4

For just as it is forbidden to cast pearls before swine, so also it is among the most absurd things to deprive of the precious pearl one who has already become a man through purity and dispassion. But the transgression committed through adultery or the other forms of impurity, as has been said before, will in all respects be remedied by the same judgment by which the defilement of fornication is also remedied; but the time is doubled. And in this case also the disposition of the one being healed will be observed, in the same way as in the case of those involved in the pollution of fornication, so that their participation in the good may come sooner or later. It remains, in addition to these, to set forth for examination the irascible part of the soul, when, having stumbled from the good use of anger, it falls into sin. And though many sins are committed through anger, and all are evil, it somehow seemed good to our Fathers not to be overly scrupulous in the other cases, nor to consider it worthy of great effort to heal all offenses arising from anger; and yet Scripture forbids not only a blow to the life; but also all reviling, or blasphemy, and whatever else of this kind anger produces; but they have provided for the guarding against only the defilement of murder, through penances.

And such an evil is divided by the difference between the voluntary and the involuntary, among which voluntary murder is. First, that which is dared with premeditation by one who has prepared for this very thing, so that he might commit the defilement. Then also that was considered among the voluntary acts, when someone in a brawl and a fight, both striking and being struck, delivers a blow by hand to a vital part of someone. For one who is once overcome by anger, and gives way to the impulse of rage, would not at the time of passion take into his mind any of the things that could check the evil. So that the result of murder from a brawl is also referred to an act of choice, and not to an accident. But the involuntary have clear marks; when someone, while intent on something else, through an accident does something irreparable. In these cases, therefore, murder is extended to a threefold period, for those healing the voluntary defilement through repentance. For there are twenty-seven years, a period of nine years being defined for each grade, so that in complete separation, he is to spend a period of nine years barred from the Church; and to remain for another such number of years in the class of hearers, being deemed worthy only of hearing the teachers and the Scriptures, and of standing with the people, and in a third period of nine years, praying with those who are prostrating in repentance, thus to come to participation in the holy sacrament; clearly, even in such a case, the same observation will be made by the one who governs the Church, and the extension of the penance will also be shortened for him according to the degree of his repentance, so that instead of nine years, for each grade it may be eight or seven or six, or even only five; if indeed the magnitude of his repentance should overcome the time, and by the earnestness of his correction should surpass those who in the long period cleanse themselves from the stain somewhat more lazily. But the involuntary was judged to be pardonable, yet not praiseworthy. And I said this, so that it might be clear, that even if someone is involuntarily involved in the defilement of murder, as he has already become profane from the defilement, the canon has declared him rejected from priestly grace; and however long the time of purification is for simple fornication, so long has it also been approved as fitting for those who have committed involuntary homicide, clearly, in this too, the choice of the penitent being tested; so that if the repentance becomes trustworthy, the number of years is not to be strictly observed, but to lead him by a shorter way to restoration in the Church, and to participation in the good. But if anyone, not having completed the time appointed by the canons, should depart this life;

4

Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ τοῖς χοίροις ῥίπτειν τὸν μαργαρίτην ἀπείρηται, οὕτω τὸ ἀποστερεῖν τοῦ τιμίου μαργαρίτου τὸν ἤδη ἄνθρωπον διὰ τῆς κα θαρότητός τε καὶ ἀπαθείας γενόμενον, τῶν ἀτόπων ἐστίν. Ἡ δὲ κατὰ μοιχείαν ἤτοι καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ εἴδη τῆς ἀκαθαρσίας γενομένη παρανομία, καθὼς προεί ρηται, κατὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κρίματι θεραπευθή σεται, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὸ τῆς πορνείας ἄγος· τῷ δὲ χρόνῳ διπλασιάζεται. Παρατηρηθήσεται δὲ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἡ τοῦ θεραπευομένου διάθεσις, ὃν τρόπον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τῷ μολυσμῷ τῆς πορνείας συνενεχθέντων, ὥστε ἢ θᾶττον ἢ βραδύτερον γενέσθαι αὐτοῖς τὴν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μετουσίαν. Λείπεται πρὸς τούτοις τὸ θυμοειδὲς τῆς ψυχῆς προ θεῖναι εἰς ἐξέτασιν, ὅταν παρασφαλεῖσα τῆς ἀγαθῆς τοῦ θυμοῦ χρήσεως, εἰς ἁμαρτίαν ἐκπέσῃ. Πολλῶν τε ὄντων κατὰ θυμὸν εἰς ἁμαρτίαν ἐνεργουμένων, καὶ πάντων κακῶν, ἤρεσέ πως τοῖς Πατράσιν ἡμῶν, ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις μὴ λίαν ἀκριβολογεῖσθαι, μηδὲ πολλῆς ἄξιον ἡγεῖσθαι σπουδῆς, τὸ θεραπεύειν πάντα τὰ ἐκ θυμοῦ παραπτώματα· καί τοί γε τῆς Γραφῆς, οὐ μό νον τὴν* ψυχὴν ἀπαγορευούσης πληγήν· ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν λοιδορίαν, ἢ βλασφημίαν, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο τοι οῦτον ὁ θυμὸς ἀπεργάζεται· μόνον δὲ τοῦ κατὰ τὸν φόνον ἄγους τὴν παραφυλακὴν ἐποιήσαντο, διὰ τῶν ἐπιτιμίων.

∆ιῄρηται δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον κακὸν τῇ διαφορᾷ τοῦ ἑκουσίου τε καὶ ἀκουσίου, ἐν οἷς ἑκούσιος μέν ἐστι φόνος. Πρῶτον μὲν, ὁ ἐκ παρασκευῆς τετολμη μένος τοῦ εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο εὐτρεπισαμένου, ὅπως ἂν τὸ ἄγος ἐργάσηται. Ἔπειτα δὲ κἀκεῖνος ἐν τοῖς ἑκουσίοις ἐνομίσθη, ὅταν τις ἐν συμπλοκῇ καὶ μάχῃ, τύπτων τε καὶ τυπτόμενος, ἐνέγκῃ κατά τινος καιρίου τὴν διὰ τῆς χειρὸς πληγήν. Ὁ γὰρ ἅπαξ τῷ θυμῷ κρατηθεὶς, καὶ τῇ ὁρμῇ τῆς ὀργῆς χαριζόμενος, οὐδὲν ἂν παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους τῶν ἀνακόψαι τὸ κακὸν δυναμένων 45.232 ἐπὶ νοῦν λάβοι. Ὥστε καὶ τὸ ἐκ τῆς συμπλοκῆς ἀπο τέλεσμα τοῦ φόνου, εἰς ἔργον προαιρέσεως, καὶ οὐκ εἰς ἀποτυχίαν ἀνάγεται. Οἱ δὲ ἀκούσιοι φανερὰ ἔχουσι τὰ γνωρίσματα· ὅταν τις πρὸς ἕτερόν τι τὴν σπου δὴν ἔχων, ἐξ ἀποτυχίας τι τῶν ἀνηκέστων δράσῃ. Ἐπὶ τούτων τοίνυν ὁ μὲν φόνος, εἰς τριπλασίονα χρόνον παρατείνεται, τοῖς δι' ἐπιστροφῆς θεραπευο μένοις τὸ ἑκούσιον ἄγος. Τρισεννέα γάρ εἰσιν ἐνιαυ τοὶ, καθ' ἕκαστον βαθμὸν τῆς ἐννάδος τῶν ἐτῶν ὁρι σθείσης, ὥστε ἐν μὲν τῷ παντελεῖ ἀφορισμῷ, ἐνναετῆ χρόνον διαγενέσθαι ἀπειργόμενον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας· ἄλλα δὲ τοσαῦτα ἔτη ἐν τῇ ἀκροάσει παραμεῖναι, μόνης τῶν διδασκάλων καὶ τῆς τῶν Γραφῶν ἀκροά σεως, καὶ μετὰ τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ συστάσεως ἀξιούμε νον, ἐν δὲ τρίτῃ ἐννάδι, μετὰ τῶν ὑποπιπτόντων ἐν τῇ ἐπιστροφῇ προσευχόμενον, οὕτως ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν μετουσίαν τοῦ ἁγιάσματος· δηλαδὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τοιούτου, ἡ αὐτὴ προστήρησις ἔσται παρὰ τοῦ οἰκονομοῦντος τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πρὸς λόγον τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς συντμηθήσεται αὐτῷ καὶ ἡ τοῦ ἐπι τιμίου παράτασις, ὥστε ἀντὶ ἐννέα ἐτῶν, ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ βαθμῷ ὀκτὼ ἢ ἑπτὰ ἢ ἓξ, ἢ καὶ πέντε μόνα γενέ σθαι· εἴπερ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς νικοίη τὸν χρόνον, καὶ ὑπερβάλλοιτο τῇ σπουδῇ τῆς διορθώσεως τοὺς ἐν τῇ μακρᾷ προθεσμίᾳ ῥᾳθυμότερόν πως ἑαυ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς κηλίδος καθαίροντας. Τὸ δὲ ἀκούσιον, συγγνωστὸν μὲν, οὐ μὴν ἐπαινετὸν ἐκρίθη. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶπον, ὥστε δῆλον γενέσθαι, ὅτι κἂν ἀκουσίως τις γένηται ἐν τῷ τοῦ φόνου μιάσματι, ὡς ἤδη βέβηλον αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγους γενόμενον, ἀπόβλητον ἱερατικῆς χάριτος ὁ κανὼν ἀπεφήνατο· ὅσος δέ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῇ ψιλῇ πορνείᾳ τοῦ καθαρσίου ὁ χρόνος, τοσοῦτος καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀκουσίως πεφονευκότων ἐδοκιμάσθη καλὸν ἔχειν, δηλαδὴ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῆς προαιρέσεως τοῦ με τανοοῦντος δοκιμαζομένης· ὥστε εἰ ἀξιόπιστος γένοιτο ἡ ἐπιστροφὴ, μὴ πάντως παραφυλαχθῆναι τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἐτῶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ συντομίας ἀγαγεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀποκατάστασιν, καὶ εἰς τὴν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μετουσίαν. Εἰ δέ τις μὴ πληρώσας τὸν χρόνον τὸν ἐκ τῶν κανόνων ἀφωρισμένον, ἐξοδεύοι τοῦ βίου·