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which art exalted unto Heaven, shalt be brought down to Hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. And he does not simply add Sodom to them, but 57.425 increases the accusation. For it is the greatest proof of wickedness when they are shown to be worse, not than those who were evil then, but than those who have ever been evil. Thus also elsewhere he makes a comparison, condemning them by means of the Ninevites and by means of the queen of the south; but there, by means of those who have done right; but here, even by means of those who have sinned, which was much more grievous. Ezekiel also knows this law of condemnation; wherefore he also said to Jerusalem: You have justified your sisters in all your sins. Thus he is accustomed to dwell everywhere on the Old Testament. And not even here does he stop his discourse, but he also intensifies the fear, saying, that they will suffer things more grievous than the men of Sodom and Tyre, so as to move them from every side, both by pronouncing them wretched, and by terrifying them. 5. Let us then hear these things. For not only for the unbelievers, but also for us he has appointed a more grievous punishment than that of the men of Sodom, if we do not receive the strangers who come to us, when he commanded even to shake off the dust; and very rightly. For they, though they sinned unlawfully, did so before the law and grace; but we after so much care, of what pardon should we be worthy, showing such inhospitality, and closing our doors to those in need, and our ears before our doors? or rather not only to the poor, but also to the apostles themselves? For on this account also to the poor, because also to the apostles. For when Paul is read, and you do not pay attention, when John preaches, and you do not listen, when will you receive a poor man, not receiving an apostle? In order, therefore, that our houses may be continually open to these, and our ears to those, let us cleanse the filth from the ears of the soul. For just as filth and mud stop up the ears of the flesh, so do pornographic songs, and worldly tales, and debts, and matters concerning interest and loans, stop up the hearing of the mind more grievously than any filth; or rather, it not only stops it up, but also makes it unclean. For those who relate these things inject dung into your ears. And what the barbarian threatened saying: You shall eat your own dung, and the rest; this these men make you endure not by word, but by deeds; or rather even much more grievously. For those songs are more unpleasant even than these; and what is more grievous is that you not only do not think yourselves annoyed when you hear them, but you even laugh, when you ought to abhor and flee. But if it is not abominable, go down to the orchestra, emulate what you praise; or rather, just walk with this man who provokes that laughter. But you would not endure it. Why then do you bestow so much honor upon him? And the laws written by the Greeks want them to be without honor; but you receive them in the whole city, as if they were ambassadors and generals, and you summon everyone, so that they might receive dung in their ears. And a servant speaking something shameful in your hearing will receive countless lashes; and if a son, or a wife, or anyone at all does this very thing, you call the matter an insult; but if scoundrels and worthless men summon you to hear shameful words, not only are you not indignant, but you even rejoice and praise them. And what could be equal to this irrationality? But you yourself do not utter these shameful things? And what is the benefit? or rather, from where is this very thing clear? For if you did not utter them, you would not have laughed when hearing them, nor would you have run with such eagerness 57.426 to the voice that shames you. For tell me, do you rejoice hearing blasphemers? Do you not instead shudder, and stop your ears? I think so. Why so? Because you yourself do not blaspheme. So then do likewise in the case of shameful speech; and if you wish to show us clearly that you do not rejoice to speak shameful things, do not endure to hear them either. For when will you be able to become virtuous, with such

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οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθεῖσα, ἕως ᾅδου καταβιβασθήσῃ· ὅτι εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν σοὶ, ἔμειναν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον. Πλὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι γῇ Σοδόμων ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται ἐν ἡμέρα κρίσεως, ἢ σοί. Καὶ τὰ Σόδομα δὲ αὐτοῖς οὐχ 57.425 ἁπλῶς προστίθησιν, ἀλλ' αὔξων τὴν κατηγορίαν Καὶ γὰρ μεγίστη κακίας ἀπόδειξις, ὅταν μὴ τῶν τότε ὄντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πώποτε γενομένων πονηρῶν φαίνωνται χείρους ἐκεῖνοι. Οὕτω καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ποιεῖται σύγκρισιν, διὰ Νινευϊτῶν αὐτοὺς κατακρίνων καὶ διὰ τῆς βασιλίσσης τοῦ νότου· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μὲν, διὰ τῶν κατωρθωκότων· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων, ὃ πολὺ βαρύτερον ἦν. Τοῦτον καὶ ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ οἶδε τῆς κατακρίσεως τὸν νόμον· διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε τῇ Ἱερουσαλήμ· Ἐδικαίωσας τὰς ἀδελφάς σου ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις σου. Οὕτω πανταχοῦ τῇ Παλαιᾷ ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν εἴωθε. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα τὸν λόγον ἵστησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν φόβον ἐπιτείνει λέγων, ὅτι χαλεπώτερα πείσονται Σοδομηνῶν καὶ Τυρίων, ὥστε πανταχόθεν αὐτοὺς ἐναγαγεῖν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ταλανίζειν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ φοβεῖν. εʹ. Ταῦτα δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀκούωμεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῖς ἀπιστοῦσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμῖν χαλεπωτέραν ὥρισε κόλασιν Σοδομηνῶν, εἰ μὴ δεξόμεθα τοὺς εἰσιόντας πρὸς ἡμᾶς ξένους, ὅτε καὶ τὸν κονιορτὸν ἐκτινάξαι ἐκέλευσε· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ, εἰ καὶ παράνομα ἥμαρτον, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῆς χάριτος· ἡμεῖς δὲ μετὰ τοσαύτην ἐπιμέλειαν, τίνος ἂν εἴημεν συγγνώμης ἄξιοι, μισοξενίαν τοσαύτην ἐπιδεικνύμενοι, καὶ τοῖς δεομένοις τὰς θύρας ἀποκλείοντες, καὶ πρὸ τῶν θυρῶν τὰς ἀκοάς; μᾶλλον δὲ οὐ τοῖς πένησι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς πένησιν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις. Ὅταν γὰρ ἀναγινώσκηται Παῦλος, καὶ σὺ μὴ προσέχῃς, ὅταν κηρύττῃ Ἰωάννης, καὶ σὺ μὴ ἀκούῃς, πότε δέξῃ πένητα, ἀπόστολον μὴ δεχόμενος; Ἵνα οὖν καὶ τούτοις αἱ οἰκίαι, κἀκείνοις αἱ ἀκοαὶ, διηνεκῶς ἀνεῳγμέναι ὦσιν, ἐκκαθάρωμεν τὸν ῥύπον ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ὤτων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ῥύπος καὶ πηλὸς τὰ ὦτα τῆς σαρκὸς, οὕτω τὰ πορνικὰ ᾄσματα, καὶ τὰ βιωτικὰ διηγήματα, καὶ τὰ χρέα, καὶ τὰ περὶ τόκων καὶ δανεισμάτων, ῥύπου παντὸς χαλεπώτερον ἐμφράττει τῆς διανοίας τὴν ἀκοήν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἐμφράττει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀκάθαρτον ποιεῖ. Καὶ γὰρ κόπρον ἐνιᾶσιν ὑμῶν ταῖς ἀκοαῖς οἱ ταῦτα διηγούμενοι. Καὶ ὅπερ ὁ βάρβαρος ἠπείλει λέγων· Φάγεσθε τὴν κόπρον ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· τοῦτο καὶ οὗτοι οὐ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ὑμᾶς ὑπομένειν ποιοῦσι· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τούτων ἀηδέστερα ἐκεῖνα τὰ ᾄσματα· καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐνοχλεῖσθαι νομίζετε τούτων ἀκούοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ γελᾶτε, δέον βδελύττεσθαι καὶ φεύγειν. Εἰ δὲ οὐ βδελυκτὰ, κατάβηθι εἰς τὴν ὀρχήστραν, ζήλωσον ὅπερ ἐπαινεῖς· μᾶλλον δὲ βάδισον μόνον μετὰ τούτου τοῦ κινοῦντος τὸν γέλωτα ἐκεῖνον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιο. Τί τοίνυν τοσαύτην ἀπονέμεις αὐτῷ τιμήν; Καὶ οἱ μὲν νόμοι οἱ παρὰ τῶν Ἑλλήνων γραφέντες ἀτίμους αὐτοὺς εἶναι βούλονται· σὺ δὲ αὐτοὺς ὅλῃ τῇ πόλει δέχῃ, ὥσπερ πρεσβευτὰς καὶ στρατηγοὺς, καὶ ἅπαντας συγκαλεῖς, ἵνα δέξωνται κόπρον ταῖς ἀκοαῖς. Καὶ ὁ μὲν οἰκέτης αἰσχρόν τι φθεγγόμενος ἀκούοντός σου, μυρίας λήψεται μάστιγας· κἂν υἱὸς, κἂν γυνὴ, κἂν ὁστισοῦν αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιήσῃ, ὕβριν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖς· ἂν δὲ ἄνθρωποι μαστιγίαι καὶ τριωβολιμαῖοι καλέσωσί σε τῶν αἰσχρῶν ἀκουσόμενον ῥημάτων, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀγανακτεῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρεις καὶ ἐπαινεῖς. Καὶ τί ταύτης τῆς ἀλογίας ἴσον γένοιτ' ἄν; Ἀλλ' αὐτὸς οὐ φθέγγῃ τὰ αἰσχρὰ ταῦτα; Καὶ τί τὸ κέρδος; μᾶλλον δὲ, καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο πόθεν δῆλον; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐφθέγγου, οὐκ ἂν οὐδὲ ἀκούων ἐγέλας, οὐδ' ἂν μετὰ τοσαύτης σπουδῆς 57.426 ἔδραμες ἐπὶ τὴν καταισχύνουσάν σε φωνήν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, χαίρεις ἀκούων βλασφημούντων; ἀλλ' οὐχὶ φρίττεις, καὶ τὰ ὦτα ἐμφράττεις; Ἔγωγε οἶμαι. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι οὐδὲ αὐτὸς βλασφημεῖς. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς αἰσχρολογίας ποίει· καὶ εἰ βούλει δεῖξαι σαφῶς ἡμῖν, ὅτι οὐ χαίρεις αἰσχρὰ φθέγγεσθαι, μηδὲ ἀκούειν ἀνέχου. Πότε γὰρ δυνήσῃ γενέσθαι σπουδαῖος, τοιούτοις