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is freed from every swarm, and becomes higher and stronger. Knowing all these things, therefore, let us flee the glory from the many and the pleasure that comes from it, that we may attain the glory that truly is and abides forever; which may we all be granted to attain, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 57.445 HOMILY 41. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste; and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 1. And they had already accused him of this, that he casts out demons by Beelzebul. But at that time he did not rebuke them, giving them the chance to know his power from the many signs, and to learn his greatness from his teaching. But since they persisted in saying the same things, he then rebukes them; first, by this showing his divinity, by bringing their secret thoughts into the open; and second, by casting out the demons with ease. And yet the accusation was exceedingly shameless. For as I said, envy does not seek what to say, but only that it may say something. But nevertheless Christ did not despise them even so, but defends himself with the gentleness befitting him, teaching us to be meek to our enemies; and even if they say such things, which we are not conscious of in ourselves, and which have no sense at all, not to be troubled, nor disturbed, but with all long-suffering to render them an account. This is what he especially did then, giving the greatest proof that the things said by them were false. For it was not the act of one possessed by a demon to show such gentleness; it was not the act of one possessed by a demon to know secret things. For both because such a suspicion was exceedingly shameless, and because of the fear of the multitudes, they did not even dare to make these charges public, but turned them over in their minds. But he, showing them that he knew those things as well, does not state the accusation, nor parade their wickedness; but he brings forth the refutation, leaving the conviction to the conscience of those who had spoken. For one thing only was his great concern, to benefit the sinners, not to expose them. And yet, if he had wished to draw out a long speech, and to make them ridiculous, and after this also to demand of them the ultimate penalty, there was nothing to prevent it; but nevertheless, letting all these things pass, he looked to one thing only, not to make them more contentious, but more gentle, and by this to make them more fit for correction. How then does he defend himself to them? He says nothing from the Scriptures (for they were not paying attention, but were even about to misinterpret them), but from things that commonly happen. For every kingdom, he says, 57.446 divided against itself will not stand; and a city and a house, if it be divided, is quickly dissolved. For external wars do not destroy so much as civil wars. For this happens also in bodies; this also in all things; but for the present he brings examples from the more familiar things. And yet what is more powerful than a kingdom on earth? Nothing; but nevertheless it perishes when in sedition. But if there he blames the bulk of things, as being rent asunder by itself, what would you say concerning a city? and what concerning a house? For whether it be something small, or something great, if it is in sedition against itself, it perishes. If, therefore, I, having a demon, cast out demons by him, there is sedition and battle among demons, and they stand against each other. But if they stand against each other, their strength has perished and is destroyed. For if Satan casts out Satan (and he did not say, the demons, showing that there is great agreement among them), he is therefore divided against himself, he says. And if he is divided, he has become weaker, and has perished; but if he has perished, how can he cast out another? Have you seen how great is the absurdity of the accusation? how great the foolishness? how great the contradiction? For it is not possible for the same people to say that he stands, and that he casts out demons; and to say that he stands for this reason, for which it was likely that he would have been overthrown. And this is the first

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ἐσμοῦ παντὸς ἀπήλλακται, καὶ ὑψηλοτέρα γίνεται καὶ ἰσχυροτέρα. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα εἰδότες, φεύγωμεν τὴν παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν δόξαν καὶ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἡδονὴν, ἵνα τῆς ὄντως δόξης καὶ μενούσης ἀεὶ τύχωμεν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 57.445 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΜΑʹ. Εἰδὼς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶν εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Πᾶσα βασιλεία μερισθεῖσα καθ' ἑαυ τῆς, ἐρημωθήσεται· καὶ πᾶσα πόλις ἢ οἰκία μερισθεῖσα καθ' ἑαυτῆς, οὐ σταθήσεται. Καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς τὸν Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλει, ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν ἐμε ρίσθη· πῶς οὖν σταθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ; αʹ. Καὶ ἤδη τοῦτο κατηγόρησαν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια. Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν οὐκ ἐπετίμησε, διδοὺς αὐτοῖς ἀπό τε τῶν πλειόνων σημείων γνῶναι αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, ἀπό τε τῆς διδασκαλίας μαθεῖν αὐτοῦ τὴν μεγαλωσύνην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπέμενον τὰ αὐτὰ λέγοντες, καὶ ἐπιτιμᾷ λοιπόν· πρώτῳ μὲν τούτῳ τὴν θεότητα ἐνδεικνύμενος τὴν αὐτοῦ, τῷ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα αὐτῶν εἰς μέσον ἐξάγειν· δευτέρῳ δὲ, αὐτῷ τῷ μετ' εὐκολίας τοὺς δαίμονας ἐκβάλλειν. Καίτοι καὶ ἡ κατηγορία σφόδρα ἀναίσχυντος ἦν. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἔφην, ὁ φθόνος οὐ ζητεῖ τί εἴπῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἴπῃ μόνον. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτω κατεφρόνησεν αὐτῶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλ' ἀπολογεῖται μετὰ τῆς αὐτῷ προσηκούσης ἐπιεικείας, παιδεύων ἡμᾶς πράους εἶναι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς· κἂν τοιαῦτα λέγωσιν, ἃ μήτε ἑαυτοῖς σύνισμεν ἡμεῖς, μήτε τὸν τυχόντα ἔχει λόγον, μὴ θορυβεῖσθαι, μηδὲ ταράττεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μετὰ μακροθυμίας ἁπάσης παρέχειν αὐτοῖς εὐθύνας. Ὃ δὴ μάλιστα καὶ τότε ἐποίει, δεῖγμα μέγιστον παρεχόμενος τοῦ ψευδῆ εἶναι τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν εἰρημένα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δαιμονῶντος ἦν τοσαύτην ἐπιδείκνυσθαι ἐπιείκειαν· οὐ δαιμονῶντος τὸ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα εἰδέναι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ διὰ τὸ σφόδρα ἀναίσχυντον εἶναι τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπόνοιαν, καὶ διὰ τὸν παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν φόβον, οὐδὲ ἐτόλμων δημοσιεύειν τὰ ἐγκλήματα ταῦτα, ἀλλ' ἐν διανοίᾳ ἔστρεφον. Αὐτὸς δὲ δεικνὺς αὐτοῖς, ὅτι κἀκεῖνα οἶδε, τὴν μὲν κατηγορίαν οὐ τίθησιν, οὐδὲ ἐκπομπεύει αὐτῶν τὴν πονηρίαν· τὴν δὲ λύσιν ἐπάγει, τῷ συνειδότι τῶν εἰρηκότων καταλιμπάνων τὸν ἔλεγχον. Ἓν γὰρ αὐτῷ περισπούδαστον ἦν μόνον, ὠφελῆσαι τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, οὐκ ἐκπομπεῦσαι. Καίτοιγε, εἴ γε ἐβούλετο μακρὸν ἀποτεῖναι λόγον, καὶ καταγελάστους ποιῆσαι, καὶ μετὰ τούτων καὶ δίκην αὐτοὺς ἀπαιτῆσαι τὴν ἐσχάτην, οὐδὲν τὸ κωλύον ἦν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ταῦτα πάντα παρεὶς, εἰς ἓν ἔβλεπε μόνον, τὸ μὴ φιλονεικοτέρους ἐργάσασθαι, ἀλλ' ἐπιεικεστέρους, καὶ ταύτῃ πρὸς διόρθωσιν ἐπιτηδειοτέρους ποιῆσαι. Πῶς οὖν αὐτοῖς ἀπολογεῖται; Οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν φησιν, (οὐδὲ γὰρ προσεῖχον, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρερμηνεύειν ἔμελλον·) ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν κοινῇ συμβαινόντων. Πᾶσα γὰρ βασιλεία, φησὶν, 57.446 ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν μερισθεῖσα, οὐ σταθήσεται· καὶ πόλις καὶ οἰκία ἂν σχισθῇ, ταχέως διαλύεται. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως οἱ ἔξωθεν πόλεμοι ὡς οἱ ἐμφύλιοι διαφθείρουσι. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐν σώμασι γίνεται· τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἅπασι πράγμασιν· ἀλλὰ τέως ἀπὸ τῶν γνωριμωτέρων τὰ ὑποδείγματα ἄγει. Καίτοι τί βασιλείας ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς δυνατώτερον; Οὐδέν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπόλλυται στασιάζουσα. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖ τὸν ὄγκον αἰτιᾶται τῶν πραγμάτων, ὡς ἑαυτῷ συῤῥηγνύμενον, τί ἂν εἴποις περὶ πόλεως; τί δὲ περὶ οἰκίας; Κἂν γὰρ μικρόν τι, κἂν μέγα ᾖ, πρὸς ἑαυτὸ στασιάζον ἀπόλλυται. Εἰ τοίνυν ἐγὼ δαίμονα ἔχων, δι' ἐκείνου ἐκβάλλω τοὺς δαίμονας, στάσις καὶ μάχη μεταξὺ δαιμόνων ἐστὶ, καὶ κατ' ἀλλήλων ἵστανται. Εἰ δὲ κατ' ἀλλήλων ἵστανται, ἀπόλωλεν αὐτῶν ἡ ἰσχὺς καὶ διέφθαρται. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Σατανᾶς τὸν Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλει, (καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Τοὺς δαίμονας, δεικνὺς πολλὴν αὐτοῖς πρὸς ἀλλήλους συμφωνίαν οὖσαν·) ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν οὖν ἐμερίσθη, φησίν. Εἰ δὲ ἐμερίσθη, ἀσθενέστερος γέγονε, καὶ ἀπόλωλεν· εἰ δὲ ἀπόλωλε, πῶς δύναται ἕτερον ἐκβάλλειν; Εἶδες πόσος τῆς κατηγορίας ὁ γέλως; πόση ἡ ἄνοια; πόση ἡ μάχη; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστι τῶν αὐτῶν λέγειν μὲν, ὅτι ἕστηκε, καὶ ὅτι ἐκβάλλει τοὺς δαίμονας· λέγειν δὲ, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἕστηκε, δι' ὃ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτὸν καταλελύσθαι. Καὶ πρώτη μὲν αὕτη ἡ