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rejoices in the good, or in some private passion. RESPONSE. If he bases his joy in the praises alone, it is clear that he is moved by a private passion; but if, when praised, he immediately discerns the intelligence of his audience, and is gladdened by the hope of their obedience which has been sown, and afterwards investigates their benefit, and either finds in them accomplishments corresponding to the praises and rejoices, or sees that those who praised him have not been benefited at all and is grieved, let him give thanks to God, that he was counted worthy to be moved as one who loves God and loves his brother, not seeking his own glory, but the glory of God, and the edification of the brethren. QUESTION 180. Since we are taught to have such love as to lay down our life for our friends, we need to learn for what sort of friends we must choose to do this. RESPONSE. The disposition, or the manner, of this right 31.1208 action is likely to be different; for the things to be accepted on behalf of sinners are often different, and the things that ought to be earnestly done on behalf of the righteous are different; yet we have been taught to show love even unto death, both for the righteous and for sinners, making no distinction. For God, he says, commends his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And to the saints the Apostle says: As a nurse cherishes her own children, so being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls, because you had become dear to us. QUESTION 187. Whether each person should receive anything from his relatives according to the flesh. RESPONSE. It is necessary for relatives to give what is due to those who come to the Lord, and to take away nothing, so that they may not fall under the judgment of sacrilege; however, for these things to be spent in the sight of those to whom it seemed to belong, often becomes an occasion of pride for those very people, and a cause of grief for the poor who have come to the same way of life. So that what happens is that for which the Corinthians are accused by the Apostle when he said, You shame those who have nothing. Therefore, let it be brought to him who has been entrusted with the care of the local churches, if he is faithful and able to manage prudently, in imitation of those in the Acts, who brought and laid it at the apostles' feet. But if the management of such things is not for all, but only for those appointed to this after examination, then what is given by such people, he will arrange as he sees fit. QUESTION 188. How should we see our former household members, or relatives, when they come to us. RESPONSE As the Lord showed and taught, when it was reported to him that, Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you; to whom he answers rather reproachfully, saying: Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother. 31.1209 QUESTION 189. And if they also ask, wanting to take us away to their own homes, whether we should tolerate them. RESPONSE. If it is for the edification of the faith, let the one who is able to go be sent after examination; but if it is for a human duty, let him hear the Lord saying to the one who said: Permit me to go and say farewell to those at my house; No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. But if such is the judgment concerning one who wished to say farewell only once, what should be said about this? QUESTION 100. If one should have mercy on relatives according to the flesh, desiring their salvation. RESPONSE. He who is born of the Spirit according to the Lord's voice, and has received the power to become a child of God, is ashamed of kinship according to the flesh, but recognizes as his own those of the household of faith, who are testified to by the Lord when he said: My mother and my brothers are these, who hear the word of God and

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ἀγαθῇ χαίρει, ἢ πάθει τινὶ ἰδίῳ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐὰν ἐν τοῖς ἐπαίνοις μόνοις τὴν χαρὰν στήσῃ, δῆλός ἐστιν ἰδίῳ πάθει κινούμενος· ἐὰν δὲ, τῶν ἐπαι νούντων παραυτὰ μὲν τὸ περὶ τὴν ἀκρόασιν συνετὸν καταμαθὼν, ἐλπίδα τῆς εὐπειθείας ὑποσπεῖρον εὐ φρανθῇ, ὕστερον δὲ τὴν ὠφέλειαν πολυπραγμο νήσας, καὶ ἢ τὰ ἀκόλουθα τοῖς ἐπαίνοις κατορθώματα ἐν αὐτοῖς εὑρὼν χαρῇ, ἢ μηδὲν ὡφεληθέντας τοὺς ἐπαινέσαντας ἐπιδὼν λυπηθῇ, εὐχαριστείτω τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ὡς φιλόθεος καὶ φιλάδελφος κατηξιώθη κινη θῆναι, μὴ ζητῶν τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΠʹ. Ἐπειδὴ διδασκόμεθα τοιαύτην ἀγάπην ἔχειν, ὥστε καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν θεῖναι ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων, μα θεῖν δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ ποταπῶν φίλων τοῦτο αἱρεῖ σθαι δεῖ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὴν μὲν διάθεσιν, ἢ τὸν τρόπον τούτου τοῦ κατορ 31.1208 θώματος εἰκὸς εἶναι διάφορον· ἄλλα γάρ ἐστι πολλά κις τὰ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν καταδεχθῆναι, καὶ ἄλλα τὰ ὑπὲρ δικαίων σπουδασθῆναι ὀφείλοντα· τὸ μέντοιγε μέχρι θανάτου ἀγάπην δεικνύειν, καὶ ὑπὲρ δικαίων καὶ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν, δεδιδάγμεθα, μηδὲν διακρί νοντες. Συνίστησι γὰρ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἡμᾶς· ὅτι, ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων ἡμῶν, Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανε. Πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἁγίους ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέγει· Ὡς ἐὰν τροφὸς θάλπῃ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τέκνα, οὕτως ἱμειρόμενοι ὑμῶν, εὐ δοκοῦμεν μεταδοῦναι ὑμῖν οὐ μόνον τὸ Εὐαγγέ λιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχάς· διότι ἀγαπητοὶ ἡμῖν ἐγενήθητε. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΠΖʹ Εἰ χρὴ παρὰ τῶν κατὰ σάρκα οἰκείων δέχεσθαί τι ἕκαστον. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοὺς μὲν οἰκείους ἀποδιδόναι τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντα τοῖς προσερχομένοις τῷ Κυρίῳ ἀναγκαῖον, καὶ μηδὲν ὑφαιρεῖν, ἵνα μὴ τῷ κρίματι τῆς ἱεροσυλίας ὑποπέ σωσιν· τὸ μέντοιγε ἀναλίσκεσθαι ταῦτα ἐν ὄψεσιν ἐκείνων, οἷς διαφέρειν ἔδοξε, καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐκείνοις γίνεται πολλάκις ἐπάρσεως ὑπόθεσις, καὶ τοῖς πένησι τῶν τῷ αὐτῷ βίῳ προσελθόντων λύπης ἀφορμή. Ὥστε συμβαίνειν ἐκεῖνο, ἐφ' ᾧ ἐγκαλοῦνται οἱ Κορίνθιοι ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰπόντος ὅτι, Καταισχύνετε τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας. ∆ιόπερ ὁ τὴν φροντίδα τῶν κατὰ τόπον Ἐκκλησιῶν πεπιστευμένος, ἐὰν ᾖ πιστὸς, καὶ φρο νίμως οἰκονομεῖν δυνάμενος, τούτῳ προσφερέσθω κατὰ μίμησιν τῶν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν, οἵτινες φέρον τες ἐτίθουν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων. Εἰ δὲ τὸ οἰκονομεῖν τὰ τοιαῦτα οὐκ ἔστι πάντων, ἀλλὰ μόνων τῶν μετὰ δοκιμασίας εἰς τοῦτο τυπω θέντων, καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῶν τοιούτων δεδομένον, οὗτος, ὡς ἂν δοκιμάσῃ, τυπώσει. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΠΗʹ. Πῶς ἴδωμεν τούς ποτε συνοίκους ἡμῶν, ἢ συγ γενεῖς, ἐρχομένους πρὸς ἡμᾶς. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ὡς ὁ Κύριος ἔδειξε, καὶ ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτε ἀπηγγέλη αὐτῷ ὅτι, Ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἔξω ἑστήκασιν, ἰδεῖν σε θέλοντες· πρὸς οὓς ἐπιπλη κτικώτερον ἀποκρίνεται, εἰπών· Τίς ἐστιν ἡ μήτηρ μου, καὶ τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ ἀδελφοί μου; Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, οὗτός μου ἀδελφὸς, καὶ ἀδελφὴ, καὶ μήτηρ ἐστίν. 31.1209 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΡΠΘʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ παρακαλῶσι θέλοντες ἀπαγαγεῖν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὰ ἴδια, εἰ χρὴ αὐτῶν ἀνέχεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Εἰ μὲν διὰ οἰκοδομὴν τῆς πίστεως, ὁ δυνάμενος οὕτως ἀπελθεῖν μετὰ δοκιμασίας πεμπέσθω· εἰ δὲ διὰ καθῆκον ἀνθρώπινον, ἀκουέτω τοῦ Κυρίου λέ γοντος πρὸς τὸν εἰπόντα· Ἐπίτρεψόν μοι ἀπελθεῖν, καὶ ἀποτάξασθαι τοῖς εἰς τὸν οἶκόν μου· Οὐδεὶς ἐπιβαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα αὑτοῦ ἐπ' ἄροτρον, καὶ βλέπων εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, εὔθετός ἐστιν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ δὲ περὶ τοῦ ἀποτά ξασθαι ἅπαξ θελήσαντος τοιοῦτον τὸ κρῖμα, τί χρὴ λέγειν περὶ τούτου; ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ρʹ. Εἰ δεῖ ἐλεεῖν τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα οἰκείους, ἐπιθυ μοῦντας τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνὴν, καὶ ἐξουσίαν λαβὼν γενέσθαι τέκνον Θεοῦ, συγγένειαν μὲν τὴν κατὰ σάρκα ἐπαισχύνεται, οἰκείους δὲ γνωρίζει τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου μαρτυρουμένους, εἰπόντος· Μήτηρ μου καὶ ἀδελφοί μου οὗτοί εἰσιν, οἱ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀκούοντες, καὶ