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For just as one who is in sin, in accusing others, accuses himself before them; so also one who is in misfortune and reproaches the misfortunes of another, reproaches himself before him.

Just as those who walk through a moonless night tremble, even if no one is present to frighten them; so also those who commit sin, cannot be confident, even if no one is there to convict them.

Before one person we do not wish to be disgraced here; but before myriads there what shall we do?

Gregory of Nyssa. Great is the facility towards evil, and nature is swift-flowing towards what is worse.

Cyril. We all stumble in many things. For nature is sick with an inclination to sin, because of those who from the beginning brought in the passion.

Philo. To one who errs through ignorance of what is better forgiveness enters in; but he who does wrong deliberately, has no defense.

Clement. Let us fear not the external sickness, 872 but the sins, on account of which is the sickness; and the sickness of the soul, not of the body.

Theotimus. Sin is like a curtain preventing the good will of God from coming to be in us.

Josephus. Reason is not an uprooter of the passions, but an antagonist. It is not possible to wrap fire in a garment, nor a shameful sin in time. Aristot. He does not place himself far from being sinless, who the sin committed

has fittingly confessed. (15Ε_240> Pythagoras. Try your sins, not to cover with words,

but to heal with reproofs. Demosth. Just as a bodily affliction not being hidden nor praised

is healed; so also a soul badly guarded is not cured. Moschion. It is better to succeed by confessing a few times, to be temperate

many times, than to sin a few times while saying, to err many times. Zeno. Live, O man, not only that you may eat and drink, but that in living for

you may use it for living well. Favorinus. A certain passion has befallen my soul, and what it is I do not know.

But those who have been initiated call it Love. O envious and irrational demon, you have come to a weak body, unable to bear you. I withdraw from you, demon; I yield your battle; I am not your soldier.

Theophrast. Love is an excess of a certain irrational desire, having a swift approach, but a slow departure.

DISCOURSE 27. On incontinence and gluttony. (15Ε_242> Luke 6. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger; woe to you who laugh,

for you shall mourn and weep. James 5. You have lived in luxury on the earth and been wanton; you have nourished your hearts

as in a day of slaughter. Proverbs 24. Be not deceived by the satisfaction of your belly. Proverbs 25. If you have found honey, eat what is sufficient, lest you be filled and vomit it up. Sirach 40. A man looking at another's table, his life is not in

the reckoning of life.

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Ὥσπερ γάρ ὁ ἐν ἁμαρτήμασιν ὤν, ἑτέρων κατηγορῶν, ἑαυτοῦ πρό ἐκείνων κατηγορεῖ· οὕτω καί ὁ ἐν συμφορᾷ ὤν καί ὀνειδίζων ἑτέρου συμφοράς, ἑαυτόν πρό ἐκείνου ὀνειδίζει.

Καθάπερ οἱ διά νυκτός ἀσελήνου βαδίζοντες τρέμουσι, κἄν μηδείς ὁ φοβῶν παρῇ· οὕτω καί οἱ τήν ἁμαρτάν ἐργαζόμενοι, θαῤῥεῖν οὐκ ἔχουσι, κἄν μηδείς ὁ ἐλέγχων ᾖ.

Ἐπί ἑνός οὐ θέλομεν ἀσχημονῆσαι ἐνταῦθα· ἐπί δέ μυριάδων ἐκεῖ τί ποιήσομεν;

Γρηγ. Νύσσης. Πολλή πρός τήν κακίαν ἐστίν ἡ εὐκολία, καί ὀξύῤῥοπος ἐπί τό χεῖρον ἡ φύσις.

Κυρίλλου. Πολλά πταίομεν ἅπαντες. Νοσεῖ γάρ ἡ φύσις τό εἰς ἁμαρτίαν εὔκολον, διά τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰσοικισαμένων τό πάθος.

Φίλωνος. Τῷ μέν ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ κρείττοντος διαμαρτάνοντι συγγνώμη παρεισέρχεται· ὁ δέ ἐξεπίτηδες ἀδικῶν, ἀπολογίαν οὐκ ἔχει.

Κλήμεντος. Φοβηθῶμεν οὐχί νόσον τήν ἔξωθεν, 872 ἀλλ᾿ ἁμαρτήματα, δι᾿ ἅ ἡ νόσος· καί νόσον ψυχῆς, οὐχί σώματος.

Θεοτίμου. Ἔοικεν ἡ ἁμαρτία παραβλήματι κωλύοντι τήν εὔνοιαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι.

Ἰωσήππου. Οὐκ ἐκριζωτής τῶν παθῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνταγωνιστής ἐστιν ὁ λογισμός. Οὔτε πῦρ ἱματίῳ περιστεῖλαι δυνατόν, οὔτε αἰσχρόν ἁμάρτημα χρόνῳ. Ἀριστοτ. Οὐ πόῤῥω τοῦ ἀναμάρτητου καθίστησιν ἑαυτόν, ὁ τό ἁμαρτηθέν

ἐπιεικῶς ὁμολογήσας. (15Ε_240> Πυθαγόρου. Τά ἁμαρτήματά σου πειρῶ, μή λόγοις ἐπικαλύπτειν,

ἀλλά θεραπεύειν ἐλέγχοις. ∆ημοσθ. Ὥσπερ σωματικόν πάθος οὐ κρυπτόμενον οὐδέ ἐπαινούμενον

ὑγιάζεται· οὕτως οὐδέ ψυχή κακῶς φρουρουμένη θεραπεύεται. Μοσχίωνος. Βέλτιον ὀλιγάκις ὁμολογοῦντα κατορθοῦν, σωφρονεῖν

πολλάκις, ἤ ὀλιγάκις ἁμαρτάνειν λέγοντα, πλημμελεῖν πολλάκις. Ζήνω. Ζῆθι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε , μή μόνον ἵνα φάγῃς καί πίῃς, ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα τῷ ζῇν πρός

τό εὖ ζῇν καταχρήσῃ. Φαυωρίνου. Πάθος τί μου προσέπεσε τῇ ψυχῇ, καί τί μέν ἐστιν οὐκ οἶδα.

Ἔρωτα δέ αὐτό λέγουσι οἱ μεμυημένοι. Βάσκανε δαῖμον καί ἀλόγιστε, ἀσθενεῖ προσελήλυθας σώματι, φέρειν σε μή δυναμένῳ. Ἐξίσταμαί σου, δαῖμον· παραχωρῶ σου τῆς μάχης· οὐκ εἰμί σου στρατιώτης.

Θεοφράστ. Ἔρως ἐστίν ἀλογίστου τινός ἐπιθυμίας ὑπερβολή, ταχεῖαν μέν ἔχουσα τήν πρόσοδον, βραδεῖαν δέ τήν ἀπόλυσιν.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΚΖ´. Περί ἀκρασίας καί γαστριμαργίας. (15Ε_242> Λουκ. ς´. Οὐαί οἱ ἐμπεπλησμένοι, ὅτι πεινάσετε· οὐαί οἱ γελῶντες,

ὅτι πενθήσετε καί κλαύσετε. Ἰακ. ε´. Ἐτρυφήσατε ἐπί τῆς γῆς καί ἐσπαταλήσατε· ἐτρέψατε τάς καρδίας

ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς. Παροιμ. κδ΄ . Μή ἀπατηθῇς ἐν χορτασίᾳ κοιλίας σου. Παροιμ. κε´. Μέλι εὑρών, τί ἱκανόν φάγε, μή ποτε πλησθείς ἐξεμέσῃς. Σιράχ. μ´. Ἀνήρ βλέπων εἰς τράπεζαν ἀλλοτρίαν, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ ἐν

λογισμῷ ζωῆς.