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imitating gentleness? And yet for many, not only a table, but even being of one city has sufficed for friendship; but we, when we have both the same city, and the same house, and table, and way, and door, and root, and life, and head, and the same shepherd, and king, and teacher, and judge, and creator, and father, and all things are common to us, of what pardon would we be worthy, being divided from one another? But you seek for the signs, which they performed when they entered, the lepers being cleansed, and the demons being driven out, and the dead being raised? But this too is the greatest proof of your nobility, and of love, to believe in God without pledges. For both for this reason and for another God has caused the signs to cease. For if, when signs do not happen, those who pride themselves on other advantages, such as either in word of wisdom, or in a display of piety, become vainglorious, are puffed up, are rent from one another; if signs also were to happen, where would schisms not have occurred? And that what has been said is not a conjecture, the Corinthians bear witness, having been divided from this cause into many parts. Do not, therefore, seek signs, but health of soul. Do not seek to see one dead man being raised 57.387; for you have learned that the whole world is raised. Do not seek to see a blind man healed, but see all now looking up with the better and more useful sight; and learn you also to see soberly, and correct your eye. For if we all lived as we ought, the children of the Greeks would have marveled at us more than at those who work wonders. For signs often have the suspicion of being illusions, and another evil suspicion, even if ours are not such; but a pure life cannot admit any such malicious charge; but the possession of virtue stops the mouths of all. 8. Let us then take care of this; for its wealth is great, and the wonder is great. This provides true freedom, and makes it to be seen in slavery, not by delivering from slavery, but by showing that those who remain slaves are more venerable than the free, which is much more than giving freedom; not making the poor man rich, but showing that while remaining poor he is more resourceful than the rich. But if you also wish to perform signs, rid yourself of transgressions, and you have accomplished the whole thing. For sin is a great demon, beloved; and if you cast this out, you will have done a greater work than those who drive out ten thousand demons. Hear Paul saying, and preferring virtue to miracles; But desire earnestly, he says, the better gifts: and yet I show you a more excellent way; and when about to speak of this way, he did not speak of the raising of the dead, nor the cleansing of lepers, nor anything else of that kind; but in place of all these things he has put love. Hear also Christ saying: Rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but 57.388 that your names are written in heaven. And before this again: Many will say to me in that day: Have we not prophesied in your name, and cast out demons, and done many mighty works? and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. And when he was about to be crucified, having called his disciples he said to them: By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, not if you cast out demons, but if you have love one for another. And again: By this shall all men know that you have sent me, not if these raise the dead, but if they be one. For signs have often benefited another, but harmed the one who has them, lifting him into arrogance and vainglory, or in some other way; but in the case of works, there is no room to suspect any such thing, but it benefits both those who pursue them, and many others. Let us therefore work these things out with much care. For if you change from inhumanity to mercy, you have stretched out a withered hand. If you turn away from the theaters and go to the church, you have straightened a lame foot. If you turn away your eyes from a prostitute and the beauty of another, you have opened them when they were blind. If instead of satanic songs you learn psalms

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μιμούμενοι ἡμερότητα; Καίτοιγε πολλοῖς οὐχὶ τράπεζα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πόλεως εἶναι μιᾶς ἤρκεσεν εἰς φιλίαν· ἡμεῖς δὲ, ὅταν καὶ πόλιν τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχωμεν, καὶ οἰκίαν τὴν αὐτὴν, καὶ τράπεζαν, καὶ ὁδὸν, καὶ θύραν, καὶ ῥίζαν, καὶ ζωὴν, καὶ κεφαλὴν, καὶ ποιμένα τὸν αὐτὸν, καὶ βασιλέα, καὶ διδάσκαλον, καὶ κριτὴν, καὶ δημιουργὸν, καὶ πατέρα, καὶ πάντα ἡμῖν ᾖ κοινὰ, τίνος ἂν εἴημεν συγγνώμης ἄξιοι, ἀπ' ἀλλήλων διαιρούμενοι; Ἀλλὰ τὰ σημεῖα ἐπιζητεῖτε, ἅπερ εἰσιόντες ἐποίουν ἐκεῖνοι, τοὺς λεπροὺς τοὺς καθαιρομένους, καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας τοὺς ἐλαυνομένους, καὶ τοὺς ἐγειρομένους νεκρούς; Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦτο τῆς εὐγενείας ὑμῶν μέγιστον δεῖγμα, καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης, τὸ μὴ μετ' ἐνεχύρων πιστεύειν τῷ Θεῷ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δι' ἕτερον τὰ σημεῖα ἔπαυσεν ὁ Θεός. Εἰ γὰρ, οὐ γινομένων σημείων, οἱ πλεονεκτήμασιν ἑτέροις κομῶντες, οἷον ἢ λόγῳ σοφίας, ἢ εὐλαβείας ἐπιδείξει, κενοδοξοῦσιν, ἐπαίρονται, ἀπ' ἀλλήλων σχίζονται· εἰ καὶ σημεῖα ἐγένοντο, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν ἐγένετο ῥήγματα; Καὶ ὅτι οὐ στοχασμὸς τὸ εἰρημένον, μαρτυροῦσι Κορίνθιοι εἰς πολλὰ ἐντεῦθεν διαιρεθέντες μέρη. Μὴ δὴ σημεῖα ζήτει, ἀλλὰ ψυχῆς ὑγείαν. Μὴ ζήτει νεκρὸν ἕνα ἰδεῖν ἐγειρό 57.387 μενον· καὶ γὰρ ἔμαθες ὅτι ὁλόκληρος ἡ οἰκουμένη ἀνίσταται. Μὴ ζήτει τυφλὸν ἰδεῖν θεραπευόμενον, ἀλλ' ὅρα πάντας ἀναβλέποντας νῦν τὴν βελτίω καὶ χρησιμωτέραν ἀνάβλεψιν· καὶ μάθε καὶ σὺ σωφρόνως ὁρᾷν, καὶ διόρθωσαί σου τὸν ὀφθαλμόν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ πάντες ὡς ἐχρῆν ἐζῶμεν, μᾶλλον ἂν τῶν θαυματουργούντων ἐθαύμασαν ἡμᾶς Ἑλλήνων παῖδες. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ σημεῖα καὶ φαντασίας ὑπόνοιαν ἔχει πολλάκις, καὶ ἑτέραν πονηρὰν ὑποψίαν, εἰ καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα οὐ τοιαῦτα· βίος δὲ καθαρὸς οὐδεμίαν τοιαύτην ἐπήρειαν δέξασθαι δύναται· ἀλλὰ πάντων ἐμφράττει τὰ στόματα τῆς ἀρετῆς ἡ κτῆσις. ηʹ. Ταύτης τοίνυν ἐπιμελώμεθα· πολὺς γὰρ αὐτῆς ὁ πλοῦτος, καὶ τὸ θαῦμα μέγα. Αὕτη τὴν ὄντως ἐλευθερίαν παρέχει, καὶ ἐν τῇ δουλείᾳ ταύτην θεωρεῖσθαι παρασκευάζει, οὐκ ἀπαλλάττουσα τῆς δουλείας, ἀλλὰ δούλους μένοντας ἐλευθέρων ἀποφαίνουσα σεμνοτέρους, ὃ τοῦ δοῦναι ἐλευθερίαν πολλῷ πλέον ἐστίν· οὐ ποιοῦσα πλούσιον τὸν πένητα, ἀλλὰ μένοντα πένητα τοῦ πλουσίου εὐπορώτερον ἀποφαίνουσα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ σημεῖα βούλει ποιεῖν, ἀπαλλάγηθι πλημμελημάτων, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἤνυσας. Καὶ γὰρ μέγας δαίμων ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἀγαπητέ· κἂν ταύτην ἐξέλῃς, τῶν μυρίους δαίμονας ἐλαυνόντων μεῖζον εἰργάσω. Ἄκουσον Παύλου λέγοντος, καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν τῶν θαυμάτων προτιθέντος· Ζηλοῦτε δὲ, φησὶ, τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ κρείττονα· καὶ ἔτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι· καὶ μέλλων λέγειν τὴν ὁδὸν ταύτην, οὐ νεκρῶν εἶπεν ἔγερσιν, οὐ κάθαρσιν λεπρῶν, οὐκ ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν· ἀλλ' ἀντὶ πάντων τούτων τὴν ἀγάπην τέθεικεν. Ἄκουσον καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Μὴ χαίρετε, ὅτι τὰ δαιμόνια ὑμῖν ὑπακούει, ἀλλ' 57.388 ὅτι τὰ ὀνόματα ὑμῶν γέγραπται ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Καὶ πρὸ τούτου πάλιν· Ἐροῦσί μοι πολλοὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ· Οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι προεφητεύσαμεν, καὶ δαιμόνια ἐξεβάλομεν, καὶ δυνάμεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαμεν; καὶ τότε ὁμολογήσω αὐτοῖς, ὅτι Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Καὶ ὅτε ἔμελλε σταυροῦσθαι, καλέσας τοὺς μαθητὰς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὅτι μαθηταί μού ἐστε, οὐκ ἐὰν δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλητε, ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἀγάπην ἔχητε ἐν ἀλλήλοις. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας, οὐχὶ ἐὰν νεκροὺς ἐγείρωσιν οὗτοι, ἀλλ' ἐὰν ὦσιν ἕν. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ σημεῖα πολλάκις ἕτερον μὲν ὠφέλησε, τὸν δὲ ἔχοντα παρέβλαψεν, εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἐπάραντα καὶ κενοδοξίαν, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρῳ τινὶ τρόπῳ· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἔργων οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ὑποπτεῦσαι ἔνι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς μετιόντας αὐτὰ, καὶ ἑτέρους πολλοὺς ὠφελεῖ. Ταῦτα τοίνυν μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιμελείας ἐργασώμεθα. Ἂν γὰρ ἐξ ἀπανθρωπίας εἰς ἐλεημοσύνην μεταβάλῃς, ξηρὰν τὴν χεῖρα οὖσαν ἐξέτεινας. Ἂν θεάτρων ἀποστὰς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἴῃς, χωλεύοντα τὸν πόδα διώρθωσας. Ἂν ἀποστήσῃς τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἀπὸ πόρνης καὶ κάλλους ἀλλοτρίου, τυφλοὺς ὄντας ἀνέῳξας. Ἐὰν ἀντὶ σατανικῶν ᾠδῶν μάθῃς ψαλμοὺς