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and by revelries and shameful stories. But another, having many things calling him to what is best—an upbringing, teachers, the hearing of more divine words, saving readings, admonition of parents, stories shaping one toward gravity and prudence, an orderly manner of life—then being carried away into the same sin as the other, and giving an account of his life, how will such a person not rightly be deemed worthy of a heavier punishment than the other? For the one will be accused only for the saving starting-points sown in his thoughts, for not having used them soundly; but the other, in addition to this, also for having received much assistance toward salvation, and for having betrayed himself through incontinence and inattention in a very short time. And likewise, one who from the beginning is nourished in piety, and has escaped all perversion in the dogmas concerning God, and is also nourished by the law of God which condemns every sin and calls one to the opposite, will not have the same defense for idolatry as one who has been raised by lawless fathers, and among nations taught from the beginning to worship idols. The Lord will judge the peoples. The Jew in one way, and the Scythian in another. For the one rests on the law, and boasts in God, and approves the things that are excellent. Being instructed from the law, and always being charmed by the common notions, and being taught the prophetic and legal writings, if he is found to have transgressed lawlessly, his sins will be reckoned far more grievous. But nomadic Scythians, raised with savage and inhuman customs, accustomed to plunder and violence against one another, having an incontinent temper, and being easily roused to provocations against each other, accustomed to judge every dispute with the sword, and taught to settle battles with blood, if they should show something humane and good toward one another, they prepare a heavier punishment for us through their own good deeds. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my innocence that is in me. The saying will seem to have something boastful and similar to the prayer of the Pharisee who exalted himself; but to one considering it with good judgment, the prophet will be far from such a disposition. Judge 29.241 me, O Lord, he says, according to my righteousness. The discourse concerning righteousness, he says, is vast, and the limits of perfect righteousness are hard to attain. For there is a righteousness of angels, having ascended far beyond that of men, and if there is any power above the angels, it has an excellence of righteousness corresponding to its greatness; and the righteousness of God Himself which surpasses all understanding, being ineffable and incomprehensible to all created nature. Judge me, therefore, O Lord, according to my righteousness; that is, that which is attainable by men, and possible for those living in the flesh. And according to my innocence that is in me. For thus the disposition of the speaker is especially established as being very far from pharisaical arrogance. For he calls his own innocence a kind of integrity and inexperience of things useful for knowledge, according to what is said in Proverbs, that "The simple believes every word." Since, therefore, we humans fall into many things unguardedly out of inexperience, he entreats God and asks to receive pardon for his innocence. And from this it is clear that what has been said indicates the humility of the speaker rather than arrogance. For judge me, he says, according to my righteousness, and judge me according to the innocence that is in me. Examining my righteous act alongside human weakness, thus judge me; but having understood the simplicity of my ways, not as one who is shrewd, nor as one who is circumspect in the affairs of the world, thus may you not condemn me when I sin. Let the wickedness of sinners be brought to an end. He who prays these things is clearly a disciple of the evangelical commandments. For he prays for those who abuse him, asking that the wickedness of those who sin be circumscribed by some end and limit. Just as if someone for the

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καὶ κώμοις καὶ αἰσχροῖς διηγήμα σιν. Ἄλλος δέ τις, πολλὰ ἔχων τὰ προκαλούμενα αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰ κάλλιστα, ἀνατροφὴν, διδασκάλους, ἀκρόασιν λόγων θειοτέρων, ἀναγνώσματα σωτή ρια, νουθέτησιν γονέων, διηγήματα πρὸς σεμνότητα καὶ σωφροσύνην τυποῦντα, δίαιταν κατεσταλμένην, εἶτα ὑπενεχθεὶς εἰς τὴν ὁμοίαν ἁμαρτίαν τῷ ἑτέρῳ, καὶ διδοὺς λόγον τῶν βεβιωμένων, πῶς οὐχὶ βαρυτέ ρας παρὰ τὸν ἕτερον ὁ τοιοῦτος δικαίως τιμωρίας ἀξιωθήσεται; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐγκληθήσεται ἐπὶ μόναις ταῖς ἐγκατεσπαρμέναις κατὰ τὰς ἐννοίας σωτηρίοις ἀφορμαῖς, ὡς οὐ χρησάμενος αὐταῖς ὑγιῶς· ὁ δὲ πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ ὡς πολλῆς τυχὼν εἰς τὸ σωθῆναι συνερ γείας, καὶ δι' ἀκρασίαν καὶ τὴν ἐν βραχυτάτῳ καιρῷ ἀπροσεξίαν προδεδωκὼς ἑαυτόν. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ ἐν τρεφόμενος ἀρχῆθεν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ, καὶ πᾶσαν διαστρο φὴν ἐκφυγὼν ἐν τοῖς περὶ Θεοῦ δόγμασιν, ἐντρεφό μενος δὲ καὶ νόμῳ Θεοῦ διαβάλλοντι πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ προκαλουμένῳ ἐπὶ τὰ ἐναντία, οὐχ ὁμοίαν ἕξει εἰδωλολατρείας ἀπολογίαν τῷ ἀπὸ πατέρων ἀνόμων ἀνατεθραμμένῳ, καὶ ἐθνῶν ἀρχῆθεν εἰδωλολα τρεῖν δεδιδαγμένων. Κύριος κρινεῖ λαούς. Ἄλλως τὸν Ἰουδαῖον, καὶ ἄλλως τὸν Σκύθην. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἐπαναπαύεται νόμῳ, καὶ καυχᾶται ἐν Θεῷ, καὶ δοκι μάζει τὰ διαφέροντα. Κατηχούμενος ὢν ἐκ τοῦ νό μου, καὶ πρὸς ταῖς κοιναῖς ἀεὶ ἐννοίαις κατεπᾳδόμε νος, καὶ παιδευόμενος τὰ προφητικὰ καὶ νομικὰ γράμματα, ἐὰν εὑρεθῇ πταίσας παρανόμως, πολλῷ βαρύτερα ἕξει λελογισμένα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Σκύθαι δὲ Νομάδες, ἀνημέροις καὶ ἀπανθρώποις συντραφέν τες ἤθεσιν, ἁρπαγαῖς καὶ βίαις ταῖς κατ' ἀλλήλων ἐνειθισμένοι, ἀκρατῶς μὲν ἔχοντες θυμοῦ, καὶ εὐκόλως εἰς τοὺς κατ' ἀλλήλων παροξυσμοὺς ἐρεθιζόμενοι, πᾶσαν δὲ φιλονεικίαν σιδήρῳ κρίνειν συνει θισμένοι, καὶ αἵματι τὰς μάχας λύειν δεδιδαγμένοι, ἐάν τι πρὸς ἀλλήλους φιλάνθρωπον καὶ χρηστὸν ἐπι δείξωνται, ἡμῖν βαρυτέραν διὰ τῶν ἰδίων κατορθωμά των τὴν τιμωρίαν παρασκευάζουσι. Κρῖνόν με, Κύ ριε, κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου, καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν μου ἐπ' ἐμοί. ∆όξει τι ὁ λόγος ἀλαζονικὸν ἔχειν καὶ παραπλήσιον τῇ εὐχῇ τοῦ ὑψοῦντος ἑαυτὸν Φαρισαίου· εὐγνωμόνως δὲ σκοποῦντι μακρὰν γενή σεται τῆς τοιαύτης διαθέσεως ὁ προφήτης. Κρῖνόν 29.241 με, Κύριε, φησὶ, κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου. Πο λὺς, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ὁ περὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης λόγος, καὶ δυσέφικτα τῆς τελείας δικαιοσύνης τὰ πέρατα. Ἔστι γάρ τι καὶ ἀγγέλων δικαιοσύνη ὑπεραναβεβηκυῖα τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ εἴ τις ὑπὲρ ἀγγέλους δύναμις, ἀναλογοῦσαν ἔχει τῷ μεγέθει καὶ τὴν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑπεροχήν· καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἡ ὑπερ έχουσα πάντα νοῦν, ἄῤῥητος οὖσα καὶ ἀκατάληπτος πάσῃ τῇ γενητῇ φύσει. Ἐμὲ οὖν κρῖνον, Κύριε, κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν δι καιοσύνην· τουτέστι, τὴν ἐφικτὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, καὶ δυνατὴν τοῖς ἐν σαρκὶ ζῶσι. Καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀκα κίαν μου ἐπ' ἐμοί. Οὕτω γὰρ μάλιστα συνίσταται ἡ διάθεσις τοῦ λέγοντος πολὺ μακρὰν οὖσα τῆς φα ρισαϊκῆς ὑπερηφανίας. Ἀκακίαν γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ ὀνομά ζει τὴν οἱανεὶ ἀκεραιότητα καὶ ἀπειρίαν τῶν χρησί μων εἰς γνῶσιν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν ταῖς Παροι μίαις, ὅτι Ἄκακος πιστεύει παντὶ λόγῳ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πολλοῖς ἀφυλάκτως περιπίπτομεν ἐξ ἀπειρίας οἱ ἄν θρωποι, παραιτεῖται τὸν Θεὸν καὶ ἀξιοῖ συγγνώμης τυχεῖν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκακίᾳ. Ἐκ δὲ τούτου δῆλόν ἐστιν ὅτι ταπεινοφροσύνην τοῦ λέγοντος παρίστησι μᾶλλον ἢ ὑπερηφανίαν τὰ εἰρημένα. Κρῖνον γάρ με, φησὶ, κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ κρῖνόν με κατὰ τὴν ἀκακίαν τὴν οὖσαν ἐπ' ἐμοί. Τὸ μὲν δικαίωμά μου τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ παρεξετάζων τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ. οὕτω κρῖνόν με· τὴν δὲ ἁπλότητα τῶν τρόπων μου κατα μαθὼν, μὴ ὡς ἐντρεχῆ με, μηδὲ ὡς εὐπερίβλε πτον εἰς τὰ τοῦ κόσμου πράγματα, οὕτως ἁμαρτάνον τά με καταδικάσῃς. Συντελεσθήτω δὴ πονηρία ἁμαρ τωλῶν. Ἄντικρυς μαθητής ἐστι τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν προσταγμάτων ὁ ταῦτα εὐχόμενος. Προσεύχεται γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων αὐτὸν, ἀξιῶν πέρατι καὶ ὅρῳ τινὶ τὴν πονηρίαν τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων περιγραφῆναι. Ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ὑπὲρ τῶν