13

the Apostle taught, saying: Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth; but if any is good for the building up of faith, that it may give grace to the hearers; and adding this: And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed. But to grieve the Holy Spirit of God, what need is there even to say how evil it is?

QUESTION 24. What is reviling? RESPONSE. Every word spoken from a disposition to dishonor is reviling, even if the word itself does not seem to be insulting. And this is clear from the Gospel which says concerning the Jews, that They reviled him, and said to him, You are that man’s disciple.

QUESTION 25. What is slander? RESPONSE. I consider there to be two occasions on which it is permitted to say something bad about someone: when one has need to take counsel with others approved for this purpose as to how the sinner may be corrected; and again, when there is need to safeguard some who through ignorance might often associate with evil as if it were good, the Apostle commanding not to associate with such people, lest one receive snares for his own soul. This we find the same Apostle to have done in what he writes to Timothy, that Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil, whom you also should avoid; for he greatly opposed our words. But apart from such necessity, he who says anything against someone, in order to slander or disparage him, is a slanderer, even if what is said is true. 31.1101

QUESTION 26. He who slanders a brother, or hears a slanderer and tolerates it, of what is he worthy? RESPONSE. Of excommunication, both of them. For him that secretly slanders his neighbor, him did I cut off. And elsewhere it is said: Do not gladly listen to a slanderer, lest you be rooted out.

QUESTION 27. But if one should slander the superior, how shall we treat him? RESPONSE. This judgment is clear from the wrath of God upon Miriam, when she spoke against Moses, whose sin God did not leave unpunished, not even when Moses himself prayed for her.

QUESTION 28. If someone should answer another with a rather bold voice and insolent words, and when reminded says, "I have nothing evil in my heart," ought one to believe him? RESPONSE. Not all the passions of the soul are manifest to all, nor even to the one suffering them, just as those of the body are not. Therefore, just as with the body, knowledgeable men have certain signs of hidden ailments that escape the perception of the one suffering; so also with the soul, even if the sinner does not perceive his own passion, one must believe the Lord, who assured both him and those with him, that the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil things. For the evil man often even feigns a good word or deed; but for the good man to feign something evil is impossible. For, he says, providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

QUESTION 29. In what way may one be able not to get angry? RESPONSE. If one always considers God to be his overseer, and beholds the Lord as present. For what subordinate ever dares to do anything that displeases his ruler, before his very eyes? And if one does not expect obedience from others, but prepares himself for obedience, considering all to be superior to himself. For if he seeks obedience for his own need, let him know that the word of the Lord 31.1104 teaches each one to serve others; but if he is avenging disobedience to the Lord's commandment, there is no need of anger, but of pity and sympathy according to him who said: Who is weak, and I am not weak?

13

ἐδίδαξεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, εἰπών· Πᾶς λόγος σαπρὸς ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν μὴ ἐκπορευέσθω· ἀλλ' εἴ τις ἀγαθὸς πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς πίστεως, ἵνα δῷ χάριν τοῖς ἀκούουσι· καὶ τοῦτο ἐπαγαγών· Καὶ μὴ λυπῆτε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἐσφραγίσθητε. Τὸ δὲ λυπῆσαι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅσον ἐστὶ κακὸν, τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν;

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Κ∆ʹ. Τί ἐστι λοιδορία. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πᾶν ῥῆμα ἐκ διαθέσεως τοῦ ἀτιμᾶσαι λεγόμενον λοιδορία ἐστὶ, κἂν αὐτὸ τὸ ῥῆμα μὴ δόξῃ εἶναι ὑβρι στικόν. Καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐκ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου λέγοντος περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι Ἐλοιδόρησαν αὐτὸν, καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ Σὺ εἶ μαθητὴς ἐκείνου.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΕʹ. Τί ἐστι καταλαλιά. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. ∆ύο καιροὺς εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι, καθ' οὓς ἔξεστιν εἰπεῖν τι περί τινος φαῦλον· ὅτε ἀνάγκην ἔχει τις βουλεύσασθαι μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων τῶν εἰς τοῦτο δεδο κιμασμένων πῶς διορθωθῇ ὁ ἡμαρτηκώς· καὶ πάλιν ὅταν χρεία γένηται ἀσφαλίσασθαί τινας τοὺς ἐξ ἀγνοίας δυναμένους πολλάκις συναναμιγῆναι τῷ κακῷ ὡς καλῷ, τοῦ Ἀποστόλου παραγγέλλοντος, μὴ συναναμίγνυσθαι τοῖς τοιούτοις, μή ποτε λάβῃ τις βρόχους τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῇ. Ὅπερ εὑρίσκομεν τὸν αὐτὸν Ἀπόστολον πεποιηκότα δι' ὧν γράφει Τιμοθέῳ, ὅτι Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς πολλά μοι κακὰ ἐνεδεί ξατο, ὃν καὶ σὺ φυλάσσου· λίαν γὰρ ἀνθέστηκε τοῖς ἡμετέροις λόγοις. Ἐκτὸς δὲ τῆς τοιαύτης ἀνάγκης ὁ λέγων τι κατά τινος, ἵνα αὐτὸ τοῦτο δια βάλῃ, ἢ διασύρῃ, κατάλαλός ἐστι, κἂν ἀληθὲς ᾖ τὸ λεγόμενον. 31.1101

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Κʹ. Ὁ καταλαλῶν ἀδελφοῦ, ἢ ἀκούων καταλαλοῦν τος καὶ ἀνεχόμενος, τίνος, ἐστὶν ἄξιος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἀφορισμοῦ καὶ ἀμφότεροι. Τὸν γὰρ καταλα λοῦντα λάθρα τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, τοῦτον ἐξ εδίωκον. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ εἴρηται· Μὴ ἡδέως ἄκουε καταλαλοῦντος, ἵνα μὴ ἐξαρθῇς.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΖʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ τοῦ προεστῶτος καταλαλήσῃ, πῶς αὐτῷ προσέξομεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Φανερὸν τοῦτο τὸ κρῖμα ἐκ τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῆς ἐπὶ Μαριὰμ, ἡνίκα κατελάλησε Μωϋσέως, ἧς τὸ ἁμάρτημα, οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ Μωϋσέως δεομένου, ἀνεκδίκητον ἀφῆκεν ὁ Θεός.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΗʹ. Ἐάν τις θρασυτέρᾳ φωνῇ καὶ ῥήμασι θρασέσιν ἀποκρίνηταί τινι, καὶ ὑπομνησθεὶς λέγῃ, ὅτι οὐδὲν πονηρὸν ἔχω ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, εἰ δεῖ αὐτῷ πιστεῦσαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Οὐ πάντα τὰ πάθη τῆς ψυχῆς φανερά ἐστι τοῖς πᾶσιν, οὔτε αὐτῷ τῷ πάσχοντι, ὡς οὐδὲ τὰ τοῦ σώ ματος. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος οἱ ἐπιστήμονες σημεῖα ἔχουσί τινα τῶν κεκρυμμένων παθῶν, καὶ φευγόντων τὴν αἴσθησιν τοῦ πάσχοντος· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς, κἂν μὴ αἰσθάνηται τοῦ ἰδίου πά θους ὁ ἁμαρτάνων, πιστεύειν δεῖ τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοῦ διαβεβαιωσαμένῳ, ὅτι ὁ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ προφέρει τὰ πονηρά. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ κακὸς ἀγαθόν τι ῥῆμα ἢ πρᾶγμα πολλάκις καὶ σχη ματίζεται· τὸν δὲ ἀγαθὸν σχηματίσασθαί τι κακὸν ἀμήχανον. Προνοούμενοι γὰρ καλὰ, φησὶν, οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΘʹ. Ποίῳ τρόπῳ δυνηθῇ τις μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐὰν Θεὸν ἐπόπτην, καὶ τὸν Κύριον παρόντα ἐν οπτρίζεσθαι ἡγῆται ἀεί. Τίς γὰρ ὑπήκοος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἄρχοντός ποτε κατατολμᾷ τινος τῶν μὴ ἀρεσκόν των αὐτῷ; Καὶ ἐὰν μὴ ἐκδέχηται τὴν παρ' ἑτέρων ὑπακοὴν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς πρὸς ὑπακοὴν πα ρασκευάζηται, πάντας ἡγούμενος ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυ τοῦ. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χρείαν τὴν ὑπ ακοὴν ἐπιζητεῖ, γινωσκέτω, ὅτι ὁ λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου 31.1104 αὐτὸν ἕκαστον τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπηρετεῖν διδάσκει· εἰ δὲ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἐντολῆς παρακοὴν ἐκδικεῖ, οὐκ ὀργῆς χρεία, ἀλλ' οἴκτου καὶ συμπαθείας κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· Τίς ἀσθενεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ἀσθενῶ;