50: Concerning Judgment

'Tell me, O man, thou that judgest another man, dost thou not know that all men had their origin in the same clay? Dost thou not know that none is good save God alone? wherefore every man is a liar and a sinner. Believe me, man, that if thou judge others of a fault thine own heart hath whereof to be judged. Oh, how dangerous it is to judge! oh, how many have perished by their false judgment! Satan judged man to be more vile than himself; therefore he rebelled against God, his creator: whereof he is impenitent, as I have knowledge by speaking with him. Our first parents judged the speech of
Satan to be good, therefore they were cast out of paradise, and condemned all their progeny. Verily I say unto you, as God liveth in whose presence I stand, false judgment is the father of all sins. Forasmuch as none sinneth without will, and none willeth that which he doth not know. Woe, therefore, to the sinner who with the judgment judgeth sin worthy and goodness unworthy, who on that account rejecteth goodness and chooseth sin. Assuredly he shall bear an intolerable punishment when God shall come to judge the world. Oh, how many have perished through false judgment, and how many have been nigh to perishing! Pharaoh judged Moses and the people of
Israel to be impious, Saul judged David to be worthy of death, Ahab judged Elijah, Nebuchadnezzar the three children who would not worship their lying gods. The two elders judged Susanna, and all the idolatrous princes judged the prophets.

Oh, tremendous judgment of God! the judge perisheth, the judged is saved.  And wherefore this, O man, if not because [in] rashness they falsely judge the innocent? How nearly then the good approached to ruin by judging falsely, is shown by the brethren of Joseph, who sold him to the Egyptians by Aaron and Miriam, sister of Moses, who judged their brother. Three friends of Job judged the innocent friend of God,  Job.
David judged Mephibosheth and Uriah. Cyrus judged Daniel to be meat for the lions; and many others, the which were nigh to their ruin for this. Therefore I say to you, Judge not and ye shall not be judged.' And then, Jesus having finished his speech, many forthwith were converted to repentance, bewailing their sins; and they would fain have forsaken all to go with him. But Jesus said: 'Remain in your homes, and forsake sin
and serve God with fear, and thus shall ye be saved; because I am not come to receive service, but rather to serve.'

    And having said thus, he went out of the synagogue and the city, and retired into the desert to pray, because he loved solitude greatly.