Shenoute, Adversus Graecos: De Usura [Excerpt]
Written 4th/5th Century.
Source: Shenoute on Usury. Trans: Anthony Alcock. Available @: https://www.academia.edu/25320358/Shenoute_on_Usury
[T]he New Testament does not contradict the words of Moses but it brings forth the greater good. For the Lord came not to dissolve the Law and the prophets but to fulfil them. What does 'fulfil them' mean? Let us try to understand. Well, it is not the fulfilment of the law not to swear a false oath, as the prophets announced. It is rather the fulfilment of the law not to swear an oath at all, as the Lord said: You have heard that the ancients said, 'Do not swear a false oath, but give your oath to the Lord. The fulfilment of the Law is the command that orders not to swear at all. Let your word be merely 'Yes, yes, no, no.'
Shenoute, Letter 6. To an Elder. About Monastic Vows
Written 4th/5th century.
Source: Letters of Shenoute. Trans: Anthony Alcock. Available @:
https://www.academia.edu/6202844/Letters_of_Shenoute
Since this matter has gone into your heart, father, 'If this is so, let me cause the brothers to swear an oath to me, whether male or female, not to do any evil including those who have just entered as neophytes', I have been pleased with what you said, that this counsel will give us all rest about these things that distress our hearts. But after I had inspected this matter, because according to the Scripture salvation is in great counsel, I say to you: not only if you cause them to swear by the name of God whom do not see - but I confess or bear witness to you that what I say will be even truer truth - even if God Jesus appears in the place where you will cause them to swear and they swear seeing see Him, those who are sinners will also sin in the convent. Which is the greater one, the Lord of my oath or my oath? For if the remembrance of God does not restrain man from sinning, no oath will do it. For He did not say, 'Swear an oath and you will be without sin.' But He did say, 'Think of the Lord and you will carry out all my wishes.' For it is not fitting to seal an empty grave, let alone that it is full of bones, shrouds and impurity of every sort, with the royal seal, but it is fitting to seal a treasure full of every good thing. For the person who sins in these convents is empty. He is full of bad thoughts, impurity and lawlessness. He is not worthy to utter the name of God, especially to call God as a witness. The name of God belongs to those who fear Him, as is written, that it is to be uttered only decently and positively to the point of swearing, like the one who said, 'I have sworn and made a pact to keep the laws of justice.' I do not keep those among us who sin from swearing an oath to God. Let them be liable to the anger that will be revealed from heaven because they sin after all these injunctions. But I do keep the holy name of blessed God. Will they be compelled to swear an oath by the name of God not to sin, those impure ones who sin or will sin at all times in these convents? Or do you not see those who have transgressed after swearing an oath to you that they will not sin, and have done it again? Or do you say in truth, 'No man will swear falsely among us, male or female.'? Or has no-one done so? Or did you not say, 'If they swear false oaths, that is their own fault or their blood is upon them.'? Indeed, it their own fault and their blood is upon them. But you said, 'You would destroy them and have destroyed them by casting them forth. Let me cause them to swear an oath. Be silent and wait. God will judge them.' How long will be in this tribulation? Our heart has been destroyed in these troubles. I said to you, 'Have you been troubled or your heart worn down like the one who began to grieve and be sad, his soul having grieved until the death of Jesus?' After this word and all the others I said to you, I told you that I was not the one to cast forth sinners from these convents or do anything audaciously, imperiously and without consideration. It is God who will cast them forth.
If therefore it accords with the ordinance that God put it in your heart, namely that an oath should be sworn, so that you too might also be holy, together with all the brothers who believe in in their own salvation, but did not take an oath, the blood of those who sin in these convents at all times is upon them and the one who rules over them, if he tolerates them in the convents when they tell him. Only they will not bear witness to the name of the Lord and His Christ, not so that a sin will not count against those who do these works of iniquity among us, but so that you will not defile your love which you have for God. Let those who will transgress against the ordinance imposed on them to do it add sin to their sins, but let the name of God remain holy. Let them become accursed with all their works, but let the name of God be blessed in all things before those who act in all things for the glory of God, as you now wish that they swear an oath to become without sin for His glory, as it is written, 'Everything, do it for the glory of God.' I myself, the least, I see and have told you through a mystery that it is a better thing to glorify the name of God than to prevent people from swearing by Him, especially since we hear through our abilities. It is not that, if they do not swear an oath by the name of God but make another vow and transgress against that, they will escape the anger that will come upon them on the day of judgement or the day of anger. The name of God is pure, as it is written, 'Let Your name be pure.' People are not worthy to name it, as we weep for our sins or not to fall into sin. For they will swear an oath by it in mindlessness. Because there are many who swear an oath by the name of God, while transgressing against their oath. He who ordered them to swear the oath by it in the past, wishing that they should not know of other gods to swear by them and pieces of wood and stone, He is also the one who ordered, after they had known Him, 'Do not swear by the name of God alone, but swear another oath.' Will we now abandon the word of God at our end for the sake of people who love wickedness more than good? No. How is it that at times they do the things of rulers and at times they swear an oath? Perhaps you think that we will lead life after life, unlike other men? We will go to God. They will also go. If you wish for your heart to be at peace with all your brothers who grieve over your evil deeds which they do among us, if God orders this one to forget, you will be at peace. If He does not order him to forget, even if they swear an oath every day, you will not be at peace. These disturbances will never be removed from our convents. It is therefore the ordinance which is laid down, that you will be a mediator for them before God because it has been agreed that they do nothing that God has not ordered them to do. We will be holy in our body, protecting our heart, speaking the truth and doing every good thing, except for grumbling and evil complaint in this place, as the Scripture says, does it not?
Each one therefore will say, 'I confess before God in His holy place, the word that I have spoken with my mouth being my witness that I will not defile my body in any way. I will not steal. I will not bear false witness. I will not lie. I will not do anything wrong in secret. If I transgress against what I have confessed, I will see the kingdom of heaven but I will not enter into it, God, in whose presence I have made this testament, will destroy my soul and my body in fiery Gehenna because I have transgressed against the testament I made. About answering back or being disobedient or grumbling or being refractory or contumacious and the things like them, the whole convent will know about them.
Because you said, 'I will cause them to swear an oath from such and such a time to the present', do not ask them. Another has already asked them, one might say indeed, is examining them with all their works. The one who wishes to say these things in penitence will tell you. I mean, the things of that time which we said. I am not speaking of what will happen after this ordinance. Remember what I said to you. I did not conceal a single word from you of all those things. And you will be at peace in your spirit.
