30

the ordinances of God, precision seeks out the superior of the brotherhood, how is it possible to find many such in the same village? But if it should ever happen that two or three are found, which is not easy nor have we ever known it; it is much better for these to share the responsibility with each other and to lighten the labor; so that during the absence of the one, or his business, or in some other circumstances, as it happens that the one superior is separated from the brotherhood, the other may be a consolation for the loss; or if not this, to go to another brotherhood in need of a guide. And experience of external affairs can also help us much for the proposed purpose. Therefore, just as those experienced in common trades are jealous of their rivals, since the matter itself is by nature, secretly, to produce contentions; so too in such a life, for the most part, it happens to be. For beginning from competing in what is good and striving to surpass one another, either in hospitality, or in increasing the number of those practicing together, or in some other such works, they proceed to fall into rivalries. Then for the visiting brothers much uncertainty happens to arise and difficulty instead of rest, as they divide their thought as to with whom they should lodge; for the preference is painful, and to satisfy both is impossible, and especially when they happen to be in a hurry; and for those who from the beginning approach to live together, they will cause much distress, as to which superiors they should choose for their own life, and in choosing some, they will certainly reject the rest 31.1005 Therefore, it happens that they are harmed by pride from the very first, not shaping themselves for learning, but becoming accustomed to be judges and testers of the brotherhood. Therefore, since there is admittedly no good in the division of dwellings, but so many things to the contrary, to be separated from one another is completely unprofitable. But if it should happen that something has been preconceived, one must hasten toward its correction, and especially after the experience of harmful things. To persist in the judgment is clear contentiousness. But if any one seems to be contentious, says the Apostle, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God. For what reason will they say they are hindered from union? Is it because of needs? But they are much more well-provided in community, with one lamp, and one hearth, and all such things being able to suffice for all. For one must, if anything else, also pursue ease in these things in every way, reducing the possessions of necessities to a minimum. Then also of those from outside who bring needs to the brotherhood, in division there is need of more, but in living together, of half. And how difficult it is to find a man who does not shame the name of Christ, but who makes his dealings with outsiders on his journeys worthy of his profession, is known to you before my words. Then how can those who persist in division edify those in the common life, either driving them toward peace, if ever there should be need, or exhorting them to the other commandments, when they furnish evil suspicions against themselves by not being united? And in addition to these things we hear the Apostle writing to the Philippians, that Fulfill my joy, that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, doing nothing through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves; not looking to his own things, but each also to the things of others. What greater proof of humility is there, then, than for the superiors of the brotherhood to be subject to one another? For if they are equal in spiritual gifts, the joint contest is more beautiful. Just as, therefore, the Lord Himself showed us, sending them out two by two; and one of them will certainly choose with joy to be subject to the other,

30

τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸν προεστῶτα τῆς ἀδελφότητος ἐπιζητεῖ ἡ ἀκρίβεια, πῶς δυνατὸν ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ κώμῃ τοιούτων πλειόνων ἐπιτυχεῖν; Εἰ δὲ καὶ συμβαίη ποτὲ εὑρεθῆναι δύο ἢ τρεῖς, ὅπερ οὐκ εὔκολον οὐδὲ ἔγνωμέν ποτε· πολλῷ βέλτιον κοινω νεῖν ἀλλήλοις τοῦ φροντίσματος τούτους καὶ ἐπικου φίζειν τὸν πόνον· ὡς ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἄλλου ἀποδημίᾳ, ἢ ἀσχολίᾳ, ἢ ἐν ἄλλαις τισὶ περιστάσεσι, καθὼς χωρίζεσθαι συμβαίνει τῆς ἀδελφότητος τὸν ἕνα τὸν προεστῶτα, εἶναι τὸν ἕτερον εἰς παραμυθίαν τῆς ἀπολείψεως· ἢ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο, ἀπιέναι εἰς ἄλλην ἀδελ φότητα δεομένην τοῦ ὁδηγήσοντος. Πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν ἔξωθεν πραγμάτων πεῖρα εἰς τὸν προκείμενον σκοπὸν ὠφελεῖν ἡμᾶς δύναται. Ὡς οὖν καὶ οἱ τῶν κοινῶν τεχνῶν ἔμπειροι ζηλοτύπως ἔχουσι πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιτέχνους, αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος, κατὰ τὸ λαν θάνον, τὰς φιλονεικίας ἐμποιεῖν πεφυκότος· οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τοιαύτης ζωῆς, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ, συμβαίνει γίνε σθαι. Ἀρχόμενοι γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ διαμιλλᾶσθαι εἰς τὸ καλὸν καὶ σπουδάζειν ἀλλήλους ὑπερβαλέσθαι, ἢ ἐν ταῖς ξενοδοχίαις, ἢ ἐν τῇ αὐξήσει τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῶν συνασκουμένων, ἢ ἐν ἄλλοις τισὶ τοιούτοις ἔρ γοις, προϊόντες εἰς ἐριθείας ἐκπίπτουσιν. Εἶτα τοῖς μὲν ἐπιδημοῦσι τῶν ἀδελφῶν πολλὴν ἀμφιβολίαν συμβαίνειν γίνεσθαι καὶ δυσκολίαν ἀντὶ ἀναπαύσεως, μεριζομένοις τὸν λογισμὸν, πρὸς τίνας χρὴ καταχθῆ ναι· ἥ τε γὰρ προτίμησις λυπηρὰ, καὶ τὸ ἀμφοτέ ρους πληροφορῆσαι ἀδύνατον, καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν ἐπει γόμενοι τυγχάνωσι· τοῖς δὲ ἐξ ἀρχῆς προσιοῦ σιν εἰς τὸ συζῇν πολλὴν ἀδημονίαν παρέξουσι, τίνας δεῖ προεστῶτας τῆς ἑαυτῶν ζωῆς ἑλέσθαι, καὶ πάντως ἐκ τοῦ τινας αἱρεῖσθαι, τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀπο δοκιμάζειν 31.1005 Εὐθὺς οὖν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης εἰς ἔπαρσιν συμβαίνει βλάπτεσθαι, οὐχὶ τυποῦντας ἑαυτοὺς εἰς μάθησιν, ἀλλ' ἐθιζομένους κριτὰς καὶ δοκιμαστὰς τῆς ἀδελφότητος γίνεσθαι. Ὁπότε τοίνυν ἀγαθὸν μὲν οὐδὲν ὁμολογούμενόν ἐστιν ἐν τῇ διαιρέσει τῶν οἰκή σεων, τὰ δὲ ὑπεναντία τοσαῦτα, τὸ χωρίζεσθαι ἀπ' ἀλλήλων παντελῶς ἀσύμφορον. Εἰ δὲ προειλῆφθαί τινα συμβαίη, ἐπείγεσθαι χρὴ πρὸς τὴν διόρθω σιν, καὶ μάλιστα μετὰ τὴν πεῖραν τῶν βλαβερῶν. Τὸ δὲ ἐπιμένειν τῇ κρίσει φιλονεικία σαφής. Εἰ δέ τις δοκεῖ φιλόνεικος εἶναι, φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, ἡμεῖς τοιαύτην συνήθειαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, οὐδὲ αἱ Ἐκκλη σίαι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν φήσουσιν εἰς τὴν συνάφειαν κωλύεσθαι; Πότερον χρειῶν; Ἀλλὰ πολλῷ εὐπορώτεραί εἰσιν ἐν τῇ κοινωνίᾳ, ἑνὸς λύχνου, καὶ μιᾶς ἑστίας, καὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐπαρκέσαι δυναμένων. Χρὴ γὰρ, εἴπερ τι ἕτερον, καὶ τὴν ἐν τούτοις εὐχέρειαν μεταδιώκειν ἐκ παντὸς τρό που, ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλαττον τὰς κτήσεις τῶν ἀναγκαίων συστέλλοντας. Ἔπειτα καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν τὰς χρείας ἐπεισαγόντων τῇ ἀδελφότητι, ἐν μὲν τῇ διαιρέσει πλειόνων χρεία, ἐν δὲ τῇ συνοικήσει τῶν ἡμίσεων. Ὅπως δὲ δύσκολόν ἐστιν εὑρεθῆναι ἄνδρα μὴ καται σχύνοντα τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀλλ' ἀξίαν τοῦ ἐπαγγέλματος τὴν τῶν ἔξωθεν συντυχίαν ἐν ταῖς ἀποδημίαις ποιούμενον, γνώριμον ὑμῖν πρὸ τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων. Εἶτα οἱ ἐπιμένοντες τῇ διαστάσει πῶς δύναν ται τοὺς ἐν τῷ κοινῷ βίῳ οἰκοδομεῖν, ἢ πρὸς εἰρήνην συνελαύνοντες, εἴ ποτε δέοι, ἢ πρὸς τὰς ἄλλας ἐντολὰς παρακαλοῦντες, ὑπονοίας πονηρὰς ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ἡνῶσθαι καθ' ἑαυτῶν παρεχόμενοι; Καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ἀκούομεν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου γράφοντος Φιλιππησίοις, ὅτι Πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν, ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες, σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες, μηδὲν κατ' ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν· μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν σκοποῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων ἕκαστοι. Τίς οὖν μείζων ἀπόδειξις ταπεινοφροσύνης τοῦ ἀλλήλοις ὑποταγῆναι τοὺς προεστῶτας τῆς ἀδελ φότητος; Εἴτε γὰρ ἴσοι εἰσὶν ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς χαρίσμασι, κάλλιόν ἐστιν ἡ συνάθλησις. Ὥσπερ οὖν ὑπέδειξεν ἡμῖν αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος, ἀνὰ δύο δύο ἀπο στείλας· καὶ ὁ ἕτερος αὐτῶν αἱρήσεται πάντως μετὰ χαρᾶς ὑποτετάχθαι τῷ ἑτέρῳ,