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this, not despising that man, but wishing to preserve the rest; how much more is it necessary to do this in the case of those who associate with us for wickedness? For if we are able both to correct them and not be harmed ourselves, we should do everything; but if they remain incorrigible and harm us, it is necessary to cut them out and cast them away. For often they will gain more this way. Therefore Paul also exhorted, saying, And you shall put away the evil one from among yourselves; and, That he who has done this deed might be removed from among you. For terrible, terrible is the company of the wicked. A plague does not so quickly take hold, and a scab corrupt those who are stained, those who are held by the disease, as the wickedness of evil men. For evil communications corrupt good manners. And the prophet again, Come out from among them, and be separate. Therefore, let no one have a wicked friend. For if we cast out wicked sons, and do not respect nature, nor its laws, nor the necessity which comes from it; much more must we flee our associates and acquaintances, when they are wicked. For even if we receive no harm from them, we will not at least be strong enough to escape a bad reputation. For those outside do not investigate our life, but judge us from our associates. These things I command both to women and virgins. For we provide, he says, for things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. Therefore, let us do all things so that our neighbor may not be scandalized. For a life, even if it is exceedingly upright, if it provides a stumbling-block to others, has lost everything. And how is it possible for an upright life to cause scandal? When association with those who are not upright clothes it with an evil reputation. For when, trusting in ourselves, we associate with the wicked, even if we are not harmed ourselves, we have scandalized others. These things I say both to men and to women and to virgins, leaving it to their conscience to know with exactness how many evils are born from this. For I suspect nothing evil, nor perhaps does any other of the more perfect; but the simpler brother is harmed by your perfection. But it is necessary to have forethought also for his weakness. And even if this one is not harmed, yet the Greek is harmed. But Paul commanded to be without offense, both to Jews and to Greeks, and to the Church of God. I suspect nothing evil concerning 59.315 the virgin (for I love virginity; And love thinks no evil); I am a great lover of this way of life, and cannot even imagine anything amiss. How shall we persuade those outside? for it is necessary to take thought for them also. Thus therefore let us manage our own affairs, so that not even one of the unbelievers may be able to find a just handle against us. For just as those who show forth an upright life glorify God, so those who do the opposite prepare for Him to be blasphemed. But 59.316 may it not be that there are any such among us, but may our works so shine, that our Father who is in heaven may be glorified, and that we may enjoy the glory from Him; which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be the glory, together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

59.315.10 HOMILY 58. They say to the blind man again, What do you say about him, that he opened your eyes? And he said, That he is a prophet.

The Jews therefore did not believe.

1. One should not go over the Scriptures simply or carelessly, but with all exactness, so as not to be tripped up.

For even now one might reasonably be perplexed here, how after saying, This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath, they say to him, What do you say about him, that he opened your eyes?

And they did not say, What do you say about him, that he broke the Sabbath? but now they put the point of the defense instead of the accusation.

What then is to be said? They are not the same ones who are speaking,

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τοῦτο, οὐκ ἐκείνου καταφρονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ λοιπὸν διαφυλάξαι βουλόμενοι· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῶν συνόντων ἡμῖν ἐπὶ κακίᾳ τοῦτο πράττειν ἀναγκαῖον; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ δυνάμεθα κἀκείνους διορθῶσαι, καὶ αὐτοὶ μὴ παραβλαβῆναι, πάντα ποιεῖν χρή· εἰ δὲ κἀκεῖνοι μένοιεν ἀδιόρθωτοι, καὶ ἡμᾶς παραβλάπτοιεν, ἐκκόπτειν αὐτοὺς καὶ ῥίπτειν ἀναγκαῖον. Πολλάκις γὰρ οὕτω κερδανοῦσι μᾶλλον. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος οὕτω παρῄνει λέγων· Καὶ ἐξαρεῖτε τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν· καὶ, Ἵνα ἐξαρθῇ ἐκ μέσου ὑμῶν ὁ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ποιήσας. ∆εινὸν γὰρ, δεινὸν συνουσία πονηρῶν. Οὐχ οὕτω ταχέως λοιμὸς ἅπτεται, καὶ ψώρα διαφθείρει τοὺς ἀναχρωννυμένους, τοὺς τῷ νοσήματι κατεχομένους, ὡς ἡ τῶν πονηρῶν κακία ἀνδρῶν. Φθείρουσι γὰρ ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι κακαί. Καὶ ὁ προφήτης πάλιν, Ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀφορίσθητε. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν φαῦλον ἐχέτω φίλον. Εἰ γὰρ υἱοὺς φαύλους ἔχοντες ἐκκηρύττομεν, καὶ οὐκ αἰδούμεθα τὴν φύσιν, οὐδὲ τοὺς ταύτης νόμους, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀνάγκην· πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς συνήθεις καὶ γνωρίμους φεύγειν δεῖ, πονηροὺς ὄντας. Κἂν γὰρ μηδεμίαν παρ' αὐτῶν δεξώμεθα βλάβην, τὴν γοῦν πονηρὰν δόξαν διαφυγεῖν οὐκ ἰσχύσομεν. Οἱ γὰρ ἔξωθεν οὐ τὸν βίον ἐρευνῶσιν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν συνόντων ἡμᾶς κρίνουσι. Ταῦτα καὶ γυναιξὶ καὶ παρθένοις παρεγγυῶ. Προνοούμενοι γὰρ, φησὶ, καλὰ, οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων. Πάντα τοίνυν πράττωμεν, ὥστε μὴ σκανδαλισθῆναι τὸν πλησίον. Βίος γὰρ κἂν σφόδρα ὀρθὸς ᾖ, σκάνδαλον ἑτέροις παρέχων, τὸ πᾶν ἀπώλεσε. Καὶ πῶς ἔνι τὸν ὀρθὸν βίον σκανδαλίσαι; Ὅταν ἡ συνουσία τῶν οὐκ ὀρθῶν πονηρὰν αὐτῷ περιθῇ δόξαν. Ἐπειδὰν γὰρ θαῤῥοῦντες ἑαυτοῖς συνῶμεν τοῖς πονηροῖς, κἂν αὐτοὶ μὴ βλαβῶμεν, ἑτέρους ἐσκανδαλίσαμεν. Ταῦτα καὶ ἀνδράσι καὶ γυναιξὶ λέγω καὶ παρθένοις, καταλιμπάνων αὐτῶν τῷ συνειδότι μετὰ ἀκριβείας εἰδέναι πόσα ἐντεῦθεν τίκτεται κακά. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ὑποπτεύω πονηρὸν, οὐδὲ ἄλλος τις ἴσως τῶν τελειοτέρων· ὁ δὲ ἀφελέστερος ἀδελφὸς ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ παραβλάπτεται τελειότητι. ∆εῖ δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀσθενείας τῆς ἐκείνου προνοεῖν. Κἂν οὗτος μὴ βλαβῇ, ἀλλ' ὁ Ἕλλην παραβλάπτεται. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος ἐκέλευσεν ἀπροσκόπους εἶναι, καὶ Ἰουδαίοις καὶ Ἕλλησι, καὶ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐγὼ πονηρὸν οὐδὲν ὑποπτεύω περὶ 59.315 τῆς παρθένου (ἀγαπῶ γὰρ τὴν παρθενίαν· Ἡ δὲ ἀγάπη οὐ λογίζεται τὸ κακόν)· ἐγὼ σφόδρα ἐραστής εἰμι τῆς πολιτείας ταύτης, καὶ οὐδὲ λογίσασθαί τι δύναμαι ἄτοπον. Πῶς τοὺς ἔξω πείσομεν; δεῖ γὰρ κἀκείνων ποιεῖσθαι πρόνοιαν. Οὕτω τοίνυν τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς οἰκονομῶμεν, ἵνα μηδὲ τῶν ἀπίστων τις ἔχῃ καθ' ἡμῶν δικαίαν εὑρεῖν λαβήν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ βίον ὀρθὸν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι δοξάζουσι τὸν Θεὸν οὕτως οἱ τὸν ἐναντίον, βλασφημηθῆναι παρασκευάζουσιν. Ἀλλὰ 59.316 μὴ γένοιτό τινας τοιούτους εἶναι παρ' ἡμῖν, ἀλλ' οὕτω λάμψαι τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν, ὥστε δοξασθῆναι τὸν Πατέρα ἡμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ δόξης ἡμᾶς ἀπολαῦσαι· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.315.10 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΗʹ. Λέγουσι τῷ τυφλῷ πάλιν· Σὺ τί λέγεις περὶ αὐ τοῦ, ὅτι ἤνοιξέ σου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Ὅτι προφήτης ἐστίν.

Οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι.

αʹ. Τὰς Γραφὰς οὐχ ἁπλῶς οὐδὲ παρέργως ἐπιέναι χρὴ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἁπάσης, ὥστε μὴ συμποδίζεσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν εἰκότως ἄν τις ἐνταῦθα διαπορήσειε, πῶς εἰπόντες, Οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι τὸ σάββατον οὐ τηρεῖ, λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Σὺ τί λέγεις περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἤνοιξέ σου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς; Καὶ οὐκ εἶπον, Σὺ τί λέγεις περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι παρέλυσε τὸ σάββατον; ἀλλὰ τὸ τῆς ἀπολογίας νῦν ἀντὶ τῆς κατηγορίας τιθέασι. Τί οὖν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν; Οὐκ εἰσὶν αὐτοὶ οἱ λέγοντες,