148

it often happens with winter torrents; for if they take hold of only a small entrance, they bring in the whole flood. So you too, even if you have walled yourself in on all sides, but a small part still remains, block this off too from the devil, so that you may be fortified on all sides. Have you seen the sickle? Have you seen the head of John? Have you heard the story concerning Saul? Have you heard of the manner of the Jewish captivity? And after all these things, have you heard the decree of Christ, which says that not only swearing falsely, but even swearing at all is of the devil, and wholly the contrivance of the evil one? Have you learned that everywhere false oaths follow oaths? Gathering all these things together, inscribe them in your mind. Do you not see how women and little children, instead of a great protection, hang Gospels from their neck, and carry them everywhere, wherever they go? You, inscribe the commandments of the Gospel and its laws in your mind. There is no need for gold and possessions here, nor to buy a book, but only of a ready will and a roused disposition of soul, and you will possess the Gospel more securely, not carrying it about outwardly, but depositing it within in the storehouses of the soul. Therefore, rising from your bed and going out of your house, repeat this law, But I say to you, do not swear at all, and the saying will be a lesson to you; for it does not require much effort, but only a little attention. And that this is true is clear from this: Call your son and frighten him, and threaten to inflict a few blows on him, if he does not keep this law, and you will see how he will immediately desist from the habit. How then is it not absurd, if little children, fearing the fear from us, should master the commandment, while we do not fear God even as much as our sons fear us? Therefore, what I said before, I also say now. Let us establish a law for ourselves, not to touch any matters, neither public nor private, until we fulfill this 49.197 law, and in any case, constrained by necessity, we will easily prevail, and we will adorn ourselves, and we will also adorn the entire city. For consider how great it is for these things to be heard throughout the whole world, that in Antioch a custom befitting Christians has prevailed, and you will hear of no one, even if the greatest necessity should befall, uttering an oath. The neighboring cities will certainly hear these things; or rather, not only the neighboring cities, but the report will also reach the very ends of the earth; for it is likely that merchants mingling with you, and others arriving from here, will report all these things. Therefore, when many, praising other cities, speak of harbors, and a marketplace, and an abundance of goods, allow those who arrive from here to say that what is in Antioch, this is nowhere else among the other cities 49.198 to be seen; for the men who inhabit that city would choose to have their tongue cut out rather than to utter an oath from their mouth. This will be an ornament and a security for you; and not only this, but it will also bring a great reward. For others will certainly emulate and imitate you; for if one who has gained one or two will receive such a reward from God, you who are teaching the entire world, how many rewards will you not receive? Therefore, it is necessary to be diligent and watchful and sober, knowing that not only for our own right actions, but also for the right actions of others we will receive a very great recompense, and we will enjoy much favor from God; of which may it be that all of us, continually enjoying it, may attain the kingdom of heaven, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory, and the power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

148

τῶν χειμάῤῥων συμβαίνει πολλάκις· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι μικρᾶς ἂν ἐπιλάβωνται μόνον εἰσόδου, ὁλόκληρον τὸ ῥεῦμα εἰσάγουσι. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν εἰ καὶ πάντοθεν σαυτὸν ἐτείχισας, μικρὸν δὲ ὑπολείπεται μέρος λοιπὸν, καὶ τοῦτο ἀπόφραξον τῷ διαβόλῳ, ἵνα ἐστηριγμένος ᾖς πάντοθεν. Εἶδες τὴν δρεπάνην; εἶδες τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰωάννου; ἤκουσας τῆς ἱστορίας τῆς κατὰ τὸν Σαούλ; ἤκουσας τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς τὸν τρόπον; μετὰ δὲ τούτων πάντων ἤκουσας τῆς ἀποφάσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ λεγούσης, ὅτι οὐ τὸ ἐπιορκεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὀμνύειν ὁπωσοῦν διαβολικόν ἐστι, καὶ ὅλον τοῦ πονηροῦ τὸ κατασκεύασμα; ἔμαθες ὅτι πανταχοῦ τοῖς ὅρκοις ἕπονται ἐπιορκίαι; Ταῦτα δὴ πάντα συναγαγὼν ἔγγραψον τῇ διανοίᾳ σου. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς, πῶς αἱ γυναῖκες καὶ τὰ μικρὰ παιδία ἀντὶ φυλακῆς μεγάλης Εὐαγγέλια ἐξαρτῶσι τοῦ τραχήλου, καὶ πανταχοῦ περιφέρουσιν, ὅπουπερ ἂν ἀπίωσιν; Σὺ τὰ παραγγέλματα τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου καὶ τοὺς νόμους ἔγγραψόν σου τῇ διανοίᾳ. Οὐ χρεία χρυσίου καὶ κτημάτων ἐνταῦθα, οὔτε βιβλίον πρίασθαι, προαιρέσεως δὲ μόνης καὶ διαθέσεως ψυχῆς διεγηγερμένης, καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον ἕξεις τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, οὐκ ἔξωθεν περιφέρων, ἀλλ' ἔνδον αὐτὸ τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποτιθέμενος ταμείοις. Ἀνιστάμενος τοίνυν ἀπὸ τῆς κλίνης, καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐκβαίνων τὴν σεαυτοῦ, τὸν νόμον ἐπίλεγε τοῦτον, Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, μὴ ὀμόσαι ὅλως, καὶ ἔσται σοι διδασκαλία τὸ ῥῆμα· οὐδὲ γὰρ πολλοῦ δεῖ πόνου, ἀλλὰ μικρᾶς προσοχῆς μόνον. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, εὔδηλον ἐκεῖθεν· Τὸν υἱόν σου καλέσας φόβησον, καὶ ἀπείλησον αὐτῷ ἐπιθήσειν πληγὰς ὀλίγας, εἰ μὴ κατορθώσειε τὸν νόμον τοῦτον, καὶ ὄψει ὡς εὐθέως ἀποστήσεται τῆς συνηθείας. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, εἰ τὰ μὲν μικρὰ παιδία τὸν παρ' ἡμῶν δεδοικότα φόβον περιγένοιτο τῆς ἐντολῆς, ἡμεῖς δὲ μηδὲ οὕτω φοβούμεθα τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς ἡμᾶς οἱ υἱοὶ δεδοίκασιν; Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ πρώην εἶπον, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν λέγω. Νόμον ἑαυτοῖς θῶμεν, μὴ πρότερον μὴ δημοσίων, μὴ ἰδιωτικῶν ἅψασθαι πραγμάτων, ἕως ἂν τοῦτον ἐκ 49.197 πληρώσωμεν τὸν νόμον, καὶ πάντως ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνάγκης συνωθούμενοι περιεσόμεθα ῥᾳδίως, καὶ κοσμήσομεν μὲν ἑαυτοὺς, κοσμήσομεν δὲ καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἅπασαν. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ἡλίκον ἐστὶ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ταῦτα ἀκούειν, ὡς ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ κεκράτηκεν ἔθος Χριστιανοῖς πρέπον, καὶ οὐδενὸς ἀκούσῃ, κἂν μεγίστη ἀνάγκη ἐπικέηται, ὅρκον προϊεμένου. Πάντως ἀκούσονται ταῦτα αἱ γείτονες πόλεις· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχ αἱ γείτονες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς ὁ λόγος ἀφίξεται· καὶ γὰρ εἰκὸς, καὶ ὑμῖν ἐπιμιγνυμένους ἐμπόρους, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἑτέρους ἀφικνουμένους ταῦτα ἀπαγγέλλειν ἅπαντα. Ὅταν οὖν ἄλλας πόλεις ἐγκωμιάζοντες πολλοὶ λιμένας λέγωσι, καὶ ἀγορὰν, καὶ ἀφθονίαν ὠνίων, δότε τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἀφικνουμένοις λέγειν, ὅτι ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ, τοῦτο οὐδαμοῦ τῶν ἄλλων πόλεων ἔστιν 49.198 ἰδεῖν· ἕλοιντο γὰρ ἂν οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην οἰκοῦντες τὴν γλῶτταν ἐκκοπῆναι πρότερον, ἢ ὅρκον ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος προέσθαι. Τοῦτο ὑμῖν κόσμος ἔσται καὶ ἀσφάλεια· οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μισθὸν οἴσει πολύν. Καὶ γὰρ πάντως ζηλώσουσιν ὑμᾶς ἕτεροι καὶ μιμήσονται· εἰ γὰρ ἕνα τις καὶ δύο κερδάνας τοσοῦτον λήψεται μισθὸν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἱ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν παιδεύοντες πόσας οὐ λήψεσθε τὰς ἀμοιβάς; Χρὴ τοίνυν σπουδάζειν καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι καὶ νήφειν, εἰδότας ὡς οὐχὶ τῶν οἰκείων κατορθωμάτων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἑτέροις κατορθουμένων ἀντίδοσιν ληψόμεθα μεγίστην, καὶ πολλῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς εὐνοίας ἀπολαύσομεν· ἧς γένοιτο διηνεκῶς πάντας ἡμᾶς ἀπολαύσαντας τυχεῖν τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα, καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.