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greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, Rabbi. For though one may think these things small, yet they are causes of great evils. These things have overturned both cities and Churches. And I am moved to tears now, when I hear of the first seats and the greetings, and consider how many 58.670 evils have been born from these things for the Churches of God; which it is not necessary to relate to you now; or rather, as many as are old do not need to learn these things from us. But consider, where the things of vainglory prevailed; where they were commanded not to be vainglorious, in the synagogues; where they entered to regulate others. For to suffer this at dinners, in any case, does not seem so terrible; and yet even there the teacher ought to be admired, not only in the Church, but everywhere. And just as a man, wherever he may appear, is clearly distinct from the irrational animals; so also the teacher, whether speaking, or silent, or breakfasting, or doing anything whatsoever, ought to be manifest, both by his gait, and by his look, and by his bearing, and by all things simply. But they were ridiculous from every side, and were shamed everywhere, practicing what they ought to have fled. For they love, he says; but if loving is a charge, how great is the doing? and the hunting for these things and striving to obtain them, how great an evil? 3. The other things, then, he established up to their accusation, as small and trivial, and not needing the disciples to be corrected for these things as well; but that which was the cause of all evils, the love of rule, and the seizing of the teacher's throne, this he brings into the midst and earnestly corrects, enjoining them very vigorously concerning this. For what does he say? But you are not to be called Rabbi. Then also the reason; For one is your Teacher; and you are all brothers; and one has nothing more than another, in that he knows nothing from himself. Therefore Paul also says; For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, and who is Cephas, but ministers? He did not say, Teachers. And again; Call no man father; not that they should not call, but that they might know whom they ought properly to call father. For just as the teacher is not primarily a teacher; so neither is the father. For He is the cause of all, both of teachers, and of fathers. And again he adds; Neither be called masters; for one is your Master, the Christ; and he did not say, I. Just as above he said, What think you of Christ? and did not say, Of me; so also here. But I would gladly ask here, what would they say who often apply the 'One' and 'One' to the Father alone, to the setting aside of the Only-begotten. Is the Father Master? All would say so, and no one would contradict. And yet one, he says, is your Master, the Christ. As therefore Christ being called one Master does not exclude the Father from being Master; so also the Father being called one Teacher does not exclude the Son from being Teacher. For the 'One' and 'One' is said in contrast to men, and the rest of creation. Having therefore forbidden them this grievous disease and corrected it, he teaches also how they might escape it; through humility. Therefore he also adds; But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. For whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. For nothing is equal to being moderate; wherefore he also continually reminds them of this virtue, both when he brought the children into the midst, and now; and beginning on the mount of the beatitudes, he began from this; and here he plucks it up by the root, 58.671 saying from this; He that humbles himself, shall be exalted. Do you see how he leads the hearer diametrically to the opposite? For he not only forbids loving the first places, but also pursuing the last. For thus you will obtain your desire, he says. Therefore, he who pursues the desire for the first places must pursue the last rank. For he who humbles himself, shall be exalted. And where shall we find this humility? Do you wish that we go again to the city of virtue, the tents of the saints, I mean the mountains, and the glens? For there the
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τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς ἐν ταῖς ἀγοραῖς, καὶ καλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, Ῥαββί. Ταῦτα γὰρ εἰ καὶ μικρά τις ἡγεῖται, ἀλλὰ μεγάλων ἐστὶν αἴτια κακῶν. Ταῦτα καὶ πόλεις καὶ Ἐκκλησίας ἀνέτρεψε. Καί μοι καὶ δακρῦσαι ἔπεισι νῦν, ὅταν τὰς πρωτοκαθεδρίας ἀκούσω καὶ τοὺς ἀσπασμοὺς, καὶ λογίσωμαι πόσα ἐν 58.670 τεῦθεν ἐτέχθη κακὰ ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἅπερ οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐξειπεῖν νῦν· μᾶλλον δὲ ὅσοι πρεσβῦται οὐδὲ δέονται ταῦτα παρ' ἡμῶν μαθεῖν. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει, ποῦ τὰ τῆς κενοδοξίας ἐκράτει· ἔνθα ἐκελεύοντο μὴ κενοδοξεῖν, ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς· ἔνθα εἰσῄεσαν ῥυθμίζοντες ἑτέρους. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν δείπνων τοῦτο παθεῖν ὁπωσδήποτε, οὐχ οὕτω δοκεῖ δεινὸν εἶναι· καίτοιγε καὶ ἐκεῖ τὸν διδάσκαλον θαυμάζεσθαι ἔδει, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ. Καὶ καθάπερ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὅπουπερ ἂν φανῇ, δῆλός ἐστι τῶν ἀλόγων διεστηκώς· οὕτω καὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον, καὶ φθεγγόμενον, καὶ σιγῶντα, καὶ ἀριστοποιούμενον, καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ποιοῦντα, δῆλον εἶναι δεῖ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ βήματος, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ βλέμματος, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος, καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων ἁπλῶς. Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ πανταχόθεν ἦσαν καταγέλαστοι, καὶ πανταχοῦ κατησχύνοντο, μελετῶντες ἃ φεύγειν ἔδει. Φιλοῦσι γὰρ, φησίν· εἰ δὲ τὸ φιλεῖν ἔγκλημα, τὸ ποιεῖν ἡλίκον; καὶ τὸ θηρᾷν αὐτὰ καὶ σπουδάζειν ὥστε τυχείν, πόσον κακόν; γʹ. Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἄλλα μέχρι τῆς ἐκείνων κατηγορίας ἔστησεν, ὡς μικρὰ καὶ εὐτελῆ, καὶ μὴ δεομένων τῶν μαθητῶν καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτων διορθωθῆναι· ὃ δὲ πάντων αἴτιον ἦν τῶν κακῶν, ἡ φιλαρχία, καὶ τὸ τὸν θρόνον ἁρπάζειν τὸν διδασκαλικὸν, τοῦτο εἰς μέσον ἀγαγὼν διορθοῦται σπουδαίως, ὑπὲρ τούτου σφόδρα καὶ αὐτοῖς εὐτόνως ἐπισκήπτων. Τί γάρ φησιν; Ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ κληθῆτε Ῥαββί. Εἶτα καὶ ἡ αἰτία· Εἷς γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν ὁ ∆ιδάσκαλος· πάντες δὲ ὑμεῖς ἀδελφοί ἐστε· καὶ οὐδὲν ἕτερος ἑτέρου πλέον ἔχει, κατὰ τὸ μηδὲν εἰδέναι παρ' ἑαυτοῦ. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος λέγει· Τίς γάρ ἐστι Παῦλος, τίς δὲ Ἀπολλὼς, τίς δὲ Κηφᾶς, ἀλλ' ἢ διάκονοι; Οὐκ εἶπε, ∆ιδάσκαλοι. Καὶ πάλιν· Μὴ καλέσητε πατέρα· οὐχ ἵνα μὴ καλέσωσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἰδῶσιν ὃν κυρίως πατέρα καλεῖν χρή. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ διδάσκαλος οὐκ ἔστι διδάσκαλος προηγουμένως· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ πατήρ. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ πάντων αἴτιος, καὶ τῶν διδασκάλων, καὶ τῶν πατέρων. Καὶ πάλιν ἐπάγει· Μηδὲ κληθῆτε καθηγηταί· εἷς γὰρ ὑμῶν ἐστι καθηγητὴς, ὁ Χριστός· καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐγώ. Ὥσπερ ἀνωτέρω εἶπε, Τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ; καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Περὶ ἐμοῦ· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Ἀλλ' ἡδέως ἂν ἐροίμην ἐνταῦθα, τί ἂν εἴποιεν οἱ τὸ Εἷς καὶ Εἷς πολλάκις ἁρμόζοντες τῷ Πατρὶ μόνῳ, ἐπὶ ἀθετήσει τοῦ Μονογενοῦς. Καθηγητὴς ὁ Πατήρ; Ἅπαντες ἂν εἴποιεν, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ. Καὶ μὴν εἷς, φησὶν, ἐστὶν ὁ καθηγητὴς ὑμῶν, ὁ Χριστός. Ὥσπερ οὖν εἷς καθηγητὴς λεγόμενος ὁ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐκβάλλει τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ εἶναι καθηγητήν· οὕτω καὶ εἷς διδάσκαλος λεγόμενος ὁ Πατὴρ οὐκ ἐκβάλλει τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ εἶναι διδάσκαλον. Τὸ γὰρ Εἷς καὶ Εἷς πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἴρηται, καὶ τῆς λοιπῆς κτίσεως. Ἀπαγορεύσας τοίνυν αὐτοῖς τὸ χαλεπὸν τοῦτο νόσημα καὶ διορθωσάμενος, παιδεύει καὶ πῶς ἂν αὐτὸ διαφύγοιεν· διὰ ταπεινοφροσύνης. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Ὁ δὲ μείζων ὑμῶν ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος. Ὅστις γὰρ ὑψώσει ἑαυτὸν, ταπεινωθήσεται· καὶ ὅστις ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν, ὑψωθήσεται. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τοῦ μετριάζειν ἴσον· διὸ καὶ συνεχῶς αὐτοὺς ὑπομιμνήσκει ταύτης τῆς ἀρετῆς, καὶ ὅτε τὰ παιδία εἰς μέσον ἤγαγε, καὶ νῦν· καὶ ἀρχόμενος ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους τῶν μακαρισμῶν, ἐντεῦθεν ἤρξατο· καὶ ἐνταῦθα πρόῤῥιζον 58.671 αὐτὸ ἀνασπᾷ ἐντεῦθεν λέγων· Ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν, ὑψωθήσεται. Εἶδες πῶς ἐκ διαμέτρου πρὸς τοὐναντίον ἀπάγει τὸν ἀκροατήν; Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον τῶν πρωτείων ἐρᾷν κωλύει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα διώκειν. Οὕτω γὰρ τεύξῃ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, φησί. ∆ιὸ χρὴ τῶν πρωτείων τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν διώκοντα, τὴν ἐσχάτην διώκειν τάξιν. Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ταπεινώσῃ ἑαυτὸν, ὑψωθήσεται. Καὶ ποῦ τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ταύτην εὑρήσομεν; Βούλεσθε πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἴωμεν, τὰς τῶν ἁγίων σκηνὰς, τὰ ὄρη λέγω, καὶ τὰς νάπας; Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ τὸ