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If an evil person is suspected of the opposite, he will gain nothing from it, but will also have a greater judgment, and will arrive at greater indifference. For one who is such a person and is suspected, might even be humbled and recognize his own sins; but when he goes unnoticed, he even falls into insensibility. For if when all are accusing them, those who err are scarcely roused to compunction; when some not only do not accuse, but even praise them, when will they be able to look up? So it is not possible for those who are in virtue to be well spoken of by all, nor is it for one who cultivates virtue not to have many enemies; for praise from all would be the greatest proof of not holding virtue in high esteem. For how could such a person be praised by all, if he wished to rescue the wronged from the wrongdoers? Again, if he wished to correct those who sin, and to praise those who do right, is it not likely that he would praise some, and censure others? So for the one who pursues virtue with exactness, and who accepts praise from God alone, it would be impossible to be praised by all men and to be well spoken of. For wickedness always shows great madness against virtue; but not only does it not harm it at all, but by warring against it, it makes it stronger. For so great is the strength of virtue, that even in suffering such things it prevails, and in being warred against it is established superior to its attackers. For consider Abel; was he not slain by Cain? But he who was slain from that time until now is proclaimed and crowned, and so much time has not faded his memory; but he who slew and survived both then endured a life heavier than death, and from that time until now is publicly disgraced, and receives the accusations of all. And these things are in the present life; but the things in the age to come, what word, what thought will be able to represent? But hear also Christ saying: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal. Thus the righteous have the power of leaven, so that they may change the wicked to their own quality. But the righteous are few; for the leaven is also small; but that smallness changes the whole lump to itself through the power within it. So also the 63.762 power of the righteous does not have its strength in the quantity of their number, but in the grace of the Spirit; and how, listen. The apostles were twelve; do you see how small the leaven was? the whole world was in unbelief; do you see how great the lump was? but those twelve turned the whole world to themselves. For both the leaven and the lump are of the same nature, but not of the same quality. But if you wish to know from another example how much more powerful the boldness of a righteous man is than tyrannical power, listen to John saying to Herod: It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife. Herod, a king, having bodyguards, clothed in wealth, wielding royal power; John, a poor man, homeless, without a city, without possessions, unfed, eating locusts from plants and wild honey. But this poor man, who walked in the deserts, to the ruler of populous cities commands with authority, "It is not lawful for you." Do you see how it is natural for virtue to rule over wickedness? But for these things the righteous man is cast into prison; that bitter banquet takes place, and the little girl enters dancing in the midst of the banquet, and she pleases Herod and those reclining with him, so that Herod swore, "Ask what you wish, and I will give it to you, up to half of my kingdom." Do you see where he threw away his kingdom? "Whatever you ask, I will give you, even up to half of my kingdom." O wretched and miserable man, have you so corrupted the eyes of your mind? Do you judge the kingdom to be of so little worth? the little girl danced once, and you were giving away half; if she dances a second time, what will you do? Pray that she does not dance again, or that if she dances again, she is not well-received; otherwise, it remains for you to become a beggar. For those who toward the things

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πονηρὸς ἂν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ὑποπτεύηται, οὐδὲν ἐντεῦθεν κερδανεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ κρῖμα ἕξει μεῖζον, καὶ εἰς πλείονα ἥξει ῥᾳθυμίαν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὢν τοιοῦτος καὶ ὑποπτευόμενος, κἂν ταπεινωθείη καὶ ἐπιγνοίη τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἑαυτοῦ· ὅταν δὲ λανθάνῃ, καὶ εἰς ἀναλγησίαν ἐκπίπτει. Εἰ γὰρ πάντων κατηγορούντων μόλις διανίστανται οἱ πλημμελοῦντες εἰς τὸ κατανύττεσθαι· ὅταν μὴ μόνον κατηγορῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαινῶσί τινες αὐτοὺς, πότε ἀναβλέψαι δυνήσονται; Ὥστε οὐ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἐν ἀρετῇ ὄντας παρὰ πάντων ἀκούειν καλῶς, οὐδὲ ἔστι τὸν ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελούμενον μὴ πολλοὺς ἔχειν ἐχθρούς· ἡ γὰρ παρὰ πάντων εὐφημία τεκμήριον ἂν εἴη μέγιστον τοῦ μὴ πολὺν τῆς ἀρετῆς ποιεῖσθαι λόγον. Πῶς γὰρ παρὰ πάντων ἐπαινεθείη ὁ τοιοῦτος, εἰ βούλοιτο τοὺς ἀδικουμένους ἐξαρπάζειν τῶν ἀδικούντων; Πάλιν, εἰ βούλοιτο διορθοῦν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, καὶ ἐπαινεῖν τοὺς κατορθοῦντας, οὐκ εἰκὸς τοὺς μὲν ἐπαινεῖν, τοὺς δὲ ψέγειν; Ὥστε τὸν μετὰ ἀκριβείας τὴν ἀρετὴν μετιόντα, καὶ τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μόνον δεχόμενον ἔπαινον, ἀδύνατον ἂν εἴη παρὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἐπαινεῖσθαι καὶ καλῶς ἀκούειν. Πολλὴν γὰρ ἀεὶ τὴν μανίαν ἐπιδείκνυται ἡ κακία κατὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς· ἀλλ' οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν αὐτὴν βλάπτει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πολεμεῖν ἰσχυροτέραν ταύτην ἀπεργάζεται. Τοσαύτη γὰρ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ ἰσχὺς, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῷ πάσχειν τῶν τοιούτων περιγίνεται, καὶ ἐν τῷ πολεμεῖσθαι τῶν πολεμούντων ἀνωτέρα καθίσταται. Ἐννόησον γάρ μοι τὸν Ἄβελ· οὐχὶ ἀνῃρέθη ὑπὸ τοῦ Κάϊν; ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἀναιρεθεὶς ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἀνακηρύττεται καὶ στεφανοῦται, καὶ ὁ τοσοῦτος χρόνος τὴν μνήμην οὐκ ἐμάρανεν· ὁ δὲ ἀνελὼν καὶ περιγενόμενος καὶ τότε ζωὴν βαρυτέραν θανάτου ὑπέμεινε, καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τοῦ νῦν στηλιτεύεται, καὶ τὰς παρὰ πάντων κατηγορίας δέχεται. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ· τὰ δὲ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι ποῖος λόγος, ποία διάνοια παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται; Ἄκουσον δὲ καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ζύμῃ, ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἔκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία. Ὥστε ζύμης δύναμιν ἔχουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι, ἵνα πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ποιότητα τοὺς πονηροὺς μεταστήσωσιν. Ἀλλ' ὀλίγοι οἱ δίκαιοι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ ζύμη μικρά· ἀλλ' ἡ μικρότης ἐκείνη ἅπαν τὸ φύραμα πρὸς ἑαυτὴν μεθίστησι διὰ τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῇ δυνάμεως. Οὕτω καὶ ἡ 63.762 δύναμις τῶν δικαίων οὐκ ἐν τῇ ποσότητι τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτι τὴν ἰσχὺν ἔχει· καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε. ∆ώδεκα ἦσαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι· εἶδες πῶς μικρὰ ἡ ζύμη; ὅλη ἡ οἰκουμένη ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ ἦν· εἶδες πόσον τὸ φύραμα; ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι οἱ δώδεκα πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπέστρεψαν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡ ζύμη καὶ τὸ φύραμα τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως, ἀλλ' οὐ τῆς αὐτῆς ποιότητος. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ ἑτέρωθεν γνῶναι ὅσον δύναται πλέον παῤῥησία δικαίου δυναστείας τυραννικῆς, τοῦ Ἰωάννου ἄκουσον λέγοντος τῷ Ἡρώδῃ· Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι ἔχειν τὴν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου γυναῖκα. Ὁ Ἡρώδης, βασιλεὺς, δορυφόρους ἔχων, πλοῦτον περιβεβλημένος, δυναστεύων δυναστείαν βασιλικήν· ὁ Ἰωάννης, πτωχὸς, ἀνέστιος, ἄπολις, ἀκτήμων, ἄσιτος, ἀκρίδας ἐκ βοτανῶν ἐσθίων καὶ μέλι ἄγριον. Ἀλλ' οὗτος ὁ πτωχὸς, ὁ ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις πορευόμενος, τῷ τῶν πολυάνδρων ἄρχοντι πόλεων ἐξ αὐθεντίας προστάττει, Οὐκ ἔξεστί σοι. Βλέπεις πῶς κατὰ φύσιν τῇ ἀρετῇ τὸ ἄρχειν τῆς κακίας; Ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐμβάλλεται εἰς δεσμωτήριον ὁ δίκαιος· γίνεται τὸ πικρὸν ἐκεῖνο συμπόσιον, καὶ εἴσεισιν ὀρχούμενον τὸ κοράσιον ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ συμποσίου, καὶ ἀρέσκει τῷ Ἡρώδῃ καὶ τοῖς συνανακειμένοις, ὥστε τὸν Ἡρώδην ὀμόσαι, Αἴτησαι ὃ θέλεις, καὶ δώσω σοι, ἕως ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου. Βλέπεις ποῦ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀπέῤῥιψεν; Ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσῃς, δώσω σοι, καὶ ἕως ἡμίσους τῆς βασιλείας μου. Ἄθλιε καὶ ταλαίπωρε, οὕτω προδιεφθάρης τῆς διανοίας τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς; τοσούτου κρίνεις τὴν βασιλείαν ἀξίαν; ἅπαξ ὠρχήσατο τὸ κοράσιον, καὶ ἀπεδίδοσο τὸ ἥμισυ· ἐὰν δὲ δεύτερον ὀρχήσηται, τί ποιήσεις; Εὖξαι μὴ πάλιν αὐτὴν ὀρχήσασθαι, ἢ μὴ πάλιν ὀρχησαμένην εὐδοκιμεῖν· εἰ δὲ μὴ, λείπεταί σοι τὸ προσαιτεῖν. Οἱ γὰρ πρὸς τὰ