[How the Governed are to Obey the Bishops Who are Set Over Them.]

XX. As to a good shepherd, let the lay person honour him, love him, reverence him as his lord, as his master, as the high priest of God, as a teacher of piety. For he that heareth him, heareth Christ; and he that rejecteth him, rejecteth Christ; and he who does not receive Christ, does not receive His God and Father: for, says He, “He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that rejecteth you, rejecteth me; and he that rejecteth me, rejecteth Him that sent me.”  107  Luke x. 16. In like manner, let the bishop love the laity as his children, fostering and cherishing them with affectionate diligence; as eggs, in order to the hatching of young ones; or as young ones, taking them in his arms, to the rearing them into birds: admonishing all men; reproving all who stand in need of reproof; reproving, that is, but not striking; beating them down to make them ashamed, but not overthrowing them; warning them in order to their conversion: chiding them in order to their reformation and better course of life; watching the strong, that is, keeping him firm in the faith who is already strong; feeding the people peaceably; strengthening the weak, that is, confirming with exhortation that which is tempted; healing that which is sick, that is, curing by instruction that which is weak in the faith through doubtfulness of mind; binding up that which is broken, that is, binding up by comfortable admonitions that which is gone astray, or wounded, bruised, or broken by their sins, and put out of the way; leasing it of its offences, and giving hope: by this means restore it in strength to the Church, bringing it back into the flock. Bring again that which is driven away, that is, do not permit that which is in its sins, and is cast out by way of punishment, to continue excluded; but receiving it, and bringing it back, restore it to the flock, that is, to the people of the undefiled Church. Seek for that which is lost, that is, do not suffer that which desponds of its salvation, by reason of the multitude of its offences, utterly to perish. Do thou search for that which is grown sleepy, drowsy, and sluggish, and that which is unmindful of its own life, through the depth of its sleep, and which is at a great distance from its own flock, so as to be in danger of falling among the wolves, and being devoured by them. Bring it back by admonition, exhort it to be watchful; and insinuate hope, not permitting it to say that which was said by some: “Our impieties are upon us, and we pine away in them; how shall we then live?”  108  Ezek. xxxiii . 10. As far as possible, therefore, let the bishop make the offence his own, and say to the sinner, Do thou but return, and I will undertake to suffer death for thee, as our Lord suffered death for me, and for all men. For “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep; but he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, that is, the devil, and he leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf seizes upon them.”  109  John x. 11, 12. We must know, therefore, that God is very merciful to those who have offended, and hath promised repentance with an oath. But he who has offended, and is unacquainted with this promise of God concerning repentance, and does not understand His long-suffering and forbearance, and besides is ignorant of the Holy Scriptures, which proclaim repentance, inasmuch as he has never learned them from you, perishes through his folly. But do thou, like a compassionate shepherd, and a diligent feeder of the flock, search out, and keep an account of thy flock. Seek that which is wanting;  110  Matt. xviii. 12. as the Lord God our gracious Father has sent His own Son, the good Shepherd and Saviour, our Master Jesus, and has commanded Him to “leave the ninety-nine upon the mountains, and to go in search after that which was lost, and when He had found it, to take it upon His shoulders, and to carry it into the flock, rejoicing that He had found that which was lost.”  111  Luke xv. 4, etc. In like manner, be obedient, O bishop, and do thou seek that which was lost, guide that which has wandered out of the right way, bring back that which is gone astray: for thou hast authority to bring them back, and to deliver those that are broken-hearted by remission. For by thee does our Saviour say to him who is discouraged under the sense of his sins, “Thy sins are forgiven thee: thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”  112  Luke v. 20; Matt. ix. 2; Mark v. 34. But this peace and haven of tranquillity is the Church of Christ, into which do thou, when thou hast loosed them from their sins, restore them, as being now sound and unblameable, of good hope, diligent, laborious in good works. As a skilful and compassionate physician, heal all such as have wandered in the ways of sin; for “they that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For the Son of man came to save and to seek that which was lost.”  113  Matt. ix. 12; Luke xix. 10. Since thou art therefore a physician of the Lord’s Church, provide remedies suitable to every patient’s case. Cure them, heal them by all means possible; restore them sound to the Church. Feed the flock, “not with insolence and contempt, as lording it over them,”  114  Ezek. xxxiv. 4. but as a gentle shepherd, “gathering the lambs into thy bosom, and gently leading those which are with young.”  115  Matt. xx. 25; Isa. xl. 11.

[20] Τὸν μέντοι ποιμένα τὸν ἀγαθὸν ὁ λαϊκὸς τιμάτω, ἀγαπάτω, φοβείσθω ὡς πατέρα, ὡς κύριον, ὡς δεσπότην, ὡς ἀρχιερέα Θεοῦ, ὡς διδάσκαλον εὐσεβείας: ὁ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἀκούων Χριστοῦ ἀκούει, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸν ἀθετῶν Χριστὸν ἀθετεῖ, καὶ ὁ τὸν Χριστὸν μὴ δεχόμενος οὐ δέχεται τὸν αὐτοῦ Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα. «Ὁ ὑμῶν γάρ, φησίν, ἀκούων ἐμοῦ ἀκούει, καὶ ὁ ὑμᾶς ἀθετῶν ἐμὲ ἀθετεῖ, καὶ ὁ ἐμὲ ἀθετῶν ἀθετεῖ τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με.» Ὁμοίως ὁ ἐπίσκοπος τοὺς λαϊκοὺς ὡς τέκνα ἀγαπάτω, θέλγων καὶ θερμαίνων τῇ σπουδῇ τῆς ἀγάπης ὡς ὠὰ εἰς περιποίησιν νοσσίων ἢ ὡς νοσσία ἀγκαλιζόμενος εἰς περιποίησιν ὀρνίθων, πάντας νουθετῶν, πᾶσι τοῖς πληκτισμοῦ δεομένοις ἐπιπλήσσων, ἀλλὰ μὴ πλήσσων, ὑποπιέζων εἰς ἐντροπήν, ἀλλὰ μὴ εἰς ἀνατροπήν, νουθετῶν εἰς ἐπιστροφήν, ἐπιτιμῶν εἰς διόρθωσιν καὶ εὐθύτητα πορείας. Τὸ ἰσχυρὸν φυλάσσων, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ ἑδραῖον τῇ πίστει ἀσφαλὲς τηρῶν, τὸν λαὸν εἰρηνικῶς ποιμαίνων: τὸ ἐνοχλούμενον ἐνισχύων, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ πειραζόμενον τῇ νουθεσίᾳ στερροποιῶν: τὸ ἀρρωστοῦν ἰώμενος, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ νοσοῦν ἐκ τῆς πίστεως ἐν διχονοίᾳ διὰ τῆς διδασκαλίας θεραπεύων. Τὸ συντετριμμένον καταδεσμῶν, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ πεπλανημένον ἢ τὸ τεθραυσμένον ἢ τὸ κατεαγμένον ἐν ἁμαρτίαις εἰς χωλείαν ὁδοῦ ἐπιδεσμῶν διὰ παρακλητικῆς νουθεσίας, ἐλαφρύνων ἀπὸ παραπτωμάτων καὶ εὔελπιν ποιῶν, οὕτως ῥωμαλέον ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀποκαθίστα, ἐπανάγων ἐν τῇ ποίμνῃ: τὸ ἐξωσμένον ἐπίστρεφε, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις γενόμενον καὶ εἰς ἐπιτίμησιν ἐκβεβλημένον μὴ ἐῶν ἔξω διαμένειν, ἀλλὰ προσλαμβανόμενος καὶ ἐπιστρέφων ἀποκαθίστα ἐν τῇ ποίμνῃ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐν τῷ λαῷ τῆς ἀμώμου Ἐκκλησίας, Τὸ ἀπολωλὸς ἐκζήτει, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ ὑπὸ πλήθους παραπτωμάτων ἑαυτοῦ ἀπελπίσαν τῆς σωτηρίας μὴ ἐάσῃς τελέως ἀπολέσθαι, τὸ ὑπὸ πολλῆς ψύξεως καὶ νωχελίας κάθυπνον γενόμενον καὶ διὰ βαρέος ὕπνου τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ζωῆς ἐπιλαθόμενον καὶ μακρὰν ἀποστατῆσαν τῆς ἰδίας ποίμνης, ὡς καὶ λύκοις περιπεσεῖν εἰς βοράν, ἀναζήτει καὶ νουθετῶν ἐπίστρεφε καὶ νήφειν παρακάλει καὶ ἐλπίδα ὑπόσπειρε, μὴ συγχωρῶν αὐτῷ λέγειν τὸ ὑπό τινων εἰρημένον, ὅτι: «Τὰ ἀσεβήματα ἡμῶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν αὐτοῖς τηκόμεθα, καὶ πῶς ζησόμεθα;» Εἰ οἷόν τε οὖν, ἰδιοποιείσθω ὁ ἐπίσκοπος τὸ πλημμέλημα, καὶ λεγέτω τῷ ἡμαρτηκότι, ὅτι σὺ μόνον ἐπίστρεψον, κἀγὼ τὸν ὑπὲρ σοῦ θάνατον ἀναδέξομαι, ὡς ὁ Κύριος τὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ καὶ πάντων. Ὁ ποιμὴν γὰρ ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων, ὁ δὲ μισθωτὸς καὶ οὐκ ὢν ποιμήν, οὗ οὐκ ἔστι τὰ πρόβατα ἴδια, θεωρεῖ τὸν λύκον ἐρχόμενον, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸν διάβολον, καὶ ἀφίησιν τὰ πρόβατα καὶ φεύγει, καὶ ὁ λύκος ἁρπάζει αὐτά. Εἰδέναι οὖν προσήκει, ὅτι τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν εὔσπλαγχνος ὢν ὁ Θεὸς μετὰ ὅρκου μετάνοιαν ἐπηγγείλατο: ὁ δὲ ἁμαρτήσας καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν περὶ μετανοίας ἀγνοῶν καὶ τὸ μακρόθυμον καὶ ἀνεξίκακον αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐπιστάμενος, ἔτι μὴν καὶ τὰς ἁγίας γραφὰς τὰς ταύτην κηρυσσούσας οὐ γινώσκων, ἅτε μὴ μεμαθηκὼς παρὰ σοῦ, ὑπὸ ἀνοίας ἀπόλλυται. Σὺ δὲ ὡς φιλόστοργος ποιμὴν καὶ ὡς σπουδαῖος νομεὺς ἀναζήτει ἀριθμῶν τὴν ποίμνην, τὸ λεῖπον ἐκζήτει, ὡς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἀγαθὸς Πατὴρ ἡμῶν, ἀποστείλας τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Υἱὸν ποιμένα καλὸν καὶ σωτῆρα τὸν διδάσκαλον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, ἐπιτρέψας αὐτῷ ἐάσαι τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη, καὶ πορευθῆναι ἐπὶ τὴν ζήτησιν τοῦ πεπλανημένου, καὶ εὑρόντα ἆραι ἐπὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ ὤμους καὶ φέρειν ἐπὶ τὴν ποίμνην, χαίροντα ἐπὶ τῇ εὑρέσει τοῦ ἀπολωλότος. Οὕτως οὖν ὑπήκοος γίνου καὶ σύ, ὦ ἐπίσκοπε, ἐκζητῶν τὸ ἀπολωλός, κατευθύνων τὸ πεπλανημένον, ἐπιστρέφων τὸ ἀφεστός: ἐξουσίαν γὰρ ἔχεις ἐπιστρέφειν καὶ ἀποστέλλειν τεθραυσμένους ἐν ἀφέσει. Διὰ σοῦ ὁ σωτὴρ λέγει τῷ παρειμένῳ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις: «Ἀφέονταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε, πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην.» Εἰρήνη δὲ γαληνός ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησία, εἰς ἣν λύων τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας ἀποκαθίστα ὑγιεῖς καὶ ἀμώμους, εὐέλπιδας, σπουδαίους, ἐργοπόνους ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις: ὡς ἔμπειρος καὶ συμπαθὴς ἰατρὸς πάντας ἰῶ τοὺς ἐν ἁμαρτίαις πεπληγμένους. Οὐ γὰρ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλ' οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες: ἦλθεν γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ πεπλανημένον. Ἰατρὸς οὖν ὢν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Κυρίου, προσάγε θεραπείαν κατάλληλον ἑκάστῳ τῶν νοσούντων, παντὶ τρόπῳ θεράπευε, ὑγίαζε, σώους ἀποκαθίστα τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ποίμαινε τὸ ποίμνιον μὴ ἐν κράτει μετὰ ἐμπαιγμοῦ ὡς κατεξουσιάζων, ἀλλ' ὡς ποιμὴν χρηστὸς τῷ κόλπῳ συνάγων τὰ ἀρνία καὶ τὰς ἐν γαστρὶ ἐχούσας παρακαλῶν.