5. Behold, my brethren, how much a fast can do, and in what manner the law commands us to fast. It is required that not only with the body should we fast, but with the soul. Now the soul is humbled when it does not follow wicked opinions, but feeds on becoming virtues. For virtues and vices are the food of the soul, and it can eat either of these two meats, and incline to either of the two, according to its own will. If it is bent toward virtue, it will be nourished by virtues, by righteousness, by temperance, by meekness, by fortitude, as Paul saith; ‘Being nourished by the word of truth 7°.” Such was the case with our Lord, who said, ‘My meat is to do the will of My Father which is in heaven 7.’ But if it is not thus with the soul, and it inclines downwards, it is then nourished by nothing but sin. For thus the Holy Ghost, describing sinners and their food, referred to the devil when He said, ‘I have given him to be meat to the people of ZEthiopia *.’ For this is the food of sinners. And as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, being heavenly bread, is the food of the saints, according to this; ‘Except ye eat My flesh, and drink My blood';’ so is the devil the food of the impure, and of those who do nothing which is of the light, but work the deeds of darkness. Therefore, in order to withdraw and turn them from vices, He commands them to be nourished with the food of virtue; namely, humbleness of mind, lowliness to endure humiliations, the acknowledgment of God. For not only does such a fast as this obtain pardon for souls, but being kept and of the Saviour who is in heaven.
holy, it prepares the saints, and raises them above the earth. f 6. And indeed that which I am about to say is wonderful, yea it is of those things which are very miraculous; yet not far from the truth, as ye may be able to learn from the sacred? writings. That great man Moses, when fasting, conversed with God, and_received the law. The great and holy Elijah, when fasting, was thought worthy of divine visions, and at last was taken up like Him who ascended into heaven. And Daniel, when fasting, although a very young man, was entrusted with the mystery, and he alone understood the secret things of the king, and was thought worthy of divine visions. But because the length of the fast of these men was wonderful, and the days prolonged, let no man lightly fall into unbelief; but rather let him believe and know, that the contemplation of God, and the word which is from Him, suffice to nourish those who hear, and stand to them in place of all food. _ For the angels are no otherwise sustained than by beholding at all times the face of the ee n thus Moses, as long as he talked with God, fasted indeed bodily, but was nourished by divine words. When he descended among men, and God was gone up from him, he suffered hunger like other men. For it is not said that he fasted longer than forty days— those in which he was conversing with God. And, generally, each one of the saints has been though* worthy of sim‘lar transcendent nourishment.
7. Wherefore, my beloved, having our souls nourished with divine food, withthe Word, and according to the will of God, and fasting bodily in things external, let us keep this great and saving feast as becomes us. Even the ignorant Jews received this divine food, through the type, when they ate a lamb in the passover. But not understanding the type, even to this day they eat the lamb, erring in that they are without the city and the truth. As long as Judzea and the city existed, there were a type, and a lamb, and a shadow, since, the law thus commanded3: These things shall not be done in another city; but in the land of Judea, and in no place without [the land of Judza]. And besides this, the law commanded them to offer whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices, there being no other altar than that in Jerusalem, For on this account, in that city alone was there an altar and temple built, and in no other city were they permitted 2 The word in the Syriac is ‘priestly.’ But in this and in other places, it appears to be for the Greek ‘Iepés. Cf. ra iepa ypdpvara. 2 Tim. iii. 15. 3 Deut. xii. rz, 13,14. / PEE DIERS 1, EASTER, 329: a to perform these rites, so that when that city should come to an end, then those things that were figurative might also be done away.
8. Now observe; that city, since the coming of our Saviour, has had an end, and all the land of the Jews has been laid waste; so that from the testimony of these things (and we need no further proof, being assured by our own eyes of the fact) there must, of necessity, be an end of the shadow. And not from me should these things be learned, but the sacred voice of the prophet foretold, crying; ‘Behold upon the4 mountains the feet of Him that bringeth good tidings, and publisheth peace‘;’ and what is the message he published, but that which he goes on to say to them, ‘ Keep thy feasts, O Judah; pay to the Lord thy vows. For they shall no more go to that which is old; it is finished; it is taken away: He is gone up who breathed upon the face, and delivered thee from affliction 5. Now who is he that went up? a man may say to the Jews, in order that even the boast of the shadow may be done away; neither is it an idle thing to listen to the expression, ‘It is finished; he is gone up who breathed.’ For nothing was finished before he went up who breathed. But as soon as he went up, it was finished. Who was he then, O Jews, as I said before? If Moses, the assertion would be false; for the people were not yet come to the land in which alone they were commanded to perform these rites. But if Samuel, or any other of the prophets, even in that case there would be a perversion of the truth; for hitherto these things were done in Judza, and the city was standing.
For it was necessary that while that stood, these things should be performed. So that it was none of these, my beloved, who went up. But if thou wouldest hear the true matter, and. be kept from Jewish fables, behold our Saviour who went up, and ‘breathed upon the face, and said to His disciples, Receive ye the Holy Ghost ®’ For as soon as these things were done, everything was finished, for the altar was broken, and the veil of the temple was rent; and although the city was not yet laid waste, the abomination was ready to sit in the midst of the temple, and the city and those ancient ordinances to receive their final consummation.
g. Since then we have passed beyond that time of shadows, and no longer perform rites under it, but have turned, as it were, unto the Lord; ‘for the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty 7;’—as 6 John xx, 22, 6 John xx, 22, we hear the sacred trumpet, no longer slaying a material lamb, but that true Lamb that was slain, even our Lord Jesus Christ; ‘Who was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and was dumb as a lamb before her shearers ®;’ being purified by His precious blood, which speaketh better things than that of Abel, having our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel, holding in our hands the rod and staff of the Lord, by which that saint was comforted, who said9, ‘Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me;’ and to sum up, being in all respects prepared, and careful for nothing, because, as the blessed Paul saith, ‘The Lord is at hand*;’ and as our Saviour saith, ‘In an hour when we think not, the Lord cometh;—Let us keep the Feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Putting off the old man and his deeds, let us put on the new man", which is created in God,’ in humbleness of mind, and a pure conscience; in meditation of the law by night and by day. And casting away all hypocrisy and fraud, putting far from us all pride and deceit, let us take upon us love towards God and towards our neighbour, that being new [creatures], and receiving the new. wine, even the Holy Spirit, we may properly keep the feast, even the month of these new [fruits] *?, 10, We*3 begin the holy fast on the fifth day of Pharmuthi (March 31), and adding to it according to the number of those six holy and great days, which are the symbol of the creation of this world, let us rest and cease (from fasting) on the tenth day of the same Pharmuthi (April 5), on the holy sabbath of the week. And when the first day of the holy week dawns and rises upon us, on the eleventh day of the same month (April 6), from which again we count all the seven weeks one by one, let us keep feast on the holy day of Pentecost—on that which was at one time to the Jews, typically, the feast of weeks, in which they granted forgiveness and settlement of debts; and indeed that day was one of deliverance in every respect. Let us keep the feast on the first day of the great week, as a symbol of the world to come, in which we here receive a pledge that we shall have everlasting life hereafter. Then having passed 12 Alluding to Deut. xvi. 1, LXX.
13 We should not have much difficulty in fixing upon many of the phrases and expressions used by S. Athan. towards the close of his Epistles, by referring to the concluding sentences in the Paschal Letters of S. Cyril, who seems herein to have closely imttated his illustrious predecessor in the Patriarchate. The Syriac translator must frequently have had before him the following ex pressions? apxépevor THS aylas TeroapaKooTHs—EemLavVamTOVTES— ouvarrovTes eons—mepidvovTes Tas vHTTElas—KaTamavoVTES TAK vnoretas—-eoTrepa Budeta caBBarov—tp emipwoKovay Kuptakyhence, we shall keep a perfect feast with Christ, while we cry out and say, like the saints, ‘I will pass to the place of the wondrous tabernacle, to the house of God; with the voice of gladness and thanksgiving, the shouting of those who rejoice *4;’ whence pain and sorrow and sighing have fled, and upon our heads gladness and joy shall have come to us! May we be judged worthy to be partakers in these things.
11. Let us remember the poor, and not forget kindness to strangers; above all, let us love God with all our soul, and might, and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves. So may we receive those things which the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard, and which have not entered into the heart of man, which God hath prepared for those that love Him *5, through His only Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; through Whom, to the Father alone, by the Holy Ghost, be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Salute one another with a kiss. All the brethren who are with me salute you.
Here endeth the first Festal Letter of holy LETTER IL Easter-day xxiv Pharmuthi,; xt Kal. Mai; Era Dioclet. 46; Coss. Gallicianus, Valerius Symmachus; Prefect, Magninianus; Indict.
AGAIN, my brethren, is Easter come and gladness; again the Lord hath brought us to this season; so that when, according to custom, we have been nourished with His words, we may duly keep the feast. Let us celebrate it then, even heavenly joy, with those saints who formerly proclaimed.a like feast, and were ensamples to us of conversation in Christ. For not only were they entrusted with the charge of preaching. the Gospel, but, if we enquire, we shall see, as it is written, that its power was displayed in them. ‘Be ye therefore followers of met,’ he wrote to the Corinthians. Now the apostolic precept exhorts us all, for those commands which he sent to individuals, he at the same time enjoined upon every man in every place, for he was ‘a teacher of all nations in faith and truth.’ And, generally, the commands of all the saints urge us on similarly, as Solomon makes use of proverbs, saying, ‘Hear, my chil-|.
dren, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding; for I give you a good 14 Ps, xlii. 4.
15 x Cor. ii. 9; Is. Ixiv. 4.
21 Tim. ii. 7. Cf. Letter iti.
gift, forsake ye not my word: for I was an obedient son to my father, and beloved in the sight of my mother3.’ For a just father brings up [his children] well, when he is diligent in teaching others in accordance with his own upright conduct, so that when he meets with opposition, he may not be ashamed on hearing it said, ‘Thou therefore that teachest others, teachest thou not thyself+?’ but rather, like the good servant, may both save himself and gain others; and thus, when the grace committed to him has been doubled, he may hear, ‘Thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful in a little, I will set thee over much: enter into the joy of thy Lord 5’ 2. Let us® then, as is becoming, as at all times, yet especially in the days of the feast, be not hearers only, but doers of the commandments of our Saviour; that having imitated the behaviour of the saints, we may enter together into the joy of our Lord which is in heaven, which is not transitory, but truly abides; of which evil doers having deprived themselves, there remains to them as the fruit of their ways, sorrow and affliction, and groaning with torments. Let a man see what these become like, that they bear not the likeness” of the conversation of the saints, nor of that right understanding, by which man at the beginning was rational, and in the image of God. But they are compared to their disgrace to beasts without understanding, and becoming like them in unlawful pleasures, they are spoken of as wanton horses7#; also, for their craftiness, and ‘errors, and sin laden with death, they are called a ‘generation of vipers,’ as John saith®. Now having thus fallen, and grovelling in the dust like the serpent9, having their minds set on nothing beyond visible things, they esteem these things good, and rejoicing in them, serve their own lusts and not God.
3. Yet even in this state, the man-loving Word, who came for this very reason, that He might seek and find that which was lost, sought to restrain them from such folly, crying and saying, ‘Be ye not as the horse and the mule which have no understanding, whose cheeks ye hold in with bit and bridle’.’ Because they were careless and imitated the wicked, the prophet prays in spirit and says, ‘Ye are to me like merchant-men of Pheenicia™.’ And the avenging Spirit protests against them in these words, ‘Lord, in Thy city Thou wilt despise their image’*.’? Thus, being changed «ll, 2T. at. XXV. 2T. © We have here the first fragment extant of the original Gicae texte Ut is to be found in Cosmas Indicopleustes, p. 316. 7 Syr. eixay. he 74 Jer. v. 8. 8 i.e. the Baptist, Bett. li. 73 Laken: te 9 Cf. Vit. Anton. supr. p. 202. S. XXXIL. 9.. Orat. 11. 18, 32 Is, xxiii ee Is, xxiii. 2, LX X.
LETTERS into the likeness of fools, they fell so low in their understanding, that by their excessive reasoning, they even likened the Divine Wis- | dom to themselves, thinking it to be like their own arts. ‘Therefore, ‘ professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the corruptible image of man, and birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient*3.’ For they did not listen to the prophetic voice that reproved them, (saying), ‘To what have ye likened the Lord, and with what have ye compared Him*+?’ neither to David, who prayed concerning such as these, and sang, ‘All those that make them are like unto them, and all those who put their trust in them*s.’ Being blind to the truth, they looked upon a stone as God, and hence, like senseless creatures, they walked in darkness, and, as the prophet cried, ‘They hear indeed, but they do not understand; they see indeed, but they do not perceive; for their heart is waxen fat, and with their ears they hear heavily *®.’
4. Now those who do not observe the feast, continue such as these even to the present day, feigning indeed and devising names of feasts *7, but rather introducing days of mourning than of gladness; ‘For there is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord?’ And as Wisdom saith, ‘Gladness and joy are taken from their mouth 2.’ Such are the feasts of the wicked. But the wise servants of the Lord, who have truly put on the man which is created in God 3, have received gospel words, and reckon as a general commandment that given to Timothy, which saith, ‘Be thou an example to the believers in word, in conversation, in love, in faith, in purity4’ So well do they keep the Feast, that even the unbelievers, seeing their order 5, may say, ‘ God is with them of a truth %&’ For as he who receives an apostle receives Him who sent him ®, so he who is a follower of the saints, makes the Lord in every respect his end and aim, even as Paul, being a follower of Him, goes on to say, ‘As I also of Christ7.’ For there were first our Saviour’s own words, who from the height of His divinity, when conversing with His disciples, said, ‘ Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls®*.’ Then too when He 17 Syr. oxnwaricéuevos. The allusion in this sentence is evidently to the conduct of Jeroboam, as recorded x Kings xii. 32, 33. The phraseology of the Syriac resembles that of the Syr. version in Vv. 33. t Is, xlviil. 22. 2 Vid. Letter iii. note. 3 Eph. iv. 24. 4 x Tim. iv. 12. Cf, Col. ii. 5, BACrwy bmOv THY Tak., 5 rafis, Syr. 6 x Cor. xiv. 25. 8 Matt, xi. 29.
EASTER} 330.: git poured water into a basin, and girded Himself with a towel, and washed His disciples’ feet, He said to them, ‘Know what I have done. Ye call Me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for sol am. Iftherefore I, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet: for I have given you.an example, that as I have done to you, ye also should do 9,’ 5- Oh! my brethren, how shall we admire the loving-kindness of the Saviour? With what power, and with what a trumpet should a man cry out, exalting these His benefits! That not only should we bear His image, but should receive from Him an example and pattern of heavenly conversation; that as He hath begun, we should go on, that suffering, we should not threaten, being reviled, we should not revile again, but should bless them that curse, and in everything commit ourselves to God who judgeth righteously °. For those who are thus disposed, and fashion themselves according to the Gospel, will be partakers of Christ, and imitators of apostolic conversation, on account of which they shall be deemed worthy of that praise from him, with which he praised the Corinthians, when he said, ‘ I praise you that in everything ye are mindful of me.’ Afterwards, because there were men who used his words, but chose to hear them as suited their lusts, and dared to pervert them, as the followers of Hymenzeus and Alexander, and before them the Sadducees, who as he said, ‘having made shipwreck of faith,’ scoffed at the mystery of the resurrection, he immediately proceeded to say, ‘And as I have delivered to you traditions, hold them fast?2.’ That means, indeed, that we should think not otherwise than as the teacher has delivered.
6. For not only in outward form did those wicked men dissemble, putting on as the Lord says sheep’s clothing, and appearing like unto whited sepulchres; but they took those divine words in their mouth, while they inwardly cherished evil intentions. And the first to put on this appearance was the serpent, the inventor of wickedness from the beginning—the devil,— who, in disguise, conversed with Eve, and forthwith deceived her. But after him and with him are all inventors of unlawful heresies, who indeed refer to the Scriptures, but do not hold such opinions as the saints have handed down, and receiving them as the traditions of men, err, because they do not rightly know them nor their?3 power. ‘Therefore Paul justly praises the Corinthians "*, because their opinions were in accordance with his traditions. And the 1r x Cor. xi 2.
9 John xiii. 12. to x Pet. ii. 21—23. in 13 Matt. xxii. 29.
Lord most righteously reproved the Jews, saying, ‘ Wherefore do ye also transgress the commandments of God on account of your traditions *.’ For they changed the commandments they received from God after their own understanding, preferring to observe the traditions of men. And about these, a little after, the blessed Paul again gave directions to the Galatians who were in danger thereof, writing to them, ‘If any man preach to you aught else than that ye have received, let him be accursed *5.’
7. For there is no fellowship whatever between the words of the saints and the fancies of human invention; for the saints are the ministers of the truth, preaching the kingdom of heaven, but those who are borne in the opposite direction have nothing better than to eat, and think their end is that they shall cease to be, and they say, ‘Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die *.’ Therefore blessed Luke reproves the inventions of men, and hands down the narrations of the saints, saying in the beginning of the Gospel, ‘Since many have presumed to write narrations of those events of which we are assured, as those who from the beginning were witnesses and ministers of the Word have delivered to us; it hath seemed good to me also, who have adhered to them all from the first, to write correctly in order to thee, O excellent Theophilus, that thou mayest know the truth concerning the things in which thou hast been instructed?7.’ For as each of the saints has received, that they impart without alteration, for the confirmation of the doctrine of the mysteries. Of these the (divine) word would have us disciples, and these should of right be our teachers, and to them only is it necessary to give heed, for of them only is ‘the word faithful and worthy of all acceptation "8;’ these not being disciples because they heard from. others, but being eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word, that which they had heard from Him have they handed down.
Now some have related the wonderful signs performed by our Saviour, and preached. His eternal Godhead. And others have written of His being born in the flesh of the Virgin, and have proclaimed the festival of the holy passover, saying, ‘Christ our Passover is sacrificed’9;’ so that we, individuallyand collectively, and all the churches in the world may remember, as it is written, ‘That Christ rose from the dead, of the seed of David, according to the Gospel?°.’ And let us not forget that which Paul delivered, declaring it to the Corinthians; I mean His resurrection, whereby ‘ He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil?;’ and raised us up together with Him, having loosed the bands of death, and vouchsafed a blessing instead of a curse, joy instead of grief, a feast instead of mourning, in this holy joy of Easter, which being continually in our hearts, we always rejoice, as Paul commanded; ‘ We pray without ceasing; in everything we give thanks*.’ So we are not remiss in giving notice of its seasons, as we have received from the Fathers. Again we write, again keeping to the apostolic traditions, we remind each other when we come together for prayer; and keeping the feast in common, with one mouth we truly give thanks to the Lord. Thus giving thanks unto Him, and being followers of the saints, ‘we shall make our praise in the Lord all the day 3,’ as the Psalmist says. So, when we rightly keep the feast, we shall be counted worthy of that joy which is in heaven.
8. We begin the fast of forty days on the 13th of the month Phamenoth (Mar. 9). After we have given ourselves to fasting in continued succession, let us begin the holy Paschal 5 week on the 18th of the month Pharmuthi (April 13). Then resting on the 23rd of the same month Pharmuthi (April 18), and keeping the feast afterwards on the first of the week, on the 24th (April 19), let us add to these the seven weeks of the great Pentecost, wholly rejoicing and exulting in Christ Jesus our Lord, through Whom to the Father be glory and dominion in the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
The brethren which are with me salute you. Salute one another with a holy kiss ®.
Here endeth the second Festal Letter of the holy lord Athanasius, Bishcp of Alexandria.
LETTER III, LEaster-day xvi Pharmuthi; tii Id. April; Alera Dioclet. 47; Coss. Annius Bassus, Ablabius; Prefect, Florentius; Indict. tv, Acain, my beloved brethren, the day of the feast draws near to us, which, above all others, should be devoted to prayer, which the law commands to be observed, and which it would be an unholy thing for us to pass over in silence. For although we have been held under restraint by those who afflict us, that, because of them, we should not announce to you this season; yet thanks be to ‘God, who comforteth the afflicted ',’ that we have 5 In Syriac there is but one word ‘pescha’ to express the Passover and Easter feasts, it is therefore sometimes rendered Easter, and sometimes Passover, in the following pages.
© The twenty-fifth Paschal Letter of S. Cyril ends with the same words, This is the usual form in which our author concludes his Paschal Letters. S,Cyril employs it but once, as above.
* 2Cor. vii. 6 The historical reference is not quite certain, EPETTERVIIL BAS EER 331; not been overcome by the wickedness of our accusers and silenced; but obeying the voice of truth, we together with you cry aloud in the day of the feast. For the God of all hath commanded, saying, ‘Speak?, and the children of Israel shall keep the Passover.’ And the Spirit exhorts in the Psalm; ‘ Blow the trumpet in the new moons, in the solemn day of your feast. And the prophet cries; ‘Keep thy feasts, O Judah+.’ I do not send word to you as though you were ignorant; but I publish it to those who know it, that ye may perceive that although men have separated us, yet God, having made us companions, we approach the same feast, and worship the same Lord continually. And we do not keep the festival as observers of days, knowing that the Apostle reproves those who do so, in those words which he spake; ‘Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years5.’ But rather do we consider the day solemn because of the feast; so that all of us, who serve God in every place, may together in our prayers be wellpleasing to God. For the blessed Paul, announcing the nearness of gladness like this, did not announce days, but the Lord, for whose sake we keep the feast, saying, ‘ Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed®;’ so that we all, contemplating the eternity of the Word, may draw near to do Him service.
2. For what else is the feast, but the service of the soul? And what is that service, but prolonged prayer to God, and unceasing thanksgiving7? The unthankful departing far from these are rightly deprived of the joy springing therefrom: for ‘joy and gladness are taken from their mouth®.’ Therefore, the [divine] word doth not allow them to have peace; ‘ For there is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord9,’ they labour in pain and grief. So, not even to him who owed ten thousand talents did the Gospel grant forgiveness in the sight of the Lord’*. For even he, having received forgiveness of great things, was forgetful of kindness in little ones, so that he paid the penalty also of those former things. And justly indeed, for having himself experienced kindness, he was required to be merciful to his fellow servant. He too that received the one talent, and bound it up in a napkin, and hid it in the earth, was in consebut the Jude iii. is clearly right in its statement that Ath. was absent at this time, as well as in 332.
2 ‘Birov, kal,’ as LXX. not Peshito. ae 3 Cf. S. Cyril. Hom. Pasch. xxx. near the beginning.
4 Numb. ix. 2; Ps. Ixxxi. 3; Nah. 1. 15- 7 Cf. Clemens Alex. Strom. 7. 1. adudAcumros ayamn. Also 1 Thess. v. 16, 17, both in the Greek and in the Syriac vers. and Letter 11. 4, Ze 8 Apparently a quotation from Scripture, perhaps from Jer. vii. v. 28. being transferred to the sentiment of has already occurred, Letter 2. 4.
10 Matt. xviii. 24.
the phraseology of, v. 34. ‘The expression 9 Is. xlviil. 22.
VOL. IV. L quence cast out for unthankfulness, hearing the words, ‘Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed; thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and on my return, I should have received mine own. ‘Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents.’ For, of course, when he was required to deliver up to his lord that which belonged to him, he should have acknowledged the kindness of him who gave it, and the value of that which was given. For he who gave was not a hard man, had he been so, he would not have given even in the first instance; neither was that which was given unprofitable and vain, for then he had not found fault. But both he who gave was good, and that which was given was capable of bearing fruit. As therefore ‘he who withholdeth corn in seed-time is cursed 7,’ according to the divine proverb, so he who neglects grace, and hides it without culture, is properly cast out as a wicked and unthankful person. On this account, he praises those who increased [their talents], saying, ‘ Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful in a little, I will place thee over much; enter into the joy of thy Lord 73.’