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is corrupted by his practices, even if he seems to confess. For, it says, they profess to know God, but by their works they deny Him. Since these things are so, I reckon that the manner of rebuke for such people ought to be different. For the devout man needs, as it were, a localized remedy, and ought to endure the rebuke concerning the very matter in which he erred; but the indifferent man, having corrupted the entire good of his soul, and suffering from the more universal evils, either as a scorner, as I said, or as an unbeliever, ought to be mourned, and admonished, and rebuked, until he can be fully convinced either that God is a righteous judge, and fear, or that God exists at all, and be astounded. And one must know this, that the faults of the devout often happen by dispensation for their benefit; God sometimes allowing a slip for the healing of a previous pride, such as what was said by Peter, and happened to him. 31.1141

QUESTION 82. Since it is written, “Older women as mothers,” if it happens that an older woman sins the same as a younger one, is she subject to the same penalty? RESPONSE. The Apostle taught to honor older women as mothers, as not doing anything worthy of rebuke; but if it should ever happen that an older woman sins the same as a younger one, one must first understand the natural, so to speak, faults of her age; and thus determine the measure of rebuke appropriate for each age. For instance, sloth is almost natural to old age, but not to youth; just as distraction, and turmoil, and insolence, and such things, belong to youth, but not to old age; and seems to be aided by the natural heat in youth. So that the same sin, sloth, for instance, becomes worthy of heavier charges for the younger woman, with nothing excusing her by reason of her age. And the same sin, distraction, or insolence, or turmoil, makes the older woman worthy of greater condemnation, she being aided even by her very age toward gentleness and tranquility. In addition to these things, one must also examine the manner of the sin in the case of each person, and thus apply the fitting manner of healing through the appropriate penalty.

QUESTION 83. If someone, succeeding in many things, should fail in one only, how should we approach him? RESPONSE. As the Lord did Peter.

QUESTION 84. If someone, having a disruptive and turbulent character, and being condemned for this, says that God made some good and others evil, does he speak correctly? RESPONSE. This opinion was long ago condemned as heretical; for it is blasphemous and impious, and makes the soul prone to slip into sin. Therefore, let him either be corrected, or let him be removed from the midst, lest it become: A little leaven corrupts the whole lump. 31.1144

QUESTION 85. If it is necessary to have something of one’s own in a brotherhood. RESPONSE. This is contrary to the testimony in the Acts concerning those who believed, in which it is written: And no one said that any of the things he possessed was his own. He therefore who says that anything is his own has made himself a stranger to the Church of God, and to the love of the Lord, who taught both by word and deed to lay down one’s soul for his friends, not to mention external things.

QUESTION 86. But if someone says, "I neither receive from the brotherhood, nor do I give, but am content with my own," what course shall we take with him? RESPONSE. If he will not endure the teaching of the Lord who said, "Love one another, as I have loved you," let us heed the Apostle who said: "Remove the wicked man from among yourselves;" lest what is said come to pass, "A little leaven corrupts the whole lump."

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ἐπιτηδεύμασι διαφθείρεται, κἂν ὁμολογεῖν δοκῇ. Θεὸν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁμολογοῦσιν εἰδέναι, τοῖς δὲ ἔργοις ἀρνοῦνται. Ὧν οὕτως ἐχόντων, καὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως λογίζομαι εἶναι δεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων διάφορον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ εὐλαβὴς οἱονεὶ τοπικοῦ τινος χρῄζει τοῦ βοηθήματος, καὶ περὶ αὐτὸ τὸ πρᾶγμα, εἰς ὃ ἐσφάλη, τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν ὑποστῆναι ὀφείλει· ὁ δὲ ἀδιάφορος, ὅλον ὁμοῦ τὸ ψυχῆς καλὸν διαφθείρας, καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ τῶν κακῶν καθολικώτερα νοσῶν, ἢ ὡς καταφρονητὴς, ὥσπερ εἶπον. ἢ ὡς ἄπιστος, καὶ πενθεῖσθαι, καὶ νουθετεῖσθαι, καὶ ἐπιτιμᾶσθαι ὀφεί λει, μέχρις ἂν πληροφορηθῆναι δυνηθῇ, ἢ ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς κριτὴς δίκαιος, καὶ φοβηθῇ, ἢ ὅτι ὅλως ἔστι Θεὸς, καὶ καταπλαγῇ. Κἀκεῖνο δὲ εἰδέναι χρὴ, ὅτι τὰ ἐλατ τώματα τῶν εὐλαβῶν γίνεται πολλάκις καὶ κατ' οἰ κονομίαν πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον· τοῦ Θεοῦ συγχωροῦντος ἐνίοτε ὀλισθῆσαι εἰς θεραπείαν ἐπάρσεως προ λαβούσης, οἷόν ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Πέτρου εἰρημένον, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένον. 31.1141

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΠΒʹ. Ἐπειδὴ γέγραπται, «Πρεσβυτέρας ὡς μητέρας,» ἐὰν συμβῇ τὴν πρεσβυτέραν ἁμαρτῆσαι τὸ αὐτὸ τῇ νεωτέρᾳ, εἰ τῷ αὐτῷ ὑπόκειται ἐπι τιμίῳ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ μὲν Ἀπόστολος πρεσβυτέρας ὡς μητέρας τι μᾷν, ὡς οὐκ ἐπιτιμήσεως ἄξιόν τι ποιούσας, ἐδίδα ξεν· εἰ δὲ συμβαίη ποτὲ τὴν πρεσβυτέραν τὸ αὐτὸ ἁμαρτῆσαι τῇ νεωτέρᾳ, καταμανθάνειν δεῖ πρῶτον μὲν τὰ φυσικὰ, ἵνα οὕτως εἴπω, τῆς ἡλικίας ἐλατ τώματα· καὶ οὕτω τὸ προσῆκον ἑκατέρᾳ τῇ ἡλικίᾳ μέτρον τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως ὁρίζειν. Οἷον φυσικόν ἐστι σχεδὸν τῷ γήρᾳ ὁ ὄκνος, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ τῇ νεότητι· ὥσπερ ὁ μετεωρισμὸς, καὶ ὁ τάραχος, καὶ ἡ θρα σύτης, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, τῇ νεότητι, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ τῷ γήρᾳ· καὶ δοκεῖ βοηθεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῆς ἐν τῇ νεότητι φυσικῆς θερμότητος. Ὥστε τὸ αὐτὸ ἁμάρτημα, ὁ ὄκνος, εἰ τύχοι, βαρυτέρων ἐγκλημάτων ἄξιον τῇ νεωτέρᾳ γίνεται, οὐδὲν ὑπὸ παραιτουμένης τῆς ἡλικίας. Καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἁμάρτημα, ὁ μετεωρισμὸς, ἢ τὸ θράσος, ἢ ὁ τάραχος μείζονος ἀξίαν καταγνώ σεως τὴν πρεσβυτέραν ποιεῖ, βοηθουμένην καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῆς τῆς ἡλικίας πρὸς τὸ πρᾶον καὶ ἤρεμον. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ τὸν τρόπον τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος χρὴ ἐξετάζειν ἐφ' ἑκατέρου προσώπου, καὶ οὕ τω τὸν ἁρμόζοντα τρόπον τῆς θεραπείας διὰ τοῦ οἰ κείου ἐπιτιμίου προσάγειν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΠΓʹ. Ἐάν τις, τὰ πολλὰ κατορθῶν, ἐν ἑνὶ μόνῳ διαπταίῃ, πῶς αὐτὸν παρέλθωμεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὡς τὸν Πέτρον ὁ Κύριος.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Π∆ʹ. Ἐάν τις, ἦθος ἔχων θορυβοποιὸν καὶ ταραχῶδες, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ καταγινωσκόμενος, λέγῃ, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησε τοὺς μὲν καλοὺς, τοὺς δὲ κακοὺς, εἰ καλῶς λέγει. ΛΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦτο τὸ φρόνημα πάλαι ὡς αἱρετικὸν κατεγνώ σθη· καὶ γὰρ βλάσφημόν ἐστι καὶ ἀσεβὲς, καὶ πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν εὐόλισθον τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπεργάζεται. Ὥστε ἢ διορθωθήτω, ἢ ἐξαρθήτω ἐκ μέσου, ἵνα μὴ γένηται· Μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον τὸ φύραμα δολοῖ. 31.1144

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΠΕ. Εἰ χρὴ ἔχειν τι ἴδιον ἐν ἀδελφότητι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦτο ἐναντίον ἐστὶ τῆς ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι περὶ τῶν πιστευσάντων μαρτυρίας, ἐν αἷς γέγραπται· Καὶ οὐδείς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι. Ὁ οὖν λέγων ἴδιόν τι εἶναι, ἑαυτὸν ἀλλότριον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας κατέστησε, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἀγάπης, τοῦ διδάξαντος καὶ λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ τιθέναι ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων, οὐχ ὅτι γε τὰ ἐκτός.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Πʹ Ἐὰν δὲ λέγῃ τις, ὅτι Οὔτε λαμβάνω παρὰ τῆς ἀδελφότητος, οὔτε δίδωμι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἀρ κοῦμαι, τί πρὸς τοῦτον παραφυλάξομεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὴ ἀνέχοιτο τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου διδασκαλίας εἰ πόντος, Ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἐγὼ ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς, ἀνασχώμεθα τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰπόντος· Ἐξάρατε τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν· ἵνα μὴ γένη ται τὸ, Μικρὰ ζύμη ὅλον φύραμα δολοῖ.