The Testing Nature of Dialectic

Therefore so also you, if you have not sinned at all. For this also the apostle writes, exhorting the slaves to lie under the masters, not by eye-service, but as slaves of Christ. He says: 'And you masters, have equality toward the slaves' (Col 4:1). The one who treats slaves fairly does not examine their inner character, but the work, what has become, and we shall not use them unsuitably.

We bring therefore in some gospels: a woman, he says, was judged by the Jews on account of sin and was being sent to be stoned in the place where it was customary to happen. The Savior, he says, having seen her and having perceived that they were ready to stone her, said to those about to cast stones at her: 'He who has not sinned, let him take a stone and cast it at herself' (John 8:7). If anyone understood to himself that he had not sinned, having taken a stone, let him strike her. And no one dared; having realized for themselves and knowing that they also are responsible in some way, they did not dare to strike her.

Because many times it will do evil. 'Many times it will do evil' to harm. But do not look at that, until the matter stands by his will. And if ever to the existing thing of that kind something should appear as him truly daring, then it is to be prevented, then it is to be supervised, by the intentions which he has. And many descents will harm your heart, because just as you also cursed others. 'Many descents' he says, which come many times. And the 'many times'... what it does not work. And when I say concerning someone, that: many times you... I signify that I did not fail. Until to speak evil to your heart... because just as you also cursed others. 'All that you want, so that men may do to you, and also do to them' (Matt 7:12). 'What you hate, you will not do to another.' As you will hate, when many times you curse, he himself will be hated to be cursed. And to do to the slave to be known...

In this, many things are taken away; take from yourself the capacity for endurance. I attempted all these things in wisdom; I said, 'I will become a sophist,' and it itself moved far away from me, further than it was.

In the wisdom given to me, being God-sent, I attempted these things—I, the one preaching, I, the wise, the instructor of the sciences, the one who thus drives the arguments so that they are effective to those learning. In order that we may take the test, as the prudent say, a testing attempt and a testing syllogism is this, when we take the propositions from the opinions of the one being argued with. For example, if we say whether wealth is good or not good, we do not take the propositions from the opinions of this person to whom I have the argument, but not from the general. And we say that it is necessary to use wealth properly: to do good to neighbors, to support wise men, whom the apostle said, 'participating in the needs of the saints' (Hebrews 13:16). And from this we construct that it is good to use wealth properly.

The other, saying that it is not good, says: many have become lawless from wealth, adulterers were seen, and that the rich man idles with drinking, and that he will often plot greedily. For from the opinions of the one responding we make our attempts, even if others do not so suppose, but he alone. And this syllogism is called testing; for it is brought forward for the sake of a test. And it is similar to what is said by the geometers regarding a false figure: to those learning and capable of sometimes making evident whether a science exists or not. The geometer makes a false figure and two falsehoods and gives them to that person to solve. If in the solution he found the truth and showed a proof of perfection. For he is this, because having placed certain premises between the premises, he places them there...