226

stooping downwards, to be able to open his mouth. For they were not even granted speech or a defense concerning their doctrines, but as common pests of the world, they attempted thus to beat them to death. For "these that have turned the world upside down," he says, "are come hither also;" and again, "They act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." And everywhere the courts were prejudiced by such suspicions, and much grace from above was needed to show both things, that the doctrine which they preached was true, and that they were not subverting the common laws, and that while zealous to speak about the doctrine, they should not fall under suspicion of overturning the laws, nor again, while zealous to show that they were not overturning the common government, should they corrupt the precision of their doctrines; all of which things you will see accomplished with fitting wisdom both by Peter, and by Paul, and by all the many. For as seditious men and revolutionaries and innovators they were accused throughout the whole world; but nevertheless they both repelled this suspicion and clothed themselves with the opposite, being proclaimed by all as saviors and guardians and benefactors. And they accomplished all these things through great patience. Therefore Paul also said: "I die daily"; and he continued in danger until the end. Of what, then, would we be worthy, having so many examples, and yet in peace growing soft and falling down? Indeed, with no one warring against us we are slain, with no one persecuting us we are undone; we are commanded to be saved in peace, and we are not even able to do this. And while they, with the world on fire and the pyre kindled throughout the entire earth, entering in, snatched from the midst of the flame those being burned; you are not even able to preserve yourself. What boldness then will be ours? What excuse? No scourges, no prisons, no rulers, no synagogues, nor anything else of that kind is upon us, but entirely the opposite, we rule and we prevail. For there are pious emperors, 57.395 and many honors for Christians, and presidencies and glories and reliefs; and not even so do we overcome. But they, being led away daily, both teachers and disciples, and having countless welts and continuous brands, reveled more than those who live in paradise; but we, having endured no such thing even in a dream, are softer than any wax. "But they," one says, "worked miracles." For that reason, then, were they not scourged? For that reason were they not driven out? For this is the paradox, that even from those they benefited they often suffered such things, and not even so were they troubled, receiving evil things in return for good; but you, if you do someone some small good deed, and then receive some grief, you are troubled, you are disturbed, and you repent of what has happened. 2. If then it should happen, which may it not happen, nor ever come to pass, that there should be a war of the Churches and a persecution, consider how great the ridicule will be, how great the reproaches. And very rightly; for when in the wrestling school no one trains, how in the contests will he be glorious? For what athlete, not knowing a trainer, will be able, when the Olympic games call, to display something great and noble against his antagonist? For ought we not every day to wrestle, and to box, and to run? Do you not see those who are called pentathletes, how, when they have no antagonist, they fill a sack with much sand, and hanging it up, they exercise all their strength there? And do not the younger of these practice for the battle against enemies on the bodies of their companions? You too should imitate these, and practice the wrestling holds of philosophy. For many provoke to anger, and cast one into desire, and kindle a great flame. Stand firm, therefore, against the passions, bear nobly the pains in the mind, so that you may also bear those of the body. For the blessed Job, if he had not been well trained before the contests, would not have shone so brightly in the contests; if he had not practiced to be beyond all despondency

226

κάτω κύπτοντα, δυνηθῆναι διᾶραι στόμα. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ λόγου, οὐδὲ ἀπολογίας αὐτοῖς μετεδίδοσαν τῶν δογμάτων ἕνεκεν, ἀλλ' ὡς κοινοὺς τῆς οἰκουμένης λυμεῶνας, οὕτως ἀποτυμπανίζειν ἐπεχείρουν. Οἱ γὰρ τὴν οἰκουμένην, φησὶν, ἀναστατώσαντες, οὗτοι καὶ ἐνθάδε πάρεισι· καὶ πάλιν Ἐναντία τοῖς Καίσαρος δόγμασι πρεσβεύουσι, λέγοντες εἶναι βασιλέα Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν. Καὶ πανταχοῦ τὰ δικαστήρια προκατείληπτο ταῖς τοιαύταις ὑπονοίαις, καὶ πολλῆς ἔδει τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς εἰς τὸ ἀμφότερα δεῖξαι, καὶ τὸ δόγμα ἀληθὲς ὂν, ὅπερ ἐπρέσβευον, καὶ ὅτι οὐ λυμαίνονται τοῖς κοινοῖς νόμοις, καὶ μήτε σπουδάζοντας εἰπεῖν περὶ τοῦ δόγματος, ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς ὑπόνοιαν τῆς τῶν νόμων ἀνατροπῆς, μηδ' αὖ πάλιν σπουδάζοντας δεῖξαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνατρέπουσι τὴν κοινὴν πολιτείαν, διαφθεῖραι τὴν τῶν δογμάτων ἀκρίβειαν· ἅπερ ἅπαντα ὄψει καὶ παρὰ Πέτρῳ, καὶ παρὰ Παύλῳ, καὶ παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἅπασι μετὰ τῆς πρεπούσης συνέσεως κατωρθωμένα. Καὶ γὰρ ὡς στασιασταὶ καὶ νεωτεροποιοὶ καὶ καινοτόμοι πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐνεκαλοῦντο· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ταύτην ἀπεκρούσαντο τὴν ὑπόνοιαν, καὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν ἑαυτοῖς περιέθηκαν, ὡς σωτῆρες καὶ κηδεμόνες καὶ εὐεργέται παρὰ πᾶσιν ἀνακηρυττόμενοι. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα διὰ τῆς πολλῆς κατώρθουν ὑπομονῆς. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Καθ' ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκω· καὶ μέχρι τέλους κινδυνεύων διέμενε. Τίνος οὖν ἂν εἴημεν ἄξιοι, τοσαῦτα ἔχοντες ὑποδείγματα, καὶ ἐν εἰρήνῃ μαλακιζόμενοι καὶ καταπίπτοντες; Οὐδενὸς γοῦν πολεμοῦντος σφαττόμεθα, οὐδενὸς διώκοντος ἐκλυόμεθα· ἐν εἰρήνῃ σωθῆναι κελευόμεθα, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο δυνάμεθα. Κἀκεῖνοι μὲν, τῆς οἰκουμένης καιομένης, καὶ κατὰ τὴν γῆν ἅπασαν τῆς πυρᾶς ἀναπτομένης, εἰσιόντες ἔνδοθεν, ἐκ μέσης ἥρπαζον τῆς φλογὸς τοὺς ἐμπιπραμένους· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ σαυτὸν διατηρῆσαι δύνασαι. Τίς οὖν ἡμῖν ἔσται παῤῥησία; ποία συγγνώμη; Οὐ μάστιγες, οὐ δεσμωτήρια, οὐκ ἄρχοντες, οὐ συναγωγαὶ, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων ἐπίκειται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν, ἡμεῖς ἄρχομεν καὶ κρατοῦμεν. Καὶ γὰρ βασιλεῖς εὐσεβεῖς, 57.395 καὶ τιμαὶ πολλαὶ Χριστιανοῖς, καὶ προεδρίαι καὶ δόξαι καὶ ἀνέσεις· καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω περιγινόμεθα. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἀπαγόμενοι καθ' ἡμέραν, καὶ διδάσκαλοι καὶ μαθηταὶ, καὶ μυρίους μώλωπας ἔχοντες καὶ συνεχῆ στίγματα, τῶν ἐν παραδείσῳ διαγόντων μᾶλλον ἐτρύφων· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ ὄναρ τοιοῦτόν τι ὑπομείναντες, κηροῦ παντός ἐσμεν μαλακώτεροι. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι, φησὶν, ἐθαυματούργουν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν οὐκ ἐμαστιγοῦντο; διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἠλαύνοντο; Καὶ γὰρ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ παράδοξον, ὅτι καὶ παρὰ τῶν εὐεργετουμένων πολλάκις τοιαῦτα ἔπασχον, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐθορυβοῦντο, κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαμβάνοντες· σὺ δὲ, ἄν τινα εὐεργετήσῃς μικράν τινα εὐεργεσίαν, εἶτα λυπηροῦ τινος ἀπολαύσῃς, θορυβῇ, ταράττῃ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ γεγενημένῳ μετανοεῖς. ʹ. Εἰ τοίνυν γένοιτο, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο, μηδὲ συμβαίη ποτὲ, γενέσθαι πόλεμον Ἐκκλησιῶν καὶ διωγμὸν, ἐννόησον πόσος ἔσται ὁ γέλως, πόσα τὰ ὀνείδη. Καὶ μάλα εἰκότως· ὅταν γὰρ ἐν τῇ παλαίστρᾳ μηδεὶς γυμνάζηται, πῶς ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ἔσται λαμπρός; Ποῖος γὰρ ἀθλητὴς, παιδοτρίβην οὐκ εἰδὼς, δυνήσεται, καλούντων τῶν Ὀλυμπιακῶν ἀγώνων, μέγα τι καὶ γενναῖον ἐπιδείξασθαι πρὸς τὸν ἀνταγωνιστήν; Οὐ γὰρ ἐχρῆν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν παλαίειν ἡμᾶς, καὶ πυκτεύειν, καὶ τρέχειν; Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε τοὺς λεγομένους πεντάθλους, ἐπειδὰν μηδένα ἔχωσι τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν, πῶς θύλακον ἄμμου γεμίσαντες πολλῆς, καὶ κρεμάσαντες, ἐκεῖ τὴν ἰσχὺν γυμνάζουσιν ἅπασαν; οἱ δὲ τούτων νεώτεροι ἐν τοῖς τῶν ἑταίρων σώμασι μελετῶσι τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς μάχην; Τούτους καὶ σὺ ζήλωσον, καὶ μελέτα τῆς φιλοσοφίας τὰ παλαίσματα. Καὶ γὰρ εἰς θυμὸν πολλοὶ παροξύνουσι, καὶ εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν ἐμβάλλουσι, καὶ πολλὴν ἀνάπτουσι φλόγα. Στῆθι τοίνυν κατὰ τῶν παθῶν, φέρε γενναίως τὰς κατὰ διάνοιαν ὀδύνας, ἵνα καὶ τὰς τοῦ σώματος ἐνέγκῃς. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ, εἰ μὴ καλῶς ἦν γυμνασάμενος πρὸ τῶν ἀγώνων, οὐκ ἂν οὕτω λαμπρῶς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγώνων ἔλαμψεν· εἰ μὴ μεμελετήκει πάσης ἐκτὸς ἀθυμίας