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is made to stumble, and I am not indignant? For if, according to the truth of the argument, the soul is greater than the body, we see that, concerning the body, we loathe and abominate all filth; and the sight of any tearing or any treachery works contrition and grief in the heart; how much more is it fitting for the one who loves Christ and his brother to suffer the aforementioned things for those who sin, when he sees the soul of sinners being wounded, as if by wild beasts, and being devoured, and displaying, as it were, discharges and putrefactions? David having said, 'My iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long;' and the Apostle saying, 'The sting of death is sin.' When therefore someone perceives his own soul to be so disposed, either regarding his own sins or those of others, according to what was said from the beginning, then let him be fully assured that he is clean from sin.

QUESTION 207. How must one turn away from sins. ANSWER. By emulating the disposition of David, first saying, 'I acknowledged my iniquity, and my sin I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgression to the Lord;' then by explaining the manner through the sixth psalm, and in many ways through others; and by learning through the Apostle these things which he testified to the Corinthians concerning another's sin, saying, 'For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted;' and adding the characteristics of the sorrow: 'For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, but what clearing of yourselves, but what indignation, but what fear, but what vehement desire, but what zeal, but what vindication!' In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter. So from these things it is clear that one must not only depart from sin, and suffer these things for those who sin, but also to stand apart from the sinners themselves; David having also declared this in saying, 'Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;' and the Apostle 31.1293 commanding not even to eat with such a one.

QUESTION 208. Whether the Word allows one to do good things according to one's own pleasure. ANSWER. He who pleases himself, pleases man. For each one is also a man. Therefore, just as 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,' which denotes his own confidence; to which he adds, 'and whose heart departs from the Lord;' so also he who pleases another, or does something according to his own pleasure, falls from godliness and falls into men-pleasing. For they do it, says the Lord, 'to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward.' And the Apostle also confesses, 'For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.' But a more severe threat is brought forth in the divinely inspired Scripture, which says, 'God has scattered the bones of men-pleasers.'

QUESTION 209. How the soul may be fully assured that it has departed from the love of glory. ANSWER. When it bears with the Lord saying, 'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven;' and with the Apostle commanding, 'Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God;' so that the godly man, laying claim neither to present nor to future glory, but preferring love for God above all things, may have confidence to say along with the preceding things, 'neither things present nor things to come will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord;' our Lord Jesus Christ himself having said:

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σκαν δαλίζεται, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ πυροῦμαι; Εἰ γὰρ, κατὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ λόγου, ἡ ψυχὴ κρείττων ἐστὶ τοῦ σώματος, ὁρῶμεν δὲ, ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος πᾶσαν μὲν ῥυπαρίαν σικχαινόμεθα καὶ βδελυσσόμεθα· παντὸς δὲ σπαραγμοῦ καὶ πάσης ἐπιβουλῆς θεωρία συν τριμμὸν καὶ λύπην ἐργάζεται τῇ καρδίᾳ· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἀκόλουθον τὰ προειρημένα πάσχειν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι τὸν φιλόχριστον καὶ φιλάδελφον, ὅταν βλέπῃ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων, ὥσπερ ὑπὸ θηρίων, τιτρωσκομένην τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ βιβρωσκομένην, καὶ ὥσπερ ἰχῶρας καὶ σηπεδόνας ἐπιφαίνουσαν; τοῦ μὲν ∆αβὶδ εἰπόντος, ὅτι Αἱ ἀνομίαι μου ὑπερῆραν τὴν κεφαλήν μου· ὡσεὶ φορτίον βαρὺ ἐβαρύνθησαν ἐπ' ἐμέ· προσώζεσαν καὶ ἐσάπησαν οἱ μώλωπές μου ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ἀφροσύνης μου· ἐταλαι πώρησα καὶ κατεκάμφθην ἕως τέλους· ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν σκυθρωπάζων ἐπορευόμην· τοῦ δὲ Ἀπο στόλου λέγοντος· Κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐστίν. Ὅταν οὖν ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις ἁμαρτήμασιν ἢ ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίοις, κατὰ τὰ προειρημένα ἐξ ἀρχῆς, οὕτω διακειμένην καταμάθῃ τις ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν, τότε πληροφορηθήτω, ὅτι καθαρεύει ἀπὸ ἁμαρ τίας.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΖʹ. Πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐπιστρέφειν χρή. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ζηλώσαντα τὴν διάθεσιν τοῦ ∆αβὶδ, πρῶτον μὲν λέγοντος· Τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐγνώρισα, καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου οὐκ ἐκάλυψα. Εἶπα· Ἐξαγορεύσω κατ' ἐμοῦ τὴν ἀνομίαν μου τῷ Κυρίῳ· ἔπειτα δὲ ἐν τῷ διηγεῖσθαι τὸν τρόπον διὰ τοῦ ἕκτου ψαλ μοῦ, καὶ δι' ἄλλων δὲ πολυτρόπως· διὰ δὲ τοῦ Ἀπο στόλου μανθάνοντα ταῦτα ἃ ἐμαρτύρησε τοῖς Κοριν θίοις ὑπὲρ ἀλλοτρίου ἁμαρτήματος, εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν λύπη μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀμετα μέλητον κατεργάζεται· καὶ τὰ ἰδιώματα τῆς λύπης ἐπενεγκών· Ἰδοὺ γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ κατὰ Θεὸν λυπηθῆναι πόσην κατειργάσατο ἐν ὑμῖν σπου δήν· ἀλλ' ἀπολογίαν, ἀλλὰ ἀγανάκτησιν, ἀλλὰ φόβον, ἀλλὰ ἐπιπόθησιν, ἀλλὰ ζῆλον, ἀλλὰ ἐκ δίκησιν. Ἐν παντὶ συνεστήσατε ἑαυτοὺς ἁγνοὺς εἶναι ἐν τῷ πράγματι. Ὥστε ἐκ τούτων δῆλον, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἀναχωρεῖν χρὴ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων ταῦτα πάσχειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφίστασθαι αὐτῶν τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων· τοῦ μὲν ∆αβὶδ καὶ τοῦτο δηλώσαντος ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν· Ἀπόστητε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν· τοῦ δὲ Ἀπο 31.1293 στόλου παραγγείλαντος τῷ τοιούτῳ μηδὲ συν εσθίειν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΗʹ. Εἰ τὰ καλὰ κατ' ἰδίαν ἀρέσκειαν ποιεῖν ὁ Λόγος συγχωρεῖ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ ἑαυτῷ ἀρέσκων ἀνθρώπῳ ἀρέσκει. Ἄνθρωπος γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ἕκαστος. Ὥσπερ οὖν Ἐπικατάρατος ἄνθρωπος, ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον, καὶ στηρίξει σάρκα βραχίονος αὑτοῦ, ὃ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πεποίθησιν δηλοῖ· οἷς ἐπιφέρει, Καὶ ἀπὸ Κυρίου ἀποσταίη ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ· οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἄλλῳ ἀρέσκων, ἢ κατ' ἰδίαν ἀρέσκειάν τι ποιῶν, τῆς θεο σεβείας ἐκπίπτει, εἰς δὲ ἀνθρωπαρέσκειαν ἐμ πίπτει. Ποιοῦσι γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ Κύριος, πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπ έχουσι τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος δὲ ὁμο λογεῖ, ὅτι Εἰ ἔτι ἀνθρώποις ἤρεσκον, Χριστοῦ δοῦλος οὐκ ἂν ἤμην. Σφοδροτέρα δὲ ἀπειλὴ φέρε ται ἐν τῇ θεοπνεύστῳ Γραφῇ λεγούσῃ, ὅτι Ὁ Θεὸς διεσκόρπισεν ὀστᾶ ἀνθρωπαρέσκων.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΣΘʹ. Πῶς πληροφορηθῇ ἡ ψυχὴ ἀποστῆναι τῆς φιλο δοξίας. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὅταν ἀνάσχηται τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Οὕτως λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου παραγγέλλοντος, ὅτι Εἴτε ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε· ἵνα ὁ θεοσεβὴς, μήτε τῆς παρούσης, μή τε τῆς μελλούσης δόξης ἀντιποιούμενος, τὴν δὲ πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπην πάντων προτιμήσας, παῤῥησίαν ἔχῃ εἰπεῖν μετὰ τῶν προκειμένων τὸ, Οὔτε ἐν εστῶτα, οὔτε μέλλοντα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν· αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰπόντος·