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led by eagerness he might disregard what is being said. For this very reason, suppressing his madness, He first calms the waves of that violent rage by means of the blinding, and then He speaks with him, showing the unapproachableness of His wisdom, and the superiority of His knowledge; and so that he might learn against whom he fights, whom he is unable to bear not only when punishing, but even when benefiting. For darkness did not blind him, but an excess of light darkened him; and yet He raised him so high, that the demons feared his garments. But I do not wonder at this, just as I do not that diseases fled from the shadow of Peter. But this is the wonderful thing, that even before grace he was seen to do great things from the very starting line and the very beginnings. For having neither so great a power, nor having received ordination, he was so inflamed with zeal for Christ, as to stir up the entire populace of the Jews against himself; and seeing himself to be in such great dangers, that even the city was besieged, he was let down through the wall in a window; and having escaped he did not thus fall into sloth, nor into cowardice and fear, but received greater eagerness, yielding to the dangers for the sake of dispensation, but yielding his teaching to no one, but seizing the cross again he followed; although he still had before his feet the example of what happened to Stephen, and seeing the Jews breathing murder against him above all, and desiring to taste of his flesh. How then did he neither fall into dangers recklessly, nor become softer again when fleeing? He was exceedingly fond of the present life because of the gain from it; and he exceedingly despised it because of the philosophy that came to him through this contempt, or because he was eager to depart to Jesus. For what I always say about him, and will never cease to say, no one having fallen into such contrary things, practiced both with precision; no one, at least, so desired the present life, not even those who are exceedingly fond of life; no one so despised it, not even those who die with abandon; so pure was he from all desire, and he was not affected by any present things, but everywhere mingled his own desire with the will of God. 63.841 And at one time he says that it is more necessary even than fellowship and communion with Christ, and at another time so heavy and burdensome, as both to groan and to hasten toward his departure. For he desired only those things that brought him gain according to God, even if these happened to be contrary to the former things. For he was a certain varied and versatile man, not acting a part, God forbid, but becoming all things, which the need of the proclamation and the salvation of men required, and in this imitating his own Master. For God also appeared as a man, when it was necessary for this to appear, and of old in fire, when the time required this, and at one time in the form of a hoplite and a soldier, at another in the image of an old man, at another in a gentle breeze, at another as a traveler, at another as a mere man, and He did not even refuse to die thus. But when I say, "It was necessary for this," let no one think there is a necessity in the words, but only of His love for mankind. And sometimes He sits on a throne, and sometimes upon the Cherubim. And all these things He did for the sake of the underlying dispensations; wherefore also He said through the prophet: I have multiplied visions, and I have used similitudes by the ministry of the prophets. So also Paul, imitating his own Master, would not be condemned, at one time becoming a Jew, at another as without law; and at one time he kept the law, at another he disregarded the law; and sometimes he held on to the present life, and sometimes he despised it; and at one time he asked for money, at another he refused it even when given, and he sacrificed and shaved himself, and again he anathematized those who did so; and at one time he circumcised, at another he cast out circumcision. And the things that were done were contrary, but the judgment and the mind from which these things were done, was exceedingly consistent and connected with itself; for it sought one thing, the salvation of those hearing and seeing these things. For this very reason at one time he exalts the law, at another he pulls it down. For not only in those things which

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προθυμίας ἀγόμενος παρακούσῃ τῶν λεγομένων. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καταστέλλων αὐτοῦ τὴν μανίαν, πρῶτον κατευνάζει τὰ κύματα τῆς ῥαγδαίας ὀργῆς ἐκείνης διὰ τῆς πηρώσεως, καὶ τότε αὐτῷ διαλέγεται, δεικνὺς τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀπρόσιτον, καὶ τὸ τῆς γνώσεως ὑπερέχον· καὶ ἵνα μάθῃ τίνα πολεμεῖ, ὃν οὐ μόνον κολάζοντα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ εὐεργετοῦντα δύναται ἐνεγκεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ σκότος αὐτὸν ἐπήρωσεν, ἀλλ' ὑπερβολὴ φωτὸς αὐτὸν ἐσκότισε· καὶ ὅμως τοσοῦτον ἦρεν, ὥστε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ δεδοικέναι τοὺς δαίμονας. Ἀλλ' οὐ θαυμάζω τοῦτο, ὥσπερ οὐδ' ὅτι τὴν σκιὰν Πέτρου τὰ νοσήματα ἔφυγε. Τὸ δὲ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῆς χάριτος μεγάλα ἀπὸ βαλβῖδος αὐτῆς καὶ προοιμίων αὐτῶν ἐφάνη ποιῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δύναμιν τοσαύτην ἔχων, οὐδὲ χειροτονίαν δεξάμενος, οὕτω τῷ πρὸς Χριστὸν ἐξήφθη ζήλῳ, ὡς πάντα τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸν δῆμον διεγεῖραι καθ' ἑαυτοῦ· καὶ ἰδὼν ἑαυτὸν ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντα κινδύνοις, ὡς καὶ τὴν πόλιν πολιορκεῖσθαι, διὰ θυρίδος ἐχαλάσθη διὰ τοῦ τείχους· καὶ διαφυγὼν οὐδὲ οὕτως εἰς ὄκνον ἐνέπεσεν, οὐδὲ εἰς δειλίαν καὶ φόβον, ἀλλὰ πλείονα προθυμίαν ἐδέχετο, παραχωρῶν μὲν τοῖς κινδύνοις δι' οἰκονομίαν, οὐ παραχωρῶν δὲ τῆς διδασκαλίας οὐδενὶ, ἀλλὰ τὸν σταυρὸν πάλιν ἁρπάσας ἠκολούθει· καίτοι γε παρὰ πόδας ἔχων ἔτι τὸ παράδειγμα τὸ κατὰ τὸν Στέφανον, καὶ ὁρῶν κατ' αὐτοῦ μάλιστα πάντων φόνου πνέοντας Ἰουδαίους, καὶ αὐτῶν ἐπιθυμοῦντας αὐτοῦ τῶν σαρκῶν ἀπογεύσασθαι. Πόθεν οὖν οὔτε ἀφειδῶς ἐνέπιπτε τοῖς κινδύνοις, οὐδὲ διαφεύγων μαλακώτερος ἐγίνετο πάλιν; Σφόδρα τῆς παρούσης ἤρα ζωῆς διὰ τὸ κέρδος τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς· καὶ σφόδρα αὐτῆς ὑπερεώρα διὰ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑπεροψίας γινομένην αὐτῷ, ἢ διὰ τὸ ἐπείγεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπελθεῖν. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἀεὶ λέγω περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐδέποτε παύσομαι λέγων, οὐδεὶς οὕτως εἰς ἐναντία πράγματα ἐμπεσὼν, ἑκάτερα πρὸς ἀκρίβειαν ἤσκησεν· οὐδεὶς γοῦν οὕτω τῆς παρούσης ἐπεθύμησε ζωῆς, οὐδὲ τῶν σφόδρα φιλοψυχούντων· οὐδεὶς οὕτως αὐτὴν ὑπερεῖδεν οὐδὲ τῶν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς θανατώντων· οὕτω πάσης ἐπιθυμίας καθαρὸς ἦν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ οὐδενὶ προσέπασχε τῶν παρόντων, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ τῇ βουλῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐκίρνα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. 63.841 Καὶ νῦν μὲν αὐτὴν καὶ τῆς μετὰ Χριστοῦ συνουσίας καὶ ὁμιλίας ἀναγκαιοτέραν εἶναί φησι, νῦν δὲ οὕτω βαρεῖαν καὶ ἐπαχθῆ, ὡς καὶ στενάζειν καὶ ἐπείγεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἀνάλυσιν. Ἐκείνων γὰρ ἐπεθύμει μόνον τῶν κατὰ Θεὸν κέρδος αὐτῷ φερόντων, εἰ καὶ ἐναντία ταῦτα εἶναι συνέβαινε τοῖς προτέροις. Καὶ γὰρ ποικίλος τις ἦν καὶ παντοδαπὸς, οὐχ ὑποκρινόμενος, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλὰ πάντα γινόμενος, ἅπερ ἡ τοῦ κηρύγματος καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπῄτει χρεία, κἀν τούτῳ τὸν ∆εσπότην μιμούμενος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐφαίνετο, ὅτε ἔδει φανῆναι τοῦτο, καὶ ἐν πυρὶ πάλαι, ὅτε ὁ καιρὸς τοῦτο ἀπῄτει, καὶ νῦν μὲν ἐν ὁπλίτου σχήματι καὶ στρατιώτου, νῦν δὲ ἐν εἰκόνι πρεσβύτου, νῦν δὲ ἐν αὔρᾳ λεπτῇ, νῦν δὲ ὡς ὁδοιπόρος, νῦν δὲ αὐτοάνθρωπος, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀποθανεῖν οὕτω παρῃτήσατο. Τὸ δὲ, Ἔδει τοῦτο, ὅταν εἴπω, μηδεὶς ἀνάγκην εἶναι νομιζέτω τῶν λόγων, ἀλλὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίας μόνον. Καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἐν θρόνῳ, ποτὲ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ κάθηται. Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα πρὸς τὰς ὑποκειμένας οἰκονομίας ἔπραττε· διὸ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα, καὶ ἐν χερσὶ προφητῶν ὡμοιώθην. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μιμούμενος ∆εσπότην, οὐκ ἂν κατεγνώσθη, νῦν μὲν Ἰουδαῖος γενόμενος, νῦν δὲ ὡς ἄνομος· καὶ νῦν μὲν νόμον ἐφύλαττε, νῦν δὲ ὑπερεώρα νόμου· καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἀντείχετο τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, ποτὲ δὲ αὐτῆς κατεφρόνει· καὶ νῦν μὲν ᾔτει χρήματα, νῦν δὲ καὶ διδόμενα διεκρούετο, καὶ ἔθυε καὶ ἐξυρᾶτο, καὶ πάλιν ἀνεθεμάτιζε τοὺς ποιοῦντας· καὶ νῦν μὲν περιέτεμε, νῦν δὲ περιτομὴν ἐξέβαλε. Καὶ τὰ μὲν γινόμενα ἐναντία ἦν, ἡ δὲ γνώμη καὶ ἡ διάνοια, ἀφ' ἧς ταῦτα ἐγίνετο, σφόδρα ἀκόλουθος καὶ ἑαυτῇ συνημμένη· ἓν γὰρ ἐζήτει, τῶν ταῦτα ἀκουόντων καὶ ὁρώντων τὴν σωτηρίαν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο νῦν μὲν ἐπαίρει νόμον, νῦν δὲ αὐτὸν καθαιρεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον ἐν οἷς