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When another gives you nothing more, accept the portion; for to receive less will be much more to you than to receive nothing. DISCOURSE 9. Concerning rule and authority. 15Ε_092 Sirach 38. Do not bring a disgrace upon your glory, and in the day of glory

do not be exalted. Of Basil. Kingship is lawful supervision. The counsels, therefore, given by a king, at least one truly of that title

worthy, have much of what is lawful, aiming at what is beneficial for all in common, and not composed for the purpose of their own benefit. For in this a tyrant differs from a king, that the one looks in every way to his own interest; but the other provides what is profitable for his subjects.

Proverbs 21. If the heart of a king is in the hand of God, he is not saved through military power, but through divine guidance. But in the hand of God is not just anyone, but he who is worthy of the title of king.

The governed is for the most part naturally formed according to the character of the ruler; so that whatever kind of men the leaders are, such of necessity must the led also be.

It is an old saying, that those who lay claim to virtue do not themselves undertake offices of rule with pleasure.

Of the Theologian. While it is difficult for a man (777) to know how to be ruled, it is likely to be much more difficult to know how to rule men.

Disorder is a mark of anarchy; but order reveals the one who governs. For what is the benefit for a pilot to be good, if he uses wicked rowers?

15Ε_094 Let no one, when it is possible to follow without danger, desire to rule with danger; nor let the law of subjection be dissolved, which holds together both earthly and heavenly things.

O kings, reverence the purple; for the Word will make laws even for lawgivers. Know what has been entrusted to you, and what is the mystery concerning you. The whole world is held under our hand by a small diadem and a short cloth. The things above belong to God alone; but the things below, to you also. Become gods to those under you; that I may say something even bolder; The heart of the king is in the hand of God, it has been both said and believed. Herein lies your strength, but not in gold and in phalanxes.

Show your efficacy not by doing evil, but by doing something good, if you wish to be a god. But this is of a man who knows his kinsmen; for even a turtledove and a scorpion kill most easily.

Chrysostom. Greatness of honor, for those who choose to live unworthily, is an addition of punishment.

The Scripture knows two kingdoms of God, the one by appropriation, the other by creation, For He reigns over all, both Greeks, and Jews, and demons, and those arrayed against him, according to the principle of creation.

When a ruler is blameless to all, then he is able with as much authority as he wishes both to punish and to forgive all those arrayed under him.

Nothing so reveals one who holds authority as affection for those who are ruled. For it is not begetting alone that makes a father, but also loving after begetting. But if where there is nature, there is need of love, how much more where there is grace.

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Ὅταν ἑτερός σοι μηδέν πλεῖον διδῷ, ∆έξαι τό μόριον· τοῦ λαβεῖν γάρ μηδέν, Τό λαβεῖν ἔλαττον, πλεῖον ἔσται σοι πολύ. ΛΟΓΟΣ Θ´. Περί ἀρχῆς καί ἐξουσίας. 15Ε_092 Σιράχ λη´. Μή δῷς μῶμον ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου, καί ἐν ἡμέρα δόξης

μή ἐπαίρου. Βασιλείου. Βασιλεία ἐστίν ἔννομος ἐπιστασία. Αἱ οὖν παρά βασιλέως διδόμεναι ὑποθῆκαι, τοῦ γε ἀληθῶς τῆς προσηγορίας

ταύτης ἀξίου, πολύ τό νόμιμον ἔχουσι, τό κοινῇ πᾶσι λυσιτελές σκοποῦσαι, καί οὐχί πρός τόν σκοπόν τῆς ἰδίας ὠφελείας συντεταγμέναι. Τοῦτο γάρ διαφέρει τύραννος βασιλέως, ὅτι ὁ μέν τό ἑαυτοῦ πανταχόθεν σκοπεῖ· ὁ δέ, τό τοῖς ἀρχομένοις ὠφέλιμον ἐκπορίζει.

Παροιμ. κα´. Εἰ καρδία βασιλέως ἐν χειρί Θεοῦ, οὐ σώζεται διά ὁπλιτικήν δύναμιν, ἀλλά διά τήν θείαν χειραγωγίαν. Ἐν χειρί δέ Θεοῦ ἐστιν, οὐχ ὁ τυχών, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ἄξιος τῆς τοῦ βασιλέως προσηγορίας.

Πρός τό τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἦθος πλάττεσθαι πέφυκεν ὡς τά πολλά τό ἀρχόμενον· ὥστε ὁποῖοί ποτε οἱ ἄγοντες ὦσι, τοιοῦτον ἀνάγκη καί τό ἀ(να)γόμενον εἶναι.

Παλαιός ἐστι λόγος, τούς ἀρετῆς μεταποιουμένους, μεθ᾿ ἡδονῆς αὐτούς μή ἐπιβάλλειν ἀρχαῖς.

Θεολόγου. Ἀνθρώπῳ χαλεποῦ ὄντος τό (777) εἰδέναι ἄρχεσθαι, κινδυνεύει πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον εἶναι τό εἰδέναι ἄρχειν ἀνθρώπων.

Ἡ μέν ἀταξία, ἀναρχίας ἐστί γνώρισμα· ἡ δέ τάξις, τόν ἡγεμονεύοντα δείκνυσι. Τί γάρ ὄφελος κυβερνήτῃ εἶναι χρηστόν, πονηροῖς χρώμενον ἐρέταις;

15Ε_094 Μή τις ἐνόν ἀκινδύνως ἕπεσθαι, ἄρχειν ἐπικινδύνως ἐπιθυμείσθω· μηδ᾿ ὁ τῆς ὑποταγῆς νόμος καταλυέσθω, ἡ καί τά ἐπίγεια συνέχει καί τά οὐράνια.

Οἱ βασιλεῖς, αἰδεῖσθε τήν ἁλουργίδα· νομοθετήσει γάρ καί νομοθέταις ὁ λόγος. Γινώσκετε τί τό πιστευθέν ὑμῖν, καί τί τό περί ὑμᾶς μυστήριον. Κόσμος ὅλος ὑπό χεῖρα τήν ἡμετέραν διαδήματι μικρῷ καί βραχεῖ ῥακίῳ κρατούμενος. Τά μέν ἄνω, μόνου Θεοῦ· τά δέ κάτω, καί ὑμῶν. Θεοί γίνεσθε τοῖς ὑφ᾿ ὑμᾶς· ἵνα εἴπω τι καί τολμηρότερον· Καρδία βασιλέως ἐν χειρί Θεοῦ, καί εἴρηται καί πεπίστευται. Ἐνταῦθα ἔσω τό κράτος ὑμῶν, ἀλλά μή ἐν τῷ χρυσῷ καί ταῖς φάλαγξι.

Τό δραστήριον δείκνυε μή τῷ δρᾷν κακῶς, τῷ δ᾿ εὖ τι ποιεῖν, εἰ θέλεις εἶναι θεός. Τό δέ ἔστιν ἀνδρός εἰδότος συγγενεῖς· κτείνει δέ ῥᾷστα καί τρυγών καί σκορπίος.

Χρυσπστ. Τιμῆς μέγεθος, τοῖς οὐκ ἀξίως ζῇν προαιρουμένοις, προσθήκη τιμωρίας ἐστίν.

Βασιλείας τοῦ Θεοῦ δύο οἶδεν ἡ Γραφή, τήν μέν κατ᾿ οἰκείωσιν, τήν δέ κατά δημιουργίαν, Βασιλεύει μέν γάρ ἁπάντων, καί Ἑλλήνων, καί Ἰουδαίων, καί δαιμόνων, καί τῶν ἀντιτεταγμένων, κατά τόν τῆς δημιουργίας λόγον.

Ὅταν ἄρχων ἀνεπίληπτος ᾖ πᾶσι, τότε δύναται μεθ᾿ ὅσης βούλεται ἐξουσίας καί κολάζειν καί συγχωρεῖν, τούς ὑπ᾿ αὐτῷ ταττομένους ἅπαντας.

Οὐδέν οὕτω δείκνυσι τόν τήν ἀρχήν ἔχοντα ὡς ἡ φιλοστοργία περί τούς ἀρχομένους. Καί γάρ πατέρα οὐ τό γεννῆσαι μόνον ποιεῖ, ἀλλά καί τό φιλεῖν μετά τό γεννῆσαι. Εἰ δέ ἔνθα φύσις, ἀγάπης χρεία, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἔνθα ἡ χάρις.