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And in another way he employs this argument, addressing the Jews, when he says: For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. And again: For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. And the prophet: Those who handle the law did not know me. And again: In vain has the false pen of the scribes worked. For what reason? Because the turtledove and the swallow, and the sparrows of the field have known the times of their coming, but my people have not known my judgments. But this one says not only that one who does not pursue virtue gains nothing from teaching others, but that he also casts himself out of this presidency. For if in the secular courts the one who has transgressed is punished by the disgrace of silence, how, he says, could one who is responsible for sin have a voice in a common school? But this school is greater than that court. For there those who are punished pay penalties; but here all things are done so that those who have transgressed are not punished, but by repentance may correct what was transgressed. And in the royal courts, no one caught living a corrupt life would become an interpreter of the royal voice. For why do you recount righteous deeds, and teach others, and yet do the opposite, while your life contradicts what is said, and you turn away some of those who wish to pay attention? For you do not so much teach through words, as you lead astray through deeds. For this reason Christ also praises that teacher, who through works and through words displays a complete teaching. For whoever does and teaches them, he says, will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Let your life, therefore, have a clear voice, teaching these things; even if you shut your mouth, you will sound forth more clearly than a trumpet, both to those present and to those who are far away. Thus the heavens declare the glory of God. not having a mouth, not moving a tongue, nor sending forth breath from below, but by the beauty of its appearance it refers the beholder to the wonder of the creator. Therefore, what the beauty of the appearance is there in the heavens, let this be the virtue upon your soul. But if, being defiled, and having countless accusers, and above all your conscience, you hasten to take up the teacher's throne, whenever you accuse vice, you will be accusing yourself more than others. And you take my covenant upon your mouth? He said well: Upon your mouth. For the heart is destitute of the fruits 55.251 from here, and the lips move in vain, and to the condemnation of the one speaking. But if one should search the mind, he will find a great war existing. But you have hated instruction, and have cast my words behind you. By instruction he here means the teaching of the law, which regulates the soul, drives out wickedness, and implants virtue. How then do you handle it, and sow it into others, when you yourself through your works do not have it? For you have cast, he says, my words behind you. 7. For not only have you set forth nothing from the teaching of the law, but you have also maimed what you have from nature. For the principles of what must not be done, and of things not of such a kind, are naturally implanted in us. But you have pushed them away, and did not keep them in memory. If you saw a thief, you would run with him, and you would cast your lot with an adulterer. For since it is not possible to find a person who is altogether sinless; for which reason someone also said: Who will boast of having a pure heart? or who will have confidence that he is clean from sin? and Paul, having said, I am not conscious of anything against myself, added: But I am not thereby justified; and, A righteous man is his own accuser in his first speech, it is clear that it is of the sins he has committed; in order, therefore, that no one

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Καὶ ἑτέρως δὲ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον μεταχειρίζει πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἀποτεινόμενος, ὅταν λέγῃ· Ὅταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα, φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῇ, οὗτοι νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες ἑαυτοῖς εἰσι νόμος. Καὶ πάλιν· Οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ τοῦ νόμου δίκαιοι παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, ἀλλ' οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται. Καὶ ὁ προφήτης· Οἱ ἀντεχόμενοι τοῦ νόμου, οὐκ ἠπίσταντό με. Καὶ πάλιν· Εἰς μάτην ἐγενήθησαν σχοῖνος ψευδὴς γραμματεῦσι. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; Ὅτι τρυγὼν καὶ χελιδὼν, καὶ ἀγροῦ στρουθία ἔγνωσαν καιροὺς εἰσόδων αὐτῶν, ὁ δὲ λαός μου οὐκ ἔγνω τὰ κρίματά μου. Οὗτος δὲ οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν κερδαίνειν φησὶν ἐκ τοῦ διδάσκειν ἑτέρους τὸν μὴ μετιόντα τὴν ἀρετὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκβάλλειν ταύτης αὑτὸν τῆς προεδρίας. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν δικαστηρίων ὁ πεπλημμεληκὼς τῇ τῆς σιγῆς ἀτιμίᾳ κολάζεται, πῶς ἂν ἐν κοινῷ διδασκαλείῳ, φησὶ, φωνὴν ἔχοι ὁ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὑπεύθυνος; Μεῖζον δὲ τοῦτο τὸ διδασκαλεῖον τοῦ δικαστηρίου ἐκείνου. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ οἱ κολαζόμενοι τίνουσι τιμωρίας· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἅπαντα γίνεται, ὥστε μὴ κολασθῆναι τοὺς πεπλημμεληκότας, ἀλλὰ τῇ μετανοίᾳ διορθώσασθαι τὸ πλημμεληθέν. Καὶ ἐν ταῖς βασιλικαῖς δὲ αὐλαῖς οὐδεὶς ἂν γένοιτο ἑρμηνεὺς βασιλικῆς φωνῆς ἐπὶ βίῳ διεφθαρμένῳ ἁλούς. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκα διηγῇ δικαιώματα, καὶ διδάσκεις ἑτέρους, καὶ μὴν τοὐναντίον ποιεῖς, τοῦ βίου σου τοῖς λεγομένοις ἀντιφθεγγομένου, καὶ ἐνίους τῶν βουλομένων προσέχειν ἀποστρέφεις; Οὐ γὰρ οὕτω διδάσκεις διὰ τῶν λόγων, ὡς ἀπάγεις διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκεῖνον ἐπαινεῖ τὸν διδάσκαλον, τὸν διὰ τῶν ἔργων καὶ διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων ἀπηρτισμένην ἐπιδεικνύντα τὴν διδασκαλίαν. Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ποιήσῃ καὶ διδάξῃ, φησὶν, οὗτος μέγας κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἐχέτω τοίνυν σου λαμπρὰν φωνὴν ὁ βίος, ταῦτα διδάσκουσαν· κἂν τὸ στόμα ἀποφράξῃς, σάλπιγγος λαμπρότερον ἠχήσεις, καὶ εἰς τοὺς παρόντας, καὶ εἰς τοὺς πόῤῥωθεν ὄντας. Οὕτως ὁ οὐρανὸς διηγεῖται δόξαν Θεοῦ. οὐ στόμα ἔχων, οὐ γλῶσσαν κινῶν, οὐδὲ πνεῦμα κάτωθεν προϊέμενος, ἀλλὰ τῷ κάλλει τῆς ὄψεως τὸν θεατὴν εἰς θαῦμα τοῦ δημιουργοῦ παραπέμπων. Ὅπερ οὖν ἐστιν ἐκεῖ ἐπὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ κάλλος τῆς ὄψεως, τοῦτο ἔστω ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τῆς σῆς ἡ ἀρετή. Ἂν δὲ κατεῤῥυπωμένος, καὶ μυρίους κατηγόρους ἔχων, καὶ πρὸ πάντων τὸ συνειδὸς, σπουδάζῃς ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι θρόνου διδασκαλικοῦ, ἐπειδὰν κακίας κατηγορῇς, οὐχ ἑτέρων μᾶλλον ἢ σαυτοῦ κατηγορήσεις. Καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν διαθήκην μου διὰ στόματός σου; Καλῶς εἶπε· ∆ιὰ στόματος. Ἡ γὰρ καρδία ἔρημός ἐστι τῶν ἐντεῦθεν καρ 55.251 πῶν, καὶ τὰ χείλη κινεῖται μάτην, καὶ ἐπὶ κατακρίσει τοῦ λέγοντος. Ἂν δὲ τὴν διάνοιάν τις ἐρευνήσῃ, πολὺν εὑρήσει τὸν πόλεμον ὄντα. Σὺ δὲ ἐμίσησας παιδείαν, καὶ ἐξέβαλες τοὺς λόγους μου εἰς τὸ ὀπίσω. Παιδείαν ἐνταῦθά φησι τὴν τοῦ νόμου διδασκαλίαν, τὴν τὴν ψυχὴν ῥυθμίζουσαν, τὴν τὴν κακίαν ἀπελαύνουσαν, καὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν καταφυτεύουσαν. Πῶς οὖν αὐτὴν μεταχειρίζεις, καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους σπείρεις, αὐτὸς διὰ τῶν ἔργων αὐτὴν μὴ ἔχων; Ἐξέβαλες γὰρ, φησὶ, τοὺς λόγους μου εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω. ζʹ. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐ προέθηκάς τι παρὰ τῆς τοῦ νόμου διδασκαλίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὃ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἔχεις, ἐπήρωσας. Τῶν γὰρ οὐ πρακτέων, καὶ τῶν μὴ τοιούτων φυσικῶς ἔγκεινται ἡμῖν οἱ λόγοι. Σὺ δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀπώσω, καὶ οὐκ εἶχες ἐν μνήμῃ. Εἰ ἐθεώρεις κλέπτην, συνέτρεχες αὐτῷ, καὶ μετὰ μοιχοῦ τὴν μερίδα σου ἐτίθεις. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπον εὑρεῖν ἀναμάρτητον καθόλου· διὸ καί τις ἔλεγε· Τίς καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν; ἢ τίς παῤῥησιάσεται καθαρὸς εἶναι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας; καὶ Παῦλος εἰπὼν, Οὐδὲν ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωμαι· καὶ, ∆ίκαιος δὲ ἑαυτοῦ κατήγορος ἐν πρωτολογίᾳ, εὔδηλον ὅτι τῶν ἡμαρτημένων αὐτῷ· ἵνα οὖν μηδεὶς