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of those being judged by him, both of the one having more and of the one having less, the judge stands, making them equal to one another, and taking away from the one who has more as much as he finds the wronged one to be lacking. He who sees level things will be shown mercy; if I see the nature of the earth being uneven (for as it was created, so it is seen), for these things am I condemned? But understand me in a higher sense. Differences among brothers are present to me: the one poor, the other rich; the one a stranger, the other a kinsman; either being judged by you as you judge, or in need as you give. If you sit in judgment, do not see uneven things, neither the rich man as high and the poor man as low. If one seeking to have his need rectified stands at your door, do not see uneven things even so, do not say: This one is a friend, this one a relative, this one a benefactor, that one a stranger, a foreigner, an unknown person. Seeing uneven 95.1393 things you will not be shown mercy. See level things; one nature, the need in both is the same. Give to the brother and to the stranger, neither turn away from the brother, and make the stranger a familiar brother. Do not prefer the friend over the foreigner when rectifying his need. He wishes you to be a comforter of those in need, not a respecter of persons, not one who gives to the relative while pushing away the stranger. All are relatives, all are brothers, all are descendants of one father. If you speak of the spiritual father, it is the heavenly one; if you seek earthly things, the earth is mother, and from the same clay we are all fashioned. So nature according to the flesh is sisterly, the birth according to the spirit is sisterly. He bears the same blood as you from the first man; he received the same grace as you from the Lord. See, therefore, level things, that you may be shown mercy. Do not say: This one is rich and worthy of honor, that one is poor, and despising the poor man, nor distribute honors unevenly according to these prominences. For the rich man is a liar, the rich man a robber, the rich man a fornicator, the poor man is righteous. Therefore, do not pay attention to the outward appearance, but entering into what is hidden, there distribute the distinctions. Honor the one who possesses honorable things. What is more honorable? Virtue or wealth? Why do you judge from outward things while investigating hidden things? Do you see that Bel, on the outside has bronze, but on the inside clay, hidden by the gleaming bronze? If you see those who are prominent in life, know that the bronze shines around them, but on the inside they are clay. Many have gold within, but are covered on the outside with an earthenware shell. This one is self-controlled, and that one fornicates. Who is richer? The one who has self-control, or the one who has money gathered from injustice? this memorial is inalienable, that wealth is temporary. A thief does not dig through this one, that one flourishes today, but tomorrow withers away. So see level things, with equal honor in the same way; however, do not abolish the distinction of honorable things, that you may be shown mercy. Thus test the brother, as you yourself are also judged by the same measures. -Make instruction a weapon of righteousness, not of death. -O judge, know that you are being judged, and you will sin less. -Before all bring in love for mankind, in which God rejoices more than in all other things. Mix gentleness with fear, temper the threat with hope. I know that kindness also achieves many things, putting to shame for a due recompense; when it is possible to use force, by yielding we may put to shame through goodwill the one who is being shown mercy. Show what is effective, not by doing evil. But by doing something good, if you wish to be God. And this is of a man who knows what is kindred. But even a turtledove and a scorpion kill very easily. 95.1396 Let us not strike all at once; for it is not safe; but having disciplined with fear, let us conquer with love for mankind. When someone himself becomes blameless to all, then he will be able with as much authority as he wishes, both to punish and to release all those placed under him. The one who judges of necessity rules over the one being judged. The judge must know, that he serves the judgment of God, and is not a lord, to bring the judgment as he wishes, so as even to grant favors to those being judged in their cases. I will administer the rule, just as a good steward, not

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κρινομένων παρ' αὐτῷ, τοῦ τε πλεονεκτοῦντος, καὶ τοῦ ἔλαττον ἔχοντος ἕστηκεν ὁ κριτὴς, ἐπανισῶν αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἀλλήλους, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀφαιρῶν τοῦ ὑπερέχοντος, ὅσον ἐλαττούμενον εὑρίσκει τὸν ἀδικούμενον. Ὁ βλέπων λεῖα, ἐλεηθήσεται· ἐὰν ἴδω τὴν φύσιν τῆς γῆς ἀνωμάλως ἔχουσαν (ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἵα ἐκτίσθη, τοιαύτη ὁρᾶται), ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐγὼ καταδικάζομαι; Ἀλλὰ νόει μοι ὑψηλῶς. Παρεστήκασί μοι ἀδελφῶν διαφοραί· ὁ μὲν πένης, ὁ δὲ πλούσιος· ὁ μὲν ξένος, ὁ δὲ οἰκεῖος· ἢ δικάζοντί σοι κρινόμενοι, ἢ μεταδιδόντι σοι χρῄζοντες. Ἐὰν κάθῃ κρίνων, μὴ βλέπε ἀνώμαλα, μηδὲ τὸν πλούσιον ὑψηλὸν, τὸν δὲ πένητα ταπεινόν. Ἐὰν παρασταθῇ τῇ θύρᾳ σου ὁ τὴν χρείαν αὐτοῦ ἐπανορθωθῆναι ζητῶν, μηδὲ οὕτως ἀνώμαλα ἴδῃς, μὴ εἴπῃς· Οὗτος φίλος, οὗτος συγγενὴς, οὗτος εὐεργέτης, ἐκεῖνος ξένος, ἀλλότριος, ἄγνωστος, Ἀνώ 95.1393 μαλα βλέπων οὐκ ἐλεηθήσῃ. Λεῖα βλέπε· φύσις μία, ἔνδεια ἐν ἀμφοτέροις ἡ αὐτή. ∆ὸς τῷ ἀδελφῷ καὶ τῷ ξένῳ, μήτε τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀποστραφῇς, καὶ τὸν ξένον ἀδελφὸν οἰκεῖον ποίησαι. Μὴ πρόκρινε τὸν φίλον ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου, τὴν χρείαν αὐτοῦ ἐπανορθούμενος. Βούλεταί σε παραμυθητικὸν εἶναι τῶν δεομένων, οὐ προσωπολήπτην, οὐ τῷ συγγενεῖ διδόντα, τὸν ξένον ἀπωθούμενον. Πάντες συγγενεῖς, πάντες ἀδελφοὶ, ἑνὸς πατρὸς ἔγγονοι πάντες. Ἐὰν τὸν πνευματικὸν εἴπῃς πατέρα, ὁ οὐράνιος· ἐὰν τὰ γήϊνα ζητῇς, μήτηρ ἡ γῆ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πηλοῦ διηρτίσμεθα πάντες. Ὥστε ἀδελφὴ ἡ φύσις κατὰ σάρκα, ἀδελφὴ ἡ γένεσις ἡ κατὰ πνεῦμα. Τὸ αὐτό σοι αἷμα φορεῖ ἀπὸ τοῦ πρώτου ἀνθρώπου· τὴν αὐτήν σοι χάριν ἔλαβε παρὰ τοῦ ∆εσπότου. Βλέπε οὖν λεῖα, ἵνα ἐλεηθῇς. Μὴ εἴπῃς· Οὗτος πλούσιος καὶ τιμῆς ἄξιος, ἐκεῖνος πένης, καὶ φαυλίζων τὸν πένητα, μηδὲ ταῖς ὑπεροχαῖς ταύταις ἀνωμάλως διάνεμε τὰς τιμάς. Ἔστι γὰρ ὁ πλούσιος ψεύστης, ὁ πλούσιος ἅρπαξ, ὁ πλούσιος πόρνος, ὁ πένης δίκαιος. Μὴ τοίνυν τῇ ἔξωθεν ἐπιφανείᾳ πρόσεχε, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ κρυπτὸν εἰσερχόμενος, ἐκεῖ τὰς διαφορὰς διάνεμε. Τίμα τὸν τὰ τίμια κεκτημένον. Τί τιμιώτερον; ἀρετὴ ἢ πλοῦτος; τί ἐκ τῶν ἔξωθεν δοκιμάζεις τὰ κρύφια διερευνώμενος; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ὁ Βὴλ, ἔξωθεν μὲν ἔχει χαλκὸν, ἔνδοθεν δὲ πηλὸν, τῷ περιαστράπτοντι χαλκῷ ὑποκρυπτόμενον; Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τοὺς ἐν τῷ βίῳ περιφανεῖς, γίνωσκε ὅτι ὁ χαλκὸς αὐτοῖς περιλάμπει, ἔνδοθεν δὲ πηλός εἰσιν. Πολλοὶ μὲν χρυσὸν ἔχουσιν ἔνδον, ὄστρακον δὲ ἔξωθεν περικείμενον. Οὗτος σωφρονεῖ, κἀκεῖνος πορνεύει. Τίς πλουσιώτερος; ὁ τὴν σωφροσύνην ἔχων, ἢ ὁ τὰ χρήματα ἐξ ἀδικίας συνειλεγμένα; τοῦτο τὸ μνημόσυνον ἀναφαίρετον, ἐκεῖνος ὁ πλοῦτος πρόσκαιρος. Τοῦτον κλέπτης οὐ διορύσσει, ἐκεῖνος σήμερον ἀνθεῖ, αὔριον δὲ ἀπομαραίνεται. Ὥστε βλέπε λεῖα, ὁμοτίμως κατὰ τὸ αὐτό· τὴν μέντοι διάκρισιν τῶν τιμίων μὴ ἀφανίσῃς, ἵνα ᾖς ἐλεημένος. Οὕτω δοκίμαζε τὸν ἀδελφὸν, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς μέτροις κρινόμενος. -Ποιήσατε δικαιοσύνης ὅπλον, μὴ θανάτου, τὴν παίδευσιν. -Ἴσθι κρινόμενος ὁ κριτὴς, καὶ ἧττον ἁμαρτήσεις. -Ἔναντι πάντων εἰσένεγκε τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ᾗ χαίρει Θεὸς μᾶλλον ἢ πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις. Μῖξον τῷ φόβῳ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν, κέρασον τῇ ἀπειλῇ τὴν ἐλπίδα. Πολλὰ καὶ χρηστότητα κατορθοῦν οἶδα, δυσωποῦσαν εἰς ὀφειλομένην ἀνταπόδοσιν· ὅταν βιάζεσθαι παρὸν, συγχωρήσαντες δυσωπήσωμεν εὐνοίᾳ τὸν ἐλεούμενον. Τὸ δραστικὸν δείκνυε, μὴ τῷ δρᾷν κακῶς. Τῷ δ' εὖ τι ποιεῖν, εἰ θέλεις εἶναι Θεός. Τὸ δ' ἐστὶν ἀνδρὸς εἰδότος τὸ συγγενές. Κτείνει δὲ ῥᾷστα, καὶ τρυγὼν, καὶ σκορπίος. 95.1396 Μὴ πλήξωμεν ἀθρόως· οὐ γὰρ ἀσφαλές· ἀλλὰ τῷ φόβῳ σωφρονίσαντες τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ νικήσωμεν. Ὅταν αὐτός τις ἀνεπίληπτος ἅπασι γένηται, τότε δυνήσεται μεθ' ὅσης βούλεται ἐξουσίας, καὶ κολάζειν, καὶ ἀνιέναι τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ταττομένους ἅπαντας. Ὁ κρίνων τοῦ κρινομένου ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἄρχει. ∆εῖ τὸν κριτὴν εἰδέναι, ὅτι κρίσει Θεοῦ ὑπηρετεῖ, καὶ οὐ κύριός ἐστιν, ὡς βούλεται ἀγαγεῖν τὸ κρῖμα, ὥστε καὶ χαρίζεσθαι τοῖς κρινομένοις τὰ πράγματα. ∆ιοικήσω τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς προστάτης, οὐχ