπὶ κακοῖς οὖν ὁμοφροσύνη φαυλότατόν ἐστιν. ὁ δὲ τούτων σκορπισμὸς καὶ ἡ διαίρεσις ἀγαθόν τί ἐστιν. ἐὰν αἰσθηθῶσιν ἐκεῖνοι ὅτι διὰ κακίαν ἰδίαν ἐξ