his brother. 2) Remember that for such a condemnation he himself will be judged. 3) To guard against obscene conversations, in which people only talk and the name and honor of one or the other are tormented. 4) To distance oneself from those who have this evil habit, as from lepers, who harm others with their stinking smell. 5) To sympathize with a brother who has fallen or is falling in the spirit of love, and to act carefully from his fall, and to pray for him to the merciful God, that He may raise up the fallen, and

He did not allow you to fall into the same sin. 6) Those who have the evil habit of praying with the Psalmist: "Put a keeping, O Lord, with my mouth" (Psalm 140:3), and remember the reasons described above.

94. Those who endure slander and reproach should note the following for consolation: 1) Reproach and slander can be either righteous or false. Righteousness, when we are truly guilty of that of which we are reproached, and therefore worthy of suffering, why we must correct ourselves, so that the reproach may be abolished and become false. False reproach is when we are not guilty of that of which we are reproached: and this reproach must be endured with joy and comforted by the hope of God's eternal mercy. Moreover, although we are not guilty of what they revile us for, we have sinned in another, and therefore we must endure. 2) It may be that we ourselves have slandered and condemned someone, and therefore by what measure we measured, we are measured, according to the words of the Lord (Matt. 7:2), and "with what a man sins, by this he is tormented" (Wisdom 11:17). A tongue that speaks evil is punished by slander. 3) When love has dried up, hatred and malice have multiplied, they embitter one another, deceive each other, revile them, slander them: what more can you expect than anger in such a cruel time? 4) We humble ourselves with backbiting and slander; self-conceit, the arrogance of the Pharisees, and pride, like a lofty idol, are cast down in our hearts. Thus is given to us a tongue that speaks evil, as "an angel

Satan, who "doeth evil" to our flesh, so that "it may not be exalted," but submit to the spirit of humility (2 Corinthians 12:7). 5) Have recourse to the Holy Scriptures, the source of consolation, which everywhere patience blesses and strengthens. 6) Backbiting and dishonor come to you to the temptation of your heart, by which it is shown what is hidden in your heart: meekness or anger - such is the person who has accepted vexation as he is in his heart. This case is for you

he imagines what is hidden in your heart: meekness or anger. If there is meekness in the heart, you can easily endure reproach. If there is anger in the heart, from reproach follows the fire of rage and the desire for vengeance, and from backbiting, backbiting. And so reproach and slander teach you to know and correct the state of your heart. 7) Christ, the Son of God, sinless, innocently endured all reproaches and "left us an example, that we should follow His footsteps" (1 Peter 2:21). This image was followed by all the saints. Look to Christ and His saints, imitators, and receive the strength of patience. See below for more details.

Chapter 5: Of Lies, Flattery, and Deceit

"Do not be jealous of the wicked, and do not envy them that do iniquity. For they will soon dry up like grass, and like green grass they will soon fall away. Do not be jealous of wickedness, for the wicked shall be cut off" (Psalm 36:1-2, 8).

95. Flattery, lies, and deceit are vices akin to the devil, and they are also the devil's own, for the devil is the "father of lies" and deceit (John 8:44). He also teaches this to his servants, people who depict his evil will and morals in themselves. These vices are possessed by those people who speak one language and have another in their hearts. Such people are usually called double-minded, because it is as if they have two souls, that is, an inner and an outer: with the outer soul they treat people and deceive people, but with the inner soul they protect themselves. People of this kind treat their neighbors kindly, smoothly, quietly, but flatteringly and treacherously, so that they can creep into their hearts, in the likeness of a thief. They know how to show themselves humble, but inside everything is different; at times they weep and sigh, but in a different heart. And to swear and swear are the first, although their oath is only on the tongue; And even more so, people are deceived. In this they imitate their father, the father of lies, the devil, who is sometimes transformed into an angel of light, so that he can more conveniently deceive and destroy a person. These people's words are like honey, and the deed itself is like poison. Those who want to poison someone with poison smear with honey so that the evil deed is not known. Thus, these souls, in order to catch the simple-hearted more conveniently, cover the poison of malice with their words soft and affectionate, like honey. This is what Cain did, who summoned his brother Abel to the field, as if for some good reason, but in his heart he plotted to arm himself with a murderous hand against him and shed innocent blood (Gen. 4:8). Thus did Judas the traitor, who greeted and kissed Christ with his lips: "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed Him" (Matt. 26:49); but by doing so he betrayed his Lord and Teacher into the hands of the wicked. So now many greet us: "Hello, hello!" - but with their hearts they desire our destruction, and so "they soften words softer than oil, but they shoot arrows," according to the words of the Psalmist (Psalm 54:22). Sirach described them in detail: "With his lips the enemy will delight you, but in his heart he plots to throw you into a pit: with his eyes the enemy will weep, and when he finds an opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood. If misfortune befalls you, you will find it there before you, and he, as if wishing to help, will put his foot to you: he will nod his head and clap his hands, he will whisper many things, and he will change his face" (Sir. 12:15-18). And it seems that the morals of such people are extremely depraved, and nothing but the morals of the devil, for he lies and deceives, flatters and deceives, and does everything for the sole purpose of destroying man. In the same way, they also learn from this, in order to deceive their neighbor and laugh at him.

96. There is no greater plague to society than flatterers and cunning ones. Because: 1) fidelity, without which the union of society is not worth it, cannot be there, but instead unbelief will enter. That is why it follows that they will not believe in each other in anything, they will fear each other, they will be afraid of each other, they will hide themselves, they will consider each other enemies: what is the cause of all the evil in society? 2) There can be no peace there, but instead mutual hatred, enmity, quarrels, and so on. For it is also characteristic of flatterers and cunning ones that they transfer and retell the words of one to another not as they have heard, and do not interpret them as forcefully as they have spoken, but in a different way. And so suspicions are placed on one another: from what friendship is destroyed, and from this there is mutual enmity. In this way they try to appear to be friends to everyone, but inwardly they are the true enemies of all. 3) Flattery and deceit, as it seems, introduced and multiplied God-defying oaths and vain invocations of the terrible name of God in the most vile things, such as: "To God! God is for that! God knows! and God is a witness! and so on. Since many, being deceitful and flattering, are deceived, do not believe even those who speak the truth, therefore people are forced to affirm the faithfulness of their words by invoking the name of God that they are already doing in the most vile things. And children from parents, the little from the old, the inferior from the higher, learn the same thing, which has become a lawless and pernicious custom and is not considered a sin. Thus lies and deceit sow their useless tares and do not allow the wheat of good deeds to grow!

97. Double-minded cunning, no matter how cunning, nevertheless unwillingly show their cunning, especially when, either inflamed with wine, or inflamed with great anger, they vomit out that which was hidden in their hearts: then "out of the abundance of their hearts their mouths speak" (Matt. 12:34); Then they show themselves what they are. Drunkenness and severe cholera or anger overcome all cunning and, as a true and faithful witness, proclaim the secret of the heart. In this case, the person himself does not know what he is doing and saying. For then it is not the mind, but the heart, inflamed with wine or anger, that acts.

98. Let the simple soul, who knows no flattery or deceit, heed the admonition of the Psalmist: "Do not be jealous of the wicked, and do not envy those who do iniquity. For they will soon dry up like grass, and like green grass they will soon fall away." And let him pray with David: "Remove me, O Lord, from the evil man, deliver me from the unrighteous man. They thought unrighteousness in their hearts, all day long they prepared for battle, they sharpened their tongues like those of a serpent: the poison of snakes is in their mouths," and so on. (Psalm 139:1-3). Let the wicked also hear the same word: "Like grass they will soon wither, and like green grass they will soon fall away," and let them heed that the same prophet wrote: "Thou shalt destroy all those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and flattering" (Psalm 5:7). And if they believe that there is a God, "who searches hearts and bowels, and recompenses each one according to his deeds" (Psalm 61:13), let them treat their neighbors with sincerity; and let them learn what is spoken with the tongue, and to have it in the heart, and to show what is declared by the word, by the deed itself.

Chapter 6: On Idleness

"In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread" (Gen. 3:19).