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of decent and suitable clothing, preserving the modesty delivered by the Apostle; at one time decreeing that the bishop be modest, at another time commanding that women be in modest apparel, with "modest" clearly being understood according to the particular aim of Christianity. The same argument applies for me also concerning footwear; so that what is simple and more easily obtained, and sufficient for the purpose 31.981 of its use, this is to be chosen at every time.

QUESTION 23. Concerning the belt. RESPONSE. But the use of the belt

the holy ones who came before also show to be necessary; John, for instance, girding his loins with a leather belt, and Elijah even before him. For it is written, as if a particular characteristic of the man, "A hairy man, and a leather belt around his loins." And Peter also is shown to have used a belt, as is clear from the words of the angel speaking to him: "Gird yourself, and put on your sandals." And the blessed Paul, from the prophecy of Agabus concerning him, appears to have used a belt. For "the man to whom this belt belongs, thus they will bind," he says, "in Jerusalem." And Job also is commanded by the Lord to gird himself. For as a symbol of a certain manliness, and of readiness for works, "Gird," he says, "your loins like a man." And it is clear that the use of the belt was customary for all the disciples of the Lord, to whom it was forbidden to have copper in their belts. And besides, it is necessary for one who is about to work with his own hands to be well-girded and unhindered for movements. So that he also has need of a belt, by which the tunic will be gathered close to the body; and it will rather keep him warm by enfolding him from all sides, and it will provide him with freedom for his movements. Since also the Lord, when he was preparing for the service of the disciples, taking a towel girded himself. Now concerning the number of garments we need to say nothing, this having been sufficiently examined by us previously in the discourse concerning having no possessions. For if he who has two tunics is commanded to share with him who has none, clearly the possession of more for his own sake is forbidden. To those therefore for whom to have two tunics is forbidden, what is fitting to legislate for them concerning the use?

QUESTION 24. These things having been sufficiently delivered to us, it would be fitting

for us to learn about the manner of our conduct with one another. RESPONSE. With the Apostle saying, "Let all things be done decently and in order," we consider that conduct to be decent 31.984 and orderly in the community of the faithful, in which the principle of the members of the body is preserved; so that one person holds the function of an eye, the one entrusted with the common care both in the examination of things that have happened and in the foresight and consideration of things to come, and another of an ear or a hand, both in hearing and in the performance of what is assigned, and so on for each one. One must know, then, that, just as among the members it is not without danger for each member to neglect what is assigned to it, or not to use another member for that which it was made by God the creator (for if either the hand or the foot should not obey the guidance of the eye, the one will necessarily take hold of destructive things to the destruction of the whole, while the other will stumble, or even be carried over cliffs; or if the eye should close, so as not to see, it is necessary for it also to be destroyed along with the other members suffering the aforementioned things); so too neither for the one in charge is neglect without danger, being judged on behalf of all, nor for the one who obeys is disobedience harmless and without penalty; and it is more dangerous also for one who causes others to stumble. But let each one, therefore, in his own place showing unwearying zeal, and fulfilling that of the

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ἐσθῆτος εὐπρεπὲς καὶ ἀκόλουθον σώζουσαν τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου παραδεδομένην κοσμιότητα· ποτὲ μὲν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον κόσμιον εἶναι διοριζομένου, ποτὲ δὲ τὰς γυναῖκας ἐν καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ εἶναι διατασσομένου, τοῦ κοσμίου δηλονότι κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ σκοπὸν νοουμένου. Ὁ αὐτὸς δέ μοι λόγος καὶ περὶ ὑποδημάτων ἐστίν· ὥστε τὸ ἀπερίεργον καὶ εὐποριστότερον, καὶ πρὸς τὸν σκοπὸν 31.981 τῆς χρείας ἀρκοῦν, τοῦτο αἱρετὸν εἶναι ἐν ἑκάστῳ καιρῷ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΓʹ. Περὶ τῆς ζώνης. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὴν δὲ τῆς ζώνης χρείαν

δηλοῦσιν ἀναγκαίαν οὖ σαν καὶ οἱ προλαβόντες ἅγιοι· Ἰωάννης μὲν δερμα τίνῃ ζώνῃ περισφίγγων ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ὀσφὺν, καὶ Ἠλίας ἔτι πρότερον. Γέγραπται γὰρ, ὥσπερ ἰδίωμά τι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, τὸ, Ἀνὴρ δασὺς, καὶ ζώνη δερματίνη περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ Πέτρος δὲ ζώνῃ κεχρημένος δείκνυται, ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τῶν τοῦ ἀγγέλου ῥημάτων πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγοντος· Ζῶσαι, καὶ ὑπόδη σαι τὰ σανδάλιά σου. Καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Ἀγάβου προφητείας τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν φαίνεται κεχρημένος ζώνῃ. Τὸν γὰρ ἄνδρα οὗ ἐστιν ἡ ζώνη αὕτη οὕτως δήσουσι, φησὶν, ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις. Καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ζώσασθαι προστάσσεται. Ὡς γὰρ ἀνδρείας τινὸς, καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὰ ἔργα ἑτοιμασίας σύμβολον, Ζῶσαι, φησὶν, ὥσπερ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀσφύν σου. Καὶ δῆλον, ὅτι πᾶσι τοῖς μαθηταῖς τοῦ Κυρίου συνήθης ἦν ἡ τῆς ζώνης χρῆ σις, οἷς ἀπηγόρευτο μὴ ἔχειν χαλκὸν εἰς τὰς ζώνας. Ἄλλως τε καὶ μέλλοντα αὐτουργήσειν ἀνάγκη εὐσταλῆ καὶ ἀνεμπόδιστον εἶναι πρὸς τὰς κινήσεις. Ὥστε καὶ ζώνης αὐτῷ χρεία, δι' ἧς προ σταλήσεται τῷ σώματι ὁ χιτών· καὶ μᾶλλόν γε αὐτὸν θάλψει περιπτυσσόμενος πανταχόθεν, καὶ τὸ ἀκώλυ τον αὐτῷ πρὸς τὰς κινήσεις παρασκευάσει. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Κύριος, ὅτε εἰς τὴν διακονίαν τῶν μαθητῶν παρεσκευάζετο, λαβὼν λέντιον διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν. Περί γε μὲν τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἐνδυμάτων οὐδὲν δεό μεθα λέγειν, ἱκανῶς ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ περὶ ἀκτημοσύνης λόγῳ προεξητασμένου τούτου. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ ἔχων δύο χι τῶνας προστάσσεται μεταδοῦναι τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι, δηλονότι ἡ τῶν πλειόνων ἑαυτοῦ ἕνεκεν κτῆσις ἀπ ηγορευμένη ἐστίν. Οἷς οὖν τὸ ἔχειν δύο χιτῶνας ἀπ αγορεύεται, τούτοις περὶ τῆς χρήσεως τί προσήκει νομοθετεῖν·

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Κ∆ʹ. Τούτων ἱκανῶς ἡμῖν παραδεδομένων, ἀκόλου θον ἂν εἴη

μαθεῖν ἡμᾶς περὶ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς μετ' ἀλλήλων διαγωγῆσ ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, Πάντα εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατὰ τάξιν γινέσθω, ἐκείνην λογιζόμεθα εὐ 31.984 σχήμονα εἶναι διαγωγὴν καὶ εὔτακτον ἐν τῇ συν αφείᾳ τῶν πιστῶν, ἐν ᾗ ὁ τῶν μελῶν τοῦ σώματος διασώζεται λόγος· ὥστε τὸν μέν τινα ὀφθαλμοῦ ἐπ έχειν δύναμιν τὸν ἐπιμέλειαν τὴν κοινὴν πεπιστευ μένον ἔν τε τῇ δοκιμασίᾳ τῶν γεγενημένων καὶ ἐν τῇ προθεωρίᾳ καὶ διασκέψει τῶν γενησομένων τὸν δὲ ἀκοῆς ἢ χειρὸς ἔν τε τῇ ἀκροάσει καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐνερ γείᾳ τῶν ἐπιβαλλόντων, καὶ καθεξῆς ἕκαστον ἑκά στου. Εἰδέναι οὖν χρὴ, ὅτι, ὥσπερ ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν οὐκ ἀκίνδυνόν ἐστιν ἑκάστῳ μέλει τὸ τῶν ἐπιβαλλόν των ἀμελεῖν, ἢ τὸ μὴ κεχρῆσθαι τῷ ἑτέρῳ πρὸς ὃ γέγονεν ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργήσαντος Θεοῦ (εἴτε γὰρ ἡ χεὶρ, ἢ ὁ ποῦς μὴ πείθοιτο τῇ ὁδηγίᾳ τοῦ ὀφθαλ μοῦ, ἡ μὲν ὀλεθρίων ἐπὶ διαφθορᾷ τοῦ παντὸς ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐφάψεται, ὁ δὲ προσκόψει, ἢ καὶ κατὰ κρημνοὺς ἐνεχθήσεται· εἴτε ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς καμμύσειεν, ὥστε μὴ βλέπειν, ἀνάγκη καὶ αὐτὸν συνδιαφθείρε σθαι τοῖς ἄλλοις μέλεσι πάσχουσι τὰ εἰρημένα)· οὕ τως οὐδὲ τῷ ἐφεστῶτι ἀκίνδυνος ἡ ἀμέλεια ὑπὲρ πάντων κρινομένῳ, οὔτε τῷ ὑπακούοντι τὸ δυσπει θὲς ἀβλαβὲς καὶ ἀζήμιον· περισσοτέρως δὲ ἐπικίν δυνον καὶ ἑτέρους σκανδαλίζοντι. Ἀλλ' ἕκαστος οὖν, ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ τόπῳ τῆς μὲν σπουδῆς τὸ ἄοκνον ἐπιδεικνύμενος, καὶ πληρῶν τὸ τοῦ