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In illud: Si esurierit inimicus

TO THOSE Who did not come to the gathering, and on the apostolic saying which says, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him," and concerning bearing grudges.

51.171 1. We have accomplished nothing, it seems, by having previously addressed a long discourse to you concerning zeal for the assemblies; for again the church is bereft of her children. Therefore again I am forced to appear burdensome and harsh, rebuking those present, accusing those who are absent; them, because they have not cast off their laziness, and you, because you have not taken hold of the salvation of your brothers. I am forced to appear harsh and burdensome, not for myself and my own possessions, but for you and for your salvation, than which nothing is more precious to me. Let him who wishes be annoyed, and call me troublesome and shameless; but I will not cease constantly bothering you about the same things; for nothing is better for me 51.172 than this shamelessness. For perhaps, perhaps, if for no other reason, then at least blushing at this, at not being continually bothered about the same things, you will one day take up the care of your brothers. For what use is praise to me, when I do not see you progressing in virtue? and what harm to me from the silence of my listeners, when I see your piety growing? For the praise of the speaker is not the applause, but the zeal for piety of the listeners; not the noise at the time of the hearing, but the diligence for all time. The applause came forth from the mouth, and being poured out into the air, it perished; but for the listeners to become better brings an ageless and immortal reward both to the speaker and to those who are persuaded 51.173. Your shouted praise makes the speaker illustrious here, but the piety of your soul gives great confidence to the teacher at the judgment seat of Christ. So, if anyone loves the speaker, let him love not the applause, but the benefit of the listeners. It is no ordinary evil to neglect one's brothers, but extreme punishment, and an inescapable penalty; and this the one who buried the talent showed. For he was not accused at all regarding his own life; for he was not wicked concerning the deposit; for he returned it whole; but yet he was wicked concerning the working of the deposit. For he did not double what was entrusted to him; therefore he was also punished. From which it is clear, that even if we are zealous and well-ordered, even if we have much desire for the hearing of the divine Scriptures, it is not sufficient for our salvation. For it is necessary to double the deposit, and it becomes double when, with our own salvation, we also take up the care of others. Since he also said, 'Behold, you have what is yours intact'; but this was not sufficient for his defense. For it was necessary, he says, to deposit with the bankers what had been given. And consider, I pray you, how light are the Master's commands. For men make those who lend their master's money responsible for its collection as well. 'You deposited it,' he says, 'you demand it back; I have no dealings with the one who received it.' But God is not so, but commands only to deposit, and no longer makes us responsible for its collection. For the speaker is master of advising, not of persuading. 'Therefore I make you responsible only for the deposit,' he says, 'but no longer for the collection.' What is lighter than this? But

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In illud: Si esurierit inimicus

ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΥΣ Μὴ ἀπαντήσαντας εἰς τὴν σύναξιν, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ῥῆσιν τὴν λέγουσαν, "Ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου ψώμιζε αὐτὸν," καὶ περὶ τοῦ

μνησικακεῖν.

51.171 αʹ. Οὐδὲν, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὠφελήσαμεν, μακρὸν λόγον πρώην πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀποτείναντες ὑπὲρ τῆς περὶ τὰς συνάξεις σπουδῆς· πάλιν γὰρ ἡμῖν ἔρημος ἡ ἐκκλησία τῶν τέκνων. ∆ιὸ καὶ πάλιν ἀναγκάζομαι ἐπαχθὴς φανῆναι καὶ βαρὺς, ἐπιτιμῶν τοῖς παροῦσιν, ἐγκαλῶν τοῖς ἀπολειφθεῖσιν· ἐκείνοις μὲν, ὅτι τὴν ῥᾳθυμίαν οὐκ ἀπέθεντο, ὑμῖν δὲ, ὅτι τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν οὐκ ἀντελάβεσθε σωτηρίας. Ἀναγκάζομαι βαρὺς φανῆναι καὶ ἐπαχθὴς, οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν κτημάτων, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας, ἧς οὐδὲν ἐμοὶ προτιμότερον. Ὁ βουλόμενος βαρυνέσθω, καὶ φορτικὸν καὶ ἀναίσχυντον καλείτω· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ παύσομαι συνεχῶς ὑπὲρ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐνοχλῶν· τῆς γὰρ ἀναισχυντίας ταύτης οὐδὲν ἄμεινον 51.172 ἐμοί. Ἴσως γὰρ, ἴσως, εἰ καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον, τοῦτο γοῦν ἐρυθριάσαντες, τὸ μὴ συνεχῶς ὀχλεῖσθαι περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν, ἀντιλήψεσθέ ποτε τῆς κηδεμονίας τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ὑμετέρων. Τί γάρ μοι τῶν ἐπαίνων ὄφελος, ὅταν ὑμᾶς μὴ θεάσωμαι προκόπτοντας κατ' ἀρετήν; τί δέ μοι βλάβος ἐκ τῆς σιγῆς τῶν ἀκουόντων, ὅταν αὐξομένην ὑμῶν ἴδω τὴν εὐλάβειαν; Ἔπαινος γὰρ τοῦ λέγοντος οὐχ ὁ κρότος, ἀλλ' ὁ περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ζῆλος τῶν ἀκουόντων· οὐχ ὁ θόρυβος κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀκροάσεως, ἀλλ' ἡ σπουδὴ ἡ διαπαντὸς τοῦ χρόνου. Ὁ κρότος ἐξῆλθεν ὁμοῦ τε τοῦ στόματος, καὶ εἰς ἀέρα διαχυθεὶς ἀπώλετο· τὸ δὲ βελτίονας γενέσθαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας, ἀγήρω καὶ ἀθάνατον φέρει τὸν μισθὸν καὶ τῷ λέγοντι καὶ τοῖς πειθο 51.173 μένοις. Ὁ τῆς βοῆς ὑμῶν ἔπαινος ἐνταῦθα τὸν λέγοντα ποιεῖ λαμπρὸν, ἡ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν εὐλάβεια πολλὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ δίδωσι παῤῥησίαν τῷ διδάξαντι. Ὥστε, εἴ τις τῶν λεγόντων ἐρᾷ, μὴ τῶν κρότων, ἀλλὰ τῆς ὠφελείας τῶν ἀκουόντων ἐράτω. Οὐκ ἔστι τὸ τυχὸν κακὸν ἀδελφῶν ἀμελεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐσχάτη κόλασις, καὶ ἀπαραίτητος τιμωρία· καὶ τοῦτο ὁ τὸ τάλαντον καταχώσας ἐδήλωσεν. Οὐδὲν γοῦν ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκείας ἐνεκαλεῖτο ζωῆς· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐγένετο κακὸς περὶ τὴν καταθήκην· ὁλόκληρον γὰρ αὐτὴν ἀπέδωκεν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐγένετο κακὸς καὶ περὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν τῆς παρακαταθήκης. Οὐ γὰρ ἐδιπλασίασε τὸ πιστευθέν· διὸ καὶ ἐκολάζετο. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι κἂν ἡμεῖς σπουδαῖοι ὦμεν καὶ συγκεκροτημένοι, κἂν πολλὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ἔχωμεν περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν τῶν θείων Γραφῶν, οὐκ ἀρκεῖ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν. ∆ιπλασιάσαι γὰρ χρὴ τὴν παρακαταθήκην, διπλῆ δὲ γίνεται, ὅταν μετὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας, καὶ τῆς ἑτέρων ἀντιλαμβανώμεθα προνοίας. Ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνος εἶπεν, Ἴδε ἔχεις τὸ σὸν σῶον· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἤρκεσεν αὐτῷ τοῦτο πρὸς ἀπολογίαν. Ἔδει γὰρ, φησὶ, καταβαλεῖν ἐπὶ τοὺς τραπεζίτας τὸ καταβληθέν. Καί μοι σκόπει, πῶς κοῦφα τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὰ ἐπιτάγματα. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ τοὺς δανείζοντας χρήματα δεσποτικὰ καὶ τῆς ἀπαιτήσεως ὑπευθύνους ποιοῦσι. Σὺ κατέβαλες, σὺ, φησὶν, ἀπαίτησον· ἐμοὶ λόγος οὐδεὶς πρὸς τὸν δεξάμενον. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ καταβαλεῖν κελεύει μόνον, οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀπαιτήσεως ἡμᾶς ὑπευθύνους ποιεῖ. Τοῦ συμβουλεῦσαι γὰρ, οὐ τοῦ πεῖσαι κύριος ὁ λέγων ἐστί. ∆ιὸ τῆς καταβολῆς ὑπεύθυνόν σε ποιῶ μόνον, φησὶ, τῆς δὲ ἀπαιτήσεως οὐκέτι. Τί τούτου κουφότερον; Ἀλλ'