Living In The World

Sobrie et pie et juste vivamus in hoc saeculo. Sobrie nobis, juste proximo, pie Deo. Sobrie in duobus, in cavenda voluptate carnis, et curiositate saeculi. Unde Dominus: Attendite, ne graventur corda vestra in crapula et ebrietate, et curis hujus vitae. Ecce compedes quae crapulam, id est, carnis curam stringunt et angustant, et carcer qui curiositates saeculi claudit et obfirmat. Qui primum vincit, in carne ambulans non secundum carnem militat; qui secundum vincit, dicere potest: Conversatio nostra in caelis est. Juste item in duobus, ut nemini noceas, omnibus prodesse velis. Unde quod tibi non vis, alii non facias; et quaecunque vultis ut faciant vobis homines, eadem facite illis. Pie quantum ad fidem, quae in duobus consistit: in justificatione quae in praesenti nos justificat, et in beatificatione qua in futuro nos beatificat. Hanc fidem a nobis exigit Deus, ut credamus nos ab ipso justificandos per misericordiam, beatificandos per veritatem. Promisit enim justos beatificare. Unde quos justificabit hos et glorificabit. Et Dominus: Si terrena dixi vobis et non creditis, quomodo si coelestia vobis dixero credetis? Terrena justificatio fit in praesentia, coelestis beatificatio in futuro. Sobrie ergo vivamus, ut bonam conscientiam habeamus; juste, ut proximis prodesse possimus. Unde sapientia quae desursum est, primum pudica est, deinde pacifica, pie ut Deum diligamus; Hugo De Sancte Victore, Miscellanea, Liber V, Tit XXXII, Quomodo sobrie, pie et juste vivamus Source: Migne PL 177.763c-d

Let us live soberly and piously and righteously in this world. 1 Soberly for ourselves, righteously for our neighbour, piously for God. Sobriety is twofold, in wariness for the pleasure of the flesh and worldly cares. Hence the Lord says, 'Beware lest your hearts grow heavy with drinking and drunkenness and the cares of this life.' 2 Behold, you shackle yourself with drunkenness, that is, you bind and chain yourself with care for the flesh, and with your interest in the world you shut yourself up in prison and lock the door. He who obtains the first victory, walks in the flesh and does not fight with the arms of the flesh. 3 He who obtains the second victory is able to say 'Our way of life is in heaven.' 4 Living righteously is twofold, that you do not harm anyone and you wish to benefit everyone. Hence it was said, 'What you would not wish for yourself, do not do that to another.' And,  'Whatever you wish that men do to you, do the same to them.' 5 Living piously is a matter of faith, which consists of two things, the justification which justifies us in the present, and the beatification with which He shall bless us in the future. God exhorts this faith from us, so that we might believe we are justified by Him through mercy, and blessed through truth. For He promises to bless the righteous. Hence, 'He shall justify and bless them.' 6 And the Lord says, 'If I tell you about worldly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe when I speak to you about heavenly things?' 7 Worldly justification is in the present, heavenly beatification is in the future. Therefore let us live soberly so that we might have a good conscience, and righteously so that we may be able to be of benefit to our neighbours. Hence that wisdom from above is first modest, and then peaceful, so that we may love God piously. 8 Hugh Of Saint Victor, Miscellanea, Book 5, Chapter 32, How we should live soberly and piously and righteously 1 Titus 2.12 2 Lk 21.3 3 Ephes 6.12 4 Phil 3.20 5 Tobit 4.16 Mt 7.12 6 Rom 8.30 7 Jn 3.12 8 Jam 3.17

The Treatment Of Others

Neminem blasphemare, non litigiosos esse; sed modestos, ostendentes omnem mansuetudinem ad omnes homines. Christianos omnibus hominibus humiles vult videri; sic enim possunt perfidi ad futuram spem vocari. Nam eramus quondam et nos inconsulti, inobsequentes, errantes, servientes desideriis et voluptatibus variis, in malitia, et invidia agentes, odibilies, odio nos invicem habentes. Haec bona quae incredulitas non habet, christianis data memorat; ut in omni justitia lucentes, manifesti fiant quod Dei cultores sint. Cum enim quondam inconsulti, nunc videntur per omnia sani esse consilii, laudatur in his Deus. Cum autem benignitas et humanitas apparuit Salvatoris nostri Dei, non ex operibus justitiæ, quæ fecimus nos, sed secundum suam misericordiam salvos nos fecit per lavacrum regenerationis et renovationis Spiritus Sancti, quem effudit in nos abunde per Jesum Christum Salvatorem nostrum:  ut justificati gratia ipsius, hæredes simus secundum spem vitæ aeternae. Hoc bonum quod in christianis florere videtur, de radice pietatis divinae oritur; Deus enim misericordia sua salvos nos fecit per Christum, cujus gratia renati, Spiritum sanctum accepimus abunde; ut bonis operibus inniti possimus, ipso nos in omnibus adjuvante, ut per haec haereditatem regni coelorum assequi possimus. Quamobrem omni devotione huic obsequi debemus, et praeceptis ejus parere; quia quidquid in nobis pulchrum est, spiritualibus lineamentis ipse depingit Ambrosiaster, In Epistolam Beati Pauli Ad Titum, Caput III Source: Migne PL 17.502c-503a

Speak not injuriously, be not quarrelsome, but be modest, showing every peacefulness before all men.  1 He wishes that Christians appear humble to all men, for so they are able to call the faithless to future hope. For we were once reckless, disobedient, embroiled in error, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, about our deeds in wickedness and envy, hateful and hating one another. 2 These goods which faithlessness lacks, he recalls have been given to Christians; that shining in all righteousness they are made manifest as worshippers of God, For once thoughtless and now seeming in all things to be wise counsellors, in these things God is praised. When the benevolence and kindess of the Saviour, our God, appeared, not from works of righteousness which we did, but according to His mercy, He saved us, through the waters of regeneration and renewel of the Holy Spirit, which is poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that justified by grace we be heirs with hope of eternal life. 3 This good which is seen to flourish in Christians arises from the root of Divine piety. For God by His mercy saves us through Christ and reborn by His grace we abundantly receive His Holy Spirit, that we are able to be established on good works, being helped by Him in everything, by which we obtain the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven. Likewise we should with all devotion be obedient and attend to His precepts, because He paints the spiritual features of whatever is beautiful in us. Ambrosiaster, from the Commentary On The Epistle of Saint Paul To Titus, Chap 3 1 Titus 3.2 2 Titus 3.3 3 Titus 3.4-7

Questions And Corrections

Stultas autem questiones, et originum enumerationes, et contentiones, et pugnas Legis devita; sunt enim inutiles et vanae. Stultas has questiones appellat, quae salutis effectum non habent, neque aliquam tribuunt scientiae peritiam ad utilitatem. His verbis multorum haereticorum denotat dogmata. Quamvis omnia, quae vera non sunt, stulta dicenta sint; alius tamen est, qui res fabulosas inducit, et alius qui calliditate tergiversationis rem veneno plenam proponit, ut Arius et Photinus. Fabulosa autem non Lex, sed haeresis est, quantum ad tempus pertinet illiud Judaeorum, dum quidam eorum sibi vindicarent praerogativam originum patriarcharum, quae de matrimoniis ortae sunt, cum ex hoc nullum meritum sit apud Deum. Quidam vero urceorum et caeterorum vasorum baptisam, et sanguinem mustelae magna cura expiandum: et quia ideo Moysis sepultura abscondita est, ne a magis excitaretur, quod si verum esset, et caeterorum sanctorum abscondenda fuerat sepultura: et quia Salomon adjutorio daemoniorum templum aedificavit, in quo opere ingens multitudo laboravit, quid tam fabulosum? Haereticum hominem post primam correptionem devita, sciens perversus est hujusmodi, et delinquit a semetipso damnatus. Haeretici hi sunt, qui per verba Legis Legem impugnant; proprium enim sensum verbis astruunt Legis, ut pravitatem mentis suae Legis auctoritate commendent. Sciens enim impietas auctoritatem Legis multum valere, fallaciam sub nomine ejus componiti ut quia res mala per semetipsam acceptabilis esse non potest, bono nominis commendetur. Idcirco hujusmodi homines ut inexcisabiles sint, semel corripi oportere dicit: frequentius enim correpti, exercitatiores fient in malo. Cogere autem illis videtur, qui saepe corripit; ut sollicitiores fiant ad perditionem multorum: ideo dimittendos, ut negligentiores effecti, soli forte depereant. Ambrosiaster, In Epistolam Beati Pauli Ad Titum, Caput III Source: Migne PL 17.503b-504b

Avoid foolish questions and enumerations of origins and contentions and rows over the Law; they are useless and vain.  1  He calls foolish questions those which have no bearing on the salvation of men, nor bring any understanding useful for knowledge. And with these words the teachings of many heretics are meant. Although indeed everything which is not true is spoken foolishly, another thing is he who introduces fantastical things, and another he who with treacherous cunning proposes something full of poison, as Arius and Photinus did. Fantastical things are not of the Law but heresy is, and this has much bearing on the time of the Jews, when certain ones of them would prove their superiority by their origins from the Patriarchs, and from what marriages they arose, none of which has any merit before God. And concerning the washing of the water pot and other vessels, and the great care to expiate the blood of the weasel, 2 and that the tomb of Moses is unknown, lest by the greater being known, if it were true, the tombs of other holy men would be forsaken, and that Solomon with the help of demons built the temple, in which work a great multitude labored, what is so fantastical? After the first correction avoid the heretical man, knowing that he is perverse and that by his own errors he is condemned. 3 These heretics are they who impugn the Law by the words of the Law, for with words they add to the proper sense, that with the authority of the Law they might promote the depravity of their own minds. For impiety knowing that the authority of the Law is too much to overcome, beneath its name  fashions its lies, that since they are not able to make acceptable their evils by themselves, with its good name they might be commended.Therefore men like this being inexcusable, he says they should be corrected once, for frequent correction will make them more practiced in evil. For he seems to drive them on who frequently corrects, that more anxious they become for the ruin of many, therefore dismissal making them more negligent, perhaps they will ruin themselves alone Ambrosiaster, from the Commentary On The Epistle of Saint Paul To Titus, Chap 3 1 Titus 3.9 2 Lev 11.29 3 Titus 3.10

Purity And Judgement

Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμὴν ὅτι Ἐαν φθάσῃ ἂνθρωπος εἰς τὸ ῥητὸν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, τὸ, Πάντα καθαρὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς· ὁρᾷ ἑαυτὸν ἐλάττονα πάσης τῆς κτίσεως. Λέγει ὁ ἀδελφός· Πῶς δύναμαι ἐμαυτὸν ἐλάττονα τοῦ φονέως ἡγεῖσθαι; Λέγει ὁ γέρων, ὅτι Ἐὰν φθάσῃ ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο, καὶ ἴδῃ ἄνθρωπον φονεύοντα, λέγει, ὅτι Ταύτην τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησε μόνην οὗτος, ἐγὼ δὲ φονεύω καθ' ἐκάστην ἡμέραν. Ἠρώτησεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς τὸ αὐτὸ ῥῆμα τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀνοὺβ, ὡς ὅ τι εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ποιμήν. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀνοὺβ, ὅτι Ἐὰν φθάσῃ ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο, καὶ ἴδῇ τὰ ὑστερήματα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ, ποιεῖ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ καταπιεϊν αὐτοῦ. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἀδελφός· Ποία ἐστὶν ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ; Ἀπεκρίθη ὁ γέρων· Ἵνα πάντοτε καταμέμφηται ἑαυτόν. Ἀποφθεγματα Των Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Παλλαδιος Source: Migne PG 65 345

Father Poemen said that if a man has attained to the saying of the Apostle,'To the pure, everything is pure,' 1 he sees himself less than all creatures.' A brother said, 'How can I see myself as inferior to a murderer?' The elder said, 'If a man has attained to this saying and he sees a man committing a murder, he says, 'He has only committed this one sin but I commit murder every day.' A brother questioned father Anoub about the same saying, telling him what father Poemen had said. Father Anoub said to him, 'If a man attains to this saying, when he sees his brother's faults he sees that his righteousness devours his faults.' The brother said, 'What is righteousness?' The elder answered, 'Always to blame oneself.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia 1 Titus 1.15