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But I do not seek my own glory; and, that He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true.

QUESTION T'. What is the manner of repentance, when the matter is about something unseen? RESPONSE. The manner of repentance is indicated in that question, in the one about how one must turn from sins; 31.1296 but as for the matter being about something unseen, let us remember the Lord's saying, that Nothing is hidden that will not be known; and, that Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

QUESTION TA'. But if he should say, My conscience does not condemn me. RESPONSE. This also happens with bodily afflictions. For there are many afflictions of which the sick are not aware; yet they trust the physicians' diagnosis more than they pay attention to their own lack of sensation. So also with the afflictions of the soul, that is, with sins, even if someone does not condemn himself, not being aware of the sin, he ought nevertheless to believe those who are able to see his condition more clearly; as the holy apostles showed when, being fully assured of their own sincere disposition toward the Lord, and hearing, One of you will betray me, they trusted the Lord's word more, and disputed among themselves saying: Is it I, Lord? and as the holy Peter teaches us more clearly, who with fervent humility declines the service of the Master and God and teacher; but having heard, with full assurance of the truth of the Lord's words, If I do not wash you, you have no part with me, he says: Not my feet only, but also my hands, and my head.

QUESTION TB'. Whether it is right to give from the stewardship to the needy who are from outside. RESPONSE. Since the Lord said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and, that It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs; it is not necessary to spend on outsiders what has been set aside for those consecrated to God. But if it is possible for what was said by the woman praised for her faith to happen, that Yes, Lord; for even the dogs eat from the crumbs that fall from their masters' table; let it rest on the steward's discretion, with the common consent of the superiors under him; so that from the surplus the sun, as it is written, may rise on the evil and on the good. QUESTION TG'. Whether it is necessary to obey what is said by everyone in the brotherhood RESPONSE. This question presents great difficulty in its 31.1297 answer. First, because it clearly gives an impression of disorder in that something is said by everyone, when the Apostle says: Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others discern; and the same Apostle, in the distributions of gifts, assigned a proper order to each of those who speak, by saying: To each as God has assigned a measure of faith; and in the example of the members of the body, clearly representing that the part of the speaker is partial, and distinguishing more precisely by saying: If one teaches, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation, and the rest; so that it is clear from these things that not all things are permitted to all, but each is to remain in his own calling, and to accomplish more diligently what was entrusted by the Lord. Therefore, the one who presides over the community, and gives orders to all, must be entrusted with this care after much testing, and must watch over each one according to what is fitting, with concern that he may arrange and command pleasingly to God, and with consideration for each one's suitability and ability for the common good; and those who are under authority, while good order is maintained and obedience recognizes its own measure, should remember the Lord saying: My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they follow me; and I eternal life

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Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ ζητῶ τὴν δόξαν μου· καὶ, ὅτι Ὁ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ λαλῶν τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἰδίαν ζητεῖ· ὁ δὲ ζητῶν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ πέμψαντος αὐτὸν, οὗτος ἀληθής ἐστιν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Τʹ. Τίς ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς, ὅτε περὶ ἀοράτου ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ὁ μὲν τρόπος τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἐρω τήματι δηλοῦται, ἐν τῷ, πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων 31.1296 ἐπιστρέφειν χρή· τὸ δὲ περὶ ἀοράτου εἶναι τὸν λό γον, μνημονεύσωμεν τοῦ Κυρίου, ὅτι Οὐδέν ἐστι κρυπτὸν, ὃ οὐ γνωσθήσεται· καὶ, ὅτι Ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας λαλεῖ τὸ στόμα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΤΑʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃ, ὅτι Οὐ καταγινώσκει μου τὸ συν ειδός. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν σωματικῶν παθῶν συμβαίνει. Πολλὰ γάρ ἐστι πάθη, ὧν οὐκ ἐπαισθάνονται οἱ ἀσθε νοῦντες· τῇ μέντοιγε τῶν ἰατρῶν σημειώσει πι στεύουσι μᾶλλον, ἢ τῇ ἑαυτῶν ἀναισθησίᾳ προσ έχουσιν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς παθῶν, τουτ έστιν, ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, κἂν ἑαυτοῦ τις μὴ καταγινώσκῃ, μὴ ἐπαισθανόμενος τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος, πιστεύειν μέντοιγε ὀφείλει τοῖς δυναμένοις πλέον ἰδεῖν τὰ ἐκείνου· τοῦτο δειξάντων μὲν τῶν ἁγίων ἀπο στόλων, ὅτε, ἐν πληροφορίᾳ ὄντες τῆς ἑαυτῶν εἰλι κρινοῦς πρὸς τὸν Κύριον διαθέσεως, καὶ ἀκού σαντες, ὅτι Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με, τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπίστευσαν μᾶλλον, καὶ διεφέροντο λέ γοντες· Μήτι ἐγώ εἰμι, Κύριε; σαφέστερον δὲ ἡμᾶς τοῦ ἁγίου Πέτρου διδάσκοντος, ὃς διαπύρῳ μὲν ταπεινοφροσύνῃ παραιτεῖται τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν τοῦ ∆εσπότου καὶ Θεοῦ καὶ διδασκάλου· πληροφορίᾳ δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ῥημάτων ἀκούσας, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ νίψω σε, οὐκ ἔχεις μέρος μετ' ἐμοῦ, λέγει· Μὴ τοὺς πόδας μου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ τὴν κεφαλήν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΤΒʹ. Εἰ χρὴ ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας διδόναι τοῖς ἐνδεέσι τῶν ἔξωθεν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος, Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ· καὶ, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις· τὰ διατεταγμένα τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις Θεῷ οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον εἰς ἀδιαφόρους παραναλίσκειν. Εἰ δὲ δυνατὸν γενέσθαι τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπαινουμένης ἐν πίστει γυναικὸς, ὅτι Ναὶ, Κύριε· καὶ γὰρ τὰ κυνάρια ἐσθίει ἀπὸ τῶν ψι χίων τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τῶν κυ ρίων αὑτῶν· ἐν τῇ τοῦ οἰκονόμου ἀνακείσθω δοκι μασίᾳ μετὰ κοινῆς τῶν μετ' αὐτὸν προεχόντων γνώ μης· ἵνα ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύματος ὁ ἥλιος, καθὼς γέ γραπται, ἀνατείλῃ ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθούς. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΤΓʹ. Εἰ χρὴ τοῖς παρὰ πάντων λεγομένοις ὑπακούειν ἐν ἀδελφότητι ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τὸ ἐρώτημα τοῦτο πολλὴν δυσχέρειαν ἔχει τῆς 31.1297 ἀποκρίσεως. Πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι ἀταξίας ἔμφασιν φα νερῶς δίδωσιν ἐν τῷ παρὰ πάντων λέγεσθαί τι, τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Προφῆται δὲ δύο ἢ τρεῖς λαλείτωσαν, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι διακρινέτωσαν· καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς μερισμοῖς τῶν χαρισμάτων, ἴδιον ἑκά στου τῶν λαλούντων τὸ τάγμα τάξαντος, ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν· Ἑκάστῳ ὡς ὁ Θεὸς ἐμέρισε μέτρον πίστεως· καὶ ἐν τῷ ὑποδείγματι τῶν μελῶν τοῦ σώ ματος σαφῶς μὲν παριστῶντος ἐν μέρει εἶναι τὸ μέρος τοῦ λαλοῦντος, ἀκριβέστερον δὲ διευκρινοῦντος ἐν τῷ εἰπεῖν· Εἴτε ὁ διδάσκων ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, εἴτε ὁ παρακαλῶν ἐν τῇ παρακλήσει, καὶ τὰ λοιπά· ὡς δῆλον ἐκ τούτων εἶναι μὴ πάντα πᾶσιν ἐπιτε τράφθαι, ἕκαστον δὲ ἰδίᾳ κλήσει μένειν, καὶ κατορ θοῦν ἐπιμελέστερον τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου πιστευθέν. ∆εῖ τοίνυν τὸν μὲν προεστῶτα τοῦ κοινοῦ, καὶ διατασσόμενον τοῖς πᾶσι, μετὰ πολλῆς δοκιμασίας ἐγχειρισθῆναι τὴν φροντίδα ταύτην, καὶ ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὸ πρέπον ἐπαγρυπνεῖν τῇ μερίμνῃ, ὅπως εὐαρέστως τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐστοχασμένως τῆς ἑκάστου ἐπιτηδειότητός τε καὶ δυνάμεως πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συμφέ ρον διατάσσηται, καὶ ἐπιτάσσῃ· τοὺς δὲ ὑπηκόους, τῆς εὐταξίας φυλαττομένης, καὶ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τὸ ἴδιον μέτρον γνωριζούσης, μεμνῆσθαι τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἐμὰ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἀκούει· κἀγὼ γινώσκω αὐτὰ, καὶ ἀκολου θοῦσί μοι· κἀγὼ ζωὴν αἰώνιον