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remembering the Lord saying, that He who humbles himself will be exalted. But if it happens that one is diminished and the other excels, 31.1008 it is more beneficial for the weaker to be taken up by the stronger. And how is it not a clear disobedience of the apostolic command, which says: Not each looking to his own things, but each also to the things of others? For I reckon that it is not possible for this to be achieved in division, with each order making the care for those with them its own, but being alienated from the concern for the others, which, as I said, clearly opposes the apostolic command. And of the saints in the Acts it is often testified, concerning whom it is written, sometimes that, The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; and at other times that, All who believed were together, and had all things in common; it is clear that there was no division among them all, nor did each live under his own authority, but all were governed by one and the same care; and this among five thousand in number in all, among whom perhaps there were not a few things that, according to human reasoning, seemed to impede unity. But where those found in each village are so much fewer, what reason permits them to be separated from one another? And would that it were possible not only for those gathered together in the same village to be so, but also for more brotherhoods, established in different places, to be built up under the one care of those who are able to manage impartially and wisely the affairs of all in the unity of the spirit and in the bond of peace.

QUESTION 36. Concerning those who withdraw from a brotherhood. RESPONSE. Those

who have once agreed with one another to the common life, it is not possible to withdraw without cause; because not abiding by what has been decided has two causes, either harm from the common life, or the instability of mind of the one who changes. He therefore who is separated from the brothers because he is being harmed should not hide the cause within himself, but should expose the harm, according to the manner handed down by the Lord, who said: If your brother sins, go, show him his fault, between you and him alone, and so forth. And if what is sought from him is corrected, he has both gained his brothers, and does not dishonor their fellowship; but if he sees 31.1009 them persisting in the evil and not accepting the correction, he shall point it out to those competent to judge such things; and after the testimony of the majority, then let him be separated. And he will be separated no longer from brothers, but from strangers, as the Lord compares one who persists in evil to a Gentile and a tax collector. For let such a one be to you, He says, as a Gentile and a tax collector. But if through his own fickleness he leaps away from the company of the brothers, let him heal his own weakness, or if he does not accept this, let him be unacceptable to the brotherhoods. But if, through a command of the Lord, one is drawn elsewhere, such ones are not separated, but are fulfilling a stewardship. But reason accepts no other cause for the separation of brothers; first, because the name of our Lord Jesus Christ which gathered them together is dishonored; then, because the conscience of each will not be able to be clear toward the other, but they will be suspicious of one another. And this clearly opposes the command of the Lord who said: If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

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μεμνημένος τοῦ Κυ ρίου λέγοντος, ὅτι Ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσε ται. Εἰ δὲ τὸν μὲν ἐλαττοῦσθαι, τὸν δὲ ὑπερ 31.1008 έχειν συμβαίνει, ὠφελιμώτερόν ἐστι προσληφθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰσχυροτέρου τὸν ἀσθενέστερον. Πῶς δὲ καὶ οὐχὶ φανερὰ παρακοή ἐστι τοῦ ἀποστολικοῦ παραγ γέλματος, τοῦ λέγοντος· Μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστοι σκοποῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρων ἕκαστοι; Λο γίζομαι γὰρ μὴ εἶναι δυνατὸν ἐν τῇ διαιρέσει τοῦτο κατορθωθῆναι, ἑκάστου τάγματος τὴν μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν συνόντων μέριμναν ἰδιοποιουμένου, τῆς δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἄλλων φροντίδος ἠλλοτριωμένου, ὅπερ, ὡς εἶπον, σαφῶς ἐναντιοῦται τῷ ἀποστολικῷ παραγγέλματι. Καὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν ἁγίων πολλάκις μαρτυ ρουμένων, περὶ ὧν γέγραπται, ποτὲ μὲν ὅτι, Τοῦ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν καρδία καὶ ψυχὴ μία· ποτὲ δὲ ὅτι, Πάντες οἱ πιστεύσαντες ἦσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, καὶ εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινά· πρό δηλον ὅτι οὐδεμία διάστασις ἦν ἐν τοῖς πᾶσιν, οὔτε ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ ἑαυτοῦ διῆγεν ἕκαστος, ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ μίαν καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν οἱ πάντες ᾠκονομοῦντο φροντίδα· καὶ ταῦτα ἐν ὅλοις πεντακισχιλίοις τὸν ἀριθμὸν, ἐφ' ὧν ἴσως οὐκ ὀλίγα ἦν τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἀνθρώπινον λογισμὸν ἐμποδίζειν δοκοῦντα τῇ συναφείᾳ. Ὅπου δὲ τοσοῦ τον ἐλαττοῦνται οἱ καθ' ἑκάστην κώμην εὑρισκόμε νοι, τίς ἐπιτρέπει λόγος διεστάναι αὐτοὺς ἀπ' ἀλλή λων; Εἴθε δὲ ἦν δυνατὸν μὴ μόνον τοὺς ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ κώμῃ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνηγμένους οὕτως εἶναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείους ἀδελφότητας, ἐν διαφόροις καθεστώσας τό ποις, ὑπὸ μιᾷ φροντίδι τῶν δυναμένων ἀπροσ κλίτως καὶ σοφῶς οἰκονομεῖν τὰ πάντων ἐν τῇ ἑνό τητι τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ τῷ συνδέσμῳ τῆς εἰρήνης οἰκοδομεῖσθαι.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Λςʹ. Περὶ τῶν ἀναχωρούντων ἀπὸ ἀδελφότητος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τούς

γε μὴν ἅπαξ καθομολογησαμένους ἀλλήλοις τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ζωὴν ἀδιαφόρως ἀναχωρεῖν οὐχ οἷόν τε· διότι τὸ μὴ ἐπιμένειν τοῖς δεδογμένοις δύο αἰτίας ἔχει, ἢ τὴν ἐκ τῆς συνοικήσεως βλάβην, ἢ τὸ ἄστα τον τῆς γνώμης τοῦ μεταβαλλομένου. Ὁ μὲν οὖν διὰ τὸ βλάπτεσθαι ἀποσπώμενος ἀδελφῶν μὴ κρυπτέτω καθ' ἑαυτὸν τὴν αἰτίαν, ἀλλ' ἐλεγχέτω τὴν βλάβην, κατὰ τὸν τρόπον τὸν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου παραδοθέντα, εἰπόντος· Ἐὰν ἁμάρτῃ ὁ ἀδελφός σου, ὕπαγε, ἔλεγξον αὐτὸν μεταξὺ σοῦ καὶ αὐτοῦ μόνου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ ἐὰν μὲν διορθωθῇ τὸ ἐπι ζητούμενον παρ' αὐτοῦ, τούς τε ἀδελφοὺς ἐκέρδησε, καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἀτιμάζει· ἐὰν δὲ ἐπι 31.1009 μένοντας αὐτοὺς τῷ κακῷ καὶ μὴ καταδεχομένους τὴν διόρθωσιν ἴδῃ, τοῖς τὰ τοιαῦτα κρίνειν ἱκανοῖς ἐπιδείξει· καὶ μετὰ τὴν τῶν πλειόνων μαρτυ ρίαν τότε χωριζέσθω. Χωρισθήσεται δὲ οὐκέτι ἀδελ φῶν, ἀλλὰ ἀλλοτρίων, τοῦ Κυρίου τὸν ἐπιμένοντα τῷ κακῷ ἐθνικῷ καὶ τελώνῃ συγκρίνοντος. Ἔστω γάρ σοι, φησὶν, ὁ τοιοῦτος ὥσπερ ὁ ἐθνικὸς καὶ ὁ τελώνης. Εἰ δὲ διὰ ἰδίαν κουφότητα ἀποπηδᾷ τῆς συναφείας τῶν ἀδελφῶν, τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἀσθενὲς θε ραπευσάτω, ἢ μὴ καταδεξάμενος, ἀπρόσδεκτος ἔστω ταῖς ἀδελφότησιν. Ἐὰν δὲ διὰ ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυ ρίου ἄλλος ἀλλαχοῦ ἕλκηται, οὐ χωρίζονται οἱ τοιοῦ τοι, ἀλλ' οἰκονομίαν πληροῦσιν. Ἄλλην δὲ αἰτίαν χωρισμοῦ ἀδελφῶν ὁ λόγος οὐ καταδέχεται· πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι τὸ συναγαγὸν ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀτιμάζεται· ἔπειτα δὲ, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἡ συνείδησις ἑκάστου πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον καθαρεύειν δυ νήσεται, ἀλλὰ δι' ὑποψίας ἀλλήλοις ἔσονται. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐναντιοῦται σαφῶς τῷ προστάγματι τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Ἐὰν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, καὶ ἐκεῖ μνησθῇς, ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ· ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ ὕπαγε· πρῶ τον διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου, καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε τὸ δῶρόν σου.