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4.12 (12) Incorporeal substance imparts well-being by speaking, by acting, and by being contemplated; corporeal substance, only by being contemplated.

4.13 (13) Whether the rational and intellectual substance always exists or not lies in the will of the One who created all things well; but whether these things are good or evil by choice lies in the will of the created beings.

4.14 (14) Evil is not contemplated in the substance of created things, but in their erring and irrational movement.

4.15 (15) The soul is moved rationally, when its appetitive part 14__316 has been qualified by self-control; and the incensive part cleaves to love, turning away from hatred; and the rational part dwells with God through prayer and spiritual contemplation.

4.16 (16) He does not yet have perfect love, nor a profound knowledge of divine providence, who in time of trial is not patient with the grievous things that happen, but cuts himself off from the love of his spiritual brothers.

4.17 (17) The purpose of divine providence is to unite those variously divided by malice through right faith and spiritual love, seeing that for this reason the Savior suffered, that he might gather into one the scattered children of God. Therefore, he who does not tolerate bothersome things, nor bear grievous things, nor endure painful things, is impassioned outside of divine love and the purpose of providence.

4.18 (18) If love is patient and kind, how does one who is fainthearted about grievous things that happen and for this reason becomes wicked toward those who have grieved him and cuts himself off from love for them, not fall away from the purpose of divine providence?

4.19 (19) Pay attention to yourself, lest the malice that separates you from your brother be found not in your brother, but in you. And hasten to be reconciled to him, lest you fall away from the commandment of love.

4.20 (20) Do not despise the commandment of love, for through it you shall be a son of God; but if you transgress it, you will be found a son of Gehenna.

4.21 (21) The things that separate one from the love of friends are these: to envy 14__318 or be envied, to harm or be harmed, to dishonor or be dishonored, and thoughts arising from suspicion. Perhaps then you have done one of these things, or suffered it, and for this reason you are separated from the love of your friend.

4.22 (22) A trial has come upon you from a brother, and grief has led you to hatred. Do not be overcome by hatred, but overcome hatred with love. And you will overcome in this way: by praying for him sincerely to God, by accepting his apology or even by healing him through one yourself, by considering yourself the cause of the trial, and by being patient until the cloud has passed.

4.23 (23) He is patient who awaits the end of the trial and expects the boast of endurance.

4.24 (24) A patient man is great in understanding, because he refers all that happens to the end, and awaiting that, he endures grievous things. And the end is eternal life, according to the divine Apostle; and this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

4.25 (25) Do not be quick to cast off spiritual love, because no other way of salvation is left among men.

4.26 (26) Do not judge as base and wicked the man who yesterday was a spiritual and virtuous brother on account of the hatred arising in you today through the influence of the evil one;

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4.12 (ιβ') Ἡ μὲν ἀσώματος οὐσία καὶ λέγουσα καὶ πράττουσα καὶ θεωρουμένη τοῦ εὖ εἶναι μεταδίδωσιν· ἡ δὲ σωματική, θεωρουμένη μόνον.

4.13 (ιγ') Τὸ μὲν ἀεὶ εἶναι ἢ μὴ εἶναι τὴν λογικὴν καὶ νοερὰν οὐσίαν ἐν τῇ βουλήσει ἐστὶ τοῦ τὰ πάντα καλὰ δημιουργήσαντος· τὸ δὲ ἀγαθὰ ταῦτα εἶναι κατὰ προαίρεσιν ἢ φαῦλα ἐν τῷ θελήματι τῶν γεγονότων ὑπάρχει.

4.14 (ιδ') Οὐ περὶ τὴν οὐσίαν τῶν γεγονότων τὸ κακὸν θεωρεῖται, ἀλλὰ περὶ τὴν ἐσφαλμένην καὶ ἀλόγιστον κίνησιν.

4.15 (ιε') Εὐλόγως κινεῖται ἡ ψυχή, ὅταν τὸ μὲν ἐπιθυμητικὸν αὐτῆς 14__316 τῇ ἐγκρατείᾳ πεποίωται· τὸ δὲ θυμικὸν τῆς ἀγάπης ἀντέχηται, τὸ μῖσος ἀποστρεφόμενον· τὸ δὲ λογιστικὸν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν διάγῃ διὰ προσευχῆς καὶ θεωρίας πνευματικῆς.

4.16 (ιστ') Οὔπω ἔχει τελείαν τὴν ἀγάπην οὐδὲ τῆς θείας προνοίας κατὰ βάθος τὴν γνῶσιν ὁ ἐν καιρῷ πειρασμοῦ μὴ μακροθυμῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβαίνουσι λυπηροῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀποκόπτων ἑαυτὸν τῆς τῶν πνευματικῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀγάπης.

4.17 (ιζ') Σκοπὸς τῆς θείας προνοίας τὸ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας ποικίλως διεσχισμένους διὰ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς ἀγάπης ἑνοποιεῖν, εἴπερ διὰ τοῦτο πέπονθεν ὁ Σωτήρ, ἵνα τὰ τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ διεσκορπισμένα συναγάγῃ εἰς ἕν. Ὁ οὖν μὴ στέγων τὰ ὀχληρὰ μηδὲ φέρων τὰ λυπηρὰ μηδὲ ὑπομένων τὰ ἐπίπονα, ἐκτὸς τῆς θείας ἀγάπης καὶ τοῦ σκοποῦ τῆς προνοίας περιπαθεῖ.

4.18 (ιη') Εἰ ἡ ἀγάπη μακροθυμεῖ καὶ χρηστεύεται, ὁ ὀλιγοψυχῶν ἐπὶ τοῖς συμβαίνουσι λυπηροῖς καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πονηρευόμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς λυπήσασι καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀγάπης ἑαυτὸν ἀποκόπτων, πῶς τοῦ σκοποῦ τῆς θείας προνοίας οὐκ ἐκπίπτει;

4.19 (ιθ') Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ, μήποτε ἡ χωρίζουσά σε ἐκ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ κακία οὐκ ἐν τῷ ἀδελφῷ, ἀλλ᾽ ἔν σοι εὑρίσκεται· καὶ σπεῦσον αὐτῷ διαλλαγῆναι, ἵνα μὴ τῆς ἐντολῆς τῆς ἀγάπης ἐκπέσῃς.

4.20 (κ') Μὴ καταφρονήσῃς τῆς ἐντολῆς τῆς ἀγάπης, ὅτι δι᾽ αὐτῆς υἱὸς Θεοῦ ἔσῃ· ἣν παραβαίνων, υἱὸς γεέννης εὑρεθήσῃ.

4.21 (κα') Τὰ χωρίζοντα τῆς τῶν φίλων ἀγάπης εἰσὶ ταῦτα· τὸ φθονεῖν 14__318 ἢ φθονεῖσθαι, τὸ ζημιοῦν ἢ ζημιοῦσθαι, τὸ ἀτιμάζειν ἢ ἀτιμάζεσθαι καὶ οἱ ἐξ ὑπονοίας λογισμοί. Μήποτε οὖν ἔδρασάς τι τούτων ἢ πέπονθας καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τῆς τοῦ φίλου ἀγάπης χωρίζῃ.

4.22 (κβ') Συνέβη σοι πειρασμὸς ἐκ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ καὶ ἡ λύπη εἰς μῖσός σε ἤγαγε· μὴ νικῶ ὑπὸ τοῦ μίσους, ἀλλὰ νίκα ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ τὸ μῖσος. Νικήσεις δὲ τρόπῳ τοιούτῳ· προσευχόμενος ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ γνησίως πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, τὴν ἀπολογίαν αὐτοῦ δεχόμενος ἢ καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ ταύτης αὐτὸν θεραπεύων καὶ σεαυτὸν αἴτιον τοῦ πειρασμοῦ λογιζόμενος καὶ μακροθυμῶν μέχρις οὗ παρέλθῃ τὸ νέφος.

4.23 (κγ') Μακρόθυμός ἐστιν ὁ τὸ τέλος ἐκδεχόμενος τοῦ πειρασμοῦ καὶ τὸ καύχημα τῆς καρτερίας ἀναμένων.

4.24 (κδ') Ἀνὴρ μακρόθυμος, πολὺς ἐν φρονήσει, ὅτι πάντα τὰ συμβαίνοντα ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος ἀναφέρει κἀκεῖνο περιμένων ἀνέχεται τῶν λυπηρῶν. Τὸ δὲ τέλος ἐστὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον· αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.

4.25 (κε') Μὴ εὔκολος ἔσο ἐπὶ ἀποβολῇ πνευματικῆς ἀγάπης, διότι ἄλλη σωτηρίας ὁδὸς οὐχ ὑπολέλειπται ἐν ἀνθρώποις.

4.26 (κστ') Μὴ τὸν χθὲς πνευματικὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ ἐνάρετον διὰ τὸ ἐν σοὶ σήμερον ἐξ ἐπηρείας τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐγγινόμενον μῖσος κρῖνε φαῦλον καὶ πονηρόν·