147

to whom nothing great is added for knowledge. But nevertheless, since you undertake, through the fear of God, to do a thing not easily done by another, it is necessary for us also to support your eagerness and good zeal even beyond our power. 199.17 You asked us concerning Bianor the presbyter, if he is acceptable into the clergy on account of the oath. But I know that a certain and common rule has already been set forth concerning all those who swore with him to the clergy in Antioch; so that they are to abstain from public assemblies, but privately perform the duties of presbyters. This same thing also gives him permission for his own ministry, because the priesthood is not in Antioch, but in Iconium, which, as you yourself wrote to us, he took in exchange for Antioch as a residence. That man is therefore acceptable, being required by your reverence to repent for the rashness of the oath which he swore before the unfaithful man, having been unable to bear the annoyance of that small danger. 199.18 Concerning the fallen virgins, who had professed to the Lord a life in holiness, and then on account of falling under the passions of the flesh have broken their own covenants, our fathers, dealing gently and meekly with the weaknesses of those who slip, legislated that they be received after a year, having ordered it in the same manner as for the twice-married. But it seems to me, since by the grace of God the Church, as it advances, becomes stronger and the order of virgins now increases, that we should pay close attention both to the matter as it appears in concept and to the meaning of Scripture which it is possible to discover from what follows. For widowhood is less than virginity; therefore the sin of widows is also far second to that of virgins. Let us see, then, what was written to Timothy by Paul: 'But refuse younger widows. For when they have grown wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having condemnation because they have broken their first pledge.' If, therefore, a widow is subject to a most heavy condemnation as having broken her pledge to Christ, what should we think concerning the virgin, who is a bride of Christ and a sacred vessel dedicated to the Master? It is a great sin for even a slave woman, giving herself over to secret marriages, to fill the house with corruption and to insult her owner through her wicked life; but it is surely much more grievous for the bride to become an adulteress and, having dishonored her union with the bridegroom, to give herself over to licentious pleasures. Therefore the widow, as a corrupted slave, is condemned; but the virgin is subject to the condemnation of an adulteress. Just as, therefore, we call the man who joins with another man's wife an adulterer, not receiving him into communion until he ceases from the sin, so clearly also shall we dispose in the case of the one who has the virgin. But it is now necessary for us to state beforehand that she is called a virgin who has voluntarily offered herself to the Lord, and renounced marriage, and preferred the life in holiness. And we approve the professions from when her age has the fullness of reason. For it is not fitting to consider the voices of children as in every way valid in such matters, but one who is over sixteen or seventeen years of age, being in control of her thoughts, having been examined at length, and then having persevered and persisting through supplications to be received, then she should be enrolled among the virgins, and the profession of such a one should be ratified, and its violation punished without excuse. For parents, and brothers, and some of their relatives bring forward many before the age, not impelled of their own accord towards celibacy, but managing some worldly matter for themselves. Whom one should not receive easily, until we have openly investigated their own mind. 199.19 But we have not known of professions of men, except if some have enrolled themselves in the order of monks; who by their silence seem to have accepted celibacy. Nevertheless, even in their case, I think it fitting that this take precedence, that they be asked and that the

147

οἷς οὐδὲν μέγα πρόσεστι εἰς γνῶσιν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ καταδέχῃ διὰ τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιεῖν πρᾶγμα οὐ ῥᾳδίως παρ' ἑτέρου γινόμενον, χρὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς τῇ προθυμίᾳ σου καὶ τῇ ἀγαθῇ σπουδῇ συναίρεσθαι καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν. 199.17 Ἠρώτησας ἡμᾶς περὶ Βιάνορος τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου εἰ δεκτός ἐστιν εἰς τὸν κλῆρον διὰ τὸν ὅρκον. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἤδη τινὰ καὶ κοινὸν ὅρον περὶ πάντων ὁμοῦ τῶν μετ' αὐτοῦ ὀμωμοκότων τοῖς κατ' Ἀντιόχειαν κληρικοῖς οἶδα ἐκτεθει κώς· ὥστε τῶν μὲν δημοσίων αὐτοὺς ἀπέχεσθαι συλλόγων, ἰδίᾳ δὲ ἐνεργεῖν τὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων. Τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ τοῦτο καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ὑπηρεσίαν ἄδειαν αὐτῷ παρέχει, διότι οὐκ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἱερωσύνη, ἀλλ' ἐν Ἰκονίῳ, ἥν, ὡς αὐτὸς ἐπέστειλας ἡμῖν, τῆς Ἀντιοχείας εἰς οἴκησιν ἀντηλλάξατο. Ἔστιν οὖν δεκτὸς ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐκεῖνος, ἀπαιτού μενος παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου μεταμέλεσθαι ἐπὶ τῇ εὐκολίᾳ τοῦ ὅρκου ὃν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀπίστου ἀνδρὸς ἐξωμόσατο, βαστάξαι τὴν ἐνόχλησιν τοῦ μικροῦ ἐκείνου κινδύνου μὴ δυνηθείς. 199.18 Περὶ τῶν ἐκπεσουσῶν παρθένων τῶν καθομολογησα μένων τὸν ἐν σεμνότητι βίον τῷ Κυρίῳ, εἶτα διὰ τὸ ὑπο πεσεῖν τοῖς πάθεσι τῆς σαρκὸς ἀθετουσῶν τὰς ἑαυτῶν συνθήκας, οἱ μὲν πατέρες ἡμῶν ἁπαλῶς καὶ πράως συμπεριφερόμενοι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις τῶν κατολισθαινόντων ἐνομοθέτησαν δεκτὰς εἶναι μετὰ τὸν ἐνιαυτόν, καθ' ὁμοιό τητα τῶν διγάμων διαταξάμενοι. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ, ἐπειδὴ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι προιοῦσα ἡ Ἐκκλησία κραταιοτέρα γίνεται καὶ πληθύνεται νῦν τὸ τάγμα τῶν παρθένων, προσ έχειν ἀκριβῶς τῷ τε κατ' ἔννοιαν φαινομένῳ πράγματι καὶ τῇ τῆς Γραφῆς διανοίᾳ ἣν δυνατὸν ἐξευρεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀκολούθου. Χηρεία γὰρ παρθενίας ἐλάττων· οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸ τῶν χηρῶν ἁμάρτημα πολλῷ δεύτερόν ἐστι τοῦ τῶν παρθένων. Ἴδωμεν τοίνυν τί γέγραπται Τιμοθέῳ παρὰ τοῦ Παύλου· «Νεωτέρας δὲ χήρας παραιτοῦ. Ὅταν γὰρ καταστρηνιάσωσι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, γαμεῖν θέλουσιν ἔχουσαι κρίμα ὅτι τὴν πρώτην πίστιν ἠθέτησαν». Εἰ τοίνυν χήρα κρίματι ὑπόκειται βαρυτάτῳ ὡς τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ἀθετή σασα πίστιν, τί χρὴ λογίζεσθαι ἡμᾶς περὶ τῆς παρθένου, ἥτις νύμφη ἐστὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ σκεῦος ἱερὸν ἀνατεθὲν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ; Μέγα μὲν ἁμάρτημα καὶ δούλην λαθραίοις γάμοις ἑαυτὴν ἐπιδιδοῦσαν φθορᾶς ἀναπλῆσαι τὸν οἶκον καὶ καθυβρίζειν διὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ βίου τὸν κεκτημένον· πολλῷ δὲ δήπου χαλεπώτερον τὴν νύμφην μοιχαλίδα γενέσθαι καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν νυμφίον ἕνωσιν ἀτιμάσασαν ἡδοναῖς ἀκολάστοις ἑαυτὴν ἐπιδοῦναι. Οὐκοῦν ἡ μὲν χήρα, ὡς δούλη διεφθαρμένη, καταδικάζεται· ἡ δὲ παρθένος τῷ κρίματι τῆς μοιχαλίδος ὑπόκειται. Ὥσπερ οὖν τὸν ἀλλοτρίᾳ γυναικὶ συνιόντα μοιχὸν ὀνομάζομεν, οὐ πρότερον παραδεξάμενοι εἰς κοινωνίαν πρὶν ἢ παύσασθαι τῆς ἁμαρ τίας· οὕτω δηλονότι καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τὴν παρθένον ἔχοντος διατεθησόμεθα. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ νῦν προδιομολογεῖσθαι ἡμῖν ἀναγκαῖον, ὅτι παρθένος ὀνομάζεται ἡ ἑκουσίως ἑαυτὴν προσαγαγοῦσα τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἀποταξαμένη τῷ γάμῳ καὶ τὸν ἐν ἁγιασμῷ βίον προτιμήσασα. Τὰς δὲ ὁμολογίας τότε ἐγκρίνομεν, ἀφ' οὗπερ ἂν ἡ ἡλικία τὴν τοῦ λόγου συμπλή ρωσιν ἔχῃ. Οὐ γὰρ τὰς παιδικὰς φωνὰς πάντως κυρίας ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων ἡγεῖσθαι προσῆκεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ τὰ δέκα ἓξ ἢ δέκα καὶ ἑπτὰ γενομένην ἔτη, κυρίαν οὖσαν τῶν λογισμῶν, ἀνακριθεῖσαν ἐπὶ πλεῖον, εἶτα παραμείνασαν καὶ λιπαροῦσαν διὰ ἱκεσιῶν πρὸς τὸ παραδεχθῆναι, τότε ἐγκα ταλέγεσθαι χρὴ ταῖς παρθένοις καὶ τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς τοιαύτης κυροῦν καὶ τὴν ἀθέτησιν αὐτῆς ἀπαραιτήτως κολάζειν. Πολλὰς γὰρ γονεῖς προσάγουσι, καὶ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ τῶν προσηκόντων τινές, πρὸ τῆς ἡλικίας, οὐκ οἴκοθεν ὁρμηθείσας πρὸς ἀγαμίαν, ἀλλά τι βιωτικὸν ἑαυτοῖς διοικού μενοι. Ἃς οὐ ῥᾳδίως προσδέχεσθαι δεῖ, ἕως ἂν φανερῶς τὴν ἰδίαν αὐτῶν ἐρευνήσωμεν γνώμην. 199.19 Ἀνδρῶν δὲ ὁμολογίας οὐκ ἔγνωμεν, πλὴν εἰ μή τινες ἑαυτοὺς τῷ τάγματι τῶν μοναζόντων ἐγκατηρίθμησαν· οἳ κατὰ τὸ σιωπώμενον δοκοῦσι παραδεδέχθαι τὴν ἀγαμίαν. Πλὴν καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνων ἐκεῖνο ἡγοῦμαι προηγεῖσθαι προσή κειν, ἐρωτᾶσθαι αὐτοὺς καὶ λαμβάνεσθαι τὴν