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is of one who is zealous to work night and day, so that he may have something to share with the one in need. Since he who hopes in himself, or in the one who has undertaken the care of his needs, and considers either his own work or that of his companion a sufficient resource for living, inasmuch as he has placed his hope in man, is in danger of falling under the curse that says: Cursed is the man who has his hope in man, and will make the flesh of his arm his support, and his soul departs from the Lord; the word, through the phrase, 'Who has his hope in man,' referring to hoping in another; and through the phrase, 'And will make the flesh of his arm his support,' forbidding to trust in oneself; calling each of these an apostasy from the Lord, and stating the end of both, 'For he shall be as the wild 31.1028 tamarisk in the desert; and he shall not see when good things come;' the word showing that to hope in oneself or in another is to fall away from the Lord.

QUESTION 43. The manner concerning work has been sufficiently delivered to us; unless we might be taught to discover something more by the matters themselves. But what sort of men the leaders of the brotherhood ought to be, or how they are to lead their companions, this we ask to be clarified.

RESPONSE It has been spoken, as in summary, concerning this part also; but since you do well to wish for this part to be explained more fully (because such as the one who presides and rules is, such, for the most part, does the one who is ruled tend to become), it is necessary not to pass over it cursorily. The leader, therefore, remembering the Apostle's instruction saying, 'Be an example to the believers,' must offer his own life as a clear example of every commandment of the Lord, so as to leave no pretext for those who are being taught to consider the Lord's commandment impossible or contemptible. First, then, which is the first thing, humility in the love of Christ must be so achieved by him, that even when he is silent, the example from his works may stand forth for instruction, stronger than any word. For if this is the definition of Christianity, the imitation of Christ according to the measure of His incarnation, as befits the calling of each, those entrusted with the guidance of the many ought, through their own mediation, to bring forward those who are yet weaker to the likeness of Christ, according to the blessed Paul who says: 'Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.' It is fitting, therefore, that they themselves first, achieving the measure of humility handed down from our Lord Jesus Christ, should be an exact model. For 'Learn from me,' He says, 'for I am gentle and lowly in heart.' Therefore, gentleness of manner and lowliness of heart should characterize the one who presides. For if the Lord was not ashamed of the service of His own servants, but condescended to be a servant of the earth and clay which He Himself formed and shaped into man ('For I am,' He says, 'among you as one who serves'); what must we do for our equals to think we attain to His imitation? This, then, is one thing that the leader must possess to such a degree. Then, compassionate, and patiently bearing with those who through inexperience fall short in any of their duties, not being silent about their 31.1029 sins, but gently bearing with the unruly and applying remedies to them with all compassion and proportion. And able to find a suitable method of healing for the affliction, not rebuking with arrogance, but admonishing and instructing in gentleness, as it is written; sober in present circumstances, foreseeing of future ones, able to strive together with the strong, but also to bear the weaknesses of the powerless, and able to do and say all things for the perfecting of his companions; not taking the leadership for himself, but having been approved by those who preside in the other brotherhoods, and suffi

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σπεύδοντός ἐστι νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἐργάζεσθαι, ἵνα ἔχῃ μεταδιδόναι τῷ χρείαν ἔχοντι. Ἐπεὶ ὅ γε ἑαυτῷ, ἢ καὶ τῷ τὴν φροντίδα τῶν χρειῶν ἀναδεδεγμένῳ ἐλπίζων, καὶ ἢ τὴν οἰκείαν ἢ τὴν τοῦ συνόντος ἐργασίαν ἱκανὴν ἀφορμὴν πρὸς τὸ ζῇν τιθέμενος, καθόσον ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔθετο, κίνδυνον ἔχει ὑποπεσεῖν τῇ κατάρᾳ τῇ λε γούσῃ· Ἐπικατάρατος ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον, καὶ στηρίξει σάρκα βρα χίονος αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ Κυρίου ἀποσταίη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ· τοῦ λόγου διὰ μὲν τοῦ, Ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον, τῷ ἑτέρῳ ἐπελπίζειν· διὰ δὲ τοῦ, Καὶ στηρίξει σάρκα βραχίονος αὐτοῦ, τὸ ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ πεποιθέναι ἀπαγορεύοντος· ἑκάτερον δὲ αὐτῶν ἀπο στασίαν ἀπὸ Κυρίου ὀνομάζοντος, καὶ τὸ τέλος ἀμ φοτέρων ἐπάγοντος, Ὅτι ἔσται ὡς ἡ ἀγριομυ 31.1028 ρίκη ἡ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· καὶ οὐκ ὄψεται ὅταν ἔλθῃ τὰ ἀγαθά· δεικνύντος τοῦ λόγου, ὅτι τὸ ἑαυτῷ ἢ ἄλλῳ τινὶ ἐπελπίζειν ἀποστῆναί ἐστιν ἀπὸ Κυρίου.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΜΓʹ. Ὁ μὲν περὶ τῶν ἐργασιῶν τρόπος ἀρκούντως ἡμῖν

παραδέδοται· πλὴν ἐὰν μή τι ὑπ' αὐτῶν τῶν πραγμάτων προσεξευρεῖν διδαχθῶμεν. Τοὺς δὲ προεστῶτας τῆς ἀδελφότητος ὁποίους εἶναι χρὴ, ἢ πῶς ἄγειν τοὺς συνόντας, τοῦτο διευ κρινηθῆναι δεόμεθα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Εἴρηται μὲν, ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ, καὶ περὶ τοῦ μέρους τούτου· πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καλῶς ποιοῦντες ἐπὶ πλεῖον τρανωθῆναι τὸ μέρος τοῦτο βούλεσθε (διότι οἷον ἐὰν ᾖ τὸ ἐπιστατοῦν καὶ ἄρχον, τοιοῦτον, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ, γίνεσθαι φιλεῖ καὶ τὸ ἀρχόμενον), ἀναγκαῖον μὴ παρέργως αὐτὸ παρελθεῖν. Χρὴ τοίνυν τὸν προεστῶτα μεμνημένον τῆς τοῦ Ἀποστόλου παραγγελίας λέγοντος, Τύπος γίνου τῶν πιστῶν, πάσης ἐντολῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἐναργὲς ὑπόδειγμα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον παρέχειν, ὡς μηδεμίαν τοῖς διδασκομέ νοις ἀφορμὴν καταλιμπάνειν πρὸς τὸ ἀδύνατον ἢ εὐκαταφρόνητον ἡγεῖσθαι τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου. Πρῶτον μὲν οὖν, ὃ πρῶτόν ἐστιν, ἐν ἀγάπῃ Χριστοῦ τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην οὕτω χρὴ παρ' αὐτοῦ κατορθοῦσθαι, ὡς καὶ σιωπῶντος αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ὑπόδειγμα παντὸς λόγου ἰσχυρότερον εἰς δι δασκαλίαν προκεῖσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ οὗτος ὅρος Χριστια νισμοῦ, μίμησις Χριστοῦ ἐν τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς ἐνανθρω πήσεως, κατὰ τὸ ἐπιβάλλον τῇ ἑκάστου κλήσει, οἱ τὴν ὁδηγίαν τῶν πολλῶν πεπιστευμένοι τοὺς ἔτι ἀσθενεστέρους διὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν μεσιτείας προβιβάζειν ὀφείλουσι τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐξομοιώσει, κατὰ τὸν μα κάριον Παῦλον λέγοντα· Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ. Πρώτους οὖν αὐτοὺς, τὸ παραδοθὲν τῆς ταπεινο φροσύνης μέτρον παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χρι στοῦ κατορθοῦντας, ὑπογραμμὸν ἀκριβῆ προσήκει γίνεσθαι. Μάθετε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Πραότης οὖν τρόπου καὶ καρδίας ταπείνωσις χαρακτηριζέτω τὸν προϊστά μενον. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος τὴν διακονίαν τῶν ἰδίων δούλων οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθη, ἀλλὰ κατεδέξατο ὑπηρέ της εἶναι τῆς γῆς καὶ τοῦ πηλοῦ, ὃν αὐτὸς ἔπλασε, καὶ εἰς ἄνθρωπον διεμόρφωσεν (Ἐγὼ γὰρ εἰμὶ, φη σὶν, ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν ὡς ὁ διακονῶν)· τί χρὴ ποι οῦντας ἡμᾶς τοῖς ὁμοτίμοις νομίζειν αὐτοῦ τῆς μιμή σεως ἐφικνεῖσθαι; Ἓν μὲν δὴ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ὑπάρχειν δεῖ τῷ προεστῶτι. Ἔπειτα εὔσπλαγχνον, καὶ μακροθύμως ἀνεχόμενον τῶν ἐξ ἀπειρίας ἐλλιμ πανόντων τι τῶν καθηκόντων, οὐχ ὑποσιωπῶντα τοῖς 31.1029 ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἀλλὰ πράως ἀνεχόμενον τῶν ἀφηνια ζόντων καὶ τὰς ἰατρείας αὐτοῖς ἐν πάσῃ εὐ σπλαγχνίᾳ καὶ συμμετρίᾳ προσάγοντα. Ἱκανὸν δὲ τρόπον τῆς θεραπείας τῷ πάθει οἰκεῖον ἐξευρεῖν, οὐ μετὰ αὐθαδείας ἐπιτιμῶντα, ἀλλ' ἐν πραότητι νουθε τοῦντα καὶ παιδεύοντα, καθὼς γέγραπται, νηφάλιον ἐν τοῖς παροῦσι, προορατικὸν τῶν μελλόντων, ἱκανὸν μὲν τοῖς ἰσχυροῖς συναθλεῖν, τῶν δὲ ἀδυνάτων βαστά ζειν τὰ ἀσθενήματα, καὶ πάντα ποιεῖν καὶ λέγειν δυνάμενον πρὸς καταρτισμὸν τῶν συνόντων· μὴ ἑαυτῷ λαμβάνοντα τὴν προστασίαν, ἀλλ' ἐγκριθέντα τῶν ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις ἀδελφότησι προεχόντων, καὶ ἱκα