to pray, and to ask for a thousand good things from God, who is ready to give? What labour is it, not to speak evil of any one? What difficulty is there in being delivered from envy and ill-will? What trouble is it to love one’s neighbour? What suffering is it not to utter shameful words, nor to revile, nor to insult another? What fatigue is it not to swear? for again I return to this same admonition. The labour of swearing is indeed exceedingly great. Oftentimes, whilst under the influence of anger or wrath, we have sworn, perhaps, that we would never be reconciled to those who have injured us. Yet afterwards, when our wrath was quenched, and our anger allayed, desiring to be reconciled, and restrained by the obligation of these oaths, we have suffered the same anguish, as if we were in a snare, and held fast by indissol- uble bonds. Of which fact the Devil being aware, and understanding clearly that anger is a fire; that it is easily extinguished, and that when it is extinguished, then reconciliation and love follows; wishing this fire to remain unquenched, he often binds us by an oath; so that although the anger should cease, the obligation of the oath remaining may keep up the fire within us; and that one of these two things may take place, either that being reconciled we are forsworn, or that not being reconciled we subject ourselves to the penalties of cherishing malice. 6. Knowing these things then, let us avoid oaths; and let our mouth continually practise the saying, “Believe me;”1389 and this will be to us a foundation for all pious behaviour;1390 for the tongue, when it has been disciplined to use this one expression, is ashamed, and would blush to utter words that are disgraceful and ugly; and should it at any time be drawn away by habit, it will be checked again, by having many accusers. For when any one observes him who is not a swearer giving utterance to foul words, he will take his advantage over him, and ridicule, and exclaim tauntingly, “Thou who sayest in all affairs, ‘Believe me,’ and venturest not to utter an oath, dost thou disgrace thy tongue with these shameful expres- sions?” So that being forcibly urged by those who are with us, even if unwilling, we shall return again to a pious behaviour. “But what,” says one, “if it be necessary to take an oath?” Where there is a transgression of the law, there is no such thing as necessity. “Is it possible then,” it is replied, “not to swear at all?” What sayest thou? Hath God commanded, and darest thou to ask if it be possible for His law to be kept? Why, truly it is a thing impossible that His law should not be kept; and I am desirous to persuade you from present circum- stances of this; that so far from its being impossible not to swear, it is impossible to swear.1391 For behold, the inhabitants of the city were commanded to bring in a payment of gold,1392 such as it might have seemed beyond the power of many to do; yet the greater part of the 1389 i.e., instead of any stronger asseverations. 1390 εὐλαβείας. 1391 That is, assuming men to act as reasonably in their relations to God, as they do in their relations to man. 1392 The tax which was demanded previously to the sedition, and before alluded to, Hom. III. 18. 571 Homily VIII