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Why, you will say, did God institute these (ceremonies), if He did not want to fulfill them? And if I wanted to fulfill it, then why did I destroy your city? If he had wanted these ceremonies to be observed continually, he would have to do one of two things: either not to command that sacrifices should be offered in one place only, if he already wanted you to be scattered throughout the whole world, or, if he wanted you to offer sacrifices only there (in Jerusalem), not to scatter you throughout the world, and not to make that particular city inaccessible to you; in which alone the sacrifice was to be offered. What then? God, you will say, contradicts Himself: having commanded sacrifices to be offered in one place only, then He Himself locked this place? Not at all; on the contrary, He is completely true to Himself. At first He did not want to allow you to sacrifice; I will cite the prophet himself as a witness to this, who says thus: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye princes of Sodom: hearken ye unto the law of your God, ye people of Gomorstia" (Isa. I, 10). And this he says not to the Sodomites or to the inhabitants of Gomorrah, but to the Jews. And he calls them so because they, imitating the impiety of them, have entered into kinship with them. In the same way he calls them dogs (Isa. LVI, 11) and misogynistic horses (Jer. V, 8), not because they accepted the nature of these animals, but because they expressed their lustfulness. That I have a multitude of your sacrifices, saith the Lord (Isa. I, 11). And we do not see that the inhabitants of Sodom ever offered sacrifices: therefore this word is addressed to the Jews, and calls them by their name for the reason I have indicated. That I am full of the multitude of your sacrifices, saith the Lord, I am full of ram burnt offerings, and the fat of lambs, and I do not desire the blood of young men and goats. Below, come to see Me; Who hath sought this out of your hands? Have you heard the voice (of God) saying very clearly that at first He did not demand these sacrifices from you? For if He had demanded them, He would have been the first to submit to these ordinances all the ancients, who had been glorified before them. Why, you will say, did He allow it afterwards? Condescending to your infirmity. As a physician, seeing that a person suffering from fever, wilful and impatient, wants to drink cold water, and threatens, if he is not allowed, to throw a noose over himself, or to throw himself from the rapids, in order to prevent a greater evil, he allows a lesser one, if only to divert the patient from a violent death; so did God. When He saw that (the Jews) were possessed, bored, wanted sacrifices, were ready, if they were not allowed to, to turn to idols, or even not only were they ready to convert, but had already been converted, He allowed them sacrifices. And that this was the cause can be seen from the time itself (permission). God allowed them sacrifices after they had made a feast in honor of the evil demons, as if saying to them: "You are possessed and want to offer sacrifices; so bring them, at least to Me. However, even by allowing this, He did not give such permission forever, but in a wise way again withdrew it. As a physician (there is nothing to prevent me from using the same example again), yielding to the whims of the sick man, brings a vessel from his house and commands him to drink from it alone, and then, when the sick man consents to this, secretly commands the drinkers to break the vessel, so as to divert the sick man from his whim imperceptibly and without pretence, so did God. Having allowed the Jews to offer sacrifices, He did not allow them to do so in any other place than Jerusalem; Then, when they had been offering sacrifices for some time, He destroyed the city, so that, as the physician by breaking the vessel, and God by the destruction of the city, he might distract them, and against their will, from this work. If He had said plainly, "Cease; they would not easily agree to give up the passion for sacrifice; but now, by the very necessity of their abode, He imperceptibly led them away from this passion. So let the physician be God, the vessel the city, the sick the stubborn people of Judah, the cold drink the permission and freedom to offer sacrifices. And so, just as the physician diverts the patient from his unreasonable demand by breaking the vessel; so God also turned away (the Jews) from sacrifices, destroying the city itself and making it inaccessible to all.

Is not the reason for the destruction of Jerusalem clear and obvious, even to the most foolish? If the steward, having already laid the foundation, brought out the walls, built a vault and fastened it to one stone placed in the middle, takes away this stone, then he will destroy the entire composition of the building; so God, having made the city, as it were, a bond of (Jewish) worship, and then destroyed it, thereby destroyed the rest of the building of that worship.

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But let us cease to fight the Jews for the time being. Today we have only just begun the battle, having said as much as was required to warn our brethren, or even much more. At last it is necessary to persuade you, who are present here, to take diligent care of our members, and not to say: "What need do I have? Why should I bother and worry?" Our Lord died for us: and you do not want to say a word? What excuse will you have? What excuse will you get? Tell me, how will you stand boldly before the judgment seat of Christ, showing indifference to the destruction of so many souls? If I could know all those who only run there (to the synagogues), I would not need you, but I myself would very soon correct them. When it is necessary to correct a brother, then, even if it is necessary to give up one's soul, do not refuse; be jealous of your Lord; if you have a servant or a wife, keep them at home with great severity. If you do not allow them to go to the theater, how much more do you not allow them to go to the synagogue, for this is a crime moreover: there is sin, and here is impiety. We do not say this so that you allow them to go to the theater, for this is also bad; but that they should be much more forbidden to go to the synagogue. Why do you flee to see in the synagogue the God-hating Jews, tell me? People blowing trumpets? But it behooves you, sitting at home, to grieve for them and weep over the fact that they resist the commandment of God, rejoice together with the devil. For, as I said before, what is done contrary to the will of God, even if it is permitted when it is permitted, afterwards becomes iniquity, and entails many punishments. The Jews once sounded when they had sacrifices; And now they are not allowed to do so. Listen, why did they receive the trumpets? Make unto thee, saith God, trumpets forged of silver (Num. X, 12); then, speaking of their use, he adds: "Sound the trumpet in them for your burnt offerings and for the sacrifices of your salvation" (10). Where is the altar now? Where is the nod? Where is the tabernacle and the holy of holies? Where is the priest? Where are the cherubim of glory? Where is the golden censer? Where is the purgatory? Where is the cup? Where are the vessels of libation? Where is the fire sent down from above? Have you left everything, and hold only the pipes? Do you see that the Jews play rather than serve (God)? But if we reproach them for their iniquity, how much more do we reproach you for associating with the wicked; (we reproach) not only those who flee there, but also those who could hold them, and do not want to. Don't say to me, "What do I have to do with him? He is a stranger and stranger to me." As long as he is faithful, communes of the same mysteries with you, and goes to the same church, until then he is closer to you and brothers, and acquaintances, and relatives, and everyone in general. Consequently, how are not only those who steal, but also those who could hinder them and did not hinder them, are subjected to the same punishment; In the same way, not only the wicked themselves are punished equally, but also those who could have turned them away from impiety, but did not want to because of negligence or carelessness. And he who buried the talent returned it to his master in one piece; but since he did not multiply it, he was punished. And you, even if you yourself remain pure and blameless, but do not increase your talent, and do not turn your perishing brother to salvation, then you will suffer the same fate as (the slave). Do I demand much of you, beloved? Let each one of you turn one of the brethren to salvation, let him take care of it, let him work so that we may come to the next assembly with great boldness, bringing gifts to God, the most precious gifts, returning (to Him) the souls of those who have gone astray. Even if we have to suffer offenses, receive blows, endure something else, we will do everything to return them. After all, we endure stubbornness, insults and abuse from the sick, we are not grieved by offenses, but we desire only one thing, that the one who acts so recklessly be healthy. And the doctor often tears his clothes, but he does not stop treating him because of this. And if those who care for the bodies show so much diligence, how unseemly is it to indulge in carelessness when so many souls perish, and not to dare to endure any trouble when our limbs are rotting? That was not what Paul did; And how? Who, he said, is weary, and I am not weary? Whoever is offended, I do not liquefy (2 Cor. XI, 29)? Light this fire within you; and if you see your brother perishing, let him scold you, let him insult you, let him beat you, let him threaten to become your enemy, let him do anything else: endure everything with good humor, if only you may gain his salvation. Let him become your enemy, for God will be your friend, and will reward you with great blessings on that day. May God grant that through the prayers of the saints, even those who have gone astray may be converted to salvation, and that you may be successful in this fishing, and that those very blasphemers (Jews), having forsaken wickedness, may come to know Christ, Who was crucified for them, that we may all glorify with one heart and one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion together with the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

FIFTH WORD.

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WHY has our meeting become more numerous today? Surely you are gathered together to destroy the promise, you have come to receive the silver purified by fire, which I promised to give you. The word of the Lord, it is said, is pure, the silver is kindled, the earth is tempted (Psalm. XI, 7). Blessed be God, who has invested in you such diligence to listen to spiritual instruction! As those who are addicted to wine and drink, every day, as soon as they get up, search and inquire where the drinks, feasts and suppers, feasts and gatherings of drinkers, vessels, cups and glasses are: so every day, as soon as you get up, you inquire where the exhortation and advice, the instruction and instruction, and the word for the glory of Christ are. For this reason we also take up this task all the more willingly, and with all readiness we offer what we have promised. And so our struggle with the Jews ended as it should: a trophy was set up, a crown was woven for us, and we received a reward for the previous conversation. Our aim was to prove that what the Jews are now doing is lawlessness and wickedness, the warfare and war of men against God: and this has been proved, with the help of God, with all exactness. For even if they had the hope of regaining their city, of returning to their former order, and of seeing their temple restored, which will never be the case, they could not in any way justify what they are now doing. Behold, the three youths, and Daniel, and all the others who lived in captivity (of Babylon), hoped to receive their city again, to see the land of their homeland in seventy years, and to live according to the former laws; however, even having a clear and undoubted promise, they did not dare to do any of the things that were decreed (about the feasts) until the fulfillment of this promise and before their return (to Jerusalem), as the Jews do today. In the same way you can stop the mouth of the Jew. Indeed, ask him: why do you fast without having a city? And if he says, Because I hope to get the city again; Say to him, "So remain in peace until you receive it; for those saints, until they returned to their homeland, did not dare to do what you are doing now. From this it is evident that now, even if you hope, as you say, to receive the city again, you act lawlessly, violate the covenants with God, and show disrespect to the very institution of Judaism. And so, in order to restrain the insolence of the Jews and to rebuke them for their wickedness, what was said to your love in the previous discourse is sufficient. But since we have set ourselves the goal not only to stop the mouths of the Jews, but also to teach the church more about its own dogmas; then now let us prove in detail that the temple (of Jerusalem) will no longer be rebuilt, and the Jews will not again receive the former order. In this way, you will also know the apostolic dogmas more accurately, and they will be more convicted of impiety. And let us imagine as a witness to this not an angel, not an archangel, but the Lord of the entire universe himself, our Lord Jesus Christ. When He entered Jerusalem and saw the temple, He said that Jerusalem would be trampled down by the tongues of many, until the times of the tongue of many would be finished (Luke 2:10). XXI, 24), that is, time until the end of the world. He uttered the same threat about the temple, telling His disciples that there should not be left stone upon stone in this place, which would not be destroyed (Matt. XXIV, 2); and thus foreshadowed the complete destruction and final desolation of the temple. But the Jew, of course, rejects this testimony and does not accept what is said (by Jesus Christ). This, he says, was said by my enemy; I have crucified him, how shall I accept his testimony? This is marvellous, O Jew, that He whom thou hast crucified, already after His crucifixion, has destroyed thy city, scattered thy people, and scattered thy tribe over all the face of the earth; and by this He showed that He was resurrected and alive and is now in heaven. Since you did not want to know His power in beneficence, He made you understand His invincible and invincible power in punishments and punishments. But even after this you do not believe, and do not recognize Him as God and Lord of the entire universe, but consider Him to be an ordinary man. But consider (Him), even as a (common) man. And how do we consider people? When we see that famous people always tell the truth, and never lie about anything, then, even though they are our enemies, we, if only we have understanding, accept their words; on the contrary, when we see that they lie, even if they say the truth about something, we do not easily accept their words.

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Now let us see what is the custom of Christ, what is His disposition. He foretold and foretold not only one thing, but many other things, which were to take place after a long time. Let us present these prophecies, and if you see that in them He speaks a lie, do not accept and do not consider this (the prophecy about the destruction of the temple) true; but if you see that He always speaks the truth, that this prophecy has also been fulfilled, and that immeasurable time bears witness to the truth of what was foretold, then cease to be shameless, do not argue against such deeds as are clearer than the sun. Let us see what else He foretold. A woman came to Him, with an alabaster vessel of precious myrrh, and poured out (on Him) myrrh. The disciples were indignant at this, saying: "Why was this myrrh not sold for three hundred pennies, and was given to the poor" (John. XII, 5). But (Jesus) rebuked them, and said thus, Why do you labor for a wife? for he has done a good deed. I say unto you, Where this gospel shall be preached in all the earth, it shall be spoken, and done in remembrance thereof" (Matt. XXVI, 7-13). Did He lie, or did He tell the truth? Did the prophecy come true, or not? Ask a Jew; and, even if he be immensely impudent, he cannot argue against this prophecy. We hear that woman read in all the churches, and the hearers in all the cities are consuls, generals, men, women, noble, noble, noble, glorious; Wherever you go, you will find that everyone is listening in deep silence about the deed of that woman, and there is no place in the universe in which it is not known. How many kings have there been who have done many great favors to the cities, who have fought successfully, who have raised up trophies for themselves, who have saved nations, who have built cities, and who have gathered for themselves innumerable treasures; yet not a word is said about them and their deeds. There were many queens and great women, who showed innumerable benefactions to their subordinates; but they are also unknown to anyone by name. And this poor woman poured out only myrrh, and is glorified throughout the world; So much time has passed, but the memory of it has not been erased, and will never be erased. Meanwhile, her work is not important: for what is it to pour out myrrh? And she is not a noble person: for she was an outcast woman; and the witnesses are few: for she did it in the presence of (only) disciples; and the place is not open: for she did not do it at a spectacle, but in a house where there were only ten people. However, neither the insignificance of her face, nor the small number of witnesses, nor the obscurity of the place, nor anything else could erase the memory of her: no, this woman is now more glorious than all queens and all kings, and for such a long time did not consign her deed to oblivion. Why, tell me? Who did it? Was it not God, whom she then served, who spread this rumor (about her) everywhere? Tell me, then, is it in the human capacity to predict such an event? What clever person would say that? It is wondrous and extraordinary when (Christ) foretells something that He Himself will do; but it is much more important and surprising when He also predicts what others will do, and arranges it in such a way that it becomes reliable and obvious to everyone. Again He foretold Peter, "Upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. XVI, 18). Tell me, then, Jew, can you object to these words and prove that this prophecy is false? But the testimony of the works themselves will not allow you to do this, no matter how much you may strengthen. How many abuses were raised against the church! Great hordes were prepared, weapons were refined, all kinds of executions and tortures were invented, frying pans, shooting weapons, cauldrons, furnaces, pits, rapids, the teeth of beasts, seas, exiles and other innumerable tortures, which can neither be depicted in words nor endured in deeds; and such tortures are not only from strangers, but also from their own. Everything was then seized by some kind of internecine war, or even one that is fiercer than any internecine strife; for not only citizens fought against citizens, but also relatives against relatives, friends against friends, friends against friends. However, nothing destroyed the church, did not weaken it; And what is especially wondrous and extraordinary, all this happened in the first period (of the Church's existence). If these calamities had befallen her when the preaching had already been planted and rooted in the whole universe, it would not have been so marvelous that the church was not destroyed. But if so much abuse was kindled at the very beginning of the (Christian) teaching, when the seed of faith had just been sown, and the minds of the hearers were still very weak, and yet our deeds not only suffered no damage, but were still more intensified, this is already beyond any miracle. Lest you say that the church now stands firm because of peace with kings, God allowed her to endure persecution when she was smaller and seemed weaker, so that you may be convinced from this that her present firmness does not depend on peace with kings, but on the power of God.

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And that this is true, consider how many wanted to introduce a (new) doctrine among the Greeks, and to establish a new way of life, such as: Zeno, Plato, Socrates, Diagoras, Pythagoras, and very many others; however, they had so little success that they are not known to the people even by name. And Christ not only prescribed a (new) way of life, but also planted it throughout the universe. How much is said about the deeds of Apollonius of Tyana? But that you might know that all is a lie and a fabrication, and that there is nothing true in it, (the work of Apollonius) collapsed and ended. Let no one consider it an insult to Christ that, speaking of Him, we have mentioned Pythagoras and Plato, Zeno and (Apollonius) of Tyana; this we do not of our own volition, but condescending to the weakness of the Jews, who consider (Christ) to be a simple man. Thus did Paul: when he came to Athens, he spoke to the Athenians, not from the prophets or from the Gospels, but began his exhortation from the altar; not because he considered the altar more worthy of probability than the Gospel, and not because the inscription made on that altar was more important than the prophetic writings, but because he spoke to the pagans, who believed none of our things; so he caught them by their own teaching (Acts 2:10). XVII, 23). That is why, he says, you are a Jew as a Jew, a lawless Jew, as lawless, not a lawless man to God, but a lawyer to Christ (1 Cor. IX, 20-21). This is what the Old Testament does, when, speaking about God to the Jews, it says: "Who is like unto thee in God, O Lord" (Exod. XV, 11)? What say thou, Moses? Can there be any comparison between the true God and the false gods? I have said this, he says, not because I am making a comparison, but because I am conversing with the Jews, who have a high conception of demons; condescending to their weakness, I used this way of teaching. Since we also speak to the Jews, who consider Christ to be a simple man, and moreover a transgressor of the law, therefore we have cited as an example those who are especially respected by the Greeks. But if you want (to see examples) of such people who attempted the same thing among the Jews themselves, gathered disciples for themselves, proclaimed themselves leaders and leaders, and immediately disappeared, let us also present such examples. Thus also Gamaliel stopped (the Jews') mouths. When he saw that the Jews were possessed and thirsted to shed the blood of the disciples (of Christ); then, in order to restrain their uncontrollable fury, he, having commanded them to yield little to the apostles, thus said to them: "Take heed to yourselves about these men, what you will do." For before these days Theudas arose, saying that he was great to himself, and four hundred men clung to him: who were slain, and all who obeyed him, dispersed. Therefore Judas the Galilean arose, and the people were distracted: and he perished, and his disciples perished. And now I say unto you, Take heed unto yourselves, that if this work be of man, it shall be destroyed: but if it be of God, ye cannot destroy it, lest ye also be found by the God-fighters. V, 35-38). How can we see that if the work is of man, it will be ruined? You have, he says, an example in Judas and Theudas. Thus, if this (Christ), preached by these (the apostles), is the same as those (Judas and Theudas); if even here everything is not done by divine power; then be patient a little, and the very outcome of the matter will assure you, in the end you will clearly see whether he (Christ) is a deceiver and a lawless one, as you say, or God, who contains everything and arranges our affairs with ineffable power. And so it was; they waited, and the divine and irresistible power was revealed in the very deeds; and that cunning, devised to deceive people, turned on the head of the devil. When the devil saw that Christ had come, then, in an effort to obscure His coming and true dispensation, he sent out several deceivers, of whom we have spoken above, so that Christ might also be counted among them. What he did in relation to the cross, preparing the two thieves for crucifixion with Christ, he did the same in relation to His coming, he tried to obscure the truth with an admixture of falsehood: however, he did not succeed in any way either here or there, on the contrary, this very thing especially showed the power of Christ. Why, tell me, of the three crucified in the same place, at the same time, and according to the decision of the same judges, do all keep silent about those (the two thieves), but worship one (Christ)? Why, again, although many have tried to introduce a new way of life and to have disciples, they are still unknown in name, and this is served throughout the whole universe? Deeds are explained especially by comparison. Compare, then, O Jew, and know the supremacy of truth. What deceiver has built for himself so many churches throughout the world, spread his religion from the ends of the earth to the ends of the earth, subjugated everyone, and moreover in spite of countless obstacles? There is not a single one. Thus, it is clear that Christ is not a deceiver, but the Savior, Benefactor, Provider and Author of our life. I will cite one more prophecy (of Christ), and then return to my subject. "Thou hast not come," said Christ, "Bring peace to the earth, but the sword" (Matt. X, 34), not that He willed it, but that this would be the outcome of the events themselves. For when he comes, he says, separate a man from his father, and a daughter-in-law from his mother-in-law, and a daughter from her mother, v. 35.

How could He have known and arranged this, if there had been an ordinary man? Whence did it occur to Him that He would be more honorable to children than parents, and more pleasing to parents than children, and more amiable to wives than husbands? And this is not in one house, nor in two, nor three, nor in ten, or twenty, or in a hundred, but in the whole world, in all cities and countries, on land and sea, in places inhabited and uninhabited. Nor can it be said that He only said it, but did not put it into effect. For in the beginning and in the first times (of the church) there were many of these, and even now there are still those who are hated for their piety, who are expelled from their fathers' homes; yet they pay no attention to this, finding sufficient consolation for themselves in the fact that they endure it for Christ's sake. What kind of person could ever do this, tell me? Therefore Christ, who foretold all these things, both of the woman and of the church, and of this struggle, also foretold that the temple would be destroyed, that Jerusalem would be taken, and that the city would no longer be the city of the Jews as before. If He lied about that, if those prophecies didn't come true, don't believe that either; but if you see that they have been brilliantly fulfilled, and that every day they are gaining new strength, that the gates of hell have not prevailed against the church, that the work of a woman has been preached throughout the whole world for so long, and that men who have believed in Him have preferred Him to parents, wives, and children, then tell me, why do you not believe this prophecy alone, especially when the testimony of time stops the mouth of your insolence? When some ten, or twenty, or thirty, or fifty years had passed after the capture (of Jerusalem); then even then it would not be necessary to persist, although there would still be some pretext for the hunters to argue. But behold, not fifty, but a hundred, twice and thrice, so many years, and even much more, have passed since the destruction (of Jerusalem), and to this day there is not a trace or shadow of the change you are expecting: why then do you persist in vain and without any reason?

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