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Chrysost. Such is sin; before it is committed, it makes the one caught drunk; but when it is fulfilled and committed, then the things of this pleasure withdraw and are extinguished; and the accuser then stands naked, holding the rank of the executioner of the conscience (869) [holding] and tearing down the one who has transgressed, and demanding the ultimate penalty, and lying heavier than any lead.

Depart from wickedness, cease from evil, take hold of virtue, and promise to do them no more; and this is sufficient for a defense. I testify and guarantee, that each one of you who sins, if, having departed from former evils, he promises God in truth to touch them no more, God seeks nothing else greater for a defense. For he is a lover of mankind and merciful; and just as a woman in labor desires to give birth, so also he desires to pour out his mercy.

For just as a spark, if it succeeds in catching hold of something, then consumes everything; so is the nature of sin, when it takes hold of the soul's thoughts, and there is no one to extinguish it, it then becomes more grievous and hard to master, being lifted up to greater contempt by the addition of second sins.

For just as one who is in sin, in accusing others, accuses himself before them; so also one who is in misfortune and reproaches the misfortunes of another, reproaches himself before that one.

Just as those who walk through a moonless night tremble, even if no one is there to frighten them; so also those who commit sin cannot be confident, even if there is no one to convict them.

Before one person we do not wish to be disgraced here; but before myriads there, what shall we do?

Greg. Nyss. Great is the ease toward evil, and swift is nature's course to the worse.

Cyril. We all stumble in many ways. For nature is sick with an ease toward sin, because of those who from the beginning brought in the passion.

Philo. For the one who errs through ignorance of what is better, pardon enters in; but he who does wrong intentionally, has no defense.

Clement. Let us fear not the external sickness, (872) but the sins, on account of which is the sickness; and the sickness of the soul, not of the body.

Theotimus. Sin is like a veil preventing the good will of God from being in us.

Josephus. Reason is not an uprooter of the passions, but their antagonist.

It is not possible to wrap up fire in a garment, nor a shameful sin with time.

Aristot. He who has fairly confessed his sin does not place himself far from being sinless.

Pythagoras. Try not to cover your sins with words, but to heal them with reproofs.

Demosth. Just as a bodily affliction that is not hidden nor praised is healed; so also a soul that is badly guarded is not healed.

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Χρυσοστ. Τοιοῦτον ἡ ἁμαρτία· πρίν ἤ μέν ἀπαρτισθῆναι, μεθύειν ποιεῖ τόν ἁλόντα· ἐπειδάν δέ πληρωθῇ καί ἀπαρτισθῇ, τότε τά μέν τῆς ἡδονῆς ταύτης ὑπεξίσταται καί σβέννυται· γυμνός δέ ἕστηκε λοιπόν ὁ κατήγορος, τοῦ συνειδότος δημίου τάξιν ἐπέχων (869) [ἐπέχοντος] καί καταξαίνων τόν πλημμεληκότα, καί τήν ἐσχάτων ἀπαιτῶν δίκην, καί μολίβδου παντός βαρύτερον ἐπικείμενος.

Ἀπόστηθι τῆς πονηρίας, παῦσαι τῆς κακίας, ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς ἀρετῆς, καί ὑπόσχου μηκέτι αὐτά ποιεῖν· καί ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς ἀπολογίαν. Ἐγώ διαμαρτύρομαι καί ἐγγυῶμαι, ὅτι τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων ὑμῶν ἕκαστος, ἄν ἀποστάς τῶν προτέρων κακῶν ὑπόσχηται τῷ Θεῷ μετά ἀληθείας μηκέτι αὐτῶν ἅψασθαι, οὐδέν ἕτερον ὁ Θεός ζητεῖ πρός ἀπολογίαν μείζοντα. Φιλάνθρωπος γάρ ἐστι καί ἐλεήμων· καί καθάπερ ἡ ὠδίνουσα ἐπιθυμεῖ τεκεῖν, οὕτω καί αὐτός ἐπιθυμεῖ τόν ἔλεον ἐκχεῖν τόν ἑαυτοῦ.

Ὥσπερ γάρ σπινθήρ ἐάν φθάσῃ ἐπιλαβέσθαι τινός, πάντα λοιπόν κατανέμεται· οὕτω τῆς ἁμαρτίας φύσις, ἐπειδάν τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς λογισμῶν ἐπιλάβηται, καί μηδείς ᾖ ὁ σβέσων, χαλεπωτέρα λοιπόν καί δυσχείρωτος γίνεται, τῇ τῶν δευτέρων προσθήκῃ εἰς μείζονα καταφρόνησιν ἐπαιρομένη.

Ὥσπερ γάρ ὁ ἐν ἁμαρτήμασιν ὤν, ἑτέρων κατηγορῶν, ἑαυτοῦ πρό ἐκείνων κατηγορεῖ· οὕτω καί ὁ ἐν συμφορᾷ ὤν καί ὀνειδίζων ἑτέρου συμφοράς, ἑαυτόν πρό ἐκείνου ὀνειδίζει.

Καθάπερ οἱ διά νυκτός ἀσελήνου βαδίζοντες τρέμουσι, κἄν μηδείς ὁ φοβῶν παρῇ· οὕτω καί οἱ τήν ἁμαρτάν ἐργαζόμενοι, θαῤῥεῖν οὐκ ἔχουσι, κἄν μηδείς ὁ ἐλέγχων ᾖ.

Ἐπί ἑνός οὐ θέλομεν ἀσχημονῆσαι ἐνταῦθα· ἐπί δέ μυριάδων ἐκεῖ τί ποιήσομεν;

Γρηγ. Νύσσης. Πολλή πρός τήν κακίαν ἐστίν ἡ εὐκολία, καί ὀξύῤῥοπος ἐπί τό χεῖρον ἡ φύσις.

Κυρίλλου. Πολλά πταίομεν ἅπαντες. Νοσεῖ γάρ ἡ φύσις τό εἰς ἁμαρτίαν εὔκολον, διά τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰσοικισαμένων τό πάθος.

Φίλωνος. Τῷ μέν ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ κρείττοντος διαμαρτάνοντι συγγνώμη παρεισέρχεται· ὁ δέ ἐξεπίτηδες ἀδικῶν, ἀπολογίαν οὐκ ἔχει.

Κλήμεντος. Φοβηθῶμεν οὐχί νόσον τήν ἔξωθεν, (872) ἀλλ᾿ ἁμαρτήματα, δι᾿ ἅ ἡ νόσος· καί νόσον ψυχῆς, οὐχί σώματος.

Θεοτίμου. Ἔοικεν ἡ ἁμαρτία παραβλήματι κωλύοντι τήν εὔνοιαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι.

Ἰωσήππου. Οὐκ ἐκριζωτής τῶν παθῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνταγωνιστής ἐστιν ὁ λογισμός.

Οὔτε πῦρ ἱματίῳ περιστεῖλαι δυνατόν, οὔτε αἰσχρόν ἁμάρτημα χρόνῳ.

Ἀριστοτ. Οὐ πόῤῥω τοῦ ἀναμάρτητου καθίστησιν ἑαυτόν, ὁ τό ἁμαρτηθέν ἐπιεικῶς ὁμολογήσας.

Πυθαγόρου. Τά ἁμαρτήματά σου πειρῶ, μή λόγοις ἐπικαλύπτειν, ἀλλά θεραπεύειν ἐλέγχοις.

∆ημοσθ. Ὥσπερ σωματικόν πάθος οὐ κρυπτόμενον οὐδέ ἐπαινούμενον ὑγιάζεται· οὕτως οὐδέ ψυχή κακῶς φρουρουμένη θεραπεύεται.