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Asceticon magnum

OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS BASIL, ARCHBISHOP OF CAESAREA IN CAPPADOCIA, CHAPTERS OF THE RULES ACCORDING TO

THE EPITOME.

1. Whether it is lawful or profitable for anyone to permit himself, and to do or say what he thinks is good, without the testimony of the divinely-inspired Scriptures. 31.1053

2. What confession must be required from one another by those who wish to live together according to God.

3. How shall we turn back one who sins, or how must we treat one who does not turn back.

4. If anyone distresses the brothers even for small sins, saying, "You must repent," is he not perhaps himself merciless, and destroys love.

5. How must one repent for each sin.

6. What sort of person is he who confesses repentance in word, but does not correct the sin.

7. What is the judgment of those who take vengeance on sinners.

8. How must one who repents genuinely be received.

9. How should we be disposed towards one who sins impenitently.

10. With what sort of fear and what sort of tears must a soul that has toiled in many sins depart from its sins.

11. How does one achieve hatred towards sins.

12. How can the soul be assured that God has forgiven it its sins.

13. Whether one who has sinned after baptism, being found in a multitude of evils, must despair of his own salvation; or up to what measure of sins must one hope in the love of God for mankind through repentance.

14. By what fruits must true repentance be tested.

15. What is the meaning of, "How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him."

16. Why is it that at one time the soul, even without striving, when sorrow falls almost automatically, is pierced with compunction, but at another time is so without sorrow, that even when forced it is unable to feel compunction.

17. If someone thinks of eating, and then condemns himself, will he too be accused as one who was anxious.

18. Whether it is right in a brotherhood to entrust some care to one who has once sinned, after much ascetic practice; and if it is right, what sort of care.

19. If someone is suspected of a sin, but does not do it openly, whether we must watch him, so that what is suspected may be discovered.

20. Whether one who has been convicted of sins must avoid communion with the heterodox, or also be separated from those who live wickedly.

21. From where come distraction and evil thoughts; and how shall we correct them.

22. From where do unseemly nocturnal phantasms come.

23. Up to what kind of words is idle talk judged. 31.1056

24. What is reviling.

25. What is slander.

26. Of what is he who slanders a brother, or who listens to a slanderer and tolerates it, worthy.

27. But if he slanders the superior, how shall we deal with him.

28. Concerning the one who answers with a bolder voice and with bold words.

29. In what way can one manage not to be angry.

30. How shall we cut off the passion of evil desire.

31. Whether it is not permitted to laugh at all.

32. From where do untimely and immoderate drowsiness come, and how shall we put it away.

33. How is the man-pleaser exposed.

34. How can one flee the passion of man-pleasing.

35. How is the proud man recognized, or how is he cured.

36. Whether one must seek honor.

37. In what way can one who is slothful toward the commandment manage to regain zeal.

38. If a brother is commanded, and talks back, but later goes off on his own accord.

39. But if, having obeyed, one grumbles.

40. But if a brother grieves a brother, how must he make amends.

41. But if he cannot bear to make an apology.

42. But if, while the one who grieved is apologizing, the one who was grieved does not wish to be reconciled.

43. How must one attend to the one who wakes him for prayer.

44. But if the one who was awakened for prayer becomes gloomy, or even

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Asceticon magnum

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΕΙΑΣ ΚΑΠΠΑ∆ΟΚΙΑΣ ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΑ ΤΩΝ ΟΡΩΝ ΤΩΝ ΚΑΤΑ

ΕΠΙΤΟΜΗΝ.

αʹ Εἰ ἔξεστιν ἢ συμφέρει τινὶ ἑαυτῷ ἐπιτρέπειν, καὶ ποιεῖν ἢ λέγειν ἃ νομίζει καλὰ, ἄνευ τῆς μαρτυ ρίας τῶν θεοπνεύστων Γραφῶν. 31.1053 βʹ Ποίαν ὁμολογίαν ἀπαιτεῖσθαι δεῖ παρ' ἀλλήλων τοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ζῇν κατὰ Θεὸν βουλομένους. γʹ Τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα πῶς ἐπιστρέψομεν, ἢ μὴ ἐπι στρέφοντα πῶς ἔχειν χρή. δʹ Ἐάν τις καὶ εἰς τὰ μικρὰ ἁμαρτήματα στε νοχωρῇ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, λέγων ὅτι, Ὀφείλετε μετα νοῆσαι, μήποτε καὶ αὐτὸς ἄσπλαγχνός ἐστι, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην καταλύει. εʹ Πῶς ὀφείλει τις μετανοῆσαι ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ ἁμαρτή ματι. ʹ Ὁ λόγῳ ὁμολογῶν μετανοεῖν, τὸ δὲ ἁμάρτημα μὴ διορθούμενος, ποταπός ἐστιν. ζʹ Τί τὸ κρῖμα τῶν ἐκδικούντων τοὺς ἁμαρτάνον τας. ηʹ Τὸν μετανοοῦντα γνησίως πῶς προσδέχεσθαι χρή. θʹ Πρὸς τὸν ἀμετανόητα ἁμαρτάνοντα πῶς διατεθῶ μεν. ιʹ Ψυχὴ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις πολλαῖς ταλαιπωρήσασα μετὰ ποταποῦ φόβου καὶ ποταπῶν δακρύων ὀφείλει ἀναχωρῆσαι τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. ιαʹ Πῶς κατορθοῖ τις τὸ μῖσος πρὸς τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. ιβʹ Πῶς πληροφορηθῇ ἡ ψυχὴ, ὅτι ἀφῆκεν αὐτῇ ὁ Θεὸς τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. ιγʹ Εἰ χρὴ τὸν μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ἐξαμαρτήσαντα ἀπογινώσκειν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίας, ἐν πλήθει κακῶν εὑρεθέντα· ἢ ἕως ποίου μέτρου ἁμαρτιῶν ἐπελπίζειν χρὴ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίᾳ διὰ τῆς μετανοίας. ιδʹ Ἐκ ποίων καρπῶν ὀφείλει δοκιμάζεσθαι ἡ ἀλη θὴς μετάνοια. ιεʹ Τί ἐστι τὸ, Ποσάκις ἁμάρτῃ εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφός μου, καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ. ιʹ ∆ιὰ τί ποτὲ μὲν ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ μὴ σπουδάζουσα, αὐτομάτως σχεδὸν ἐμπεσόντος πόνου, κατανύσσε ται, ποτὲ δὲ ἄπονος οὕτως ἐστὶν, ὡς καὶ βιαζομένη κατανυγῆναι μὴ δύνασθαι. ιζʹ Ἐάν τις κατὰ νοῦν μνημονεύσῃ τοῦ φαγεῖν, εἶτα καταγνῷ ἑαυτοῦ, εἰ καὶ οὗτος ὡς μεριμνήσας ἐγκληθήσεται. ιηʹ Εἰ χρὴ ἐν ἀδελφότητι τῷ ἐξαμαρτήσαντί ποτε φροντίδα τινὰ ἐγχειρίζειν μετὰ πολλὴν ἄσκησιν· καὶ εἰ χρὴ, ποίαν ταύτην. ιθʹ Ἐάν τις ὑποπτεύηται ἐπὶ ἁμαρτήματι, προφα νῶς δὲ τοῦτο μὴ ποιῇ, εἰ δεῖ αὐτὸν ἐπιτηρεῖν, ἵνα καὶ ἐφευρεθῇ ὃ ὑποπτεύεται. κʹ Εἰ χρὴ τὸν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἐξετασθέντα φεύγειν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἑτεροδόξους κοινωνίαν, ἢ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς κακῶς ζῶντας διακρίνεσθαι. καʹ Πόθεν ὁ μετεωρισμὸς καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοί· καὶ πῶς αὐτοὺς διορθωσόμεθα. κβʹ Πόθεν αἱ νυκτεριναὶ φαντασίαι αἱ ἀπρεπεῖς γί νονται. κγʹ Ἕως ποίων ῥημάτων ἡ ἀργολογία κρίνεται. 31.1056 κδʹ Τί ἐστι λοιδορία. κεʹ Τί ἐστι καταλαλιά. κʹ Ὁ καταλαλῶν ἀδελφοῦ, ἢ ἀκούων καταλαλοῦν τος, καὶ ἀνεχόμενος, τίνος ἐστὶν ἄξιος κζʹ Ἐὰν δὲ τοῦ προεστῶτος καταλαλήσῃ, πῶς αὐτῷ προσέξομεν. κηʹ Περὶ τοῦ θρασυτέρᾳ φωνῇ καὶ ῥήμασι θρασέσιν ἀποκρινομένου. κθʹ Ποίῳ τρόπῳ δυνηθῇ τις μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι. λʹ Πῶς ἐκκόψομεν τὸ πάθος τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς κακῆς. λαʹ Εἰ καθόλου γελᾷν οὐκ ἔξεστιν. λβʹ Ὁ ἄκαιρος καὶ ἄμετρος νυσταγμὸς πόθεν, καὶ πῶς αὐτὸν ἀποθώμεθα. λγʹ Πῶς ἐλέγχεται ὁ ἀνθρωπάρεσκος. λδʹ Πῶς φύγῃ τις τὸ πάθος τῆς ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας. λεʹ Πῶς γνωρίζεται ὁ ὑπερήφανος, ἢ πῶς θεραπεύεται λʹ Εἰ χρὴ τιμὴν ἐπιζητεῖν. λζʹ Ὁ ὀκνηρὸς πρὸς τὴν ἐντολὴν ποίῳ τρόπῳ σπου δὴν δυνηθῇ ἀναλαβεῖν. ληʹ Ἐὰν ἐπιταχθῇ ἀδελφὸς, καὶ ἀντείπῃ, ὕστερον δὲ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀπέλθῃ. λθʹ Ἐὰν δὲ ὑπακούσας τις γογγύσῃ. μʹ Ἐὰν δὲ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν λυπήσῃ, πῶς ὀφείλει διορθώσασθαι. μαʹ Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀνέχηται ἀπολογήσασθαι. μβʹ Ἐὰν δὲ ἀπολογουμένου τοῦ λυπήσαντος, μὴ θέλῃ διαλλαγῆναι ὁ λυπηθείς. μγʹ Πῶς ὀφείλει τις προσέχειν τῷ εἰς προσευχὴν ἐξ υπνίζοντι. μδʹ Ἐὰν δὲ στυγνάσῃ ὁ ἐξυπνισθεὶς εἰς εὐχὴν, ἢ καὶ