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giving Him an excuse for slandering Him for working. But He, as if to those who had already heard, speaks more concisely. For neither saying the name, nor that, "He said to me, Go, wash," he immediately says: "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." As a great slander had already occurred, and they had said, "See what Jesus does on the sabbath, He smears with clay." But consider, I pray you, how the blind man is not troubled. For when he spoke before them, being questioned without danger, it was not so great a thing to speak the truth; but the wonderful thing is now, that even when in greater fear, he neither denies nor says things contrary to what he said before. What then did the Pharisees do? Or rather, the others also? They brought him expecting him to deny it; but they experienced the contrary of what they wished, and learned more precisely. And this they endure everywhere with the signs; or rather, in what follows we shall prove this more clearly. What then of the Pharisees? Some said, not all, but the more insolent ones: "This man is not from God, because He does not keep the sabbath"; others said, "How can a sinful man do such signs?" Do you see that they were being led up from the signs? For those who before this had sent men to bring Him, hear what they say now, even if not all of them. For being rulers, they were falling into unbelief on account of their love of glory. Nevertheless, even many of the rulers believed in Him, but they did not confess it. The common people, then, were easily despised, as contributing nothing great to their synagogue; but the rulers, being more conspicuous, spoke out with greater difficulty. For love of rule held some, and cowardice and the fear of the multitude held others. Wherefore He also said: "How can you believe, who receive glory from men?" And they themselves, seeking to kill Him unjustly, said they were of God; but that He who healed the blind could not be from God, because He did not keep the sabbath. To these things the others retorted, that a sinner cannot do such signs. Those men, then, maliciously keeping silent about what had happened, brought forward the supposed transgression. For they did not say that He heals on the sabbath, but that "He does not keep the sabbath"; but these others again spoke weakly. For it being necessary to show how the sabbath is not broken, they argue only from the signs; and reasonably so. For they still thought Him to be a man. For if this were not so, they could have defended Him in another way, that He was Lord of the sabbath, and He Himself had made it; but they did not yet have this opinion. However, none of them dared to say openly what he wished, nor in a definite statement, but in a dispute, some because of lack of boldness, others because of love of rule. There was therefore a division among them. This division first began among the people; then later also among the rulers. And some said that "He is good," but others, "No, but He deceives the crowd." Do you see how the rulers, being divided later, were less understanding than the multitude? But after being divided again, 59.314 they showed nothing noble, seeing the Pharisees pressing on. For if they had been completely divided, they would have quickly recognized the truth. For it is possible to be divided in a good way. Wherefore He Himself said: "I came not to bring peace on earth, but a sword." For there is also an evil harmony, and there is a good disagreement. For those building the tower were in harmony for their own evil; and these same men again, unwillingly, were nevertheless divided for their benefit. And the company of Korah were wickedly in harmony, for this reason they were rightly divided; and Judas was wickedly in harmony with the Jews. Therefore, it is possible to be divided in a good way, and it is possible to be in harmony in a bad way. For this reason He says: "If your eye offends you, pluck it out; if your foot, cut it off." And if one must be separated from a member badly joined, how much more from friends badly united to us? So harmony is not everywhere a good thing, just as division is not everywhere a bad thing. 3. I say these things, that we may flee the wicked, and pursue the good. For if in our members we cut out what is rotten and incurably diseased, fearing lest the rest of the body also receive the same injury; and we do

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διδόντες αὐτῷ πρόφασιν τοῦ διαβαλεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπ' ἐργασίᾳ. Ὁ δὲ ὡς πρὸς ἀκηκοότας συντομώτερον φθέγγεται. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα εἰπὼν, οὔτε, ὅτι Εἶπέ μοι, Ὕπαγε, νίψαι, εὐθέως φησί· Πηλὸν ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ ἐνιψάμην, καὶ βλέπω. Ὡς πολλῆς ἤδη γεγενημένης διαβολῆς, κἀκείνων εἰρηκότων, Ἴδε ὁ Ἰησοῦς οἷς ἐργάζεται ἐν σαββάτῳ, πηλὸν χρίει. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει, πῶς οὐ ταράττεται ὁ τυφλός. Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ ἐπ' ἐκείνων ἔλεγεν ἀκινδύνως ἐρωτώμενος, οὐχ οὕτω μέγα ἦν τὸ τὴν ἀλήθειαν εἰπεῖν· τὸ δὲ θαυμαστόν ἐστι νῦν, ὅτι καὶ ἐν πλείονι φόβῳ καταστὰς, οὔτε ἀρνεῖται, οὔτε ἐναντία λέγει τοῖς προτέροις. Τί οὖν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι; μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι; Ἤγαγον μὲν αὐτὸν ὡς ἀρνησόμενον· τοὐναντίον δὲ ἔπαθον ὅπερ οὐκ ἐβούλοντο, καὶ ἀκριβέστερον ἔμαθον. Καὶ τοῦτο πανταχοῦ τῶν σημείων ὑπομένουσι· μᾶλλον δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς τοῦτο σαφέστερον ἀποδείξομεν. Τί οὖν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι; Ἔλεγόν τινες, οὐ πάντες, ἀλλ' οἱ ἰταμώτεροι· Οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι τὸ σάββατον οὐ τηρεῖ· ἄλλοι ἔλεγον, Πῶς δύναται ἄνθρωπος ἁμαρτωλὸς τοιαῦτα σημεῖα ποιεῖν; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων ἀνήγοντο; Οἱ γὰρ πρὸ τούτου πέμψαντες, ὥστε ἀγαγεῖν αὐτὸν, ἄκουσον τί λέγουσι νῦν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντες. Καὶ γὰρ ἄρχοντες ὄντες ὑπὸ τῆς φιλοδοξίας εἰς ἀπιστίαν ἔπιπτον. Ὅμως δὲ καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων οἱ πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν· οὐχ ὡμολόγουν δέ. Ὁ μὲν οὖν πολὺς λαὸς εὐκαταφρόνητος ἦν, ἅτε μηδὲ μέγα συντελῶν εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν αὐτῶν· οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες μᾶλλον περίβλεπτοι ὄντες, δυσκολώτερον ἐπαῤῥησιάζοντο. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ φιλαρχία κατεῖχε, τοὺς δὲ δειλία καὶ ὁ παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν φόβος. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Πῶς δύνασθε πιστεύειν, δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνοντες; Καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν φονεύειν ζητοῦντες ἀδίκως, τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔλεγον εἶναι· τὸν δὲ τυφλοὺς θεραπεύοντα οὐ δύνασθαι εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, διὰ τὸ σάββατον μὴ τηρεῖν. Πρὸς ταῦτα ἀντέθηκαν οὗτοι, ὅτι ἁμαρτωλὸς τοιαῦτα σημεῖα οὐ δύναται ποιεῖν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν κακούργως τὸ γεγονὸς σιγῶντες, τὴν δοκοῦσαν εἶναι παράβασιν εἰς μέσον ἔφερον. Οὐ γὰρ ἔλεγον, ὅτι ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ θεραπεύει, ἀλλ' ὅτι Τὸ σάββατον οὐ τηρεῖ· οὗτοι δὲ πάλιν ἀσθενῶς. ∆έον γὰρ ἐπιδεῖξαι πῶς τὸ σάββατον οὐ λύεται, ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων ἰσχυρίζονται μόνον· καὶ εἰκότως. Ἔτι γὰρ ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν ἐνόμιζον εἶναι. Ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, καὶ ἑτέρως εἶχον ἀπολογήσασθαι, ὅτι τοῦ σαββάτου κύριος ἦν, καὶ αὐτὸς αὐτὸ πεποίηκεν· ἀλλ' οὐδέπω ταύτην εἶχον τὴν γνώμην. Οὐδεὶς μέντοι αὐτῶν ἐτόλμα ἅπερ ἐβούλετο φανερῶς εἰπεῖν, οὐδὲ ἐν ἀποφάσει, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀμφισβητήσει, οἱ μὲν διὰ τὸ ἀπαῤῥησίαστον, οἱ δὲ διὰ φιλαρχίαν. Σχίσμα οὖν ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς. Τοῦτο τὸ σχίσμα πρῶτον ἤρξατο ἐν τῷ λαῷ· εἶτα ὕστερον καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἄρχουσι. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔλεγον, ὅτι Ἀγαθός ἐστιν, ἄλλοι δὲ, Οὐχὶ, ἀλλ' ἀπατᾷ τὸν ὄχλον. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἀσυνετώτεροι τῶν πολλῶν οἱ ἄρχοντες σχισθέντες ὕστερον; Ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὸ σχισθῆναι πάλιν, 59.314 οὐδὲν ἐπεδείξαντο γενναῖον, ὁρῶντες τοὺς Φαρισαίους ἐπικειμένους. Ὡς εἴ γε τέλεον ἀπεσχίσθησαν, ταχέως ἂν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπέγνωσαν. Ἔστι γὰρ σχισθῆναι καλῶς. ∆ιὸ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν· Οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ κακὴ ὁμόνοια, ἔστι καὶ καλὴ διαφωνία. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ τὸν πύργον οἰκοδομοῦντες, ὡμονόησαν ἐπὶ κακῷ τῷ ἑαυτῶν· καὶ οἱ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι πάλιν, ἄκοντες μὲν, ἐπὶ συμφέροντι δὲ ὅμως ἐσχίσθησαν. Καὶ οἱ περὶ Κορὲ δὲ κακῶς ὡμονόησαν, διὰ τοῦτο καλῶς ἐσχίσθησαν καὶ Ἰούδας ὡμονόησε μετὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων κακῶς. Ἔστιν οὖν σχισθῆναι καλῶς, καὶ ἔστιν ὁμονοῆσαι κακῶς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Ἐὰν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτόν· ἐὰν ὁ ποῦς σου, ἔκτεμε αὐτόν. Εἰ δὲ ἀπὸ μέλους ἀποσχίζεσθαι χρὴ κακῶς συνημμένου, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἀπὸ φίλων κακῶς ἡνωμένων ἡμῖν; Ὥστε οὐ πανταχοῦ ὁμόνοια καλὸν, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ πανταχοῦ ἡ διάστασις κακόν. γʹ. Ταῦτα λέγω, ἵνα φεύγωμεν πονηροὺς, καὶ διώκωμεν ἀγαθούς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς μέλεσι τὸ σεσηπὸς καὶ ἀνιάτως ἔχον ἐκκόπτομεν, φοβούμενοι μὴ καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν τὴν αὐτὴν λύμην ὑποδέξηται σῶμα· καὶ ποιοῦμεν