Homilies on the Statues

^11. What do you say? Tell me, Is he the worse for your attentions? This is blame to him, but your praise. Your praise, that, while seeing him thus behave himself, thou did not desist from doing God's will in conciliating him. But to him it is blame, because he has not been made better by your clemency. But “it is far more desirable that others should be blamed because of us, than we because of them.” Make me not this frigid reply, of saying, “I am afraid of its being thought that I made an overture to him out of fear; and that he will therefore despise me the more.” Such a reply indicates a childish and foolish mind, agitated about human approbation. Let him suppose, that it was out of fear you made the first advance to him; your reward will be so much the greater; since, being aware of this beforehand, you still consented to endure all for the fear of God. For he who is in chase of human approbation, and seeks reconciliation for that end, curtails the recompense of reward; but he who is quite sure of the fact, that many will vilify and ridicule him, and even then does not desist, from the attempt at reconciliation, will have a twofold, yea, a threefold crown. And this is indeed the man who does it for the sake of God. Nor tell me, that the man has wronged you in this, or in that particular; for if he has displayed, in his conduct towards you, every kind of iniquity that is in man, yet even so God has enjoined you to forgive him all!