The Book of Pastoral Rule

1. The Profound Responsibility of Spiritual Leadership

What rashness is it, then, for the unskilful to assume pastoral authority, since the government of souls is the art of arts!

A sacred trust. Assuming pastoral authority is not a light matter, but the "art of arts," demanding profound skill and spiritual insight. Just as a physician of the body must understand drugs, a physician of the soul must comprehend the hidden "sores of the thoughts of men." Those who seek this office for worldly glory or personal ambition, rather than divine calling and virtue, are condemned by the Lord, for they "reign of themselves, and not by the Will of the Supreme Ruler."

Ignorance is dangerous. Unskilled shepherds lead their flock astray, much like the blind leading the blind, causing both to fall into a ditch. Their lack of understanding not only harms themselves but also those entrusted to their care, as their ignorance becomes a stumbling block. The Lord complains that "The shepherds themselves have not known understanding," and "they that handle the law knew Me not," indicating a profound spiritual blindness.

The burden of authority. The weight of government is immense, and even Christ Himself, who could blamelessly reign, fled from being made a king, choosing instead the ignominy of the cross. This teaches His followers to "fly from the favours of the world, to be afraid of no terrors, to love adversity for the truth's sake, and to shrink in fear from prosperity." Prosperity often defiles the heart with vain glory, while adversity purges it through sorrow, making one aware of their true self.

2. A Pastor's Life: A Living Example of Purity and Action

The conduct of a prelate ought so far to transcend the conduct of the people as the life of a shepherd is wont to exalt him above the flock.

Exemplary living. A spiritual leader must embody purity in thought and preeminence in action, serving as a beacon for the flock. Their life should be a visible path for others to follow, demonstrating rectitude more powerfully through example than through mere words. The voice that "more readily penetrates the hearer's heart" is that which the speaker's life commends, making their commands easier to follow.

Inner and outer virtues. The pastor's inner thoughts must be pure, unpolluted by impurity, as they are tasked with cleansing others. This inner purity is symbolized by the "breastplate of judgment" on Aaron, signifying that "lax cogitations should by no means possess the priestly heart, but reason alone constrain it." Outwardly, their actions should be not only profitable but singular, transcending even the well-doers among their flock, like the "right shoulder" assigned for sacrifice.

Adorned with virtues. The priest's ephod, made of gold, blue, purple, twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen, symbolizes the diverse virtues a pastor must possess.

• Gold: Wisdom and understanding.
• Blue: Love of celestial things, rising above earthly favors.
• Purple: Royal power to repress vice, guarding the nobility of inward regeneration.
• Twice-dyed scarlet: Charity (love of God and neighbor), burning with inward love.
• Fine-twined linen: Bodily chastity, achieved through abstinence and purity.
  These elements signify a life dedicated to spiritual excellence, both internally and externally.

3. The Art of Discretion: Speaking and Silence

The ruler should be discreet in keeping silence, profitable in speech; lest he either utter what ought to be suppressed or suppress what he ought to utter.

The balance of communication. A pastor must master the delicate balance between silence and speech. Incautious speaking can lead to error, while indiscreet silence can leave those who might have been instructed in error. Rulers who fear losing human favor and timidly withhold truth are like "dumb dogs, that cannot bark," failing to protect the flock from spiritual dangers.

Speaking truth with authority. The pastor's role is that of a herald, crying aloud before the coming judge. They must "go with free voice against the powers of this world for defence of the flock" and "resist bad men when they contend against us." The Holy Spirit, appearing as tongues, signifies that those filled by it are made eloquent, ready to preach the word "opportunely, importunely," but always with discretion.

Salt and pomegranates. When speaking, the pastor must exercise "studious caution," lest eloquence disturb unity. The Truth says, "Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another," where salt signifies wisdom. The priest's vestment, with bells and pomegranates, symbolizes this: bells for the sound of preaching, and pomegranates for the "unity of the faith." This means that in all speech, the unity of faith must be cautiously preserved, avoiding excessive or unseasonable words that "defile the speaker" and "enfeeble" the hearers.

4. Balancing Empathy with Divine Contemplation

The ruler should be a near neighbour to every one in sympathy, and exalted above all in contemplation, so that through the bowels of loving-kindness he may transfer the infirmities of others to himself, and by loftiness of speculation transcend even himself in his aspiration after the invisible.

Bridging two worlds. A pastor must possess both profound empathy for the struggles of others and an elevated capacity for divine contemplation. This dual nature prevents them from either despising the weak in their pursuit of high things or abandoning high aspirations in their condescension to the weak. Paul, caught up to the third heaven, yet concerned himself with the intimate details of marital life, demonstrating this balance.

Jacob's ladder and Moses' tabernacle. The vision of angels ascending and descending Jacob's ladder signifies that true preachers not only aspire to the "holy head of the Church" but also "descend in commiseration downward to His members." Similarly, Moses frequently entered and exited the tabernacle:

• Within: He considered the "secret things of God."
• Without: He carried the "burdens of the carnal."
  This illustrates the need for leaders to consult God in solitude and then apply that wisdom to the practical needs of their flock.

A mother's breast for the afflicted. Pastors should be approachable, so that "the little ones, vexed with the waves of temptation, may have recourse to their pastor's heart as to a mother's breast." This compassionate engagement, however, often means the pastor's mind is also "attacked by the temptations whereof it hears," like the brazen sea that cleanses others but is itself defiled. Yet, this distress for others' temptations leads to greater rescue from one's own.

5. Authority Tempered by Humility and Zeal

The ruler should be, through humility, a companion of good livers, and, through the zeal of righteousness, rigid against the vices of evil-doers.

Equality in nature, authority in office. While nature makes all men equal, the diversity of merits places some in positions of rule. A pastor must remember this equality of condition, rejoicing "not to be over men, but to do them good." However, when subjects fail to fear God, the ruler must inspire fear, not for personal glory, but for the "righteousness of their subordinates," acting as a lord over their "bestial" tendencies, not over their humanity.

Avoiding elation. The danger of authority is elation, where a ruler, surrounded by praise and quick obedience, loses "inward sense of truth" and believes themselves superior in merit. Saul, humble before kingship, became proud afterward. Peter, who refused "immoderate veneration" from Cornelius, swiftly exercised his power to condemn Ananias and Sapphira, showing that authority is for correcting sin, not for personal honor.

The rod and manna. Discipline and compassion must be blended. As the Samaritan applied both "wine to make them smart, the oil to soothe them," so a ruler must administer both the pain of correction and the softness of loving-kindness. This balance is symbolized by the ark containing both the "rod of constraint" and the "manna of sweetness."

• Love, but not enervating.
• Vigor, but not exasperating.
• Zeal, but not immoderately burning.
• Pity, but not sparing more than is expedient.
  This ensures that justice and mercy combine, leading subjects to reverential awe.

6. Holistic Stewardship: Inner Spirit, Outer Needs

The ruler should not relax his care for the things that are within in his occupation among the things that are without, nor neglect to provide for the things that are without in his solicitude for the things that are within.

Avoiding spiritual neglect. Some rulers become so engrossed in secular concerns that they neglect their spiritual duties, forgetting they are "put over their brethren for their souls' sake." This leads to a languishing flock, as "when the head languishes, the members fail to thrive." The Lord warns against hearts "overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness... or with cares of this life," for "no man can serve two masters."

Practical care for the flock. Conversely, some pastors focus solely on spiritual matters, neglecting the bodily needs of their flock. Such preaching is often despised, for "the word of doctrine penetrates not the mind of one that is in need, if the hand of compassion commends it not to his heart." Paul admonishes elders to "feed the flock of God... providing for it, not by constraint, but willingly... not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind."

The priest's hair. The command to priests to "not shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long, but polling let them poll their heads" symbolizes the balanced approach to external anxieties.

• Not shaved: Not entirely cut off from worldly concerns for the flock.
• Not long: Not allowing these concerns to grow immoderately.
• Polled: Temporal anxieties should extend as far as needed, but be cut short before they obscure spiritual vision.
  This ensures that external care protects life without impeding inward intentness.

7. Tailoring Admonition to Every Soul

For, as long before us Gregory Nazianzen of reverend memory has taught, one and the same exhortation does not suit all, inasmuch as neither are all bound together by similarity of character.

No universal remedy. Just as different herbs nourish some animals but are fatal to others, and the same medicine can aggravate one disease while curing another, so too "one and the same exhortation does not suit all." A teacher must fashion their discourse "according to the quality of the hearers," like a skillful harp player striking strings variously to produce a consonant modulation.

Diverse needs, diverse approaches. The book outlines numerous contrasting pairs, each requiring a distinct approach to admonition:

• Men and women: Heavier injunctions for men, lighter for women.
• Poor and rich: Comfort for the poor, fear of elation for the rich.
• Joyful and sad: Punishment for the joyful, promised joys for the sad.
• Subjects and prelates: Subjection not to crush, superiority not to elate.
• Wise and dull: Wise to unlearn pride, dull to learn wisdom.
• Impudent and bashful: Hard rebuke for the impudent, modest exhortation for the bashful.
• Forward and faint-hearted: Show the forward their faults, praise the faint-hearted's good.
• Impatient and patient: Impatient to bridle spirit, patient to guard heart from malice.
• Kindly-disposed and envious: Kindly to imitate good, envious to see charity's power.
• Simple and insincere: Simple to add prudence, insincere to learn sincerity.
• Whole and sick: Whole to use health for soul, sick to see discipline as love.
• Fear scourges vs. contemn them: Fearers to grow to love, contemners to be smitten sharper.
• Silent and talkative: Silent to guard thoughts, talkative to curb tongue.
• Slothful and hasty: Slothful to act now, hasty to deliberate.
• Meek and passionate: Meek to add zeal, passionate to add meekness.
• Humble and haughty: Humble to ascend, haughty to fall.
• Obstinate and fickle: Obstinate to vanquish self, fickle to strengthen mind.
• Gluttonous and abstinent: Gluttonous to avoid lechery, abstinent to avoid pride/impatience.
• Givers and takers: Givers to be humble, takers to fear judgment.
• Neither give nor take vs. give and take: Neither give/take to share common gift, give/take to avoid hypocrisy.
• At variance and at peace: At variance to seek peace, at peace to seek eternal peace.
• Sowers of strifes and peacemakers: Sowers to see whose followers they are, peacemakers to discern whom to unite.
• Rude in sacred learning vs. learned but not humble: Rude to shun pride, learned to examine self.
• Decline preaching vs. seize it: Decliners to fear hiding talent, seizers to fear rashness.
• Prosperous vs. afflicted: Prosperous to seek giver, afflicted to hope for inheritance.
• Married vs. single: Married to balance worldly/divine, single to embrace freedom for God.
• Experienced in fleshly sins vs. unacquainted: Experienced to fear repetition, unacquainted to fear fall.
• Lament sins of deed vs. lament sins of thought: Deed-lamenters to perfect lamentations, thought-lamenters to discern degree of sin.
• Lament but not forsake vs. forsake but not lament: Lamenters-not-forsakers to cease defiling, forsakers-not-lamenters to add bewailing.
• Praise unlawful deeds vs. condemn but not avoid: Praisers to fear sowing evil, condemners to fear self-condemnation.
• Sudden passion vs. deliberate guilt: Sudden to guard heart, deliberate to fear stricter judgment.
• Small frequent faults vs. grievous occasional faults: Small-frequent to fear quantity, grievous-occasional to fear elation.
• Not begin good vs. not finish good: Not-beginners to demolish wrong, not-finishers to complete begun.
• Bad secretly/good publicly vs. good secretly/bad publicly: Bad-secretly/good-publicly to fear divine judgment, good-secretly/bad-publicly to avoid slaying others by bad repute.

Personalized approach. The teacher must adapt their message to the specific "life of the hearer," sometimes using sharp rebuke, other times gentle remonstrance, arguments for the wise, or examples for the dull. This tailored approach ensures that the admonition is effective, addressing the unique spiritual condition of each individual.

8. Unmasking Vices Disguised as Virtues

The ruler also ought to understand how commonly vices pass themselves off as virtues.

Subtle deceptions. A crucial skill for a spiritual leader is the vigilant discernment between true virtues and vices that masquerade as them. Often, "niggardliness palliates itself under the name of frugality," or "inordinate laxity is believed to be loving-kindness," while "unbridled wrath is accounted the virtue of spiritual zeal." This self-deception can lead to grave errors, as guilt is piled up without fear when vice is mistaken for virtue.

Examples of disguised vices:

• Niggardliness vs. Frugality: Hoarding resources versus wise management.
• Prodigality vs. Liberality: Wasteful spending versus generous giving.
• Laxity vs. Loving-kindness: Permitting sin versus compassionate understanding.
• Wrath vs. Spiritual Zeal: Uncontrolled anger versus righteous indignation.
• Precipitate Action vs. Promptness: Hasty, ill-considered action versus efficient readiness.
• Tardiness vs. Seriousness: Sluggish delay versus thoughtful deliberation.

The abstinent's pride. Even abstinence, a seemingly virtuous practice, can conceal vices like impatience or pride. Peter warns against this, linking abstinence directly to patience, and Paul cautions against judging others based on dietary practices, noting that some "glory in the virtue of abstinence" while harboring "grievous pride within." The Pharisee who boasted "I fast twice in the week" exemplifies how abstinence can become a vehicle for arrogance.

9. The Peril of Pride, The Power of Humility

The beginning of all sin is pride.

The root of all evil. Pride is identified as the fundamental sin, the "beginning of all sin," leading to downfall. The devil, "king over all the children of pride," fell by desiring to be exalted above all. Conversely, humility is the path to divine likeness, as "Our Redeemer humbled himself, being made obedient even unto death." The humble ascend by abasing themselves, while the haughty fall by exalting themselves.

False humility and hidden pride. Leaders must be wary of false humility, which can mask fear and prevent necessary rebuke, and of haughtiness, which can masquerade as "freedom of uprightness." Some remain silent out of timidity, believing it to be humility, while others speak with "unbridled impetuosity of pride," thinking it righteous freedom. Both extremes are dangerous, as they either fail to correct wrong or do so with improper motives.

Correcting the haughty. To correct the proud, a pastor should often temper rebuke with praise, acknowledging any good qualities before addressing faults. This approach, like sweetening bitter medicine with honey, makes the reproof more palatable. Moses, when seeking to guide the haughty Hobab, appealed to his potential usefulness, making the proud listener more receptive by believing himself necessary, thus bending his will to exhortation.

10. Continuous Self-Examination and Scriptural Immersion

For if perchance any one should come to us asking us to intercede for him with some great man, who was incensed against him, but to us unknown, we should at once reply, We cannot go to intercede for you, since we have no familiar acquaintance with that man.

Knowing oneself before God. A pastor must constantly examine their own life and relationship with God before presuming to intercede for others. How can one ask for pardon for others if they are unsure of God's favor towards themselves? There is a grave danger that one "supposed to be competent to appease wrath should himself provoke it on account of guilt of his own." This self-awareness is paramount to effective spiritual leadership.

The ark and its staves. The command for the ark to have "staves of shittim-wood" always in its rings symbolizes the continuous study of sacred scripture by teachers.

• Ark: Holy Church.
• Staves: Strong, persevering teachers.
• Rings: Sacred volumes.
  The staves must "always be in the rings" so that when the ark needs to be carried (when a pastor is questioned), there is no delay in providing answers. This means teachers must "ever meditate in their own hearts the words of Sacred Writ."

Ready to give an answer. Paul admonishes Timothy to "give attendance to reading," and Peter urges all pastors to "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you." This constant readiness, born of deep scriptural meditation, ensures that the pastor is not only pure in thought but also equipped to instruct and guide, avoiding the ignominy of learning when they should be teaching.

11. Avoiding Inaction and Precipitate Haste

For indeed we tarry together in the city, if we restrain ourselves within the enclosures of our souls from wandering abroad in speech; so that, when we are perfectly endued with divine power, we may then go out as it were from ourselves abroad, instructing others also.

The sin of omission. Virtuous individuals who refuse to undertake leadership, preferring their own ease, are guilty of depriving others of the gifts they received not for themselves alone. They are like those who "bind up in a napkin the money which he has received, and be judged for hiding it." Hiding the word of preaching from sinning brethren is akin to withholding remedies from dying souls, incurring a curse for "hiding grain."

The danger of rashness. Conversely, those who rush into preaching without sufficient preparation or divine calling are like young birds attempting to fly before their wings are formed, or new buildings collapsing under weight. Christ Himself, though capable of immediate teaching, waited until His thirtieth year to preach, providing an example that "none who is weak should venture to teach." He was found "not teaching, but asking questions" at twelve, emphasizing the importance of being taught before teaching.

Balanced readiness. The ideal is to be both prepared and willing. Those who decline preaching out of excessive humility must overcome their fear, recognizing the spiritual famine around them. Those who rush in must exercise caution, ensuring they are "endued with power from on high" before venturing forth. The goal is to be "swift to hear, but slow to speak," ensuring that when one does speak, it is with wisdom and divine authority, not personal ambition or unpreparedness.

12. The Judicious Blend of Mercy and Discipline

Gentleness, then, is to be mingled with severity; a sort of compound is to be made of both; so that subjects be neither exulcerated by too much asperity, nor relaxed by too great kindness.

The Samaritan's example. Effective leadership requires a careful blend of gentleness and severity, like the Samaritan who applied both "wine to make them smart, the oil to soothe them" to the half-dead man's wounds. This means administering the pain of correction to purge festering sin, and the softness of loving-kindness to soothe what is curable. Without this balance, discipline can be too harsh, or compassion too lax.

Correcting with care. When correcting subordinates, superiors must maintain humility, acknowledging their own equality in nature, even while exercising authority. They should "retain inwardly what makes them fearful in their estimate of themselves," while outwardly showing discipline. This prevents pride in the corrector and despair in the corrected. Eli's failure to punish his sons led to his own doom, illustrating the danger of false affection.

The axe and the spear. Correction can be sharp, like an axe, to cut away vice, but must be wielded with care. If rebuke becomes too harsh, like an "axe flying from the hand" or "iron leaping from the handle," it can "smite and slay his friend," cutting them off from love. Sometimes, a more subtle approach is needed, like Abner piercing Asahel with the "hinder end of the spear," calmly touching the furious one with indirect hits, allowing them to fall from their rage without direct confrontation.

Last updated: March 3, 2026