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we wish to correct. We are not ignorant of the ways of rebuke. For tell me, if you had a brother in the flesh, would you have overlooked him wasting away with hunger? I think not; but perhaps you would have even disciplined him. But if anyone does not obey our word, by this letter. See the humility of Paul; he did not say, He who disobeys, disobeys me; but he gently hints at it. Note this man. So he urges them to do this that it may not go unnoticed. Do not associate with him. This too is no small discipline. Then again: That he may be ashamed, he says. Thus he does not let him go any further. For just as when he said, If any would not work, neither should he eat, fearing that they might perish from hunger, he added, But you, do not grow weary in doing good; so, having said, Withdraw yourselves, and, Do not associate with him, then fearing that this very thing might cut him off from the brotherhood (for he who despairs of himself will quickly perish, not having received boldness), he added: And do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. By this he shows that he appointed a great punishment against him, in that he is deprived of boldness. 3. For if even to be receiving with many is a matter of shame, when they also give while rebuking and withdraw themselves, how great a reproach is this? how able to sting a soul? For if only by giving more reluctantly, or by grumbling, they set on fire those who receive (for do not speak to me about shameless beggars, but about the faithful); if they were also going to give with rebukes, what would they not have done? of how much punishment was it not worthy? But we do not do this, but as if we had been wronged in the greatest things, so we insult those who beg, we turn away. You do not give; why do you also cause pain? Admonish, he said, as brothers, do not insult as enemies. He who admonishes a brother does not do this in public, he does not make a show of the insult, but in private and with much attention, and grieving, and being stung, and weeping and lamenting. Let us therefore give from a brotherly mind, let us admonish from a brotherly 62.496 disposition; not as grieving at giving, but as grieving at his transgressing the commandment. Since what is the profit? For if even after giving you insult, you mar the pleasure of the gift; but when you do not give and you insult, how much evil have you not wrought upon that wretched and miserable man? He came to be pitied by you; but having received a fatal blow he went away, and wept even more. For when he is forced to beg because of his need, and is insulted for begging, see how great will be the punishment of those who insult; He who dishonors a poor man, he says, provokes him who made him. For tell me: did He allow him to become poor for your sake, so that you might have the means to heal yourself, and you insult him who is poor for your sake? of how much ingratitude are these things? of how much unthankfulness is this deed? Admonish, he says, as brothers. And he commanded to admonish after giving; but when we insult even without giving, what defense will there be for us? Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every place. See how, when he dictates the things to be done, he marks them with a prayer, like some seals of what has been laid down, placing the supplication and the entreaty. May He give you, he says, peace in every place. For since it is likely that conflicts would arise from these things, with those becoming harsher, and these no longer providing for such people in the same way, he reasonably prayed this now, saying, May He give you peace at all times. For this is what is sought, that they may always have it. What is, In every place? He wants them to be at peace from all sides, so that they have no occasion for strife from any quarter. For peace is a good thing everywhere, especially with those outside; for hear him saying elsewhere: If it be possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. For nothing is so conducive to accomplishing what we wish, as being peaceful and untroubled, as being free from all enmity, and

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διορθώσασθαι βουλόμεθα. Οὐκ ἀγνοοῦμεν τοὺς τρόπους τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἰ σαρκικὸν εἶχες ἀδελφὸν, ἆρα ἂν περιεῖδες αὐτὸν λιμῷ τηκόμενον· Οὐκ ἔγωγε οἶμαι· ἀλλ' ἴσως κἂν ἐῤῥύθμισας αὐτόν. Εἰ δέ τις οὐχ ὑπακούει τῷ λόγῳ ἡμῶν, διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς. Ὅρα ταπεινοφροσύνην τοῦ Παύλου· οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὁ παρακούων, ἐμοῦ παρακούει· ἀλλ' ἠρέμα αἰνίττεται. Τοῦτον σημειοῦσθε. Ὥστε μὴ λανθάνειν τοῦτο ποιεῖν προτρέπει. Μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε αὐτῷ. Οὐ μικρὰ παίδευσις καὶ αὕτη. Εἶτα πάλιν· Ἵνα ἐντραπῇ, φησίν. Οὕτως οὐκ ἀφίησιν περαιτέρω προελθεῖν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰπὼν, Εἴ τις μὴ ἐργάζεται, μηδὲ ἐσθιέτω, δεδοικὼς μὴ λιμῷ ἀπόλωνται, ἐπήγαγεν, Ὑμεῖς δὲ τὸ καλὸν ποιοῦντες μὴ ἐκκακήσητε· οὕτως εἰπὼν, Στέλλεσθε, καὶ, Μὴ συναναμίγνυσθε αὐτῷ, εἶτα δείσας μὴ τοῦτο αὐτὸ ἐκκόψῃ αὐτὸν τῆς ἀδελφότητος (ὁ γὰρ ἀπογνοὺς ἑαυτοῦ ταχέως ἀπολεῖται μὴ μεταλαβὼν παῤῥησίας), ἐπήγαγε· Καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐχθρὸν ἡγεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ νουθετεῖτε ὡς ἀδελφόν. ∆ιὰ τούτου δείκνυσιν ὅτι μεγάλην ὥρισε κατ' αὐτοῦ τιμωρίαν, τῷ τῆς παῤῥησίας αὐτὸν ἀποστερεῖσθαι. γʹ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ εἶναι μετὰ πολλῶν λαμβάνοντα αἰσχύνης ἄξιον, ὅταν καὶ ἐπιτιμῶντες παρέχοιεν καὶ στέλλωνται, πόσου ὀνείδους τοῦτο; πῶς ἱκανὸν δακεῖν ψυχήν; Εἰ γὰρ μόνον ὀκνηρότερον διδόντες, ἢ γογγύζοντες ἐμπυρίζουσι τοὺς λαμβάνοντας (μὴ γάρ μοι περὶ τῶν ἀναισχύντων ἐπαιτῶν εἴπῃς, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν πιστῶν)· εἰ καὶ ἔμελλον ἐπιτιμᾷν διδόντες, τί οὐκ ἂν εἰργάσαντο; πόσης οὐκ ἦν τιμωρίας ἄξιον; Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ὡς τὰ μέγιστα ἠδικημένοι, οὕτω τοὺς προσαιτοῦντας ὑβρίζομεν, ἀποστρεφόμεθα. Οὐ δίδως· τί καὶ λυπεῖς; Νουθετεῖτε, εἶπεν, ὡς ἀδελφοὺς, οὐχ ὑβρίζετε ὡς ἐχθρούς. Ὁ τὸν ἀδελφὸν νουθετῶν, οὐ δημοσίᾳ τοῦτο ποιεῖ, οὐκ ἐκπομπεύει τὴν ὕβριν, ἀλλὰ ἰδίᾳ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς προσοχῆς, καὶ ἀλγῶν, καὶ δακνόμενος, καὶ δακρύων καὶ ὀδυρόμενος. Ἀπὸ ἀδελφικῆς τοίνυν παρέχωμεν τῆς διανοίας, ἀπὸ ἀδελ 62.496 φικῆς νουθετῶμεν τῆς προαιρέσεως· μὴ ὡς ἀλγοῦντες ἐπὶ τῷ διδόναι, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀλγοῦντες ἐπὶ τῷ ἐκεῖνον παραβαίνειν τὴν ἐντολήν. Ἐπεὶ τί τὸ κέρδος; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μετὰ τὸ δοῦναι ὑβρίζεις, λυμαίνῃ τῇ τῆς δόσεως ἡδονῇ· ὅταν δὲ μήτε δῷς καὶ ὑβρίσῃς, πόσον οὐκ εἰργάσω κακὸν τὸν ἄθλιον ἐκεῖνον καὶ ταλαίπωρον; Προσῆλθεν ὡς ἐλεηθησόμενος παρὰ σοῦ· λαβὼν δὲ καιρίαν τὴν πληγὴν ἀπῆλθε, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐδάκρυσεν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἀναγκάζηται διὰ τὴν ἔνδειαν προσαιτεῖν, διὰ δὲ τὸ προσαιτεῖν ὑβρίζηται, ὅρα πόση τῶν ὑβριζόντων ἔσται ἡ τιμωρία· Ὁ ἀτιμάζων πένητα, φησὶ, παροξύνει τὸν ποιήσαντα αὐτόν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι· αὐτὸς αὐτὸν ἀφῆκε πένεσθαι διὰ σὲ, ἵνα σὺ ἔχῃς θεραπεύειν σαυτὸν, καὶ σὺ τὸν διὰ σὲ πενόμενον ὑβρίζεις; πόσης ἀγνωμοσύνης ταῦτα; πόσης ἀχαριστίας τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον; Νουθετεῖτε, φησὶν, ὡς ἀδελφούς. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ δοῦναι νουθετεῖν ἐκέλευσεν· ὅταν δὲ καὶ χωρὶς τοῦ διδόναι ὑβρίζωμεν, τίς ἡμῖν ἔσται ἀπολογία; Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Κύριος τῆς εἰρήνης δῴη ὑμῖν τὴν εἰρήνην διαπαντὸς ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ. Ὅρα πῶς, ὅταν τὰ πρακτέα ὑπαγορεύῃ, ἐπισημαίνεται αὐτὰ τῇ εὐχῇ, καθάπερ τινὰ σήμαντρα τῶν ἀποτεθέντων, τιθεὶς τὴν δέησιν καὶ τὴν ἱκετηρίαν. ∆ῴη ὑμῖν, φησὶ, τὴν εἰρήνην ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τούτων εἰκὸς μάχας γίνεσθαι, ἐκείνων τε τραχυτέρων γινομένων, τούτων τε οὐκέτι ὁμοίως τοῖς τοιούτοις παρεχόντων, εἰκότως τοῦτο ἐπηύξατο νῦν, ∆ῴη ὑμῖν εἰπὼν τὴν εἰρήνην διαπαντός. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ ζητούμενον, ὥστε ἀεὶ ἔχειν αὐτήν. Τί ἐστιν, Ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ; Πανταχόθεν βούλεται εἰρηνεύειν, ὥστε μηδαμόθεν ἔχειν φιλονεικίας ἀφορμήν. Πανταχοῦ γὰρ εἰρήνη καλὸν, ὅπου γε καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω· ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγοντος· Εἰ δυνατὸν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν, μετὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰρηνεύετε. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω πρὸς τὸ κατορθῶσαι ἃ βουλόμεθα ἐπιτήδειον, ὡς τὸ εἰρηναῖον καὶ ἀτάραχον, ὡς τὸ ἀπεχθείας ἀπηλλάχθαι ἁπάσης, καὶ