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Ignorance makes the soul cowardly and unmanly, not by nature, but by choice. For when I see one who was once brave now cowardly, I no longer say the passion is of nature; for the things of nature are unchangeable. Again, when I see those who are now cowardly suddenly become bold, I judge the same thing again; since even the disciples were very cowardly, before they learned what they ought, and were deemed worthy of the gift of the Spirit, but afterwards they became bolder than lions. And Peter, who could not bear the threat of a young girl, was hung upside down and was scourged, and though in countless dangers he was not silent. Therefore one must neither refuse the contests, nor leap into them; for in this way our victory will be more glorious, and the defeat for the devil more laughable. For when dragged in, we must stand nobly, but when not called, we must be quiet, and await the time for the contests, so that we may show both freedom from vainglory and nobility. For to speak boldly is often a thing even of ordinary people; but to do so for a necessary cause and at the proper time and with fitting measure and understanding of the matter, requires a very great and wonderful soul. For he alone is brave, even if he is cast upon a bed, who has strength from within; as without this, even if someone could tear up a mountain with the strength of his body, I would not say he is stronger than a young girl or a wretched little old woman. For the one wrestles with incorporeal evils, while the other does not even dare to look them in the face. Do you wish, then, to learn that nothing is stronger than one fortified by the alliance from above, and nothing weaker than one who is bereft of it, even if he is surrounded by ten thousand armies? David, being very young, and because of the immaturity of his age living in his father's house, is sent by his father to visit his brothers. Arriving then to visit them, when he saw the war drawn up, that of the foreigner Goliath, and all the people cowering with the king, for a while he wanted to be 63.812 a spectator, and went to see the new and strange thing, that one man was rising up against so many thousands, and he says, Who is this foreigner, who reproaches the army of the living God? And what shall be for the man who cuts off his head? When Saul learned these things, he sends for the youth, who knew nothing more than shepherding, and seeing his age, he scorned him. Then, having learned from him how he had dealt with the bears when they came against the flocks, he wanted to dress him in his own armor; but he, having put it on, was not strong enough even to bear it. And this happened so that the power of God working through him might be shown naked, and that they might not attribute what happened to the armor. For since after putting it on he limped, he laid aside the armor, and taking the shepherd's pouch and the stones, thus he went out against the tower of flesh. But see again also the foreigner, looking at the lowliness of his age, and from this scorning the righteous one. For when he saw him rushing toward him with the shepherd's pouch, and carrying only stones, he all but said to him: Did you think you were still standing over sheep and driving away some dogs, and for this reason, as if driving off some dog, you have thus rushed into battle against me with their very own tools? Experience will now teach you that your war is not against an ordinary man. And using much boasting, he hurried and pressed on, and moved his full armor, and extended his weapons. But the one, trusting in the power of his weapons, engaged in the battle; but the other, having fortified himself with faith and the alliance from above, first brought down the arrogance of the foreigner through his words, saying to him: You come against me with weapon and spear, and think to prevail with your own power, but I in the name of the Lord God. And having said these things, taking up one stone from the shepherd's pouch, just as if he were truly about to drive off some dog attacking the flock. 63.813 thus hurling it with the sling, and immediately against the forehead

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∆ειλὴν καὶ ἄνανδρον τὴν ψυχὴν ἀμαθία ποιεῖ, οὐ κατὰ φύσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ προαίρεσιν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἴδω τὸν ἀνδρεῖόν ποτε νῦν δειλὸν, οὐκέτι φύσεως εἶναί φημι τὸ πάθος· τὰ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως ἀμετάθετα. Πάλιν ὅταν ἴδω τοὺς νῦν δειλοὺς ἀθρόον τολμητὰς γενομένους, τὸ αὐτὸ πάλιν ψηφίζομαι· ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ σφόδρα ἦσαν δειλοὶ, πρὶν ἢ μαθεῖν ἅπερ ἐχρῆν, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀξιωθῆναι δωρεᾶς, ὕστερον μέντοι λεόντων ἐγένοντο θρασύτεροι. Καὶ Πέτρος, κορασίου μὴ ἐνεγκὼν ἀπειλὴν, κατὰ κεφαλῆς ἐκρεμᾶτο καὶ ἐμαστιγοῦτο, καὶ μυρία κινδυνεύων οὐκ ἐσίγα. Οὔτε τοίνυν παραιτεῖσθαι δεῖ τοὺς ἀγῶνας, οὔτε πρὸς τούτους ἐπιπηδᾷν· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἡμῖν ἡ νίκη λαμπροτέρα ἔσται, καὶ ἡ ἧττα τῷ διαβόλῳ καταγελαστοτέρα. Ἑλκυσθέντας μὲν γὰρ δεῖ γενναίως ἑστάναι, μὴ καλουμένους δὲ ἡσυχάζειν, καὶ τὸν καιρὸν ἀναμένειν τῶν ἀγώνων, ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἀκενόδοξον καὶ τὸ γενναῖον ἐπιδειξώμεθα. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἁπλῶς παῤῥησιάζεσθαι καὶ τῶν τυχόντων πολλάκις ἐστί· τὸ δὲ εἰς τὸ δέον καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τῷ προσήκοντι καὶ μετὰ τῆς ἁρμοττούσης συμμετρίας καὶ συνέσεως τῷ πράγματι χρήσασθαι, μεγάλης λίαν καὶ θαυμαστῆς δεῖται ψυχῆς. Ἀνδρεῖος γὰρ ἐκεῖνος μόνος ἐστὶ, κἂν ἐπὶ κλίνης ᾖ βεβλημένος, ὁ τὴν ἰσχὺν οἴκοθεν ἔχων· ὡς ταύτης ἄνευ, κἂν ὄρος τις ἀνασπᾷ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ῥώμῃ, οὐδὲ αὐτὸν κορασίου καὶ γραϊδίου ταλαιπώρου φαίην ἂν ἰσχυρότερον εἶναι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀσωμάτοις παλαίει κακοῖς, οὗτος δὲ οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι τολμᾷ. Βούλει τοίνυν μαθεῖν, ὡς οὐδὲν ἰσχυρότερον τοῦ πεφραγμένου τῇ ἄνωθεν συμμαχίᾳ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀσθενέστερον τοῦ ταύτης ἐρήμου τυγχάνοντος, κἂν ὑπὸ μυρίων στρατοπέδων κυκλούμενος ᾖ; Ὁ ∆αυῒδ νέος ὢν κομιδῇ, καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς ἡλικίας ἄωρον ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τῇ πατρικῇ διάγων, ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀποστέλλεται ἐπισκέψασθαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς. Παραγενόμενος οὖν εἰς τὴν τούτων ἐπίσκεψιν, ἐπειδὴ εἶδε τὸν πόλεμον συνεστῶτα, τὸν τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου Γολιὰθ, καὶ πάντα τὸν λαὸν κατεπτηχότα μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, τέως θεατὴς ἐβούλετο γε 63.812 νέσθαι, καὶ ἀπῄει ἰδεῖν τὸ καινὸν καὶ παράδοξον, ὅτι εἷς ἄνθρωπος τοσούτων μυριάδων κατεξανίστατο, καί φησι, Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀλλόφυλος οὗτος, ὁ ὀνειδίζων παράταξιν Θεοῦ ζῶντος; καὶ τί ἔσται τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τὴν τούτου κεφαλὴν ἐκτεμόντι; Ταῦτα γνοὺς ὁ Σαοὺλ μεταπέμπεται τὸν νέον, τὸν τῆς ποιμαντικῆς πλέον εἰδότα οὐδὲν, καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἐξευτέλισεν. Εἶτα μαθὼν παρ' αὐτοῦ ὅπως τοῖς ἄρκτοις ἐκέχρητο, ἡνίκα ἐπῄεσαν τοῖς ποιμνίοις, τὰ οἰκεῖα ὅπλα ἐνδύειν αὐτὸν ἐβούλετο· ὁ δὲ ταῦτα περιθέμενος, οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἐνεγκεῖν ἴσχυσε. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐγίνετο, ἵνα δειχθῇ γυμνὴ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις ἡ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐνεργοῦσα, καὶ μὴ τοῖς ὅπλοις λογίσωνται τὰ γινόμενα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μετὰ τὸ ἐνδύσασθαι ταῦτα ἐχώλευεν, ἀπέθετο τὰ ὅπλα, καὶ τὴν κάδον τὴν ποιμαντικὴν λαβὼν καὶ τὰς βώλους, οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸν σαρκικὸν πύργον ἐξῄει. Ἀλλ' ὅρα πάλιν καὶ τὸν ἀλλόφυλον πρὸς τὸ εὐτελὲς τῆς ἡλικίας ὁρῶντα, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐξευτελίζοντα τὸν δίκαιον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν αὐτὸν μετὰ τῆς κάδου τῆς ποιμαντικῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁρμήσαντα, καὶ τὰς βώλους μόνας ἐπιφερόμενον, μονονουχὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλεγεν· Ἐνόμισας σὺ πάλαι προβάτοις ἐφιστάναι καὶ κύνας τινὰς ἐκδιώκειν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο, καθάπερ κύνα τινὰ ἐλαύνων, οὕτω μετὰ τῶν ὀργάνων αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν πρὸς ἐμὲ μάχην ὥρμησας; ἄρτι σε ἡ πεῖρα διδάξει, ὡς οὐ πρὸς τὸν τυχόντα σοι ὁ πόλεμος. Καὶ πολλῇ τῇ μεγαλοῤῥημοσύνῃ χρησάμενος, ἔσπευδε καὶ ἠπείγετο, καὶ τὴν παντευχίαν ἐκίνει, καὶ τὰ ὅπλα ἐξέτεινεν. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν τῇ δυνάμει τῶν ὅπλων πεποιθὼς, ἥπτετο τῆς μάχης· ὁ δὲ τῇ πίστει καὶ τῇ ἄνωθεν συμμαχίᾳ συμφράξας ἑαυτὸν, πρότερον διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου τὸ φρύαγμα κατήνεγκεν, εἰπὼν πρὸς αὐτόν· Σὺ ἔρχῃ πρός με ἐν ὅπλῳ καὶ δόρατι, καὶ τῇ οἰκείᾳ δυνάμει νομίζεις περιγενέσθαι, ἐγὼ δὲ ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν, ἀνελόμενος ἐκ τῆς κάδου τῆς ποιμαντικῆς μίαν βῶλον, καθάπερ ὄντως κύνα τινὰ μέλλων ἀπελαύνειν ἐπιόντα τῇ ποίμνῃ. 63.813 οὕτω τῇ σφενδόνῃ ἐξακοντίσας, καὶ παραχρῆμα κατὰ τοῦ μετώπου