XXV. And to this effect similarly is what follows. “Now at this present time not to have lands, and money, and houses, and brethren, with persecutions.” For it is neither penniless, nor homeless, nor brotherless people that the Lord calls to life, since He has also called rich people; but, as we have said above, also brothers, as Peter with Andrew, and James with John the sons of Zebedee, but of one mind with each other and Christ. And the expression “with persecutions” rejects the possessing of each of those things. There is a persecution which arises from without, from men assailing the faithful, either out of hatred, or envy, or avarice, or through diabolic agency. But the most painful is internal persecution, which proceeds from each man’s own soul being vexed by impious lusts, and diverse pleasures, and base hopes, and destructive dreams; when, always grasping at more, and maddened by brutish loves, and inflamed by the passions which beset it like goads and stings, it is covered with blood, (to drive it on) to insane pursuits, and to despair of life, and to contempt of God.

More grievous and painful is this persecution, which arises from within, which is ever with a man, and which the persecuted cannot escape; for he carries the enemy about everywhere in himself. Thus also burning which attacks from without works trial, but that from within produces death. War also made on one is easily put an end to, but that which is in the soul continues till death.

With such persecution, if you have worldly wealth, if you have brothers allied by blood and other pledges, abandon the whole wealth of these which leads to evil; procure peace for yourself, free yourself from protracted persecutions; turn from them to the Gospel; choose before all the Saviour and Advocate and Paraclete of your soul, the Prince of life. “For the things which are seen are temporary; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”32    2 Cor. iv. 18. And in the present time are things evanescent and insecure, but in that to come is eternal life.

25.1 Ταύτης δὲ ὁμοίως ἔχεται τῆς γνώμης καὶ τὸ ἑπόμενον. "νῦν δὲ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ ἀγροὺς καὶ χρήματα καὶ οἰκίας καὶ ἀδελφοὺς 25.2 ἔχειν μετὰ διωγμῶν εἰς ποῦ;" οὔτε γὰρ ἀχρημάτους οὔτε ἀνεστίους οὔτε ἀναδέλφους ἐπὶ τὴν ζωὴν καλεῖ, ἐπεὶ καὶ πλουσίους κέκληκεν, ἀλλ' ὃν τρόπον προειρήκαμεν, καὶ ἀδελφοὺς κατὰ ταὐτὸν ὥσπερ Πέτρον μετὰ Ἀνδρέου καὶ Ἰάκωβον μετὰ Ἰωάννου, τοὺς Ζεβεδαίο25.3 παῖδας, ἀλλ' ὁμονοοῦντας ἀλλήλοις τε καὶ Χριστῷ. τὸ δὲ "μετὰ διωγμῶν" ταῦτα ἕκαστα ἔχειν ἀποδοκιμάζει· διωγμὸς δὲ ὃ μέν τις ἔξωθεν περιγίνεται τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἢ δι' ἔχθραν ἢ διὰ φθόνον ἢ διὰ φιλοκέρδειαν ἢ κατ' ἐνέργειαν διαβολικὴν τοὺς πιστοὺς ἐλαυνόντων· 25.4 ὁ δὲ χαλεπώτατος ἔνδοθέν ἐστι διωγμός, ἐξ αὐτῆς ἑκάστῳ τῆς ψυχῆς προπεμπόμενος λυμαινομένης ὑπὸ ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀθέων καὶ ἡδονῶν ποικίλων καὶ φαύλων ἐλπίδων καὶ φθαρτικῶν ὀνειροπολημάτων, ὅταν, ἀεὶ τῶν πλειόνων ὀρεγομένη καὶ λυσσῶσα ὑπὸ ἀγρίων ἐρώτων καὶ φλεγομένη, καθάπερ κέντροις ἢ μύωψι τοῖς προσκειμένοις αὐτῇ πάθεσιν ἐξαιμάσσηται πρὸς σπουδὰς μανιώδεις καὶ ζωῆς ἀπόγνωσιν 25.5 καὶ θεοῦ καταφρόνησιν. οὗτος ὁ διωγμὸς βαρύτερος καὶ χαλεπώ τερος, ἔνδοθεν ὁρμώμενος, ἀεὶ συνών, ὃν οὐδὲ ἐκφυγεῖν ὁ διωκόμενος 25.6 δύναται· τὸν γὰρ ἐχθρὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιάγει πανταχοῦ. οὕτω καὶ πύρωσις ἡ μὲν ἔξωθεν προσπίπτουσα δοκιμασίαν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ἔνδοθεν θάνατον διαπράσσεται. καὶ πόλεμος ὁ μὲν ἐπακτὸς ῥᾳδίως 25.7 καταλύεται, ὁ δὲ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ μέχρι θανάτου παραμετρεῖται. μετὰ διωγμοῦ τοιούτου πλοῦτον ἐὰν ἔχῃς τὸν αἰσθητὸν κἂν ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς πρὸς αἵματος καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ἐνέχυρα, κατάλιπε τὴν τούτων παγκτησίαν τὴν ἐπὶ κακῷ, εἰρήνην σεαυτῷ παράσχες, ἐλευθερώθητι διωγμοῦ μακροῦ, ἀποστράφηθι πρὸς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἀπ' ἐκείνων, ἑλοῦ τὸν σωτῆρα πρὸ πάντων, τὸν τῆς σῆς συνήγορον καὶ παράκλητον ψυχῆς, 25.8 τὸν τῆς ἀπείρου πρύτανιν ζωῆς. "τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια·" καὶ ἐν μὲν τῷ παρόντι χρόνῳ ὠκύμορα καὶ ἀβέβαια, "ἐν δὲ τῷ ἐρχομένῳ ζωήν ἐστιν αἰώνιος."