Letter 222: I am astonished at the insatiable greed of certain people.

To Hermogenes the Bishop. Concerning what was commanded to the destroying angels: \"And begin from my holy ones.\" If those who have been crowned with the sanctity of the priesthood had an oracle to read saying that they need not toil and practice the virtues, but only teach by word, let them think as they think. But since the oracles everywhere proclaim against those who attempt to educate by word alone, why have they neglected the things that are taught through deeds? For the true teacher is one who embodies in his life what he proclaims from the pulpit, and the divine judgment begins with the holy ones precisely because they have received more and therefore bear greater responsibility. The priest who teaches virtue but practices vice brings upon himself a double condemnation — once for his own sins, and again for the souls he has led astray by his example. Therefore let every bishop and priest tremble at the words, \"Begin from my holy ones,\" knowing that the higher the office, the stricter the judgment, and that no amount of eloquent preaching will compensate at the last day for a life lived in contradiction to the Gospel.

ΣΗ΄. – ΕΡΜΟΓΕΝΕΙ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ. Περὶ τοῦ προστεταγμένου τοῖς ὀλοθρευταῖς ἀγ- γέλοις, « Καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων μου ἄρξασθε. ν Εἰ μὲν ἔχοιεν ἡμῖν τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀγιστείαν ἐστεμμένοι χρησμὸν ἀναγινώσκειν, ὡς οὐ χρὴ πο- νεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς ἀσκεῖν, ἀλλὰ λόγῳ διδάσκειν μόνῳ, φρονείτωσαν ὡς φρονοῦσιν. Εἰ γὰρ πανταχοῦ οἱ χρησμοὶ ἀνακηρύττουσι μὲν τοὺς λόγῳ μόνον παιδεύειν ἐπιχειροῦντας· τι παρέντες τὰ διὰ τῶν θείων θεσμῶν διηγορευμένα τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ μόνῃ ὥσπερ τυραννίδι ἐναβρύνονται; Τὰ μὲν γὰο θεῖαι ---CONTINUES--- ΣΙΔ΄. – ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙΩ. Περὶ ἑλεημοσύνης. Τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην χρή καθαρὰν ὕβρεως καὶ ὀνεί δους εἶναι. Οἱ γὰρ ἐκείνῃ ταῦτα μιγνύντες, εὐώδει μύρῳ δυσώδη κιρνῶσι βόρβορον, καὶ τὰς τῶν λαμ- βανόντων πλήττουσι ψυχάς. Τὰ γὰρ μετ᾿ ὀνείδους παρεχόμενα, κᾶν˙ μέγιστα ᾗ, οὐχ ἡδιστα τοῖς λαμ- βάνουσι, κἂν διὰ τὴν ἀνάγκην σιγῇ στέργωσι τὰς ὕβρεις. Ὅταν δὲ καὶ ἐλάχιστα ᾖ, καὶ μεθ᾽ ὕβρεως παρέχηται, ἀφόρητόν τινα χειμῶνα ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν πενομένων τίκτει. Περὶ γὰρ τῶν μήτε παρεχόντων, ᾿ ἀλλὰ καὶ λοιδορούντων, οὐδὲ μεμνῆσθαι χρή· πᾶσαν γὰρ ὑπερβεβήκασι θηριωδείας ἀγριότητα. Τοὺς γὰρ πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὡς πρὸς λιμένα, καταίροντας κατα- δύουσι, μήτε τὴν ἀναγκαίαν πληροῦντες χρείαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὕβρεις προστιθέντες. Χρή τοιγαροῦν πράως ἀποκρίνασθαι τοῖς δεομένοις, καὶ κατὰ δύναμιν παρέχειν, κρύπτειν τε ἐλεημοσύνην, ὥσπερ ἐλευθέ- ραν τινὰ καὶ εὐγενῆ καὶ σώφρονα παρθένον, καὶ μὴ πᾶσιν αὐτὴν ἐκπομπεύειν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔχοι τις δι' ὧν παραμυθήσεται τὸν ἱκέτην, ἀποκρινάσθω αὐτῷ εἰ- ρηνικὰ ἐν πραΰτητι. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ λόγος ὑπὲρ δόμα ἀγαθὸν (14), καὶ ἀμφότερα παρὰ ἀνδρὶ κεχαριτω- μένῳ. ΤΟ ΑΥΤΟ. Ἴσθι, ὦ ἱερὰ κεφαλὴ, ὅτι τὰ παραδείγματα οὐ κατὰ πάντα λαμβάνεται, καὶ τοῖς προκειμένοις άρτ μόζεται (ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴη παραδείγματα, ἀλλὰ ταυ τότης), ἀλλὰ χρὴ τὸ χρήσιμον ἡμᾶς, καὶ εἰς ὃ πα- ρείληπται ἐκλεξαμένους, τὸ λοιπὸν ἅπαν χαίρειν ᾷν. Καὶ ἵνα ἓν ἢ δύο προβαλλόμενος καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀνατέμω ἑρμηνείας ὁδὸν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ πα- τριάρχης περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος· « ᾿Αναπεσὼν ἐκοιμήθη ὡς λέων. » Αρ' οὖν πάντα τὰ τῷ θηρίῳ προσόντα προσαρμόσωμεν τῷ Χριστῷ; "Ἄπαγε· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἅμα- χον (67) καὶ φοβερὸν, καὶ βασιλικὸν ἐκλαμβάνον τες, τὸ θηριώδες, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο πρόσεστι τῷ λέοντι, εὖ ποιοῦντες παριππεύσομεν. Καὶ ὅταν λέγῃ· • ᾿Απαντήσομαι αὐτοῖς ὡς ἄρκτος ἀπορουμένη,· τὸ τιμωρητικὸν μόνον ἐκληψόμεθα. Οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν τῇ ἄρκτῳ προσόντων. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν παρα δειγμάτων ποιεῖν χρή. Δίδου νὰρ σοφῷ ἀφορμὴν, καὶ σοφώτερος ἔσται.