Εἰ γὰρ ἕνα τις σκανδαλίσας τοσαύτῃ κολάσει κατακρίνεται, ὡς συμφέρειν μύλον κρεμασθῆναι ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ καταποντισθῆναι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν· ἐννόησον πόσας δώσουσιν οὗτοι δίκας ἐν τῷ φοβερῷ δικαστηρίῳ τότε ἐκείνῳ, πόσας ὑποστήσονται τιμωρίας, τό γε εἰς αὐτοὺς ἧκον, τὴν οἰκουμένην ταράξαντες ἅπασαν, τοσαύτας ἀνατρέψαντες Ἐκκλησίας, τοσαύτῃ πολεμήσαντες εἰρήνῃ, μυρία πανταχοῦ σκάνδαλα θέντες; Οἱ δὲ παρ' ἐκείνων παθόντες ἅπερ ἔπαθον, μετὰ τῶν μαρτύρων, μετὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων, μετὰ τῶν γενναίων καὶ ὑψηλῶν ἀνδρῶν στήσονται, λάμποντες ἀπὸ τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ἀπὸ τῶν παθῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν στεφάνων, ἀπὸ τῶν βραβείων, ἀπὸ τῆς πολλῆς παρρησίας. Καὶ ὄψονται μὲν αὐτοὺς κολαζομένους, ἐξαρπάσαι δέ, κἂν μυριάκις βουληθῶσι, τῆς κολάσεως οὐ δυνήσονται· ἀλλὰ θήσουσι μὲν ἱκετηρίαν οὗτοι, οὐδὲν δὲ ὀνήσουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ πένητα ἕνα παραδραμὼν τὸν Λάζαρον τοσαύτην ὑπέμεινε δίκην καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς ἔτυχε παραμυθίας, τί πείσονται οὗτοι, τοσούτους διώξαντες καὶ σκανδαλίσαντες; Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα λογιζόμενοι καὶ ὅσα τούτοις ἐοικότα ἀπὸ τῶν θείων συλλέγοντες Γραφῶν, ἑαυτοῖς μὲν τεῖχος ἀσφαλές, τοῖς δὲ ἀσθενεστέροις ἔτι φάρμακα ταῦτα κατασκευάζοντες τὰ διηγήματα, στήκετε ἑδραῖοι καὶ ἀμετακίνητοι, τὰ ὑποκείμενα ὑμῖν ἀγαθὰ ἀναμένοντες. Πάντως γάρ, πάντως κείσεται ὑμῖν ἀμοιβή, οὐ τῶν πόνων ἴση, ἀλλ' ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος ἄφατος. Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεός· μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς φιλοτιμίας τοὺς ἀγαθόν τι
For if anyone who causes one person to stumble is condemned to such great punishment that it is better for a millstone to be hung around his neck and for him to be drowned in the sea, consider how many penalties these men will pay in that fearful tribunal then, how many punishments they will undergo—as far as it depends on them—having thrown the whole inhabited world into confusion, having overturned so many churches, having warred against so great a peace, having placed countless stumbling blocks everywhere. But those who suffered what they suffered at their hands will stand with the martyrs, with the apostles, with the noble and exalted men, shining from their achievements, from their sufferings, from their crowns, from their prizes, from their great boldness. And they will see them being punished, but they will not be able to snatch them from punishment, even if they wish it ten thousand times; rather, these will make supplication, but they will profit nothing. For if the man who passed by one poor man, Lazarus, endured so great a penalty and obtained no comfort, what will these suffer, who have persecuted and caused so many to stumble? Therefore, reckoning all these things and gathering from the divine Scriptures as many things as are like these, building these narratives as a secure wall for yourselves and as medicines for the weaker, stand firm and immovable, awaiting the good things laid up for you. For certainly, certainly a recompense will be laid up for you, not equal to your labors, but inexpressible from its great abundance. For such is the philanthropic God: with great generosity those who
ποιεῖν ἢ λέγειν προαιρουμένους ταῖς ἀντιδόσεσι καὶ ταῖς ἀμοιβαῖς νικᾶν ἐσπούδακεν.
he has earnestly sought to conquer by repayments and requitals those who choose to do or say such things.