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| The way of peace is through the wisdom taught in the Book of Proverbs, and through unity in the faith.
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43. If you wish me to keep
silence, cease from accusing me. Lay down your sword, and I will throw
away my shield. To one thing only I cannot consent; that is, to spare
the heretics, and not to vindicate my orthodoxy. If that is the cause
of discord between us, I can submit to death, but not to silence. It
would have been right to go through the whole of the Scriptures for
answers to your ravings, and, like David playing on his harp, to take
the divine words to calm your raging breast. But I will content myself
with a few statements from a single book; I will oppose Wisdom to
folly; for I hope if you despise the words of men you will not think
lightly of the word of God. Listen, then, to that which Solomon the
wise says about you and all who are addicted to evil speaking and
contumely:
“Foolish men, while they
desire injuries, become impious and hate wisdom.3212
Devise not evil against thy friend. Be
not angry with a man without a cause. The impious exalt contumely. 3213
Remove from thee the evil mouth, keep
far from thee the wicked lips, the eyes of him that speaketh evil, the
tongue of the unjust, the hands which shed the blood of the just,3214
the heart that deviseth evil thoughts,
and the feet which hasten to do evil. He that resteth upon falsehood
feedeth the winds, and followeth the flying birds. For he hath left the
ways of his own vineyard, and hath made the wheels of his tillage to
err. He walketh through the dry and desert places, and with his hands
he gathereth barrenness.3215
The mouth of the
froward is near to destruction, and 3216
he who
uttereth evil words is the chief of fools. Every simple man is a soul
that is blessed; but a violent man is dishonourable. 3217
By the fault of his lips the sinner
falleth into a snare. 3218
All the ways
of a fool are right in his own eyes. 3219
The fool showeth his anger on that very
day. 3220
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.
3221
He that keepeth his lips guardeth his own
soul; but he that is rash with his lips shall be a terror to himself.
3222
The evil man in his violence doeth evil
things, and the fool spreadeth out his folly. 3223
Seek for wisdom among the evil and thou
shalt not find it. 3224
The rash man
shall eat of the fruit of his own ways. 3225
The wise man by taking heed avoideth the
evil; but the fool is confident, and joins himself to it. 3226
A long-suffering man is strong in his
wisdom; the man of little mind is very unwise. 3227
He who oppresseth the poor reproacheth
his Maker. 3228
The tongue of the wise knoweth
good things, but the mouth of fools speaketh evil. 3229
A quarrelsome man preferreth strife, and
every one that lifteth up his heart is unclean before God. 3230
Though hand join with hand unjustly, they
shall not be unpunished. 3231
He that loveth
life must be sparing to his mouth. 3232
Insolence
goeth before bruising, and evil thoughts before a fall. 3233
He who closeth his eyes speaketh
perverse things, and provoketh all evil with his lips. 3234
The lips of a fool lead him into evil,
and the foolhardy speech calleth down death. The man of evil counsel
shall suffer much loss. 3235
Better is a
poor man who is just than a rich man that speaketh lies. 3236
It is a glory to a man to turn away
from evil words; but he that is foolish bindeth himself therewith. 3237
Love not detraction, lest thou be
rooted out. 3238
The bread of lying is sweet to
a man, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. 3239
He that gaineth treasures with a lying
tongue followeth vanity, and shall come into the snares of death. 3240
Say thou nought in the ear of a fool, lest
haply the wise mock at thy words. 3241
The
bludgeon and the sword and the arrow are hurtful things; 3242
so is the man who beareth false witness
against his friend. 3243
As the birds
and the sparrows fly away, so the curse shall be vain and shall not
overtake him. 3244
Answer not an
unwise man according to his lack of wisdom, lest thou become like unto
him; but answer a fool according to his folly, lest he appear to
himself to be wise. 3245
He who layeth
wait for his friends when he is discovered saith, I did it in sport. 3246
A faggot for the coals, and wood for the
fire, and a man of evil words for the tumult of strife. 3247
If thine enemy ask thee aught,
sparingly but with a loud voice, 3248
consent
thou not to him, for there are seven degrees of wickedness in his
heart. 3249
The stone is heavy, and the sand
hard to be borne; but the anger of a fool is heavier than either;
indignation is cruel, anger is sharp, and envy is impatient. 3250
The impious man speaketh against the poor;
and he that trusteth in the audacity of his heart is most foolish. 3251
The unwise man putteth forth all his
anger, but the wise dealeth it out in parts. 3252
An evil son—his teeth are swords,
and his grinders are as harrows, to consume the weak from off the
earth, and the poor from among men.”
Such are the lessons in which I
have been trained and therefore I was unwilling to return bite for
bite, and to attack you by way of retaliation; and I thought it better
to exorcise the madness of one who was raving, and to pour in the
antidote of a single book into his poisoned breast. But I fear I shall
have no success, and that I shall be compelled to sing the song of
David, and to take his words for my only consolation:3253
“The wicked are estranged
from the womb, they go astray even from the belly. They have spoken
lies. Their madness is like the madness of the serpent; like the deaf
adder which stoppeth her ears, which will not hear the voice of the
charmers, and of the magician wisely enchanting. God shall break their
teeth in their mouth; the Lord shall break the great teeth of the
lions. They shall come to nothing, like water that runneth away. He
bendeth his bow until they be brought low. Like wax that melteth, they
shall be carried away; the fire hath fallen upon them and they have not
seen the sun.”
And again:3254
“The righteous shall
rejoice when he seeth the vengeance upon the impious; he shall wash his
hands in the blood of the sinner. And man shall say, Verily, there is a
reward for the righteous; verily, there is a God that judgeth those
that are on the earth.” E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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