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when they attempt to insult it, it rises up brighter, laughing at those who strike themselves. Neither will light ever be darkness, as long as it is light; nor will the truth of our affairs be refuted. For it is truth, and nothing is stronger than this. Everyone who is able to speak the truth, and does not speak it, will be judged by God. It is better to cast a stone at random than a word. Speak what is necessary, and when it is necessary, and you will not hear what is not necessary. To be silent about the truth is to bury gold.

TITLE 20. -Concerning subjects; that they are made like the characters of those who rule,

whether they be good or wicked. Gideon said to the people: As I do, so you shall do. I will blow the

horn, and you shall blow all around the camp. Abimelech took the axe, and cut branches of wood, and placed them on his shoulders, and said to the people with him: What you know me to be doing, do. As is the judge of the people, so also are his ministers; and as is the ruler of the city, so are all who dwell in it. The subject is for the most part naturally formed according to the character of the rulers. So that whatever sort the leaders may be, of such a sort must the led also be.

TITLE 21. -Concerning subjects; that they must be subject to their rulers, and

yield, and give way, and honor, and not speak against them. You shall not revile the gods, and you shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people. Impious,

is he who says to the king, You transgress the law. Impious, is he who is not ashamed before an honored face, nor knows how to give honor to these. In your conscience do not curse the king, and in the chambers of your bedroom do not curse the rich; for a bird of the sky will carry your voice, and that which has wings will report your word. Fear God, my son, and the king, and be disobedient to neither of them. Guard the king’s mouth, and you will depart from his presence, for all that he may wish to do, he does as a king with authority, and who will say to him, What are you doing? To a magistrate, bow your head. Do not contend with a powerful man. When a powerful man summons you, be retiring, and so much the more will he summon you. In the midst of magistrates do not make yourself equal. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God. And the authorities that exist have been appointed by God; therefore whoever resists, resists the ordinance of God; and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Obey your leaders and submit to them. For they watch over your souls, as those who must give account, so that they may do so with joy and not with groaning. For that would be unprofitable for you. Submit to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as sent by him, for the punishment of evildoers. Submit to Caesar, in those things where submission is without danger. -It is a benefit to the inferior, and to those not knowing how to rule themselves, to serve those who rule with knowledge. Let us be subject both to God, and to one another, and to earthly rulers: to God always; to one another, for the sake of brotherly love; to rulers, for the sake of good order; and so much the more as they may be gentler and better. For it is a terrible thing to exhaust clemency by continuous forgiveness, lest we ourselves be required to pay the penalty for their harshness, having destroyed spiritual tranquility, and having brought gloom upon light, and mixing wormwood with honey. 95.1209 As for rulers appointed by a king, even if they are wicked, one must fear them for another reason, not despising them because of their wickedness, but being in awe because of the worth of the one who appointed them. All who have learned to be ruled badly, will also know how to rule, having passed into his authority. He who has learned to be ruled, immediately also learns to rule.

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ἐπηρεάζειν ἐπιχειρούντων φαιδροτέρα ἄνεισι, τῶν κοπτόντων ἑαυτοὺς καταγελῶσα. Οὔτε τὸ φῶς ἔσται σκότος ποτὲ, ἕως ἂν ᾖ φῶς· οὔτε ἡ τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν πραγμάτων ἀλήθεια διελεγχθήσεται. Ἀλήθεια γάρ ἐστι, καὶ ταύτης ἰσχυρότερον οὐδέν. Πᾶς ὁ δυνάμενος λέγειν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ μὴ λέγων, κριθήσεται ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Βέλτιον λίθον βαλεῖν εἰκῆ, ἢ λόγον. Λάλει ἃ δεῖ, καὶ ὅτε δεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀκούσεις ἃ μὴ δεῖ. Σιγᾷν τὴν ἀλήθειαν χρυσόν ἐστι θάπτειν.

ΤΙΤΛ. Κʹ. -Περὶ ἀρχομένων· ὅτι ἐξομοιοῦνται τοῖς τῶν κρατούντων ἤθεσι,

κἄν τε χρηστοὶ, κἄν τε μοχθηροὶ ὑπάρχωσι. Εἶπε Γεδεὼν πρὸς τὸν λαόν· Καθὼς ποιῶ, οὕτως ποιήσατε. Σαλπιῶ ἐν τῇ

κερατίνῃ, καὶ σαλπιεῖτε κύκλῳ τῆς παρεμβολῆς. Ἔλαβεν Ἀβιμέλεχ τὴν ἀξίνην, καὶ ἔκοψεν κλάδους ξύλων, καὶ ἔθηκεν ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπε τῷ λαῷ τῷ μετ' αὐτοῦ· Ὃ οἴδατε ποιοῦντά με, ποιήσατε. Κατὰ τὸν κριτὴν τοῦ λαοῦ, οὕτως καὶ οἱ λειτουργοὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ κατὰ τὸν ἡγούμενον τῆς πόλεως, πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ. Πρὸς τὸ τῶν κρατούντων ἦθος πλάττεσθαι πέφυκεν ὡς τὰ πολλὰ τὸ ἀρχόμενον. Ὥστε ὁποῖοί ποτε ἂν οἱ ἄγοντες ὦσι, τοιοῦτον ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸ ἀγόμενον εἶναι.

ΤΙΤΛ. ΚΑʹ. -Περὶ ἀρχομένων· ὅτι χρὴ αὐτοὺς ὑποτάσσεσθαι τοῖς ἄρχουσι, καὶ

εἴκειν, καὶ παραχωρεῖν, καὶ τιμᾷν, καὶ μὴ ἀντιλέγειν. Θεοὺς οὐ κακολογήσεις, καὶ ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς. Ἀσεβὴς,

ὃς λέγει τῷ βασιλεῖ, Παρανομεῖς. Ἀσεβὴς, ὃς οὐκ αἰσχυνθῇ πρόσωπον ἐντίμου, οὐδὲ οἶδε τιμὴν θέσθαι τούτοις. Ἐν εἰδήσει σου βασιλέα μὴ καταράσῃ, καὶ ἐν ταμείοις κοιτῶνός σου μὴ καταράσῃ πλούσιον· ὅτι πετεινὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀποίσει τὴν φωνήν σου, καὶ ὁ ἔχων πτέρυγας, ἀναγγελεῖ λόγον σου. Φοβοῦ τὸν Θεὸν, υἱὲ, καὶ βασιλέα, καὶ μηδετέρῳ αὐτῶν ἀπειθήσῃς. Στόμα βασιλέως φύλαξον, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ πορεύσῃ, ὅτι πάντα ὅσα ἐὰν θελήσῃ ποιῆσαι, καθὼς βασιλεὺς ἐξουσιάζων ποιεῖ, καὶ τίς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, Τί ποιεῖς; Μεγιστᾶνι ταπεινοῦ τὴν κεφαλήν σου. Μὴ διαμάχου μετὰ ἀνθρώπου δυνάστου. Προσκαλεσαμένου σε δυνάστου, ὑποχωρῶν γίνου, καὶ τόσῳ σε μᾶλλον προσκαλέσεται. Ἐν μέσῳ μεγιστάνων μὴ ἐξίσασον. Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐξουσία, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ. Αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ἐξουσίαι, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν· ὥστε ἀντιτασσόμενος, τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκεν· οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες, ἑαυτοῖς κρῖμα λήψονται. Πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν, καὶ ὑπείκετε. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες, ἵνα μετὰ χαρᾶς τοῦτο ποιῶσι, καὶ μὴ στενάζοντες. Ἀλυσιτελὲς γὰρ ὑμῖν τοῦτο. Ὑποτάγητε πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κτίσει διὰ τὸν Κύριον, εἴτε βασιλεῖ ὡς ὑπερέχοντι, εἴτε ἡγεμόσι, ὡς δι' αὐτοῦ πεμπομένοις, εἰς ἐκδίκησιν μὲν κακοποιῶν. Τῷ Καίσαρι ὑποτάγητε, ἐν οἷς ἀκίνδυνος ἡ ὑποταγή. -Εὐεργεσία τοῖς ὑποδεεστέροις, καὶ ἄρχειν ἑαυτῶν μὴ ἐπισταμένοις, τὸ δουλεύειν τοῖς κατ' ἐπιστήμην ἄρχουσιν. Ὑποτασσώμεθα, καὶ Θεῷ, καὶ ἀλλήλοις, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιγείοις ἄρχουσι· Θεῷ διὰ παντός· διὰ φιλαδελφίαν, ἀλλήλοις· δι' εὐταξίαν, τοῖς ἄρχουσιν· καὶ τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὅσῳπερ ἂν ὦσιν ἡμερώτεροι καὶ χρηστότεροι. ∆εινὸν γὰρ ἐπιείκειαν δαπανῆσαι τῷ συνεχεῖ τῆς συγγνώμης, ἵνα μὴ καὶ τῆς ἐκείνων τραχύτητος αὐτοὶ δίκας ἀπαιτηθῶμεν, γαλήνην πνευματικὴν λύσαντες, καὶ φωτὶ ζόφον ἐπαγαγόντες, καὶ μέλιτι καταμιγνύντες ἀψίνθιον. 95.1209 Τοὺς ὑπὸ βασιλέως χειροτονουμένους ἄρχοντας, κἂν πονηροὶ ὦσιν, ἕτερον δεδοικέναι χρὴ, οὐ διὰ τὴν πονηρίαν καταφρονοῦντες αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ χειροτονήσαντος δυσωπούμενοι. Πάντες οἱ ἄρχεσθαι κακῶς μεμαθηκότες, καὶ ἄρχειν εἴσονται, παρελθόντες εἰς ἐξουσίαν αὐτοῦ. Ὁ μαθὼν ἄρχεσθαι, καὶ ἄρχειν εὐθὺς μανθάνει.