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a servant who has given offense should meddle with the economy of his master. Wretched and miserable man, when you ought to be concerned for your own accounts, and how you will reconcile your master, do you demand an account of things for which you are about to give an account? Do you pass over those things for which you are about to be punished? What then shall I say to the Greek, he says? These things that have been said. And consider not only what you say to the Greek, but also how you may correct him. When by examining your life he is scandalized from that, then take care what you say. For concerning that matter, even if he is scandalized, you will not give an account; but if he is harmed by your life, you will undergo the ultimate danger. When he sees you philosophizing about the kingdom, and terrified at present things, and fearing hell, and trembling at the dreadful things here, then take care. When seeing these things he accuses you, and says: If you love a kingdom, why do you not despise present things? If you expect a fearful judgment-seat, why do you not scorn the dreadful things here? If you hope for immortality, why do you not laugh at death? When he says these things, be anxious about what you will say in your defense. When he sees you, who are expecting the heavens, trembling at a loss of money, and overjoyed for a single obol, and again giving up your soul for a little silver, then take care; for these are the things, these are the things that scandalize the Greek. So if 60.643 you are concerned for your own salvation, make your defense for these things, not through words, but through deeds. For on account of that question no one ever blasphemed God, but on account of a wicked life, there are countless blasphemies everywhere. Correct this therefore; since the Greek will say to you again: From where may I learn that God has commanded possible things? For behold you, a Christian from your forefathers and brought up in this good religion, do nothing of the sort. What then will you say? You will surely say, I will show you others who do, monks dwelling in the deserts. Are you not then ashamed to confess that you are a Christian, but send him to others, as not being able to show that you exhibit the things of Christians? For he will also say immediately: What need then have I to go to the mountains, and to seek the deserts? For if it is not possible to live as a philosopher while moving about in the midst of cities, a great accusation of this way of life would arise, if we are to leave the cities and run to the deserts. But show me a man having a wife and children and a house, and living as a philosopher. What then shall we say to these things? Is it not necessary to bow our heads down and be ashamed? For neither did Christ command thus; but 60.644 how? Let your light shine before men, not of the mountains nor of the desert and the inaccessible place. And I say these things, not blaming those who have taken to the mountains, but lamenting those who inhabit the cities, because they have driven virtue from here. Therefore, I entreat, let us bring the philosophy from there here also, that the cities may become cities; these things can correct the Greek, these can deliver from countless scandals. So, if you wish both to free him from scandal, and yourself to enjoy countless rewards, correct your own life, and make it shine forth from all sides, That men may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. For thus we too shall enjoy that ineffable and great glory; may we all be counted worthy to attain it, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY 27.

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching

of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, through Jesus Christ

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οἰκέτης προσκεκρουκὼς περιεργάζοιτο τὴν οἰκονομίαν τοῦ δεσπότου. Ἄθλιε καὶ ταλαίπωρε, δέον φροντίζειν ὑπὲρ τῶν σῶν εὐθυνῶν, καὶ πῶς καταλλάξεις τὸν δεσπότην, εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖς ὧν σὺ μέλλεις παρέξειν εὐθύνας; ἐκεῖνα παρατρέχεις, ὧν μέλλεις δοῦναι δίκην; Τί οὖν πρὸς τὸν Ἕλληνα εἴπω, φησί; Ταῦτα τὰ εἰρημένα. Καὶ σκόπει μὴ τί εἴπῃς πρὸς τὸν Ἕλληνα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πῶς αὐτὸν διορθώσῃ. Ὅταν σου τὸν βίον ἐξετάζων σκανδαλίζηται ἐκεῖθεν, ἐνταῦθα φρόντισον τί εἴπῃς. Ὑπὲρ μὲν γὰρ ἐκείνου, κἂν σκανδαλίζηται, σὺ λόγον οὐ δώσεις· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ βίου τοῦ σοῦ ἐὰν βλαβῇ, κίνδυνον ὑποστήσῃ τὸν ἔσχατον. Ὅταν ἴδῃ σε περὶ βασιλείας φιλοσοφοῦντα, καὶ πρὸς τὰ παρόντα ἐπτοημένον, καὶ περὶ γεέννης δεδοικότα, καὶ τὰ ἐνταῦθα τρέμοντα δεινὰ, τότε φρόντισον. Ὅταν ταῦτα ὁρῶν ἐγκαλῇ, καὶ λέγῃ· Εἰ βασιλείας ἐρᾷς, τί τῶν παρόντων οὐχ ὑπερορᾷς; εἰ δικαστήριον προσδοκᾷς φοβερὸν, τί τῶν ἐνταῦθα δεινῶν οὐ καταφρονεῖς; εἰ ἀθανασίαν ἐλπίζεις, τί τοῦ θανάτου οὐ καταγελᾷς; ὅταν ταῦτα λέγῃ, μερίμνησον τί ἀπολογήσῃ. Ὅταν ἴδῃ σε τρέμοντα ζημίαν χρημάτων τὸν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς προσδοκῶντα, καὶ περιχαρῆ γενόμενον ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ὀβολοῦ, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν πάλιν προέμενον ὑπὲρ ἀργυρίου ὀλίγου, τότε φρόντισον· ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι, ταῦτα τὰ τὸν Ἕλληνα σκανδαλίζοντα. Ὥστε εἰ 60.643 φροντίζεις σεαυτοῦ τῆς σωτηρίας, ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀπολογοῦ, μὴ διὰ ῥημάτων, ἀλλὰ διὰ πραγμάτων. ∆ι' ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ τὸ ζήτημα οὐδείς ποτε ἐβλασφήμησε τὸν Θεὸν, διὰ δὲ τὸν πονηρὸν βίον μυρίαι πανταχοῦ βλασφημίαι. Τοῦτο τοίνυν διόρθου· ἐπεὶ πάλιν ἐρεῖ σοι ὁ Ἕλλην· Πόθεν μάθω, ὅτι δυνατὰ ἐπέταξεν ὁ Θεός; ἰδοὺ γὰρ σὺ Χριστιανὸς ὢν ἐκ προγόνων καὶ ἐντρεφόμενος τῇ καλῇ ταύτῃ θρησκείᾳ, οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ποιεῖς. Τί οὖν ἐρεῖς; Πάντως ἐρεῖς, ὅτι ∆είξω σοι ἑτέρους ποιοῦντας, μοναχοὺς ἐν ἐρημίαις καθημένους. Εἶτα οὐκ αἰσχύνῃ Χριστιανὸς μὲν εἶναι ὁμολογῶν, πρὸς δὲ ἑτέρους πέμπων, ὡς οὐ δυνάμενος δεῖξαι, ὅτι τὰ Χριστιανῶν ἐπιδείκνυσαι; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος εὐθέως ἐρεῖ· Οὐκοῦν ποία μοι ἀνάγκη βαδίζειν ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη, καὶ τὰς ἐρημίας διώκειν; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ δυνατὸν ἐν μέσαις στρεφόμενον πόλεσι φιλοσοφεῖν, πολλὴ τῆς πολιτείας ταύτης ἡ κατηγορία γένοιτ' ἂν, εἰ μέλλοιμεν τὰς πόλεις ἐκλιπόντες, ἐπὶ τὰς ἐρήμους τρέχειν. Ἀλλὰ δεῖξόν μοι ἄνθρωπον γυναῖκα ἔχοντα καὶ παιδία καὶ οἰκίαν, καὶ φιλοσοφοῦντα. Τί οὖν πρὸς ταῦτα ἐροῦμεν; οὐκ ἀνάγκη κάτω κύπτειν καὶ αἰσχύνεσθαι; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὕτως ἐκέλευσεν· ἀλλὰ 60.644 πῶς; Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐχὶ τῶν ὀρῶν οὐδὲ τῆς ἐρημίας καὶ τῆς ἀβάτου. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐ κακίζων τοὺς κατειληφότας τὰ ὄρη, ἀλλὰ θρηνῶν τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὰς πόλεις, ὅτι τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐξήλασαν. ∆ιὸ, παρακαλῶ, τὴν φιλοσοφίαν τὴν ἐκεῖθεν καὶ ἐνταῦθα εἰσαγάγωμεν, ἵνα αἱ πόλεις γένωνται πόλεις· ταῦτα τὸν Ἕλληνα ὀρθῶσαι δύναται, ταῦτα ἀπαλλάξαι μυρίων σκανδάλων. Ὥστε, εἰ βούλει κἀκεῖνον ἐλευθερῶσαι σκανδάλου, καὶ αὐτὸς μυρίων ἀπολαῦσαι μισθῶν, τὸν βίον διόρθου τὸν σαυτοῦ, καὶ πάντοθεν ἀπολάμπειν ποίει, Ὅπως ἴδωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν, καὶ δοξάζωσι τὸν Πατέρα τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς ἀποῤῥήτου ἐκείνης καὶ μεγάλης ἀπολαυσόμεθα δόξης· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΖʹ.

Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑμᾶς στηρίξαι κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέ λιόν μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα

Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν μυστηρίου χρόνοις αἰωνίοις σεσι γημένου, φανερωθέντος δὲ νῦν διὰ Γραφῶν προφητικῶν κατ' ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ αἰωνίου Θεοῦ, εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως, εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη γνω ρισθέντος· μόνῳ σοφῷ Θεῷ, διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χρι