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In Herodem et infantes

On Herod and on the infants.

61.699 I would wish indeed always and ever to relate the spiritual word, obeying Paul who says: "Comparing spiritual things with spiritual;" and especially because I was shown to be a debtor from the last Lord's Day. I do not know how this happens concerning me, that my poverty is not always released from its debt, since you, my insatiable creditors in spiritual matters, contrive the debt with interest. But yet I do not lament, O friends, but rather I rejoice; for I am a hopeful servant of a rich master. Therefore I do not ask for pardon, but I entreat for an extension. For I have God who gives the word, who says: "Open your mouth, and I will fill it," not because of the worthiness of the speaker, but because of the pious love of hearing of the listeners. For you heard the evangelist Matthew saying: "Now when king Herod saw that he had been mocked by the magi, he was exceedingly angry, and sending forth, he killed all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the magi." These things happened at the birth of Christ according to the flesh. But hear how it was foretold many years before.

"So that," he says, "what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, Rachel weeping for her children.'" Do you see how many generations before the madness of Herod in the last days was announced? For, it says, "sending forth, he killed all the children in Bethlehem, and in all its borders." O the madness of Herod, or rather the wickedness of the devil! For this was his work also; he armed Herod against the infants. But yet he raised the sword of infanticide against himself; for Herod, having contrived many things, did not kill Jesus, whom he sought; and Herod's failure is the devil's misery. "Seeing," it says, "that he was mocked by the magi, he was exceedingly angry, and sending forth, he killed all the children in Bethlehem, and in all its borders." O Herod, why are you rashly enraged? Why do you arm yourself against infants? You were mocked by the magi, and you murder infants? For did the infants guide the magi? A star revealed the newborn Lord to them. Unable, therefore, to shoot the star with an arrow, you mur 61.700 der infants? Or was it for this you took hold of the kingdom, that you might show your strength against sucklings? Do you wage war on infants, Herod? Do you make mothers childless? Do you dry up breasts? Do you empty arms? Do you wound wombs? Do you multiply laments for women in labor? Do you kill infants from two years old and under? For you have somewhere to thrust your sword. This is not to commit murder, but to reap the unripe. Show the sword to the children; if they are frightened and shrink back, kill, slaughter them; but if they run joyfully towards the sword, why do you bring the sword to those who laugh at the sword? Do you think, Herod, to pursue the Savior and murder him? But since you have wholly resolved, send forth a decree, recall the magi, command the star, imprison Gabriel, interrogate the prophets, seek for the Virgin mother; if you can lay hold of these, then you will be able to find Christ also.

You do not give glory, but you seek the one born without flux? Do you fight against God, O king? Do you meddle with him who is the King? Do you wish to seize the one who holds you? Do you wish to destroy the one who wishes to save you? Do you craftily try to restrain the one standing beside you, and who because of your wickedness does not wish to be seen by you? This is he, Herod, who from the many

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In Herodem et infantes

Εἰς τὸν Ἡρώδην καὶ εἰς τὰ νήπια.

61.699 Ἤθελον μὲν ἀεὶ καὶ πάντοτε τὸν πνευματικὸν ἀφηγεῖσθαι λόγον, πειθόμενος Παύλῳ τῷ λέγοντι· Πνευματικοῖς πνευματικὰ συγκρίνοντες· μάλιστα δὲ ὅτι χρεώστης ἀπεφάνθην τῆς προτέρας Κυριωνύμου Κυριακῆς. Οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τοῦτο συμβαίνει περὶ ἐμὲ, τοῦ ἀεὶ χρέους μὴ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τὴν ἐμὴν πενίαν, ὑμῶν τῶν ἀπλήστων ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς δανειστῶν μεθοδευόντων σὺν τόκῳ τὸ ὄφλημα. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀποδύρομαι, ὦ φίλοι, ἀλλὰ πλέον ἀγάλλομαι· πλουσίου γὰρ δεσπότου εὔελπις δοῦλός εἰμι. ∆ιὸ συγγνώμην οὐκ αἰτῶ, ἀλλ' ἐνδοχὴν παρακαλῶ. Ἔχω γὰρ τὸν λογοδότην Θεὸν, τὸν λέγοντα· Ἄνοιξον τὸ στόμα σου, καὶ πληρώσω αὐτὸ, οὐ διὰ τὴν τοῦ λαλοῦντος ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων εὐσεβῆ φιληκοΐαν. Ἤκουες γοῦν τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ Ματθαίου λέγοντος· Ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἡρώδης, ὅτι ἐνεπαίχθη ὑπὸ τῶν μάγων, ἐθυμώθη λίαν, καὶ ἀποστείλας ἀνεῖλε πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ὄντας ἐν Βηθλεὲμ, καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς, ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω, κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἠκρίβωσε παρὰ τῶν μάγων. Ταῦτα ἐν τῇ κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσει τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἄκουε δὲ πῶς ἐκ πολλῶν τῶν χρόνων προελέγετο.

Ὅπως, φησὶ πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Κραυγὴ ἐν Ῥαμᾷ ἠκούσθη Ῥαχὴλ κλαίουσα τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς. Ὁρᾷς πρὸ πόσων γενεῶν κατηγγέλλετο ἡ τοῦ Ἡρώδου ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν μανία; Ἀποστείλας γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνεῖλε πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἐν Βηθλεὲμ, καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς. Ὢ τῆς τοῦ Ἡρώδου μανίας, μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου κακίας! αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἦν καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον· αὐτὸς ὥπλισε τὸν Ἡρώδην κατὰ τῶν νηπίων. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ξίφος τῆς βρεφοκτονίας ἤγειρε· πολλὰ γὰρ ὁ Ἡρώδης μηχανησάμενος οὐκ ἀνεῖλεν Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ἐζήτει· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Ἡρώδου ἀποτυχία, τοῦ διαβόλου ταλαιπωρία. Ἰδὼν, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐνεπαίχθη ὑπὸ τῶν μάγων, ἐθυμώθη λίαν, καὶ ἀποστείλας ἀνεῖλε πάντας τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἐν Βηθλεὲμ, καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῆς. Ὦ Ἡρώδη, τί προπετῶς θυμοῦσαι; τί ὁπλίζῃ κατὰ τῶν νηπίων; Ὑπὸ τῶν μάγων ἐνεπαίχθης, καὶ τὰ βρέφη φονοκτονεῖς; μὴ γὰρ τὰ βρέφη τοὺς μάγους ὡδήγησαν; ἀστὴρ αὐτοῖς ἐμήνυσε τὸν τεχθέντα ∆εσπότην. Τὸν ἀστέρα οὖν μὴ δυνάμενος τοξεῦσαι, τὰ βρέφη φονο 61.700 κτονεῖς; ἢ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς βασιλείας ἐπελάβου, ἵνα κατὰ θηλαζόντων τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐπιδείξῃ; νηπίοις πολεμεῖς, Ἡρώδη; μητέρας ἀτεκνοῖς; μαστοὺς ξηραίνεις; ἀγκάλας γυμνοῖς; σπλάγχνα τιτρώσκεις; γυναιξὶν ὠδινούσαις θρήνους πληθύνεις; ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω ἀνελεῖς τὰ βρέφη; Ἔχεις γὰρ ποῦ ἐμπείρῃς τὸ ξίφος. Τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι φονοκτονῆσαι, ἀλλὰ ἀωροτομῆσαι. Ἐπίδειξον τοῖς παισὶ τὸ ξίφος· ἐὰν φοβηθέντα δειλιάσωσι, φόνευε, κατάσφαζε· ἐὰν δὲ ἱλαρυνόμενα προσδράμωσι τῷ ξίφει, τί προσφέρεις τὸ ξίφος τοῖς προσγελῶσι τῷ ξίφει; Νομίζεις, Ἡρώδη, μετελθεῖν τὸν Σωτῆρα καὶ φονοκτονῆσαι τοῦτον; Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὅλως προῄρησαι, ἔκπεμψον δόγμα, τοὺς μάγους μετακάλεσαι, τὸν ἀστέρα παράστειλον, τὸν Γαβριὴλ φυλάκισον, τοὺς προφήτας ἀνάκρινον, μητέρα Παρθένον ζήτησον· ἐὰν τούτων ἐπιλάβῃ, τότε δυνήσῃ καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν εὕρασθαι.

Οὐ δοξολογεῖς, ἀλλὰ ζητεῖς τὸν ἀρεύστως τεχθέντα; θεομαχεῖς, βασιλεῦ; τὸν βασιλέα τυγχάνοντα πολυπραγμονεῖς; κρατῆσαι θέλεις τὸν κρατοῦντά σε; ὀλέσθαι θέλεις τὸν θέλοντά σε σῶσαι; συσχεῖν πανουργεύεις τὸν παρεστῶτά σοι, καὶ διὰ τὴν πονηρίαν σου ὀφθῆναί σοι μὴ βουλόμενον; οὗτός ἐστιν, Ἡρώδη, ὁ ἐκ πολλῶν τῶν