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the Apostle saying: Doing nothing through partiality, or again, of contentiousness, which, as unfitting for Christians, the same one rejects, saying: If any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God; so that by these things they might diminish the need of those toward whom they are contentious, and exceed for those toward whom they happen to be partial. The one is of hatred of the brethren, the other of partiality, which is most slandered, from which the harmony of the brotherhood that comes from love is torn apart, and evil suspicions, and jealousies, and strifes, and slothfulness toward works enter in their place. Therefore, because of the things said and many other such things that occur, it is necessary for those who dispense what is needed to the brotherhood to be utterly pure from partiality and contentiousness. 31.1001 Moreover, they ought to be conscious of such a disposition in themselves, and to show such zeal, both they themselves and those who perform other work for the service of the brethren, as serving not men, but the Lord himself, who through his great goodness reckons to himself the honor and zeal shown to those dedicated to him, and promises the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven on account of these things. For he says, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." For inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. And conversely, to know the danger of negligence, remembering the one who said: Cursed is everyone who does the work of the Lord negligently. For not only are they cast out of the kingdom, but they also await that dreadful and fearful sentence of the Lord against such persons: Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. And if those who offer care and service find so great a reward for their zeal, and await so great a judgment for their negligence; how great a struggle is needed for those who receive the service, to show themselves worthy of the name of the brethren of the Lord? through the teaching of the Lord, who said: For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother. Since he who has not set forth the will of God as his aim throughout his whole life, so as both in health to show the labor of love through zeal for the works of the Lord, and in sickness to show all patience and long-suffering with joy, is in danger; first and greatest, that he is alienated from the Lord, and from the portion of His brethren, having separated himself by not doing the will of God; and second, that he dares to partake unworthily of the things prepared for the worthy. Wherefore it is necessary in this too to remember the Apostle saying: Working together with him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain; and those who have been called to the place of the brethren of the Lord not to insult such grace of God, nor betray so great a dignity through negligence of the will of God, but rather to obey the same Apostle saying: I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. 31.1004

QUESTION 35. Whether it is right for more than one brotherhood

to be established in the same village. RESPONSE. The example of the members, applied to many things, usefully articulates for us the matter at hand. Since, therefore, the argument has shown that for the body that is to be well and rationally fitted together for every action, there is need of eyes, and a tongue, and the other parts, as many as are necessary and most important, and a soul able to be an eye for many is difficult and hard to find. For if one who is provident, and self-sufficient in speech, and sober, and compassionate, and seeking with a perfect heart

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τοῦ Ἀπο στόλου εἰπόντος· Μηδὲν ποιῶν κατὰ πρόσκλισιν, ἢ πάλιν φιλονεικίας ἣν ὡς ἀνοίκειον Χριστιανοῖς ὁ αὐτὸς ἀποπέμπεται εἰπών· Εἴ τις δοκεῖ φιλόνει κος εἶναι, ἡμεῖς τοιαύτην συνήθειαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, οὐδὲ αἱ Ἐκκλησίαι τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὡς διὰ τούτων τῶν μὲν ὑφαιρεῖσθαι τὴν χρείαν, πρὸς οὓς ἂν φιλονείκως ἔχωσι, τῶν δὲ ὑπερβαλεῖν, οἷς ἂν προσκεκλιμέ νοι τυγχάνωσιν. Ἔστι δὲ τὸ μὲν μισαδελφίας, τὸ δὲ προσπαθείας, τῆς μάλιστα διαβεβλημένης, ἐξ ὧν ἡ μὲν ἐξ ἀγάπης σύμπνοια τῆς ἀδελφότητος δια σπᾶται, ὑποψίαι δὲ πονηραὶ, καὶ ζῆλοι, καὶ ἔριδες, καὶ ὄκνοι πρὸς τὰς ἐργασίας ἀντεισέρχονται. Προσπαθείας μὲν οὖν καὶ φιλονεικίας διά τε τὰ εἰρημένα καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπισυμβαίνοντα καθαρεύειν εἰς ἄκρον ἀναγκαῖον τοὺς τὰ πρὸς τὴν 31.1001 χρείαν ἐπινέμοντας τῇ ἀδελφότητι. ∆ιάθεσίν γε μὴν τοιαύτην ἑαυτοῖς συνειδέναι ὀφείλουσι, καὶ σπουδὴν τοσαύτην ἐπιδείκνυσθαι αὐτοί τε καὶ οἱ τὴν ἄλλην ἐργασίαν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑπηρεσίαν ἐκτε λοῦντες, ὡς οὐκ ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλ' αὐτῷ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐξ υπηρετούμενοι, τῷ διὰ πολλὴν ἀγαθότητα εἰς ἑαυτὸν λογιζομένῳ τὴν εἰς τοὺς ἀνακειμένους αὐτῷ τιμήν τε καὶ σπουδὴν, καὶ βασιλείας οὐρανῶν κλη ρονομίαν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐπαγγελλομένῳ. ∆εῦτε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονο μήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Ὅτι ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου τῆς ἀμελείας γνωρίζειν τὸν κίνδυνον, μεμνημένους τοῦ εἰπόντος· Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου ἀμε λῶς. Ὅτι οὐ μόνον τῆς βασιλείας ἐκβάλλονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φρικώδη καὶ φοβερὰν ἐκεί νην ἐκδέχονται κατὰ τῶν τοιούτων ἀπόφασιν· Πορεύ εσθε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, οἱ κατηραμένοι, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ αἰώνιον, τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ οἱ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν καὶ τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν προσάγοντες τοσοῦτον μὲν τῆς σπουδῆς τὸ κέρδος εὑρίσκουσι, τοσοῦτον δὲ τῆς ἀμελείας τὸ κρῖμα ἐκδέχονται· πόσου ἀγῶνος χρεία τοῖς ὑποδε χομένοις τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν πρὸς τὸ ἀξίους ἑαυτοὺς ἀπο δεῖξαι τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν τοῦ Κυρίου προσηγορίας; διὰ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου διδασκαλίας, εἰπόντος· Ὅστις γὰρ ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, οὗτός μου καὶ ἀδελφὸς καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρ ἐστίν. Ἐπεὶ ὅ γε μὴ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου σκοπὸν προθέμενος, ὥστε καὶ ἐν ὑγείᾳ τὸν κόπον τῆς ἀγάπης διὰ τῆς σπουδῆς τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ἔργων ἐνδείκνυσθαι, καὶ ἐν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ πᾶσαν ὑπομονὴν καὶ μακροθυμίαν μετὰ χαρᾶς ἐπι δείκνυσθαι, κίνδυνον ἔχει· πρῶτον μὲν καὶ μέγιστον, ὅτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἀπηλλοτρίωται, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ μερίδος, διὰ τὸ μὴ ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἑαυτὸν ἀποσχίσας· δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι ἀναξίως μετέχειν τολμᾷ τῶν τοῖς ἀξίοις ἡτοιμασμένων. ∆ιόπερ ἀναγ καῖον καὶ ἐν τούτῳ μεμνῆσθαι τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰπόν τος· Συνεργοῦντες δὲ καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν μὴ εἰς κενὸν τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ δέξασθαι ὑμᾶς· καὶ τοὺς εἰς τόπον ἀδελφῶν τοῦ Κυρίου κληθέντας μὴ καθ υβρίσαι τὴν τοιαύτην τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν, μηδὲ προδοῦναι τὸ τοσοῦτον ἀξίωμα διὰ τῆς ἀμελείας τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ θελημάτων, ὑπακοῦσαι δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ αὐτῷ Ἀπο στόλῳ λέγοντι· Παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ ὁ δέσμιος ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι τῆς κλήσεως, ἧς ἐκλή θητε. 31.1004

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΕʹ. Εἰ χρὴ ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ κώμῃ πλείονας ἀδελφότητας

συγκροτεῖσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὸ ὑπόδειγμα τῶν μελῶν ἐπὶ πολλὰ ἀγομένων χρησίμως ἡμῖν διαρθροῖ τὸ προκείμενον. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔδειξεν ὁ λόγος, ὅτι τῷ μέλλοντι σώματι καλῶς καὶ κατὰ λόγον πρὸς πᾶσαν ἐνέργειαν συνηρμόσθαι χρεία ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ γλώσσης, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν, ὅσα ἀναγ καῖα καὶ κυριώτατα, χαλεπὸν δὲ καὶ δυσεύρετον ψυχὴ δυναμένη εἶναι ὀφθαλμὸς πλειόνων. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ προορατικὸν, καὶ ἐν λόγῳ τὸ αὔταρκες ἔχοντα, καὶ νηφαλέον, καὶ εὔσπλαγχνον, καὶ ἐν τελείᾳ καρδίᾳ ἐκζητοῦντα