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Longer Rules

St Basil the Great, tr. Lowther Clarke, 1925

Rule 24: Now that These Matters Have Been Sufficiently Explained to Us, We Should Like to…

Since the apostle says: “Let all things be done decently and in order,”¹ we reckon that to be a decent and orderly manner of life among the society² of the faithful, in which the principle of the members of the body is preserved. So that one has the powers of the eye, being entrusted with the general oversight,³ both approving what has been done, and foreseeing and arranging what is to be done; and another the powers of the ear or hand in respect of hearing or doing what is necessary—and so on. Know therefore that just as with our members it is dangerous for any one limb to neglect its functions, or not to make use of another for the purpose for which it was made by God the Creator—for if the hand or foot obey not the guidance of the eye, the one will inevitably touch dangerous things to the destruction of the whole body, and the other will knock against them or be precipitated from a height; or if the eye be closed so as not to see it will of necessity be destroyed with the other members, all suffering the same fate—so also both neglect on the part of the Superior is fraught with blame since he has to answer for all, and disobedience on the part of the subordinates is harmful and wrong, and especially dangerous if it causes others to offend. Each man therefore in his own place showing willing zeal and fulfilling the apostle’s command, “in diligence not slothful,”⁴ receives praise for his zeal: but if he is negligent the contrary is true, namely a pronouncement of misery and woe. For “cursed” it says “is every one that doeth the works of the Lord carelessly.”⁵

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