Gregory of Nazianzus, To Julian the Tax Equalizer

let him desire to rule dangerously; nor let the law of subjection be destroyed, which holds together both earthly and heavenly things; nor let us make the rule of many into anarchy. You who deal with words, do not trust too much in words, nor make superfluous arguments that go beyond reason, nor desire to win every argument wickedly, but there are some things in which you should endure to be defeated honorably. Give to the Word the word; make your learning a weapon of righteousness, not of death. 35.1056

XI. Be content with your own wages, O soldiers, and demand nothing beyond what is appointed. These things John, the great herald of truth, the forerunner voice of the Word, commands you along with us. What does he mean by wages? The imperial grain ration, clearly, and the gifts granted by law to those in office. But the excess, from what source? I hesitate to speak the blasphemy; but you, I know that you understand, even if I refrain. Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's; to the one tribute, to the other fear, you who are named from the state; and when I say fear, I forbid greed. What then shall we gain, you might perhaps say, that is great? The greatest thing of all; and if you wish, through me as mediator, the good hopes, and the first places of the city above, not of this small city, least among cities, whose rule, to speak moderately honoring it as my nurse, is not at all a dignified or splendid thing. Let us wish to be first there; let us lay claim to the splendor from there; in the bosom of Abraham, in return for compassion here, let us find rest; let us judge a just judgment; let us rescue the needy and the poor; let us have mercy on the widow and orphan; let us ransom those being killed, or, to say the most moderate thing, let us not kill them ourselves; let us not overlook the one who needs us, even for the crumbs from the table; and let us not pass by the one full of sores, and cast at our gates; let us not live in luxury while others are suffering; let us not abominate our fellow servant; let us not, friends and brothers, become part of the rich man's portion, nor be tormented in the flame, nor be separated from the holy ones by the chasm, nor beg Lazarus the poor man to cool our burning tongue with the tip of his finger, and not even obtain that much. Let us become kind, compassionate, sympathetic; let us imitate the goodness of the Master, who makes his sun rise on the good and on the evil, and feeds all alike with the rain. Let us not accept being rich through the poverty of others; let us not fall so far short of divine equality; nor let us mix our wealth with the tears of others, by which it will be consumed as by rust and moth, or, to say what Scripture says, it will be vomited out. But are we more insatiable than is right? there is also a way to gain well. 35.1057 Let us give a little something from here, that we may be rich there.

XII. These commandments, then, are now common to all, not only to those in public office; for the remedies for a common sickness are also common. But you, enroll us justly, you who are the registrar of our taxes; enroll, not my words carefully, from which there is no, or little, profit, or for the sake of hearing and pleasure, but my people in a holy and humane way; showing reverence, if for nothing else, for the season itself, because the Savior too is born during an enrollment. For a decree went out, it says, from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled; and it was being enrolled. And Joseph also went up to Bethlehem with Mary his betrothed wife to be enrolled, because he was of the house and lineage of David. And at that time the Savior is born, the wondrous one, the creator and master of all, in a mean and small lodging. Let us fear the mystery; let us reverence the economy, and let us ourselves contribute something to the season. Now angels rejoice, now shepherds are bathed in light, now a star from the East runs toward the greatest and unapproachable light; now magi fall down, and bring gifts, and acknowledge the king of all, and

ἄρχειν ἐπικινδύνως ἐπιθυ μείτω· μηδὲ ὁ τῆς ὑποταγῆς νόμος καταλυέσθω, ἣ καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια συνέχει καὶ τὰ οὐράνια· μηδὲ ποιῶ μεν ἀναρχίαν τὴν πολυαρχίαν. Οἱ περὶ λόγους, μὴ σφόδρα τοῖς λόγοις θαῤῥεῖτε, μηδὲ σοφίζεσθε περισσὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸν λόγον, μηδὲ νικᾷν ἐπιθυμεῖτε πάν τα κακῶς, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἃ καὶ ἡττᾶσθαι καλῶς ἀνέχε σθε. ∆ότε τῷ Λόγῳ τὸν λόγον· ποιήσατε δικαιο σύνης ὅπλον, μὴ θανάτου, τὴν παίδευσιν. 35.1056

ΙΑʹ. Ἀρκεῖσθε τοῖς ἰδίοις ὀψωνίοις, οἱ στρατιῶται, καὶ μηδὲν ὑπὲρ τὸ διατεταγμένον ἀπαιτεῖτε. Ταῦτα ὑμῖν διακελεύεται μεθ' ἡμῶν Ἰωάννης, ὁ μέγας τῆς ἀληθείας κῆρυξ, ἡ πρόδρομος τοῦ Λόγου φωνή. Τί λέγων ὀψώνιον; Τὸ βασιλικὸν σιτηρέσιον δηλον ότι, καὶ τὰς ὑπαρχούσας ἐκ νόμου τοῖς ἀξιώμασι δωρεάς. Τὸ δὲ περισσὸν, τίνος; Ἐγὼ μὲν ὀκνῶ λέ γειν τὸ βλάσφημον· ὑμεῖς δὲ, οἶδ' ὅτι συνίετε, κἂν ἐγὼ φείδωμαι. Ἀπόδοτε τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσα ρι, καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ· τῷ μὲν τὸ τέλος, τῷ δὲ τὸν φόβον, ὑμεῖς οἱ τῆς πολιτείας ἐπώνυμοι· φόβον δὲ ὅταν εἴπω, κωλύω τὴν πλεονεξίαν. Τί οὖν ἡμεῖς κερδανοῦμεν, τάχα ἂν εἴποιτε, μέγα; Τὸ πάντων μέ γιστον· καὶ εἰ βούλεσθε, δι' ἐμοῦ μεσίτου, τὰς χρη στὰς ἐλπίδας, καὶ τὰ πρωτεῖα τῆς ἄνω πόλεως, οὐ τῆς μικρᾶς ταύτης καὶ ἐλαχίστης ἐν πόλεσιν, ἧς οὐ δὲ τὸ ἄρχειν, ἵνα μετρίως εἴπω τιμῶν ὡς θρεψαμένην, πάνυ τι σεμνὸν καὶ ὑπέρλαμπρον. Ἐκεῖ γενέ σθαι πρῶτοι θελήσωμεν· μεταποιηθῶμεν τῆς ἐκεῖθεν λαμπρότητος· ἐν κόλποις Ἀβραὰμ, ἀντὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν εὐσπλαγχνίας, ἀναπαυσώμεθα· κρῖμα δίκαιον κρίνω μεν· ἐξελώμεθα πένητα καὶ πτωχόν· χήραν καὶ ὀρφανὸν ἐλεήσωμεν· ἐκπριώμεθα κτεινομένους, ἢ τό γε μετριώτατον εἰπεῖν, μὴ αὐτοὶ κτείνωμεν· μὴ παρίδωμεν τὸν δεόμενον ἡμῶν, μέχρι καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τραπέζης ψιχίων· καὶ μὴ παραδράμωμεν τὸν ἡλκωμένον, καὶ βεβλημένον ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέ ροις πυλῶσιν· μὴ τρυφήσωμεν, ἄλλων κακοπα θούντων· μὴ βδελυξώμεθα τὸν ὁμόδουλον· μὴ, φίλοι καὶ ἀδελφοὶ, γενώμεθα τῆς τοῦ πλουσίου μερίδος, μηδὲ ὀδυνηθῶμεν ἐν τῇ φλογὶ, μηδὲ τῷ χάσματι δια στῶμεν ἀπὸ τῶν ὁσίων, μηδὲ δεηθῶμεν Λαζάρου τοῦ πένητος, ἄκρῳ δακτύλῳ καταψῦξαι τὴν γλῶσ σαν ἡμῶν φλεγομένην, καὶ μηδὲ τοσούτου τυγχάνω μεν. Γενώμεθα χρηστοὶ, εὔσπλαγχνοι, συμπαθεῖς· μιμησώμεθα τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν ἀγαθότητα, ὃς ἀνα τέλλει τὸν ἥλιον ἀγαθοῖς καὶ πονηροῖς, καὶ τρέφει τῇ βροχῇ πάντας ὁμοίως. Μὴ δεξώμεθα πλουτεῖν διὰ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων πενίας· μὴ παρὰ τοσοῦτον ἔλθωμεν τῆς θείας ἰσότητος· μηδὲ μίξωμεν τὸν ἡμέτερον πλοῦτον ἀλλοτρίοις δάκρυσιν, ὑφ' ὧν ὡς ἰοῦ καὶ ση τὸς ἐκδαπανηθήσεται, ἢ, τό γε τῆς Γραφῆς εἰ πεῖν, ἐξεμεθήσεται. Ἀλλά ἐσμεν τοῦ δέοντος ἀπο πληστότεροι; ἔστι καὶ πλεονεκτῆσαι καλῶς. 35.1057 ∆ῶμέν τι μικρὸν ἐντεῦθεν, ἵν' ἐκεῖθεν πλουτήσωμεν.

ΙΒʹ. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἤδη κοινὰ πρὸς πάντας, οὐ τοὺς ἐν πολιτείᾳ μόνον, τὰ παραγγέλματα· κοινὰ γὰρ καὶ κοινῆς ἀῤῥωστίας τὰ φάρμακα. Σὺ δὲ ἀπόγραφε δικαίως ἡμᾶς, ὁ τῶν ἡμετέρων φόρων ἀπο γραφεύς· ἀπόγραφε, μὴ τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους ἐπι μελῶς, ὧν οὐδὲν, ἢ μικρὸν τὸ κέρδος, ἢ εἰς ἀκοῆς χάριν καὶ ἡδονὴν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐμὸν λαὸν ὁσίως καὶ φιλανθρώπως· αἰδεσθεὶς, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, ἢ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτὸν, ὅτι καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐν ἀπογραφῇ τίκτεται. Ἐξ ῆλθε γὰρ δόγμα, φησὶ, παρὰ Καίσαρος Αὐγού στου, τοῦ ἀπογράφεσθαι πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμέ νην· καὶ ἀπεγράφετο. Ἀνέβη δὲ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν Βηθλεὲμ σὺν Μαριὰμ τῇ μεμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ γυναικὶ ἀπογράψασθαι, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς ∆αβίδ. Καὶ τηνικαῦτα ὁ Σω τὴρ τίκτεται, τὸ θαυμάσιον, ὁ πάντων δημιουργὸς καὶ δεσπότης, ἐν φαύλῳ καὶ μικρῷ καταλύ ματι. Φοβηθῶμεν τὸ μυστήριον· αἰδεσθῶμεν τὴν οἰκονομίαν, καὶ αὐτοὶ τῷ καιρῷ τι συνεισενέγκωμεν. Νῦν ἄγγελοι χαίρουσι, νῦν ποιμένες περιαστρά πτονται, νῦν ἀστὴρ ἐξ Ἀνατολῶν τρέχει πρὸς τὸ μέ γιστον φῶς καὶ ἀπρόσιτον· νῦν μάγοι προσπίπτουσι, καὶ δωροφοροῦσι, καὶ τὸν πάντων βασιλέα γινώσκου σι, καὶ