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271. Whether one finds purification through almsgiving for all the sins one has committed. 272. Since it is a command of the Lord not to be anxious about tomorrow, how shall we understand the command rightly? 273. What would a person do to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit? 274. How does one become a fool in this age? 275. Whether Satan can hinder the purpose of a holy person. 276. What is meant by that which was said by the Apostle: "that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." 277. What is the "closet" into which the Lord commands the one who prays to enter? 278. How does someone's spirit pray, while his mind is unfruitful? 279. What is meant by, "Sing praises with understanding." 280. Who is the pure in heart? 281. Whether one who does not wish to sing psalms should be compelled. 282. Who are those who say, "We ate and drank in your presence," and hear, "I do not know you"? 283. Whether one who does the will of another is a partner of that one. 284. If a brotherhood becomes poor because of an outbreak of diseases, whether it is permissible without distinction to receive necessities from others; and if it is necessary, from whom shall it receive them? 285. Whether a brotherhood, when trading with another brotherhood, should be scrupulous about the fair price of the goods. 286. Whether one living in a brotherhood, who falls into bodily sickness, should be taken to a hospital. The copy brought from Pontus had only up to this point. The following 27 chapters and the penances were added from the book from Caesarea. 287. What are the fruits worthy of repentance? 31.1077 288. Whether one who wishes to confess his sins ought to confess to all and to any who happen to be near, or to whom? 289. What shall one do who has repented of a sin, and again falls into the same sin? 290. How does one abound in the work of the Lord always? 291. What is the bruised reed, or the smoking flax; and how does one not break the one, and not quench the other? 292. Whether one in a brotherhood should be a teacher of secular children. 293. How should one deal with those who avoid the greater sins, but commit the lesser ones indifferently? 294. For what reason does one fall away from the constant remembrance of God? 295. By what signs is a person who is distracted known? 296. How may a soul be fully assured that it is pure from sins? 297. How one ought to turn from sins. 298. Whether reason permits to do good things according to one's own pleasure. 299. How may a soul be fully assured to depart from vainglory. 300. What is the manner of conversion, since the discussion is about what is unseen? 301. But if one should say, "My conscience does not condemn me." 302. Whether one ought to give from the community's resources to the needy who are from outside. 303. Whether in a brotherhood one ought to obey what is said by all. 304. Whether something should be accepted on behalf of those entrusted to the brotherhood from their relatives who wish to give. 305. Whether one must receive from outsiders, either as a favor of friendship, or because of a pre-existing kinship. 306. By what manner is freedom from distraction achieved? 307. Whether one ought to begin the psalmody or the prayer from a daily roster. 308. Whether one who gives something in a brotherhood should be repaid; and whether the repayment should be made in proportion to the gift. 309. Whether, when one of the customary and natural things occurs, one should dare to approach for communion of the holy things. 310. Whether an offering should be made to a common house. 311. Whether one should go on a visit, when some are seeking it. 312. Whether visiting laity should be encouraged to prayer. 313. Whether one should work while some are visiting. 31.1080 OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS BASIL, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, QUESTION 1.

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σοαʹ Εἰ πάντων ὅσα ἥμαρτέ τις διὰ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τὸν καθαρισμὸν εὑρίσκει. σοβʹ Ἐπειδὴ πρόσταγμά ἐστι τοῦ Κυρίου μὴ με ριμνᾷν περὶ τῆς αὔριον, πῶς ὑγιῶς τὸ πρόσταγμα νοήσομεν. σογʹ Τί ἄν τις ποιήσας βλασφημεῖ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. σοδʹ Πῶς γίνεταί τις ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ μωρός. σοεʹ Εἰ δύναται ἐγκόψαι πρόθεσιν ἁγίου ὁ Σατα νᾶς. σοʹ Τί ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰρημένον· Εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν, καὶ εὐάρεστον, καὶ τέλειον. σοζʹ Ποῖόν ἐστι τὸ ταμιεῖον, εἰς ὃ εἰσελθεῖν τὸν προσ ευχόμενον προστάσσει ὁ Κύριος. σοηʹ Πῶς τὸ πνεῦμά τινος προσεύχεται, ὁ δὲ νοῦς αὐ τοῦ ἄκαρπός ἐστιν. σοθʹ Τί ἐστι τὸ, Ψάλατε συνετῶς. σπʹ Τίς ἐστιν ὁ καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. σπαʹ Τὴν μὴ θέλουσαν ψᾶλαι εἰ χρὴ ἀναγκάζε σθαι. σπβʹ Τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ λέγοντες· Ἐφάγομεν ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ ἐπίομεν, καὶ ἀκούοντες· Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. σπγʹ Εἰ ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημά τινος, κοινωνός ἐστιν ἐκείνου. σπδʹ Ἐὰν πτωχεύσῃ ἀδελφότης διὰ περίστασιν νό σων, εἰ ἀδιάκριτόν ἐστι παρ' ἑτέρων λαμβάνειν τὰ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν· καὶ εἰ χρὴ, παρὰ τίνων λήψεται. σπεʹ Εἰ χρὴ ἀδελφότητα μετὰ ἀδελφότητος πραγμα τευομένην τὴν ἀξίαν τιμὴν τοῦ εἴδους περιεργά ζεσθαι. σπʹ Εἰ δεῖ τὸν ἐν ἀδελφότητι ζῶντα, καὶ ἀσθε νείᾳ σωματικῇ περιπεσόντα, εἰς ξενοδοχεῖον ἀπα γαγεῖν. Ἕως τούτου μόνον εἶχε τὸ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πόντου κο μισθὲν ἀντίγραφον. Τὰ δὲ ἐφεξῆς κζʹ κεφά λαια καὶ τὰ ἐπιτίμια ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς Καισαρείας προσετέθη. σπζʹ Τίνες εἰσὶν ἄξιοι καρποὶ τῆς μετανοίας. 31.1077 σπηʹ Ὁ θέλων ἐξομολογήσασθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, εἰ πᾶσιν ἐξομολογεῖσθαι ὀφείλει καὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν, ἢ τίσιν. σπθʹ Ὁ μετανοήσας ἐπὶ ἁμαρτήματι, καὶ πάλιν εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ ἐμπεσὼν ἁμάρτημα, τί ποιήσει. ςʹ Πῶς περισσεύει τις ἐν τῷ ἔργῳ Κυρίου πάν τοτε. ςαʹ Τίς ἐστιν ὁ συντετριμμένος κάλαμος, ἢ τὸ τυφό μενον λίνον· καὶ πῶς τις τὸ μὲν οὐ κατεάξει, τὸ δὲ οὐ σβέννυσιν. ςβʹ Εἰ χρὴ ἐν ἀδελφότητι παιδίων βιωτικῶν εἶναι διδάσκαλον. ςγʹ Πῶς δεῖ προσφέρεσθαι τοῖς τὰ μείζονα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων παραιτουμένοις, τὰ δὲ μικρὰ ἀδια φόρως ποιοῦσιν. ςδʹ Ἐκ ποίας αἰτίας ἐκπίπτει τις τῆς διηνεκοῦς μνήμης τοῦ Θεοῦ. ςεʹ Ἐκ ποίων σημείων γνωρίζεται ὁ μετέωρος. ςʹ Πῶς πληροφορηθῇ ψυχὴ, ὅτι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων καθαρεύει. ςζʹ Πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπιστρέφειν χρή. ςηʹ Εἰ τὰ καλὰ κατ' ἰδίαν ἀρέσκειαν ποιεῖν ὁ λόγος συγχωρεῖ. ςθʹ Πῶς πληροφορηθῇ ψυχὴ ἀποστῆναι τῆς φιλοδο ξίας. τʹ Τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς, ὅτι περὶ ἀοράτου ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος. ταʹ Ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃ, ὅτι οὐ καταγινώσκει μου τὸ συν ειδός. τβʹ Εἰ χρὴ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας διδόναι τοῖς ἐνδεέσι τῶν ἔξωθεν. τγʹ Εἰ χρὴ τοῖς παρὰ πάντων λεγομένοις ὑπακούειν ἐν ἀδελφότητι. τδʹ Εἰ ὑπὲρ τῶν παραδεδομένων τῇ ἀδελφότητι παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων θελόντων διδόναι τι χρὴ δέ χεσθαι. τεʹ Εἰ δεῖ λαμβάνειν παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν, ἤτοι κατὰ χάριν φιλίας, ἢ προκατειλημμένης συγγε νείας. τʹ Μετὰ ποίου τρόπου τὸ ἀμετεώριστον κατορθοῦ ται. τζʹ Εἰ χρὴ ἐξ ἐφημερίας ἀπάρχεσθαι τῆς ψαλμῳδίας ἢ τῆς προσευχῆς. τηʹ Εἰ χρὴ τὸν διδόντα τι ἐν ἀδελφότητι ἀμείβεσθαι· καὶ εἰ κατ' ἀναλογίαν τοῦ δόματος ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. τθʹ Εἰ τῶν συνήθων καὶ κατὰ φύσιν γινομένων τινὶ, χρὴ τολμᾷν εἰς κοινωνίαν τῶν ἁγίων παρ έρχεσθαι. τιʹ Εἰ χρὴ εἰς κοινὸν οἶκον προσκομιδὴν γίνε σθαι. τιαʹ Εἰ χρὴ εἰς ἐπίσκεψιν ἀπέρχεσθαι, ἐπιζητούντων τινῶν. τιβʹ Εἰ χρὴ τοὺς ἐπισκεπτομένους λαϊκοὺς προτρέ πεσθαι εἰς εὐχήν. τιγʹ Εἰ χρὴ ἐργάζεσθαι ἐπισκεπτομένων τινῶν. 31.1080 ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΥ Ἀρχιεπισκόπου Καισαρείας Καππαδοκίας, ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Αʹ.