ON THE PRIESTHOOD
BOOK 2  (2.1-2.4)

Τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰωάννου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Κωνσταντινουπόλεως τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου πρὸς τὸν ἐγκαλοῦντα ἐπὶ τῷ διαφυγεῖν τὴν ἱερωσύνην

2.1. That it is possible then to make use of deceit for a good purpose, or rather that in such a case it ought not to be called deceit, but a kind of good management worthy of all admiration, might be proved at greater length; but since what has already been said suffices for demonstration, it would be irksome and tedious to lengthen out my discourse upon the subject. And now it will remain for you to prove whether I have not employed this art to your advantage.

2.1 1α. Ὅτι μέγιστον ἡ ἱερωσύνη τεκμήριον τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγάπης1 Ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἔστι καὶ ἐπὶ καλῷ τῇ τῆς ἀπάτης κεχρῆσθαι δυνάμει͵ μᾶλ λον δὲ ὅτι μηδὲ ἀπάτην δεῖ τὸ τοιοῦτον καλεῖν͵ ἀλλ΄ οἰκονομίαν τινὰ θαυμαστήν͵ ἐνῆν μὲν καὶ πλείονα λέγειν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν ἱκανὰ γέγονε͵ φορτικὸν καὶ ἐπαχθὲς περιττὸν τῷ λόγῳ προστιθέναι μῆκος. Σὸν δ΄ ἂν εἴη δεικνύναι λοιπόν͵ εἰ μὴ τῷ πράγματι τούτῳ πρὸς τὸ κέρδος ἐχρησάμεθα τὸ σόν.

BASIL: And what kind of advantage have I derived from this piece of good management, or wise policy, or whatever you may please to call it, so as to persuade me that I have not been deceived by you?

Καὶ ὁ Βασίλειος· Καὶ ποῖον κέρδος͵ φησίν͵ ἡμῖν ἐκ ταύτης γέγονε τῆς οἰκο νομίας ἢ σοφίας ἢ ὅπως αὐτὴν χαίρῃς καλῶν͵ ἵνα πεισθῶμεν ὅτι οὐκ ἠπατήμεθα παρὰ σοῦ;

CHRYSOSTOM: What advantage, pray, could be greater than to be seen doing those things which Christ with his own lips declared to be proofs of love to Himself?¹ For addressing the leader of the apostles He said, “Peter, lovest thou me?” and when he confessed that he did, the Lord added, “if thou lovest me tend my sheep.” The Master asked the disciple if He was loved by him, not in order to get information (how should He who penetrates the hearts of all men?), but in order to teach us how great an interest He takes in the superintendence of these sheep. This being plain, it will likewise be manifest that a great and unspeakable reward will be reserved for him whose labors are concerned with these sheep, upon which Christ places such a high value. For when we see any one bestowing care upon members of our household, or upon our flocks, we count his zeal for them as a sign of love towards ourselves: yet all these things are to be bought for money:—with how great a gift then will He requite those who tend the flock which He purchased, not with money, nor anything of that kind, but by His own death, giving his own blood as the price of the herd. Wherefore when the disciple said, “Thou knowest Lord that I love Thee,” and invoked the beloved one Himself as a witness of his love, the Saviour did not stop there, but added that which was the token of love. For He did not at that time wish to show how much Peter loved Him, but how much He Himself loved His own Church, and he desired to teach Peter and all of us that we also should bestow much zeal upon the same.

ΙΩ. Καὶ τί τούτου τοῦ κέρδους͵ ἔφην͵ ἂν γένοιτο μεῖζον ἢ τὸ ταῦτα φαίνεσθαι πράττοντας ἅπερ δείγματα τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν ἀγάπης αὐτὸς ἔφησεν εἶναι ὁ Χριστός; Πρὸς γὰρ τὸν κορυφαῖον τῶν ἀποστόλων διαλεγόμενος͵ Πέτρε͵ φιλεῖς με; φησί· τούτου δὲ ὁμολογήσαντος͵ ἐπιλέγει· Εἰ φιλεῖς με͵ ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου. Ἐρωτᾷ τὸν μαθητὴν ὁ διδάσκαλος εἰ φιλοῖτο παρ΄ αὐτοῦ͵ οὐχ ἵνα αὐτὸς μάθῃπῶς γὰρ ὁ τὰς ἁπάντων ἐμβατεύων καρδίας; ἀλλ΄ ἵνα ἡμᾶς διδάξῃ ὅσον αὐτῷ μέλει τῆς τῶν ποιμνίων ἐπιστασίας τούτων. Τούτου δὲ ὄντος δήλου͵ κἀκεῖνο ὁμοίως ἔσται φανερὸν ὅτι πολὺς καὶ ἄφατος ἀποκείσεται μισθὸς τῷ περὶ ταῦτα πονουμένῳ ἃ πολλοῦ τιμᾶται ὁ Χριστός. Εἰ γὰρ ἡμεῖς͵ ὅταν ἴδωμεν τῶν οἰκετῶν ἢ τῶν θρεμμάτων τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐπιμελουμένους τινάς͵ τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀγάπης τὴν εἰς ἐκεῖνα σπουδὴν τιθέμεθα σημεῖον͵ καίτοι γε ἅπαντα ταῦτα χρημάτων ἐστὶν ὠνητά͵ ὁ μὴ χρημάτων μηδὲ ἄλλου τινὸς τοιούτου͵ ἀλλ΄ ἰδίῳ θανάτῳ τὸ ποίμνιον πριάμενος τοῦτο καὶ τιμὴν τῆς ἀγέλης τὸ αἷμα δοὺς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ͵ πόσῃ τοὺς ποιμαίνοντας αὐτὴν ἀμείψεται δωρεᾷ; Διά τοι τοῦτο εἰπόντος τοῦ μαθητοῦ· Σὺ οἶδας͵ Κύριε͵ ὅτι φιλῶ σε͵ καὶ μάρτυρα τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτὸν τὸν ἀγαπώμενον καλέσαντος͵ οὐκ ἔστη μέχρι τούτων ὁ Σωτήρ͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης προσέθηκε σημεῖον. Οὐ γὰρ ὅσον αὐτὸν ὁ Πέτρος ἐφίλει͵ τότε ἐπιδεῖξαι ἐβούλετοκαὶ γὰρ ἐκ πολλῶν τοῦτο ἤδη γέγονεν ἡμῖν δῆλον͵ ἀλλ΄ ὅσον αὐτὸς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἀγαπᾷ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ͵ καὶ Πέτρον καὶ πάντας ἡμᾶς μαθεῖν ἠθέλησεν ἵνα πολλὴν καὶ ἡμεῖς περὶ ταῦτα εἰσφέρωμεν τὴν σπουδήν.

For why did God not spare His only-begotten Son, but delivered Him up, although the only one He had?² It was that He might reconcile to Himself those who were disposed towards Him as enemies, and make them His peculiar people. For what purpose did He shed His blood? It was that He might win these sheep which He entrusted to Peter and his successors. Naturally then did Christ say, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord shall make ruler over His household.” ³ Again, the words are those of one who is in doubt, yet the speaker did not utter them in doubt, but just as He asked Peter whether he loved Him, not from any need to learn the affection of the disciple, but from a desire to show the exceeding depth of his own love: so now also when He says, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant?” he speaks not as being ignorant who is faithful and wise, but as desiring to set forth the rarity of such a character, and the greatness of this office. Observe at any rate how great the reward is—“He will appoint him,” he says, “ruler over all his goods.” ⁴

Διὰ τί γὰρ Υἱοῦ καὶ Μονογενοῦς οὐκ ἐφείσατο ὁ Θεός͵ ἀλλ΄ ὃν μόνον εἶχεν ἐξέδωκεν; ἵνα τοὺς ἐχθρωδῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν διακειμένους ἑαυτῷ καταλλάξῃ καὶ ποιήσῃ λαὸν περιούσιον· διὰ τί καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἐξέχεεν; ἵνα τὰ πρόβατα κτήση ται ταῦτα ἃ τῷ Πέτρῳ καὶ τοῖς μετ΄ ἐκεῖνον ἐνεχείριζεν. Εἰκότως ἄρα καὶ δικαίως ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστός· Τίς ἄρα ὁ πιστὸς δοῦλος καὶ φρόνιμος ὃν κατέστησεν ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκίαν αὑτοῦ; Πάλιν τὰ μὲν ῥήματα ἀποροῦντος͵ ὁ δὲ φθεγγόμενος αὐτὰ οὐκ ἀπορῶν ἐφθέγγετο· ἀλλ΄ ὥσπερ τὸν Πέτρον ἐρωτῶν εἰ φιλοῖτο͵ οὐ μαθεῖν δεόμενος τοῦ μαθητοῦ τὸν πόθον ἠρώτα͵ ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι βουλόμενος τῆς οἰκείας ἀγάπης τὴν ὑπερβολήν͵ οὕτω καὶ νῦν λέγων· Τίς ἄρα ὁ πιστὸς δοῦλος καὶ φρόνιμος; οὐ τὸν πιστὸν καὶ φρόνιμον ἀγνοῶν ἔλεγεν͵ ἀλλὰ παραστῆσαι θέλων τὸ τοῦ πράγματος σπάνιον καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ταύτης τὸ μέγεθος. Ὅρα γοῦν καὶ τὸ ἔπαθλον ὅσον· Ἐπὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὑτοῦ καταστήσει αὐτόν.

2.2. Will you, then, still contend that you were not rightly deceived, when you are about to superintend the things which belong to God, and are doing that which when Peter did the Lord said he should be able to surpass the rest of the apostles, for His words were, “Peter, lovest thou me more than these?” ⁵ Yet He might have said to him, “If thou lovest me practise fasting, sleeping on the ground, and prolonged vigils, defend the wronged, be as a father to orphans, and supply the place of a husband to their mother.” But as a matter of fact, setting aside all these things, what does He say? “Tend my sheep.” For those things which I have already mentioned might easily be performed by many even of those who are under authority, women as well as men; but when one is required to preside over the Church, and to be entrusted with the care of so many souls, the whole female sex must retire before the magnitude of the task, and the majority of men also; and we must bring forward those who to a large extent surpass all others, and soar as much above them in excellence of spirit as Saul overtopped the whole Hebrew nation in bodily stature: or rather far more. ⁶ For in this case let me not take the height of shoulders as the standard of inquiry; but let the distinction between the pastor and his charge be as great as that between rational man and irrational creatures, not to say even greater, inasmuch as the risk is concerned with things of far greater importance. He indeed who has lost sheep, either through the ravages of wolves, or the attacks of robbers, or through murrain, or any other disaster befalling them, might perhaps obtain some indulgence from the owner of the flock; and even if the latter should demand satisfaction the penalty would be only a matter of money: but he who has human beings entrusted to him, the rational flock of Christ, incurs a penalty in the first place for the loss of the sheep, which goes beyond material things and touches his own life: and in the second place he has to carry on a far greater and more difficult contest. For he has not to contend with wolves, nor to dread robbers, nor to consider how he may avert pestilence from the flock. With whom then has he to fight? with whom has he to wrestle? Listen to the words of St. Paul. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” ⁷ Do you see the terrible multitude of enemies, and their fierce squadrons, not steel clad, but endued with a nature which is of itself an equivalent for a complete suit of armor. Would you see yet another host, stern and cruel, beleaguering this flock? This also you shall behold from the same post of observation. For he who has discoursed to us concerning the others, points out these enemies also to us, speaking in a certain place on this wise:

Ἔτι οὖν ἀμφισβητήσεις ἡμῖν τοῦ μὴ καλῶς ἠπατῆσθαι͵ πᾶσι μέλλων ἐπιστήσεσθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῖς ὑπάρχουσι καὶ ταῦτα πράττων ἃ καὶ τὸν Πέτρον ποιοῦντα ἔφησε δυνήσεσθαι καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὑπερακοντίσαι τοὺς λοιπούς· Πέτρε γάρ͵ φησί͵ φιλεῖς με πλεῖον τούτων; Καίτοι γε ἐνῆν εἰπεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν· Εἰ φιλεῖς με͵ νηστείαν ἄσκει͵ χαμευνίαν͵ ἀγρυ πνίας συντόνους͵ προΐστασο τῶν ἀδικουμένων͵ γίνου ὀρφανοῖς ὡς πατὴρ καὶ ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν. Νῦν δὲ πάντα ταῦτα ἀφεὶς τί φησι; Ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου. 2.2 1β. Ὅτι ἡ ταύτης ὑπηρεσία μείζων τῶν ἄλλων1 Ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ ἃ προεῖπον καὶ τῶν ἀρχομένων πολλοὶ δύναιντ΄ ἂν ἐπιτελεῖν ῥᾳδίως͵ οὐκ ἄνδρες μόνον͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες· ὅταν δὲ Ἐκκλη σίας προστῆναι δέῃ καὶ ψυχῶν ἐπιμέλειαν πιστευθῆναι τοσούτων͵ πᾶσα μὲν ἡ γυναικεία φύσις παραχωρείτω τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ πράγματος͵ καὶ ἀνδρῶν δὲ τὸ πλέον. Ἀγέσθωσαν δὲ εἰς μέσον οἱ πολλῷ τῷ μέτρῳ πλεονεκτοῦντες ἁπάντων͵ καὶ τοσοῦτον ὑψηλότεροι τῶν ἄλλων κατὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ὄντες ἀρετὴν ὅσον τοῦ παντὸς ἔθνους Ἑβραίων κατὰ τὸ τοῦ σώματος μέγεθος ὁ Σαούλ͵ μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ πλέον. Μὴ γάρ μοι μόνον ὑπερωμίας ἐνταῦθα ζητείσθω μέτρον͵ ἀλλ΄ ὅση πρὸς τὰ ἄλογα τῶν λογικῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ διαφορά͵ τοσοῦτον τοῦ ποιμένος καὶ τῶν ποιμαινομένων ἔστω τὸ μέσον͵ ἵνα μὴ καὶ πλέον τι εἴπω· καὶ γὰρ περὶ πολλῷ μειζόνων ὁ κίνδυνος. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πρόβατα ἀπολλὺς ἢ λύκων ἁρπασάντων ἢ λῃστῶν ἐπιστάντων ἢ λοιμοῦ τινος ἢ καὶ ἄλλου συμπτώματος ἐπι πεσόντος͵ τύχοι μὲν ἄν τινος καὶ συγγνώμης παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου τῆς ποίμνης· εἰ δὲ καὶ δίκην ἀπαιτοῖτο͵ μέχρι τῶν χρημάτων ἡ ζημία. Ὁ δὲ ἀνθρώπους πιστευθείς͵ τὸ λογικὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποίμνιον͵ πρῶτον μὲν οὐκ εἰς χρήματα͵ ἀλλ΄ εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν τὴν ζημίαν ὑφίσταται ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν προβάτων ἀπωλείας. 2.3 1γ. Ὅτι μεγάλης δεῖται ψυχῆς καὶ θαυμαστῆς1 Ἔπειτα καὶ τὸν ἀγῶνα πολλῷ μείζονα καὶ χαλεπώτερον ἔχει· οὐ γὰρ αὐτῷ πρὸς λύκους ἡ μάχη͵ οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ λῃστῶν δέδοικεν͵ οὐδὲ ἵνα λοιμὸν ἀπελάσῃ τῆς ποίμνης φροντίζει. Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τίνας ὁ πόλεμος; μετὰ τίνων ἡ πάλη; Ἄκουε τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου λέγοντος· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα͵ ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχάς͵ πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας͵ πρὸς τοὺς κοσμο κράτορας τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου͵ πρὸς τὰ πνευμα τικὰ τῆς πονηρίας͵ ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. Εἶδες πολεμίων πλῆθος δεινὸν καὶ φάλαγγας ἀγρίας͵ οὐ σιδήρῳ πεφραγμένας͵ ἀλλ΄ ἀντὶ πάσης πανοπλίας ἀρκουμένας τῇ φύσει; Βούλει καὶ ἕτερον στρατόπεδον ἰδεῖν ἀπηνὲς καὶ ὠμὸν ταύτῃ προσεδρεῦον τῇ ποίμνῃ; Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ὄψει περιωπῆς· ὁ γὰρ περὶ ἐκείνων ἡμῖν διαλεχθείς͵ οὗτος καὶ τούτους ἡμῖν ὑποδείκνυσι τοὺς ἐχθρούς͵ ὧδέ πως λέγων·

“The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, fornication, adultery, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, strife, ⁸ backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults,” ⁹ and many more besides; for he did not make a complete list, but left us to understand the rest from these. Moreover, in the case of the shepherd of irrational creatures, those who wish to destroy the flock, when they see the guardian take to flight, cease making war upon him, and are contented with the seizure of the cattle: but in this case, even should they capture the whole flock, they do not leave the shepherd unmolested, but attack him all the more, and wax bolder, ceasing not until they have either overthrown him, or have themselves been vanquished. Again, the afflictions of sheep are manifest, whether it be famine, or pestilence, or wounds, or whatsoever else it may be which distresses them, and this might help not a little towards the relief of those who are oppressed in these ways. And there is yet another fact greater than this which facilitates release from this kind of infirmity. And what is that? The shepherds with great authority compel the sheep to receive the remedy when they do not willingly submit to it. For it is easy to bind them when cautery or cutting is required, and to keep them inside the fold for a long time, whenever it is expedient, and to bring them one kind of food instead of another, and to cut them off from their supplies of water, and all other things which the shepherds may decide to be conducive to their health they perform with great ease.

Φανερά ἐστι τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός͵ ἅτινά ἐστι πορνεία͵ μοιχεία͵ ἀκαθαρσία͵ ἀσέλγεια͵ εἰδωλολατρεία͵ φαρμακεία͵ ἔχθραι͵ ἔρεις͵ ζῆλοι͵ θυμοί͵ ἐριθεῖαι͵ καταλαλιαί͵ ψιθυρισμοί͵ φυσιώσεις͵ καὶ ἕτερα τούτων πλείονα· οὐ γὰρ πάντα κατέλεξεν͵ ἀλλ΄ ἐκ τούτων ἀφῆκεν εἰδέναι καὶ τὰ λοιπά. Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ ποιμένος τῶν ἀλόγων͵ οἱ βουλόμενοι διαφθεῖραι τὴν ποίμνην͵ ὅταν ἴδωσι τὸν ἐφεστῶτα φεύγοντα͵ τὴν πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μάχην ἀφέντες ἀρκοῦνται τῇ τῶν θρεμμάτων ἁρπαγῇ· ἐνταῦθα δέ͵ κἂν ἅπασαν λάβωσι τὴν ποίμνην͵ οὐδ΄ οὕτω τοῦ ποιμένος ἀφίστανται͵ ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐφεστήκασι καὶ πλέον θρασύνονται͵ καὶ οὐ πρότερον παύονται ἕως ἂν ἢ καταβάλωσιν ἐκεῖνον ἢ νικηθῶσιν αὐτοί. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις τὰ μὲν τῶν θρεμμάτων νοσήματα καθέστηκε φανερά͵ κἂν λιμὸς ᾖ͵ κἂν λοιμός͵ κἂν τραῦμα͵ κἂν ὁτιδηποτοῦν ἕτερον ᾖ τὸ λυποῦν· οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο δύναιντ΄ ἂν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐνο χλούντων ἀπαλλαγήν. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἕτερον τούτου μεῖζον͵ τὸ ποιοῦν ταχεῖαν τῆς ἀρρωστίας ἐκείνης τὴν λύσιν. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι; Μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἐξουσίας καταναγκάζουσι τὰ πρόβατα οἱ ποιμένες δέχεσθαι τὴν ἰατρείαν ὅταν ἑκόντα μὴ ὑπομένῃ· καὶ γὰρ δῆσαι εὔκολον ὅταν καῦσαι δέῃ καὶ τεμεῖν καὶ φυλάξαι ἔνδον ἐπὶ χρόνον πολὺν ἡνίκα ἂν τοῦτο συμφέρῃ καὶ ἑτέραν δὲ ἀνθ΄ ἑτέρας προσαγαγεῖν τροφὴν καὶ ἀποκω λῦσαι ναμάτων͵ καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δὲ πάντα ὅσαπερ ἂν δοκιμάσωσι πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνων ὑγίειαν συμβάλλεσθαι μετὰ πολλῆς προσά γουσι τῆς εὐκολίας.

Shepherd of

Souls

Free Consent & Cooperation Required

for Healing

For in this case also it is necessary to bind and to restrain from food, and to use cautery or the knife: but the reception of the treatment depends on the will of the patient, not of him who applies the remedy. For this also was perceived by that wonderful man (St. Paul) when he said to the Corinthians—“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy.” ¹¹ For Christians above all men are not permitted forcibly to correct the failings of those who sin. Secular judges indeed, when they have captured malefactors under the law, show their authority to be great, and prevent them even against their will from following their own devices: but in our case the wrong-doer must be made better, not by force, but by persuasion. For neither has authority of this kind for the restraint of sinners been given us by law, nor, if it had been given, should we have any field for the exercise of our power, inasmuch as God rewards those who abstain from evil by their own choice, not of necessity. Consequently much skill is required that our patients may be induced to submit willingly to the treatment prescribed by the physicians, and not only this, but that they may be grateful also for the cure.

Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ δῆσαι καὶ τροφῆς ἀπεῖρξαι καὶ καῦσαι καὶ τεμεῖν· ἀλλ΄ ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ δέξασθαι τὴν ἰατρείαν οὐκ ἐν τῷ προσάγοντι τὸ φάρμακον͵ ἀλλ΄ ἐν τῷ κάμνοντι κεῖται. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ θαυμάσιος ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ συνειδὼς Κορινθίοις ἔλεγεν· Οὐχ ὅτι κυριεύομεν ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως͵ ἀλλὰ σύνεργοί ἐσμεν τῆς χαρᾶς ὑμῶν. Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ ἁπάντων χριστιανοῖς οὐκ ἐφεῖται πρὸς βίαν ἐπα νορθοῦν τὰ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων πταίσματα. Ἀλλ΄ οἱ μὲν ἔξωθεν δικασταὶ τοὺς κακούργους ὅταν ὑπὸ τοῖς νόμοις λάβωσι πολλὴν ἐπιδείκνυνται τὴν ἐξουσίαν καὶ ἄκοντας τοῖς τρόποις κωλύουσι χρῆσθαι τοῖς αὐτῶν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐ βια ζόμενον͵ ἀλλὰ πείθοντα δεῖ ποιεῖν ἀμείνω τὸν τοιοῦτον. Οὔτε γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐξουσία τοσαύτη παρὰ τῶν νόμων δέδοται πρὸς τὸ κωλύειν τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας͵ οὔτε͵ εἰ καὶ ἔδωκαν͵ εἴχομεν ὅπου καὶ χρησόμεθα τῇ δυνάμει͵ οὐ τοὺς ἀνάγκῃ τῆς κακίας͵ ἀλλὰ τοὺς προαιρέσει ταύτης ἀπεχομένους στεφανοῦντος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Διὰ τοῦτο πολλῆς χρεία τῆς μηχανῆς ἵνα πεισθῶσιν ἑκόντες ἑαυτοὺς ὑπέχειν ταῖς παρὰ τῶν ἱερέων θεραπείαις οἱ κάμνοντες͵ καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον͵ ἀλλ΄ ἵνα καὶ χάριν εἰδῶσι τῆς ἰατρείας αὐτοῖς.

For if any one when he is bound becomes restive (which it is in his power to be), he makes the mischief worse; and if he should pay no heed to the words which cut like steel, he inflicts another wound by means of this contempt, and the intention to heal only becomes the occasion of a worse disorder. For it is not possible for any one to cure a man by compulsion against his will.

Ἄν τε γάρ τις σκιρτήσῃ δεθείςκύριος γάρ ἐστι τούτου͵ χεῖρον εἰργάσατο τὸ δεινόν· ἄν τε τοὺς σιδήρου δίκην τέμνοντας λόγους παραπέμψηται͵ προσέθηκε διὰ τῆς καταφρονήσεως τραῦμα ἕτερον καὶ γέγονεν ἡ τῆς θεραπείας πρόφασις͵ νόσου χαλεπωτέρας ὑπόθεσις· ὁ γὰρ καταναγκάζων καὶ ἄκοντα θεραπεῦσαι δυνάμενος οὐκ ἔστι.

The pastor therefore ought to be of a noble spirit, so as not to despond, or to despair of the salvation of wanderers from the fold, but continually to reason with himself and say, “Peradventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil.” ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord, when addressing His disciples, said, “Who then is the faithful and wise servant?” ¹⁵ For he indeed who disciplines himself compasses only his own advantage, but the benefit of the pastoral function extends to the whole people. And one who dispenses money to the needy, or otherwise succors the oppressed, benefits his neighbors to some extent, but so much less than the priest in proportion as the body is inferior to the soul. Rightly therefore did the Lord say that zeal for the flock was a token of love for Himself.

Γενναίας οὖν δεῖ ψυχῆς ἵνα μὴ περικακῇ͵ ἵνα μὴ ἀπογινώσκῃ τὴν τῶν πλανωμένων σωτη ρίαν͵ ἵνα συνεχῶς ἐκεῖνο καὶ λογίζηται καὶ λέγῃ· Μήποτε δῷ αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας καὶ ἀνανήψωσιν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου παγίδος. Διὰ ταῦτα τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὁ Κύριος διαλεγόμενος ἔφη· Τίς ἄρα ὁ πιστὸς δοῦλος καὶ φρόνιμος; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν ἀσκῶν εἰς ἑαυτὸν μόνον περιΐστησι τὴν ὠφέλειαν· τὸ δὲ τῆς ποιμαντικῆς κέρδος εἰς ἅπαντα διαβαίνει τὸν λαόν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν χρήματα διανέμων τοῖς δεομένοις ἢ καὶ ἑτέρως πως ἀδικουμένοις ἀμύνων ὤνησε μέν τι καὶ οὗτος τοὺς πλησίον͵ τοσούτῳ δὲ ἔλαττον τοῦ ἱερέως ὅσῳ τὸ μέσον σώματος πρὸς ψυχήν. Εἰκότως ἄρα τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης τὴν περὶ τὰ ποίμνια σπουδὴν ὁ Κύριος ἔφησεν εἶναι σημεῖον.