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Of Dionysius the Areopagite. That which is in every way deprived of the good, in no place and in no way either was, or is, or will be, or is able to be.

Of the Theologian. It is good to conquer insolence with goodness, and to make better those who do wrong, for whom we endure suffering.

(15Ε_410> Be good to all, but more so to those nearest. Seek goodness from God for yourself, being good. What teaching is more concise than goodness? Be to your friends and neighbors such as you wish them to be to you. Chrysostom. Not only when doing good, but also when punishing He is good and

benevolent is God. For both His chastisements and His punishments are a very great part of His beneficence; since a physician, too, not only when he leads the sick one out to parks and meadows, nor when to baths and pools of water, but also when he orders him to remain without food, when he cuts, when he brings bitter medicines, then he is likewise a physician 973, and shows his benevolence even more.

Gregory of Nyssa. He who is good by nature, is also the provider of all good things. It is in every way characteristic of the good to be beneficial. Demosthenes. Not so much can speech persuade, as a good character can. Of Posidippus. For those whose character is well-ordered, for them also life is well-composed. By art I have acquired many acquaintances; but by character, the most friends. Themistocles. Themistocles, when selling a piece of land, ordered it to be announced that it also has a good

neighbor. Of Menander. You advise these things which are fitting for you, But it is not your speech that makes me do what is proper, Know this well; but my own character persuades me. No one who is good does an evil thing. One must not yield completely to the wicked. But resist; otherwise, our whole life Will be secretly turned upside down. (15Ε_412> Of Leucippe. Goodness, when it meets with favor, still more

increases; but when insulted, it is provoked to anger. Of Perithous. To be good is more profitable than much money. A good character is safer than law. For no orator could ever distort the one; But speech, stirring it up and down, often ruins the other. DISCOURSE 58. Concerning law. (15Ε_414> John 8. My judgment is just, because I am not alone, but

I and the one who sent me. And in your law it is written, That the testimony of two men is true.

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∆ιονυσίου τοῦ Ἀρεωπαγίτου. Τό κατά πάντα τρόπον τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἐστερημένον, οὐδαμῇ οὐδαμῶς οὔτε ἦν, οὔτε ἔστιν, οὔτε ἔσται, οὔτε εἶναι δύναται.

Θεολόγου. Ἀγαθόν χρηστότητι νικᾷν θρασύτητα, καί βελτίου ποιεῖν τούς ἀδικοῦντας, οἷς καρτεροῦμεν πάσχοντες.

(15Ε_410> Πᾶσι μέν ἴσθι χρηστός, πλέον δέ τοῖς ἔγγιστα. Ζήτει Θεοῦ σοι χρηστότητα, χρηστός ὤν. Τί χρηστότητος δόγμα συντομώτερον; Τοιοῦτος ἴσθι τοῖς φίλοις καί τοῖς πέλας, Οἵους σεαυτῷ τούσδε τυγχάνειν θέλεις. Χρυσοστ. Οὐκ εὐεργετῶν μόνον, ἀλλά καί κολάζων ἀγαθός ἐστι καί

φιλάνθρωπος ὁ Θεός. Καί γάρ αἱ κολάσεις αὐτοῦ καί αἱ τιμωρίαι, μέγιστον εὐεργεσίας μέρος εἰσίν· ἐπεί καί ἰατρός, οὐχ ὅταν εἰς παραδείσους καί λειμῶνας ἐξάγῃ τόν κάμνοντα μόνον, οὐδ᾿ ὅταν εἰς βαλανεῖα καί κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων, ἀλλά καί ὅταν ἄσιτον κελεύῃ διαμεῖναι, ὅταν τέμνῃ, ὅταν πικρά προσάγει φάρμακα, τότε καί ἰατρός ἐστιν 973 ὁμοίως, καί τήν αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιδείκνυσιν πλέον.

Γρηγ. Νύσσ. Ὁ τῇ φύσει ἀγαθός, καί ἀγαθῶν πάντων παρεκτικός. Ἴδιον πάντως ἀγαθοῦ, τό ὠφελεῖν. ∆ημοσθ. Οὐ τοσοῦτον ὁ λόγος, ὅσον χρηστός τρόπος πείθειν δύναται. Ποσιδίππου. Οἶσιν ὁ τρόπος ἐστίν εὔτακτος, τουτέοισι καί βίος συντέκταται. Τέχνῃ μέν γνωρίμους ἐκτησάμην Πολλούς· διά τό τρόπον δέ, τούς πλείστους φίλους. Θεμιστοκλ. Θεμιστοκλῆς χωρίον πωλῶν ἐκέλευσε κηρύττειν, ὅτι καί γείτονα

χρηστόν ἔχει. Μενάνδρου. Σύ μέν παραινεῖς ταῦτα ὅσα σοι πρέπει, Ἐμέ δέ ποιεῖν τό καθῆκον, οὐχ ὁ σός λόγος, Εὖ ἴσθι ἀκριβῶς· ὁ δ᾿ ἴδιος πείθει τρόπος. Οὐδείς πονηρόν πρᾶγμα χρηστός ὤν ποιεῖ. Οὐ παντελῶς δεῖ τοῖς πονηροῖς ἐπιτρέπειν. Ἀλλ᾿ ἀντιτάττεσθαι· εἰ δέ μή, τ᾿ ἄνω κάτω Ἡμῶν ὁ βίος λήσει μεταστραφείς ὅλος. (15Ε_412> Λευκίππης. Χρηστότης, τυγχάνουσα μέν χάριτος, ἔτι μᾶλλον

αὔξεται· προπηλακισθεῖσα δέ, εἰς ὀργήν ἐρεθίζεται. Περίθου. Πολλῶν χρημάτων, τό χρηστόν εἶναι λυσιτελέστερόν ἐστι. Τρόπος ἐστί χρηστός ἀσφαλέστερος νόμου. Τόν μέν γάρ οὐδείς ἄν διαστρέψαι ποτέ Ῥήτωρ δύναιτο· τόν δ᾿ ἄνω τε καί κάτω Λόγος ταράσσων πολλάκις λυμαίνεται. ΛΟΓΟΣ ΝΗ´. Περί νόμου. (15Ε_414> Ἰωάν. η´. Ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμή δικαία ἐστίν, ὅτι μόνος οὐκ εἰμί, ἀλλ᾿

ἐγώ καί ὁ πέμψας με. Καί ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ γέγραπται, Ὅτι δύο ἀνθρώπων μαρτυρία ἀληθής ἐστιν.