John Chrysostom, To the People of Antioch

alone, being able to make its entire correction, and knowing accurately, that if we do not do this, we shall undergo the utmost judgment, and inexorable punishments and torments? For tell me, if someone promised to teach you the art of medicine in a brief moment of time without money and labor, would you not have considered him a benefactor? would you not have submitted to both do and suffer all that he who promised these things commanded? Behold, now it is possible without labors to find remedies not for the wounds of thebody, but of the soul, and without any pain to lead it back to health. Let us not then be negligent. For what pain is it, tell me, to let go of anger against one who has grieved you? The pain, rather, is to bear a grudge, and not be reconciled. What labor is it to pray and ask for countless good things from the God who gives readily? what labor not to speak ill of anyone? what difficulty to be freed from envy and malice? what toil to love one’s neighbor? what misery not to utter shameful words, nor to revile, nor to insult? what weariness not to swear? For again I will come to the same exhortation. The greatest labor, indeed, is to swear; for often, being possessed by temper and anger, we swore an oath never to be reconciled to those who grieved us, then when the anger was quenched, and the temper relaxed, wishing to be reconciled, and being held by the necessity of the oaths, we suffered pain as if held by some trap, and bound with unbreakable chains. And the devil, knowing this, and understanding accurately that temper is a fire, and is easily quenched, and when the temper is quenched, reconciliation and friendship occur, wishing for this fire to remain unquenchable, has often bound us with an oath, so that, even if the anger ceases, the necessity of the oath remaining might maintain 49.102 the pyre in us, and one of two things might happen, either being reconciled we might perjure ourselves, or not being reconciled we might make ourselves liable to the penalties of bearing a grudge.

4. Knowing these things, then, let us flee from oaths, and let our mouth practice saying continually, "Believe me"; and this will be for us a basis for all piety. For a tongue taught to say this one word is ashamed and blushes to bring forth shameful and improper words; and even if it is ever led forth by habit, having many accusers it will be checked. For when someone sees one who does not swear uttering shameful things, he will easily attack and laugh at him, and mocking will say: You who say "Believe me" in all things, do you not endure to utter an oath, and with shameful words do you disgrace your tongue? So that even unwillingly, being compelled by those present, we will return to piety. What then, he says, if it is necessary to swear? Where there is transgression of the law, there is no necessity. And is it possible, he says, not to swear at all? What are you saying? God commanded, and you dare to ask if it is possible to keep the law? It is impossible, rather, not to keep it; and of this I wish to persuade you from present circumstances, that it is not not swearing, but swearing that is impossible. For behold, those inhabiting the city were commanded to bring in gold, seeming to exceed the ability of the many, and, the greater part has been brought in, and it is possible to hear those demanding it saying: Why do you delay, man? Why do you put us off from day to day? For is it not possible to escape? It is the king’s law, not tolerating delay. What are you saying, tell me? A king commanded to bring in money, and it is impossible not to bring it in; God commanded to flee from oaths, and you say that it is impossible to flee from oaths? This is the sixth day I have been exhorting you concerning this commandment; for the rest I wish to arrange with you as one departing, so that you may be secure. No longer will there be any defense for you, nor pardon; for especially if nothing had been said, this ought to have been corrected by you yourselves; for it is not complex, nor needing much preparation. But when you have also enjoyed so much exhortation and counsel, what defense will you be able to speak when you are accused, and stand at the dread tribunal, and are held to account for this transgression? It is not possible to speak any

μόνον, πᾶσαν αὐτῆς δυνάμενοι ποιήσασθαι τὴν διόρθωσιν, καὶ ἀκριβῶς εἰδότες, ὡς εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ποιήσαιμεν, τὴν ἐσχάτην ὑποστησόμεθα δίκην, καὶ τὰς ἀπαραιτήτους κολάσεις καὶ τιμωρίας; Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἴ τις ὑπέσχετο παιδεῦσαί σε τέχνην ἰατρικὴν ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ χωρὶς ἀργυρίου καὶ πόνου, οὐκ ἂν εὐεργέτην ἐνόμισας; οὐκ ἂν κατεδέξω καὶ ποιῆσαι καὶ παθεῖν ἅπαντα ἅπερ ἐκέλευσεν ὁ ταῦτα ἐπαγγειλάμενος; Ἰδοὺ νῦν ἔξεστι χωρὶς πόνων οὐχὶ σωμάτων, ἀλλὰ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς τραυμάτων τὰ φάρμακα εὑρεῖν, καὶ χωρὶς ὀδύνης τινὸς εἰς ὑγείαν αὐτὴν ἐπαναγαγεῖν. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀμελῶμεν. Ποία γὰρ ὀδύνη, εἰπέ μοι, ὀργὴν ἀφεῖναι τῷ λελυπηκότι; Ὀδύνη μὲν οὖν ἐστι τὸ μνησικακεῖν, καὶ μὴ καταλλάττεσθαι. Ποῖος πόνος εὔξασθαι καὶ αἰτῆσαι μυρία ἀγαθὰ παρὰ τοῦ προθύμως διδόντος Θεοῦ; ποῖος πόνος μὴ κακῶς εἰπεῖν μηδένα; ποία δυσκολία ἀπαλλαγῆναι φθόνου καὶ βασκανίας; ποῖος μόχθος ἀγαπᾷν τὸν πλησίον; ποία ταλαιπωρία μὴ φθέγγεσθαι αἰσχρὰ ῥήματα, μηδὲ λοιδορεῖσθαι, μηδὲ ὑβρίζειν; ποῖος κάματος μὴ ὀμνύναι; πάλιν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἥξω παραίνεσιν. Πόνος μὲν οὖν μέγιστος τὸ ὀμόσαι· πολλάκις γοῦν ὑπὸ θυμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς κατεχόμενοι διωμοσάμεθα μηδέποτε διαλλάττεσθαι τοῖς λελυπηκόσιν, εἶτα τῆς ὀργῆς σβεσθείσης, καὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ χαλασθέντος, βουληθέντες καταλλαγῆναι, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης κατεχόμενοι τῶν ὅρκων, ἠλγήσαμεν ὥσπερ τινὶ παγίδι κατεχόμενοι, καὶ δεσμοῖς ἀλύτοις συνδεδεμένοι. Ὅπερ καὶ ὁ διάβολος εἰδὼς, καὶ ἀκριβῶς ἐπιστάμενος ὅτι πῦρ ἐστιν ὁ θυμὸς, καὶ ῥᾳδίως σβέννυται, καὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ σβεσθέντος, καταλλαγὴ γίνεται καὶ φιλία, βουλόμενος τὸ πῦρ τοῦτο μένειν ἄσβεστον, ὅρκῳ πολλάκις ἡμᾶς κατέδησεν, ἵνα, κἂν ἡ ὀργὴ λήξῃ, ἡ ἀνάγκη τοῦ ὅρκου μένουσα δια 49.102 τηρῇ τὴν πυρὰν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ δυοῖν θάτερον γένηται, ἡ καταλλαγέντες ἐπιορκήσωμεν, ἢ μὴ καταλλαγέντες τοῖς τῆς μνησικακίας ἐπιτιμίοις ὑπευθύνους ἑαυτοὺς καταστήσωμεν.

δʹ. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες φεύγωμεν τοὺς ὅρκους, καὶ μελετάτω τὸ στόμα ἡμῶν λέγειν συνεχῶς· Πίστευσον· καὶ ἔσται τοῦτο πάσης εὐλαβείας ὑπόθεσις ἡμῖν. Γλῶττα γὰρ παιδευθεῖσα τοῦτο λέγειν τὸ ἓν ῥῆμα, αἰσχύνεται καὶ ἐρυθριᾷ ῥήματα ἐξενεγκεῖν αἰσχρὰ καὶ ἄτοπα· κἂν ἀπὸ συνηθείας προαχθῇ ποτε, πολλοὺς ἔχουσα τοὺς κατηγόρους ἀνασταλήσεται. Ὅταν γάρ τις ἴδῃ τὸν μὴ ὀμνύντα αἰσχρὰ φθεγγόμενον, ἐπεμβήσεται ῥᾳδίως αὐτῷ καὶ καταγελάσεται, καὶ κωμῳδῶν ἐρεῖ· Σὺ ὁ τὸ, Πίστευσον, ἐπὶ πᾶσι λέγων, οὐκ ἀνέχῃ ὅρκον προέσθαι, καὶ ῥήμασιν αἰσχροῖς καταισχύνεις σου τὴν γλῶτταν; Ὥστε καὶ ἄκοντες, ὑπὸ τῶν παρόντων συνελαυνόμενοι, πρὸς εὐλάβειαν ἐπανήξομεν. Τί οὖν, ἐὰν ἀνάγκη, φησὶν, ὀμόσαι· Ὅπου νόμου παράβασίς ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνάγκη. Καὶ δυνατὸν, φησὶ, καθόλου μὴ ὀμνύναι; Τί λέγεις; ὁ Θεὸς ἐκέλευσε, καὶ τολμᾷς ἐρωτῆσαι εἰ δυνατὸν φυλάξαι τὸν νόμον; Ἀδύνατον μὲν οὖν τὸ μὴ φυλάξαι· καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων ὑμᾶς πεῖσαι βούλομαι, ὅτι οὐ τὸ μὴ ὀμνύναι, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὀμνύναι ἀδύνατον. Ἰδοὺ γοῦν χρυσίον ἐκελεύσθησαν εἰσενεγκεῖν οἱ τὴν πόλιν οἰκοῦντες δοκοῦν τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ὑπερβαίνειν δύναμιν, καὶ, τὸ πλέον εἰσενήνεκται, καὶ τῶν ἀπαιτούντων ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι λεγόντων· Τί μέλλεις, ἄνθρωπε; τί δὲ ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας ἀναβάλλῃ ἡμᾶς; μὴ γὰρ δυνατὸν ἐκφυγεῖν; βασιλέως νόμος ἐστὶ μελλήσεως οὐκ ἀνεχόμενος. Τί λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; βασιλεὺς ἐκέλευσε χρήματα εἰσενεγκεῖν, καὶ ἀδύνατον μὴ εἰσενεγκεῖν· ὁ Θεὸς ἐκέλευσε φεύγειν τοὺς ὅρκους, καὶ λέγεις ὅτι ἀδύνατον φεύγειν τοὺς ὅρκους; Ἕκτην ἔχω ταύτην ἡμέραν περὶ ταύτης ὑμῖν παραινῶν τῆς ἐντολῆς· λοιπὸν ὑμῖν συντάξασθαι βούλομαι ὡς ἀφιστάμενος, ἵνα ἀσφαλίζησθε. Οὐκ ἔτι ἀπολογία τις ὑμῖν ἔσται, οὐδὲ συγγνώμη· μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ εἰ καὶ μηδὲν εἴρητο, παρ' ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ἔδει διορθωθῆναι τοῦτο· οὐδὲ γὰρ ποικίλον ἐστὶν, οὐδὲ πολλῆς δεόμενον κατασκευῆς. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ τοσαύτης ἦτε παραινέσεως καὶ συμβουλῆς ἀπολελαυκότες, τίνα ἀπολογίαν εἰπεῖν ἕξετε ἐγκαλούμενοι, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος ἑστῶτες τοῦ φοβεροῦ, καὶ εὐθύνας ἀπαιτούμενοι τῆς παρανομίας ταύτης; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμίαν εἰπεῖν