9

but received him above to himself. Just as it happens with those who are in charge of estates, the master honors one of those who bring offerings and receives him inside, but leaves another to stand outside; so indeed it also happened here. What then happens after this? The older brother was grieved as having been dishonored and outdone, and was sullen. God says to him: "Why are you grieved? Did you not know that you are offering to God? Why did you insult me? What do you have to complain about? For what reason did you bring me second-best things?"" But if you think it better to use plainer language, you will say that "He, having nothing to say, was quiet," or rather, was silent. "After this, seeing his younger brother, he says to him: 'Let us go out into the field.' And that older one, taking him by deceit, killed him. And he thought that he was hidden from God. God comes to him and says to him: 'Where is your brother?' That one says: 'I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?' God says to him: 'Behold, the blood of your brother cries out to me from the earth.'"" Let the mother also sit beside, while the soul of the child is thus being molded by such narratives, so that she too may assist and praise what is said. "What, then, happened after this? God received that one into heaven and he is above, having died." For the child accepts the teaching about the resurrection through such narratives. For if such wondrous things are told in myths, "that he made her," it says, "a demigoddess," and the child believes, and though he does not know what a "demigoddess" is, he knows that it is something greater than human, and marvels immediately upon hearing it, how much more so when he hears about the resurrection and that his soul has ascended to heaven. "And that one He immediately took up above; but this one, the murderer, lived continuously for many years suffering badly, living with fear and trembling, and he suffered countless terrible things and was punished every day." And describe the punishment intensely, not simply, that "he heard from God that 'you shall be groaning and trembling on the earth.'" For the child does not know what this is, but say that "just as you, standing by your teacher and being anxious, if ever you are about to be flogged, tremble and are afraid, so indeed did that one live continuously, having offended God." This is sufficient for him for now; and say this on one evening while dining. And again let the mother say the same things. Then, when he has heard it many times, ask him too: "Tell me the story," so that he may also take pride in it. And when he has mastered the story, then you will also tell him the benefit. For the soul, on its own, receiving the story, knows how to bear fruit before your elaboration, but nevertheless you too should say after this: "Do you see how great an evil gluttony is? do you see how great an evil it is to envy a brother? do you see how great an evil it is to think to hide from God? For He sees all things, even those done in secret." If you sow this teaching alone in the child, you will not need a pedagogue, as this fear from God presides over the child more than any fear and shakes his soul. And not only this, but also lead him by the hand to church; and make an effort to bring him, especially when this narrative is being read. For you will see him brightening up and jumping and rejoicing, because he knows what everyone else does not know, and anticipating and recognizing and profiting greatly. And henceforth the matter is stored in his memory. It is possible also to profit in other ways from the narrative. Let him learn from you, then, that one must not grieve when suffering badly; here right from the beginning God shows in the child himself, if indeed he took the one well-pleasing up into heaven through death. When this narrative has been fixed in the child's mind, introduce another, such as one about two other brothers again, and say: "There were again others

9

δὲ ἄνω ἐδέξατο πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Καθάπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐφεστώτων τοῖς χωρίοις γίνεται, τὸν μὲν τιμᾷ τῶν προσφερόντων καὶ ἔνδον δέχεται ὁ δεσπότης, ἕτερον δὲ ἀφίησιν ἔξω ἑστάναι· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα γέγονεν. Τί δὴ οὖν μετὰ τοῦτο γίνεται; Ἐλυπεῖτο ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἀδελφὸς ὡς ἀτιμασθεὶς καὶ παρευδοκιμηθείς, καὶ ἦν σκυθρωπός. Λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός· «∆ιὰ τί λελύπησαι; Οὐκ ᾔδεις ὅτι Θεῷ προσφέρεις; ∆ιὰ τί με ὕβρισας; Τί ἔχων ἐγκαλεῖν; Τίνος ἕνεκεν τὰ δευτερεῖά μοι προσήνεγκας;»» Εἰ δὲ δοκεῖ καὶ ἀφελέστερον κεχρῆσθαι τῇ γλώττῃ, ἐρεῖς ὅτι «Ἐκεῖνος οὐδὲν ἔχων εἰπεῖν ἡσύχασεν», μᾶλλον δὲ ἐσίγησεν. «Μετὰ ταῦτα ἰδὼν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὑτοῦ τὸν μικρότερον λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν· «Ἐξέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον.» Καὶ λαβὼν αὐτὸν δόλῳ ἀνεῖλεν ὁ μείζων ἐκεῖνος. Καὶ ἐνόμιζεν ὅτι λανθάνει τὸν Θεόν. Ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· «Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ ἀδελφός σου;» Λέγει ἐκεῖνος· «Οὐκ οἶδα· μὴ φύλαξ εἰμὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου;» Λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός· «Ἰδοὺ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου ἐκ τῆς γῆς βοᾷ πρός με.»» Παρακαθεζέσθω δὲ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ πλαττομένης οὕτω τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ παιδίου τοῖς τοιούτοις διηγήμασιν, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὴ συναντιλαμβάνηται καὶ ἐπαινῇ τὰ λεγόμενα. «Τί οὖν μετὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν; Ἐκεῖνον μὲν ὁ Θεὸς ἐδέξατο εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἔστιν ἄνω τελευτήσας.» Καὶ γὰρ παραδέχεται τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγον τὸ παιδίον τοῖς τοιούτοις διηγήμασιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς μύθοις τοιαῦτα τερατεύονται, «ὅτι καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτήν, φησίν, ἡμίθεον», καὶ πιστεύει τὸ παιδίον, καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν μὲν ὅπερ ἐστὶν «ἡμίθεος», οἶδεν δὲ ὅτι μεῖζόν τί ἐστιν ἢ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον, καὶ θαυμάζει εὐθέως ἀκοῦσαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὅταν περὶ ἀναστάσεως ἀκούῃ καὶ ὅτι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνῆλθεν αὐτοῦ ἡ ψυχή. «Κἀκεῖνον μὲν εὐθέως ἀνέλαβεν ἄνω· οὗτος δέ, ὁ φονεύσας, διαπαντὸς ἔζη ἐπὶ πολλὰ ἔτη κακῶς πάσχων, φόβῳ καὶ τρόμῳ συζῶν, καὶ μυρία ἔπασχεν δεινὰ καὶ ἐκολάζετο καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν.» Καὶ εἰπὲ τὴν τιμωρίαν σφοδρῶς, μὴ ἁπλῶς, ὅτι «ἤκουσε παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅτι «στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς».» Οὐ γὰρ οἶδεν τὸ παιδίον τί ποτε τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἀλλ' εἰπὲ ὅτι «καθάπερ σὺ τῷ διδασκάλῳ παρεστὼς καὶ ἀγωνιῶν, εἴ ποτε μέλλεις μαστίζεσθαι, τρέμεις καὶ δέδοικας, οὕτω δὴ κἀκεῖνος διαπαντὸς ἔζη προσκεκρουκὼς τῷ Θεῷ.» Ἀρκεῖ μέχρι τούτων αὐτῷ· καὶ τοῦτο ἐν μιᾷ ἑσπέρᾳ εἰπὲ δειπνῶν. Καὶ πάλιν ἡ μήτηρ τὰ αὐτὰ λεγέτω. Εἶτα ἐπειδὰν πολλάκις ἀκούσῃ, ἀπαίτησον καὶ αὐτόν· «Εἰπέ μοι τὸ διήγημα», ἵνα καὶ φιλοτιμῆται. Καὶ ὅταν κατάσχῃ τὸ διήγημα, τότε αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ κέρδος ἐρεῖς. Οἶδεν μὲν γὰρ ἡ ψυχὴ καθ' ἑαυτὴν δεχομένη τὸ διήγημα πρὸ τῆς σῆς ἐπεξεργασίας καρποὺς ἐνεγκεῖν, πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ σὺ εἰπὲ μετὰ ταῦτα· «Ὁρᾷς ὅσον κακόν ἐστι γαστριμαργία; ὁρᾷς ὅσον κακόν ἐστι φθονεῖν ἀδελφῷ; ὁρᾷς ὅσον ἐστὶ κακὸν νομίζειν κρύπτειν τὸν Θεόν; Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ πάντα βλέπει καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ γινόμενα.» Ἂν τοῦτο μόνον τὸ δόγμα ἐγκατασπείρῃς τῷ παιδί, οὐ δεήσῃ τοῦ παιδαγωγοῦ, τοῦ φόβου τούτου τοῦ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ παντὸς φόβου μᾶλλον ἐφεστῶτος τῷ παιδὶ καὶ κατασείοντος αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχήν. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ χειραγωγῶν ἄγε· καὶ σπούδασον αὐτὸν ἄγειν, ὅταν μάλιστα αὕτη ἡ διήγησις ἀναγινώσκηται. Ὄψει γὰρ αὐτὸν γαννύμενον καὶ πηδῶντα καὶ χαίροντα, ὅτι ἃ πάντες ἀγνοοῦσιν οἶδεν αὐτός, καὶ προλαμβάνοντα καὶ ἐπιγινώσκοντα καὶ μεγάλα κερδαίνοντα. Καὶ λοιπὸν ἐναποτίθεται τῇ μνήμῃ τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ἔστιν καὶ ἕτερα κερδᾶναι ἐκ τοῦ διηγήματος. Μαθέτω τοίνυν παρὰ σοῦ ὅτι οὐ χρὴ ἀλγεῖν κακῶς πάσχοντα· ἐνταῦθα εὐθέως ἐκ προοιμίων ὁ Θεὸς δείκνυσιν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ παιδί, εἴ γε τὸν εὐδόκιμον διὰ θανάτου ἔλαβεν ἄνω εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Ὅταν τοῦτο παγῇ τὸ διήγημα ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ τοῦ παιδός, ἐπάγαγε ἕτερον, οἷον ἑτέρων δύο ἀδελφῶν πάλιν, καὶ εἰπέ· «Ἦσαν ἕτεροι πάλιν