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The Apostle's command says: "In diligence not slothful," has the praise of readiness; but for negligence the opposite, that is, lamentation and woe. "For cursed," he says, "is everyone who does the work of the Lord negligently."

QUESTION 25. That the judgment is dreadful for the one who presides who does not reprove the

sinners. RESPONSE. Therefore, let the one entrusted with the common care be so disposed, as one who must give an account for each; knowing that if one of the brethren falls into sin, without him having first declared to him the ordinance of God, or having fallen persists, not having been taught the way of correction, his blood will be required from his hands, as it is written. and especially if he has not overlooked something pleasing to God through ignorance, but through flattery, by conforming to the evils of each, he weakens the strictness of the way of life; "For those who call you blessed," he says, "lead you astray, and confuse the path of your feet." "But he who troubles you shall bear the judgment, whoever he may be." Therefore, that we may not suffer this, we must follow the apostolic rule in our conversation with the brethren. "For we never," he says, "came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. Nor did we seek 31.985 glory from men, neither from you nor from others." He therefore who is pure from these passions would quickly accomplish unerring guidance, both rewarding for himself and saving for his followers. For he who does not practice inoffensiveness toward sinners for the sake of certain human honors in order to be pleasant and agreeable to them, truly in love, with boldness will preach the word without peddling it and with sincerity, not choosing in anything to adulterate the truth; so that the words that follow also apply to him: "But we were gentle among you, as if a nursing mother should cherish her own children, so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls." But he who is not so disposed is a blind guide, casting down both himself and drawing his followers along with him. How great an evil it is, therefore, to become a cause of error to a brother instead of guidance, can be seen from what has been said. And this is a sign that the commandment of love is also unfulfilled; for no father overlooks his own child about to fall into a pit, or having fallen, leaves him in the fall. But how much more dreadful is it for a soul falling into a depth of evils to be abandoned to destruction, what need is there even to say? He is therefore responsible to the brotherhood to watch over their souls, and to be concerned for the salvation of each, as one who will give an account; and to be concerned to such a degree, as to show diligence for them even unto death, not only according to the common word of the Lord's love for all, "That one lay down his life for his friends," but according to the specific word of him who said: "being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls."

QUESTION 26. Concerning committing all things, even the secrets of the heart, to the

one who presides. RESPONSE. But each of those under authority must also, if indeed he is to show noteworthy progress, and to come into a state of life according to the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ, keep no hidden movement of the soul to himself, nor utter any word unexamined, but lay bare the secrets of the heart to those of the 31.988 brethren who have been entrusted to mercifully and compassionately care for the weak. For thus what is praiseworthy is confirmed,

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Ἀποστόλου παράγγελμα λέγοντος· Τῇ σπουδῇ μὴ ὀκνηροὶ, τῆς προθυμίας ἔχει τὸν ἔπαινον· ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἀμελείᾳ τὰ ἐναντία, δηλονότι τὸν ταλανισμὸν καὶ τὸ οὐαί. Ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ, φησὶ, πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου ἀμελῶς.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΚΕʹ. Ὅτι φοβερὸν τὸ κρῖμα τῷ προεστῶτι μὴ ἐλέγ χοντι τοὺς

ἁμαρτάνοντας. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. ∆ιόπερ ὁ τὴν κοινὴν φροντίδα πεπιστευμένος, ὡς ὀφείλων λόγον δοῦναι περὶ ἑκάστου, οὕτω διακεί σθω· εἰδὼς, ὅτι, ἐὰν ἐμπέσῃ εἰς ἁμαρτίαν εἷς τῶν ἀδελφῶν, μὴ προειπόντος αὐτῷ τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ ἐμπεσὼν ἐπιμένῃ, μὴ διδαχθεὶς τὸν τρόπον τῆς διορθώσεως, τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἐκζηθήσεται, καθὼς γέγραπται· καὶ μάλι στα, ἐὰν μὴ δι' ἄγνοιαν παρίδῃ τι τῶν ἀρεσκόντων Θεῷ, ἀλλὰ διὰ κολακείαν συμπεριφερόμενος τοῖς ἑκά στου κακοῖς, τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῆς πολιτείας ἐκλύσῃ· Οἱ γὰρ μακαρίζοντες ὑμᾶς, φησὶ, πλανῶσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὴν τρίβον τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν ταράσσουσιν. Ὁ δὲ ταράσσων ὑμᾶς, βαστάσει τὸ κρῖμα, ὅστις ἂν ᾖ. ∆ιόπερ, ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο πάθωμεν, ἀκολουθητέον ἡμῖν τῷ ἀποστολικῷ κανόνι ἐπὶ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὁμιλίας. Οὔτε γάρ ποτε, φησὶν, ἐν λόγῳ κολακείας ἐγενήθημεν, καθὼς οἴδατε· οὔτε ἐν προφάσει πλεονεξίας, Θεὸς μάρτυς· οὔτε ζη 31.985 τοῦντες ἐξ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν, οὔτε ἀφ' ὑμῶν, οὔτε ἀπ' ἄλλων. Ὁ τοίνυν τούτων τῶν παθῶν καθαρεύων, τάχ' ἂν τὴν ὁδηγίαν ἀπλανῆ, ἑαυτῷ τε ἔμμισθον καὶ τοῖς ἑπομένοις σωτήριον ἐκτελέσειεν. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ διά τι νας τιμὰς ἀνθρωπίνας μήτε τὸ ἀπρόσκρουστον τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἡδὺς αὐτοῖς εἶναι καὶ κεχα ρισμένος ἐπιτηδεύων, ὄντως ἐν ἀγάπῃ, μετὰ παῤ ῥησίας πρεσβεύσει τὸν λόγον ἀκαπηλεύτως καὶ εἰ λικρινῶς, μὴ αἱρούμενος ἐν μηδενὶ δολοῦν τὴν ἀλή θειαν· ὥστε ἁρμόσαι αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς εἰρημένα· Ἀλλ' ἐγενήθημεν ἤπιοι ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν, ὡς, ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα, οὕτως ἱμειρό μενοι ὑμῶν, εὐδοκοῦμεν μεταδοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς. Ὁ δὲ μὴ οὕτως ἔχων ὁδηγός ἐστι τυφλὸς, ἑαυτόν τε κατακρημνίζων, καὶ τοὺς ἑπομέ νους συνεπαγόμενος. Ὅσον μὲν οὖν ἐστι κακὸν ἀντὶ ὁδηγίας πλάνης αἴτιον τῷ ἀδελφῷ γενέσθαι, συνορᾷν ἔξεστιν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων. Σημεῖον δέ ἐστι τοῦτο τοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐντολὴν τῆς ἀγάπης ἀκατόρ θωτον εἶναι· οὐδεὶς γὰρ πατὴρ περιορᾷ τὸ ἑαυτοῦ τέκνον μέλλον καταπίπτειν εἰς βόθυνον, ἢ ἐμπεσὸν ἐναφίησι τῷ πτώματι. Πόσον δὲ δεινότερον ψυχὴν εἰς βάθος κακῶν ἐμπίπτουσαν ἐναφεθῆναι τῇ ἀπω λείᾳ, τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν; Ὑπεύθυνος οὖν ἐστι τῇ ἀδελ φότητι ἀγρυπνεῖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ μερι μνᾷν τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἑκάστου, ὡς λόγον ἀποδώ σων· μεριμνᾷν δὲ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον, ὡς καὶ μέχρι θανάτου τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν σπουδὴν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, οὐ μόνον κατὰ τὸν κοινὸν πρὸς πάντας τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Κυρίου λόγον, Ἵνα τις τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ θῇ ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων αὑτοῦ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἱμειρόμενοι ὑμῶν εὐδοκοῦμεν μετα δοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Κςʹ. Περὶ τοῦ πάντα καὶ τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας ἀνα τίθεσθαι τῷ

προεστῶτι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. ∆εῖ δὲ καὶ τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων ἕκαστον, εἴ γε μέλλοι ἀξιόλογον προκοπὴν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, καὶ ἐν ἕξει τῆς κατὰ τὰ προστάγματα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ζωῆς γενέσθαι, μηδὲν μὲν ψυχῆς κίνημα ἀπόκρυφον φυλάσσειν παρ' ἑαυτῷ, μηδένα δὲ λόγον ἀβασανίστως προΐεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀπογυμνοῦν τὰ κρυπτὰ τῆς καρδίας τοῖς πεπιστευμένοις τῶν 31.988 ἀδελφῶν εὐσπλάγχνως καὶ συμπαθῶς ἐπιμελεῖσθαι τῶν ἀσθενούντων. Οὕτω γὰρ τὸ μὲν ἐπαινετὸν βε βαιοῦται,