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For He demonstrated what was said from what went before, having discoursed partly in a manner befitting God, partly in a human manner, again as a man He constructs the same things, and says, "My judgment is just." And how is this clear? "Because I seek not My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." For just as among men, one who is free from self-love, could not justly be accused of having judged contrary to what is right; so neither will you now be able to rebuke Me. For he who wishes to establish his own things, might perhaps be suspected by many of corrupting justice on this account; but he who does not look to his own things, what pretext could he have for not decreeing what is just? Therefore, examine this reasoning in My case as well. For if I were saying that I was not sent by the Father, nor referred the glory of what was being done to Him, perhaps one of you might have suspected, that because I wished to make Myself glorious, I am not speaking the truth; but if I reckon and ascribe what is being done to another, for what reason, or from where could you have ground to suspect what is said? Do you see to what level He has brought down His discourse, and from what grounds He said His judgment was just, grounds from which even one of the multitude would have spoken when making a defense? Do you see how what I have often said shines forth clearly? And what is it that I said? That the exceeding humility of the words, this most of all persuades those who have understanding, not to be cast down by accepting what is said off-hand, but rather prepares them to come to the height of the meanings; this also raises up little by little, with much ease, those who were then groveling on the ground. 59.227 Considering all these things, therefore, I beseech you, let us not simply pass by what has been said, but let us examine all things with exactness, and let us look everywhere for the reason of what is said; nor let us think that ignorance and simplicity are sufficient for our defense. For He commanded us not only to be harmless, but also wise. Let us, therefore, practice prudence along with simplicity, both in doctrines and in the right actions of life; and let us judge ourselves here, that we may not be condemned then with the world, and let us be towards our servants such as we wish our Master to be towards us. For, "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors." And I know, indeed, that the soul when struck does not bear it meekly; but if we consider that we are doing a favor not to the one who has grieved us, but to ourselves, we shall quickly let go of the venom of anger. For he who did not forgive the hundred denarii to the one who had transgressed, did not wrong his fellow servant, but made himself liable for the ten thousand talents, of which he had previously received forgiveness. When, therefore, we do not forgive others, we do not forgive ourselves. Let us not, therefore, say only to God, "Remember not our sins"; but also, each of us saying to ourselves, let us not remember the sins of our fellow servants which have been committed against us. For you first judge your own affairs, and then God follows; you write the law concerning forgiveness and punishment, and you cast the vote concerning such matters. Therefore, you are lord of whether God remembers or does not remember. For this reason Paul also commands us to forgive, if anyone has a complaint against another; and not simply to forgive, but so that not even remnants remain. Since Christ not only did not bring our sins into the midst, but He did not even remind us ourselves of having transgressed, nor did He say, "You have sinned in this and that"; but He both forgave and blotted out the handwriting, not even reckoning the trespasses, as Paul also declared this. Let us then do this also, and let us blot out all things from our mind. And if any good has been done by the one who has grieved us, let us reckon this alone; but if it was grievous and burdensome, let us cast it out and blot it out in such a way that not even a trace remains. But if no good has come to us from this person, again the reward is greater for us who forgive, and the credit is more plentiful. Others through vigils and sleeping on the ground and countless hardships blot out their sins; for you, by the easier way, I mean of not bearing a grudge, it is possible to make all transgressions disappear. Why then the sword against yourself

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γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἀπέδειξε τὰ λεγόμενα, τὰ μὲν θεοπρεπῶς, τὰ δὲ ἀνθρωπίνως διαλεχθεὶς, πάλιν ὡς ἄνθρωπος κατασκευάζει τὰ αὐτὰ, καὶ λέγει, ὅτι Ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμὴ δικαία ἐστί. Καὶ πόθεν δῆλον; Ὅτι οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων ὁ φιλαυτίας ἀπηλλαγμένος, οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι δικαίως ἐγκαλεῖσθαι ὡς παρὰ τὸ δέον δικάσας· οὕτως οὐδὲ ἐμοὶ νῦν δυνήσεσθε ἐπιτιμᾷν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ θέλων τὰ ἑαυτοῦ στῆσαι, ἴσως ὑποπτευθείη ἂν παρὰ πολλῶν ταύτῃ παραφθείρειν τὸ δίκαιον· ὁ δὲ μὴ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ σκοπῶν, τίνα ἂν ἔχοι πρόφασιν τοῦ μὴ τὰ δίκαια ψηφίσασθαι; Τοῦτον τοίνυν τὸν λογισμὸν καὶ ἐπ' ἐμοῦ ἐξετάζετε. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγον μὴ ἀπεστάλθαι παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, μηδὲ εἰς ἐκεῖνον τὴν δόξαν τῶν γινομένων ἀνέφερον, ἴσως ἄν τις ὑμῶν ὑπενόησεν, ὅτι βουλόμενος ἐμαυτὸν ποιῆσαι λαμπρὸν, οὐ λέγω τὰ ὄντα· εἰ δὲ ἑτέρῳ λογίζομαι καὶ ἀνατίθημι τὰ γινόμενα, τίνος ἕνεκεν, ἢ πόθεν ἂν ἔχοιτε ὑποπτεύειν τὰ λεγόμενα; Ὁρᾷς οἷ τὸν λόγον κατεβίβασε, καὶ πόθεν τὴν κρίσιν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δικαίαν εἶναι ἔφησεν, ὅθεν ἂν καὶ τῶν πολλῶν εἷς ἀπολογούμενος εἶπεν; ὁρᾷς, ὃ πολλάκις εἶπον, πῶς διαλάμπει σαφῶς; Τί δέ ἐστιν ὃ εἶπον; Ὅτι ἡ ὑπερβολὴ τῆς ταπεινότητος τῶν λέξεων, αὕτη μάλιστα πείθει τοὺς νοῦν ἔχοντας, μὴ ἐκ προχείρου δεχομένους τὰ λεγόμενα καταπίπτειν, ἀλλὰ παρασκευάζειν μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψος τῶν νοημάτων ἐλθεῖν· αὕτη καὶ τοὺς χαμαὶ συρομένους τότε μετὰ πολλῆς κατὰ μικρὸν ἀνίστησι τῆς εὐκολίας. 59.227 Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοοῦντες, παρακαλῶ, μὴ παρατρέχωμεν ἁπλῶς τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐξετάζωμεν ἅπαντα, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῶν λεγομένων πανταχοῦ σκοπῶμεν· μηδὲ νομίζωμεν ἀρκεῖν ἡμῖν εἰς ἀπολογίαν τὴν ἄγνοιαν καὶ τὴν ἁπλότητα. Οὐ γὰρ ἀκεραίους ἐκέλευσε μόνον εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ φρονίμους. Ἀσκῶμεν τοίνυν μετὰ τῆς ἁπλότητος καὶ τὴν φρόνησιν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν δογμάτων καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τοῦ βίου κατορθωμάτων· καὶ δικάζωμεν ἑαυτοῖς ἐνταῦθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν τότε, καὶ τοιοῦτοι γινώμεθα περὶ τοὺς δούλους, οἷον βουλόμεθα περὶ ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι τὸν ∆εσπότην ἡμῶν. Ἄφες γὰρ ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν. Καὶ οἶδα μὲν, ὅτι οὐ φέρει πράως πληττομένη ἡ ψυχή· ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἐννοήσωμεν ὅτι οὐχὶ τῷ λελυπηκότι, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοῖς χαριζόμεθα, ταχέως ἀφήσομεν τὸν ἰὸν τῆς ὀργῆς. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ τὰ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια μὴ συγχωρήσας τῷ πεπλημμεληκότι, οὐ τὸν ὁμόδουλον ἠδίκησεν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν τοῖς μυρίοις ταλάντοις ὑπεύθυνον ἐποίησεν, ὧν πρότερον τὴν ἄφεσιν ἔλαβεν. Ὅταν οὖν ἑτέροις μὴ ἀφῶμεν, ἑαυτοῖς οὐκ ἀφίεμεν. Μὴ τοίνυν τῷ Θεῷ λέγωμεν μόνον, Μὴ μνησθῇς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἡμῶν· ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ἕκαστοι λέγοντες, μὴ μνησθῶμεν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τῶν συνδούλων τῶν εἰς ἡμᾶς γεγενημένων. Καὶ γὰρ σὺ πρότερον δικάζεις τοῖς σοῖς, καὶ τότε ἕπεται ὁ Θεός· σὺ τὸν νόμον γράφεις τὸν περὶ ἀφέσεως καὶ τιμωρίας, καὶ τὴν περὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἐκφέρεις ψῆφον. Οὐκοῦν καὶ τοῦ μνησθῆναι καὶ τοῦ μὴ μνησθῆναι τὸν Θεὸν σὺ κύριος εἶ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἀφεῖναι κελεύει, ἐάν τις πρός τινα ἔχῃ μομφήν· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἀφεῖναι, ἀλλ' ὥστε μηδὲ λείψανα μένειν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἤνεγκεν εἰς μέσον ἡμῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς πεπλημμεληκότας ἀνέμνησεν, οὐδὲ εἶπε, Τὰ καὶ τὰ ἥμαρτες· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφῆκε καὶ ἐξήλειψε τὸ χειρόγραφον, μηδὲ λογισάμενος τὰ παραπτώματα, καθὼς καὶ τοῦτο Παῦλος ἐδήλωσε. Τοῦτο δὴ ποιῶμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς διανοίας ἐξαλείφωμεν ἅπαντα. Κἂν μὲν ἀγαθόν τι γεγενημένον ᾖ παρὰ τοῦ λελυπηκότος, τοῦτο λογισώμεθα μόνον· ἂν δὲ λυπηρὸν καὶ ἐπαχθὲς, ἐκβάλωμεν οὕτω καὶ ἐξαλείψωμεν, ὥστε μηδὲ ἴχνος ἐναπομένειν. Εἰ δὲ μηδὲν ἀγαθὸν ἡμῖν γέγονε παρὰ τούτου, πάλιν ὁ μισθὸς μείζων συγχωροῦσιν ἡμῖν, καὶ πλείων ἡ εὐδοκίμησις. Ἄλλοι δι' ἀγρυπνίας καὶ χαμευνίας καὶ μυρίας ταλαιπωρίας ἐξαλείφουσι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· σοὶ διὰ τῆς εὐκολωτέρας ὁδοῦ, τοῦ μὴ μνησικακεῖν λέγω, πάντα ἔξεστιν ἀφανίσαι τὰ πλημμεληθέντα. Τί τοίνυν κατὰ σαυτοῦ τὸ ξίφος