352

to judge, remembering the law which says: You shall not show partiality in judgment. But now often even we, when the poor stumble in some small thing, become severe judges, and relentless in our decisions against them; but when the rich sin greatly and then come into the Church of God, we show partiality; so that to us also applies the saying: How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to sinners? And in saying, how long, it reminds of the departure from life. For how much time, it says, will you have in which you will be such? and then the judgment of God will overtake you. Therefore it adds: Judge the poor and the orphan, do justice to the lowly and the needy. Deliver the needy, and rescue the poor from the hand of the sinner. If, then, listening to these things we are instructed and keep the commandments, we benefit from the words. Since to us also it will be said: They did not know, nor did they understand, they walk in darkness. And what did they not 23.988 know nor understand, if not that soon they too will stand before the judgment seat of God, to give an account of those things which they judged unjustly? But those who do not set the judgment of God before their eyes walk in darkness, having filled the eyes of their soul with the darkness of ignorance. Therefore it is fitting, being enlightened by the light of the word, either not to judge, remembering the one who said: Judge not, that you be not judged; or if it is ever necessary to judge, to do this most justly and to reprove those who sin, even if it is necessary to die for the truth, being precisely persuaded that there will be a consummation and change of all things at the universal judgment of God, which he will make through his Christ; which also the present word introduces, adding next: All the foundations of the earth will be shaken. I said: You are gods, and all sons of the Most High; but you die like men, and fall like one of the rulers. Furthermore, to the aforementioned gods, that is, the leaders and rulers of the people, God, having come into their midst, also directs the present words, teaching that he, imitating the abundance of the Father, did not begrudge imparting his own divinity to all of them, so as to proclaim them gods and to say all are sons of the Most High, which was proper to him alone; but they insulted the grace. But you will understand how those who have received authority from God have acquired the honor of gods from those they rule, by considering how it was said to Moses: Behold, I have made you today a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. For just as Moses, being a man of God and having received the honor from him, was proclaimed god of Pharaoh; in the same way also all whom God would honor have received the place of gods among their subjects. Hence also their subjects approach them with reverence and fear, not because of some military escort, not because of wealth and power, but because of the honor placed upon them by God. For so also was the face of Moses glorified; so also that of the apostles of our Savior, so also that of the prophets of God of old, so also that of all the true servants of God, remaining inglorious and poor in life, but honored among the God-fearing because of the grace given to them from God. I, therefore, he says, both willed and said: You are gods; wishing you, like me, God standing in your midst, to become sons of the Most High; but you have set aside the grace. Therefore, you die in human wickedness and in your sins. For the soul that sins, it shall die. Therefore you also die like men, and fall like one of the rulers. For as the devil was once deemed worthy of honor by God and one of the ruling angels in heaven; then, having used a wicked choice, he has fallen from his place, as it was said concerning him: How has the fallen from heaven

352

δικάζειν, μνημονεύοντας φάσκοντος νόμου· Οὐ λήψῃ πρόσωπον ἐν κρίσει. Νυνὶ δὲ πολλάκις καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν πενήτων πταιόντων σμικρά τινα ἀπότομοι γιγνόμεθα κριταὶ, καὶ ἀπαραίτητοι ἐν ταῖς κατ' αὐτῶν ἀποφάσεσι· πλουσίων δὲ τὰ μέγιστα ἐξαμαρτανόντων, ἔπειτα παραβαλλόντων εἰς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, πρόσωπα λαμβάνομεν· ὥστε καὶ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἁρμόττει τό· Ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν, καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε; Ἐν δὲ τῷ λέγειν, ἕως πότε, ὑπομιμνήσκει τῆς τοῦ βίου ἀπαλλαγῆς. Πόσον γὰρ, φησὶν, ἕξετε χρόνον ἐν ᾧ τοιοῦτοι ἔσεσθε; καὶ λοιπὸν διαλήψεται ὑμᾶς ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσις. ∆ιὸ ἐπιλέγει· Κρίνατε πτωχὸν καὶ ὀρφανὸν, ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε. Ἐξέλεσθε πένητα, καὶ πτωχὸν ἐκ χειρὸς ἁμαρτωλοῦ ῥύσασθε. Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν τούτων ἀκροώμενοι παιδευώμεθα καὶ τὰ παραγγέλματα φυλάττοιμεν, τῆς ἐκ τῶν λόγων ὠνάμεθα ὠφελείας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμῖν λεχθήσεται· Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, οὐδὲ συνῆκαν, ἐν σκότει διαπορεύονται. Τί δὲ οὐκ 23.988 ἔγνωσαν οὐδὲ συνῆκαν, ἢ ὅτι ὅσον οὔπω καὶ αὐτοὶ παραστήσονται τῷ βήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, λόγον δώσοντες περὶ ὧν οὐ δικαίως ἔκριναν; Οἱ δὲ μὴ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν θέμενοι τὴν κρίσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν σκότει διαπορεύονται, τῷ τῆς ἀγνοίας σκότῳ τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν ὄμματα πληρώσαντες. ∆ιὸ προσήκει, τῷ τοῦ λόγου φέγγει φωτιζομένους, ἢ μὴ κρίνειν, μνημονεύοντας τοῦ εἰρηκότος· Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε· ἢ εἰ ἀνάγκη ποτὲ κρίνειν, κατὰ τὸ δικαιότατον τοῦτο ποιεῖν καὶ ἐλέγχειν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, κἂν δέοι ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας θνήσκειν, πεπεισμένους ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι πάντων ἔσται συντέλεια καὶ μεταβολὴ ἐπὶ τῇ καθολικῇ κρίσει τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἣν ποιήσεται διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ· ἣν καὶ ὁ παρὼν παρίστησι λόγος ἐπισυνάπτων ἑξῆς τό· Σαλευθήσονται πάντα τὰ θεμέλια τῆς γῆς. Ἐγὼ εἶπα· Θεοί ἐστε, καὶ υἱοὶ Ὑψίστου πάντες· ὑμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκετε, καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων πίπτετε. Ἔτι πρὸς τοὺς προλεχθέντας θεοὺς, ἡγουμένους δηλαδὴ καὶ ἄρχοντας τοῦ λαοῦ, ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν γενόμενος Θεὸς καὶ τὰ παρόντα ἀποτείνεται, διδάσκων, ὡς αὐτὸς μὲν, τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀφθονίαν μιμούμενος, πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς τῆς αὐτοῦ θεότητος οὐκ ἐφθόνησε μεταδοῦναι, ὡς καὶ θεοὺς ἀναγορεῦσαι αὐτοὺς καὶ υἱοὺς Ὑψίστου πάντας ἂν εἰπεῖν, ὅπερ αὐτῷ μόνῳ προσῆν· οἱ δὲ τὴν χάριν ἐνύβρισαν. Νοήσεις δὲ πῶς τιμὴν θεῶν οἱ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰληφότες παρὰ τοῖς ἀρχομένοις ἐκτήσαντο, ἐπιστήσας ὅπως εἴρηται τῷ Μωσεῖ· Ἰδοὺ καθέστηκά σε σήμερον θεὸν τῷ Φαραὼ, καὶ Ἀαρὼν ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔσται σοι προφήτης. Ὥσπερ γὰρ Μωσῆς, ἄνθρωπος ὢν Θεοῦ καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τὴν τιμὴν λαβὼν, θεὸς ἀνηγορεύθη τοῦ Φαραώ· τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ πάντες οὓς ἂν τιμήσειεν ὁ Θεὸς, θεῶν χώραν παρὰ τοῖς ὑποτεταγμένοις εἰλήφασιν. Ἔνθεν καὶ οἱ ἀρχόμενοι προσίασιν αὐτοῖς μετὰ εὐλαβείας καὶ δέους, οὐ διά τινα δορυφορίαν στρατιωτικὴν, οὐ διὰ πλοῦτον καὶ δυναστείαν, διὰ δὲ τὴν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ περιθεῖσαν αὐτοῖς τιμήν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ Μωσέως ἦν δεδοξασμένον τὸ πρόσωπον· οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, οὕτω καὶ τῶν πάλαι τοῦ Θεοῦ προφητῶν, οὕτω καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀληθῶς τοῦ Θεοῦ δούλων, ἀδόξως μενόντων καὶ πτωχῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον, τετιμημένων δὲ παρὰ τοῖς θεοσεβέσι διὰ τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ δεδομένην αὐτοῖς χάριν. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν, φησὶ, καὶ ἠθέλησα, καὶ εἶπον· Θεοί ἐστε· βουληθεὶς ὑμᾶς ὁμοίως ἐμοὶ τῷ μέσῳ ὑμῶν ἑστῶτι Θεῷ υἱοὺς γενέσθαι τοῦ Ὑψίστου· ὑμεῖς δὲ τὴν χάριν ἠθετήσατε. Ταῖς γοῦν ἀνθρωπίναις κακίαις καὶ ταῖς ὑμετέραις ἁμαρτίαις ἐναποθνήσκετε. Ψυχὴ γὰρ ἡ ἁμαρτάνουσα, αὐτὴ ἀποθανεῖται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὑμεῖς ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκετε, καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων πίπτετε. Ὡς γὰρ ἦν ποτε ὁ διάβολος τιμῆς ἠξιωμένος παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀρχοντικῶν ἀγγέλων εἷς· εἶτα μοχθηρᾷ προαιρέσει χρησάμενος ἀποπέπτωκε τῆς αὐτοῦ χώρας, ὡς εἰρῆσθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ· Πῶς ἐξέπεσεν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὁ