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to correct the faults of sinners. But secular judges, when they get evildoers under their laws, display great authority and prevent them, even against their will, from using their own ways; but here one must make such a person better not by compelling but by persuading. For neither has so much authority been given to us by the laws for restraining sinners, nor, even if they had given it, would we have any occasion to use that power, since God crowns not those who abstain from wickedness by necessity, but those who do so by choice. For this reason, great skill is needed so that the sick may be persuaded willingly to submit themselves to the therapies from the priests, and not only this, but also that they may be grateful to them for the healing. For if one who is bound struggles—for he is master of this—he has made the trouble worse; and if he disregards the words that cut like iron, he has added another wound through his contempt, and the occasion for therapy has become the basis for a more grievous disease; for there is no one who can compel and heal an unwilling person.

2.4 d. That the matter is full of much difficulty and danger What then should one do? For if you deal too gently with one who needs much severity and do not give a deep wound to one who has need of such, you have cut away one part, but left another part of the wound; and if you apply the necessary incision unsparingly, often that man, despairing at the pain, suddenly throwing everything away, both the medicine and the bandage, has carried himself off to a precipice, breaking the yoke and tearing apart the bond. And I could mention many who have run aground into the worst evils because they were required to pay the penalty worthy of their sins. For one must not simply apply the penance according to the measure of the sins, but also take into account the disposition of the sinners, lest, wishing to stitch up what is torn, you make the rent worse, and striving to raise up what has fallen, you cause a greater fall. For those who are weak and dissolute and for the most part tied to the luxury of the world, and furthermore have a high opinion of themselves on account of their lineage and power, being turned back gently and little by little in the things in which they sin, might be able, if not completely, at least in part to be rid of the evils that possess them; but if one applies the discipline all at once, he has deprived them even of this lesser correction. For when a soul is once forced to cast off shame, it falls into insensibility, and thereafter neither yields to gentle words, nor is bent by threats, nor is prompted by benefits, but becomes much worse than that city which the prophet rebuked, saying: "You have a harlot's brow, you have been shameless toward all." For this reason the shepherd needs much understanding and ten thousand eyes to survey from all sides the condition of the soul. For just as many are lifted up to recklessness and fall into despair of their own salvation from being unable to bear bitter medicines, so there are some who, from not receiving a punishment commensurate with their sins, are turned to carelessness and become much worse and are led on to sin more grievously. Therefore the priest must leave none of these things unexamined, but having investigated everything accurately, must apply his own remedies suitably, so that his effort may not be in vain. And not only in this, but also in joining together the severed members of the Church one might see him having much trouble. For the shepherd of sheep has the flock following wherever he may lead; and if any should turn from the straight path and, leaving the good pasture, should graze in barren and precipitous places, it is enough to shout more loudly to drive it together again and to lead back the separated one to the flock. But if from the straight

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ἐπανορθοῦν τὰ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων πταίσματα. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν ἔξωθεν δικασταὶ τοὺς κακούργους ὅταν ὑπὸ τοῖς νόμοις λάβωσι πολλὴν ἐπιδείκνυνται τὴν ἐξουσίαν καὶ ἄκοντας τοῖς τρόποις κωλύουσι χρῆσθαι τοῖς αὐτῶν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐ βιαζόμενον, ἀλλὰ πείθοντα δεῖ ποιεῖν ἀμείνω τὸν τοιοῦτον. Οὔτε γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐξουσία τοσαύτη παρὰ τῶν νόμων δέδοται πρὸς τὸ κωλύειν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, οὔτε, εἰ καὶ ἔδωκαν, εἴχομεν ὅπου καὶ χρησόμεθα τῇ δυνάμει, οὐ τοὺς ἀνάγκῃ τῆς κακίας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς προαιρέσει ταύτης ἀπεχομένους στεφανοῦντος τοῦ Θεοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πολλῆς χρεία τῆς μηχανῆς ἵνα πεισθῶσιν ἑκόντες ἑαυτοὺς ὑπέχειν ταῖς παρὰ τῶν ἱερέων θεραπείαις οἱ κάμνοντες, καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ χάριν εἰδῶσι τῆς ἰατρείας αὐτοῖς. Ἄν τε γάρ τις σκιρτήσῃ δεθείς-κύριος γάρ ἐστι τούτου-, χεῖρον εἰργάσατο τὸ δεινόν· ἄν τε τοὺς σιδήρου δίκην τέμνοντας λόγους παραπέμψηται, προσέθηκε διὰ τῆς καταφρονήσεως τραῦμα ἕτερον καὶ γέγονεν ἡ τῆς θεραπείας πρόφασις, νόσου χαλεπωτέρας ὑπόθεσις· ὁ γὰρ καταναγκάζων καὶ ἄκοντα θεραπεῦσαι δυνάμενος οὐκ ἔστι.

2.4 δʹ. Ὅτι πολλῆς τὸ πρᾶγμα δυσκολίας γέμει καὶ κινδύνων Τί οὖν ἄν τις ποιήσειε; Καὶ γὰρ ἂν πραότερον προσενεχθῇς τῷ πολλῆς ἀποτομίας δεομένῳ καὶ μὴ δῷς βαθεῖαν τὴν πληγὴν τῷ τοιαύτης χρείαν ἔχοντι, τὸ μὲν περιέκοψας, τὸ δὲ ἀφῆκας τοῦ τραύματος· κἂν ἀφειδῶς τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἐπαγάγῃς τομήν, πολλάκις ἀπογνοὺς πρὸς τὰς ἀλγηδόνας ἐκεῖνος, ἀθρόως ἅπαντα ῥίψας καὶ τὸ φάρμακον καὶ τὸν ἐπίδεσμον, φέρων ἑαυτὸν κατεκρήμνισε, συντρίψας τὸν ζυγὸν καὶ διαρρήξας τὸν δεσμόν. Καὶ πολλοὺς ἂν ἔχοιμι λέγειν τοὺς εἰς ἔσχατα ἐξοκείλαντας κακὰ διὰ τὸ δίκην ἀπαιτηθῆναι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀξίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς πρὸς τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μέτρον δεῖ καὶ τὴν ἐπιτιμίαν ἐπάγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων στοχάζεσθαι προαιρέσεως, μή ποτε ῥάψαι τὸ διερρωγὸς βουλόμενος χεῖρον τὸ σχίσμα ποιήσῃς καὶ ἀνορθῶσαι τὸ καταπεπτωκὸς σπουδάζων μείζονα ἐργάσῃ τὴν πτῶσιν. Οἱ γὰρ ἀσθενεῖς καὶ διακεχυμένοι καὶ τὸ πλέον τῇ τοῦ κόσμου προσδεδεμένοι τρυφῇ, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ γένει καὶ δυναστείᾳ μέγα φρονεῖν ἔχοντες, ἠρέμα μὲν καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν ἐν οἷς ἂν ἁμαρτάνωσιν ἐπιστρεφόμενοι, δύναιντ' ἄν, εἰ καὶ μὴ τέλεον, ἀλλ' οὖν ἐκ μέρους τῶν κατεχόντων αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλαγῆναι κακῶν· ἂν δὲ ἀθρόον τις ἐπαγάγῃ τὴν παίδευσιν, καὶ τῆς ἐλάττονος αὐτοὺς ἀπεστέρησε διορθώσεως. Ψυχὴ γὰρ ἐπειδὰν ἅπαξ ἀπερυθριᾶσαι βιασθῇ, εἰς ἀναλγησίαν ἐκπίπτει, καὶ οὔτε προσηνέσιν εἴκει λόγοις λοιπόν, οὔτε ἀπειλαῖς κάμπτεται, οὐκ εὐεργεσίαις προτρέπεται, ἀλλὰ γίνεται πολὺ χείρων τῆς πόλεως ἐκείνης ἣν ὁ προφήτης κακίζων ἔλεγεν· «Ὄψις πόρνης ἐγένετό σοι, ἀπηναισχύντησας πρὸς πάντας.» ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πολλῆς δεῖ τῆς συνέσεως τῷ ποιμένι καὶ μυρίων ὀφθαλμῶν πρὸς τὸ περισκοπεῖν πάντοθεν τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἕξιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰς ἀπόνοιαν αἴρονται πολλοὶ καὶ εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν τῆς ἑαυτῶν καταπίπτουσι σωτηρίας, ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ δυνηθῆναι πικρῶν ἀνασχέσθαι φαρμάκων, οὕτως εἰσί τινες οἳ διὰ τὸ μὴ δοῦναι τιμωρίαν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀντίρροπον εἰς ὀλιγωρίαν ἐκτρέπονται καὶ πολλῷ γίνονται χείρους καὶ πρὸς τὸ μείζονα ἁμαρτάνειν προάγονται. Χρὴ τοίνυν μηδὲν τούτων ἀνεξέταστον ἀφεῖναι, ἀλλὰ πάντα διερευνησάμενον ἀκριβῶς καταλλήλως τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ προσάγειν τὸν ἱερωμένον ἵνα μὴ μάταιος αὐτῷ γίνηται ἡ σπουδή. Οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δὲ μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ τὰ ἀπερρηγμένα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μέλη συνάπτειν πολλὰ ἴδοι τις ἂν αὐτὸν ἔχοντα πράγματα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τῶν προβάτων ποιμὴν ἔχει τὸ ποίμνιον ἑπόμενον ᾗπερ ἂν ἡγῆται· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐκτρέποιτό τινα τῆς εὐθείας ὁδοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἀφιέντα νομὴν λεπτόγεα καὶ ἀπόκρημνα βόσκοιτο χωρία, ἀρκεῖ βοήσαντα σφοδρότερον συνελάσαι πάλιν καὶ εἰς τὴν ποίμνην ἐπαναγαγεῖν τὸ χωρισθέν. Εἰ δὲ τῆς εὐθείας