352

of meetings; but those who are astringent and correct, these I would choose, those who reprove, those who cover over the sins committed, those who rebuke. For this is most of all mercy and loving-kindness, to correct wounds. But let not the oil of a sinner, he says, anoint my head. Have you seen a soul composed in virtue? It bears with pleasure even the rebukes of the righteous, but rejects even the things said to gratify from the lawless. Why indeed? Because the former, showing mercy, have often destroyed; but the latter, rebuking and being astringent, have corrected; and with the reproof of these, mercy has been allotted, but with the mercy of those, death. Wherefore someone also said: The wounds of friends are more trustworthy than the voluntary kisses of enemies. And see how he here indicates the apostolic saying: Reprove, rebuke, exhort. For such is also the reproof of the saints. Thus physicians also do; they not only cut, but also bandage. For this reason Christ also, to make reproof well-received, does not permit the rebuke to be made public from the beginning, saying: Go, reprove him between you and him alone. Thus also Paul did, showing reproof with mercy, at one time saying: O foolish Galatians; and at another: My little children, for whom I am again in labor. For he who reproves must devise many things, so that the reproof may become well-received, and there is need of much understanding for the one applying this medicine; rather, indeed, he who reproves needs more understanding than he who cuts a body. How? 55.440 Because in that case, the one cutting is one thing, and the one enduring the pain is another; but here, it is both the one being cut and the one bearing the pain. But let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head. What is this? That one, he says, does not seek what is useful for the listener, but his own interest, that he may appear pleasant, that he may be well-liked; but this one, before his own favor, considers that one's benefit. So that they are especially distinguished from one another in this way also. But if it is necessary to turn away from the wicked when they show mercy, when must one receive them? Never. So even if he offers money, or promises luxury and honors, reject and flee; but the righteous man, even if he scoffs with words, even if he rebukes, pursue; for he is the one who loves. For my prayer is still in their good pleasures. Another, For my prayer is still within their evils. Another, For my prayer is still in their wickednesses. Some things he asked for, but others he provides from himself; from this he shows that they must not trust in prayer alone, having fallen back and sleeping, but must contribute what is from themselves. What then does this one provide from himself? Not sheep, and oxen, and money, but gentleness of manners, and turning away from their wickedness with excess. Not only, he says, will I flee their harmful favor, nor will I choose their rebuke, but I will also stand against their desires; so far am I from choosing their mercy, that I even pray against their desires. For this is, In their good pleasures. Their judges were swallowed up near a rock. Another, They will be plucked out by the hand of a rock. Here he shows the easy conquest of sin, and the precipice of wickedness. The rulers themselves, he says, who lead and carry everything, have perished. And he did not say, They perished, but, They were swallowed up, showing that it was in such a way that not even a trace of them appeared, which he also says concerning the ungodly, that I passed by, and behold he was not; and I sought him, and his place was not found. What is, Near? Nearby. But what he says is this: Just as a rock thrown into the sea would not appear, so also their prosperities, sinking down, henceforth become invisible, enduring complete destruction. Or he says this, then: the nameless, the uprooted, or the strong, and powerful, and mighty. For this is, They will be plucked out by the hand of a rock. They will hear my words, for they were sweetened. Another, Because

352

συλλόγων· τοὺς δὲ ἐπιστύφοντας καὶ διορθουμένους, τούτους ἑλοίμην, τοὺς ἐλέγχοντας, τοὺς ἐγκαλύπτοντας τὰ πεπλημμελημένα, τοὺς ἐπιτιμῶντας. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα ἐλέους καὶ φιλανθρωπίας, τὸ τὰ τραύματα διορθοῦν. Ἔλαιον δὲ, φησὶν, ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου. Εἶδες ψυχὴν συγκεκροτημένην ἀρετῇ; Τῶν μὲν δικαίων καὶ τὰς ἐπιτιμήσεις μεθ' ἡδονῆς φέρει, τῶν δὲ παρανόμων καὶ τὰ πρὸς χάριν λεγόμενα διακρούεται. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἐλεοῦντες πολλάκις ἀπώλεσαν· οὗτοι δὲ ἐπιτιμῶντες καὶ ἐπιστύφοντες διώρθωσαν· καὶ τῷ μὲν ἐλέγχῳ τούτων συγκεκλήρωται ἔλεος, τῷ δὲ ἐλέῳ ἐκείνων θάνατος. ∆ιὸ καί τις ἔφησεν· Ἀξιοπιστότερα τραύματα φίλων, ἢ ἑκούσια φιλήματα ἐχθρῶν. Καὶ σκόπει πῶς τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ἐνταῦθα δηλοῖ, τὸ, Ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον. Τοιοῦτος γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἔλεγχος τῶν ἁγίων. Οὕτω καὶ ἰατροὶ ποιοῦσιν· οὐ τέμνουσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιδεσμοῦσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς εὐπαράδεκτον ποιῶν γίνεσθαι τὸν ἔλεγχον, οὐκ ἀφίησι δημοσιεύεσθαι ἐκ προοιμίων τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν, λέγων· Ὕπαγε, ἔλεγξον αὐτὸν μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος ἐποίει, μετὰ ἐλέους τὸν ἔλεγχον ἐπιδεικνύμενος, καὶ νῦν μὲν λέγων· Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται· νῦν δὲ, Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω. Πολλὰ γὰρ δεῖ τὸν ἐλέγχοντα ἐπινοεῖν, ὥστε εὐπαράδεκτον γενέσθαι τὸν ἔλεγχον, καὶ πολλῆς χρεία συνέσεως τῷ τοῦτο ἐπάγοντι τὸ φάρμακον· μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν, πλείονος ὁ ἐλέγχων δεῖται συνέσεως, ἢ ὁ σῶμα τέμνων. Πῶς; 55.440 Ὅτι ἐκεῖ μὲν ἕτερον τὸ τέμνον, καὶ ἕτερον τὸ ὑπομένον τὴν ὀδύνην· ἐνταῦθα δὲ αὕτη καὶ ἡ τεμνομένη καὶ ἡ φέρουσα τὴν ἀλγηδόνα. Ἔλαιον δὲ ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου. Τί ἐστι τοῦτο; Ἐκεῖνος, φησὶν, οὐ τὸ χρήσιμον ζητεῖ τοῦ ἀκούοντος, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ, ἵνα ἡδὺς φαίνηται, ἵνα προσφιλής· οὗτος δὲ πρὸ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ χάριτος τὸ ἐκείνου συμφέρον σκοπεῖ. Ὥστε ἀλλήλων καὶ ταύτῃ μάλιστα διεστήκασιν. Εἰ δὲ ἐλεοῦντας ἀποστρέφεσθαι χρὴ τοὺς πονηροὺς, πότε αὐτοὺς δεῖ προσίεσθαι; Οὐδέποτε. Ὥστε κἂν χρήματα παρέχῃ, κἂν τρυφὴν ἐπαγγέλληται καὶ τιμὰς, διακρούου καὶ φεῦγε· τὸν δὲ δίκαιον, κἂν σκώπτῃ λόγοις, κἂν ἐπιτιμᾷ, δίωκε· ἐκεῖνος γάρ ἐστι ὁ φιλῶν. Ὅτι ἔτι καὶ ἡ προσευχή μου ἐν ταῖς εὐδοκίαις αὐτῶν. Ἄλλος, Ἔτι γὰρ καὶ ἡ προσευχή μου ἐντὸς τῶν κακιῶν αὐτῶν. Ἄλλος, Ὅτι ἔτι καὶ ἡ προσευχή μου ἐν ταῖς πονηρίαις αὐτῶν. Τὰ μὲν ᾔτησε, τὰ δὲ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ παρέχεται· ἐντεῦθεν δείκνυσιν, ὅτι εὐχῇ οὐ δεῖ θαῤῥεῖν μόνον αὐτοὺς ἀναπεπτωκότας καὶ καθεύδοντας, ἀλλὰ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσφέρειν. Τί οὖν οὗτος ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ παρέχεται; Οὐ πρόβατα, καὶ βόας, καὶ χρήματα, ἀλλὰ τρόπων ἐπιείκειαν, καὶ τὸ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς ἀποστρέφεσθαι αὐτῶν τὴν πονηρίαν. Οὐ μόνον, φησὶ, φεύξομαι τὴν ἐκείνων χάριν τὴν ἐπιβλαβῆ, οὐδὲ αἱρήσομαι τὴν τούτων ἐπιτίμησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν αὐτῶν στήσομαι· τοσοῦτον ἀπέχω ἑλέσθαι τὸν ἐκείνων ἔλεον, ὅτι καὶ εὔχομαι κατὰ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν αὐτῶν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ἐν ταῖς εὐδοκίαις αὐτῶν. Κατεπόθησαν ἐχόμενα πέτρας οἱ κριταὶ αὐτῶν. Ἄλλος, Ἐκτιλήσονται ἐν χειρὶ πέτρας. Ἐνταῦθα δείκνυσι τὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας εὐχείρωτον, καὶ τὸ ἀπόκρημνον τῆς κακίας. Αὐτοὶ, φησὶν, οἱ δυνάσται, οἱ πάντα ἄγοντες καὶ φέροντες, ἀπώλοντο. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἀπώλοντο, ἀλλὰ, Κατεπόθησαν, δηλῶν ὅτι οὕτως, ὡς μηδὲ ἴχνος αὐτῶν φαίνεσθαι, ὃ καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς λέγει, ὅτι Παρῆλθον, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν· καὶ ἐζήτησα αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ὁ τόπος αὐτοῦ. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐχόμενα; Ἐγγύς. Ὃ δὲ λέγει,τοῦτό ἐστιν· Ὥσπερ ἡ πέτρα τις κατὰ πόντου βληθεῖσα οὐκ ἂν φανείη, οὕτω δὴ καὶ αἱ ἐκείνων εὐημερίαι καταδυόμεναι λοιπὸν ἀφανεῖς γίνονται, ὁλοσχερῆ τὴν ἀπώλειαν ὑπομένουσαι. Ἢ τοῦτο τοίνυν φησὶ, τὸ ἀνώνυμον, τὸ πρόῤῥιζον, ἢ τὸ ἰσχυρὸν, καὶ δυνατὸν, καὶ κραταιόν. Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ, Ἐκτιλήσονται ἐν χειρὶ πέτρας. Ἀκούσονται τὰ ῥήματά μου, ὅτι ἡδύνθησαν. Ἕτερος, Ὅτι