Mercy And Enemies

Τί δέ; καὶ ἐχθρῶν ὑποζύγια ἀχθοφοροῦντα συνεπικουφίζειν καὶ συνεγείρειν προστάσσει πόρρωθεν διδάσκων ἡμᾶς ὁ Kύριος ἐπιχαιρεκακίαν μὴ ἀσπάζεσθαι μηδὲ ἐφήδεσθαι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, ἵνα τούτοις ἐγγυμνασαμένους ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν προσεύχεσθαι διδάξῃ. Oὔτε γὰρ φθονεῖν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς τοῦ πέλας ἀγαθοῖς λυπεῖσθαι προσῆκεν οὐδὲ μὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς τοῦ πλησίον κακοῖς ἡδονὴν καρποῦσθαι. Kἂν πλανώμενον μέντοι, φησίν, ἐχθροῦ τινος ὑποζύγιον εὕρῃς, τὰ τῆς διαφορᾶς παραλιπὼν ὑπεκκαύματα ἀπαγαγὼν ἀπόδος. Tῇ γὰρ ἀμνηστίᾳ ἕπεται ἡ καλοκἀγαθία, καὶ ταύτῃ ἡ τῆς ἔχθρας διάλυσις. Ἐντεῦθεν εἰς ὁμόνοιαν καταρτιζόμεθα, ἣ δὲ εἰς εὐδαιμονίαν χειραγωγεῖ. Kἄν τινα ἐξ ἔθους ἐχθρὸν ὑπολάβῃς, παραλογιζόμενον δὲ τοῦτον ἀλόγως ἤτοι ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἢ καὶ θυμῷ καταλάβῃς, ἐπίστρεψον αὐτὸν εἰς καλοκἀγαθίαν. Ἆρα ἤδη καταφαίνεται φιλάνθρωπος καὶ χρηστὸς ὁ νόμος, ὁ εἰς Χριστὸν παιδαγωγῶν, θεός τε ὁ αὐτὸς ἀγαθὸς μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς εἰς τέλος ἑκάστῳ γένει προσφυῶς εἰς σωτηρίαν κεχρημένος; ἐλεᾶτε, φησὶν ὁ Kύριος, ἵνα ἐλεηθῆτε· ἀφίετε, ἵνα ἀφεθῇ ὑμῖν· ὡς ποιεῖτε, οὕτως ποιηθήσεται ὑμῖν· ὡς δίδοτε, οὕτως δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· ὡς κρίνετε, οὕτως κριθήσεσθε· ὡς χρηστεύεσθε, οὕτως χρηστευθήσεται ὑμῖν· ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε, ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν. Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Στρωματεων, Λογος Β' Κεφ' ΙΗ' Source: Migne PG 8.1029b-1032a

What more? The Lord exhorts us to aid and raise up even the beasts of enemies when they labour beneath their burdens, at a remove teaching us not to take joy in our neighbour's ills, or exult over our enemies, instructing those who are trained in these things to pray for their enemies. For He does not allow us either to envy and begrudge our neighbour's good, or to take pleasure at his ill. And if you find any enemy's beast straying, He says, you are to pass over the provocations of difference, and taking it back, restore it. For forgetfulness of injuries is followed by goodness, and that by dissolution of hostility. By which we are shaped for agreement, and this leads to happiness. And should you encounter one habitually hostile, and find him to be unreasonably in error either by passion or anger, turn him to goodness. Does not, then, the law which conducts to Christ appear humane and mild? 1 God uses the same good, with righteousness from beginning to end, for each kind suitably for salvation. 'Be merciful,' says the Lord, 'that you may receive mercy; forgive, that you may be forgiven. As you do, so shall it be done to you; as you give, so shall it be given to you; as you judge, so shall you be judged; as you show kindness, so shall kindness be shown to you: with what measure you measure, it shall be measured out to you.' Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 2, Ch 18 1 Galat 3.24