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De paenitentia

On repentance, and on Herod and John the Baptist. 1. Come now, let us prefer your benefit to your applause, and having reminded the Church a little about a moral way of life, let us discourse among you, from which things very little applause is sent up to the speaker, but a very great desire for the salvation of the soul arises in the hearers. For the discourse on faith is also good, and fitting for souls that love God; and when we see your zeal aroused in the hearings concerning faith, we understand precisely the love of your soul for the Master. For a terrible servant accuses his master, but a well-disposed servant rejoices when his master is praised by all; wherefore the zeal for the praises of the master is a proof of the servant's goodwill. But it is also good to wipe clean the vessel of the soul, so that, having been purified beforehand through moral teaching, it may be found receptive of the myrrh of theology. For into an unclean soul, it says, instruction will not enter. But our discourse on the way of life is in great need of careful examination. For if I should hold out hopes of repentance, I fear lest someone, becoming lax in the hope of future repentance, should grow negligent of his way of life; and if again I should shut off the hopes of repentance, I fear lest someone, despairing, should give his body over to desires. For equal as an incitement to sensual pleasure are both negligence, when a soul is made slack by pleasures, and despair of repentance. Therefore let our discourse be divided in two, for both the healthy and the sick. Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall; let him who has already slipped prevent the fall by repentance; let him who was in danger of falling, not be shattered; but if anyone has already been shattered, let him not despair of the loving-kindness of the One who raises up the shattered. It is possible sometimes to be shaken almost; My feet were almost shaken. It is also possible, having been shaken, to be helped by the Master; If I said, My foot is shaken, your mercy, O Lord, helped me. It is possible not only to be shaken, but also to be pushed and be in danger before being brought down; but God does not overlook even this one. Being pushed, I was overturned that I might fall, and the Lord helped me. Has he who has fallen, then, perished completely? By no means. There is also comfort for this one. When he falls, it says, he will not be shattered. What is the cause? Because the Lord supports his hand. For it is possible both to fall gently, and not to be shattered more violently into pleasure. Have those who have been shattered, then, perished? Let us see even here the loving-kindness of the Master. The Lord supports all who are falling, and raises up all who have been shattered. It seems to me that the psalmody, by showing these things well, did not lead us to despair of repentance. For speaking about God, it says: God is a righteous judge. Do not despise the saying; for justice is a distribution of equal things according to merit. First hear that he is righteous, and prepare yourself for a defense, then, since it is often opposed to supposition: If, then, God is righteous, how is it that he does not immediately repay sinners? So-and-so is unjust, and he thrives; so-and-so is violent, and he is rich; so-and-so is licentious, and he is powerful; how are these things of the justice of God? if he is righteous, how is it that he does not immediately bring punishment upon sinners? Is it that he is indeed righteous, but he is not strong enough to immediately give back the punishment to sinners? For sometimes a judge judges righteously, but is too weak to carry his own decision into effect. Is it then not because of

1

De paenitentia

Περὶ μετανοίας, καὶ εἰς Ἡρώδην καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν Βαπτιστήν. αʹ. Φέρε δὴ, καὶ τῶν ὑμετέρων κρότων τὴν ὑμετέραν προτιμήσωμεν λυσιτέλειαν, καὶ μικρόν τι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν περὶ πολιτείας ἠθικῆς ὑπομνήσαντες διαλεχθῶμεν ἐν ὑμῖν, ἐξ ὧν ἐλάχιστος μὲν ἀναπέμπεται τῷ λέγοντι κρότος, πλεῖστος δὲ τοῖς ἀκούουσιν ἐγγίνεται τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν σωτηρίας ὁ πόθος. Καλὸς μὲν γὰρ καὶ ὁ περὶ πίστεως λόγος, καὶ πρέπων φιλοθέοις ψυχαῖς· καὶ ὅταν ἴδωμεν ὑμῶν τὸν ζῆλον ἐγηγερμένον ἐν ταῖς περὶ πίστεως ἀκροάσεσι, τὸ φιλοδέσποτον τῆς ὑμετέρας ψυχῆς ἀκριβῶς καταμανθάνομεν. ∆εινὸς μὲν γὰρ οἰκέτης κατηγορεῖ τοῦ δεσπότου, εὔνους δὲ οἰκέτης χαίρει τοῦ δεσπότου παρὰ πάντων ἐπαινουμένου· διόπερ ἡ περὶ τοὺς ἐπαίνους τοῦ δεσπότου προθυμία τῆς οἰκετικῆς εὐνοίας ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει. Καλὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀγγεῖον ἐκσμήχειν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ἠθικῆς διδασκαλίας προκαθαρθὲν, δεκτικὸν τοῦ μύρου τῆς θεολογίας εὑρίσκηται. Εἰς γὰρ ἀκάθαρτον ψυχὴν, φησὶν, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται παιδεία. Ἔστι δὲ ἡμῖν ὁ περὶ πολιτείας λόγος σφόδρα δεόμενος ἀκριβοῦς ἐξετάσεως. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἐλπίδας ὑποτείνω μετανοίας, δέδοικα μή τις χαυνωθεὶς ἐλπίδι τῆς μελλούσης μετανοίας, καταῤῥᾳθυμήσῃ τῆς πολιτείας· ἐάν τε πάλιν ἀποκλείσω τὰς τῆς μετανοίας ἐλπίδας, δέδοικα μή τις ἀπαλγήσας παραδῷ τὸ σῶμα ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις. Ἴσον γὰρ εἰς ἡδυπαθείας προτροπὴν καὶ ῥᾳθυμία, ψυχῆς ἡδοναῖς χαυνουμένης, καὶ μετανοίας ἀπόγνωσις. ∆ιόπερ ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν διωρίσθω διχῆ, πρός τε τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας, καὶ τοὺς ἀῤῥωστοῦντας. Ὁ δοκῶν ἑστάναι, βλεπέτω μὴ πέσῃ· ὁ φθάσας ὀλισθῆσαι, προλαβέτω τὸ πτῶμα τῇ μετανοίᾳ· ὁ καὶ καταπεσεῖν κινδυνεύσας, μὴ καταῤῥαγήτω· εἰ δέ τις καὶ προλαβὼν κατεῤῥάγη, τῆς τοῦ ἀνορθοῦντος τοὺς κατεῤῥαγμένους φιλανθρωπίας μὴ ἀπογνώτω. Ἔστιν ἐνίοτε σαλευθῆναι παρὰ μικρόν· Ἐμοῦ δὲ παρὰ μικρὸν ἐσαλεύθησαν οἱ πόδες. Ἔστι καὶ σαλευθέντα βοηθηθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου· Εἰ ἔλεγον, Σεσάλευται ὁ πούς μου, τὸ ἔλεός σου, Κύριε, ἐβοήθει μοι. Ἔστι μὴ σαλευθῆναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὠσθῆναι καὶ κινδυνεῦσαι πρὶν ἢ κατενεχθῆναι· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτον παρορᾷ ὁ Θεός. Ὠσθεὶς ἀνετράπην τοῦ πεσεῖν, καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἀντελάβετό μου. Ἆρ' οὖν ὁ πεσὼν ἀπόλωλε παντελῶς; Οὐδαμῶς. Ἔστι καὶ τούτου παραμυθία. Ὅταν πέσῃ,φησὶν, οὐ καταῤῥαχθήσεται. Τί τὸ αἴτιον; Ὅτι Κύριος ἀντιστηρίζει χεῖρα αὐτοῦ. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ἠρέμα πεσεῖν, καὶ μὴ σφοδρότερον εἰς τὴν ἡδονὴν καταῤῥαγῆναι. Ἆρ' οὖν οἱ καταῤῥαγέντες ἀπώλοντο; Ἴδωμεν καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν τοῦ ∆εσπότου φιλανθρωπίαν. Ὑποστηρίζει Κύριος πάντας τοὺς καταπίπτοντας, καὶ ἀνορθοῖ πάντας τοὺς κατεῤῥαγμένους. Ταῦτά μοι δοκεῖ καὶ ἡ ψαλμωδία καλῶς ἐνδεικνυμένη, πρὸς ἀπόγνωσιν ἡμᾶς μετανοίας οὐκ ἤγαγε. Λέγουσα γὰρ περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, φησίν· Ὁ Θεὸς κριτὴς δίκαιος. Μὴ καταφρονήσῃς τῆς λέξεως· δικαιοσύνη γάρ ἐστιν ἐξ ἴσου κατ' ἀξίαν διανεμητική. Πρῶτον ἄκουσον ὅτι δίκαιος, καὶ προπαρασκευάζου πρὸς ἀπολογίαν, εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ ἀντίκειται πολλάκις πρὸς ὑπόνοιαν· Εἰ τοίνυν δίκαιος ὁ Θεὸς, πῶς οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀνταποδίδωσι τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν; ὁ δεῖνα ἄδικος, καὶ εὐθηνεῖται· ὁ δεῖνα βίαιος, καὶ πλουτεῖ· ὁ δεῖνα ἀσελγὴς, καὶ δυναστεύει· πῶς ταῦτα δικαιοσύνης Θεοῦ; εἰ δίκαιος, πῶς οὐ παραχρῆμα τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἐπάγει τὴν τιμωρίαν; ἆρα μὴ δίκαιος μέν ἐστιν, οὐκ ἰσχύει δὲ παραχρῆμα τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀντιδοῦναι; Ἐνίοτε γὰρ δικαστὴς δικαίως μὲν δικάζει, ἀσθενεῖ δὲ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπόφασιν ἀγαγεῖν εἰς ἔργον. Ἆρ' οὖν μὴ δι'