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he says, toward one another. For example, do you consider yourself to be great? Then consider him so too. Do you suspect him to be lowly and small? Then vote this for yourself as well, and cast out all inequality. And how might this happen? If you would cast out arrogance. Therefore he added: Not minding high things, but condescending to the lowly; that is, descend to their lowliness, bear with them, go about with them. Do not simply humble yourself in spirit, but also help and 60.611 reach out a hand, not through another, but through yourself, as a father caring for a child, as a head for a body; which he also says elsewhere, To the prisoners as if bound with them. And here by "lowly" he means not simply the humble-minded, but those who are lowly and easily despised. Be not wise in your own conceits; that is, Do not think you are sufficient for yourselves. For elsewhere Scripture also says: Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight. And through these words he again undermines arrogance, and suppresses pride and passion. For nothing so lifts one up and tears one away from others, as for someone to think he is sufficient for himself; for this reason God has made us in need of one another. For even if you are wise, you will need another; but if you think you have no need, you have become more foolish and weaker than all. For such a person will render himself destitute of help, and in those things wherein he sins, he will enjoy neither correction nor pardon, and he will provoke God through his arrogance, and he will sin much. For it is often the case that even the wise man does not see what is needful, and the more foolish man finds something of what is fitting; which happened in the case of Moses and his father-in-law, which happened in the case of Saul and the lad, which happened in the case of Isaac and Rebecca. Therefore do not think you are brought down by needing another. For this exalts you more, this makes you stronger, this makes you more glorious and more secure. Recompensing to no man evil for evil. For if you blame another for plotting against you, why do you make yourself liable to the same accusation? If he did evil, why do you not flee from emulating him? And see how here he did not make a distinction, but laid down a common law. For he did not say, "Do not render evil to the faithful," but "To no man," whether he be a Greek, or unclean, or whoever he may be. Providing things honest in the sight of all men, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. This is, Let your light so shine before men; not that we should live for vainglory, but that we may not give an occasion against ourselves to those who wish for one. Therefore he also says elsewhere, Give no offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Greeks, nor to the Church of God. And he well indicated what follows by saying, If it be possible, as much as lieth in you. For there are times when it is not possible; for instance, when the discussion is about piety, when the struggle is for the wronged. And why do you wonder, if with other men this is not always possible, when indeed even in the case of a husband and wife he dissolved this necessity, saying: But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart? What he means is something like this: Provide what is from your own part, and give to no one an occasion for war and fighting, not to a Jew, not to a Greek; but if you should see piety being harmed, do not prefer concord to the truth, but stand nobly even unto death; and not even so should you make war in your soul, nor turn away in your disposition, but contend with the matters only; for this is, As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. And even if he is not at peace, you should not fill your soul with winter, but be a friend in your disposition, as I said before, nowhere betraying the truth. Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. To what wrath? To the wrath of God. For since the wronged person especially desires to see this, himself enjoying vengeance, he grants this very thing with great abundance; for if he himself does not defend himself, God will be his avenger. Permit Him, therefore, 60.612 he says, to proceed; for this is, Give place unto wrath. 3. Then, comforting him further, he also brought forward the testimony, and by this having recovered him more greatly, him a greater

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φησὶν, εἰς ἀλλήλους. Οἷον, μέγαν σαυτὸν εἶναι νομίζεις; Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐκεῖνον νόμιζε. Ταπεινὸν καὶ μικρὸν εἶναι ὑποπτεύεις ἐκεῖνον; Οὐκοῦν καὶ περὶ σαυτοῦ τοῦτο ψηφίζου, καὶ πᾶσαν ἀνωμαλίαν ἔκβαλε. Πῶς δ' ἂν γένοιτο τοῦτο; Ἂν τὴν ἀπόνοιαν ἐκβάλοις. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγε· Μὴ τὰ ὑψηλὰ φρονοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ταπεινοῖς συναπαγόμενοι· τουτέστιν, Εἰς τὴν ἐκείνων εὐτέλειαν κατάβηθι, συμπεριφέρου, συμπεριέρχου. Μὴ ἁπλῶς τῷ φρονήματι συνταπεινοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ βοήθει καὶ 60.611 χεῖρα ὀρέγου, μὴ δι' ἑτέρου, ἀλλὰ διὰ σαυτοῦ ὡς πατὴρ παιδὸς προνοῶν, ὡς κεφαλὴ σώματος· ὅπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησι, Τοῖς δεσμίοις ὡς συνδεδεμένοι. Ταπεινοὺς δὲ ἐνταῦθα οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοὺς ταπεινόφρονάς φησιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ταπεινοὺς καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτους. Μὴ γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι παρ' ἑαυτοῖς· τουτέστιν, Μὴ νομίζετε ἀρκεῖν ἑαυτοῖς. Καὶ γὰρ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν ἡ Γραφή· Οὐαὶ οἱ συνετοὶ παρ' ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐνώπιον ἑαυτῶν ἐπιστήμονες. Καὶ διὰ τούτων δὲ πάλιν τὴν ἀπόνοιαν ὑπορύττει, καὶ τὸ φύσημα καὶ τὴν φλεγμονὴν καταστέλλει. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀπαίρει καὶ ἀποσχίζει τῶν λοιπῶν, ὡς τὸ νομίζειν τινὰ ἀρκεῖν ἑαυτῷ· διὸ καὶ ἐν χρείᾳ ἀλλήλων κατέστησεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός. Κἂν γὰρ φρόνιμος ᾖς, ἑτέρου δεήσῃ· ἂν δὲ νομίσῃς μὴ δεῖσθαι, ἀνοητότερος πάντων ἐγένου καὶ ἀσθενέστερος. Ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἔρημον ἑαυτὸν καταστήσει βοηθείας, καὶ ἐν οἷς ἂν ἁμαρτάνῃ, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀπολαύσεται οὔτε διορθώσεως οὔτε συγγνώμης, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παροξυνεῖ διὰ τῆς ἀπονοίας, καὶ πολλὰ ἁμαρτήσεται. Ἔστι γὰρ, ἔστι πολλάκις καὶ τὸν φρόνιμον μὴ συνιδεῖν τὸ δέον, καὶ τὸν ἀνοητότερον εὑρεῖν τι τῶν προσηκόντων· ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως καὶ τοῦ πενθεροῦ γέγονεν, ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σαοὺλ καὶ τοῦ παιδὸς, ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ τῆς Ῥεβέκκας. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσῃς καθαιρεῖσθαι δεόμενος ἑτέρου. Τοῦτο γάρ σε μᾶλλον ὑψοῖ, τοῦτό σε ἰσχυρότερον ποιεῖ, τοῦτό σε λαμπρότερόν τε καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον. Μηδενὶ κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ ἀποδιδόντες. Εἰ γὰρ ἕτερον ψέγεις ἐπιβουλεύοντα, τί σαυτὸν ὑπεύθυνον ποιεῖς τῇ κατηγορίᾳ; Εἰ κακῶς ἐκεῖνος ἐποίησε, τί μὴ φεύγεις τὸν ζῆλον; Καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἐνταῦθα οὐ διέστειλεν, ἀλλὰ κοινὸν τὸν νόμον ἔθηκεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Τῷ πιστῷ μὴ ἀποδῷς κακὸν, ἀλλὰ Μηδενὶ, κἂν Ἕλλην ᾖ, κἂν μιαρὸς, κἂν ὁστισοῦν. Προνοούμενοι καλὰ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων πάντων, εἰ δυνατὸν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν, μετὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰρηνεύοντες. Τοῦτό ἐστι, Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων· οὐχ ἵνα πρὸς κενοδοξίαν ζῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ παρέχωμεν λαβὴν καθ' ἑαυτῶν τοῖς βουλομένοις. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν, Ἀπρόσκοποι γίνεσθε καὶ Ἰουδαίοις καὶ Ἕλλησι καὶ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καλῶς δὲ τὸ ἑξῆς ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, Εἰ δυνατὸν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν. Ἐστὶ γὰρ ὅπου οὐ δυνατόν· οἷον ὅταν περὶ εὐσεβείας ὁ λόγος ᾖ, ὅταν περὶ ἀδικουμένων ὁ ἀγών. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ ἐπὶ ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἄλλων τοῦτο οὐ πανταχοῦ δυνατὸν, ὅπου γε καὶ ἐπὶ ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς ταύτην ἔλυσε τὴν ἀνάγκην, εἰπών· Εἰ δὲ ὁ ἄπιστος χωρίζεται, χωριζέσθω; Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Τὰ παρὰ σεαυτοῦ πάρεχε, καὶ μηδενὶ δίδου πολέμου καὶ μάχης ἀφορμὴν, μὴ Ἰουδαίῳ, μὴ Ἕλληνι· εἰ δέ που τὴν εὐσέβειαν παραβλαπτομένην ἴδοις, μὴ προτίμα τὴν ὁμόνοιαν τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλ' ἵστασο γενναίως ἕως θανάτου· καὶ μηδὲ οὕτω ψυχῇ πολέμει, μηδὲ ἀποστρέφου γνώμῃ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πράγμασι μάχου μόνον· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, Τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν, μετὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰρηνεύοντες. Κἂν ἐκεῖνος μὴ εἰρηνεύῃ, σὺ μὴ πληρώσῃς χειμῶνος τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀλλ' ἔσο φίλος κατὰ γνώμην, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, τὴν ἀλήθειαν μηδαμοῦ προδιδούς. Μηδὲ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἀλλὰ δότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ· γέγραπται γὰρ, Ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει Κύριος. Ποίᾳ ὀργῇ; Τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐπιθυμεῖ ἰδεῖν ὁ ἀδικηθεὶς, ἐκδικίας ἑαυτὸν ἀπολαύοντα, τοῦτο αὐτὸ μετὰ πολλῆς δίδωσι τῆς περιουσίας· ἂν γὰρ αὐτὸς μὴ ἀμύνῃ, ὁ Θεὸς ἔσται τιμωρός. Συγχώρησον οὖν αὐτῷ, 60.612 φησὶν, ἐπεξελθεῖν· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, ∆ότε τόπον τῇ ὀργῇ. γʹ. Εἶτα παραμυθούμενος ἐπιπλέον, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἐπήγαγε, καὶ ταύτῃ μειζόνως αὐτὸν ἀνακτησάμενος, πλείονα αὐτὸν τὴν