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Bias. Bias, when he was about to condemn someone to death, wept. When someone said, "What is the matter, that you yourself weep while condemning?"; he said, "Because it is necessary to render sympathy to nature, but the vote to the law."

Phocion. Mercy must be taken neither from a sacred altar, nor from human nature.

Democritus, Isocrates, and Epictetus. Share with strangers, and with those in need from what you have; for he who does not give to one in need, will not himself receive when in need.

To a certain pirate who had fallen upon the land, and was perishing from the winter, someone took up a cloak and gave it to him, and bringing him into his house, provided everything else. But having been reproached by someone, for doing good to the wicked 772; "I have not honored the man," he said, "but humanity."

Of Chariclea. In a foreign land, what is for sale is rare to those who are ignorant of it; but what is asked for is freely given by the merciful.

DISCOURSE 8. Concerning beneficence and grace. 15Ε_084 Luke 6. As you wish that men would do to you, you also

do to them likewise. 1 John 3. He who does good is of God; but he who does evil has not seen

God. Sirach 18. A good word is better than a gift; a good word is above a gift. Sirach 17. Guard the favor of a man as the apple of your eye. Sirach 33. He who repays favors, is also mindful of the things to come; and in

the time of his fall he will find support. Of Basil. For just as the eyes do not see what is too close, but

require a certain commensurate distance; so also ungrateful souls seem to perceive the past favor in the alienation of good things.

Of the Theologian. While you sail with a fair wind, give a hand to the shipwrecked; and while you are well and rich, help the one who is suffering.

In nothing does man so possess what is of God as in doing good, even if one does a greater good, and another a lesser, each, I think, according to his own ability.

Chrysostom. When you do good, consider that you are imitating God. We see many men, after receiving benefits, just as

slaves thus looking down upon their benefactors, and raising their eyebrows against them.

15Ε_086 Let us do good to those who do not even perceive that they are receiving good, so that by giving back to us praise, or whatever it may be, they may not diminish our reward. For when we receive nothing from men, then we shall receive greater things from God.

In many places even the intention is sufficient to do a great good. He who does good does not do good, but he himself receives good, and is rather benefited, not

benefiting. For he receives greater things than he gives. For he lends to God, not to men; he increases his wealth, he does not diminish it; but he diminishes it, if he does not lessen it, if he does not give.

773 Chrysostom. The one who first does good, shows forth manifest kindness; but the one who has received good, whatever he may give back, pays a debt, he does not bestow a favor.

Of Clement of Rome. It is not just, when the giver is forsaken, for the things given to remain with the ungrateful

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Βίαντ. Βίας θανάτῳ μέλλων καταδικάζειν τινά, ἐδάκρυσεν. Εἰπόντος δέ τινος, Τί παθών, αὐτός καταδικάζων κλαίεις ; εἶπεν· Ὅτι ἀναγκασθαῖόν ἐστι, τῇ μέν φύσει τό συμπαθές ἀποδοῦναι, τῷ δέ νόμῳ τήν ψῆφον.

Φωκίων. Οὔτε ἐξ ἱεροῦ βωμόν, οὔτε ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ἀφαιρετέον τόν ἔλεον.

∆ημοκρίτ. Ἰσοκράτ. καί Ἐπικτήτου. Ξένοις μεταδίδου, καί τοῖς δεομένοις ἐκ τῶν ὄντων· ὁ γάρ μή διδούς δεομένῳ, οὐδέ αὐτός λήψεται δεόμενος.

Πειρατῇ τινι ἐμπεσόντι εἰς τήν γῆν, καί διαφθειρομένῳ χειμῶνος, περιβόλαιόν τις ἄρας, δέδωκεν, καί εἰς τήν οἰκίαν εἰσαγαγών, τά ἑξῆς πάντα παρέσχεν. Ὀνειδισθείς δέ ὑπό τινος, ὅτι τούς πονηρούς 772 εὐεργετεῖ· Οὐ τόν ἄνθρωπον, ἔφη, ἀλλά τό ἀνθρώπινον τετίμηκα.

Χαρικλείας. Ξένῃ ἐν γῇ, τό μέν ὤνιον, σπάνιον ταῖς ἀγνοοῦσιν· τό δέ αἰτούμενον, εὐμετάδοτον τοῖς ἐλεοῦσι.

ΛΟΓΟΣ Η´. Περί εὐεργεσίας καί χάριτος. 15Ε_084 Λουκ. στ´. Καθώς ἐθέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν ἄνθρωποι, καί ὑμεῖς

ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς ὁμοίως. Α΄ Ἰωάνν. γ´. Ὁ ἀγαθοποιῶν, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν· ὁ δέ κακοποιῶν, οὐχ ἑώρακε

τόν Θεόν. Σιράχ ιη΄. Κρεῖσσον ὁ λόγος ἀγαθός, ἤ δόσις· ἀγαθός λόγος ὑπέρ δόμα. Σιράχ ιζ´. Χάριν ἀνθρώπου, ὡς κόρην ὀφθαλμοῦ συντήρησον. Σιράχ λγ´. Ὁ ἀναποδιδούς χάριτας, μέμνηται καί εἰς τά μετά ταῦτα· καί ἐν

καιρῷ πτώσεως αὐτοῦ εὑρήσει στήριγμα. Βασιλείου. Ὥσπερ γάρ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί, τό ἄγαν προσκείμενον οὐχ ὁρῶσιν, ἀλλά

δέονται συμμέτρου τινός ἀποστάσεως· οὕτω καί αἱ ἀχάριστοι ψυχαί ἐοίκασιν ἐν τῇ ἀπαλλοτριώσει τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῆς παρελθούσης χάριτος ἐπαισθάνεσθαι.

Θεολόγου. Ἕως πλεῖς ἐξ οὐρίας, τῷ ναυαγοῦντι δός χεῖρα· ἕως δέ εὐεκτεῖς καί πλουτεῖς, τῷ κακοπαθοῦντι βοήθησον.

Οὐδέν οὕτως ὡς τό εὖ ποιεῖν ἄνθρωπος ἔχει Θεοῦ, κἄν ὁ μέν μείζω, ὁ δέ ἐλάττω εὐεργετῇ, ἑκάτερος, οἶμαι , κατά τήν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν.

Χρυσοστ. Ευεργετῶν, νόμιζε μιμεῖσθαι Θεόν. Ὁρῶμεν πολλούς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, μετά τάς εὐεργεσίας, καθάπερ

ἀνδραπόδων οὕτως ὑπερορῶντας τῶν εὐεργετησάντων, καί τά ὀφρῦς ἀνασπώντων κατ᾿ αὐτῶν.

15Ε_086 Εὐεργετῶμεν τούς μηδέ αἰσθανομένους ὅτι εὐεργετοῦνται, ἵνα μή ἀντιδιδόντες ἡμῖν ἔπαινον, ἤ ὅ τι δήποτε, ἐλαττώσωσιν ἡμῖν τόν μισθόν. Ὅταν γάρ μηδέν παρά ἀνθρώπων λάβωμεν, τότε μείζοντα παρά Θεοῦ ληψόμεθα.

Ἀρκεῖ πολλαχοῦ καί προαίρεσις μέγα ποιῆσαι ἀγαθόν. Οὐκ εὖ ποιεῖ ὁ εὖ ποιῶν, ἀλλ᾿ εὖ πάσχει αὐτός, καί εὐεργετεῖται μᾶλλον, οὐκ

εὐεργετεῖ. Μείζονα γάρ λαμβάνει ἤ δίδωσι. Θεῷ γάρ δανείζει, οὐκ ἀνθρώποις· αὔξει τόν πλοῦτον οὐ μειοῖ· μειοῖ δέ, ἐάν μή ἐλαττώσῃ, ἐάν μή δῷ.

773 Χρυσοστ. Ὁ μέν πρῶτον εὐεργετῶν, φανεράν ἐπιδείκνυται τήν χρηστότητα· ὁ δέ εὐεργετηθείς, ὅ τι ἄν ἀποδῷ, ὀφείλημα ἀποδίδωσιν, οὐ χάριν ἀποτίθεται.

ΚλήμεντοςῬώμης. Οὐ δίκαιόν ἐστι τοῦ δεδωκότος ἐγκαταλειφθέντος, τά δοθέντα παραμένειν τοῖς ἀγνώμοσιν