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us our trespasses, as we also forgive our debtors.” If, therefore, you do not forgive those who have sinned, how will you receive the forgiveness of your sins? Do you not, on the contrary, bind yourself, by saying you forgive and not forgiving? You will contradict yourselves with your own mouth, saying you forgive and not forgiving. For know that he who casts out one who has not done wrong, or does not receive one who is returning, murders his brother and sheds blood like Cain did that of his brother Abel, and his blood, crying out to God, will be required. For a just man unjustly murdered by someone will be in rest with God forever, and likewise also he who is vainly excommunicated by the bishop. But he who casts out the innocent as a plague, such a one is more bitter than a murderer, not looking to the mercy of God, nor remembering His goodness toward those who repent, nor taking as examples those who, from a multitude of trespasses, have received forgiveness in repentance. For this reason, he who casts off the innocent is more reckless than a physical murderer. Likewise also he who does not receive those who repent scatters the things of Christ, becoming against Him; for as God is just in judging sinners, so is He merciful in receiving those who return. For the God-loving David sang to Him of mercy and judgment. But it is necessary for you, O bishop, to have before your eyes the things that have gone before and to use them skillfully for the admonition of those needing astringent or exhorting words; furthermore, also in your judging, it is right to follow the will of God, and as God judges those who sin and those who return, so also you should judge in like manner. For did He not, having reproached David who had stumbled, through Nathan, and when he said he repented, immediately deliver him from death, saying, 'Be of good cheer, you shall not die'? Jonah, who did not wish to preach to the Ninevites, He caused to be swallowed by the sea and a great fish, and when he prayed in its belly, did He not bring up his life from corruption? Hezekiah, who for a little while was blinded by pride, when he prayed with tears, did He not release him from the charge? Hear then, O bishops, a useful example for such matters; for it is written in the fourth of Kings and in the second of Chronicles of the days thus: “Manasseh the son of Hezekiah was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Hephzibah. And he did that which was evil in the sight of

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ἡμῖν τὰ παραπτώματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν.» Ἐὰν οὖν μὴ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν, πῶς ὑμεῖς λήψεσθε τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν; Oὐχὶ τοὐναντίον ἑαυτὸν δεσμεύεις, λέγων ἀφιέναι καὶ μὴ ἀφιῶν; Τῷ ἑαυτῶν στόματι ἐναντιωθήσεσθε, λέγοντες ἀφιέναι καὶ μὴ ἀφιέντες. Γινώσκετε γάρ, ὅτι ὁ τὸν μὴ ἀδικήσαντα ἐκβάλλων ἢ τὸν ἐπιστρέφοντα μὴ προσδεχόμενος φονεύει τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ αἷμα ἐκχέει ὡς Καν Ἄβελ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ βοῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐκζητηθήσεται. ∆ίκαιος γὰρ ἀδίκως φονευθεὶς ὑπὸ τινὸς παρὰ Θεῷ ἐν ἀναπαύσει ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ ματαίως ἀφορισθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. Ὁ μέντοι ἐκβάλλων ὡς λοιμὸν τὸν ἀναίτιον, πικρότερος φονέως ὁ τοιοῦτος, οὐκ ἀφορῶν εἰς τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔλεος, οὐδὲ μνημονεύων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς μετανοοῦσιν ἀγαθωσύνην, οὐδὲ λαμβάνων σκοποὺς τῶν τοιούτων τοὺς ἐκ πλήθους παραπτωμάτων ἐν μετανοίᾳ εἰληφότας ἄφεσιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἰταμώτερος σωματικοῦ φονέως ὁ τὸν ἀναίτιον ἀπορρίπτων. Ὡσαύτως καὶ ὁ μὴ προσδεχόμενος τοὺς μετανοοῦντας σκορπίζει τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, κατ' αὐτοῦ γινόμενος· ὡς γὰρ δίκαιός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῷ κρίνειν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς, οὕτως ἐλεήμων ἐν τῷ προσδέ χεσθαι τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας. Ἔλεος γὰρ καὶ κρίσιν ᾖδεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεοφιλὴς ∆αυίδ. Χρὴ δέ σε, ὦ ἐπίσκοπε, πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχειν καὶ τὰ προωδευκότα καὶ ἐμπείρως αὐτοῖς κεχρῆσθαι πρὸς νουθεσίαν τῶν στυπτικῶν ἢ παρακλητικῶν δεομένων λόγων· ἔτι καὶ ἐν τῷ κρίνειν σε δίκαιον τῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξακολουθεῖν θελήματι, καὶ ᾗ ὁ Θεὸς δικάζει τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας καὶ ἐπιστρέφοντας, παραπλησίως καὶ σὲ κρίνειν. Ἢ γὰρ οὐχὶ καὶ τὸν ∆αυὶδ ὀλισθήσαντα ὀνειδίσας διὰ τοῦ Νάθαν καὶ εἰπόντα μετανοεῖν εὐθὺς καὶ τοῦ θανάτου λυτροῦται λέγων· «Θάρσει, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃςή; Ἰωνᾶν μὴ θελήσαντα Νινευί ταις κηρῦξαι ὑπὸ θαλάσσης καὶ κήτους καταποθῆναι ποιήσας, εὐξαμένου ἐν κοιλίᾳ, ἀνήγαγεν ἐκ φθορᾶς τὴν ζωὴν αὐτοῦ; Ἐζεκίαν πρὸς ὀλίγον τυφωθέντα, εὐξάμενον μετὰ δακρύων, ἀφῆκεν τοῦ ἐγκλήματος; Ἀκούσατε δή, ὦ ἐπίσκοποι, πρὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα ὠφέλιμον ὑπόδειγμα· γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν καὶ ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ τῶν Παραλει πομένων τῇ τῶν ἡμερῶν οὕτως· «Μανασσῆς υἱὸς Ἐζεκίου ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτὸν δωδεκαετής, καὶ πεντήκοντα πέντε ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ ὄνομα τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ Ἐψιβά. Καὶ ἐποίησεν τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιον