The Evil Of Man

Attendite vobis ab hominibus: tradent enim vos in conciliis, et in synagogis suis flagellabunt vos, et ante reges et praesides stabilis in testimonium illis, et gentibus. Ita dixit, Attendite vobis ab hominibus, quasi a quibusdam pessimis malis, et super omnia mala malis. Nam si non quasi homines accusans dixisset, sufficeret illi dicere, Attendite vobis, tradent enim vos. Nunc autem addidit, Attendite vobis ab hominibus: ostendere volens, quia prae omnibus malis homo est pessimum malum. Nam si bestiis comparare volueris eum, pejorem invenies eum. Bestia enim, quamvis sit crudelis, tamen quia est irrationabilis, declinabitur ab homine crudelitas ejus.Homo autem crudelis cum sit, et rationabilis, non facile evadetur crudelitas ejus. Si comparaveris hominem serpenti, perjorem invenies hominem: quoniam serpens, etsi malitiam habet, tamen hominis timorem habet. Ideo, si quem absconse potuerit, mordet: si autem non potuerit, fugit. Homo autem et malitiam habet serpentis, et timorem non habet sicut serpens. Ideo quamdiu non habet tempus, latet sicut serpens, si autem invenerit, irruit sicut bestia. Adhuc autem anguis, siquidem irritata fuerit, saevit, si autem irritata non fuerit, in silentio transit. Homo autem et non irritatus insanit, et magis super illos insanit a quibus non fuerit irritatus. Et ut breviter dicam, unaqueaque bestia unum habet et proprium malum; homo autem omnia habet in se. Denique homo malus pejor est quam ipse diabolus. Diabolus enim si videat justum, non est ausus ad eum accedere: homo autem malus, quamvis hominem sanctum viderit, non solum illum non timet, sed adhuc magis contemnit. Non enim diabolus homini praestat virtutem, sed homo diabolo. Arma enim diaboli est malus homo. Sicut enim homo sine armis non potest aliquid facere contra hostem, sic diabolus etiam sine homine non valet aliquid contra sanctos. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XXIV Source: Migne PG 56.738

Keep yourselves from men, for they shall hand you over to courts, and they shall whip you in their assemblies, and before kings and governors you shall give witness, even before the Gentiles. 1 Thus He said, 'Keep yourself from men,' as from a certain type of the worst evils, an evil over every evil. For if He had not spoken to accuse men, it would have sufficed for Him to say, 'Keep yourselves, lest they hand you over.' But here He adds, 'Keep yourselves from men,' wishing to show that man is the worst evil before all other evils. For if you would compare him to the beasts, you would find him worse. For a beast, although cruel, yet because it is irrational, lacks the cruelty of man. A man when he is cruel, because he is rational, is not easy to avoid in his cruelty. If you would compare man to the serpent, you would find him worse, because the serpent, even if wicked, yet is fearful of man. Therefore if it is unseen, it bites, but if it is not able to hide, he flees. But man has the wickedness of the serpent, yet lacks the fear of the serpent. Therefore while he does not have the opportunity, he hides like the serpent, and if discovered rages like a beast. But the snake, if provoked shall be savage, but if not provoked, it shall pass by in silence. But a man even when not provoked is maddened, and more than anything rages against those who have not provoked him. And to speak briefly, any beast has its one proper evil, but man has all of them dwelling in him. Finally man is worse than the devil himself. For the devil sees the righteous man, and he does not dare come near him. But the wicked man, when he sees a holy man, he not only lacks fear, but he despises him all the more. The devil does not give power to a man, but man gives it to the devil. The wicked man is the weapon of the devil. As a man without arms is not able to accomplish anything against his enemy, so the devil without a man can accomplish nothing against the saints. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 24 1 Mt 10.17