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Apology

ORATION II.

An apology of the same author, on account of the flight to Pontus, and his subsequent return from there, after his ordination as presbyter, in which he discusses what is the profession of the priesthood. I. I have been defeated, and I confess my defeat; I have submitted to the Lord, and I have besought Him. For let the most blessed David begin my discourse for me; or rather, He who spoke in David, and still now speaks through him. Since it is the best order for one beginning any discourse or action, to begin from God and to rest in God. But as for the cause either of my former resistance and faintheartedness, on account of which I went far away as an exile, and was lodged away from you for a time not short perhaps for those who longed for me, or of my present gentleness and change, on account of which I have again brought and given myself to you, let one think and say one thing, and another another, among those who either hate or love us; the one not acquitting me of blame, the other even accepting my excuse; for nothing is so sweet to men as to talk of the affairs of others, and especially if they happen to be drawn by some goodwill or hatred, by which the truth is for the most part wont to be stolen away. But I will set the truth in the midst, being ashamed of nothing, and I will arbitrate justly between both parties, both those who accuse us, and those who eagerly defend us; partly by accusing myself, and partly by defending myself. 35.409

II. And that my discourse may proceed in an orderly way, I will speak of my cowardice first, since it came first; for I cannot bear that some should be scandalized on my account, of those who carefully observe all our affairs, whether they be good or otherwise; since God has been pleased that what concerns us should be of some account to Christians, and I will heal, through this apology, those who have already been scandalized, if any there be. For it is good, so long as it is possible, and reason allows, to put no stumbling-block or scandal in the way of the many, neither by sinning, nor by being suspected of it; since we know how inexorable and most heavy is the punishment from Him who cannot lie for those who scandalize even one of the little ones.

III. For I suffered this, O men, neither as uninstructed and without understanding, but rather—that I may boast a little—nor as a despiser of the divine laws and ordinances. Because just as in a body one part is ruling and, as it were, presiding, and another is ruled and led; so also in the Churches God has ordained, by a law of equity which has regard to merit, or even of providence, by which He has bound all things together, that some should be shepherded and ruled, for whom this is more profitable, being directed in word and deed toward what is right; and that others should be shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the Church, as many as are superior to the many in virtue and intimacy with God, holding the relation of soul to body, or of mind to soul; so that both, composed and mingled together, the deficient and the superabundant, as in limbs, and reconciled and bound together by the harmony of the Spirit, might be shown to be one perfect body, truly worthy of Christ Himself our head.

IV. Therefore I do not consider anarchy and disorder more profitable than order and rule, either for other beings or for men; but for men least of all, inasmuch as 35.412 their danger is also about greater matters; for whom it is a great thing, even if they should not preserve the first point of reason, not to sin at all, yet at least the second to it, to be brought back when they have sinned.

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Apologetica

ΛΟΓΟΣ Βʹ.

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἀπολογητικὸς τῆς εἰς τὸν Πόντον φυ γῆς ἕνεκεν, καὶ αὖθις ἐπανόδου ἐκεῖθεν, με τὰ τὴν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου χειροτονίαν, ἐν ᾧ τί τὸ

τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐπάγγελμα. Αʹ· Ἥττημαι, καὶ τὴν ἧτταν ὁμολογῶ· ὑπ ετάγην τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἱκέτευσα αὐτόν· ὁ γάρ μοι μακαριώτατος ∆αβὶδ ἀρχέτω τοῦ λόγου· μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ ἐν τῷ ∆αβὶδ φθεγξάμενος, καὶ εἰσέτι καὶ νῦν δι' αὐτοῦ φθεγγόμενος. Ἐπειδὴ καὶ τάξις ἀρίστη παντὸς ἀρχομένῳ καὶ λόγου καὶ πράγματος, ἐκ Θεοῦ τε ἄρχεσθαι, καὶ εἰς Θεὸν ἀναπαύε σθαι. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον ἢ τῆς πρωτοῦ στάσεως καὶ ὀλιγοψυχίας, δι' ἣν ἐμάκρυνα φυγαδεύων, καὶ ηὐλίσθην ἀφ' ὑμῶν χρόνον οὐ μικρὸν ἴσως τοῖς γε πο θοῦσιν, ἢ τῆς νῦν ἡμερότητος καὶ μεταβολῆς, δι' ἣν αὖθις ἐμαυτὸν ἔδωκα φέρων ὑμῖν, ἄλλος μὲν ἄλ λο τι οἰέσθω τε καὶ λεγέτω τῶν ἢ μισούντων ἢ ἀγα πώντων ἡμᾶς· ὁ μὲν οὐκ ἀφιεὶς αἰτίας, ὁ δὲ καὶ προσαποδεχόμενος· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἡδὺ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὡς τὸ λαλεῖν τὰ ἀλλότρια, καὶ μάλιστα ἐὰν τύχωσιν ὑπ' εὐνοίας τινὸς ἢ μίσους ἑλκόμενοι, ὑφ' ὧν καὶ φιλεῖ κλέπτεσθαι ὡς τὰ πολλὰ ἡ ἀλήθεια. Ἐγὼ δὲ τἀληθὲς εἰς μέσον θήσω, μηδὲν αἰσχυν θεὶς, καὶ διαιτήσω δικαίως ἀμφοτέροις τοῖς μέρεσιν, ὅσοι τε κατηγοροῦσιν ἡμῶν, καὶ ὅσοι ὑπεραπολογοῦν ται προθύμως· τὸ μέν τι κατηγορήσας ἐμαυτοῦ, τὸ δὲ ὑπεραπολογησάμενος. 35.409

Βʹ. Καὶ ἵνα γε καθ' ὁδὸν ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν προΐῃ, περὶ τῆς δειλίας προτέρας οὔσης καὶ διαλέξομαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνέχομαι πλήττεσθαί τινας ἐν ἐμοὶ τῶν πάντα τη ρούντων ἐπιμελῶς τὰ ἡμέτερα, εὖ τε καὶ ὡς ἑτέρως ἔχοντα· ἐπειδή τι τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς εἶναι Χριστιανοῖς εὐ δόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς ἤδη πεπληγότας, εἴ περ τινὲς εἰσὶ, διὰ τῆς ἀπολογίας ἰάσομαι· καλὸν γὰρ μήτε ἁμαρτάνοντα, μήτε ὑπονοούμενον, ἕως ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, καὶ ὁ λόγος αἱρῇ, τιθέναι πρόσκομμα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἢ σκάνδαλον· εἴπερ καὶ τοῖς ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν σκανδαλίσασιν ἴσμεν ὅπως ἀπαραίτητος καὶ βαρυτά τη παρὰ τοῦ ἀψευδοῦς ἡ τιμωρία.

Γʹ. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔπαθον τοῦτο, ὦ ἄνδρες, οὔτε ὡς ἀπαίδευτος καὶ ἀσύνετος, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον, ἵνα καὶ μικρόν τι καυχήσωμαι, οὔτε ὡς ὑπερόπτης τῶν θείων νόμων καὶ διατάξεων. Ὅτι καθάπερ ἐν σώματι τὸ μέν τι ἄρχον ἐστὶ καὶ οἷον προκαθεζόμενον, τὸ δὲ ἀρχόμενον καὶ ἀγόμενον· οὕτω κἀν ταῖς Ἐκκλη σίαις διέταξεν ὁ Θεὸς ἰσότητος νόμῳ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν, ἢ καὶ προνοίας, ᾗ τὰ πάντα συνέδησε, τοὺς μὲν ποιμαίνεσθαί τε καὶ ἄρχε σθαι, ὅσοις τοῦτο λυσιτελέστερον, καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ πρὸς τὸ δέον ἰθυνομένους· τοὺς δὲ εἶναι ποι μένας καὶ διδασκάλους, πρὸς τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῆς Ἐκ κλησίας, ὅσοι τῶν πολλῶν εἰσιν ἀνωτέρω κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν οἰκείωσιν, λόγον ψυχῆς πρὸς σῶμα, ἢ νοῦ πρὸς ψυχὴν ἐπέχοντας· ἵν' ἀμφότερα συντεθέντα ἀλλήλοις καὶ συγκραθέντα, τό τε ὑστεροῦν καὶ τὸ πλεονάζον, ὥσπερ ἐν μέλεσι, καὶ τῇ ἁρμονίᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος συμβιβασθέντα καὶ συνδε θέντα ἓν ἄρτιον ἀποδειχθῇ σῶμα, καὶ αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἡμῶν ὄντως ἄξιον.

∆ʹ. Οὔτε οὖν τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀναρχίαν καὶ ἀταξίαν λυ σιτελεστέραν οἶδα τάξεως καὶ ἀρχῆς, οὔτε ἀνθρώποις· ἀλλὰ τούτοις καὶ πάντων οὐχ ἥκιστα, ὅσῳ καὶ 35.412 περὶ μειζόνων αὐτοῖς ὁ κίνδυνος· οἷς μέγα, κἂν εἰ τὸ πρῶτον τοῦ λόγου μὴ σώζοιεν, τὸ μηδὲν ἁμαρτάνειν, ἀλλὰ τό γε δεύτερον ἐκείνου, τὸ ἁμαρ τάνοντας ἐπανάγεσθαι.