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good, that we may also obtain love. This is the great wealth, this the great treasure, these the countless good things; of which may it be granted us to enjoy them all worthily, and to live according to the laws of God, so that we may also be able to obtain the good things to come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

60.343 HOMILY 50. So the soldiers, according to what was commanded them

took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. And on the next day, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the barracks; who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also.

1. Like bodyguards escorting some king, they sent him with so great a number and

by night, fearing the angry impulse of the people. So when they had brought him out of the city, then they depart. But the tribune would not have sent him out with such security, had he not both himself found no fault in him, and known their murderous intent. And when he had read it, and asked of what province he was, and learned that he was from Cilicia, "I will hear you," he said, "when your accusers also are come." And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s praetorium. Already Lysias had made a defense for him; but nevertheless the Jews still attack, and preoccupy the hearer, and again he is cast into chains, and hear how: for it continues: "And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul." See how not even so did they desist, but they come, though hindered by countless hindrances, 60.344 so as to be put to shame there also. And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: "Seeing that by you we enjoy great peace, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by your providence, we accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto you, I pray you that you would hear us of your clemency a few words." And yet you have done this: what need then of an orator? See how this man also immediately from the exordium wishes to hand him over as an innovator and a seditious person, and preoccupies the judge with praises. Then, as having many things to say, he hurries on, and only says this: "That I be not further tedious unto you." See how he instills into the judge a desire for punishment; if indeed he was to restrain the one who was overturning the world, and how they pride themselves on it as a great achievement. "For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: who also has gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law. But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, 60.345 commanding his accusers to come unto you: by examining of whom yourself may take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him." "A mover of sedition," he says, "among the Jews throughout the world." They slander him then as a pest and a common enemy of the nation, and a ringleader of the [sect] of the Nazarenes. [This seemed to be a reproach, the name of Nazarenes]; for this reason they brought this forward, and from this again they slandered him; for Nazareth was of no repute. And "having found," he says. See how maliciously they slander him as one who had escaped, and whom they had barely found, although he had been seven days in the temple. "Whom we took, and would have judged according to our law." See how also the

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καλὴν, ἵνα καὶ ἀγάπης ἐπιτύχωμεν. Οὗτος ὁ πλοῦτος ὁ πολὺς, οὗτος ὁ μέγας θησαυρὸς, ταῦτα τὰ μυρία ἀγαθά· ὧν γένοιτο πάντα ἡμᾶς ἀπολαῦσαι δεόντως, καὶ κατὰ τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῆσαι, ἵνα καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν δυνηθῶμεν ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

60.343 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Νʹ. Οἱ μὲν οὖν στρατιῶται κατὰ τὸ διατεταγμένον αὐτοῖς

ἀναλαβόντες τὸν Παῦλον, ἤγαγον διὰ νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν Ἀντιπατρίδα. Τῇ τε ἐπαύριον ἐάσαντες τοὺς ἱππεῖς πορεύεσθαι σὺν αὐτῷ, ὑπέστρεψαν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν· οἵτινες ἐλθόντες εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν, καὶ ἀναδόντες τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῷ ἡγεμόνι, παρ έστησαν καὶ τὸν Παῦλον.

αʹ. Καθάπερ βασιλέα τινὰ δορυφόροι παρέπεμπον μετὰ τοσούτου πλήθους καὶ

ἐν νυκτὶ, φοβούμενοι τοῦ δήμου τὴν ὀργὴν τῆς ὁρμῆς. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τῆς πόλεως αὐτὸν ἐξέβαλον, τότε ἀφίστανται. Οὐκ ἂν δὲ ὁ χιλίαρχος μετὰ τοσαύτης αὐτὸν ἀσφαλείας ἐξέπεμψεν, εἰ μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς οὐδὲν ἦν αὐτοῦ κατεγνωκὼς, καὶ ἐκείνων ᾔδει τὸ φονικόν. Ἀναγνοὺς δὲ, καὶ ἐπερωτήσας ἐκ ποίας ἐπαρχίας ἐστὶ, καὶ πυθόμενος, ὅτι ἀπὸ Κιλικίας, ∆ιακούσομαί σου, ἔφη, ὅταν καὶ οἱ κατήγοροί σου παραγένωνται· ἐκέλευσέ τε αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ πραιτωρίῳ Ἡρώδου φυλάσσεσθαι. Ἤδη ἀπελογήσατο ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ὁ Λυσίας· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἔτι οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐπιτίθενται, καὶ προκαταλαμβάνουσι τὸν ἀκροατὴν, καὶ πάλιν εἰς δεσμὰ βάλλεται, καὶ ἄκουε πῶς· ἐπάγει γάρ· Μετὰ δὲ πέντε ἡμέρας κατέβη ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἀνανίας μετὰ πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ῥήτορος Τερτύλλου τινὸς, οἵτινες ἐνεφάνησαν τῷ ἡγεμόνι κατὰ τοῦ Παύλου. Ὅρα πῶς οὐδ' οὕτως ἀπέστησαν, ἀλλ' ἔρχονται μυρίοις κωλύμασι καί 60.344 τοι κωλυόμενοι, ὥστε κἀκεῖ καταισχυνθῆναι. Κληθέντος δὲ αὐτοῦ, ἤρξατο κατηγορεῖν ὁ Τέρτυλλος, λέγων· Πολλῆς εἰρήνης τυγχάνοντες διὰ σοῦ, καὶ κατορθωμάτων γινομένων τῷ ἔθνει τούτῳ διὰ τῆς σῆς προνοίας, πάντη τε καὶ πανταχοῦ ἀποδεχόμεθα, κράτιστε Φῆλιξ, μετὰ πάσης εὐχαριστίας. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον σε ἐγκόπτω, παρακαλῶ ἀκοῦσαι συντόμως ἡμῶν τῇ σῇ ἐπιεικείᾳ. Καὶ μὴν ὑμεῖς τοῦτο πεποιήκατε· ῥήτορος οὖν τί ἔδει; Ὅρα πῶς καὶ οὗτος εὐθέως ἐκ προοιμίων ὡς νεωτεροποιὸν καὶ στασιαστὴν βούλεται παραδοῦναι, καὶ τοῖς ἐπαίνοις προκαταλαμβάνει τὸν δικαστήν. Εἶτα ὡς πολλὰ ἔχων εἰπεῖν, παρατρέχει, καὶ μόνον τοῦτο λέγει· Ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἐπιπλέον σε ἐγκόπτω. Ὅρα πῶς εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν ἐμβάλλει κολάσεως τὸν δικαστήν· εἴ γε ἔμελλε τὸν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀνατρέποντα καθέξειν, καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ κατορθώματι φρονοῦσι μεγάλῳ. Εὑρόντες γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον λοιμὸν, καὶ κινοῦντα στάσεις πᾶσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην, πρωτοστάτην τε τῆς τῶν Ναζωραίων αἱρέσεως, ὃς καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐπείρασε βεβηλῶσαι· ὃν καὶ ἐκρατήσαμεν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον νόμον ἠθελήσαμεν κρῖναι. Παρελθὼν δὲ Λυσίας ὁ χιλίαρχος μετὰ πολλῆς βίας ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν 60.345 ἀπήγαγε, κελεύσας τοὺς κατηγόρους αὐτοῦ ἔρχεσθαι ἐπὶ σοῦ· παρ' οὗ δύνασαι αὐτὸς ἀνακρίνας περὶ πάντων τούτων ἐπιγνῶναι, ὧν ἡμεῖς κατηγοροῦμεν αὐτοῦ. Τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην, φησὶν, Ἰουδαίοις στάσεις κινοῦντα. Ὡς λυμεῶνα λοιπὸν καὶ κοινὸν ἐχθρὸν τοῦ ἔθνους διαβάλλουσι πρωτοστάτην τε τῆς τῶν Ναζωραίων [αἱρέσεως. Ἐδόκει τοῦτο ἐπονείδιστον εἶναι, τὸ τῶν Ναζωραίων]· διὸ καὶ τοῦτο παρῆγον, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου πάλιν διέβαλλον αὐτόν· ἡ γὰρ Ναζαρὲθ εὐτελὴς ἦν. Καὶ εὑρόντες, φησίν. Ὅρα, πῶς κακούργως ὡς διαφυγόντα συκοφαντοῦσι, καὶ μόλις ἐπιτυχόντες, καίτοι ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας εἶχεν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ. Ὃν καὶ ἐκρατήσαμεν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον νόμον ἠθελήσαμεν κρῖναι. Ὅρα πῶς καὶ τὸν