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luxurious dinners have been acquitted of charges. Listen, at any rate, even apart from these things, how the prophet accuses, saying thus: Woe to those who drink strained wine, and anoint themselves with the finest ointments. Do you see how even 58.494 he accuses of luxury? For he does not charge greed here, but only profligacy. 2. And you eat to excess, but Christ not even enough for His need; you eat various cakes, but He not even dry bread; you drink Thasian wine, but to Him you have not even given a cup of cold water when He was thirsty; you lie on a soft and embroidered couch, but He is perishing from the frost. Therefore, even if the dinners are free from greed, they are still accursed, because you do all things beyond what is necessary, but to Him you do not even give what is necessary, and this while you revel in what is His. But if you were a guardian of a child, and having taken what was his, you overlooked him being in the most extreme circumstances, you would have had ten thousand accusers, and you would have paid the penalty from the laws; but having taken what is Christ’s, and spending it so pointlessly, do you not think you will give an account? And I say these things not about those who bring prostitutes to their tables; (for with them I have no argument, just as I have none with dogs;) nor about the greedy and those who gorge others; (for with them I have nothing in common, just as I have nothing with pigs and wolves;) but about those who enjoy their own property, but do not share with others, about those who simply squander their patrimony. For not even these are outside of accusation. For how, tell me, will you escape accusation and charges, when your parasite is gorged and the dog standing by, but Christ does not seem to you worthy even of these things? when one receives so much for the sake of a laugh, but the other, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, not even the smallest fraction of these things? and the one, in order to say something witty, departed having been filled, while this one, having taught us things which, if we had not learned them, we would have been no different from dogs, is not even deemed worthy of the same things as that one? Do you shudder hearing this? Then shudder at the deeds. Cast out the parasites, and make Christ recline with you. If he should share salt and table with you, he will be gentle in judging you; he knows how to respect a table. For if robbers know this, much more so does the Master. Consider, at any rate, that prostitute, how he justified her from the table, and rebukes Simon, saying: You gave me no kiss. For if he feeds you when you do not do these things, much more will he reward you when you do. Do not look at the poor man, because he approaches filthy and squalid; but consider that Christ through him enters your house, and cease from cruelty and from the harsh words, with which you always assail those who approach, calling them impostors, idle, and other things more grievous than these. And consider, when you say these things, what deeds do the parasites perform? how do they benefit your house? Do they by all means make the meal pleasant for you? And how is it pleasant, when they are slapped and say shameful things? And what is more unpleasant than this, when you strike one made in the image of God, and from the insult to him gather pleasure for yourself, making your house a theater, and filling the banquet with mimes, and, though you are noble and free, imitating the clean-shaven actors on the stage? For there too are laughter and slaps. Do you then call these things pleasure, tell me, which are worthy of many tears, of much lamentation and wailing? and when it is necessary to cast them into a virtuous life, necessary to advise them on what is proper, you instead lead them into perjury and disorderly words, and call the matter a delight, and you consider that which 58.495 is an agent of Gehenna to be a source of pleasure? For when they are at a loss for witty sayings, they resolve the whole matter with oaths and perjuries. Are these things, then, worthy of laughter, and not of lamentation and tears? And who, having sense, would say these things? 7. And I say these things, not to prevent them from being fed, but that it not be for such a cause. For let the food have philanthropy as its reason, not cruelty; mercy, not insult. Because he is poor, feed him; because Christ is fed, feed him; not because he introduces satanic words and shames his own life. Do not look at him laughing on the outside, but examine his conscience, and then you will see him cursing himself ten thousand times, and

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ἐγκλημάτων τὰ πολυτελῆ δεῖπνα ἀπήλλακται. Ἄκουσον γοῦν καὶ χωρὶς τούτων πῶς ἐγκαλεῖ ὁ προφήτης, οὕτω λέγων· Οὐαὶ οἱ πίνοντες τὸν διυλισμένον οἶνον, καὶ τὰ πρῶτα μύρα χριόμενοι. Ὁρᾷς πῶς καὶ 58.494 τρυφῆς κατηγορεῖ; Οὐδὲ γὰρ πλεονεξίαν ἐνταῦθα αἰτιᾶται, ἀλλ' ἀσωτίαν μόνον. ʹ. Καὶ σὺ μὲν εἰς ἀμετρίαν ἐσθίεις, ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐδὲ εἰς χρείαν· σὺ μὲν πλακοῦντας διαφόρους, ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐδὲ ἄρτον ξηρόν· σὺ Θάσιον οἶνον, ἐκείνῳ δὲ οὐδὲ ψυχρὸν ἐπέδωκας ποτήριον διψῶντι· σὺ μὲν ἐπὶ στρωμνῆς ἁπαλῆς καὶ πεποικιλμένης, ὁ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ κρυμοῦ διαφθείρεται. ∆ιὸ κἂν πλεονεξίας καθαρὰ ᾖ τὰ δεῖπνα, καὶ οὕτως ἐστὶν ἐναγῆ, ὅτι σὺ μὲν ὑπὲρ τὴν χρείαν πάντα ποιεῖς, ἐκείνῳ δὲ οὐδὲ τὴν χρείαν δίδως, καὶ ταῦτα ἐντρυφῶν τοῖς αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' εἰ παιδὸς μὲν ἐπετρόπευες, καὶ λαβὼν τὰ αὐτοῦ, περιεώρας αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ὄντα, μυρίους ἂν ἔσχες κατηγόρους, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν νόμων ἔδωκας ἂν δίκην· τὰ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λαβὼν, καὶ οὕτω μάτην ἀναλίσκων, οὐχ ἡγῇ δώσειν εὐθύνας; Καὶ ταῦτα οὐ περὶ τῶν τὰς πόρνας ταῖς τραπέζαις αὐτῶν ἐπεισαγόντων λέγω· (πρὸς γὰρ ἐκείνους οὐδείς μοι λόγος, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ πρὸς τοὺς κύνας·) οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν πλεονεκτούντων καὶ ἑτέρους γαστριζόντων· (οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸς αὐτούς ἐστί τί μοι κοινὸν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ πρὸς τοὺς χοίρους καὶ τοὺς λύκους·) ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν ἀπολαυόντων μὲν τῆς ἰδίας οὐσίας, οὐ μεταδιδόντων δὲ ἑτέροις, περὶ τῶν τὰ πατρῷα καταναλισκόντων ἁπλῶς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὗτοι κατηγορίας ἐκτός. Πῶς γὰρ, εἰπέ μοι, διαφεύξῃ κατηγορίαν καὶ ἐγκλήματα, ὅταν ὁ μὲν παράσιτός σου γαστρίζηται καὶ ὁ κύων παρεστὼς, ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς μηδὲ τούτων ἄξιός σοι φαίνηται; ὅταν ὁ μὲν ὑπὲρ γέλωτος τοσαῦτα λαμβάνῃ, ὁ δὲ ὑπὲρ βασιλείας οὐρανῶν οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν τούτων; καὶ ὁ μὲν ἵνα τι εἴπῃ ἀστεῖον ἐμπλησθεὶς ἀπῆλθεν, οὗτος δὲ διδάξας ἡμᾶς, ἃ μὴ μαθόντες οὐδὲν ἂν τῶν κυνῶν διεφέρομεν, οὐδὲ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξιοῦται ἐκείνῳ; Φρίττεις ἀκούων; Οὐκοῦν φρῖξον ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων. Ἔκβαλε τοὺς παρασίτους, καὶ ποίησον συγκατακλίνεσθαί σοι τὸν Χριστόν. Ἂν ἁλῶν κοινωνήσῃ καὶ τραπέζης, ἥμερος ἔσται σοι δικάζων· οἶδεν αἰδεῖσθαι τράπεζαν. Εἰ γὰρ λῃσταὶ ἴσασι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ ∆εσπότης. Ἐννόησον γοῦν τὴν πόρνην ἐκείνην πῶς ἀπὸ τραπέζης ἐδικαίωσε, καὶ Σίμωνι ὀνειδίζει λέγων· Φίλημά μοι οὐκ ἔδωκας. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ποιοῦντά σε ταῦτα τρέφει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ποιοῦντα ἀμείψεται. Μὴ πρὸς τὸν πένητα ἴδῃς, ὅτι ῥυπῶν προσέρχεται καὶ αὐχμῶν· ἀλλ' ἐννόησον, ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς δι' ἐκείνου ἐπιβαίνει τῆς σῆς οἰκίας, καὶ παῦσαι τῆς ὠμότητος καὶ τῶν ἀπηνῶν ῥημάτων, οἷς ἀεὶ πλύνεις τοὺς προσιόντας, ἐπιθέτας, ἀργοὺς, καὶ ἕτερα χαλεπώτερα τούτων καλῶν. Καὶ λογίζου, ὅταν ταῦτα λέγῃς, οἱ παράσιτοι ποῖα ἔργα κατασκευάζουσι; τί τὴν οἰκίαν ὠφελοῦσι τὴν σήν; Ἡδὺ πάντως σοι ποιοῦσι τὸ ἄριστον; Καὶ πῶς ἡδὺ, ῥαπιζόμενοι καὶ αἰσχρὰ λέγοντες; Καὶ τί τούτου ἀηδέστερον, ὅταν τὸν κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γενόμενον τύπτῃς, καὶ ἐκ τῆς εἰς ἐκεῖνον ὕβρεως τέρψιν ἑαυτῷ συνάγῃς, θέατρον ποιῶν τὴν οἰκίαν, καὶ μίμων πληρῶν τὸ συμπόσιον, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς ἐξυρημένους μιμούμενος ὁ εὐγενὴς καὶ ἐλεύθερος; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖ γέλως καὶ ῥαπίσματα. Ταῦτα οὖν ἡδονὴν καλεῖς, εἰπέ μοι, ἃ πολλῶν ἄξια δακρύων ἐστὶν, ἃ πολλῶν θρήνων καὶ οἰμωγῶν; καὶ δέον εἰς βίον αὐτοὺς ἐμβαλεῖν σπουδαῖον, δέον παραινέσαι τὰ δέοντα, σὺ δὲ εἰς ἐπιορκίας καὶ ῥήματα ἄτακτα ἐνάγεις, καὶ τέρψιν τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖς, καὶ τὸ 58.495 γεέννης πρόξενον ἡδονῆς εἶναι ὑπόθεσιν νομίζεις; Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν ἀπορήσωσιν ἀστείων ῥημάτων, ὅρκοις καὶ ἐπιορκίαις τὸ πᾶν διαλύονται. Ταῦτα οὖν γέλωτος ἄξια, ἀλλ' οὐκ ὀδυρμῶν καὶ δακρύων; Καὶ τίς ἂν ταῦτα εἴποι νοῦν ἔχων; ζʹ. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐ κωλύων τρέφεσθαι αὐτοὺς, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐπὶ τοιαύτῃ αἰτίᾳ. Φιλανθρωπίας γὰρ ἡ τροφὴ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἐχέτω, μὴ ὠμότητος· ἔλεον, μὴ ὕβριν. Ὅτι πένης ἐστὶ, θρέψον, ὅτι Χριστὸς τρέφεται, θρέψον μὴ ἐπειδὴ σατανικὰ εἰσάγει ῥήματα, καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καταισχύνει ζωήν. Μὴ ἴδῃς αὐτὸν ἔξωθεν γελῶντα, ἀλλὰ τὸ συνειδὸς ἐξέτασον, καὶ τότε ὄψει μυριάκις αὐτὸν ἑαυτῷ καταρώμενον, καὶ