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he hears you, take with you one or two more. But if he does not listen to them, the sickness of his soul is to be made known to the superior; and if he does not listen to the superior, he is to be regarded as a Gentile and a tax collector, and as a sheep seized by a plague, he is to be kept from the flock, so that he may not infect the rest with the disease. But if there is no one who is harmed by the evil example, then only will long-suffering toward him, even after what has been said, have a place, in the hope of his correction. Long-suffering, however, is in not cutting him off, not in not admonishing and disciplining him with lawful penances.

CHAPTER 30. That the ascetic ought not to seek a selection of clothing or footwear.

Indeed, with regard to clothing or footwear, not to seek the choice ones, but to choose the more humble, so that in this way also we may demonstrate humility, and not bear the reputation of being dandies, and selfish, and unbrotherly. For he who desires the first place is separated from love and humility. CHAPTER 31. That the superior ought to assign tasks in proportion to the strength of the body; and concerning those who hide their own strength. Indeed, the superior must take care, lest, by making the commandments greater than the strength of the body, he might provoke the one who is weak to contradiction; but as a father equally well-disposed and genuine to all, he must consider the strengths of each one's body, and thus distribute and allot 31.1421 the tasks. Indeed, those who deny the strength of body they possess, given from God, and who are shameless toward their superiors, and do not yield to the tasks assigned, will have the greatest judgment. For if it brings great and unbearable danger to the superior to hide the talent of the word, and not to forewarn each one of the coming sword for sin, how much more danger will it bring to the one who receives from God the strength of body for the benefit of the community, and makes it idle and hides it.

CHAPTER 32. That the brothers ought not to be grieved when the weaker ones are deemed worthy of forbearance.

Indeed, the brothers are not to be grieved and indignant, when the superior entrusts fitting ministries to the weaker ones, and deems them worthy of forbearance, as need suggests; but the stronger are to spare those in need of forbearance as weaker members, and in this way fulfill spiritual love. For neither would the foot in the body rise up against the hand, or force it into its own service, nor will the whole hand place the burden of its own work upon the smallest finger; but each of the members exercises the power it has received from nature, supporting the weaker ones. When this order is preserved in a spiritual community, it will be shown that we are truly the body of Christ, and members in part, always preserving the harmony of connection and the peaceful union with one another.

CHAPTER 33. That superiors ought not to grant freedom of speech to ascetics who have apostatized from their own community, or to receive them into the fellowship of life.

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ἀκούσῃ, παράλαβε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ ἔτι ἕνα ἢ δύο. Εἰ δὲ μήτε αὐτοῖς πείθοιτο, τῷ προεστῶτι τὸ νόσημα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ γνώριμον γενέσθαι· εἰ δὲ μήτε τοῦ προεστῶτος ἀνά σχοιτο, ὡς τὸν ἐθνικὸν καὶ τὸν τελώνην λελογίσθαι αὐτὸν, καὶ ὡς πρόβατον λοιμῷ κεκρατημένον τῆς ποίμνης εἴργεσθαι, ὡς ἂν μὴ καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς τοῦ νοσήματος ἀναπλήσειεν. Εἰ δὲ μηδεὶς εἴη ὁ τῷ πο νηρῷ βλαπτόμενος ὑποδείγματι, τότε μόνον ἡ ἐπ' αὐτῷ καὶ μετὰ τὰ εἰρημένα μακροθυμία χώραν ἕξει ἐλπίδι τῆς διορθώσεως. Μακροθυμία δὲ, ἡ ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ ἀποκόπτειν, οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ μὴ νουθετεῖν καὶ παιδεύειν τοῖς ἐννόμοις ἐπιτιμίοις.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Λʹ. Ὅτι οὐ χρὴ ἐνδυμάτων ἢ ὑποδημάτων ἐκλογὴν ἐπιζητεῖν τὸν

ἀσκητήν. Ἐνδυμάτων μέντοι ἢ ὑποδημάτων μὴ τὰ ἐκλεκτὰ ἐπιζητεῖν, ἀλλ' αἱρεῖσθαι τὰ

εὐτελέστερα, ἵνα καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐπιδειξώμεθα, καὶ μὴ καλλωπιστῶν, καὶ φιλαύτων, καὶ ἀφιλαδέλφων δόξαν ἀπενεγκώμεθα. Ὁ γὰρ τῶν πρωτείων ἐφιέμε νος ἀγάπης καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης κεχώρισται. ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΛΑʹ. Ὅτι δεῖ τὸν προεστῶτα ἀνάλογα τῆς τοῦ σώμα τος δυνάμεως ὁρίζειν τὰ ἐπιτεταγμένα· καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀποκρυβόντων τὴν ἑαυτῶν δύναμιν. Τὸν μέντοι προεστῶτα προσέχειν χρὴ, ὅπως ἂν μὴ, τῆς τοῦ σώματος δυνάμεως μείζονα τὰ ἐπιτά γματα ποιησάμενος, πρὸς ἀντιλογίαν τὸν ἀτονοῦντα διερεθίσῃ· ἀλλ' ὡς πατὴρ ἅπασιν ὁμοίως εὔνους καὶ γνήσιος, ἑκάστου τὰς δυνάμεις ἐπισκοπεῖσθαι τοῦ σώματος, καὶ οὕτως ἐπινέμειν καὶ διακληροῦ 31.1421 σθαι τὰ ἐπιτάγματα. Κρῖμα μέντοι μέγιστον ἕξουσιν οἱ τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν τοῦ σώματος δύναμιν καὶ παρὰ Θεοῦ δεδομένην ἀρνούμενοι, καὶ καταναισχυντοῦντες τῶν προεστώτων, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιτασσομένοις οὐκ εἴ κοντες. Εἰ γὰρ τῷ προεστῶτι κίνδυνον μέγαν καὶ ἀνυπόστατον φέρει τὸ ἀποκρύψαι τοῦ λόγου τὸ τά λαντον, καὶ μὴ ἑκάστῳ προμηνῦσαι τὴν ἐρχομένην ἐπὶ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ῥομφαίαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἴσει κίν δυνον τῷ λαμβάνοντι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμιν σώμα τος εἰς λυσιτέλειαν τοῦ κοινοῦ, καὶ ταύτην καταρ γοῦντι καὶ ἀποκρύπτοντι.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΛΒʹ. Ὅτι οὐ δεῖ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς λυπεῖσθαι, τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων

φειδοῦς ἀξιουμένων. Μὴ μέντοι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς λυπεῖσθαι καὶ ἀγανα κτεῖν, ἐπειδὰν τοῖς

ἀσθενεστέροις ὁ προεστὼς τὰς ἁρμοζούσας ἐγχειρίζοι διακονίας, καὶ φειδοῦς ἀξιώσῃ τούτους, οὕτω τῆς χρείας εἰσηγουμένης· ἀλλὰ τοὺς δυνατωτέρους ὡς μελῶν ἀσθενεστέρων φείδεσθαι τῶν δεομένων φειδοῦς, καὶ ταύτῃ τὴν πνευ ματικὴν ἀγάπην πληροῦν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ ποῦς ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς χειρὸς κατεξανασταίη, ἢ καὶ ταύτην εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν διακονίαν βιάσοιτο, οὐδὲ ἡ χεὶρ σύμ πασα τῷ μικροτάτῳ δακτύλῳ τῆς οἰκείας ἐνεργείας ἐπιθήσει τὸ ἄχθος· ἀλλ' ἕκαστον τῶν μελῶν ἣν ἔλαχε παρὰ τῆς φύσεως δύναμιν, ταύτην ἐνεργεῖ διαβα στάζων τὰ ἀσθενέστερα. Ταύτης τῆς τάξεως ἐν πνευματικῷ συστήματι φυλασσομένης, δειχθήσεται, ὅτι ὄντως ἐσμὲν σῶμα Χριστοῦ, καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους, τὴν ἁρμονίαν τῆς συναφείας καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀστασίαστον ἕνωσιν διαπαντὸς φυλάττοντες.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ΛΓʹ. Ὅτι οὐ χρὴ τοὺς προεστῶτας τοῖς ἀποστατοῦσι τοῦ οἰκείου

ἀθροίσματος ἀσκηταῖς παῤῥησίας μεταδιδόναι, ἢ τούτους εἰς κοινωνίαν βίου δέχεσθαι.