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and shamelessly they stand speaking boldly in my presence in the sanctuary, in no way seeing my divine glory, which if they saw, they would not do this, nor would they dare to enter the gates of my divine temple so presumptuously. Therefore everyone who wishes will know all these things (414) that the written things are true and certain from the very works which we priests do, and he will find absolutely no falsehood and will be persuaded and will confess that God Himself has spoken these things through me. Unless someone is one of those who do these things and hastens to cover them with deceitful words and to conceal his own shameful deeds, which the Lord God of all, who reveals the hidden things of darkness, will reveal before angels and men. Which of us present-day priests, having first cleansed his own iniquities, has thus dared to assume the priesthood? Who would say this with boldness, that he has despised the glory below and serves as priest for the sake of the glory above alone? Who has loved Christ alone, and overlooked all gold and money? Who has been content with only what is necessary and has not embezzled anything from his neighbor? Who does not possess a conscience condemned by his own takings, through which he hastened to become or to make [someone a priest], having bought or sold grace? Who has not preferred an unworthy friend over a worthy one, installing him instead? And who does not strive to make his own true friends bishops, so that he might receive with authority all that belongs to others? For this is among the moderate things, which they also think is sinless, (415) taking the affairs of another church. Who, through the request of worldly potentates, friends, rich men and rulers
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καί ἀναισχύντως ἵστανται τοῖς ἀδύτοις παρρησιαζόμενοι ἐνώπιόν μου, μηδαμῶς τήν θείαν μου δόξαν ὁρῶντες, ἥν εἰ ἔβλεπον, οὐκ ἄν τοῦτο ἐποίουν, οὐδέ πρόπυλα τοῦ ναοῦ μου τοῦ θείου οὕτως αὐθαδῶς εἰσβῆναι κατετόλμων. Ταῦτα οὖν πάντα γνώσεται πᾶς ὁ θέλων (414) ἀληθῆ καί βέβαια τά γεγραμμένα ἔργων ἐξ αὐτῶν, ὧν ἱερεῖς ποιοῦμεν, καί ψεῦδος οὐδέν οὐδαμῶς ἄν εὑρήσῃ καί πεισθήσεται καί καθομολογήσει ὡς Θεός αὐτός δι᾿ ἐμοῦ ταῦτα εἶπεν. Εἰ μή τις αὐτά τῶν ποιούντων ὑπάρχει καί σπεύδει λόγοις ἀπατηλοῖς σκεπάσαι καί τάς ἰδίας αἰσχύνας συγκαλύψαι, ἅς ἐνώπιον ἀγγέλων καί ἀνθρώπων ἀποκαλύψει ὁ τά κρυπτά τοῦ σκότους ἀποκαλύπτων Κύριος Θεός πάντων. Ποῖος ἐξ ἡμῶν τῶν νυνί ἱερέων τάς ἀνομίας ἑαυτοῦ προκαθάρας οὕτω κατετόλμησεν ἱερωσύνης; Ποῖος ἄν εἴποι τοῦτο ἐν παρρησίᾳ, ὅτι κατεφρόνησε δόξης τῆς κάτω καί διά μόνην ἱερουργεῖ τήν ἄνω; Ποῖος τόν Χριστόν ἠγάπησε καί μόνον, καί χρυσόν πάντα καί χρήματα παρεῖδε; Ποῖος ἠρκέσθη τοῖς κατά χρείαν μόνοις καί τοῦ πλησίον οὐκ ἐνοσφίσατό τι; Ποῖος τήν συνείδησιν κατεγνωσμένην ἑαυτοῦ οὐ κέκτηται ἀπό λημμάτων, δι᾿ ὧν ἠπείχθη γενέσθαι ἤ ποιῆσαι, ὠνησάμενος ἤ πωλήσας τήν χάριν; Ποῖος οὐ ποέκρινεν ἀξίου φίλον τόν ἀνάξιον μᾶλλον ἐγκαταστήσας; Ἑαυτοῦ δέ τίς οὐ σπουδάζει γνησίους φίλους ἀνθρώπους ἐπισκόπους ποιῆσαι, ὅπως λαμβάνῃ ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ πάντα τά ἀλλότρια; Τοῦτο γάρ τῶν μετρίων, ὅ καί ἀναμάρτητον δοκοῦσιν εἶναι (415) ἄλλης αἴροντες πράγματα ἐκκλησίας. Ποῖος διά αἴτησιν τῶν κατά κόσμον δυναστῶν, φίλων, πλουσίων καί ἀρχόντων