John Chrysostom, On the Acts of the Apostles

and one must laugh; for when the conscience is not wounded, anger has no opportunity. And considering what wicked and foul words he brings forth, one should not be grieved even so. For what each person was going to learn after this, he has already revealed; he has henceforth rendered himself untrustworthy to all, as one who does not know how to cover up the evils of his neighbor, and he has shamed himself more than the other, and he has blocked up every harbor, he has made the reckonings of the future judgment fearful for himself. For all will not so much turn away from this one, as from that one who, by stripping them bare, revealed what he ought not. But you, say nothing of what you know, but be silent, if you wish to receive splendid glory. For not only will you refute what was said, nor will you cover it up, but you will also accomplish another good thing; for you will no longer cause the vote to be cast against yourself. Does so-and-so speak ill of you? You say: If he knew everything, he would not have said only so many things. Were you amazed and astonished at what was said? But one must imitate it. For this is why we say to you all these things spoken by those outside, not as if the Scriptures did not have myriad such things, but as these are more able to produce shame; since the Scripture also knows how to speak to our shame, as when it says: Do not even the Gentiles do the same? And the prophet Jeremiah brought forth the sons of Rechab, who did not consent to transgress their father's command. Those with Miriam spoke ill of Moses, and he immediately begged them off from punishment, and did not permit anyone to learn that he had obtained vengeance. But we are not so; but we especially want everyone to learn that they did not get away unpunished. How long will we breathe of the earth? It is not possible for a fight to arise from one side. If you pull at those who are raging from both sides, you will provoke them more; but if from the right or from the left, you have extinguished the anger. The one who strikes, if he has one who does not receive it, is more puffed up; but if one who yields, he is more weakened, and the blow turns back upon himself. For a man who knows how to wrestle does not so weaken the strength of his antagonist as a man who is insulted and does not insult back. For that one, being ashamed, will then depart, condemned, first by his conscience, and second by all who see. And there is 60.119 a certain proverb, that indeed "He who honors, honors himself." Therefore also he who insults, insults himself. No one will be able to wrong us, I will say again, unless we wrong ourselves; nor will anyone make me poor, unless I make myself so. For come, let us consider it this way: Let my soul be poor, and let everyone empty their possessions upon me; what of it? As long as it is not changed, all is in vain. Let my soul be great, and let everyone take my possessions; what of it? As long as you do not make it poor, there is no harm. Let my life be impure, and let everyone say the opposite about me; what of it? For even if they say it, they do not also vote for these things in their mind. Again, let my life be pure, and let everyone say the opposite; and what of it? For they will condemn themselves in their conscience; for they do not speak from conviction. For just as one must not accept praises, so too one must not accept accusations. And why do I say these things? No one will ever be able to plot against us, nor to surround us with any accusation, if we are willing. Let us also see it this way: Let someone drag us to court, let him slander, if you wish, and bring forth our life; and what of it, to suffer these things undeservedly for a little while? This very thing then is an evil, he says. This very thing is then good, not to suffer according to one's deserts. But what? Ought one to suffer according to one's deserts? Let me say something again: A certain philosopher from without, when he heard that so-and-so had died, and one of his disciples said to him: Alas, that it was unjustly; he 60.120 turned and said, But what, did you wish it to be justly? And did not John also die unjustly? Whom then do you pity more, the one who died justly, or the one who did not? do you not call this one wretched, and also admire that one? What wrong then has a man suffered who has gained great things even from death itself, not only not being harmed at all? For if he made one who was immortal mortal, perhaps it would have been a harm; but if one who was mortal, and who was by nature going to receive death a little later, this one hastened this with glory

καὶ γελᾷν χρή· ὅταν γὰρ τὸ συνειδὸς μὴ βάλληται, οὐδὲ καιρὸν ἂν ἔχοι ὁ θυμός. Ἐννοήσαντας δὲ καὶ τίνα ἐξάγει εἰς μέσον πονηρὰ καὶ μιαρὰ ῥήματα, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀλγεῖν χρή. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἔμελλε μετὰ ταῦτα ἕκαστος μαθήσεσθαι, τοῦτο ἤδη ἐξεκάλυψεν· ἑαυτὸν λοιπὸν ἄπιστον πᾶσι κατέστησεν, ἅτε οὐκ εἰδότα συγκαλύπτειν τὰ τοῦ πλησίον κακὰ, καὶ ἑαυτὸν μᾶλλον ᾔσχυνεν ἢ ἕτερον, καὶ πάντα λιμένα προσέχωσε, τὰς εὐθύνας ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ φοβερὰς τοῦ μέλλοντος κριτηρίου. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω τοῦτον, ὡς ἐκεῖνον ἀποστραφήσονται πάντες, ἅπερ ἐκκαλύψαι οὐκ ἐχρῆν ἀπαμφιάσαντα. Σὺ δὲ μηδὲν εἴπῃς ὧν σύνοιδας, ἀλλὰ σίγησον, εἰ βούλει τὴν λαμπρὰν δόξαν λαβεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἀνατρέψεις τὰ λεχθέντα, οὐδὲ καλύψεις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον ἐργάσῃ καλόν· οὐκέτι ποιήσεις γὰρ κατὰ σαυτοῦ τὴν ψῆφον ἐνεχθῆναι. Ὁ δεῖνά σε κακῶς λέγει; Εἰπὲ σύ· Εἰ πάντα ᾔδει, οὐκ ἂν τοσαῦτα εἶπε μόνα. Ἐθαυμάσατε καὶ ἐξεπλάγητε τὸ λεχθέν; Ἀλλὰ μιμεῖσθαι χρή. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο πάντα ὑμῖν τὰ ἔξωθεν εἰρημένα λέγομεν, οὐχ ὡς οὐκ ἐχουσῶν μυρία τοιαῦτα τῶν Γραφῶν, ἀλλ' ὡς μᾶλλον ἐντρέψαι δυναμένων τούτων· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ οἶδε πρὸς ἐντροπὴν λέγειν, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· Οὐχὶ καὶ οἱ ἐθνικοὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν; Ὁ δὲ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας τοὺς τοῦ Ῥηχὰβ υἱοὺςπαρήγαγεν εἰς μέσον τὴν πατρικὴν ἐντολὴν παραβῆναι μὴ καταδεξαμένους. Εἶπον κακῶς οἱ περὶ Μαρίαν τὸν Μωσέα, καὶ τῆς κολάσεως αὐτοὺς εὐθέως ἐξῄτησε, καὶ οὐδὲ ὅσον μαθεῖν τινας, ὅτι ἐκδικίας ἔτυχε, συνεχώρησεν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμεῖς οὕτως· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα βουλόμεθα πάντας μαθεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀτιμωρητὶ παρῆλθον. Μέχρι τίνος ἀπὸ γῆς πνέομεν; Οὐκ ἔνι μάχην ἐξ ἑνὸς συστῆναι μέρους. Τοὺς μαινομένους ἂν ἐξ ἑκατέρων τῶν μερῶν ἑλκύσῃς, μᾶλλον παροξυνεῖς· ἂν δὲ ἐκ δεξιᾶς ἢ ἐξ ἀριστερᾶς, ἔσβεσας τὸν θυμόν. Ὁ πλήττων ἂν μὲν ἔχῃ τὸν μὴ δεχόμενον, μᾶλλον ἐπαίρεται· ἂν δὲ εἴκοντα, μᾶλλον ἐκλύεται, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἡ πληγὴ περιτρέπεται. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἐκλύει τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἀνταγωνιστοῦ ἄνθρωπος παγκρατιάζειν εἰδὼς, ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὑβριζόμενος καὶ μὴ ἀνθυβρίζων. Αἰσχυνθεὶς γὰρ ἐκεῖνος λοιπὸν ἄπεισι καὶ καταγνωσθεὶς, πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ συνειδότος, δεύτερον δὲ παρὰ τῶν ὁρώντων ἁπάντων. Καὶ παροι 60.119 μία δέ τίς ἐστιν, ὅτι δὴ Ὁ τιμῶν, ἑαυτὸν τιμᾷ. Ἄρα καὶ ὁ ὑβρίζων, ἑαυτὸν ὑβρίζει. Οὐδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἀδικῆσαι δυνήσεται, πάλιν ἐρῶ, ἐὰν μὴ ἡμεῖς ἑαυτούς· οὔτε πένητά μέ τις ἐργάσεται, ἐὰν μὴ ἐγὼ ἐμαυτόν. Φέρε γὰρ, οὕτω σκεψώμεθα· Ἔστω μοι ψυχὴ πενιχρὰ, καὶ πάντες κενούτωσαν εἰς ἐμὲ τὰ χρήματα· τί τοῦτο; Ἕως ἂν ἐκείνη μὴ μεταβάληται, πάντα μάτην. Ἔστω μοι ψυχὴ μεγάλη, καὶ πάντες λαμβανέτωσαν τὰ χρήματα· τί τοῦτο; Ἕως ἂν ἐκείνην μὴ ποιήσῃς πενιχρὰν, οὐδὲν βλάβος. Ἔστω μοι βίος ἀκάθαρτος, καὶ πάντες τἀναντία λεγέτωσαν περὶ ἐμοῦ· τί τοῦτο; Κἂν γὰρ λέγωσιν, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ ἐν διανοίᾳ ταῦτα ψηφίζονται. Πάλιν ἔστω μοι βίος καθαρὸς, καὶ πάντες τἀναντία λεγέτωσαν· καὶ τί τοῦτο; Ἐν γὰρ τῷ συνειδότι ἑαυτῶν καταγνώσονται· οὐ γὰρ δὴ πεπεισμένοι λέγουσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰς εὐφημίας οὐ δεῖ προσίεσθαι, οὕτως οὐδὲ τὰς κατηγορίας. Καὶ τί λέγω ταῦτα; Οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν ἐπιβουλεῦσαί ποτε δυνήσεται, οὐδὲ κατηγορίᾳ τινὶ περιβαλεῖν, ἐὰν βουλώμεθα. Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ οὕτως· Ἑλκέτω τις εἰς δικαστήριον, συκοφαντείτω, εἰ βούλει, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκφερέτω· καὶ τί τοῦτο, πρὸς μικρὸν παρ' ἀξίαν ταῦτα παθεῖν; Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ κακὸν, φησίν. Αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο καλὸν τὸ μὴ κατ' ἀξίαν παθεῖν. Ἀλλὰ τί; κατ' ἀξίαν ἔδει; Εἴπω τι πάλιν· Φιλόσοφός τις τῶν ἔξωθεν ὡς ἤκουσεν, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα ἀπέθανε, καί τις εἶπεν αὐτῷ τῶν μαθητῶν· Οἴμοι, ὅτι ἀδίκως· ἐκεῖνος ἐπιστρα 60.120 φεὶς, Ἀλλὰ τί, ἔφη, δικαίως ἤθελες; Καὶ Ἰωάννης δὲ οὐχὶ ἀδίκως ἀπέθανε; Τίνα οὖν μᾶλλον ἐλεεῖς, τὸν δικαίως ἀποθανόντα, ἢ τὸν οὐχ οὕτως; οὐχὶ τοῦτον μὲν ταλανίζεις, ἐκεῖνον δὲ καὶ θαυμάζεις; Τί οὖν ἠδίκηται ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου κερδάνας μεγάλα, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν βλαβείς; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀθάνατον ὄντα θνητὸν ἐποίει, ἴσως ἂν βλάβη ἦν· εἰ δὲ θνητὸν ὄντα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως μικρὸν ὕστερον τὸν θάνατον ἐκδέχεσθαι μέλλοντα, ἔσπευσεν οὗτος μετὰ δόξης τοῦτον