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he showed this to be done as a matter of obligation. For lest the faithful should say, "You are cheapening us and making us contemptible, by subjecting to rulers those who are to enjoy the kingdom of heaven," he shows that in doing this he is not subjecting them to rulers, but again to God; for he who is subject to the authorities 60.616 is obedient to Him. But he does not say it this way, for instance that he who obeys the rulers is obedient to God, but from the opposite he inspires fear and establishes it more precisely, saying, that he who does not obey them, is at war with God who has ordained these things. And this he is eager to show everywhere, that we do not grant them obedience as a favor, but as a debt. For in this way he both drew the unbelieving rulers more toward piety, and the faithful toward obedience. For a strong report was then circulating, slandering the apostles for sedition and innovation, and as doing and saying all things for the overthrow of the common laws. When therefore you show that our common Master enjoins this on all His own, you will both shut the mouths of those who slander them as revolutionaries, and with greater confidence you will be able to speak on behalf of the doctrines of the truth. 2. Do not then be ashamed, he says, of such subjection. For God has legislated this, and He is a severe avenger of these things when they are despised. For He will not demand of you some ordinary penalty for disobeying, but a very great one, and nothing will deliver you if you speak against it, but you will also undergo a most severe punishment from men, and no one will stand up for you, and you will provoke God even more. Alluding to all which things, he said: But they that resist shall receive to themselves judgment. Then, showing the benefit of the matter after the fear, he also persuades by reasoning, saying thus: For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. For since he had given a deep blow and struck them with awe, he again relaxes it, like a wise physician applying gentle medicines, comforting and saying, "Why are you afraid? Why do you tremble? Does he rebuke one who does well? Is he fearsome to one who practices virtue?" Therefore he adds: Do you want not to be afraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it. Do you see how he has reconciled him to the ruler, by showing him to be seated as his praiser? Do you see how he has emptied his anger? For he is the minister of God to you for good. So far is he from frightening you, he says, that he even praises; so far is he from hindering, that he even cooperates. When then you have both a praiser and a helper, why do you not submit? For in other ways too he makes virtue easier for you, by punishing the wicked, and by benefiting and honoring the good, and cooperating with the will of God; which is why he also called him a minister. Consider this: I advise about sobriety, and he says the same things through the laws; I exhort about not being covetous or rapacious, and he sits in judgment over these things. So he is our fellow-worker and helper, and has been sent from God for this purpose. He is therefore to be respected on both accounts, both because he was sent by God, and because it is for such a matter. But if you do what is evil, be afraid. It is not the ruler, then, who causes the fear, but our own wickedness. For he does not bear the sword in vain. Do you see how he has presented him, armed like some soldier, set up to be fearsome to those who sin? For he is the minister of God for wrath, an avenger to him that does evil. For lest, on hearing again of punishment and vengeance and the sword, you should recoil, he says again, that he fulfills God's law. For what if he 60.617 is ignorant himself? Yet God has so ordained. If, then, in both punishing and honoring he is a minister of God, vindicating virtue, driving away vice, which is what God wants, why do you contend with him who introduces so many good things, and prepares the way for your own? For many who first practiced virtue because of the rulers, afterwards took it up also because of the fear of God. For the more coarse-minded are not so much affected by things to come, as by things present. He therefore who prepares the soul of the many by fear and

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ἔδειξε τοῦτο κατὰ ὀφειλὴν γινόμενον. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγωσιν οἱ πιστοὶ, ὅτι Ἐξευτελίζεις ἡμᾶς καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτους ποιεῖς, τοὺς τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ἀπολαύειν μέλλοντας ἄρχουσιν ὑποτάττων, δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐκ ἄρχουσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ πάλιν ὑποτάττει τοῦτο ποιῶν· ἐκείνῳ γὰρ ὁ ταῖς ἀρ 60.616 χαῖς ὑποτασσόμενος πείθεται. Ἀλλ' οὐ λέγει οὕτως, οἷον ὅτι τῷ Θεῷ πείθεται ὁ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑπακούων, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐναντίου φοβεῖ καὶ ἀκριβέστερον αὐτὸ κατασκευάζει λέγων, ὅτι ὁ μὴ ὑπακούων ἐκείνῳ, τῷ Θεῷ πολεμεῖ τῷ ταῦτα νομοθετήσαντι. Καὶ τοῦτο σπουδάζει δεῖξαι πανταχοῦ, ὅτι οὐ χαριζόμεθα αὐτοῖς τὴν ὑπακοὴν, ἀλλ' ὀφείλομεν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοὺς ἀπίστους ἐπεσπάσατο μᾶλλον πρὸς εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τοὺς πιστοὺς πρὸς ὑπακοήν. Καὶ γὰρ πολὺς περιεφέρετο λόγος τότε, ἐπὶ στάσει καὶ καινοτομίᾳ διαβάλλων τοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ ὡς ἐπ' ἀνατροπῇ τῶν κοινῶν νόμων ἅπαντα καὶ ποιοῦντας καὶ λέγοντας. Ὅταν οὖν δείξῃς τὸν κοινὸν ἡμῶν ∆εσπότην τοῦτο παρεγγυῶντα τοῖς αὑτοῦ πᾶσι, καὶ τῶν διαβαλλόντων ὡς νεωτεροποιῶν ἀποῤῥάψεις τὰ στόματα, καὶ μετὰ πλείονος τῆς παῤῥησίας ὑπὲρ τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας διαλέξῃ δογμάτων. βʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν αἰσχύνου, φησὶ, τῇ τοιαύτῃ ὑποταγῇ. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτο ἐνομοθέτησε, καὶ σφοδρός ἐστι τιμωρὸς καταφρονουμένων τούτων. Οὐ γὰρ τὴν τυχοῦσάν σε ἀπαιτήσει δίκην παρακούσαντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα μεγίστην, καὶ οὐδέν σε ἐξαιρήσεται ἀντιλέγοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρ' ἀνθρώπων ὑποστήσῃ τιμωρίαν χαλεπωτάτην, καὶ οὐδείς σου προστήσεται, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παροξυνεῖς μειζόνως. Ἅπερ ἅπαντα αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγεν· Οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες ἑαυτοῖς κρῖμα λήψονται. Εἶτα δεικνὺς δὲ τὸ κέρδος τοῦ πράγματος μετὰ τὸν φόβον, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν πείθει λέγων οὕτως· Οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες οὐκ εἰσὶ φόβος τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων, ἀλλὰ τῶν κακῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ βαθεῖαν ἔδωκε τὴν πληγὴν καὶ κατέπληξεν αὐτοὺς, πάλιν ἀνίησιν, ὥσπερ σοφὸς ἰατρὸς φάρμακα προσηνῆ τιθεὶς, παραμυθούμενος καὶ λέγων, Τί δέδοικας; τί φρίττεις; μὴ γὰρ ἐπιτιμᾷ καλῶς πράττοντι; μὴ γάρ ἐστι φοβερὸς ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελουμένῳ; ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Θέλεις δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν; Τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει, καὶ ἕξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς. Εἶδες πῶς ᾠκείωσεν αὐτὸν τῷ ἄρχοντι, δείξας αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπαινέτην αὐτοῦ καθήμενον; Εἶδες πῶς ἐκένωσε τὸν θυμόν; Θεοῦ γάρ ἐστι διάκονός σοι εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν. Τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦ φοβῆσαί σε, φησὶ, ὅτι καὶ ἐπαινεῖ· τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦ κωλύειν, ὅτι καὶ συμπράττει. Ὅταν οὖν καὶ ἐπαινέτην ἔχῃς καὶ βοηθὸν, διὰ τί οὐχ ὑποτάσσῃ; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλως εὐκολωτέραν σοι ποιεῖ τὴν ἀρετὴν, τοὺς μὲν πονηροὺς κολάζων, τοὺς δὲ ἀγαθοὺς εὐεργετῶν καὶ τιμῶν, καὶ τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ συμπράττων· διὸ καὶ διάκονον αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσε. Σκόπει δέ· συμβουλεύω περὶ σωφροσύνης ἐγὼ, καὶ ἐκεῖνος τὰ αὐτὰ λέγει διὰ τῶν νόμων· παραινῶ περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν πλεονεκτεῖν μηδὲ ἁρπάζειν, κἀκεῖνος ὑπὲρ τούτων κάθηται δικάζων. Ὥστε συνεργός ἐστιν ἡμῖν καὶ βοηθὸς, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τοῦτο ἀπέσταλται. Ἀμφοτέρωθεν τοίνυν ἐστὶν αἰδέσιμος, καὶ ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀπεστάλη, καὶ ὅτι ἐπὶ τοιούτῳ πράγματι. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τὸ κακὸν ποιῇς, φοβοῦ. Οὐκ ἄρα ὁ ἄρχων ποιεῖ τὸν φόβον, ἀλλ' ἡ ἡμετέρα πονηρία. Οὐ γὰρ εἰκῆ τὴν μάχαιραν φορεῖ. Εἶδες πῶς αὐτὸν παρέστησεν, ὁπλίσας καθάπερ τινὰ στρατιώτην, φοβερὸν τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἐπιστήσας; Θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονός ἐστιν εἰς ὀργὴν, ἔνδικος τῷ τὸ κακὸν πράσσοντι. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ πάλιν ἀκούσας κόλασιν καὶ τιμωρίαν καὶ μάχαιραν, ἀποπηδήσῃς, πάλιν φησὶν, ὅτι Θεοῦ νόμον πληροῖ. Τί γὰρ, εἰ καὶ 60.617 ἀγνοεῖ αὐτός; Ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς οὕτως ἐτύπωσεν. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ κολάζων καὶ τιμῶν διάκονος Θεοῦ ἐστιν, ἐκδικῶν ἀρετὴν, ἀπελαύνων κακίαν, ὅπερ ὁ Θεὸς βούλεται, τίνος ἕνεκεν αὐτῷ φιλονεικεῖς τοσαῦτα εἰσάγοντι ἀγαθὰ, καὶ προοδοποιοῦντι τοῖς σοῖς; Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ πρότερον διὰ τοὺς ἄρχοντας ἀρετὴν ἀσκήσαντες, ὕστερον καὶ διὰ τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ ταύτης ἐπελάβοντο. Τῶν γὰρ παχυτέρων οὐχ οὕτω τὰ μέλλοντα, ὡς τὰ παρόντα καθάπτεται. Ὁ τοίνυν τὴν ψυχὴν τῶν πολλῶν προευτρεπίζων τῷ φόβῳ καὶ