44

He commands to imitate Christ himself, and for those who do not emulate Him, He sets a very great punishment, from where did you say that that height was greater? For it is necessary for all men to ascend to the same thing; and this is what has overturned the whole world, that we think a greater strictness is necessary for the monk alone, but for the rest it is permitted to live carelessly. For it is not so, it is not, but we are all, he says, required to have the same philosophy; and I for my part would say so very strongly, or rather, not I, but He who is to judge us. But if you still marvel and are perplexed, come, let us draw for your hearing again from the same streams, so that all the evil of your unbelief may be completely washed away. And I will make the proof from the punishments on that day. The rich man, not because he was a monk and was cruel, was he punished more severely for this reason, but, if I must say something inventive, because being a man of the world, and living in wealth and in purple, he overlooked Lazarus in extreme poverty. However, I will say neither this nor that, but that only because he was cruel, for this reason he lay being punished more severely in the fire. And the virgins, because they were lacking in charity, for this reason were driven away from the bridal chamber; and if I must add something of my own, not only was their punishment not increased on account of their virginity, but perhaps it even became milder because of it. For they did not hear, Depart into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels, but only; I do not know you. But if anyone says this is the same as that, I will not object. For what I am eager to show now is that the life of monks does not make punishments more severe, but that men of the world are liable to the same things, sinning in the same ways as them. And he who was clothed in filthy garments, and he who demanded the hundred denarii, not because they were monks did they suffer what they suffered; but the one was destroyed on account of fornication, and the other on account of bearing a grudge. And if anyone should review the others who were then punished, he will see that they undergo the punishment for their sins alone. Not only in the punishments, but also in the admonitions might one find this. For when he says; Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me that I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls; he is not speaking to monks alone, but to all of human nature. And when he commands to walk by the narrow way, he does not direct the word to these alone, but to all men; and to hate their own soul in this world, and all other such things he enjoined on all alike. But when he does not speak to all nor legislate, he makes this clear to us. When, for example, he spoke about virginity, he added, He who is able to accept it, let him accept it, neither adding the word, all, nor introducing this in the form of a command. So also Paul; for he is seen everywhere imitating the Master, and having come upon this subject, he said, Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord. That it is necessary, therefore, for both the man of the world and the monk to reach the same summit, and that both will receive the same wounds if they fall, I think not even the most quarrelsome and shameless person will henceforth dispute.

14. This having been clearly demonstrated, come now let us also examine this: who will fall more easily and readily; or rather here we have no need of examination. For a man who has a wife will easily achieve self-control, since he enjoys much consolation; but in other matters it does not seem so, however even here we might see more of the married falling than of the monks. For not as many leave the monasteries for marriage, as rise from their wives' bed for prostitutes. But if where their struggles are easy, they fall with such excess, what will they do in the other passions, in which they are troubled more than the monks? For desire comes upon these more vehemently, since to women

44

αὐτὸν μιμεῖσθαι κελεύῃ τὸν Χριστὸν, καὶ τοῖς μὴ ζηλοῦσι κόλασιν τίθησι μεγίστην, πόθεν ἐκεῖνο μεῖζον ἔφης εἶναι τὸ ὕψος; Τὸ γὰρ αὐτὸ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ἀναβῆναι δεῖ· καὶ τὸ πᾶσαν ἀνατρέψαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι μείζονος οἰόμεθα δεῖν ἀκριβείας τῷ μονάζοντι μόνῳ, τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς ἐξεῖναι ῥᾳθύμως ζῇν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀπαιτούμεθα, φησὶ, πάντες φιλοσοφίαν· καὶ σφόδρα φαίην ἂν ἔγωγε, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἐγὼ, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ μέλλων κρίνειν ἡμᾶς. Εἰ δὲ θαυμάζεις ἔτι καὶ διαπορεῖς, φέρε σοι πάλιν τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀντλήσωμεν ναμάτων, ὥστε σοι τέλεον ἐκπλυθῆναι τῆς ἀπιστίας τὴν κακίαν ἅπασαν. Ποιήσομαι δὲ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἀπὸ τῶν κολάσεων τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην. Ὁ πλούσιος, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ μονάζων ἦν ὠμὸς, διὰ τοῦτο ἐκολάζετο μειζόνως, ἀλλ', εἰ δεῖ τι καὶ ἐφευρόντα εἰπεῖν, ἐπειδὴ βιωτικὸς ὢν, καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ ζῶν καὶ ἐν πορφύρᾳ, περιεώρα τὸν Λάζαρον ἐν ἐσχάτῃ πενίᾳ. Πλὴν οὔτε τοῦτο οὔτε ἐκεῖνο ἐρῶ, ἀλλ' ὅτι μόνον ὠμὸς ἦν, διὰ τοῦτο ἔκειτο μειζόνως κολαζόμενος ἐν τῷ πυρί. Καὶ αἱ παρθένοι δὲ, ἐπειδὴ περὶ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ὑστέρησαν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀπηλάθησαν ἀπὸ τοῦ νυμφῶνος· καὶ εἰ χρή τι καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰπεῖν, οὐ μόνον αὐταῖς οὐκ ἐπετείνετο τὰ τῆς κολάσεως διὰ τὴν παρθενίαν, ἀλλὰ τάχα καὶ ἡμερώτερα διὰ ταύτην ἐγένετο. Οὐ γὰρ ἤκουσαν, Πορεύεσθε εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ μόνον· Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς. Εἰ δὲ λέγει τις ταυτὸν εἶναι τοῦτο ἐκείνῳ, οὐδὲν ἀντερῶ. Τὸ γὰρ σπουδαζόμενόν μοι δεῖξαι νῦν, ὅτι οὐχ ὁ τῶν μοναχῶν βίος χαλεπωτέρας ποιεῖ τὰς κολάσεις, ἀλλὰ τῶν αὐτῶν εἰσιν ὑπεύθυνοι καὶ οἱ βιωτικοὶ, τὰ αὐτὰ ἁμαρτάνοντες ἐκείνοις. Καὶ ὁ τὰ ῥυπαρὰ ἐνδεδυμένος ἱμάτια, καὶ ὁ τὰ δηνάρια τὰ ἑκατὸν ἀπαιτῶν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ μονάζοντες ἦσαν, ἔπασχον ἅπερ ἔπασχον· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν διὰ τὴν πορνείαν, ὁ δὲ διὰ τὴν μνησικακίαν ἀπώλοντο. Καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους δὲ εἴ τις ἐπέλθοι τοὺς τότε κολαζομένους, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀμαρτημάτων μόνον ὄψεται τὴν τιμωρίαν ὑπέχοντας. Οὐκ ἐν ταῖς τιμωρίαις δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ταῖς νουθεσίαις τοῦτο εὕροι τις ἄν. Καὶ γὰρ, ὅταν λέγῃ· ∆εῦτε πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς· ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, καὶ μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν· οὐ τοῖς μονάζουσι διαλέγεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσῃ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσει. Καὶ ὅταν κελεύῃ διὰ τῆς στενῆς ὁδεύειν ὁδοῦ, οὐ πρὸς τούτους ἀποτείνει τὸν λόγον μόνους, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους· καὶ μισεῖν δὲ τὴν αὐτῶν ψυχὴν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δὲ πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα πᾶσιν ἐπέταξεν ὁμοίως. Ὅταν δὲ μὴ πᾶσι διαλέγηται μηδὲ νομοθετῇ, δῆλον ἡμῖν αὐτὸ ποιεῖ. Ὅτε γοῦν περὶ παρθενίας ἔλεγεν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν χωρείτω, οὔτε τὸ, πᾶς, προσθεὶς, οὔτε ἐν ἐπιτάγματος τάξει τοῦτο εἰσενεγκών. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Παῦλος· τὸν γὰρ ∆ιδάσκαλον μιμούμενος πανταχοῦ φαίνεται, καὶ εἰς ταύ47.375 την ἐμπεσὼν τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, ἔλεγε· Περὶ δὲ τῶν παρθένων ἐπιταγὴν Κυρίου οὐκ ἔχω. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν πρὸς τὴν ἴσην φθάσαι κορυφὴν καὶ τὸν βιωτικὸν ἀνάγκη καὶ τὸν μοναχὸν, καὶ ὅτι τὰ αὐτὰ λήψονται τραύματα πεσόντες ἀμφότεροι, οὐδὲ τὸν σφόδρα φιλόνεικον καὶ ἀναίσχυντον οἶμαι λοιπὸν ἀντερεῖν.

ιδʹ. Τούτου δὲ ἀποδειχθέντος σαφῶς, φέρε δὴ κἀκεῖνο ἐξετάσωμεν, τίς εὐκολώτερον καὶ ῥᾷον πεσεῖται· ἢ ἐνταῦθα οὐδὲ ἐξετάσεως ἡμῖν δεῖ. Σωφροσύνην μὲν γὰρ ὁ γυναῖκα ἔχων κατορθώσει ῥᾳδίως, ἅτε πολλῆς ἀπολαύων τῆς παραμυθίας· ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις οὐ σφόδρα φαίνεται, πλὴν ἀλλὰ κἀνταῦθα πλείους ἂν ἴδοιμεν τῶν γεγαμηκότων, ἢ τῶν μοναχῶν πίπτοντας. Οὔτε γὰρ τοσοῦτοι πρὸς τὸν γάμον ἀπὸ τῶν μοναστηρίων ἐκβαίνουσιν, ὅσοι πρὸς πόρνας ἀπὸ τῆς εὐνῆς ἀνίστανται τῶν γυναικῶν. Εἰ δὲ ὅπου εὔκολα τὰ τῶν παλαισμάτων αὐτοῖς, μετὰ τοσαύτης πίπτουσιν ὑπερβολῆς, τί ποιήσουσιν ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις πάθεσιν, ἐν οἷς μᾶλλον ἐνοχλοῦνται τῶν μοναχῶν; Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιθυμία τούτοις σφοδρότερον ἔπεισιν, ἅτε τὴν πρὸς γυναῖκας