1 Prov. xv.'13.
* Here follows in some texts, though absent from the best MSS. and deemed by Garnier a gloss: ‘Solomon, wisest of men, confirms the word saying, The fool lifteth up his voice in laughter, but a wise man will scarce smile quietly” (Eeclus. xxi. 20). Of. Ben. Reg. vii (tenth grade of humility) where the same passage is quoted.
2 Heels ui 2:
* Kecl. vii. 6 &¢ gevh tév dxavOdv NAC (Sw. B om. tév), obta¢ 6 yéhwg AC (Sw. B om. 6).
5 See Lk. vi. 25,
® Gen. xxi. 6 6 Ocdg with Heb., Sw. Kugtoc. AY 9 a ge
8 Job viii. 21 dnO.wdy 88 ordux (Sw. drnOuwady).
° The sense is fixed by the context. Cf. yatpe gc trupdv of the famous hymn, familiar in B.’s circle (cf. Greg. Nyss. Vit. Macr. 986s).
1 1 Cor. viii. 138. 2 See 1 Cor. ix. 12. 3 For the monks as athletes cf. Hist. Laus. passim and especially ch. xviii Macarius of Alexandria. ‘‘ This was the method of his asceticism. If ever he heard of any feat, he did the same thing, perfectly.” Cf. also Basil’s 2nd Homily on Fasting 11a.
49 Cor, xii. 10.
XVIII. — That it is Necessary to Eat All that is Set before Us
We must of necessity lay down this principle also, that continence is indispensable for those that contend for piety if they are to achieve the requisite “buffeting” of the body. For “every man that striveth in the games is temperate in all things.” But to avoid falling into the same error as the enemies of God, who are branded in their conscience as with a hot iron, and therefore abstain from meats, which God created to be received by the faithful with thanksgiving, we should taste every kind of food when opportunity is given, to show to the onlookers that to the pure all things are pure and that every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. But in so doing we must continually keep continence in mind, using the cheaper foods and bare necessaries to the extent of our need, though even in them shunning the harmfulness of satiety, and refraining entirely from what ministers to pleasure. For thus we shall extirpate the vice of voluptuaries and cure, so far as lies in us, those who are branded in their conscience with a hot iron, and free ourselves from the suspicion of falling into either extreme. “For why is my liberty judged by another conscience?” Continence betokens a man who has died with Christ and mortified his members that are upon the earth. We know it to be the mother of temperance, the winner of health, the potent remover of hindrances to the bearing of good fruit in Christ. Since, as the Lord says, the cares of this world, and the pleasures of life, and the lusts of other things choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Even the demons flee continence, for the Lord Himself taught us that “this kind goeth not out save by prayer and fasting.”
XIX. — What is the Measure of Continence?
As regards the vices of the soul, there is one measure of continence, namely complete abstinence from all that tends to harmful pleasure. But as regards food, different men have different needs, which vary according to age and occupation and proportionately to the habit of the body; so also is the measure and fashion of the use of food. And so it is impossible that all who are being trained in godliness should be comprehended under the same rule. But having defined the measure to be observed by those of the ascetics who are in health, we allow those responsible for the discipline to make wise deviations from it to meet individual circumstances. For it is not possible to deal with every single case in my instructions, but only with the broad outlines of generally applicable teaching. For whether it be invalids wanting strengthening food, or a man otherwise exhausted after strenuous toil, or one who needs food to prepare him for labour such as a journey or other hard task, the superiors will always arrange according to the need, following the saying: “They were parted unto all according as each had need.” It is impossible therefore to fix the same hour for taking food, or the same manner or measure; but let the satisfying of the need be the aim in each case. For to have the stomach full to excess, and weighed down with food, entails a curse, since the Lord said: “Woe unto you, ye that are full now”; and renders the body itself useless for activities, prone to slumber, and exposed to injuries. Nor indeed should we make pleasure the end of eating, but utility in order to preserve life, avoiding the intemperance of pleasure. For to be enslaved to pleasures is nothing else than to make one’s belly one’s god. For since our body, being always emptied and diminished, needs to be filled—on which account our appetites for food are natural—the right principle of the use of food prescribes the filling up of what has been emptied in order to support the animal nature, whether the need be for dry or liquid nourishment.
Whatever then is calculated to free us from our need with the least trouble, that is to be employed. The Lord Himself shows this by the manner in which He entertained the wearied multitude in the desert, “lest they should faint in the way.” For though He had the power to extend the miracle in the desert by devising a sumptuous repast, He prepared a meal for them so frugal and simple as to consist of barley loaves and a little fish besides the bread. Drink is not even mentioned, since all could get water, which is available by nature for all, and is sufficient for our needs; unless indeed such a beverage is harmful to anyone owing to his infirmities and therefore to be avoided in accordance with Paul’s advice to Timothy. In fact all things which are manifestly harmful are to be avoided. For it is incongruous to take food in order to sustain the body and then by means of this very food to wage war with the body and hinder it in observing the commandments. The same principle teaches us to accustom our soul to avoid what is harmful, however pleasurable it be. We must however by all means prefer what is easily procured, so that we do not under pretext of continence take pains to get expensive foods, seasoning our dishes with costly condiments. But in each district we must choose what is easily procurable and cheap and ready for the use of the public, of imported foods using only such as are essential for life, such as oil and the like, and whatever is necessary for invalid’s diet, and that only if it can be got without fuss and disturbance and distraction.
* 1 Cor. ix. 25. 2 See 1 Tim. iv. 2. 3 See Tit. 1. 15. * 1 Tim. iv. 5. Cf. B. 92 and Hom. Quod Deus non auctor est malorum.
5 Hither failure to lead an ascetic life or Manichean condemnation of what God has created.
et Cor. x, 29: 7 See Col. iii. 3, 5. 8 Ga@pootvncg.
9 See Mk. iv. 19. 10 Mt. xvii. 21 added in K.
1 The spirit of this answer is reproduced by Benedict xxxiv, xxxix, xl. Acts iv. 35 is quoted in answer to the question, Should all fare alike 2? The measure (mensura) of food and drink is discussed. Special allowances are left to the discretion of the prior. For monastic fare in Bas.’ coenobia cf. Ep. ii. 6, cevii. 2 (compared unfavourably with Egypt).; 2 This applies to a great deal of the Rules. 3 Acts iv. 35. 4 Lk. vi. 25. 5 See Mt. xv. 32.
XX. — What is the Method of Receiving Guests, so far as Food is Concerned
Vainglory and men-pleasing and doing things for display are absolutely forbidden to Christians in every matter; since he who performs the actual command to be seen by men and receive glory, loses the attendant reward. And those who have accepted every form of humiliation because of the commandment of the Lord must be exceedingly careful to shun every form of vainglory. But since we see worldlings ashamed of the humility of poverty and providing plentiful and expensive food whenever they receive a guest, I fear lest the same disease may attack us unwittingly, and we be convicted of being ashamed of the poverty pronounced blessed by Christ. For just as it does not befit us to procure from outside silver vessels or crimson hangings or soft cushions or diaphanous robes, so also it is unfitting to devise food much different from our daily diet. For that we should run round seeking out what is not required for essential needs, but is devised for miserable pleasure and deadly vainglory, is not only disgraceful and inappropriate to our professed aim, but does no common harm, when the luxurious who measure happiness by the pleasures of the belly see us also engaged in the same cares as distract them. For if luxury is evil and to be avoided, we must never choose it. For nothing that is condemned can be right temporarily. For they that give themselves to pleasure and anoint themselves with the choicest myrrh and drink strained wine are condemned by the Scripture. And because of pleasure the widow is said to be dead, though still alive. The rich man was deprived of Paradise owing to his luxury here. What then have we and costly expenditure in common? Has a stranger come to see us? If he is a brother and has the same ideals as ourselves, he will recognise the familiar table. For he will find with us what he left at home. But suppose he is tired after his journey? Then we give him just so much as will alleviate his fatigue.
Another has come from the life of the world. Let him learn from works what words did not teach him, and let him receive the pattern and example of our frugality. Let him have abiding memories of the table of Christians and poverty borne without shame for Christ’s sake. But if he takes no notice of these, but rather mocks at them, he will not trouble us a second time. But when we see certain rich men who put the enjoyment of pleasures in the forefront of blessings, we grieve much on their account because, spending all their life on folly and having made pleasure their god, they do not perceive that they are receiving their portion of blessings in this life, by their luxury here, and are speeding to the fire prepared for them and its scorching heat. If ever we get an opportunity, we do not hesitate to explain these things to them in person.
But if we too are to be guilty of the same fault and according to our opportunities both seek pleasures and make preparations for display, then I fear we shall seem to be building up what we are destroying, and in judging others shall condemn ourselves in that our life is insincere and we assume different guises from time to time, even going so far as changing our clothes when we have to meet illustrious persons. But if this is disgraceful, much more disgraceful is it that our table should be altered on account of luxurious-living men. The life of the Christian is consistent, and has one aim—the glory of God. “For whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God,” says Paul speaking in Christ. Whereas the life of men of the world is inconsistent and varied, constantly altered in different ways to please chance-comers.
So also, if thou alterest thy table for thy brother’s pleasure piling up the food and fussing over it, thou art accusing him of being an epicure and by thy preparations reproaching him with gluttony, since thou art convicting him of delight in such things. Have we not often guessed who or what was expected after seeing the appearance and quality of the preparations? The Lord did not praise Martha, cumbered about much serving, but said: “Thou art anxious and troubled about many things; but few things, or only one, are needed”—“few,” referring to the preparations: “one,” referring to the end, the satisfying of the need. Thou knowest what food the Lord Himself put before the Five Thousand. Then there is Jacob’s prayer to God: “If thou wilt give me bread to eat and raiment to put on,” not “If thou wilt give luxuries and costly things.” What says Solomon, wisest of men? “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but provide what is necessary and sufficient, lest I be filled and become false and say, Who seeth me? or lest I become poor and steal and use profanely the name of my God.” He thus defines riches as satiety and poverty as complete absence of the necessaries of life; and means by sufficiency having neither a deficiency or superfluity of necessaries. But sufficiency has a different meaning in different cases according to the state of the body and its needs in view of the work to be done. For one man needs food more in quantity and more nourishing on account of his toil, another lighter food suitable in every way to his condition because of his weakness; but all alike need the cheaper and easily procurable kinds. Howbeit on every occasion careful preparation and a hospitable table are essential, provided we never pass the bounds of what is necessary. Let this be the limit of our hospitality, what is required by the needs of each visitor. “As using this world,” we read, “and not abusing it.” Now unnecessary expenditure is abuse. Have we no money? So let it be. Are our barns not full? Our life is lived from day to day, and the labours of our hands ensure its continuance. Why should we spend the food given by God to the hungry on the pleasures of the luxurious? In so doing we sin doubly, inflicting on the one side the sufferings caused by want and on the other the consequences of satiety.