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Morals

St Basil the Great, tr. Lowther Clarke, 1925

Chapter 1

That those who believe in the Lord must first repent, according to the preaching of John and our Lord Jesus Christ Himself; for those who do not repent now are condemned with more severity than those who were condemned before the Gospel.

Mt. iv. 17; xi. 20; 21 add καθήμεναι; 22 omit λέγω ὑμῖν*.

That the present time is one of repentance and forgiveness of sins, but in the world to come there is the just judgment of recompense.

Mt. ix. 6; xviii. 18 ὅσα ἄν for ὅσα ἐάν twice; 19 add ἀμήν before λέγω K; Jn. v. 28, 29; Rom. ii. 4; 5 ἑαυτῷ for σεαυτῷ*, καί before δικαιοκρισίας K; 6; Acts xvii. 30 πᾶσι for πάντας K; 31.

That it is necessary that those who repent should weep bitterly and show from the heart the rest of the things proper to repentance.

Mt. xxvi. 75 om. τοῦ before Ἰησοῦ, add αὐτῷ after εἰρηκότος K, add ἤ after πρίν*; 2 Cor. vii. 6 om. ὁ θεός after ἡμᾶς*; 7; 11 add ὑμᾶς after λυπηθῆναι K, add ἐν before ὑμῖν*, add ἐν before τῷ πράγματι K; Acts xix. 18; 19 τε for δέ after ἱκανοί*, συγκομίσαντες for συνενέγκαντες**.

That the mere giving up of sins is not sufficient for penitents to win salvation, but they need also fruits meet for repentance.

Mt. iii. 7; 8 καρποὺς ἀξίους for καρπὸν ἄξιον; 9; 10 add καί after ἤδη δέ K.

That after departure from this life there is no opportunity for good deeds, since God in His long-suffering has measured out the present time for doing things that please Him.

Mt. xxv. 1; 2 φρονιμαί before μωραί K; 3 αἵτινες for αἱ γάρ K; 4; 5; 6 add ἔρχεται after νύμφιος K; 7; 8; 9 add δέ after πορεύεσθε K; 10–12; Lk. xiii. 24; 25 add Κύριε after Κύριε K; 2 Cor. vi. 2–4; Gal. vi. 10.