66

I give to them; and He having said before, Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers; and the Apostle saying, that If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing; and after what follows, he adds: From such withdraw yourself; and again elsewhere: Do not despise prophecies; test all things; hold fast what is good; Abstain from every form of evil. Therefore, if something is said according to the command of the Lord, or is directed toward the command of the Lord, even if it contains a threat of death, one must obey; but if something is against the command, or harms the command, even if an angel from heaven, or one of the apostles commands it, even if it has the promise of life, or the threat of death, one must in no way tolerate it, as the Apostle said: But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 31.1300

QUESTION Τ∆ʹ. If, on behalf of those entrusted to the brotherhood, one ought to receive something from their relatives who wish to give it. RESPONSE.ʹ The care and testing of this belongs to the one who presides. Nevertheless, in my opinion, I reckon that it is more without offense to the many, and more profitable for the building up of faith, to reject such favors. For from the acceptance, in the first place, it often happens that even a reproach is brought against the community. Secondly, it provides an occasion for pride to the relative of those who have brought the gifts. In addition to this, what was said by the Apostle concerning those who eat and drink their own things in the common meal happens: You shame those who have nothing, and many such things. With so many occasions for sin arising, it is good not to receive such things, but to permit the one who presides to test from whom they should be received, and how they should be administered.

QUESTION ΤΕʹ If one should receive from outsiders either as a favor of friendship, or of pre-existing kinship. RESPONSE. This question has the same force as the question, If one ought to receive anything from relatives.

QUESTION Τʹ. By what manner is steadfastness achieved? RESPONSE. If someone takes up the mind of the chosen David, who said, at one time, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I should not be shaken; at another, that My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net; and at another, Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God. And that we may take care to achieve greater things more diligently by a lesser example, let each one consider for himself what he is like in the presence of those who are present, even if they happen to be of equal rank; how he strives to achieve for himself what is irreproachable, both in posture, and in walking, and in the movement of every limb, and in speech. Just as we are diligent to guard before men the things apparent to men, so also much more, if one is fully convinced that he has God as an overseer, who tests hearts and minds, 31.1301 according to what is written, and the only-begotten Son of God fulfilling the promise: For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them; and the Holy Spirit presiding, and distributing the gifts, and working; and the angels as observers of each one according to what was said by the Lord: Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven; he has a much greater and more intense struggle, in order to achieve a well-pleasing godliness, and thus steadfastness

66

δίδωμι αὐτοῖς· καὶ προειπόντος, Ἀλλοτρίῳ δὲ οὐ μὴ ἀκολουθή σουσιν, ἀλλὰ φεύξονται ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ οἴ δασι τῶν ἀλλοτρίων τὴν φωνήν· καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, ὅτι Εἴ τις ἑτεροδιδασκαλεῖ, καὶ μὴ προσέρχεται ὑγιαίνουσι λόγοις τοῖς τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τῇ κατ' εὐσέβειαν διδασκαλίᾳ, τετύφωται, μηδὲν ἐπιστάμενος· μετὰ δὲ τὰ ἐπισυμβαίνοντα ἐπαγαγόντος· Ἀφίστασο ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων· καὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ· Προ φητείας μὴ ἐξουθενεῖτε· πάντα δοκιμάζετε· τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε· ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε. Ὥστε εἰ μέν τί ἐστι κατ' ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου λεγόμενον, ἢ πρὸς τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου κατευθυνόμενον, κἂν θανάτου ἀπειλὴν ἔχῃ, ὑπ ακούειν χρή· εἰ δέ τι παρ' ἐντολήν ἐστιν, ἢ τὴν ἐντο λὴν παραβλάπτει, κἂν ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἤ τις τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐπιτάσσῃ, κἂν ζωῆς ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχῃ, κἂν θανάτου ἀπειλὴν, οὐδαμῶς ἀνέχεσθαι χρὴ, τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰπόντος· Κἂν ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ, ἢ ἄγ γελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζηται ὑμῖν παρ' ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα ὑμῖν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. 31.1300

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Τ∆ʹ. Εἰ ὑπὲρ τῶν παραδεδομένων τῇ ἀδελφότητι παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων, θελόντων διδόναι τι, χρὴ δέ χεσθαι. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ.ʹ Ἡ τούτου φροντὶς καὶ δοκιμασία ἀνῆκε τῷ προ εστῶτι. Πλὴν, ὡς κατ' ἐμὴν γνώμην, λογίζομαι ὅτι μᾶλλον ἀπρόσκοπόν ἐστι τοῖς πολλοῖς, καὶ εἰς οἰκο δομὴν τῆς πίστεως ὠφελιμώτερον τὸ ἀπωθεῖσθαι τὰς τοιαύτας χάριτας. Ἐκ γὰρ τῆς ὑποδοχῆς πρῶ τον μὲν συμβαίνει καὶ ὀνειδισμὸν κατὰ τοῦ κοι νοῦ προενεχθῆναι πολλάκις. Ἔπειτα, ὅτι καὶ ἐπάρ σεως παρέχει πρόφασιν τῷ οἰκείῳ τῶν προσενεγκόν των. Πρὸς τούτοις, ὅτι κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου περὶ τῶν εἰς τὸ κοινὸν τὰ ἴδια ἐσθιόντων καὶ πινόντων γίνεται τὸ, Καταισχύνετε τοὺς μὴ ἔχοντας, καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα. Τοσούτων δὲ προφά σεων εἰς ἁμαρτίαν ἐπισυμβαινουσῶν, καλόν ἐστι τὸ μὴ δέχεσθαι τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἐπιτρέπειν δὲ τῷ προ εστῶτι δοκιμάζειν, καὶ παρὰ τίνων χρὴ ληφθῆναι, καὶ πῶς δεῖ οἰκονομηθῆναι.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΤΕʹ Εἰ δεῖ λαμβάνειν παρὰ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἢ κατὰ χάριν φιλίας, ἢ προκατειλημμένης συγγε νείας. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῦτο τὸ ἐρώτημα τὴν ὁμοίαν δύναμιν ἔχει τῷ ἐρωτήματι, Εἰ παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων χρή τι λαμβάνειν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Τʹ. Μετὰ ποίου τρόπου τὸ ἀμετεώριστον κατορθοῦται. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐὰν τὸ τοῦ ἐκλεκτοῦ ∆αβὶδ φρόνημά τις ἀναλάβῃ, εἰπόντος, ποτὲ μὲν, Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐν ώπιόν μου διαπαντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ· ποτὲ δὲ, ὅτι Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διαπαντὸς πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐκσπάσει ἐκ παγίδος τοὺς πόδας μου· ποτὲ δὲ, Ἰδοὺ ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ δούλων εἰς χεῖρας τῶν κυρίων αὑτῶν, ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ παιδίσκης εἰς χεῖρας τῆς κυρίας αὑτῆς· οὕτως οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν. Καὶ ἵνα τῷ ἐλάττονι παραδείγματι σπουδαιότερον τὰ μείζονα κατορθοῦν φροντίσωμεν, ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ λογιζέσθω, οἷός ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τῶν παρόντων, κἂν ἰσότιμοι τυγχάνωσι· πῶς τὸ ἀκατάγνωστον ἑαυτῷ σπουδάζει κατορθῶσαι, καὶ ἐν στάσει, καὶ ἐν περιπάτῳ, καὶ ἐν κινήματι παντὸς μέλους, καὶ ἐν φθέγματι. Ὥσπερ δὲ τὰ ἀνθρώποις φανερὰ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους φυλάσσειν σπουδάζομεν, οὕτω καὶ πολὺ πλέον, ἐάν τις τὸν Θεὸν πληροφο ρηθῇ ἔχειν ἐπόπτην, ἐτάζοντα καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς, 31.1301 κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ πληροῦντα τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν· Οὗ ἐὰν ὦσι δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν· καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα ἐπι στατοῦν, καὶ μερίζον τὰ χαρίσματα, καὶ ἐνεργοῦν· καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους παρατηρητὰς ἑκάστου κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου· Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονή σητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων· λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, ὅτι οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ διαπαντὸς βλέπουσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς· πολυπλασίονα καὶ σφοδρότερον ἀγῶνα ἔχει, ὅπως εὐάρεστον τὴν θεοσέβειαν κατορθώσῃ, καὶ οὕτω τὸ ἀμετεώριστον