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for everyone to leap upon the word in the same way, is a cause of commotion, and a sign of disorder; since the Apostle did not permit even those deemed worthy of the gift of teaching to speak more than one at the same time, through which he says: But if a revelation is made to another, 31.1033 let the first keep silent; and again, refuting the absurdity of such disorder by saying: If, therefore, the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? And if a stranger out of ignorance brings his questions to another, even if the one questioned in person is able to answer adequately, nevertheless for the sake of good order let him be silent, and point out the one entrusted with this part, as the apostles did in the case of the Lord, so that the use of the word might be orderly and seemly. For if in the healing of bodies it is not for everyone to use the knife on the sick, but for the one who has acquired the skill, and over a long time, and by experience, and by practice of the works, and by the teaching of the experts; what reason is there for any chance person to leap upon the healing that is through the word? In which even the slightest thing overlooked brings the greatest harm. For among whom not even the distribution of bread is permitted to just anyone, but such a ministry belongs to one person, the one entrusted with it after examination, among these how should not the spiritual food, much more so, be brought selectively and observantly by one of the more able to those who ask? Therefore, it is not a matter of ordinary presumption for the one questioned—a judgment of God!—to dare to answer so fearlessly and haphazardly, and not to point out the one entrusted with the stewardship of the word, who, because he is a faithful and wise steward in all things, was chosen to distribute the spiritual food in due season, and to manage his words with judgment, as it is written. And if something escapes the one who ought to answer, and another finds it out, let him not immediately leap upon the refutation, but let him suggest what has occurred to him in private. For from this, an occasion for arrogance against the leaders arises for the subordinates, so that, even if someone answers usefully, but not as he ought, he is liable to the penalties for disorder. 31.1036

QUESTION 46. Concerning not concealing sins from a brother or from oneself.

ANSWER Every sin must be reported to the one presiding, either by the one who has sinned, or by those who are aware of it, if they themselves cannot heal it, according to what was commanded by the Lord. For wickedness kept silent is an insidious disease in the soul. As, therefore, we would not call a benefactor the one who shuts up deadly things in the body, but rather the one who through pain and scratching draws them out into the open, so as either to cast out what is harmful through vomiting, or in general, through the manifestation of the suffering, to make the method of healing easily known; so, clearly, to hide a sin is to contrive death for the one who is sick. For the sting of death, he says, is sin. Better are open reproofs than hidden friendship. Therefore, let not one conceal from another, lest he become a murderer of his brother instead of a lover of his brother, nor let him conceal from himself. For he who does not heal himself, he says, in his own works is a brother to him who destroys himself.

QUESTION 47. Concerning those not accepting the things from the one presiding

established. ANSWER The one who does not accept the things approved by the one presiding must openly or in private speak against him, if he has any strong argument according to the will of the Scriptures, or keeping silent, do what was commanded. But if he himself should be ashamed, let him use some other mediators for this purpose, so that, if indeed contrary to Scripture

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πάντας ὁμοίως ἐπιπηδᾷν τῷ λόγῳ, θορύβου αἴτιον, καὶ ἀταξίας σημεῖον· τοῦ Ἀποστό λου μηδὲ τοὺς κατηξιωμένους τοῦ χαρίσματος τῆς διδασκαλίας πλείους ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ λαλεῖν συγχω ρήσαντος, δι' ὧν φησιν· Ἐὰν δὲ ἄλλῳ ἀποκαλυφθῇ, 31.1033 ὁ πρῶτος σιγάτω· καὶ πάλιν τὸ ἄτοπον τῆς τοιαύ της ἀταξίας διελέγχοντος ἐν τῷ λέγειν· Ἐὰν οὖν συνέλθῃ ἡ Ἐκκλησία ὅλη ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, καὶ πάντες λαλῶσι γλώσσαις, εἰσέλθωσι δὲ ἰδιῶται ἢ ἄπιστοι, οὐκ ἐροῦσιν, ὅτι μαίνεσθε; Καὶ ἐὰν ὑπὸ ἀγνοίας δὲ ἄλλῳ προσαγάγῃ τὰς ἐπερωτήσεις ὁ ξένος, κἂν ἔχῃ ἀποκρίνεσθαι ἀνενδεῶς ὁ παρὰ πρόσωπον ἐπερωτηθεὶς, ὅμως τῆς εὐταξίας ἕνεκεν αὐτὸς μὲν σιωπάτω, ὑποδεικνύτω δὲ τὸν τὸ μέρος τοῦτο πεπιστευμένον, ὡς ἐποίησαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, ὥστε εὔτακτον καὶ εὐ σχήμονα τὴν χρῆσιν τοῦ λόγου γίνεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς σωμάτων θεραπείας οὔτε σιδήρῳ παντός ἐστι χρήσασθαι ἐπὶ τῶν ἀσθενούντων, ἀλλὰ τοῦ τέχνην ἀνειληφότος, καὶ χρόνῳ μακρῷ, καὶ πείρᾳ, καὶ μελέτῃ τῶν ἔργων, καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ τῶν ἐπιστη μόνων· τίνα ἔχει λόγον τῇ διὰ τοῦ λόγου θεραπείᾳ τοὺς τυχόντας ἐπιπηδᾷν; Ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὸ μικρότατον παροφθὲν μεγίστην φέρει τὴν ζημίαν. Παρ' οἷς γὰρ οὐδὲ ἄρτου μετάδοσις τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἐφίεται, ἀλλ' ἑνὶ προσήκει ἡ τοιαύτη διακονία, τῷ μετὰ δοκιμασίας πεπιστευμένῳ, παρὰ τούτοις πῶς οὐχὶ πολὺ πλέον τὴν πνευματικὴν τροφὴν ἐξειλεγμένως καὶ παρατετηρημένως ὑφ' ἑνὸς τῶν δυνατωτέρων προσ άγεσθαι χρὴ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν; Ὥστε οὐ τῆς τυχούσης αὐθαδείας τὸν ἐπερωτηθέντα κρῖμα Θεοῦ, ἀδεῶς οὕτω καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε κατατολμᾷν τῆς ἀποκρίσεως, ἀλλὰ μὴ ὑποδεικνύειν τὸν ἐγκεχειρισμένον τὴν τοῦ λόγου οἰκονομίαν, ὃς, διὰ τὸ πιστὸς εἶναι πάντως καὶ φρόνιμος οἰκονόμος, ἐπελέγη εἰς τὸ διαδι δόναι μὲν ἐν καιρῷ τὴν πνευματικὴν τροφὴν, οἰκο νομεῖν δὲ τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ ἐν κρίσει, καθὼς γέ γραπται. Κἂν διαφεύγῃ δέ τι τὸν ὀφείλοντα ἀποκρί νεσθαι, καὶ ἄλλος ἐξεύρῃ, μὴ τῷ ἐλέγχῳ εὐθὺς ἐπιπηδάτω, ἀλλ' ἰδίᾳ ὑποβαλλέτω τὸ παραστάν. Ἐπάρσεως γὰρ ἀφορμὴ ἐκ τούτου κατὰ τῶν προεχόν των τοῖς ὑποδεεστέροις γίνεται, ὥστε, κἂν χρησίμως ἀποκριθῇ τις, μὴ καθηκόντως δὲ, ἔνοχός ἐστι τοῖς τῆς ἀταξίας ἐπιτιμίοις. 31.1036

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Μςʹ. Περὶ τοῦ μὴ συγκρύπτειν ἁμαρτήματα ἀδελφῷ ἢ ἑαυτῷ.

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Πᾶν δὲ ἁμάρτημα ἀναφέρεσθαι δεῖ τῷ προ εστῶτι, ἢ παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἡμαρτηκότος, ἢ παρὰ τῶν συνεγνωκότων, ἐὰν αὐτοὶ θεραπεῦσαι μὴ δυνηθῶσι, κατὰ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου προστεταγμένον. Κακία γὰρ σιωπηθεῖσα νόσος ὕπουλός ἐστιν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ. Ὡς οὖν οὐκ ἂν εἴποιμεν εὐεργέτην τὸν ἐγκατακλείοντα τῷ σώματι τὰ ὀλέθρια, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τὸν διὰ ὀδύνης καὶ ἀμύξεως εἰς τὸ φανερὸν ἕλκοντα, ὥστε ἢ διὰ ἐμέτου ἀποῤῥίψαι τὸ βλάπτον, ἢ καθόλου διὰ τῆς τοῦ πάθους φανερώσεως εὔγνωστον ὑπάρξαι τὸν τρόπον τῆς θεραπείας· οὕτω, δηλονότι, καὶ τὸ κρύπτειν ἁμαρτίαν συγκατασκευάζειν ἐστὶ τῷ νοσοῦντι τὸν θάνατον. Κέντρον γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρ τία. Κρείσσους δὲ ἔλεγχοι μετὰ παῤῥησίας κρυπτομένης φιλίας. Μήτε οὖν ἄλλος ἄλλῳ συγκρυ πτέτω, ἵνα μὴ ἀδελφοκτόνος ἀντὶ φιλαδέλφου γένη ται, μήτε αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἰώμενος, φησὶν, ἑαυτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις αὑτοῦ ἀδελφός ἐστι τοῦ λυμαινομένου ἑαυτόν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΜΖʹ. Περὶ τῶν μὴ καταδεχομένων τὰ παρὰ τοῦ προ εστῶτος

τυπούμενα. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Τὸν δὲ μὴ καταδεχόμενον τὰ παρὰ τοῦ προεστῶτος ἐγκριθέντα χρὴ φανερῶς ἢ ἰδίᾳ αὐτῷ ἀντιλέγειν, εἴ τινα ἔχοι λόγον ἰσχυρὸν κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τῶν Γρα φῶν, ἢ σιωπήσαντα τὸ προστεταγμένον ποιεῖν. Εἰ δὲ αὐτὸς αἰσχύνοιτο, ἄλλοις τισὶ μεσίταις πρὸς τοῦτο χρησάσθω, ἵνα, εἰ μὲν παρὰ τὴν Γραφὴν