6. Knowing these things then, let us avoid oaths; and let our mouth continually practise the saying, "Believe me;" [1389] and this will be to us a foundation for all pious behaviour; [1390] for the tongue, when it has been disciplined to use this one expression, is ashamed, and would blush to utter words that are disgraceful and ugly; and should it at any time be drawn away by habit, it will be checked again, by having many accusers. For when any one observes him who is not a swearer giving utterance to foul words, he will take his advantage over him, and ridicule, and exclaim tauntingly, "Thou who sayest in all affairs, Believe me,' and venturest not to utter an oath, dost thou disgrace thy tongue with these shameful expressions?" So that being forcibly urged by those who are with us, even if unwilling, we shall return again to a pious behaviour. "But what," says one, "if it be necessary to take an oath?" Where there is a transgression of the law, there is no such thing as necessity. "Is it possible then," it is replied, "not to swear at all?" What sayest thou? Hath God commanded, and darest thou to ask if it be possible for His law to be kept? Why, truly it is a thing impossible that His law should not be kept; and I am desirous to persuade you from present circumstances of this; that so far from its being impossible not to swear, it is impossible to swear. [1391] For behold, the inhabitants of the city were commanded to bring in a payment of gold, [1392] such as it might have seemed beyond the power of many to do; yet the greater part of the sum has been collected; and you may hear the tax gatherers saying, "Why delay, man? Why put us off from day to day? It is not possible to avoid it. It is the law of the Emperor, which admits of no delay." What sayest thou, I ask? The Emperor hath commanded thee to bring in thy money, and it is impossible not to bring it in! God hath commanded thee to avoid oaths! and how sayest thou, it is impossible to avoid them!
7. I am now for the sixth day admonishing you in respect of this precept. Henceforth, I am desirous to take leave [1393] of you, meaning to abstain from the subject, that ye may be on your guard. There will no longer be any excuse or allowance for you; for of right, indeed, if nothing had been said on this matter, it ought to have been amended of yourselves, for it is not a thing of an intricate nature, or that requires great preparation. But since ye have enjoyed the advantage of so much admonition and counsel, what excuse will ye have to offer, when ye stand accused before that dread tribunal, and are required to give account of this transgression. It is impossible to invent any excuse; but of necessity you must either go hence amended, or, if you have not amended, be punished, and abide the extremest penalty! Thinking, therefore, upon all these things, and departing hence with much anxiety about them, exhort ye one another, that the things spoken of during so many days may be kept with all watchfulness in your minds, so that whilst we are silent, ye instructing, edifying, exhorting one another, may exhibit great improvement; and having fulfilled all the other precepts, may enjoy eternal crowns; which God grant we may all obtain, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom be glory, to the Father, together with the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.
[1366] Gen. i. 1.
[1367] tr?pezan, i.e., of refreshment, as "for thee and for thy recreation," Hom. VII. (3). What he says presently of the trees has not occurred in these Homilies.
[1368] Viz. the wild animals: l. xxviii. of Pliny's Natural History is devoted to "medicines from animals."
[1369] Gen. ix. 2.
[1370] Or, more sober, sophron?steros.
[1371] The physicians.
[1372] Comp. Apoll. Rhod. Arg. iii. 746, "The traveller now, And the tired porter, claimed the boon of sleep, The mother's self, of children late bereaved, Sunk in deep slumber lay." and Virgil's imitation, Æn. iv. 522.
[1373] turannidi.
[1374] Tillemont places this Homily on Friday, but the reference to the last is "lately," not "yesterday," so that it was probably delivered on Saturday, as Montfaucon supposes. The Ben. reading gives, "For a subject of several days in succession requires a continued recollection," &c.
[1375] Gen. iii. 8.
[1376] susteile. See Rom. xii. 1, Hom. XX., where it is used of reverence.
[1377] Prov. xxviii. 1.
[1378] Sav. and M., ?pie.
[1379] hina ti diastr?pheis. There is not authority for why dost thou, instead of art thou he that. The word pervertest is the LXX. rendering of rv, disturbest, and seems to mean "turnest from right worship," for "from allegiance;" but the meaning of the Hebrew seems to be troublest (i.e., with famine), as in E.V.: comp. Jos. vii. 25, where they render it "destroy."
[1380] 1 Kings xviii. 17, 18.
[1381] See Hom. II. 25.
[1382] Ps. lxxviii. 15.
[1383] See Hom. I. 5. The like is said of the relics of St. Epiphanius, in the second part of the Homily against the Peril of Idolatry, quoted from Cassiodori Hist. Eccl. Trip. ix. 48 (Soz. vii. 27).
[1384] phantasia.
[1385] kat?phagen.
[1386] He seems to mean "by experience," i.e., if they would follow his advice. The new Coll. mss., and from it Harmar, however, read di >t?ron, "through other (examples)," which removes the difficulty.
[1387] Ps. i. 5.
[1388] Ps. cxxiv. 1.
[1389] i.e., instead of any stronger asseverations.
[1390] eulabeias.
[1391] That is, assuming men to act as reasonably in their relations to God, as they do in their relations to man.
[1392] The tax which was demanded previously to the sedition, and before alluded to, Hom. III. 18.
[1393] sunt?xasthai, used as ?pot?xasthai (that word having passed rather to the sense of renouncing, see St. Cyr. Hier. Cat. xix.). See Du Cange, who quotes Conc. Chalc. act i., and many other passages.