51. A certain brother said unto an old man, “If a brother bringeth unto me news from the outer world, dost thou wish me to tell him not to bring it to me?” The old man said unto him, “Nay,” and the brother said unto him, “Why?” The old man said unto him, “Because not even we are able to flee from this. For having told our neighbour that he must not do this, we ourselves afterwards may be found doing the very same thing.” And that brother said unto him, “What then is the right [course of action]?” Then the old man said unto him, “If we take upon ourselves to hold our peace, the example alone will be sufficient to make our neighbour do the same.”
52. The blessed Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, once went with a certain judge to Abbâ Arsenius, and begged the old man to let him hear some saying from him; and the old man held his peace for a little, and then answered him, and said, “If I speak a word to you will ye observe it?” And they promised to keep it. The old man said unto them, “In whatsoever place ye hear that Arsenius is, come not nigh thereunto.”
53. Abbâ Macarius said unto Abbâ Arsenius, “Why fleest thou from us?” And the old man said unto him, “God knoweth that I love you, but I cannot be both with God and with men. The thousands and ten thousands of beings who are above have only one will, but men have many wills: I cannot, therefore, leave God and be with men.” And the old man was always uttering these words, “Arsenius, for this thou didst go forth.” And he used to say thus: “I have many times repented that I spoke, but that I held my peace I have never repented.”
54. Abbâ Anthony said, “The cell of a monk is the furnace of Babylon wherein the Three Children found the Son of God, and it is also the pillar of cloud wherefrom God spake with Moses.”
55. On one occasion the Fathers in Scete were gathered together, and because certain folk were wishing to see Abbâ Moses, they treated him with contumely, saying, “Why doth this Ethiopian come and go in our midst?” But Moses hearing this held his peace. And when the congregation was dismissed, they said unto him, “Abbâ Moses, wast thou not afraid?” And he said unto them, “Although I was afraid I uttered not a word.”
56. On one occasion certain brethren came unto John the Less to tempt him, for they had heard that he never permitted his mind to think about any of the affairs of this world, and that he never spoke about them. And they said unto him, “Father, we thank God because He hath brought down this
