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195

the difference between this one and that one. For this one did not cast down the spiritual Goliath by throwing a stone, but by speaking only he destroyed the whole phalanx of the devil. And like a roaring lion, and sending forth a flame from his tongue, so he was unbearable to all as he came upon them, and he leaped about everywhere continuously; he ran upon these, he went against those, he moved to these, he sprang away to others; coming swifter than the wind, and as if governing the whole world like a single house, or one ship; and drawing up those being baptized, steadying the dizzy, exhorting the sailors, sitting on the yards, looking around the prow, pulling ropes, handling an oar, hoisting a sail, looking to heaven, being all things himself, both sailor, and pilot, and lookout, and sail, and ship, and suffering all things, that he might loose the evils of others. And as some athlete himself wrestling, running, boxing, or a soldier fighting at the walls, fighting on foot, fighting at sea; so he went through every form of battle, and breathed fire, and was unapproachable to all, encompassing the world with one body, and routing all with one tongue. The many trumpets did not so fall upon the stones of the city of Jericho, and bring them down, as the resounding voice of Paul cast to the ground the strongholds of the devil, and brought his adversaries over to himself. And he was let down through a window from the wall, that from below he might send up those who were cast to the ground. And as a soldier having the whole world at war against him, might turn about in the midst of the enemy ranks, and suffer no harm; so also Paul, alone among barbarians, among Greeks, appearing everywhere on land, everywhere on sea, remained unconquered; and as a spark falling into stubble and grass, changes what is burned to its own nature; so also this one 63.816 going to all, brought all over to the truth. For what was more glorious than Nero, tell me, according to the glory of the world, or what was more exalted? But what was more humble than Paul, or more dishonored? For the one was a tyrant who had achieved many successes, erected very many trophies, had wealth flowing in from all sides, numberless armies, having the greater part of the world in subjection, having the imperial city subject to him, the whole senate bowing down, who also went forth from the very palace with a splendid appearance; and, whether he had to be armed, went out armed in gold and precious stones, or if to go forth in peace, clad in purple; and he always had many bodyguards, many shield-bearers; he was called master of land and sea, emperor, Augustus, Caesar, king, and he lacked nothing at all of things pertaining to glory, but even wise men and rulers and kings trembled at him and were afraid. For in other ways too this one was said to be a certain cruel and rash man, and he wished to be a god, and despised all idols, and the God of all himself, and was worshipped as a god. But let us compare Paul with him, if you please. The man was a Cilician, a tent-maker, poor, inexperienced in secular learning, knowing only Hebrew, a language disparaged by many; a man who often lived in hunger and went to sleep hungry; a naked man with nothing to put on; and not only these things, but also cast into bonds with robbers, with sorcerers, with grave-robbers, with murderers, at the command of that very Nero, and scourged as an evil-doer. Who then is now more illustrious? Is it not that of that one most do not even know the name, but this one both Greeks and barbarians and Scythians and those at the very ends of the earth sing of each day? And who is more venerable, the one conquering in bonds, or the one being conquered in purple, the one standing below and striking, or the one sitting above and being struck? The one commanding and being despised, or the one being commanded and taking no account of the commands? The one being alone and prevailing, or the one being defeated with ten thousand armies? For if to conquer is more illustrious than to be conquered, Paul is certainly

195

τὸ μέσον, τοσοῦτον τούτου κἀκείνου τὸ διάφορον. Οὗτος γὰρ οὐ λίθον ῥίπτων, τὸν νοητὸν Γολιὰθ κατέφερεν, ἀλλὰ φθεγγόμενος μόνον ἅπασαν κατέλυε τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν φάλαγγα. Καὶ καθάπερ λέων βρυχώμενος, καὶ φλόγα ἀπὸ τῆς γλώττης ἀφιεὶς, οὕτω πᾶσιν ἀφόρητος ἦν ἐπιὼν, καὶ πανταχοῦ μετεπήδα συνεχῶς· ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τούτους, ἦλθεν ἐπ' ἐκείνους, μετέστη πρὸς τούτους, ἀπεπήδησε πρὸς ἑτέρους· ἀνέμου ταχύτερον ἐπιὼν, καὶ καθάπερ μίαν οἰκίαν, ἢ πλοῖον ἓν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν κυβερνῶν· καὶ τοὺς μὲν βαπτιζομένους ἀνέλκων, τοὺς δὲ ἰλιγγιῶντας στηρίζων, τοῖς ναύταις παρακελευόμενος, ἐπὶ τῶν αὐχένων καθήμενος, τὴν πρώραν περισκοπῶν, σχοινία τείνων, κώπην μεταχειρίζων, ἱστίον ἕλκων, πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν βλέπων, πάντα αὐτὸς ὢν, καὶ ναύτης, καὶ κυβερνήτης, καὶ πρωρεὺς, καὶ ἱστίον, καὶ πλοῖον, καὶ πάντα πάσχων, ἵνα τὰ ἑτέρων λύσῃ κακά. Καὶ καθάπερ τις ἀθλητὴς αὐτὸς παλαίων, τρέχων, πυκτεύων, ἢ στρατιώτης τειχομαχῶν, πεζομαχῶν, ναυμαχῶν· οὕτω πᾶν εἶδος μετῄει μάχης, καὶ πῦρ ἐνέπνει, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀπρόσιτος ἦν, ἑνὶ σώματι καταλαμβάνων τὴν οἰκουμένην, καὶ μιᾷ γλώττῃ πάντας τροπούμενος. Οὐχ οὕτως αἱ πολλαὶ σάλπιγγες ἐνέπιπτον τοῖς λίθοις τῆς Ἱεριχουντίων πόλεως, καὶ καθῄρουν αὐτοὺς, ὡς ἡ Παύλου φωνὴ ἠχοῦσα τὰ ὀχυρώματα τὰ διαβολικὰ χαμαὶ ἔῤῥιπτε, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τοὺς ἐναντίους μεθίστη. Καὶ διὰ θυρίδος ἀπὸ τοῦ τείχους ἐχαλάσθη, ἵνα κάτωθεν ἄνω διαπέμψῃ τοὺς ἐῤῥιμμένους χαμαί. Καὶ καθάπερ στρατιώτης εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην πολεμοῦσαν ἔχων ἅπασαν, ἐν μέσοις στρέφοιτο τοῖς τάγμασι τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ μηδὲν πάσχοι δεινόν· οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος μόνος ἐν βαρβάροις, ἐν Ἕλλησι, πανταχοῦ γῆς, πανταχοῦ θαλάττης φαινόμενος, ἀχείρωτος ἔμενε· καὶ ὥσπερ σπινθὴρ εἰς καλάμην καὶ χόρτον ἐμπίπτων, πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φύσιν μετατίθησι τὰ καιόμενα· οὕτω καὶ οὗτος 63.816 ἅπασιν ἐπιὼν, πάντας μεθιστᾷ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τί γὰρ τοῦ Νέρωνος ἐνδοξότερον, εἰπέ μοι, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου δόξαν, ἢ τί ὑψηλότερον; τί δὲ Παύλου εὐτελέστερον, ἢ ἀτιμότερον; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τύραννος ἦν πολλὰ κατωρθωκὼς, πλεῖστα τρόπαια στήσας, πλοῦτον ἔχων ἐπιῤῥέοντα πανταχόθεν, στρατόπεδα ἄπειρα, τὸ πλέον τῆς οἰκουμένης μέρος ὑποτεταγμένον ἔχων, τὴν βασιλίδα πόλιν ὑποκειμένην ἔχων, τὴν σύγκλητον ἅπασαν ὑποκύπτουσαν, ὃς καὶ ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις αὐτοῖς μετὰ λαμπροῦ προῄει τοῦ σχήματος· καὶ, εἴτε ὁπλίζεσθαι ἔδει, ἐν χρυσοῖς καὶ λίθοις τιμίοις ὁπλιζόμενος ἐξῄει, εἴτε ἐν εἰρήνῃ προϊέναι, ἁλουργίδα περικείμενος· καὶ πολλοὺς ἀεὶ τοὺς δορυφόρους, πολλοὺς τοὺς ὑπασπιστὰς εἶχε· γῆς καὶ θαλάττης δεσπότης ἤκουεν, αὐτοκράτωρ, Αὔγουστος, Καῖσαρ, βασιλεὺς, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐνέλιπεν ὅλως τῶν εἰς δόξαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σοφοὶ καὶ δυνάσται καὶ βασιλεῖς αὐτὸν ἔτρεμον καὶ ἐδεδοίκεσαν. Καὶ ἄλλως γὰρ ὠμός τις καὶ ἰταμὸς εἶναι ἐλέγετο οὗτος, καὶ θεὸς εἶναι ἐβούλετο, καὶ πάντων κατεφρόνει τῶν εἰδώλων, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πάντων Θεοῦ, καὶ ὡς θεὸς ἐθεραπεύετο. Ἀλλ' ἀντεξετάσωμεν αὐτῷ τὸν Παῦλον, εἰ δοκεῖ. Κίλιξ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἦν, σκυτοτόμος, πένης, τῆς ἔξωθεν παιδείας ἄπειρος, Ἑβραϊστὶ μόνον εἰδὼς, γλῶσσαν διασυρομένην παρὰ πολλῶν· ἄνθρωπος πολλάκις ἐν λιμῷ ζήσας καὶ κοιμηθεὶς πεινῶν· ἄνθρωπος γυμνὸς οὐδὲν ἔχων περιβαλέσθαι· καὶ οὐ ταῦτα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν δεσμοῖς μετὰ λῃστῶν, μετὰ γοήτων, μετὰ τυμβωρύχων, μετὰ ἀνδροφόνων βαλλόμενος, αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου κελεύσει τοῦ Νέρωνος, καὶ ὡς κακοῦργος μαστιζόμενος. Τίς οὖν ἀρτίως λαμπρότερος; οὐχὶ ἐκείνου μὲν οὐδ' ὄνομα ἴσασιν οἱ πολλοὶ, τοῦτον δὲ καὶ Ἕλληνες καὶ βάρβαροι καὶ Σκύθαι καὶ οἱ πρὸς αὐτὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ τέρματα καθ' ἑκάστην ᾄδουσι τὴν ἡμέραν; τίς δὲ καὶ σεμνότερος, ὁ ἐν δεσμοῖς νικῶν, ἢ ὁ ἐν ἁλουργίδι νικώμενος, ὁ κάτω ἑστὼς καὶ βάλλων, ἢ ὁ ἄνω καθήμενος καὶ βαλλόμενος; ὁ ἐπιτάττων καὶ καταφρονούμενος, ἢ ὁ ἐπιταττόμενος καὶ οὐδένα λόγον ἔχων τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων; ὁ μόνος ὢν καὶ περιγενόμενος, ἢ ὁ μετὰ μυρίων στρατοπέδων ἡττώμενος; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ νικᾷν τοῦ νικᾶσθαι λαμπρότερον, πάντως ὁ Παῦλός ἐστιν