Therefore, when anyone has received the name of abbot, he ought to rule his disciples with a twofold teaching, displaying all goodness and holiness by deeds and by words, but by deeds rather than by words. To intelligent disciples let him expound the Lord’s commandments in words; but to those of harder hearts and ruder minds let him show forth the divine precepts by his example. And whatever he has taught his disciples to be contrary to God’s law, let him show by his example that it is not to be done, lest while preaching to others he should himself become a castaway, and lest God should some day say to him in his sin: Why dost thou declare my justice, and take my covenant in thy mouth? For thou hast hated discipline and hast cast my words behind thee.¹ And again: Thou sawest the mote in thy brother’s eye and didst not see the beam in thy own.

¹Ps xlix, 16, 17