160

of the one sinning, not from you. For since He introduced great and lofty doctrines of philosophy, so that no one might say that it is easy to philosophize about such things in words, wishing to show His frankness, and that He was not liable for any of the things He said, but had accomplished all things, He spoke this parable. For He Himself was also about to judge after this, saying, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; but He was not liable for the things He said; for neither did He cast out a speck, nor did He have a beam in His eyes, but being pure of all these things, thus He corrected everyone's faults. For it is not right, he says, to judge others, when one is liable for the same things. And why are you surprised, if He Himself established this law, when even the thief on the cross knew it, saying to the other thief: Do you not even fear God, seeing we are under the same condemnation? saying the same thoughts as Christ. But you not only do not cast out your own beam, but you do not even see it; but you not only see another's speck, but you also judge it, and attempt to cast it out; as if someone afflicted with severe dropsy, or some other incurable disease, were to neglect this, but accuse another for neglecting a small puff of wind. But if it is bad not to see one's own sins, it is a double and triple evil also to sit in judgment of others, while callously carrying beams in one's own eyes. For sin is heavier than a beam. 3. What, therefore, he commanded through what was said, is this, that one who is liable for a myriad of evils should not be a bitter judge of the offenses of others, and especially when these are small; not overturning refutation, nor correction, but forbidding the neglect of one's own affairs, and the meddling in others'. For this was causing a great increase in vice, introducing a double wickedness. For one who has made it a practice to neglect his own great matters, but to examine bitterly the small and trivial matters of others, was corrupted in a twofold way: both by despising his own affairs, and by taking up enmities and hatreds against everyone, and by being trained each day in extreme cruelty and lack of sympathy. Therefore, having done away with all these things through this good legislation, He added again another command, saying: Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine. And yet, he says, going on, He commanded: What you have 57.311 heard in the ear, preach on the housetops. But this is not contrary to the former. For there He did not simply command to speak to everyone, but to whom it is necessary to speak, to speak with boldness. And here by dogs He alluded to those living in incurable impiety, and having no hope of a change for the better, and by swine those who spend their lives continually in a dissolute life, all of whom He said were unworthy of such a hearing. Paul, at any rate, indicating this, said: But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit; for they are foolishness to him. And elsewhere in many places he says that corruption of life is the cause of not receiving the more perfect doctrines. For this reason He commands not to open the doors to them; for they become more insolent after they learn. For to the well-disposed and intelligent, when revealed they appear venerable; but to the senseless, more so when they are unknown. Since therefore they cannot by nature understand them, [let them be veiled, he says, so that] they may at least feel reverence from their ignorance. For neither does the swine know what a pearl is. Therefore, since it does not know, let it not even see, so that it may not trample on what it does not know. For nothing more comes of it, but greater harm to those who are so disposed and hear. For the holy things are mocked by them, not knowing what these things are; and they are lifted up all the more and armed against us. For this is: Lest they trample them, and turning, tear you to pieces. And yet, he says, they should have been so strong as to remain invulnerable even after learning, and not to provide others with handles against us. But it is not those things that provide it, but that these men are swine; just as, therefore, even the pearl being trampled, is not trampled because it is contemptible, but because it has fallen among swine. And He said well: Turning

160

ἁμαρτάνοντος, οὐ παρὰ σοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μεγάλα καὶ ὑψηλὰ φιλοσοφίας ἐνέθηκε δόγματα, ἵνα μή τις λέγῃ, ὅτι τὰ τοιαῦτα φιλοσοφεῖν λόγοις εὔκολον, δεῖξαι βουλόμενος τὴν παῤῥησίαν, καὶ τὸ μηδενὶ τῶν εἰρημένων ὑπεύθυνον εἶναι, ἀλλὰ πάντα κατορθωκέναι, ταύτην εἶπε τὴν παραβολήν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔμελλε κρίνειν μετὰ ταῦτα, Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταὶ, λέγων· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν ὑπεύθυνος τοῖς εἰρημένοις· οὔτε γὰρ κάρφος ἐξέβαλεν, οὔτε δοκὸν εἶχεν ἐπὶ τῶν ὀμμάτων, ἀλλὰ πάντων τούτων ὢν καθαρὸς, οὕτω τὰ πάντων διώρθου πλημμελήματα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δεῖ, φησὶ, κρίνειν ἑτέρους, ὅταν τις τῶν αὐτῶν ὑπεύθυνος ᾖ. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ τὸν νόμον τοῦτον αὐτὸς ἔθηκεν, ὅπου γε καὶ ὁ λῃστὴς αὐτὸν ἐγίνωσκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ, τῷ ἑτέρῳ λῃστῇ λέγων· Οὐδὲ φοβῇ σὺ τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κρίματί ἐσμεν; τὰ αὐτὰ τῷ Χριστῷ νοήματα λέγων. Σὺ δὲ τὴν μὲν σαυτοῦ δοκὸν οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐκβάλλεις, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὁρᾷς· τὸ δὲ ἑτέρου κάρφος οὐ μόνον ὁρᾷς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κρίνεις, καὶ ἐκβάλλειν ἐπιχειρεῖς· ὥσπερ εἴ τις ὑδέρῳ συνεχόμενος χαλεπῷ, ἢ καὶ ἑτέρῳ τινὶ νοσήματι ἀνιάτῳ, τούτου μὲν ἀμελοίη, ἐγκαλοίη δὲ ἑτέρῳ φυσήματος ἀμελοῦντι μικροῦ. Εἰ δὲ κακὸν τὸ μὴ ὁρᾷν τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτήματα, διπλοῦν καὶ τριπλοῦν κακὸν τὸ καὶ ἑτέροις δικάζειν, αὐτοὺς ἀναλγήτως ἐπὶ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν περιφέροντας τὰς δοκούς. Καὶ γὰρ δοκοῦ βαρύτερον ἁμαρτία. γʹ. Ὃ τοίνυν ἐκέλευσε διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων, τοῦτό ἐστι, τὸν ὑπεύθυνον ὄντα μυρίοις κακοῖς μὴ πικρὸν εἶναι δικαστὴν τῶν ἑτέροις πλημμελουμένων, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν μικρὰ ταῦτα ᾖ· οὐ τὸ ἐλέγχειν, οὐδὲ τὸ διορθοῦν ἀνατρέπων, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἀμελεῖν κωλύων, καὶ τὸ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἐνάλλεσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ εἰς μεγάλην ἐπιδιδόναι κακίαν ἐποίει τοῦτο, διπλῆν πονηρίαν εἰσάγον. Ὁ γὰρ μελετήσας ἀμελεῖν μὲν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μεγάλων ὄντων, ἐξετάζειν δὲ τὰ ἑτέρων πικρῶς μικρὰ ὄντα καὶ εὐτελῆ, διπλῇ διεφθείρετο· τῷ τε τῶν οἰκείων καταφρονεῖν, τῷ τε ἔχθρας καὶ ἀπεχθείας πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀναδέχεσθαι, καὶ εἰς ἐσχάτην ὠμότητα καὶ τὸ ἀσυμπαθὲς καθ' ἑκάστην ἀλείφεσθαι τὴν ἡμέραν. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα ἀνελὼν διὰ τῆς καλῆς ταύτης νομοθεσίας, ἐπήγαγε πάλιν ἕτερον παράγγελμα, λέγων· Μὴ δῶτε τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσὶ, μηδὲ ῥίψητε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. Καίτοιγε προϊὼν, φησὶν, ἐκέλευσεν· Ὃ ἠκού 57.311 σατε εἰς τὸ οὖς, κηρύξατε ἐπὶ τῶν δωμάτων. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐναντίον ἐστὶ τῷ προτέρῳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκεῖ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς ἐπέταξεν εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' οἷς δεῖ εἰπεῖν, μετὰ παῤῥησίας εἰπεῖν. Κύνας δὲ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἐν ἀσεβείᾳ ζῶντας ἀνιάτῳ, καὶ μεταβολῆς τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον οὐκ ἔχοντας ἐλπίδα ᾐνίξατο, καὶ χοίρους τοὺς ἐν ἀκολάστῳ βίῳ διατρίβοντας διαπαντὸς, οὕσπερ ἅπαντας ἀναξίους ἔφησεν εἶναι τῆς τοιαύτης ἀκροάσεως. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δηλῶν ἔλεγε· Ψυχικὸς δὲ ἄνθρωπος οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος· μωρία γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστι. Καὶ πολλαχοῦ δὲ ἑτέρωθι βίου διαφθορὰν αἰτίαν φησὶν εἶναι τοῦ μὴ δέχεσθαι τὰ τελειότερα δόγματα. ∆ιὸ κελεύει μὴ ἀναπετάσαι τὰς θύρας αὐτοῖς· καὶ γὰρ θρασύτεροι γίνονται μετὰ τὸ μαθεῖν. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ εὐγνώμοσι καὶ νοῦν ἔχουσιν ἐκκαλυπτόμενα σεμνὰ φαίνεται· τοῖς δὲ ἀναισθήτοις, ὅταν ἀγνοῆται μᾶλλον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως οὐ δύνανται αὐτὰ καταμαθεῖν, [καλυπτέσθωσαν, φησὶν, ἵνα] κἂν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγνοίας αἰδεσθῶσιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ χοῖρος οἶδε, τί ποτέ ἐστι μαργαρίτης. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ οὐκ οἶδε, μηδὲ ὁράτω, ἵνα μὴ καταπατήσῃ ἃ οὐκ οἶδεν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ γίνεται πλέον, ἢ βλάβη μείζων τοῖς οὕτω διακειμένοις καὶ ἀκούουσι. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ ἅγια ἐμπαροινεῖται παρ' ἐκείνων, οὐκ εἰδότων τίνα ἐστὶ ταῦτα· καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μᾶλλον ἐπαίρονται καὶ ὁπλίζονται καθ' ἡμῶν. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι· Μὴ καταπατήσωσι, καὶ στραφέντες ῥήξωσιν ὑμᾶς. Καὶ μὴν οὕτως ἰσχυρὰ ἔδει εἶναι, φησὶν, ὡς καὶ μετὰ τὸ μαθεῖν ἀνάλωτα μένειν, καὶ μὴ παρέχειν ἑτέροις λαβὰς καθ' ἡμῶν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνα παρέχει, ἀλλὰ τὸ χοίρους εἶναι τούτους· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ μαργαρίτης καταπατούμενος, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ εὐκαταφρόνητός ἐστι, καταπατεῖται, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ εἰς χοίρους ἐνέπεσε. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε· Στραφέντες