XVIII. AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN OUR DEBTORS

And forgive us our Debts as we also have forgiven our Debtors, or as Luke has it, And forgive us our Sins, for we also ourselves forgive everyone in Debt to us. Concerning debts the Apostle also says: Pay your debts to all—to whom you owe tribute, tribute, to whom fear, fear, to whom taxes, taxes, to whom honor, honor: owe no man anything save mutual love.

We owe therefore in having certain duties not only in giving but also in kind speech and corresponding actions, and indeed we owe a certain disposition towards one another. Owing these things, we either pay them through discharging the commands of the divine law, or failing to pay them, in contempt of the salutary word, we remain in debt. The like reflection applies to debts toward brothers, to those who in the religious sense have been born again with us in Christ, as well as to those who have a common mother or father with us.

We also have a certain debt toward fellow citizens, and another toward all men in common, in particular toward guests and toward men at the age of fatherhood, and another toward such as it is right that we should honor as sons or as brothers. He, therefore, who does not do what is a debt to be discharged to brothers remains a debtor for what he has not done. So, too, should we fail in what falls, at the prompting of the charitable spirit of wisdom, to human beings also at our hands, our indebtedness becomes the greater. Indeed, we also have debt in personal concerns—to use the body in a certain way, so as not to wear out the flesh of the body through love of pleasure, and on the other hand to treat the soul with a certain care, and to take forethought for the keenness of the mind, and for our speech that it be without sting and helpful and not trifling. Whenever we fail to perform what we owe, even to ourselves, the heavier does our debt become.

Besides all these, being above all a creation and formation of God, we owe it to preserve a certain disposition towards Him with love that is from a whole heart and from a whole strength and from a whole mind, and if we fail to achieve this we remain God's debtors, sinning against the Lord. And who in that case shall pray for us? For if a man sinning sin against a man, then shall they pray for him: but if he sin against the Lord, who shall pray for him? as Eli says in the first book of Kings.

Moreover, we are debtors to Christ who bought us with His own blood, just as every house slave is also debtor to his purchaser for the sum of money given for him. We have also a certain indebtedness to the Holy Spirit: we are paying it when we do not grieve Him in whom we were sealed unto a day of redemption, and when, without grieving Him, we bear the fruits demanded of us, He being present with us and quickening our soul.

And even though we do not know precisely which is our individual angel that looks upon the face of the Father in heaven, it is at least manifest to each of us upon reflection that we are debtors to him also for certain things. And inasmuch as we are in a world theater both of angels and of men, one must know that as the performer in a theater owes it to say or do certain things in sight of the spectators, and if he fails to perform this is punished as having insulted the whole theater, so we, too, owe to the whole world, to all the angels and the race of men alike, those things which, if we have the will, we shall learn of wisdom.

Apart from those more general debts, there is a certain indebtedness to a widow who is being provided for by the church, a second to a deacon, another to an elder, while that to a bishop is heaviest of all—being demanded by the Savior of the whole church and avenged if not paid. As already said, the Apostle mentions a certain common debt between husband and wife, when he says: Let the husband pay his indebtedness to the wife and wife likewise to the husband, and continues Deprive not one another.

But what need is there, when readers of this writing select their own examples from the record, for me to speak of all the things we owe which we either fail to pay and so come to be restrained or else pay and come to be free? Suffice it to say that it is impossible while in this life to be without debt at any hour of night or day. In owing, a man either pays or else withholds the indebtedness. He may either pay or withhold in this life. Some indeed owe no man anything; others pay off most and owe little; others pay little and owe more; and a man may conceivably pay nothing and owe everything.

And besides, he who pays all so as to owe nothing may at sometimes effect his object if he prays for forgiveness for previous indebtedness, inasmuch as such forgiveness may reasonably be thought obtainable by one who has for sometime made it his ambition to reach the position of having no obligation unpaid and thus owing nothing. Our very activities in transgression leave their impression within our mind and become the indictment against us on which we shall be brought to trial when, as it were, the books that have been indicted by us all shall be brought forth, in the time when we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ that each may receive what he has earned through the body according to his conduct whether good or bad.

It is also in reference to such indebtedness that it is said in the Proverbs: Give not yourself in certainty to your shame, for if the man shall not have ability to pay, they shall take your bed that is under you. But if we owe to so many, it is certain that men owe to us also. Some owe to us as to human beings, others as to fellow citizens, others as to fathers, some as to sons, yet others as wives to husbands or as friends to friends. Whenever, accordingly, any of our very numerous debtors have behaved too remiss in the matter of payment of there dues to us, our more charitable course will be to bear them no grudge and to remember our own indebtedness and how often we have failed to discharge them not only towards men but also towards God himself.

Remembering what as debtors we have not paid but withheld during the time which it was our duty to have done this or that for our neighbor had run by, we shall be gentler toward those who have fallen in debt to us in turn and have not paid their indebtedness, especially if we do not forget our transgressions against the Divine and the unrighteousness we have spoken against the Height either in ignorance of the truth or else in displeasure at the misfortunes that have befallen us.

But if we refuse to become gentler towards those who have fallen in debt to us, our experience will be that of him who did not remit the hundred shillings to his fellow servant and of whom, according to the parable set down in the gospel, though already pardoned, the master exacts in severity what had already been remitted, saying to him: Wicked servant and slothful, was it not right for you to pity your fellow servant as I also pitied you? Cast him into prison until he pay all that is owed. And the Lord continues: So shall the heavenly Father do to you also if you forgive not each his brother from your hearts.

It is however on profession of penitence that we are to forgive those who have sinned against us, even though our debtor often does so; for He says: If your brother sin against you seven times a day and seven times turn and say, "I repent," you shall forgive him. It is not we who are harsh towards the impenitent, but they who are wicked to themselves, for he that spurns instruction hates himself. Yet even in such cases we should seek in every way that healing arise within him who is so completely perverted as not even to be conscious of his own ills but to be drunken with a drunkenness more fatal than from wine, from the darkening of evil.

When Luke says Forgive us our Sins he means the same as Matthew, since sins are constituted when we owe and do not pay, though he does not appear to lend support to him who would forgive only penitent debtors when he says that it is enacted by the Savior that we ought in prayer to add: for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And it would seem that we have all authority to forgive the sins that have been committed against us as is clear from both clauses: as we also have forgiven our debtors; and for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. But it is when a man is inspired by Jesus as were the apostles, when he can be known from his fruits to have received the Spirit that is Holy and to have become spiritual through being led by the Spirit after the manner of a Son of God unto every reasonable duty, that he forgives whatsoever God has forgiven and holds those sins that are irremediable, and as the prophets served God in speaking not their own message but that of the divine Will, so he too serves the God who alone has authority to forgive.

In the Gospel according to John the language referring to the forgiveness exercised by the apostles runs thus: Receive the Holy Spirit: whosoever's sins you forgive, they are forgiven unto them: whosoever's you hold, they are held. Anyone taking these words without discrimination might blame the apostles for not forgiving all men in order that all might be forgiven but holding the sins of some so that they are held with God also on their account.

It is helpful to take an example from the Law with a view to understand God's forgiveness of sins through men. Legal priests are prohibited from offering sacrifice for certain sins in order that the persons for whom the sacrifices are made may have their misdeeds forgiven; and though the priest has authority to make offerings for certain involuntary or willful misdeeds, he of course does not presume to offer a sacrifice for sin in cases of adultery or willful murder or any other more serious offence.

So, too, the apostles, and those who have become like apostles, being priests according to the Great High Priest and having received knowledge of the service of God, know under the Spirit's teaching for which sins, and when, and how they ought to offer sacrifices, and recognize for which they ought not to do so. Thus Eli the priest, knowing that his sons Hophni and Phineahas are sinners, with a sense of his inability to cooperate with them for forgiveness of sins, confesses his despair of such a result in his words:

If a man sins against a man, then shall they pray for him, but if he sin against the Lord, who shall pray for him? I know not how it is, but there are some who have taken upon themselves what is beyond priestly dignity, perhaps through utter lack of accurate priestly knowledge, and are proud of their ability to pardon even acts of idolatry and to forgive acts of adultery and fornication, claiming that even sin unto death is absolved through their prayer for those who have dared to commit such.

They do not read the words: There is sin unto death; not for it do I say that a man should ask. Nor should we omit to mention the resolute Job's offering of sacrifice for his sons, with the words: Perhaps my sons have had evil thoughts in their minds toward God. Though the sinful thoughts are doubtful and at worst have not reached the lips, he offers his sacrifice for them.

[28] „–Καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν–,” ἢ ὡς ὁ Λουκᾶς: ”–καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἀφήκαμεν παντὶ ὀφείλοντι ἡμῖν–.„ περὶ τῶν –ὀφειλημάτων– καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγει: „ἀπόδοτε πᾶσι τὰς ὀφειλὰς, τῷ τὸν φόρον τὸν φόρον, τῷ τὸν φόβον τὸν φόβον, τῷ τὸ τέλος τὸ τέλος, τῷ τὴν τιμὴν τὴν τιμήν: μηδενὶ μηδὲν –ὀφείλετε– εἰ μὴ τὸ ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.” –ὀφείλομεν– τοιγαροῦν ἔχοντές τινα καθήκοντα οὐ μόνον ἐν τῇ δόσει ἀλλὰ καὶ λόγῳ προσηνεῖ καὶ τοῖσδέ τισι τοῖς ἔργοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ διάθεσίν τινα τοιάνδε –ὀφείλομεν– ἔχειν πρὸς αὐτούς. ταῦτα δὴ –ὀφείλοντες– ἤτοι ἀποδίδομεν διὰ τοῦ ἐπιτελεῖν τὰ προστασσόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου νόμου, ἢ τῷ καταφρονεῖν τοῦ ὑγιοῦς λόγου μὴ ἀποδιδόντες μένομεν ἐν τῷ –ὀφείλειν–. τὸ παραπλήσιον δὲ νοητέον ἐν τοῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς –ὀφειλήμασι–, τούς τε κατὰ τὸν τῆς θεοσεβείας λόγον ἐν Χριστῷ ἡμῖν συναναγεγεννημένους καὶ τοὺς ὁμομητρίους ἢ ὁμοπατρίους ἡμῖν. ἔστι τις καὶ πρὸς πολίτας ὀφειλὴ καὶ ἄλλη κοινὴ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους, ἰδίᾳ μὲν ξένους ἰδίᾳ δὲ καὶ ἡλικίαν πατέρων ἔχοντας, καὶ ἄλλη πρός τινας, οὓς εὔλογον ὡς υἱοὺς ἢ ὡς ἀδελφοὺς τιμᾶν. ὁ οὖν τὰ –ὀφειλόμενα– ἀδελφοῖς ἐπιτελεῖσθαι μὴ ποιῶν μένει –ὀφειλέτης– ὧν μὴ πεποίηκεν. οὕτως δὲ, εἰ καὶ ἀνθρώποις ἀπὸ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου τῆς σοφίας πνεύματος ἐπιβαλλόντων τινῶν ἀφ' ἡμῶν ἐλλείποιμεν, πλείων γίνεται ἡ ὀφειλή. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς εἰς ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς –ὀφείλομεν– τῷ μὲν σώματι οὑτωσὶ χρῆσθαι, οὐχὶ εἰς τὸ κατατρίβειν σάρκας σώματος διὰ τῆς φιληδονίας: –ὀφείλομεν– δὲ καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ τήνδε τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν προσάγειν καὶ τοῦ νοῦ τῆς ὀξύτητος πρόνοιαν ποιεῖσθαι τοῦ τε λόγου, ἵν' ἄκεντρος καὶ ὠφέλιμος ᾖ καὶ μηδαμῶς ἀργός. ἐπὰν δὴ καὶ τὰ εἰς ἡμᾶς ὑφ' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν –ὀφειλόμενα– μὴ πράττωμεν, βαρύτερον ἡμῖν τὸ ὄφλημα γίνεται. καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσι τὸ ὑπὲρ πάντα ”ποίημα„ καὶ πλάσμα ὄντες τοῦ θεοῦ –ὀφείλομέν– τινα διάθεσιν σῴζειν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἀγάπην τὴν „ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας” ”καὶ ἐξ ὅλης ἰσχύος„ „καὶ ἐξ ὅλης διανοίας”: ἅτινα ἐὰν μὴ κατορθώσωμεν, –ὀφειλέται– μένομεν θεοῦ, ἁμαρτάνοντες εἰς κύριον. καὶ τίς ἐπὶ τούτοις εὔξεται περὶ ἡμῶν; ”ἐὰν„ γὰρ „ἁμαρτάνων ἁμάρτῃ ἀνὴρ εἰς ἄνδρα, καὶ προσεύξονται περὶ αὐτοῦ: ἐὰν –δὲ– εἰς κύριον ἁμάρτῃ, τίς προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ;” ὥς φησιν ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ὁ Ἠλεί. ἀλλὰ καὶ Χριστοῦ ὠνησαμένου ἡμᾶς τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι –ὀφειλέται– ἐσμὲν, ὥσπερ καὶ πᾶς οἰκέτης τοῦ ὠνησαμένου ἐστὶν –ὀφειλέτης– τοῦ τοσοῦδε δοθέντος ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ χρήματος. ἔστι τις ἡμῖν καὶ πρὸς ”τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα„ ὀφειλὴ, ἀποδιδομένη, ὅτε οὐ λυποῦμεν αὐτὸ, „ἐν ᾧ” ἐσφραγίσθημεν ”εἰς ἡμέραν ἀπολυτρώσεως,„ καὶ μὴ λυποῦντες αὐτὸ φέρομεν τοὺς καρποὺς, οὓς ἀπαιτούμεθα, συνόντος αὐτοῦ ἡμῖν καὶ ζῳοποιοῦντος ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχήν. εἰ καὶ μὴ ἴσμεν δὲ ἐπιμελῶς, τίς ὁ ἑκάστου ἡμῶν ἄγγελος βλέπων „τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς” ”πατρὸς„ „τὸ πρόσωπον,” ἀλλὰ φανερόν γε ἐπισκοπήσαντι ἑκάστῳ ἡμῶν γίνεται ὅτι κἀκείνῳ –ὀφειλέται– τινῶν ἐσμεν. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐν θεάτρῳ ἐσμὲν κόσμου καὶ ἀγγέλων καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἰστέον ὅτι, ὥσπερ ὁ ἐν θεάτρῳ –ὀφειλέτης– ἐστὶ τοῦ τάδε τινὰ εἰπεῖν ἢ ποιῆσαι ἐν ὄψει τῶν θεατῶν, ἅπερ μὴ πράξας τις ὡς τὸ πᾶν ὑβρίσας θέατρον κολάζεται: οὕτως καὶ ἡμεῖς ”τῷ„ ὅλῳ „κόσμῳ” ”καὶ„ τοῖς πᾶσιν „ἀγγέλοις” τῷ τε τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει –ὀφείλομεν– ταῦτα, ἃ βουληθέντες ἀπὸ τῆς σοφίας μαθησόμεθα. χωρὶς δὲ τούτων καθολικωτέρων ὄντων ἔστι τις χήρας προνοουμένης ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὀφειλὴ καὶ ἑτέρα διακόνου καὶ ἄλλη πρεσβυτέρου, καὶ ἐπισκόπου δὲ ὀφειλὴ βαρυτάτη ἐστὶν, ἀπαιτουμένη ὑπὸ τοῦ τῆς ὅλης ἐκκλησίας σωτῆρος καὶ ἐκδικουμένη, εἰ μὴ ἀποδιδοῖτο. ἤδη δὲ ὁ ἀπόστολος ὀφειλήν τινα κοινὴν ὠνόμασεν ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς λέγων: ”τῇ γυναικὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀποδιδότω, ὁμοίως καὶ ἡ γυνὴ τῷ ἀνδρί„: καὶ ἐπιφέρει: „μὴ ἀποστερεῖτε ἀλλήλους.” καὶ τί με δεῖ λέγειν, παρὸν τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἀναλέγεσθαι ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τῇδε τῇ γραφῇ, ὅσα –ὀφείλοντες– ἤτοι μὴ ἀποδιδόντες κατασχεθησόμεθα ἢ ἀποδιδόντες ἐλευθερωθησόμεθα; πλὴν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ βίῳ ὄντα πάσης ὥρας νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας μὴ –ὀφείλειν–. ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ –ὀφείλειν– ἤτοι ἀποδίδωσί τις ἢ ἀποστερεῖ τὴν ὀφειλήν: καὶ δυνατόν γε ἐν τῷ βίῳ ἀποδιδόναι, δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ ἀποστερεῖν. καὶ τινὲς μὲν οὐδενὶ –ὀφείλουσιν– οὐδέν: τινὲς δὲ τὰ πλεῖστα ἀποτιννύντες –ὀλίγα –ὀφείλουσι–, τινὲς δὲ> ὀλίγα ἀποδιδόντες τὰ πλείονα –ὀφείλουσι–: καὶ τάχα ἔστιν ὁ μηδὲν ἀποδιδοὺς ἀλλὰ πάντα –ὀφείλων–. καὶ ὁ ἀποδιδοὺς μέντοι γε πάντα, ὥστε μηδὲν –ὀφείλειν–, χρόνῳ ποτὲ τοῦτο κατορθοῖ, δεόμενος ἀφέσεως περὶ τῶν προτέρων ὀφειλῶν: ἧστινος ἀφέσεως εὐλόγως δύναται τυχεῖν ὁ φιλοτιμησάμενος ἀπό τινος χρόνου τοιοῦτος γενέσθαι, ὥστε μηδὲν –ὀφείλειν– τῶν ἐπιβαλλόντων ὡς οὐκ ἀποδιδομένων. αὗται δὲ αἱ παράνομοι ἐνέργειαι, ἐν τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ τυπούμεναι, ”τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν„ γίνονται „χειρόγραφον,” ἀφ' οὗ δικασθησόμεθα, δίκην βίβλων τῶν ὑπὸ πάντων, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, κεχειρογραφημένων προαχθησομένων, ὅτε ”πάντες παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι„ „τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε φαῦλον.” κατὰ ταύτας τὰς ὀφειλὰς καὶ τὸ ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις λέγεται: ”μὴ δίδου σεαυτὸν εἰς ἐγγύην ὁ αἰσχυνόμενος πρόσωπον: εἰ γὰρ οὐχ ἕξει πόθεν ἀποδώσει, λήψονται τὸ σὸν στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευράς σου.„ εἰ δὲ τοσούτοις –ὀφείλομεν–, πάντως καὶ ἡμῖν τινες –ὀφείλουσιν–: οἱ μὲν γὰρ –ὀφείλουσιν– ἡμῖν ὡς ἀνθρώποις οἱ δὲ ὡς πολίταις, ἄλλοι δὲ ὡς πατράσι καί τινες ὡς υἱοῖς, καὶ μετὰ τούτους ὡς ἀνδράσι γυναῖκες ἢ ὡς φίλοις φίλοι. ἐπὰν οὖν ἀπὸ τῶν πλείστων ἡμῖν –ὀφειλετῶν– ἀσθενέστερόν τινες περὶ τὴν ἀπόδοσιν τῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς καθηκόντων ἀναστραφῶσι, φιλανθρωπότερον ποιήσομεν ἀμνησικάκως ἐνεχθέντες πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ ἰδίων μεμνημένοι ὀφειλῶν, ὅσας πολλάκις παραλελοίπαμεν οὐ μόνον πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν θεόν. μεμνημένοι γὰρ ὧν –ὀφειλέται– ὄντες οὐκ ἀποδεδώκαμεν ἀλλὰ ἀπεστερήσαμεν παραδραμόντος τοῦ χρόνου, ἐν ᾧ ἐχρῆν ἡμᾶς τάδε τινὰ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον πεποιηκέναι, πρᾳότεροι ἐσόμεθα πρὸς τοὺς καὶ ἡμῖν ὀφλήσαντας καὶ μὴ ἀποδεδωκότας τὴν ὀφειλήν: καὶ μάλιστα ἐὰν μὴ ἐπιλανθανώμεθα τῶν εἰς τὸ θεῖον ἡμῖν παρανενομημένων καὶ τῆς „εἰς τὸ ὕψος” ἀδικίας ἡμῖν λελαλημένης ἤτοι κατὰ ἄγνοιαν τῆς ἀληθείας ἢ κατὰ δυσαρέστησιν τὴν πρὸς τὰ συμβάντα ἡμῖν περιστατικά. εἰ δὲ μὴ βουλόμεθα πρᾳότεροι γίνεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἡμῖν ὀφλήσαντας, πεισόμεθα τὰ τοῦ τὰ ”ἑκατὸν δηνάρια„ τῷ ὁμοδούλῳ μὴ συγχωρήσαντος, ὅντινα προσυγχωρηθέντα κατὰ τὴν κειμένην ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ παραβολὴν ἐνειλήσας ἐκπράσσει ὁ δεσπότης τὰ προσυγκεχωρημένα, λέγων αὐτῷ: „πονηρὲ δοῦλε καὶ ὀκνηρὲ,” ”οὐκ ἔδει ἐλεῆσαί σε τὸν σύνδουλόν σου, ὡς κἀγώ σε ἠλέησα;„ βάλετε αὐτὸν „εἰς” τὴν ”φυλακὴν,„ „ἕως ἀποδῷ πᾶν τὸ –ὀφειλόμενον–.” ἐπιφέρει δὲ τούτοις ὁ κύριος: ”οὕτως καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος ποιήσει, ἐὰν μὴ –ἀφῆτε– ἕκαστος τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν καρδιῶν ὑμῶν.„ λέγουσι μέντοι γε μετανοεῖν τοῖς εἰς ἡμᾶς ἡμαρτηκόσιν –ἀφετέον–, κἂν πολλάκις τοῦτο ὁ –ὀφειλέτης– ἡμῶν ποιῇ „ἐὰν” γὰρ ”ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἁμάρτῃ,„ φησὶν, „εἰς σὲ” ”ὁ ἀδελφός σου„ „καὶ ἑπτάκις ἐπιστρέψῃ λέγων: μετανοῶ, –ἀφήσεις– αὐτῷ.” οὐχ ἡμεῖς δὲ χαλεποὶ πρὸς τοὺς μὴ μετανοοῦντας, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοῖς οἱ τοιοῦτοί εἰσι πονηροί: ”ὁ„ γὰρ „ἀπωθούμενος παιδείαν μισεῖ ἑαυτόν”: πλὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων τὴν θεραπείαν παντὶ τρόπῳ ζητητέον ἐγγενέσθαι τῷ τὰ πάντα διαστραφέντι, ὡς μηδὲ συναισθέσθαι τῶν ἰδίων κακῶν μεθύειν δὲ μέθην ὀλεθριωτέραν τῆς ”ἀπὸ οἴνου,„ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σκοτισμοῦ τῆς κακίας. ὁ δὲ Λουκᾶς εἰπών: „–ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν–” (ἐπεὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα –ὀφειλόντων ἡμῶν– καὶ μὴ ἀποδιδόντων συνίσταται) τὸ αὐτὸ λέγει τῷ Ματθαίῳ, ὅστις οὐκ ἔοικε χώραν διδόναι τῷ βουλομένῳ μετανοοῦσιν –ἀφιέναι– τοῖς –ὀφείλουσι– μόνον, λέγων ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος νενομοθετῆσθαι τὸ ἡμᾶς δεῖν ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ προστιθέναι: ”–καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἀφίεμεν παντὶ ὀφείλοντι ἡμῖν–.„ πάντες μέντοι γε ἐξουσίαν –ἔχομεν– –ἀφιέναι– τὰ εἰς ἡμᾶς ἡμαρτημένα: ὅπερ δῆλόν ἐστιν ἔκ τε τοῦ „–ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν–” καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ”–καὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἀφίεμεν παντὶ ὀφείλοντι ἡμῖν–.„ ὁ δὲ ἐμπνευσθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὡς οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ „ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν” γινώσκεσθαι δυνάμενος, ὡς χωρήσας τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καὶ γενόμενος πνευματικὸς τῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος ἄγεσθαι τρόπον υἱοῦ θεοῦ ἐφ' ἕκαστον τῶν κατὰ λόγον πρακτέων, –ἀφίησιν– ἃ ἐὰν –ἀφῇ ὁ θεὸς– καὶ κρατεῖ τὰ ἀνίατα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ὑπηρετῶν ὥσπερ οἱ προφῆται ἐν τῷ λέγειν οὐ τὰ ἴδια ἀλλὰ τὰ τοῦ θείου βουλήματος τῷ θεῷ οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ μόνῳ ἐξουσίαν ἔχοντι –ἀφιέναι– θεῷ. ἔχουσι δὲ ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγγελίῳ αἱ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων γινομένης ἀφέσεως φωναὶ οὕτως: ”λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον: ἄν τινων –ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται– αὐτοῖς: ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται.„ εἰ δέ τις ἀβασανίστως ἐκλαμβάνει ταῦτα, ἐγκαλέσαι τις ἂν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις μὴ πᾶσιν –ἀφιεῖσιν–, ἵνα πᾶσιν –ἀφεθῇ–, ἀλλά „τινων” ”–τὰς ἁμαρτίας–„ κρατοῦσιν, ὡς δι' αὐτοὺς καὶ παρὰ θεῷ κρατεῖσθαι αὐτάς. χρήσιμον δὲ παράδειγμα ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου λαβεῖν πρὸς τὸ νοηθῆναι τὴν δι' ἀνθρώπων ἄφεσιν ὑπὸ θεοῦ γινομένην ἀνθρώποις ἁμαρτημάτων. οἱ κατὰ νόμον ἱερεῖς κωλύονται περί τινων προσφέρειν ἁμαρτημάτων θυσίαν, ἵνα –ἀφεθῇ– τοῖς, περὶ ὧν αἱ θυσίαι, τὰ πλημμελήματα. καὶ οὐ δή που τὴν περί τινων ἐξουσίαν ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀκουσίων ἢ πλημμελημάτων ἀναφορὰν ἔχων ἤδη καὶ περὶ μοιχείας ἢ ἑκουσίου φόνου ἤ τινος ἄλλου χαλεπωτέρου πταίσματος προσφέρει „ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας.” οὕτω τοιγαροῦν καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ὡμοιωμένοι, ἱερεῖς ὄντες κατὰ τὸν ”μέγαν„ „ἀρχιερέα,” ἐπιστήμην λαβόντες τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ θεραπείας, ἴσασιν, ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος διδασκόμενοι, περὶ ὧν χρὴ ἀναφέρειν θυσίας ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ πότε καὶ τίνα τρόπον, καὶ γινώσκουσι, περὶ ὧν οὐ χρὴ τοῦτο ποιεῖν. ὁ γοῦν ἱερεὺς Ἠλεὶ ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐπιστάμενος τοὺς υἱοὺς Ὀφνεὶ καὶ Φινεὲς, ὡς μηδὲν δυνάμενος εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτοῖς συνεργῆσαι, καὶ τὸ ἀπογινώσκειν τοῦτ' ἔσεσθαι ὁμολογεῖ δι' ὧν φησιν: ”ἐὰν ἁμαρτάνων ἁμάρτῃ ἀνὴρ εἰς ἄνδρα, καὶ προσεύξονται περὶ αὐτοῦ: ἐὰν δὲ εἰς κύριον ἁμάρτῃ, τίς προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ;„ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως ἑαυτοῖς τινες ἐπιτρέψαντες τὰ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἱερατικὴν ἀξίαν, τάχα μηδὲ ἀκριβοῦντες τὴν ἱερατικὴν ἐπιστήμην, αὐχοῦσιν ὡς δυνάμενοι καὶ εἰδωλολατρείας συγχωρεῖν μοιχείας τε καὶ πορνείας –ἀφιέναι–, ὡς διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς αὐτῶν περὶ τῶν ταῦτα τετολμηκότων λυομένης καὶ –τῆς– „πρὸς θάνατον” –ἁμαρτίας–: οὐ γὰρ ἀναγινώσκουσι τὸ ”ἔστιν –ἁμαρτία– πρὸς θάνατον: οὐ περὶ ἐκείνης λέγω ἵνα τις ἐρωτήσῃ.„ οὐκ ἀποσιωπητέον καὶ τὸν ἀνδρειότατον Ἰὼβ περὶ τῶν υἱῶν ἀναφέροντα θυσίαν, λέγοντα: „μή ποτε οἱ υἱοί μου ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτῶν κακὰ ἐνενόησαν πρὸς θεόν”: περὶ γὰρ δισταζομένων εἰ ἡμάρτηται, καὶ ταῦτα οὐδὲ μέχρι τῶν χειλέων ἐφθακότων, ἀναφέρει τὴν θυσίαν.