John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

for me, why does no one drag those in the mountains to a court of law? And yet if poverty were easy to conquer, they especially of all men ought to be dragged, inasmuch as they are poorer than all. Why does no one drag beggars to a court of law? why does no one do violence or bring false accusations? Is it not because they remain in a safer place? To how many does the matter seem even ill-omened, I mean poverty, and begging? What then, tell me, is begging a good thing? It is good, 60.111 if there is one who consoles and shows mercy, if there is one who provides; thus everyone knows this to be a life free from trouble and safe. But I do not advise this; may it not be so; but rather not to long for wealth. For tell me, whom should I call more blessed, those who are suited for virtue, or those who stand far from it? It is very clear, that it is those who are suited. Who then is suited to learn something useful, and to shine in philosophy, this man or that one? It is surely clear to everyone, that it is this one. But if you do not believe, learn: Let someone be brought from the marketplace of the beggars, and let him be maimed, lame, crippled; and let another be fair to look upon, strong in body, vigorous in every way, flowing with money; let him have a distinguished family, and great power. Therefore let us bring these men to the school of philosophy, and let us see which of them will better receive the teachings. Let the first precept, then, be, You shall be humble and moderate; for Christ commanded this; who will be better able to achieve it, this one or that one? Blessed are those who mourn; who will pay more attention to what is said? Blessed are the humble; who will listen more? Blessed are the pure in heart; blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake; who will easily accept these things? And if you wish, let us apply both to all these things. Does not the one swell and is puffed up on all sides; while the other is always humble-minded and is continually composed? It is very clear that it is so. There is then indeed also some such saying spoken by those outside: A slave was Epictetus, maimed in body; a beggar like Irus, and a friend of the immortals. But this is the poor man. But the soul of the rich man is full of all evils, of folly, vainglory, countless desires, of anger and wrath, of greed, of injustice, and of any other. Is it then clear, whether this soul or that one is suited for philosophy? You are certainly seeking to learn what is more pleasant; for I see this is a question among many, if indeed this way of life is more pleasant. And indeed one should not doubt about this either; for he who is near to health, this one is also in great pleasure. But who, tell me, is suited for the task at hand, which we wish to accomplish, I mean this law, the poor man or the rich man? who will easily swear, the one provoked by his servants, the one having dealings with countless people, or the one 60.112 approaching for a loaf of bread or a single garment? This man has no necessity for oaths, if he wishes, but always lives in freedom from trouble; rather, the one who is taught not to swear, will also often despise money, and everywhere one might see the paths of virtue cut from this good thing, and all of them leading to gentleness, to contempt for money, to piety, to a well-ordered state of soul, to compunction. Let us not then be lazy, beloved, but let us again make great effort; those who have succeeded, so as to guard what has been achieved, so that there may not easily be some flowing away and ebbing back; and those who are still lacking, so as to rouse themselves, so as to hasten to fulfill what is lacking. And in the meantime let those who have succeeded receive those who have not yet been able, stretching out their hands as to those swimming in the sea, into the harbor of not-swearing. For not to swear is truly a safe harbor; a harbor, against being submerged by the winds that fall upon us. For whether anger, or insolence, or passion should boil over, or whatever it may be, the soul is established in safety, so that it would not even cast out anything of what ought not to be said; for it has not placed itself under necessity, nor under a law. See what Herod did because of the oath; he cut off the head of the Forerunner. For because of the oaths, it says, and those who reclined with him he was not willing

γάρ μοι, διὰ τί μηδεὶς τοὺς ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἕλκει εἰς δικαστήριον; καίτοι γε εἰ ἡ πενία εὐχείρωτον, ἐκείνους μάλιστα πάντων ἕλκεσθαι ἔδει, ὅσῳ πάντων εἰσὶ πενέστεροι. ∆ιὰ τί τοὺς προσαιτοῦντας οὐδεὶς ἕλκει εἰς δικαστήριον; διὰ τί μηδεὶς βιάζεται μηδὲ συκοφαντεῖ; ἆρ' οὐ διότι ἐν ἀσφαλεστέρῳ χωρίῳ μένουσι; Πόσοις τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ δυσοιώνιστον εἶναι δοκεῖ, ἡ πενία λέγω, καὶ τὸ προσαιτεῖν; Τί οὖν, εἰπέ μοι, καλὸν τὸ ἐπαιτεῖν; Καλὸν, 60.111 ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ παραμυθούμενος καὶ ἐλεῶν, ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ παρέχων· οὕτω βίον ἀπράγμονα καὶ ἀσφαλῆ τοῦτον πᾶς οἶδεν. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ τοῦτο παραινῶ· μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλ' ὥστε μὴ πλούτου ἐφίεσθαι. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, τίνας ἂν εἴπω μᾶλλον μακαρίους, τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους πρὸς ἀρετὴν, ἢ τοὺς ταύτης πόῤῥω καθεστηκότας; Εὔδηλον, ὅτι τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους. Τίς οὖν ἐπιτήδειος πρὸς τὸ μαθεῖν τι τῶν χρησίμων, καὶ λάμπειν ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ, οὗτος ἢ ἐκεῖνος; Παντί που δῆλον, ὅτι οὗτος. Εἰ δὲ ἀπιστεῖς, μάνθανε· Ἀγέσθω τις ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγορᾶς τῶν προσαιτούντων, καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν ἔστω πηρὸς, χωλὸς, κυλλός· ἕτερος δέ τις καλὸς μὲν ἰδεῖν, ἰσχυρὸς τῷ σώματι, πάντοθεν σφριγῶν, τοῖς χρήμασι περιῤῥεόμενος· γένος ἐχέτω λαμπρὸν, καὶ δυναστείαν μεγάλην. Οὐκοῦν ἀγάγωμεν τούτους εἰς τὸ τῆς φιλοσοφίας παιδευτήριον, καὶ ἴδωμεν, τίς αὐτῶν μᾶλλον δέξεται τὰ τῆς διδασκαλίας. Ἔστω γοῦν τὸ πρῶτον παράγγελμα, Ταπεινὸς ἔσο καὶ μέτριος· τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς προσέταξε· τίς μᾶλλον αὐτὸ κατορθῶσαι δυνήσεται, οὗτος ἢ ἐκεῖνος; Μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες· τίς μᾶλλον προσέξει τῷ εἰρημένῳ; Μακάριοι οἱ ταπεινοί· τίς μᾶλλον ἀκούσεται; Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ· μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην· μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης· τίς εὐκόλως ταῦτα καταδέξεται; Καὶ εἰ βούλει, πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ἐφαρμόσωμεν ἑκατέρους. Οὐχ ὁ μὲν φλεγμαίνει καὶ οἰδεῖ πάντοθεν· ὁ δὲ ταπεινοφρονεῖ ἀεὶ καὶ συνέσταλται διαπαντός; Εὔδηλον ὅτι. Ἔστι μὲν οὖν δή τι καὶ ἔπος τοιοῦτο τοῖς ἔξωθεν εἰρημένον· ∆οῦλος μὲν Ἐπίκτητος, σῶμα ἀνάπηρος· πενίην Ἶρος, καὶ φίλος ἀθανάτων. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὁ πένης. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ πλουσίου ψυχὴ πάντων γέμει τῶν κακῶν, ἀπονοίας, κενοδοξίας, ἐπιθυμιῶν μυρίων, ὀργῆς καὶ θυμοῦ, πλεονεξίας, ἀδικίας, καὶ εἴ τινος ἑτέρου. Ἄρα φανερὸν, ὅτι πρὸς φιλοσοφίαν αὕτη ἐπιτηδεία, ἢ ἐκείνη. Πάντως ζητεῖτε μαθεῖν, τί μᾶλλον ἥδιον· τοῦτο γὰρ παρὰ πολλοῖς ζητούμενον ὁρῶ, εἴ γε αὕτη ἡδίων ἡ διαγωγή. Καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τούτου ἀμφιβάλλειν χρή· ὁ γὰρ ἐγγὺς τῆς ὑγείας, οὗτος καὶ ἐν ἡδονῇ πολλῇ. Τίς δὲ, εἰπέ μοι, πρὸς τὸ προκείμενον, ὅπερ βουλόμεθα, κατορθῶσαι, τὸν νόμον τοῦτον λέγω, ἐπιτήδειος, ὁ πένης ἢ ὁ πλουτῶν; τίς εὐκόλως ὀμεῖται, ὁ πρὸς παῖδας παροξυνόμενος, ὁ πρὸς μυρίους ἔχων συναλλάγματα, ἢ ὁ 60.112 προσιὼν ὑπὲρ ἄρτου ἢ ἱματίου ἑνός; Οὗτος οὐδὲ ἀνάγκην ὅρκων ἔχει, ἐὰν θέλῃ, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἐν ἀπραγμοσύνῃ διάγει· μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ παιδευόμενος μὴ ὀμνύναι, καὶ χρημάτων καταφρονήσει πολλάκις, καὶ πανταχοῦ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὰς ὁδοὺς τεμνομένας ἀπὸ τούτου τοῦ καλοῦ ἴδοι τις ἂν, καὶ πάσας φερούσας πρὸς ἐπιείκειαν, πρὸς χρημάτων ὑπεροψίαν, πρὸς εὐλάβειαν, πρὸς κατάστασιν ψυχῆς, πρὸς κατάνυξιν. Μὴ δὴ ῥᾳθυμῶμεν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἀλλὰ πάλιν πολλὴν ποιησώμεθα τὴν σπουδήν· οἱ μὲν κατωρθωκότες, ὥστε φυλάξαι τὸ κατορθωθὲν, ὥστε μὴ εὐκόλως ἀποῤῥοήν τινα γενέσθαι καὶ παλίῤῥοιαν εἰς τοὐπίσω· οἱ δὲ ἔτι λειπόμενοι, ὥστε διαναστῆναι, ὥστε σπουδάσαι τὸ λεῖπον πληρῶσαι. Καὶ τέως οἱ κατορθώσαντες τοὺς μήπω δυνηθέντας, καθάπερ ἐν πελάγει νηχομένοις τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνοντες, ἐν τῷ λιμένι τῆς ἀνωμοσίας δεχέσθωσαν. Λιμὴν γὰρ ὄντως ἀσφαλὴς, τὸ μὴ ὀμνύναι· λιμὴν, πρὸς τὸ μὴ καταποντίζεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν προσπιπτόντων πνευμάτων. Κἂν γὰρ ὀργὴ, κἂν ἐπήρεια, κἂν θυμὸς ὑπερζέσῃ, κἂν ὁτιοῦν, ἡ ψυχὴ ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καθέστηκεν, ὥστε οὐδ' ἂν ἐκβάλῃ τι τῶν οὐκ ὀφειλόντων εἰρῆσθαι· οὐ γὰρ εἰς ἀνάγκην κατέστησεν ἑαυτὴν, οὐδὲ νόμον. Ὅρα τί διὰ τὸν ὅρκον ἐποίησεν Ἡρώδης· τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀπέτεμε τοῦ Προδρόμου. ∆ιὰ τοὺς ὅρκους γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ τοὺς συνανακειμένους οὐκ ἠθέλησεν