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For if you are deemed worthy of that light, you will both see these things and be delivered from Gehenna and the venomous worm, and the gnashing of teeth, and the painful bonds, and the distress and the affliction and the lightless darkness, and from being cut in two, and the rivers of fire, and the curse, and the places of pain, and you will go away to where pain and sorrow have fled, where there is much joy and peace and love and delight and gladness; where there is eternal life, and ineffable glory, and unspoken beauty; where there are eternal tabernacles, and the secret glory of the king, and those good things, Which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man; where the spiritual bride-chamber is, and the bridal-chambers of the heavens, and the virgins who have their bright lamps, and those who have the wedding garment; where the palaces of the Master exist, and the royal treasuries. Did you see how great the prizes are, and how many things he showed through one saying, and how he brought everything together? Thus also, by unfolding each of the subsequent sayings, we shall find great abundance and a boundless sea. Let us not then procrastinate, nor hesitate to have mercy on those in need; let us not, I beseech you; but even if we must cast everything away, even if we must be thrown into fire, even if we must brave the sword, even if we must leap upon knives, even if we must suffer anything whatsoever, let us bear all things with ease, so that we may be able to have the Holy Spirit with us. But let us also treat with much honor the one entrusted with the operation of the divine mysteries; for great is the dignity of priests. Whose sins you forgive, he says, they are forgiven. Wherefore Paul also said: Obey your leaders and submit to them, and esteem them very highly in honor. For you are anxious for your own affairs; and if you manage these well, you will have no account to give for others; but the priest, even if he manages his own life well, but does not care for yours with exactness, will go away with the wicked into Gehenna, and often, not being betrayed by his own affairs, he perishes because of yours, if he does not perfectly accomplish all that pertains to him. Knowing, therefore, the greatness of the danger, render him much good will; which Paul also hinted at, saying, that They watch over your souls, as they that must give account. Therefore, they must enjoy much care. But if you also attack them along with the others, your own affairs will not be well-disposed either. For as long as the pilot continues in good cheer, the passengers' affairs will also be in safety; but if they revile him and are hostile toward him, he is not able to toil 63.853 or watch in the same way, nor to preserve his skill, and unwillingly he will involve them in countless evils. So also the priest, if he enjoys your care, will be able to manage your affairs well; but if you surround them with despondency, having paralyzed their hands, you will make them, along with yourselves, an easy prey to the waves, even if they are very noble. Consider what Christ says about the Jews: The scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the seat of Moses; all things, therefore, that they tell you to do, do. But now it is not possible to say, The priests have sat on the seat of Moses, but, On that of Christ; for they have succeeded to his teaching. Wherefore Paul also says: We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. Do you not see in the case of secular rulers all men submitting, though they are often better in birth and life and intelligence than those who judge them? but nevertheless, on account of the one who gave the authority, they consider none of these things, but they respect the decree of the king, whoever the one who received the office may be. Then if a man ordains, is there so much fear; but when Christ ordains, do we both despise the one ordained and revile him and assail him with countless insults? and though forbidden to judge our brothers, do we sharpen our tongue against the priests? And where are these things worthy of defense, when we do not perceive the beam in our own eye, but bitterly scrutinize the speck in another's? Do you not know,

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γὰρ τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου καταξιωθῇς, καὶ ταῦτα ὄψει καὶ ἀπαλλαγήσῃ γεέννης καὶ τοῦ σκώληκος τοῦ ἰοβόλου, καὶ τῶν βρυγμῶν τῶν ὀδόντων, καὶ τῶν δεσμῶν τῶν ὀδυνηρῶν, καὶ τῆς στενοχωρίας καὶ τῆς θλίψεως καὶ τοῦ σκότους τοῦ ἀφεγγοῦς, καὶ τοῦ διχοτομηθῆναι, καὶ τῶν ποταμῶν τοῦ πυρὸς, καὶ τῆς κατάρας, καὶ τῶν τῆς ὀδύνης χωρίων, καὶ ἀπελεύσῃ ἔνθα ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη καὶ λύπη, ἔνθα πολλὴ ἡ χαρὰ καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ ἀγάπη καὶ τρυφὴ καὶ εὐφροσύνη· ἔνθα ζωὴ αἰώνιος, καὶ δόξα ἄῤῥητος, καὶ κάλλος ἄφραστον· ἔνθα αἰώνιοι σκηναὶ, καὶ ἡ δόξα τοῦ βασιλέως ἡ ἀπόῤῥητος, καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐκεῖνα, Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη· ἔνθα ὁ νυμφὼν ὁ πνευματικὸς, καὶ αἱ παστάδες τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ αἱ παρθένοι αἱ τὰς φαιδρὰς ἔχουσαι λαμπάδας, καὶ οἱ τὸ ἔνδυμα τοῦ γάμου ἔχοντες· ἔνθα τὰ παλάτια ὑπάρχει τοῦ ∆εσπότου, καὶ τὰ ταμιεῖα τὰ βασιλικά. Εἶδες ἡλίκα τὰ ἔπαθλα, καὶ ὅσα διὰ μιᾶς ῥήσεως ἐπεδείξατο, καὶ πῶς πάντα συνεφόρησεν; Οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς ῥήσεων ἑκάστην ἀναπτύξαντες, πολλὴν εὑρήσομεν τὴν περιουσίαν καὶ πέλαγος ἀχανές. Μὴ οὖν ἀναβαλλώμεθα, μηδὲ ὀκνῶμεν ἐλεεῖν τοὺς δεομένους· μὴ, παρακαλῶ· ἀλλὰ κἂν πάντα ῥῖψαι δέῃ, κἂν εἰς πῦρ ἐμβληθῆναι, κἂν ξίφους κατατολμῆσαι, κἂν κατὰ μαχαιρῶν ἅλλεσθαι, κἂν ὁτιοῦν παθεῖν, πάντα φέρωμεν εὐκόλως, ὥστε δύνασθαι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔχειν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἐγκεχειρισμένον τὴν ἐνέργειαν τῶν θείων μυστηρίων μετὰ πολλῆς θεραπεύωμεν τῆς τιμῆς· μεγάλη γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἱερέων ἀξία. Ὧν ἂν ἀφῆτε, φησὶν, ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν καὶ ὑπείκετε, καὶ ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ἡγεῖσθε αὐτοὺς ἐν τιμῇ. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ τὰ σαυτοῦ μεριμνᾷς· κἂν ταῦτα διαθῇ καλῶς, οὐδείς σοι τῶν ἄλλων ἔσται λόγος· ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς κἂν τὸν οἰκεῖον οἰκονομήσῃ βίον καλῶς, τὸν δὲ σὸν μὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐπιμελήσηται, μετὰ τῶν πονηρῶν εἰς τὴν γέενναν ἄπεισι, καὶ πολλάκις ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προδοθεὶς, ἀπὸ τῶν ὑμετέρων ἀπόλλυται, κἂν μὴ πάντα τὰ ἥκοντα εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπαρτίσῃ καλῶς. Εἰδότες οὖν τοῦ κινδύνου τὸ μέγεθος, πολλὴν ἀπονέμετε αὐτῷ εὔνοιαν· ὃ καὶ Παῦλος ᾐνίξατο λέγων, ὅτι Ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες. ∆ιὸ πολλῆς δεῖ θεραπείας ἀπολαύειν αὐτούς. Ἐὰν δὲ ἐπιβαίνητε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοῖς καὶ ὑμεῖς, οὐδὲ τὰ ὑμέτερα καλῶς διακείσεται. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἂν ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ διάγῃ ὁ κυβερνήτης, ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ἔσται καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐπιβατῶν· ἂν δὲ λοιδορουμένων ἐκείνων καὶ ἀπεχθῶς ἐχόντων πρὸς αὐτὸν, οὐ ταλαιπω 63.853 ρῆσαι οὐδὲ ἀγρυπνεῖν ὁμοίως δύναται, οὔτε τὴν τέχνην διασώζειν, καὶ ἄκων μυρίοις αὐτοὺς περιβαλεῖ κακοῖς. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς, ἂν μὲν ἀπολαύῃ τῆς παρ' ὑμῶν θεραπείας, καὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα διαθεῖναι καλῶς δυνήσεται· ἂν δὲ ἀθυμίᾳ αὐτοὺς περιβάλητε, τὰς χεῖρας ἐκλύσαντες, εὐχειρώτους μεθ' ὑμῶν αὐτοὺς ποιήσετε τοῖς κύμασι, κἂν σφόδρα γενναῖοι ὦσιν. Ἐννόησον τί περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων φησὶν ὁ Χριστός· Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· πάντα οὖν, ὅσα λέγουσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε. Νῦν δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ ἱερεῖς, ἀλλ', Ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ· τὴν γὰρ ἐκείνου διεδέξαντο διδασκαλίαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἐπὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀρχόντων ἅπαντας ὑποκύπτοντας, καὶ γένει βελτίους ὄντας πολλάκις καὶ βίῳ καὶ συνέσει τῶν δικαζόντων αὐτούς; ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τὸν δεδωκότα οὐδὲν τούτων ἐννοοῦσιν, ἀλλ' αἰδοῦνται τὴν ψῆφον τοῦ βασιλέως, κἂν ὁστισοῦν ὁ λαβὼν τὴν ἀρχὴν ᾖ. Εἶτα ἂν μὲν ἄνθρωπος χειροτονήσῃ, τοσοῦτος ὁ φόβος· τοῦ Χριστοῦ δὲ χειροτονοῦντος, καὶ ὑπερορῶμεν τὸν χειροτονούμενον καὶ λοιδορούμεθα καὶ μυρίοις ὀνείδεσι πλύνομεν; καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν κωλυθέντες κρίνειν, κατὰ τῶν ἱερέων τὴν γλῶσσαν ἀκονῶμεν; Καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα ἀπολογίας ἄξια, ὅταν τὴν μὲν ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ δοκὸν οὐ κατανοῶμεν, τὸ δὲ κάρφος τοῦ ἑτέρου πικρῶς περιεργαζώμεθα; οὐκ οἶσθα,