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having given clear proof of his character in his past life. For these also, he says, must first be tested; then let them serve, being blameless. In this way, also let such a one be entrusted with the leadership, and let him establish good order for the brotherhood, making the distribution of tasks according to each one’s ability.

QUESTION 44. To whom should journeys be permitted; and how should they be questioned upon their return.

RESPONSE. Let him permit the journey to one who is able to carry it out without harm to his own soul and with benefit to those he meets. Since if a suitable person is not present, it is better to endure all affliction and distress in lack of necessities, even unto death, than for the sake of bodily comfort to overlook an acknowledged injury to the soul. For it is better for me, says the Apostle, to die, than that anyone should make my boasting void; and this in matters that are within one’s power; how much more, then, in matters of commandment? And yet, not even this does the law of love leave without comfort. For if it happens that in one brotherhood there is no one suitable to be sent, those nearby will supply what is lacking, making their journeys common and inseparable from one another, so that both those who are weak in soul, or even frail in body, may be kept safe in such fellowship with the stronger ones, with the one in charge arranging this long in advance, so that at the very time of need the comfort may not be found wanting because of the time of distress. But after his return, let him question the traveler: what were his deeds, with what sort of men were his encounters; what were the words, 31.1032 which he spoke to them; what were the thoughts of his soul; whether he spent every day and every night living together with the fear of God, or whether he somewhere turned aside, and transgressed any of the established rules, either by yielding to external circumstances, or by being carried away by his own carelessness. And let him confirm what was rightly accomplished with approval; but let what was done amiss be corrected by careful and skillful teaching. For in this way both those who travel will be more sober in their concern for rendering an account, and we shall be seen not to be neglectful of their life even at the time of their separation. And that this was customary for the saints, the history of the Acts hands down, teaching us how Peter, upon returning to Jerusalem, gives an account to those there of his fellowship with the Gentiles; and how Paul and Barnabas, having arrived, and gathered the Church together, reported all that God had done with them; and again, that all the multitude kept silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul recounting what things God had done. This, however, must be known, that running about and business dealings and retail profits are to be avoided by the brotherhoods in every way.

QUESTION 45. That after the superior there ought to be another who

is able in his absence or preoccupation to care for the brothers.

RESPONSE. Since it often happens that the superior is separated from the brotherhood, either through bodily illness, or the necessity of a journey, or some other circumstance, let there be another, chosen for this purpose after examination by both him and others competent to examine, to take over the care of the brothers in his absence, so that the exhortations of the word may also come to those present from one person; but that the brotherhood should not, in the absence of the superior, adopt a kind of democratic form to the dissolution of the rule and of the good order that has been handed down; but that the things approved after examination should be guarded for the glory of God, and that for visiting strangers there should be someone to respond prudently, so that both those who seek the word may be built up in a manner worthy of the subject, and the community of the brotherhood may not be put to shame, For the

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νὴν πεῖραν τοῦ τρόπου ἐν τῷ παρελθόντι βίῳ δεδω κότα. Καὶ οὗτοι γὰρ, φησὶ, δοκιμαζέσθωσαν πρῶ τον, εἶτα διακονείτωσαν, ἀνέγκλητοι ὄντες. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐπιτρεπέσθω τὴν προστασίαν, καὶ τὴν εὐταξίαν ὁριζέτω τῇ ἀδελφότητι, τὴν διανομὴν τῶν ἔργων, καθ' ὃ ἕκαστος ἐπιτηδείως ἔχει, ποιούμενος.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Μ∆ʹ. Τίσιν ἐπιτρέπειν χρὴ τὰς ἀποδημίας· καὶ πῶς ἐπανιόντας

αὐτοὺς ἀνακρίνειν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὴν μὲν ἀποδημίαν ἐπιτρεπέτω τῷ δυναμένῳ ἀβλαβῶς τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῇ καὶ ὠφελίμως τοῖς συν τυγχάνουσιν αὐτὴν ἐκτελεῖν. Ὡς ἐὰν μὴ παρῇ ὁ ἐπιτήδειος, βέλτιον ἐν ἐνδείᾳ τῶν ἀναγκαίων πᾶ σαν θλίψιν καὶ στενοχωρίαν μέχρι καὶ θανάτου ὑπενεγκεῖν, ἢ παραμυθίας ἕνεκεν σωματικῆς βλά βην ψυχῆς ὁμολογουμένην περιορᾷν. Καλὸν γάρ μοι, φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, μᾶλλον ἀποθανεῖν, ἢ τὸ καύ χημά μου ἵνα τις κενώσῃ· καὶ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς ἐπ' ἐξουσίας· πόσῳ οὖν μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς κατ' ἐντολήν; Καίτοιγε οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἀπαραμύθητον ὁ τῆς ἀγάπης νόμος ἀφίησιν. Ἐὰν γὰρ συμβῇ μὴ παρεῖναι μιᾷ ἀδελφότητι τὸν ἐπιτηδείως ἀποστελλόμενον, οἱ σύν εγγυς τὸ λεῖπον ἀναπληρώσουσι, κοινὰς τὰς ἀποδημίας καὶ ἀχωρίστους ἀλλήλων ποιούμενοι, ὡς τούς τε κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀσθενεῖς, ἢ καὶ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα σαθροὺς ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ κοινωνίᾳ τοῖς ἰσχυροτέροις συνδιασώζεσθαι, πόῤῥωθεν καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ πεπιστευ μένου προκαθιστῶντος, ὡς μὴ παρ' αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τῆς χρείας ἄπορον ἐκ τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς στενοχωρίας τὴν παραμυθίαν εὑρίσκεσθαι. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἀνα κρινέτω τὸν ἀπόδημον, τίνες αἱ πράξεις, ποταπῶν ἀνδρῶν αἱ συντυχίαι αὐτῷ γεγόνασιν· οἱ λόγοι τίνες, 31.1032 οὓς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐποιήσατο· ποῖα τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ διανοήματα· εἰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν καὶ πᾶσαν νύκτα τῷ φόβῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ συζῶν ἐξετέλεσεν, ἤ που παρετράπῃ, καὶ παρεκίνησέ τι τῶν δεδογμένων, ἢ ταῖς ἔξωθεν περιστάσεσιν ἐνδοὺς, ἢ τῇ οἰκείᾳ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ παραῤῥυείς. Καὶ τὸ μὲν ὀρθῶς ἐπιτελεσθὲν ἀποδοχῇ βεβαιού τω· τὸ δὲ ἐσφαλμένον τῇ ἐμμελεῖ καὶ ἐπιστημο νικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ διορθούσθω. Οὕτω γὰρ νηφα λιώτεροί τε οἱ ὁδεύοντες ἔσονται τῇ φροντίδι τῆς ἀποδόσεως τοῦ λόγου, καὶ ἡμεῖς δόξομεν μήτε ἐν καιρῷ τοῦ χωρισμοῦ ἀμελεῖν αὐτῶν τῆς ζωῆς. Καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις δὲ τοῦτο εἶναι σύνηθες ἡ ἱστορία τῶν Πράξεων παραδίδωσι, διδάσκουσα ἡμᾶς ὅπως μὲν Πέτρος τὸν λόγον τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν κοινωνίας, ἐπανελθὼν εἰς τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, τοῖς ἐκεῖ ἀποδίδωσιν· ὅπως δὲ Παῦλος καὶ Βαρνάβας παραγενόμενοι, καὶ συναγαγόντες τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἀνήγγειλαν ὅσα ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησε μετ' αὐτῶν· καὶ πάλιν, ὅτι ἐσιώπησεν ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ἤκουον Βαρνάβα καὶ Παύλου ἐξ ηγουμένων ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός. Ἐκεῖνο μέντοι εἰδέ ναι χρὴ, ὅτι τὰς περιδρομὰς καὶ πραγματείας καὶ τὰ καπηλικὰ κέρδη παντὶ τρόπῳ φευκτέον ταῖς ἀδελφότησι.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΜΕʹ Ὅτι χρὴ μετὰ τὸν προεστῶτα καὶ ἄλλον εἶναί τινα τὸν

δυνάμενον ἐν ἀπουσίᾳ ἢ ἀσχολίᾳ ἐκείνου τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐπειδὴ συμβαίνει πολλάκις ἢ δι' ἀσθένειαν σώματος, ἢ ἀποδημίας ἀνάγκην, ἢ κατά τινα ἄλλην περίστασιν, χωρίζεσθαι τῆς ἀδελφότητος τὸν προ εστῶτα, ἔστω τις καὶ ἕτερος μετὰ δοκιμασίας αὐτοῦ τε καὶ ἄλλων τῶν ἱκανῶν δοκιμάζειν, εἰς τοῦτο ἐξειλεγμένος, εἰς τὸ, ἀπόντος ἐκείνου, διαδέχεσθαι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ὥστε καὶ τοῖς παροῦσι παρ' ἑνὸς γίνεσθαι τὰς παρακλήσεις τοῦ λόγου· ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐν τῇ ἀποδημίᾳ τοῦ προεστῶτος δημοκρα τικόν τι σχῆμα μεταλαμβάνειν τὴν ἀδελφότητα ἐπὶ διαλύσει τοῦ κανόνος καὶ τῆς παραδεδομένης εὐ ταξίας· φυλάσσεσθαι δὲ τὰ μετὰ δοκιμασίας ἐγ κριθέντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ, καὶ τοῖς ἐπιδημοῦσι δὲ τῶν ξένων εἶναι τὸν ἀποκρινόμενον συνετῶς, ἵνα οἵ τε τὸν λόγον ἐπιζητοῦντες οἰκοδομῶνται τῆς ὑποθέσεως ἐπαξίως, καὶ τὸ κοινὸν τῆς ἀδελφότητος μὴ καται σχύνηται, Τὸ γὰρ