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you work slander against brothers. Therefore, let such a one, being corrected by these examples, cherish the harmony of the Spirit, which he harmonized for himself in the first swaddling clothes of the heavenly birth. For if it should happen that one of the fingers on the hand suffer something grievous, the other will not immediately strive to be cut off; but it will first shun the pain of the cutting, and then it will also steadfastly remain, so as to contribute the need of the one in danger to the body, and so that the hand, having been deprived of its natural branches, might not be entirely stripped of its proper and fitting adornment. Transfer, therefore, the example to the ascetic, and consider how much pain and disorder he works for sensitive souls by his cutting off, and how he declares himself dead and without a share in life. But that the leader would not choose to lead his own disciple into wickedness, so that the wicked guidance of the teacher becomes a pretext for the disciple for separation and apostasy, let us consider, if you please, in this way. What is a father? What is a teacher? Each is a trainer of children. For the one has been zealous to pray for and plan better things for his child, and the other for his disciple. For it is the nature of fathers to pray that their children become as good and prudent as possible, most orderly and most moderate, so that the children might be well-reputed, and the fathers might become more glorious by the reference to them of the child's good deeds; and it is the concern of trainers also that those exercised by them become most valiant and most skillful, so that, having made their contest outstanding in strength and experience, they might be shown forth as brilliant victors over their opponents, and that their lawful contest might become a clear praise for their guides. And it is the nature of everyone who has chosen to teach to wish that his students arrive at the most accurate comprehension of the teachings. Since, therefore, the nature of fathers holds this principle, how would the instructor of holiness not also pray that the one instructed by him be shown to be most guileless and most sound-minded in spiritual wisdom? although clearly knowing that, when the disciple has become such, he will be of good repute among men, and from Christ he will receive brilliant crowns, as having made His servants, or rather to say, brothers, since Christ also chose this, worthy of intimacy with Him through his own care And let us consider another thing, how, if the disciple should become wicked because of his guidance, the instructor will have inconsolable shame at the ecumenical festival at the time of the 31.1401 judgment, and in the presence of the public assembly of the heavenly ones he will not only be ashamed, but also punished. From where, then, will it arise that a leader would not wish his own companion to become orderly and gentle? And in other ways too the wickedness of the disciple is unprofitable to the teacher. For since each chose a life together with the other, whatever wickedness the disciple partakes of, he first gives a share of its fruits to the teacher; just as venomous serpents first inject their venom into those who warm them; so that it is clear from every side, both from the nature of things, and from what is profitable to the leader, that he will pray, and in every way strive, that the one being instructed under him become gentle and orderly. For if he were a trainer for vice and wickedness, he would surely have been zealous to lead those being trained by him to this end; but if he is an instructor of virtue and righteousness, I do not think he would choose for the outcome for his disciple to turn out contrary to his own zealous efforts. Every reasonable pretext, therefore, for one wishing to be separated from a spiritual community has been removed. But the cause for such an opinion was shown to be for him the incontinence of the passions, and disregard for labors, and the unsound and unstable nature of his judgment. For this one has not heard from the prophet David that, Blessed are they that keep judgment; they that keep, not they that destroy. These are

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ἀδελφῶν ἐργάζῃ διαβολήν. Ὥστε σωφρονισθεὶς ὁ τοιοῦτος τοῖς ὑποδείγμασι, στεργέτω τὴν ἁρμονίαν τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἣν ἑαυτῷ περὶ τὰς πρώτας σπαργανώσεις τῆς οὐρανίου κυή σεως συνηρμόσατο. Οὔτε γὰρ, εἰ συμβαίη ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἕνα τῶν δακτύλων παθεῖν τι τῶν ἀνιαρῶν, ἤδη καὶ ὁ ἕτερος ἐκτμηθῆναι φιλονεικήσει· ἀλλὰ φεύξεται μὲν πρῶτον τὸ ἀλγεινὸν τῆς τομῆς, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ στεῤῥῶς παραμενεῖ, ὥστε καὶ τὴν τοῦ κινδυνεύοντος ἀντεισφέρειν χρείαν τῷ σώματι, καὶ μὴ πάντη τὴν χεῖρα τῶν φυσικῶν κλάδων ἀφαιρεθεῖσαν ἀποσυλη θῆναι τοῦ οἰκείου κόσμου καὶ προσφυοῦς. Μετένεγκε τοίνυν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀσκητὴν τὸ ὑπόδειγμα, καὶ σκόπησον ὅσον ἄλγος καὶ ἀκοσμίαν ταῖς αἰσθητικαῖς ψυχαῖς τῇ ἀποκοπῇ κατεργάζεται, καὶ ὅπως ἑαυτὸν νεκρὸν καὶ ζωῆς ἀμέτοχον ἀποφαίνει. Ὅτι δὲ ὁ ἀφηγούμενος οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτο τὸν αὐτῷ μαθητευόμενον πρὸς πονηρίαν ἐνάγειν, ὥστε τὴν πονηρὰν ἀγωγὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου πρόφασιν τῷ μαθητῇ χωρισμοῦ γενέσθαι καὶ ἀπο στάσεως, οὕτως, εἰ δοκεῖ, σκεψώμεθα. Τί μὲν πατήρ; τί δὲ διδάσκαλος; Παιδοτρίβης ἑκάτερος. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ τῷ παιδὶ, ὁ δὲ τῷ μαθητῇ εὔχεσθαί τε τὰ κρείττονα καὶ βουλεύεσθαι διεσπούδακε. Φύσις μὲν γὰρ πατρά σιν εὔχεσθαι τοὺς παῖδας ὡς βελτίστους καὶ φρονι μωτάτους γενέσθαι, κοσμιωτάτους τε καὶ μετριωτά τους, ἵνα οἱ μὲν παῖδες εὐδοκιμοῖεν, οἱ δὲ πατέρες εὐκλεέστεροι γένοιντο τῇ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἀναφορᾷ τῶν καλῶν τοῦ παιδός· σπουδὴ δὲ καὶ παιδοτρίβαις ἀλκιμωτάτους τε καὶ τεχνικωτάτους τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀσκουμένους γενέσθαι, ἵνα, ῥώμῃ καὶ ἐμπειρίᾳ περι δέξιον τὸ ἀγώνισμα ποιησάμενοι, λαμπροὶ νικηταὶ τῶν ἀντιπάλων ἀποδειχθῶσι, καὶ ἡ τούτων ἔννομος ἄθλησις τῶν καθηγουμένων σαφὴς ἔπαινος γέ νηται. Φύσις δὲ παντὶ τῷ διδάσκειν προῃρημένῳ τὸ θέλειν εἰς ἀκριβεστάτην κατάληψιν ἀφικέσθαι τῶν διδαγμάτων τοὺς μαθητάς. Τῆς τοίνυν τῶν πατέρων φύσεως τοῦτον ἐπεχούσης τὸν λόγον, πῶς οὐκ ἂν καὶ ὁ τῆς ὁσιότητος παιδευτὴς τὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ παιδευόμενον εὔξαιτο ἀκακώτατόν τε καὶ σωφρονέ στατον τὴν πνευματικὴν σοφίαν ἀποδειχθῆναι; καί περ σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενος, ὅτι, τοιούτου γενομένου τοῦ μαθητοῦ, καὶ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις εὐκλεὴς ἔσται, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λαμπροὺς ὑποδέξεται τοὺς στεφάνους, ὡς τοὺς οἰκέτας αὐτοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ εἰπεῖν, ἀδελφοὺς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτο Χριστὸς εἵλετο, ἀξίους τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν οἰκειώσεως διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐπιμελείας ἀπεργασάμενος Καὶ ἕτερον δὲ σκοπῶμεν, ὡς, εἰ φαῦλος ὁ μαθη τὴς γένοιτο παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀγωγὴν, αἰσχύνην ἀπαρ ηγόρητον ἕξει ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκουμενικῆς κατὰ τὸν τῆς 31.1401 κρίσεως καιρὸν πανηγύρεως ὁ ὑφηγούμενος, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ πανδήμου τῶν οὐρανίων ἀθροίσματος οὐκ αἰσχυνεῖται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κολασθήσεται. Πόθεν οὖν ἐγγενήσεται τὸ μὴ οὐχὶ θελῆσαι τὸν καθηγού μενον κόσμιόν τε καὶ ἐπιεικῆ γενέσθαι τὸν οἰκεῖον ὁμιλητήν; Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ ἀλυσιτελὴς τῷ διδασκάλῳ ἡ τοῦ μαθητοῦ πονηρία. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὴν πρὸς ἀλ λήλους ἑκάτερος συμβίωσιν εἵλοντο, ἧς ἂν μετά σχῃ πονηρίας ὁ μαθητὴς, τῶν ταύτης καρπῶν πρῶ τον μεταδίδωσι τῷ διδασκάλῳ· ὥσπερ τὰ ἰοβόλα τῶν ἑρπετῶν τοῖς θάλπουσι πρῶτον ἐνίησι τὸν ἰόν· ὡς εἶναι πάντοθεν δῆλον, ἔκ τε τῆς φύσεως τῶν πραγμάτων, ἔκ τε τοῦ λυσιτελοῦντος τῷ ἄγοντι, ὅτι εὔξεται, καὶ πάντα τρόπον σπουδάσει, ἐπιεικῆ τε καὶ κόσμιον τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῷ παιδευόμενον καταστῆναι. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἦν κακίας καὶ πονηρίας ἀλείπτης, πρὸς τοῦτο πάντως ἄγειν ἂν τὸ πέρας τοὺς παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀσκουμένους ἐσπούδακεν· εἰ δὲ ἀρετῆς καὶ δικαιοσύ νης ἐστὶ παιδευτὴς, οὐκ ἂν ἐναντίον οἶμαι τοῖς οἰκείοις σπουδάσμασι τὸ πέρας ἐπὶ τὸν μαθητευόμενον ἐκβῆναι ἕλοιτο. Ἅπασα τοίνυν πρόφασις εὔλογος τῷ βουλομένῳ χωρίζεσθαι πνευματικοῦ συστήματος περιῄρηται. Αἰτία δὲ αὐτῷ ἀπεδείχθη τῆς τοιαύτης γνώμης ἡ τῶν παθῶν ἀκρασία, καὶ ἡ περὶ τοὺς πόνους ὀλιγωρία, καὶ τὸ τῆς κρίσεως σαθρὸν καὶ ἀβέβαιον. Οὐ γὰρ ἤκουσεν οὗτος παρὰ τοῦ προ φήτου ∆αβὶδ, ὅτι Μακάριοι οἱ φυλάσσοντες κρίσιν· οἱ φυλάσσοντες, οὐχὶ οἱ καταλύοντες. Οὗτοί εἰσιν