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his neighbors. The phrase is ambiguous; whether he did not do things worthy of reproach from his neighbors, and for this reason did not receive reproach from them, or he himself did not reproach any of his neighbors, for those who had fallen into human faults, or had bodily defects, or were found in some other shortcomings of the flesh. For the sinner is not to be reproached according to what is written: Do not reproach a man who turns away from sin. For we have never known reproach to be received for the benefit of those who have transgressed, since the Apostle in his instructions to his disciple Timothy permitted reproof, exhortation, and rebuke, but nowhere included reproach, as it is contrary. And it seems that reproof has as its end the correction of the sinner, but reproach is for the disgrace of the one who has erred. To reproach poverty, or low birth, or ignorance, or bodily illness is completely irrational, and foreign to a virtuous person. For what does not happen to us from choice, these things are involuntary; and for involuntary defects it is fitting for the unfortunate 29.260 to be pitied rather than insulted. In his sight a vile person is despised; but he honors those who fear the Lord. It belongs to a great mind, not inclined to any human need, and to a man who has perfected the state of righteousness to the highest degree, to distribute to each according to his worth; to despise the wicked, even if they happen to be clothed with great power, or boast in wealth, or in the renown of their family, or proclaim splendor for themselves, if only wickedness is detected in them, to despise such people, that is, to count them as nothing. Conversely, to honor and exalt and consider blessed those who fear the Lord, even if they are poor, or of low birth, or unlearned in speech, or weak in body, having been taught by the Spirit to call such people blessed. For, it says, Blessed are all they that fear the Lord. It is of the same mind to despise the wicked, even if he is exalted in splendor, and to honor the one who fears the Lord, even if he is humble, or poor in life, or easily despised, or possessing none of the external things that invite acceptance. He who swears to his neighbor and does not break his oath. Why then is swearing truthfully permitted here among the virtues befitting a perfect man, but in the Gospel it is completely forbidden? Who shall sojourn, and who shall dwell? He who swears to his neighbor and does not break his oath. But there, But I say to you, do not swear at all. What then do we say? That everywhere the Lord holds to the same purpose, forestalling the outcomes of sins, and cutting out wickedness from its very beginning. For just as the old law said, You shall not commit adultery; but the Lord, You shall not even desire; and that one, You shall not murder; but the one legislating more perfect things, You shall not even be angry; so also here the one is satisfied with swearing truthfully, but the other cuts off the occasion for perjury. For the one who swears truthfully might perhaps at some time slip unwillingly; but the one who does not swear has escaped the danger of perjury. And in many places he calls an oath also an unchangeable affirmation about each matter; as in, I have sworn, and am determined to keep your righteous judgments; and, The Lord has sworn, and will not 29.261 repent. Not that he presented God as a witness to what was said, making His ambiguity trustworthy, but that with unchangeable and immovable decrees He confirmed the grace of the promise to David. Thus, therefore, it can also be said here: He who swears to his neighbor; that is, who gives his assurance to his neighbor, and does not break his word; so that it may be in agreement with what was said by the Lord, Let your word be, Yes, yes, and No, no. Concerning such matters, giving assurance, assent; and concerning things that are not so, even if all men urge you, never be persuaded contrary to the truth of nature

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τοὺς ἔγγιστα αὐτοῦ. Ἀμφίβολος ἡ λέξις· πότερον αὐτὸς ἄξια τοῦ ὀνειδίζεσθαι παρὰ τῶν ἔγγιστα οὐκ ἐποίησε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἔλαβε παρ' αὐτῶν ὀνει δισμὸν, ἢ οὐδένα τῶν ἔγγιστα αὐτὸς ὠνείδισε, τῶν ἐν ἀνθρωπίνοις πταίσμασι γενομένων, ἢ ἐν πηρώ μασι σωματικοῖς, ἢ ἄλλοις τισὶν ὑστερήμασι τῆς σαρκὸς εὑρισκομένων. Οὔτε γὰρ τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα ὀνειδιστέον κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Μὴ ὀνείδιζε ἄν θρωπον ἀποστρέφοντα ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔγνωμέν ποτε ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τῶν πλημμελούντων τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν παρειλημμένον, τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ἐν ταῖς πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὴν Τιμόθεον ὑποθήκαις ἔλεγ χον μὲν καὶ παράκλησιν καὶ ἐπιτίμησιν ἐπιτρέψαν τος, οὐδαμοῦ δὲ τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν, ὡς ἐναντίον, παρα λαβόντος. Καὶ ἔοικεν ὁ μὲν ἔλεγχος τέλος ἔχειν τὴν διόρθωσιν τοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντος, ὁ δὲ ὀνειδισμὸς ἐπὶ ἀσχη μοσύνῃ τοῦ ἐπταικότος γίνεσθαι. Πενίαν δὲ, ἢ δυσγένειαν, ἢ ἀμάθειαν, ἢ σώματος ἀῤῥωστίαν ὀνει δίζειν πάντη ἄλογον, καὶ ἀλλότριον τοῦ σπουδαίου. Ἃ γὰρ οὐκ ἐκ προαιρέσεως ἡμῖν συμβαίνει, ταῦτα ἀκούσια· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῖς ἀκουσίοις ἐλαττώμασιν ἐλεεῖ 29.260 σθαι μᾶλλον ἢ καθυβρίζεσθαι τοὺς ἀτυχοῦντας προσ ῆκεν. Ἐξουδένωται ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πονηρευόμε νος· τοὺς δὲ φοβουμένους τὸν Κύριον δοξάζει. Μεγαλοφυοῦς διανοίας καὶ πρὸς οὐδὲν κατακλινομένης τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων χρείᾳ, καὶ ἀνδρὸς τὴν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἕξιν εἰς ἄκρον κατωρθωκότος, τὸ δια νέμειν ἑκάστῳ τὰ πρὸς ἀξίαν· τούς τε πονηρευομένους ἐξουδενοῦν, κἂν τὰς μεγάλας τύχωσι δυναστείας περιβεβλημένοι, κἂν πλούτῳ κομῶντες κἂν περι φανείᾳ γένους, κἂν λαμπρότητα ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιφημί ζοντες, πονηρία δὲ μόνη ἐνυπάρχουσα αὐτοῖς φωραθῇ, ἐξουδενοῦν τοὺς τοιούτους, τουτέστιν ἀντ' οὐδενὸς λογίζεσθαι. Ἔμπαλιν δὲ, τοὺς φοβουμένους τὸν Κύ ριον, κἂν πένητες ὦσι, κἂν ἀγενεῖς, κἂν ἰδιῶται τῷ λόγῳ, κἂν ἀσθενεῖς τῷ σώματι, δοξάζειν καὶ ὑπεραίρειν καὶ μακαρίους ἡγεῖσθαι, δεδιδαγμέ νον παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος μακαρίζειν τοὺς τοιού τους Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶ, πάντες οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον. Τῆς αὐτῆς δέ ἐστι διανοίας τόν τε πο νηρευόμενον ἐξουδενῶσαι, κἂν ὑπεραίρηται λαμπρό τητι, καὶ τὸν φοβούμενον τὸν Κύριον δοξάζειν, κἂν εὐτελὴς ᾖ, κἂν πένης ἐν τῷ βίῳ, κἂν εὐκαταφρόνη τος, κἂν μηδὲν τῶν ἐκτὸς προκαλουμένων εἰς ἀπο δοχὴν κεκτημένος. Ὁ ὀμνύων τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶν. Τί δή ποτε ἐνταῦθα μὲν ἡ εὐορκία συγχωρεῖται ἐν τοῖς τῷ τελείῳ πρέπουσιν ἀνδρα γαθήμασιν, ἐν δὲ τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ παντελῶς ἀπηγό ρευται; Τίς παροικήσει, καὶ τίς κατασκηνώ σει; Ὁ ὀμνύων τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶν. Ἐκεῖ δὲ, Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως. Τί οὖν φαμεν; Ὅτι πανταχοῦ τοῦ αὐτοῦ σκο ποῦ ἔχεται ὁ Κύριος, προλαμβάνων τῶν ἁμαρτημά των τὰ ἀποτελέσματα, καὶ ἐκ τῆς πρώτης ἀρχῆς ἐκτέμνων τὴν πονηρίαν. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ μὲν παλαιὸς ἔλεγε νόμος, Οὐ μοιχεύσεις· ὁ δὲ Κύριος, Οὐδὲ ἐπι θυμήσεις· κἀκεῖνος μὲν, Οὐ φονεύσεις· ὁ δὲ τὰ τε λειότερα νομοθετῶν, Οὐδὲ ὀργισθήσῃ· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ μὲν ἀρκεῖται τῇ εὐορκίᾳ, ὁ δὲ τῆς ἐπιορ κίας τὴν ἀφορμὴν διακόπτει. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ εὐορκῶν, τυχὸν ἄν ποτε καὶ παρασφαλείη ἄκων· ὁ δὲ μὴ ὀμνύων, τὸν τῆς ἐπιορκίας κίνδυνον διαπέφευγε. Τὸν ὅρκον δὲ πολλαχοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀμετάθετον περὶ ἑκάστου πράγματος διαβεβαίωσιν ὀνομάζει· ὡς τὸ, Ὤμοσα, καὶ ἔστησα τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰ κρίματα τῆς δι καιοσύνης σου· καὶ τὸ, Ὤμοσε Κύριος, καὶ οὐ 29.261 μεταμεληθήσεται. Οὐχ ὅτι Θεὸν εἰς μαρτυρίαν τῶν λαλουμένων πιστοποιούμενον αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀμφιβολίαν παρήγαγεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀτρέπτοις καὶ ἀκινήτοις δό γμασι τὴν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας χάριν τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἐβεβαίω σεν. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἐνταῦθα δυνατὸν εἰρῆσθαι· Ὁ ὀμνύων τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ· τουτέστι, διαβεβαιού μενος τῷ πλησίον, καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶν· ἵνα ᾖ σύμφωνον τῷ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰρημένῳ, τῷ, Ἔστω δὲ ὑμῶν ὁ λόγος, ναὶ ναὶ, καὶ οὒ οὔ. Περὶ τῶν τοιού των πραγμάτων διαβεβαιούμενος κατάνευε· καὶ περὶ τῶν μὴ ὄντων, κἂν πάντες ἄνθρωποι παρακαλῶσι, μὴ συμπεισθῇς ποτε παρὰ τὴν τῆς φύσεως ἀλήθειαν