wanting it ready at hand. For lest someone should say, "I have come to judge not wishing to reproach or grieve my brother, but taking thought to cleanse him of his sickness," indeed, he says, this is not even for you, who need to be shepherded, to attain. For why, when it is possible to look to your own affairs without danger, do you leave these things and become a judge of others' affairs? But if it is permitted to you to do these things for the sake of correction and forethought, and not out of hatred and rashness, you must first rid yourself of the greater evils, and then, having acquired an impartial and pure eye of your own soul, thus gently and peacefully cast it upon the affairs of your neighbor. For in this way even what previously seemed to be the greatest evils might be seen as a speck. And from this, either you will cast these things out entirely, so as to no longer think you see them in your brother's eye, or you will prepare him, when he has perceived your friendly forethought and your oversight for his benefit, to cast it out more quickly and without pain. Therefore, those who commit great offenses, which are a beam, ought not to keenly see and correct the small sins of others, which are a speck, and simply, let one who has sinned in some way not correct another, until he has put away the evil. For such a person is a hypocrite in addition to being a sinner. 29 Mt 7, 12 For this is the law. This commandment, he says, is not new or recent, to wish for and demand to find from our neighbors those things which we ourselves are eager to bestow upon them, but this has been ordained both in the Law and in the Prophets, as this right is common and known by nature. For how is it not known to all that whatever each person considers good for himself is also good for his neighbor, and whatever he considers difficult for himself is also difficult for his neighbor. And he who wishes to enjoy good things from his neighbor must not himself deprive that one of similar things. So that whoever shamelessly does such a thing will suffer punishment not for the transgression of the evangelical commandments, but he is condemned both in the laws and in the prophets and in the very <τῇ> self-taught and natural understanding of men. This law, he says, is not recent, nor does it require any proofs or arguments that it is good, but it is, as it were, a command of our nature, that is, whatever we are eager both to suffer from others and to demand from them, these things we shall be more eager to do to our neighbors. For this right, he says, is common to all; for whatever things happen to be difficult for you, consider these to be such for others as well; and whatever things are good and beneficial, these are also such for others. 30 Mt 7, 13 14 The gate that has now come is neither narrow nor constricted, but by nature it is wide and spacious, but by our law and choice it is both narrow and constricted, as the Lord says. 31 Mt 7, 13 14 The gate is narrow not by nature nor in itself, but in contrast to the way that leads to destruction; for which reason the Lord also added, "Enter through the narrow gate"; "because the way that leads to destruction is wide," as if saying, "I called it narrow in contrast to the way that leads up to destruction"; for the latter is wide and spacious, because there are many ways of destruction, but only one of salvation. Not only is that one narrow in contrast to this one, he says, but also from the choice of those who travel them, one is considered narrow, the other wide; for many walk the way of destruction, "for many," he says, "are those who go in by it"; but few pass through the gate of the kingdom; "for few there are," he says, "who find it" by their works; so that those who have found it by their works will experience not a narrow or constricted way, but one that provides the enjoyment of ineffable goods and all delight. And the saying, "the gate is narrow and the way is constricted," is not that of one who denies and defines the nature of the gate, but as of one who is indignant and reproaching the fewness of those entering through the gate, because of which fewness it came to be considered narrow. Therefore, in this way

πρό χειρον βουλόμενος. ἵνα γὰρ μή τις λέγοι, ὅτι οὐκ ὀνειδίσαι οὐδὲ λυπῆσαι τὸν ἀδελφὸν θέλων, ἀλλ' ἐκκαθᾶραι τοῦ νοσήματος προνοούμενος εἰς τὸ κρίνειν ἐλήλυθα, μάλιστα μὲν οὖν, φησίν, οὐδὲ τοῦτο σόν ἐστι τοῦ ποιμαίνεσθαι δεομένου τυχεῖν· τί γὰρ ἐνὸν τὰ οἰκεῖα ἀκινδύνως σκοπεῖν σὺ δὲ ταῦτα λιπὼν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων γίνῃ κριτής; εἰ δὲ καὶ συγχωρεῖ σοι τῆς διορθώσεως χάριν καὶ προνοίας, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπεχθείας καὶ προπετείας ταῦτα ποιεῖν, χρὴ πρότερον ἑαυτὸν ἀπαλλάξαι τῶν μειζόνων κακῶν, εἶτ' ἀδέκαστον καὶ καθαρὸν τὸ οἰκεῖον τῆς ψυχῆς ὄμμα κτησάμενον οὕτως αὐτὸ πρᾶον καὶ εἰρηνικὸν ἐπιβάλλειν τοῖς τοῦ πλησίον· κάρφος γὰρ ἂν οὕτως ὁραθείη καὶ τὰ πρὶν δοκοῦντα μέγιστα κακά. κἀντεῦθεν ἢ ὅλως καὶ ταῦτα ἐκβάλλεις ὡς μηδὲ ταῦτα ἐπὶ τῷ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου ὀφθαλμῷ ἔτι νομίζειν καθορᾶν, ἢ ἐκεῖνον συναισθόμενόν σου τῆς φίλης προνοίας καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ συμφέροντι ἐπισκοπῆς θᾶττόν τε καὶ ἀλύπως παρασκευάσεις ἀποβαλεῖν. οὐ χρὴ τοίνυν τοὺς τὰ μεγάλα πταίοντας, ἅπερ εἰσὶ δοκός, τὰ ἀλλότρια ὀξέως ὁρᾶν μικρὰ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ διορθοῦσθαι, ἅπερ εἰσὶ κάρφος, καὶ ἁπλῶς ὁ ἁμαρτών τι μὴ ἐπανορθούσθω ἕτερον, πρὶν ἂν ἀπόθηται τὸ κακόν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὑποκριτὴς πρὸς τῷ ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν ὁ τοιοῦτος. 29 Mt 7, 12 Οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ νόμος. οὐ καινή, φησίν, οὐδὲ πρόσφατος ἡ ἐντολὴ αὕτη, τὸ ἐκεῖνα θέλειν παρὰ τῶν πλησίον καὶ ἀπαιτεῖν εὑρίσκειν ὅσα καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοῖς πρόθυμοί ἐσμεν κατατιθέναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ καὶ τοῖς προφήταις τοῦτο διατέτακται ὡς κοινὸν ὑπάρχον καὶ φύσει γνώριμον τοῦτο τὸ δικαίωμα. πῶς γὰρ οὐ πᾶσι γνώριμον ὡς ἅπερ αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ἡγεῖται καλὰ καὶ τῷ πλησίον ἐστὶ καλά, ἅπερ δὲ αὐτῷ λογίζεσθαι δυσχερῆ καὶ τῷ πλησίον ἐστὶ δυσ χερῆ. καὶ δεῖ τὸν βουλόμενον παρὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἀπολαύειν τῶν χρηστῶν μηδ' αὐτὸν ἀποστερεῖν τῶν ὁμοίων ἐκεῖνον. ὡς ὅ γέ τι τοιοῦτον πράττειν ἀναισχυντῶν οὐ τῆς τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν ἐντολῶν παραβάσεως ὑφέξει τὴν δίκην, ἀλλὰ κἀν τοῖς νόμοις κἀν τοῖς προφήταις καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ <τῇ> αὐτοδιδάκτῳ καὶ φυσικῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπολήψει καταδεδίκασται. Ὁ νόμος οὗτος, φησίν, οὐκ ἔστι πρόσφατος οὐδὲ ἀποδείξεών τινων καὶ ἐπιχειρημάτων δεόμενος, ὅτι καλός, ἀλλὰ τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐστὶν ὡσανεὶ παράγγελμα, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὅσα ἐσμὲν πρόθυμοι καὶ πάσχειν ὑφ' ἑτέρων καὶ ἀπαιτεῖν παρ' αὐτῶν, ταῦτα ἐσόμεθα προθυμότεροι πρὸς τοὺς πλησίον ἐργάζεσθαι· τοῦτο γάρ, φησίν, τὸ δικαίωμα κοινόν ἐστιν ἐπὶ πᾶσιν· ὅσα γάρ σοι αὐτῷ δυσχερῆ τυγχάνει, ταῦτα νόμιζε καὶ τοῖς ἑτέροις τοιαῦτα εἶναι· καὶ ὅσα καλὰ καὶ ὠφέ λιμα, ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις εἶναι τοιαῦτα. 30 Mt 7, 13 14 Οὔτε στενὴ οὔτε τεθλιμμένη ἐστὶν ἡ νῦν γενομένη πύλη, ἀλλὰ φύσει μὲν πλατεῖα καὶ εὐρύχωρος, νόμῳ δὲ ἡμετέρῳ καὶ προαιρέσει καὶ στενή ἐστι καὶ τεθλιμμένη, ὥς φησιν ὁ κύριος. 31 Mt 7, 13 14 Στενή ἐστιν ἡ πύλη οὐ φύσει οὐδὲ καθ' ἑαυτήν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῆς εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν ἀγούσης ὁδοῦ· διὸ καὶ ὁ κύριος εἰσέλθετε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης ἐπήγαγεν· ὅτι πλατεῖά ἐστιν ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν ὡσανεὶ λέγων, ὅτι στενὴν αὐτὴν ἐκάλεσα πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῆς εἰς ἀπώλειαν ἀναγούσης ὁδοῦ· αὕτη γὰρ πλατεῖα καὶ εὐρύχωρός ἐστιν, ὅτι πολλαί εἰσιν αἱ τῆς ἀπωλείας ὁδοί, μία δὲ ἡ τῆς σωτηρίας. οὐ μόνον δὲ πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν ταύτης ἐκείνη ἐστὶ στενή, φησίν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν διαπορευομένων αὐτὰς προαιρέσεως ἡ μὲν στενή, ἡ δὲ πλατεῖα νομίζεται· τὴν μὲν γὰρ τῆς ἀπωλείας πολλοὶ βαδίζουσιν καὶ πολλοὶ γάρ, φησίν, οἱ ἐρχόμενοι δι' αὐτῆς· τὴν δὲ τῆς βασιλείας πύλην ὀλίγοι διέρχονται· ὀλίγοι γάρ εἰσιν, φησίν, οἱ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτὴν ἐξευρίσκοντες· ὡς οἵ γε τοῖς ἔργοις εὑρόντες οὐ στενῆς οὐδὲ τεθλιμμένης, ἀλλ' ἀπορρήτων ἀγαθῶν καὶ θυμηδίας ἁπάσης τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν προξενούσης πειραθήσονται. τὸ δὲ στενὴ ἡ πύλη καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς οὐκ ἀποφάσκοντός ἐστι καὶ τὴν τῆς πύλης φύσιν διορίζοντος, ἀλλ' οἷον ἀγανακτοῦντος καὶ ὀνειδίζοντος τὴν ὀλιγότητα τῶν διὰ τῆς πύλης εἰσιόντων, δι' ἧς ὀλιγότητος καὶ τὸ στενὴν αὐτὴν συνέβη νομίζεσθαι. κατὰ τοῦτον οὖν τὸν τρόπον