99. As we have said, we must seek to preserve what is seemly, so that we will appreciate the significance of due measure in whatever we do or say. Good order in what we say comes before good order in what we do. Speech can be divided into two types: there is informal discourse, and there is preaching and discussion of matters of faith and justice. In both cases, we must see to it that there is no trace of passion in anything we say, and ensure that our speech is conducted in a manner which is mild and peaceful, full of goodwill and pleasantness, and free from any kind of insulting language. There should be no stubborn arguing when we are conversing informally, for more often than not talk like that only stirs up pointless questions rather than contributs anything of any benefit. We should discuss things without showing anger, and talk about serious matters without displaying bitterness; we should give people warnings without being harsh about it, and offer them encouragement without causing offence. After all, in every action of our life we must take great care to ensure that our spirit does not become overly excited and that reason is not banished from the scene, and we must maintain a place for careful thought instead. Well, we should follow the same rule in all our speech as well, to ensure that neither anger nor hate is aroused, and that we never give the slightest sign of being covetous or lazy.

100. It follows that speech of this sort should be concerned with the Scriptures above all. Why so? Because we ought to spend more time talking about the very best standards of behaviour about how to encourage one another to live carefully, and about how to preserve right principles. Such discourse should begin with a proper purpose and end when it has reached its due measure. Talk that goes on and on only arouses anger. Conversation is generally meant to make company more agreeable—so it can hardly be seemly if all it does is make people feel sick and tired!

101. Preaching, too—whether it be about the doctrine of the faith, or about the teaching of self–control, or the discussion of issues to do with justice, or encouraging people to show diligence in what they are doing—should not always take exactly the same form. Rather, as a reading suggests itself, we should take it up and develop it as far as we can. Our exposition should not be excessively lengthy, but nor should it be broken off too soon: it ought to leave behind neither a sense of distaste nor an impression of carelessness and inattention. Our language should be pure, simple, clear, and plain, full of seriousness and dignity; it should not be studied with elegance, but nor should it be bereft of a touch of appeal.

102. The men of the world give plenty of other guidelines on how to speak as well, but I think we can pass these by. One example is their advice on the subject of jokes. The fact is, jokes can sometimes be honorable and pleasant, but they remain quite at odds with the rule of the church: if we do not find things in the Scriptures, how can we possibly make use of them?

103. We need to beware of jokes even when telling stories, in case they distract people from grasping the more serious and profound point we want to make. "Woe to you who laugh, for you shall weep," [Luke 6:25] says the Lord. And what do we do? We go about looking for things to laugh at! So we laugh in this world and weep in the next. As I see it, it is not just immoderate jokes that we should shun: it is jokes of all kinds—except that it is not unseemly, perhaps, for our language to be full of elegance and pleasantness.

 

(trans. Davidson 2001: 175-179)