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defending themselves, as when they say, We would not have been partakers with them; (for if they did not abstain from the Master, how would they have abstained from the servants?) after this He used more vehement language, calling them serpents and brood of vipers, and saying; How will you escape from the judgment of Gehenna, you who dare such things, and deny them, and hide your intentions? Then, also convicting them from another side with superabundant proof, he says that, I will send to you prophets and wise men and scribes, and some of them you will kill and crucify, and in your synagogues you will scourge them. For so that they may not say, "Even if we crucified the Master, we would have abstained from the servants, if we had been there then;" Behold, He says, I also send servants to you, they too being prophets, and you will not spare even them. And He says these things, showing that it was nothing strange for Him to be slain by the sons of those men, who were both murderous and treacherous, and had much craftiness, and surpassed their fathers in their audacious deeds. In addition to what has been said, He shows them to be also exceedingly vainglorious. For when they say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them, they say it out of vainglory, and philosophize in words only, but in their deeds they do the opposite. Serpents, brood of vipers; that is, Evil children of evil parents, and more evil than those who begot them. For He shows them daring greater things, both by daring them after those men, and by daring things much worse than theirs, and this while speaking precisely, as if they would never have fallen into the same things. For they themselves bring on the end. and the crown of evils. For the former killed those who came to the vineyard; but these killed both the son, and those who call to the wedding feast. And He says these things, separating them from kinship with Abraham, and showing that they have no profit from it, unless they imitate his works. Wherefore He adds; How will you flee from the judgment of Gehenna, you who imitate those who have dared such things? And here He also reminded them of John's accusation; for he too called them so; and He reminded them of the judgment to come. Then, since judgment and Gehenna did not frighten them at all, because they did not believe, and because the matter was in the future, He restrains them by present things, and says: Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and scribes, and some of them you will kill and crucify and scourge; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of 58.681 Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Amen I say to you, that all these things will come upon this generation. 2. See from how many things He secured them? He said that you condemn your fathers, through what you say, "We would not have partaken with them;" and this is no small thing to make you ashamed. He said that while condemning them, you too do worse things; and this is sufficient to put them to shame. He said that these things will not be unpunished, and from this He instills in them an unspeakable fear; at least He reminded them of Gehenna. Then, since that was in the future, He also brought upon them present terrors; For all these things, He says, will come upon this generation. He also added an unspeakable vehemence to the punishment, saying that they will suffer things worse than all others; and by none of these things did they become better. But if someone should say, "And why indeed do they suffer worse things than all?" We would say that they have also dared worse things than all, and were not made wise by any of the things that had happened. Or have you not heard Lamech saying, From Lamech vengeance has been taken seventy-sevenfold? that is, "I am worthy of more punishments than Cain." Why so? And yet he did not kill a brother; but because he was not made wise even by the example. And this is what God says elsewhere: Visiting the sins of fathers upon children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me; not as though some pay the penalty for what was dared by others, but as those who, after many have sinned and been punished, have not become better, but have committed the same offenses, and are themselves justly deserving to undergo their punishments. But consider

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ἑαυτῶν ἀπολογούμενοι, οἷον ὅτι Οὐκ ἂν ἦμεν κοινωνοὶ αὐτῶν· (οἱ γὰρ τοῦ ∆εσπότου μὴ ἀπεχόμενοι, πῶς ἂν τῶν δούλων ἀπέσχοντο;) καταφορικωτέρῳ τῷ μετὰ ταῦτα κέχρηται λόγῳ, ὄφεις καλῶν καὶ γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, καὶ λέγων· Πῶς φεύξεσθε ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως τῆς γεέννης, καὶ τοιαῦτα τολμῶντες, καὶ ἀρνούμενοι, καὶ τὴν γνώμην κρύπτοντες; Εἶτα καὶ ἑτέρωθεν αὐτοὺς ἐλέγχων ἐκ περιουσίας, φησὶν, ὅτι Ἀποστελῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς προφήτας καὶ σοφοὺς καὶ γραμματεῖς, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀποκτενεῖτε καὶ σταυρώσετε, καὶ ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς ὑμῶν μαστιγώσετε. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγωσιν, ὅτι Εἰ καὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην ἐσταυρώσαμεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν δούλων ἀπεσχόμεθα ἂν, εἰ ἦμεν τότε· Ἰδοὺ, φησὶ, καὶ δούλους ὑμῖν ἀποστέλλω, προφήτας καὶ αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐδὲ αὐτῶν φείσεσθε. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδὲν ξένον σφαγῆναι αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ἐκείνων, φονικῶν τε ὄντων καὶ ὑπούλων, καὶ πολὺ τὸ δολερὸν ἐχόντων, καὶ νικώντων τοὺς πατέρας τοῖς τολμήμασι. Πρὸς δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις δείκνυσιν αὐτοὺς καὶ σφόδρα κενοδοξοῦντας. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν λέγωσιν, Εἰ ἦμεν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἂν ἦμεν κοινωνοὶ αὐτῶν, κενοδοξοῦντες λέγουσι, καὶ ἐν λόγοις φιλοσοφοῦντες μόνον, ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἔργοις τὰ ἐναντία πράττουσιν. Ὄφεις, γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν· τουτέστι, Πονηροὶ πονηρῶν παῖδες, καὶ τῶν γεννησαμένων πονηρότεροι. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ αὐτοὺς μείζονα τολμῶντας, τῷ τε μετ' ἐκείνους τολμῆσαι, καὶ τῷ πολλῷ χαλεπώτερα ἐκείνων, καὶ ταῦτα ἀκριβολογουμένους, ὡς οὐκ ἄν ποτε τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιέπεσον. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ τέλος ἐπάγουσι. καὶ τὴν κορωνίδα τῶν κακῶν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα ἐλθόντας ἀπέκτειναν· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ τὸν υἱὸν, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ γάμον καλοῦντας. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, τῆς συγγενείας αὐτοὺς ἀφιστὰς τῆς τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοῖς τὸ κέρδος, ἂν μὴ τὰ ἔργα μιμήσωνται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Πῶς φύγητε ἀπὸ τῆς κρίσεως τῆς γεέννης, ἐκείνους μιμούμενοι τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα τετολμηκότας; Ἐνταῦθα δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ τῆς Ἰωάννου κατηγορίας ἀνέμνησε· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἐκάλεσε· καὶ τῆς μελλούσης ὑπέμνησε κρίσεως. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς ἐφόβει κρίσις καὶ γέεννα, τῷ μὴ πιστεύειν, καὶ τῷ μέλλειν τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων αὐτοὺς καταστέλλει, καί φησι· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω πρὸς ὑμᾶς προφήτας, καὶ γραμματεῖς, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀποκτενεῖτε, καὶ σταυρώσετε, καὶ μαστιγώσετε· ὅπως ἔλθῃ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς πᾶν αἷμα δίκαιον ἐκχυνόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος Ἄβελ τοῦ δικαίου, ἕως τοῦ αἵματος Ζαχαρίου υἱοῦ 58.681 Βαραχίου, ὃν ἐφονεύσατε μεταξὺ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου. Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἥξει ταῦτα πάντα ἐπὶ τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην. βʹ. Ὅρα ἐκ πόσων αὐτοὺς ἠσφαλίσατο; Εἶπεν, ὅτι Καταγινώσκετε τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν, δι' ὧν λέγετε, ὅτι Οὐκ ἂν ἐκοινωνήσαμεν αὐτοῖς· οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο εἰς τὸ ἐντρέψαι. Εἶπεν, ὅτι Καταγινώσκοντες χείρονα πράττετε καὶ ὑμεῖς· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἱκανὸν αὐτοὺς καταισχῦναι. Εἶπεν, ὅτι Οὐκ ἀτιμωρητὶ ταῦτα ἔσται, καὶ φόβον ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοῖς ἐντίθησιν ἄφατον· ἀνέμνησε γοῦν αὐτοὺς τῆς γεέννης. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλεν ἐκείνη, ἐπέστησεν αὐτοῖς καὶ παρόντα τὰ δεινά· Ἥξει γὰρ ταῦτα πάντα, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην. Προσέθηκε καὶ σφοδρότητα ἄφατον τῇ τιμωρίᾳ, εἰπὼν ὅτι πάντων χαλεπώτερα πείσονται· καὶ οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐγένοντο βελτίους. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις· Καὶ τί δήποτε χαλεπώτερα πάσχουσι πάντων; Εἴποιμεν ἂν, ὅτι καὶ πάντων χαλεπώτερα τετολμήκασι, καὶ οὐδενὶ τῶν γεγενημένων ἐσωφρονίσθησαν. Ἢ οὐκ ἤκουσας τοῦ Λάμεχ λέγοντος· Ἐκ Λάμεχ ἐκδεδίκηται ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά; τουτέστι, Πλειόνων ἐγὼ ἄξιος τιμωριῶν ἢ ὁ Κάϊν. Τί δήποτε; Καίτοι οὐκ ἀδελφὸν ἀνεῖλεν· ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲ τῷ παραδείγματι ἐσωφρονίσθη. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅ φησιν ὁ Θεὸς ἀλλαχοῦ· Ἀποδιδοὺς ἁμαρτίας πατέρων ἐπὶ τέκνα ἐπὶ τρίτην καὶ τετάρτην γενεὰν τοῖς μισοῦσί με· οὐχ ὡς τῶν ἄλλοις τολμηθέντων ἑτέρων διδόντων δίκας, ἀλλ' ὡς τῶν μετὰ πλείονας ἁμαρτόντας καὶ κολασθέντας μὴ γενομένων βελτιόνων, ἀλλὰ τὰ αὐτὰ πεπλημμεληκότων, καὶ ἐκείνων τὰς τιμωρίας ὑποσχεῖν ὄντων δικαίων. Σκόπει δὲ