NOTICE CONCERNING THE SERMONS OF SAINT MAXIMUS THROUGH SELECT PASSAGES COLLECTED FROM SACRED AND PROFANE AUTHORS
Gesner the physician published them once and again along with Antonius Melissa, and in a second edition also with Joannes Stobaeus, who is most rich in that very same type of writing. In the former edition, he claimed—with little medical sense, as if to lighten the reader's labor—to have marked with an obelisk or expunged all the sentences of Maximus that were the same as the sentences of Melissa under the same headings. This is surely something akin to plagiarism, especially since Maximus lived before Antonius and preceded him; and it is manifest that the latter cites Joannes Damascenus, Photius the patriarch, and Theophylact—men so recent—frequently, none of whom Maximus cites. Therefore, the praise for his own work ought to have remained fully with Maximus, and not—to his supreme injury—be transferred to one who had prospered from his thefts. Certainly, another way should have been undertaken to ease his labor, namely, that the common sentences of both be indicated by some sign; or, if anyone’s were to be expunged, it should rather be those of the one who had prepared nothing through his own industry, but had copied from an earlier compilation without any credit to the author, which is too common among the Greeks.
How much was actually taken from Maximus by this, the ninth sermon—with which the manuscript codex of Maximus (kindly supplied to me by that illustrious and learned man, Father de Ballesdens) begins—shows; for, since the beginning and end of the book were obliterated and neither was certain, I had to determine if that lucubration of Maximus was contained therein. This was done in part quite according to my wishes, so that I might not rely solely on the unstable word of Gesner to publish this work of Maximus, as there was no other help available for me to restore to Maximus what was his own. For Gesner, in his second edition—and in the way he presents the Greek joined with the Latin in Stobaeus—so mixes everything that no one can clearly understand whose is whose, whether it be of Maximus or Antonius. The version of Ribittus, which he praises, itself having clearly distinguished what was Maximus's, has so vanished in its own obscurity that it could not even be obtained. In that regard, I surely needed a Theseus (not in the way Gesner boasts of himself) to extricate myself from the labyrinth of his own confusion, not that I might be greatly aided by his version in restoring the sentences of Maximus. Gesner excuses the fact that neither his version nor that of Ribittus is very elegant, claiming that he rendered them while the press was almost hanging [in the balance], and that the authors themselves are not seldom lacking in elegance.
To me, whatever may be said regarding the elegance of the authors (which that theologian and supreme grammarian, the German physician of heterodox beliefs, rejected with I know not what taste and with what sound mind, holding it against all the ancient theologians, philosophers, orators, and learned men), the primary requirement to be sought is fidelity, which alone marks a good interpreter, even if he is unable to render what was said and written by others with lesser eloquence or with such great brilliance. Many of the titles and names of the authors, because they were written in red lead, could not be read, whereas the sentences themselves, written in ink, were little or not at all distressed in the aforementioned ancient codex, which was written by an educated hand; following the standard of that codex almost entirely, I chose to repeat a few things from Melissa, especially in the first eight titles and chapters, and those which seemed more in the vein of Maximus, lest he himself, once the theft or plagiarism was exposed, appear the more meager. He who could trace the passages, if not all, then at least a great many, back to their sources would indeed be great and would confer something of great value upon literary studies. I, however, do not impose that task upon myself; I do not know if the shoulders of our Father Nicolaus would suffice for it, who wished to be seen as so great in that genre concerning Saint Thomas. In that case, however, the matter was simpler and not entirely impossible, since the authors whom Saint Thomas cited and whose works he used are generally extant and at hand; whereas, for the most part, those whose sentences Maximus excerpted are missing.
ABBA MAXIMUS, PHILOSOPHER AND MARTYR. THEOLOGICAL CHAPTERS; OR, CHOICE SELECTIONS FROM VARIOUS BOOKS, BOTH OUR OWN AND THOSE FROM OUTSIDE.
Grant grace, O Christ, to my labors.
OF SAINT EPHREM: How one ought to read, or to attend to one who is reading.
When you converse with the divine Books, do not be merely hasty, running through them lightly and pursuing the written words tangentially. But even if it should be necessary to go over the same passage often, even twice or thrice, to reach exactness, do not refuse the labor. Furthermore, when you are about to read, or to listen to another reading, pray first to God, saying in this manner: “O Lord Jesus Christ, open the ears and the eyes of my heart so that I may hear your words, understand them, and do your will. I am a sojourner on the earth; do not hide your commandments from me. B Open my eyes, and I will contemplate the wonders from your law.” (Ps. cxviii, 19, 18).
SERMON I. On a life led in virtue and vice.
Solomon: “We have no sign of virtue to show; but in our wickedness we have been consumed.” (Sap. v. 13).
Prov. 1, 10, 15, 16. — Let not impious A men seduce you, nor walk in the way with them; but turn aside your foot from their paths: for their feet run into evil. Prov. 13, 13. — He who despises a matter shall be despised for it. Prov. 10, 26. — As a sour grape is harmful to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so is wickedness to those who use it. Eccli. 27, 30. — He who does evil things, they shall roll upon him; and he shall not know from whence they come to him.
Basilii. — Among those things which are possessed, virtue alone is that whose possession cannot be taken away. The cultivation of virtue is indeed an outstanding possession for him who has it; but it also presents a most pleasant spectacle to those who encounter it. B For just as giving light follows fire of its own accord, and giving forth the fragrance of a scent follows ointment, so too does profit necessarily attend upon good deeds. The beginning of taking up what belongs to duty is to withdraw from evils. For it says: "Turn aside from evil, and do good." (Ps. xxxvi, 27).
Theol. Orat. 1, p. 6, and 14, p. 217. — Vice is by nature headlong, and its course toward the worse is more impetuous than if a torrent were to rush down a slope, or stubble were easily ignited by a spark and a breath of wind and burst into flame, and together with its offspring were consumed and destroyed.
It would not be easy to find which virtue excels all others, and to which you might rightly attribute the first prizes of victory; just as neither in a meadow, clothed in a various adornment of flowers and for that reason the more sweetly fragrant, could you find the most beautiful and most fragrant flower, while one pulls the sense of smell and the sight toward itself more than another, and persuades one that it should be plucked first of all. C
Chrysost. — Rare and arduous is the acquisition of the good, even if there is no lack of what draws and provokes toward it with great weight. Virtue is not pursued for the sake of a reward, so that it may continue to be virtue, looking only to what is honorable. The clarity of a name is brought about not only by an outstanding deed of virtue, but also by excellent malice, which procures for itself an infamous reputation through the dye of celebrated praise. It cannot be that he who applies diligence to virtue should not have many adversaries. Yet this is nothing to the cultivator of virtue, who is going to emerge far brighter because of these D very people. Many, not rarely, by reason of the weariness of labors, [abandon themselves...]
avoid toils, choosing through the praise that comes from them to do what they do.
Just as the end of life is the beginning of death, so too, regarding the path of virtue, the stopping is the beginning of the path of vice.
We have learned from the Divine Scriptures B that virtue is a thing difficult to attain, accomplished only with a thousand sweats and labors, with diligence and weariness, and with every effort.
Chrysostom. — For if someone among the people on earth who transgresses the laws undergoes inevitable punishment, how much more shall he be delivered over to intolerable torments who disregards the commandments of the heavenly Master?
Just as on the lyre it is not enough to produce a melody on a single string, but one must go through B them all with the proper rhythm, so too regarding virtue in the soul: one law is not enough for our salvation, but one must keep them all with precision.
Let us not, therefore, say that this person is by nature evil and that one is by nature good. For if he is good by nature, he will never be able to become evil; and if he is evil by nature, he will never become good.
Darkness does not endure the presence of light; sickness does not remain where health has arrived; the passions do not stir when C stillness is present.
It is fitting that virtue should be free from all fear. For virtue is free and voluntary, being free from all fear and constraint.
There is no other origin of vice than the absence of virtue.
Philo. — The thoughts of a wicked and evil man are one thing, his words another, and his actions yet another; all things are different and conflicting.
As vice departs, it provides an entrance for virtue; and conversely, when the good departs, the lurking evil enters in its place.
Clement. — Liberation from evils is the beginning of salvation.
As it seems, justice is square, equal and uniform in word, in deed, in abstinence from evils, in beneficence, in the perfection of knowledge; in no way D and nowhere limping, lest it appear unjust and unequal.
Didymus. — Use the appearance of virtue, not in order to deceive, but in order to be helpful.
The kingdom of God should be defined as the state of those who live in an orderly manner according to the divine laws.
All practical virtue has its being in the doing, and not in the having done.
Nilus. — Rejoice while you practice virtue; but do not be uplifted, lest shipwreck happen in the harbor.
Cyril. — It is worth the effort that virtue should not limp on either side, but be upright in deed and word, and perfect in both.