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innovate from the straight path. "For two are better than one," says Ecclesiastes; but one is easily overcome by the enemy who lies in wait along the divine paths, and truly "woe to him who is alone when he falls," for he has no one to lift him up. For some have already used a right impulse toward the desire for the venerable life, but as if, at the same time as they made their choice, they had also grasped perfection, they were tripped up by another fall through pride, deceiving themselves through some madness to consider that good toward which their mind might incline. From these are those named idle by Wisdom, who have strewn their own paths with thorns, who consider zeal for the works of the commandments as a harm to the soul, who have disregarded the apostolic exhortations and do not eat their own bread in a becoming manner, but gaping for another's, make idleness the art of living; hence the dreamers who make the deceptions from dreams more trustworthy than the evangelical teachings and call their fantasies revelations; "of this sort are those who creep into households" and again others who consider the unsociable and brutish a virtue and do not know the commandment of love nor understand the fruit of long-suffering and humility.

23.4

And who could recount all such falls, into which one is carried by not wishing to associate with those who are well-pleasing to God? For from these we have known both those who persevere in famine unto death, as if "God is well pleased with such sacrifices," and again others who have apostatized diametrically to the opposite, who having practiced celibacy in name only differ in no way from the common life, not only gratifying the belly with things for pleasure, but also living openly with women and calling such cohabitation a "brotherhood," as if indeed concealing the suspicion of something worse with a more venerable name; through whom this venerable and pure practice is greatly blasphemed by those outside.

23.5

Therefore it would be advantageous for the young not to legislate for themselves the way of this life; for the examples of good things have not failed our life, but indeed now, if ever, venerability has flourished and is at home in our life, having been perfected to the highest degree by gradual additions, in which it is possible for one walking in such footsteps and following after the scent of this ointment to be filled with "the fragrance of Christ." For just as when one torch is lit, the flame spreads to all the nearby lamps, with neither the first light being diminished and the same amount being added to those illuminated by participation, so also the venerability of this life is spread from the one who has perfected it to those who draw near; for true is the prophetic word, that "he who lives with the holy and innocent and chosen becomes such himself."

23.6

But if you seek the distinguishing marks, by which it is not possible to miss the good example, the description is easy. If you see the life of a man displayed in the midst of death and life, neither completely turned toward death, nor standing with his whole foot in life, but in those things by which the life of the flesh is tested, numbered among the dead, but in the works of virtue, by which those "living in the spirit" are recognized, truly ensouled and active and strong, look to this one as the rule of life; this one

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τῆς εὐθείας καινοτομήσωσιν. «Ἀγαθοὶ γὰρ δύο ὑπὲρ τὸν ἕνα», φησὶν ὁ ἐκκλησιαστής· εὐκαταγώνιστος δὲ ὁ εἷς τῷ ἐχθρῷ τῷ κατὰ τὰς θείας ὁδοὺς ἐνεδρεύοντι καὶ ὄντως «οὐαὶ τῷ ἑνὶ ὅταν πέσῃ», ὅτι οὐκ ἔχει τὸν ἀνορ θοῦντα. Ἤδη γάρ τινες ὁρμῇ μὲν δεξιᾷ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σεμ νοῦ βίου ἐπιθυμίαν ἐχρήσαντο, ὡς δὲ ὁμοῦ τῷ προελέσθαι καὶ τῆς τελειότητος ἐφαψάμενοι, ἑτέρῳ πτώματι διὰ τοῦ τύφου ὑπεσκελίσθησαν, διά τινος φρενοβλαβείας ἑαυτοὺς ἐξαπατήσαντες ἐκεῖνο ἡγεῖσθαι καλόν, ἐφ' ὅπερ ἂν αὐτῶν ἡ διάνοια ῥέψῃ. Ἐκ τούτων εἰσὶν οἱ παρὰ τῆς Σοφίας ὀνομασθέντες ἀεργοί, οἱ τὰς ὁδοὺς ἑαυτῶν ἀκάνθαις στρώσαντες, οἱ βλάβην ἡγούμενοι τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν περὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἐντολῶν προθυμίαν, οἱ παραγραψάμενοι τὰς ἀποστολικὰς παραινέσεις καὶ μὴ τὸν ἴδιον ἄρτον εὐσχημόνως ἐσθίοντες, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀλλοτρίῳ προσκεχηνότες τέχνην βίου τὴν ἀργίαν ποιούμενοι· ἐντεῦθεν οἱ ἐνυπνιασταὶ οἱ τὰς ἐκ τῶν ὀνείρων ἀπάτας πιστοτέρας τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν διδαγμάτων ποιούμενοι καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις τὰς φαντασίας προσαγορεύοντες· «ἀπὸ τούτων εἰσὶν οἱ ἐνδύνοντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας» καὶ πάλιν ἄλλοι οἱ τὸ ἄμικτόν τε καὶ θηριῶδες ἀρετὴν νομίζοντες καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀγάπης ἐντολὴν οὐ γνωρί ζοντες οὐδὲ τῆς μακροθυμίας τε καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης τὸν καρπὸν ἐπιστάμενοι.

23.4 Καὶ τίς ἂν διεξέλθοι πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα πτώματα, εἰς ὅσα ἐκφέρεται τῷ μὴ θέλειν τοῖς κατὰ θεὸν εὐδοκιμοῦσι προστίθεσθαι; Ἐκ τούτων γὰρ ἔγνωμεν καὶ τοὺς τῷ λιμῷ μέχρι θανάτου ἐγκαρτεροῦντας, ὡς «τοῦ θεοῦ ταῖς τοιαύταις εὐαρεστουμένου θυσίαις», καὶ πάλιν ἄλλους ἐκ διαμέτρου πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον ἀποστατήσαντας, οἳ μέχρις ὀνόματος τὴν ἀγαμίαν ἐπιτηδεύσαντες οὐδὲν διαφέρουσι τοῦ κοινοῦ βίου, οὐ μόνον τῇ γαστρὶ τὰ πρὸς ἡδονὴν χαριζόμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναιξὶ κατὰ τὸ φανερὸν συνοικοῦντες καὶ ἀδελφότητα τὴν τοιαύτην συμβίωσιν ὀνομάζοντες, ὡς δὴ τὴν πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ὑπόνοιαν ὀνόματι σεμνοτέρῳ περικαλύπτοντες· δι' ὧν καὶ σφόδρα τὸ σεμνὸν τοῦτο καὶ καθαρὸν ἐπιτήδευμα βλασφη μεῖται παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν.

23.5 Οὐκοῦν λυσιτελὲς ἂν εἴη μὴ νομοθετεῖν ἑαυτοῖς τοὺς νέους τὴν τοῦ βίου τούτου ὁδόν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπιλέλοιπε τὴν ζωὴν ἡμῶν τὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑποδείγματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα νῦν, εἴπερ ποτέ, ἡ σεμνότης ἤνθησε καὶ ἐπιχωριάζει τῷ βίῳ ἡμῶν πρὸς τὸ ἀκρότατον ταῖς κατ' ὀλίγον προσθήκαις ἀκριβωθεῖσα, ἧς ἔξεστι μετασχεῖν τὸν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἴχνεσι περιπατοῦντα καὶ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου τούτου κατόπιν ἑπόμενον «τῆς εὐωδίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ» ἀναπίμπλασθαι. Καθάπερ γὰρ μιᾶς ἐξαφθείσης λαμπάδος εἰς πάντας τοὺς προσεγγίζοντας λύχνους ἡ τῆς φλογὸς διάδοσις γίνεται, οὔτε τοῦ πρώτου φωτὸς ἐλαττουμένου καὶ τοῖς διὰ μετα λήψεως φωτιζομένοις κατὰ τὸ ἴσον προσγινομένου, οὕτω καὶ ἡ τοῦ βίου τούτου σεμνότης ἀπὸ τοῦ κατωρθωκότος αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τοὺς προσεγγίζοντας διαδίδοται· ἀληθὴς γὰρ ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος, «τὸν μετὰ ὁσίου καὶ ἀθῴου καὶ ἐκλε κτοῦ διάγοντα τοιοῦτον γίνεσθαι».

23.6 Εἰ δὲ ζητεῖς τὰ γνωρίσματα, δι' ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἁμαρτεῖν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ὑποδείγματος, εὔκολος ἡ ὑπογραφή. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς βίον ἀνδρὸς ἐν μέσῳ θανάτου καὶ ζωῆς ἐνδεικνύμενον, μήτε παντελῶς πρὸς τὸν θάνατον τετραμμένον, μήτε ὅλῳ τῷ ποδὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ζωῆς βεβηκότα, ἀλλ' ἐν οἷς μὲν σαρκὸς ζωὴ δοκιμάζεται τοῖς νεκροῖς ἐναρίθμιον, πρὸς δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔργα, δι' ὧν οἱ «τῷ πνεύματι ζῶντες» ἐπιγινώσκονται, ἀληθῶς ἔμψυχον καὶ ἐνεργὸν καὶ ἰσχύοντα, πρὸς τοῦτον βλέπε τὸν κανόνα τοῦ βίου· τοῦτον