3

For they too, having taken small things from the poor of which they have no need, add what is from themselves, giving in return to those who brought what they had. So indeed this man also, having received from us the praise of words, of which he has no need, will give in return to us the blessing through deeds, of which we are always in need. From where then must we begin the encomiums? From where else than from the office, which the grace of the Spirit entrusted to him. For secular offices would not be in every case a proof of the virtue of those entrusted with them, but often are also accusers of vice. For what reason? Because both the patronage of friends and canvassing and flatteries, and many other things more shameful than these are accustomed to procure such offices; but when God ordains and casts his vote, and that hand touches the holy head, the vote is incorruptible, the judgment beyond suspicion, the dignity of the one ordaining would be an indisputable proof of the one ordained. That God ordained him, is also clear from the manner itself

. For having been seized from the middle of the marketplace, he was led to this throne; so venerable and brilliant was the former life he displayed, though having a wife and daughter, and being engaged in the law-court; he so shone above the sun, that straight from there he appeared worthy of this office, and from the judicial bench he was led to the sacred bench. And at that time indeed he was an advocate for men against plotting men, making the wronged stronger than the wrongdoers; but having come here, he was an advocate for men against the menacing demons. And how great a sign of virtue it is to be deemed worthy of so great an office by the grace of God, hear what Christ says to Peter after he arose. For when he asked him, Peter, do you love me? and when he said, You, Lord, know that I love you, Christ did not say: Throw away your money, practice fasting, austerity, raise the dead, cast out demons, he brought forward none of these things, nor other signs, nor right actions; but passing over all those things, he says, If you love me, feed my sheep. And he said this, not only wishing to show us the greatest sign of love for him, but also of the affection which he shows for the sheep, this has already been made the greatest proof of good will toward him, as if to say, he who loves my sheep, loves me. See then how many things Christ endured for this flock; he became man, he took the form of a slave, he was spat upon, he was struck; finally he did not even refuse death, and a shameful death; for on a cross he poured out his blood. So if anyone should wish to be well-pleasing in his sight, let him take care of these sheep, let him seek the common good, let him be concerned for his own brothers; for no right action is more precious to God than this; for this reason also he says elsewhere: Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. What reward then do you give me for this care and providence? so what reward does he seek? This same thing again. For he says, And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. Thus Paul also says: Be imitators of me, 48.752 as I am of Christ. How did you become an imitator of Christ? By pleasing all men in all things, and not seeking my own advantage, but that of the many, that they may be saved. And elsewhere he says: For Christ did not please himself, but the many. And nothing would be so much a mark and character of the believer and the one who loves Christ, as to care for the brothers, and to be concerned for their salvation.

γʹ. Let all monks also hear these things, and those who the mountains'

have occupied the summits, and those who have through all things crucified themselves to the world, so that according to their own ability they may support the leaders of the Churches,

3

Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι παρὰ τῶν πενήτων μικρὰ λαβόντες ὧν οὐδὲν δέονται, τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν προστιθέασιν, ἀντιδωρούμενοι τοὺς ἅπερ εἶχον εἰσενεγκόντας. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτος λαβὼν παρ' ἡμῶν εὐφημίαν ῥημάτων, ἧς οὐδὲν δεῖται, ἀντιδώσει τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων εὐλογίαν ἡμῖν, ἧς ἀεὶ χρῄζομεν. Πόθεν οὖν ἡμῖν ἀρκτέον τῶν ἐγκωμίων; Πόθεν ἄλλοθεν ἢ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἣν ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεχείρισεν αὐτῷ χάρις. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ ἔξωθεν ἀρχαὶ οὐκ ἂν γένοιντο πάντως τῆς τῶν πιστευομένων αὐτὰς ἀρετῆς ἀπόδειξις, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις καὶ κακίας εἰσὶ κατήγοροι. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; Ὅτι καὶ προστασίαι φίλων καὶ περιδρομαὶ καὶ κολακεῖαι, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα τούτων αἰσχρότερα τὰς τοιαύτας ἀρχὰς προξενεῖν εἴωθεν· ὅταν δὲ ὁ Θεὸς χειροτονῇ καὶ ψηφίζηται, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ ἐκείνη τῆς ἁγίας ἅπτηται κεφαλῆς, ἀδέκαστος ἡ ψῆφος, ἀνύποπτος ἡ κρίσις, ἀναμφισβήτητος τοῦ χειροτονουμένου γένοιτ' ἂν ἀπόδειξις τὸ τοῦ χειροτονοῦντος ἀξίωμα. Ὅτι δὲ ἐκεῖνον ὁ Θεὸς ἐχειροτόνησε, καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ τρόπου δῆλον

. Ἐκ μέσης γὰρ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ἁρπασθεὶς, ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον ἤγετο τοῦτον· οὕτω σεμνὸν καὶ λαμπρὸν τὸν πρότερον ἐπεδείξατο βίον, καὶ γυναῖκα ἔχων καὶ θυγατέρα, καὶ ἐν δικαστηρίῳ στρεφόμενος· οὕτως ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον ἔλαμψεν, ὡς εὐθέως ἐκεῖθεν ταύτης ἄξιος φανῆναι τῆς ἀρχῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ βήματος δικαστικοῦ ἐπὶ βῆμα ἤγετο ἱερόν. Καὶ τότε μὲν ἀνθρώποις συνηγόρει κατὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβουλευόντων, τοὺς ἀδικουμένους τῶν ἀδικούντων ἰσχυροτέρους ποιῶν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐλθὼν, ἀνθρώποις συνηγόρει κατὰ δαιμόνων τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων. Ἡλίκον δέ ἐστι δεῖγμα ἀρετῆς τὸ παρὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος τοσαύτης ἀξιωθῆναι τῆς ἀρχῆς, ἄκουσον ἀναστὰς ὁ Χριστὸς τῷ Πέτρῳ τί φησιν; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτὸν ἠρώτησε· Πέτρε, φιλεῖς με; εἰπόντος δὲ ἐκείνου, Σὺ, Κύριε, οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε, οὐκ εἶπεν ὁ Χριστός· ῥῖψον τὰ χρήματα, νηστείαν ἄσκησον, σκληραγωγίαν, νεκροὺς ἀνάστησον, δαίμονας ἀπέλασον, οὐδὲν οὔτε τούτων, οὔτε τῶν σημείων τῶν ἄλλων, οὔτε τῶν κατορθωμάτων εἰς μέσον ἤγαγεν· ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐκεῖνα παραδραμὼν, Εἰ φιλεῖς με, φησὶ, ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγεν, οὐ μόνον τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης τὸ μέγιστον ἡμῖν σημεῖον ἐπιδεῖξαι βουλόμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς φιλίας, ἣν περὶ τὰ πρόβατα ἐπιδείκνυται, ἤδη τοῦτο τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν εὐνοίας μέγιστον δεῖγμα πεποίηται, μονονουχὶ λέγων, ὁ τὰ πρόβατά μου φιλῶν, ἐμὲ φιλεῖ. Ἴδε γοῦν ὅσα ὑπέμεινε διὰ τὴν ποίμνην ταύτην ὁ Χριστός· ἄνθρωπος ἐγένετο, δούλου μορφὴν ἀνέλαβεν, ἐνεπτύσθη, ἐῤῥαπίσθη· τελευταῖον οὐδὲ θάνατον παρῃτήσατο, καὶ θάνατον τὸν ἐπονείδιστον· ἐν σταυρῷ γὰρ τὸ αἷμα ἐξέχεεν. Ὥστε εἴ τις εὐδοκιμεῖν βούλοιτο παρ' αὐτῷ, τούτων ἐπιμελείσθω τῶν προβάτων, τὸ κοινῆ συμφέρον ζητείτω, τῶν ἀδελφῶν κηδέσθω τῶν ἑαυτοῦ· οὐδὲν γὰρ τούτου τῷ Θεῷ προτιμότερον κατόρθωμα· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησι· Σίμων, Σίμων, ᾔτησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς σινιάσαι σε ὡς τὸν σῖτον· κἀγὼ ἐδεήθην περὶ σοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐκλείπῃ ἡ πίστις σου. Τίνα οὖν ταύτης τῆς κηδεμονίας καὶ τῆς προνοίας ἀποδίδως μοι τὴν ἀμοιβήν; ἄρα ποίαν ἀμοιβὴν ζητεῖ; Τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην πάλιν· Καὶ σὺ γὰρ, φησὶ, ποτὲ ἐπιστρέψας στήριξον τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησι· Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, 48.752 καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ. Πῶς ἐγένου Χριστοῦ μιμητής; Πάντα πᾶσιν ἀρέσκων, καὶ μὴ ζητῶν τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ συμφέρον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν, ἵνα σωθῶσι. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησι· Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἤρεσκεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς. Καὶ οὐδὲν οὕτω γνώρισμα καὶ χαρακτὴρ γένοιτ' ἂν τοῦ πιστοῦ καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν φιλοῦντος, ὡς τὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν κήδεσθαι, καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῆς ἐκείνων.

γʹ. Ταῦτα καὶ μοναχοὶ πάντες ἀκουέτωσαν, καὶ οἱ τὰς τῶν ὀρῶν

κατειληφότες κορυφὰς, καὶ οἱ διὰ πάντων σταυρώσαντες ἑαυτοὺς τῷ κόσμῳ, ἵνα κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἑαυτῶν τοὺς τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν προεστῶτας συγκροτῶσιν,