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to be freed from his tyranny and to come under the good yoke, first through the gesture they remind themselves of their former state so that they may know from what they are being delivered, and to whom they are running, and this itself may become for them a cause for greater thanksgiving and gratitude. 2.15 Do you wish that we should also turn our discourse to those who are your sponsors, so that they too may know what rewards they are deemed worthy of if they have shown great zeal concerning you, and what condemnation follows them if they are negligent. Consider for me, beloved, those who stand as surety for someone in matters of money, how much more than the debtor and the one receiving the money they endure a greater struggle. For if the borrower proves grateful, he has lightened the burden for the one who stood surety, but if he becomes ungrateful, he has prepared a greater precipice for that one. For this reason a certain wise man also advises, saying: "If you give surety, take care as one who will have to pay." If, therefore, those who stand as surety for someone in matters of money make themselves responsible for everything, how much more so those who receive someone in spiritual matters and for the account of virtue ought to show great vigilance, exhorting and counseling, correcting, showing a fatherly affection. 2.16 And let them not think that what is happening is a trivial matter but let them know precisely that they themselves also become sharers in the good reputation if through their own admonition they will lead them by the hand to the path of virtue, and that, if they are negligent again, a great condemnation will be laid up for them. For it is for this reason that it is the custom to call such persons spiritual fathers, so that they may learn from the very deeds how much affection they owe to show to such persons in the teaching of spiritual things. For if it is a good thing to lead those who are in no way related to us into the zeal for virtue, how much more so ought we to fulfill the command towards him whom we receive in the place of a spiritual child. You who are sponsors have also learned that no small danger hangs over you if you are negligent. 2.17 Come now, let us also discourse to you about the mysteries themselves and about the covenants that are about to be concluded between you and the Lord. For just as in the affairs of this life, whenever someone wishes to entrust his affairs to someone, it is necessary for documents to be drawn up between the one being entrusted and the one entrusting; in the same way now, since you are about to be entrusted by the Lord of all not with perishable things nor corruptible and fleeting ones but with spiritual and heavenly ones. For this is also why it is called faith, because it has nothing that is seen but all things can be perceived by the eyes of the spirit. For it is necessary that documents be drawn up between you, not on paper nor with ink but in God through the Spirit. For the words which you utter here are inscribed in heaven and the covenants which you offer with your tongue remain indelible with the Lord. 2.18 But see again here the gesture of captivity; for the priests, bringing you in, first bid you, having bent your knees and having stretched out your hands to heaven, to pray thus and through the gesture to remind yourselves from what you are being delivered, and to whom you are about to give yourselves. Then the priest, coming to each one, demands the covenants and the professions and makes you say those fearful and awe-inspiring words: "I renounce you, Satan." 2.19 It now comes upon me to weep and groan deeply; for I have called to mind that day on which I myself was deemed worthy to utter this voice, and having considered the burden of sins which from that time until now I have collected, I am confused in my mind and I am stung in my conscience seeing how much shame I have scattered upon myself through my subsequent negligence. Therefore I also beseech all of you to show some generosity towards me, and whenever you are about to meet with the king, for he will receive you with much eagerness and will clothe you in that royal robe and will offer gifts

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ἐλευθεροῦσθαι τῆς ἐκείνου τυραννίδος καὶ ὑπὸ τὸν ζυγὸν ἔρχεσθαι τὸν χρηστόν, πρότερον διὰ τοῦ σχήματος ὑπομιμνήσκουσιν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς προτέρας καταστάσεως ἵν' εἰδέναι ἔχωσι τίνος μὲν ἀπαλλάττονται, τίνι δὲ προστρέχουσι, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸ γένηται αὐτοῖς ὑπόθεσις πλείονος εὐχαριστίας καὶ εὐγνωμοσύνης. 2.15 Βούλεσθε καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀναδεχομένους ὑμᾶς μεταγάγωμεν τὸν λόγον, ἵνα εἰδέναι ἔχωσι κἀκεῖνοι οἵων μὲν ἀξιοῦνται τῶν ἀμοιβῶν εἰ πολλὴν σπουδὴν περὶ ὑμᾶς ἐπιδείξαντο, οἵα δὲ αὐτοῖς κατάγνωσις ἕπεται ῥᾳθυμήσασιν. Ἐννόησόν μοι, ἀγαπητέ, τοὺς ἐπὶ χρήμασί τινας ἀναδεχομένους ὅπως μᾶλλον τοῦ ὑπευθύνου καὶ τὰ χρήματα δεχομένου ἐκεῖνοι πλείονα ὑφίστανται τὸν ἀγῶνα. Ἄν τε γὰρ εὐγνώμων φανῇ ὁ δανεισάμενος τῷ ἀναδεχομένῳ ἐπεκούφισε τὸ φορτίον, ἄν τε πάλιν ἀγνώμων γένηται ἐκείνῳ πλείονα τὸν κρημνὸν κατεσκεύασε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καί τις σοφὸς παραινεῖ λέγων· «Ἐὰν ἐγγυήσῃ ὡς ἀποτίσων φρόντιζε.» Εἰ τοίνυν οἱ ἐπὶ χρήμασί τινας ἀναδεχόμενοι τῷ παντὶ ὑπευθύνους ἑαυτοὺς καθιστᾶσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς καὶ εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς λόγον τινὰς ἀναδεχόμενοι πολλὴν τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι ὀφείλουσι, παραινοῦντες καὶ συμβουλεύοντες, διορθοῦντες, πατρικὴν φιλοστοργίαν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι. 2.16 Καὶ μὴ νομιζέτωσαν τὸ τυχὸν εἶναι τὸ γινόμενον ἀλλ' εἰδέτωσαν ἀκριβῶς ὅτι καὶ τῆς εὐδοκιμήσεως αὐτοὶ κοινωνοὶ γίνονται εἰ διὰ τῆς οἰκείας νουθεσίας αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁδὸν χειραγωγήσουσι καὶ ὅτι ῥᾳθυμησάντων πάλιν αὐτῶν πολλὴ αὐτοῖς κείσεται ἡ κατάγνωσις. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ πατέρας ἔθος καλεῖν τοὺς τοιούτους πνευματικούς, ἵνα δι' αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων μάθωσιν ὅσην ὀφείλουσι φιλοστοργίαν ἐν τῇ τῶν πνευματικῶν διδασκαλίᾳ περὶ τοὺς τοιούτους ἐπιδείκνυσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς οὐδαμόθεν ἡμῖν προσήκοντας ἐνάγειν εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ζῆλον καλόν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνον ὃν εἰς χώραν τέκνου πνευματικοῦ ἀναδεχόμεθα, τὴν πρόσταξιν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀποπληροῦν ὀφείλομεν. Ἐμάθετε καὶ οἱ ἀναδεχόμενοι ὡς οὐ μικρὸς ὑμῖν ἐπήρτηται κίνδυνος ῥᾳθυμήσασι. 2.17 Φέρε λοιπὸν καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν τῶν μυστηρίων ὑμῖν διαλεχθῶμεν καὶ τῶν συνθηκῶν τῶν μελλουσῶν συντελεῖσθαι μεταξὺ ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ δεσπότου. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς πράγμασιν ἐπειδὰν ἐμπιστεῦσαί τις βουληθῇ τινι τὰ αὐτοῦ πράγματα, γραμματεῖα ἀνάγκη συντελεῖσθαι μεταξὺ τοῦ ἐμπιστευομένου καὶ τοῦ ἐμπιστεύοντος· τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ νῦν, ἐπειδὴ μέλλετε πιστεύεσθαι παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ἁπάντων δεσπότου οὐκ ἐπίκηρα πράγματα οὐδὲ φθαρτὰ καὶ ἀπολλύμενα ἀλλὰ πνευματικὰ καὶ ἐπουράνια. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ πίστις λέγεται ἐπειδὴ οὐδὲν ὁρώμενον ἔχει ἀλλὰ πάντα τοῖς τοῦ πνεύματος ὀφθαλμοῖς κατοπτεύεσθαι δυνάμενα. Ἀνάγκη γὰρ γραμματεῖα συντελεσθῆναι μεταξύ, οὐκ ἐν χάρτῃ οὐδὲ διὰ μέλανος ἀλλ' ἐν Θεῷ διὰ πνεύματος. Τὰ γὰρ ῥήματα ἃ ἐνταῦθα προΐεσθε ἐγγράφεται ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰς συνθήκας ἃς διὰ τῆς γλώττης προσφέρετε ἀνεξάλειπτοι μένουσι παρὰ τῷ δεσπότῃ. 2.18 Ὅρα δὲ πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τὸ σχῆμα· εἰσάγοντες γὰρ ὑμᾶς οἱ ἱερεῖς πρότερον μὲν κελεύουσι τὰ γόνατα κλίναντας καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἀνατείναντας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν οὕτω προσεύχεσθαι καὶ διὰ τοῦ σχήματος ἑαυτοὺς ὑπομιμνήσκειν τίνος μὲν ἀπαλλάττεσθε, τίνι δὲ μέλλετε ἑαυτοὺς προσνέμειν. Εἶτα καθ' ἕκαστον ἐρχόμενος ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀπαιτεῖ τὰς συνθήκας καὶ τὰς ὁμολογίας καὶ λέγειν παρασκευάζει τὰ φοβερὰ ἐκεῖνα ῥήματα καὶ φρίκης γέμοντα· «Ἀποτάσσομαί σοι, σατανᾶ.» 2.19 ∆ακρῦσαί μοι νῦν ἔπεισι καὶ ἀνοιμῶξαι μέγα· ἐνενόησα γὰρ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην καθ' ἣν καὶ αὐτὸς κατηξιώθην ταύτην ἀφεῖναι τὴν φωνὴν καὶ λογισάμενος τὸ φορτίον τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὃ ἐξ ἐκείνου μέχρι τοῦ νῦν συνέλεξα, συγχέομαι τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ δάκνομαι τὸν λογισμὸν ὁρῶν ὅσην ἐμαυτοῦ τὴν αἰσχύνην κατεσκέδασα διὰ τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα ῥᾳθυμίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ πάντας ὑμᾶς παρακαλῶ φιλοτιμίαν τινὰ περὶ ἐμὲ ἐπιδείξασθαι καὶ ἐπειδὰν μέλλητε συντυγχάνειν τῷ βασιλεῖ, δέξεται γὰρ ὑμᾶς μετὰ πολλῆς σφοδρότητος καὶ ἐνδύσει τὴν βασιλικὴν ἐκείνην στολὴν καὶ παρέξει δωρεὰς