Longer Rules (Asceticon, Regulae fusius tractatae) 3–7
Greek text: PG 31.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 3
3PG 31:915
Περὶ τῆς εἰς τὸν πλησίον ἀγάπης ᾿Ακόλουθον δ᾽ ἂν εἴη περὶ τῆς δευτέρας καὶ τάξει καὶ δυνάμει ἐντολῆς διελθεῖν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. χουσῶν ἡμῖν δυνάμεων γεωργός ἐστι καὶ τροφεὺς, εἴρηται ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν λόγοις· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀγαπᾶν προστετάγμεθα τὸν πλησίον ὡς ἑαυτοὺς, καταμάθωμεν, εἰ καὶ δύναμιν πρὸς τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν τῆς ἐντολῆς ταύτης ἔχομεν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τίς οὖν οὐκ οἶδεν, ὅτι ἥμερον καὶ κοινωνικὸν ζῶον ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐχὶ μοναστικὸν, οὐδὲ ἄγριον; Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἴδιον τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν, ὡς τὸ κοινωνεῖν ἀλλήλοις, καὶ χρήζειν ἀλλήλων, καὶ ἀγαπᾶν τὸ ὁμόφυλον. Ὧν οὖν αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῖν προλαβὼν τὰ σπέρματα, τούτων ἀκολούθως καὶ τοὺς καρποὺς ἐπιζητεῖ, λέγων· Ἐντολὴν καινὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους. Καὶ πρὸς ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν διεγείραι βουλόμενος ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀπόδειξιν τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν, οὐ σημεῖα καὶ δυνάμεις παραδόξους ἀπῄτησεν (καίτοι καὶ τούτων ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ χαρισάμενος τὴν ἐνέργειαν)· ἀλλὰ τί φησιν; Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε, ἐὰν ἀγάπην ἔχητε ἐν ἀλλήλοις Καὶ οὕτω πανταχοῦ τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας συνάπτει, ὥστε τὴν εἰς τὸν πλησίον εὐποιίαν εἰς ἑαυτὸν μετατίθησιν. Ἐπείνασα γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἶτα ἐπάγει, ὅτι Ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Οὐκοῦν διὰ μὲν τῆς πρώτης ἔστι κατορθῶσαι καὶ τὴν δευτέραν· διὰ δὲ τῆς δευτέρας ἐπανελθεῖν αὖθις ἐπὶ τὴν πρώτην· καὶ ἀγαπῶντα μὲν τὸν Κύριον, ἀγαπᾶν ἀκολούθως καὶ τὸν πλησίον. Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν με, εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσει. Αὕτη δὲ ἐστι, φησὶν, ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἐμὴ, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἐγὼ ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς· ἀγαπῶντα δὲ πάλιν τὸν πλησίον, τὴν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἀγάπην ἀποπληροῦν, αὐτοῦ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ὑποδεχομένου τὴν χάριν. Διόπερ ὁ μὲν πιστὸς θεράπων τοῦ Θεοῦ Μωσῆς τοσαύτην ἐπεδείκνυτο τὴν εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἀγάπην, ὥστε καὶ ἐξαλειφθῆναι ἡρεῖτο ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τοῦ Θεοῦ, εἰς ἣν ἐγέγραπτο, εἰ μὴ συγχωρηθείη τῷ λαῷ τὸ ἁμάρτημα. Παῦλος δὲ ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν συγγενῶν κατὰ σάρκα ἀπετόλμησεν εὔξασθαι, τῆς πάντων σωτηρίας ἑαυτὸν ἀντάλλαγμα, κατὰ μίμησιν τοῦ Κυρίου, γενέσθαι βουλόμενος· ἅμα δὲ καὶ εἰδὼς, ὅτι ἀμήχανον ἦν ἀλλοτριωθῆναι Θεοῦ τὸν διὰ τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπην ὑπὲρ τῆς μεγίστης τῶν ἐντολῶν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν προϊέμενον, καὶ ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο πολυπλασίονα ἔμελλεν ὧν ἔδωκεν ἀντιλήψεσθαι. Πλήν γε ὅτι μέχρι τούτου τοῦ μέτρου τῆς πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἀγάπης ἔφθασαν οἱ ἅγιοι, ἱκανὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει τὰ εἰρημένα.
Peri tēs eis ton plēsion agapēs ᾿Akolouthon d᾽ an eiē peri tēs deuteras kai taxei kai dynamei entolēs dielthein. APOKRISIS. chousōn hēmin dynameōn geōrgos esti kai tropheus, eirētai hēmin en tois emprosthen logois; epeidē de agapan prostetagmetha ton plēsion hōs heautous, katamathōmen, ei kai dynamin pros tēn ekplērōsin tēs entolēs tautēs echomen para tou Theou. Tis oun ouk oiden, hoti hēmeron kai koinōnikon zōon ho anthrōpos, kai ouchi monastikon, oude agrion? Ouden gar houtōs idion tēs physeōs hēmōn, hōs to koinōnein allēlois, kai chrēzein allēlōn, kai agapan to homophylon. Hōn oun autos edōken ho Kyrios hēmin prolabōn ta spermata, toutōn akolouthōs kai tous karpous epizētei, legōn; Entolēn kainēn didōmi hymin, hina agapate allēlous. Kai pros tautēn tēn entolēn diegeirai boulomenos hēmōn tēn psychēn, apodeixin tōn autou mathētōn, ou sēmeia kai dynameis paradoxous apę̄tēsen (kaitoi kai toutōn en Pneumati hagiǭ charisamenos tēn energeian); alla ti phēsin? En toutǭ gnōsontai pantes, hoti emoi mathētai este, ean agapēn echēte en allēlois Kai houtō pantachou tas entolas tautas synaptei, hōste tēn eis ton plēsion eupoiian eis heauton metatithēsin. Epeinasa gar, phēsi, kai edōkate moi phagein, kai ta hexēs. Eita epagei, hoti Eph' hoson epoiēsate heni toutōn tōn adelphōn mou tōn elachistōn, emoi epoiēsate. Oukoun dia men tēs prōtēs esti katorthōsai kai tēn deuteran; dia de tēs deuteras epanelthein authis epi tēn prōtēn; kai agapōnta men ton Kyrion, agapan akolouthōs kai ton plēsion. Ho gar agapōn me, eipen ho Kyrios, tas entolas mou tērēsei. Hautē de esti, phēsin, hē entolē hē emē, hina agapate allēlous, kathōs egō ēgapēsa hymas; agapōnta de palin ton plēsion, tēn eis ton Theon agapēn apoplēroun, autou eis heauton hypodechomenou tēn charin. Dioper ho men pistos therapōn tou Theou Mōsēs tosautēn epedeiknyto tēn eis tous adelphous agapēn, hōste kai exaleiphthēnai hēreito ek tēs biblou tou Theou, eis hēn egegrapto, ei mē synchōrētheiē tǭ laǭ to hamartēma. Paulos de anathema einai apo Christou hyper tōn adelphōn autou tōn syngenōn kata sarka apetolmēsen euxasthai, tēs pantōn sōtērias heauton antallagma, kata mimēsin tou Kyriou, genesthai boulomenos; hama de kai eidōs, hoti amēchanon ēn allotriōthēnai Theou ton dia tēn eis auton agapēn hyper tēs megistēs tōn entolōn tēn para tou Theou charin proïemenon, kai hoti dia touto polyplasiona emellen hōn edōken antilēpsesthai. Plēn ge hoti mechri toutou tou metrou tēs pros ton plēsion agapēs ephthasan hoi hagioi, hikanēn apodeixin echei ta eirēmena.
On love toward one's neighbour.
Question. It would follow to discuss the commandment that is second both in order and in importance.
Answer. [That the law is the cultivator and nurturer of the powers] present in us was said in what we said before. But since we have been commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves, let us learn whether we have from God the power to fulfil this commandment as well. Who, then, does not know that the human being is a gentle and social animal, not solitary or savage? For nothing is so proper to our nature as to share with one another, to need one another, and to love those of our own kind. So of the things whose seeds the Lord himself gave us beforehand, he consistently seeks the fruits as well, saying: “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another.” And wishing to stir our soul up to this commandment, he did not ask, as the proof of his disciples, for signs and extraordinary wonders (though he granted the working of these too in the Holy Spirit); but what does he say? “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” And everywhere he joins these commandments together in such a way that he transfers to himself the good done to one's neighbour. “For I was hungry,” he says, “and you gave me food,” and so on. Then he adds: “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
So through the first it is possible to achieve the second as well, and through the second to come back again to the first: the one who loves the Lord consequently loves his neighbour too. “For whoever loves me,” said the Lord, “will keep my commandments.” “And this,” he says, “is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” And again, the one who loves his neighbour fulfils his love toward God, since God receives the kindness as done to himself. Therefore Moses, the faithful servant of God, showed such love for his brothers that he chose to be blotted out of the book of God in which he had been written, if the people's sin were not forgiven. And Paul dared to pray to be accursed from Christ for the sake of his brothers, his kinsmen according to the flesh, wishing, in imitation of the Lord, to become the ransom for the salvation of all; and at the same time he knew that it was impossible for one who, out of love for God, gave up God's favour for the sake of the greatest of the commandments to be estranged from God, and that for this reason he would receive many times over what he gave. That the saints reached this measure of love for their neighbour, what has been said gives sufficient proof.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Matt 22:39 (allusion, high confidence) · John 13:34 (quotation, high confidence) · John 13:35 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 25:35 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 25:40 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:15 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Num 12:7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Exod 32:32 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 9:3 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil shows that the power to love one's neighbour is also implanted in human nature, that Christ joined love of neighbour to love of himself, and that Moses and Paul showed such love to the point of offering themselves for their people.
- The opening words of the answer are lost in the scan text (only the ending of a word meaning “present” survives); the bracketed words are supplied by sense from the end of Rule 2.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. fus. 3 (PG 31:915; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/3
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); compared afterwards with FOTC 9 (private error-check only).
Chapter 4
4PG 31:919
Περὶ φόβου Θεοῦ. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Τοῖς μὲν οὖν ἄρτι εἰσαγομένοις εἰς τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἡ διὰ τοῦ φόβου στοιχείωσις χρησιμωτέρα, κατὰ τὴν ὑποθήκην τοῦ σοφωτάτου Σολομῶντος, εἰπόντος Ἀρχὴ σοφίας, φόβος Κυρίου· ὑμῖν δὲ, ὡς διαβεβηκόσι τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ νηπιότητα, καὶ οὐκέτι δεομένοις γάλακτος, ἀλλὰ δυναμένοις τῇ στερεᾷ τῶν δογμάτων τροφῇ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον τελειοῦσθαι, τῶν κεφαλαιωδεστέρων ἐντολῶν χρεία, ἐν αἷς πᾶσα ἀλήθεια τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγαπης κατορθοῦται, φυλασσομένοις δηλονότι, μήποτε ἡ περιουσία τῶν δωρεῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ βαρυτέρας αἰτία ὑμῖν κατακρίσεως γένηται, ἀχαρίστως πρὸς τὸν εὐεργέτην διατεθεῖσιν. Ὧ γὰρ παρέθεντο, φησὶ, πολύ, περισσότερον ἀπαιτήσουσιν αὐτόν.
Peri phobou Theou. APOKRISIS. Tois men oun arti eisagomenois eis tēn eusebeian hē dia tou phobou stoicheiōsis chrēsimōtera, kata tēn hypothēkēn tou sophōtatou Solomōntos, eipontos Archē sophias, phobos Kyriou; hymin de, hōs diabebēkosi tēn en Christǭ nēpiotēta, kai ouketi deomenois galaktos, alla dynamenois tę̄ stereą tōn dogmatōn trophę̄ ton esō anthrōpon teleiousthai, tōn kephalaiōdesterōn entolōn chreia, en hais pasa alētheia tēs en Christǭ agapēs katorthoutai, phylassomenois dēlonoti, mēpote hē periousia tōn dōreōn tou Theou baryteras aitia hymin katakriseōs genētai, acharistōs pros ton euergetēn diatetheisin. Hō gar parethento, phēsi, poly, perissoteron apaitēsousin auton.
On the fear of God.
Answer. For those who are just being brought into godliness, a first schooling through fear is the more useful, according to the counsel of the most wise Solomon, who said: “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.” But you, who have passed beyond infancy in Christ and no longer need milk, but can be perfected in the inner man by the solid food of doctrine, have need of the more fundamental commandments, in which the whole truth of love in Christ is achieved; taking care, that is, lest the abundance of God's gifts become the cause of a heavier condemnation for you, if you are ungrateful toward your benefactor. “For to whom they have entrusted much,” he says, “of him they will demand the more.”
Prov 1:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:1–2 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 5:12–14 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 12:48 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil says that fear of God suits beginners, but those mature in Christ need the commandments of love, since much will be required of those to whom much has been given.
- The question itself is not in the scan text; only Migne's heading and the answer survive.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's margin letter B joined to the word; breathing lost in the OCR): ΒΩ γὰρ → Ὧ γὰρ.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. fus. 4 (PG 31:919; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-regulae-fusius-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); compared afterwards with FOTC 9 (private error-check only).
Chapter 5
5PG 31:919
Περὶ τοῦ κατὰ διάνοιαν ἀμετεωρίστου. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Ἐκεῖνο μέντοι γε γινώσκειν χρὴ, ὅτι οὔτε ἄλλης τινὸς ἐντολῆς τήρησιν, οὔτε αὐτὴν τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπην, οὔτε τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πλησίον δυνάμεθα κατορθῶσαι, ἄλλοτε περὶ ἄλλα ταῖς διανοίαις ἀποπλανώμενοι. Οὔτε γὰρ τέχνην ἢ ἐπιστήμην ἀκριβῶσαι δυνατὸν, ἄλλοτε ἐπ᾿ ἄλλην μεταβαίνοντα· μήτε μὴν μιᾶς περιγενέσθαι, μὴ τὰ οἰκεῖα τοῦ τέλους γνωρίσαντα. Δεῖ γὰρ ἀκολούθους εἶναι τῷ σκοπῷ τὰς πράξεις, ὡς οὐδενὸς τῶν κατὰ λόγον διὰ τῶν ἀνοικείων κατορθουμένου. Ἐπεὶ οὔτε τὸ χαλκευτικῆς τέλος διὰ τῶν ἔργων τῆς κεραμείας περιγενέσθαι πέφυκεν, οὔτε ἀθλητικοὶ στέφανοι ἐκ τῆς περὶ τὸ αὐλεῖν σπουδῆς κατορθοῦνται· ἀλλὰ ἑκάστῳ τέλει οἰκεῖος ὁ πόνος καὶ συναρμόζων ἐπιζητεῖται Ὥστε καὶ ἡ ἄσκησις τῆς κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς Θεὸν εὐαρεστήσεως ἐν τῇ ἀναχωρήσει τῶν μεριμνῶν τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῇ παντελεῖ ἀλλο τριώσει τῶν περισπασμῶν ἡμῖν κατορθοῦται. Διόπερ ὁ ᾿Απόστολος, καὶ ταῦτα συγκεχωρημένου τοῦ γάμου, καὶ εὐλογίας ἠξιωμένου, τὰς ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἀσχολίας ταῖς περὶ Θεὸν μερίμναις ἀντέθηκεν, ὡς οὐ δυναμένων τούτων ἀλλήλοις συμβῆναι, εἰπών· ο ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, πῶς ἀρέσει τῷ Κυρίῳ· ὁ δὲ γαμήσας μεριμνᾷ τὰ τοῦ κόσμου, πῶς ἀρέσει τῇ γυναικί. Οὕτω καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὁ Κύριος μετὰ τὴν εἰλικρινῆ καὶ ἀμετεώριστον διάθεσιν ἐμαρτύρει, λέγων· Ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἐστὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. Καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐναντίου, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπίγνωσιν τὸν κόσμον ἀδύνατον εἶναι δέξασθαι, μηδὲ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον χωρῆσαι διεμαρτύρατο· Πάτερ γὰρ, φησὶ, δίκαιε, ὁ κόσμος σε οὐκ ἔγνω' καὶ, Τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὁ ὁ κόσμος οὐ δύναται λαβεῖν. Λυθῆναι οὖν δεῖ τῶν δεσμῶν τῆς προσπαθείας τοῦ βίου τὸν γε ἀληθινῶς τῷ Θεῷ ἀκολουθήσειν μέλλοντα· τοῦτο δὲ διὰ παντελοῦς ἀναχωρήσεως καὶ λήθης τῶν παλαιῶν ἐθῶν κατορθοῦται. Ὡς εἰ μή γε ἀποξενώσοιμεν ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ συγγενείας σαρκικῆς, καὶ κοινωνίας βίου, οἱονεὶ πρὸς ἕτερον κόσμον διὰ τῆς σχέσεως μεταβαίνοντες, κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα. Ἡμῶν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει ἀμήχανον ἡμᾶς περιγενέσθαι τοῦ σκοποῦ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν εὐαρεστήσεως, τοῦ Κυρίου ὁριστικῶς εἰπόντος, ὅτι Οὕτω πᾶς ἐξ ὑμῶν, ὃς οὐκ ἀποτάσσεται πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν ἑαυτοῦ, οὐ δύναται εἶναί μου μαθητής. Τοῦτο δὲ ποιήσαντας, πάσῃ φυλακῇ τηρεῖν προσήκει τὴν ἑαυτῶν καρδίαν, ὡς μήποτε τὴν περὶ Θεοῦ ἔννοιαν ἐκβαλεῖν, ἢ τὴν μνήμην τῶν θαυμασίων αὐτοῦ φαντασίαις τῶν ματαίων καταῤῥυπαίνειν· ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς διηνεκοῦς καὶ καθαρᾶς μνήμης ἐντετυπωμένην ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν, ὥσπερ σφραγίδα ἀνεξάλειπτον, τὴν ὁσίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἔννοιαν περιφέρειν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἡμῖν περιγίνεται ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπη, ἅμα τε διεγείρουσα πρὸς τὴν ἐργασίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν πάλιν αὐτὴ συντηρουμένη πρὸς τὸ διαρκὲς καὶ ἀδιάπτωτον. Καὶ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν ὁ Κύριος, ποτὲ μὲν λέγων· Ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτέ με, τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσατε, ποτὲ δὲ, ὅτι Ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολάς μου τηρήσητε, μενεῖτε ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ μου, καὶ ἔτι δυσωπητικώτερον· Καθὡς ἐγὼ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Πατρός μου τετήρηκα, καὶ μένω αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀγάπη. Ἐξ ὧν παιδεύει ἡμᾶς, ἀεὶ τοῦ προκειμένου ἔργου τὸ θέλημα τοῦ προστάξαντος ὥσπερ σκοπὸν προτιθεμένους, πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ τῆς σπουδῆς κατευθύνειν, καθὰ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν, ὅτι Καταβέβηκα ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με Πατρός. Ὥσπερ γὰρ αἱ κατὰ τὸν βίον τέχναι, σκοπούς τινας οἰκείους ἑαυταῖς προστησάμεναι, ἀκολούθως ἐκείνοις τὰς κατὰ μέρος συναρμόζουσιν ἐνεργείας· οὕτω καὶ τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἔργοις ἑνὸς ὅρου καὶ κανόνος ἐπικειμένου, τοῦ εὐαρέστως τῷ Θεῷ ποιῆσαι τὰς ἐντολὰς, ἀδύνατον ἄλλως τὸ ἀκριβὲς τοῦ ἔργου κατορθωθῆναι μὴ κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ ἐκδεδωκότος ἐπιτελούμενον. Ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀκριβεῖ πρὸς τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ τὸ ἔργον σπουδῇ συνάπτεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τῆς μνήμης ὑπάρξει. Ωσπερ γὰρ ὁ χαλκεὺς ἐν τῇ ἐργασίᾳ, εἰ τύχοι, τῆς ἀξίνης, τοῦ ἐκδεδωκότος αὐτῷ μεμνημένος, καὶ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ φέρων αὐτὸν, καὶ σχῆμα ἐκεῖνο καὶ μέγεθος ἐννοεῖ, καὶ πρὸς τὸ βούλημα τοῦ ὑποθεμένου τὴν ἐργασίαν εὐθύνει (ἐὰν γὰρ ἐπιλάθηται, ἄλλο τι, ἢ ἀλλοῖον ποιήσει παρ' δ προ ἔθετο)· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστιανὸς, πᾶσαν ἐνέργειαν καὶ μικρὰν καὶ μείζονα πρὸς τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ κατευθύνων, ὁμοῦ τε τὴν πρᾶξιν τῇ ἀκριβείᾳ κατακοσμεῖ, καὶ τὴν τοῦ προστάξαντος ἔννοιαν διασώζει, καὶ πληροῖ τὸ εἰρημένον· Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διαπαντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ. Καὶ κατορθοῖ τὸ προστεταγμένου ἐκεῖνο· Εἴτε ἐσθίετε, εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποίε τε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε. Παραφθείρων δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐργασίᾳ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῆς ἐντολῆς, δῆλός ἐστι περὶ τὴν μνήμην τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀσθενῶν. Μεμνημένους οὖν τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ εἰπόντος· Οὐχὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ; λέγει Κύριος· καὶ τὸ, Θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν· καὶ τὸ, Ὅπου ὑπὸ κοινῆς προλήψεως κρατηθήσεται, ἢ καὶ ὑπὸ εἰσὶ δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν· πᾶσαν ἐνέργειαν, ὡς ὑπὸ ταῖς ὄψεσι τοῦ Κυρίου γινομένην, καὶ πᾶσαν ἔννοιαν, ὡς παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐποπτευομένην, ἐπιτελεῖν χρή. Ούτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ φόβος διαρκὴς ἐνυπάρξει, μισῶν ἀδικίαν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ ὁδοὺς πονηρῶν, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τελειοῦται, πληροῦσα τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰρημένον, ὅτι οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με Πατρὸς, ἐν πληροφορίᾳ διηνεκεῖ τῆς ψυχῆς οὔσης τοῦ καὶ τὰς ἀγαθὰς πράξεις ἀποδεκτὰς εἶναι τῷ κριτῇ καὶ ἀθλοθέτῃ τοῦ ἡμετέρου βίου, καὶ τὰς ἐναντίως ἐχούσας αὐτόθεν δέχεσθαι τὴν κατάκρισιν. Οἶμαι δὲ τούτῳ συγκατορθοῦσθαι καὶ τὸ μηδὲ αὐτὰς τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸς ἀνθρωπαρέσκειαν γίνεσθαι. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἐν πληροφορίᾳ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κρείττονος πρὸς τὸν ἐλάττονα ἐπιστρέφεται· ἀλλὰ, κἂν συμβῇ τὸ γινόμενον τῷ μὲν ἐνδοξοτέρῳ προσώπῳ ἀπόδεκτον καὶ εὐάρεστον εἶναι, τῷ δὲ ὑποδεεστέρῳ ἀβούλητον καὶ ψεκτὸν καταφαίνεσθαι, πλείονος ἀξίαν τιθέμενος τὴν τοῦ ὑπερέχοντος ἀποδοχὴν, καταφρονεῖ τῆς τοῦ ἐλάττονος μέμψεως. Εἰ δὲ ἐπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων οὕτως, ἢ γε ὡς ἀληθῶς νήφουσα καὶ ὑγιαίνουσα ψυχὴ ἐν πληροφορίᾳ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρουσίας, ποτὲ ἀφεμένη τοῦ πρὸς εὐαρέστησιν Θεοῦ ποιεῖν τι, πρὸς τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δό ξας ἐπιστραφήσεται· ποτὲ δὲ ἀμελήσασα τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ προσταγμάτων, ἀνθρωπίνῳ ἔθει δουλεύσει, ἢ ἀξιωμάτων δυσωπηθήσεται. Τοιαύτη διάθεσις ἦν τοῦ εἰπόντος· Διηγήσαντό μοι παράνομοι ἀδολεσχίας, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς ὁ νόμος σου, Κύριε· καὶ πάλιν· Καὶ ἐλάλουν ἐν τοῖς μαρτυρίοις σου ἐναντίον βασιλέων, καὶ οὐκ ἠσχυνόμην.
Peri tou kata dianoian ameteōristou. APOKRISIS. Ekeino mentoi ge ginōskein chrē, hoti oute allēs tinos entolēs tērēsin, oute autēn tēn pros Theon agapēn, oute tēn pros tous plēsion dynametha katorthōsai, allote peri alla tais dianoiais apoplanōmenoi. Oute gar technēn ē epistēmēn akribōsai dynaton, allote ep᾿ allēn metabainonta; mēte mēn mias perigenesthai, mē ta oikeia tou telous gnōrisanta. Dei gar akolouthous einai tǭ skopǭ tas praxeis, hōs oudenos tōn kata logon dia tōn anoikeiōn katorthoumenou. Epei oute to chalkeutikēs telos dia tōn ergōn tēs kerameias perigenesthai pephyken, oute athlētikoi stephanoi ek tēs peri to aulein spoudēs katorthountai; alla hekastǭ telei oikeios ho ponos kai synarmozōn epizēteitai Hōste kai hē askēsis tēs kata to Euangelion tou Christou pros Theon euarestēseōs en tę̄ anachōrēsei tōn merimnōn tou kosmou kai tę̄ pantelei allo triōsei tōn perispasmōn hēmin katorthoutai. Dioper ho ᾿Apostolos, kai tauta synkechōrēmenou tou gamou, kai eulogias ēxiōmenou, tas ap᾿ autou ascholias tais peri Theon merimnais antethēken, hōs ou dynamenōn toutōn allēlois symbēnai, eipōn; o agamos merimną ta tou Kyriou, pōs aresei tǭ Kyriǭ; ho de gamēsas merimną ta tou kosmou, pōs aresei tę̄ gynaiki. Houtō kai tois mathētais ho Kyrios meta tēn eilikrinē kai ameteōriston diathesin emartyrei, legōn; Hymeis ouk este ek tou kosmou toutou. Kai apo tou enantiou, tēn tou Theou epignōsin ton kosmon adynaton einai dexasthai, mēde Pneuma hagion chōrēsai diemartyrato; Pater gar, phēsi, dikaie, ho kosmos se ouk egnō' kai, To Pneuma tēs alētheias, ho ho kosmos ou dynatai labein. Lythēnai oun dei tōn desmōn tēs prospatheias tou biou ton ge alēthinōs tǭ Theǭ akolouthēsein mellonta; touto de dia pantelous anachōrēseōs kai lēthēs tōn palaiōn ethōn katorthoutai. Hōs ei mē ge apoxenōsoimen heautous, kai syngeneias sarkikēs, kai koinōnias biou, hoionei pros heteron kosmon dia tēs scheseōs metabainontes, kata ton eiponta. Hēmōn gar to politeuma en ouranois hyparchei amēchanon hēmas perigenesthai tou skopou tēs pros Theon euarestēseōs, tou Kyriou horistikōs eipontos, hoti Houtō pas ex hymōn, hos ouk apotassetai pasi tois hyparchousin heautou, ou dynatai einai mou mathētēs. Touto de poiēsantas, pasę̄ phylakę̄ tērein prosēkei tēn heautōn kardian, hōs mēpote tēn peri Theou ennoian ekbalein, ē tēn mnēmēn tōn thaumasiōn autou phantasiais tōn mataiōn katarrhypainein; alla dia tēs diēnekous kai katharas mnēmēs entetypōmenēn tais psychais hēmōn, hōsper sphragida anexaleipton, tēn hosian tou Theou ennoian peripherein. Houtō gar hēmin periginetai hē pros Theon agapē, hama te diegeirousa pros tēn ergasian tōn entolōn tou Kyriou, kai hyp᾿ autōn palin autē syntēroumenē pros to diarkes kai adiaptōton. Kai touto deiknysin ho Kyrios, pote men legōn; Ean agapate me, tas entolas mou tērēsate, pote de, hoti Ean tas entolas mou tērēsēte, meneite en tę̄ agapę̄ mou, kai eti dysōpētikōteron; Kathōs egō tas entolas tou Patros mou tetērēka, kai menō autou en tę̄ agapē. Ex hōn paideuei hēmas, aei tou prokeimenou ergou to thelēma tou prostaxantos hōsper skopon protithemenous, pros auton ta tēs spoudēs kateuthynein, katha kai allachou phēsin, hoti Katabebēka ek tou ouranou, ouch hina poiō to thelēma to emon, alla to thelēma tou pempsantos me Patros. Hōsper gar hai kata ton bion technai, skopous tinas oikeious heautais prostēsamenai, akolouthōs ekeinois tas kata meros synarmozousin energeias; houtō kai tois hēmeterois ergois henos horou kai kanonos epikeimenou, tou euarestōs tǭ Theǭ poiēsai tas entolas, adynaton allōs to akribes tou ergou katorthōthēnai mē kata to boulēma tou ekdedōkotos epiteloumenon. En de tę̄ akribei pros to thelēma tou Theou peri to ergon spoudę̄ synaptesthai tǭ Theǭ dia tēs mnēmēs hyparxei. Ōsper gar ho chalkeus en tę̄ ergasią, ei tychoi, tēs axinēs, tou ekdedōkotos autǭ memnēmenos, kai en tę̄ dianoią pherōn auton, kai schēma ekeino kai megethos ennoei, kai pros to boulēma tou hypothemenou tēn ergasian euthynei (ean gar epilathētai, allo ti, ē alloion poiēsei par' d pro etheto); houtō kai ho Christianos, pasan energeian kai mikran kai meizona pros to boulēma tou Theou kateuthynōn, homou te tēn praxin tę̄ akribeią katakosmei, kai tēn tou prostaxantos ennoian diasōzei, kai plēroi to eirēmenon; Proōrōmēn ton Kyrion enōpion mou diapantos, hoti ek dexiōn mou estin, hina mē saleuthō. Kai katorthoi to prostetagmenou ekeino; Eite esthiete, eite pinete, eite ti poie te, panta eis doxan Theou poieite. Paraphtheirōn de en tę̄ ergasią tēn akribeian tēs entolēs, dēlos esti peri tēn mnēmēn tou Theou asthenōn. Memnēmenous oun tēs phōnēs tou eipontos; Ouchi ton ouranon kai tēn gēn egō plērō? legei Kyrios; kai to, Theos engizōn egō eimi, kai ou Theos porrhōthen; kai to, Hopou hypo koinēs prolēpseōs kratēthēsetai, ē kai hypo eisi dyo ē treis synēgmenoi eis to emon onoma, ekei eimi en mesǭ autōn; pasan energeian, hōs hypo tais opsesi tou Kyriou ginomenēn, kai pasan ennoian, hōs par᾿ autou epopteuomenēn, epitelein chrē. Outō gar kai ho phobos diarkēs enyparxei, misōn adikian, kata to gegrammenon, hybrin te kai hyperēphanian kai hodous ponērōn, kai hē agapē teleioutai, plērousa to hypo tou Kyriou eirēmenon, hoti ou zētō to thelēma to emon, alla to thelēma tou pempsantos me Patros, en plērophorią diēnekei tēs psychēs ousēs tou kai tas agathas praxeis apodektas einai tǭ kritę̄ kai athlothetę̄ tou hēmeterou biou, kai tas enantiōs echousas autothen dechesthai tēn katakrisin. Oimai de toutǭ synkatorthousthai kai to mēde autas tas entolas tou Kyriou pros anthrōpareskeian ginesthai. Oudeis gar en plērophorią tēs parousias tou kreittonos pros ton elattona epistrephetai; alla, kan symbę̄ to ginomenon tǭ men endoxoterǭ prosōpǭ apodekton kai euareston einai, tǭ de hypodeesterǭ aboulēton kai psekton kataphainesthai, pleionos axian tithemenos tēn tou hyperechontos apodochēn, kataphronei tēs tou elattonos mempseōs. Ei de ep᾿ anthrōpōn houtōs, ē ge hōs alēthōs nēphousa kai hygiainousa psychē en plērophorią tēs tou Theou parousias, pote aphemenē tou pros euarestēsin Theou poiein ti, pros tas para tōn anthrōpōn do xas epistraphēsetai; pote de amelēsasa tōn tou Theou prostagmatōn, anthrōpinǭ ethei douleusei, ē axiōmatōn dysōpēthēsetai. Toiautē diathesis ēn tou eipontos; Diēgēsanto moi paranomoi adoleschias, all' ouch hōs ho nomos sou, Kyrie; kai palin; Kai elaloun en tois martyriois sou enantion basileōn, kai ouk ēschynomēn.
On keeping the mind free from distraction.
Answer. This, however, we must know: that we cannot achieve the keeping of any other commandment, nor love toward God itself, nor love toward our neighbours, if our minds wander now to one thing and now to another. It is not possible to master an art or a science by passing now to one and now to another; nor indeed to succeed in even one without knowing what belongs to its end. For actions must follow from the goal, since nothing done by reason is achieved by means unsuited to it. The end of the smith's art cannot naturally be reached by the work of the potter, nor are athletes' crowns won by zeal for playing the flute; each end requires the labour that belongs and fits to it. So also the discipline of pleasing God according to the Gospel of Christ is achieved by withdrawal from the cares of the world and complete estrangement from distractions. Therefore the Apostle, although marriage is permitted and counted worthy of blessing, set the occupations that come from it against the cares that concern God, as though these could not go together, saying: “The unmarried man cares for the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man cares for the things of the world, how to please his wife.” So too the Lord bore witness to the disciples' sincere and undistracted disposition, saying: “You are not of this world.” And on the other side he testified that the world cannot receive the knowledge of God, nor contain the Holy Spirit: “Righteous Father,” he says, “the world has not known you”; and: “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive.”
The one who means truly to follow God must therefore be loosed from the bonds of attachment to this life; and this is achieved by complete withdrawal and forgetting of old habits. So that unless we make ourselves strangers both to kinship according to the flesh and to the common life, passing as it were in our disposition to another world, according to him who said, “For our citizenship is in heaven,” it is impossible for us to reach the goal of pleasing God; for the Lord said definitively: “So, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” Having done this, we must guard our heart with all watchfulness, so as never to cast out the thought of God or to soil the memory of his wonders with imaginations of vain things, but to carry the holy thought of God about with us, stamped on our souls by constant and pure remembrance like an indelible seal. For so love toward God is achieved in us, at once stirring us to work the Lord's commandments and in turn being kept by them, so that it lasts and does not fall away. The Lord shows this, saying at one time, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” at another, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,” and, more movingly still, “As I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” From these he teaches us always to set the will of the one who gave the command before us as the goal of the task in hand, and to direct our zeal toward him, as he says elsewhere: “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me.”
For just as the arts of daily life set before themselves certain goals proper to them and fit their particular operations to those goals, so too, since our works have one standard and rule, to do the commandments in a way pleasing to God, the exactness of the work cannot be achieved otherwise than by carrying it out according to the will of the one who assigned it. And in exact zeal in the work for the will of God one will be joined to God through remembrance. For just as the smith at work, say, on an axe, remembering the one who ordered it and keeping him in mind, thinks of its shape and size and directs the work to the wish of the one who commissioned it (for if he forgets, he will make something else, or something different from what he intended), so too the Christian, directing every action, small and great, to the will of God, both adorns the deed with exactness and keeps the thought of the one who commanded it, and fulfils the saying: “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.” And he achieves that command: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” But one who corrupts the exactness of the commandment in his work is plainly weak in the remembrance of God.
Remembering, then, the voice of him who said, “Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord,” and “I am a God at hand, and not a God far off,” and “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them,” we must perform every action as done under the eyes of the Lord and think every thought as watched by him. For so fear will abide constantly, hating injustice, as it is written, “insolence and pride and the ways of the wicked”; and love will be perfected, fulfilling what the Lord said, “I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me,” the soul being constantly assured that good deeds are accepted by the judge and awarder of the prize of our life, and that deeds of the opposite kind receive their condemnation at once. I think that along with this is achieved also that the Lord's commandments themselves are not done to please men. For no one, assured of the presence of the greater, turns to the lesser; but even if what is done happens to be acceptable and pleasing to the more honourable person while it appears unwelcome and blameworthy to the inferior, he values the approval of the superior more highly and despises the blame of the lesser. If it is so among men, will a soul that is truly sober and healthy, assured of the presence of God, ever leave off doing what pleases God and turn to the opinions of men? Will it ever neglect God's commands and serve human custom, or be held fast by common prejudice, or be put out of countenance by men of rank? Such was the disposition of him who said: “The lawless have told me idle tales, but not as your law, O Lord”; and again: “And I spoke of your testimonies before kings, and was not put to shame.”
1 Cor 7:32–33 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:19 (quotation, high confidence) · John 17:25 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 3:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 14:33 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 4:23 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 14:15 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:10 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:38 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 16:8 (15:8 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 23:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 23:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 18:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 8:13 (quotation, high confidence) · John 5:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 119:85 (118:85 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 119:46 (118:46 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil teaches that the commandments can be kept only by a mind undistracted, withdrawn from worldly cares and attachments, which keeps the thought of God constantly before it and does everything to please him rather than men.
- The line “or be held fast by common prejudice, or” stands out of place in the scan text inside the quotation of Matt 18:20; it is translated where the sense requires, near the end.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's margin letter A left in the text; OCR slip in the word and a stray letter; word split by Migne's margin letter B): δίκαι, ὶ ὁ κόσμος → δίκαιε, ὁ κόσμος; Θεὸς ἐγγίΒ ζων → Θεὸς ἐγγίζων; τὸ Α βούλημα → τὸ βούλημα.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. fus. 5 (PG 31:919; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/5
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); compared afterwards with FOTC 9 (private error-check only).
Chapter 6
6PG 31:925
Ὅτι ἀναγκαῖον τὸ ἰδιάζειν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Συντελεῖ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀμετεώριστον τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τὸ ἰδιάζειν κατὰ τὴν οἴκησιν. Τὸ γὰρ ἀναμεμιγμένην ἔχειν τὴν ζωὴν τοῖς ἀφόβως καὶ καταφρονητικῶς πρὸς τὴν ἀκριβῆ τήρησιν τῶν ἐντολῶν διακειμένοις βλαβερὸν καὶ ὁ τοῦ Σολομῶντος ἀποδείκνυσι λόγος, διδάσκοντος ἡμᾶς, ὅτι Μὴ ἴσθι ἑταῖρος ἀνδρὶ θυμώδει· φίλῳ δὲ ὀργίλῳ μὴ συναυλίζου, μήποτε μάθῃς τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ λάβῃς βρόχους τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ τὸ, Ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀφορίσθητε, λέγει Κύριος, πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ φέρει. Οὐκοῦν ἵνα μήτε διὰ ὀφθαλμῶν μήτε διὰ ὤτων ἐρεθισμοὺς εἰς ἁμαρτίαν δεχώμεθα, καὶ κατὰ τὸ λανθάνον προσεθισθῶμεν αὐτῇ, καὶ ὥσπερ τύποι τινὲς καὶ χαρακτῆρες τῶν ὀρωμένων καὶ ἀκουομένων ἐναπομείνωσι τῇ ψυχῇ εἰς ὅλεθρον καὶ ἀπώλειαν, καὶ ἵνα δυνηθῶμεν ἐπιμένειν τῇ προσευχῆ, ἀφιδιάζωμεν πρῶτον κατὰ τὴν οἴκησιν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἂν καὶ τοῦ προλαβόντος ἔθους περιγενοίμεθα, ἐν ᾧ ἀλλοτρίως ἐζήσαμεν τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ (οὐ μικρὸς δὲ οὗτος ἀγὼν, τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συνηθείας περιγενέσθαι· ἔθος γὰρ διὰ μακροῦ χρόνου βεβαιωθὲν φύσεως ἰσχὺν λαμβάνει), καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἁμαρτίας δὲ σπίλους ἐκτρῖψαι δυνησόμεθα τῇ τε φιλοπόνῳ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ ἐπιμόνῳ μελέτῃ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ θελημάτων· ἧς μέλέτης καὶ προσευχῆς ἐν πολλοῖς τοῖς περιέλκουσι τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ ἀσχολίας βιωτικὰς ἐμποιοῦσι, περιγενέσθαι ἀμήχανον. Καὶ τὸ, Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν, πότε ἄν τις ἐν τούτοις ὢν πληρῶσαι δυνηθείη; Χρὴ γὰρ ἡμᾶς, ἀπαρνησαμένους ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ ἄραντας τὸν σταυρὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὕτως ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ. ῎Αρνησις δέ ἐστιν ἑαυτοῦ ἡ παντελὴς τῶν παρελθόντων λήθη, καὶ ἡ τῶν θελημάτων ἑαυτοῦ ἀναχώρησις, ἣν ἐν τῇ ἀδιαφόρῳ συνηθείᾳ ζῶντα κατορθῶσαι δυσκολώτατον, ἵνα μὴ λέγω, ὅτι παντελῶς ἀνεπίδεκτον. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἄραι τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐμπόδιόν ἐστιν ἡ πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον βίον ἐπιμιξία. Ἡ γὰρ ἑτοιμασία πρὸς τὸν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ θάνατον, καὶ ἡ νέκρωσις τῶν μελῶν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὸ παρατεταγμένως πρὸς πάντα κίνδυνον τὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπερχόμενον ἡμῖν διακεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸ ἀπροσπαθῶς ἔχειν πρὸς τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν, τοῦτό ἐστιν ἆραι τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ· πρὸς ὅ μεγάλα ὁρῶμεν τὰ ἐμπόδια ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ κοινοῦ βίου συνηθείας ἡμῖν ἐγγινόμενα. Καὶ πρὸς πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις πολλοῖς οὖσιν, εἰς τὸ πλῆθος τῶν παρανομούντων ἀποβλέπουσα ψυχή, πρῶτον μὲν οὐκ ἄγει καιρὸν ἐπαισθάνεσθαι τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ συντρίψαι ἑαυτὴν διὰ τῆς μετανοίας ἐπὶ τοῖς πλημμελήμασιν· ἐν δὲ τῇ συγκρίσει τῶν χειρόνων καὶ κατορθώματός τινα φαντασίαν προσκτᾶται· εἶτα ὑπὸ τῶν θορύβων καὶ τῶν ἀσχολιῶν, ἃς ὁ κοινὸς βίος πέφυκεν ἐμποιεῖν, τῆς ἀξιολο γωτέρας μνήμης τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποσπωμένη, οὐ μόνον τὸ έναγαλλιᾶσθαι καὶ ἐνευφραίνεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ ζημιοῦται, καὶ τὸ κατατρυφᾷν τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ τὸ καταγλυκαίνεσθαι τοῖς ῥήμασιν αὐτοῦ, ὥστε δύνασθαι εἰπεῖν· Ἐμνήσθην τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ηὐφράνθην· καὶ, Ὡς γλυκέα τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου, ὑπὲρ μέλι τῷ στόματί μου· ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς καταφρόνησιν καὶ λήθην τῶν κριμάτων αὐτοῦ παντελή συνεθίζεται, οὗ μείζον κακὸν οὐδὲν ἂν οὐδὲ ὀλεθριώτερον πάθοι.
Hoti anankaion to idiazein. APOKRISIS. Syntelei de pros to ameteōriston tę̄ psychę̄ kai to idiazein kata tēn oikēsin. To gar anamemigmenēn echein tēn zōēn tois aphobōs kai kataphronētikōs pros tēn akribē tērēsin tōn entolōn diakeimenois blaberon kai ho tou Solomōntos apodeiknysi logos, didaskontos hēmas, hoti Mē isthi hetairos andri thymōdei; philǭ de orgilǭ mē synaulizou, mēpote mathę̄s tōn hodōn autou, kai labę̄s brochous tę̄ sę̄ psychę̄, kai to, Exelthete ek mesou autōn, kai aphoristhēte, legei Kyrios, pros to auto pherei. Oukoun hina mēte dia ophthalmōn mēte dia ōtōn erethismous eis hamartian dechōmetha, kai kata to lanthanon prosethisthōmen autę̄, kai hōsper typoi tines kai charaktēres tōn orōmenōn kai akouomenōn enapomeinōsi tę̄ psychę̄ eis holethron kai apōleian, kai hina dynēthōmen epimenein tę̄ proseuchē, aphidiazōmen prōton kata tēn oikēsin. Houtō gar an kai tou prolabontos ethous perigenoimetha, en hǭ allotriōs ezēsamen tōn entolōn tou Christou (ou mikros de houtos agōn, tēs heautou synētheias perigenesthai; ethos gar dia makrou chronou bebaiōthen physeōs ischyn lambanei), kai tous ex hamartias de spilous ektripsai dynēsometha tę̄ te philoponǭ proseuchę̄ kai tę̄ epimonǭ meletę̄ tōn tou Theou thelēmatōn; hēs meletēs kai proseuchēs en pollois tois perielkousi tēn psychēn, kai ascholias biōtikas empoiousi, perigenesthai amēchanon. Kai to, Ei tis thelei opisō mou elthein, aparnēsasthō heauton, pote an tis en toutois ōn plērōsai dynētheiē? Chrē gar hēmas, aparnēsamenous heautous, kai arantas ton stauron tou Christou, houtōs akolouthein autǭ. ᾿Arnēsis de estin heautou hē pantelēs tōn parelthontōn lēthē, kai hē tōn thelēmatōn heautou anachōrēsis, hēn en tę̄ adiaphorǭ synētheią zōnta katorthōsai dyskolōtaton, hina mē legō, hoti pantelōs anepidekton. Alla kai pros to arai ton stauron heautou kai akolouthein tǭ Christǭ empodion estin hē pros ton toiouton bion epimixia. Hē gar hetoimasia pros ton hyper Christou thanaton, kai hē nekrōsis tōn melōn tōn epi tēs gēs, kai to paratetagmenōs pros panta kindynon ton hyper tou onomatos tou Christou eperchomenon hēmin diakeisthai, kai to aprospathōs echein pros tēn parousan zōēn, touto estin arai ton stauron heautou; pros ho megala horōmen ta empodia hypo tēs tou koinou biou synētheias hēmin enginomena. Kai pros pasi tois allois pollois ousin, eis to plēthos tōn paranomountōn apoblepousa psychē, prōton men ouk agei kairon epaisthanesthai tōn idiōn hamartēmatōn, kai syntripsai heautēn dia tēs metanoias epi tois plēmmelēmasin; en de tę̄ synkrisei tōn cheironōn kai katorthōmatos tina phantasian prosktatai; eita hypo tōn thorybōn kai tōn ascholiōn, has ho koinos bios pephyken empoiein, tēs axiolo gōteras mnēmēs tou Theou apospōmenē, ou monon to enagalliasthai kai eneuphrainesthai tǭ Theǭ zēmioutai, kai to katatryphąn tou Kyriou, kai to kataglykainesthai tois rhēmasin autou, hōste dynasthai eipein; Emnēsthēn tou Theou, kai ēuphranthēn; kai, Hōs glykea tǭ laryngi mou ta logia sou, hyper meli tǭ stomati mou; alla kai eis kataphronēsin kai lēthēn tōn krimatōn autou pantelē synethizetai, hou meizon kakon ouden an oude olethriōteron pathoi.
That it is necessary to live apart.
Answer. Living apart in one's dwelling also helps the soul to be free from distraction. For that it is harmful to have one's life mixed with those who are disposed without fear and with contempt toward the exact keeping of the commandments, the word of Solomon also shows, teaching us: “Do not be a companion to a hot-tempered man, and do not lodge with an angry friend, lest you learn his ways and get snares for your soul.” And the saying “Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord” tends to the same end. So, that we may not receive incitements to sin through the eyes or the ears and grow used to it without noticing, and that the impressions and images of what is seen and heard may not remain in the soul to its ruin and destruction, and that we may be able to persevere in prayer, let us first live apart in our dwelling. For so we may overcome our former habit, in which we lived as strangers to Christ's commandments (it is no small struggle to overcome one's own custom; for habit confirmed over a long time takes on the strength of nature), and we shall be able to wipe away the stains of sin by laborious prayer and constant meditation on the will of God; and it is impossible to succeed in this meditation and prayer amid many things that drag the soul about and produce worldly occupations. And when could anyone living among these fulfil the saying, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself”? For we must deny ourselves, take up the cross of Christ, and so follow him. Denial of oneself is complete forgetting of the past and withdrawal from one's own wishes, which is most difficult, not to say wholly impossible, to achieve while living in indiscriminate everyday company. Mixing with such a life is a hindrance also to taking up one's cross and following Christ. For readiness for death for Christ's sake, putting to death our members that are on earth, being prepared in battle order for every danger that comes on us for the name of Christ, and being without attachment to the present life: this is to take up one's cross; and we see that great hindrances to it arise in us from the habits of common life.
Besides all the many other things, the soul that looks at the multitude of transgressors, first, finds no time to perceive its own sins and to crush itself by repentance for its offences; rather, by comparison with worse people it even gains some impression of having done well. Then, drawn away from the more worthy remembrance of God by the noise and occupations that common life naturally produces, it not only loses the joy and gladness in God, the delight in the Lord, and the sweetness of his words, so as to be able to say, “I remembered God and was glad,” and “How sweet are your words to my throat, more than honey to my mouth”; but it also grows used to complete contempt and forgetfulness of his judgments, and it could suffer no greater or more destructive evil than this.
Prov 22:24–25 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 6:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 16:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 3:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 77:3 (76:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 119:103 (118:103 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 37:4 (36:4 LXX) (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil argues that living apart from careless company helps the soul to resist sin, overcome old habits, deny itself, take up the cross, and keep the remembrance of God.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by Migne's margin letter B): ζηΒ μιοῦται → ζημιοῦται.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. fus. 6 (PG 31:925; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/6
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); compared afterwards with FOTC 9 (private error-check only).
Chapter 7
7PG 31:927
Περὶ τοῦ δεῖν τοῖς ὁμόφροσι πρὸς τὸν σκοπὸν τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν εὐαρεστήσεως συζῇν· καὶ ὅτι δύσκο λον ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐπικίνδυνον τὸ μονάζειν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐπληροφόρησεν ἡμᾶς ὁ λόγος, ἐπικίν δυνον εἶναι τὴν μετὰ τῶν καταφρονητικῶς ἐχόντων περὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου ζωὴν, ἀκολούθως μαθεῖν ἀξιοῦμεν, εἰ χρὴ τὸν ἀναχωρήσαντα τούτων ἰδιάζειν καθ' ἑαυτὸν, ἢ ὁμόφροσιν ἀδελφοῖς καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν σκοπὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας προελομένοις συζῇν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Πρὸς πολλὰ χρησιμωτέραν καταμανθάνω τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῶν πλειόνων διαγωγήν. Πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι οὐδὲ πρὸς τὰς τοῦ σώματος χρείας ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ἑαυτῷ αὐτάρκης, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῷ πορισμῷ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἀλλήλων χρήζομεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ποῦς τὴν μὲν ἔχει δύναμιν, τῆς δὲ ἐπιδεής ἐστι, καὶ ἄνευ τῆς τῶν λοιπῶν μελῶν συλλήψεως οὔτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐνέργειαν δυνατὴν ἢ αὐτάρκη ἑαυτῷ πρὸς διαμονὴν εὐρίσκει, οὔτε παραμυθίαν ἔχει τοῦ λείποντος· οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῇ μονήρει ζωῇ καὶ τὸ παρὸν ἡμῖν ἄχρηστον γίνεται, καὶ τὸ ἐλλεῖπον ἀπαραμύθητον, τοῦ δημιουργοῦ Θεοῦ ὁρίσαντος χρήζειν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλων, καθὼς γέγραπται, ἵνα καὶ συναπτώμεθα ἀλλήλοις. ῎Ανευ δὲ τούτου καὶ ὁ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγος οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει τὸ ἴδιον σκοπεῖν ἕκαστον. Ἡ ἀγάπη γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς. Ὁ δὲ ἀφιδιαστικὸς βίος ἕνα σκοπὸν ἔχει, τὴν οἰκείαν ἑκάστου τῶν χρειῶν θεραπείαν. Τοῦτο δὲ προδήλως μαχόμενόν ἐστι τῷ τῆς ἀγάπης νόμῳ, ὅν ὁ ᾿Απόστολος ἐπλήρου, μὴ ζητῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ συμφέρον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν, ἵνα σωθῶσιν. Ἔπειτα ἐν τῷ καταχωρισμῷ οὐδὲ τὸ ἐλάττωμα ῥᾳδίως ἕκαστος τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιγνώσεται, οὐκ ἔχων τὸν ἐλέγχοντα αὐτὸν, καὶ͵ ἐν πραότητι καὶ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ ἐπανορθούμενον. Ἔλεγχος μὲν γὰρ καὶ παρὰ ἐχθροῦ πολλάκις ἂν γένοιτο θεραπείας ἐπιθυμίαν ἐμποιῶν τῷ εὐγνώμονι· θεραπεία δὲ ἁμαρτήματος ἐπιστημό νως παρὰ τοῦ εἰλικρινῶς ἀγαπήσαντος κατορθοῦται. Ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν, φησὶν, ἐπιμελῶς παιδεύει. Ον ἐπὶ τῆς μονώσεως εὑρεῖν ἄπορον, μὴ προενωθέντα κατὰ τὸν βίον· ὥστε συμβαίνειν αὐτῷ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐκεῖνο· Οὐαὶ τῷ ἑνὶ, ὅτι ἐὰν πέσῃ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐγείρων αὐτόν. Καὶ αἱ ἐντολαὶ δὲ ὑπὸ μὲν τῶν πλειόνων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ῥᾳδίως γίνονται πλείους, ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἑνὸς οὐκέτι· ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἐργασίᾳ τῆς μιᾶς ἐμποδίζεται ἡ ἄλλη. Οἷον, ἐν τῇ ἐπισκέψει τοῦ ἀσθενοῦντος ἡ ὑποδοχὴ τοῦ ξένου, καὶ ἐν τῇ μεταδόσει καὶ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν χρειῶν (καὶ μάλιστα, ὅταν διὰ μακροῦ αἱ διακονίαι γίνωνται), ἡ περὶ τὰ ἔργα σπουδή· ὥστε ἐκ τούτου τὴν μεγίστην καὶ σύντονον πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἐντολὴν ἐλλιμπάνεσθαι· μήτε τοῦ πεινῶντος τρεφομένου, μήτε τοῦ γυμνοῦ περιβαλλομένου. Τίς ἂν οὖν ἕλοιτο τὴν ἀργὴν καὶ ἄκαρπον ζωὴν τῆς ἐγκάρπου καὶ κατ' ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπιτελουμένης προτιμῆσαι; Εἰ δὲ καὶ πάντες, οἱ ἐν μιᾷ ἐλπίδι τῆς κλήσεως προσληφθέντες, ἓν σῶμά ἐσμεν, κεφαλὴν ἔχοντες τὸν Χριστόν· ὁ δὲ καθεὶς ἀλλήλων μέλη, ἐὰν μὴ ἐκ συμφωνίας πρὸς ἑνὸς σώματος ἁρμολογίαν ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ συναρμοσθῶμεν· ἕκαστος δὲ ἡμῶν τὴν μόνωσιν αἱρῆται, μὴ κατὰ τὸ εὐάρεστον τῷ Θεῷ πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ δουλεύων, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἴδιον τῆς αὐταρεσκείας πάθος πληροφορῶν· πῶς δυνάμεθα ἀπεσχισμένοι καὶ διῃρημένοι σώζειν τὴν τῶν μελῶν πρὸς ἄλληλα σχέσιν τε καὶ ὑπηρεσίαν, ἢ τὴν ὑποταγὴν πρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἡμῶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός; Οὔτε γὰρ τῷ δοξαζομένῳ συγχαίρειν, οὔτε συμπάσχειν δυνατὸν τῷ πάσχοντι, ἐν τῇ διαστάσει τοῦ βίου, οὐ δυναμένου κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἑκάστου γινώσκειν τὰ τοῦ πλησίον. Εἶτα καὶ ἑνὸς μὴ ἐξαρκοῦντος ὑποδέξασθαι πάντα τὰ πνευματικά χαρίσματα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς ἐν ἑκάστῳ πίστεως, τῆς ἐπιχορηγίας τοῦ Πνεύματος γινομένης, ἐν τῇ τῆς ζωῆς κοινωνίᾳ, τὸ ἑκάστου ἴδιον χάρισμα κοινὸν τῶν συμπολιτευομένων γίνεται. Ω μὲν γὰρ δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, ἑτέρῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως, ἄλλῳ πίστις, ἄλλῳ προφητεία, ἄλλῳ χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· ὧν ἕκαστον οὐ μᾶλλον δι᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἢ διὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ὁ λαμβάνων ἔχει. Ὥστε ἀνάγκη ἐν τῷ κοινωνικῷ βίῳ τὴν ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐνέργειαν εἰς πάντας ὁμοῦ διαβαίνειν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν καθ' ἑαυτὸν ζῶν ἓν τυχὸν ἔχει χάρισμα, καὶ τοῦτο ἄχρηστον ποιεῖ διὰ τῆς ἀργίας, κατορύξας ἐν ἑαυτῷ· ὅπερ ἡλίκον ἔχει κίνδυνον, ἴστε πάντες οἱ ἀνεγνωκότες τὰ Εὐαγγέλια· ἐν δὲ τῇ τῶν πλειόνων συμβιώσει καὶ τοῦ ἰδίου ἀπολαύει, πολυπλασιάζων αὐτὸ τῇ μεταδόσει, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὡς ἑαυτοῦ καρποῦται. Ἔχει δὲ καὶ πλείονα ἡ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ζωὴ ἀγαθὰ, ἅπερ οὐ ῥᾴδιον ἐξαριθμεῖσθαι πάντα. Πρός τε γὰρ τὴν τήρησιν τῶν δεδομένων ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγαθῶν τῆς μονώσεώς ἐστι χρησιμωτέρα, καὶ πρὸς τὴν φυλακὴν τῆς ἔξωθεν ἐπιβουλῆς τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἀσφαλέστερος ὁ παρὰ τῶν ἐγρηγορότων ἐξυπνισμὸς, εἴποτε ἄρα τῷ ἑνὶ ἀπονυστάξαι συμβαίη ὕπνον ἐκεῖνον τὸν εἰς θάνατον, ὃν ἐδιδάχθημεν παρὰ τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἀπεύχεσθαι ἡμῖν συμβῆναι, λέγοντος • Φώτισον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, μήποτε ὑπνώσω εἰς θάνατον· καὶ τῷ μὲν ἁμαρτάνοντι τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ ἀναχώρησις ῥάων μᾶλλον, ἐντρεπομένῳ τὴν παρὰ τῶν πλειόνων ἐν συμφωνίᾳ γινομένην κατάγνωσιν, ὥστ᾽ ἂν ἁρμόσαι αὐτῷ τὸ, Ἀρκετὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη, ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων· τῷ δὲ κατορθοῦντι ἡ πληροφορία πολλὴ ἔν τε τῇ τῶν πολλῶν δοκιμασίᾳ καὶ συγκαταθέσει τοῦ ἔργου. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ στόματος δύο καὶ τριῶν μαρτύρων σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα, πολλῷ δηλονότι παγιώτερον ὁ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἔργον ἐπιτελῶν ἐν τῇ τῶν πλειόνων μαρτυρίᾳ βεβαιωθήσεται. Κίνδυνος δὲ παρέπεται τῇ μοναστικῇ ζωῇ πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις. Πρῶτος μὲν καὶ μέγιστος ὁ τῆς αὐταρεσκείας. Οὐδένα γὰρ ἔχων, ὃς δυνήσεται δοκιμάσαι αὐτοῦ τὸ ἔργον, εἰς τὸ τέλειον οἰήσεται τῆς ἐντολῆς ἐφθακέναι· εἶτα ἀγύμναστον ἀεὶ τὴν νώσκει, τῷ πᾶσαν ὕλην τῆς ἐργασίας τῶν εντολῶν περιῃρηχέναι Ἐν τίνι γὰρ τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐπιδείξεται, μηδένα ἔχων, οὗ ταπεινότερον ἑαυτὸν ἀποδείξει; Ἐν τίνι τὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν, ἀποτετμημένος τῆς κοινωνίας τῶν πλειόνων; Πρὸς μακροθυμίαν δὲ πῶς ἑαυτὸν γυμνάσει, μηδενὸς ἀνθισταμένου αὐτοῦ τοῖς θελήμασιν; Εἰ δέ τις λέγει ἀρκεῖσθαι τῇ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν διδασκαλίᾳ πρὸς τὴν κατόρθωσιν τῶν ἠθῶν, ὅμοιον ποιεῖ τῷ μανθάνοντι μὲν τεκταίνειν, μηδέποτε δὲ τεκταίνοντι, καὶ διδασκομένῳ μὲν χαλκευτικὴν, εἰς ἔργον δὲ προάγειν τὰ διδάγματα μὴ αἰρουμένῳ. Πρὸς ὃν εἴποι ἂν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Οὐχ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ τοῦ νόμου δίκαιοι παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, ἀλλ' οἱ ποιηταὶ τοῦ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος δι᾽ ὑπερβολὴν φιλανθρωπίας οὐκ ἠρκέσθη τῇ ἐκ τοῦ λόγου διδασκαλίᾳ μόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ὥστε ἀκριβῶς καὶ ἐναργῶς ἡμῖν παραδοῦναι τὸ ὑπόδειγμα τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης ἐν τῇ τελειότητι τῆς ἀγάπης, αὐτὸς περιζωσάμενος ἔνιψε τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν. Τίνα οὖν ἀπονίψεις; τίνα θεραπεύσεις; τίνος ἔσχατος ἔσῃ, αὐτὸς καθ' ἑαυτὸν διάγων; Τὸ δὲ καλὸν καὶ τερπνὸν, ἡ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατοίκησις, ἣν μύρῳ τῆς τοῦ ἀρχιερέως κεφαλῆς ἀπο πνέοντι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον παρεικάζει, πῶς ἐν τῇ καταμόνας οἰκήσει συμπληρωθήσεται; Στάδιον οὖν ἀθλήσεως, καὶ προκοπῆς εὐοδία, καὶ διηνεκής γυμνασία, καὶ μελέτη τῶν τοῦ Κυρίου ἐντολῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατοίκησίς ἐστι τῶν ἀδελφῶν· σκοπὸν μὲν ἔχουσα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ κατ᾿ ἐντολὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰπόντος· Οὕτω λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· χαρακτῆρα δὲ σώζουσα τῶν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν ἱστορουμένων ἁγίων, περὶ ὧν γέγραπται· Πάντες δὲ οἱ πιστεύοντες ἦσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, καὶ εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινά· καὶ πάλιν· Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία· καὶ οὐδὲ εἰς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι, ἀλλ᾽ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα κοινά.
Peri tou dein tois homophrosi pros ton skopon tēs pros Theon euarestēseōs syzę̄n; kai hoti dysko lon homou kai epikindynon to monazein. Epei oun eplērophorēsen hēmas ho logos, epikin dynon einai tēn meta tōn kataphronētikōs echontōn peri tas entolas tou Kyriou zōēn, akolouthōs mathein axioumen, ei chrē ton anachōrēsanta toutōn idiazein kath' heauton, ē homophrosin adelphois kai ton auton skopon tēs eusebeias proelomenois syzę̄n. APOKRISIS. Pros polla chrēsimōteran katamanthanō tēn epi to auto tōn pleionōn diagōgēn. Prōton men, hoti oude pros tas tou sōmatos chreias hekastos hēmōn heautǭ autarkēs, all᾽ en tǭ porismǭ tōn anankaiōn allēlōn chrēzomen. Hōsper gar ho pous tēn men echei dynamin, tēs de epideēs esti, kai aneu tēs tōn loipōn melōn syllēpseōs oute tēn heautou energeian dynatēn ē autarkē heautǭ pros diamonēn euriskei, oute paramythian echei tou leipontos; houtō kai en tę̄ monērei zōę̄ kai to paron hēmin achrēston ginetai, kai to elleipon aparamythēton, tou dēmiourgou Theou horisantos chrēzein hēmas allēlōn, kathōs gegraptai, hina kai synaptōmetha allēlois. ᾿Aneu de toutou kai ho tēs agapēs tou Christou logos ouk epitrepei to idion skopein hekaston. Hē agapē gar, phēsin, ou zētei ta heautēs. Ho de aphidiastikos bios hena skopon echei, tēn oikeian hekastou tōn chreiōn therapeian. Touto de prodēlōs machomenon esti tǭ tēs agapēs nomǭ, hon ho ᾿Apostolos eplērou, mē zētōn to heautou sympheron, alla to tōn pollōn, hina sōthōsin. Epeita en tǭ katachōrismǭ oude to elattōma rhądiōs hekastos to heautou epignōsetai, ouk echōn ton elenchonta auton, kai͵ en praotēti kai eusplanchnią epanorthoumenon. Elenchos men gar kai para echthrou pollakis an genoito therapeias epithymian empoiōn tǭ eugnōmoni; therapeia de hamartēmatos epistēmo nōs para tou eilikrinōs agapēsantos katorthoutai. Ho gar agapōn, phēsin, epimelōs paideuei. On epi tēs monōseōs heurein aporon, mē proenōthenta kata ton bion; hōste symbainein autǭ to eirēmenon ekeino; Ouai tǭ heni, hoti ean pesę̄, ouk estin ho egeirōn auton. Kai hai entolai de hypo men tōn pleionōn epi to auto rhądiōs ginontai pleious, hypo de tou henos ouketi; en gar tę̄ ergasią tēs mias empodizetai hē allē. Hoion, en tę̄ episkepsei tou asthenountos hē hypodochē tou xenou, kai en tę̄ metadosei kai koinōnią tōn chreiōn (kai malista, hotan dia makrou hai diakoniai ginōntai), hē peri ta erga spoudē; hōste ek toutou tēn megistēn kai syntonon pros sōtērian entolēn ellimpanesthai; mēte tou peinōntos trephomenou, mēte tou gymnou periballomenou. Tis an oun heloito tēn argēn kai akarpon zōēn tēs enkarpou kai kat' entolēn tou Kyriou epiteloumenēs protimēsai? Ei de kai pantes, hoi en mią elpidi tēs klēseōs proslēphthentes, hen sōma esmen, kephalēn echontes ton Christon; ho de katheis allēlōn melē, ean mē ek symphōnias pros henos sōmatos harmologian en Pneumati hagiǭ synarmosthōmen; hekastos de hēmōn tēn monōsin hairētai, mē kata to euareston tǭ Theǭ pros to koinę̄ sympheron tę̄ oikonomią douleuōn, alla to idion tēs autareskeias pathos plērophorōn; pōs dynametha apeschismenoi kai dię̄rēmenoi sōzein tēn tōn melōn pros allēla schesin te kai hypēresian, ē tēn hypotagēn pros tēn kephalēn hēmōn, hētis estin ho Christos? Oute gar tǭ doxazomenǭ synchairein, oute sympaschein dynaton tǭ paschonti, en tę̄ diastasei tou biou, ou dynamenou kata to eikos hekastou ginōskein ta tou plēsion. Eita kai henos mē exarkountos hypodexasthai panta ta pneumatika charismata, alla kata tēn analogian tēs en hekastǭ pisteōs, tēs epichorēgias tou Pneumatos ginomenēs, en tę̄ tēs zōēs koinōnią, to hekastou idion charisma koinon tōn sympoliteuomenōn ginetai. Ō men gar didotai logos sophias, heterǭ de logos gnōseōs, allǭ pistis, allǭ prophēteia, allǭ charismata iamatōn, kai ta hexēs; hōn hekaston ou mallon di᾽ heauton ē dia tous allous ho lambanōn echei. Hōste anankē en tǭ koinōnikǭ biǭ tēn en tǭ heni tou hagiou Pneumatos energeian eis pantas homou diabainein. Ho men oun kath' heauton zōn hen tychon echei charisma, kai touto achrēston poiei dia tēs argias, katoryxas en heautǭ; hoper hēlikon echei kindynon, iste pantes hoi anegnōkotes ta Euangelia; en de tę̄ tōn pleionōn symbiōsei kai tou idiou apolauei, polyplasiazōn auto tę̄ metadosei, kai ta tōn allōn hōs heautou karpoutai. Echei de kai pleiona hē epi to auto zōē agatha, haper ou rhądion exarithmeisthai panta. Pros te gar tēn tērēsin tōn dedomenōn hēmin para tou Theou agathōn tēs monōseōs esti chrēsimōtera, kai pros tēn phylakēn tēs exōthen epiboulēs tou echthrou asphalesteros ho para tōn egrēgorotōn exypnismos, eipote ara tǭ heni aponystaxai symbaiē hypnon ekeinon ton eis thanaton, hon edidachthēmen para tou Dabid apeuchesthai hēmin symbēnai, legontos • Phōtison tous ophthalmous mou, mēpote hypnōsō eis thanaton; kai tǭ men hamartanonti tēs hamartias hē anachōrēsis rhaōn mallon, entrepomenǭ tēn para tōn pleionōn en symphōnią ginomenēn katagnōsin, hōst᾽ an harmosai autǭ to, Arketon tǭ toioutǭ hē epitimia hautē, hē hypo tōn pleionōn; tǭ de katorthounti hē plērophoria pollē en te tę̄ tōn pollōn dokimasią kai synkatathesei tou ergou. Ei gar epi stomatos dyo kai triōn martyrōn stathēsetai pan rhēma, pollǭ dēlonoti pagiōteron ho to agathon ergon epitelōn en tę̄ tōn pleionōn martyrią bebaiōthēsetai. Kindynos de parepetai tę̄ monastikę̄ zōę̄ pros tois eirēmenois. Prōtos men kai megistos ho tēs autareskeias. Oudena gar echōn, hos dynēsetai dokimasai autou to ergon, eis to teleion oiēsetai tēs entolēs ephthakenai; eita agymnaston aei tēn nōskei, tǭ pasan hylēn tēs ergasias tōn entolōn perię̄rēchenai En tini gar tēn tapeinophrosynēn epideixetai, mēdena echōn, hou tapeinoteron heauton apodeixei? En tini tēn eusplanchnian, apotetmēmenos tēs koinōnias tōn pleionōn? Pros makrothymian de pōs heauton gymnasei, mēdenos anthistamenou autou tois thelēmasin? Ei de tis legei arkeisthai tę̄ tōn theiōn Graphōn didaskalią pros tēn katorthōsin tōn ēthōn, homoion poiei tǭ manthanonti men tektainein, mēdepote de tektainonti, kai didaskomenǭ men chalkeutikēn, eis ergon de proagein ta didagmata mē airoumenǭ. Pros hon eipoi an ho Apostolos; Ouch hoi akroatai tou nomou dikaioi para tǭ Theǭ, all' hoi poiētai tou nomou dikaiōthēsontai. Idou gar ho Kyrios di᾽ hyperbolēn philanthrōpias ouk ērkesthē tę̄ ek tou logou didaskalią monon, all᾽ hōste akribōs kai enargōs hēmin paradounai to hypodeigma tēs tapeinophrosynēs en tę̄ teleiotēti tēs agapēs, autos perizōsamenos enipse tous podas tōn mathētōn. Tina oun aponipseis? tina therapeuseis? tinos eschatos esę̄, autos kath' heauton diagōn? To de kalon kai terpnon, hē tōn adelphōn epi to auto katoikēsis, hēn myrǭ tēs tou archiereōs kephalēs apo pneonti to Pneuma to hagion pareikazei, pōs en tę̄ katamonas oikēsei symplērōthēsetai? Stadion oun athlēseōs, kai prokopēs euodia, kai diēnekēs gymnasia, kai meletē tōn tou Kyriou entolōn, kai epi to auto katoikēsis esti tōn adelphōn; skopon men echousa tēn doxan tou Theou kat᾿ entolēn tou Kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou eipontos; Houtō lampsatō to phōs hymōn emprosthen tōn anthrōpōn, hopōs idōsin hymōn ta kala erga, kai doxasōsi ton Patera hymōn ton en tois ouranois; charaktēra de sōzousa tōn en tais Praxesin historoumenōn hagiōn, peri hōn gegraptai; Pantes de hoi pisteuontes ēsan epi to auto, kai eichon hapanta koina; kai palin; Tou de plēthous tōn pisteusantōn ēn hē kardia kai hē psychē mia; kai oude eis ti tōn hyparchontōn autǭ elegen idion einai, all᾽ ēn autois hapanta koina.
That one must live with those who share the same mind toward the goal of pleasing God; and that living alone is both difficult and dangerous.
Question. Since the word has assured us that life with those who are contemptuous toward the Lord's commandments is dangerous, we ask to learn next whether one who has withdrawn from them should live apart by himself, or with brothers of the same mind who have chosen the same goal of godliness.
Answer. I find that the life of many together is more useful in many respects. First, because none of us is self-sufficient even for the needs of the body, but we need one another in providing what is necessary. For just as the foot has one power and lacks another, and without the help of the other members finds neither its own working possible or sufficient for itself to endure, nor any supply for what it lacks, so too in the solitary life what we have becomes useless to us and what we lack goes unsupplied, since God the Creator determined that we should need one another, as it is written, so that we may be joined to one another. Besides this, the principle of Christ's love does not allow each to look to his own. “Love,” he says, “does not seek its own.” But the life apart has one aim, the service of each one's own needs. This is plainly in conflict with the law of love, which the Apostle fulfilled, seeking not his own advantage but that of the many, that they might be saved.
Then, in seclusion each will not easily recognize even his own failing, having no one to rebuke him and correct him with gentleness and compassion. A rebuke, indeed, even from an enemy, may often produce in a right-minded person a desire for healing; but the healing of sin is skilfully achieved by one who loves sincerely. “For he who loves,” he says, “disciplines with care.” Such a one it is impossible to find in solitude unless one has first been united with him in life; so that there happens to him what was said: “Woe to him who is alone, for if he falls there is no one to lift him up.” And the commandments are easily done in greater number by many together, but no longer by one alone; for in the working of one, another is hindered. For example, in visiting the sick, the receiving of the stranger is hindered; and in giving and sharing of necessities (especially when the services take a long time), zeal for one's work; so that by this the greatest commandment and the one that most urgently leads to salvation is neglected, and the hungry is not fed nor the naked clothed. Who, then, would choose to prefer the idle and fruitless life to the fruitful one carried out according to the Lord's commandment?
And if all of us who have been received in the one hope of our calling are one body, having Christ as head, and members each of one another, then unless we are fitted together in harmony into the joining of one body in the Holy Spirit, but each of us chooses solitude, not serving the common good in the ordering that pleases God but satisfying his own passion for pleasing himself, how can we, cut off and divided, keep the relation and service of the members toward one another, or our subjection to our head, which is Christ? For it is not possible to rejoice with the one who is honoured or to suffer with the one who suffers when lives are separated, since each cannot, in all likelihood, know the affairs of his neighbour. Then, since one person is not sufficient to receive all the spiritual gifts, but the supply of the Spirit is given according to the proportion of each one's faith, in the common life the gift proper to each becomes common to those who live together. “To one is given the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith, to another prophecy, to another gifts of healing,” and so on; and each of these the receiver has not so much for himself as for the others. So in the common life the working of the Holy Spirit in one person necessarily passes to all together. The one who lives by himself has perhaps one gift, and makes it useless by idleness, burying it in himself; and how great the danger of this is, all of you who have read the Gospels know. But in the life of many together he both enjoys his own gift, multiplying it by sharing it, and reaps the fruit of the others' gifts as his own.
The common life has still more good things, which it is not easy to count in full. It is more useful than solitude for keeping the good things given us by God; and for guarding against the enemy's plots from outside, the rousing by those who are awake is safer, if it should ever happen that one begins to nod into that sleep unto death which David taught us to pray might not befall us, saying: “Lighten my eyes, lest I sleep unto death.” For the one who sins, withdrawal from the sin is easier when he is ashamed of the condemnation pronounced by many in agreement, so that there may apply to him the saying, “For such a one this punishment by the many is enough”; and for the one who does right, there is great assurance in the approval and assent of many to his work. For if “every word shall be established at the mouth of two or three witnesses,” plainly the one who does a good work will be much more firmly confirmed by the witness of many.
Besides what has been said, dangers attend the solitary life. The first and greatest is that of self-satisfaction. For having no one able to test his work, he will think he has reached the perfection of the commandment. Then, always keeping his condition unexercised, … [he neither] knows [his failings nor his progress], because he has removed all material for working the commandments. For in what will he show humility, having no one to whom he can show himself lower? In what compassion, cut off from the fellowship of many? And how will he train himself in long-suffering, when no one opposes his wishes? If anyone says that the teaching of the divine Scriptures is enough for setting his conduct right, he is like a man who learns carpentry but never does any carpentry, or who is taught smithing but will not put the lessons into practice. To him the Apostle would say: “It is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.” For see: the Lord, in the excess of his love for mankind, was not content with teaching by word only, but, to hand on to us exactly and clearly the example of humility in the perfection of love, he girded himself and washed his disciples' feet. Whose feet, then, will you wash? Whom will you serve? Whose last will you be, living by yourself? And that good and pleasant thing, brothers dwelling together, which the Holy Spirit compares to the ointment flowing down from the high priest's head, how will it be fulfilled in a solitary dwelling?
The dwelling together of the brothers, then, is a stadium for the contest, a good road to progress, a constant training and meditation on the Lord's commandments. Its goal is 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 keeps the pattern of the saints whose story is told in the Acts, of whom it is written: “All who believed were together and had all things in common”; and again: “The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul, and no one said that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.”
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Cor 12:21 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 13:5 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:33 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 27:6 (echo, low confidence) · Prov 13:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Eccl 4:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 25:35–36 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 4:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 4:15–16 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 12:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:26 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 12:6 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:8–9 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 25:18 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 13:3 (12:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 2:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 19:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 18:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 2:13 (quotation, high confidence) · John 13:4–5 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 9:35 (echo, low confidence) · Ps 133:1–2 (132:1-Ps LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 2:44 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 4:32 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil argues that the common life of like-minded brothers is better than solitude, because we need one another, love does not seek its own, sins are corrected, gifts are shared, and humility and service can be practised only among others.
- Words are lost in the scan text after “always keeping his condition unexercised”; the bracketed words are supplied by sense. “Living alone” renders μονάζειν (the scan has a misread letter); “solitary life” renders μοναστικὴ ζωή, here the life of a hermit, not of a monastery.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's margin letter B left in the text; OCR letter confusion (κ for μ)): τὸ κονάζειν → τὸ μονάζειν; ἔστιν ὁ Β ἐγείρων → ἔστιν ὁ ἐγείρων.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Basil, Reg. fus. 7 (PG 31:927; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/basil-regulae-fusius/7
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 31 (Bavarian State Library OCR); compared afterwards with FOTC 9 (private error-check only).