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to be able to have the Holy Spirit with them, and let us treat with much honor those entrusted with this power. For great is the dignity of priests. Whose sins you remit, he says, they are remitted. Therefore Paul also said: Obey your leaders and submit to them, and hold them in the highest honor. For you are concerned with your own affairs; and if you manage these well, you will have no account to give for others; but the priest, even if he manages his own life well, but does not take care of yours or of all those around him with precision, will go away with the wicked into Gehenna; and often, not being betrayed by his own affairs, he is destroyed by yours, if he does not perfectly accomplish all things that fall to him. Knowing, therefore, the greatness of the danger, show them much goodwill; which Paul also intimated, saying, that They watch over your souls; and 59.472 not simply, but As those who will give an account. Therefore they ought to enjoy much care. But if you also attack them along with the others, your own affairs will not be in a good state either. For as long as the pilot is in good spirits, the passengers' affairs will also be in safety; but if he is distressed by their reviling and hostile attitude towards him, he is not able to be vigilant in the same way, nor to preserve his skill, and unwillingly he surrounds them with countless evils. So also a priest, if he enjoys the honor from you, will be able to manage your affairs well; but if you surround them with despondency, having paralyzed their hands, you will make them, along with yourselves, an easy prey to the waves, even if they are very noble. Consider what Christ says about the Jews: The scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the seat of Moses. Therefore, all that they tell you to do, do. But now it is not possible to say, The priests have sat on the seat of Moses, but, On that of Christ. For they have succeeded to his teaching. Therefore Paul also says: We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us. Do you not see in the case of secular rulers all submitting, even though they are often better in birth and life and intelligence than those who judge them? But nevertheless, on account of the one who gave the authority, they consider none of these things, but they respect the decree of the ruler, whoever he may be who has received the office. Then if a man appoints, there is so great fear; but when God appoints, do we both despise the one appointed, and revile him, and shower him with countless reproaches, and though forbidden to judge our brothers, we sharpen our tongue against the priests. And where are these things worthy of defense, when we do not see the beam in our own eye, but bitterly scrutinize the speck in another's? do you not know that by judging thus you make the judgment seat even more severe for yourself? And I say these things, not approving those who administer the priesthood unworthily, but also pitying and weeping for them greatly; however, I do not for this reason say that it is right for them to be judged by those they rule, and especially by the very simplest. For even if their life is greatly discredited, you, if you pay attention to yourself, will suffer no harm in regard to the things entrusted to him by God. For if He caused a voice to be uttered through a donkey, and through a diviner bestowed spiritual blessings, and worked in the irrational mouth and in the unclean tongue of Balaam on account of the Jews who had offended; much more for your sakes, who are well-disposed, even if the priests are very wicked, will He work all His things, and will send the Holy Spirit. For not even the pure man draws it down by his own purity; but it is grace that works the whole thing. For all things, he says, are for your sake, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas. For those things which are entrusted to the priest, it is for God alone to bestow; and wherever human philosophy may reach, it will appear less than that grace. And I say these things, not that we should manage our own lives carelessly, but that when some of the leaders are careless, you who are ruled may not often heap up evils for yourselves. And why do I speak of priests? Neither angel, nor archangel

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δύνασθαι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἔχειν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ τοὺς ἐγκεχειρισμένους τὴν ἐνέργειαν μετὰ πολλῆς θεραπεύωμεν τῆς τιμῆς. Μεγάλη γὰρ ἡ τῶν ἱερέων ἀξία. Ὧν ἂν ἀφῆτε, φησὶν, ἀφέωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Πείθεσθε τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν καὶ ὑπείκετε, καὶ ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ἡγεῖσθε αὐτοὺς ἐν τιμῇ. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ τὰ σαυτοῦ μεριμνᾷς· κἂν ταῦτα διάθῃ καλῶς, οὐδείς σοι τῶν ἄλλων ἔσται λόγος· ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς, κἂν τὸν οἰκεῖον καλῶς οἰκονομήσῃ βίον, τὸν δὲ σὸν ἤτοι ἁπάντων τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν μὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐπιμελήσηται, μετὰ τῶν πονηρῶν εἰς τὴν γέενναν ἄπεισιν· καὶ πολλάκις ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων οὐ προδοθεὶς, ἀπὸ τῶν ὑμετέρων ἀπόλλυται, ἂν μὴ πάντα τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἥκοντα ἀπαρτίσῃ καλῶς. Εἰδότες οὖν τοῦ κινδύνου τὸ μέγεθος, πολλὴν ἀπονέμετε αὐτοῖς εὔνοιαν· ὃ καὶ Παῦλος ᾐνίξατο λέγων, ὅτι Ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν· καὶ 59.472 οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' Ὡς λόγον ἀποδώσοντες. ∆ιὸ τῆς πολλῆς δεῖ θεραπείας αὐτοὺς ἀπολαύειν. Ἐὰν δὲ ἐπεμβαίνητε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοῖς καὶ ὑμεῖς, καὶ οὐδὲ τὰ ὑμέτερα καλῶς διακείσεται. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ διάγει ὁ κυβερνήτης, ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ ἔσται καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐπιβατῶν· ἂν δὲ, λοιδορουμένων ἐκείνων καὶ ἀπεχθῶς ἐχόντων πρὸς αὐτὸν, ταλαιπωρῆται, οὐδὲ ἀγρυπνεῖν ὁμοίως δύναται, οὔτε τὴν τέχνην διασώζειν, καὶ ἄκων μυρίοις αὐτοὺς περιβάλλει κακοῖς. Οὕτω καὶ ἱερεὺς, ἂν μὲν ἀπολαύῃ τῆς παρ' ὑμῶν τιμῆς, καὶ τὰ ὑμέτερα διαθεῖναι καλῶς δυνήσεται· ἂν δὲ ἀθυμίᾳ αὐτοὺς περιβάλλητε, τὰς χεῖρας ἐκλύσαντες εὐχειρώτους μεθ' ὑμῶν αὐτοὺς ποιήσετε τοῖς κύμασι, κἂν σφόδρα γενναῖοι ὦσιν. Ἐννόησον τί περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων φησὶν ὁ Χριστός· Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι. Πάντα οὖν, ὅσα λέγουσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε. Νῦν δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν· Ἐπὶ τῆς Μωϋσέως καθέδρας ἐκάθισαν οἱ ἱερεῖς, ἀλλ', Ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τὴν γὰρ ἐκείνου διεδέξαντο διδασκαλίαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλός φησιν· Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε ἐπὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀρχόντων ἅπαντας ὑποκύπτοντας, καὶ γένει βελτίους ὄντας πολλάκις καὶ βίῳ καὶ συνέσει τῶν δικαζόντων αὐτούς; Ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τὸν δεδωκότα οὐδὲν τούτων ἐννοοῦσιν, ἀλλ' αἰδοῦνται τὴν ψῆφον τοῦ βασιλεύοντος, κἂν ὁστισοῦν ὁ λαβὼν ᾖ τὴν ἀρχήν. Εἶτα ἂν ἄνθρωπος χειροτονήσῃ, τοσοῦτος φόβος· τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ χειροτονοῦντος, καὶ ὑπερορῶμεν τὸν χειροτονούμενον, καὶ λοιδοροῦμεν, καὶ μυρίοις ὀνείδεσι πλύνομεν, καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν κωλυθέντες κρίνειν, κατὰ τῶν ἱερέων τὴν γλῶσσαν ἀκονῶμεν. Καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα ἀπολογίας ἄξια, ὅταν τὴν μὲν ἐν τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ δοκὸν μὴ βλέπωμεν, τὸ δὲ κάρφος τοῦ ἑτέρου πικρῶς περιεργαζώμεθα; οὐκ οἶσθα ὅτι καὶ χαλεπώτερον σαυτῷ ποιεῖς τὸ δικαστήριον οὕτω δικάζων; Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐκ ἀποδεχόμενος τοὺς ἀναξίως τὴν ἱερωσύνην διοικοῦντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐλεῶν καὶ δακρύων· οὐ μὴν διὰ τοῦτό φημι δίκαιον εἶναι παρὰ τῶν ἀρχομένων κρίνεσθαι, καὶ μάλιστα τῶν πάνυ ἀφελεστέρων. Κἂν γὰρ ὁ βίος αὐτῶν σφόδρα διαβεβλημένος ᾖ, σὺ δὲ, ἂν σαυτῷ προσέχῃς, οὐδὲν παραβλαβήσῃ εἰς τὰ ἐγκεχειρισμένα αὐτῷ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ δι' ὄνου φωνὴν ἀφεθῆναι ἐποίησε, καὶ διὰ μάντεως εὐλογίας πνευματικὰς ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ ἐν ἀλόγῳ στόματι καὶ ἐν ἀκαθάρτῳ γλώττῃ τοῦ Βαλαὰμ ἐνεργήσας διὰ τοὺς προσκεκρουκότας Ἰουδαίους· πολλῷ μᾶλλον δι' ὑμᾶς τοὺς εὐγνώμονας, εἰ καὶ σφόδρα φαῦλοί εἰσιν οἱ ἱερεῖς, τὰ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἐργάσεται, καὶ πέμψει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ καθαρὸς ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας ἐπισπᾶται αὐτὸ καθαρότητος· ἀλλὰ χάρις ἐστὶν ἡ τὸ πᾶν ἐργαζομένη. Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶ, δι' ὑμᾶς, εἴτε Παῦλος εἴτε Ἀπολλὼς, εἴτε Κηφᾶς. Ἃ γὰρ ἐγκεχείρισται ὁ ἱερεὺς, Θεοῦ μόνου ἐστὶ δωρεῖσθαι· καὶ ὅπουπερ ἂν ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φθάσῃ φιλοσοφία, ἐλάττων τῆς χάριτος ἐκείνης φανεῖται. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐχ ἵνα ῥᾳθύμως τὸν ἑαυτῶν βίον οἰκονομῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ῥᾳθυμούντων τινῶν τῶν προεστώτων, ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀρχόμενοι ἑαυτοῖς πολλάκις ἐπισωρεύητε τὰ κακά. Καὶ τί λέγω τοὺς ἱερεῖς; Οὔτε ἄγγελος, οὔτε ἀρχάγγελος