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into the land itself in the times in which you permitted or allowed persecutions to be carried out by the godless. But Christ is the servant of God, having taken the form of a servant, being born of her who said to the angel, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And you have broken down all his fences from his sons, all his strongest help, so that everyone attempting to plot against them has power over them. For fences, according to scripture, are guards that come from God without distinction; but it is possible that the apostles are called the fences of Christ's vineyard, whom those who saw them scattered and scandalized on the night of Jesus' betrayal say were broken down by God. You have made his strongholds cowardice. The strongholds of Christ are his genuine disciples, which, having become cowardly at the time of Jesus' betrayal, are said to have been made into cowardice. which was followed by Christ himself being plundered by those passing by or traveling the road. But Christ being plundered is no different from those plundering his body; “For you are the body of Christ and members individually.” But it is also possible that the churches in the various sojourns are called his strongholds. In addition to this, you have also made him a reproach to his neighbors, who are so called for being near him and around him. For those who seem to hold to his scripture and gather near his church through falsely-named knowledge are his neighbors; through whom, because they think and act wrongly, they reproach him. For just as, on the contrary, one who thinks according to the truth and acts rightly and praiseworthily glorifies him, so one who is disposed contrary to what is right reproaches him. For these reasons you have exalted the right hand of his enemies; for they are puffed up as if they have prevailed by their own power and have done the things you arranged for him. and you have gladdened those who hate him at the things that have happened to him, not helping him in the war. But indeed you have also turned back the help of his sword, or the sword of his help; for it is stated both ways. For when his enemies and those who hate him joined battle with Christ, “You did not help him in the war,” so that having bound him they led him away to crucify him and to inflict other outrages against him. Those who have a longing for Christ and have rightly understood providence will cease saying these things, not indeed seeing the purpose according to which the Father, not sparing his own son, gave him over to those who stood by and gathered against him, having learned the salvation that was achieved through his death, not only of the Father having delivered him over for us but also of him having delivered himself over for this; for he gave his life as a ransom for many. “You have brought him to an end from his purification,” and what follows until the diapsalma. Supposing that things have happened to him contrary to what was promised, they also say these things. At any rate, they have supposed that he was brought to an end from the purification which he worked through his blood; on which account they think that his throne has been cast down to the ground, the days of his throne having been shortened. But nothing of the sort will happen concerning his throne, since God has established it like the days of heaven, concerning which we said what was possible; but God also said that the throne of Christ would remain before him like the sun and the moon established for ever. For seeing him crucified and having suffered, they thought his kingdom had received its end, his throne having been diminished and overturned, and the shame on the cross that seized him, concerning which the apostle says, “Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame,” so that having risen from the dead he might no longer be brought to an end from purification but might accomplish and effect it, taking away the sin of the world according to what is said: “Having made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand”

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εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτὴν ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς καθ' ους ἐπέτρεψας η συνεχώρησας διωγμοὺς πρὸς ἀθέων ἐπιτελεῖσθαι. ∆οῦλος δὲ θεοῦ ὁ Χριστὸς τυγχάνει ἀναλαβὼν τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφήν, γενόμενος ἐκ τῆς εἰπούσης τῷ ἀγγέλῳ ̓Ιδοὺ ἡ δούλη κυρίου, γένοιτό μοι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου. Καὶ πάντας τοὺς φραγμοὺς αὐτοῦ καθεῖλες ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ, πᾶσαν ὀχυρωτάτην βοήθειαν, ὡς πάντα τὸν ἐπιβουλεύειν αὐτοῖς ἐπιχειροῦντα δύνασθαι κατ' αὐτῶν. φραγμοὶ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν ἀδιαφόρως θεόθεν γινόμεναι φρουραί· φραγμοὺς δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀμπελῶνος δυνατὸν εἰρῆσθαι τοὺς ἀποστόλους ους καθαιρεῖσθαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ φασιν οἱ ὁρῶντες αὐτοὺς ἐσκορπισμένους καὶ σκανδαλισθέντας ἐν τῇ νυκτὶ τῆς παραδόσεως ̓Ιησοῦ. Εθου τὰ ὀχυρώματα αὐτοῦ δειλίαν. ὀχυρώματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ οἱ γνήσιοι μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσιν απερ δειλωθέντα κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς παραδόσεως ̓Ιησοῦ δειλίᾳ τεθεῖσθαι ειρηνται. ῳ ἠκολούθησεν τὸ διηρπάσθαι αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν ὑπὸ τῶν διοδευόντων η παραπορευομένων ὁδόν. Χριστὸς δὲ διαρπαζόμενος οὐχ ετερος τῶν διαρπαζόντων αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα τυγχάνει· ̔Υμεῖς γάρ ἐστε σῶμα Χριστοῦ καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ τὰς κατὰ διαφόρους παροικίας ἐκκλησίας ὀχυρώματα αὐτοῦ εἰρῆσθαι. Πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ ονειδος αὐτὸν εθου τοῖς διὰ τὸ πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ πέριξ αὐτοῦ ειναι καλουμένοις γείτοσιν αὐτοῦ. οἱ γὰρ δοκοῦντες τῆς γραφῆς αὐτοῦ περιέχεσθαι καὶ ἐγγὺς τῆς ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ διὰ ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως ἀθροιζόμενοι γείτονες αὐτοῦ τυγχάνουσι· δι' ων κακῶς φρονοῦσι καὶ πράττουσιν, ὀνειδίζουσιν αὐτόν. ὡς γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου δοξάζει αὐτὸν ὁ ὀρθῶς καὶ ἐπαινετῶς ἐνεργῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν φρονῶν, ουτως ὁ ἐναντίως τοῖς ὀρθῶς εχουσι διακείμενος ὀνειδίζει αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα υψωσας δεξιὰν τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ· ἐπαίρονται γὰρ ὡς ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει περιγενόμενοι καὶ ποιήσαντες α διέθηκας αὐτόν. ευφρανας δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ καὶ τοὺς μισοῦντας αὐτόν, οὐκ ἀντιλαμβανόμενος αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ. ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἀπέστρεψας τῆς βοηθείας τὴν ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ η τὴν ῥομφαίαν τῆς βοηθείας αὐτοῦ· ἑκατέρως γὰρ φέρεται. συμβαλόντων γὰρ εἰς πόλεμον Χριστῷ τῶν ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ μισούντων αὐτόν, Οὐκ ἀντελάβου αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, ὡς δήσαντας αὐτὸν ἀπαγαγεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ σταυρῶσαι καὶ τὰ αλλα ὑβριστικῶς ἐπενεγκεῖν κατ' αὐτοῦ. παύσονται ταῦτα λέγοντες οἱ πρὸς Χριστὸν πόθον εχοντες καὶ περὶ τῆς προνοίας ὀρθῶς διειληφότες, οὐ μὴν ὁρῶντες πρόθεσιν καθ' ην οὐ φεισάμενος ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ ἰδίου υἱοῦ εκδοτον αὐτὸν ἀφῆκε τοῖς παραστᾶσι καὶ συναχθεῖσι κατ' αὐτοῦ, τὴν σωτηρίαν μαθόντες τὴν κατορθωθεῖσαν διὰ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτοῦ, οὐ μόνον τοῦ πατρὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν παραδεδωκότος αὐτὸν ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τοῦτο παραδεδωκότος ἑαυτόν· δέδωκε γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. Κατέλυσας ἀπὸ καθαρισμοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς εως τοῦ διαψάλματος. οἰόμενοι παρὰ τὰ ἐπηγγελμένα αὐτῷ ἀπηντηκέναι καὶ ταῦτά φασιν. καταλελύσθαι γοῦν ὑπειλήφασιν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ ου εἰργάσατο διὰ τοῦ αιματος αὐτοῦ· ἐφ' ῳ νομίζουσι καὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ κατερράχθαι εἰς τὴν γῆν, σμικρυνθεισῶν τῶν ἡμερῶν τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ. ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον περὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ συμβήσεται, θεοῦ τεθεικότος αὐτὸν ὡς τὰς ἡμέρας τοῦ οὐρανοῦ περὶ ου τὰ ἐγχωροῦντα ειπομεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ μένειν ἐναντίον ἑαυτοῦ ὁ θεὸς ειπε τὸν θρόνον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὡς τὸν ηλιον καὶ τὴν κατηρτισμένην σελήνην εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. σταυρωθέντα γὰρ καὶ πεπονθότα ἰδόντες αὐτὸν εδοξαν τέλος εἰληφέναι τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, σμικρυνθέντος καὶ ἀνατραπέντος τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ σταυρῷ αἰσχύνην κατασχεθεῖσαν αὐτοῦ περὶ ης ὁ ἀπόστολός φησιν Ος ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ὑπέμεινε σταυρὸν αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας, ιν' ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστὰς μηκέτι καταλελυμένος ὑπὸ καθαρισμοῦ ῃ ἀλλ' ἐπιτελῶν καὶ ἐνεργῶν αὐτὸν αιρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον Καθαρισμὸν ἁμαρτιῶν ποιησάμενος ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ