again she hath given thanks. She hath become the daughter of Abraham. For if she sacrificed not with her own hand, yet was she pleased with the sacrifice, which is the same; she felt no indignation when the gift was taken away. Again, is her child sick? She hath made no amulets.853 It is counted to her as martyrdom, for she sacrificed her son in her resolve. For what, even though those things are unavailing, and a mere cheat and mockery, still there were nevertheless those who persuaded her that they do avail: and she chose rather to see her child dead, than to put up with idolatry. As then she is a martyr, whether it be in her own case, or in her son’s, that she hath thus acted; or in her husband’s, or in any other’s of her dearest; so is that other one an idolatress. For it is evident that she would have done sacrifice, had it been allowed her to do sacrifice; yea, rather, she hath even now performed the act of sacrifice. For these amulets, though they who make money by them are forever rationalizing about them, and saying, “we call upon God, and do nothing extraordinary,” and the like; and “the old woman is a Christian,” says he, “and one of the faithful”; the thing is idolatry. Art thou one of the faithful? sign the Cross; say, this I have for my only weapon; this for my remedy; and other I know none. Tell me, if a physician should come to one, and, neglecting the remedies belonging to his art, should use incantation, should we call that man a physician? By no means: for we see not the medicines of the healing art; so neither, in this case, do we see those of Christianity. Other women again tie about them854 the names of rivers, and venture numberless things of like nature. Lo, I say, and forewarn you all, that if any be detected, I will not spare them again, whether they have made amulet, or incantation, or any other thing of such an art as this. What then, saith one, is the child to die? If he have lived through this means, he did then die, but if he have died without this, he then lived. But now, if thou seest him at- taching himself to harlots, thou wishest him buried, and sayest, “why, what good is it for him to live?” but when thou seest him in peril of his salvation, dost thou wish to see him live? Heardest thou not Christ saying, “He that loseth his life, shall find it; and he that find- eth it, shall lose it”? (Matt. xvi. 25.) Believest thou these sayings, or do they seem to thee fables? Tell me now, should one say, “Take him away to an idol temple, and he will live”; wouldest thou endure it? No! she replies. Why? “Because,” she saith, “he urges me to commit idolatry; but here, there is no idolatry, but simple incantation:” this is the device of Satan, this is that wiliness of the devil to cloak over the deceit, and to give the deleterious drug in honey. After he found that he could not prevail with thee in the other way,855 he hath gone this way about, to stitched charms, and old wives’ fables; and the Cross indeed is dishonored, 853 περίαπτα. See on Stat. Hom. xix. p. 470 and note 4. Perhaps it should be ἐπέδησε, “she hath tied on.” 854 i.e. their children, περιάπτουσι. In what he says presently after, he must be referring to the temporal ill effects of immorality. 855 i.e. of direct idolatry. 527 Colossians 3:5-7