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Shorter Rules
St Basil the Great, tr. Lowther Clarke, 1925
Rule 97: If a Man Says, I Should Like to Be Benefited by a Short Stay Among You, Must We…
The Lord said: Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out”’1 and the apostle explained: “But because of the false brethren privily brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: to whom we gave place in the way of subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you ’2; it follows that we must allow him to enter because of the doubtfulness of the result; for often, benefited by his temporary sojourn, he will devote himself to the life once for all, as has happened not seldom; and a man who perhaps has had strange suspicions about us will have our strict discipline demonstrated to him. But in the case of such a man it is necessary to keep up the discipline with great care, both that the truth may be manifested and that suspicion of any negligence may be removed.
Notes
- Jn. vi. 37.
- Gal. ii. 4 καταδουλώσωνται for καταδουλώσονται K; 5 διαμένῃ for διαμείνῃ*.