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customary and practiced. For so that they may not say, that We destroyed Christ as a deceiver, and we persecute the apostles as impostors, he brings forward the testimony that says: Lord, they have killed your prophets, and they have torn down your altars. Then, so as not to make the argument burdensome, he adds another reason for producing the 60.578 testimony. For he does not bring it forward as though principally wanting to accuse them, but as one eager to demonstrate certain other things; and he deprives them of all excuse, even from what had happened before. For see how the accusation is intensified even by the person. For it is not Paul who is the accuser, nor Peter and James and John, but he who was most admired of all by them, the chief of the prophets, the friend of God, he who was so zealous for them as to be given over to famine, he who to this day has not yet died. What then does he say? Lord, they have killed your prophets, and they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life. What could be more savage than this brutality? For while it was necessary to plead for those things already transgressed, they even wanted to do away with him; all of which deprived them of any excuse. For not when the famine was prevailing, but when abundance had come, and the shame had been dissolved, and the demons had been put to shame, and the power of God had been shown, and the king had submitted, did they dare these things, moving from murders to murders, and destroying their teachers and those who corrected their opinion. For what could they say? Were they also deceivers? Did they not also know from where they were? But did they grieve you? But they also spoke good things. And what of the altars? Did the altars also grieve? Did they also provoke? See what great proofs of contentiousness, what great proofs of insolence they always brought forth. For this reason Paul also says elsewhere, writing to the Thessalonians: You also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they also did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord and their own prophets, and have driven us out, and do not please God, and are contrary to all men. Which therefore he also says here, that they both tore down the altars and killed the prophets. But what does the divine response say to him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. What then have those things to do with the present, he says? And very much indeed to do with the present. For from this he shows that God is always accustomed to save the worthy, even if the promise is laid down for the whole nation. And this he showed from the beginning through what he said: Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved; and, Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom. And he shows it also from this; wherefore he also adds, saying: So also at the present time a remnant has come into being according to the election of grace. εʹ. See how each word preserves its proper nobility, and displays both the grace of God and the gratitude of those who are saved. For by saying, Election, he showed their approvedness; and by saying, Of grace, he showed the gift of God. But if by grace, it is no longer of works, since grace is no longer grace. But if of works, it is no longer grace, since the work is no longer work. Again he leaps upon the contentiousness of the Jews with what has been said, and here he opposes it, and from this he deprives them of excuse. For you cannot say, he says, that pro 60.579 phets were calling, and God was exhorting, and the facts were crying out, and the provocation to jealousy was sufficient to draw us; but the commandments were burdensome, and for this reason we were not able to come, because a display of works was required of us, and arduous achievements; for it is not possible to say this. For how would God have required these things of you, when this was going to overshadow even his grace? But he said these things, wishing to show that he very much wanted them to be saved. For not only did salvation proceed easily for them, but there was also the greatest glory to God, the philanthropy

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συνήθη καὶ μεμελετημένα. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγωσιν, ὅτι Ὡς πλάνον ἀνείλομεν τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ ὡς ἀπατεῶνας διώκομεν τοὺς ἀποστόλους, παράγει τὴν μαρτυρίαν τὴν λέγουσαν· Κύριε, τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν, καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν. Εἶτα, ὥστε μὴ ποιῆσαι τὸν λόγον ἐπαχθῆ, ἑτέραν τῇ τῆς 60.578 μαρτυρίας παραγωγῇ περιτίθησιν αἰτίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς προηγουμένως αὐτῶν κατηγορῆσαι βουλόμενος παράγει, ἀλλ' ὡς ἕτερά τινα ἀποδεῖξαι σπουδάζων· καὶ ἀποστερεῖ πάσης αὐτοὺς συγγνώμης καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν γεγενημένων. Ὅρα γὰρ πῶς ἐπιτεταμένη ἡ κατηγορία καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου γίνεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ Παῦλός ἐστιν ὁ κατηγορῶν, οὐδὲ Πέτρος καὶ Ἰάκωβος καὶ Ἰωάννης, ἀλλ' ὁ μάλιστα πάντων παρ' αὐτοῖς θαυμασθεὶς, τῶν προφητῶν τὸ κεφάλαιον, ὁ τῷ Θεῷ φίλος, ὁ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν οὕτω ζηλώσας, ὡς καὶ λιμῷ παραδοθῆναι, ὁ μέχρι σήμερον μηδέπω τετελευτηκώς. Τί οὖν οὗτός φησι; Κύριε, τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν, καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν, καὶ ὑπελείφθην ἐγὼ μόνος, καὶ ζητοῦσι τὴν ψυχήν μου. Τί τῆς θηριωδίας ταύτης ὠμότερον γένοιτ' ἄν; ∆έον γὰρ παρακαλεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἤδη πλημμεληθέντων, οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν ἐβούλοντο ἀνελεῖν· ἅπερ ἅπαντα πάσης ἀπεστέρει συγγνώμης αὐτούς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ λιμοῦ κρατοῦντος, ἀλλὰ τῆς εὐετηρίας γενομένης, καὶ τῆς αἰσχύνης λυθείσης, καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων καταισχυνθέντων, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δειχθείσης δυνάμεως, καὶ τοῦ βασιλέως ὑποκύψαντος, ἐτόλμων ταῦτα ἐκεῖνοι, ἀπὸ φόνων εἰς φόνους μεταβαίνοντες, καὶ τοὺς διδασκάλους καὶ διορθοῦντας αὐτῶν τὴν γνώμην ἀναιροῦντες. Τί γὰρ ἂν ἔχοιεν εἰπεῖν; μὴ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι πλάνοι; μὴ καὶ ἐκείνους οὐκ ᾔδεισαν πόθεν ἦσαν; Ἀλλ' ἐλύπουν ὑμᾶς; Ἀλλὰ καὶ χρηστὰ ἔλεγον. Τί δὲ καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια; μὴ καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια ἐλύπει; μὴ καὶ αὐτὰ παρώξυνεν; Ὅρα πόσης φιλονεικίας, πόσης ὕβρεως ἐξήνεγκαν ἀεὶ δείγματα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν ὁ Παῦλος, Θεσσαλονικεῦσι γράφων· Τὰ αὐτὰ ἐπάθετε καὶ ὑμεῖς ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων συμφυλετῶν, καθὼς καὶ αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, τῶν καὶ τὸν Κύριον ἀποκτεινάντων καὶ τοὺς ἰδίους προφήτας, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκδιωξάντων, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ μὴ ἀρεσκόντων, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἐναντίων. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθά φησιν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήρια κατέσκαψαν, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας ἀνεῖλον. Ἀλλὰ τί λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ χρηματισμός; Κατέλιπον ἐμαυτῷ ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔκαμψαν γόνυ τῇ Βάαλ. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνα πρὸς τὰ παρόντα, φησί; Καὶ σφόδρα μὲν οὖν πρὸς τὰ παρόντα. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι τοὺς ἀξίους ἀεὶ σώζειν ὁ Θεὸς εἴωθε, κἂν πρὸς ἅπαν τὸ ἔθνος ἡ ἐπαγγελία κειμένη. Καὶ τοῦτο ἄνωθεν ἔδειξε δι' ὧν ἔλεγεν· Ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ὡσεὶ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ ἐγκατάλειμμα σωθήσεται· καὶ, Εἰ μὴ Κύριος Σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν. ∆είκνυσι δὲ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν· διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει λέγων· Οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ λεῖμμα κατ' ἐκλογὴν χάριτος γέγονεν. εʹ. Ὅρα ἑκάστην λέξιν τὴν οἰκείαν εὐγένειαν διασώζουσαν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν καὶ τὴν τῶν σωζομένων εὐγνωμοσύνην ἐμφαίνουσαν. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Ἐκλογὴν, ἔδειξεν ἐκείνων τὴν δοκιμήν· τῷ δὲ εἰπεῖν, Χάριτος, ἔδειξε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δωρεάν. Εἰ δὲ χάριτι, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἔργων, ἐπεὶ ἡ χάρις οὐκέτι ἐστὶ χάρις. Εἰ δὲ ἐξ ἔργων, οὐκέτι ἐστὶ χάρις, ἐπεὶ τὸ ἔργον οὐκέτι ἐστὶν ἔργον. Πάλιν ἐπιπηδᾷ τῇ φιλονεικίᾳ τῶν Ἰουδαίων μετὰ τῶν εἰρημένων, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐναντιοῦται, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς ἀποστερεῖ συγγνώμης. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχετε, φησὶν, εἰπεῖν, ὅτι προ 60.579 φῆται μὲν ἐκάλουν, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς παρεκάλει, καὶ τὰ πράγματα ἐβόα, καὶ ἡ παραζήλωσις ἱκανὴ ἡμᾶς ἐπισπάσασθαι ἦν· φορτικὰ δὲ τὰ ἐπιταττόμενα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν προσελθεῖν, ἐπειδὴ ἔργων ἐπίδειξιν ἀπῃτούμεθα, καὶ κατορθώματα ἐπίπονα· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐστιν εἰπεῖν. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ταῦτα ἀπῄτησεν ὁ Θεὸς παρ' ὑμῶν, ὁπότε καὶ τὴν χάριν αὐτοῦ τοῦτο ἐπισκιάζειν ἔμελλε; Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπε βουλόμενος ἐνδείξασθαι, ὅτι σφόδρα ἐβούλετο αὐτοὺς σωθῆναι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ σωτηρία αὐτοῖς προεχώρει μόνον εὐκόλως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ Θεῷ δόξα μεγίστη ἦν, τὸ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν