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let us practice righteousness, and let us train our eyes, and mouth, and hands, and feet, and heart, and tongue, and our whole body to be useful for virtue alone. And let us remember those three things, about which I spoke to your Charity, exhorting you to have no enemy, nor to speak ill of any of those who have grieved you, and to cast out the evil habit of oaths from your mouth. And concerning the two commandments we will speak at another time, but this whole present week we will speak to you about oaths, making our beginning from the easier commandment. For it is no great labor to overcome the habit of oaths, if we are willing 49.68 to contribute at least a little effort, reminding, admonishing, and watching one another, demanding satisfaction and accounts from those who forget. For what is the benefit to us of abstaining from food, if we do not cast out the evil habits of the soul? Behold, we have spent the whole day today without food, and in the evening we will set a table not like yesterday's table, but changed and more sober. Can any one of us then say that he has also changed his life today, just as his table? that he has also altered his evil habit, just as his food? Not I, I think. What then is the benefit to us of the fast? For this reason I exhort you, and I will not cease exhorting, that taking up each commandment by itself, you spend two and three days on its accomplishment; and just as there are some who vie with one another in abstinence from food, and engage in a wonderful rivalry; and some remain without food for two whole days, while others, banishing from their table the use not only of wine or of oil, but of every dish, using only bread and water, go through the whole of Lent; so let us also rival one another, so as to do away with the storms of oaths. For this is more useful than any fast, this more profitable than any austerity, and the diligence which we employ concerning abstinence from food, let us show this concerning abstinence from oaths, since we shall sustain the charge of the utmost folly, despising the things which are forbidden, but employing all diligence about things that are indifferent. For to eat is not forbidden, but to swear is forbidden; but we, abstaining from the things which are permitted, dare to do the things which are forbidden. For this reason I exhort your Charity to make some change, and to show us the beginning from this point. For if we go through the present fast with so much diligence, having achieved in this week not swearing at all, and in the next quenching anger, and in the one after that having uprooted accusation, and in the one after this having corrected still more other things; thus advancing on the path little by little we will arrive at the very summit of virtue, and we will escape the present danger, and we will make God merciful, and the multitude will return to our city again, and we will teach those who have now fled to entrust the hopes of our salvation not to the safety of places, nor to escape and withdrawal, but to reverence of soul, and to virtue of character. And so we shall obtain the good things both here and there; of which may we all be counted worthy, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be the glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

49.67 Further exhortation to the people about bearing nobly the impending threat, having examples from the things which happened to both Job and the Ninevites; and that one ought not to fear death, but the

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δικαιοσύνης ποιήσωμεν, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ στόμα, καὶ χεῖρας, καὶ πόδας, καὶ καρδίαν, καὶ γλῶτταν, καὶ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα ἡμῶν παιδεύσωμεν ἀρετῇ χρήσιμον εἶναι μόνῃ. Καὶ τῶν τριῶν δὲ ἐκείνων μνημονεύσωμεν, περὶ ὧν πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν διελέχθην ἀγάπην, παρακαλῶν μηδένα ἔχειν ἐχθρὸν, μηδὲ κακῶς λέγειν τινὰ τῶν λελυπηκότων ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὴν πονηρὰν τῶν ὅρκων ἐκβαλεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν συνήθειαν. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν δυοῖν ἐντολῶν ἐν ἑτέρῳ καιρῷ διαλεξόμεθα, τὴν δὲ παροῦσαν ἑβδομάδα ἅπασαν περὶ τῶν ὅρκων ὑμῖν ἐροῦμεν, ἀπὸ τῆς εὐκολωτέρας ἐντολῆς ποιούμενοι τὴν ἀρχήν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πόνος τις περιγενέσθαι τῆς τῶν ὅρκων συνηθείας, ἐὰν θελήσωμεν 49.68 μικρὰν γοῦν εἰσενεγκεῖν σπουδὴν, ἀλλήλους ὑπομιμνήσκοντες, νουθετοῦντες, τηροῦντες, δίκην ἀπαιτοῦντες καὶ εὐθύνας τοὺς ἐπιλανθανομένους. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος ἡμῖν τῆς τῶν βρωμάτων ἀποχῆς, ἐὰν μὴ τὰς πονηρὰς τῆς ψυχῆς συνηθείας ἐξελάσωμεν; Ἰδοὺ, τὴν ἡμέραν ἄσιτοι διετελέσαμεν σήμερον ἅπασαν, καὶ τράπεζαν ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ παραστησόμεθα οὐχ ὁμοίαν τῇ χθεσινῇ τραπέζῃ, ἀλλ' ἐνηλλαγμένην καὶ σεμνοτέραν. Ἆρ' οὖν ἔχει τις εἰπεῖν ἡμῶν, ὅτι καὶ τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ τὸν σήμερον ἐνήλλαξε, καθάπερ καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν; ὅτι καὶ τὴν πονηρὰν μετέβαλε συνήθειαν, καθάπερ καὶ τὴν τροφήν; Οὐκ ἔγωγε, οἶμαι. Τί οὖν ὄφελος ἡμῖν τῆς νηστείας; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρακαλῶ, καὶ παρακαλῶν οὐ παύσομαι, ὥστε ἑκάστην ἐντολὴν ἀπολαβόντας καθ' ἑαυτὴν, δύο καὶ τρεῖς ἡμέρας εἰς τὴν κατόρθωσιν αὐτῆς ἀναλίσκειν· καὶ καθάπερ εἰσί τινες οἱ πρὸς ἀλλήλους φιλοτιμούμενοι τῇ τῶν σιτίων ἀποχῇ, καὶ θαυμαστὴν ἅμιλλαν ποιούμενοι· καὶ οἱ μὲν ὁλοκλήρους ἡμέρας δύο διατελοῦσιν ἄσιτοι, οἱ δὲ οὐκ οἴνου μόνον, οὐδὲ ἐλαίου, ἀλλὰ παντὸς ἐδέσματος χρῆσιν τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἐκβάλλοντες τραπέζης, ἄρτῳ καὶ ὕδατι χρώμενοι μόνον, τὴν Τεσσαρακοστὴν διανύουσιν ἅπασαν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἁμιλλώμεθα πρὸς ἀλλήλους, ὥστε τῶν ὅρκων τὰς νιφάδας ἀνελεῖν. Τοῦτο γὰρ πάσης νηστείας χρησιμώτερον, τοῦτο πάσης σκληραγωγίας ἐπικερδέστερον, καὶ τὴν σπουδὴν, ἣν περὶ τὴν ἀποχὴν τῶν σιτίων ποιούμεθα, ταύτην περὶ τὴν ἀποχὴν τῶν ὅρκων ἐπιδειξώμεθα, ἐπεὶ τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας ὑποστησόμεθα ἔγκλημα, τῶν μὲν κεκωλυμένων καταφρονοῦντες, περὶ δὲ τὰ ἀδιάφορα πᾶσαν κινοῦντες σπουδήν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ φαγεῖν οὐ κεκώλυται, τὸ δὲ ὀμόσαι κεκώλυται· ἡμεῖς δὲ τῶν συγκεχωρημένων ἀποστάντες, τῶν κεκωλυμένων κατατολμῶμεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρακαλῶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην ποιήσασθαί τινα μεταβολὴν, καὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Ἂν γὰρ μετὰ τοσαύτης σπουδῆς τὴν παροῦσαν διανύσωμεν νηστείαν, τῇ μὲν ἑβδομάδι ταύτῃ τὸ μηδ' ὅλως ὀμνύναι κατορθώσαντες, τῇ δὲ ἐπιούσῃ τὴν ὀργὴν σβέσαντες, τῇ δὲ μετ' ἐκείνην τὴν κατηγορίαν πρόῤῥιζον ἀνελόντες, καὶ τῇ μετὰ ταύτην ἕτερα πάλιν πλείονα διορθώσαντες· οὕτως ὁδῷ προβαίνοντες κατὰ μικρὸν ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἥξομεν τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν κορυφὴν, καὶ τὸν παρόντα διαφευξόμεθα κίνδυνον, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἵλεω καταστήσομεν, καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ἡμῖν ἐπανήξει πάλιν, καὶ τοὺς δραπετεύσαντας νῦν παιδεύσομεν, μὴ τόπων ἀσφαλείᾳ, μηδὲ ἀποφυγῇ καὶ ἀναχωρήσει, ἀλλ' εὐλαβείᾳ ψυχῆς, καὶ τρόπων ἀρετῇ τὰς ἐλπίδας τῆς σωτηρίας ἐγχειρίζειν τῆς ἡμετέρας. Καὶ οὕτω καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα, καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ ἐπιτευξόμεθα ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀξιωθῆναι, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

49.67 Ἔτι παράκλησις πρὸς τὸν λαὸν περὶ τοῦ φέρειν γενναίως τὴν ἐπικειμένην ἀπειλὴν, ἔχοντα παραδείγματα ἐκ τῶν συμβάντων τῷ τε Ἰὼβ καὶ τοῖς Νινευΐταις· καὶ ὅτι οὐ χρὴ δεδιέναι τὸν θάνατον, ἀλλὰ τὴν