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but those things as is fitting for them. But if anyone, being stubborn, despises it, let him hear Christ saying even now: If your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone; but if he does not listen, take with you one or two more; but if he also resists in this way, tell it to the Church; but if he also refuses to listen to the Church, let him be to you as a Gentile 63.45 and a tax collector. But if He commands us to turn away thus from one who sins against me, when he will not be persuaded; one who sins against himself; and how ought I to feel towards God, you judge; for you condemn us for not dealing gently with you. But if anyone despises the bonds imposed by us, let Christ Himself teach him again, saying, Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. For even if we are wretched and of no account and worthy of being despised, as indeed we are worthy, yet we do not avenge ourselves, nor do we defend ourselves in anger, but we are concerned for your salvation. Be ashamed, I beseech you, and be abashed; for if anyone bears with a friend who comes on more strongly than is necessary, considering his purpose, and that he does this out of good will and not out of arrogance; much more a teacher who rebukes, and a teacher who does not say these things on his own authority, nor as in the rank of a ruler, but as in the rank of a guardian. For we do not say these things because we wish to display authority; For how could we, who pray not even to have to make trial of it? but grieving and being distressed for your sakes. Forgive us, then, and let no one despise ecclesiastical bonds; for it is not a man who binds, but Christ who has given us this authority, and who makes men lords of so great an honor. For we wish to use the authority for loosing; or rather, we wish to have no need even of this; for we wish no one to be a prisoner among us; we are not so wretched and miserable, even if we are utterly of no account. But if we should be compelled, forgive us; for not willingly nor by our own wish, but rather grieving for you who are bound, do we cast the bonds about you. But if anyone should despise these things, the time 63.46 of judgment will know how to teach him. And the rest I do not wish to say, lest I wound your mind. For we, in the first place, pray not to come to this necessity; but if we should come to it, we fulfill our duty, we cast about the bonds. But if anyone should break these, I have done my part, and am henceforth without responsibility, and the reckoning will be for you with Him who commanded me to bind. For if, while a king is presiding, one of the attendant guards were ordered to bind one of those in the ranks and to cast the bonds upon him, and that person not only pushed him away, but also broke the bonds, it is not the guard who has suffered the insult, but much more the king who gave the order. For if He makes His own the things done to the faithful, when you insult those appointed to teach, much more will He be disposed as being insulted Himself. But may it not happen that anyone of this church should come to the necessity of these bonds. For just as it is good not to sin, so it is useful to bear rebuke. Let us bear the reproof, therefore, and let us be zealous not to sin; but if we should sin, let us bear the rebuke. For just as it is good not to be wounded, but if this should happen, it is useful for the medicine to be applied to the wound; so also here. But may it not be that anyone should need such medicines; But we are persuaded of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this way. And we have spoken more vehemently for the sake of greater security. For it is better for me to be suspected by you as someone rash and harsh and stubborn, than for you to do things not pleasing to God. But we trust in God, that this rebuke will not be without profit to you, but that you will be so changed, that these words may be spent on your encomiums, and on praises. And may it be that you live according to what is pleasing to God, so that we all may be deemed worthy to attain

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ἐκείνας δὲ ὡς ἐκείναις προσῆκόν ἐστιν. Εἰ δέ τις ἀπαυθαδιαζόμενος καταφρονεῖ, ἀκουέτω τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος καὶ νῦν· Ἐὰν ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σὲ, ὕπαγε, ἔλεγξον αὐτὸν μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου· εἰ δὲ μὴ πείθοιτο, παράλαβε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ ἕνα ἢ δύο· εἰ δὲ καὶ οὕτως ἀντιλέγοι, εἰπὲ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ· εἰ δὲ καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας παρακούσειεν, ἔστω σοι ὡς ὁ ἐθνι 63.45 κὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης. Εἰ δὲ τὸν εἰς ἐμὲ ἁμαρτάνοντα, ἐπειδὰν μὴ πείθοιτο, οὕτως ἀποστρέφεσθαι κελεύει· τὸν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα· καὶ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν πῶς ἔχειν ὀφείλω, ὑμεῖς κρίνατε· ὑμεῖς γὰρ ἡμῶν καταγινώσκετε οὐ μαλακῶς προσφερομένων ἡμῖν. Εἰ δέ τις καταφρονεῖ τῶν δεσμῶν τῶν παρ' ἡμῶν, πάλιν αὐτὸν ὁ Χριστὸς παιδευέτω λέγων. Ὅσα ἂν δήσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται δεδεμένα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ· καὶ ὅσα ἂν λύσητε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἔσται λελυμένα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ταλαίπωροι καὶ οὐδαμινοὶ καὶ τοῦ καταφρονεῖσθαι ἄξιοι, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἄξιοι, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦμεν, οὐδὲ ὀργὴν ἀμυνόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας φροντίζομεν. Αἰδέσθητε, παρακαλῶ, καὶ ἐντράπητε· εἰ γὰρ φίλον τις φέρει, σφοδρότερον τοῦ δέοντος ἐπιφερόμενον, τὸν σκοπὸν ἐξετάζων, καὶ ὅτι εὐνοϊκῶς, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀλαζονευόμενος τοῦτο ποιεῖ· πολλῷ μᾶλλον διδάσκαλον ἐπιπλήττοντα, καὶ διδάσκαλον οὐδὲ αὐτὸν ἐξ αὐθεντίας ταῦτα λέγοντα, οὐδὲ ὡς ἐν τάξει ἄρχοντος, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐν τάξει κηδεμόνος. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξουσίαν ἐπιδείξασθαι βουλόμενοι, ταῦτα λέγομεν· Πῶς γὰρ οἱ μηδὲ εἰς πεῖραν αὐτῶν ἐλθεῖν εὐχόμενοι; ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἀλγοῦντες καὶ κοπτόμενοι. Σύγγνωτε δὴ, καὶ μηδεὶς καταφρονείτω τῶν δεσμῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ δεσμῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην ἡμῖν δεδωκὼς, καὶ κυρίους ποιῶν ἀνθρώπους τῆς τοσαύτης τιμῆς. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὸ λύειν βουλόμεθα κατακεχρῆσθαι τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τούτου, ἀνάγκην ἔχειν βουλόμεθα· οὐδένα γὰρ βουλόμεθα εἶναι δεσμώτην παρ' ἡμῖν· οὐχ οὕτως ἐσμὲν ἄθλιοι καὶ ταλαίπωροι, εἰ καὶ σφόδρα οὐδαμινοί τινές ἐσμεν. Εἰ δὲ ἀναγκασθείημεν, σύγγνωτε· οὐ γὰρ ἑκόντες οὐδὲ βουλόμενοι, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ὑμῶν τῶν δεδεμένων ἀλγοῦντες, τὰ δεσμὰ περιβάλλομεν. Εἰ δέ τις καταφρονοίη τούτων, ἐπιστή 63.46 σεται ὁ τῆς κρίσεως καιρὸς ὁ διδάσκων αὐτόν. Τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν οὐ βούλομαι εἰπεῖν, ἵνα μὴ πλήξω τὴν διάνοιαν ὑμῶν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ πρῶτον μὲν εὐχόμεθα εἰς ἀνάγκην μὴ ἐλθεῖν· εἰ δὲ ἔλθοιμεν, τὸ ἑαυτῶν πληροῦμεν, περιβάλλομεν τὰ δεσμά. Εἰ δέ τις διαῤῥήξειε ταῦτα, ἐγὼ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ πεποίηκα, καὶ ἀνεύθυνός εἰμι λοιπὸν, ὁ δὲ λόγος ἔσται σοι πρὸς τὸν ἐμοὶ κελεύσαντα δῆσαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ, βασιλέως προκαθημένου, τῶν δορυφόρων τῶν παρεστώτων τις ἐκελεύσθη δῆσαί τινα τῶν ἐν τῇ τάξει καὶ τὰ δεσμὰ περιβαλεῖν, ἐκεῖνος δὲ οὐ μόνον ἀπώσαιτο τοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ συντρίψειε τὰ δεσμὰ, ὁ δορυφόρος ἐστὶν ὁ τὴν ὕβριν πεπονθὼς, ἀλλ' ὁ βασιλεὺς πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ κελεύσας. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ εἰς τοὺς πιστοὺς γινόμενα αὐτὸς οἰκειοῦται, ὅταν τοὺς εἰς τὸ διδάσκειν τεταγμένους ὑβρίζητε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὡς αὐτὸς ὑβριζόμενος διακείσεται. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτό τινα τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ταύτης εἰς ἀνάγκην τῶν δεσμῶν τούτων ἐλθεῖν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν καλόν· οὕτω τὸ φέρειν ἐπιτίμησιν χρήσιμον. Φέρωμεν τοίνυν τὴν ἐπίπληξιν, καὶ σπουδάζωμεν τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν· εἰ δὲ ἁμάρτοιμεν, φέρωμεν τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ καλὸν μὲν τὸ μὴ πλήττεσθαι, εἰ δὲ τοῦτο γένοιτο, τὸ φάρμακον ἐπιτεθῆναι τῇ πληγῇ χρήσιμον· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτό τινα τῶν τοιούτων δεηθῆναι φαρμάκων· Πεπείσμεθα δὲ περὶ ὑμῶν τὰ κρείττονα, καὶ ἐχόμενα σωτηρίας, εἰ καὶ οὕτω λαλοῦμεν. Σφοδρότερον δὲ διελέχθημεν ὑπὲρ πλείονος ἀσφαλείας. Βέλτιον γὰρ ἐμὲ θρασύν τινα καὶ ἀπηνῆ καὶ αὐθάδη ὑποπτεύεσθαι παρ' ὑμῶν, ἢ ὑμᾶς τὰ τῷ Θεῷ μὴ δοκοῦντα ποιεῖν. Πιστεύομεν δὲ τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνόνητος ὑμῖν αὕτη ἡ ἐπιτίμησις ἔσται, ἀλλ' οὕτω μεταβληθήσεσθε, ὡς τούτους τοὺς λόγους εἰς τὰ ὑμέτερα ἐγκώμια ἀναλίσκεσθαι, καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἐπαίνους. Γένοιτο δὲ ὑμᾶς βιοῦν κατὰ τὸ δοκοῦν τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα καταξιωθῶμεν ἅπαντες τυχεῖν