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to go out the doors of the court, so also the one who has sworn. Let us consider these things, and let us not make our brothers swear. What are you doing, man? you make someone swear upon a sacred table, and where Christ lies sacrificed, there you slay your brother? And while robbers sacrifice on the roads, you slay the son before his mother, committing a more abominable murder than Cain? For he sacrificed his brother in the wilderness, and inflicted the present death; but you sacrifice your brother in the midst of the church, and inflict the future, the immortal death. For was the church made for this, that we should swear? It was made for this, that we should pray. For does the table stand for this, that we should make others swear? It stands for this, that we may loose sins, not that we may bind them. But if for no other reason, at least reverence the book which you offer for an oath, and the Gospel, which taking in your hands you command him to swear by; open it, and having heard what Christ says there about oaths, shudder, and stand back. What then does He say there about oaths? But I say to you, do not swear at all; and you make the very law that forbids swearing into an oath? O, the insolence! O, the drunken violence! for you do the same thing, as if someone were to command the lawgiver who forbids murder to become an accomplice to the slaughter. I do not so groan and weep when I hear of some being slaughtered in the streets, as I groan and weep and shudder, whenever I see someone coming near this table, and placing his hands, and touching the Gospels and swearing. You are in doubt about money, tell me, and you destroy a soul? what do you gain that is as great as the loss you inflict on both your own soul, and your neigh 49.161 bor's? If you believe that the man is truthful, do not bring on the necessity of an oath; but if you know that he lies, do not force him to perjure himself. But that I may be fully assured, he says. Therefore when you do not make him swear, then you will receive sufficient assurance. For now, having gone home, you are continually consumed by your conscience, considering these things: did I perhaps make him swear in vain? did he perhaps perjure himself? was I not the cause of the sin? But if you do not make him swear, having gone home you will receive much comfort, giving thanks to God and saying: Blessed be God, that I restrained myself, and did not make him swear rashly or in vain. Let the gold lament, let the money be lost; for this above all gives us assurance, not to transgress the law, nor to compel another to do so. Consider for whose sake you did not make him swear, and this will be sufficient for you for comfort and consolation. Often, at least, when a fight occurs, being insulted we bear it nobly, and say to the one insulting us: What can I do to you? so-and-so forbids me, your patron, he holds my hands; and this is sufficient for us for comfort. So you also, whenever you are about to make someone swear, hold yourself back and stop, and say to the one about to swear: What can I do to you? God commanded not to make others swear; he holds me now. This is sufficient both for the honor of the lawgiver, and for your own safety, and for fear in the one who is about to swear. For when he sees that we so fear to make others swear, much more will he himself fear to swear rashly; if 49.162 you utter this word, you will depart homeward with much assurance. Hear God, at least, in His commandments, so that He may also hear you in your prayers. This word will be written above, and it will stand by you on the day of judgment, and will dissolve many sins. And let us consider this not only in the case of an oath, but also in all matters, and when we are about to do some good thing for God's sake, and then it brings some loss, let us not look only at the loss from the matter, but also at the gain which we will reap from doing it for God's sake. For instance; Has someone insulted you? bear it nobly; and you will bear it nobly, if you consider not only the insult, but also the dignity of Him who commands you to bear it, and you will bear it gently. Have you given alms? do not consider the expense, but also the income from the expense. Have you lost money? give thanks, and not the pain from the loss

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τῷ τὰς θύρας ἐξελθεῖν τοῦ δικαστηρίου, οὕτω καὶ ὁ ὀμόσας. Ταῦτα λογιζώμεθα, καὶ μὴ ὁρκίζωμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς. Τί ποιεῖς, ἄνθρωπε; ἐπὶ τραπέζης ὁρκίζεις ἱερᾶς, καὶ ἔνθα ὁ Χριστὸς κεῖται τεθυμένος, ἐκεῖ τὸν ἀδελφὸν καταθύεις τὸν σόν; Καὶ οἱ μὲν λῃσταὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὁδῶν θύουσι, σὺ δὲ ἔμπροσθεν τῆς μητέρος τὸν υἱὸν καταθύεις ἐναγέστερον τοῦ Κάϊν ἐργαζόμενος φόνον; Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ ἔθυσε τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐρημίας, καὶ τὸν παρόντα θάνατον· σὺ δὲ θύεις τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ τὸν μέλλοντα θάνατον τὸν ἀθάνατον. Μὴ γὰρ ἐκκλησία διὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἵνα ὀμνύωμεν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν, ἵνα εὐχώμεθα. Μὴ γὰρ τράπεζα διὰ τοῦτο ἕστηκεν, ἵνα ὁρκίζωμεν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἕστηκεν, ἵνα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα λύωμεν, οὐχ ἵνα δεσμῶμεν. Σὺ δὲ εἰ μηδὲν ἕτερον, αὐτὸ γοῦν τὸ βιβλίον αἰδέσθητι ὃ προτείνεις εἰς ὅρκον, καὶ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ὃ μετὰ χεῖρας λαμβάνων κελεύεις ὀμνύναι, ἀνάπτυξον, καὶ ἀκούσας τί περὶ ὅρκων ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκεῖ διαλέγεται, φρίξον, καὶ ἀπόστηθι. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖ περὶ ὅρκων φησίν; Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως· σὺ δὲ τὸν νόμον τὸν κωλύοντα ὀμνύναι, τοῦτον ὅρκον ποιεῖς; Ὢ τῆς ὕβρεως! ὢ τῆς παροινίας! ταυτὸν γὰρ ποιεῖς, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τὸν νομοθέτην τὸν κωλύοντα φονεύειν, αὐτὸν σύμμαχον κελεύοι γενέσθαι πρὸς τὴν σφαγήν. Οὐχ οὕτω στένω καὶ δακρύω σφαζομένους ἀκούων τινὰς ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, ὡς στένω καὶ δακρύω καὶ φρίττω, ἐπειδὰν ἴδω τινὰ πλησίον τῆς τραπέζης ταύτης ἐλθόντα, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας θέντα, καὶ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἁψάμενον καὶ ὀμνύοντα. Περὶ χρημάτων ἀμφιβάλλεις, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ ψυχὴν ἀναιρεῖς; τί τοσοῦτον κερδαίνεις, ὅσον ζημιοῖς καὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου, καὶ τὸν πλη 49.161 σίον; Εἰ μὲν πιστεύεις, ὅτι ἀληθής ἐστιν ὁ ἀνὴρ, μὴ ἐπαγάγῃς τοῦ ὅρκου τὴν ἀνάγκην· εἰ δὲ οἶδας, ὅτι ψεύδεται, μὴ ἀναγκάσῃς ἐπιορκεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἵνα πληροφορηθῶ, φησίν. Ὅταν μὲν οὖν μὴ ὁρκίσῃς, τότε ἱκανὴν δέξῃ πληροφορίαν. Νῦν μὲν γὰρ ἀναχωρήσας οἴκαδε κατεσθίῃ διηνεκῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος ταῦτα λογιζόμενος, ἆρα μὴ μάτην ὥρκωσα; ἆρα μὴ ἐπιώρκησεν; ἆρα μὴ ἐγὼ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐγενόμην αἴτιος; Ἂν δὲ μὴ ὁρκώσῃς, ἀναχωρήσας οἴκαδε πολλὴν δέξῃ παραμυθίαν εὐχαριστῶν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ λέγων· Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι κατέσχον ἐμαυτὸν, καὶ οὐχ ὥρκωσα εἰκῆ οὐδὲ μάτην. Οἰμωζέτω τὸ χρυσίον, ἀπολλύσθω τὰ χρήματα, ὥστε πληροφορίαν ἡμῖν τοῦτο ἐντίθησι μάλιστα, τὸ μὴ παραβῆναι τὸν νόμον, μηδὲ ἕτερον ἀναγκάσαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Ἐννόησαι διὰ τίνα οὐχ ὥρκωσας, καὶ ἀρκέσει σοι τοῦτο εἰς παραμυθίαν καὶ παράκλησιν. Πολλάκις γοῦν μάχης γινομένης ὑβριζόμενοι φέρομεν γενναίως, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ὑβρίζοντα λέγομεν· Τί σοι ποιήσω; ὁ δεῖνά με κωλύει, ὁ προστάτης ὁ σὸς, ἐκεῖνός μου κατέχει τὰς χεῖρας· καὶ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο ἡμῖν εἰς παραμυθίαν. Οὕτω καὶ σὺ, ἐπειδὰν μέλλῃς τινὰ ὁρκίζειν, ἐπίσχες σαυτὸν καὶ κώλυσον, καὶ εἰπὲ πρὸς τὸν μέλλοντα ὀμνύναι· Τί σοι ποιήσω; ὁ Θεὸς ἐκέλευσε μὴ ὁρκίζειν· ἐκεῖνός με κατέχει νῦν. Ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο καὶ εἰς τιμὴν τοῦ νομοθετήσαντος, καὶ εἰς ἀσφάλειαν σὴν, καὶ εἰς φόβον τοῦ μέλλοντος ὀμνύναι. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἴδῃ, ὅτι ὁρκῶσαι ἑτέρους οὕτω δεδοίκαμεν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον αὐτὸς ὀμόσαι προπετῶς φοβηθήσεται· ἂν 49.162 τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα φθέγξῃ, μετὰ πολλῆς οἴκαδε ἀναχωρήσεις τῆς πληροφορίας. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς, ἵνα καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκούσῃ σοῦ ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς. Τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμα ἐγγραφήσεται ἄνω, καὶ παραστήσεταί σοι ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, καὶ πολλὰς ἁμαρτίας διαλύσεται. Καὶ τοῦτο μὴ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὅρκου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων τῶν πραγμάτων λογιζώμεθα, καὶ ὅταν μέλλωμέν τι διὰ Θεὸν ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν, εἶτα φέρῃ ζημίαν τινὰ, μὴ τὴν ζημίαν τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος βλέπωμεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ κέρδος, ὃ καρπωσόμεθα ἐκ τοῦ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν ποιῆσαι. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Ὕβρισέ σέ τις; φέρε γενναίως· οἴσεις δὲ γενναίως, ἂν μὴ τὴν ὕβριν ἐννοήσῃς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ κελεύοντος φέρειν, καὶ οἴσῃ πράως. Ἔδωκας ἐλεημοσύνην; μὴ τὴν δαπάνην ἐννόει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πρόσοδον τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς δαπάνης. Ἐζημιώθης χρήματα; εὐχαρίστησον, καὶ μὴ τὴν ὀδύνην τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ζημίας