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But here it seems to me he calls alien sons those who are alienated from the truth. For just as we consider the faithful our own and brothers, so we consider the unfaithful aliens; and by this we especially discern one who is our own and one who is an alien. For he is one of our own who calls upon the same father as I, and who partakes of the same table, rather than the one who is related by birth; for indeed this law of kinship is more precise, just as alienation arising from the opposite is clearer than that based on birth. Therefore do not look at this, that we are under the same heaven and in the same inhabited world; for I seek another fellowship, and one above the heavens. Our citizenship and life are there; For our life, he says, is hidden with Christ in God. For we do not dwell on earth, but have been transferred to the metropolis above. We have another true light, another fatherland, and other citizens and kinsmen. Wherefore Paul also said: So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints. How then, one asks, did Christ say the Samaritan was a neighbor, although there was a great distance between them? But not according to the principle of nature. When, therefore, you must do good, let every person be near to you; but when the word of truth is being exercised, discern who is your own and who is an alien. And if you have a brother from the same father and mother, and he does not share fellowship with you according to the law of truth, let him be to you more barbarous than a Scythian; and if one is a Scythian, or a Sauromatian, but knows the precision of the doctrines, and believes that which you also believe, let him be more one of your own and nearer than he who endured the same birth-pangs as you; and let us distinguish the barbarian and the one who is not such from this, not by language, nor by birth, but by mind and soul. 55.462 For this is most of all a human being, when he has precision of doctrines and a philosophical life. 4. But let us see, then, the aliens, how the prophet also described them, saying: Deliver me from the hand of alien sons, whose mouth has spoken vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity. Do you see whom he calls aliens? Those who live in wickedness, those who love iniquity, those who utter foolish things, those who say nothing useful. Discern, therefore, the aliens by their mouth, by their works; just as Christ also says: By their fruits you will know them. For just as in military camps many passwords and signs are given, so that if ever a battle should occur at night, or raised dust should create the appearance of night, or some other confusion and disturbance should arise, one might not see one's own as an enemy, nor an adversary as one's own; so also here the prophet gives you passwords, by which you will be able to know your own and the alien, for instance from what they say, from what they do, saying: Whose mouth has spoken vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity. For even now there is war and battle, and a most difficult battle by night, with demons attacking, desires plotting, thoughts rising up. There are also passwords and symbols among the initiated; and if we should wish to recognize someone, being in doubt whether he is uninitiated or initiated, we learn by asking these things. Their right hand is a right hand of iniquity. What then could be more grievous than this, when we turn to treachery that which was given for assistance? For it is for this reason we have right hands, that we may defend both ourselves and others who are wronged, that we may abolish lawlessness, that we may become a harbor and a refuge for those who are abused. What pardon then could they have, who use this weapon not for the salvation of others, but for their own destruction? O God, I will sing a new song to you. What is the sequence here again? It is indeed great here too. For since he said, Send forth your hand, and, Deliver me, and scatter them, he also promises to give recompense for the alliance

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Υἱοὺς δὲ ἀλλοτρίους ἐνταῦθά μοι δοκεῖ λέγειν τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπεξενωμένους. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοὺς πιστοὺς οἰκείους ἡγούμεθα καὶ ἀδελφοὺς, οὕτω τοὺς ἀπίστους ἀλλοτρίους· καὶ τούτῳ μάλιστα τὸν οἰκεῖον καὶ τὸν ἀλλότριον ἐπιγινώσκομεν. Οἰκεῖος γὰρ οὗτος ὁ τὸν αὐτόν μοι πατέρα ἐπιγραφόμενος, καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς κοινωνῶν τραπέζης, μᾶλλον ἢ ὁ γένει προσήκων· καὶ γὰρ ἀκριβέστερος οὗτος τῆς συγγενείας ὁ νόμος, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἀλλοτριότης ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων τρανοτέρα τῆς κατὰ γένος. Μὴ τοίνυν τοῦτο ἴδῃς, ὅτι ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτόν ἐσμεν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν οἰκουμένην· ἄλλην γὰρ ἐγὼ κοινωνίαν ἐπιζητῶ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν οὐρανόν. Ἐκεῖ ἡμῶν τὸ πολίτευμα καὶ ἡ ζωή· Ζωὴ γὰρ ἡμῶν, φησὶ, κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ γῆν οἰκοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ μετέστημεν πρὸς τὴν ἄνω μητρόπολιν. Ἕτερον φῶς ἀληθινὸν ἔχομεν, ἑτέραν πατρίδα, καὶ πολίτας ἄλλους καὶ συγγενεῖς. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ἄρα οὐκ ἐστὲ ξένοι καὶ πάροικοι, ἀλλὰ συμπολῖται τῶν ἁγίων. Πῶς οὖν, φησὶ, τὸν Σαμαρείτην πλησίον ἔφησεν εἶναι ὁ Χριστὸς, καίτοι πολὺ τὸ μέσον ὄν; Ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ τὸν τῆς φύσεως λόγον. Ὅταν οὖν εὐποιεῖν δέῃ, πᾶς ἄνθρωπός σοι ἐγγὺς ἔστω· ὅταν δὲ ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας γυμνάζηται λόγος, ἐπιγίνωσκε τὸν οἰκεῖον καὶ τὸν ἀλλότριον. Κἂν ἀδελφὸν ἔχῃς ὁμοπάτριον καὶ ὁμομήτριον, καὶ μὴ κοινωνήσῃ σοι κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας νόμον, ἔστω σοι τοῦ Σκύθου βαρβαρικώτερος· κἂν Σκύθης, κἂν Σαυρομάτης ᾖ, τῶν δογμάτων δὲ εἰδῇ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, καὶ πιστεύῃ τοῦτο ὃ καὶ αὐτὸς σὺ, αὐτοῦ τοῦ τὰς αὐτὰς ὠδῖνας σοὶ λύσαντος οἰκειότερος ἔστω καὶ ἐγγύτερος· καὶ τὸν βάρβαρον καὶ τὸν οὐ τοιοῦτον ἐντεῦθεν διακρίνωμεν, μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς γλώττης, μηδὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ γένους, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης καὶ τῆς ψυχῆς. 55.462 Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα ἄνθρωπος, ὅταν δογμάτων ἀκρίβειαν ἔχῃ καὶ πολιτείαν φιλόσοφον. δʹ. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν λοιπὸν τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους, πῶς αὐτοὺς ὑπέγραψε καὶ ὁ προφήτης, εἰπών· Ἐξελοῦ με ἐκ χειρὸς υἱῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ὧν τὸ στόμα ἐλάλησε ματαιότητα, καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν δεξιὰ ἀδικίας. Εἶδες τίνας φησὶν ἀλλοτρίους; Τοὺς ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντας, τοὺς ἀδικίας ἐρῶντας, τοὺς τὰ ἀνόητα φθεγγομένους, τοὺς οὐδὲν χρήσιμον λέγοντας. Ἐπιγίνωσκε τοίνυν τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος, ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων· ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστός φησιν· Ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις πολλά τινα δίδονται συνθήματα καὶ σημεῖα, ἵν' εἴποτε ἡ νυκτομαχία γένοιτο, ἢ κόνις ἀρθεῖσα τὰ τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπιδείξαιτο, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρα τις γένοιτο σύγχυσις καὶ ταραχὴ, μὴ τὸν οἰκεῖον ὡς τὸν πολέμιόν τις ἴδῃ, μηδὲ τὸν ἐναντίον ὡς οἰκεῖον· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα δίδωσί σοι συνθήματα ὁ προφήτης, δι' ὧν δυνήσῃ τὸν οἰκεῖον καὶ τὸν ἀλλότριον γνωρίζειν, οἷον ἀφ' ὧν φθέγγεται, ἀφ' ὧν ποιεῖ, λέγων· Ὧν τὸ στόμα ἐλάλησε ματαιότητα, καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν δεξιὰ ἀδικίας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν πόλεμός ἐστι καὶ μάχη, καὶ νυκτομαχία χαλεπωτάτη, δαιμόνων βαλλόντων, ἐπιθυμιῶν ἐπιβουλευουσῶν, λογισμῶν ἐπανισταμένων. Ἔστι καὶ ἐν τοῖς μεμυημένοις συνθήματα καὶ σύμβολα· κἂν βουληθῶμέν τινα, ἀμφιβάλλοντες εἴτε ἀμύητός ἐστιν, εἴτε μεμυημένος, ἐπιγνῶναι, ταῦτα ἐρωτῶντες μανθάνωμεν. Ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν δεξιὰ ἀδικίας. Τί τοίνυν τούτου χαλεπώτερον γένοιτ' ἂν, ὅταν τὴν εἰς βοήθειαν δεδομένην, εἰς ἐπιβουλὴν τρέπωμεν; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἔχομεν δεξιὰς, ἵνα καὶ ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἑτέροις ἀδικουμένοις ἀμύνωμεν, ἵνα ἀναιρῶμεν παρανομίας, ἵνα λιμὴν γενώμεθα καὶ καταφυγὴ τοῖς ἐπηρεαζομένοις. Τίνα οὖν ἂν ἔχοιεν συγγνώμην οἱ μὴ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἑτέρων χρώμενοι τῷ ὅπλῳ τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀπώλειαν τὴν ἑαυτῶν; Ὁ Θεὸς, ᾠδὴν καινὴν ᾄσομαί σοι. Ποία αὕτη πάλιν ἡ ἀκολουθία; Πολλὴ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐξαπόστειλον τὴν χεῖρά σου, καὶ, Ἐξελοῦ με, καὶ σκόρπισον ἐκείνους, ἐπαγγέλλεται καὶ ἀμείβεσθαι τῆς συμμαχίας