some persons are slain1647 upon the highway, as I groan, and shed tears, and am horrified, when I see any one coming near this Table, placing his hands upon it, and touching the Gospels, and swearing! Art thou in doubt, I ask, concerning money, and wouldest thou slay a soul? What gainest thou to match the injury thou doest to thine own soul, and to thy neighbour? If thou believest that the man is true, do not impose the obligation of the oath; but if thou knowest him to be a liar, do not force him to commit perjury. “But that I may have a full assurance:” saith one. Verily, when thou hast not sworn him, then thou wilt receive a good and full assurance.1648 15. For now, when thou hast returned home, thou wilt be continually the prey of con- science, whilst reasoning thus with thyself; “Was it to no purpose, then, that I put him upon his oath? Was he not really perjured? Have I not become the cause of the sin?” But if thou dost not put him upon his oath, thou wilt receive much consolation on returning home, rendering thanks to God, and saying, “Blessed be God, that I restrained myself, and did not compel him to swear vainly, and to no purpose. Away with gold! Perish the money!” for that which specially gives us assurance is, that we did not transgress the law, nor compel another to do it. Consider, for Whose sake thou didst not put any one on his oath; and this will suffice thee for refreshment and consolation. Often, indeed, when a fight takes place, we bear being insulted with fortitude, and we say to the insulter, “What shall I do with thee? Such an one hinders me, who is thy patron; he keeps back my hands.” And this is sufficient to console us. So when thou art about to put any one on his oath, restrain thyself; and stop; and say to him who is about to swear, “What shall I do with thee? God hath forbidden me to put any one on oath. He now holds me back.” This suffices both for the honour of the Lawgiver, and for thy safety, and for keeping him in fear who is ready to swear. For when he seeth that we are thus afraid to put others on oath, much more will he himself be afraid to swear rashly. Wouldest thou say thus, thy return to thine own home would be with much fulness of assurance. Hear God, therefore, in His Commandments, that He may Himself hear thee in thy prayers! This word shall be written in heaven, and shall stand by thee on the Day of Judgment, and shall discharge many sins. 16. This also let us consider not only with respect to an oath, but to every thing. And when we are about to do any good action for God’s sake, and it is found to bring loss with it, let us look not merely at the loss connected with the matter, but at the gain which we shall reap by doing it for God. That is to say, Hath any one insulted thee? Bear it nobly! And thou wilt do so, if thou thinkest not of the insult merely, but of the dignity of Him who 1647 σφαζομ™νους. The present participle is accounted for by the fact that robbers took advantage of those troubles. See Libanius, Or. de Sedit. ad fin. 1648 πληροφορία. This word occurs Heb. vi. 11, x. 22; and 1 Thess. i. 5; and Col. ii. 2. The elliptical sense of the word will be understood by a reference to these passages. 651 Homily XV