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you will be brought before kings, he added, for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. And this is no small consolation, both to suffer these things for Christ's sake, and for their conviction. For God, even if no one pays attention, is seen everywhere 57.392 doing His own work. And these things consoled them, not because they desired the punishment of others, but so that they might have courage, that they would have Him with them everywhere, who both foretold and foresaw these things, and that they would not suffer these things as wicked men and destroyers. And after these things He adds to them another, no small consolation, saying: But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you. For so that they might not say, How shall we be able to persuade, when such things are happening? He bids them be of good courage concerning their defense also. And elsewhere He says, I will give you a mouth and wisdom; but here, It is the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you, raising them to the dignity of the prophets. For this reason, when He had spoken of the power that was given, then He also added the terrible things, the murders and the slaughters. For brother shall deliver up brother, He says, to death, and the father the child, and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And He did not stop here either, but also added what was much more dreadful, and capable of shaking a rock, that And you shall be hated of all men. And here again the consolation is at the doors; For for my name's sake, He says, you will suffer these things. And after this again another: But he that endures to the end, the same shall be saved. And these things were otherwise sufficient to set up their spirits, if indeed so great a power of the preaching was about to be kindled, that nature should be dishonored, and kindred cast out, and the word be preferred to all things, driving all things with might. For if the tyranny of nature has not the strength to stand against what is said, but is dissolved and trodden under foot, what else will be able to overcome you? However, since these things will be, your life will not be in security, but you will also have as common foes and enemies those who inhabit the world. 4. Where now is Plato? where Pythagoras? where the string of Stoics? For even he, having enjoyed much honor, was so refuted as to even be sold, and to accomplish none of the things he wished, not even with one tyrant; but also having betrayed his disciples, he ended his life wretchedly. And the Cynic filth, like a dream and a shadow, all passed away. And yet nothing of this sort ever befell them, but they even seemed to be illustrious on account of their worldly philosophy, and the Athenians publicly set up the letters of Plato sent by Dion, and they spent all their time at ease, and were rich in no small amount of money. Thus at least Aristippus used to buy expensive harlots; and another wrote wills, leaving no ordinary inheritance; and another, when his disciples had made a bridge of themselves, walked over them; and they say the man of Sinope even behaved indecently in public in the marketplace. For these are their venerable deeds. But there is nothing of the sort here, but intense sober-mindedness and perfected propriety, and war against the whole world for the sake of truth and pi 57.393 ety, and being slaughtered every day, and after these things, the glorious trophies. But there are some, one says, also generals among them, such as Themistocles, Pericles. But even these things are child's play compared to the things of the fishermen. For what could you say? That he persuaded the Athenians to board the ships, when Xerxes was marching against Greece? But here, it was not Xerxes marching, but the devil with the whole world and with countless demons attacking these twelve, not at one time, but throughout their whole life, they overcame and conquered; and the wonderful thing is, not by destroying their adversaries, but by changing and reforming them. For this is what one must especially observe everywhere, that they did not kill, nor destroy those who plotted against them,

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βασιλεῖς ἀχθήσεσθε, ἐπήγαγεν, ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ, εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Οὐ μικρὰ δὲ αὕτη παράκλησις, τὸ καὶ διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ταῦτα πάσχειν, καὶ εἰς ἔλεγχον ἐκείνων. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς, κἂν μηδεὶς προσέχῃ, τὰ αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ φαίνεται 57.392 ποιῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοὺς παρεκάλει, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τῆς ἑτέρων ἐπεθύμουν τιμωρίας, ἀλλ' ἵνα θαῤῥεῖν ἔχωσιν, ὅτι πανταχοῦ αὐτὸν ἕξουσι συμπαρόντα, τὸν καὶ προειπόντα καὶ προειδότα ταῦτα, καὶ ὅτι οὐχ ὡς πονηροὶ καὶ λυμεῶνες ταῦτα πείσονται. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων οὐ μικρὰν καὶ ἑτέραν προστίθησιν αὐτοῖς παράκλησιν, λέγων· Ὅταν δὲ παραδώσουσιν ὑμᾶς, μὴ μεριμνήσητε πῶς ἢ τί λαλήσετε· δοθήσεται γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ τί λαλήσετε. Οὐ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ λαλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγωσι, Πῶς πεῖσαι δυνησόμεθα, τοιούτων γινομένων πραγμάτων; καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀπολογίας κελεύει θαῤῥεῖν. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ μέν φησιν· Ἐγὼ δώσω ὑμῖν στόμα καὶ σοφίαν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν ἐστι τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν, εἰς τὸ τῶν προφητῶν αὐτοὺς ἀνάγων ἀξίωμα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὅτε εἶπε τὴν δύναμιν τὴν δεδομένην, τότε καὶ τὰ δεινὰ ἐπήγαγε, τοὺς φόνους καὶ τὰς σφαγάς. Παραδώσει γὰρ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν, φησὶν, εἰς θάνατον, καὶ πατὴρ τέκνον, καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς, καὶ θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα ἔστη, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ πολὺ φρικωδέστερον προσέθηκε, καὶ πέτραν ἱκανὸν διασαλεῦσαι, ὅτι Καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι ὑπὸ πάντων. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα πάλιν ἐπὶ θύραις ἡ παράκλησις· ∆ιὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου γὰρ, φησὶ, ταῦτα πείσεσθε. Καὶ μετὰ τούτου πάλιν ἕτερον· Ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ἱκανὰ ἦν ἀνορθῶσαι αὐτῶν τὰ φρονήματα, εἴγε τοσαύτη τοῦ κηρύγματος ἔμελλεν ἀνάπτεσθαι δύναμις, ὡς φύσιν ἀτιμάζεσθαι, καὶ συγγένειαν ἐκβάλλεσθαι, καὶ προτιμᾶσθαι πάντων τὸν λόγον, κατὰ κράτος πάντα ἐλαύνοντα. Εἰ γὰρ φύσεως τυραννὶς οὐκ ἰσχύει πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα ἀντιστῆναι, ἀλλὰ διαλύεται καὶ καταπατεῖται, τί ἕτερον ὑμῶν περιγενέσθαι δυνήσεται; Οὐ μὴν, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἔσται, ἐν ἀδείᾳ ὑμῶν ἔσται ὁ βίος, ἀλλὰ καὶ κοινοὺς ἕξετε πολεμίους καὶ ἐχθροὺς τοὺς τὴν οἰκουμένην οἰκοῦντας. δʹ. Ποῦ νῦν Πλάτων; ποῦ Πυθαγόρας; ποῦ τῶν Στωϊκῶν ὁ ὁρμαθός; Καὶ γὰρ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσας ἐκεῖνος τιμῆς, οὕτως ἠλέγχετο, ὡς καὶ ἀπεμποληθῆναι, καὶ μηδὲν ὧν ἐβούλετο κατορθῶσαι, οὐδὲ ἐφ' ἑνὸς τυράννου· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς προδοὺς, ἐλεεινῶς τὸν βίον κατέλυσε. Καὶ τὰ Κυνικὰ καθάρματα ὥσπερ ὄναρ καὶ σκιὰ πάντες παρῆλθον. Καίτοιγε οὐδέποτε τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν ἐκείνοις συνέπεσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπροὶ διὰ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν τὴν ἔξωθεν εἶναι ἐδόκουν, καὶ τὰς ἐπιστολὰς ἀνέθεσαν δημοσίᾳ Ἀθηναῖοι τὰς Πλάτωνος παρὰ ∆ίωνος πεμφθείσας, καὶ ἐν ἀνέσει τὸν πάντα διῆγον χρόνον, καὶ χρήμασιν ἐπλούτουν οὐκ ὀλίγοις. Οὕτω γοῦν ὁ μὲν Ἀρίστιππος πόρνας ἠγόραζε πολυτελεῖς· ὁ δὲ διαθήκας ἔγραφεν, οὐ τὸν τυχόντα κλῆρον καταλιμπάνων· ὁ δὲ, τῶν μαθητῶν γεφυρωσάντων ἑαυτοὺς, ἄνωθεν ἐβάδιζε· τὸν δὲ Σινωπέα φασὶ καὶ δημοσίᾳ ἀσχημονεῖν ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς. Ταῦτα γὰρ αὐτῶν τὰ σεμνά. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλ' ἐπιτεταμένη σωφροσύνη καὶ κοσμιότης ἠκριβωμένη, καὶ πόλεμος πρὸς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τῆς εὐσε 57.393 βείας, καὶ τὸ καθ' ἑκάστην σφάττεσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα τὰ λαμπρὰ τρόπαια. Ἀλλ' εἰσί τινες, φησὶ, καὶ στρατηγικοὶ παρ' αὐτοῖς, οἷον ὁ Θεμιστοκλῆς, ὁ Περικλῆς. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα παίδων ἀθύρματα πρὸς τὰ τῶν ἁλιέων. Τί γὰρ ἂν ἔχοις εἰπεῖν; Ὅτι τοὺς Ἀθηναίους ἔπεισεν ἐπιβῆναι τῶν πλοίων, τοῦ Ξέρξου κατὰ τῆς Ἑλλάδος ἐλαύνοντος; Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐ Ξέρξου ἐλαύνοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ διαβόλου μετὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης καὶ τῶν ἀπείρων δαιμόνων κατὰ τῶν δώδεκα τούτων ἐπιόντων, οὐκ ἐν ἑνὶ καιρῷ, ἀλλὰ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου, περιεγένοντο καὶ ἐκράτησαν· καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, οὐκ ἀνελόντες τοὺς ἐναντίους, ἀλλὰ μεταβαλόντες καὶ μεταῤῥυθμίσαντες. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα δεῖ πανταχοῦ παρατηρεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνεῖλον, οὐδὲ ἠφάνισαν τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας αὐτοῖς,