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serving the Lord and walking the afflicted way, in which, having placed his neck under His yoke <eagerly> and bearing it to the end, he is carried with pleasure to the end <with good hope>. Therefore, one must be subject to all and serve the brothers as a debtor of a loan, depositing in his soul the cares for all and fulfilling the love that is owed. And it is necessary that those who preside over this spiritual choir, considering both the greatness of their own 8,1.69 care and reckoning the devices of the evil that lies in wait for the faith, should strive in a manner worthy of their supervision, not lifting up their mind towards authority. For there is danger in this, and some already, thinking that they presided over others and were directing them to the heavenly life, have unwittingly destroyed themselves through pride. Therefore, in their supervision, those who preside must labor more than the others, but think more humbly than those who are ruled, and offer their own life as a type of service to the brothers, considering those entrusted to them to be a deposit from God.

For if they should act thus, assembling the sacred choir by their service, and making their teaching plain according to the need of each, so that each may keep his proper rank, and in secret, in their mind, preserving humility with faith like well-disposed servants, they work for themselves a great reward by such a life. Thus, therefore, take care of them as good tutors would of tender children, who were entrusted to them by their fathers. For they, observing the dispositions of the children, bring to one blows, to another admonition, to another praise, to another something else of that sort, doing none of these things either for favor or for enmity, but as is fitting for the matter 8,1.70 and as the child's character demands, so that they might become venerable <zealots> of this life; and you must, having put away all hatred against the brothers and all arrogance, adapt your speech to the ability and disposition of each; rebuke one, admonish another, exhort another, applying the remedy according to the need of each, like a good physician; for he, looking at the ailments, applied a mild remedy to one, and a stronger one to another, being vexed with none of those who need treatment, but adapting his art to their souls and bodies; and you, follow the need of the matter, so that, having well-instructed the soul of the disciple who looks to you, you may bring his virtue bright to the Father, a worthy heir of His gift.

If you are thus disposed toward one another, both those who are in charge and those who use them as teachers, the ones obeying with joy what is commanded, the others with pleasure leading the brothers to perfection, and if you prefer one another in honor, you will live the life of angels on earth. Let no pride, therefore, be known among you, but let simplicity and concord and a guileless disposition hold the choir together; 8,1.71 and let each persuade himself that he is not only inferior to the brother with him, but also to every man; for knowing this, he will be truly a disciple of Christ.

For he who exalts himself will be humbled, as the Savior said, and he who humbles himself will be exalted; and again: Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be the last of all and servant of all, just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many; and the apostle: For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. Knowing, therefore, the fruits of humility and the loss from pride, imitate the Master by loving one another, and do not shrink from either death or any other punishment for the good of one another; but the way that God walked among us, this way you, walking toward Him in one body and one soul, proceed to the upward calling, loving God and one another. For love and fear of the Lord is the first fulfillment of the law.

Therefore each of you must, like some strong and ste

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κυρίῳ δουλεύων καὶ τὴν τεθλιμμένην ὁδὸν βαδίζων, ἐν ᾗ τῷ ἐκείνου ζυγῷ <προθύ μως> ὑποθεὶς τὸν αὐχένα καὶ βαστάζων διὰ τέλους ἐν ἡδονῇ φέρεται πρὸς τὸ τέλος <μετὰ ἀγαθῆς ἐλπίδος>. δεῖ οὖν ὑποτετάχθαι πᾶσι καὶ καθάπερ δανείου χρεώστην θεραπεύειν τοὺς ἀδελφούς, τὰς ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων φροντίδας ἐναποθέμενον τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ ἀποπληροῦντα τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἀγάπην. χρὴ δὲ καὶ τοὺς προεστῶτας τοῦ πνευματικοῦ τούτου χοροῦ τό τε μέγεθος τῆς αὑτῶν σκοποῦντας 8,1.69 φροντίδος καὶ τῆς ἐφεδρευούσης τῇ πίστει κακίας λογιζο μένους τὰς τέχνας ἀξίως τῆς ἐπιστασίας ἀγωνίζεσθαι, μὴ πρὸς τὴν ἐξουσίαν αἴροντας τὸ φρόνημα. κίνδυνος γὰρ ἐνταῦθα, καί τινες ἤδη δοκοῦντες ἑτέρων προεστάναι καὶ τούτους ἐπὶ τὴν οὐράνιον εὐθύνειν ζωὴν ἔλαθον ὑπὸ φρονή ματος ἑαυτοὺς ἀπολέσαντες. δεῖ οὖν ἐν τῇ ἐπιστασίᾳ μείζονα μὲν τῶν ἄλλων τοὺς προεστῶτας πονεῖν, ταπεινό τερα δὲ τῶν ἀρχομένων φρονεῖν καὶ τύπον δουλείας τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον παρέχειν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, παρακαταθήκην θεοῦ νομίζοντας ἔχειν οὓς ἐπιστεύθησαν.

Εἰ γὰρ οὕτως ἔχοιεν συγκροτοῦντες τὸν ἱερὸν τῇ θερα πείᾳ χορὸν καὶ τὴν μὲν διδαχὴν κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστου χρείαν ἐν φανερῷ ποιούμενοι πρὸς τὸ σῴζειν τὴν πρέπουσαν ἕκαστον τάξιν, ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ δὲ κατὰ διάνοιαν τὴν ταπει νοφροσύνην καθάπερ εὐγνώμονες δοῦλοι τηροῦντες τῇ πίστει, μέγαν ἑαυτοῖς ἐργάζονται τῷ τοιούτῳ βίῳ μισθόν. οὕτως οὖν ἐπιμελεῖσθε αὐτῶν ὡς ἂν χρηστοὶ παιδαγωγοὶ παίδων ἁπαλῶν, οὓς ἐπιστεύθησαν παρὰ τῶν πατέρων αὐ τῶν. ἐκεῖνοί τε γὰρ τῶν παίδων τὰς ἕξεις σκοποῦντες τῷ μὲν πληγάς, τῷ δὲ νουθεσίαν, τῷ δὲ ἔπαινον, τῷ δὲ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον προσάγουσιν, οὐδὲν οὔτε πρὸς χάριν οὔτε πρὸς ἀπέχθειαν τούτων ποιοῦντες, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀνῆκε τῷ πράγματι 8,1.70 καὶ ὁ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀπαιτεῖ τρόπος, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτοὺς <ζηλωτὰς> τοῦ βίου τούτου σεμνούς· καὶ ὑμᾶς χρὴ πᾶν μῖσος κατὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν καὶ πᾶσαν αὐθάδειαν ἀποθεμένους πρὸς τὴν ἑκάστου δύναμιν καὶ γνώμην ἁρμόζειν τὸν λόγον· τῷ μὲν ἐπιτίμησον, τὸν δὲ νουθέτησον, ἄλλον παρα κάλεσον, πρὸς τὴν ἑκάστου χρείαν καθάπερ ἀγαθὸς ἰατρὸς προσάγων τὸ φάρμακον· ἐκεῖνός τε γὰρ πρὸς τὰ πάθη σκοπῶν τῷ μὲν πρᾶον, τῷ δὲ σφοδρότερον ἐπέθηκε φάρ μακον, οὐδενὶ τῶν θεραπείας δεομένων ἀχθόμενος, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ψυχαῖς καὶ τοῖς σώμασιν ἁρμόζων τὴν τέχνην· σύ τε ἀκολούθει τῇ χρείᾳ τοῦ πράγματος, ὅπως τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ πρὸς σὲ βλέποντος μαθητοῦ καλῶς ἐκπαιδεύσας λαμπρὰν τὴν ἐκείνης ἀρετὴν προσαγάγῃς τῷ πατρί, κληρονόμον ἄξιον τῆς ἐκείνου δωρεᾶς. Ἐὰν οὕτως ἔχητε πρὸς ἀλλήλους οἵ τε ἐφεστῶτες καὶ οἱ τούτοις χρώμενοι διδασκάλοις, οἱ μὲν πειθόμενοι μετὰ χαρᾶς τοῖς ἐπιταττομένοις, οἱ δὲ μεθ' ἡδονῆς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ τέλειον προσαγόμενοι, καὶ ταῖς τιμαῖς ἀλλήλους προηγῆσθε, τὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ζήσεσθε βίον. μηδεὶς οὖν ἐν ὑμῖν γνωριζέσθω τῦφος, ἀλλὰ ἁπλότης καὶ ὁμόνοια καὶ διάθεσις ἄδολος συγκροτείτω τὸν χορόν· 8,1.71 πειθέτω δὲ ἕκαστος ἑαυτόν, ὡς οὐ τοῦ συνόντος ἀδελφοῦ μόνον ἐστὶ καταδεέστερος, ἀλλὰ καὶ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου· τοῦτο γὰρ γινώσκων μαθητὴς ἔσται ὄντως Χριστοῦ. Ὁ γὰρ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, καθὼς ὁ σωτὴρ εἶπεν, καὶ ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται· καὶ πάλιν· Ὁ θέλων ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτος, ἔσται πάντων ἔσχατος καὶ πάντων διάκονος, καθὼς Ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθεν διακονηθῆναι, ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν· καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος· Οὐ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς κηρύσσομεν, ἀλλὰ κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ δούλους ὑμῶν διὰ Ἰησοῦν. εἰδότες οὖν τῆς τε ταπεινότητος τοὺς καρποὺς καὶ τὴν ζημίαν τοῦ τύφου μιμήσασθε τὸν δεσπότην ἀγαπῶντες ἀλλήλους, καὶ μήτε θάνατον μήτε ἄλλην τινὰ τιμωρίαν εἰς ἀγαθὸν μετ' ἀλλήλων ὀκνεῖτε· ἀλλ' ἣν ἐβάδισεν ὁδὸν ἐν ἡμῖν ὁ θεός, ταύτην ὑμεῖς πρὸς ἐκεῖνον βαδίζοντες ἑνὶ σώματι καὶ ψυχῇ μιᾷ χωρεῖτε πρὸς τὴν ἄνω κλῆσιν, ἀγαπῶντες τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἀλλήλους. ἀγάπη γὰρ καὶ φόβος ὁ πρὸς τὸν κύριον τὸ πρῶ τον τοῦ νόμου ἐστὶ πλήρωμα. ∆εῖ οὖν ἕκαστον ὑμῶν καθάπερ ἰσχυράν τινα καὶ στε