39

does, desiring a thing, from which by his works he has cast himself out; for such a one ought not to rule, but to be ruled. For the ruler ought to be brighter than any lamp, and to have a spotless life, 62.548 so that all may look to him, and model their own life after his. And he does this, not simply employing so much exhortation; but because he himself was about to appoint bishops, which he also advised when writing to Titus, and because it was likely that many would desire the position, for this reason he gives these instructions. Vigilant, he says, that is, discerning, having a thousand eyes on every side, seeing sharply, and not dulling the eye of the mind. For there are many things that happen, and do not allow one to see clearly and how things are; for both discouragements and cares and a crowd of affairs and many things flow in from every side. Therefore he must be watchful, not caring for his own things only, but also for the things of others; he must be roused and be fervent in spirit, and breathe fire, so to speak, and to toil and minister more than a general who goes around his army both by night and by day, and to have the care and concern for all. Sober, orderly, hospitable. Since many of those who are ruled also have these things (for they too ought to be equal to their rulers in such things), showing what is distinctive for bishops, he added, Apt to teach; for this is no longer required of the one who is ruled; but this above all things ought to belong to the one entrusted with this rule. Not given to wine. He does not here mean the drunkard, but the insolent, the arrogant; No striker. He does not say, one who does not strike with his hands. What then is, No striker? Since there are some who unseasonably strike the conscience of the brethren, he seems to me now to allude to these. Not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous, ruling his own house well, 62.549 having his children in subjection with all gravity. If, therefore, he who has married cares for the things of the world, but the bishop ought not to care for the things of the world, how does he say, The husband of one wife? Some indeed say that he meant one who remains free from a wife; but if this were not so, it is possible for one having a wife to be as though he had none. For then he properly allowed this, with regard to the nature of the matter as it was then. But it is possible to manage it well, if one should wish. For just as wealth with difficulty leads into the kingdom of heaven, but in many places the wealthy have entered; so also is marriage. But what do you say, tell me? when discoursing about a bishop, he said that he must not be a drunkard, but hospitable, when he ought to have said greater things than these. For why did he not say, that the bishop must be an angel, subject to no human passion (those great things, which Christ said, which even those who are ruled ought to have, to be crucified, and to always have one's soul in one's hands? which Christ also said, The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep; and again, If anyone does not take up his cross, and follow after me, he is not worthy of me), but, Not given to wine, he says? Fine are the hopes, if the bishop needs to be admonished about these things. For why did you not say, He must already have passed from the earth? but what you enjoined on lay people, these you do not enjoin on the bishop. And what to them, he says? Mortify your members which are upon the earth; and again, For he that is dead is freed from sin; and again, And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh; and Christ says again, Whoever does not forsake all that he has, he is not worthy of me. For what reason then did he not say these things? Because few such could be found, but many bishops were needed, and leaders in every city. 2. Since then the affairs of the Churches were about to be assailed, for this reason he spoke of a measured virtue, not that high and lofty one; for to be vigilant

39

ποιεῖ, πράγματος ἐπιθυμῶν, οὗ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἑαυτὸν ἐξέβαλεν· οὐ γὰρ ἄρχειν, ἀλλὰ ἄρχεσθαι δεῖ τὸν τοιοῦτον. Τὸν γὰρ ἄρχοντα παντὸς λαμπτῆρος λαμπρότερον εἶναι δεῖ, καὶ βίον ἔχειν ἀκηλίδωτον, 62.548 ὥστε πάντας πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὁρᾷν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν αὐτοῦ βίον τὸν οἰκεῖον χαρακτηρίζειν. Ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο, οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοσαύτῃ κεχρημένος τῇ παραινέσει· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔμελλεν ἐπισκόπους καθιστᾷν, ὅπερ καὶ Τίτῳ γράφων παρῄνει, καὶ ἐπειδὴ εἰκὸς ἦν πολλοὺς τοῦ πράγματος ἐπιθυμεῖν, διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα παρεγγυᾷ. Νηφάλιον, φησὶ, τουτέστιν, διορατικὸν, μυρίους ἔχοντα πάντοθεν ὀφθαλμοὺς, ὀξὺ βλέποντα, καὶ μὴ ἀμβλύνοντα τὸ τῆς διανοίας ὄμμα. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστι τὰ συμπίπτοντα, καὶ οὐκ ἐῶντα ὁρᾷν καθαρῶς καὶ ὡς ἔχει τὰ πράγματα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀθυμίαι καὶ φροντίδες καὶ πραγμάτων ὄχλος καὶ πολλὰ πάντοθεν ἐπιῤῥεῖ. Ἄγρυπνον τοίνυν αὐτὸν εἶναι χρὴ, οὐ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ μεριμνῶντα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῶν λοιπῶν· διεγηγέρθαι χρὴ καὶ ζεῖν τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ πῦρ πνέειν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, καὶ μᾶλλον στρατηγοῦ καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τὸ στράτευμα περιιόντος κάμνειν καὶ διακονεῖσθαι, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων ἔχειν φροντίδα καὶ μέριμναν. Σώφρονα, κόσμιον, φιλόξενον. Ταῦτα ἐπειδὴ καὶ τῶν ἀρχομένων ἔχουσιν οἱ πολλοὶ (δεῖ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ τοιαῦτα τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ἴσους εἶναι), δεικνὺς τὸ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἐξαίρετον, ἐπήγαγε, ∆ιδακτικόν· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκέτι ὁ ἀρχόμενος ἀπαιτεῖται· μάλιστα δὲ τοῦτο πάντων προσεῖναι δεῖ τῷ ταύτην τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐγκεχειρισμένῳ. Μὴ πάροινον. Οὐ τὸν μέθυσον ἐνταῦθά φησιν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὑβριστὴν, τὸν αὐθάδη· Μὴ πλήκτην. Οὐ τὸν μὴ πλήττοντά φησι ταῖς χερσί. Τί οὖν ἐστι, Μὴ πλήκτην; Ἐπειδὴ εἰσὶν ἀκαίρως τινὲς πλήττοντες τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὴν συνείδησιν, τούτους νῦν αἰνίττεσθαί μοι δοκεῖ. Μὴ αἰσχροκερδῆ, ἀλλ' ἐπιεικῆ, ἄμαχον, ἀφιλάργυρον, τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς προϊστάμε 62.549 νον, τέκνα ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος. Εἰ τοίνυν ὁ γαμήσας μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, τὸν δὲ ἐπίσκοπον οὐ δεῖ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου μεριμνᾷν, πῶς φησι, Μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα; Τινὲς μὲν οὖν φασιν, ὅτι τὸν ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ᾐνίξατο μένοντα ἐλεύθερον· εἰ δὲ μὴ τοῦτο εἴη, ἔνεστι γυναῖκα ἔχοντα, ὡς μὴ ἔχοντα, εἶναι. Τότε μὲν γὰρ καλῶς τοῦτο συνεχώρησεν, ὡς πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πράγματος φύσιν τὴν τότε οὖσαν. Ἔνεστι δὲ αὐτὸ μεταχειρίσασθαι καλῶς, εἴ τις βούλοιτο. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ πλοῦτος δυσχερῶς εἰσάγει εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, πολλαχοῦ δὲ οἱ πλουτοῦντες εἰσῆλθον· οὕτω καὶ ὁ γάμος. Τί δὲ λέγεις, εἰπέ μοι; περὶ ἐπισκόπου διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν, ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν μὴ μέθυσον εἶναι, ἀλλὰ φιλόξενον, δέον τὰ μείζονα τούτων εἰπεῖν. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι ∆εῖ δὲ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον ἄγγελον εἶναι, μηδενὶ πάθει ἀνθρωπίνῳ ὑποκεῖσθαι (ἐκεῖνα τὰ μεγάλα, ἃ Χριστὸς εἶπεν, ἃ καὶ τοὺς ἀρχομένους ἔχειν δεῖ, ἐσταυρῶσθαι, καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ἀεὶ ἔχειν τὴν ψυχήν; ὃ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς εἶπεν, Ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐὰν μή τις ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθήσῃ ὀπίσω μου, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος), ἀλλὰ, Μὴ πάροινον, φησί; Καλαὶ αἱ ἐλπίδες, εἰ περὶ τούτων ὀφείλει ὁ ἐπίσκοπος παραινεῖσθαι. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ οὐκ εἶπες, ∆εῖ δὲ αὐτὸν ἤδη μεταστῆναι ἐκ τῆς γῆς; ἀλλὰ ἃ τοῖς κοσμικοῖς ἐπέταξας, ταῦτα τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ οὐκ ἐπιτάττεις. Τί δὲ ἐκείνοις, φησί; Νεκρώσατε τὰ μέλη ὑμῶν τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· καὶ πάλιν, Ὁ δὲ ἀποθανὼν δεδικαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· καὶ πάλιν, Οἱ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν σάρκα ἐσταύρωσαν· καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς πάλιν φησὶν, Ἐὰν μή τις ἀποτάξηται αὑτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν, οὐκ ἔστι μου ἄξιος. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ταῦτα οὐκ εἴρηκεν; Ὅτι τοιούτους ὀλίγους εὑρεθῆναι ἐνῆν, ἐπισκόπων δὲ ἔδει πολλῶν, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην πόλιν τῶν προηγησομένων. βʹ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐνεδρεύεσθαι ἔμελλε τὰ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, διὰ τοῦτο συμμεμετρημένην εἶπεν ἀρετὴν, οὐκ ἐκείνην τὴν ἄνω, τὴν ὑψηλήν· τὸ γὰρ νηφάλιον