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of the tree; but you do the contrary. For even if the tree is the cause of the fruit, yet the fruit makes the tree known. And it would have been logical, either to slander the works also when you accused us, or, while praising them, to acquit us who perform them of these charges. But now you do the contrary; for having nothing to charge against the works, which are the fruit, you cast the opposite vote concerning the tree, calling me demon-possessed, which is a mark of extreme insolence. For what He said before, He now also establishes, that a good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor again the contrary. So their charges are against all logic and nature. Then, since He is not speaking on His own behalf, but on behalf of the Spirit, He uses the accusation vehemently, saying: O generation of vipers, how can you speak good things, being evil? This is at once an accusation, and a proof of what He said drawn from them. For behold, He says, you, being 57.452 evil trees, cannot bear good fruit. I do not wonder, therefore, that you utter these things; for you were badly brought up, being of wicked ancestors, and you have acquired a wicked mind. And see how precisely and without any handle He has laid the charges. For He did not say: How can you speak good things, being a generation of vipers? for that has nothing to do with this; but, How can you speak good things, being evil? And He called them a generation of vipers, because they boasted in their ancestors. Showing, therefore, that they gain nothing from this, He cast them out of their kinship with Abraham; and He gives them ancestors of like character, stripping them of the renown from that source. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Here again He shows His divinity, knowing the secret things; and that not only for words, but also for evil thoughts they will give an account; and that He knows them as God. And He says that it is not possible for men to know these things; for it is a consequence of nature that when wickedness overflows within, words are poured out through the mouth. So when you hear a man uttering wicked things, do not think that so much wickedness lies in him as the words show; but reckon that the source is much greater; for what is said outwardly is the excess of what is within. Did you see how vehemently He rebuked them? For if what was said is so wicked, and is from the very mind of the devil, consider how great the root and the source of the words is. And this happens with good reason; for the tongue, being ashamed, often does not pour out wickedness all at once; but the heart, having no man as witness, fearlessly brings forth whatever evils it wishes; for it takes little account of God. Since, therefore, the things that are said come under scrutiny and are set before all, but the heart is hidden, for this reason the things from the one are fewer, and from the other are more. But when the multitude within becomes great, with a great rush the things hitherto hidden come forth. And just as those who vomit, at first struggle to hold in the gushing humors, but when they are overcome, they emit much filth; so also do those who have wicked counsels, and who speak evil of their neighbors. The good man, He says, out of his good treasure brings forth good things; and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil things. 2. For do not suppose, He says, that this happens only in the case of wickedness; for it also happens in the case of goodness; for there too the virtue within is greater than the outward 57.453 words. From which He showed that one ought to consider them more wicked than their words indicated, and Himself more good than His words revealed. And He says "treasure," indicating the abundance. Then again He builds up a great fear. For do not suppose, He says, that the matter stops here with the condemnation of the many; for all who practice such evils will pay the ultimate penalty. And He did not say, You; at once instructing the common race, and at the same time

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τοῦ δένδρου· ὑμεῖς δὲ τοὐναντίον ποιεῖτε. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ δένδρον τοῦ καρποῦ αἴτιον, ἀλλ' ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ δένδρου γνωριστικός. Καὶ ἀκόλουθον ἦν, ἢ καὶ τὰ ἔργα διαβάλλειν ἡμᾶς αἰτιωμένους, ἢ ταῦτα ἐπαινοῦντας, καὶ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἐργαζομένους τῶν ἐγκλημάτων ἀπαλλάττειν τούτων. Νῦν δὲ τοὐναντίον ποιεῖτε· τοῖς γὰρ ἔργοις οὐδὲν ἐγκαλεῖν ἔχοντες, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ καρπὸς, τὴν ἐναντίαν περὶ τοῦ δένδρου φέρετε ψῆφον, ἐμὲ δαιμονῶντα καλοῦντες, ὅπερ ἐσχάτης ἐστὶ παροινίας. Καὶ γὰρ ὅπερ ἔμπροσθεν εἶπε, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν κατασκευάζει, ὅτι οὐ δύναται δένδρον ἀγαθὸν καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖν, οὐδ' αὖ τοὐναντίον πάλιν. Ὥστε παρὰ πᾶσαν ἀκολουθίαν καὶ φύσιν αὐτῶν τὰ ἐγκλήματα. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦ Πνεύματος ποιεῖται τὸν λόγον, καὶ καταφορικῶς κέχρηται τῇ κατηγορίᾳ λέγων· Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν, πονηροὶ ὄντες; Τοῦτο δὲ ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐγκαλοῦντός ἐστι, καὶ τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἐξ ἐκείνων παρέχοντος. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὑμεῖς, φησὶ, δένδρα 57.452 ὄντες πονηρὰ, οὐ δύνασθε φέρειν καρπὸν ἀγαθόν. Οὐ τοίνυν θαυμάζω, ὅτι ταῦτα φθέγγεσθε· καὶ γὰρ ἐτράφητε κακῶς, προγόνων ὄντες πονηρῶν, καὶ διάνοιαν κέκτησθε πονηράν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἀκριβῶς καὶ χωρὶς λαβῆς ἁπάσης τέθεικε τὰ ἐγκλήματα. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε· Πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν, γεννήματα ὄντες ἐχιδνῶν; οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦτο πρὸς ἐκεῖνο· ἀλλὰ, Πῶς δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν, πονηροὶ ὄντες; Γεννήματα δὲ ἐχιδνῶν αὐτοὺς εἴρηκεν, ἐπειδὴ ἐπὶ τοῖς προγόνοις ηὔχουν. ∆εικνὺς τοίνυν, ὅτι οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς ἐντεῦθεν τὸ κέρδος, τῆς μὲν πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐξέβαλεν αὐτοὺς συγγενείας· δίδωσι δὲ αὐτοῖς προγόνους ὁμοτρόπους, τῆς ἐκεῖθεν περιφανείας γυμνώσας αὐτούς. Ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ Ἐνταῦθα πάλιν τὴν θεότητα αὐτοῦ δείκνυσιν εἰδυῖαν τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα· καὶ ὅτι οὐχὶ ῥημάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πονηρῶν ἐννοιῶν δώσουσι δίκην· καὶ ὅτι οἶδεν αὐτὰ ὡς Θεός. Λέγει δὲ ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώποις δυνατὸν ταῦτα εἰδέναι· φύσεως γὰρ ἀκολουθία τοῦτο, τὸ ὑπερβλυζούσης ἔνδον τῆς πονηρίας ἐκχεῖσθαι ἔξω διὰ τοῦ στόματος τὰ ῥήματα. Ὥστε ὅταν ἀκούσῃς ἀνθρώπου πονηρὰ φθεγγομένου, μὴ τοσαύτην νόμιζε πονηρίαν ἐγκεῖσθαι αὐτῷ, ὅσην τὰ ῥήματα ἐπιδείκνυται· ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλείονα στοχάζου εἶναι τὴν πηγήν· τὸ γὰρ ἔξωθεν λεγόμενον, τὸ περιττόν ἐστι τοῦ ἔνδον. Εἶδες πῶς αὐτῶν καθήψατο σφοδρῶς; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ λεχθὲν οὕτω πονηρὸν, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῆς τοῦ διαβόλου τῆς γνώμης ἐστὶν, ἐννόησον ἡ ῥίζα καὶ ἡ πηγὴ τῶν ῥημάτων ἡλίκη. Συμβαίνει δὲ τοῦτο εἰκότως· ἡ μὲν γὰρ γλῶττα αἰσχυνομένη πολλάκις οὐκ ἀθρόον ἐκχεῖ τὴν πονηρίαν· ἡ δὲ καρδία οὐδένα ἀνθρώπων ἔχουσα μάρτυρα, ἀδεῶς ὅσα ἂν θέλῃ τίκτει κακά· τοῦ γὰρ Θεοῦ οὐ πολὺς λόγος αὐτῇ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ μὲν λεγόμενα εἰς ἐξέτασιν ἔρχεται καὶ πᾶσι προτίθεται, ἐκείνη δὲ συνεσκίασται, διὰ τοῦτο τὰ μὲν ταύτης ἐλάττω, τὰ δὲ ἐκείνης πλείονα γίνεται. Ὅταν δὲ πολὺ τὸ πλῆθος γένηται τῶν ἔνδον, πολλῷ τῷ ῥοίζῳ τὰ τέως κρυπτόμενα πρόεισι. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ἐμοῦντες, παρὰ μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν βιάζονται ἔνδον κατέχειν ἐκπηδῶντας τοὺς χυμοὺς, ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἐκνικηθῶσι, πολλὴν τὴν βδελυγμίαν προΐενται· οὕτω καὶ οἱ τὰ πονηρὰ βουλεύματα ἔχοντες, καὶ τοὺς πλησίον κακηγοροῦντες. Ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ, φησὶν, ἐκβάλλει τὰ ἀγαθά· καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ θησαυροῦ ἐκβάλλει τὰ πονηρά. βʹ. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσῃς, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῆς πονηρίας τοῦτο γίνεσθαι μόνον· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγαθότητος τοῦτο συμβαίνει· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖ πλείων τῶν ἔξωθεν ῥημάτων 57.453 ἔνδον ἡ ἀρετή. Ἐξ ὧν ἐδείκνυ, ὅτι κἀκείνους πονηροτέρους ἐχρῆν νομίζειν, ἢ τὰ ῥήματα ἐνεδείκνυτο, καὶ αὐτὸν ἀγαθώτερον, ἢ τὰ λεγόμενα ἐνέφαινε. Θησαυρὸν δέ φησι, τὸ πλῆθος ἐνδεικνύμενος. Εἶτα πάλιν πολὺν ἐπιτειχίζει τὸν φόβον. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε, φησὶ, μέχρι τούτου καὶ τῆς τῶν πολλῶν καταγνώσεως τὸ πρᾶγμα ἑστηκέναι· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἐσχάτην δώσουσι δίκην ἅπαντες οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα πονηρευόμενοι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὑμεῖς· ὁμοῦ μὲν τὸ κοινὸν παιδεύων γένος, ὁμοῦ δὲ