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astonishing each of the onlookers; (for indeed it was a very unspeakable wonder;) he added, saying, This was from the Lord. And he calls himself a stone, and the teachers of the Jews, builders; which Ezekiel also says: Those who build the wall, and daub it with untempered mortar. And how did they reject him? Saying, This man is not from God; This man deceives the crowd; and again, You are a Samaritan, and have a demon. Then, so that they might know that the loss was not limited to their being cast out, he added the punishments as well, saying: Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will crush him. He speaks of two destructions here: one, that which comes from stumbling and being scandalized; for this is, He who falls on this stone; and another, that which comes from their capture, and their disaster and utter ruin, which he also clearly foretold, saying, It will crush him. Through these things he also alluded to his own resurrection. The prophet Isaiah, therefore, says that he blamed the vineyard; but here he also accuses the rulers of the people. And there he says: What more ought I to have done for my vineyard, that I have not done? and elsewhere again: What fault did your fathers find in me? and again, My people, what have I done to you? or how have I grieved you? showing their ungrateful mind, and that having enjoyed all things, they repaid with the opposite; but here he puts it with greater exaggeration. For he does not himself declare, saying, What more ought I to have done, that I have not done? but he brings them in themselves voting that nothing was lacking, and condemning themselves. For when they say that He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will give the vineyard to other husbandmen, they say nothing other than this, casting their vote with great abundance. Stephen also reproaches them with this, which especially stung them, that having always enjoyed much providence, they repaid their benefactor with the opposite; which was itself a very great sign that not the punisher, but the punished were the cause of the retribution brought upon them. This indeed is also shown here through the parable, through the prophecy. For he was not content with the parable alone, but he also added a twofold prophecy, one from David, and the other from himself. What then should they have done, having heard these things? Should they not have worshipped? Should they not have marvelled at the care, that which was before, that which came after? But if they were made better by none of these things, ought they not at least to have been made more prudent by fear of the punishment? But they were not; but what came after these things? Having heard, it says, they knew that he was speaking about them. And seeking to seize him, they were afraid because of the crowds, for they held him as a prophet. For they finally perceived that he was alluding to them. Sometimes, then, when being constrained, he withdraws through the midst of them, and is not seen; and at other times, appearing, he restrains their travailing desire. Which they also marvelled at and said: Is not this Jesus? Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. But here, since they were restrained by the fear of the multitude, he is content with this, and does not work a wonder, as before, withdrawing through the midst 58.643 and not being seen. For he did not wish to do everything 58.643 beyond man, so that the economy might be believed. But they were not sobered, neither by the crowd, nor by the things that were said; they respected neither the testimony of the prophets, nor their own vote, nor the opinion of the many; so completely did the love of rule and the desire for vainglory, and the seeking of temporary things, maim them. 3. For nothing so thrusts one headlong, and carries one down cliffs; nothing so causes one to fall away from the things to come, as being riveted to these fleeting things; nothing so causes one to enjoy both these and those things, as to prefer those things above all. For seek, says Christ, the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you. And yet even if this had not been added, one ought not to have desired them. But now in receiving those things, it is also possible to receive these things; and not even so are some persuaded; but they are like insensible stones, and chase shadows of pleasure. For what pleasure is there in the present things

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ὁρώντων ἕκαστον ἐκπλῆττον· (καὶ γὰρ ἦν θαῦμα σφόδρα ἄφατον·) ἐπήγαγε λέγων· Παρὰ Κυρίου ἐγένετο αὕτη. Λίθον δὲ ἑαυτὸν καλεῖ, καὶ οἰκοδόμους τοὺς διδασκάλους τῶν Ἰουδαίων· ὃ καὶ Ἰεζεκιήλ φησιν· Οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες τὸν τοῖχον, καὶ ἀλείφοντες ἀναρτύτως. Πῶς δὲ ἀπεδοκίμασαν; Λέγοντες, Οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ· Οὗτος πλανᾷ τὸν ὄχλον· καὶ πάλιν, Σαμαρείτης εἶ σὺ, καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις. Εἶτα, ἵνα γνῶσιν ὅτι οὐ μέχρι τοῦ ἐκβληθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἡ ζημία, ἐπήγαγε καὶ τὰς κολάσεις, λέγων· Πᾶς ὁ πίπτων ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον τοῦτον, συνθλασθήσεται· ἐφ' ὃν δ' ἂν πέσῃ, λικμήσει αὐτόν. ∆ύο φησὶν ἀπωλείας ἐνταῦθα· μίαν μὲν, τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ προσκόψαι καὶ σκανδαλισθῆναι· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, Ὁ πίπτων ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον τοῦτον· ἑτέραν δὲ, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁλώσεως αὐτῶν, καὶ τῆς συμφορᾶς καὶ πανωλεθρίας, ἣν καὶ σαφῶς προεδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, Λικμήσει αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ τούτων καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ᾐνίξατο τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Ὁ μὲν οὖν προφήτης Ἡσαΐας τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αἰτιᾶσθαί φησιν αὐτόν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοῦ λαοῦ διαβάλλει. Καὶ ἐκεῖ μέν φησι· Τί ἔδει με ποιῆσαι τῷ ἀμπελῶνί μου, καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησα; καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ πάλιν· Τί εὗρον οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ πλημμέλημα; καὶ πάλιν, Λαός μου, τί ἐποίησά σοι; ἢ τί ἐλύπησά σε; δεικνὺς αὐτῶν τὴν ἀχάριστον γνώμην, καὶ ὅτι πάντων ἀπολαύοντες, τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἠμείβοντο· ἐνταῦθα δὲ μετὰ πλείονος τίθησιν αὐτὸ ὑπερβολῆς. Οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸς ἀποφαίνεται λέγων· Τί ἔδει με ποιῆσαι, καὶ οὐκ ἐποίησα; ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους εἰσάγει ψηφιζομένους, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐνέλιπε, καὶ καταδικάζοντας ἑαυτούς. Ὅταν γὰρ εἴπωσιν, ὅτι Κακοὺς κακῶς ἀπολέσει αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἐκδώσεται ἑτέροις γεωργοῖς, οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τοῦτο λέγουσι, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας τὴν ψῆφον ἐκφέροντες. Τοῦτο καὶ Στέφανος αὐτοῖς ὀνειδίζει, ὃ καὶ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἔδακνεν, ὅτι πολλῆς ἀπολαύσαντες ἀεὶ προνοίας, τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἠμείβοντο τὸν εὐεργέτην· ὅπερ καὶ αὐτὸ μέγιστον ἦν σημεῖον τοῦ μὴ τὸν κολάζοντα, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κολαζομένους αἰτίους εἶναι τῆς τιμωρίας τῆς ἐπαγομένης αὐτοῖς. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα δείκνυται διὰ τῆς παραβολῆς, διὰ τῆς προφητείας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἠρκέσθη τῇ παραβολῇ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ προφητείαν διπλῆν ἐπήγαγε, τὴν μὲν τοῦ ∆αυῒδ, τὴν δὲ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ. Τί οὖν ἐχρῆν ταῦτα ἀκούσαντας ποιεῖν; οὐχὶ προσκυνῆσαι; οὐχὶ θαυμάσαι τὴν κηδεμονίαν, τὴν ἔμπροσθεν, τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα; Εἰ δὲ μηδενὶ τούτων ἐγένοντο βελτίους, τῷ γοῦν φόβῳ τῆς κολάσεως οὐκ ἔδει γενέσθαι σωφρονεστέρους; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγένοντο· ἀλλὰ τί μετὰ ταῦτα; Ἀκούσαντες, φησὶν, ἔγνωσαν ὅτι περὶ αὐτῶν λέγει. Καὶ ζητοῦντες αὐτὸν κρατῆσαι, ἐφοβήθησαν διὰ τοὺς ὄχλους, ὅτι ὡς προφήτην αὐτὸν εἶχον. Ἠσθάνοντο γὰρ λοιπὸν, ὅτι αὐτοὺς ᾐνίττετο. Ποτὲ μὲν οὖν κατεχόμενος, διὰ μέσου αὐτῶν ἀναχωρεῖ, καὶ οὐχ ὁρᾶται· ποτὲ δὲ φαινόμενος ὠδίνουσαν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἐπέχει. Ὃ καὶ θαυμάζοντες ἔλεγον· Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς; ἴδε παῤῥησίᾳ λαλεῖ, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγουσιν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ, ἐπειδὴ τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ πλήθους κατείχοντο, ἀρκεῖται τούτῳ, καὶ οὐ παραδοξοποιεῖ, ὥσπερ ἔμπροσθεν, διὰ μέσου 58.643 ἀναχωρῶν καὶ μὴ φαινόμενος. Οὐ γὰρ ἐβούλετο πάντα 58.643 ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ποιεῖν, ὥστε πιστευθῆναι τὴν οἰκονομίαν. Οἱ δὲ οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους ἐσωφρονίζοντο, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων· οὐ τὴν τῶν προφητῶν μαρτυρίαν, οὐ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ᾐδοῦντο ψῆφον, οὐ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν γνώμην· οὕτω καθάπαξ αὐτοὺς ἡ φιλαρχία καὶ ὁ τῆς κενοδοξίας ἐπήρωσεν ἔρως, καὶ τὸ τὰ πρόσκαιρα ζητεῖν. γʹ. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν ὠθεῖ, καὶ κατὰ κρημνῶν φέρει· οὐδὲν οὕτω ποιεῖ τῶν μελλόντων ἐκπίπτειν, ὡς τὸ προσηλῶσθαι τοῖς ἐπικήροις τούτοις· οὐδὲν οὕτω ποιεῖ καὶ τούτων κἀκείνων ἀπολαύειν, ὡς τὸ πάντων ἐκεῖνα προτιμᾷν. Ζητεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Καίτοι εἰ μηδὲ τοῦτο προσέκειτο, οὐδὲ οὕτως αὐτῶν ἐφίεσθαι ἔδει. Νῦν δὲ ἐν τῷ λαβεῖν ἐκεῖνα, καὶ ταῦτα ἔστι προσλαβεῖν· καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἔνιοι πείθονται· ἀλλὰ λίθοις ἀναισθήτοις ἐοίκασι, καὶ σκιὰς διώκουσιν ἡδονῆς. Τί γὰρ ἡδὺ τῶν ἐν τῷ παρόντι