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multitude; but when these are not present, the multitude will never be approved. How many do you think in our city are among those who are being saved? It is indeed grievous, what I am about to say; but I will say it nevertheless. It is not possible among so many thousands to find a hundred who are being saved; but even about these I have my doubts. For tell me, how much wickedness is there among the young? how much indifference among the aged? No one has the proper care for his own child; no one has zeal to imitate an elder when he sees one. The archetypes have vanished; for this reason the young do not become admirable. Do not say that to me, that we are a great crowd. This is for cold people; and while this might reasonably be said in the case of men, in the case of God who has no need of us, it is no longer so. But that even in that case the saying is cold, listen. He who has many servants, if he has them corrupted, what terrible things he will suffer! And in the case of one who has none, the terrible thing seems to be this, that he is not served; but in the case of one who has wicked ones, he also destroys himself along with them, and the loss is greater. For to contend with others and to undertake war 60.190 is much more difficult than serving oneself. I say these things, not that anyone should admire the Church because of its multitude, but that we may be diligent to make it an approved one; that each one may take thought for his own member, not for his friends, nor for his relatives, which I always say, nor for his neighbors; but also so as to draw in strangers. For instance, a prayer is being said, all lie prostrate, cold young men and old men; refuse rather than young men, laughing, cackling, conversing (for I have heard this also happening), and mocking one another while on their knees; you stand by, young man or old man, rebuke, if you see it, accuse more vehemently, if he does not tolerate it, call the deacon, threaten, do what is in your power; and if he dares to do anything to you, you will surely have many who will support you. For who is so senseless as, seeing you accusing on behalf of such things and them being accused, not to take your side? Depart, having received the reward from the prayer. In a master's house, we judge those servants to be more loyal who overlook no vessel lying in disorder. Tell me, if you see in a house the silver vessel thrown outside, even if you have not been assigned, will you not take it and bring it into the house? if a garment is simply thrown down, even if you do not have the responsibility, even if you are an enemy of the one appointed, out of goodwill toward the master, will you not put it away properly? So also now. These are vessels; if you see them lying in disorder, set them in order; come to me, I do not refuse; tell me, make it clear; I cannot see everything, forgive me. See how much wickedness possesses the world. Did I not say simply that we are a multitude of grass, a disorderly sea? I am not saying that they do such things, but that such a sleep is poured over those who enter, that they do not even correct these things. Again I see others conversing while standing, when the prayer is taking place; and the more respectable of them, not only when the prayer is taking place, but also when the priest is giving the blessing. O the audacity! when will there be salvation? how shall we be able to propitiate God? If you go to a play, you will see all dancing rhythmically, and nothing neglected. As therefore in a lyre of perfect harmony and variously constructed one sweet symphony is produced from the good order of each of its constituent parts; so indeed also here it was fitting for one concordant harmony to be produced from all. For we have become one Church, we are members fitted together under one head, we all have become one body; if any chance part be neglected, the whole is neglected and corrupted. Thus the disorder of one damages the good order of the many. And the terrible thing is that you do not come here to dance a play or a dance, and yet you stand disorderly. Do you not know that you stand with angels? with them you sing, with them you praise, and you stand laughing? For that a thunderbolt is not sent, not only upon them, but also upon us, is it not a wonder? for these things are worthy of a thunderbolt. The king is present, he observes the army; and you stand laughing under their gaze, or overlooking the one who is laughing? but until

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πλῆθος· τούτων δὲ οὐκ ὄντων, τὸ πλῆθος οὐδέποτε ἔσται δόκιμον. Πόσους οἴεσθε ἐν τῇ πόλει τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ εἶναι τοὺς σωζομένους; Ἐπαχθὲς μέν ἐστιν, ὃ μέλλω λέγειν· ἐρῶ δὲ ὅμως. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τοσαύταις μυριάσιν ἑκατὸν εὑρεῖν τοὺς σωζομένους· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀμφισβητῶ. Πόση γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, κακία ἐν τοῖς νέοις; πόση ῥᾳθυμία ἐν τοῖς γεγηρακόσιν; Οὐδεὶς ὡς χρὴ ἐπιμέλειαν ἔχει τοῦ παιδὸς τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ· οὐδεὶς ἔχει ζῆλον πρὸς πρεσβύτην ἰδὼν μιμήσασθαι. Τὰ ἀρχέτυπα ἠφάνισται· διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ οἱ νέοι γίνονται θαυμαστοί. Μή μοι ἐκεῖνο λέγε, ὅτι Πολυοχλοῦμεν. Τοῦτο ψυχρῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστί· καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν ἀνθρώπων εἰκότως ἂν τοῦτο λέγοιτο, ἐπὶ δὲ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐ δεομένου ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἔτι. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖ ψυχρόν ἐστι τὸ ῥῆμα, ἄκουσον. Ὁ πολλοὺς ἔχων οἰκέτας, ἂν διεφθαρμένους αὐτοὺς ἔχῃ, ὅσα πείσεται δεινά! Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ μηδένα ἔχοντος τοῦτο δοκεῖ εἶναι τὸ δεινὸν, ὅτι οὐχ ὑπηρετεῖται· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ τοὺς πονηροὺς ἔχοντος, καὶ ἑαυτὸν προσαπόλλυσι μετ' ἐκείνων, καὶ μείζων ἡ ζημία. Τοῦ γὰρ ἑαυτῷ διακονεῖν πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον τὸ καὶ ἑτέροις πυκτεύειν καὶ πόλεμον ἀναδέ 60.190 χεσθαι. Ταῦτα λέγω, ἵνα μή τις τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν θαυμάζῃ διὰ τὸ πλῆθος, ἀλλ' ἵνα σπουδάζωμεν αὐτὸ δόκιμον ἐργάσασθαι· ἵνα ἕκαστος τοῦ οἰκείου προνοῇ μέλους, οὐχὶ τῶν φίλων, οὐδὲ τῶν συγγενῶν, ὅπερ ἀεὶ λέγω, οὐδὲ τῶν γειτόνων· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὥστε τοὺς ξένους ἐφέλκεσθαι. Οἷον, εὐχὴ γίνεται, κεῖνται πάντες νέοι ψυχροὶ καὶ γέροντες· καθάρματα μᾶλλον ἢ νέοι, γελῶντες, ἀνακαγχάζοντες, διαλεγόμενοι (καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἤκουσα γινόμενον), καὶ ἀλλήλους σκώπτοντες ἐπὶ γόνατα κείμενοι· σὺ παρέστηκας ὁ νέος ἢ ὁ πρεσβύτης, ἐπίπληξον, ἂν ἴδῃς, ἐγκάλεσον σφοδρότερον, οὐκ ἀνεχόμενον, τὸν διάκονον κάλεσον, ἀπείλησον, τὰ παρὰ σαυτοῦ ποίησον· καὶ ἐὰν τολμήσῃ τι εἰς σὲ ἐργάσασθαι, πάντως πολλοὺς ἕξεις τοὺς συναιρομένους. Τίς γὰρ οὕτως ἀλόγιστος, ὡς ἰδών σε ἐγκαλοῦντα ὑπὲρ τοιούτων κἀκείνους ἐγκαλουμένους, μὴ τῆς σῆς γενέσθαι μερίδος; Ἄπελθε λαβὼν τὸν μισθὸν ἀπὸ τῆς εὐχῆς. Ἐν οἰκίᾳ δεσποτικῇ τούτους εὐνουστέρους τῶν δούλων κρίνομεν, ὅσοιπερ ἂν μηδὲν παρορῶσιν ἀτάκτως κείμενον σκεῦος. Εἰπὲ δή μοι, ἂν ἴδῃς ἐν οἰκίᾳ τὸ ἀργύρεον σκεῦος ἔξω ἐῤῥιμμένον, κἂν μὴ ᾖς ἐπιτεταγμένος, ἆρ' οὐ λήψῃ τοῦτο καὶ εἰσοίσεις ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ; ἂν ἱμάτιον ἁπλῶς ἐῤῥιμμένον, κἂν μὴ ἔχῃς τὴν φροντίδα, κἂν ἐχθρὸς ᾖς τοῦ προστεταχότος, διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν δεσπότην εὔνοιαν, οὐ θήσεις τοῦτο καλῶς; Οὕτω καὶ νῦν. Σκεύη ταῦτά ἐστιν· ἂν ἴδῃς ἀτάκτως κείμενα, μεταῤῥύθμισον· ἐμοὶ πρόσελθε, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι· ἐμοὶ εἰπὲ, δῆλον κατάστησον· οὐ δύναμαι πάντα ὁρᾷν, σύγγνωτε. Ὁρᾶτε, ὅση κακία τὴν οἰκουμένην κατέχει. Μήτι ἁπλῶς ἔλεγον, ὅτι πλῆθός ἐσμεν χόρτου, πέλαγος ἄτακτον; Οὐ λέγω, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι τοιαῦτα ποιοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοσοῦτος ὕπνος καταχεῖται τῶν εἰσιόντων, ὥστε μηδὲ ταῦτα διορθοῦν. Πάλιν ἑτέρους ὁρῶ διαλεγομένους ἑστῶτας, τῆς εὐχῆς γινομένης· οἱ δὲ ἐπιεικέστεροι αὐτῶν, οὐδὲ τῆς εὐχῆς γινομένης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐλογοῦντος τοῦ ἱερέως. Ὢ τῆς τόλμης! πότε ἔσται σωτηρία; πῶς δυνησόμεθα τὸν Θεὸν ἐξιλεώσασθαι; Εἰς παιδιὰν ἂν ἀπέλθῃς, ὄψει πάντας εὐρύθμους χορεύοντας, καὶ οὐδὲν παρημελημένον. Ὡς οὖν ἐν λύρᾳ παναρμονίῳ καὶ ποικίλως ἐσκευασμένῃ μία τις εὔηχος συμφωνία ἀποτελεῖται ἐκ τῆς καθ' ἕκαστον εὐταξίας τῶν συγκειμένων· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα μίαν ἐξ ἁπάντων σύμφωνον ἁρμονίαν προσῆκεν ἀποτελεῖσθαι. Μία γὰρ γεγόναμεν Ἐκκλησία, μιᾶς κεφαλῆς συναρμολογούμενα μέλη τελοῦμεν, ἓν οἱ πάντες κατέστημεν σῶμα· ἂν ἀμεληθῇ τὸ τυχὸν, τὸ πᾶν ἠμέληται καὶ διέφθαρται. Οὕτω τῇ τῶν πολλῶν εὐταξίᾳ ἡ τοῦ ἑνὸς ἀταξία λυμαίνεται. Καὶ τὸ δὴ φοβερὸν, ὅτι ἐνταῦθα οὐχὶ παιδιὰν οὐδὲ χορείαν ἔρχῃ χορεύσων, καὶ ἕστηκας ἄτακτος. Οὐκ οἶδας ὅτι μετὰ ἀγγέλων ἕστηκας; μετ' ἐκείνων ᾄδεις, μετ' ἐκείνων ὑμνεῖς, καὶ ἕστηκας γελῶν; Ὅτι γὰρ σκηπτὸς οὐκ ἀφίεται, οὐκ ἐπ' ἐκείνους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, οὐ θαυμαστόν; ἄξια γὰρ σκηπτοῦ ταῦτα. Πάρεστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς, θεωρεῖ τὸ στρατόπεδον· σὺ δὲ ὑπὸ ταῖς ἐκείνων ὄψεσιν ἕστηκας γελῶν, ἢ τὸν γελῶντα περιορῶν; ἀλλὰ μέχρι