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De fugienda simulata specie

THAT ONE MUST FLEE A SIMULATED AND UNTRUE APPEARANCE, A HOMILY. 48.1073 Again it is necessary for us to take up the evangelical trumpet, and to declare to you the Lord's exhortation: For, he says, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves; you will know them by their fruits." For, he says, a simulated appearance is exposed everywhere by the things done each day; for from the disposition come the deeds; a solemn appearance does not alter the disposition. Vainly, therefore, does the deceitful man labor in the presence of the wise, who are able to hunt him down by his fruits, and to learn what sort of person he is, who puts on such an appearance. Why then do you hide yourself in a foreign appearance? why do you conceal the wolf in the sheep's skin? For a little later the truth will expose you, and fleeing the truth you will be caught by the truth. Why do you put forth words of goodness, covering up your bitter character? You will not escape notice being bitter, even if you pretend to be very sweet. Why do you assume the appearance of friendship, being an enemy? We do not live in darkness; the hidden things are revealed, and the hatred which you were hiding is exposed. Why do you feign friendship? why do you flatter, not loving? Hateful also will your flattery become, bringing harm as from an enemy, not benefit as from a friend. For you praise even evil things for the sake of flattery; but the one being flattered is not so senseless; for he ought to hate the one praising him for his sins. Why do you put on the character of a just and temperate man, while you are in iniquities and continue in licentiousness? why do you cover up pride with an appearance, and with a word of humility and piety dissemble your envy? There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. A man's lie is a wicked blemish; let us flee the slander that comes with lying; do not make yourself unbelievable to your friend, so that, even when you speak the truth, he may no longer believe; for he who is found a liar in one thing, is no longer worthy to be believed, not even if he should ever speak the truth. Because to speak just things, he says, and to speak the truth, is more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices. You will offer a gift acceptable to God: faith and truth; and it is easy for you yourself to speak the things that are, and not to contrive the things that are not. For you will not grow weary forcing a lie into truth, nor will you be weakened at all, speaking things contrary to yourself, because a false word is not in harmony with itself; you will not be ashamed having lied to others, you who guard the truth; your friends will consider your word more trustworthy than an oath, and your saying, stronger than any sworn testimony, will establish your testimony as just and undisputed; whenever you come forward to testify, procuring for yourself the most beautiful glory for the truth, and for those in danger and wronged, salvation and benefit in a court of law. True lips, he says, establish true testimony; but a witness of the unjust is deceitful; a judge will gladly see you, relieving him of the inquiry concerning the case. 48.1074 But indeed, the achievement of humility is praiseworthy from the Lord, if we are able to achieve it. Many, therefore, having achieved some good thing, wish to belittle themselves contrary to the truth, wishing rather to lie against themselves. But I say to you, be humble towards the truth, O man; speak humble things about yourself into the ears of God, as Abraham said: "But I am earth and ashes;" as Paul said: "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of

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De fugienda simulata specie

ΟΤΙ ΕΠΙΠΛΑΣΤΟΝ ΣΧΗΜΑ ΚΑΙ ΜΗ ΑΛΗΘΕΣ ΦΕΥΓΕΙΝ ΧΡΗ, ΟΜΙΛΙΑ. 48.1073 Πάλιν χρὴ μεταχειρίσασθαι ἡμᾶς τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν σάλπιγγα, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου παραίνεσιν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐκφάναι· Προσέχετε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, οἵτινες ἔρχονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες· ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς. Ἐλέγχεται γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπίπλαστον σχῆμα πανταχοῦ διὰ τῶν καθ' ἑκάστην πραττομένων· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς προαιρέσεως αἱ πράξεις· τὸ σεμνὸν σχῆμα τὴν προαίρεσιν οὐκ ἀλλάττει. Ματαιόπονος οὖν παρὰ τοῖς σοφοῖς ὁ δολερὸς, τοῖς δυναμένοις αὐτὸν θηρᾶσαι διὰ τῶν καρπῶν, καὶ καταμαθεῖν ὅστις ὢν ὁποῖος φαίνεται. Τί οὖν κρύπτεις ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ σχήματι σαυτόν; τί κατακρύπτεις τῇ δορᾷ τοῦ προβάτου τὸν λύκον; Ἐκφαίνει γάρ σε μικρὸν ὕστερον ἡ ἀλήθεια, καὶ φεύγων ἀλήθειαν ἁλώσῃ διὰ τῆς ἀληθείας. Τί προβάλλῃ λόγους χρηστότητος, τὸ πικρὸν ἦθος κατακαλύπτων; Οὐ λάθῃς πικρὸς ὢν, κἂν πάνυ γλυκὺς εἶναι προσποιήσῃ. Τί φιλίας ὑποδύῃ σχῆμα πολέμιος ὤν; Οὐκ ἐν σκότει ζῶμεν· ἐκφαίνεται τὰ κρυπτὰ, καὶ διελέγχεται τὸ μῖσος, ὅπερ ἔκρυπτες. Τί προσποιῇ τὴν φιλίαν; τί κολακεύεις μὴ φιλῶν; Μισητόν σου καὶ τὸ τῆς κολακείας γενήσεται, βλάβην ὡς παρὰ ἐχθροῦ φέρον, οὐκ ὠφέλειαν ὡς παρὰ φίλου. Ἐπαινεῖς γὰρ καὶ τὰ φαῦλα κολακείας ἕνεκα· οὐχ οὕτω δὲ ἀναίσθητος ὁ κολακευόμενος· μισῆσαι γὰρ ὀφείλει τὸν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ἐπαινοῦντα. Τί δικαίου χαρακτῆρα καὶ σώφρονος ἐπιμορφάζεις ἐν ἀδικήμασιν ὢν καὶ ἀκολασίαις διατελῶν; τί καλύπτεις ὑπερηφανίαν σχήματι, καὶ ῥήματι ταπεινώσεως καὶ εὐλαβείας ὑποκρίνῃ τὸν φθόνον; Οὐκ ἔστι κεκαλυμμένον, ὃ οὐκ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται, καὶ κρυπτὸν, ὃ οὐ γνωσθήσεται. Μῶμος πονηρὸς ἀνθρώπου ψεῦδος· φύγωμεν τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ ψεύδει διαβολήν· μὴ ποιήσῃς ἄπιστον τῷ φίλῳ σεαυτὸν, ἵνα μὴ, καὶ ὅτε λαλεῖς ἀλήθειαν, οὐκ ἔτι πιστεύσῃ· ὁ γὰρ ἐν ἑνὶ εὑρεθεὶς ψεύστης, οὐκ ἔτι ἐστὶν ἄξιος πιστευθῆναι, οὐδὲ ἂν ἀληθεύσῃ ποτέ. Ὅτι τὸ λαλεῖν δίκαια, φησὶ, καὶ ἀληθεύειν, ἀρεστὸν Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ θυσιῶν αἷμα. ∆ῶρον δεκτὸν Θεῷ προσοίσεις πίστιν καὶ ἀλήθειαν· εὔκολον δὲ καὶ αὐτό σοι τὸ τὰ ὄντα λαλεῖν, καὶ μὴ τὰ μὴ ὄντα τεχνάζεσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ κάμῃς βιαζόμενος τὸ ψεῦδος εἰς ἀλήθειαν, οὐδὲ ἀτονιάσῃς μηδὲν, λέγων ἐναντία σεαυτῷ, ὅτι μὴ σύμφωνος ὁ ψευδὴς λόγος πρὸς ἑαυτόν· οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσῃ ψευσάμενος ἄλλους σὺ τὴν ἀλήθειαν φυλάττων· ὅρκου πιστότερον τὸν λόγον οἱ φίλοι ἡγήσονται, καὶ πάσης ἐνόρκου μαρτυρίας ἰσχυρότερον τὸ ῥῆμα τὸ σὸν δικαίαν καὶ ἀναμφισβήτητον καταδέξεταί σου μαρτυρίαν· ὁπότε μαρτυρήσεις παρελθὼν, δόξαν μὲν σεαυτῷ καλλίστην ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, σωτηρίαν δὲ κινδυνεύουσιν καὶ ἀδικουμένοις ὠφέλειαν ἐν δικαστηρίῳ προξενῶν. Χείλη ἀληθινὰ, φησὶ, κατορθοῖ μαρτυρίαν ἀληθῆ· ὁ δὲ μάρτυς τῶν ἀδίκων δόλιος· ὄψεταί σε δικαστὴς ἀσμένως ἀπαλλάττων τῆς περὶ 48.1074 τὴν δίκην ζητήσεως. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐπαινετὸν παρὰ Κυρίου τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸ κατόρθωμα, εἰ δυνηθῶμεν κατορθῶσαι. Πολλοὶ μὲν οὖν κατορθώσαντές τι ἀγαθὸν, ἑαυτοὺς σμικρύνειν βούλονται παρὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ψεύδεσθαι καθ' ἑαυτῶν βουλόμενοι μᾶλλον. Ἐγὼ δέ σοι λέγω, πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ταπεινοφρόνησον, ἄνθρωπε· εἰς ἀκοὰς Θεοῦ λάλει περὶ σεαυτοῦ ταπεινὰ, ὡς ὁ Ἀβραὰμ ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι γῆ καὶ σποδός· ὡς Παῦλος ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι ὁ ἐλάχιστος τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὃς οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ