Accusation And Forgiveness

Ἐσυκοφαντήθη ἀδελφὸς εἰς κοινόβιον περὶ πορνείας, καὶ ἀναστὰς ἤλθε πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Ἀντώνιον· καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κοινοβίου θεραπεῦσαι αὐτὸν καὶ λαβεῖν· καὶ ἤρξαντο ἐλέγχειν ὅτι Οὔτως ἐποίησας. Ὁ δὲ ἀπελογεῖτο ὅτι Οὐδὲν τοιοῠτον ἐποίησα. Εὐκαίρηε δὲ ἐκεῖ ὁ ἀββᾶς Παφνούτιος ὁ Κεφαλᾶς, καὶ εἶπε παραβολὴν τοιαύτην· Εἶδον εἰς τὴν ὄχθαν τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἄνθρωπον βληθέντα εἰς βόρβορον ἕως τῶν γονάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλθόντες τινὲς δοῦναι αὐτῷ χεῖρα κατεπόντισαν αὐτὸν ἔως τοῦ τραχήλου. Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος περὶ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Παφνουτίου· Ἰδοὺ ἄνθωπος ἀληθινὸς, δυνάμενος θεραπεῦσαι καὶ σῶσαι ψυχάς. Κατανυγέντες οὖν τῷ λόγῷ τῶν γερόντων, ἒλαβον μετάνοιαν τῷ ἀδελφῷ. Καὶ παρακληθέντες ὑπὸ τῶν Πατέρων ἔλαβον τὸν ἀδελφὸν εἰς τὸ κοινόβιον. Ἀποφθέγματα Των Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Παλλαδιος Source: Migne PG 65.85a-b

A brother in a monastery was falsely accused of fornication and he arose and went to father Anthony. The brethren also came from the monastery to discipline him and bring him back. They set about proving that he had done this thing, but he defended himself and denied that he had done anything of the kind. Father Paphnutius, who is called Cephalus, happened to be there, and he told them this parable, 'I saw a man on the bank of the river buried up to his knees in mud and some men came to give him a hand to help him out, but they only drove him deeper in up to his neck.' Then father Anthony said this to them about father Paphnutius, 'Behold a true man, who is able to care for souls and save them.' Those present were aggrieved by the words of the elders and they asked forgiveness of the brother, then admonished by the fathers they took the brother back to the monastery. Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia