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Adversus eos qui castigationes aegre ferunt

OF THE SAME. AGAINST THOSE WHO ARE VEXED BY REBUKES. Truly a divine and sacred thing is the word of God, an exceptional possession, not added from elsewhere, but blended with our nature, a most precious gift come to man from his Creator. Therefore man is also said to have been made in the likeness of God. By this, at any rate, he has his difference from the other animals, and by this godlike advantage he is uniquely characterized, although in very many other respects he has much in common with the beasts. For the form of the eyes, and the fashioning of the flesh, both of those on the surface and those hidden in the belly, do not exalt man; since participation in these things is seen also in land animals, and aquatic ones, and winged ones, and simply in all living creatures. But this makes him the ruler of all things, and shows him to be blessed; which God, possessing richly, bestowed a little of on us, so that first we might look to Him, and know the giver of reason as Reason, and worship Him who has so well adorned us with His own grace. Through reason, though we are weak in body, we are stronger than the strong, and we enslave all things, and command them to serve our needs. Thus we tame bulls and bring them under the yoke, and prepare the earth to be cut up by plows, and holding the swift horse with bits we make him obedient, and urging on the slow donkey with clubs we make him quicker, and we compel the stubborn mules to pull carriages and carry burdens; and the sprawling bulk of elephants, and the size of camels, we handle ingeniously for whatever purpose we see fit. Hence also we cross the deep, and in a small piece of wood, through the art of steering, we traverse the unspeakable expanses of the seas, and having no landmarks for that journey, when we have lost sight of land, we are safely guided by the signs in the heavens, and a star guides the sailor as it did the Magi.

And the breadths and shapes of heaven were discovered, and the multitude of stars, and how much size and distance each has, and the observation of the moon, and what the sun suffers when at certain times its ray is covered; and now we even philosophize about the earth moving, how, being loosed from its natural foundations, it both heaves up and shakes its inhabitants along with the things upon it. And by observed signs we watch for droughts 46.309 and foretell rainfalls, and applying reason to the things that grow from the earth, we examine the natures of plants, and we declare one to be saving for the wounded, another suitable for sleep for the one who cannot sleep, another a medicine for the liver, and another for suppressing inflammations of the spleen. I pass over the sciences, I leave aside the necessary arts, all those for nourishment, the varied range of occupations. But such a creature—the wise, the practical, the active, the mindful, the one being here and seeing things elsewhere—because it is dragged about by various pleasures and different passions, is neglectful of one thing: of the true life and of its own salvation. And you who foresees the changes of the winds, you do not see the resurrection; you who knows the changes of the years, you do not see the change of life; you who demands an account from your own slave for what he does, you despise the authority of your judge and Lord.

These things are not of a rational being, but of one who turns the rational to foolishness. You do not practice righteousness, you do not learn virtue, you are neglectful of prayer. And this yesterday made clear. For with what eyes do you look upon the Lord's Day, you who have dishonored the Sabbath? Or do you not know that these days are sisters? and if you insult the one,

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Adversus eos qui castigationes aegre ferunt

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΑΧΘΟΜΕΝΟΥΣ ΤΑΙΣ ΕΠΙΤΙΜΗΣΕΣΙ. Θεῖον ἀληθῶς καὶ ἱερὸν χρῆμα ὁ λόγος Θεοῦ, κτῆμα ἐξαίρετον, οὐκ ἄλλοθεν προσγενόμενον, ἀλλὰ συγκε κραμένον τῇ φύσει, ἀνθρώπῳ δῶρον τιμιώτατον παρὰ τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος εἰς αὐτὸν ἐλθόν. ∆ιὸ καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν Θεοῦ γεγενῆσθαι λέγεται. Τούτῳ γοῦν ἔχει καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα ζῶα τὴν διαφορὰν, καὶ τῷ θεοειδεῖ πλεονεκτήματι ἰδιαζόντως χαρακτηρίζεται, σφόδρα τοῖς ἄλλοις πολλὴν ἔχων τὴν κοινωνίαν πρὸς τὰ βοσκήματα. Ὀφθαλμῶν γὰρ τύπος, καὶ σαρκῶν διάπλασις, τῶν τε ἐπὶ τῆς ἐπιφανείας, καὶ τῶν ἐν γαστρὶ κρυπτομένων, οὐ σεμνύνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον· ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐν χερσαίοις, καὶ ἐνύδροις, καὶ πτηνοῖς, καὶ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς ζώοις ἡ ἐκείνων μετουσία βλέπεται. Τοῦτο δὲ ἡγεμόνα τῶν πάντων ποιεῖ, καὶ μακαριστὸν ἀποδείκνυσιν· ὅπερ Θεὸς ἔχων πλουσίως, ὀλίγον ἡμῖν ἐχαρίσατο, ἵνα πρῶτον ἐκεῖνον βλέπωμεν, καὶ γνω ρίζωμεν λόγον τοῦ λόγου δοτῆρα, καὶ λατρεύωμεν τῷ οὕτως ἡμᾶς καλῶς τῇ ἰδίᾳ κατακοσμήσαντι χάριτι. ∆ιὰ λόγους ἰσχύομεν τῶν ἰσχυρῶν πλέον ἀσθενεῖς ὄν τες τὸ σῶμα, καὶ πάντα δουλούμεθα, καὶ ταῖς ἡμετέ ραις ὑπηρετεῖσθαι χρείαις κελεύομεν. Οὕτω ταύρους δαμάζομεν καὶ ὑπάγομεν τῷ ζυγῷ, καὶ γῆν ἀρότροις ἀνατέμνειν παρασκευάζομεν, καὶ ἵππον ταχὺν τοῖς ψαλίοις κατάγχοντες ἔχομεν εὐπειθῆ, καὶ τὸν βραδὺν ὄνον τοῖς ῥοπάλοις ἐπείγοντες ποιοῦμεν ὀξύτερον, καὶ τὰς σκληρὰς ἡμιόνους ὀχήματα ἕλκειν καὶ ἀχθο φορεῖν ἀναγκάζομεν· ἐλεφάντων δὲ τὴν ἐκκεχυμένην πολυσαρκίαν, καὶ καμήλων τὸ μέγεθος εὐμηχάνως πρὸς τὸ δοκοῦν μεταχειριζόμεθα. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ βάθος περαιούμεθα, καὶ μικρῷ ξύλῳ διὰ κυβερνητικῆς τὰ ἄφατα τῶν πελαγῶν ἐφοδεύομεν, καὶ τῆς πορείας ἐκείνης οὐκ ἔχοντες σύμβολα, ὅταν γῆν ἀποκρύψω μεν, τοῖς κατ' οὐρανὸν σημείοις ἀσφαλῶς ὁδηγού μεθα, καὶ ὁδηγεῖ τὸν ναύτην ὡς τοὺς Μάγους ἀστήρ.

Οὐρανοῦ δὲ πλάτη καὶ σχήματα ἐξευρέθη καὶ πλῆθος ἀστέρων, καὶ ὅπως ἕκαστος μεγέθους ἔχει, καὶ δια στήματος, καὶ τῆς σελήνης σημείωσις, καὶ τί πάσχων ὁ ἥλιος κατά τινας χρόνους τὴν ἀκτῖνα καλύπτεται· ἤδη δὲ καὶ κατὰ γῆς κινουμένης φιλοσοφοῦμεν, ὅπως λυομένη τῶν φυσικῶν ἐρεισμάτων αὐτή τε ἀναβράσ σεται, καὶ τοὺς ἐποίκους μετὰ τῶν ἐπικειμένων κλο νεῖ Συμβόλοις δὲ τοῖς παρατετηρημένοις καὶ αὐχμοὺς 46.309 παραθεωροῦμεν, καὶ ἐπομβρίας προμαντευόμεθα, καὶ τοῖς ἐκ γῆς φυομένοις τὸν λόγον προσάγοντες, τὰς φύσεις τῶν βοτανῶν ἐξετάζομεν, καὶ τὴν μὲν τῷ τραυματίᾳ σωτήριον ἀποφαίνομεν, ἄλλην ἐπιτήδειον πρὸς ὕπνον τῷ μὴ καθεύδοντι, ἑτέραν ἥπατος ἰατι κὴν, καὶ ἄλλην τὰς ἐπαναστάσεις τοῦ σπληνὸς κατα στέλλουσαν. Ἐῶ τὰς ἐπιστήμας, ἀφίημι τὰς τέχνας τὰς ἀναγκαίας, τὰς πρὸς τροφὴν πᾶσαν, τὴν ποικί λην τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων περίοδον. Τὸ δὲ τοιοῦτον ζῶον, τὸ σοφὸν, τὸ πρακτικὸν, τὸ δραστήριον, τὸ μνημονικὸν, τὸ ἐνταῦθα ὂν καὶ τὰ ἀλλαχοῦ βλέπον, διὰ τὸ ποικίλαις ἡδοναῖς καὶ διαφόροις πάθεσι περι έλκεσθαι, ἑνὸς ὀλιγώρως ἔχει, τῆς ἀληθοῦς ζωῆς καὶ τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας. Καὶ ὁ προβλέπων τροπὰς ἀέρων, τὴν ἀνάστασιν οὐχ ὁρᾷς· ὁ τὰς μεταβολὰς τῶν ἐνιαυτῶν εἰδὼς, τὴν μεταβολὴν οὐ βλέπεις τοῦ βίου· ὁ τὸν ἴδιον δοῦλον ἀπαιτῶν τὰς εὐθύνας ὧν δια πράττεται, τοῦ σοῦ κριτοῦ καὶ Κυρίου τῆς ἐξουσίας καταφρονεῖς.

Ταῦτα οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ λογικοῦ, ἀλλ' εἰς μωρίαν τὸ λογικὸν παρατρέποντος. ∆ικαιοσύνην οὐκ ἀσκεῖς, τὴν ἀρετὴν οὐ μανθάνεις, εὐχῆς ἀμελεῖς. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐδήλωσεν ἡ χθιζὴ ἡμέρα. Ποίοις γὰρ ὀφθαλμοῖς τὴν Κυριακὴν ὁρᾷς, ὁ ἀτιμάσας τὸ Σάββατον; Ἦ οὐκ οἶδας ὡς ἀδελφαὶ αὗται αἱ ἡμέραι; κἂν εἰς τὴν ἑτέ ραν ἐξυβρίσῃς,