NOTE: — 75 —

...word. Dost thou see this commandment, worthy of terrible dread? The word of God saith: that which He saved by His own blood and committed to thee to keep; and if thou, through negligence, dost destroy [it], of what pardon shalt thou be found worthy? This is the meaning of: "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not as by constraint, but willingly according to God." In all the commandments of God, to act willingly is worthy of praise and the occasion of great rewards, whereas that which is [done] reluctantly falleth under blame in things divine, and likewise also in things human; yea, even God Himself willeth not that anyone should serve Him reluctantly and by constraint, but He seeketh the willing. For this reason, everywhere He joineth His commandment [with free choice] and committeth the doing or not doing [thereof] to the will of the hearer. For this same cause, here also He requireth this same willing oversight of the flock from the leaders, but that which is done reluctantly He rejecteth and despiseth. For this reason He saith: "Not as by constraint, but willingly according to God." This also Paul saith of himself: "If I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, a dispensation [of the gospel] is committed unto me." Dost thou see that he placed the recompense of the retribution of rewards upon the willing, and not upon the reluctant? And to say "according to God" meaneth this: that what God willeth and requireth of you is the willing, and not the reluctant. For even as God Himself committed His flock unto you not reluctantly and of necessity, but willingly, and moreover careth for the flock, and tendeth [it], and protecteth [it] from all harmful things, in like manner also He requireth of you the oversight of His flock: not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. Filthy lucre is applied to many things; but to speak of it manifestly in the sense of gathering wealth, and to understand the word according to an easily adaptable meaning, in no way departeth from the truth. For a man who is an overseer and a teacher to fall into such evils corrupteth him all the more from his heavenly calling; because to administer and to give by way of merchandise the graces received freely is not without blame and reproach, but lieth subject to the transgression of the Lord's traditions which He delivered unto His disciples, saying: "Freely ye have received, freely give." And the Apostle condemneth even more those who have transgressed against the Lord's laws, speaking with these words: "We are not as others, which make merchandise...