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he will be gracious here. For if he becomes a co-heir of the children, he alleviates their orphanhood, he dissolves the insults, he repels the plots, he stops the mouths of slanderers; and even if they are not able to stand by the testaments, he himself will stand by them, and will not allow them to be torn apart. And if he should allow this, 60.582 he fulfills from his own all that has been written with greater generosity, since he was honored by being written in once. Therefore, leave him as an heir; for you are about to go to him; he judges your case for all things that have happened here. But there are some so wretched and miserable, who even when they have no children do not bring themselves to do this, but rather agree to distribute their property to parasites and flatterers, and to this one and that one, than to Christ who has benefited them so greatly; what could be more irrational than these? For if someone were to compare such people to donkeys or stones, he would say nothing yet worthy of their folly and their insensibility, nor could one find an image capable of representing their madness and their insanity. For what pardon will these obtain for not having fed him while alive, when even as they are about to depart to him, they are unwilling to bestow some small thing on him, not even from this money of which they are no longer masters, but are so hostilely and inimically disposed, as not even to share with him those things that have become useless to them? Do you not see how many people were not even deemed worthy of this end, but were snatched away and departed? But God made you master to give instructions to your relations, and to speak concerning your property, and to dispose of all things regarding your house. What defense, then, will you have, when having received this grace from him, you betray the good deed, and stand as if diametrically opposed to the forefathers of your faith? For they, even while living, sold everything and brought it to the feet of the apostles; but you, not even at your death, give some portion to the needy. Therefore, the better thing, and that which provides much confidence, is to relieve poverty while living; but if you are not willing to do that, at least do something noble at your death. For this is not of great love for Christ; but it is love nonetheless. For even if you do not have the chief seat with the lambs, it is no small thing to be even after them, and not to stand with the goats, nor on the left hand. But if you do not do this, what argument will deliver you, when neither the fear of death, nor the fact that your money has become useless to you, nor that you are leaving security for your children, nor that you are laying up much pardon for yourself there, makes you philanthropic? Therefore I exhort you, above all while living, to give the greater portion of your property to the needy. But if any are so fainthearted as not to endure this, let them at least become philanthropic by necessity. For when you were living, you held on to your property as if immortal; but now, since you have learned that you have become mortal, at least now abandon that opinion, and deliberate concerning your own things as a mortal; or rather, as one who is destined to enjoy immortal life forever. For even if what is about to be said is burdensome and full of horror, still it is necessary to say it: number the Master among your slaves. Do you free your slaves? Free Christ from hunger and necessity and imprisonment and nakedness. Did you shudder hearing this? Then 60.583 it is more dreadful when you do not even do this very thing. And here indeed the word has made you numb, but when you depart there, and hear things far more terrible than these, and see the incurable torments, what will you say? To whom will you flee for refuge? Whom will you call as an ally and helper? Abraham? But he will not listen. But those virgins? But not even they will give you any of their oil. But your father, but your grandfather? But not one of these will have the power, even if 60.584 he be exceedingly holy, to annul that sentence. Therefore, considering all these things, supplicate and entreat and make propitious Him who alone has power to blot out your handwriting and to quench that flame, now

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ἐνταῦθα χαριεῖται. Ἂν γὰρ γένηται συγκληρονόμος τῶν παίδων, ἐπικουφίζει τὴν ὀρφανίαν αὐτοῖς, λύει τὰς ἐπηρείας, ἀποκρούεται τὰς ἐπιβουλὰς, ἐμφράττεται τὰ στόματα τῶν συκοφαντῶν· κἂν αὐτοὶ μὴ δύνωνται προστῆναι τῶν διαθηκῶν, αὐτὸς προστήσεται, καὶ οὐκ ἀφήσει διαῤῥαγῆναι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο συγχωρήσει, 60.582 ἀναπληροῖ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ τὰ ἐγγεγραμμένα ἅπαντα μετὰ πλείονος τῆς φιλοτιμίας, ἐπειδὴ ἐτιμήθη τῷ ἐγγραφῆναι ἅπαξ. Ἄφες τοίνυν αὐτὸν κληρονόμον· πρὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀπιέναι μέλλεις· αὐτός σοι δικάζει τὴν δίκην τῶν ἐνταῦθα γεγενημένων ἁπάντων. Ἀλλὰ γάρ εἰσί τινες οὕτως ἄθλιοι καὶ ταλαίπωροι, οἳ μηδὲ παῖδας ἔχοντες οὐκ ἀνέχονται τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ παρασίτοις καὶ κόλαξι, καὶ τῷ δεῖνι καὶ τῷ δεῖνι μᾶλλον καταδέχονται τὰ αὑτῶν διανέμειν, ἢ τῷ τοσαῦτα αὐτοὺς εὐεργετήσαντι Χριστῷ· ὧν τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀλογώτερον; Τοὺς γὰρ τοιούτους, κἂν ὄνοις, κἂν λίθοις τις παραβάλοι, οὐδὲν οὐδέπω τῆς ἀνοίας αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς ἀναισθησίας ἄξιον ἐρεῖ, οὐδ' ἂν εὕροι τις εἰκόνα τὴν μανίαν αὑτῶν παραστῆσαι δυναμένην, καὶ τὴν παραφροσύνην. Ποίας γὰρ τεύξονται συγγνώμης οὗτοι ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ θρέψαι αὐτὸν ζῶντες, ὅταν καὶ ἀπιέναι μέλλοντες πρὸς αὐτὸν, μηδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν χρημάτων τούτων, ὧν οὐκ εἰσὶ κύριοι λοιπὸν, βουληθῶσιν αὐτῷ μικρόν τι χαρίσασθαι, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἐχθρῶς διάκεινται καὶ πολεμίως, ὡς μηδὲ τῶν ἀχρήστων αὐτοῖς γενομένων αὐτῷ μεταδοῦναι; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅσοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ τούτου κατηξιώθησαν τοῦ τέλους, ἀλλ' ἁρπαγέντες ἀπῆλθον; Σὲ δὲ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐπισκῆψαι τοῖς προσήκουσι, καὶ εἰπεῖν περὶ τῶν ὄντων, καὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν ἅπαντα διαθεῖναι ἐποίησε κύριον. Ποίαν οὖν ἀπολογίαν ἕξεις, ὅταν καὶ ταύτην λαβὼν παρ' αὐτοῦ τὴν χάριν, προδῷς τὴν εὐεργεσίαν, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ διαμέτρου ἀπεναντίας στῇς τοῖς τῆς πίστεώς σου προγόνοις; Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ζῶντες ἐπώλουν ἅπαντα, καὶ ἔφερον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ τελευτῶν μοίρας τινὸς μεταδίδως τοῖς δεομένοις. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἄμεινον καὶ πολλὴν παῤῥησίαν παρέχον, ζῶντα διορθοῦν πενίαν· εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνο μὴ βουληθῇς, κἂν τελευτῶν ποίησόν τι γενναῖον. Οὐ πολλῆς μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ἀγάπης τοῦτο τῆς περὶ τὸν Χριστόν· ἀγάπης δ' οὖν ὅμως. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ τὴν προεδρίαν ἕξεις τὴν μετὰ τῶν ἀρνῶν, ἀλλ' οὐ μικρὸν τὸ κἂν μετ' ἐκείνους γενέσθαι, καὶ μὴ στῆναι μετὰ τῶν ἐρίφων, μηδὲ ἐξ εὐωνύμων. Ἂν δὲ μὴ τοῦτο ποιῇς, τίς σε ἐξαιρήσεται λόγος, ὅταν μήτε ὁ τοῦ θανάτου φόβος, μήτε τὸ ἄχρηστά σοι λοιπὸν γεγενῆσθαι τὰ χρήματα, μήτε τὸ ἀσφάλειαν καταλιμπάνειν τοῖς τέκνοις, μήτε τὸ πολλὴν σαυτῷ προαποτίθεσθαι ἐκεῖ συγγνώμην, ποιῇ σε φιλάνθρωπον; ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ μάλιστα μὲν ζῶντας προΐεσθαι τοῖς δεομένοις ἐκ τῶν ὄντων τὴν πλείονα μοῖραν. Εἰ δέ τινες εἶεν οὕτω μικρόψυχοι, ὡς μὴ ἀνέχεσθαι τοῦτο, κἂν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης γινέσθωσαν οὗτοι φιλάνθρωποι. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ ἔζης, ὡς ἀθάνατος, οὕτως ἀντείχου τῶν ὄντων· νυνὶ δὲ, ἐπειδὴ ἔμαθες, ὅτι θνητὸς γέγονας, κἂν νῦν τὸ δόγμα κατάλυσον, καὶ ὡς θνητὸς περὶ τῶν σαυτοῦ βούλευσαι· μᾶλλον δὲ, ὡς ὀφείλων ἀθανάτου ζωῆς διηνεκῶς ἀπολαύειν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ φορτικὸν τὸ μέλλον ῥηθήσεσθαι, καὶ φρίκης γέμον, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν· ἀρίθμησον μετὰ τῶν δούλων σου τὸν ∆εσπότην. Ἐλευθεροῖς τοὺς δούλους; Ἐλευθέρωσον τὸν Χριστὸν λιμοῦ καὶ ἀνάγκης καὶ δεσμωτηρίων καὶ γυμνότητος. Ἔφριξας ἀκούσας; Οὐκοῦν 60.583 φρικωδέστερον, ὅταν μηδὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιῇς. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα μὲν τὸ ῥῆμά σε ναρκᾷν ἐποίησεν, ὅταν δὲ ἀπέλθῃς ἐκεῖ, καὶ τὰ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα τούτων ἀκούσῃς, καὶ τὰ ἀνήκεστα βλέπῃς βασανιστήρια, τί ἐρεῖς; πρὸς τίνα καταφεύξῃ; τίνα καλέσεις σύμμαχον καὶ βοηθόν; τὸν Ἀβραάμ; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκούσεται. Ἀλλὰ τὰς παρθένους ἐκείνας; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὗταί σοι μεταδώσουσιν ἐλαίου. Ἀλλὰ τὸν πατέρα, ἀλλὰ τὸν πάππον; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τούτων οὐδεὶς ἔσται κύριος, κἂν 60.584 σφόδρα ἅγιος ᾖ, λῦσαι τὴν ψῆφον ἐκείνην. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα λογισάμενος, τὸν μόνον κύριον ὄντα τὸ χειρόγραφον ἐξαλεῖψαι τὸ σὸν, καὶ τὴν φλόγα ἐκείνην σβέσαι, τοῦτον ἱκέτευε καὶ παρακάλει καὶ ποίησον ἵλεων, ἤδη