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Go. And how is it not worthy of shame? We have set a law; or rather, we did not set it; may it not be so; For call no one, he says, teacher on earth. Christ set a law, that no one should swear. What has become, tell me, of this law? For I will not cease speaking about this, Lest, as the Apostle says, coming again I may not spare you. Have you taken thought for the matter? Have you cared? Has there been any earnestness on your part, or shall we take up the same subjects again? Or rather, whether it has happened or not, we will take up the same subjects, so that you may take thought; and if you have taken thought, that you may do this again more firmly, and encourage others. From where then must we begin the discourse? Do you wish from the Old [Testament]? But this is our shame, that the things in the Old [Testament], which we ought to surpass, we do not even 60.91 thus keep. For we ought not to hear about these things (for these precepts are of Jewish lowliness), but those that are perfect; Throw away your possessions, stand nobly, give your soul for the sake of the preaching, laugh at all things on earth, let there be nothing in common for you with the present life; if someone wrongs you, do good; if someone defrauds you, bless; if someone blasphemes, honor; be superior to all. We ought to hear these things and such as these. But now we are discoursing about an oath; and the same thing happens as if someone were to drag away one who ought to be a philosopher from those teachers, and make him still read syllables and letter by letter. Consider, I ask you, how great a shame it is, for a man with a thick beard, and carrying a club, and wearing a tunic, to go to teachers with children, and to learn the same things they do, is not the laughter great? But ours is greater. For the difference between the Jewish way of life and ours is not as great as that between philosophy and letters, but as great as that between angels and men. If someone, tell me, bringing down an angel from heaven, should bid him stand here and listen to our words, as though he ought to be regulated by them, would it not be a shame and a laugh? And if to be still instructed about these things is a laugh; not even to pay attention to them, tell me, how much condemnation? how much shame? And how is it not shameful, that Christians are still being taught that they ought not to swear? But still, let us endure it, lest we be laughed at more. Come then, let us discourse to you today from the Old [Testament]. What does it say? Do not accustom your mouth to an oath, nor be habituated to the name of the Holy One. Why? For just as a servant constantly examined will not be cleansed from a bruise, so neither will he who swears. 5. See the understanding of this wise man. He did not say, Do not accustom your mind to an oath, but, Your mouth; because he knows that the whole matter is of the mouth, and that it is easily corrected. For it is henceforth a habit that occurs without volition; as there are many who, upon entering the baths, as soon as they cross the doors, make the sign of the cross. The hand knows to do this from habit even when no one commands it. Again when a lamp is lit, often while the mind is considering something else, the hand makes the sign of the cross. So too the mouth, it does not speak with the soul, but from habit, and the whole matter is in the tongue. And to the name, he says, of the Holy One, do not be habituated. For just as a servant constantly examined will not be cleansed from a bruise, so neither will he who swears. He does not cut out perjury here, but the oath, and he assigns the punishment to it. Therefore, to swear is a sin. Such indeed is the soul, it is full of so many wounds, so many bruises. But you do not see? For this is the terrible thing; and yet you can see, if you wish; for God has given you eyes. With such eyes the prophet saw, saying: My bruises have become foul and are corrupt because of my foolishness. We have despised God, we have hated the good name, we have trampled on Christ, we have dissolved reverence, no one remembers the name of God with honor. 60.92 And you, if you love someone, you rise up at their name; but you call on God so continually as if he were nothing. Call upon him for the benefit of an enemy;

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ἄπιτε. Καὶ πῶς οὐκ αἰσχύνης ἄξιον; Νόμον ἐθήκαμεν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχ ἡμεῖς ἐθήκαμεν· μὴ γένοιτο· Μὴ γὰρ καλέσητε, φησὶ, διδάσκαλον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Νόμον ἔθηκεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὥστε μηδένα ὀμνύναι. Τί γέγονεν, εἰπέ μοι, περὶ τούτου τοῦ νόμου; οὐ γὰρ παύσομαι περὶ τούτου διαλεγόμενος, Μή πως πάλιν ἐλθὼν, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, οὐ φείσωμαι. Ἆρα ἐμεριμνήσατε τὸ πρᾶγμα; ἆρα ἐφροντίσατε; ἆρα γέγονέ τις ὑμῖν σπουδὴ, ἢ πάλιν τῶν αὐτῶν ἁψόμεθα λόγων; Μᾶλλον δὲ εἴτε γέγονεν, εἴτε μὴ, τῶν αὐτῶν ἁψόμεθα λόγων, ἵνα φροντίσητε· εἰ δὲ ἐμεριμνήσατε, ἵνα πάλιν βεβαιότερον τοῦτο ἐργάσησθε, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους παρακαλέσητε. Πόθεν οὖν ἡμῖν ἀρκτέον τοῦ λόγου; βούλεσθε ἀπὸ τῆς Παλαιᾶς; Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἡμετέρα αἰσχύνη, ὅτι τὰ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, ἃ ὑπερβαίνειν ἔδει, οὐδὲ 60.91 οὕτω φυλάττομεν. Ἡμᾶς γὰρ οὐ περὶ τούτων ἀκούειν ἔδει (τῆς γὰρ Ἰουδαϊκῆς εὐτελείας ταῦτα τὰ παραγγέλματα), ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα τὰ τέλεια· Ῥῖψον τὰ χρήματα, στῆθι γενναίως, τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπίδος ὑπὲρ τοῦ κηρύγματος, καταγέλασον τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἁπάντων, μηδὲν ἔστω σοι κοινὸν πρὸς τὸν παρόντα βίον· ἂν ἀδικήσῃ τις, εὐεργέτησον· ἂν πλεονεκτήσῃ, εὐλόγησον· ἂν βλασφημήσῃ, τίμησον· πάντων ἀνώτερος ἔσο. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἀκούειν ἔδει. Νυνὶ δὲ ὑπὲρ ὅρκου διαλεγόμεθα· καὶ ταὐτὸν γίνεται, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸν ὀφείλοντα φιλοσοφεῖν, ἀφελκύσας τῶν διδασκάλων ἐκείνων, συλλαβὰς ἔτι καὶ τὸ κατὰ στοιχεῖον ἀναγινώσκειν ποιοῖ. Ἐννόησόν μοι ὅση ἐστὶν αἰσχύνη, ἄνθρωπόν τινα ὑπήνην βαθεῖαν ἔχοντα, καὶ ῥόπαλον ἐπιφερόμενον, καὶ ἐξωμίδα ἔχοντα, εἰς διδασκάλους μετὰ τῶν παίδων ἀπιέναι, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκείνοις μανθάνειν, ἆρα οὐ πολὺς ὁ γέλως; Ἀλλὰ πλείων οὗτος ὁ ἡμέτερος. Οὐ γὰρ ὅσον φιλοσοφίας τὸ μέσον καὶ γραμμάτων, τοσοῦτον τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς πολιτείας καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας τὸ διάφορον, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων. Εἴ τις, εἰπέ μοι, ἄγγελον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταγαγὼν, κελεύσειεν ἐνταῦθα ἑστάναι καὶ ἀκροᾶσθαι τῶν ἡμετέρων λόγων, ὡς ὀφείλοντα ἀπὸ τούτων ῥυθμίζεσθαι, ἆρα οὐκ αἰσχύνη καὶ γέλως ἦν; Εἰ δὲ τὸ περὶ τούτων ἔτι παιδεύεσθαι γέλως· τὸ μηδὲ τούτοις προσέχειν, εἰπέ μοι, πόση κατάγνωσις; πόση αἰσχύνη; Καὶ πῶς γὰρ οὐκ αἰσχύνης, ὅτι ἔτι Χριστιανοὶ περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν ὀμνύναι παιδεύονται; Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἀνασχώμεθα, ἵνα μὴ μᾶλλον γελώμεθα. Φέρε οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς Παλαιᾶς ὑμῖν διαλεχθῶμεν τήμερον. Τί δὲ αὕτη φησίν; Ὅρκῳ μὴ ἐθίσῃς τὸ στόμα σου, μηδὲ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ ἁγίου συνεθισθῇς. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἰκέτης ἐξεταζόμενος ἐνδελεχῶς, ἀπὸ μώλωπος οὐ καθαρισθήσεται, οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ ὀμνύων. εʹ. Ὅρα τὴν σύνεσιν τοῦ σοφοῦ τούτου. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὅρκῳ μὴ ἐθίσῃς τὴν διάνοιάν σου, ἀλλὰ, Τὸ στόμα σου· ὅτι τοῦ στόματος ὂν τὸ πᾶν οἶδε, καὶ ὅτι εὐκόλως κατορθοῦται. Συνήθεια γάρ ἐστι λοιπὸν ἀπροαιρέτως γινομένη· οἷόν εἰσι πολλοὶ, οἳ ἐν βαλανείοις εἰσιόντες, ἅμα τῷ τὰς θύρας ὑπερβῆναι σφραγίζονται. Τοῦτο οἶδεν ἡ χεὶρ καὶ μηδενὸς κελεύοντος ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας ποιεῖν. Πάλιν λύχνου ἁφθέντος, πολλάκις τῆς διανοίας ἕτερόν τι σκεπτομένης, ἡ χεὶρ τὴν σφραγῖδα ποιεῖ. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὸ στόμα, οὐ μετὰ τῆς ψυχῆς φθέγγεται, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας, καὶ ἐν τῇ γλώττῃ τὸ πᾶν ἐστι. Καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι, φησὶ, τοῦ Ἁγίου μὴ συνεθισθῇς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἰκέτης ἐξεταζόμενος ἐνδελεχῶς, ἀπὸ μώλωπος οὐ καθαρισθήσεται, οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ ὀμνύων. Οὐχὶ τὴν ἐπιορκίαν ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὅρκον ἐκκόπτει, καὶ αὐτῷ τίθησι τὴν τιμωρίαν. Ἄρα τὸ ὀμνύειν ἁμαρτία. Τοιαύτη ὄντως ἐστὶν ἡ ψυχὴ, τοσούτων γέμει τραυμάτων, τοσούτων μωλώπων. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁρᾷς; Τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ δεινόν· καίτοι γε δύνασαι, ἐὰν θέλῃς, ὁρᾷν· ἔδωκε γάρ σοι ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁ Θεός. Τοιούτοις ὀφθαλμοῖς ἑώρα ὁ προφήτης, λέγων· Προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου. Κατεφρονήσαμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐμισήσαμεν τὸ ὄνομα τὸ καλὸν, κατεπατήσαμεν τὸν Χριστὸν, ἐλύσαμεν τὴν αἰδῶ, οὐδεὶς μετὰ τιμῆς μέμνηται τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Θεοῦ. 60.92 Καὶ σὺ μὲν ἂν φιλῇς τινα, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ὄνομα διανίστασαι· τὸν δὲ Θεὸν οὕτω συνεχῶς καλεῖς ὡς οὐδέν. Κάλεσον αὐτὸν ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἐχθροῦ·