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SERMON 43.

On praise. Luke 6. Woe to you when all people speak well of you, for

their fathers did so to the false prophets.

James 3. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

The test of silver and gold is fire; but a man is tested by the mouth of those who praise him.

Sirach 27. Do not praise a man before you hear him speak, for this is the test of men.

Basil. Let us not be puffed up by praises that go beyond the truth.

Theologian. Excessive honors cause some to despise even what is proper; for of those whose praises I know, I also clearly know their progress.

Let not what belongs to another be praised at all, if it is not just; nor let what is our own be dishonored if it is honorable; lest for the one, being a foreigner be a gain, while for the other, kinship become a loss. For in both ways the principle of justice would be harmed, both when those are praised and when these are passed over in silence.

Chrysostom. For he who praises wickedness has deprived it of the remedy that comes from repentance.

Not only those who do evil things, but also those who praise them, will share in the same, or even a more severe, punishment than they.

Of Saint Ignatius. Even if I am strong according to God, I must fear more and pay attention to those who idly puff me up. For those who praise me, scourge me.

(925) Of Clement. Hunters hunt hares with dogs; but the many hunt the foolish with praises.

One should offer incense to the gods, but praise to the good.

Isocrates. Consider faithful not those who praise everything you do and say, but those who rebuke you for your mistakes.

Moschion. If you wish to be well spoken of, learn to speak well. Try to act well, and thus you will reap the fruit of being well spoken of.

Polyaenus. Neither criticize nor praise someone in his presence; for the one brings enmity, the other flattery.

Cypsellus. While one is alive, praise him; but when one is dead, call him blessed.

Antagenes. He said, when many praise me, then I think I am worthy of nothing; but when a few do, that I am a worthy man.

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ΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΓ´.

Περί ἐπαίνου. Λουκ. στ´. Οὐαί ὑμῖν, ὅταν καλῶς ὑμᾶς εἴπωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι· κατά ταῦτα γάρ

ἐποίουν τούς ψευδοπροφήτας οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν.

Ἰακ. γ´. Ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ στόματος ἐξέρχεται εὐλογία καί κατάρα. Οὐ χρή, ἀδελφοί μου, ταῦτα οὕτω γίνεσθαι. Μή τι ἡ πηγή ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὀπῆς βρύει τό γλυκύ καί τό πικρόν;

∆οκίμιον ἀργυρίου καί χρυσίου, πύρωσις· ἀνήρ δέ δοκιμάζεται διά στόματος ἐγκωμιαζόντων αὐτόν.

Σιράχ κζ΄ . Πρό λογισμοῦ μή ἐπαινέσῃς ἄνδρα· οὗτος γάρ πειρασμός ἀνθρώπων.

Βασιλ. Μή πρός ἐπαίνους χαυνωθῶμεν τούς ὑπέρ τήν ἀλήθειαν.

Θεολ. Αἱ τῶν τιμῶν ὑπερβολαί, παρασκευάζουσί τινας καί τοῦ δέοντος καταφρονῆσαι· ὧν γάρ τούς ἐπαίνους οἶδα, τούτων σαφῶς καί τάς ἐπιδόσεις.

Μήτε τό ἀλλότριον ἐπαινείσθω πᾶν, ὅ μή δίκαιον· μήτε ἀτιμαζέσθω τό οἰκεῖον εἰ τίμιον· ἵνα μή τῷ μέν κέρδος ἡ ἀλλοτριότης ᾖ· τῷ δ᾿ εἰς ζημίαν περιστῇ τό τῆς οἰκειότητος. Ἀμφοτέρως γάρ ἄν ὁ τοῦ δικαίου βλάπτοιτο λόγος, κἀκείνων ἐπαινουμένων, καί τούτων σιωπωμένων.

Χρυσοστ. Ὁ γάρ ἐπαινῶν πονηρίαν, τῆς ἐκ τοῦ μετανοῆσαι θεραπείας αὐτήν ἀπεστέρησε.

Οὐχ οἱ τά φαῦλα πράττοντες μόνον, ἀλλά καί οἱ τούτους ἐγκωμιάζοντες, τῆς αὐτῆς, ἤ καί χαλεπωτέρας ἐκείνοις κοινωνήσουσι κολάσεως.

Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰγνατίου. Κἄν ἐῤῥωμένος ὦ κατά Θεόν, πλέον με δεῖ φοβεῖσθαι καί προσέχειν τοῖς εἰκῆ φυσιοῦσί με. Ἐπαινοῦντες γάρ με μαστιγοῦσιν.

(925) Κλήμεντος. Θηρεύουσι τοῖς μέν κυσί, τούς λαγωούς, οἱ κυνηγοί· τοῖς δέ ἐπαίνοις τούς ἀνοήτους οἱ πολλοί.

Τό μέν λαβανωτόν, τοῖς θεοῖς· τόν δέ ἔπαινον τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἀπονέμειν χρή.

Ἰσοκράτ. Πιστούς ἡγοῦ, μή τούς πᾶν ὅ τι ἄν ποιῇς καί λέγῃς ἐπαινοῦντας, ἀλλά τοῖς ἁμαρτανομένοις ἐπιτιμῶντας.

Μοσχίων. Εἰ θέλεις καλῶς ἀκούειν, μάνθανε καλῶς λέγειν. Πειρῶ καλῶς πράττειν, καί οὕτω καρπώσῃ τό καλῶς ἀκούειν.

Πολυαίνου. Παρόντα μήτε ψέγε, μήτ᾿ ἐπαίνει· τό μέν γάρ ἔχθραν φέρει· τό δέ κολακείαν.

Κυψέλλου. Ζῶν μέν, ἐπαινοῦ· ἀποθανών δέ, μακαρίζου.

Ἀνταγένης. Οὗτος εἶπεν, ὅταν ἐπαινῶσί με πολλοί , τότε νομίζω μηδενός ἄξιος εἶναι· ὅτα δέ ὀλίγοι, σπουδαῖον ἄνθρωπον.