[After What Manner We Ought to Receive a Penitent; How We Ought to Deal with Offenders, and When They are to Be Cut Off from the Church. ]

XLI. But if any one returns, and shows forth the fruit of repentance, then do ye receive him to prayer, as the lost son, the prodigal, who had consumed his father’s substance with harlots, who fed swine, and desired to be fed with husks, and could not obtain it. This son, when he repented, and returned to his father, and said, “I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son;”  191  Luke xv. 21. the father, full of affection to his child, received him with music, and restored him his old robe, and ring, and shoes, and slew the fatted calf, and made merry with his friends. Do thou therefore, O bishop, act in the same manner. And as thou receivest an heathen after thou hast instructed and baptized him, so do thou let all join in prayers for this man, and restore him by imposition of hands to his ancient place among the flock, as one purified by repentance; and that imposition of hands shall be to him instead of baptism: for by the laying on of our hands the Holy Ghost was given to believers. And in case some one of those brethren who had stood immoveable accuse thee, because thou art reconciled to him, say to him: “Thou art always with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet to make merry and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” For that God does not only receive the penitent, but restores them to their former dignity, holy David is a sufficient witness, who, after his sin in the matter of Uriah, prayed to God, and said: “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.”  192  Ps. li. And again: “Turn Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine offences. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my inward parts. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.” Do thou therefore, as a compassionate physician, heal all that have sinned, making use of saving methods of cure; not only cutting and searing, or using corrosives, but binding up, and putting in tents, and using gentle healing medicines, and sprinkling comfortable words. If it be an hollow wound, or great gash, nourish it with a suitable plaister, that it may be filled up, and become even with the rest of the whole flesh. If it be foul, cleanse it with corrosive powder, that is, with the words of reproof. If it have proud flesh, eat it down with a sharp plaister—the threats of judgment. If it spreads further, sear it, and cut off the putrid flesh, mortifying him with fastings. But if, after all that thou hast done, thou perceivest that from the feet to the head there is no room for a fomentation, or oil, or bandage, but that the malady spreads and prevents all cure, as a gangrene which corrupts the entire member; then, with a great deal of consideration, and the advice of other skilful physicians, cut off the putrefied member, that the whole body of the Church be not corrupted. Be not therefore ready and hasty to cut off, nor do thou easily have recourse to the saw, with its many teeth; but first use a lancet to lay open the wound, that the inward cause whence the pain is derived being drawn out, may keep the body free from pain. But if thou seest any one past repentance, and he is become insensible, then cut off the incurable from the Church with sorrow and lamentation. For: “Take out from among yourselves that wicked person.”  193  Deut. xvii. 7. And: “Ye shall make the children of Israel to fear.”  194  Lev. xv. 31. And again: “Thou shalt not accept the persons of the rich in judgment.”  195  Deut. i. 17; Lev. xix. 15. And: “Thou shalt not pity a poor man in his cause: for the judgment is the Lord’s.”  196  Ex. xxiii. 3.

[41] Εἰ δέ τις ἐπιστραφεὶς μετανοίας καρπὸν ἐπιδείξηται, τότε καὶ εἰς προσευχὴν εἰσδέξασθε αὐτόν, ὡς τὸν υἱὸν τὸν ἀπολωλότα, τὸν ἄσωτον, τὸν μετὰ πορνῶν μειώσαντα τὴν πατρικὴν οὐσίαν, τὸν χοίρους βόσκοντα καὶ κερατίων ἐμπλησθῆναι ἐπιθυμοῦντα καὶ μὴ τυγχάνοντα, μεταγνόντα καὶ παλινδρομήσαντα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ εἰπόντα: »Ἥμαρτον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος καλεῖσθαι υἱός σου«, μετὰ μουσικῶν ὁ φιλότεκνος πατὴρ προσελάβετο, καὶ τὴν ἀρχαίαν στολὴν καὶ τὸν δακτύλιον καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα ἀποδούς, σφάξας τε τὸν σιτευτὸν μόσχον ηὐφραίνετο μετὰ τῶν φίλων. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ σὺ ποίει, ὦ ἐπίσκοπε: ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τὸν ἐθνικὸν λούσας εἰσδέχῃ μετὰ τὴν διδασκαλίαν, οὕτω καὶ τοῦτον χειροθετήσας, ὡς ἂν μετανοίᾳ κεκαθαρμένον, πάντων ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ προσευχομένων, ἀποκαταστήσεις αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἀρχαίαν αὐτοῦ νομήν, καὶ ἔσται αὐτῷ ἀντὶ τοῦ λούσματος ἡ χειροθεσία: καὶ γὰρ διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐδίδοτο τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τοῖς πιστεύουσιν. Κἄν τις τῶν μὴ σεσαλευμένων ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ ἐγκαλέσῃ σοι, ὅτι δὴ κατηλλάγης αὐτῷ, εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτόν: »Σὺ πάντοτε μετ' ἐμοῦ εἶ, καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ πάντα σά ἐστιν: εὐφρανθῆναι δὲ ἔδει καὶ χαρῆναι, ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου οὗτος νεκρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησεν, ἀπολωλὼς καὶ εὑρέθη.« Ὅτι γὰρ οὐ μόνον προσδέχεται ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς μετανοοῦντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὴν προτέραν ἀξίαν ἀποκαθίστησιν, ἱκανὸς μάρτυς ὁ ἅγιος Δαυίδ, ὃς μετὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν Οὐρίαν ἁμαρτίαν ηὔχετο τῷ Θεῷ λέγων: »Ἀπόδος μοι τὴν ἀγαλλίασιν τοῦ σωτηρίου σου, καὶ πνεύματι ἡγεμονικῷ στήριξόν με«, καὶ πάλιν: »Ἀπόστρεψον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας μου ἐξάλειψον: καρδίαν καθαρὰν κτίσον ἐν ἐμοί, ὁ Θεός, καὶ πνεῦμα εὐθὲς ἐγκαίνισον ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις μου: μὴ ἀπορρίψῃς με ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμά σου τὸ ἅγιον μὴ ἀντανέλῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ.« Καὶ σὺ οὖν ὡς συμπαθὴς ἰατρὸς τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας πάντας θεράπευε, χρώμενος σωτηρίοις πρὸς βοήθειαν ἀγωγαῖς, μὴ μόνον τέμνων ἢ καίων ἢ ξήρια προσφέρων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιδεσμῶν καὶ μοτῶν καὶ ἐνιεὶς γλυκέα φάρμακα ἐπουλωτικὰ καὶ καταβρέχων λόγοις παρακλητικοῖς. Ἐὰν δὲ κοῖλον ᾖ τὸ τραῦμα, θρέψον αὐτὸ δι' ἐμπλάστρων, ἵνα γεμισθὲν ἶσον τῷ ἀρτίῳ ἀποτελεσθῇ: ἐὰν δὲ ῥυπανθῇ, τότε κάθαρον ξηρίῳ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν λόγῳ ἐπιτιμητικῷ: ἐὰν δὲ ὑπέρογκον γένηται, δριμεῖ κολλυρίῳ ἐξομάλισον αὐτό, ἀπειλῇ κρίσεως: κἂν νομὴ γένηται, καυτηρίασον αὐτὸ καὶ τὴν σηπεδόνα ἔκκοψον, στιβώσας νηστείαις. Ἐὰν δὲ ταῦτα ποιήσῃς καὶ γνῷς ὅτι ἀπὸ ποδῶν ἕως κεφαλῆς οὐκ ἔστι μάλαγμα ἐπιθεῖναι οὔτε ἔλαιον οὔτε καταδέσμους, ἀλλ' ἐπεκτείνεται ἡ νομὴ καὶ προλαμβάνει πᾶσαν ἴασιν, ὡς ἡ γάγγραινα πᾶν μέλος σήπουσα, τότε μετὰ πολλῆς σκέψεως καὶ συμβουλίας καὶ ἑτέρων ἰατρῶν ἐμπείρων ἀπόκοψον τὸ διασαπὲν μέλος, ἵνα μὴ τὸ πᾶν φθαρῇ σῶμα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Μὴ ῥᾳδίως οὖν ἴσθι πρόχειρος εἰς τὸ ἀποκόπτειν, μηδὲ ταχέως εἰς τὸν μυριόδοντα πρίονα ὅρμα, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον χρῶ σμίλῃ, τὰ ἀποστήματα διαιρῶν, ὅπως τὸ ἐντὸς ἐγκείμενον αἴτιον τῶν πόνων ποιῶν ἐκκριθὲν ἀναλγὲς τὸ σῶμα τηρήσῃ. Ἐὰν δέ τινα ἀμετανοήτως ἔχοντα βλέπῃς καὶ ἀπεσκληκότα, τότε μετὰ λύπης καὶ πένθους ἀνιάτως ἔχοντα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀπόκοπτε: »Ἐξαρεῖτε γὰρ τὸν πονηρὸν ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν«, καί: »Εὐλαβεῖς ποιήσατε τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ«, καὶ πάλιν: »Οὐ λήψῃ πρόσωπον ἐν κρίσει πλουσίου«, καί: »Πένητα οὐκ ἐλεήσεις ἐν κρίσει, ὅτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ κρίσις.«