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He took as a sign of having or not having injustice whether he was heard by God or not heard. But it is possible also to take this another way, according to a second interpretation: it is possible for someone to be lost to his own righteousness; when someone, thinking he is being justified in his own righteousness, if ..... ..... he should know, that it is not itself the true and sovereign righteousness, he tears himself away from this and is lost from his own righteousness. But this destruction does not corrupt. For just as we say that one who has fallen away from virtue has been lost to virtue, so we say that one who has moved on from the opinion he previously held has been lost from that opinion. And there is an impious man abiding in his own wickedness. living in wickedness, not condemning his own wickedness, even though the one who seemed righteous had condemned the righteous man before he was justified. So is it the same meaning? That man, although being in a state of righteousness, but one lesser than true righteousness, loses himself from that one, in order to possess the truly righteous thing. For example, let someone hold a mistaken opinion, or let someone hold an opinion that is not mistaken, but not with reason, not with precision. If he should know precision, he loses himself, in order that he may attain the better of that proposition. How does he speak of perversion? To show him, the perverted one, to be such; for example, many encounter the scriptures and understand them as they ought not. And no one else per 215 verted them but their own indifference. When, therefore, someone shows such a person that "do not pay attention to him; he speaks erroneously what he says," he has shown him to be perverted, he has proved him to be such. Do not be overly righteous, and do not be wise to excess, lest you be struck with amazement. Do not be overly impious, and do not be hard, that you may not die before your time. And it has often been said by us that virtues are means, while their excesses and deficiencies are vices. We said that prudence has become a mean between the craftiness and malice of foolishness. And an excess of prudence is craftiness. And craftiness is praised in scripture, but among the Greeks it is blamed. And scripture calls blameworthy craftiness villainy: "O full of all deceit and all villainy, you son of the devil." For the most part, the new testament also blames craftiness: "For I am afraid lest, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness...", and again: "But being crafty, I caught you with guile." And again concerning the heretics it says that "they walk in craftiness, adulterating the word of the Lord." And the deficiency of prudence is foolishness. And concerning all the virtues this has often been observed by us. We say, therefore, that superstition exceeds piety, while the impious man is deficient in it. And here, therefore, it means this: do not be overly righteous; do not go outside of righteousness; seek to distribute according to worth, take care for equality. Do not become overly righteous; for many are accustomed to say: do not be a stickler for justice, do not seek something more than what is just. But it is possible also to take it this way, so that it may be received especially according to the will of Christianity. If the choice is between being wronged or doing wrong, do not be overly righteous in demanding what is just, since you are not the one doing wrong. Choose to be wronged rather than to do wrong. Therefore, do not be overly righteous with a view to not being wronged, but rather give yourself up. For in this way neither will you do wrong nor will that one, against whom you have a claim. And do not be wise to excess, lest you be struck with amazement. In the same way we say: do not be wise beyond what is necessary, do not go beyond what is permitted to men. Such are those who say that we know God just as he knows himself. These are wise to excess. For this reason they are also struck with amazement, they go out of their minds, they are found outside of rational contemplation. Do not be wise to excess.

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And this can also be said again, following the rational contemplation, that it is sometimes possible, while discoursing, for the sake of the conversation not being broken off, until we should come to a correct ca..... ..s glorious and to discourse with him. But if someone in being wise should seem to succeed, he ought not to persist in being wise. "Do not be wise to excess," do not go out of being wise and be struck with amazement. Do not be overly impious, do not be hard.

25

σημεῖον τοῦ ἔχειν ἢ μὴ ἔχειν ἀδικίαν τὸ εἰσ ακουσθῆναι ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἢ μὴ εἰσακουσθῆναι ἔλαβεν. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ ἄλλως λαβεῖν κατὰ δευτέραν ἐξήγησιν τοῦτο· ἔστιν ἀπολέ σθα̣ι τινὰ τῷ ἑαυτῷ δικαίῳ· ἐν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ δικαίῳ δοκῶν τις δικαιοῦσ θαι, ἐὰν̣ ····· ···· γ̣νῷ, ὅτι οὐκ αὐτό ἐστιν τὸ ἀληθὲς καὶ κύριον δί καιον, ἀποσπᾷ ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τούτου καὶ ἀπόλλυται ἐκ τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ δικαίου. η῾̣ δὲ ἀπωλεία αὕτη ου᾿̣ διαφθείρ̣ει. ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν μεταπέσοντα ἀπὸ ἀρε τῆς λέγομεν α᾿̣πολωλένα̣ι̣ τῇ ἀρετῇ, οὕτω τὸν μεταβάντα ἀπ̣ὸ τ̣ἧς εἶχεν π̣ρ̣ο´̣τερον ὑπολήμψε̣ως λέγομεν ἀπολωλέναι ἀπ' ἐκείνης τῆς ὑπολήμψεως. ἔστιν δὲ ἀσεβὴς ἐνμένων ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ. ζῶν ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ οὐ καταγιγνώσκων τῆς κακίας αὐτοῦ καίπερ τοῦ δοκοῦν τος δικαίου κατεγνωκότος τοῦ δικαίου ἀνθρώπου πρότερον ἢ ἐδικαιοῦτο. ἐπερ· ὁ αὐτὸς οὖν νοῦς; ἐκεῖνος καίπερ ἐν δικαίῳ ὤν, ἐλάττονι δὲ τοῦ ἀληθῶς δικαίου, ἀπόλλυ σιν ἑαυτὸν ἀπ' ἐκείνου, ἵνα τὸ ἀληθῶς δίκαιον σχῇ. οἷον ἐχέτω τις ἐσ φαλμένην ὑπόλημψιν ἢ ἐχέτω τις ὑπόλημψιν οὐκ ἐσφαλμένην, οὐ σὺν λόγῳ δέ, οὐ σὺν ἀκριβείᾳ. ἐὰν τὴν ἀκριβείαν γνῷ, ἀπόλλυσιν ἑαυτόν, ἵνα ἐκείνης τῆς προθέσεως τῷ κρείττονι ἐπιτυχῇ. ἐπερ· πῶς λέγει τὴν διαστροφήν; τὸ ἀποδεῖξαι αὐτὸν τοιοῦτον τὸν διεστραμμένον· οἷον πολλοὶ ἐντυγχά νουσιν ταῖς γραφαῖς καὶ νοοῦσιν αὐτὰς ὡς οὐ δεῖ. καὶ οὐκ ἄλλος αὐτοὺς δι 215 έστρεψεν ἢ ἡ αὐτῶν ῥαθυμία. ὅταν τις οὖν ἀποδείξῃ τὸν τοιοῦτον, ὅτι "μὴ πρόσεχε αὐτῷ· ἐσφαλμένως λε´̣γ̣ε̣ι̣, ἃ λέγει", ἐ´̣δ̣ειcε̣ν αὐτὸν διεστραμμέ νον, ἀπέδειξεν αὐτὸν τοιοῦτον. μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ καὶ μὴ σοφίζου πε̣ρ̣ισσ̣ά, μ̣ήπο τε̣ ἐκπλαγῇς. μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς πολὺ καὶ μὴ γίνου σκληρός, ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃς ἐν οὐ καιρῷ σου. κα ὶ πολλάκις ἐλέχθη ἡμῖν, ὡς μεσότητές εἰσιν αἱ ἀρετ̣αί, αἱ τ̣ού των δὲ ὑπερβολαὶ καὶ ἐνλείψεις κακίαι εἰσίν. ἐλέγομεν ὅτι ἡ φρόν̣ησις γέγονε̣ν μέσον τῆς πανουργίας καὶ κακουργίας τῆς ἀφροσ̣υ´̣ν̣ης. καὶ υ῾̣π̣ε̣ρ β̣ολὴ μέν ε᾿̣στιν φρονήσεως ἡ πανουργία. ἐπαινεῖται δὲ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ἡ π̣α̣νουργία, παρ' Ἕλλησιν δὲ ψέγεται. πανουργίαν δὲ ψεγομένην κ̣αὶ ἡ γραφὴ λε´̣γ̣ει ῥᾳδιουργίαν· "ὦ πλήρης δόλου καὶ πάσης ῥᾳδιουργί ας, υἱὲ διαβόλου". ὡς ἐπὶ π̣λ̣εῖστον δε`̣ καὶ ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ψέγει τὴν πανουργίαν· "φοβοῦμαι γὰρ μήπως, ὡς ὁ ὄφις ἐcηπάτησεν Εὔαν ἐν τῇ παν ουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ···", καὶ ἔτι· "ἀλλὰ ὑπάρχων πανοῦργ̣ος δόλῳ ὑμᾶς ἔλαβον". καὶ ἔτι περὶ τῶν αἱρετικῶν λέγει ὅτι "περιπατοῦσιν ἐν πανου̣ργίᾳ δο λοῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου". ἔνλειψις δὲ τῆς φρονήσεως ἡ ἀφ̣ρ̣οσ̣υ´̣ν̣η ε᾿̣σ̣τίν. καὶ περὶ πασῶν τῶν ἀρετῶν πολλάκις ἡμῖν τοῦτο τεθεώρηται. λέ γομεν οὖν τὴν δεισιδαιμονίαν ὑπερβάλλειν τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἐνδεὲς δὲ αὐ τῆς τὸν ἀσεβήν. καὶ ὧδε οὖν τοῦτο βούλεται λέγειν· μὴ πολὺ δίκαιος ἔσο· μὴ ἔξω τῆς δι κ̣αιοσ̣ύν̣η̣ς ἴθι· κατ' ἀξίαν νέμειν ζήτει, τῆς ἰσότητος ἐπιμέλου. μὴ πολὺ δίκαιος γίνου· πολλοὶ γοῦν εἰώθασιν λέγειν· μὴ ἀκριβοδίκαιος ἔσο, μὴ πλέον τι τοῦ δικαίου ζήτει. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ οὕτω λαβεῖν αὐτό, ἵνα μάλιστα κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ χρι στιανισμοῦ αὐτὸ ἐκδεχθῇ. ἐὰν προκέοιτο ἀδικηθῆναι ἢ ἀδικῆσαι, μὴ πολὺς ἔσο δίκαιος ἐκδιδῶν τὸ δίκαιον, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀδικῇ. θέλησον ἀδικηθῆναι μᾶλλον ἢ ἀδικῆσαι. μὴ πολὺς γοῦν γίνου δίκαιος πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀδικηθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐπίδος ἑαυτὸν μᾶλλον. οὕτω γὰρ οὐδὲ σὺ ἀδικήσῃς οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος, πρὸς ὃν ἔχεις. καὶ μὴ σοφίζου περισσά, μήποτε ἐκπλαγῇς. τῷ αὐτῷ λέγομεν· πέρα τοῦ δέοντος μὴ σοφίζου, μὴ ἔξω τοῦ ἐφειμένου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γίνου. οἷοί εἰσιν οἱ λέγοντες, ὅτι οὕτως ἴσμεν τὸν θεὸν ὡς αὐ τὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπίσταται. οὗτοι περισσὰ σοφίζονται. διὸ καὶ ἐκπλήττονται, ἔξω φρενῶν γίνονται, ἔξω θεωρίας λογικῆς εὑρίσκονται. μὴ σοφίζου περισσά.

216 δύναται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λεχθῆναι πάλιν ἑπομένως τῇ λογικῇ θ̣εωρίᾳ, ὅτι ἔστιν ποτὲ διαλεγόμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ λυθῆναι τὴν συνουσίαν, ἕως ἔλθω μεν εἰς ὀρθὸν κα····· ··ς ἔνδοξον καὶ αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι. ἐὰν δέ τις ἐν τῷ σοφίζεσθαι δόξῃ ἐπιτυγχα´̣νειν, οὐκ ὀφείλει καταμένειν τῷ σοφίζεσθαι. "μὴ σοφίζου περισσά", μὴ ἐκγίνου τοῦ σοφὸς εἶναι καὶ ἐκπλαγῇς. μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς πολύ, μὴ γίνου σκληρός.