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has perhaps harmed him a little; but in doing good, he heaped coals of fire upon his head. So then, ought we not to do it, he says, so that we may not heap up coals? But do you wish to heap coals upon your own head in another way? for bearing a grudge does this. But to extend it further? By no means; for you are not doing this, but that beastly man. For if, while you are doing good and honoring and reconciling, that man persists in maintaining his enmity, he has kindled the fire for himself, he has himself set his own head aflame; and you are blameless. Do not become more loving towards mankind than God, since you will suffer countless terrible things; or rather, you would not be able to, even if you wanted to, not even a little. For how? As far as the heaven is from the earth, He says, so far are My thoughts from your thoughts; and again, If you, He says, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give to you? But these things are an excuse and a pretext. Let us not then make sophisms of the commandments of God. And how do we make sophisms? he says. He said, In doing this, you will heap coals of fire upon his head; but you say, I fear the enemy, because he has greatly wronged me. Do you not say these things? But how did you get an enemy at all? Do you fear the one who has wronged you, and not fear for yourself? Would that you took care for yourself. Do not do it with such a purpose; or rather, do it even with such a purpose. But you do not do it. I do not say to you that you will heap coals of fire, but I say something more; only do it. For all these things, says Paul, are to call you forth, in the hope of vengeance, to dissolve the enmity. Since we are beastly, and would not otherwise endure to love an enemy, unless we expect some vengeance, as to some beast he gives this morsel; since to the apostles he does not say this, but what? That you may become like your Father who is in heaven. Otherwise it is not possible for one doing good and one receiving good to remain an enemy. For this reason he established these things. Why, philosophizing in words, in deeds do you not keep even the measure 60.351? Good, you do not feed him, so that you may not heap coals of fire; do you not then spare him? do you not then love him, and do it with such a purpose? God knows if you speak with such a purpose; and yet to us you make a sophism and a pretext of the word. Do you take thought for your enemy and fear lest he be punished? Then you have extinguished your anger; for one who loves in such a way as to overlook his own benefit for the sake of what is advantageous to that man, has no enemy. Could you say this? How long shall we jest in matters that are no jest, nor have any excuse? Wherefore I beseech our brotherhood, beloved by the Lord 60.352 and your God and Savior Jesus Christ, and I beg and implore you], having cut away these pretexts, let us not despise the laws of God, [nor let us neglect His commandments], so that we may be able to live the present life in a manner pleasing to the Lord, and to obtain the good things that have been promised, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, honor, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

60.351 HOMILY 51. But Felix, he says, adjourned them, knowing more accurately the things concerning the Way, saying: When Lysias the chiliarch comes down,

I will decide your case. And having commanded the centurion to keep Paul, and to have some liberty, and to forbid none of his own to minister or

to come to him. 1. See how great a trial takes place, first by many, then also over a long time

long, so that one cannot say that the court was carried away by passion. For since the orator mentioned Lysias, saying that with violence he took him away, he opportunely brought in the things concerning Felix, and says: But Felix adjourned them, knowing more accurately the things concerning

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ἔβλαψεν ἴσως μικρόν τι· εὐεργετῶν δὲ, ἄνθρακας πυρὸς ἐσώρευσεν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. Οὐκοῦν οὐ δεῖ ποιεῖν, φησὶν, ἵνα μὴ σωρεύωμεν ἄνθρακας; Ἀλλ' ἑτέρως ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τὴν σὴν ἄνθρακας σωρεύειν θέλεις; καὶ γὰρ τοῦτο ποιεῖ μνησικακία. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐκτείνειν; Οὐδαμῶς· οὐ γὰρ σὺ τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ὁ θηριώδης. Εἰ γὰρ εὐεργετοῦντός σου καὶ τιμῶντος καὶ καταλλάττοντος, μένει φυλάττων ἐκεῖνος τὴν ἀπέχθειαν, ἑαυτῷ τὸ πῦρ ἀνῆψεν, αὐτὸς ἔφλεξεν αὑτοῦ τὴν κεφαλήν· σὺ δὲ ἀναίτιος εἶ. Μὴ γίνου τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπότερος, ἐπεὶ μυρία πείσῃ δεινά· μᾶλλον δὲ, οὐδ' ἂν θέλῃς δυνήσῃ, οὐδὲ κατὰ μικρόν. Πῶς γάρ; Ὅσον ἀπέχει ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, φησὶ, τοσοῦτον ἀπέχουσιν αἱ βουλαί μου ἀπὸ τῶν βουλῶν ὑμῶν· καὶ πάλιν· Εἰ ὑμεῖς, φησὶ, πονηροὶ ὄντες οἴδατε δόματα ἀγαθὰ διδόναι τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος δώσει ὑμῖν; Ἀλλὰ σκῆψις ταῦτα καὶ πρόφασις. Μὴ δὴ σοφιζώμεθα τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ πῶς σοφιζόμεθα, φησίν; Εἶπε· Τοῦτο ποιῶν, ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ· σὺ δὲ λέγεις· Φοβοῦμαι τὸν ἐχθρὸν, ὅτι μεγάλα με ἠδίκησεν. Οὐ ταῦτα λέγεις; Πῶς δὲ ὅλως ἔσχες ἐχθρόν; Ἀδικήσαντα φοβῇ, σαυτὸν δὲ οὐ φοβῇ; Εἴθε σαυτοῦ ἐφρόντιζες. Μὴ ποίει σκοπῷ τοιούτῳ· μᾶλλον δὲ κἂν τοιούτῳ ποίησον σκοπῷ. Ἀλλ' οὐ ποιεῖς. Οὐ λέγω σοι, ὅτι ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερόν τι πλέον λέγω· μόνον ποίησον. Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα, ἵνα σε ἐκκαλέσηται, φησὶν ὁ Παῦλος, ἐλπίδι τῆς τιμωρίας λῦσαι τὴν ἔχθραν. Ἐπειδὴ θηριώδεις ἐσμὲν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἄλλως ἀνασχοίμεθα τὸν ἐχθρὸν φιλῆσαι, εἰ μή τινα προσδοκῶμεν τιμωρίαν, καθάπερ τινὶ θηρίῳ δίδωσι ταύτην τὴν μᾶζαν· ἐπεὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις οὐ τοῦτό φησιν, ἀλλὰ τί; Ὅπως γένησθε ὅμοιοι τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς. Ἄλλως δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν εὐεργετοῦντα καὶ εὐεργετούμενον μεῖναι ἐχθρόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα ἔθηκε. Τί ἐν τοῖς λόγοις φιλοσοφῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις οὐδὲ τὸ μέτρον φυλάτ 60.351 τεις; Καλῶς, οὐ ψωμίζεις αὐτὸν, ἵνα μὴ ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσῃς· οὐκοῦν φείδῃ; οὐκοῦν φιλεῖς, καὶ σκοπῷ τοιούτῳ ποιεῖς; Οἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς, εἰ σκοπῷ τοιούτῳ λέγεις· καὶ μὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς σοφίζῃ καὶ σκήπτῃ τὸν λόγον. Προνοεῖς τοῦ ἐχθροῦ καὶ φοβῇ μὴ κολασθῇ; Οὐκοῦν ἔσβεσας τὴν ὀργήν· ὁ γὰρ οὕτω φιλῶν, ὡς τὴν οἰκείαν ὠφέλειαν παριδεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐκείνῳ συμφερόντων, οὐκ ἔχει ἐχθρόν. Ἔχοις ἂν τοῦτο εἰπεῖν· Μέχρι τίνος παίζομεν ἐν οὐ παικτοῖς, οὐδὲ ἔχουσι συγγνώμην; ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ἀδελφότητι, ἠγαπημένοι ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου 60.352 καὶ Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ὑμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ δέομαι ὑμῶν καὶ ἀντιβολῶ], τὰς προφάσεις ταύτας περικόψαντες, μὴ καταφρονῶμεν τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμων, [μηδὲ τῶν αὐτοῦ ἐντολῶν παροψώμεθα], ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν εὐαρέστως τῷ Κυρίῳ τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν διαγαγεῖν, καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν 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.

60.351 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΑʹ. Ἀνεβάλετο δὲ, φησὶ, ὁ Φῆλιξ αὐτοὺς, ἀκριβέστερον εἰδὼς τὰ περὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, εἰπών· Ὅταν Λυσίας ὁ χιλίαρχος καταβῇ,

διαγνώσομαι τὰ καθ' ὑμᾶς. ∆ιαταξάμενός τε τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ τηρεῖσθαι τὸν Παῦλον, ἔχειν τε ἄνεσιν, καὶ μηδένα κωλύειν τῶν ἰδίων ὑπηρετεῖν ἢ

προσέρχεσθαι αὐτῷ. αʹ. Ὅρα πόση γίνεται βάσανος, πρῶτον μὲν ὑπὸ πολλῶν, εἶτα καὶ ἐν χρόνῳ

μακρῷ, ὥστε μὴ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι συνηρπάγη τὸ δικαστήριον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐμνημόνευσε Λυσίου ὁ ῥήτωρ, εἰπὼν, ὅτι μετὰ βίας ἀφείλετο αὐτὸν, ἐπήγαγεν εὐκαίρως τὰ περὶ τοῦ Φήλικος, καί φησιν· Ἀνεβάλετο δὲ ὁ Φῆλιξ αὐτοὺς, ἀκριβέστερον εἰδὼς τὰ περὶ