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QUESTION 31. That one must accept the service from the superior.

Indeed, the many must also accept the bodily service offered by those who seem to be foremost in the brotherhood. For the principle of humility both subjects the greater to serving, and shows that it is not unfitting for the lesser to be served. For the example of the Lord leads us to this, who did not disdain to wash the feet of his own disciples, while they did not dare to resist this. But also Peter, who at first out of great reverence did not accept it, immediately changed himself to obedience, having been taught the danger that comes from disobedience. Therefore there is no fear for the one who obeys that the aim of humility will be undone for him, when he is at some time served by the greater. For the service is offered to him for the sake of teaching, and more for an active example, or also often for a necessary need. Therefore, in obedience and imitation let humility be shown. And let him not, by being contrary, under the guise of humility, commit a work of pride and arrogance. For contradiction shows self-will and insubordination. It is, therefore, more a proof of pride and contempt, and not of humility and obedience in all things. Wherefore it is necessary to obey him who said: Bearing with one another in love.

QUESTION 32. How one must be disposed toward relatives according to the flesh.

RESPONSE. Indeed, those who have once been received into the 31.996 brotherhood must not be permitted by the superior to be distracted by anything; nor on the pretext of visiting relatives to depart from the brothers and lead an unwitnessed life, nor be allowed to have cares in the protection of their relatives according to the flesh. For altogether the word disapproves of "mine" and "thine" being said in a brotherhood; for, it says, "of all who believed there was one heart and soul, and not one of them said that any of the things which he possessed was his own." Therefore, the parents or brothers of someone according to the flesh, if they live according to God, let them be cared for by all in the brotherhood as common fathers or relatives. For "whoever does," says the Lord, "the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother." And the care of these we judge to belong to the superior of the brotherhood. But if they are entangled in the common life, we have no common cause with them, we who are zealous to achieve what is proper and devoted to the Lord without distraction. For in addition to providing them no benefit, we also fill our own life with noise and disturbance, and draw upon ourselves occasions for sins. But neither is it fitting to receive those who come to visit their former relatives, who despise the commandments of God and scorn the work of piety, as not loving the Lord who said: He who does not love me does not keep my words. What partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? And because one must be especially zealous in every way to remove from those still in the training of right actions the occasions for sin, of which the greatest is the memory of the former life, lest they suffer what was said, that, "They turned in their hearts to Egypt;" which very often happens in continuous conversation with relatives according to the flesh. And in general, one must permit neither a relative nor a stranger to bring any words to the brothers, unless we are persuaded concerning them that they hold their conversations for the building up and perfecting of souls. But if a need should arise for a word with those who have happened upon us, let it be by those who have been entrusted with the gift of the word, as having the ability to speak and hear with knowledge for the building up of the faith; as the Apostle clearly teaches that it is not present in all

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ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΑʹ. Ὅτι δεῖ καταδέχεσθαι τὴν παρὰ τοῦ προεστῶ τος ὑπηρεσίαν.

Χρὴ μέντοι καὶ τὴν σωματικὴν ὑπηρεσίαν παρὰ τῶν προέχειν δοκούντων ἐν τῇ ἀδελφότητι προσαγο μένην τοὺς πολλοὺς καταδέχεσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ τῆς τα πεινοφροσύνης λόγος καὶ τῷ μείζονι τὸ ὑπηρετεῖν ὑποβάλλει, καὶ τῷ ἐλάττονι τὸ ὑπηρετεῖσθαι οὐκ ἀφαρμόζον δείκνυσι. Τὸ γὰρ ὑπόδειγμα τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸς τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ὁδηγεῖ, τοῦ μὲν νίψαι τοὺς πό δας τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῶν μὴ ἀπαξιώσαντος, τῶν δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο μὴ τολμησάντων ἐνστῆναι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ διὰ πολλὴν εὐλάβειαν τὰ πρῶτα μὴ καταδεξάμε νος Πέτρος εὐθέως ἑαυτὸν πρὸς τὴν ὑπακοὴν μετ έβαλε, τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἀπειθείας κίνδυνον διδαχθείς. Οὐκ ἔστιν οὖν φόβος τῷ ὑπηκόῳ, μὴ λυθῇ αὐτῷ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης σκοπὸς, ὑπηρετουμένῳ ποτὲ παρὰ τοῦ μείζονος. ∆ιδασκαλίας γὰρ αὐτῷ ἕνεκεν, καὶ ὑποδείγματος ἐνεργοῦς μᾶλλον, ἢ καὶ χρείας πολλάκις ἀναγκαίας ἡ ὑπηρεσία προσάγεται. Ἐν οὖν τῇ ὑπακοῇ καὶ τῇ μιμήσει τὸ ταπεινὸν ἐπιδεικνύ σθω. Καὶ μὴ ἀντιδιατιθέμενος, σχήματι ταπεινο φροσύνης, ὑπερηφανίας ἔργον καὶ ἀλαζονείας ποιεί τω. Ἡ γὰρ ἀντιλογία τὸ αὐτοκρατορικὸν καὶ τὸ ἀνυπότακτον δείκνυσι. Φυσιώσεως οὖν μᾶλλον καὶ καταφρονήσεως ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ταπεινό τητος καὶ τῆς ἐν πᾶσιν ὑπακοῆς. ∆ιόπερ ἀναγκαῖον πείθεσθαι τῷ εἰπόντι· Ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων ἐν ἀγάπῃ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΒʹ. Πῶς δεῖ πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα οἰκείους δια κεῖσθαι.

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Χρὴ μέντοι τοὺς ἅπαξ παραδεχθέντας εἰς τὴν 31.996 ἀδελφότητα μὴ ἐπιτρέπεσθαι παρὰ τοῦ προεστῶτος πρὸς μηδὲν ἀπομετεωρίζεσθαι· μηδὲ προφάσει οἰκείων ἐπισκέψεως ἀναχωρεῖν τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ ἀμάρτυρον ζωὴν διάγειν, μήτε φροντίδας συγχω ρεῖσθαι ἔχειν ἐν τῇ προστασίᾳ τῶν συγγενῶν κατὰ σάρκα. Ὅλως μὲν γὰρ ἀποδοκιμάζει ὁ λόγος τὸ ἐμὸν καὶ τὸ σὸν ἐν ἀδελφότητι λέγεσθαι· Ἦν γὰρ, φησὶ, πάντων τῶν πιστευσάντων καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία· καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι. Οἱ οὖν κατὰ σάρκα τινὸς γονεῖς, ἢ ἀδελφοὶ, εἰ μὲν κατὰ Θεὸν ζῶσιν, ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀδελφότητι ὡς κοινοὶ πατέρες ἢ οἰκεῖοι θερα πευέσθωσαν. Ὅστις γὰρ ἂν ποιῇ, φησὶν ὁ Κύριος, τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, οὗ τος ἀδελφός μου καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρ ἐστί. Καὶ τούτων δὲ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν διαφέρειν δοκιμάζομεν τῷ προεστῶτι τῆς ἀδελφότητος. Εἰ δὲ ἐμπεπλεγμέ νοι εἰσὶ τῷ κοινῷ βίῳ, οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν κοινὸς πρὸς αὐ τοὺς λόγος, τοῖς τὸ εὔσχημον καὶ εὐπάρεδρον τῷ Κυ ρίῳ ἀπερισπάστως κατορθοῦν ἐσπουδακόσι. Πρὸς γὰρ τῷ ἐκείνοις μηδὲν παρέχειν ὄφελος, ἔτι καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ζωὴν θορύβων καὶ ταραχῆς πληροῦμεν, καὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ἀφορμὰς ἐπισπώμεθα. Ἀλλὰ οὐδὲ ἐρχομένους εἰς ἐπίσκεψιν τῶν ποτὲ οἰκείων, τοὺς καταφρονοῦντας τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἔργον τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐξουθενοῦντας, ἀκόλουθον παρα δέχεσθαι, ὡς οὐκ ἀγαπῶντας τὸν Κύριον τὸν εἰπόντα· Ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν με τοὺς λόγους μου οὐ τηρεῖ. Τίς δὲ μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀνομίᾳ; ἢ τίς μερὶς πιστῷ μετὰ ἀπίστου; Καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα δεῖ παντὶ τρόπῳ σπουδάζειν περιαιρεῖν τῶν ἔτι ἐν γυμνασίᾳ τῶν κατορθωμάτων τὰς πρὸς τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἀφορμὰς, ὧν μεγίστη ἐστὶν ἡ μνήμη τοῦ προτέρου βίου, μήποτε πάθωσι τὸ εἰρημένον ὅτι, Ἐστράφησαν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν εἰς Αἴγυπτον· ὅπερ ἐν τῇ συνεχεῖ ὁμιλίᾳ τῶν κατὰ σάρκα οἰκείων ὡς τὰ πολλὰ γίνεται. Καθόλου δὲ οὔτε οἰκεῖον οὔτε ξένον ἐπιτρέπειν χρὴ λόγους τινὰς προσάγειν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, ἐὰν μὴ πεισθῶμεν περὶ αὐτῶν, ὅτι πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν καὶ καταρτισμὸν τῶν ψυχῶν ποιοῦνται τὰς διαλέξεις. Εἰ δὲ χρεία γένοιτο λόγου πρὸς τοὺς ἅπαξ συνεμπεσόντας, παρὰ τῶν πεπιστευμένων τὸ τοῦ λόγου χάρισμα γινέσθω, ὡς ἐχόντων δύναμιν μετ' ἐπιστήμης εἰπεῖν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς πίστεως· σαφῶς τοῦ Ἀποστόλου διδάσκοντος μὴ πᾶσι παρεῖναι