Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series • VOLUME 12
Leo the Great & Gregory the Great
SECTION 121
Preface.
Preface. The title, Liber Regulæ Pastoralis, is the one adopted by the Benedictine Edition from several ancient mss., being Gregory's own designation of his work when he sent it to his friend, Leander of Seville;--"Ut librum Regulæ Pastoralis, quem in episcopatus mei exordio scripsi...sanctitati tuæ transmitterem" (Epp. Lib. v.…
1,542 wordsSECTION 122Chapter I.
Chapter I. That the unskilful venture not to approach an office of authority. No one presumes to teach an art till he has first, with intent meditation, learnt it. What rashness is it, then, for the unskilful to assume pastoral authority, since the government of souls is the art of arts! For who can be ignorant that the sores …
765 wordsSECTION 123Chapter II.
Chapter II. That none should enter on a place of government who practise not in life what they have learnt by study. There are some also who investigate spiritual precepts with cunning care, but what they penetrate with their understanding they trample on in their lives: all at once they teach the things which not by practice …
1,099 wordsSECTION 124Chapter IV.
Chapter IV. That for the most part the occupation of government dissipates the solidity of the mind. Often the care of government, when undertaken, distracts the heart in divers directions; and one is found unequal to dealing with particular things, while with confused mind divided among many. Whence a certain wise man provide…
1,305 wordsSECTION 125Chapter VI.
Chapter VI. That those who fly from the burden of rule through humility are then truly humble when they resist not the divine decrees. There are some also who fly by reason only of their humility, lest they should be preferred to others to whom they esteem themselves unequal. And theirs, indeed, if it be surrounded by other vi…
1,139 wordsSECTION 126Chapter IX.
Chapter IX. That the mind of those who wish for pre-eminence for the most part flatters itself with a feigned promise of good works. But for the most part those who covet pastoral authority mentally propose to themselves some good works besides, and, though desiring it with a motive of pride, still muse how they will effect gr…
1,174 wordsSECTION 127Chapter XI.
Chapter XI. What manner of man ought not to come to rule. Wherefore let every one measure himself wisely, lest he venture to assume a place of rule, while in himself vice still reigns unto condemnation; lest one whom his own guilt depraves desire to become an intercessor for the faults of others. For on this account it is said…
1,790 wordsSECTION 128Chapter I.
Chapter I. How one who has in due order arrived at a place of rule ought to demean himself in it. The conduct of a prelate ought so far to transcend the conduct of the people as the life of a shepherd is wont to exalt him above the flock. For one whose estimation is such that the people are called his flock is bound anxiously …
928 wordsSECTION 129Chapter III.
Chapter III. That the ruler should be always chief in action. The ruler should always be chief in action, that by his living he may point out the way of life to those that are put under him, and that the flock, which follows the voice and manners of the shepherd, may learn how to walk better through example than through words.…
1,081 wordsSECTION 130Chapter IV.
Chapter IV. That the ruler should be discreet in keeping silence, profitable in speech. The ruler should be discreet in keeping silence, profitable in speech; lest he either utter what ought to be suppressed or suppress what he ought to utter. For, as incautious speaking leads into error, so indiscreet silence leaves in error …
1,320 wordsSECTION 131Chapter V.
Chapter V. That the ruler should be a near neighbour to every one in compassion, and exalted above all in contemplation. The ruler should be a near neighbour to every one in sympathy, and exalted above all in contemplation, so that through the bowels of loving-kindness he may transfer the infirmities of others to himself, and …
1,170 wordsSECTION 132Chapter VI.
Chapter VI. That the ruler should be, through humility, a companion of good livers, but, through the zeal of righteousness, rigid against the vices of evildoers. The ruler should be, through humility, a companion of good livers, and, through the zeal of righteousness, rigid against the vices of evil-doers; so that in nothing h…
2,684 wordsSECTION 133Chapter VII.
Chapter VII. That the ruler relax not his care for the things that are within in his occupation among the things that are without, nor neglect to provide for the things that are without in his solicitude for the things that are within. The ruler should not relax his care for the things that are within in his occupation among t…
2,233 wordsSECTION 134Chapter VIII.
[1271] The wording of this passage is obscure and may be corrupt. In a corresponding one in Gregory's Epistles (Lib. VII. Ep. 4), in other respects the same as this, we find, instead of "et rursus per moderatam cordis intentionem non impeditur," "et rursus per immoderatam cordis intentio non impeditur." Here, though non before i…
1,136 wordsSECTION 135Chapter IX.
Chapter IX. That the ruler ought to be careful to understand how commonly vices pass themselves off as virtues. The ruler also ought to understand how commonly vices pass themselves off as virtues. For often niggardliness palliates itself under the name of frugality, and on the other hand prodigality hides itself under the app…
2,206 wordsSECTION 136Chapter XI.
But meanwhile it is to be borne in mind that, while the mind of the teacher exasperates itself for rebuke, it is very difficult for him to avoid breaking out into saying something that he ought not to say. And for the most part it happens that, when the faults of subordinates are reprehended with severe invective, the tongue of …
1,434 wordsSECTION 137Chapter I.
Chapter I. What diversity there ought to be in the art of preaching. Differently to be admonished are these that follow:-- Men and women. The poor and the rich. The joyful and the sad. Prelates and subordinates. Servants and masters. The wise of this world and the dull. The impudent and the bashful. The forward and the…
1,483 wordsSECTION 138Chapter III.
Chapter III. How the joyful and the sad are to be admonished. Admonition4. Differently to be admonished are the joyful and the sad. That is, before the joyful are to be set the sad things that follow upon punishment; but before the sad the promised glad things of the kingdom. Let the joyful learn by the asperity of threatening…
1,680 wordsSECTION 139Chapter V.
Chapter V. How servants and masters are to be admonished. (Admonition 6). Differently to be admonished are servants and masters. Servants, to wit, that they ever keep in view the humility of their condition; but masters, that they lose not recollection of their nature, in which they are constituted on an equality with servants…
939 wordsSECTION 140Chapter VIII.
Chapter VIII. How the forward and the faint-hearted are to be admonished. (Admonition 9.) Differently to be admonished are the forward and the faint-hearted. For the former, presuming on themselves too much, disdain all others when reproved by them; but the latter, while too conscious of their own infirmity, for the most part …
828 wordsSECTION 141Chapter IX.
Chapter IX. How the impatient and the patient are to be admonished. (Admonition 10.) Differently to be admonished are the impatient and the patient. For the impatient are to be told that, while they neglect to bridle their spirit, they are hurried through many steep places of iniquity which they seek not after, inasmuch as fur…
1,941 wordsSECTION 142Chapter X.
Chapter X. How the kindly-disposed and the envious are to be admonished. (Admonition 11.) Differently to be admonished are the kindly-disposed and the envious. For the kindly-disposed are to be admonished so to rejoice in what is good in others as to desire to have the like as their own; so to praise with affection the deeds o…
976 wordsSECTION 143Chapter XI.
Chapter XI. How the simple and the crafty are to be admonished. (Admonition 12.) Differently to be admonished are the simple and the insincere. The simple are to be praised for studying never to say what is false, but to be admonished to know how sometimes to be silent about what is true. For, as falsehood has always harmed hi…
1,247 wordsSECTION 144Chapter XII.
Chapter XII. How the whole and the sick are to be admonished. (Admonition 13.) Differently to be admonished are the whole and the sick. For the whole are to be admonished that they employ the health of the body to the health of the soul: lest, if they turn the grace of granted soundness to the use of iniquity, they be made wor…
1,908 wordsSECTION 145Chapter XIII.
Chapter XIII. How those who fear scourges and those who contemn them are to be admonished. (Admonition 14.) Differently to be admonished are those who fear scourges, and on that account live innocently, and those who have grown so hard in wickedness as not to be corrected even by scourges. For those who fear scourges are to be…
1,017 wordsSECTION 146Chapter XIV.
Chapter XIV. How the silent and the talkative are to be admonished. (Admonition 15.) Differently to be admonished are the over-silent, and those who spend time in much speaking. For it ought to be insinuated to the over-silent that while they shun some vices unadvisedly, they are, without its being perceived, implicated in wor…
1,486 wordsSECTION 147Chapter XV.
Chapter XV. How the slothful and the hasty are to be admonished. (Admonition 16.) Differently to be admonished are the slothful and the hasty. For the former are to be persuaded not to lose, by putting it off, the good they have to do; but the latter are to be admonished lest, while they forestall the time of good deeds by inc…
847 wordsSECTION 148Chapter XVI.
Chapter XVI. How the meek and the passionate are to be admonished. (Admonition 17.) Differently to be admonished are the meek and the passionate. For sometimes the meek, when they are in authority, suffer from the torpor of sloth, which is a kindred disposition, and as it were placed hard by. And for the most part from the lax…
1,254 wordsSECTION 149Chapter XVII.
Chapter XVII. How the humble and the haughty are to be admonished. (Admonition 18.) Differently to be admonished are the humble and the haughty. To the former it is to be insinuated how true is that excellence which they hold in hoping for it; to the latter it is to be intimated how that temporal glory is as nothing which even…
1,205 wordsSECTION 150Chapter XVIII.
Chapter XVIII. How the obstinate and the fickle are to be admonished. (Admonition 19.) Differently to be admonished are the obstinate and the fickle. The former are to be told that they think more of themselves than they are, and therefore do not acquiesce in the counsels of others: but the latter are to be given to understand…
2,197 wordsSECTION 151Chapter XX.
Chapter XX. How to be admonished are those who give away what is their own, and those who seize what belongs to others. (Admonition 21.) Differently to be admonished are those who already give compassionately of their own, and those who still would fain seize even what belongs to others. For those who already give compassionat…
2,099 wordsSECTION 152Chapter XXI.
Chapter XXI. How those are to be admonished who desire not the things of others, but keep their own; and those who give of their own, yet seize on those of others. (Admonition 22.) Differently to be admonished are those who neither desire what belongs to others nor bestow what is their own, and those who give of what they have…
1,256 wordsSECTION 153Chapter XXII.
Chapter XXII. How those that are at variance and those that are at peace are to be admonished. (Admonition 23.) Differently to be admonished are those that are at variance and those that are at peace. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can …
1,826 wordsSECTION 154Chapter XXIII.
Chapter XXIII. How sowers of strifes and peacemakers are to be admonished. (Admonition 24.) Differently to be admonished are sowers of strifes and peacemakers. For sowers of strifes are to be admonished to perceive whose followers they are. For of the apostate angel it is written, when tares had been sown among the good crop, …
998 wordsSECTION 155Chapter XXIV.
Chapter XXIV. How the rude in sacred learning, and those who are learned but not humble, are to be admonished. (Admonition 25.) Differently to be admonished are those who do not understand aright the words of the sacred Law, and those who understand them indeed aright, but speak them not humbly. For those who understand not ar…
1,482 wordsSECTION 156Chapter XXV.
Chapter XXV. How those are to be admonished who decline the office of preaching out of too great humility, and those who seize on it with precipitate haste. (Admonition 26.) Differently to be admonished are those who, though able to preach worthily, are afraid by reason of excessive humility, and those whom imperfection or age…
1,903 wordsSECTION 157Chapter XXVI.
Chapter XXVI. How those are to be admonished with whom everything succeeds according to their wish, and those with whom nothing does. (Admonition 27.) Differently to be admonished are those who prosper in what they desire in temporal matters, and those who covet indeed the things that are of this world, but yet are wearied wit…
1,424 wordsSECTION 158Chapter XXVII.
Chapter XXVII. How the married and the single are to be admonished. (Admonition 28.) Differently to be admonished are those who are bound in wedlock and those who are free from the ties of wedlock. For those who are bound in wedlock are to be admonished that, while they take thought for each other's good, they study, both of t…
1,872 wordsSECTION 159Chapter XXVIII.
Chapter XXVIII. How those are to be admonished who have had experience of the sins of the flesh, and those who have not. (Admonition 29.) Differently to be admonished are those who are conscious of sins of the flesh, and those who know them not. For those who have had experience of the sins of the flesh are to be admonished th…
1,944 wordsSECTION 160Chapter XXIX.
Chapter XXIX. How they are to be admonished who lament sins of deed, and those who lament only sins of thought. (Admonition 30.) Differently to be admonished are those who deplore sins of deed, and those who deplore sins of thought. For those who deplore sins of deed are to be admonished that perfected lamentations should wash…
1,385 wordsSource & rights
Historical text source: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. The downloaded text itself records Public Domain.