Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 6 (Gregory Thaumaturgus)

by reason of the evil will of man. He who is left entirely alone, having neither brother nor son, yet prospered with large possessions, lives in a spirit of insatiable greed and refuses to devote himself in any way to goodness. Gladly, therefore, would I ask such a person for what reason he labors thus, fleeing headlong from the doing of anything good and distracted by many various passions for gain. Far better than such a man are those who have joined in a common life, from which they may reap the best blessings. When two men devote themselves in the right spirit to the same objects, though some mischance befalls one, he still has no slight alleviation in having his companion. The greatest of all calamities to a man in evil fortune is the lack of a friend to help and cheer him. Those who live together double the good fortune that befalls them and lessen the pressure of the storm of disagreeable events; in the day they are distinguished by their frank confidence in each other, and in the night they appear notable for their cheerfulness. But he who leads a solitary life passes an existence full of terror to himself, not perceiving that if one should fall upon men bound closely together, he adopts a rash and perilous course, and that it is not easy to snap a threefold cord.

Moreover, I prefer a poor youth, if he be wise, to an aged prince devoid of wisdom, to whose thoughts it has never occurred that a man may be raised from prison to the throne, and that the very man who has exercised his power unrighteously shall at a later period be righteously cast out. It may happen that those who are subject to a sensible youth, including his elders, shall be free from trouble. Moreover, those who are born later cannot praise another of whom they have had no experience, being led by an unreasoning judgment and the impulse of a contrary spirit. But in exercising the preacher’s office, keep this before your eyes: that your own life be rightly directed, and that you pray on behalf of the foolish, that they may gain understanding and know how to shun the doings of the wicked.

CHAP. V.

It is a good thing to use the tongue sparingly and to keep a calm and well-balanced heart in the exercise of speech. It is not right to give utterance to things that are foolish and absurd, or to all that occurs to the mind; but we ought to know and reflect that, though we are far separated from heaven, we speak in the hearing of God, and it is good for us to speak without offense. As dreams and visions attend manifold cares of mind, so also silly talking is conjoined with folly. Moreover, see to it that a promise made with a vow is made good in fact. It is characteristic of fools to be unreliable; be true to your word, knowing that it is much better not to vow or promise to do anything than to vow and then fail to perform it. You ought by all means to avoid a flood of base words, seeing that God will hear them. The man who makes such things his study gains no more benefit than to see his doings brought to nothing by God. For as the multitude of dreams is vain, so also is the multitude of words. But the fear of God is man's salvation, though it is rarely found. Therefore, you ought not to wonder though you see the poor oppressed and the judges misinterpreting the law. You should avoid the appearance of surpassing those who are in power; even should this happen, wickedness will not deliver you from the terrible ills that shall befall you. Even as property acquired by violence is a most hurtful and impious possession, so the man who lusts after money never finds satisfaction for his passion, nor good-will from his neighbors, even though he may have amassed the greatest wealth. This, too, is vanity. But goodness greatly rejoices those who hold to it and makes them strong, imparting the capacity to see through all things. It is also a great matter not to be engrossed by such anxieties: the poor man, even if he is a slave and unable to fill his belly plentifully, enjoys at least the refreshment of sleep; but the lust for riches is attended by sleepless nights and anxieties of mind. What could be more absurd than, with much anxiety and trouble, to amass wealth and keep it with jealous care, while all the while one is but maintaining the occasion of countless evils to oneself? This wealth must needs perish in time, whether he who acquired it has children or not, and the man himself, however unwillingly, is...