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having gone up the mountain, and being about to weave his moral discourse, began from this point first, and laid these foundations, saying thus: Blessed are the poor in spirit; so he too, now having passed from the dogmatic to the more moral subjects, taught virtue in general, having demanded from us the wonderful sacrifice; but being about to describe it in detail, as if from the head, he begins with humility, and says, Not to think more highly than one ought to think; for this is the will of God; But to think so as to be sober-minded. What he says is something like this: We have received understanding, not that we might use it for arrogance, but for sobriety. And he did not say, to be humble-minded, but, To be sober-minded; speaking here of sobriety, not the virtue which is contrasted with licentiousness, nor being free from intemperance, but being sober and sound in mind; for this too is called sober-mindedness from having a sound mind. Showing, therefore, that it is not possible for one who is not moderate to be sober-minded, that is, to be stable and sound, but such a one is delirious and out of his mind, and is more manic than any madman, he called humility sobriety. To each one as God has dealt out a measure of faith. For since the gift of the charismata lifted many up to arrogance both among these and among the Corinthians, see how he makes clear the cause of the disease, and little by little undermines it. For having said that one must think so as to be sober-minded, he added: To each one as God has dealt out a measure of faith, calling faith here the spiritual gift. And by saying, that He dealt out, he both comforted the one who had received less, and restrained the one who enjoyed more. For if God dealt it out, and the achievement is not yours, why are you proud? 4. But if anyone should say that faith here is not called the spiritual gift, this again shows even more greatly that he is humbling the arrogant. For if the cause of the spiritual gift is faith, according to which the miracles happen, 60.600 and this is from God, from where do you get your pride? for if He had not come, nor been incarnate, not even the things of faith would have advanced. So that all good things have their beginning from there. And if He Himself gives, He knows how to apportion; for He Himself made all, and cares for all equally. And just as the giving came from His love for mankind, so also how much to give. For surely, having shown His goodness in the main point, which is the giving of the spiritual gifts, He was not going to betray you in the measure. For if He wanted to dishonor you, He would not have given at all; but if He was eager to save and honor you (for for this reason He both came, and distributed so many good things), for what reason are you disturbed and troubled and have abused your understanding for foolishness, shaming yourself more greatly than one who is so by nature? For to be foolish by nature is not a crime; but to become foolish through understanding is both deprived of pardon and brings a greater punishment. Such are those who are proud of their wisdom, and fall into the uttermost arrogance. For nothing makes one so foolish as arrogance. Therefore the prophet also called the barbarian thus, saying, But the fool will speak foolish things. And so that you may learn his foolishness from his own words, hear what he says: I will set my throne above the stars of heaven, and I will be like the Most High. I will grasp the whole world in my hand as a nest, and as abandoned eggs I will take them up. What then could be more foolish than these words? And every boast immediately draws this reproach upon itself. And if I bring forward each saying of the arrogant, you will not be able to discern whether the words are of an arrogant man or a fool; so much is this failing one and the same. For another barbarian again says, I am a god, and not a man; and another again, Will God be able to save you, or to deliver you from my hands? and the Egyptian, I do not know the Lord, and I will not send Israel away; and the fool in the prophet is such a one, saying in his heart, There is no God; and Cain also, Am I my brother's keeper? Are you not able to discern whether these are the words of arrogant men, or of fools? for the

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τὸ ὄρος ἀναβὰς, καὶ τὸν ἠθικὸν μέλλων ὑφαίνειν λόγον, ἐντεῦθεν ἤρξατο πρῶτον, καὶ ταῦτα κατέβαλε τὰ θεμέλια, οὕτω λέγων· Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν δογματικῶν ἐπὶ τὰ ἠθικώτερα νῦν ἐκβὰς, ἐδίδαξε μὲν καθόλου τὴν ἀρετὴν, τὴν θαυμαστὴν θυσίαν παρ' ἡμῶν ἀπαιτήσας· μέλλων δὲ αὐτὴν κατὰ μέρος ὑπογράφειν, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς, τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ἄρχεται, καί φησι, Μὴ ὑπερφρονεῖν παρ' ὃ δεῖ φρονεῖν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ἀλλὰ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἐλάβομεν φρόνησιν, οὐχ ἵνα εἰς ἀπόνοιαν αὐτῇ χρησώμεθα, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἰς σωφροσύνην. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, εἰς τὸ ταπεινοφρονεῖν, ἀλλ' Εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν· σωφροσύνην ἐνταῦθα λέγων, οὐ τὴν ἀντιδιαστελλομένην τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ ἀρετὴν, οὐδὲ τὸ ἀπηλλάχθαι ἀκολασίας, ἀλλὰ τὸ νήφειν καὶ ὑγιαίνειν κατὰ διάνοιαν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο σωφροσύνη λέγεται ἀπὸ τοῦ σώας ἔχειν τὰς φρένας. ∆εικνὺς τοίνυν, ὅτι τὸν μὴ μετριάζοντα οὐδὲ σωφρονεῖν ἔνι, τουτέστι, καθεστηκέναι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, ἀλλὰ παραπαίει καὶ ἐξέστηκεν ὁ τοιοῦτος, καὶ παραπλῆγος παντός ἐστι μανικώτερος, σωφροσύνην ἐκάλεσε τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην. Ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἐμέρισε μέτρον πίστεως. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῶν χαρισμάτων ἡ δόσις πολλοὺς εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἐπῆρε καὶ παρὰ τούτοις καὶ παρὰ Κορινθίοις, ὅρα πῶς τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ νοσήματος δήλην ποιεῖ, καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ὑποσύρει. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι δεῖ φρονεῖν εἰς τὸ σωφρονεῖν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἐμέρισε μέτρον πίστεως, πίστιν ἐνταῦθα τὸ χάρισμα καλῶν. Εἰπὼν δὲ, ὅτι ἐμέρισε, καὶ τὸν ἔλαττον εἰληφότα παρεμυθήσατο, καὶ τὸν μείζονος ἀπολαύσαντα κατέστειλεν. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἐμέρισε, καὶ μὴ σὸν τὸ κατόρθωμα, τί μέγα φρονεῖς; δʹ. Εἰ δέ τις τὴν πίστιν ἐνταῦθα μὴ τὸ χάρισμα λέγοι καλεῖσθαι, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν μειζόνως δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν ταπεινοῦντα τοὺς ἀλαζόνας. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦ χαρίσματος αἴτιον ἡ πίστις, καθ' ἣν τὰ θαύματα γίνεται, 60.600 καὶ τοῦτο παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πόθεν μέγα φρονεῖς; καὶ γὰρ, εἰ μὴ παρεγένετο, μηδὲ ἐσαρκώθη, οὐδ' ἂν τὰ τῆς πίστεως προεχώρησεν. Ὥστε πάντα ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχει τὰ ἀγαθά. Εἰ δὲ αὐτὸς δίδωσιν, οἶδε πῶς μερίζει· πάντας γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐποίησε, καὶ πάντων ὁμοίως κήδεται. Καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ δοῦναι ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας γέγονεν, οὕτω καὶ πόσον δοῦναι. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ περὶ τὸ κεφάλαιον ἐπιδειξάμενος τὴν ἀγαθότητα, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ δοῦναι τὰ χαρίσματα, ἐν τῷ μέτρῳ σε προδιδόναι ἔμελλεν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀτιμάσαι ἐβούλετο, οὐδ' ἂν ἔδωκε τὴν ἀρχήν· εἰ δὲ σῶσαι καὶ τιμῆσαι ἐσπούδακε (διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ παρεγένετο, καὶ τοσαῦτα διένειμεν ἀγαθὰ), τίνος ἕνεκεν θορυβῇ καὶ ταράττῃ καὶ εἰς μωρίαν ἀποκέχρησαι τῇ φρονήσει, μειζόνως τοῦ φύσει τοιούτου καταισχύνων σαυτόν; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ φύσεως γενέσθαι μωρὸν, οὐκ ἔγκλημα· τὸ δὲ διὰ φρονήσεως γενέσθαι μωρὸν, καὶ συγγνώμης ἐστέρηται καὶ μείζονα φέρει τὴν κόλασιν. Τοιοῦτοι οἱ ἐπὶ σοφίᾳ μέγα φρονοῦντές εἰσι, καὶ εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἐμπίπτοντες τὴν ἐσχάτην. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω μωρὸν ὡς ἀπόνοια ποιεῖ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ προφήτης οὕτως ἐκάλει τὸν βάρβαρον λέγων, Ὁ δὲ μωρὸς μωρὰ λαλήσει. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων αὐτῶν μάθῃς αὐτοῦ τὴν μωρίαν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Ἐπάνω τῶν ἄστρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ θήσω τὸν θρόνον μου, καὶ ἔσομαι ὅμοιος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ. Καταλήψομαι τῇ χειρί μου τὴν οἰκουμένην ὡς νοσσιὰν, καὶ ὡς καταλελειμμένα ὠὰ ἀρῶ. Τούτων οὖν τῶν ῥημάτων τί μωρότερον γένοιτ' ἄν; Καὶ ἑκάστη δὲ μεγαληγορία τοῦτο εὐθέως ἐπισπᾶται τὸ ὄνειδος. Κἂν ἕκαστον ῥῆμα τῶν ἀπονενοημένων εἰς μέσον ἀγάγω, οὐ δυνήσῃ διαγνῶναι πότερον ἀπονενοημένου ἢ μωροῦ τὰ ῥήματα· οὕτως ἕν ἐστι τουτὶ τὸ ἐλάττωμα. Καὶ γὰρ ἕτερος βάρβαρος πάλιν φησὶν, Ἐγώ εἰμι θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος· καὶ ἄλλος πάλιν, Μὴ δυνήσεται ὁ Θεὸς σῶσαι ὑμᾶς, ἢ ἐξελέσθαι ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου; καὶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος δὲ, Οὐκ οἶδα τὸν Κύριον, καὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ οὐκ ἐξαποστελῶ· καὶ ὁ παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ ἄφρων τοιοῦτός τις ἐστὶ, λέγων ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, Οὐκ ἔστι Θεός· καὶ ὁ Κάϊν δὲ, Μὴ φύλαξ ἐγώ εἰμι τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου; Ἄρα μὴ δύνασαι διαγνῶναι πότερον ἀπονενοημένων, ἢ μωρῶν τὰ ῥήματα; ἡ γὰρ