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We say that Christ is God, we adduce countless other things, and among the others this also, that he persuaded all to live rightly; but this is among few. The wickedness of one's life corrupts the doctrine of the resurrection, that of the immortality of the soul, that of the judgment; it draws on many other things, fate, necessity, the absence of providence. For a soul plunged in countless evils tries to devise these things for itself as certain consolations, so that it may not be grieved by reasoning that there is a judgment, and that the things of virtue and of vice lie within our power. Life works countless evils, it makes men beasts, and more irrational than beasts; for what is in each nature of the beasts, it has often gathered these into one man, and has overturned everything. For this reason the 60.332 devil introduced fate, for this reason he said the world was without providence, for this reason good and evil natures, for this reason he supposes an evil without beginning and material, for this reason he does all things, in order to corrupt our life. For it is not possible for one of such a life to recover from corrupt doctrines, nor to remain in a sound faith; but by great necessity to accept these things. For I do not think that any of those not living rightly is quickly found, who does not deliberate countless satanic things, that there is genesis, that things are simply led, that all things are administered confusedly and in disorder. Therefore I entreat, let us be mindful of a good life, so that we may not accept wicked doctrines. Cain received the punishment of groaning and trembling. Such are the wicked, and being conscious to themselves of countless evils, they often leap up from their sleep, their thoughts are tumultuous, their eyes are troubled, everything is full of suspicion, everything terrifies, of difficult expectation, their soul is full of cowardice, being convulsed with fear and trembling it becomes sluggish. Nothing could be softer than such a soul, nothing more foolish. Just as the mad do not stand in themselves; so too such a one does not stand in herself. When then might she come to perception, having such giddiness, she whom it is a blessing, while enjoying calm and fair weather, to be able to recognize her own nobility? But when everything frightens and troubles her, both dreams and words and forms and suspicions simply, when will she be able to look into herself, being so agitated and disturbed? Let us then loose her fear, let us break her bonds. For if there were no punishment, of what punishment are these things not worse, to live always in fear, never to have courage, never to be relaxed? Knowing all these things then with accuracy, let us keep ourselves in calm, and let us take care for virtue, so that both having sound doctrines and a right life, we may pass through the present life without stumbling, and may be able to attain the good things promised to those who love him, by the grace and loving-kindness of his Only-Begotten, with whom to the Father, together with his holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

60.331 HOMILY 48. But it happened to me when I returned to Jerusalem,

while praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, and saw him saying to me: Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. And I said: Lord, they themselves know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue them that believed on thee: and when the blood of Stephen thy martyr was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.

a. See how he thrusts himself into dangers. For he adds: But it happened to me

when I returned to Jerusalem; that is, I came again to Jerusalem after that vision. And as I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance, and saw him saying to me: Make haste, and get out quickly, for they will not 60.332 receive your

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Λέγομεν, ὅτι Θεός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς, μυρία καὶ ἕτερα παράγομεν, μετὰ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἔπεισεν ἅπαντας ὀρθῶς ζῇν· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἐν ὀλίγοις ἐστί. Τὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως δόγμα λυμαίνεται ἡ τοῦ βίου φαυλότης, τὸ τῆς ἀθανασίας τῆς ψυχῆς, τὸ τῆς κρίσεως· πολλὰ καὶ ἕτερα ἐπισπᾶται, εἱμαρμένην, ἀνάγκην, τὸ ἀπρονόητον. Ψυχὴ γὰρ βαπτισθεῖσα μυρίοις κακοῖς, ὥσπερ τινὰς παραμυθίας ταύτας ἐπινοεῖν ἑαυτῇ πειρᾶται, ἵνα μὴ λυπῆται λογιζομένη, ὅτι κρίσις ἐστὶ, καὶ ὅτι ἐφ' ἡμῖν κεῖται τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τὰ τῆς κακίας. Μυρία ὁ βίος ἐργάζεται κακὰ, θηρία τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποιεῖ, καὶ θηρίων ἀλογωτέρους· ἅπερ γὰρ ἐν ἑκάστῃ φύσει τῶν θηρίων ἐστὶ, ταῦτα πολλάκις εἰς ἕνα ἄνθρωπον συνήγαγε, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀνέτρεψε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὴν 60.332 εἱμαρμένην εἰσήγαγεν ὁ διάβολος, διὰ τοῦτο ἀπρονόητον ἔφησεν εἶναι τὸν κόσμον, διὰ τοῦτο φύσεις ἀγαθὰς καὶ κακὰς, διὰ τοῦτο κακὸν ἄναρχον καὶ ὑλικὸν ὑποτίθεται, διὰ τοῦτο πάντα πράττει, ἵνα διαφθείρῃ τὸν βίον ἡμῶν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἀπὸ διεφθαρμένων δογμάτων δυνατὸν ἀνενεγκεῖν βίου ὄντα τοιούτου, οὔτε μένειν ἐν ὑγιαινούσῃ πίστει· ἀλλ' ἀνάγκῃ πολλῇ ταῦτα παραδέξασθαι. Οὐ γὰρ οἶμαι ἔγωγε ταχέως τινὰ τῶν οὐκ ὀρθῶς ζώντων εὑρίσκεσθαι, μὴ μυρία σατανικὰ βουλευόμενον, ὅτι γένεσίς ἐστιν, ὅτι ἁπλῶς τὰ πράγματα ἄγεται, ὅτι φύρδην καὶ κεχυμένως πάντα διοικεῖται. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ, φροντίζωμεν βίου καλοῦ, ἵνα μὴ παραδεχώμεθα δόγματα πονηρά. Ὁ Κάϊν ἔλαβε τιμωρίαν στένειν καὶ τρέμειν. Τοιοῦτοί εἰσιν οἱ πονηροὶ, καὶ συνειδότες ἑαυτοῖς μυρία κακὰ, πολλάκις ἐξ ὕπνων ἐξάλλονται, θορυβώδεις αὐτῶν οἱ λογισμοὶ, τεταραγμένοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, ὑποψίας γέμει πάντα, καταπλήττεται πάντα, χαλεπῆς προσδοκίας, δειλίας ἀνάμεστος αὐτῶν ἡ ψυχὴ, φόβῳ συστρεφομένη καὶ τρόμῳ ἀδρανὴς γίνεται. Οὐδὲν τῆς τοιαύτης ψυχῆς μαλακώτερον γένοιτο ἂν, οὐδὲν ἀνοητότερον. Καθάπερ οἱ μαινόμενοι οὐχ ἑστήκασιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡ τοιαύτη ἐν ἑαυτῇ ἕστηκε. Πότε οὖν αὕτη εἰς συναίσθησιν ἔλθῃ τοσαύτην ἔχουσα σκοτοδινίαν, ἣν ἀγαπητὸν γαλήνης ἀπολαύουσαν καὶ εὐδίας, δυνηθῆναι ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν οἰκείαν εὐγένειαν; Ὅταν δὲ πάντα αὐτὴν ἐκφοβῇ καὶ ταράττῃ, καὶ ὄνειροι καὶ ῥήματα καὶ σχήματα καὶ ὑποψίαι ἁπλῶς, πότε δυνήσεται εἰς ἑαυτὴν ἰδεῖν, οὕτως ἐκτεταραγμένη καὶ τεθορυβημένη; Λύωμεν τοίνυν αὐτῆς τὸ δέος, διαῤῥήξωμεν τὰ δεσμά. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ κόλασις ἦν, ποίας ταῦτα κολάσεως οὐ χείρω, ὑπὸ φόβῳ ζῇν ἀεὶ, μηδέποτε θαῤῥεῖν, μηδέποτε ἀνίεσθαι; Ταῦτα δὴ πάντα μετὰ ἀκριβείας εἰδότες, ἐν γαλήνῃ ἑαυτοὺς διατηρῶμεν, καὶ ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελώμεθα, ἵνα καὶ ὑγιῆ δόγματα ἔχοντες καὶ βίον ὀρθὸν, ἀπροσκόπτως τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν διανύσωμεν, καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν ἐπιτυχεῖν δυνηθῶμεν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.331 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΜΗʹ. Ἐγένετο δέ μοι ὑποστρέφοντι εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ,

εὐχομένου ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, γενέσθαι με ἐν ἐκστάσει, καὶ ἰδεῖν λέγοντά μοι αὐτόν· Σπεῦσον, καὶ ἔξελθε ἐν τάχει ἐξ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, διότι οὐ παραδέξονταί σου τὴν μαρτυρίαν περὶ ἐμοῦ, Κἀγὼ εἶπον· Κύριε, αὐτοὶ ἐπίστανται, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἤμην φυλακίζων καὶ δέρων κατὰ τὰς συναγωγὰς τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐπὶ σέ· καὶ ὅτε ἐξεχεῖτο τὸ αἷμα Στεφάνου τοῦ μάρτυρός σου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἤμην ἐφεστὼς, καὶ συν ευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ, φυλάσσων τὰ ἱμάτια τῶν ἀναιρούντων αὐτόν.

αʹ. Ὅρα πῶς ἑαυτὸν εἰσωθεῖ εἰς τοὺς κινδύνους. Ἐπάγει γάρ· Ἐγένετο δέ μοι

ὑποστρέφοντι εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ· τουτέστιν, Ἦλθον μετὰ τὴν ὄψιν ἐκείνην εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ πάλιν. Καὶ προσευχομένου μου ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, γενέσθαι με ἐν ἐκστάσει, καὶ ἰδεῖν λέγοντά μοι· Σπεῦσον, καὶ ἔξελθε ἐν τάχει, διότι οὐ παρα 60.332 δέξονταί σου