24

the unbearable harm of affection for one's own kin, let us flee care for them, as it is a weapon of the devil. For the Lord Himself forbade such a relationship and attachment, not permitting one of the disciples even just to bid farewell to his own family; 31.1393 and to another, not even to heap earth on the body of his dead father. For to the one wishing to bid farewell to his family, He says: No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of heaven; and to the one asking to bury his father, Follow me, He says, and, Let the dead bury their own dead. And yet both seemed to make most reasonable and just requests; but the Savior did not assent, nor did He permit the nurslings of the kingdom of heaven to be separated from Him even for a moment, lest they should either do or think anything baser than their high and heavenly mind-set, by an inclination toward earthly and fleshly affections, since it is not permitted for those who are heavenly-minded to have any regard for things on earth, as having already been translated and become otherworldly in their mind. But if someone should say: How then does the law command to care for one's own, saying: And you shall not disregard the members of your own seed; and likewise also the Apostle: But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever, we shall offer a brief reply: that the divine Apostle said this to those in the world, to those who have material wealth and are able to relieve the need of their relatives. Likewise also the law says these things, and, to speak more briefly, to the living, not to the dead; for these are not liable for any such debt. But you have died, and have been crucified to the whole world. For having renounced material wealth, you have loved non-possession; and having dedicated yourself to God, you have become a treasure of God. As one dead, you are free from every contribution to your relatives; as one who possesses nothing, you have nothing to supply. And having offered your very body as fruit, and no longer having authority even over that, as it is a votive offering, it is not lawful for you to be for the use of men; but only to live in community with those of like mind, as they too are entirely dedicated to God. Whence then will the aforementioned words of holy Scripture apply to you? Or how will you not sin by annulling your own professions regarding the ascetic life?

CHAPTER 21. That one must not be cut off from the spiritual brotherhood.

But one must also be clearly persuaded of this, that he who has once entered into the bond and

communion of a spiritual brotherhood is not able to be cut off and separated from those to whom he has been joined. For if men, often coming together for a partnership in this material life, 31.1396 would not be able to be separated contrary to their agreements, or he who does this will be liable to the established penalties; much more would he who has entered into a contract of a spiritual life together, which possesses an indissoluble and eternal bond, not be able to divide and cut himself off from those with whom he has been united. Or by doing this, he subjects himself to the most severe penalties from above. For if a woman, who has come into communion with a man and has a fleshly union with him, should be caught plotting against him, she is condemned to death; how much more does he who has been joined in spiritual communion with the Spirit himself as witness and mediator become liable for separation? Just as, therefore, the members of the body, joined by the bond of nature, could not be torn away from the body, or, if one were torn away, the part torn away would become dead; so also an ascetic, being joined to a brotherhood, and by a bond stronger than nature, by the joining of the Spirit

24

περὶ τοὺς οἰκείους διαθέσεως τὴν ἀφόρητον βλάβην, φύγωμεν τὴν περὶ ἐκείνων φροντίδα, ὡς διαβολικὸν ὅπλον ὑπάρχουσαν. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος τὴν τοιαύτην σχέσιν καὶ συνήθειαν ἀπηγόρευσεν, ἑνὶ μὲν τῶν μαθητῶν οὐκ ἐπιτρέψας, οὐδὲ αὐτὸ μόνον τοῖς οἰκείοις συντάξασθαι· ἑτέρῳ 31.1393 δὲ οὐδὲ τῷ σώματι τοῦ πατρὸς τεθνεῶτος γῆν ἐπ αμήσασθαι. Τῷ μὲν γὰρ συντάξασθαι βουλομένῳ τοῖς οἰκείοις φησίν· Οὐδεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπ' ἄροτρον, καὶ βλέπων εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, εὔθετός ἐστιν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν· τῷ δὲ θάψαι τὸν πατέρα παρακαλοῦντι, Ἀκολούθει μοι, φησὶ, καὶ, Ἄφες τοὺς νεκροὺς θάψαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς. Καίτοι ἐδόκουν εὐλογωτάτας καὶ δικαιοτά τας ποιεῖσθαι τὰς δεήσεις ἑκάτεροι· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπένευ σεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀκαρὲς γοῦν ἀφῆκεν αὐτοῦ χωρίζεσθαι τοὺς τροφίμους τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, ἵνα μή τι τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ καὶ οὐρανίου φρονήματος ταπει νότερον ἢ πράξαιεν, ἢ λογίσαιντο τῇ περὶ τὰς γηίνας καὶ σαρκικὰς διαθέσεις ῥοπῇ, ὡς οὐκ ἐξὸν, τοὺς τὰ οὐράνια φρονοῦντας τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἔχειν λόγον τινὰ, ὡς ἤδη μεταστάντας καὶ ὑπερκοσμίους τῇ διανοίᾳ γεγενημένους. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις, ὅτι Πῶς οὖν ὁ νόμος κελεύει τῶν οἰκείων φροντίζειν, λέγων· Καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων τοῦ σπέρματός σου οὐχ ὑπερόψει· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Εἰ δέ τις τῶν ἰδίων, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προνοεῖ, τὴν πίστιν ἤρνηται, καὶ ἔστιν ἀπίστου χείρων, σύντομον τὴν ἀπόκρισιν παρεξόμεθα· ὅτι ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος πρὸς τοὺς βιωτικοὺς, πρὸς τοὺς τὸν ὑλικὸν πλοῦτον ἔχοντας, καὶ δυναμένους παραμυθεῖσθαι τὴν τῶν συγγενῶν ἔνδειαν, τοῦτο εἴρηκεν. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ νόμος ταῦτά φησι, καὶ ἵνα συντομώτερον εἴπω, πρὸς τοὺς ζῶντας, οὐ πρὸς τοὺς τεθνεῶτας· ἀνεύθυνοι γὰρ παντὸς τοιούτου ὀφλήματος οὗτοί γε. Σὺ δὲ τέθνηκας μὲν, καὶ ἐσταύρωσαι τῷ κόσμῳ παντί. Ἀποταξάμενος γὰρ τῷ ὑλικῷ πλούτῳ, τὴν ἀκτησίαν ἠγάπησας· σεαυτὸν δὲ ἀναθεὶς τῷ Θεῷ, κειμήλιον γέγονας τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὡς τεθνεὼς, ἐλεύθε ρος εἶ πάσης τῆς περὶ τοὺς συγγενεῖς εἰσφορᾶς· ὡς ἀκτήμων, οὐδὲν ἔχεις ὃ χορηγήσῃς. Καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ σῶμα καρποφορήσας, καὶ οὐδὲ ἐκείνου λοιπὸν ἔχων τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὡς ἀναθήματος, οὐ θέμις σοι εἰς ἀνθρώπων χρῆσιν εἶναι· μόνοις δὲ τοῖς ὁμοτρόποις ὡς καὶ αὐτοῖς Θεῷ τὸ πᾶν ἀνακειμένοις συμπολι τεύεσθαι. Πόθεν οὖν σοι ἁρμόσει τὰ μνημονευθέντα ῥήματα τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς; ἢ πῶς οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεις τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ὁμολογίας περὶ τὴν ἄσκησιν ἀθετῶν;

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΚΑʹ. Ὅτι οὐ δεῖ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἀδελφότητος ἀποκόπτεσθαι.

Χρὴ μέντοι καὶ τοῦτο πεπεῖσθαι σαφῶς, ὅτι ὁ ἅπαξ εἰς σύνδεσμον καὶ

συνάφειαν ἐλθὼν πνευματι κῆς ἀδελφότητος οὐχ οἷός τ' ἂν ᾖ ἀποκόπτεσθαι καὶ χωρίζεσθαι τούτων, οἷς συνηρμόσθη. Εἰ γὰρ ἄν θρωποι πολλάκις εἰς κοινωνίαν βίου τούτου τοῦ ὑλι 31.1396 κοῦ συνερχόμενοι οὐκ ἂν δύναιντο παρὰ τὰ συμβα θέντα χωρίζεσθαι, ἢ ὁ τοῦτο ποιῶν ἔνοχος ἔσται τοῖς ὡρισμένοις ἐπιτιμίοις· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ εἰς σύμβασιν ἐλθὼν πνευματικῆς συμβιώσεως τῆς ἄλυ τον καὶ αἰώνιον τὴν συνάφειαν κεκτημένης οὐχ οἷός τ' ἂν εἴη μερίζειν καὶ ἀποκόπτειν ἑαυτὸν τού των, οἷς συνεκράθη. Ἢ τοῦτο ποιῶν, βαρυτάτοις ἑαυτὸν τοῖς ἄνωθεν ἐπιτιμίοις ὑποβάλλει. Εἰ γὰρ γυνὴ, ἡ εἰς κοινωνίαν ἀνδρὸς ἀφιγμένη, καὶ σαρκικὴν ἔχουσα τὴν συνάφειαν αὐτοῦ, εἰ τούτῳ ἐπιβου λεύουσα φωραθείη, θανάτῳ καταδικάζεται· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὁ πνευματικῇ κοινωνίᾳ συναρμοσθεὶς ὑπ' αὐτῷ μάρτυρι καὶ μεσίτῃ τῷ Πνεύματι ὑπόδικος ἐπὶ τῷ χωρισμῷ γίνεται; Ὥσπερ οὖν τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος, φύσεως συν ηρτημένα δεσμῷ, οὐκ ἂν τοῦ σώματος ἀποῤῥήγνυ σθαι δύναιτο, ἢ, εἰ ἀποῤῥαγείη, νεκρὸν τὸ ἀποῤῥη γνύμενον γένοιτ' ἄν· οὕτω καὶ ἀσκητὴς ἀδελφότητι συναπτόμενος, καὶ φύσεως ἰσχυροτέρῳ δεσμῷ τῇ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἁρμολογίᾳ