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shames. Yes, it shames the one who condemns himself; but the shameless, it makes even more insolent; for he who has given up on himself becomes rash. For the impious man, it says, when he has come into a depth of evils, despises. And the shameless would also be insolent; and the insolent, also rash. Do you want to learn when gentleness is consumed? When evil thoughts chew it up. But even if this happens, that the dog does not stand barking loudly, not even so should one despair. For we have both sling and stone (you know what is meant); we have both spear, and fold, and pen, in which we shall keep our thoughts unharmed. If the dog fawns on the sheep, but is fierce toward those outside and is watchful, this is the virtue of a dog; and if it is hungry, not to taste of the sheep; and if it is full, not to spare the wolves. Such also is anger; even if it is bitten, not to depart from gentleness; and if it is at rest, to be roused against evil thoughts; and not to abandon what is one's own even if it strikes, but to recognize it, but to harm what is foreign even if it fawns. The devil often fawns like the dog, but let everyone know that he is a foreigner. So let us also fawn on virtue, even if it pains; and turn away from vice, even if it delights. Let us not become worse than the dogs, which when scourged and choked do not depart. But if the stranger also feeds them, how will they not do more harm? There is a time when anger is useful, but it is when it barks against strangers. What is, "He who is angry with his brother without a cause"? It means, Do not defend yourself, nor take vengeance; if you see another perishing, stretch out a hand. This is no longer anger, then, when you are freed from your own personal feeling. David took Saul, and was not angry, nor did he thrust in the spear, having taken his enemy, but he defended himself against the devil. Moses, when he saw a stranger doing wrong, also killed him; but when it was his own, no longer; but he reconciled his brothers, and pushed those others away. And yet the Scripture testifies that he was most meek, but nevertheless he was also roused. But not we; but where we ought to show meekness, we are fiercer than all wild beasts; and where we ought to be roused, we are more sluggish and sleepy than all. Since then we have not used what is in us for a good purpose, for this very reason our life has also been spent for no good purpose. So also with implements, if one uses them for a different purpose, he destroys everything; for instance, if one having taken a knife, where he ought to use it, does not use it, but does this with his hand, he will accomplish nothing more; just as also he who, where he ought to use his hand, employs the knife, would destroy everything. So also a physician, where he ought to cut, not cutting, and where he ought not, cutting, ruins everything. Therefore I entreat you, let us use the thing in season. For there is no season for anger when we are helping ourselves; but when we must correct others, then most of all we must use it, that we may snatch others away. Thus we shall be like God, everywhere preserving freedom from anger, and we shall obtain the 60.141 good things to come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father 60.142 together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
60.141 HOMILY XVIII. Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart
of them, and they gnashed their teeth at him. a. How they did not take from what was said a pretext for killing him, but are still mad and seek a cause, is a thing to wonder at. Thus are they that do wrong always in evils. Just as therefore the chief priests, being at a loss, said, "What shall we do to these men?" so also these are cut to the heart. And yet he was the one who ought to have been angry, who having done no wrong, suffered the things of those who had done wrong and
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κατ[αν]αισχύνει. Ναὶ τὸν καταγνόντα ἑαυτοῦ· τὸν δὲ ἀπηρυθριασμένον, καὶ ἰταμώτερον ἐργάζεται· ὁ γὰρ ἀπογνοὺς ἑαυτοῦ, θρασὺς γίνεται. Ἀσεβὴς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐλθὼν εἰς βάθος κακῶν, καταφρονεῖ. Ὁ δὲ ἀναίσχυντος, καὶ ἰταμὸς ἂν εἴη· ὁ δὲ ἰταμὸς, καὶ θρασύς. Βούλει μαθεῖν πότε ἀναλίσκεται ἐπιείκεια; Ὅταν πονηροὶ λογισμοὶ αὐτὴν διαμασῶνται. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ τοῦτο συμβαίνει, ὅτι μὴ ὁ κύων ἕστηκε μέγα ὑλακτῶν, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπογινώσκειν χρή. Ἔστι γὰρ ἡμῖν καὶ σφενδόνη καὶ λίθος (ἴστε τὸ λεγόμενον)· ἔστιν ἡμῖν καὶ δόρυ, καὶ μάνδρα, καὶ σηκὸς, ἐν ᾧ φυλάξομεν τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἀσινεῖς. Ἂν ὁ κύων σαίνῃ μὲν τὰ πρόβατα, ἀγριαίνῃ δὲ κατὰ τῶν ἔξω καὶ ἀγρυπνῇ, τοῦτο ἀρετὴ κυνός· κἂν λιμώττῃ, μὴ γεύεσθαι τῶν προβάτων· κἂν ἐν πλησμονῇ ᾖ, μὴ φείδεσθαι τῶν λύκων. Τοιοῦτον καὶ ὁ θυμός· κἂν δάκνηται, τῆς ἐπιεικείας μὴ ἀφίστασθαι· κἂν ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ ᾖ, διεγείρεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμούς· καὶ τὸ μὲν οἰκεῖον καὶ πλῆττον μὴ καταλιμπάνειν, ἀλλ' ἐπιγινώσκειν, τὸ δὲ ἀλλότριον καὶ σαῖνον λυμαίνεσθαι. Σαίνει ὁ διάβολος πολλάκις ὡς ὁ κύων, ἀλλὰ γνώτω πᾶς, ὅτι ἀλλότριός ἐστιν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν ἀρετὴν, κἂν λυπῇ, σαίνωμεν· καὶ τὴν κακίαν, κἂν εὐφραίνῃ, ἀποστρεφώμεθα. Μὴ γενώμεθα χείρους τῶν κυνῶν, οἳ μαστιζόμενοι καὶ ἀγχόμενοι οὐκ ἀφίστανται. Ἂν δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ τρέφῃ ὁ ἀλλότριος, πῶς οὐ μᾶλλον βλάψουσιν; Ἔστιν ὅτε χρήσιμος ὁ θυμὸς, ἀλλ' ὅταν ὑλακτῇ κατὰ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων. Τί ἐστιν, Ὁ ὀργιζόμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ εἰκῆ; Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μὴ ἄμυνε σαυτῷ, μηδὲ ἐκδίκει ἂν ἕτερον ἴδῃς ἀπολλύμενον, ὄρεξον χεῖρα. Οὐκ ἔτι θυμὸς λοιπὸν τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅταν τῆς οἰκείας συμπαθείας ἀπηλλαγμένος ᾖς. Ἔλαβεν ὁ ∆αυῒδ τὸν Σαοὺλ, καὶ οὐκ ἐθυμώθη, οὐδὲ ἐνέπηξε τὸ δόρυ, τὸν ἐχθρὸν λαβὼν, ἀλλ' ἠμύνατο τὸν διάβολον. Ὁ Μωϋσῆς, ὅτε μὲν ἀλλότριον ἀδικοῦντα εἶδε, καὶ ἀνεῖλεν· ὅτε δὲ οἰκεῖον, οὐκ ἔτι· ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὲν ἀδελφοὺς κατήλλαττεν, ἐκείνους δὲ καὶ ἀπωθεῖτο. Καίτοι πραότατον αὐτὸν ἡ Γραφὴ μαρτυρεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἦν καὶ διεγηγερμένος. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμεῖς· ἀλλ' ἔνθα μὲν πραότητα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι χρὴ, πάντων θηρίων ἐσμὲν ἀγριώτεροι· ἔνθα δὲ διεγερθῆναι, πάντων νωθέστεροι καὶ ὑπνηλότεροι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐκ εἰς δέον κεχρήμεθα τοῖς ἐν ἡμῖν, διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν δέον ὁ βίος ἡμῖν ἀνάλωται. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν σκεύεσιν, ἐὰν ἄλλῳ ἄλλως χρήσηταί τις, τὰ πάντα ἀπόλλυσιν· οἷον ἂν μάχαιραν λαβών τις, ἔνθα αὐτῇ χρῆσθαι δεῖ, μὴ χρῷτο, ἀλλὰ τῇ χειρὶ τοῦτο ποιοῖ, οὐδὲν πλέον ἐργάσεται· ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ ἔνθα τῇ χειρὶ χρήσασθαι χρὴ, τὴν μάχαιραν μεταχειρίζων, πάντα ἂν ἀπολέσειεν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἰατρὸς, ἔνθα ἂν τέμνειν δέῃ, μὴ τέμνων, καὶ ἔνθα ἂν μὴ χρὴ, τέμνων, πάντα διαφθείρει. ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ, ἡμεῖς εἰς καιρὸν χρώμεθα τῷ πράγματι. Θυμοῦ γὰρ καιρὸς οὐδαμοῦ, ὅταν ἑαυτοῖς βοηθῶμεν· ἂν δὲ ἑτέρους διορθῶσαι χρὴ, τότε μάλιστα αὐτῷ χρῆσθαι δεῖ, ἵνα ἑτέρους ἐξαρπάσωμεν. Οὕτω καὶ ἰσόθεοι ἐσόμεθα, τὸ ἀόργητον πανταχοῦ διατηροῦντες, καὶ τῶν 60.141 μελλόντων ἐπιτευξόμεθα ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ 60.142 ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
60.141 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΗʹ. Ἀκούοντες δὲ ταῦτα, διεπρίοντο ταῖς καρδίαις
αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔβρυχον τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐπ' αὐτόν. αʹ. Πῶς οὐκ ἔλαβον ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀφορμὴν εἰς τὸ ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν, ἀλλ'
ἔτι μαίνονται καὶ ζητοῦσιν αἰτίαν, θαυμάσαι ἄξιον. Οὕτως ἀεὶ ἐν κακοῖς εἰσιν οἱ ἀδικοῦντες. Καθάπερ οὖν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἀποροῦντες ἔλεγον· Τί ποιήσομεν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις; οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτοι διαπρίονται. Καὶ μὴν ὁ θυμωθῆναι ὀφείλων ἐκεῖνος ἦν, ὁ μηδὲν μὲν ἀδικήσας, τὰ δὲ τῶν ἠδικηκότων παθὼν καὶ