On the Sacrifices of Cain
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Chapter 719
719PG 62:719
Μήτηρ εὐταξίας ἀκολουθία᾽, ὄψιν μὲν καὶ πρόσωὡπὸν ἔχουτα ταῖς ὑποθέσεσι, εὐχρινῆῇ δὲ καὶ ἀσύγχυτον φυλάττουτα τὴν τῶν ἀκουόντων διάνοιαν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀπεχώμεθα τῆς ἀκχολουθέας, ἀλλὰ κἂν αἱ ἀναγνώσεις τὸν ἰδιον ἀνυέτωταν δρόμον, ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς ἱστορίας τὴν ἀκολουθίαν φυλάξωμεν. Ἔν τοῖς προηγησαμένοις λόγοις παρεδίδοτο ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ὁγίου Πνεύματος διδασκαλίας, τίς γέγονεν ἣ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατασκευὴ, τίς ἡ τιμὴ, τίς ἡ τάξις, τίς ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων δοθεῖσα ἡγεμονία. ἽΠΧχει γὰρ τούτοις ἣ ἀπάτη ἡ ἐν παραδείσῳ, ἡ ἐξετασθεῖσα δίχη, ἡ ἐξενεχθεῖσα μετὰ φιλανθρωπίας ἀπόφασις. Τούτοις ἠκολούθησε τὰ κατὰ τὸν Κάϊν καὶ τὸν “Αὐελ ὄψει μὲν τῇ αὐτῇ τὸν Θεὸν τιμᾷν ἐπιχειρησάντων, διαφόρῳ δὲ διαθέσει τὴν λειτουργίαν ἀναλαθόντων. Προτήνεγχε γὰρ καὶ οὗτος κἀκεῖνος" ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὲν σχῆμα μόνον δώρου εἶχεν ἡ προτφορὰ, τοῦ δὲ καὶ τὴν πρέπουσαν διάθεσιν καὶ τιμήν. Εἶτα ἢκολούθησε φθόνος. Τῇ γὰρ εὐσπεθείχ ἀχυλουθεῖ ἀεὶ παρὰ μὲν τῶν κακῶν φθόνος, παρὰ δὲ τοῦ βραδευτοῦ νος. ᾿Ανηρέθη ὁ “Αόελ ὁ πρῶτος τῆς δικαιοσύνης κήρυξ, ὁ πρῶτος εὐσέδειαν ἀγαπήσας καὶ μεταδιώξας, ὁ πρῶτος ἀλήθειαν τιμήσας καὶ μετὰ ἀληθείας τον Θεὸν ἀγαπήσα; καὶ προσκυνήσας, ἐν πολλοῖς μιμητὴς τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενόμενος. Εὑρίσκω γὰρ τὸν ἅγιον “Αθελ πολλὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰκόνας δεξάμενον. "Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ Σωτὴρ, τῶν μετὰ τὸν νόμον ἀναχαινιζομένων ἀρχηγὸς καὶ πρὼτος ἐπεαιας, οὕτω τῶν ἀρκαίων πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἀρχηγὸς δικαιοσύνης “Δδελ. Οὖτ- ἐν τῷ ἀνακαινισμῷ τῆς ἀν. θρωπότητος, ἣν ἀνεκαίνισεν ὁ πάντων Δεσπότης, εὖρίσκεις τι τοῦ Δεσποτικοῦ πρῶτον σώματος, οὔτε ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τάξει εὑρίσκεις δικαιοσύνην προ λάμψασαν τοῦ “Αδελ. Ἐκεῖνος ἀρχῃγὸς τῶν παλαιῶν δικαίων, καὶ οὗτος ἀρχηγὸς καὶ τῶν νέων δικαίων, καὶ τῶν μετὰ ἀληθείας ἀναχαινιζομένων ἁγίων. Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Σωτὴρ ἔπηξε τοῦ “Αδελ τὴν μνήμην πάσης δικαιοσύνης ἀρχὴν. Λέγει γὰρ Ἰουδαίοις - Ἀμὴν «έγω ὑμῖ», ἐκχδικηθήσεται ἐκ τῆς γενεᾶς ταύτης πᾶν αἷμα δίκαιον ἐκχυγόμενον ἀπὸ καταδοιῆς κόσμου, ἀπὸ τοῦ αἷματος “Αὔεῖ τοῦ δικαίου, ἕως τοῦ αἵματος Ζαχαρίου. ὃν ἐφογεύσατε μεταξὺ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου. ᾿'Δργὴν ἔπηξε δικαιοσύνης τὸν δὲ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, τὸν “Αδελ. Καὶ ὅρα τὸ θαυμαστόν. Ἐπειδὴ "Αδελ πρῶτος δικαιοσύνῃ συνηγωνίσατο, πρῶτὸς ὑπὲρ εὐσεδείας Ἠξιώθη παθεῖν. Ἐγένετο Χριστοῦ εἰκὼν τοῦ δι᾽ ἀλήθειαν παθόντος, καὶ εὑρέθη καὶ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ “Αθελ πλησιάζον τῷ Δεσποτιχῷ αἴμχτι, καὶ πολλὴν ἔχον τὴν ἐγγύτητα διὰ τὴν πίστιν. Οἷον τὸ αἷμα τὸ σῳτήριον διδασκαλεῖόν ἐστι πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης " οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς παιδεύει τὴν εὐσέδειαν, ἣ τὸ αἷμα τὸ Δεσποτικὸν, ὥσπερ γλώττῃ, τῇ ἀληθείᾳ κεχρημένον. Ἐθόησε καὶ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ “Αδελ, βοᾷ καὶ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐκεῖνο μὲν βοᾷ ἐντυγχάνον, τοῦτο δὲ βοᾷ ἱλασμὴν φέρον τῷ κόσμῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα πὴ Δεσποτικὸν ξίχην σάλπιγγος ἤχησεν εἰς τὰ πέρατα, καὶ τὸ αἷμα “Αὔελ ἐνέτυχε τῷ Θεῷ, ὁ ᾿Απόστολος μνημον νεύσας καὶ τούτον, κἀκείνου τοῦ αἵματος, τῇ τὰ ετάσει εἰς μεῖζον ὕψος ἐπῆρε «ὁ ἀληθῶς ἀνώτερον αἷμα" λέγει γάρ' Προσε.ληζύθαμεν ὄρει Σιὼν, καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος, ᾿Ιερουσαιλὴμ ἑπουρανίῳ, καὶ μυριάσιν ἀγγέλων πανηγύρει, καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρωτοτόκων ἀπογεγραμμένων ἐν οὐραγοῖς, καὶ κριτῇ Θεῷ ζῶντι, καὶ τισμοῦ κρεῖττον λαλοῦντι παρὰ τοῦ “Αδεῖ. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ λαλεῖ ἐντυγχάνον ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ἱλασμὸν φέρον τῷ κόσμῳ. Τὸ γὰρ αἷμα Χριστοῦ ῥαντισμὸς τῆς οἰκουμένης, τὸ αἷμα Χριστοῦ λύτρον τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Κρεῖττον, φησὶ, παρὰ τοῦ “Αὔελ λαλοῦντι ’ καθ᾽ ὅσον τὸ μὲν ἐντνγχάνει, τὸ δὲ συνηγορεῖ. “Ἔπειτα πάλιν εν κόνα εἶχε τοῦ Δεσποτικοῦ αἵματος τὸ τοῦ “Αὔελ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον: Ὃ ᾿Αδὰμ ἁμαρτήσας ὑπέπεσε τῇ κατάρᾳ τοῦ θανάτου, Γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ. Ἐδέξατο τὴν ἀπόφασιν " “Αδελ δίκαιος γεγονὼς, καὶ πιαίσμασι μὴ ὑποπεσὼν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μαρτυρηθεὶς τῇ θ:ἰᾳ ψήφῳ, ἐνεπολιτεύσατο σεμνῶς τῷ ξίῳ. Εἶτα ὁ μίχιφόνος Κάϊν ἀνοίξας τὰς πύλας τοῦ θανάτου ἐποίησε κακὴν πάροδον γενέσθαι τῷ θανάτῳ, μᾶλλον δὲ καλῆν. "Ὅρα γὰρ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλάνθρωπον. Οἱ κατάδικοι οὐὖδέπω ἦσαν τεθνηκότες, οὔτε ὁ ᾿Αδὰμ, οὔτε ἡ Εὔα" ὁ “Αδελ μὴ ἁμαρτῆσας πρῶτον "“"
Mētēr eutaxias akolouthia᾽, opsin men kai prosōōpon echouta tais hypothesesi, euchrinēę̄ de kai asynchyton phylattouta tēn tōn akouontōn dianoian. Mē toinyn apechōmetha tēs akcholoutheas, alla kan hai anagnōseis ton idion anyetōtan dromon, hēmeis de tēs historias tēn akolouthian phylaxōmen. En tois proēgēsamenois logois paredidoto ek tēs tou hogiou Pneumatos didaskalias, tis gegonen hē tou anthrōpou kataskeuē, tis hē timē, tis hē taxis, tis hē tōn pragmatōn dotheisa hēgemonia. HiPChchei gar toutois hē apatē hē en paradeisǭ, hē exetastheisa dichē, hē exenechtheisa meta philanthrōpias apophasis. Toutois ēkolouthēse ta kata ton Kaïn kai ton “Auel opsei men tę̄ autę̄ ton Theon timąn epicheirēsantōn, diaphorǭ de diathesei tēn leitourgian analathontōn. Protēnenche gar kai houtos kakeinos" alla tou men schēma monon dōrou eichen hē protphora, tou de kai tēn prepousan diathesin kai timēn. Eita ēkolouthēse phthonos. Tę̄ gar euspetheich achylouthei aei para men tōn kakōn phthonos, para de tou bradeutou nos. ᾿Anērethē ho “Aoel ho prōtos tēs dikaiosynēs kēryx, ho prōtos eusedeian agapēsas kai metadiōxas, ho prōtos alētheian timēsas kai meta alētheias ton Theon agapēsa? kai proskynēsas, en pollois mimētēs tou Christou genomenos. Heuriskō gar ton hagion “Athel pollas tou Christou eikonas dexamenon. "Hōsper gar ho Sōtēr, tōn meta ton nomon anachainizomenōn archēgos kai prōtos epeaias, houtō tōn arkaiōn pantōn anthrōpōn archēgos dikaiosynēs “Ddel. Out- en tǭ anakainismǭ tēs an. thrōpotētos, hēn anekainisen ho pantōn Despotēs, euriskeis ti tou Despotikou prōton sōmatos, oute en tę̄ palaią tōn anthrōpōn taxei heuriskeis dikaiosynēn pro lampsasan tou “Adel. Ekeinos archę̄gos tōn palaiōn dikaiōn, kai houtos archēgos kai tōn neōn dikaiōn, kai tōn meta alētheias anachainizomenōn hagiōn. Dia touto ho Sōtēr epēxe tou “Adel tēn mnēmēn pasēs dikaiosynēs archēn. Legei gar Ioudaiois - Amēn «egō hymi», ekchdikēthēsetai ek tēs geneas tautēs pan haima dikaion ekchygomenon apo katadoiēs kosmou, apo tou haimatos “Auei tou dikaiou, heōs tou haimatos Zachariou. hon ephogeusate metaxy tou naou kai tou thysiastēriou. ᾿'Drgēn epēxe dikaiosynēs ton de para tǭ Theǭ, ton “Adel. Kai hora to thaumaston. Epeidē "Adel prōtos dikaiosynę̄ synēgōnisato, prōtos hyper eusedeias Ēxiōthē pathein. Egeneto Christou eikōn tou di᾽ alētheian pathontos, kai heurethē kai to haima tou “Athel plēsiazon tǭ Despotichǭ aimchti, kai pollēn echon tēn engytēta dia tēn pistin. Hoion to haima to sǭtērion didaskaleion esti pasēs tēs oikoumenēs " ouden hēmas paideuei tēn eusedeian, hē to haima to Despotikon, hōsper glōttę̄, tę̄ alētheią kechrēmenon. Ethoēse kai to haima tou “Adel, boą kai to haima tou Christou. ᾿All᾽ ekeino men boą entynchanon, touto de boą hilasmēn pheron tǭ kosmǭ. Epeidē gar kai to haima pē Despotikon xichēn salpingos ēchēsen eis ta perata, kai to haima “Auel enetyche tǭ Theǭ, ho ᾿Apostolos mnēmon neusas kai touton, kakeinou tou haimatos, tę̄ ta etasei eis meizon hypsos epēre «ho alēthōs anōteron haima" legei gar' Prose.lēzythamen orei Siōn, kai polei Theou zōntos, ᾿Ierousailēm hepouraniǭ, kai myriasin angelōn panēgyrei, kai ekklēsią prōtotokōn apogegrammenōn en ouragois, kai kritę̄ Theǭ zōnti, kai tismou kreitton lalounti para tou “Adei. To men gar lalei entynchanon hyper hamartōlōn, kai hilasmon pheron tǭ kosmǭ. To gar haima Christou rhantismos tēs oikoumenēs, to haima Christou lytron tōn anthrōpōn. Kreitton, phēsi, para tou “Auel lalounti ’ kath᾽ hoson to men entnnchanei, to de synēgorei. “Epeita palin en kona eiche tou Despotikou haimatos to tou “Auel kata touton ton tropon: Ho ᾿Adam hamartēsas hypepese tę̄ katarą tou thanatou, Gē ei, kai eis gēn apeleusę̄. Edexato tēn apophasin " “Adel dikaios gegonōs, kai piaismasi mē hypopesōn, alla kai martyrētheis tę̄ th:ią psēphǭ, enepoliteusato semnōs tǭ xiǭ. Eita ho michiphonos Kaïn anoixas tas pylas tou thanatou epoiēse kakēn parodon genesthai tǭ thanatǭ, mallon de kalēn. "Hora gar to tou Theou philanthrōpon. Hoi katadikoi ouydepō ēsan tethnēkotes, oute ho ᾿Adam, oute hē Eua" ho “Adel mē hamartēsas prōton "“"
Sequence is the mother of good order: it gives countenance and face to the subjects, and keeps the minds of the hearers distinct and unconfused. So let us not depart from the sequence; even if the readings run their own course, let us keep the sequence of the history. In the preceding sermons it was handed down, from the teaching of the Holy Spirit, what the making of man was, what his honor, what his rank, what the rule over things given to him. These were followed by the deception in paradise, the trial that was held, and the sentence pronounced with love for humankind. These in turn were followed by the story of Cain and Abel, who undertook to honor God with the same outward act but performed the service with different dispositions. For both the one and the other made an offering; but the offering of the one had only the form of a gift, while that of the other had also the fitting disposition and honor. Then envy followed. For godliness is always followed by envy from the wicked, and by … from the one who awards the prize. Abel was killed, the first herald of righteousness, the first to love and pursue godliness, the first to honor truth and to love and worship God with truth, who became in many things an imitator of Christ. For I find that holy Abel received many images of Christ. For just as the Savior is the founder and first … of those renewed after the law, so Abel is the founder of righteousness among all the ancient human beings. Neither in the renewal of humanity, which the Master of all renewed, do you find anything prior to the Master’s body, nor in the ancient order of human beings do you find righteousness shining before Abel. He is the founder of the ancient righteous, and this one the founder of the new righteous too, and of the saints renewed with truth. That is why the Savior fixed the memory of Abel as the beginning of all righteousness. For he says to the Jews: “Truly I say to you, all the righteous blood shed from the foundation of the world will be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel the righteous to the blood of Zechariah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” He fixed as the beginning of righteousness the one who was righteous before God, Abel. And see the wonder. Since Abel was the first to contend for righteousness, he was the first to be counted worthy to suffer for godliness. He became an image of Christ, who suffered for the truth, and the blood of Abel was found to come near the Master’s blood and to have great closeness to it through faith. For the saving blood is the school of the whole inhabited earth; nothing teaches us godliness like the Master’s blood, which uses truth as a tongue. The blood of Abel cried out, and the blood of Christ cries out. But the one cries out making intercession, the other cries out bringing propitiation to the world. For since the Master’s blood sounded like a trumpet to the ends of the earth, and Abel’s blood interceded with God, the Apostle, mentioning both this blood and that, by the comparison raised to a greater height the blood that is truly higher. For he says: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge, the living one, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than Abel.” For this blood speaks, interceding for sinners and bringing propitiation to the world. For the blood of Christ is the sprinkling of the inhabited earth; the blood of Christ is the ransom of human beings. “Speaking better,” it says, “than Abel,” inasmuch as the one intercedes, the other pleads as advocate. Then again Abel’s blood had an image of the Master’s blood in this way. Adam, having sinned, fell under the curse of death: “Earth you are, and to earth you shall return.” He received the sentence. Abel, having become righteous, not having fallen into failings, but even having been borne witness to by the divine verdict, lived his life in holiness. Then the murderous Cain, opening the gates of death, made death’s entry evil—or rather good. For see the love of God for humankind. The condemned had not yet died, neither Adam nor Eve; Abel, who had not sinned, first …