Epiphanius of Salamis, Sayings

the very sight of the books makes us more hesitant towards sin, and urges us to rise up more towards righteousness.

9. He said again, that a great security against sinning is the reading of the Scriptures.

10. He said again, that a great precipice and a deep pit is ignorance of the Scriptures. 11. He said again, that a great betrayal of salvation is to know none of the divine laws

know. 12. The same said, that the sins of the righteous are about the lips, but those

of the impious, from the whole body. Wherefore David sings: Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips; And: I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.

13. The same was asked, Why are there ten commandments of the law, but nine

beatitudes? and he said: The Decalogue is equal in number to the Egyptian plagues; but the number of the beatitudes is an image of the threefold Trinity.

14. The same was asked, if one righteous man is sufficient to entreat God, and he said: Yes,

for he himself said: Seek one who does judgment and righteousness, and I will be merciful to all the people.

15. The same said, that God forgives the principal to sinners who repent,

as to the harlot and the tax collector; but from the righteous he demands 65.168 interest as well. And this is what he said to the apostles, that Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

16. And he also said this, that God sells righteousness for very little to those

who are eager to buy it; for a small piece of bread, a cheap garment, a cup of cold water, one obol. 17. And he added this, that a man borrowing from a man because of poverty, or a need for means, and repaying it, confesses thanks, but repays in secret, being ashamed. But the Lord God does the opposite; borrowing in secret, he repays in the presence of angels and archangels and the righteous.

καθ' ἑαυτὴν τῶν βιβλίων ἡ ὄψις, ὀκνηροτέρους ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεται, καὶ πρὸς δικαιοσύνην μᾶλλον διανίστασθαι προτρέπεται.

θʹ. Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μεγάλη ἀσφάλεια πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν, τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἀνάγνωσις.

ιʹ. Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μέγας κρημνὸς καὶ βαθὺ βάραθρον, τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἄγνοια. ιαʹ. Εἶπε πάλιν, ὅτι μεγάλη προδοσία σωτηρίας, τὸ μηδένα τῶν θείων νόμων

εἰδέναι. ιβʹ. Ὁ αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν, ὅτι τὰ τῶν δικαίων ἁμαρτήματα περὶ τὰ χείλη ἐστὶ, τὰ δὲ

τῶν ἀσεβῶν, ἐξ ὅλου τοῦ σώματος. Ὅθεν ψάλλει ∆αβίδ· Θοῦ, Κύριε, φυλακὴν τῷ στόματί μου, καὶ θύραν περιοχῆς περὶ τὰ χείλη μου· Καί· Εἶπα, Φυλάξω τὰς ὁδούς μου, τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν με ἐν γλώσσῃ μου.

ιγʹ. Ὁ αὐτὸς ἠρωτήθη, ∆ιατί δέκα μέν εἰσιν αἱ νομικαὶ ἐντολαὶ, ἐννέα δὲ οἱ

μακαρισμοί; καὶ ἔφη· Ἰσάριθμος τῶν Αἰγυπτιακῶν μαστίγων ὁ ∆εκάλογος· τριπλῆς δὲ Τριάδος εἰκὼν, ἡ τῶν μακαρισμῶν ἀρίθμησις.

ιδʹ. Ἠρωτήθη ὁ αὐτὸς, εἰ ἀρκεῖ εἷς δίκαιος δυσωπῆσαι τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἔφη· Ναὶ,

αὐτὸς γὰρ εἶπεν· Ἐρευνήσατε ἕνα ποιοῦντα κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ ἵλεως ἔσομαι παντὶ τῷ λαῷ.

ιεʹ. Ὁ αὐτὸς εἶπεν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς μὲν ἁμαρτωλοῖς καὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον

παραχωρεῖ μετανοοῦσιν, ὡς τῇ πόρνῃ καὶ τῷ τελώνῃ· τοὺς δὲ δικαίους ἀπαι 65.168 τεῖ καὶ τόκους. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν, πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν.

ιςʹ. Ἔλεγε δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι ὀλίγον πάνυ τὰς δικαιοσύνας ὁ Θεὸς πωλεῖ τοῖς

ἀγοράζειν σπουδάζουσι· μικροῦ κλάσματος ἄρτου, εὐτελοῦς ἱματίου, ψυχροῦ ποτηρίου, ἑνὸς ὀβολοῦ. ιζʹ. Προσετίθει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι παρ' ἀνθρώπῳ δανειζόμενος ἄνθρωπος διὰ πενίαν, ἢ χρείαν εὐπορίας, καὶ ἀποδιδοὺς χάριτας μὲν ὁμολογεῖ, κρύφα δὲ ἀποδίδωσιν αἰσχυνόμενος. Ὁ δὲ δεσπότης Θεὸς τὸ ἀνάπαλιν· κρυφῆ δανειζόμενος ἐνώπιον ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ δικαίων ἀποδίδωσιν.