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[106]
πάλιν ἕκαστος ἐπανέρχονται, τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς μέλι
τοῖς σίμβλοις τῶν καρδιῶν φιλοτίμως ἐναποτιθέντες,
καὶ γεωργοῦντες καρπὸν γλυκύτατον καὶ
τῆς ἐπουρανίου τραπέζης ἐπάξιον.
Ἄλλοι δὲ κοινοβιακὸν μετέρχονται βίον: οἵτινες,
πλήθη πολυάνθρωπα ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀθροισθέντες,
ὑφ̓ ἑνὶ ταξιάρχῃ καὶ προεστῶτι, τῷ πάντων διαφορωτάτῳ,
ἑαυτοὺς ἔταξαν, πᾶν θέλημα ἑαυτῶν
μαχαίρᾳ τῆς ὑπακοῆς ἀποσφάξαντες: καὶ δούλους
ὠνητοὺς ἑαυτοὺς ἑκουσίως λογισάμενοι, οὐκ ἔτι
ἑαυτοῖς ζῶσιν, ἀλλ̓ ᾧ διὰ τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πόθον
ἑαυτοὺς καθυπέταξαν: οἰκειότερον δὲ μᾶλλον
1 εἰπεῖν, ζῶσιν οὐκ ἔτι ἑαυτοῖς, ζῇ δὲ ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ
Χριστός, ᾧ ἠκολούθησαν πάντα ἀπαρνησάμενοι.
τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀναχώρησις, κόσμου ἑκούσιον
μῖσος, καὶ ἄρνησις φύσεως πόθῳ τῶν ὑπὲρ φύσιν.
οὗτοι τοίνυν ὡς ἄγγελοι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πολιτεύονται,
ψαλμοὺς καὶ ὕμνους ὁμοθυμαδὸν τῷ Κυρίῳ
ᾄδοντες, καὶ ὁμολογηταὶ τοῖς ἄθλοις τῆς ὑπακοῆς
χρηματίζοντες: ἐφ̓ οἷς καὶ τὸ δεσποτικὸν πληροῦται
2 λόγιον. φησὶ γάρ: Ὅπου εἰσὶ δύο ἢ τρεῖς
συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμὶ ἐν μέσῳ
αὐτῶν, οὐκ εἰς τοῦτο τὸ μέτρον τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ
ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ συναγωγὴν περικλείσας, ἀλλὰ
[p. 180]
διὰ τῶν δύο ἢ τριῶν ἀδιόριστον τὸν ἀριθμὸν δηλώσας.
εἴτε γὰρ ὀλίγοι, εἴτε πολλοὶ διὰ τὸ ἅγιον
αὐτοῦ συναχθῶσιν ὄνομα, αὐτῷ διαπύρῳ λατρεύοντες
πόθῳ, ἐκεῖ παρεῖναι τοῦτον πιστεύομεν ἐν
μέσῳ τῶν αὐτοῦ δούλων.
Τούτοις τοῖς τύποις καὶ ταῖς τοιαύταις ἀγωγαῖς
οἱ γήϊνοι καὶ χοϊκοὶ τὸν βίον ἐζήλωσαν τῶν
John, of Damascus (attributed author). G.R. Woodward. H. Mattingly. St. John Damascene Barlaam and Joseph. William Heinemann Ltd; Harvard University Press. London; Cambridge, Mass. 1914. Keyboarding.
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