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Being good is more profitable than much money. A good character is safer than law. For no orator could ever distort the one; but Speech, troubling the other up and down, often destroys it.

DISCOURSE 58.

Concerning law. John 8. My judgment is just, because I am not alone, but I and the one who sent me.

And in your law it is written, That the testimony of two men is true.

Romans 2. As many as have sinned without law will also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.

Proverbs 29. To know the law is of a good mind.

Sirach 21. He who keeps the law of the Lord controls his own thought.

(976) Basil. If the irrational creatures are inventive and protective of their own salvation, and the fish knows what is to be chosen for it and what is to be avoided; what shall we say, who are honored with reason, and educated by laws, urged on by promises, made wise by the Spirit; then arranging our own affairs more irrationally than the irrational fish, not being persuaded to submit to the law?

It is not possible to be saved without doing the works according to the commandment of God; nor is it without danger to overlook any of the things which have been commanded. For it is a terrible arrogance for us to sit as judges of the lawgiver, and to approve some of the laws, but to dismiss others. For if the man of God must be perfect, it is altogether necessary for him to be perfected through every commandment, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; since according to the divine law even if the offering be clean, [if it is not perfect and whole,] it is unacceptable as a sacrifice to God.

Of the Theologian. If, then, we had remained what we were, and had kept the commandment, we would have become what we were not.

How much more pleasant to learn something, than to teach concerning God.

Being pious in word a little, but in deed more; and displaying our affection for him by the keeping of the laws rather than by admiring the lawgiver.

You are subject to laws and the Lord's canons, according to which it is fitting for you to live. And first understand this from yourself, that your soul also is everywhere subject to the precepts of virtue. You received a body also from the Creator, governed by five senses for the needs of life. But not even these are free and autonomous; but each is a servant of laws. And first the eye hears. 'Look,' it says, 'and behold what is good to look at;' and, 'it is better to pluck it out, when it looks at disordered and harmful things.' The ear also has a command, and the tongue and the rest likewise.

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Πολλῶν χρημάτων, τό χρηστόν εἶναι λυσιτελέστερόν ἐστι. Τρόπος ἐστί χρηστός ἀσφαλέστερος νόμου. Τόν μέν γάρ οὐδείς ἄν διαστρέψαι ποτέ Ῥήτωρ δύναιτο· τόν δ᾿ ἄνω τε καί κάτω Λόγος ταράσσων πολλάκις λυμαίνεται.

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΝΗ´.

Περί νόμου. Ἰωάν. η´. Ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμή δικαία ἐστίν, ὅτι μόνος οὐκ εἰμί, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγώ καί ὁ πέμψας με.

Καί ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τῷ ὑμετέρῳ γέγραπται, Ὅτι δύο ἀνθρώπων μαρτυρία ἀληθής ἐστιν.

Ῥωμ. β´. Ὅσοι ἀνόμως ἥμαρτον, ἀνόμως καί ἀπολοῦνται· καί ὅσοι ἐν νόμῳ ἥμαρτον, διά νόμου κριθήσονται.

Παροιμ. κθ΄. Τό νόμον γνῶναι, διανοίας ἐστίν ἀγαθῆς.

Σιράχ κα´. Ὁ φυλάσσων νόμον Κυρίου, κρατεῖ τοῦ ἐννοήματος αὐτοῦ.

(976) Βασιλ. Εἰ τά ἄλογα ἐπινοητικά καί φυλακτικά τῆς αὐτῶν σωτηρίας εἰσί, καί οἶδε τό αἱρετόν αὐτοῦ καί τό φευκτόν ἰχθύς· τί ἐροῦμεν ἡμεῖς οἱ λόγοις τετιμημένοι, καί νόμοις πεπαιδευμένοι, ἐπαγγελίαις προτραπέντες, Πνεύματι σοφισθέντες· εἶτα τῶν ἀλόγων ἰχθύων ἀλογώτερον τά καθ᾿ ἑαυτούς διατιθέμενοι, μή πειθόμενοι τῷ νόμῳ ὑπείκειν;

Οὐ δυνατόν σωθῆναι μή ποιοῦντα τά κατ᾿ ἐντολήν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔργα· οὔτε τό παριδεῖν τι τῶν προστεταγμένων ἀκίνδυνον. ∆εινή γάρ ἠ ἔπαρσις, κριτάς ἡμᾶς τοῦ νομοθέτου καθέζεσθαι, καί τούς μέν ἐγκρίνειν τῶν νόμων, τούς δέ παραπέμπεσθαι. Εἰ γάρ δεῖ τέλειον εἶναι τόν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπον, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα διά πάσης ἐντολῆς καταρτισθῆναι, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἐπεί κατά τόν θεῖον νόμον κἄν καθαρόν ᾖ τόν τελούμενον, [ἄν μή τέλειον καί ὁλόκληρον,] ἀπρόσδεκτον εἰς θυσίαν τῷ Θεῷ.

Θεολόγου. Εἰ μέν οὖν ἐμείναμεν ὅπερ ἦμεν, καί τήν ἐντολήν ἐφυλάξαμεν, ἐγενόμεθα ἄν ὅπερ οὐκ ἦμεν.

Ὡς ἥδιόν τι μανθάνειν, ἤ διδάσκειν περί Θεοῦ.

Λόγῳ μέν εὐσεβοῦντες ὀλίγα, ἔργῳ δέ πλείονα· καί τῇ τηρήσει τῶν νομων μᾶλλον, ἤ τῷ θαυμάζειν τόν νομοθέντην, τό περί αὐτόν φίλτρον ἐπιδεικνύμενοι.

Νόμοις ὑπόκεισαι καί κανόσι ∆εσποτικοῖς, καθ᾿ οὕς σε προσήκει ζῇν. Καί τοῦτο ἀπό σαυτοῦ πρῶτον κατανόησον, ὅτι καί ἡ ψυχή σου πανταχόθεν τοῖς τῆς ἀρετῆς ὑπόκειται παραγγέλμασιν. Ἔλαβες καί σῶμα παρά τοῦ Κτίσαντος, πέντε αἰσθήσεσιν εἰς τάς τῆς ζωῆς χρείας οἰκονομούμενον. Εἰσί δέ οὐδέ αὗται ἐλεύθεροι καί αὐτόνομοι· ἀλλ᾿ ἑκάστη δούλη νόμων ἐστί. Καί πρῶτος ἀκούει ὁ ὀφθαλμός. Βλέπε, φησίν, καί θεώρει ἅ βλέπειν καλόν· καί, βέλτιον ἐκκόπτειν αὐτόν, ὅταν ἄτακτα βλέπῃ καί ἐπιζήμια. Ἔχει καί ἡ ἀκοή παράγγελμα, καί ἡ γλῶσσα καί αἱ λοιπαί ὁμοίως.