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it is impossible for all those in the exercise of piety to be included under one rule; but having set apart the measure concerning the healthy among those who are training, we leave it to those entrusted with the administration to make the variation from this thoughtfully, according to what befalls each one. For it is not possible to include individual details in the rule, but only those things that depend on the common and general teaching. For the comfort of the sick from foods, or that of one otherwise weary from strenuous works, or even that of one preparing for toil, such as a journey, or some other laborious task, those in charge will always manage according to the need, following him who said, that "Distribution was made to each as any had need." Therefore, it is not possible to legislate the same time for food for all, nor the manner, nor the measure; but let the common aim be the fulfillment of the need. For to be overfilled in the belly, and to be weighed down by foods, is worthy of a curse, as the Lord said: "Woe to you who are full now;" and it makes the body itself unfit for its activities, and prone to sleep, and more ready for injuries. Moreover, one should not make pleasure the end of eating, but the need for living, shunning the intemperance of pleasure. For to be a slave to pleasures is nothing other than to make one's belly his god. For since our body, always being emptied and wasting away, needs replenishment (which is why appetites for food are natural), the right reason for the use of foods dictates the replenishment of what was emptied for the constitution of the living being, whether the lack be of solid or liquid food. Therefore, whatever will relieve us of the need more simply, this should be taken. And 31.969 the Lord himself makes this clear in the instances where He received the weary multitudes so that they would not faint on the way, as it is written. For although He could have enhanced the miracle in the desert by devising luxury, He prepared for them food so plain and simple, that the loaves were of barley, and a portion of fish with the bread. But concerning drink He made no mention, since water was naturally available to all and sufficient for their needs; unless for someone on account of illness such a drink might be harmful, in which case it is to be avoided according to Paul's advice to Timothy. And all things that have obvious harm must be avoided. For it is inconsistent to choose foods for the sake of the body's constitution, and then through these same foods to war against the body, and to hinder it in its service to the commandment. This very thing is also an example for us to accustom our soul to flee from harmful things, even if they have pleasure. However, one must in every way prefer what is more easily obtained, so that on the pretext of self-control we do not seek out more costly things, and expensive ones, seasoning our foods with very precious flavorings; but to choose what is easily obtainable and inexpensive in each region and ready for the use of the many, using imported things only for what is most necessary for life; such as oil, and things like it, and if anything is suitable for the necessary comfort of the sick, and this if it can be obtained without fuss and disturbances and distractions.

QUESTION 20. What is the manner of hospitality in foods? ANSWER. Vainglory,

and pleasing men, and doing anything for show, is altogether forbidden to Christians in every matter; since indeed he who does the commandment itself in order to be seen and glorified by men loses his reward for it. But for those who have accepted every form of humility for the sake of the Lord's commandment, every manner of vainglory is to be shunned with excess. But since we see those from without the

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μὲν κανόνι πάντας περιλαμβάνεσθαι τοὺς ἐν τῇ γυμνασίᾳ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀδύνατον· ἀφορίσαντες δὲ τὸ περὶ τοὺς ὑγιαίνοντας τῶν ἀσκουμένων μέτρον, ἀπὸ τούτου τὴν παραλλαγὴν πρὸς τὰ ἑκάστῳ συμ πίπτοντα ἐστοχασμένως γίνεσθαι παρὰ τῶν ἐπιτε ταγμένων τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἀφίεμεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὰ καθ έκαστον τῷ λόγῳ περιλαμβάνειν δυνατὸν, ἀλλ' ὅσα τῆς κοινῆς καὶ καθόλου διδασκαλίας ἤρτηται. Τὴν γὰρ τῶν ἀῤῥώστων παραμυθίαν ἐκ τῶν βρωμάτων, ἢ τὴν τοῦ ἄλλως κεκμηκότος ἐπὶ συντόνοις ἔργοις, ἢ καὶ τὴν τοῦ παρασκευαζομένου πρὸς κάματον, οἷον ὁδοιπορίας, ἤ τινος ἄλλου τῶν ἐπιπόνων, οἱ ἐφεστῶτες πρὸς λόγον ἀεὶ τῆς χρείας οἰκονομήσουσιν, ἑπόμενοι τῷ εἰπόντι, ὅτι ∆ιεδίδοτο ἑκάστῳ καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν. Οὔτε οὖν καιρὸν τροφῆς τὸν αὐτὸν πᾶσι νομοθετῆσαι δυνατὸν, οὔτε τὸν τρόπον, οὔτε τὸ μέτρον· ἀλλὰ σκοπὸς μὲν κοινὸς ἔστω ἡ τῆς χρείας ἐκπλήρωσις. Τὸ γὰρ ὑπερεμπίπλασθαι τὴν γαστέρα, καὶ καταβαρύνεσθαι ταῖς τροφαῖς, κατ άρας ἄξιον, τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν οἱ ἐμπεπλησμένοι νῦν· καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ σῶμα δύσχρη στον πρὸς τὰς ἐνεργείας παρασκευάζει, καὶ πρὸς ὕπνους εὐκατάφορον, καὶ ἑτοιμότερον πρὸς τὰς βλά βας. Οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ τὸ ἡδὺ τέλος ποιεῖσθαι τῆς βρώ σεως χρὴ, ἀλλὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸ ζῇν χρείαν, παραιτου μένους τῆς ἡδονῆς τὸ ἀκόλαστον. Τὸ γὰρ δουλεύειν ταῖς ἡδοναῖς οὐδὲν ἕτερόν ἐστιν ἢ Θεὸν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν κοιλίαν ποιεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα ἡμῶν, ἀεὶ κενούμενον καὶ ἀποῤῥέον, τῆς πληρώσεως ἐπιδεῖται (διὸ καὶ φυσικαί εἰσιν αἱ τῆς τροφῆς ὀρέξεις), ὁ ὀρ θὸς λόγος τῆς τῶν βρωμάτων χρήσεως τὴν πλήρωσιν τοῦ κενωθέντος πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ζώου σύστασιν ὑπαγο ρεύει, εἴτε ξηρᾶς εἴτε ὑγρᾶς τροφῆς ἡ ἔνδεια γέ νοιτο. Ὅπερ ἂν οὖν μέλλῃ ἀπεριεργότερον ἡμᾶς ἀπαλ λάσσειν τῆς χρείας, τοῦτο προσενεκτέον. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ 31.969 τοῦτο αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἐν οἷς ἐδεξιοῦτο τὰ κεκμηκότα πλήθη πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐκλυθῆναι ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, ὡς γέγρα πται. ∆υνάμενος γὰρ ἐπιτεῖναι τὸ θαυμάσιον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῇ ἐπινοίᾳ τῆς πολυτελείας, οὕτω λιτὴν καὶ ἀπέριττον τὴν τροφὴν αὐτοῖς παρεσκεύασεν, ὥστε ἄρτους μὲν κριθίνους εἶναι, καὶ ἰχθύος δὲ μέρος ἐπὶ τῷ ἄρτῳ. Περὶ δὲ ποτοῦ οὐδὲ ἐμνημόνευ σεν, ὡς αὐτοφυοῦς πᾶσι καὶ ἀρκοῦντος ταῖς χρείαις τοῦ ὕδατος προκειμένου· πλὴν εἰ μή τινι δι' ἀῤ ῥωστίαν βλαβερὸν εἴη τὸ τοιοῦτον ποτὸν, ὡς παραι τητέον κατὰ τὴν συμβουλὴν Παύλου τὴν πρὸς Τιμό θεον. Καὶ πάντα δὲ ὅσα προφανῆ τὴν βλάβην ἔχει παραιτητέα. Ἀνακόλουθον γὰρ διὰ μὲν τὴν σύστασιν τοῦ σώματος τὰς τροφὰς αἱρεῖσθαι, δι' αὐτῶν δὲ πά λιν τῶν τροφῶν προσπολεμεῖν τῷ σώματι, καὶ ἐμ ποδίζειν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἐντολῆς ὑπηρεσίαν. Τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὑπόδειγμα ἡμῖν ἐστι τοῦ τὴν ψυ χὴν ἡμῶν ἐθίζειν φεύγειν τὰ βλαβερὰ, κἂν ἡδονὴν ἔχῃ. Χρὴ μέντοι ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου τὸ εὐπορι στότερον προτιμᾷν, ὥστε μὴ προφάσει ἐγκρατείας περιεργάζεσθαι ἡμᾶς τὰ τιμιώτερα, καὶ πολυδάπανα παραρτύοντας διὰ τῶν πολυτιμήτων ἡδυσμάτων τὰ βρώματα· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐν ἑκάστῃ χώρᾳ εὔληπτον καὶ εὐτελὲς καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς εἰς χρῆσιν ἕτοιμον, τοῦτο αἱρεῖσθαι, τῶν ἐπεισάκτων μόνοις τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτά τοις πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν κεχρημένους· οἷον ἐλαίῳ, καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις, καὶ εἴ τι πρὸς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν τῶν ἀσθενούντων παραμυθίαν ἐπιτήδειον, καὶ τοῦτο ἐὰν ὑπάρχῃ ἄνευ πολυπραγμοσύνης καὶ θορύβων καὶ πε ρισπασμῶν περιγενέσθαι.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Κʹ. Τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἐν βρώμασι δεξιώσεως. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἡ

κενοδοξία, καὶ ἡ ἀνθρωπαρέσκεια, καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἐπίδειξίν τι ποιεῖν, ὅλως ἐπὶ παντὸς πράγματος Χριστιανοῖς ἀπηγόρευται· ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ἐντολὴν ὁ πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ δοξασθῆναι ποιῶν τὸν ἐπ' αὐτῇ μισθὸν ἀπόλλυσι. Τοῖς δὲ πᾶν εἶδος ταπεινώσεως διὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου καταδεξαμένοις μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς φευκτέος πᾶς κενοδοξίας τρόπος. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς ἔξωθεν ὁρῶμεν τὸ