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he might impart it to them, then they pour out the poison. But for what reason does he introduce the servants speaking of what had happened? That he might say that one must not destroy them. And he calls him an enemy man, because of the harm to men. For the spite is against us; but the origin of the spite was not from enmity towards us, but from enmity towards God. From which it is clear that God loves us more than we love ourselves. But see from another angle the devil's wickedness. For he did not sow before this, since he had nothing to destroy; but when all things were filled, that he might ruin the farmer's diligence; thus, being so hostile toward him, he did all things. Consider also the affection of the servants. For indeed they are already eager to pull up the tares, even if they do not do so with deliberation; which shows their concern for the seed, and that they look to one thing only, not that that one should be punished, but that what was sown might not be lost; for this is not the pressing matter. Therefore they consider how they might for the time being remove the disease. And they do not seek this simply; for they do not entrust it to themselves, but await the master's decision, saying: Do you wish? What then says the master? He forbids them, saying: Lest you root up the wheat along with them. And he said this, forbidding wars and bloodshed and slaughters to happen. For one must not kill a heretic; since a truceless war would be about to be introduced into the world. 2. By these two reasonings, therefore, he restrains them: first, that the wheat not be harmed; and second, that punishment will certainly overtake those who are incurably sick. So that if you wish them to be punished, and without harm to the wheat, await the proper time. And what is, Lest you root up the wheat along with them? Either he says this, that if you were to take up arms and slaughter the heretics, it would be necessary for many of the saints also to be struck down with them; or that from the tares themselves it is likely that many will change and become wheat. If, therefore, you root them up beforehand, you damage the future wheat, by destroying those whom it is possible to change and become better. Therefore, he does not forbid restraining heretics, and silencing them, and cutting off their boldness, and breaking up their synods and their covenants, but killing and slaughtering them. But you, consider his gentleness, how he not only declares, nor forbids, but also sets forth reasonings. What then, if the tares remain until the end? Then I will say to the reapers: Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to be burned. Again he reminds them of the sayings of John that introduce him as judge, and says that as long as they stand near the wheat, one must spare them; for it is possible for them also to become wheat; but when they depart having gained nothing, then of necessity inexorable justice will succeed them. For I will say to the reapers, he says, Gather 58.478 first the tares. Why first? So that these may not be afraid, as if the wheat were being carried away along with them. And bind them in bundles, to be burned; but gather the wheat into the barn. He put forth another parable to them, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed. For since he said that of the seed, three parts are lost, and one is saved, and in that which is saved there is again so much harm, so that they might not say, And who and how many will the faithful be? he also removes this fear, through the parable of the mustard seed leading them to faith, and showing that the preaching will surely be extended. For this reason he brought forward the image of the herb, which is very like the subject matter: Which is indeed the smallest, he says, of all seeds; but when it has grown, it is the greatest of herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come, and lodge in its branches. For he wished to show the proof of its greatness. So indeed it will also be with the preaching, he says. For the disciples were weaker than all, and lesser than all; but nevertheless, since the power in them was great, it was spread over all the world. Then also

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αὐτοῖς μεταδῷ, τότε τὸν ἰὸν ἐκχέουσι. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν εἰσάγει τοὺς δούλους λέγοντας τὸ γεγενημένον; Ἵνα εἴπῃ ὅτι οὐ δεῖ ἀναιρεῖν αὐτούς. Ἐχθρὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον αὐτὸν καλεῖ, διὰ τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους βλάβην. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐπήρεια καθ' ἡμῶν· ἡ δὲ ἀρχὴ τῆς ἐπηρείας οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἔχθρας ἐγένετο. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς ἡμᾶς φιλεῖ, ἢ ἡμεῖς ἑαυτούς. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθεν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν κακουργίαν. Οὐ γὰρ πρὸ τούτου ἔσπειρεν, ἐπειδὴ μηδὲν εἶχεν ἀπολέσαι· ἀλλ' ὅτε ἦν ἅπαντα πεπληρωμένα, ἵνα τῇ σπουδῇ λυμήνηται τοῦ γεωργοῦ· οὕτω πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐχθρωδῶς ἔχων πάντα ἐποίει. Σκόπει δὲ καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν τὴν φιλοστοργίαν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπείγονται ἤδη τὰ ζιζάνια ἀνασπάσαι, εἰ καὶ μὴ διεσκεμμένως ποιοῦσιν· ὅπερ δείκνυσι τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ σπόρου μέριμναν αὐτῶν, καὶ πρὸς ἓν μόνον βλέποντας, οὐχ ὅπως ἐκεῖνος δῷ δίκην, ἀλλ' ὥστε τὰ καταβληθέντα μὴ ἀπολέσθαι· οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ κατεπεῖγον. ∆ιόπερ ὅπως τὸ νόσημα τέως ἐξέλωσι, σκοποῦσι. Καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἁπλῶς ζητοῦσιν· οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιτρέπουσιν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ δεσπότου τὴν γνώμην ἀναμένουσι λέγοντες· Θέλεις; Τί οὖν ὁ δεσπότης; Κωλύει λέγων· Μήποτε ἐκριζώσητε ἅμα αὐτοῖς τὸν σῖτον. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγε, κωλύων πολέμους γίνεσθαι καὶ αἵματα καὶ σφαγάς. Οὐ γὰρ δεῖ ἀναιρεῖν αἱρετικόν· ἐπεὶ πόλεμος ἄσπονδος ἔμελλεν εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰσάγεσθαι. βʹ. ∆ύο τοίνυν τούτοις αὐτοὺς κατέχει τοῖς λογισμοῖς· ἑνὶ μὲν, τῷ μὴ τὸν σῖτον βλαβῆναι· ἑτέρῳ δὲ, τῷ καταλήψεσθαι τὴν κόλασιν πάντως αὐτοὺς ἀνιάτως νοσοῦντας. Ὥστε εἰ βούλει καὶ κολασθῆναι αὐτοὺς, καὶ χωρὶς τῆς τοῦ σίτου βλάβης, ἀνάμεινον τὸν προσήκοντα καιρόν. Τί δέ ἐστι, Μὴ ἐκριζώσητε ἅμα αὐτοῖς τὸν σῖτον; Ἢ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι Εἰ μέλλοιτε κινεῖν ὅπλα καὶ κατασφάττειν τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς, ἀνάγκη πολλοὺς καὶ τῶν ἁγίων συγκαταβάλλεσθαι· ἢ ὅτι ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ζιζανίων πολλοὺς εἰκὸς μεταβαλέσθαι καὶ γενέσθαι σῖτον. Ἂν τοίνυν προλαβόντες αὐτοὺς ἐκριζώσητε, λυμαίνεσθε τῷ μέλλοντι γίνεσθαι σίτῳ, οὓς ἐγχωρεῖ μεταβαλέσθαι καὶ γενέσθαι βελτίους ἀναιροῦντες. Οὐ τοίνυν κατέχειν αἱρετικοὺς, καὶ ἐπιστομίζειν, καὶ ἐκκόπτειν αὐτῶν τὴν παῤῥησίαν, καὶ τὰς συνόδους καὶ τὰς σπονδὰς διαλύειν κωλύει, ἀλλ' ἀναιρεῖν καὶ κατασφάττειν. Σὺ δὲ αὐτοῦ σκόπει τὴν ἡμερότητα, πῶς οὐκ ἀποφαίνεται μόνον, οὐδὲ κωλύει, ἀλλὰ λογισμοὺς τίθησι. Τί οὖν, ἂν μέχρι τέλους μένῃ τὰ ζιζάνια; Τότε ἐρῶ τοῖς θερισταῖς· Συλλέξατε πρῶτον τὰ ζιζάνια, καὶ δήσατε αὐτὰ δεσμὰς πρὸς τὸ κατακαῦσαι αὐτά. Πάλιν ἀναμιμνήσκει αὐτοὺς τῶν Ἰωάννου ῥημάτων τῶν κριτὴν αὐτὸν εἰσαγόντων, καί φησιν, ὅτι ἕως μὲν ἑστήκασιν ἐγγὺς τοῦ σίτου, φείδεσθαι χρή· ἐγχωρεῖ γὰρ αὐτοὺς καὶ σῖτον γενέσθαι· ὅταν δὲ μηδὲν κερδάναντες ἀπέλθωσι, τότε αὐτοὺς ἀναγκαίως ἡ ἀπαραίτητος διαδέξεται δίκη. Ἐρῶ γὰρ τοῖς θερισταῖς, φησὶ, Συλλέξατε 58.478 πρῶτον τὰ ζιζάνια. ∆ιατί πρῶτον; Ἵνα μὴ φοβηθῶσιν οὗτοι, ὡς συναπαγομένου ἅμα αὐτοῖς τοῦ σίτου. Καὶ δήσατε αὐτὰ δεσμὰς, ὥστε κατακαῦσαι αὐτά· τὸν δὲ σῖτον συναγάγετε εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην. Ἄλλην παραβολὴν παρέθηκεν αὐτοῖς λέγων· Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν κόκκῳ σινάπεως. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ σπόρου τρία μέρη ἀπόλλυται, καὶ σώζεται ἓν, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ πάλιν τῷ σωζομένῳ τοσαύτη γίνεται βλάβη, ἵνα μὴ λέγωσι, Καὶ τίνες καὶ πόσοι ἔσονται οἱ πιστοί; καὶ τοῦτον ἐξαιρεῖ τὸν φόβον, διὰ τῆς παραβολῆς τοῦ σινάπεως ἐνάγων εἰς πίστιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι πάντως ἐκταθήσεται τὸ κήρυγμα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τοῦ λαχάνου τὴν εἰκόνα εἰς μέσον ἤγαγε σφόδρα ἐοικυῖαν τῇ ὑποθέσει· Ὃ μικρότερον μὲν, φησὶν, ἐστὶ πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων· ὅταν δὲ αὐξηθῇ, μεῖζον τῶν λαχάνων ἐστὶ, καὶ γίνεται δένδρον, ὥστε ἐλθεῖν τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ κατασκηνοῦν ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ γὰρ μεγέθους τὸ τεκμήριον ἐνδείξασθαι ἠβουλήθη. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος ἔσται, φησί. Καὶ γὰρ ἁπάντων ἀσθενέστεροι ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ πάντων ἐλάττους· ἀλλ' ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ μεγάλη ἦν ἡ ἐν αὐτοῖς δύναμις, ἐξηπλώθη πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης. Εἶτα καὶ