85

for the virtue within them to be revealed will be wisdom for them. 338 ····· ····· ·····υ̣σ̣ιν φρονη ····· ····· ···α̣ι̣ τὸ ἐπέχειν πε····· ····· ···, just as it is said in Proverbs: "Wisdom will be reckoned to a fool who has asked for wisdom." For when someone recognizes that he needs instruction and a teacher who enlightens, it will result in wisdom for him. For just as one who is able to speak about wisdom and to teach is wise and a teacher, so also in part is he wise who is able to ask what ought to be asked. He called him "foolish," not as one entirely deprived, but as one having something lacking. Similar to "would that you were silent" is "a time to be silent" - - - #6and "a time" but "to speak." Hear the reproof of my mouth, and attend to the judgment of my lips. He says mouth and lips instead of word. And the holy one reproves as a holy one and judges as is fitting for him; he uses reproof and judgment with knowledge and according to law; for the just man does not have an untimely reproof, nor does he do this falsely, but with discernment. "For the mouth of the just will meditate on wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment. The law of his God is 339 in his heart, and his steps will not be tripped up." For because the law of God is in the heart of the just man, he meditates on wisdom and his steps are not tripped up, which is "the soul's powers of journeying." The saying from Proverbs, "The thoughts of the just are judgments," also signifies something of this kind. And since the thoughts are of such a kind, it follows that the word is also of such a kind; "for the good man out of the good treasure of his #6heart brings forth what is good." Do you not speak in the presence of the Lord, and in his presence do you utter #6deceit, or do you shrink back? He begins his reproof from their conscience, teaching them that they utter everything they bring forth while God is watching; but he also reports the deceit to them as being brought forth in his presence, for the sake of correction, so that they might cease from such a disposition, since they have the Lord watching over them. And so he prevents them from their audacity, because they were shrinking from God as from a man, hiding their deceit and speaking in his presence. deceit and 340 ξα. 11··ν̣με̣··νοι ξα. 10 useful are the words against those who lie and use deceit, concerning whom David also says: "of those who speak peace with their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts." But you yourselves be judges. It would be good, if he should examine you. Someone might say, "How does he now say 'But you yourselves be judges' to those to whom he just said 'But you are unjust physicians' and 'Do you not speak before the Lord, and in his presence do you utter deceit?'?" To which it must be said that each of those who sin, being charmed by pleasure, does not regard the watchful eye of God. But when a just and wise man, or even another who is not so, challenges the conscience of the sinner, leading him into the state of mind that God sees the thoughts of each person, he strikes him into awareness. The holy one, therefore, does this very thing, saying: "But you yourselves be judges. It would be good, if he should examine you." For those who are conscious of a fault in themselves do not want to be searched even by a just man, let alone by God; for such is the way of the saints, according to David, who say: 341 "Test my reins and my heart." For if, doing all things, you will be added to him, he no less reproves you. "Even if, having done all that you must do, you are added to him"—instead of "you become his own"—"you are again subject to reproof for sins of ignorance." At any rate, the blessed apostle said this: "`I am conscious of nothing in myself, yet I am not thereby justified.` For it is possible for me to overlook some of my sins of ignorance, and I am not justified because of that. But insofar as I seem to be conscious of nothing in myself, I seem to be blameless. But it is not my judgment that shows me to be justified, but God's." And the blessed David confirms such a thing, saying: "Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from my secret faults." For indeed, sins

85

ἀναφανῆναι τὴν ἐνοῦσαν ἀρετήν, σοφία αὐτοῖς ἔσται. 338 ····· ····· ·····υ̣σ̣ιν φρονη ····· ····· ···α̣ι̣ τὸ ἐπέχειν πε····· ····· ···, καθὰ ἐν Παροιμίαις λέγεται· "ἀνοήτῳ ἐπερωτήσαντι σοφίαν σοφία λογισθή σεται." ὅταν γ̣άρ τις ἐπιγνῷ, ὅτι χρῄζει παιδευμα´̣των καὶ διδασκάλου τοῦ φωτ̣ίζοντος, ἀποβήσεται αὐτῷ εἰς σοφίαν. ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ λέγειν δυνάμενος περὶ σοφίας καὶ διδα´̣σκ̣ειν σοφός ἐστι καὶ διδάσκαλος, οὕτως ἀπὸ μέρους σοφός ἐστιν ὁ δυνάμενος ἐρωτῆσαι ἃ δεῖ ἐρωτῆσαι. "ἀνόητον" δ' αὐτὸν εἶπεν οὐχ ὡς πάντῃ ἐστερημένον, ἀλλ' ὡς ἔχοντά τι ἐλλεῖπον. ὅμοιον τῷ "εἴη δὲ ὑμῖν κωφεῦσαι" τὸ "καιρὸς τοῦ σιγᾶν" - - - #6επι "καιρὸς" δὲ "τοῦ λαλεῖν". ἀκούσατε ἔλεγχον στόματός μου, κρίσιν δὲ χειλέων μου προσέχετε. στόμα καὶ χείλη ἀντὶ τοῦ λόγου φησίν. ἐλέγχει δὲ ὁ ἅγιος ὡς ἅγιος καὶ κρίνει ὡς πρέπει αὐτῷ· ἐπιστημονικῶς καὶ νομίμως χρῆται τῷ ἐλέγχῳ καὶ τῇ κρίσει· οὐ γὰρ ἄκαιρον ἔλεγχον ἔχει ὁ δίκαιος οὐδὲ ψευδῶς τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ κεκριμένως. "στόμα γὰρ δικαίου μελετήσει σοφίαν καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ λαλεῖ κρίσιν. ὁ νόμος τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ 339 ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐχ ὑποσκελισθήσεται τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ." ὅτι γὰρ ὁ νόμος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τοῦ δικαίου ἐστίν, σοφίαν μελετᾷ καὶ τὰ διαβήματα οὐχ ὑποσκελίζονται, ὅ ἐστιν «αἱ πορευτικαὶ τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις». τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ σημαίνει τὸ τῶν Παροιμιῶν λόγιον "λογισμοὶ δικαίων κρίματα". τῶν δὲ λογισμῶν τοιούτων ὄντων ἀκολουθεῖ καὶ τὸν λόγον εἶναι τοιοῦτον· "ὁ γὰρ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρω πος ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς #6καρδίας προφέρει τὸ ἀγαθόν." πότερον οὐκ ἔναντι κυρίου λαλεῖτε, ἔναντι δὲ αὐτοῦ φθέγγεσθε #6δόλον, ἢ ὑποστελεῖσθε; ἀπὸ τῆς συνειδήσεως αὐτῶν ἀπάρχεται τοῦ ἐλέγχου διδάσκων αὐτούς, ὅτι πᾶν ὃ προφέρουσιν ὁρῶντος τοῦ θεοῦ φθέγγονται· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν δόλον ὡς κατέναντι αὐτοῦ προφερόμενον αὐτοῖς ἀπαγγέλλει διορθώσεως ἕνεκεν, ἵνα παύσωνται τῆς τοιαύτης διαθέσεως ὡς ἔχοντες τὸν ἐφορῶντα κύριον. καὶ τῆς τόλμας οὖν αὐτοὺς ἀποκωλύει, ὅτι καθάπερ ἄνθρωπον ὑπεστέλλοντο τὸν θεὸν κρύπτοντες τὸν δόλον καὶ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ φθεγγόμενοι. δόλον δὲ 340 ξα. 11··ν̣με̣··νοι ξα. 10 χρήσιμα τὰ ῥήματα πρὸς τοὺς ψευδομένους καὶ δόλῳ χρωμέν̣ους, περὶ ὧν καὶ ∆αυὶδ λέγει· "τῶν λαλούντων εἰρήνην μετὰ τῶν πλησίον αὐτῶν, κακὰ δὲ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν." ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτοὶ κριταὶ γένεσθε. καλόν γε, ἐὰν ἐξιχνιάσῃ ὑμᾶς. λέγοι ἄν τις ὅτι «πῶς ο̣ἷς εἶπεν ἄρτι τὸ "ὑμεῖς δέ ἐστε ἰατροὶ ἄδικοι" καὶ "πότερον οὐκ ἀπέναντι κυρίου λαλεῖτε, ἔναντι α δὲ αὐτοῦ φθέγγεσθε δόλον;" λέγει νῦν· "ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτοὶ κριταὶ γένεσθε";» πρὸς ὃ λε̣κτέο̣ν, ὅτι ἕκαστος τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ἡδονῇ θελγόμενος τὸν ἔφορον τοῦ θεοῦ ὀφθαλμὸν οὐχ ὑπείδεται. ἐπὰν δὲ δίκαιος καὶ σοφὸς ἀνὴρ ἢ καὶ ἄλλος οὐ τοιοῦτος προκαλῆται τὸ συνειδὸς τοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντος ἐνάγων αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ διακεῖσθαι, ὅτι ὁρᾷ ἑκάστου τὰ ἐνθυμήματα ὁ θεός, πλήττει αὐτὸν εἰς συναίσθησιν. τοῦτ' οὖν αὐτὸ ποιεῖ ὁ ἅγιος λέγων· "ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτοὶ κριταὶ γένεσθε. καλόν γε, ἐὰν ἐξιχνιάσῃ ὑμᾶς." οἱ γὰρ συνειδότες ἑαυτοῖς σφάλματος οὐδ' ὑπὸ δικαίου ἀνδρὸς ἐραυνηθῆναι βούλονται, μή τί γε δὴ τοῦ θεοῦ· ἁγίων γὰρ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν κατὰ τὸν ∆αυὶδ λεγόντων· 341 "πύρωσον τοὺς νεφρούς μου καὶ τὴν καρδίαν μου." εἰ γὰρ τὰ πάντα ποιοῦντες προστεθήσεσθε αὐτῷ, οὐθὲν ἧσσον ἐλέγχει ὑμᾶς. «κἂν τὰ πάντα ποιήσαντες ἃ δεῖ ποιῆσαι προστεθῆτε αὐτῷ»-ἀντὶ τοῦ «οἰκεῖοι αὐτοῦ καταστῆτε»-, «ὑπόκεισθε πάλιν ἐλέγχῳ δι' ἀγνοήματα.» τοῦτο γοῦν ὁ μακάριος ἀπόστολος ἔλεγεν· «"οὐδὲν ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωμαι." ἐγχωρεῖ με γὰρ παριδεῖν τι τῶν ἀγνοημάτων, καὶ οὐ δεδικαίωμαι δι' ἐκεῖνο. ὅσον δὲ δ̣οκῶ μηδὲν ἐμαυτῷ συνειδέναι, δοκῶ ἀνυπεύθυνος εἶναι. οὐκ ἐμο̣ῦ δὲ ἡ κρίσις δείκνυσίν με δεδικαιωμένον, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ.» βεβαιοῖ τὸ τοιοῦτον καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αυὶδ λέγων· "παραπτώματα τίς συνήσει; ἐκ τῶν κρυφίων μου καθάρισόν με." καὶ γὰρ τῷ ὄντι ἁμαρτήματα μὲν