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suspicions. For on what account are you grieved? That they call you sorcerers and deceivers? But wait a little while, and all will call you saviors and benefactors of the world. For time reveals all things that have been hidden, and will refute their slander, and will make your virtue manifest. For when by your deeds you appear as saviors and benefactors, and demonstrating every virtue, people will not pay attention to their words, but to the truth of the deeds; and they will be slanderers and liars and evil-speakers, but you will appear brighter than the sun, as the long passage of time uncovers and proclaims you, and sends forth a voice clearer than a trumpet, and makes all men witnesses of your virtue. Therefore, do not let what is now said humble you, but let the hope of future good things raise you up. For it is impossible for the things concerning you to be hidden. 2. Then, since He had delivered them from all struggle and fears and anxiety, and had made them superior to reproaches, then at last He fittingly discusses with them also about boldness in their preaching. For what I say to you, He says, in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you have heard in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. And yet it was not dark when He said these things, nor did He speak to them into the ear. But He uses the expression with hyperbole. For since He spoke to them alone, and in a small corner of Palestine, for this reason He said, In the darkness, and, Into the ear, with respect to the future boldness which He was about to give them, contrasting that 57.400 manner of discourse. For not to one or two or three cities, but to the whole world you will preach, He says, traversing land and sea, and inhabited and uninhabited places; and to tyrants and peoples, and philosophers and orators, with uncovered head and with all boldness saying all things. For this reason He said, On the housetops, and, In the light, without any reservation, and with all freedom. And why did He not say, Proclaim on the housetops, and, Speak in the light, only, but also added, What I say to you in the darkness, and, What you hear in the ear? Raising up their spirits. Just as then when He said, He who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also, and greater works than these he will do; so also here, showing that He will accomplish everything through them, and more than through Himself, He has laid this down. For I have given the beginning, He says, and the preludes; but the greater part I wish to accomplish through you. And this is not only of one commanding, but also of one announcing beforehand what is to come, and encouraging them by what is said, and showing that they will prevail over all, and gently undermining again the anguish about slander. For just as this preaching, being hidden for a time, will traverse all things, so also the evil opinion of the Jews will quickly perish. Then, since He had lifted them up and exalted them, He foretells again also the dangers, giving wings to their mind, and making them higher than all things. For what does He say? Fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Do you see how He has set them above all things, not only care and slander, nor dangers and plots, but also persuading them to despise death itself, which seems to be the most fearful of all things, and not just death, but a violent one? And He did not say that, You will be killed, but with the majesty fitting to Him He revealed this, saying, Fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell; which He always does, turning the argument to the contrary. For what? Are you afraid of death, He says, and for this reason do you hesitate to preach? For this very reason then preach, since you are afraid of death. For this will deliver you from the true death. For even if they are going to kill you, they will not prevail over the better part, even if they strive ten thousand times. For this reason He did not say, Them that do not kill the soul, but, Are not able to kill. For even if they wish, they will not prevail. So that if

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ὑποψίας. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν ἀλγεῖτε; ὅτι γόητας ὑμᾶς καλοῦσι καὶ πλάνους; Ἀλλ' ἀναμείνατε μικρὸν καὶ σωτῆρας ὑμᾶς καὶ εὐεργέτας τῆς οἰκουμένης προσεροῦσιν ἅπαντες. Καὶ γὰρ ἀποκαλύπτει ἅπαντα ὁ χρόνος τὰ συνεσκιασμένα, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων συκοφαντίαν ἐλέγξει, καὶ δήλην ποιήσει τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀρετήν. Ὅταν γὰρ διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων φαίνησθε σωτῆρες καὶ εὐεργέται, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀρετὴν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, οὐ τοῖς ἐκείνων προσέξουσι λόγοις οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν πραγμάτων ἀληθείᾳ· καὶ οἱ μὲν συκοφάνται καὶ ψεῦσται καὶ κακηγόροι, ὑμεῖς δὲ τοῦ ἡλίου φανεῖσθε λαμπρότεροι, τοῦ μακροῦ χρόνου ἐκκαλύπτοντος ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀνακηρύττοντος, καὶ σάλπιγγος λαμπροτέραν φωνὴν ἀφιέντος, καὶ μάρτυρας ἅπαντας τῆς ὑμετέρας ποιοῦντος ἀρετῆς. Μὴ τοίνυν τὰ λεγόμενα νῦν ὑμᾶς ταπεινούτω, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐλπὶς τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἀνορθούτω. Ἀμήχανον γὰρ κρυβῆναι τὰ καθ' ὑμᾶς. βʹ. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ πάσης αὐτοὺς ἀπήλλαξεν ἀγωνίας καὶ φόβων καὶ μερίμνης, καὶ ὑψηλοτέρους ἐποίησε τῶν ὀνειδῶν, τότε λοιπὸν εἰς καιρὸν αὐτοῖς καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ κηρύγματι παῤῥησίας διαλέγεται. Ὃ λέγω γὰρ ἡμῖν, φησὶν, ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, εἴπατε ἐν τῷ φωτί· καὶ ὃ εἰς τὸ οὖς ἠκούσατε, κηρύξατε ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων. Καίτοιγε οὐκ ἦν σκότος, ἡνίκα ταῦτα ἔλεγεν, οὐδὲ εἰς τὸ οὖς αὐτοῖς διελέγετο. ἀλλὰ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς κέχρηται τῷ λόγῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μόνοις αὐτοῖς διελέγετο, καὶ ἐν μικρᾷ γωνίᾳ τῆς Παλαιστίνης, διὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν, Ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, καὶ, Εἰς τὸ οὖς, πρὸς τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα παῤῥησίαν ἐσομένην. ἣν ἔμελλεν αὐτοῖς διδόναι, τὸν τρόπον 57.400 τῆς διαλέξεως ἀντιδιαστέλλων ἐκείνης. Οὐ γὰρ μιᾷ καὶ δύο καὶ τρισὶ πόλεσιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ κηρύξετε πάσῃ, φησὶ, γῆν καὶ θάλατταν ἐπιόντες, καὶ οἰκουμένην καὶ ἀοίκητον· καὶ τυράννοις καὶ δήμοις, καὶ φιλοσόφοις καὶ ῥήτορσι, γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ καὶ μετὰ παῤῥησίας πάσης πάντα λέγοντες. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἶπεν, Ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων, καὶ, Ἐν τῷ φωτὶ, χωρὶς ὑποστολῆς τινος, καὶ μετὰ ἐλευθερίας ἁπάσης. Καὶ διατί μὴ εἶπε, Κηρύξατε ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων, καὶ, Εἴπατε ἐν τῷ φωτὶ, μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσέθηκεν, Ὃ λέγω ὑμῖν ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, καὶ, Ὃ εἰς τὸ οὖς ἀκούετε; Ἐπαίρων αὐτῶν τὰ φρονήματα. Ὥσπερ οὖν ὅτε ἔλεγε, Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ, τὰ ἔργα ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ κἀκεῖνος ποιήσει, καὶ μείζονα τούτων ποιήσει· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα, δεικνὺς ὅτι τὸ πᾶν δι' αὐτῶν ἐργάσεται, καὶ πλέον ἢ δι' ἑαυτοῦ, τοῦτο τέθεικε. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ ἀρχὴν ἐγὼ δέδωκα, φησὶ, καὶ τὰ προοίμια· τὸ δὲ πλέον δι' ὑμῶν ἀνύσαι βούλομαι. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἐπιτάττοντός ἐστι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ μέλλον προαναφωνοῦντος, καὶ θαῤῥύνοντος τοῖς λεγομένοις, καὶ δεικνύντος ὅτι πάντων κρατήσουσι, καὶ ἠρέμα καὶ τὴν περὶ τῆς κακηγορίας ἀγωνίαν πάλιν ὑπορύττοντος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ κήρυγμα, λανθάνον τέως, πάντα ἐπελεύσεται, οὕτω καὶ ἡ πονηρὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπόληψις ἀπολεῖται ταχέως. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ ἐπῆρεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὕψωσε, προαναφωνεῖ πάλιν καὶ τοὺς κινδύνους, ἀναπτερῶν αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ ὑψηλοτέρους πάντων ποιῶν. Τί γάρ φησι; Μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτενόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι. Εἶδες πῶς πάντων αὐτοὺς ἔστησεν ἀνωτέρους, οὐχὶ φροντίδος μόνον καὶ κακηγορίας, οὐδὲ κινδύνων καὶ ἐπιβουλῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πάντων δοκοῦντος εἶναι φοβεροῦ θανάτου πείθων καταφρονεῖν, καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς θανάτου, ἀλλὰ καὶ βιαίου; Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἀναιρεθήσεσθε, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τῆς αὐτῷ προσηκούσης μεγαλοπρεπείας τοῦτο παρεδήλωσε, Μὴ φοβηθῆτε, λέγων, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτενόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι· φοβήθητε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα δυνάμενον ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ· ὅπερ ἀεὶ ποιεῖ, εἰς τοὐναντίον περιτρέπων τὸν λόγον. Τί γάρ; ∆εδοίκατε, φησὶ, θάνατον, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὀκνεῖτε κηρύσσειν; ∆ι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο κηρύξατε, ἐπειδὴ δεδοίκατε θάνατον. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἐξαιρήσεται τοῦ ὄντως θανάτου. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μέλλουσιν ὑμᾶς ἀναιρεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ κρείττονος οὐ περιέσονται, κἂν μυρία φιλονεικήσωσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπε, Τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ ἀποκτενόντων, ἀλλὰ, Μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι. Κἂν γὰρ θελήσωσιν, οὐ περιέσονται. Ὥστε εἰ