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SERMON 33.

Concerning Oaths. Matthew 5. I say to you, do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God,

nor by the earth, for it is his footstool.

James 5. But above all things, my brethren, do not swear; neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor any other oath. But let your Yes be yes, and your No, no.

Solomon 14. They swore unjustly in deceit, despising holiness. For it is not the power of those who are sworn by, but the justice of those who sin, that always pursues the transgression of the unjust.

Sirach 23. As a servant who is continually examined will not be lacking a bruise, so the man who swears and names God continually will not be cleansed from sin.

Sirach 23. A man who swears much will be filled with lawlessness, and the scourge will not depart from his house.

Confirming a falsehood by oaths, he acquires perjury as the evil merchandise of inhumanity.

Basil. For it is altogether shameful and foolish to accuse oneself as unworthy of belief, and to bring in the security of oaths.

(893) The Theologian. For he who swears truly might perhaps at some time also slip; but he who does not swear has escaped the danger of perjury.

The law says, You shall not perjure yourself; but you, Do not swear at all, neither small nor great; since the oath begets perjury.

Chrysostom. The slanderers sell falsehood; lying to one another they have consumed oaths, knowing God only for the purpose of swearing.

Socrates. For it is necessary for good men to show a manner more trustworthy than an oath.

Accept an administered oath for two reasons: either to absolve yourself of a charge, or to save friends from great dangers.

For the sake of money, by no means swear by God; not even if you are going to swear truly; for you will seem to some to be perjuring, and to others to be greedy.

Amphis. For whoever believes nothing from one who swears, He himself knows how to perjure himself easily. The many advise men to be true to their oaths; but I, even from the beginning

declare that it is not holy even to swear readily.

Of Eusebius. Goodness of character, is necessary than an oath. To have more trustworthy.

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ΛΟΓΟΣ ΛΓ´.

Περί ὄρκου. Ματθ. ε´. Λέγω ὑμῖν μή ὁμόσαι ὅλως, μήτε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὅτι θρόνος ἐστί τοῦ Θεοῦ,

μήτε ἐν τῇ γῇ, ὅτι ὑποπόδιόν ἐστι τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ.

Ἰακ. ε´. Πρό πάντων δέ, ἀδελφοί μου, μή ὀμνύετε· μήτε τόν οὐρανόν μήτε τήν γῆν, μήτε ἄλλον τινά ὄρκον· ἔστω δέ ὑμῶν τό, Ναί, ναί, καί τό, Οὔ, οὔ.

Σολομ. ιδ´. Ἀδίκως ὤμοσαν ἐν δόλῳ καταφρονήσαντες ὁσιότητος. Οὐ γάρ ἡ τῶν ὀμνυομένων δύναμις, ἀλλ᾿ ἡ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων δίκη, ἐπεξέρχεται ἀεί τήν τῶν ἀδίκων παράβασιν.

Σιράχ κγ´. Ὥσπερ οἰκέτης ἐξεταζόμενος ἐνδελεχῶς, ἀπό μώλωπος οὐκ ἐλαττωθήσεται· οὕτως ὁ ὀμνύων καί ὀνομάζων Θεόν διαπαντός ἄνθρωπος, ἀπό ἁμαρτίας οὐ καθαρισθήσεται.

Σιράχ κγ´. Ἀνήρ πολύορκος πλησθήσεται ἀνομίας, καί οὐκ ἀποστήσεται ἀπό τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ μάστιξ.

Πιστούμενος τό ψεῦδος διά τῶν ὄρκων, κακόν ἐμπόρευμα τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας τήν ἐπιορκίαν προσκτᾶται.

Βασιλ. Αἰσχρόν γάρ παντελῶς καί ἀνόητον ἑαυτοῦ κατηγορεῖν, ὡς ἀναξίου πίστεως, καί τήν τῶν ὄρκων ἀσφάλειαν ἐπιφέρεσθαι.

(893) Θεολ. Ὁ μέν γάρ εὐορκῶν, τυχόν ἄν ποτε καί παρασφαλείη· ὁ δέ μή ὀμνύων, τόν τῆς ἐπιορκίας κίνδυνον διαπέφευγε.

Ὁ νόμος φησίν, Οὐκ ἐπιορκήσῃς· σύ δέ Οὐδέ ὀμῇ τήν ἀρχήν, οὐ μικρόν οὐ μεῖζον· ὡς τοῦ ὄρκου τήν ἐπιορκίαν τίκτοντος.

Χρυσόστ. Οἱ συκοφάνται τό ψεῦδος πιπράσκουσιν· ἀλλήλους ψευδόμενοι τούς ὄρκους ἀνήλωσαν, εἰς τό ὀμνύειν, καί μόνον, τόν Θεόν ἐπιστάμενοι.

Σωκράτης. ∆εῖ γάρ τούς ἀγαθούς ἄνδρας, τρόπον ὄρκου πιστότερον φαίνεσθαι παρεχομένους.

Ὅρκον ἐπακτόν προσδέχου διά δύο προφάσεις· ἤ σεαυτόν αἰτίας ἀπολύων, ἤ φίλους ἐκ μεγάλων κινδύνων διασώζων.

Ἕνεκεν χρημάτων μηδαμῶς Θεόν ὀμόσῃς· μηδ᾿ ἄν εὐορκεῖν μέλλεις· δόξεις γάρ, τοῖς μέν ἐπιορκεῖν, τοῖς δέ φιλοχρημάτως ἔχειν.

Ἀμφίδος. Ὅστις γάρ ὀμνύοντι μηδέν πείθεται, Αὐτός ἐπιορκεῖν ῥᾳδίως ἐπίσταται. Οἱ πολλοί τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τό εὐόρκους εἶναι παραινοῦσιν· ἐγώ δέ καί τήν ἀρχήν

μηδ᾿ εὐπετῶς ὀμνῦναι ὅσιον ἀποφαίνομαι.

Εὐσεβίου. Τρόπου καλοκαγαθίαν, ὅρκου δεῖ. Πιστοτέραν ἔχειν.