Longer Rules

^A and thus let us attend diligently to what is said, and let us give sedulous effort to carrying out the divine instructions, since we do not know on what day or at what hour our Lord is coming.

CHAPTERS OF THE LONGER RULES

1. On the order and sequence of the Lord’s commandments. 2. On the love of God, and that the inclination and power to carry out the Lord’s commandments are naturally in men. 3. On the love of one’s neighbor. 4. On the fear of God. ^B 5. On the continuous attention of the mind. 6. That it is necessary to live in seclusion. 7. That one’s life should be spent with those who are moved by the same spirit to set themselves to please God: and that it is both difficult and dangerous to live as a solitary. 8. On renunciation. 9. That no one ought to leave their property to their blood relatives. 10. Who of those approaching to live according to God are to be admitted, and when, or how. 11. On slaves. 12. How married persons should be admitted. 13. That the practice of silence is also useful for those who are being introduced. ^C 14. On those who have dedicated themselves to God, and then attempt to make their profession void. 15. On the receiving and upbringing of children: and on the profession of virgins. 16. On self-control. 17. That one ought to refrain even from laughter. 18. That all things set before us must be tasted. 19. What the measure of self-control is. 20. What is the manner of reception when taking food. 21. How one ought to act while sitting and reclining at the time of mid-day and evening meals. 22. What garment is becoming to a Christian. ^D 23. On the girdle. 24. On the manner in which they ought to live together. 25. That the superior who does not rebuke those who sin is about to undergo a fearful judgment.

^A 26. That all things, even the secrets of the heart, are to be disclosed to the superior. 27. That the superior himself also, if he ever wanders, is to be admonished by those who hold the first places among the brothers. 28. How all ought to be disposed toward the disobedient and insubordinate. 29. Concerning one who labors with elation of mind or murmuring. 30. With what affection the superior ought to undertake the care of the brothers. 31. That the ministry imposed by the superior is to be accepted. 32. How one ought to be disposed toward those who are related to us by blood. ^B 33. What the manner of conversing with sisters ought to be. 34. What kind of persons those ought to be who dispense necessary things among the brothers. 35. Whether several brotherhoods are to be established in the same village. 36. Concerning those who withdraw from the brotherhood. 37. Whether, under the pretext and name of prayers and psalmody, works are to be neglected: also, what times are suitable for prayer, and whether one ought to work first. 38. What kind of arts befit our profession. 39. What method is to be held in selling works, and what in traveling. 40. Concerning the business transactions that are wont to take place at celebrations. 41. Concerning authority and obedience. 42. With what mind and with what affection those who work ought to work. 43. What kind of persons the superiors ought to be, and how they ought to govern the community. 44. To whom travels are to be permitted, and how, after they have returned, they are to be questioned and examined. 45. That after the superior, another person also is to be appointed who, in his absence or preoccupation, can undertake the care of the brothers. 46. That no one ought to conceal either a brother’s sin or his own. 47. Concerning those who do not approve of things appointed by the superior. ^C 48. That one ought not to inquire curiously into the superior's administration and governance; but each one ought to attend to his own work. ^D 49. Concerning the controversies that sometimes arise among the brothers. 50. What the superior's reproof ought to be. 51. How the sin of the delinquent ought to be corrected. 52. With what mind the penalties that are imposed are to be endured.

52. How teachers of the arts should correct erring children. 54. That those presiding over the brotherhood ought to communicate to others the business that pertains to them. 55. Whether it is consistent with the purpose of piety to use medicine.

OF OUR HOLY FATHER BASIL, ARCHBISHOP OF CAESAREA IN CAPPADOCIA, LONGER RULES, DELIVERED BY WAY OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

INTERROGATION I. Concerning the order and sequence of the commands of the Lord.

Since the Word has given us the authority to inquire, we ask first of all to be taught whether there is some order and sequence in the commands of God, such that one is first, another second, and so on in order; or whether they all hang together, and are all of equal honor with respect to the principle of their origin, so that it is permitted to him who wishes, just as in a circle, to make a beginning from wherever he chooses.

RESPONSE. Your question is ancient, and was long ago set forth in the Gospels, when the lawyer approached the Lord…

^A saying: Master, which is the first commandment in the law? And the Lord answered: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The Lord Himself, therefore, assigned an order to His own commandments; He defined the first and greatest commandment as that concerning the love of God; and second in order, and like to that—or rather, complementary to the former and hanging upon it—is that concerning loving one's neighbor. So that from what has been said, and from other similar things which are brought forward in the divine Scriptures, the order and sequence of all the Lord’s commandments can be perceived and understood.

INTERROGATION II

Concerning charity towards God, and that a propensity and power according to nature exist in men for executing the Lord's precepts.

Therefore, speak to us first concerning the love of God. For we have heard indeed that God must be loved, but we desire to learn how this can be accomplished.

RESPONSE. ^B 1. Indeed, the love of God is not situated in the precepts of doctrine. For we have not learned from another to rejoice in the light, or to desire life, nor did another teach us to love our parents or those who nourished us. Thus, therefore, or even much more, ^C the love of God is not located in external discipline: but as soon as that animal (I mean man) came into existence, a certain power of reason was implanted in us in the manner of a seed, which contains within itself the faculty and necessity of loving. When the school of the divine commandments receives this power, it is accustomed to cultivate it diligently, and to nourish it skillfully, and by God's help to lead it to perfection. Wherefore we too, approving your zeal as necessary for reaching the goal, God granting it, and you assisting us through your prayers, will endeavor to stir up the spark of divine love hidden within you, according to the power given to us by the Holy Spirit. It must be known, however, that this is one virtue, ^D but yet by its power and efficacy every single commandment is fulfilled and comprehended. For he who loves me, says the Lord, will keep my commandments. And again, that *On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets*.

Now, however, we shall not attempt to construct a precise discourse, for we would be unwise to confine the entire discourse on the commandments to a mere part; rather, we will remind you, according to our ability and as far as the present purpose requires, of the love for God that we owe, having first said this: that we have received from God in advance the power and capacity to perform all the commandments given to us by Him, so that we may neither be vexed, as if something unusual were being required of us, nor be puffed up, as if we were contributing something beyond what has been given. By using these powers rightly and fittingly, we piously fulfill a life adorned with virtues; but by corrupting their operation, we are carried away toward vice. And this is the definition of vice: the evil use of the faculties given to us by God for the accomplishment of good, and a use that is foreign to the commandments of the Lord; just as, conversely, the virtue that God requires is the use of those same faculties proceeding from a good conscience according to the commandment of the Lord.

Since this is the case, we shall say the same thing regarding charity. Therefore, having received the commandment to love God, we have possessed the power and faculty of loving, implanted in us from our very first constitution; and the proof of this is not sought from external arguments, but each person can learn this from himself and within himself. For we are naturally inclined to desire good and beautiful things—even if, in truth, one thing appears beautiful to one person and another to someone else—and we have an untaught affection for that which is akin and related to us, and we willingly bestow every goodwill upon our benefactors. ^B What, then, is more admirable than divine beauty? What thought is more pleasing and sweeter than the magnificence of God? What desire of the soul is so intense and violent as that which is brought about by God in a soul purified from all vice, and which says from true disposition: *I am wounded with love*?

The flashes of divine beauty are altogether ineffable and indescribable; speech does not present them, nor does the ear receive them. Even if you speak of the splendors of the morning star, and the brightness of the moon, and the light of the sun, all are worthless and obscure compared to that glory, and, when compared to the true light, are further removed from it than the deep and dismal night is from the clearest midday. This beauty cannot be seen by fleshly eyes, but is apprehended by the soul and mind alone. If it has ever illuminated any of the saints, it immediately left in them an intolerable goad of desire; for, weary of the present life, they said: *Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged*, and, *When shall I come and appear before the face of God?* And that: *To be dissolved and to be with Christ is far better*; and, *My soul thirsted for the strong, the living God*; and, *Now let me depart*. ^{C D}

^A For when they bore this life as if it were a prison, the impulses of those whose souls had been touched by divine desire could at last hardly be contained. Since they burned with an insatiable longing to contemplate the divine beauty, they prayed that the contemplation of the Lord’s sweetness might extend throughout the whole of eternal life. Thus, then, do men naturally desire good and honorable things. But that which is properly beautiful and lovable is the good. Now God is good; and all things desire the good: therefore, all things desire God.

2. ^B Therefore, whatever is rightly accomplished by our will exists in us also naturally, at least if wickedness has not perverted our thoughts. Consequently, the love of God is required of us as a necessary debt, the deprivation of which is the most grievous of all evils for the soul. For alienation and aversion from God is an evil more intolerable even than the punishments expected in hell, and to him who suffers it, it is more grievous—just as the deprivation of light is to the eye, even if pain is not present, and to a living creature, the taking away of life. And if children naturally love their parents—a fact declared both by the behavior of brute animals and by the affection of men in their earliest age towards their mothers—let us not appear to be more devoid of reason than little children, nor more savage than beasts, by being coldly and estrange- ^C ly disposed towards the One who created us. Even if we did not know from his goodness what kind of being He is, for this reason alone—that we were created by Him—we ought to love and cherish Him as much as possible, and hang continually upon the memory of Him, just as infants do upon the arms of their mothers. But the benefactor holds first place among those who are loved by the leading of nature. And this affection is not proper to human beings alone, but is also shared with almost all animals, namely, that they follow with goodwill those who have bestowed upon them some good. *The ox knoweth his owner,* he says, *and the ass his master’s crib.* But far be it that what follows should be said of us, namely: *But Israel hath not known me, and my people hath not understood.* For as to the dog and many other animals of that kind, why is it necessary to say what great goodwill they show to those who feed them? But if we choose by nature the goodwill and love towards our benefactors, and undergo every labor in return for the benefits we have received ^D from them, what word is worthy—

^A what discourse can explain God’s gifts according to their merit? Such is the multitude of these that they even escape number; and they are so great and of such a nature in size that even one of them would be sufficient to make us debtors in all gratitude to the Giver. I shall, therefore, pass over the others, which, even though they excel in size and grace in themselves, are nevertheless eclipsed by the greater ones, just as stars are by the rays of the sun, and thus they offer their own grace in a more dim light. For one has no time, when having passed over the surpassing ones, to measure the goodness of the Benefactor by the lesser.

3. Let, then, the risings of the sun be silent, and the revolutions of the moon, the temperaments of the air, the changes of the seasons, the water from the clouds, and other water from the earth, the sea itself, the entire earth, the things 68 that spring from the earth, those that live in the waters, the races in the air, the myriad differences of animals, ^B and all things ordained for the service of our life. But that other thing it is impossible to pass over, even if we were willing, and for one who possesses a healthy mind and reason, it is utterly impossible to be silent about the grace—though it is even more impossible to speak of it as it deserves—that God, having made man to His own image and likeness, and having deemed him worthy of the knowledge of Himself, and adorned him with reason above all animals, and granted him to enjoy the indescribable beauties of Paradise, and established him as ruler of all things upon the earth, did not then leave him 70, after he had been craftily deceived by the serpent, fallen into sin, and through sin into death, and the things worthy of this; ^C but first He gave the law as an aid, set angels as guardians and caretakers, sent prophets for the conviction of wickedness and the teaching of virtue, checked the impulses of wickedness with threats, stirred up the eagerness for good things with promises, and often manifested for the admonition of others the end 71 of both in different persons; and in addition to these and all such things, He did not turn away from those persisting in disobedience. For we were not abandoned by the goodness of the Master, nor did we cut off His love toward us, by insulting the Benefactor through our insensibility to his honors 72; but we were called back ^D from death, and we were made alive again by Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. In whom the manner of the benefit holds a greater miracle: For being in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.

^A And furthermore, He bore our infirmities and was wounded for our sake, that by His stripe we might be healed; and He redeemed us from the curse, having become a curse for us, and endured the most shameful death, that He might bring us back to a glorious life. Nor was it enough for Him merely to recall the dead to life; He also bestowed the dignity of His divinity and prepared eternal rests, surpassing every human thought in the magnitude of their joy. What therefore shall we repay to the Lord for all that He has repaid to us? But He is so good that He neither demands a return, nor desires anything other than to be loved for the things He has bestowed.

Whenever I call all this to mind, that I may betray my own affect, I fall into a certain horror and terrifying stupor, lest by the thoughtlessness of my mind or because of my occupation with vain things, I should fall away from the love of God and become a reproach and ignominy to Christ. For he who now deceives us, and by worldly enticements strives by every art to induce in us ^B forgetfulness of the Giver of benefits, is he who, insulting us to the ruin of our souls and invading us, will then turn our contempt into a reproach before the Lord, and will boast of our contumacy and defection: he who, though he neither created us, nor endured death for us, nevertheless has held us as followers of himself in contumacy and in the neglect of God’s commandments. That reproach which is cast against the Lord, and this boasting of the adversary, appears to me more grievous than the punishments of Gehenna—that we should provide to the enemy of Christ the material for boasting and the occasion for exaltation against Him who died and rose again for us, to whom for this very reason we owe the greater gratitude, as it is written.

And thus far concerning the love of God. For it was not my intention, as I have already said, to say everything, nor indeed is it possible; but to leave in your mind a short memento to stir up always the divine desire ^C in your souls.

INTERROGATION III.

On charity toward one's neighbor.

It would now be consistent to discourse upon the second commandment, both in order and in power.

RESPONSE.

1. As for the first, we have already said that the law of those things which are ^D

^A sown in us by way of seed has its cultivator and nourisher. But since we are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves, let us consider whether we have also received from God the power to fulfill this commandment. For who, I ask, does not know that man is a gentle and social animal, and not a solitary or wild one? For there is nothing so proper to our nature as to associate with one another, and to have need of one another, and to love those of our own kind. Since, therefore, the Lord himself first gave us the seeds, he subsequently demands the fruits of them, saying: "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another" (Jo. XIII, 34). And wishing to arouse our soul to this commandment, he did not demand as the proof of his disciples signs and ^B wondrous powers (although he had indeed granted them the energy for these things through the Holy Spirit); but what does he say? "In this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another" (ibid. 35). And thus, everywhere, he connects these commandments, so that he transfers the kindness done to one's neighbor unto himself. "For I was hungry," he says, "and you gave me to eat" (Matt. XXV, 35), and so on. Then he adds: "As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me" (ibid. 40).

2. Therefore, by the first it is possible to achieve the second, and by the second to return again to the first; ^C and he who loves the Lord must consequently love his neighbor also. "For he that loveth me," said the Lord, "shall keep my commandments" (Jo. XIV, 23). And this, he says, is my commandment, "that you love one another, as I have loved you" (Jo. XV, 12). And again, he who loves his neighbor fulfills the love that is owed to God, since he accepts into himself the grace of that kindness. Hence it is that the faithful servant of God, Moses, showed such love toward his brethren that he even desired to be blotted out of the book of God, in which he was written, if the sin were not forgiven to the people (Exod. XXXII, 32). And Paul dared to pray to be an anathema from Christ for the sake of his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh (Rom. IX, 3), desiring to become an exchange ^D for the salvation of all in imitation of the Lord, while at the same time knowing that it was impossible for one who had renounced the grace of God for the sake of love toward Him, and for the sake of the greatest of the commandments, to be estranged from God; and that for this reason he was destined to receive many times more than what he had given. Indeed, the fact that the saints have attained to this measure of love toward their neighbor, the things said provide sufficient proof.

QUESTION IV. On the fear of God.

QUESTION V. On guarding against the wandering of the mind.

he says, the world did not know thee; and, The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive. ^A

2. Whoever, therefore, truly desires to follow God must necessarily be freed from the bonds of the affections of this life; and this is accomplished through complete withdrawal and the forgetting of old habits. For unless we remove ourselves from carnal kinship and association with the life of this world, as if migrating through a disposition of the soul to another world—according to him who said, "For our conversation is in heaven" [Philipp. III, 20]—it is impossible for us to attain the goal of pleasing God, since the Lord has decisively said: "So every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple" [Luc. XIV, 33]. ^B Once this is done, it behooves us to keep our heart with all watchfulness, lest we ever cast out the thought of God, or pollute the memory of his wondrous deeds with the phantasms of vain things. Rather, the holy thought of God must be carried about, so that it may be impressed upon our souls as an indelible seal through constant and pure remembrance. For thus is the love of God acquired by us, which at once rouses us to the performance of the Lord’s commandments, and is in turn preserved by them, perpetually and constantly. And the Lord shows this, sometimes saying, "If you love me, keep my commandments," ^C but at other times, "If you shall keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love" [Joan. XV, 10]; and more persuasively still, "As I also have kept my Father's commandments, and do abide in his love" [Joan. XV, 10].

3. He instructs us that, in the work we determine to do, we ought to propose to ourselves the will of the one who commands as a goal, and direct our zeal toward him, as he also says elsewhere: "I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me, the Father" [Joan. VI, 38]. For just as the arts fashioned for the providing of sustenance, when they have set before themselves certain goals proper to them, accordingly adjust and harmonize their individual operations to those goals; so also, when our works have one end and rule—that is, to perform the commandments in a way pleasing to God—it is impossible for the precision of the work to be attained in any other way than by completion according to the will of the one who prescribed it. ^D In the precise zeal regarding the work performed for the will of God, union with God will exist through remembrance. For just as a blacksmith, in the working, for instance, of an axe, mindful of the one who commissioned it from him, and bearing him in his mind, contemplates both that form and size, and toward the—

^A plan of the one who has prescribed the task he directs it (for if he forgets, he will produce something else, or something different from what he intended). So too does the Christian, directing every action, both small and great, toward the will of God, at once decorates the deed with precision, and preserves the intent of the one who gave the order, and fulfills what is said: "I foresaw the Lord before me continually, for he is at my right hand, that I might not be shaken." And he brings to pass what was commanded: "Whether you eat, or whether you drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." But he who spoils the precision of the commandment in his working, is clearly weak regarding the memory of God. Mindful, then, of the voice of Him who said: "Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord," and that, "I am a God drawing near, and not a God from afar," and ^B "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them," one ought to perform every action as if occurring under the eyes of the Lord, and every thought as if being inspected by Him. For thus also will fear be perpetually present, hating iniquity, according to what is written, "insult and pride and the ways of the wicked," and love is perfected, fulfilling what was said by the Lord: "I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me," since the soul continually persuades itself fully that both good actions are acceptable to the judge and arbiter of our life, and that those which are contrary to them are judged by Him. And I think that along with this it also comes to pass that not even the commandments ^C of the Lord are performed for the sake of winning human goodwill. For there is no one who turns himself toward an inferior if he is persuaded that a superior is present. But rather, if it happens that what is being done is grateful and acceptable to some more glorious and illustrious person, but to another, more base, it appears unwelcome and worthy of censure, he sets the approval of the superior at a higher value than the censure of the inferior, and despises the latter. If matters between humans are so, what, I ask, is a soul truly prudent and sound, which has completely persuaded itself that God is present, that will abandon those things by which it might please God—now turning itself to seek after human glory, now, having neglected the commandments of God, serving human custom, or being overcome by common prejudice, or ^D being awed by honors? Such was the disposition of him who said: "Lawless men told me of vanities, but not according to your law, O Lord"; and again: "And I spoke of your testimonies in the sight of kings, and I was not ashamed."

INTERROGATION VI.

That it is necessary to live in seclusion.

RESPONSE.

^A 1. It also contributes to avoiding the wandering of the mind to dwell in a remote and solitary place. That a life lived promiscuously with those who carelessly despise the exact observance of the commandments is harmful and destructive, Solomon himself shows us, teaching us thus: "Do not be a companion of a furious man, nor dwell with an irascible friend; lest perchance you learn his ways, and take snares for your soul." And that which says, "Go out from the midst of them, and be separate, says the Lord," pertains to the same thing. Therefore, so that we may not receive incentives to sin through our eyes or ears, and thereby become imprudently accustomed to it, and so that, like certain stamps and characters, the things seen and heard may not remain in the soul unto our destruction ^B and ruin, and that we may be able to persevere in prayer, we must first set ourselves apart in our dwelling. For so we would be able to overcome our former habit, in which we lived as strangers to the commandments of Christ (and this is no small struggle, to overcome one's own habit; for a habit confirmed by long time gains the strength of nature), and we shall also be able to wipe away the stains of sin through diligent prayer and the assiduous meditation of the will of God; and it is impossible to devote oneself to this meditation and prayer among many who distract the soul and keep it occupied with the businesses of this life. ^C And that which says, "If any one wants to come after me, let him deny himself," when could anyone living among such others be able to fulfill it? For we must, having denied ourselves and taken up the cross of Christ, thus follow him. Now, denying oneself is a complete forgetting of the past and a turning away from one's own desires, which withdrawal it would be most difficult—not to say altogether impossible—to maintain in a promiscuous society of men. And furthermore, association with such a society is a hindrance to taking up one’s own cross and following Christ. ^D For preparation to endure death for Christ, and the mortification of the members which are upon the earth, and the being arrayed against every movement—

^A that comes upon us for the sake of the name of Christ, and to be without attachment to the present life, this is "taking up one's cross." And against this, we see that great hindrances arise for us from the habits of common life.

2. And besides other things, which are many, the soul that looks upon the multitude of those who commit sin, first of all has no opportunity to perceive its own sins and to crush itself through repentance for its failings; but, in the comparison with those who are worse, it even claims for itself a certain semblance of virtue. Then, being distracted by the tumults and affairs which the common life is wont to produce, from the more worthy memory of God, it is not only deprived of rejoicing and being glad ^B in God, and of taking delight in the Lord, and of finding sweetness in His words, so as to be able to say, "I remembered God, and I was glad," and, "How sweet are thy words to my throat, above honey to my mouth"; but it also becomes accustomed to the contempt and total forgetfulness of His judgments, than which one could suffer no greater or more destructive evil.

INTERROGATION VII

Since, therefore, we are fully convinced by your words that a life spent with those who despise the commandments of the Lord is dangerous, we desire to learn in order whether he who has withdrawn from such persons ought to live privately and apart by himself, or to lead his life with brethren who are in harmony, and who have set before themselves the same goal of piety.

RESPONSE

^A seek its own. Now the solitary life has one purpose: to serve the individual needs of each person. But this is clearly contrary to the law of love, which the Apostle fulfilled, not seeking his own advantage, but that of the many, that they might be saved. Furthermore, in isolation, one cannot easily recognize even his own faults, for he has no one to rebuke him and to correct him with meekness and compassion. For a rebuke, even when it comes from an enemy, may often produce in a righteous and fair-minded man a desire to seek a cure; but the correction of a sin is rightly and skillfully accomplished by one who sincerely loves. For he who loves, he says, disciplines diligently. And it is difficult to find such a one in solitude, if one has not first been joined in the fellowship of life; so that the saying applies to him: Woe to him who is alone, for if he falls, there is no one to raise him up. Moreover, many commandments are easily fulfilled by many people gathered together for the same purpose, but not by one person alone; for in the performance of one duty, another is hindered. For instance, in the visiting of the sick, the receiving of a guest, or in the distribution and sharing of necessities ^B (especially when the services take a long time), one’s zeal for works is such that the greatest and most urgent commandment for salvation is neglected; so that the hungry are not fed, nor is the naked clothed. Who, then, would choose an idle and fruitless life over one that is fruitful and performed according to the commandment of the Lord, and is most conducive to salvation? Since indeed it is neither possible for the one who is hungry to be fed, nor for the one who is naked to be clothed, if we do not ^C prefer the fruitful life?

2. But if we all, who have been called in one hope of our calling, are one body, having Christ as our head, and are individually members of one another, unless we are joined together in the Holy Spirit in the harmony of one body; and if, on the contrary, any one of us chooses a solitary life, and does not serve the common good in the dispensation of things so as to be pleasing to God, but rather follows his own passion for self-satisfaction—how shall we be able, being cut off and divided, to maintain the relationship and service of the members to one another, or our subjection to our head, which is Christ? For it is not possible, while separated in our manner of life, either to rejoice with those who are glorified, ^D or to suffer with those who suffer, since it is not possible to know, as is fitting, the things of one's neighbor. Furthermore, since one person is not sufficient [index: entries preserved]

^A to receive all the spiritual gifts, but according to the proportion of faith in each [Rom. XII, 6], the supply of the Spirit occurring in the communion of life, the particular gift of each becomes common to those who live together. For to one is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith, to another prophecy, to another the gift of healings [I Cor. XII, 8-10], and so on; each of which he who receives does not have so much for his own sake as for the sake of others. Wherefore in the communion of life, the power and efficacy of the Holy Spirit granted to one must necessarily pass to all at once. He, therefore, who lives separated from the whole assembly of men, perhaps has one gift; but since he keeps it buried within himself, he makes it useless through inactivity: how great a danger this is, you all know who have read the Gospels. On the contrary, in the company of many, each both enjoys his own gift, multiplying it by sharing it, and reaps the fruit of others' gifts ^B as if they were his own.

3. Moreover, life in society embraces many benefits, which it is not easy to enumerate all at once: for it is to be preferred to solitude both for the preservation of the good things given to us by God, and for guarding against the external snares of the enemy, being the safer awakening that occurs from those who are vigilant, if it should happen that any one falls asleep in that sleep of death, which David taught us to pray might not befall us, saying: "Lighten my eyes, lest I sleep in death" [Ps. XII, 4]; and for the one sinning, if he fears the condemnation brought forth concordantly by the many, it is easier to depart from the sin, so that there may be applied to him that which is written: "Sufficient to such a one is this rebuke, which was inflicted by many" [II Cor. II, 6]; and to him who acts rightly, that great and firm assurance is sufficient, which is born in him as many approve and assent to his work. For if "in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established" [Matt. XVIII, 6], surely he who has performed a good work with the testimony of many will be confirmed far more solidly. Furthermore, perils besides those which we have mentioned accompany the solitary life. The first and greatest consists in this, that every man pleases himself. For as he has no one who can put his work to the test, he will imagine that he has already reached the perfection of the commandment: then, always keeping his mental disposition unexercised, he neither recognizes his own defects ^D, nor perceives the progress in his works

knowing that all the material and occasion for carrying out the commandments has been removed ^A. For in what does he show humility, since he has no one to show himself more humble than? In what sense does he have compassion, once the companionship of the many has been cut off and removed? And how will he exercise himself in patience, when no one opposes his own will? But if anyone says that the teaching of the Holy Scriptures is sufficient for the amendment of his morals, he acts like one who learns how to build, but never builds, or in the same way as one who has been taught the blacksmith's craft, but is not willing to put the instructions he has received into action. To whom the Apostle might say: "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." ^B For behold, the Lord, because of the greatness of His benevolence, was not content with the teaching that consists in words alone, but in order that He might precisely and clearly deliver to us the example of humility in the perfection of love, He girded Himself and washed the feet of the disciples. Whom, therefore, will you wash? Toward whom will you show service? Before whom will you be last, if you are living all alone by yourself? Moreover, that "good and pleasant" thing—the dwelling of brothers in the same place, which the Holy Spirit compares to the ointment giving off an odor from the head of the high priest—in what way will it be fulfilled in a solitary life? Therefore, a stadium for the struggle, a direct path for progress, a perpetual exercise, and a meditation on the commandments of the Lord is the dwelling of brothers in the same place; which has for its goal the glory of God, according to the commandment of our Lord Jesus Christ, who said: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven"; and it preserves the character and form of the saints described in the Acts, of whom it is written: "And all that believed ^C were together in the same place, and had all things common." And again: "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."

INTERROGATION VIII. On renunciation.

Whether it is necessary first to renounce everything, and only then proceed to the life according to God.

RESPONSE.

1. Since our Lord Jesus Christ, after ^D

bringing forward ^A many proofs and confirming them strongly through many works, says to all: "If anyone comes to me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matt. XVI, 24); and again: "So therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all that he possesses, cannot be my disciple" (Luke XIV, 33); we believe that this commandment extends to many things from which it is necessary to be estranged. For we renounce, before all else, the devil and the passions of the flesh—having renounced the hidden things of shame, and bodily kinships, and the companies of men, and the customs of a life that fights against the precision of the Gospel of salvation. ^B And what is more necessary than these things, the man who has "put off the old man with his deeds" (Coloss. III, 9), "which is corrupted according to the desires of deceit" (Ephes. IV, 22), renounces himself. He renounces, moreover, all the passions of the world that are able to hinder the goal of godliness. Such a man will consider as his true parents those who have begotten him in Christ Jesus through the Gospel (I Cor. IV, 15), and as brothers those who have received the same Spirit of adoption; and he will regard all riches as foreign, which is what they truly are. In a word, he to whom the whole world has been crucified for Christ's sake, and he to the world (Galat. VI, 14), how can he any longer be a partaker in the cares of the world? ^C Since our Lord Jesus Christ brings the hatred of one's own soul and the denial of oneself to the highest degree through these words: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross," and then adds: "And let him follow me." And again: "If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and further even his own soul, he cannot be my disciple" (Luke XIV, 26). Therefore, perfect renunciation consists in achieving indifference even toward life itself, and in having the sentence of death in oneself, so as not to trust in oneself (II Cor. I, 9). But it takes its beginning from the estrangement from external things—for example, from possessions, from empty glory, from the customs of life, and from the pursuit of useless things—just as the holy disciples of the Lord demonstrated to us: James and John, ^D who left their father Zebedee and the boat itself, upon which their whole means of living depended. Matthew, too, when he arose from the toll-booth itself and followed the Lord, not only left behind the profits of the toll-booth, but also disregarded the dangers which were imminent for him and his kin from the authorities, on account of his having left the accounts of the taxes unfinished. And to Paul, the whole world had been crucified, and he to the world.

^A 2. Thus, he who is vehemently gripped by the desire to follow Christ can no longer care for anything pertaining to this life—not for the affection of parents or kin, whenever it is opposed to the Lord’s commandments (for then this saying holds: *If any man comes to me and does not hate his father and mother*, and so forth)—nor for human fear, such that, because of it, any useful thing should be withheld; which the saints did, saying: *We must obey God rather than men (Act. v, 29)*; nor for the laughter of profane men which good works might provoke, so that he should yield to their contempt. And if anyone of those who follow the Lord wishes to know more accurately and clearly the intensity and strength conjoined with that desire, he should remember the Apostle as he explains his own case for our instruction, saying: *If any other man thinks that he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, ^B a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the Church; as to the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ (Phil. iii, 4-7).* Indeed, I also count all things to be but loss for the sake of the surpassing knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them to be refuse, that I may gain Christ. For (if I may say something bold, yet true), if the Apostle compared the very privileges of the Law, which were given for a time, to the most loathsome filth of the body—which we both abhor and quickly remove from ourselves—because, forsooth, they obstructed the knowledge of Christ, and the righteousness that is in Him, ^C and our conformation to His death, what shall one say concerning the institutions of men? And what need is there to confirm our argument with our own reasonings and with the examples of the saints, when it is permitted to bring forward the Lord’s own words, and with them to convince the soul that fears Him, since He openly and irrefutably testifies to these things, saying: *So therefore, everyone of you who does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be my disciple (Luc. xiv, 33).* And elsewhere, after he had first said: *If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you possess, and give to the poor*, he then added: *Come, follow me (Matth. xix, 21).* And the parable of the merchant ^D is also clear to every fair-minded person as having bearing upon this. *For the kingdom of heaven is like,* he says, *to a man that is a merchant, seeking goodly pearls; who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it (Matth. xiii, 45, 46).* It is clear that the kingdom of heaven is prefigured by the precious pearl; and that we are unable to attain it, the Lord’s words declare...

unless we altogether abandon whatever we possess—wealth, glory, rank, and whatever else many ^A strongly desire—in exchange for it.

3. Furthermore, it is impossible for what one desires to be pursued with the necessary zeal if the mind is distracted by various cares, as the Lord Himself stated when He said: "No man can serve two masters," (Matth. vi, 24) and again: "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matth. vi, 24). Therefore, we must choose the heavenly treasure alone, so that our heart may be in it. "For where," says He, "your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matth. vi, 21). If, therefore, we retain for ourselves any earthly possession or corruptible wealth, our mind is, as it were, buried in a kind of mire, and it is impossible for the soul ever to attain to the contemplation of God, or to be moved by a desire for the heavenly good things and the rewards ^B promised to us. These things we cannot obtain unless an assiduous and vehement desire drives us to seek them, rendering light the labor undertaken for their sake. Renunciation, therefore, as the argument has shown, is the dissolution of the bonds of this earthly and temporary life, and a liberation from human obligations, making us more fit to begin the journey toward God. It is also an occasion free from impediment, by which the possession and use of things more precious than gold and much precious stone are obtained (Ps. cxviii, 127). And, to sum up, it is the translation of the human heart to the heavenly life, so that we may be able to say: "For our conversation is in heaven" (Philipp. iii, 20). And, what is most important, it is the beginning of that likeness to Christ which we ought to have, who "for our sake became poor, though he was rich" (II Cor. viii, 9); and if we do not achieve this, ^C it is impossible for us to attain a manner of life consistent with the Gospel of Christ. For when is contrition of heart, or humility of mind, or release from anger, sadness, anxieties, and—to be brief—from the destructive passions of the soul, able to be acquired while one is in the midst of wealth and the cares of this life, and the affection and habit of other things? In a word, to one who is not even permitted to be anxious about ^D the necessary things...

such as food and clothing, what ^A reason allows one to be held fast by the evil cares of wealth, as if by thorns, which hinder the fruition of the seed sown by the Cultivator of our souls? Our Lord says: "These are they that are sown among thorns, who by cares and riches and pleasures of life are choked, and bring not forth fruit."

QUESTION IX.

ANSWER.

2. Everywhere we must be on our guard, so that under the pretext and name of one commandment we do not appear to be dissolving another. For it is not proper ^D for us to fight or to contend with the unreasoning; since "the servant of the Lord must not strive," but he who is treated most unfairly by his kinsfolk according to the flesh must remember the Lord who says, "There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands," not

^A not simply, but for my sake and the Gospel's, who shall not receive an hundredfold in this time, and in the world to come eternal life. Yet it is necessary to protest to those who act unjustly the sin of sacrilege, according to the commandment of the Lord, who says: "If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault," ^B and the rest. But for us to litigate against them before secular tribunals is forbidden by the word of piety, in these words: "Him that taketh away thy coat, forbid not to take thy cloak also"; and, "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?" But let us summon them to judgment before these, having greater regard for the salvation of the brother than for the abundance of riches. For after the Lord said, "If he shall hear thee," he added, "Thou hast gained"—not money, but thy brother. However, there is a time when, for the sake of clarifying the truth, we come to an examination—when the author of the injury himself often provokes us to the judgment of common arbitrators—not that we ourselves have initiated this, but we follow those who have provoked us, not bringing our own impulse of anger or contention into the open, but declaring the truth. For thus we shall ^C deliver him from evils even against his will, and we ourselves shall not violate the commands of God, as ministers of God who are peaceable and not covetous, standing firmly for the manifestation of the truth, and nowhere exceeding the given measure of zeal.

INTERROGATION X.

RESPONSE.

complete what was still lacking ^A he commanded him, and then gave him the opportunity to follow. Thus, it is certainly fitting that we also examine the past life of those who join us; to those who have already rightly achieved something, we must hand over the more perfect teachings, whereas those who are changing from an evil life or who have been spurred from indifference toward the precise life of the knowledge of God must be questioned as to what their character is, so that they are not unstable or easily moved in their judgments.

2. For those who are such are suspect on account of their instability; they not only gain nothing for themselves, but furthermore become the cause of harm to others, spreading scoffs, falsehoods, and evil slanders against our work. Since, however, everything is corrected by care ^B and the fear of God overcomes all manner of ailments of the soul, we should not immediately despair of these people either, but lead them to suitable exercises, taking the measure of their judgment over time and through laborious struggles, so that if we find something firm in them, we may safely admit them; otherwise, while they are still on the outside, we should send them away, so that the trial may not cause any loss or ruin to the brotherhood. It is also necessary to examine whether someone, having been caught in sins, shamelessly confesses the hidden things of shame and becomes his own accuser; at once shaming ^C and disowning the accomplices of his evil deeds, according to the One who said: "Depart from me, all you who work iniquity" [*]; and building up security for himself for his future life so as to no longer fall into similar passions.

The common method of testing for all is whether they are shamelessly disposed toward every humility, so that they might accept even the most menial of crafts, if reason approves of the work of those crafts as useful. And when, through every inquiry, each person has been proven by those able to investigate such matters knowledgeably to be like a vessel useful to the Master and ready for every good work, then let him be numbered among those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord. ^D Especially in the case of one who is hastening from a somewhat more illustrious life toward the humility in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is necessary to appoint [for him] some of the tasks that seem disgraceful to those outside, and...

[*] Ps. vi, 9.

he must be watched to see if, with every assurance, he presents himself to God as a worker who is not ashamed. ^A

INTERROGATION XI.

Concerning servants.

ANSWER.

INTERROGATION XII.

How those who are joined in matrimony are to be received.

ANSWER.

^A and fights against it, being less concerned with how to please God, let him call to mind the Apostle, who says: "But God has called us in peace" (I Cor. VII, 15). And let the commandment of the Lord be fulfilled, who says: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, and his wife and children, and the rest, he cannot be my disciple" (Luc. XIV, 26). For nothing is to be preferred to the obedience owed to God. Furthermore, we know from many instances that, through intense prayer and unceasing fasting, the goal of a life in purity has often been achieved, the Lord often leading even those who were completely obstinate to a right judgment through bodily necessity.

INTERROGATION XIII.

ANSWER.

INTERROGATION XIV.

ANSWER.

not even if they should arrive ^A for a mere passing visit for the sake of shelter. For the apostolic rule is clear, commanding us to withdraw from every disorderly person and not to mingle with him, so that he may be put to shame.

QUESTION XV.

ANSWER.

Nor, indeed, in those things where, because of age, what is befitting the elders is preserved, should the young, through association, be rashly tempted to behave unbecomingly before the proper time.

2. Therefore, for the sake of this economy, as well as for the sake of the other discipline and holiness to be maintained, the habitation of the children and of those who are more mature must be separate. ^A Moreover, while that necessary exercise is being performed by the young, the house of the monks will not be disturbed. However, the prayers that are appointed throughout the day should be common to both the children and the elders; for children are accustomed to be pricked to compunction by the example of the elders, and the more advanced are not a little aided in their prayers by the children. But as for sleep, vigils, time, and the measure and quality of food, exercises and a diet peculiar to the children should be suitably determined. Let someone be set over such as these who is more advanced in age and more distinguished than the others in experience, and who also bears testimony to his gentleness, so that with paternal mercy and expert counsel he may correct the sins of the young, and bring to each individual fault specific remedies, so that at the same time the sin is rebuked and the soul is trained toward a state of unperturbedness. ^B For example, has someone become angry with his peer? Let him be compelled to appease him and to serve him in proportion to his offense. For the habit of humility, as it were, excises the irascibility of the soul, whereas, on the contrary, pride is what generally produces anger in us. Has one taken food out of season? Let him fast for the greater part of the day. Has one been caught eating immoderately or indecorously? Let him be kept from food at the time of the meal and be compelled to watch others eating properly, so that he may be chastised by abstinence and learn propriety. Has he uttered an idle word, an insult against his neighbor, a lie, or anything else that is forbidden? Let him be chastened by both his belly and by silence.

3. And also, the study of letters must be suited to their purpose: ^C so that they may use vocabulary drawn from the Scriptures, and instead of fables may be told the histories of miraculous deeds, and be instructed in the maxims of the Proverbs, and that rewards for the memory of names and things be set before them, so that with pleasure and relaxation, without pain and without offense, they may attain their goal. Furthermore, the attention of the mind, and the ^D training in obedience.

to avoid being distracted, could easily be acquired by such persons through proper instruction, if they are continuously interrogated by those set over them as to where their mind is and what they are revolving in their thoughts. For the simplicity and guilelessness of that age, and its unfitness for lying, easily confesses the hidden things of the soul; ^A but in order that he may not be constantly caught at forbidden things, such a person will flee from absurd thoughts, and, fearing the shame that comes from reproof, will continuously recall himself from absurdities.

4. Since the soul is still easily shaped and soft, and like soft wax easily takes on the forms of things presented to it, it should be trained for all good works immediately and from the very beginning, ^B so that when reason is present and the habit of discernment has arrived, a course may be established from the primary elements and the forms of piety that have been handed down; reason suggesting what is useful, and habit providing ease for right action. Then, too, the profession of virginity should be accepted, as something now stable, and proceeding from their own opinion and judgment after the perfection of reason; after which time both rewards and punishments are determined by the just judge according to the merit of the works for those who sin or act rightly. The heads of the churches should be called in as witnesses of this resolve, so that through them their works and the holiness of their body may be dedicated to God as a kind of sacred offering, ^C and this action may be confirmed by testimony. For, he says, "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established." For thus the conduct of the brothers will not be poorly spoken of, and for those who have betrothed themselves to God and then attempt to make their profession void, no pretext for impudence will be left. But he who does not wish to live in virginity, as one who is unable to care for the things of the Lord, should be dismissed in the presence of the same witnesses. But he who has made his profession after much investigation and deliberation, which he should be allowed to undertake privately over the space of several days, so that nothing may appear to be done by us through haste, ^D is finally to be received and numbered among the brothers, henceforth to occupy the same house and diet with the more mature. But what we forgot to say, and which it would not be out of place to add now, is that regarding those arts to which attention must be given immediately from childhood, whenever certain boys are seen to be suitable for learning them, we should by no means prevent them from remaining with the masters of the crafts during the day. But at night they must necessarily be returned to their peers.

with whom it is also necessary that they partake of food. ^A

INTERROGATIO XVI. Whether temperance is necessary for someone who wishes to live piously.

ANSWER. That the exercise of temperance is necessary is clear: first, because temperance is numbered by the Apostle among the fruits of the Spirit; ^B then, because he says that our ministry is rendered blameless through it, using these words: *In labors, in watchings, in fastings, in purity*; and elsewhere: *In labor and travail, in watchings often; in hunger and thirst, in fastings often*; and again: *Every man who contends in the games exercises temperance in all things*. Moreover, the buffeting of the body and its subjugation are accomplished by nothing else so much as by temperance. For the boiling heat of youth, which is difficult to rein in toward its impulses, is restrained by temperance as if by a bridle. For, according to Solomon, *delicacies are not proper for a fool*. ^C And what could be more foolish than a body living in luxury and a youth carried away in every direction? Therefore the Apostle says: *And make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the desires thereof*; and: *She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth*. Add that the example of the delicacies which the rich man enjoyed shows temperance to be necessary for us, lest we perchance hear what the rich man heard, namely: *Thou hast received thy good things in thy life*.

2. How formidable intemperance is, the Apostle also taught when he numbered it among the characteristics of defection, saying: *In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves*. And having enumerated many types of wickedness, he added: *Accusers, intemperate*. And Esau, too, was accused of intemperance as the greatest of evils, inasmuch as he sold the rights of his primogeniture for one dish of food. Furthermore, through intemperance man began to be disobedient. But all the saints have been distinguished by the praise of temperance. Indeed, rather, the whole life of the saints and blessed ones, and the example of the Lord Himself ^D during His sojourn in the flesh—

^A provide us with an example to suggest this to us. Moses, through his long perseverance in fasting and prayer, received the law and heard the words of God, being, as it says, as if one were speaking to his own friend. Elias was then deemed worthy of the vision of God, when he himself had arrived at the same measure of temperance. And what of Daniel? How did he attain to the vision of those wonders? Was it not after the twentieth day of his fast? And how did the three youths extinguish the power of the fire? Was it not through temperance? And the whole manner of life of John took its start from temperance. From this, the Lord also began the manifestation of Himself. But by temperance we do not mean the total and complete abstinence from all food (for this is a certain violent dissolution of life), but that abstinence from pleasurable things which is well-suited for the breaking down of the impulse of the flesh and for the attainment of the goal of piety.

3. In sum, for us who are being formed for piety, the abstinence from those things in which those who live licentiously delight is necessary. Nor is temperance practiced solely in the moderation of the pleasure of foods, but it extends itself also to the deprivation of every opposing thing. Wherefore, he who is perfectly temperate shall not subdue his belly in such a way that he is conquered by human glory; nor will he so overcome base desire that he is no longer master over wealth, or any other shameful affection, such as anger, ^B or sadness, or the rest of the vices ^C which are wont to reduce souls inexperienced in discipline to servitude. For almost everything, as we observe in all the commandments, is that they are connected one with another, and it is impossible for one to be fulfilled separately from the other; this is seen most especially in temperance. For he who is temperate regarding glory is humble ^D; he who is temperately disposed toward wealth fulfills the evangelical measure of poverty; and he who controls anger and rage is without anger.

^A Indeed, the reason of perfect temperance also sets boundaries for the tongue, limits for the eyes, and a non-curious manner of hearing for the ears; if one does not abide by these, he is intemperate and protervitive. Do you see how, around this one commandment, all the rest hang together as if in a choir?

INTERROGATIO XVII. Regarding the fact that one must also control laughter.

RESPONSE. 1. Furthermore, what is neglected by many is worthy of careful observation by those who are training in piety. For to be held captive by intemperate and unrestrained laughter is a sign of intemperance, and that one’s motions are not settled, ^B and that the looseness of the soul is not suppressed by precise reason. For it is not improper to reveal the expansion of the soul up to the point of a cheerful smile, as much as is needed to demonstrate only what is written: *A glad heart makes the face to flourish*; but to raise the voice in guffaws and to be shaken in body involuntarily is not the mark of one whose soul is settled, nor of a reputable person, nor of one who has control of himself. This kind of laughter the Ecclesiastes also rejects, as it most of all undermines the stability of the soul; he says: *I said to laughter, it is madness*; and: *As the sound of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of fools*. And the Lord is seen to have endured the ^C necessary passions of the body, and as many as bear witness to virtue, such as weariness and compassion for the afflicted; but he never used laughter, so far as is evident from the history of the Gospels; nay, he even pronounces those who are held by it to be wretched. But let not the ambiguity of the name of "laughter" mislead us. For it is common in Scripture ^D to often call the joy of the soul and the cheerful disposition regarding good things "laughter," as Sarah says: *God has made laughter for me*; and that: *Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh*; and that which is situated in Job: *But a truthful mouth shall fill with laughter*. For all these words are taken to mean hilarity and the rejoicing of the soul. Wherefore, he who is superior to every passion, and no one...

^A can find any incentive of pleasure in him, or at least he who exhibits none, but conducts himself constantly and bravely against every harmful delight, is the perfect continent man; and such a one is clearly released from all sin. It is also the case that sometimes one must abstain even from those things which are permitted and are necessary for life, when such abstinence is instituted for the utility of our brethren. Thus the Apostle says: *If food scandalizes my brother, I will not eat meat for ever* (I Cor. VIII, 13). Even though he had the power of living from the Gospel, he did not use this power, so that he might not give any hindrance to the Gospel of Christ (I Cor. IX, 12).

2. Temperance, therefore, removes sins, sends away turbulent ^B movements, and mortifies the body even to its very natural affections and desires; it is the beginning of spiritual life, it procures eternal goods, and it extinguishes within itself the goad of pleasure. For that great pleasure is the snare of evil, by which we men are very much inclined toward sin; by it every soul is drawn toward destruction as if by a fishhook. Wherefore, he who is not rendered effeminate by it, nor crushed, avoids all sins through temperance. But if anyone, having avoided many, is overcome by one, he is not continent; just as he is not healthy who suffers from one bodily disease; nor is he free who is subject to the rule of one, whoever that may be, even if he be lowly or vulgar. Furthermore, the remaining ^C virtues, since they are exercised in secret, rarely come into the sight of men: but continence makes him by whom it is possessed known even by his very meeting. For as obesity and a good complexion denote an athlete, so the leanness and pallor of the body, which arises from continence, is a sign that a Christian is truly an athlete of the precepts of Christ: who overcomes his enemy in the infirmity of the body, and shows his strength in the contests of piety, according to those words: *When I am weak, then I am powerful* (II Cor. XII, 10). What a profit there is in this, if we see only the continent man, using ^D things necessary with difficulty and sparingly, and discharging the service to nature as if it were a burdensome duty, and bearing the time which he spends on them with an unwilling mind, and rising quickly from the table to perform his works. For I think

that even for one who is intemperate regarding his stomach, no discourse would so sting his soul and lead it to a change, as the mere encounter with a temperate man. ^A And this is, as it appears, to eat and drink to the glory of God, so that even at the table our good works may shine, to the end that our Father who is in heaven may be glorified.

QUESTION XVIII.

RESPONSE.

INTERROGATION XIX.

What is the measure of continence?

RESPONSE.

^A In matters of the soul's vices, there is one measure of continence, namely, total alienation from things that lead to destructive pleasure. But in regard to food, just as needs differ from person to person, according to age, practices, and physical constitution, so too the measure and manner of using them are diverse. It follows that it is impossible for all who exercise themselves in piety to be confined by a single rule. But we allow those who have been appointed to manage affairs to change, with prudence, the measure established by us for healthy ascetics, having taken into account the circumstances of each person. ^B For speech cannot comprehend all things individually, but only those which depend on common and general doctrine. For the overseers will always prescribe the relief to be given to the sick through food, or the alleviation for one who has become exhausted from persistent work, or for one who is preparing for the labor of travel or any other arduous task, according to the needs of the situation, following him who said: *It was distributed to each as any had need* (Acts IV, 35). Therefore, it is not possible to legislate the same time for taking food for everyone, nor the same manner, nor the same measure; but let there be a common goal, that the need be satisfied. ^C For to overfill the belly and to be burdened by food is a thing worthy of a curse, as the Lord has said: *Woe to you who are full now* (Luke VI, 25). Furthermore, this renders the body itself useless for labor, prone to sleep, and more exposed to harms. Indeed, one must not make the enjoyment of eating the end goal, but rather the necessity for sustaining life, avoiding the intemperance and wantonness of pleasure. For to serve pleasures is nothing other than making one's belly one's God. Since our body, being always emptied and flowing away, requires replenishment (which is also the reason why desires for food are natural), ^D the right ratio for the use of food dictates that what has been emptied should be filled for the preservation of the living being, whether there is a need for dry or liquid food.

2. That which is going to be free from excess is what must be brought forward.

^A This the Lord himself declared, when he received the exhausted multitudes, that they might not fail on the way, as it is written. For, being able to heighten the miracle in the desert by the invention of luxury, he prepared for them such modest and simple food, so that there were barley loaves, and a portion of fish with the bread. Concerning drink, indeed, he made no mention, since water, which springs forth by the bounty of nature and suffices for needs, is at hand for all; unless, however, such a drink might be harmful to someone on account of infirmity, so that by the counsel of Paul to Timothy it ought to be rejected. But further, all things that have an evident harmfulness are to be rejected. For it is inconsistent to choose foods for the sake of sustaining the body, but through these same foods to wage war against the body, and to be an impediment to it for the discharge of the commandment. And this same thing is also a pattern for us to accustom our soul to flee from harmful things, even if they have pleasure ^B attached to them. One must, however, by every means prefer that which is more easily provided, so that we may not, under the pretext of temperance, busy ourselves with more precious things, and by preparing foods with very costly seasonings, make them luxurious; but rather that which in each region is easily obtained, and inexpensive, and ready for use by the many, that we should choose, using of foreign imports only those most necessary for life: such as oil, and things of that sort, and if any thing is suitable for the necessary comfort of the sick, and that too, if it can be obtained without much trouble, and tumults, and distractions.

INTERROGATION XX.

RESPONSE.

^A or purple hangings, or a soft bed, or transparent coverings, it is not seemly for us to provide from without; so neither is it seemly for us to devise dishes that are far removed from our own manner of life. For to run about, looking into things that are not sought for the necessity of our requirements, but have been devised for miserable pleasure and deadly vainglory, is not only shameful and inconsistent with the aim we have set before us, but also brings no slight harm, whenever those who live in luxury, and define blessedness by the pleasures of the belly, see us also occupied with these same cares upon which they themselves are intent. For if luxury is evil and to be avoided, it is never in any way an object of choice for us. For none of the things that have been condemned can be at any time suitable. Those ^B who live in excess, and are anointed with the finest ointments, and drink strained wine, are accused by Scripture. And because of her luxury, the widow who was alive is said to be dead. The rich man was deprived of paradise because of his luxury in this life. What then have we to do with sumptuous equipment? Has some guest arrived? If he is a brother, and follows the same course of life, he will recognize his own table. For what things he left at home, these he will find with us. But is he tired from his journey? We provide just as much relief as is required to alleviate his weariness.

2. Let him who has come from the life of the world learn by his deeds what the word could not persuade him, and let him receive a form and pattern of frugality in food. Let there remain within him memorials of the Christians’ table, and of that poverty which, for Christ’s sake, is to be endured without shame. But if he is not moved by these things, and instead mocks them, he will not trouble us a second time. ^C But we, when we see some of the rich, who place the enjoyment of pleasant things among their primary goods, groan deeply over them, because, having consumed their whole life in vanity, and having made their own pleasures into gods, they are not aware that they receive their portion of good things in this life, and through their present luxury they are being hurried into the fire prepared, and into its burning heat; nay, if at any time the occasion offers itself to us, we do not hesitate to speak these things even to those very people. But if it comes to pass that we ourselves are partakers ^D of the same thing, and, as far as we are able, seek out those things that pertain to pleasure, and appear to be making preparations for display, I fear that we may be found building up what we have destroyed, and that by the very things for which we judge others, we ourselves will be condemned.

^A For we who live a life of pretense, transforming ourselves now in this way, now in that—unless perhaps we even change our clothes when we happen upon men who are distinguished and arrogant—if this is base, it is far baser to alter our table for the sake of those who are self-indulgent. The life of a Christian is simple, having one single goal: the glory of God. "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God," says Paul, who spoke in Christ. But the life of those outside is multiform and varied, transforming itself in one way or another to gain the favor of those they encounter.

3. Since, then, you wish to bring pleasure to your brother by preparing a variety of foods, you alter your table, accusing him of a desire for pleasure and heaping upon him the reproaches of gluttony through the preparations you make, while at the same time rebuking his taste for such luxuries. Do we not often, by observing the kind and manner of the preparation, conjecture who is expected, or what sort of person it is? The Lord did not praise Martha, who was ^B distracted by much serving, but said, "You are anxious and troubled about many things; but one thing is necessary." By "few," clearly, He meant those necessary for preparation, and by "one," the goal, so that the need might be satisfied. You are not unaware of what kind of food the Lord Himself set before the five thousand.

The prayer of Jacob to God was: "If you will give me bread to eat and clothing to put on," not, "If you will give me luxury and sumptuosity." And what of the most wise Solomon? "Give me neither riches nor poverty," he says, "but command for me what is needful and sufficient, that I may not be filled and become a liar, and say, 'Who sees me?' or, being poor, steal and swear by the name of my God." By this, he defined riches as fullness, and poverty as the total lack of the ^C necessities of life; through "sufficiency," he indicated a state that is both wanting nothing and free of excess in what is required for need.

Sufficiency is different for different people, according to the constitution of the body and the requirement of the situation at hand. For one person needs more and stronger food because of labor, while another needs lighter and simpler food, and all things must be appropriate because of their infirmity; but for everyone in common, it must be modest and easily procured. Nevertheless, in all things, attentiveness and a well-ordered table are necessary, and in no way should the limits ^D

^A of our need be exceeded; rather, let this be the definition of hospitality: that it looks to ciò ció that which the need of each of those arriving demands. For as we use this world, he says, let us not misuse it. Misuse is spending beyond what is necessary. Do we not have money? Let us not have any. Are our storehouses not full? What then? For we live from day to day, and our sustenance is set before us by labor. Why then do we consume the food given by God to the hungry for the pleasures of those delicate in living? In this we sin against both sides, both by increasing the distress of poverty for the former, and the bodily harms of gluttony for the latter.

INTERROGATION XXI.

RESPONSE.

INTERROGATION XXII. What clothing is fitting for a Christian?

^A RESPONSE. 1. The Word previously showed that humility, and simplicity, and in all things cheapness and low cost, are necessary, so that there may be few causes for us to be distracted by bodily needs. Therefore, with this intention, this same principle must also be observed regarding clothing. For if we must strive to be the last of all, then certainly, in this matter too, what is most lowly is to be preferred. For just as men who are ambitious and hungry for glory seek it for themselves even from the manner of their clothing, coveting to be looked upon and admired for the luxury of their apparel; so, clearly, he who has brought his life to the lowest degree through humility must choose the most lowly of all even in these things. For just as the Corinthians are blamed at the public banquet because, by their luxury, they shamed those who had nothing; so, clearly, in the common and public use of clothing, the style that exceeds the many, by a kind of comparison, puts the poor man to shame. And since the Apostle says, "not minding high things, but condescending to the lowly," let ^B every man examine himself: to whom is it more fitting for Christians to be similar—to those who live in royal courts and are dressed in soft garments, or to the messenger and herald of the Lord’s coming, than whom no greater has arisen among those born of women? I mean John, the son of Zacharias, whose garment was of camel’s hair. And the holy men of old also went about in sheepskins and goatskins.

2. Moreover, the Apostle has indicated the purpose of usage, saying in one word: "Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content," as if we were in need of covering only; but certainly not of variety, and of the ornamentation arising from it, which causes people to fall ^C into forbidden excess, if I may not say something worse. For these things were introduced into life later by curious and vain artifice. But the first use of coverings, which God Himself gave to those in need, is also clear. For He says, God made for them garments of skins. For, regarding the covering of indecency, even the use of such tunics was sufficient. But since another purpose also enters in, namely, that we be kept warm ^D by the coverings, it is necessary to look toward the use of both, so that our members...

^A be covered and that they act as a protection against the harm of the weather. Since, however, even among these, some things are very useful and others less so, it is reasonable to prefer those which can be adapted to several uses, so that the principle of poverty is not compromised; and that we do not have some things prepared for display and others for domestic use, nor, again, some garments for the day and others for the night, but that one kind of clothing be devised and procured which can suffice for us for all purposes—both for a decent and becoming covering by day, and for a necessary covering by night. From this it follows that we have a common habit among ourselves, and that a Christian is marked, as it were, by a certain peculiar character even by his very clothing. For those things which look toward one and the same end for the most part preserve the same form among themselves.

3. This method of clothing is also useful in that it announces each person and in advance declares the profession of a life lived in accordance with God; which fact causes those who associate with us to demand from us suitable and becoming actions. For what is indecorous and unseemly does not appear the same in obscure persons as it does in those who profess great things. For as regards a common or obscure person, if he is ^B being beaten or takes such blows in public, and utters obscene language, and lives in taverns, and does other things of that kind indecorously, no one would easily pay heed—since they understand those deeds to be consistent with the whole design of his life; but he who professes a perfect way of life, if he neglects even the least of his duties, everyone observes it, and they hurl it at him by way of reproach, doing what is written: *Lest they turn and rend you.* Wherefore, by this profession of clothing and habit, as by a certain document, the weaker are restrained from vices even against their will. Therefore, just as there is a particular kind of adornment in the clothing of a soldier, another of a senator, and another of others, from which their ranks are for the most part conjectured, so it is also reasonable and ^C becoming that a Christian possess in his clothing a certain peculiar identity, by which the modest adornment handed down by the Apostle is preserved, who at one time decrees that the bishop be distinct, and at another time commands women to be in seemly apparel, provided, however, that the word "adornment" is understood according to the proper purpose of Christianity. I say the same thing also concerning footwear, so that that which is least ^D extravagant and more easily procured, and suited to the purpose

and need, be preferred at all times.

QUESTION XXIII. On the girdle.

QUESTION XXIV.

ANSWER. Since the Apostle says, *Let all things be done decently, and according to order* (I Cor. XIV, 40), we consider that [conduct] to be decent and ^C orderly in the gathering of the faithful, in which the...

^A principle of the members of the body is preserved; so that one, like the eye, possesses the power of care intrusted to him, both in the trial of things past and in the foresight and consideration of things to come, while another, like the ear or the hand, possesses [it] in the hearing and in the execution of things to be done, and so on for each in his own place. It should be known, therefore, that just as it is not without danger for any member among the limbs to neglect its own functions, or to fail to use the other for the purpose for which it was created by the Creator God (for whether the hand or the foot does not obey the guidance of the eye, the one will necessarily ^B engage in destructive things to the ruin of the whole, and the other will stumble or even be carried over precipices; whether the eye closes itself so as not to see, it is necessary that it also perish together with the rest of the members that suffer the things we have spoken of): so neither is the negligence of the superior free from danger, since he is to be judged for all, nor is the contumacy of the subordinate free from harm and loss; indeed, it is more dangerous if it is also a cause of stumbling to others. Whoever, therefore, in his own place shows accurate and diligent zeal, and follows the precept of the Apostle who says, *Not slothful in zeal* (Rom. XII, 11), wins the praise of readiness; but if he is negligent, he will bring upon himself the contrary, namely, the name of wretch and that *woe*. *For cursed is everyone*, he says, *who does the works of the Lord negligently* (Jerem. XLVIII, 10).

INTERROGATION XXV.

RESPONSE.

1. Wherefore, he to whom the common care has been entrusted should be so affected, ^C as one who is to render an account for each individual. For if one brother falls into sin, and he has not previously declared to him the justification of God, or if, having fallen, he persists in it, because he was not taught by him the manner of amendment, let him know that his blood will be required at his hands, as it is written (Ezech. III, 20); and especially if he has neglected any of the things that are pleasing to God, not through ignorance, but rather because he accommodates himself to the vices of each individual for the sake of flattery, and has weakened the integrity of discipline. *For those who call you blessed*, he says, *deceive you, and confuse the path of your feet* (Isa. III, 12). *But he who confuses you shall bear the judgment, whoever he may be* (Galat. V, 10). Wherefore, that this may not happen to us, we must follow the Apostolic rule in the conversations we have with our brothers. ^D *For neither at any time*, he says, *did we resort to the word of flattery, as you know; nor in a pretext of greed*, God is witness; nor seek

seeking glory from men, neither from you, nor from others.

^A 2. He, therefore, who is purified from such passions, might perhaps render his guidance free from error, both profitable to himself and salvific to those who follow him. For he who does not practice his duties because of some human honors, nor to avoid causing offense to those who sin in order to be pleasant and agreeable to them, will truly, in charity, with boldness, ambassadorially declare the word without peddling it, and sincerely, not choosing in any way to adulterate the truth. Wherefore those things that follow also befit him: *But we became gentle in your midst, as if a nurse should cherish her own children; so, yearning ^B for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls.* But the guide who is not thus disposed is a blind man, who is casting both himself down a precipice and dragging along those who follow him. How great an evil it is, then, to be for a brother the cause of error instead of right guidance, can be discerned from what has been said. This is, moreover, a sign that the commandment of love is not being fulfilled; for no father overlooks his own child who is about to fall into a pit, or abandons him in his fall once he has fallen. But how much more terrible it is for a soul that is falling into an abyss (10) of evils to be abandoned to destruction, what need is there even to say? He is therefore accountable to the brotherhood to watch over their souls and to be concerned for the things that lead to the salvation of each, as one who will render an account; and to be concerned (11) to such a degree as to demonstrate zeal for them even unto death, not only according to the common word of the Lord regarding love for all—*That one should lay down his soul for his friends*—but also according to (12) the specific practice of him who said: *Yearning for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls.*

INTERROGATION XXVI.

RESPONSE.

^A that is praiseworthy is confirmed, and that which is disapproved shall be deemed worthy of appropriate treatment: and from such mutual training, through small additions, perfection shall be given to us.

INTERROGATION XXVII. That the superior himself must also be admonished by those who hold the first places in the brotherhood, if he should ever go astray.

RESPONSE. Even as the superior is responsible for leading the brotherhood in all things, so also, in turn, it is the duty of the rest to remind the superior if ever anything is suspected regarding him by way of a fault. Therefore, so that discipline may not be dissolved, the authority to admonish should be given to those who are preeminent in age and prudence. If, therefore, there is anything that is worth the effort to correct, we shall have benefited the brother, and through him ourselves, having led back to the right path him who is as it were the rule of our life, and who ought to convict our own perversity by his own rectitude; but if some are rashly troubled on his account, they themselves, having ^B learned the truth about those things which were falsely suspected, shall be freed from the suspicion they had conceived against him.

INTERROGATION XXVIII. How everyone ought to be disposed toward the disobedient and insubordinate.

RESPONSE. 1. Indeed, when someone is sluggish in obeying the commandments of the Lord, it is first of all worth the effort that all sympathize with him as with a diseased limb, and that the superior should attempt the curing of his infirmity with his own exhortations; but if he persists in his contumacy and is unwilling to be corrected, he must be rebuked ^C more sharply in the presence of the whole assembly of the brothers, and he must be treated with all exhortation. But if, though admonished frequently, he is not moved to shame, nor does he heal himself in practice, we must, as if he were his own plague (as the proverb goes), not indeed without many tears and groans, but nevertheless as a corrupted and utterly useless limb, after the example of physicians, cut him off from the common body. For those, whatever limb they find overtaken by an incurable disease, in order that the malaise may not spread more widely and corrupt the neighboring parts due ^D to their continuity, are accustomed to remove it by cutting and burning. And this is also necessary for us to do in the case of those who hate or hinder the commandments of the Lord, as the Lord himself commands and says: If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from

^A thee. For the kindness shown to such persons is similar to the undisciplined goodness of Heli, for which he is rebuked for having shown it toward his sons in a manner contrary to what is pleasing to God. To show such feigned kindness toward those who do evil, therefore, is to betray the truth, to act against the community, and to habituate others to act with indifference toward evil, since that which is written no longer takes place: Why did you not rather mourn, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you? But that which follows necessarily occurs: A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. But them that sin, says the Apostle, rebuke before all; and he immediately adds the reason, saying: That others also may have fear.

2. In sum, whoever refuses the treatment offered to him by the superior is at war with himself. For if he does not wish to obey, but defends his own will, why then does he remain with him? Why, indeed, does he take him on as the manager of his life? But once someone has consented to be numbered in the body of brothers, if he be judged to be a vessel fit for ^B ministry, even if a command seems to exceed his powers, having cast the judgment back upon the one who commands beyond one's strength, let him show docility and obedience until death, remembering the Lord, that He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. But to be refractory and to contradict carries with it the proof of many evils: a sickness of faith, a doubt concerning hope, a swelling and pride of character. For no one disobeys unless he has first judged the one who gave counsel, nor, indeed, will one who believes in the promises of God, and has a firm hope in them, ever grow sluggish toward them, even if the things commanded are difficult, knowing that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed. And he who is persuaded that he who humbles himself shall be exalted, shows greater alacrity than expected by the one commanding, knowing that the light momentary affliction worketh for him ^C more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory.

INTERROGATION XXIX.

ANSWER. Truly, the work of him who has murmured or who has performed it with elation... ^D

^A is found to be such that it must in no way be mingled with the works of those who are humble in heart and contrite in spirit; indeed, the devout must by no means make use of such persons. For what is high among men is an abomination before God. Furthermore, there is another commandment of the Apostle, who says: "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer," and that: "Not of sorrow, or of necessity." Therefore, the work of such men is unacceptable, as a blemished sacrifice, which it would certainly be an impiety to mingle with the work of the rest. For if those who offered strange fire upon the altar experienced such great wrath, how, I ask, is it not dangerous to employ, for the execution of His divine commands, a work which proceeds from an animosity that is hateful to God? For what, he says, is the fellowship of righteousness with unrighteousness? Or what part has a believer with an infidel? Therefore he says: "The wicked who sacrifices to me a calf is as he who kills a dog, and he who offers fine flour, as swine’s blood." ^B Whence the works of the slothful and of the gainsayer must necessarily be removed from the gathering of the brethren. And in this matter, it is fitting that the superiors should apply diligent care, so that neither they themselves violate the decree of Him who said: "He that walked in a blameless way, he ministered to me; he did not dwell in the midst of my house, doing pride"; nor that they should be the cause that he who mingles sin with a commandment, and stains the work by the slothfulness of his labor, or by the swelling of an animosity that arises from greater "industry," should persist in his perversity; for those who make use of him do not allow him to attain to an awareness of his own evils. Therefore, ^C the superior also must be persuaded that if he does not preside over his brother according to reason, he brings upon himself a heavy and inescapable wrath; for his blood will be required at his hands, as it is written; and the subordinate must be so prepared that he does not shrink from any command, not even the most difficult, being persuaded that the reward is great in heaven. Let the hope of glory therefore gladden the subordinate, so that the work of the Lord may be done in all joy and patience.

INTERROGATION XXX. With what affection of soul ought the superiors of the brethren to have care. ANSWER. In turn, let not the dignity lift up the superior, lest he himself also fall from the beatitude ^D that is promised to the humble.

but let him be firmly persuaded that to have the care of the many is to serve the many. Therefore, just as one who ministers to many wounded persons, and cleanses the pus from each individual wound, and applies remedies according to the nature of the immediate affliction ^A, does not take the service as an occasion for pride, but rather for humility, anxiety, and struggle, so also he to whom the task of healing the infirmities of the brotherhood has been entrusted ought much more to consider himself the servant of all, as one who will have to render an account for all. For in this way his goal will be attained, since the Lord says: If anyone desires to be first among you, let him be the last of all, and servant of all.

QUESTION XXXI.

ANSWER. And duties also pertaining to the body, which are performed by those who seem to hold the leading position among the brethren, ought to be accepted by the subordinates. For the principle of humility admonishes the greater to serve, and demonstrates to the lesser that it is not out of place for labor to be undertaken for them. For the example of the Lord leads us to this, who did not ^B disdain to wash the feet of his own disciples, nor did they dare to resist him in this. But even Peter, who had initially refused out of great reverence, immediately obeyed himself, having been taught the danger of disobedience. There is no cause, therefore, for the subordinate to fear that his purpose of humility might be undone if at any time the superior ministers to him. For often the duty is offered to instruct him and to provide an effective example, rather than because any pressing necessity demands it. Let him therefore show his humility in obedience and imitation, and let him not, by resisting, perform a work of pride and arrogance under the pretext and simulation of humility. For contradiction is evidence that he who resists wishes to be his own master and not to obey another. Therefore, he gives a ^C specimen of inflation and contempt, and not of humility and obedience in all things. Wherefore it is necessary to obey Him who said: Supporting one another in charity 59.

QUESTION XXXII.

ANSWER. 1. Those who have once been admitted among ^D

^A the brotherhood should not be permitted by the superior to distract themselves with anything, nor, under the pretext of visiting relatives, to withdraw from the brethren or lead a life unwitnessed, nor be allowed to involve themselves in the cares of their fleshly kin. For, in general, Scripture forbids the words "mine" and "thine" to be used among the brethren. For it says: *And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own.* Therefore, if any man's parents or brothers according to the flesh live according to God, let them be honored by all the brethren in the brotherhood as common parents or relatives. For *whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.* And we judge it right that the care of these should belong to the superior of the brotherhood. But if they are involved in the common life, we have no common business with them, we who are striving to maintain that which is honorable and becoming in the Lord, standing fast without any wandering of the mind. For besides the fact that we provide them with no benefit, we also fill our own lives with tumult and perturbation, and we draw upon ourselves ^B occasions for sin. Furthermore, it is not right to receive even those who were formerly our kin when they come to visit us, if they despise the commandments of God and count the work of piety as nothing, as they do not love the Lord, who said: *He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.* For *what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?*

2. And above all, one must by every means strive to remove from those still in the training of virtue the occasions for sin, of which the greatest is the remembrance of one's former life, lest they happen to suffer what is written: *They turned back in their hearts into Egypt*; which, for the most part, tends to happen whenever frequent and constant conversation is held with those who are kin according to the flesh. In general, it should not be permitted for anyone, whether a relative or a stranger, to address any words to the brethren ^C unless we are convinced concerning them that they come with the intention of conversation for the edification and perfection of souls. And if it should be necessary to address those who have once come, let this duty be performed by those to whom the gift of speech has been entrusted, as those who can knowingly speak and hear things that pertain to the edification of the faith; since the Apostle clearly teaches that the faculty of speech is not in all, but that this gift was granted to few, when he said: *For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge;* and elsewhere: *That he may be able to exhort* ^D *in sound doctrine, and to convince the gainsayers.*

INTERROGATION XXXIII.

RESPONSE.

2. But if there be any among the brethren who have need to say or to hear anything that pertains privately to anyone, let not those individuals themselves come together for conversation with each other; ^D but let the chosen elders treat their business with chosen sisters who are more advanced in age, and thus through their mediation the word [and need] be fulfilled.

^A This same order should be observed not only in the case of women towards men or men towards women, but also among persons of the same sex towards persons of the same sex. These, therefore, beyond the rest of their piety and gravity in all things, must also be prudent in questioning and answering, faithful and provident in administering the word, and they must fulfill that saying: *He will order his words in judgment* (Ps. CXI, 5), so that the business of those who have entrusted themselves to their care may be settled, and they may have no further doubt regarding the matters they have handled. Let others also minister to the bodily needs, and they too with approval, who are of advanced age and grave in appearance and character, so as not to strike anyone’s conscience with evil suspicion. ^B *For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?* (I Cor. X, 29).

INTERROGATION XXXIV

RESPONSE. 1. Furthermore, among those who distribute necessary things, it is absolutely necessary that there be in each order some who can imitate those of whom it is said in the Acts: *Distribution was made to each as any had need* (Act. IV, 35). They must take great care to be merciful and gentle towards everyone, and to offer no person any suspicion of partiality or inclination ^C towards certain ones, according to the commandment of the Apostle who said: *Doing nothing by partiality* (I Tim. V, 21), or in turn, of strife and contention, which the same Apostle rejects as alien to Christians, saying: *If any man seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the Church of God* (I Cor. XI, 16). For because of these things, they might withhold necessary things from those with whom they are at strife, and to those towards whom they are inclined in spirit, they might distribute more than is fair. The former carries the meaning of brotherly hatred, but the latter of partiality, which is most especially condemned; because by it the concord that arises from charity is put to flight from the gathering of the brethren, and instead, wicked ^D suspicions, jealousies, strifes, and sloth towards work enter in.

2. Therefore, those who distribute the necessities to the brethren, both because of what has been said and because of many other things of the same kind which are accustomed to happen, it is necessary that they be free to the utmost degree from those things...

^A that foster affection for the brotherhood. Indeed, they ought to be conscious of such a disposition within themselves, and to show such zeal—both they themselves and those who perform other work for the service of the brothers—that they serve not men, but the Lord himself; who, out of his great goodness, considers the honor and zeal shown to those who are devoted to him as if he had received it himself, and promises the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven on their behalf. For, he says, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For inasmuch as you did it to one of these my brethren, even the least, you did it unto me." And, on the contrary, they must recognize the danger of negligence, remembering him who said: "Cursed is everyone who does the work of the Lord negligently." For they are not only cast out of the kingdom, but they also await that dreadful and terrible sentence of the Lord passed against such men: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels." ^B If those who offer care and service find so much profit from their zeal, and await so much judgment for their negligence, how much great effort is required of those who undertake the service to prove themselves worthy of the appellation of "brothers of the Lord," through the teaching of the Lord, who says: "For whoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."

3. For whoever has not proposed ^C as the goal of his whole life that he should manifest the labor of love through zeal for the Lord's works both in health, and in sickness manifest all patience and long-suffering with joy, is in danger. First and greatest, because he is cut off from the Lord and from the lot of his brothers, since by not doing the will of God, he has severed himself; and second, because he dares to become an unworthy partaker of those things prepared for the worthy. Therefore, it is necessary in this matter also to remember the Apostle, who said: "Working together with him, we also exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain"; and that those called to the place of the Lord's brothers should not insult such grace of God, nor betray so great a dignity through the neglect of God's commandments, but rather ^D should obey the same Apostle, saying: "I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called."

QUESTION XXXV. Whether it is proper for several fraternities to be established in the same village.

REPLY.

1. This example of the members, which we employ for many matters, conveniently explains the question before us. Since, ^A therefore, the argument has shown that for a body to be well and properly adapted for every activity, there is need of eyes, and tongue, and the remaining organs—as many as are necessary and most important—it is certainly difficult and rarely found to discover a soul that can be the eye of many. For if, as exactness requires, the rule of discipline demands a superior of a fraternity who is provident, skilled in speech, sober, merciful, and one who seeks the justifications of God with a perfect heart, how, I ask, can it be possible that several ^B such men are found in the same village? But if, by chance, it should happen that two or three were found—which is indeed not easy to do, and which we have never known to have happened—it is far more preferable that they share the care and concern among themselves, and that one relieve the labor of the other; that is to say, so that when one is traveling abroad, or is distracted by some occupation, or hindered by some other circumstances ^C (as usually happens when one leader finds it necessary to withdraw from the fraternity), the other may be present to console them in his absence; or, if matters are not so, that he may betake himself to another convent which is in need of a moderator.

Moreover, experience in external affairs can greatly profit us for the purpose we have proposed. For just as those skilled in common crafts are often jealous of those who practice the same arts—the very nature of the matter secretly engendering emulation—so too, for the most part, it happens in this life. For beginning by striving for virtue and studying to surpass one another—whether in receiving guests, or in increasing the number of monks, or in doing other such works—they then finally progress into falling into ^D quarrels and disputes. Then it happens that for the brethren arriving from abroad, much doubt and difficulty occurs in place of the promised rest, while they are so distracted in mind that they do not know to which ones they ought to approach, since it is a heavy thing to prefer these over those, and yet it is impossible to satisfy both, especially if they are in a hurry. To those, furthermore, who from the beginning have joined them to pursue the same life, they will bring no small anxiety of mind as to who ought to be chosen as moderators of their life, since it is absolutely necessary that if some are chosen, the others must be rejected.

^A It happens immediately from the first day that they are harmed by a certain elation of soul, because they do not form themselves for discipline, but accustom themselves to become judges and censors of the brotherhood. Since, therefore, no definite and confessed good is to be found in divided and distinct dwellings, but rather, while there are so many and such great inconveniences, it is utterly inappropriate to be separated from one another. But if by chance any dwelling has already been built in such a way, it must be quickly amended and reformed, and especially after the experience of the detriments. For to persevere in one's own opinion is manifest contention. But if anyone seems to be contentious, says the Apostle, we have no such custom, neither the Churches of God (I Cor. XI, 16). For what cause will they say they are hindered from being joined together? Is it for the sake of procuring necessary things? But they are far easier to acquire in a common dwelling, since one lamp and one hearth and all such things can suffice for all. For it is necessary, if anything else is to be sought, that the ease of acquisition in these things be pursued in every way, so that the store of things that must of necessity be possessed is diminished. There is added also that in divided dwellings a greater number must be of those who bring in necessities for the brethren from outside: on the contrary, half that number in one and the same living-quarters. Moreover, how difficult it is to find a man who does not disgrace the name of Christ, but who renders his meeting with outsiders in travels worthy of his profession, is known to you, even if I remain silent. ^B To these things, those who remain thus disjoined—by what reason can they edify those who live in common, whether by compelling them to peace, if need should ever arise, or by exhorting them to other precepts, since, because they are not joined together among themselves, they move base suspicions against one another? And furthermore, we hear the Apostle writing to the Philippians (Philipp. II, 2, 3), that: "Fulfil ye my joy, that you be like-minded, having the same charity, being of one accord, agreeing in sentiment, doing nothing through contention nor by vain glory, but in humility let each esteem others better than themselves; every one not considering the things that are his own, but those that other men's." ^{C D} What is, therefore, a greater proof of humility than if the prefects of the brethren be subjected to the authority of others? For if they are equal in spiritual gifts, it is better that they struggle together. Just as, therefore, the Lord himself showed us, when he sent his disciples two by two (Marc. VI, 7), so one of them will surely wish to be subjected to the other with joy, not unmindful of the Lord who says: "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luc. XVIII, 14). But if by chance the one possesses fewer things, and the other more, he who possesses more...

^A happens to be helped by the stronger, in the same way, it is more beneficial that the weaker one be accepted by the stronger. And how is this not a manifest disobedience of the apostolic precept, which says: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others" (Philipp. II, 4)? For I believe it is not possible that this be rightly accomplished in divided dwellings, since every group exercises a specific and individual care for those with whom it resides, but does not care for the others; which, as I have said, openly contradicts the Apostle's precept. And since those holy men, of whom there is frequent mention in the Acts, generally testify to the self-same thing, concerning whom it is written (90), at one time, that "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul" (Act. IV, 32); and at another, "All that believed were together, and had all things common" (Act. II, 44): it is clear that there was no division among them all, nor was anyone their own master, but all were governed by one and the same care; and this, even though the number of them all was five thousand, among whom there were perhaps not a few things that, in human judgment, might seem to hinder unity and concord. Since, then, those who are found in individual villages are so far inferior to them in number, what reason permits them to be separated from one another? Would that it were possible, that not only those who are gathered together in the same village might thus remain, but that even more, those conventicles of brothers who are established in different places, might be governed by one single care—the care of those who could wisely and with an impartial mind provide for the affairs of all—in the unity of the spirit and in the bond of peace! ^B

INTERROGATION XXXVI

Concerning those who depart from the society of the brothers.

RESPONSE

thers, and does not despise their society; but if he sees them persevering in evil and not accepting correction, he shall bring the matter to those capable of judging such things ^A, and then, after the testimony of more witnesses, let him be separated. However, he shall no longer be separated from the brothers, but from outsiders, since the Lord compares the one who persists in evil to a Gentile and a tax collector. For he says, "Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." But if he withdraws from the association of the brothers out of his own fickleness, let him either cure his own infirmity or, if he refuses, let him not be accepted by the brotherhoods. But if, because of the Lord’s commandment, one is drawn elsewhere, such persons do not separate themselves, but are fulfilling an economy. The Word does not admit any other cause for the separation of brothers: firstly, because the gathered name of our Lord Jesus Christ is dishonored; secondly, because for each ^B person, the conscience toward the other cannot be pure, but there will be mutual suspicion between them. This, however, clearly conflicts with the commandment of the Lord, who says, "If you offer your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

INTERROGATION XXXVII

RESPONSE. Since our Lord Jesus Christ says, "The worker is worthy of his food," and not simply just anyone, nor just as it happens, and since the Apostle commands us to toil and work with our own hands at what is good, so that we may have wherewith to share with him who has need, it is evident from this that one must work diligently. For the goal of piety should not be considered a pretext for idleness or a flight from toil, but rather an occasion for struggle, for greater labors, and for patience ^C in tribulations, so that we too may be able to say: "In toil and labor, in watchings more abundantly, in hunger and thirst." For such a manner of life is useful to us not only for the mortification of the body, but also because of love for our neighbor, so that God may provide for the needy brothers through us the things they need, according to the pattern given by the Apostle in the Acts, when he said: "I have shown you everything, that so laboring you ought to support the weak"; and again: "That you may have wherewith to share with him who has need," that we might be judged worthy to hear: "Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." ^D

For I was hungry and you gave me to eat: I was thirsty and you gave me to drink" (99).

^B 2. And indeed, how great an evil sloth is, and what need is there to speak at length, when the Apostle clearly commands that he who does not work, should not eat? Just as, therefore, daily food is necessary for everyone, so also is work according to one's strength necessary. For Solomon did not write without reason in praise of the virtuous, "She did not eat the bread of sloth." And again the Apostle says of himself, "We did not eat anyone's bread freely, but in toil and labor, working night and day," even though he had the authority, as a preacher of the Gospel, to live from the Gospel. Furthermore, the Lord associated sloth with wickedness, saying, "You wicked and slothful servant." But the wise Solomon not only praises the worker through the aforementioned, but also rebukes the slothful by the comparison of the very smallest animals, when he says, "Go to the ant, O sluggard." Wherefore it is to be feared lest this also be brought against us on the day of judgment, since He who gave us the power to work will demand from us fruits of work corresponding to this power. For "to whom much is committed," he says, "still more will be demanded of him."

But since some, under the pretext of prayer and psalmody, avoid work, one should know that while for certain other things there is a proper time for each, according to the Ecclesiastes who said, "For everything there is a time," yet for ^C prayer and psalmody, as well as for many other things, every time is suitable; so that while moving our hands to work, from time to time we may (when it is possible or rather conducive to the edification of faith) praise God with the tongue; or if not, in the heart, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, as it is written, and thus fulfill prayer in the midst of work: giving thanks to Him who provided both the strength of the hands for tasks and the wisdom of the mind for the acquisition of knowledge, and who bestowed the material, both that which is in the tools and that which is subject to the crafts, whenever we might be working; but praying that the works of our hands may be directed ^D toward the goal of pleasing God.

3. In this way also, the soul’s wandering from worthless thoughts can be corrected...

^A when, in every activity, we ask from God the success of our work, and offer up thanksgiving to Him who gave us the power to act, and keep the goal of pleasing Him, as has been said before. For if things are not thus, how can those words of the Apostle be in harmony with one another—that is, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. v, 17), and "Night and day working" (II Thess. iii, 8)? Indeed, because thanksgiving at all times is prescribed by law, and has been shown by nature and reason to be necessary for our life, it does not follow that we should neglect the set times of prayer in the fraternities, which we have necessarily chosen, since each one of them recalls in a special way the benefits received from God. ^B In the morning, indeed, so that the first movements of the soul and mind may be consecrated to God, and we may not take any other care upon ourselves before having been gladdened by the thought of God, as it is written: "I remembered God, and I was gladdened" (Ps. lxxvi, 4); nor should the body be moved to work before we have done what is said: "To thee I will pray, O Lord; in the morning thou wilt hear my voice; in the morning I will stand before thee, and I will look" (Ps. v, 4, 5). Furthermore, at the third hour we should rise for prayer and gather together the fraternity, even if others happen to be divided among different tasks; and, having brought to mind the gift of the Spirit given to the apostles at the third hour, let all worship with one accord, ^C so that they themselves may be made worthy of the reception of sanctification, and also ask for His guidance and teaching toward what is profitable, according to Him who said: "Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my bowels. Cast me not away from thy face, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a governing spirit" (Ps. l, 12, 13); and elsewhere: "Thy good Spirit shall lead me into the right land" (Ps. cxlii, 10). And thus let us return again to our work.

4. And if any, through the nature of their works or the places where they are staying, are elsewhere, they must necessarily satisfy all the observances commonly established, without any hesitation, reflecting ^D that "Where two or three are gathered together in my name," says the Lord, "there am I in the midst of them" (Matth. xviii, 20). And at the sixth hour, we have deemed it necessary to pray following the example of the saints, who say: "Evening and morning and at noon I will tell and declare; and he will hear my voice" (Ps. liv, 18). And this is so that we may be delivered from the incursion of the noonday demon...

and at the same time for the sake of the ninetieth psalm. The ninth ^A hour, moreover, has been handed down to us by the apostles themselves in the Acts, in which it is narrated that Peter and John went up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth. When the day is completed, let us offer thanksgiving for what has been granted to us during it, or for what we have done aright, and let us confess those things which have been omitted—whether a sin was committed voluntarily or involuntarily, or even latently, whether in words, or in deeds, or in the heart itself—and let us appease God concerning all these things through prayer. For it is of great benefit to examine the past, so that we may not fall into similar things again. Wherefore it says: "What you say in your hearts, be pricked in your beds" (Ps. iv, 5).

5. And again, as night begins, let us pray, so that we may enjoy an undisturbed rest, free from [disturbing] visions; the ninetieth psalm must necessarily be recited at this hour. That midnight is also necessary for us to pray, Paul and Silas have handed down to us, as the history of the Acts makes clear, in these words: "At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God" (Acts xvi, 25). And the Psalmist, when he says: "At midnight I rose to give thanks to thee, concerning the judgments of thy righteousness" (Ps. cxviii, 62). And again, it is right to anticipate the dawn and rise up for prayer, so that we may not be caught in sleep and in bed when the day comes, according to him who said: "My eyes prevented the dawn, that I might meditate on thy words" (Ps. cxviii, 148). None of these times ^C should be neglected by those who have determined to live diligently for the glory of God and of His Christ. I think that diversity and variety in prayers and in psalmody, which are performed at fixed hours, are useful, because in uniformity the soul often somehow grows sluggish and is absent while present; but with the changed and varied psalmody and chanting through the individual hours, its desire is renewed and its attention is restored.

QUESTION XXXVIII

Since you have taught us abundantly with your discourse, and that prayer can in no way be omitted, and that labor is necessary, it remains now that we be taught what arts are suitable to our profession.

ANSWER

To designate certain arts specifically is not easy, because some are required by some people according to ^D the peculiarity of places and the utility of the crafts in each region; others according to

the nature of the places and the convenience of the crafts in each region. In general, however, it is possible for the choice of these to be designated in such a way that those are practiced which preserve the quiet and tranquility of our lives, and which require neither much labor ^A to provide their own material, nor much anxiety for selling the goods that have been produced, nor which occasion for us unseemly or harmful meetings with men or women. Rather, in everything it must be considered that we should have before us as our proper goal simplicity and frugality, avoiding the service of the foolish and harmful desires of men by producing what is sought for by them. But in weaving, that which is in keeping with the habit of life—not that which is devised by the profligate for the trapping and ensnaring of the young—ought to be accepted by us. ^B Similarly also in shoemaking, let us employ our efforts through the craft only in those things which are required for the necessary use of life. Architecture, carpentry, metalworking, and agriculture, these in themselves are necessary for life and provide much that is useful, and in their own right are not to be rejected by us; but whenever they create tumults for us, or disrupt the unified life of the brethren, then we must of necessity avoid them, preferring those crafts which preserve for us an undistracted life and one readily disposed toward the Lord, and which do not draw those who persevere in the exercise of piety away from the time for psalmody, or prayer, or the rest of the ordered life. Since, when there is nothing in them to cause harm to ^C the primary life, they are preferable to many others, and especially agriculture, which of itself provides for necessary needs and delivers those who farm from much wandering and running up and down, provided only that, as we said, it does not bring upon us tumults and disturbances from neighbors or from those living with us, and in the manner described, it prevents us from running here and there, if only, as we have said, no tumults and disturbances are stirred up for us by neighbors or by those who dwell with us.

INTERROGATION XXXIX

RESPONSE

^A If experience proves that this is impossible, it is worth the effort to ensure that our pilgrimage is not fruitless for us; we should choose places and cities of godly men, so that our pilgrimage might not be profitless, and many of the brethren might gather together in the appointed assemblies, each bringing the fruits of his own labor. And they should set out on the journey together, so as to complete the way with psalms and prayers and mutual edification; and when they have arrived at the place, they should choose the same lodgings, both for the sake of mutual watchfulness, and so that no time for prayer—neither daytime nor nighttime—may escape us, and so that each one may receive less harm from the company of intractable and greedy men by being with many rather than alone. For even the most injurious persons do not wish to have many witnesses to their injustice. ^B

INTERROGATION XL. Concerning the markets that are held at assemblies.

RESPONSE.

But in truth, Scripture does not show that those marketings that take place in the locations where martyrs are honored are appropriate for us. For it is fitting for Christians to be found at the shrines of martyrs or in the places adjacent to them for no other reason than for the sake of prayer, and so that, by calling to mind the constancy of the saints who struggled even unto death for the sake of piety, they may be incited to a similar emulation, and may remember the most horrible wrath of the Lord, who, ^C although He was always and everywhere meek and humble of heart, as it is written, 21 aimed the whip only at those who were selling and buying around the temple, 22 as if by trading they had transformed the house of prayer into a den of thieves. Yet because others have already gone before and corrupted the custom that prevailed among the saints—those who, when they ought to have prayed for one another, and together with many others worshipped God, and with tears implored Him, and rendered Him propitious for their sins, and gave thanks for His benefits, and edified one another with words of exhortation (which we know was a custom observed even within our own memory), conversely make that time and place a forum, a market, and a common emporium—it is not right that we should follow them and confirm such absurdities by participation in the act; ^D but we ought to propose to ourselves for imitation those gatherings which are narrated in the Gospels concerning our Lord, and to carry out the apostolic commandments as things that conduce to this manner of acting. For he writes thus: "When you come together, each one of you has a psalm,

has teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation: let all things be done for edification."

Interrogation XLI. On authority and obedience.

Response. ^A In these ^B exercises, it is by no means permitted for each one to practice what he has or what he wishes to learn, but rather that for which he shall be judged suitable. For he who has denied himself, and has put away all his own wills, does not do what he wishes, but what he is taught. Nor indeed does reason allow him to choose for himself what is useful, once he has surrendered his own governance to others, who will appoint him to that which they, in the name of the Lord, recognize as suitable. For whoever, in choosing a work, follows his own desire, convicts himself—firstly because he pleases himself; secondly, because he has felt a propensity for that craft either for the sake of worldly glory, or for the hope of gain, or for something similar; or because out of sloth and indolence, he prefers the lighter labor. But to be in these states is proof that one has not yet been delivered from the malice of the passions. ^C Nor has he denied himself who wishes to carry out his own impulses, nor has he renounced the affairs of the world, if he is still agitated by a desire for gain and for glory. Nor has he mortified his members which are upon the earth who does not endure the labor of the works; but he also bears a mark of arrogance against himself, judging his own private opinion to be more accurate than the testing of the majority. Therefore, whether one possesses a craft not disapproved by the community, he ought not to abandon it (for it is the sign of an unstable mind and uncertain resolution to despise the present things); or if he does not possess one, let him not take one upon himself; but rather let him accept what has been tested by his superiors, so that in everything he may preserve compliance. As it has been shown that to permit things to oneself is unbecoming, so also not to accept what has been approved by others is regarded as a reproach. But even if one has a craft, if its use does not please the brotherhood, let him readily cast it away, showing that he is not affected by any of the things in the world. ^D For to do the wills of one's own thoughts is the act of one who has no hope, according to the word of the Apostle; but compliance in everything is worthy of acceptance, the same Apostle praising some because "they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God."

^A Moreover, one must be intent upon one's own work and apply oneself to it with a lively and eager spirit, and, as though God were the inspector, perform it faultlessly with tireless zeal and closer attention, so that one may always be able to say: "Behold, as the eyes of servants into the hands of their masters, so are our eyes unto the Lord our God" (Ps. CXXII, 2), and not to pass from one thing to another. For our nature is not able to perform many tasks at the same time, and it is more useful to perform one craft accurately than to touch upon many imperfectly. For if many things distract us, and we pass from one to another, besides the fact that no work is completed, the levity of ^B the spirit is also laid bare, if it already exists, or is generated if it does not. But if necessity should ever require it, it is proper for him who is capable to come to the aid of other crafts as well: yet not of his own accord, but if at any time he should be invited, in such a way that we do not do this by our own initial plan, but by some pressing chance, just as it happens in the members of the body when, the foot stumbling, we lean upon the hand. And again, just as it is detrimental to take up a craft of one's own accord, so it is worthy of reprehension to decline what is commanded, so that the vice of arrogance may not be fostered, nor the rule of obedience and docility be dissolved. Furthermore, the care of the tools pertains chiefly to the artisan of each craft. But if it should happen that anything is neglected, the matter, being as it were the common property of all, should be attended to in a fitting manner by those who first notice ^C it. For although the use of them may be peculiar to some, the utility perceived from them is common. For to despise the instruments of another craft, as if they did not pertain to oneself, is the mark of one who considers them as foreign. Nor indeed does it befit those who practice the crafts to claim for themselves the ownership of the tools, so as either to deny the superior of the brotherhood the power of using them for whatever purpose he may wish, or to grant themselves the liberty to sell, exchange, or hand them over in any other way, or to acquire others in addition to what they have. For how can he who once decided that he is not even the master of his own hands, but rather has committed his works to be directed by another, act in a manner consistent with his own resolve, if he usurps the highest right of ownership over the instruments of his craft? ^D

QUESTION XLII

RESPONSE

^A when he works, ought to attend to his labor, not that he may serve his own needs through such works, but that he may fulfill the commandment of the Lord, who said: "I was hungry, and you gave me to eat," and the rest. For to be anxious for one's self is entirely prohibited by the Lord, when He said: "Be not anxious for your life, what you shall eat, nor for your body, what you shall put on," and added: "For all these things the nations seek." ^B Therefore, the purpose that ought to be set before each person in his work is the service of those in need, not his own need. For thus the charge of selfishness will be avoided, and he will receive the blessing of brotherly love from the Lord, who says: "As long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it for me." And let no one think that the Apostle's words are contrary to our opinion when he says: "That working, they should eat their own bread." For this was said with regard to the disorderly and the idle, as if he were saying to them that it is more preferable for each one to provide his own keep, and not be a burden to others, than to spend his life in idleness. For "we hear," he says, "that there are some among you who walk inordinately, working not at all, but meddling; ^C now to such as these we charge and beseech that with quietness working they should eat their own bread." And that which says, "Working night and day, that we might not burden any of you," tends to the same purpose, since the Apostle, for the sake of brotherly love, in order to cut off those who were disorderly, subjected himself to labors beyond what was prescribed for him. But it is the duty of one who hastens toward perfection to labor night and day, so that he may have [something] to distribute to those who are in need.

2. For whoever places his hope in himself or even in the one who has taken upon himself the care of distributing necessary things, and regards either his own labor or that of his companion as a sufficient means for living, ^D as far as he has placed his hope in man, he is in danger of falling into the curse which says: "Cursed is the man who has his hope in man, and will strengthen the flesh of his arm, and his heart shall depart from the Lord." For the word, "Whoever has his hope in man," forbids one to place hope in another; while by [the words], "And will strengthen the flesh of his arm," it forbids one to place confidence in himself. And it calls both of these a departure from the Lord, and adds the outcome of both: "For he shall be as the wild..."

^A tamarisk in the desert, and shall not see when the good things come," the word showing that to place hope in oneself or in any other is a departure from the Lord.

QUESTION XLIII. The manner which ought to be observed in performing works has been sufficiently explained to us; unless, however, we should be taught to discover something more from the very use of things. But we ask that you explain what kind of men those who are set over the brethren ought to be, or how they ought to govern their companions.

RESPONSE. 1. What has been said is, as it were, a summary of this part also; since, however, not without reason you wish this part to be explained to you more fully (for such as the ^B prefect and leader is, such are the subjects usually wont to become), it is necessary not to pass over it cursorily or carelessly. It behooves, therefore, him who is a prefect, mindful of the precept of the Apostle who says, "Be thou an example of the faithful," so to fashion his own life as an evident example of every commandment of the Lord, so as to leave to those who are to be taught by him no occasion to think the Lord's commandment impossible or despicable. ^C First, therefore, in the charity of Christ, humility is so to be cultivated by him that, even while he is silent, the example of his works may be set forth for teaching more effectively than any speech. For if this is the goal of Christianity—the imitation of Christ according to the measure of His humanity, as it befits each one’s calling—those to whom the care of governing many has been entrusted ought to urge on those who are still weaker, by their own works, to the imitation of Christ, according to the blessed Paul, who says: ^D "Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ."

2. Therefore, observing that measure of humility which has been delivered to us by our Lord Jesus Christ, it is worth the effort that they themselves should be, first, an accurate and in all points perfect example. "Learn of me," He says, "because I am meek and humble of heart." Therefore, let the gentleness of his manners and the humility of his heart characterize the superior. For if the Lord was not ashamed to minister to His own servants, but willed to be a servant of the earth and clay which He Himself fashioned and molded into a man ("For I," He says, "am in the midst of you as he that serveth"); what is it fitting for us to do for the sake of our equals, that we may be able to think that we have attained to the imitation of Him? This, therefore, is one thing with which the prefect ought most especially to be endowed. Then, to be compassionate, and toward those who, from inexperience, have omitted any of their duties, to be patiently

suffering, not passing by their sins in silence, but bearing with the rebellious ones gently, and applying to them the remedy with all clemency and moderation. Item, he must be someone capable of devising a mode of remedy appropriate to the malady, not rebuking harshly, but admonishing and instructing them with meekness, as it is written ^B, keeping watch over present affairs, providing for the future, skilled in contending with the strong, and in bearing the infirmities of the weak, being one who can do and say everything for the perfection of those who live with him. He should not assume the leadership for himself, but should be chosen by those who hold the first rank in other fraternities of brethren, and who have already given sufficient proof ^C of their character in their past life. For these, he says, let them be proved first, then let them minister, being without blame. Thus let such a one be entrusted with the leadership, and let him prescribe order for the brotherhood, making the distribution of tasks as each one is capable.

INTERROGATION XLIV

RESPONSE. I permit the journey to him who can perform it without harm to his own soul and with profit to those whom he meets. ^D For if no one suitable is available, it is better, in the lack of necessary things, to endure every affliction and distress even unto death, than to neglect the certain detriment of the soul for the sake of bodily relief. For it is good for me, says the Apostle, rather to die, than that any man should make my glory void; and this is in matters where it is optional; how much more so, then, in things that are commandments? Although the law of charity also provides a remedy for this very inconvenience. For if it should happen that there is no one in one of the brotherhoods who can suitably be sent, those who are nearby shall supply what is lacking, making the journeys in common and never separated from one another, so that those who are weak in soul, or even frail in body, may in such companionship be kept safe along with the stronger ones; and this should be long before determined by the superior, so that later, in the very moment of necessity, one might not fail to find some remedy which, through the straits of time, one might be permitted to apply. Furthermore, after the return, the superior shall examine the traveler: what were his actions, how the meetings with men turned out for him; what were the words,

^A he exchanged with them; what were the thoughts of his soul; whether he passed the whole day and the whole night living in the fear of God, or whether he perhaps turned aside and disturbed some of the ordinances, either by yielding to external circumstances or by lapsing through his own laxity.

2. Moreover, let him commend what was done rightly; but as for what was done amiss, let him correct it with diligent and expert ^B instruction. For thus those who travel abroad will be more vigilant if they are compelled to give an account of their journey, and we ourselves will not appear to neglect their lives even during a time of separation. That this was also customary among the saints, the history of the Acts teaches, where it demonstrates how Peter, having returned to Jerusalem, gave an account to those residing there regarding his fellowship which he had had with the Gentiles; ^C and likewise, how Paul and Barnabas, having returned and assembled the Church, announced what God had done with them; and again, that the whole multitude kept silent, and heard Barnabas and Paul relating whatever God had done through them. However, one must know that forays, business dealings, and huckster-like gains are to be avoided by the brethren in every way.

QUESTION XLV

RESPONSE

' ^A And again, he refutes the absurdity of such disorder by saying this: "If therefore the whole Church be assembled together, and all speak with tongues, and there come in unlearned people or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad?"

2. And if, through ignorance, ^B a stranger should propose questions, even if the person who is questioned in another's place is able to answer adequately, nevertheless, for the sake of preserving order, let him hold his peace, and point out the one who has been entrusted with this task, just as the apostles did in the presence of the Lord, so that the use of speech may be orderly and decorous. For if, in the healing of bodies, it is not for just anyone to use the iron or medicine upon the sick, but rather for one who has taken up the art, and attained to this skill through long time, experience, practice of the works, and the teaching of experts, with what reason then should anyone presume to leap into the healing that is done through the Word? In which, if even the slightest thing be missed, it brings the greatest harm.

For among those by whom not even the distribution of bread is permitted to just anyone, but such a ministry pertains to one man who has been appointed to this matter after being put to the test, how much more, among them, should not spiritual nourishment be offered to those who ask ^C by one who is more suited for it, with much greater care and discrimination? Therefore, it is no common arrogance for someone to dare, when asked regarding the judgment of God, to answer so boldly and rashly, and not to point out the one who has been entrusted with the stewardship of the Word, who, because he is an altogether faithful and prudent steward, has been chosen to distribute spiritual nourishment in due season, and to manage his words with discretion, as it is written.

And if something escapes the one who ought to answer, and another finds it, let him not immediately leap to rebuke him, but privately suggest to him what has occurred to him. For this becomes for the inferior a pretext for pride against their superiors, so that even if one has answered usefully, yet not in accordance with his duty, he is liable to the penalties for disorder. ^D

QUESTION XLVI.

ANSWER.

^B

QUESTION XLVII.

ANSWER. When someone does not accept the statutes of the superior, he ought to contradict him openly or privately, if some valid reason is available to him, and one that is in accordance with the Scriptures, or else, by remaining silent, he should carry out what has been commanded. But if he is ashamed to do this, let him employ certain other intermediaries for this purpose, so that if the command is contrary to Scripture, he may deliver both himself and his brethren from harm; but if it is shown to be done according to the proper reason, he may also free himself from empty and dangerous questioning. For he who doubts, it says, if he eats, is condemned: because it is not from faith. ^C And so that he may afford the simpler ones no occasion for breaking obedience. For it is expedient, says the Lord, that a millstone be hung about his neck, and he be cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones. But if any persist in contumacy, complaining secretly but not disclosing their sorrow, as if they were the authors of discord that has arisen among the brothers, and as if they had shaken the most certain authority of the commandments, and were ^D

^A masters of rebellion and disobedience, let them be cast out of the brotherhood. For "cast out," he says, "the pestilent man from the council, and strife will go out with him." And again: "Put away the wicked person from among yourselves. For a little leaven leavens the whole lump."

INTERROGATION XLVIII.

RESPONSE. But so that no one may easily fall into this vice of disputation and contention, to his own detriment and that of others, this must be observed generally among the brothers: that from the beginning no one should curiously investigate the manner of acting of the superior, nor be busy about the things that are done, except for those who, both in rank and in prudence, are closer to the ^B superior himself; whom he will also necessarily admit to counsel and deliberation regarding the conduct of common affairs, following the exhortation of him who said: "Do all things with counsel." For since we have committed the governing of our souls to him, as one who will render an account for these things to God; it would be entirely absurd not to trust him in the vilest matters, and for us ourselves to be filled with absurd and foolish suspicions against the brother, and to provide the occasion for the same to others. Therefore, so that this may not happen, let each one remain in that to which he has been called; and let him devote himself entirely to the care of the things that fall to him, and not be busy about other ^C affairs, imitating the holy disciples of the Lord, among whom, although the very matter that is narrated about the Samaritan woman could have injected a certain suspicion, "Nihilominus," he says, "no one said: 'What are you seeking? Or why are you talking with her?'"

INTERROGATION XLIX.

RESPONSE. But regarding the controversies that arise among the brothers, this must be established: whenever some disagree among themselves about any matter, it is not fitting to contend contentiously against one another, but to entrust the judgment to those who are more capable. ^D Wherefore, lest the order be confounded—with everyone questioning, and at all times, and lest an occasion for gossiping and idle talk be given—it is necessary that there be some one approved man who is able to either propose for a common examination by the brothers those things about which some are doubtful, or to refer them to the superior. For thus the questions will be examined more rightly and more skillfully. For if

^A there is need of knowledge and experience in every task, much more so in these matters. And if no one would entrust the use of tools to those who are unskilled, much more is it necessary to concede the handling of discourses to those who are capable, who will be able to discern both the place and the time and the manner of the questions, setting forth [their own views] without contention and prudently, and listening intelligently, so as to preserve accurately the solutions to the questions for the edification of the community.

QUESTION L.

RESPONSE.

QUESTION LI.

RESPONSE. For the rest, let him correct those who are ill-affected after the manner of physicians, not being angry at the weak, but fighting ^D against the disease; nay indeed, let him rise up against the vices and, by more severe discipline if there is need, let him heal the disease of the soul; for instance, vanity [is healed] by enjoining exercises of humility; idle talk by silence; immoderate sleep by nights spent in prayer.

bodily laziness by toil; immoderate eating by fasting; murmuring by separation from the others, so that none of the brothers may choose to work with him, nor to mix his work with the works of others, as has been said previously, unless he should appear to be freed from this vice through unashamed repentance. And only then may the labor done during the time of murmuring be accepted, and even then, not for the use or service of the brothers, but diverted to some other necessary task. The rationale for these things has been sufficiently demonstrated earlier.

INTERROGATION LII. With what disposition must one accept punishments?

RESPONSE. Just as we said that he who presides must apply remedies to the sick without any agitation of mind, so in turn, those who are being treated must not accept these inflictions as a sign of hatred, nor should they consider the care applied by him out of mercy for the salvation of their souls to be a tyranny. For it is shameful that those who are sick in body should trust their physicians to such a degree that, even if they cut or burn or cause pain with bitter medicines, they consider them to be their benefactors, ^B yet we, toward the physicians of our souls, when they bring us salvation through a more severe discipline, do not have the same disposition, especially when the Apostle says: "And who is it that makes me glad, but he who is grieved by me?" And again: "For behold, this very thing, that you were grieved according to God, what earnestness it has produced in you." Therefore, looking to the end, it is fitting to consider him a benefactor who causes us grief according to God.

INTERROGATION LIII. How should masters of crafts correct deliquent boys?

RESPONSE. Masters of crafts must, if their students commit any error against the craft itself, reprove the fault privately and set the mistakes right. But whatever sins indicate a perversion of character, such as disobedience, contradiction, laziness regarding work, ^C or idle talk, or lying, for instance—so too, if the brothers have committed any fault, they must be brought by the masters of the crafts before the one who presides so that he may determine the penalty appropriate to each transgression. For in this way, he who has done wrong is made more ready to obey, being ashamed of the reproof that takes place before many, and the rest are made more cautious so that they too do not fall into similar sins, ^D and the appropriate remedy can be more effectively applied by the more experienced.

^A Or if there be any idleness, or lying, or anything else of that sort forbidden to the pious, they should bring the matter before the overseer of the common discipline, in order that the measure and manner of healing the sins may be devised by him. For if reproof is a healing of the soul, it is not for everyone to reprove, just as it is not for everyone to heal, unless the overseer himself, after testing, has permitted someone to do so.

INTERROGATION LIV.

RESPONSE. It is worth the effort, however, for the superiors of the brethren sometimes to meet at certain appointed times and places in one. In these meetings they may set forth to one another the matters which have occurred contrary to reason, the characters that are difficult to manage, and how they have dealt with each case, so that if anyone has ever transgressed in any way, it may be most certainly detected by the judgment of many, and conversely, if anything has been done rightly, it may be confirmed by the testimony of the majority.

INTERROGATION LV.

RESPONSE. 1. Just as each of the arts ^C has been given to us by God for the assistance of the weakness of our nature—for instance, agriculture, because what grows from the earth of its own accord does not suffice to relieve our needs; and weaving, because the use of clothing is necessary both for decency and for warding off the injuries of the air; and building likewise; so too has the medical art been given. For since our body, being subject to diseases, is exposed to various afflictions, both those coming from without and those arising from within from foods, and is distressed by both excesses and deficiencies, the medical art ^D was granted by God, the overseer of our whole life, as a model of the healing which must be applied for the curing of the soul, so that by his guidance that which is superfluous might be cut away, and that which is lacking might be added. For just as if we were in the paradise of delight, we would have no need of industry and agricultural labor, so too, if we were immune to diseases, as we were before the fall, when things were first created, we would have no need of any medical assistance for our relief. But just as after we were cast out into this place, and heard the words, *In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread* (Gen. III, 19), then, having been perfected by long experience and the toil of agriculture—

having devised the art of farming to alleviate the inconveniences of that curse, God granting us the understanding and knowledge of this art; so also, since we have been commanded to return again to the earth from which we were taken, and have been yoked to a painful flesh, condemned to decay because of sin, and for this reason subjected to these infirmities, there has been offered to us, to the extent that it helps those who are sick, the assistance provided by medicine. ^A

2. For herbs did not sprout from the earth automatically, those which are naturally suited to each of the infirmities, but clearly they were brought forth by the will of the Creator for the purpose of our benefit. Now, the natural property that is found in roots, and flowers, or leaves, or fruits, or saps, or whatever is produced from metals, or whatever is from the sea, and which has been discovered to be suitably beneficial for the flesh, is similar to the discovery of things for eating and drinking. But that which is over-thought and curious, and causes much distraction, and turns, as it were, our whole life toward the care of the flesh, is to be avoided by Christians. And we must strive to use the art, if ever there is need, in such a way that we do not attribute to it the entire cause of being well or being ill, but that we accept the use of what it offers to the glory of God and as a pattern for the care of our souls. ^B And if, in the wilderness, we should be without the remedies of medicine, we must not place all our hope for the consolation of our sufferings in this art, but know that either He will not suffer us to be tempted beyond that which we are able to bear (1 Cor. X, 13), or, just as the Lord once, at one time by making clay, anointed (the eyes) and commanded (him) to wash in Siloam (John IX, 6, 7), and at another time was satisfied with His will alone, saying, *I will, be thou made clean* (Matt. VIII, 3); and some He even permitted to struggle in their afflictions, making them more approved through the test; so also in our case, He touches us invisibly from his hidden place when He perceives that this is expedient for our souls. ^C Sometimes He is pleased that we use material aids for our infirmities, making the persistence of the healing produce a lasting remembrance of the grace, or even providing a pattern, as I said, for the care of the soul. For just as with the flesh both the removal of what is foreign and the addition of what is lacking are necessary, so also with our soul, it is appropriate to dispose of what is foreign and take up what is naturally fitting. For God made man upright (Eccl. VII, 30), and He created us for good works, that we might walk in them.

^A We do not refuse to take medicines for the healing of the body; thus, also in this case, it is worthwhile to endure the cutting words of reproof and the bitter medicines of correction for the healing of the soul. The prophetic word, rebuking those who have not been amended, says to these very people: "Is there no balm in Gilead? Or is there no physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been restored?" (Jer. VIII, 22). And the fact that in chronic ailments one waits for healing over a long time and through remedies that are both painful and varied, is an indication that sins of the soul, too, ought to be corrected by diligent prayer, long-term repentance, and a rigorous discipline, such as reason may suggest to us as sufficient for healing.

We ought not, therefore, because some do not use the medical art properly, flee from all the benefit derived from it. For just because some intemperate pursuers of pleasure abuse the art of cooking, or baking, or weaving to devise luxuries, exceeding the limits of necessity, it does not follow that we must reject all arts at once. On the contrary, what has been corrupted by them must be refuted by their right use. So too in medicine, it is not reasonable to blame a gift received from God because of its misuse. For to place the hope of one’s own health in the hands of physicians is brutish—a thing we see some wretches doing, who do not even scruple to call them "saviors." But to shun entirely the benefits arising from it is the mark of an obstinate mind. ^B But just as Hezekiah did not consider the lump of figs to be the primary cause of his health, nor attribute to it the cause of the restoration of his body, but added to the glory of God a thanksgiving for the creation of the figs; so we too, if we receive blows from God who manages our life well and prudently, first of all ask Him to show us the cause for which we are thus chastened; then, that we be delivered from these troubles, and that patience be given to us, so that with the temptation He may also provide the way of escape, that we may be able to endure it (1 Cor. X, 13). ^C 4. As for the gift of healing given to us, whether through wine mixed with oil, as in the case of the man who fell among thieves (Luke X, 34), or through figs, as in the case of Hezekiah (IV Reg. XX, 7), ^D we receive it with thanksgiving. And we judge that there is no difference whether God heals us in an invisible manner, or applies some corporeal means; for these corporeal things very often lead us more effectively to the understanding of the Lord's grace. And often, having fallen into diseases for the sake of discipline, we have been sentenced to undergo, in place of punishment, a harsh and severe cure as a portion of that discipline.

are we to be condemned. Therefore, right reason dictates that we should not reject surgical incisions, nor cauterizations, nor the bitterness of acrid and painful remedies, nor fasts, nor precise regimens of diet and living, nor abstinence from harmful things, provided always (I repeat) that the purpose of the soul’s benefit is maintained, for it is for this reason that this example has been set before us, that the soul may learn to imitate it in its own healing. ^B There is, however, no small danger that the mind might fall into error, as if every illness required the aids of medicine. For not all sicknesses are to be attributed to nature, nor do they all come upon us from a vicious diet or other bodily causes—for some of which we do indeed see that medicine is useful. For often illnesses are punishments for sins, brought upon us for our conversion. "For whom the Lord loves, He chastens [Prov. 3:12]." And: "Therefore many among you are weak and infirm, and many sleep. For if we judged ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with this world [1 Cor. 11:30–32]." Therefore, those who are in such a state, once we have recognized our own offenses, ought to pass over the use of medicine and silently endure the penalties brought upon them, according to him who said: "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him [Mic. 7:9]," and thus to amend themselves, so that they may bring forth fruits worthy of repentance, and remember the Lord who said: "Behold, you are made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you [John 5:14]."

^C Sometimes, however, illnesses occur at the request of the devil, when the merciful Lord enters a combat against him with someone, as if with a great athlete, and crushes the devil's arrogance through the supreme endurance of His own servants: a thing which we have learned happened in the case of Job [Job 2:6]. Or indeed, some are proposed by God as an example to those who are impatient of evils, who have been able to persevere in enduring adverse things even unto death, such as Lazarus, who, while afflicted with such and so many sores [Luke 16:20], is nowhere written to have asked anything of that rich man, nor to have shown himself peevish or troublesome due to his present state of affairs. Wherefore he attained rest in Abraham's bosom, as one who had received evils in his life [Luke 16:25]. We have also found another cause for illnesses occurring in the saints, as in the case of the Apostle. For, lest he seem to exceed the limit of human nature, ^D and lest anyone might think that he had something in his natural constitution more excellent than others (as seemed to the Lycaonians, who offered him crowns and bulls [Acts 14:13]), for this reason, to make plain the nature of humanity, he was constantly struggling with illness.

5. What profit, then, could come to such men from medicine? Or rather, is there not a danger, for those distracted from the right reason, to the cultivation of the body? ^A For those, indeed, who have brought sickness upon themselves through a bad diet, the cultivation of the body should serve as a kind of pattern and example for the care of the soul, as has been said before. For abstinence from harmful things, according to medical reason, is profitable for us also, as is the selection of useful things and the observance of precepts. And the very change of the flesh from sickness to good health should be for us a consolation, so that we do not despair of the soul, as if it were unable to return to its own wholeness through repentance after sins. Therefore, this art is not to be shunned entirely, nor is all hope to be placed in it. ^B But just as we use agriculture, yet ask for the fruits from God; and just as we commit the helm to the helmsman, but pray to God that we may escape the sea unharmed: so too, if, when reason allows, we call in a physician, we do not fall away from the hope that must be placed in God. ^C And it seems to me that this art also contributes not a little to continence. For I see that it cuts off luxury, condemns satiety, and rejects as unprofitable the variety of diet and the excessive ingenuity in preparing spices; and in sum, it calls neediness the mother of health, so that in this respect also its counsel is not useless to us. Whether, therefore, we sometimes use the precepts of medicine, or whether we refuse them for any of the causes we have mentioned before, the goal of being pleasing to God must be kept, the benefit of the soul must be managed, and the command of the Apostle must be fulfilled, who says: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." ^D

THE CHAPTERS OF THE SHORTER RULES BY OUR HOLY FATHER BASIL, ARCHBISHOP OF CÆSAREA IN CAPPADOCIA

1. Whether it is lawful or expedient for anyone to permit himself to do or say what he thinks good, without the testimony of the divine Scriptures.