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Sirach 23. A man who swears much will be filled with lawlessness, and the scourge will not depart from his house.

He who confirms a lie by oaths, acquires perjury, an evil merchandise of inhumanity.

Basil. For it is utterly shameful and senseless to accuse oneself as unworthy of trust, and to add the security of oaths.

893 The Theologian. For he who swears truly, may perhaps sometime even slip; but he who does not swear, has escaped the danger of perjury.

The law says, You shall not perjure yourself; but you, Do not swear at (15Ε_276> all, not a small thing, not a great one; since the oath begets perjury.

Chrysostom. The sycophants sell falsehood; lying to one another they have consumed oaths, knowing God only for swearing.

Socrates. For good men must appear to present a character more trustworthy than an oath.

Accept an administered oath for two reasons: either to absolve yourself of an accusation, or to save friends from great dangers.

Do not swear by God at all for the sake of money; not even if you are going to swear truly; for you will seem, to some to be perjuring, and to others to be avaricious.

Amphides. For whoever is not at all persuaded by one who swears, He himself knows how to perjure easily. The many advise people to be true to their oaths; but I also

declare it holy not even to swear readily at all. Eusebius. One must have a noble character more trustworthy than an oath. DISCOURSE 34. Concerning vainglory; (15Ε_278> John 10. Receiving glory from one another, the glory that is from

the only God you do not seek. Galatians 5. Let us not become vainglorious, provoking one another. Proverbs 12. Better is a man in dishonor who serves himself, than he who puts honor upon himself

and lacks bread. Sirach 1. Do not exalt yourself, lest you fall, and bring dishonor upon your soul. Sirach 10. Vainglory is hateful before the Lord and men. They are vainglorious who enrich themselves, having nothing. Basil. A vainglorious man is one who for the sake of mere worldly glory does something or

says. Proud characters, when truly flattered, are by nature more contemptuous of themselves

to become. For it is equally difficult both in difficult affairs to keep unhumbled the

soul, and in times of pride not to be lifted up. The Theologian. Vainglory is a great impediment to virtue for men. 896 Thinking takes away the most from being. It is easiest to deceive oneself and to think one is something, when one is nothing, by vainglory

being puffed up. (15Ε_280> It is shameful to be puffed up greatly when mastering small things. Do not think to appear better than the wicked; But grieve when you are surpassed by the good.

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Σιράχ κγ´. Ἀνήρ πολύορκος πλησθήσεται ἀνομίας, καί οὐκ ἀποστήσεται ἀπό τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ μάστιξ.

Πιστούμενος τό ψεῦδος διά τῶν ὄρκων, κακόν ἐμπόρευμα τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας τήν ἐπιορκίαν προσκτᾶται.

Βασιλ. Αἰσχρόν γάρ παντελῶς καί ἀνόητον ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορεῖν, ὡς ἀναξίου πίστεως, καί τήν τῶν ὄρκων ἀσφάλειαν ἐπιφέρεσθαι.

893 Θεολ. Ὁ μέν γάρ εὐορκῶν, τυχόν ἄν ποτε καί παρασφαλείη· ὁ δέ μή ὀμνύων, τόν τῆς ἐπιορκίας κίνδυνον διαπέφευγε.

Ὁ νόμος φησίν, Οὐκ ἐπιορκήσῃς· σύ δέ Οὐδέ ὀμῇ τήν (15Ε_276> ἀρχήν, οὐ μικρόν οὐ μεῖζον· ὡς τοῦ ὄρκου τήν ἐπιορκίαν τίκτοντος.

Χρυσόστ. Οἱ συκοφάνται τό ψεῦδος πιπράσκουσιν· ἀλλήλους ψευδόμενοι τούς ὄρκους ἀνήλωσαν, εἰς τό ὀμνύειν, καί μόνον, τόν Θεόν ἐπιστάμενοι.

Σωκράτης. ∆εῖ γάρ τούς ἀγαθούς ἄνδρας, τρόπον ὄρκου πιστότερον φαίνεσθαι παρεχομένους.

Ὅρκον ἐπακτόν προσδέχου διά δύο προφάσεις· ἤ σεαυτόν αἰτίας ἀπολύων, ἤ φίλους ἐκ μεγάλων κινδύνων διασώζων.

Ἕνεκεν χρημάτων μηδαμῶς Θεόν ὀμόσῃς· μηδ᾿ ἄν εὐορκεῖν μέλλεις· δόξεις γάρ, τοῖς μέν ἐπιορκεῖν, τοῖς δέ φιλοχρημάτως ἔχειν.

Ἀμφίδος. Ὅστις γάρ ὀμνύοντι μηδέν πείθεται, Αὐτός ἐπιορκεῖν ῥᾳδίως ἐπίσταται. Οἱ πολλοί τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τό εὐόρκους εἶναι παραινοῦσιν· ἐγώ δέ καί τήν

ἀρχήν μηδ᾿ εὐπετῶς ὀμνῦναι ὅσιον ἀποφαίνομαι. Εὐσεβίου. Τρόπου καλοκαγαθίαν, ὅρκου δεῖ. Πιστοτέραν ἔχειν. ΛΟΓΟΣ Λ∆´. Περί κενοδοξίας· (15Ε_278> Ἰωάν. ι´. ∆όξαν παρ᾿ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες, τήν δόξαν τήν παρά

μόνου Θεοῦ οὐ ζητεῖτε. Γαλ. ε΄ . Μή γενώμεθα κενόδοξοι, ἀλλήλους προκαλούμενοι. Παροιμ. ιβ´. Κρείσσων ἀνήρ ἐν ἀτιμίᾳ δουλεύων ἑαυτῷ, ἤ ὁ τιμήν ἑαυτῷ

περιθείς καί προσδεόμενος ἄρτου. Σιράχ α΄ . Μή ἐξύψου σεαυτόν, ἵνα μή πέσῃς, καί ἐπάγῃς τῇ ψυχῆ σου ἀτιμίαν. Σιράχ ι´. Μισητή ἐναντίον Κυρίου καί ἀνθρώπων ἡ κενοδοξία. Κενόδοξοί εἰσιν οἱ πλουτίζοντες ἑαυτούς, μηδέν ἔχοντες. Βασιλ. Κενόδοξός ἐστιν, ὁ ψιλῆς ἕνεκεν τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ δόξης ποιῶν τι ἤ

λέγων. Τῷ ὄντι θεραπευόμενα τά ὑπερήφανα ἤθη, ἑαυτῶν ὑπεροπτικώτερα πέφυκε

γίνεσθαι. Ὁμοίως γάρ ἐστι χαλεπόν ἔν τε δυσκολίαις πραγμάτων ἀταπείνωτον τήν

ψυχήν διασώσασθαι, καί ἐν ταῖς ὑπερηφανείαις μή ἐπαρθῆναι. Θεολ. Μέγα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἡ κενοδοξία πρός ἀρετήν ἐμπόδιον. 896 Τό οἴεσθαι, τοῦ εἶναι τό πλεῖστον ἀφαιρεῖται. Ῥᾷστον ἑαυτόν ἀπατᾷν καί οἴεσθαι εἶναί τι, οὐδέν ὄντα, ὑπό τῆς κενῆς δόξης

φυσώμενον. (15Ε_280> Αἰσχρόν μικρῶν κρατοῦντα, φυσᾶσθαι μέγα. Μή φρόνει τῶν κακῶν φαίνεσθαι κρείττων· Λυποῦ δέ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἡττώμενος.