17

to be put to death. But if such great wrath was kindled against those who had not consented with the one who sinned, and against those who had prevented and protested against the sin, what might one say about those who know and keep quiet? Who, if they do not show the things 31.1116 spoken by the Apostle to the Corinthians, when he said: Why did you not rather mourn, so that he who has done this deed might be removed from among you? and the things following, which he testified to them, writing: For behold this very thing, that you were made sorrowful in a godly manner, what diligence it has produced in you; but what a defense, but what indignation, but what fear, but what longing, but what zeal, but what avenging! in every way you have proved yourselves to be clear in this matter; they are in danger now of all undergoing the same destruction together, or even a worse one, inasmuch as he who rejects the Lord is worse than he who rejected the law of Moses, and he who dared the same thing as the one who sinned before and was condemned before. For vengeance has been exacted sevenfold from Cain, but from Lamech seventy-sevenfold, for he sinned in a similar way.

QUESTION 48. To what extent is covetousness judged. ANSWER. When someone transgresses the boundary of the law. And this, according to the Old Testament, is to care more for oneself than for one's neighbor; for it is written: You shall love your neighbor as yourself; but according to the Gospel, to strive for something for one's own sake beyond what is necessary for the present day, like the one who heard: Fool, this night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? To which he adds more generally: So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

QUESTION 49. What is it to vaunt oneself. ANSWER. Whatever is adopted not for need but for adornment, has the accusation of vaunting.

QUESTION 50 If someone rejects more expensive clothing, but wants the simple thing itself, whether a cloak or a sandal, as it were to be becoming to him, if he sins, or what passion does he suffer from ANSWER. He who wants it to be becoming to him in order to please men, is clearly suffering from being a man-pleaser, and 31.1117 is drawn away from God, and fulfills the passion of vaunting even in simple things.

QUESTION 51. What is Raca. ANSWER. A local word of milder insult, used towards those who are more familiar.

QUESTION 52 Since the Apostle says at one time, "Let us not become vainglorious;" and at another, "Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers," who is the vainglorious, and who is the man-pleaser. ANSWER. I reckon that the vainglorious person is one who does or says something for the sake of mere glory in the world from those who see or hear; but a man-pleaser is one who acts according to the will of some person for his pleasure, even if what is done is worthy of dishonor.

QUESTION 53 What is the defilement of the flesh, and what is the defilement of the spirit; and how shall we be cleansed from them; or what is sanctification; and how shall we acquire it. ANSWER. Defilement of the flesh would be to mingle with those who themselves do forbidden things, and of the spirit, to be indifferent towards those who think or do such things. And one is cleansed, when he heeds the Apostle saying not even to eat with such a person, and things like that; or when he experiences what was said by David: Discouragement has taken hold of me because of the wicked who forsake Your law; and shows such sorrow as the Corinthians showed, when they were accused because they were indifferent toward the one who had sinned, proving themselves in every way to be clear in the matter. And sanctification is to be dedicated wholly to the holy God, and without ceasing at all times, through care and diligence for the things that are pleasing to Him. For both that which is blemished among the offerings is unacceptable, and that which once

17

θανατωθῆναι. Εἰ δὲ κατὰ τῶν μὴ συνεγνωκότων τῷ ἁμαρτήσαντι, καὶ κατὰ τῶν κωλυσάντων, καὶ διαμαρτυραμένων τὸ ἁμάρτημα, τοσαύτη ἡ ὀργὴ ἐξεκαύθη, τί ἄν τις εἴποι περὶ τῶν γινωσκόντων καὶ ἐφησυχαζόντων; Οἵτινες ἐὰν μὴ ἐπιδείξωνται τὰ 31.1116 ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου πρὸς τοὺς Κορινθίους εἰρημένα, εἰπόντος· ∆ιὰ τί οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἐπενθήσατε, ἵνα ἐξαρθῇ ἐκ μέσου ὑμῶν ὁ τὸ ἔργον τοῦτο ποιήσας; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς αὐτοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ μαρτυρηθέντα γράψαντος· Ἰδοὺ γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, τὸ κατὰ Θεὸν λυπηθῆναι, πόσην ἐν ὑμῖν κατειργάσατο σπου δήν· ἀλλὰ ἀπολογίαν, ἀλλὰ ἀγανάκτησιν, ἀλλὰ φόβον, ἀλλὰ ἐπιπόθησιν, ἀλλὰ ζῆλον, ἀλλὰ ἐκδίκησιν· ἐν παντὶ συνεστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς ἁγνοὺς εἶναι ἐν τῷ πράγματι· κινδυνεύουσι πάντως καὶ νῦν ὁμοῦ πάντες τὸν αὐτὸν ὄλεθρον ὑποστῆναι, ἢ καὶ χείρονα, ὅσῳ χείρων τοῦ ἀθετήσαντος νόμον Μωσέως ὁ ἀθετῶν τὸν Κύριον, καὶ ὁ τὸ αὐτὸ τῷ προ ημαρτηκότι καὶ προκατακριθέντι τολμήσας. Ἑπ τάκις μὲν γὰρ ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Κάϊν, ἐκ δὲ Λά μεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτὰ, τὸ ὅμοιον ἡμαρτόν τος.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΜΗʹ. Ἡ πλεονεξία μέχρι τίνος κρίνεται. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅταν ὑπερβῇ τις τοῦ νόμου τὸν ὅρον. Ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο κατὰ μὲν τὴν Παλαιὰν ∆ιαθήκην τὸ πλέον ἑαυτοῦ φροντίσαι ἢ τοῦ πλησίον· γέγραπται γάρ· Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν· κατὰ δὲ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, τὸ πλέον τῶν πρὸς τὴν ἐν εστῶσαν ἡμέραν ἀναγκαίων σπουδάσαι τι ἑαυ τοῦ ἕνεκεν, ὡς ὁ ἀκούσας· Ἄφρον, ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἀπαιτοῦσιν ἀπὸ σοῦ· ἃ δὲ ἡτοί μασας, τίνι ἔσται; Οἷς ἐπιφέρει καθολικώτερον· Οὕτως ὁ θησαυρίζων ἑαυτῷ, καὶ μὴ εἰς Θεὸν πλουτῶν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΜΘʹ. Τί ἐστι τὸ περπερεύεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πᾶν ὃ μὴ διὰ χρείαν, ἀλλὰ διὰ καλλωπισμὸν πα ραλαμβάνεται, περπερείας ἔχει κατηγορίαν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Νʹ Ἐάν τις τὰ μὲν πολυτελέστερα τῆς ἐσθῆτος ἀπωθῆται, αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ εὐτελὲς, εἴτε ἱμάτιον εἴτε ὑπόδημα οἱονεὶ θέλῃ ἵνα πρέπῃ αὐτῷ, εἰ ἁμαρτάνει, ἢ ποῖον πάθος νοσεῖ ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ θέλων ἵνα πρέπῃ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσαι, φανερός ἐστιν ἀνθρωπαρέσκειαν νοσῶν, καὶ 31.1117 μετεωριζόμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ πάθος τῆς περπερείας καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς εὐτελέσι πληροφορῶν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΑʹ. Τί ἐστι Ῥακά. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐπιχώριον ῥῆμα ἠπιωτέρας ὕβρεως, πρὸς τοὺς οἰκειοτέρους λαμβανόμενον.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΒʹ Τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος ποτὲ μὲν, «Μὴ γινώ μεθα κενόδοξοι·» ποτὲ δὲ, «Μὴ ἐν ὀφθαλ μοδουλείᾳ ὡς ἀνθρωπάρεσκοι,» τίς ὁ κενόδοξος, καὶ τίς ὁ ἀνθρωπάρεσκος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Λογίζομαι, ὅτι κενόδοξος μέν ἐστιν ὁ, ψιλῆς ἕνε κεν τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ δόξης, τῆς παρὰ τῶν ὁρώντων ἢ ἀκουόντων, ποιῶν τι ἢ λέγων· ἀνθρωπάρεσκος δὲ ὁ πρὸς τὸ θέλημά τινος ἀνθρώπου εἰς ἀρέσκειαν αὐ τοῦ ποιῶν, κἂν ἀτιμίας ἄξιον ᾖ τὸ γινόμενον.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΓʹ Τίς ἐστιν ὁ μολυσμὸς τῆς σαρκὸς, καὶ τίς ὁ μολυσμὸς τοῦ πνεύματος· καὶ πῶς αὐτῶν καθαρεύσομεν· ἢ τίς ὁ ἁγιασμός· καὶ πῶς αὐτὸν κτησόμεθα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Μολυσμὸς ἂν εἴη σαρκὸς μὲν τὸ ἀναμίγνυσθαι τοῖς αὐτουργοῦσι τὰ ἀπηγορευμένα, πνεύματος δὲ τὸ ἀδιαφορεῖν πρὸς τοὺς φρονοῦντας ἢ ποιοῦντας τὰ τοιαῦτα. Καθαρεύει δέ τις, ὅταν ἀνάσχηται τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰπόντος τῷ τοιούτῳ μηδὲ συνεσθίειν, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα· ἢ ὅταν πάθῃ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αβίδ· Ἀθυμία κατέσχε με ἀπὸ ἁμαρτωλῶν τῶν ἐγκαταλιμπανόντων τὸν νόμον σου· καὶ λύπην τοιαύτην ἐνδείξηται, οἵαν ἐπεδείξαντο οἱ Κορίν θιοι, ὁπότε ἐνεκλήθησαν, ὅτι πρὸς τὸν ἁμαρτήσαν τα ἀδιαφόρως διετέθησαν, ἐν παντὶ συστήσαντες ἑαυτοὺς ἁγνοὺς εἶναι ἐν τῷ πράγματι. Ἁγιασμὸς δέ ἐστι τὸ ἀνακεῖσθαι τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ ἐξ ὁλοκλήρου, καὶ ἀδιαστάτως ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, διὰ φροντίδος καὶ σπουδῆς τῶν αὐτῷ ἀρεσκόντων. Τό τε γὰρ λελω βημένον ἐν τοῖς ἀναθήμασιν ἀπρόσδεκτον, καὶ τὸ ἅπαξ