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Shorter Rules

St Basil the Great, tr. Lowther Clarke, 1925

Rule 231: If a Brother Behaves Badly Towards Me and Shows Enmity to Me, or Sometimes…

The Lord in His commandments about enemies hinted at no differences between one enemy and another, or one enmity and another. Rather in the case of those higher in rank he defined the same sin to be worse, saying to them: “But why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ’² So there is especial need of zeal and care both in their case and in the case of those who seem to hold higher position, that we may care for them duly, whether by exhorting them or by rebuke with fitting patience, and having observed in their case everything else as the Lord commands may keep ourselves in this matter without blame.

Notes

For priests in the coenobium (the exception, one gathers from this question) cf. B. 64 (438c), 265.
Mt. vii. 3.