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with honors, so that it might become more suitable for the word of teaching, he is rightly called a minister of God. Therefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. What is, "Not only because of wrath"? Not only, he says, because you resist God by not being subject, nor because you bring great evils upon yourself both from God and from men, but because he also becomes your benefactor in the greatest matters, being a promoter of peace and of civil order. For countless good things come to cities through these authorities; and if you should do away with them, all will be gone, and neither cities, nor countries, nor houses, nor markets, nor anything else will stand, but all things will be overthrown, as the more powerful devour the weaker. So that even if no wrath followed the disobedient, even so you ought to be subject, so that you might not seem to be without conscience, and ungrateful toward your benefactor. For for this reason you also pay taxes, he says. For they are ministers of God, attending continually to this very thing. Leaving aside speaking in detail of the benefits that come to cities from their rulers, such as good order, peace, the other services concerning soldiers, concerning those who manage public affairs, he shows the whole thing from this one point. For that you are benefited by him, he says, you bear witness, by paying him wages. See the wisdom and understanding of the blessed Paul. For what seemed to be burdensome and oppressive, the matter of demands, this he makes a proof of their providence. For why, he says, do we give taxes to the king? Is it not as paying wages for guardianship to one who provides and presides? And yet we would not have paid them, if we had not known from the beginning that we profit from such oversight; but for this reason, from of old by the common consent of all, it was decided that rulers should be supported by us, because neglecting their own affairs, they take care of public matters, and upon these they spend all their leisure, through which our own affairs are also preserved. 3. Having therefore spoken of external things, he brings his argument back again to the former points; for in this way he was more capable of persuading the believer; and he shows again that this is pleasing to God, and he concludes his counsel with this, saying thus: For they are ministers of God. Then, showing their labor and their toil, he added: Attending continually to this very thing. For this is their life, this is their diligence, so that you may enjoy peace. For this reason also in another epistle he commands not only to be subject, but also to pray for them; and showing there too the common benefit, he added: That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. For they contribute not a little to our establishment in the present life, by taking up arms, repelling enemies, preventing seditions in the cities, and settling all disputes. 60.618 For do not tell me if someone has made bad use of the matter, but look at the good order of the ordinance itself, and you will see the great wisdom of the one who legislated these things from the beginning. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything, except to love one another. He still holds to the same things, commanding them to pay not only money, but also honor and fear. And how, when he said above, "Do you want to have no fear of the authority? Do what is good," does he say here, "Render fear"? He means the heightened honor, not the fear from a bad conscience, which he alluded to above. And he did not say, "Give," but, "Render," and he added "dues"; for you are not bestowing a favor by doing this; for the matter is a debt, and if you do not do it, you will suffer the penalty of an ungrateful person. Do not then think that you are debased and harmed with respect to the dignity of your own philosophy, if you rise in the presence of a ruler, if you uncover your head. For if he legislated these things when the rulers were Greeks, much more ought this to be done now in the case of believers. But if you say that you have been entrusted with greater things, learn that now is not your time; for you are a stranger and a sojourner. There will be a time when you will appear more glorious than all; now

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ταῖς τιμαῖς, ὥστε γενέσθαι ἐπιτηδειοτέραν τῷ τῆς διδασκαλίας λόγῳ, εἰκότως οὗτος διάκονος κέκληται τοῦ Θεοῦ. ∆ιὸ ἀνάγκη ὑποτάσσεσθαι, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν ὀργὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν. Τί ἐστιν, Οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν ὀργήν; Οὐ μόνον, φησὶν, ὅτι ἀνθίστασαι Θεῷ μὴ ὑποτασσόμενος, οὐδ' ὅτι κακὰ σεαυτῷ προξενεῖς μεγάλα καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις εὐεργέτης σου γίνεται, εἰρήνης ὢν πρόξενος καὶ οἰκονομίας πολιτικῆς. Καὶ γὰρ μυρία ἀγαθὰ διὰ τῶν ἀρχῶν τούτων ταῖς πόλεσι γίνεται· κἂν ἀνέλῃς αὐτὰς, πάντα οἰχήσεται, καὶ οὐ πόλεις, οὐ χωρία, οὐκ οἰκία, οὐκ ἀγορὰ, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδὲν στήσεται, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἀνατραπήσεται, τῶν δυνατωτέρων τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους καταπινόντων. Ὥστε καὶ εἰ μὴ ὀργή τις εἵπετο τῷ παρακούοντι, καὶ οὕτως ὑποτάσσεσθαί σε ἐχρῆν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃς ἀσυνείδητος εἶναι, καὶ ἀγνώμων περὶ τὸν εὐεργέτην. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ φόρους τελεῖτε, φησί. Θεοῦ γάρ εἰσι λειτουργοὶ, εἰς τοῦτο αὐτὸ προσκαρτεροῦντες. Ἀφεὶς εἰπεῖν κατὰ μέρος τὰς εὐεργεσίας τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχόντων ταῖς πόλεσι γινομένας, οἷον τὴν εὐταξίαν, τὴν εἰρήνην, τὰς ἄλλας διακονίας, τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν στρατιωτῶν, τὰς ἐπὶ τῶν τὰ κοινὰ πραττόντων, ἐξ ἑνὸς τούτου τὸ πᾶν δείκνυσιν. Ὅτι γὰρ εὐεργετῇ παρ' αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, σὺ μαρτυρεῖς, μισθὸν αὐτῷ τελῶν. Ὅρα σοφίαν καὶ σύνεσιν τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου. Ὃ γὰρ ἐδόκει φορτικὸν εἶναι καὶ ἐπαχθὲς τὸ τῶν ἀπαιτήσεων, τοῦτο δεῖγμα ποιεῖται τῆς αὐτῶν προνοίας. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ, φησὶ, φόρους δίδομεν βασιλεῖ; Οὐχ ὡς προνοοῦντι, οὐχ ὡς προϊσταμένῳ μισθὸν τελοῦντες κηδεμονίας; Καίτοι γε οὐκ ἂν ἐτελέσαμεν, εἰ μὴ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἔγνωμεν, ὅτι κερδαίνομεν ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης ἐπιστασίας· ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἄνωθεν κοινῇ γνώμῃ πάντων ἔδοξε τοὺς ἄρχοντας τρέφεσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν, ὅτι τῶν οἰκείων ἀμελοῦντες, τῶν κοινῶν κήδονται πραγμάτων, καὶ εἰς ταῦτα τὴν σχολὴν ἀναλίσκουσιν ἅπασαν, δι' ὧν καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα σώζεται. γʹ. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξωθεν, πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ πρότερα τὸν λόγον ἐπάγει· τὸν γὰρ πιστὸν οὕτω μᾶλλον ἱκανὸς ἦν ἐπισπάσασθαι· καὶ δείκνυσι πάλιν, ὅτι Θεῷ τοῦτο δοκεῖ, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ κατακλείει τὴν συμβουλὴν, οὕτω λέγων· Θεοῦ γάρ εἰσι λειτουργοί. Εἶτα καὶ τὸν πόνον αὐτῶν δεικνὺς, καὶ τὴν ταλαιπωρίαν αὐτῶν ἐπήγαγεν· Εἰς τοῦτο αὐτὸ προσκαρτεροῦντες. Οὗτος γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὁ βίος, αὕτη ἡ σπουδὴ, ὅπως ἀπολαύῃς εἰρήνης. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἑτέρᾳ ἐπιστολῇ οὐ μόνον ὑποτάσσεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν κελεύει· καὶ δεικνὺς κἀκεῖ τὸ κέρδος κοινὸν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἵνα ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγωμεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μικρόν τι συντελοῦσιν ἡμῖν εἰς τὴν τοῦ παρόντος βίου κατάστασιν, ὅπλα τιθέμενοι, τοὺς πολεμίους ἀποκρουόμενοι, τοὺς ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι στασιάζοντας κωλύοντες, τὰς ἐν πᾶσι διαφορὰς διαλύον 60.618 τες. Μὴ γάρ μοι τοῦτο εἴπῃς, εἴ τις κακῶς τῷ πράγματι κέχρηται, ἀλλ' αὐτῆς βλέπε τῆς διατάξεως τὴν εὐκοσμίαν, καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ὄψει τοῦ ταῦτα ἐξ ἀρχῆς νομοθετήσαντος σοφίαν. Ἀπόδοτε οὖν πᾶσι τὰς ὀφειλὰς, τῷ τὸν φόρον, τὸν φόρον· τῷ τὸ τέλος. τὸ τέλος· τῷ τὸν φόβον, τὸν φόβον· τῷ τὴν τιμὴν, τὴν τιμήν. Μηδενὶ μηδὲν ὀφείλετε, εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾷν. Ἔτι τῶν αὐτῶν ἔχεται, οὐ χρήματα μόνον κελεύων αὐτοῖς τελεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τιμὴν καὶ φόβον. Καὶ πῶς ἀνωτέρω λέγων, Θέλεις μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν; τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει· ἐνταῦθα λέγει, Ἀπόδοτε τὸν φόβον; Τὴν ἐπιτεταμένην λέγων τιμὴν, οὐ τὸν ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ συνειδότος φόβον, ὃν ἀνωτέρω ᾐνίξατο. Καὶ οὐδὲ εἶπε, ∆ότε, ἀλλ', Ἀπόδοτε, καὶ τὰς ὀφειλὰς προσέθηκεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ χαρίζῃ τοῦτο ποιῶν· ὀφειλὴ γάρ ἐστι τὸ πρᾶγμα, κἂν μὴ πράττῃς αὐτὸ, ἀγνώμονος ὑποστήσῃ δίκην. Μὴ δὴ νομίσῃς ἐξευτελίζεσθαι καὶ παραβλάπτεσθαι πρὸς τὸ τῆς οἰκείας φιλοσοφίας ἀξίωμα, ἂν ἄρχοντος παρόντος ὑπαναστῇς, ἂν τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποκαλύψῃς. Εἰ γὰρ Ἑλλήνων ὄντων τότε τῶν ἀρχόντων ταῦτα ἐνομοθέτησε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον νῦν ἐπὶ τῶν πιστῶν τοῦτο γίνεσθαι χρή. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις, ὅτι σὺ μείζονα ἐμπεπίστευσαι, μάθε ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι σου νῦν ὁ καιρός· ξένος γὰρ εἶ καὶ παρεπίδημος, Ἔσται καιρὸς, ὅτε λαμπρότερος πάντων φανήσῃ· νῦν