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QUESTION 59. If someone only intends to do something, and does not do it, is he also judged as a liar? RESPONSE If what he intended to do is according to a commandment, he is condemned not only as a liar, but also as disobedient. For God tests the hearts and kidneys.

QUESTION 60. If someone, being carried away, resolves to do something that is not pleasing to God, which should he rather do, overturn what was badly resolved, or for fear of falsehood, complete the sin? RESPONSE. Since the Apostle says, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves"; and the Lord Himself confessing that, "I can of mine own self do nothing"; and again: "The words, 31.1124 that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself"; and elsewhere saying that, "I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of the Father who sent me," such a person ought to repent; first, because he dares to resolve anything on his own, whatever it may be; for not even good things ought to be done on one's own authority; and then, and more strongly, because he was not afraid to resolve contrary to what is pleasing to God. That one must overturn what was rashly resolved contrary to the Lord's commandment is shown clearly in the case of the apostle Peter, who resolved rashly that, "Thou shalt never wash my feet"; but when he heard the Lord declare, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me," he immediately changed his mind and said, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."

QUESTION 61. If someone is able neither to work, nor wishes to learn the psalms, what should be done with him? RESPONSE. Since the Lord said in a parable concerning the fruitless fig tree: "Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?" it is necessary to apply all care to him; but if he does not endure it, what has been commanded concerning the one who persists in sin must also be observed in his case. For he who is idle of the good is judged with the devil and his angels.

QUESTION 62. By doing what is someone condemned as one who has hidden the talent? RESPONSE. He who holds back any grace of God for his own enjoyment, and does not benefit others, is condemned as one who hides the talent.

QUESTION 63. By doing what is someone condemned, like those who murmured against the last? RESPONSE. Each is condemned for his own sin; and those who murmured, for their murmuring. But others often murmur for another reason. For some, because they lacked what was needed for satisfaction, as gluttons who make a god of their belly; and others, because they were honored equally with the last, giving proof of the envy which is yoked with murder; and others for some other reason. 31.1125

QUESTION 64 Since our Lord Jesus Christ says, "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble;" what is it to cause to stumble? or how shall we guard against it, that so fearful a judgment may not come upon us? RESPONSE One causes to stumble by transgressing in word or deed, and leading another to transgression, as the serpent did Eve, and Eve did Adam; or by hindering one from doing the will of God, as Peter did the Lord, saying: "Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee"; and heard: "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling block unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men"; or by building up the mind of the weak unto one of the things forbidden, according to that which is written by the Apostle, who said: "For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols?" to which he adds: "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to stumble, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to stumble." And stumbling occurs for several reasons. For either on account of the

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ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΘʹ. Ἐὰν ἐνθυμηθῇ τις μόνον ποιῆσαί τι, καὶ μὴ ποιήσῃ, εἰ καὶ οὗτος ὡς ψεύστης κρίνεται ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Εἰ κατ' ἐντολήν ἐστιν ὃ ἐνεθυμήθη ποιῆσαι, οὐχ ὡς ψεύστης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς ἀπειθὴς κατακρίνε ται. Ἐτάζων γὰρ καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς ὁ Θεός.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ξʹ. Ἐάν τις προληφθεὶς ὁρίσῃ τι πρᾶξαι τῶν μὴ ἀρεσκόντων Θεῷ, τί χρὴ μᾶλλον, ἀνατρέ ψαι τὸ κακῶς ὁρισθὲν, ἢ φόβῳ τοῦ ψεύδους τελέσαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, Οὐχ ὅτι ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν ἱκανοί ἐσμεν λογίσασθαί τι ὡς ἐξ ἑαυτῶν· καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ὁμολογοῦντος, ὅτι Οὐ δύναμαι ἐγὼ ποιεῖν ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οὐδέν· καὶ πάλιν· Τὰ ῥήματα, 31.1124 ἃ ἐγὼ λαλῶ ὑμῖν, ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ λαλῶ· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι Καταβέβηκα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με Πατρὸς, μετανοῆσαι ὀφείλει ὁ τοιοῦτος· πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τολμᾷ τι ὁρί ζειν, οἷον ἂν ᾖ· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτὰ τὰ καλὰ ἐξ αὐθεντίας ποιεῖν χρή· ἔπειτα δὲ, καὶ σφοδρότερον, ὅτι παρὰ τὸ ἀρέσκον Θεῷ ὁρίσαι οὐκ ἐφοβήθη. Ὅτι δὲ ἀνατρέπειν χρὴ τὸ παρ' ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου κατὰ πρόληψιν ὁρισθὲν, δείκνυται σαφῶς ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀποστό λου Πέτρου, ὁρισαμένου μὲν κατὰ πρόληψιν, ὅτι Οὐ μὴ νίψῃς τοὺς πόδας μου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἤκουσε τοῦ Κυρίου ἀποφηναμένου· Ἐὰν μὴ νίψω σε, οὐκ ἔχεις μέρος μετ' ἐμοῦ, εὐθὺς μεταθεμένου, καὶ εἰπόντος· Κύριε, μὴ τοὺς πόδας μου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν κεφαλήν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΞΑʹ. Ἐάν τις μήτε ἐργάζεσθαι δύνηται, μήτε τοὺς ψαλμοὺς μαθεῖν βούληται, τί χρὴ αὐτῷ ποιῆ σαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Κυρίου ἐν παραβολῇ εἰπόντος περὶ τῆς ἀκάρ που συκῆς· Ἔκκοψον αὐτὴν, ἵνα τί καὶ τὴν γῆν καταργεῖ; προσάγειν μὲν αὐτῷ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν πᾶσαν ἀναγκαῖον· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀνέχηται, τὸ προστε ταγμένον περὶ τοῦ ἐπιμένοντος τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ παραφυλαχθῆναι χρή. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ ἀργὸς τοῦ καλοῦ μετὰ τοῦ διαβόλου καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ κρίνεται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΞΒʹ. Τί ἐὰν ποιήσῃ τις ὡς κρύψας τὸ τάλαντον, κατακρίνεται. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ οἱανδήποτε χάριν Θεοῦ παρακατασχὼν εἰς ἀπό λαυσιν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἄλλους εὐεργετῶν, ὡς κρύ πτων τὸ τάλαντον κατακρίνεται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΞΓʹ. Τί ἐὰν ποιήσῃ τις, κατακρίνεται, ὡς ἐκεῖνοι οἱ γογγύσαντες κατὰ τῶν ἐσχάτων. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἕκαστος ἐπὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ ἁμαρτήματι κατακρίνεται· καὶ οἱ γογγύσαντες ἐπὶ τῷ γογγυσμῷ. Ἄλλοι δὲ πολλάκις δι' ἄλλην ὑπόθεσιν γογγύζουσιν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ, ὅτι ἐπέλειψεν αὐτοῖς τὰ πρὸς χορτασίαν, ὡς γαστρίμαργοι καὶ θεοποιοῦντες τὴν κοιλίαν· οἱ δὲ, ὅτι τὰ ἴσα τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ἐτιμήθησαν, φθόνου διδόντες ἀπό δειξιν τοῦ συζύγου τῷ φόνῳ· καὶ ἄλλοι δι' ἄλλο τι. 31.1125

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ξ∆ʹ Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος, «Συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ῥιφῇ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ἢ ἵνα σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων·» τί ἐστι τὸ σκανδαλίσαι; ἢ πῶς αὐτὸ φυλαξώμεθα, ἵνα μὴ τὸ οὕτω φοβερὸν κρῖμα ἔλθῃ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Σκανδαλίζει μέν τις, παρανομῶν λόγῳ ἢ ἔργῳ, καὶ ἕτερον πρὸς παρανομίαν ἐνάγων, ὡς ὁ ὄφις τὴν Εὔαν, καὶ ἡ Εὔα τὸν Ἀδάμ· ἢ κωλύων ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς ὁ Πέτρος τὸν Κύριον, εἰπών· Ἵλεώς σοι, Κύριε, οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο· καὶ ἀκούσας· Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ, σκάνδαλόν μου εἶ, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἢ οἰκοδομῶν τὸ φρόνημα τοῦ ἀσθε νοῦς εἴς τι τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων, κατὰ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ γεγραμμένον, εἰπόντι· Ἐὰν γάρ τις ἴδῃ σὲ, τὸν ἔχοντα γνῶσιν, ἐν εἰδωλείῳ κατακεί μενον, οὐχὶ ἡ συνείδησις αὐτοῦ ἀσθενοῦς ὄντος οἰκοδομηθήσεται εἰς τὸ τὰ εἰδωλόθυτα ἐσθίειν; οἷς ἐπιφέρει· ∆ιόπερ εἰ βρῶμα σκανδαλίζει τὸν ἀδελφόν μου, οὐ μὴ φάγω κρέα εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἵνα μὴ τὸν ἀδελφόν μου σκανδαλίσω. Γίνεται δὲ τὸ σκάνδαλον κατὰ πλείονας αἰτίας. Ἢ γὰρ παρὰ τὸν