Правило 19 Василия Великого

We know of no other vows of husbands than those who have ranked themselves among the rank of monastics, who show by silence that they accept celibacy. But even for these I think it is proper to be in advance, so that they ask, and let a clear vow of virginity be accepted from them: and if they are seduced into a carnal and voluptuous life, let them fall under the penance prescribed for fornicators. (Ap. 26; IV Universe. 7, 16; Trul. 44; Anchir. 19; Basil Vel. 6, 18, 20, 60). The vow of virginity (τής παρθενίας) or celibacy (τής αγαμίας) can be taken by everyone, no matter what social circle they belong to; however, virginity or celibacy is a necessary condition only in monasticism (έν τψ τάγματι τών μοναζόντων), since the monk, as soon as he entered the rank, thereby took a vow, even if he did not solemnly give it. The pronouncing of the vows that are now required of everyone entering the monastic order was not yet prescribed in the time of Basil the Great, which explains the words at the beginning of the rule: οί κατά τό σιωπώμενον δοκούσι παραδέχεσθαι τήν άγαμίαν (who show by silence that they accept celibacy). Saint Basil nevertheless finds that they too should take a solemn vow of celibacy, so that later, in case of violation of it, they could be punished. This is a general rule about monks, issued by St. Basil regarding the specific issue of Amphilochius. However, Basil the Great also issued many other rules about monks and monastic life, which are still in force in the Orthodox Church. Monasticism existed in the church much earlier than Basil the Great; however, it was not regulated by general rules, and monks in famous monasteries were governed according to the regulations and instructions of their abbots. Basil the Great has the honor of regulating monastic life. Among the works of Basil the Great, which have survived to us, there is a whole series of writings entitled `Ασκητικά, which relate more or less to monasticism. Before publishing his rules on monasticism, Basil the Great wrote three short essays: on the sublimity of the title of a warrior of Christ (monk), on spiritual perfection, and on monastic life. To these works he added, after extensive discussions about the judgment of God and about faith, 80 rules on morality, some of which have several paragraphs (the 70th, for example, the rule has 36 paragraphs), and with each rule and paragraph all relevant passages from the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament are given. Some of these rules concern issues included in general canon law, for example: on the sanctity of sacred utensils (right. 30 and 31), on simony (Rule 58), on the veneration of sacred persons (Rule 61), on bishops (Rule 70), on divorce (Rule 73), etc. Having set out these general moral rules (ηθικά) on the basis of Holy Scripture, Saint Basil then issued two groups of special rules on monasticism, more extensive (δροι κατά πλάτος) and brief (κατ' επιτομήν). There are 55 lengthy rules, and 313 short ones. All of them are in the form of questions and answers; The first of them, lengthy, set out the foundations of monastic life, and the second, short, concern the particulars of how a monk should live. To these rules, Vasily added penances (έπιτίμια) for monks and nuns in case of violation of one or another rule, 60 of them for monks, and 19 for nuns. Vasily subsequently collected all these rules about penances into one collection entitled: άσκητικαί διατάξεις in 34 chapters 53 . For a proper understanding of this (19) rule, as well as the other rules about monasticism, one must, in any case, get acquainted with the mentioned σκητικά of Basil and study them, for only then can one understand the entire sublimity of true monastic life. All this, translated into Russian, see in “Christian Reading” for 1823, 1834 and 1835, as well as in the publication of the Moscow Theological Academy “Creations of St. Basil the Great”. 1901 Part 5. You might be interested in: