Righteousness And Prudence

Καὶ ἐξαίρει λόγους δικαίων. Δικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώξῃ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Φώτιον καὶ Ἀνδρέαν πρεσβυτέρους ἐπιστολῆς. Τουτέστιν, μετὰ τὸ γινώσκειν καὶ πεπαιδεῦσθαι τοὺς τῆς δικαιοσύνης λόγους, διώξεις καὶ ἐπιζητήσεις τὸ δίκαιον, καθαρεύων πάσης προσπαθείας· καὶ ταύτῃ τὸ δίκαιον δίκαιος ὢν ζητήσεις, καὶ πανταχόθεν περιπεφραγμένος, καὶ ἔσω τῶν ὅρων τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἱστάμενος. Πολλοὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐθέλειν δίκαιοι εἶναι, μεθυσθέντες τὸν νοῦν διὰ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀκριβοῦς αὐτῶν, δικαιοσύνης τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἠδίκησαν. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ συνετὸς Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ τῆς συνέσεως παιδευτὴς, Χριστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθὴς Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἡ κεφαλὴ, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν ἡ ἀνωτάτω καὶ ἐνυπόστατος σοφία καὶ λόγος, ἄγχων τὸ πέρα μέτρου, κἂν ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιὰ φέρηται, παραινεῖ· Μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ, καὶ μὴ σοφίζων περισσά. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Δευτερονόμιον Ἐκλογή Source: Migne PG 17.27 b-c

And a gift steals away the words of the righteous. 1 Rightly seek righteousness. 2 (From his letter to the priests Photius and Andrew.) That is, after you have known and been educated in the words of righteousness, you seek after and pursue what is right, cleansed of any passion, for by seeking the right in this way a man is righteous, and he is surrounded by a wall and stands within in the limits of the right. For many wishing to be righteous inebriate the mind by the strictness of their righteousness, and the right of their righteousness makes unrighteousness. Whence the prudent preacher Ecclesiastes, or rather he who is educated in prudence, for Christ is the true preacher, being the head of the Church, and the wisdom and word of God the Father, castigates those who are immoderate, although they tend to the right side, and so admonishes, 'Be not overly righteous and do not overreach your prudence.' 3 Origen, On Deuteronomy, Fragment 1 Deut 16. 19 2 Deut 16. 20 3 Eccl 7.17