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having received doctrines, are you able to be proud, as if you yourselves had become the discoverers of these things? For this reason also, proceeding, he said to them: For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? This word "called," therefore, is nothing else than a teaching of humility, and a putting down of pride, and a suppression of all arrogance; for there is nothing, nothing so able to hold us together and restrain us, as humility, and to moderate, and to be composed and never, never, ever to imagine anything great about ourselves. Which Christ, being aware of, and beginning that spiritual teaching, first began his exhortation from humility, and opening his mouth, he introduced this first law, saying thus: Blessed are the poor in spirit. For just as someone who is about to build a great and splendid house, lays down a foundation in proportion, so that it may be able to bear the weight afterwards placed upon it; so indeed also Christ, raising that great edifice of philosophy in their souls, like some foundation and secure keel and firm and unmovable base, first lays down the exhortation to humility, knowing that when this is rooted in the minds of the hearers, all other parts of virtue can be built with safety. Just as, therefore, when this is absent, even if someone should achieve all the rest of virtue, he has labored randomly and in vain and to no purpose, like that one who built his house upon the sand, who endured the labor, but did not enjoy the profit, because he did not lay a secure foundation; so he who pursues any good thing without humility, has lost and destroyed everything. But by humility, I do not mean that which is in words, nor that which is on the tongue, but that which is in the mind, that from the soul, that in the conscience, which God alone is able to see. This advantage is sufficient, even appearing by itself many times, to make God merciful. And the tax collector showed this; for having nothing good, nor being able to appear from his accomplishments, by only saying, "Be merciful to me, a sinner," he went down justified rather than the Pharisee; and yet those words were not even of humility, but only of acknowledgment. For it is humility when someone, being conscious of great things in himself, imagines nothing great about himself; but it is acknowledgment, when, being a sinner, he confesses this very thing. But if he who was conscious of nothing good in himself, because he confessed this, which he was, so drew God to good will, how much confidence will they enjoy who, though having many of their own accomplishments to speak of, forget all of those things, and number themselves among the last? 51.155 Just as Paul also did; for being the first of all the just, he said he was the first of sinners; and he not only said it, but was also persuaded, having learned from the Teacher, that after doing all things we must call ourselves unprofitable servants. This is humility, imitate this, you who have accomplishments, and the tax collector, you who are full of sins, and let us confess just as we are, and let us beat our breast, and persuade our mind to imagine nothing great about ourselves. For if we are so disposed, this is sufficient for us as an offering and a sacrifice; just as David also said: A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and humbled heart, O God, you will not despise. He did not simply say humbled, but also broken; for what is broken, is also shattered; for not even if it wishes, can it be lifted up. So indeed let us too not only humble our soul, but also break and 51.156 pierce it; and it is broken by constantly remembering its own sins. If we so humble it, not even wishing toward pride

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δόγματα δεξάμενοι, δύνασθε μέγα φρονεῖν, ὡς αὐτοὶ τούτων εὑρέται γενόμενοι; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ προϊὼν ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Τίς γάρ σε διακρίνει, τί δὲ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών; Οὐδὲν οὖν ἄλλο ἐστὶ τὸ Κλητὸς τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἢ ταπεινοφροσύνης διδασκαλία, καὶ τύφου καθαίρεσις, καὶ πάσης ἀλαζονείας καταστολή· οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν, οὐδὲν οὕτως ὃ συγκρατεῖν καὶ συνέχειν ἡμᾶς δύναιτ' ἂν, ὡς ταπεινοφροσύνη, καὶ μετριάζειν, καὶ τὸ κατεστάλθαι καὶ μηδὲν μηδὲν μηδέποτε περὶ ἑαυτῶν μέγα φαντάζεσθαι. Ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς συνειδὼς, καὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἐκείνης διδασκαλίας ἀρχόμενος, ἀπὸ ταπεινοφροσύνης πρῶτον τῆς παραινέσεως ἤρξατο, καὶ τὸ στόμα ἀνοίξας, τοῦτον πρῶτον εἰσήνεγκε τὸν νόμον, οὕτως εἰπών· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι. Καθάπερ γάρ τις οἰκίαν μεγάλην καὶ λαμπρὰν οἰκοδομεῖσθαι μέλλων, ἀνάλογον καταβάλλεται τὸν θεμέλιον, ὥστε δυνηθῆναι τὸ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιτιθέμενον ἐνεγκεῖν βάρος· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς, τὴν μεγάλην ἐκείνην οἰκοδομὴν τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν ἐγείρων, ὥσπερ τινὰ θεμέλιον καὶ τρόπιν ἀσφαλῆ καὶ κρηπῖδα βεβαίαν καὶ ἀκίνητον, τὴν τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης προκαταβάλλεται παραίνεσιν, εἰδὼς ὅτι ταύτης ἐῤῥιζωμένης ἐν ταῖς διανοίαις τῶν ἀκουόντων, ἅπαντα ἄλλα τῆς ἀρετῆς μέρη μετὰ ἀσφαλείας οἰκοδομεῖσθαι δύναται. Ὥσπερ οὖν ταύτης ἀπούσης, κἂν ἅπασάν τις τὴν λοιπὴν ἀρετὴν κατορθώσῃ, εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν δέον ἐστὶ πεπονηκὼς, κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς ψάμμου τὴν οἰκίαν οἰκοδομήσαντα, ὃς τὸν μὲν πόνον ὑπέμεινε, τοῦ δὲ κέρδους οὐκ ἀπώνατο, ἐπειδὴ θεμέλιον οὐ κατέβαλεν ἀσφαλῆ· οὕτως ὁ χωρὶς ταπεινοφροσύνης ὁτιοῦν μετιὼν ἀγαθὸν, ἀπώλεσεν ἅπαντα καὶ διέφθειρε. Ταπεινοφροσύνην δὲ, οὐ τὴν ἐν ῥήμασι λέγω, οὐδὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς γλώττης, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς, τὴν ἐν συνειδότι, ἣν ὁ Θεὸς δύναται μόνος ὁρᾷν. Ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο τὸ πλεονέκτημα, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ πολλάκις φαινόμενον, ἵλεω ποιῆσαι τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁ τελώνης ἐδήλωσεν· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔχων ἀγαθὸν, οὐδὲ ἀπὸ κατορθωμάτων φανῆναι δυνάμενος, εἰπὼν μόνον, Ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ, κατῆλθεν ὑπὲρ τὸν Φαρισαῖον δικαιωθείς· καίτοι γε οὐδὲ ταπεινοφροσύνης ἦσαν ἐκεῖνα τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλ' εὐγνωμοσύνης μόνον. Ταπεινοφροσύνης μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ὅταν μεγάλα τις ἑαυτῷ συνειδὼς, μηδὲν μέγα περὶ αὑτοῦ φαντάζηται· εὐγνωμοσύνη δὲ, ὅταν, ἁμαρτωλὸς ὢν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο ὁμολογῇ. Εἰ δὲ ὁ μηδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνειδὼς ἀγαθὸν, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο, ὅπερ ἦν, ὡμολόγησεν, οὕτω τὸν Θεὸν εἰς εὔνοιαν ἐπεσπάσατο, πόσης ἀπολαύσονται παῤῥησίας οἱ πολλὰ μὲν ἔχοντες ἑαυτῶν κατορθώματα εἰπεῖν, πάντων δὲ ἐκείνων ἐπιλανθανόμενοι, καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἐσχάτους ἑαυτοὺς ἀριθμοῦντες; 51.155 Καθάπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐποίησε· πρῶτος γὰρ ἁπάντων ὢν τῶν δικαίων, πρῶτον ἑαυτὸν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἔλεγεν εἶναι· οὐκ ἔλεγε δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπέπειστο παρὰ τοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου μαθὼν, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ πάντα ποιῆσαι ἀχρείους δούλους ἑαυτοὺς χρὴ καλεῖν. Τοῦτό ἐστι ταπεινοφροσύνη, τοῦτον ζηλώσατε οἱ κατορθώματα ἔχοντες, τὸν δὲ τελώνην ὑμεῖς οἱ ἁμαρτημάτων γέμοντες, καὶ ὁμολογῶμεν ὥσπερ ἐσμὲν, καὶ τὸ στῆθος πλήττωμεν, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν πείθωμεν μηδὲν μέγα περὶ ἑαυτῶν φαντάζεσθαι. Ἂν γὰρ οὕτως ὦμεν διακείμενοι, ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο ἡμῖν εἰς προσφορὰν καὶ θυσίαν· καθάπερ καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἔλεγε· Θυσία τῷ Θεῷ πνεῦμα συντετριμμένον· καρδίαν συντετριμμένην καὶ τεταπεινωμένην ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἐξουδενώσει. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε τεταπεινωμένην, ἀλλὰ καὶ συντετριμμένην· τὸ γὰρ συντετριμμένον, καὶ διακεκλασμένον· οὐδὲ γὰρ, ἐὰν βούληται, ἐπαρθῆναι δύναται. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς μὴ ταπεινώσωμεν μόνον τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συντρίψωμεν καὶ 51.156 κατανύξωμεν· συντρίβεται δὲ οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων μεμνημένη συνεχῶς. Ἂν οὕτως αὐτὴν ταπεινώσωμεν, οὐδὲ βουλομένη πρὸς τῦφον