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helping this one, it helps not only this one, but also those others, letting them be nourished with more room. I will that the younger women, what? live in luxury? but live wantonly? nothing of the sort, but, to marry, to bear children, to guide the house. For that you might not think he urges them to luxury, 62.581 he added; "Give no occasion to the adversary for the sake of reproach." For they ought to have been above worldly things; but since they have become lower, let them at least stand firm in these. "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine." For the Scripture saith: "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn; and, The laborer is worthy of his reward." 2. Here by honor he means care, the supply of necessaries. For to add, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn," and, "The laborer is worthy of his reward," declares this. So when he says, "Honor widows," he says this concerning the provision of necessaries, "That it may relieve them that are widows indeed," he says; and again, "Honor widows that are widows indeed;" that is, those in poverty; for the more one is in poverty, the more she is a widow. He sets down that of the law, he sets down that of Christ, both agreeing. For the law says, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn." Do you see how he wishes the teacher to labor? For there is not, there is not, another labor such as his. But that is of the law; but how does he also set down that of Christ? "For," he says, "the laborer is worthy of his reward." Therefore let us not attend to the reward alone, but also how He commanded; for he says, "The laborer is worthy of his food." So if one lives in luxury and is remiss, he is not worthy; unless one is an ox treading out the corn, and endures the yoke, drawing it against heat and thorns, and does not stop before he brings the fruits into the barns, he is not worthy. Therefore the supply of necessaries ought to flow to the teachers with abundance, so that they may not grow weary nor faint, nor, by being occupied with small things, deprive themselves of great ones; that they may work spiritual things, taking no account of worldly things. Such were the Levites; they had no care for worldly things, because the laity had the care of providing for them, and their revenues were appointed by law, such as the tithes, the things from the gold, the first-fruits, the vows, and many other things. But for them he reasonably legislated these things, since they sought the things of the present; but I say nothing more than that the rulers ought to have food and clothing, so that they may not be distracted by these things. But what is, "Double honor"? Double in comparison to the widows, or to the deacons, or does he simply mean much honor by "double"? Let us not then only consider this, that he counted them worthy of double honor, but that he added, "Those who rule well." And what is, "rule well"? Let us hear Christ saying: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." This then is to rule well, to spare nothing for the sake of their care. "Especially," he says, "they who labor in the word and doctrine." Where now are those who say there is no need of word, nor of doctrine? when indeed to Timothy he gives so many exhortations, saying, "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them;" and again, "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation;" "for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." And these he wishes to be honored most of all others; and he gives the reason, that they endure much labor, he says. Rightly. For when one neither keeps vigil, nor has any care, but simply sits in security and freedom from care, while that one is wearied with care, with meditation, 62.582 and especially when he is inexperienced in profane learning, how is it not right that he who gives himself to so many labors should enjoy the greatest honor, and before all others? For he is accountable to countless tongues; one person found fault, another praised, another mocked, another slandered his memory and his composition; and he needs much strength, to bear these things. For great

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βοηθοῦσα ταύτῃ, οὐ ταύτῃ βοηθεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείναις, μετ' εὐρυχωρίας ἀφεῖσα αὐτὰς τρέφεσθαι. Βούλομαι νεωτέρας, τί; τρυφᾷν; ἀλλὰ σπαταλᾷν; οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ, Γαμεῖν, τεκνογονεῖν, οἰκοδεσποτεῖν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς αὐτὸν εἰς τρυφὴν 62.581 αὐτὰς προτρέπειν, ἐπήγαγε· Μηδεμίαν διδόναι ἀφορμὴν τῷ ἀντικειμένῳ λοιδορίας χάριν. Ἔδει μὲν γὰρ αὐτὰς εἶναι ἀνωτέρας τῶν βιωτικῶν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ κατώτεραι γεγόνασι, κἂν ἐν αὐτοῖς στηκέτωσαν. Οἱ καλῶς προεστῶτες πρεσβύτεροι, διπλῆς τιμῆς ἀξιούσθωσαν, μάλιστα οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ. Λέγει γὰρ ἡ Γραφή· Βοῦν ἀλοῶντα οὐ φιμώσεις· καὶ, Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ. βʹ. Τιμὴν ἐνταῦθα τὴν θεραπείαν λέγει, τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων χορηγίαν. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπαγαγεῖν, Οὐ φιμώσεις βοῦν ἀλοῶντα, καὶ, Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο δηλοῖ. Ἄρα καὶ ὅταν λέγῃ, Χήρας τίμα, τοῦτο λέγει περὶ τῆς τῶν ἀναγκαίων τροφῆς, Ἵνα ταῖς ὄντως χήραις ἐπαρκέσῃ, φησί· καὶ πάλιν, Τίμα τὰς ὄντως χήρας· τουτέστι, τὰς ἐν πενίᾳ· ὅσῳ γὰρ ἄν τις ἐν πενίᾳ ᾖ, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλόν ἐστι χήρα. Τίθησι τὸ τοῦ νόμου, τίθησι τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀμφότερα συμφωνοῦντα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος φησὶν, Οὐ φιμώσεις βοῦν ἀλοῶντα. Ὁρᾷς πῶς βούλεται κάμνειν τὸν διδάσκαλον; Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν, ἄλλος πόνος τοιοῦτος, ὡς ὁ ἐκείνου. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μὲν τοῦ νόμου· πῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τίθησιν; Ἄξιος γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὑτοῦ. Μὴ τῷ μισθῷ τοίνυν προσέχωμεν μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πῶς προσέταξε· φησὶ γὰρ, Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τῆς τροφῆς αὑτοῦ ἐστιν. Ὥστε εἴ τις τρυφᾷ καὶ ἀνίεται, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄξιος· εἰ μή τίς ἐστι βοῦς ἀλοῶν, καὶ πρὸς πνῖγος καὶ πρὸς ἀκάνθας τὸ ζεῦγος ἀνέχων ἕλκει, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀφίσταται, ἕως ταῖς ἀποθήκαις τοὺς καρποὺς εἰσκομίσει, οὐκ ἔστιν ἄξιος. Ἄρα δεῖ μετὰ ἀφθονίας ἐπιῤῥέειν τοῖς διδασκάλοις τὴν τῶν ἀναγκαίων χορηγίαν, ἵνα μὴ κάμνωσι μήτε ἐκλύωνται, μηδὲ περὶ τὰ μικρὰ σχολάζοντες τῶν μεγάλων ἀποστερῶσιν ἑαυτούς· ἵνα τὰ πνευματικὰ ἐργάζωνται, μηδένα τῶν βιωτικῶν ποιούμενοι λόγον. Τοιοῦτοι ἦσαν οἱ Λευῗται· οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς ἔμελε τῶν βιωτικῶν, ὅτι τοῖς λαϊκοῖς ἔμελε τῆς αὐτῶν προνοίας, καὶ νόμῳ ἐτέτακτο τὰ τῶν προσόδων, οἷον αἱ δεκάται, τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν χρυσίων, αἱ ἀπαρχαὶ, αἱ εὐχαὶ, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα. Ἀλλ' ἐκείνοις μὲν εἰκότως ταῦτα ἐνομοθέτει, ἅτε τὰ παρόντα ζητοῦσιν· ἐγὼ δὲ πλέον οὐδὲν λέγω τοῦ δεῖν τοὺς προεστῶτας ἔχειν τροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, ἵνα μὴ περιέλκωνται εἰς ταῦτα. Τί δέ ἐστι, ∆ιπλῆς τιμῆς; ∆ιπλῆς τῆς πρὸς τὰς χήρας, ἢ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς διακόνους, ἢ ἁπλῶς διπλῆς τιμῆς πολλῆς φησι. Μὴ τοῦτο τοίνυν μόνον σκοπῶμεν, ὅτι διπλῆς αὐτοὺς τιμῆς ἠξίωσεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι προσέθηκε, Τοὺς καλῶς προεστῶτας. Τί δέ ἐστι, Καλῶς προεστῶτας; Ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος· Ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων. Ἄρα τοῦτό ἐστι καλῶς προεστάναι, μηδενὸς φείδεσθαι τῆς ἐκείνων κηδεμονίας ἕνεκεν. Μάλιστα, φησὶν οἱ κοπιῶντες ἐν λόγῳ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ. Ποῦ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ λέγοντες μὴ δεῖν λόγου, μηδὲ διδασκαλίας; ὅπου γε καὶ Τιμοθέῳ τοσαῦτα παραινεῖ λέγων, Ταῦτα μελέτα, ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι· καὶ πάλιν, Πρόσεχε τῇ ἀναγνώσει, τῇ παρακλήσει· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν καὶ σεαυτὸν σώσεις καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας. Καὶ τούτους μάλιστα πάντων τῶν ἄλλων τιμᾶσθαι βούλεται· καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τίθησιν, ὅτι πολὺν πόνον ὑπομένουσι, φησίν. Εἰκότως. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ μὲν ἕτερος μήτε ἀγρυπνῇ, μήτε φροντίζῃ, ἀλλὰ ἁπλῶς συνεδρεύῃ ἐν ἀδείᾳ καὶ ἀμεριμνίᾳ, ἐκεῖνος δὲ κόπτηται φροντίζων, μελετῶν, 62.582 καὶ μάλιστα, ὅταν ἄπειρος ᾖ καὶ λόγων τῶν ἔξωθεν, πῶς οὐ δεῖ μάλιστα τιμῆς ἀπολαύειν καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων αὐτὸν εἰς τοσούτους πόνους ἑαυτὸν ἀφιέντα; Μυρίαις γὰρ γλώσσαις ἐστὶν ὑπεύθυνος· ὁ δεῖνα ἐμέμψατο, ἕτερος ἐπῄνεσεν, ἄλλος ἔσκωψεν, ἄλλος διέβαλε τὴν μνήμην καὶ τὴν σύνθεσιν· καὶ δεῖ αὐτῷ πολλῆς ἰσχύος, ὥστε ταῦτα φέρειν. Μέγα γὰρ