One must humble himself not only in word but also in deeds, so that we may not be deceivers and flatterers, but gentle and not fawners. And it is also fitting for one who lives rightly to be quiet and at peace, not getting angry nor being silent for the sake of strife, but considering everything that is necessary, if it can be spoken well, and only then speaking with difficulty. Hymns and psalms and songs and praise must be sought; not to follow along with some in an enigmatic way, as if condemning one who is at odds with him, grieving one’s neighbor through psalmody, so that he may not even seem to be disagreeing, and thus somehow wounding him as if by art, thinking he is making his contentiousness blameless. One must also listen to one who gives counsel, not only teach. And one must be persuaded, just as one wishes his neighbor to become someone who consents to him. One must consider others to be prudent, and not attribute intelligence to oneself alone. And one must not take risks because of the dogma of his own conceit. But neither must one despise him who instructs, but either, if he does not think rightly, one must teach the things concerning himself, or if he speaks the truth, one must both be persuaded by him and follow him. For a contentious man doubles the offense; and when he ought to change his mind, he is eager to win, as the saying goes, a Cadmean victory; and the reason is so that he may be vainglorious, as if he had not sinned, and may rest upon the dogma of his own dangerous disposition. For they are ridiculous who cry out all day long because they believe they have prevailed in some matter; whom Strife, having thrown in the apple, disturbs whenever they think they are at peace, contriving to speak about the things in the world considered matters of dispute. And some are like actors and wretched, who say they are inexperienced in nothing, but asserting that they know at one time carpentry, at another shoemaking, and every craft suggested to them at the right time, and being hostile toward the one who restrains their nonsense. Vainglorious also are those who take care of their neighbors for the sake of praise from men. And great is the danger among those who call upon the day of the Lord; for one must either believe, so that he may flee the judgment, or also forgive his neighbor, for the sake of receiving from God the forgiveness of his own sins; but some, by the transport of anger, bind contracts against themselves. And further, one must guard against the arrogance of some, who, when they ought to correct themselves, being persuaded by those who give counsel, very stupidly say: "I will not even defend myself to you; keep this suspicion you have about me." For what should I say about those who are pleased with themselves, whenever someone wants to admonish them? Who very worldly say: "Neither do you save me, nor do you have the power to condemn me." And I know many who, because of a bad conscience and an impure mind, rejoice in the sins of their neighbors. One must also condemn those who lie that they are not angry, and those who make a practice of speaking gently, but by their complexion and their eyes and the secret movement of either their head or

Ταπεινωτέον δ' αὑτὸν οὐ λόγῳ μόνον ἀλλ' ἔτι καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις, ὅπως μὴ ὦμεν γόητες καὶ θῶπες, πραεῖς δὲ καὶ μὴ κόλακες. Καὶ ἔτι προσήκει τὸν ὀρθῶς πολιτευόμενον ἡσυ χάζειν τε καὶ ἀπραγμονεῖν, μὴ ὀργιζόμενον μηδὲ νείκους ἕνε κεν σιωπῶντα, σκεπτόμενον δὲ πᾶν τὸ ἐγχρῇζον, εἰ καλῶς δύναται λέγεσθαι, καὶ τότε μόλις φθεγγόμενον. Ὕμνους τε καὶ ψαλμοὺς καὶ ᾠδὰς καὶ αἶνον ·ητέον· μὴ ὥσπερ τὸν δια μαχόμενον αὐτῷ κατακρίνοντα παρακολουθεῖν ἐνίοις αἰνιγμα τωδῶς, διὰ ψαλμῳδίας τὸν πλησίον λυπεῖν, ἵνα μηδὲ δοκῇ διαφέρεσθαι, καί πως τιτρώσκειν ὥσπερ διὰ τέχνης νομίζων ἐκεῖνον ἀκατηγόρητον ποιῆται τὴν φιλονεικίαν. Ἀκουστέον δὲ καὶ τοῦ συμβουλεύοντος, οὐ μόνον διδακτέον. Πειστέον δὲ κατὰ τὸ ὅμοιον τῷ βουλομένῳ συγκαταινοῦντα αὐτῷ τὸν πλησίον γίνεσθαι. Φρονίμους δ' ὑποληπτέον εἶναι ἄλλους, καὶ τὸ συνετὸν οὐκ ἀπονεμητέον ἑαυτῷ μόνον. ∆όγματι δὲ τῆς περὶ αὑτὸν οἰήσεως οὐ κινδυνευτέον. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κατα φρονητέον τοῦ παιδεύοντος, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι μὴ ὀρθῶς φρονεῖ, τὰ περὶ αὑτοῦ διδακτέον, ἢ κἂν ἀληθεύῃ, πειστέον τε αὐτῷ καὶ ἀκολουθητέον. Φιλόνεικος γὰρ ἀνὴρ διπλασιάζει τὸ ἀδί κημα· καὶ δέον μεταθέσθαι, νικᾶν, ὥς φησιν ὁ μῦθος, τὴν Καδμείαν νίκην ἐσπούδακεν· τὸ δ' αἴτιον, ἵνα τε κενοδοξῇ καθάπερ οὐδ' ἁμαρτάνων καὶ τῷ δόγματι τῆς κινδυνώδους αὑτοῦ διαθέσεως ἐπαναπαύηται. Γελοῖοι γὰρ οἱ κεκραγότες ὁσημέραι διὰ τὸ πιστεύειν ἐπικρατεῖν τινος πράγματος· οὕστινας ἡ Ἔρις ἐμβαλοῦσα τὸ μῆλον, ἐπειδὰν εἰρηνεύειν νομίζωσιν, ταράττει, περὶ τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ διαφέρειν νομιζο μένων λαλεῖν πραγματευομένη. Μιμώδεις δὲ καὶ ἄθλιοί τινες, οἱ μηδενὸς ἀπείρως ἔχειν λέγοντες, ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν τεκτονικήν, τοῦτο δὲ σκυτοτομικὴν καὶ πᾶν τὸ ὑποβαλλόμενον αὐτοῖς ἐπιτήδευμα κατὰ καιρὸν εἰδέναι φάσκοντες, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἐπέχοντα τὸν λῆρον αὐτῶν διεχθρεύοντες. Κενόδοξοι δὲ καὶ οἱ διὰ τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔπαινον τῶν πλησίον τὰς ἐπιμελείας ποιούμενοι. Μέγας τε ὁ κίνδυνος παρὰ τοῖς τὴν ἡμέραν κυρίου ἐπικαλουμένοις· ἢ πιστεύειν γὰρ δέον, ὅπως φύγῃ τὴν κρίσιν, ἢ καὶ τῷ πλησίον ἀφιέναι, χάριν τοῦ καὶ αὐτῷ παρὰ θεοῦ γί νεσθαι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν ἄφεσιν· οἱ δὲ τῇ παραφορᾷ τῆς ὀργῆς δεσμεύουσι καθ' ἑαυτῶν συναλλάγματα. Φυλακτέον δὲ ἔτι καὶ τήν τινων ἀλαζονείαν, οἵ, δέον ἐπανορθοῦν ἑαυτούς, πειθόμενοι τοῖς συμβουλεύουσι, πάνυ βλακωδῶς· Oὐδ' ἀπο λογοῦμαί σοι, φασίν· ἔχε ταύτην ἣν ἔχεις ὑπόνοιαν περὶ ἐμοῦ. Τί γάρ μοι λέγειν περὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῖς ἀρεσκόντων, ἐπειδάν τις αὐτοὺς βούληται νουθετεῖν; Oἳ πάνυ κοσμικῶς· Oὔτε σύ με, φασίν, σώζεις, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κατακρίνειν ἰσχύεις. Γινώσκω δὲ ἐγὼ πολλοὺς διὰ τὸ δυσσυνείδητον καὶ τὸ μὴ καθαρὸν τῆς γνώ μης τοῖς τῶν πλησίον ἁμαρτήμασιν ἐπιχαίροντας. Καταγνω στέον καὶ τῶν ψευδομένων ὅτι μὴ χαλεπαίνουσιν, καὶ τῶν πρᾴως μὲν ὁμιλεῖν ἐπιτηδευόντων, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ χρώματος καὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ τοῦ λεληθότος κινήματος ἤτοι κεφαλῆς ἢ