Just as the one who plays Orestes with an excessively loud voice is supposed by the foolish to be terrible and great because of his wooden stilts and padded belly and strange costume and monstrous mask, in the same way also those who profess to have zeal and practice boldness of speech, because they wish to prevail, put on for themselves every form of pretended freedom, the contentious ones having swallowed up the zealous man, just as the Bacchantes carry their spears in their thyrsi under a peaceful guise. Furthermore, this must also be guarded against: not to go about at one time with a cheerful face, and at another with a sullen one; and if one must speak the truth, every twelve-part drama performed each day must be avoided. At any rate, I would say what seems right to me, that everyone who is worldly in his mind and goes outside the right rule is self-condemned, knowing what he does by practice, and knowing the war within himself, but not drawing peace into his heart. And all friends must be honored; and one must not only practice reproof, but also listen to it. One should use wine, when we are no longer at leisure for the readings; for such a one is a drunkard and is deranged in mind and is continually heated. When a neighbor is speaking, one must neither mock nor hinder him, but let him be until, feeling ashamed because of the silence, he stops. And one must give counsel for the common good to all through one person. And one must admonish the sinner, not in public, unless he needs it on account of his arrogance. And one must converse with women more cautiously on account of their conceitedness; for as long as one makes herself conspicuous and puts forward her being a woman and has cultivated idleness, she is a female and because of such a mind is not faithful. Therefore, let us neither pursue them, nor flatter them; but let us do what is of love without taking risks. For the activities of wickedness are manifold. For this reason one must be vigilant, devoting oneself to the oracles of the Savior, saying or hearing nothing evil about anyone; for the mind becomes mangy and is filled with much bad humor from other conversations. For this reason one must only listen to what is beneficial, and act according to the gospel; but things that, as it were, trip up the mind must be avoided. And one must inquire about the oracles: it is good, if intelligently, but if not, even as if an unlearned person. For to an unlearned person who has inquired about wisdom, it will be reckoned as wisdom; but to the one who seems to be wise according to his own imagination, much dishonor will be added. And he whose perception is affected by a lack of education is called unintelligent by the Spirit, so that unintelligence may be a mark of the unlearned, just as is simplicity. And Paul also writes: 'Who has known the mind of the Lord, that he might instruct him?' And again: 'But we have the mind of Christ.' For he who, on account of thoughtlessness, says or does things he ought not, this one, having seemed to be wise, will be reckoned a fool.

Καθάπερ ὁ λίαν μεγαλοφώνως τὸν Ὀρέστην ὑποκρινόμενος φοβερὸς εἶναι καὶ μέγας παρὰ τοῖς ἀνοήτοις διὰ τῶν ξυλίνων ποδῶν καὶ κοιλίας ἐπιπλάστου καὶ στολῆς ἀλλοκότου καὶ προσ ώπου τερατώδους ὑπείληπται, τρόπῳ τῷ αὐτῷ καὶ οἱ ζῆλον ἔχειν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι καὶ τὸ παῤῥησιαστικὸν ἐπιτηδεύοντες, διὰ τὸ βούλεσθαι νικᾶν, πᾶν εἶδος ἐλευθερίας προσποιήτου περιτιθέασιν ἑαυτοῖς, οἱ φιλόνεικοι τὸν ζηλωτὴν καταπεπω κότες, ὥσπερ αἱ Βάκχαι διὰ σχήματος εἰρηνικοῦ τὰς λόγχας ἐν τοῖς θύρσοις περιφέρουσιν. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τοῦτο φυλακτέον, τὸ μὴ ποτὲ μὲν φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ προϊέναι, ποτὲ δὲ σκυθρωπῷ· καὶ εἰ χρὴ τὸ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, παραιτητέον πᾶν τὸ δωδεκαμερὲς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀπαγγελλόμενον δρᾶμα. Τὸ γοῦν ἐμοὶ δοκοῦν εἴποιμ' ἄν, ὅτι πᾶς ὁ τὴν γνώμην κοσμικὸς καὶ τοῦ ὀρθοῦ κανόνος ἔξω γινόμενος αὐτοκατάκριτός ἐστιν, εἰδὼς ἃ πράττει κατ' ἐπιτήδευσιν, καὶ γινώσκων μὲν τὸν ἐν αὑτῷ πόλεμον, τὴν δὲ εἰρήνην ἐν τοῖς σπλάγχνοις μὴ ἐπισπώμενος. Φίλους δὲ τι μητέον πάντας· τό τε ἐλεγκτικὸν οὐ πρακτέον μόνον, ἀλλ' ἔτι καὶ ἀκουστέον. Oἴνῳ δὲ χρηστέον, ἐπειδὰν μηκέτι τοῖς ἀναγνώσμασι σχολάζωμεν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ τοιοῦτος οἰνόφλυξ τέ ἐστιν καὶ τὴν γνώμην παράφορος καὶ θερμαίνεται συνεχῶς. Λαλοῦντος δὲ τοῦ πλησίον οὔτε χλευαστέον οὔτε κωλυτέον, ἐατέον δὲ μέχρις ἂν διὰ τὴν σιωπὴν αἰδεσθεὶς παύσηται. Συμβουλευτέον δὲ τὸ συμφέρον δι' ἑνὸς κοινῇ πᾶσιν. Νου θετητέον δὲ τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα, μὴ κατὰ κοινόν, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ χρῄζοι διὰ τὸ ὑπεροπτικόν. Καὶ γυναιξὶν ὁμιλητέον ἐπιστρεφέστερον διὰ τὸ ἐκ τετυφωμένον αὐτῶν· μέχρι γάρ τις περίβλεπτον ἑαυτὴν ποιεῖ καὶ τὸ εἶναι γυνὴ προβάλλεται καὶ τὸ ἄπρακτον ἐπιτετήδευκε, θήλειά ἐστιν καὶ διὰ τὴν τοιαύτην γνώμην οὐκ ἔστιν πιστή. Μήτε οὖν αὐτὰς διώκωμεν, ἀλλὰ μήτε θωπεύωμεν· τὸ δ' ὅπερ ἀγάπης ἐστὶν μὴ κεκινδυνευμένως πράττωμεν. Πολυμε ρεῖς γὰρ αἱ τῆς κακίας πραγματεῖαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γρηγορητέον, τοῖς λογίοις τοῦ σωτῆρος σχολάζοντας, μηδὲν περὶ μηδενὸς φαῦλον λέγοντας ἢ ἀκούοντας· ψωριᾷ γὰρ ἡ γνώμη καὶ πολ λῆς ἐμπέπλησται κακοχυμίας ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ὁμιλιῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀκουστέον μόνον τὰ ὠφέλιμα, καὶ ποιητέον κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον· τὰ δ' ὥσπερ ὑποσκελίζοντα τὴν γνώμην παραιτη τέον. Ζητητέον δὲ περὶ τῶν λογίων· καλόν, εἰ συνετῶς, εἰ δ' οὔ, κἂν ὥσπερ ἰδιώτῃ. Ἀνοήτῳ γὰρ ἐπερωτήσαντι σο φίαν σοφία λογισθήσεται· τῷ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φαντασίαν φρονίμῳ δόξαντι εἶναι πολὺ τὸ τῆς ἀτιμίας προσγραφήσε ται. Λέγεται δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος ἀνόητος ὁ κατ' ἰδιω τισμὸν παρενεχθεὶς τὴν αἴσθησιν, ἵν' ᾖ τὸ ἀνόητον ἰδιωτικόν, ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ ἀφελές. Γράφει δὲ καὶ Παῦλος· Τίς ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν; Καὶ πάλιν· Ἡμεῖς δὲ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν. Ὁ γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἀλογιστίαν τὰ μὴ δέοντα λέγων ἢ πράττων, οὗτος, δόξας εἶναι φρόνιμος, μωρὸς λογι σθήσεται.