unhappy—though I have reached none of the things I mentioned—I am downcast, imploring the aid of your holy prayers, for the opening of the eyes of my soul, and for the tasting of the true love. But my body also, together with my soul, is weak, as you know, and I do not know what I shall do. For if I seem to force myself a little, I lose even that little which I possess. I have found this one consolation, which I must also set before you, my Father: namely, that I have learned, from the reading and usage of the Orientals, that it is proper for those who lead a life in retreat to partake of the divine communion every day, if it be possible. I have practiced this, and I, a wretch, have found help; my mind is held back from the movement of the passions by the fearful excellence of the gift. For what greater thing could there be for the joy and illumination of the soul than the divine communion? I pour out wine into a special glass cup, and having performed the solemn prayer, I partake of the gift, though I am unworthy. And let me know if I do well or not. Beyond . . . of the labors of your fruits to eat: blessed are you, my Father, and it shall be well with you, who have acted as a Father to many; and you have brought them to such a midway point of virtue that now all dwell in exile because of the commandment of the law of the Lord. But do pray for all, that they may finish the course. A
BOOK SECOND. Selection from his various letters of the third exile.
I. — To the Iconomachic synod, as if from the person of all the superiors. C Dogmatic [letter] concerning the holy images. (Baron. an. 814, n. 36.)
Following divine laws and canonical decrees, which define that nothing should be done or said against the judgment of one’s own bishop in matters pertaining to ecclesiastical discipline—not to mention those things which lead to dogmatic discussion—when we have been called upon once and again by your authority to such things, we, humble as we are, have not dared to act otherwise than what is ordained; as those who have been placed under the sacred hand of Nicephorus, the most holy patriarch, by the divine Spirit. But since some of the superiors of our order, as though about to face some danger, have decided that they must attend, and respond with contrary speeches: what else are we to hear than those things which astound our humble heart? For they say that this conclave is for the destruction of the second holy synod at Nicaea; that is to say, for the abolition of the veneration of the venerable image of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Theotokos... D
and of all A the saints together. And who, hearing these things, would not groan bitterly from the depth of his heart, seeing that by these acts the saving economy of our Lord Jesus Christ is already being overturned? Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, let the most eloquent Isaiah cry out with us; and all that follows these things in succession. Or rather, that we may speak more appropriately: Hear, O east and west, the north and that quarter which is by the sea, into which our affairs are now reduced, and concerning which these men do not fear to hold their assembly. We, therefore, being the least of all, both those who are present and those who are absent—for the speech is the same for both, as they are like-minded in one and the same divine sense—holding the faith consonant with the entire Church under heaven, B that is to say, to set up and venerate the divine image of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of his all-holy Mother, and of any of the saints whatsoever; not because we maintain that the security of this is had only from the second holy synod at Nicaea, or from that which most divinely legislated before it, but because, being established both in writing and by tradition upon the very presence of our Lord and God, we have securely stood upon that chair concerning which Christ says: *Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it* (Matt. XVI, 18).
For what argument could be found by one who chooses to oppose so great a power of the truth? For if it is acknowledged that our Lord Jesus Christ was seen in human form and in our likeness, he is fittingly C described and depicted after our manner; even if he himself remains uncircumscribed in his divine form, since he is the mediator between God and men, preserving intact the properties of both natures from which he is constituted. But if he were not circumscribed, he would cease to be man, and much more so, a mediator, since by the removal of the circumscribed, all the co-equal properties are removed along with it. For if he is not circumscribed, he cannot be touched; but if he is touchable, then he is also tangible; to deny which would be foolish, for these are the properties of a body that is subject to touch and color. How then is he not circumscribed, since he is also passible? But if he is circumscribed and passible, he is by all means also adorable, namely, according to that form in which he is circumscribed. As the glory of the prototype is not divided in the derivation, according to the great Basil, for the honor of the image passes to the prototype, D clearly to whomsoever it pertains, whether natural or artificial; since the same principle must be understood regarding the type of the precious cross. For by the veneration of the type, the life-giving wood is venerated together with it; just as, conversely, by its removal, it is necessary that it also be removed. Is not the confession of the type a confession of the life-giving cross? And in the same way, the denial corresponds to the same inversion. The analogy, therefore, must be applied to both the image of Christ and to Christ himself, by everyone who understands. And there is not yet time for dog—
Amatic explanation, which might easily persuade a mind—even one that is quite obscure—to lift its eyes and gaze at the splendor of the truth. This, though we are sinners, is our faith; this is our apostolic, humble confession; this is the religion handed down to us, the least of all, by the Fathers. Beyond this, not only if some one of those who are now, or were in the past, but even if Peter and Paul—for we are describing what cannot happen as if it could—or if any angel from heaven should come teaching and evangelizing anything else, we could not receive him into communion, as he does not follow the sound doctrine of the faith. And concerning these things, be it known that our humility is prepared to suffer even until death, rather than be deniers of this, our sincere confession.
To those leading the monastic life
BIn this present time, when Christ is persecuted in his image, not only must he who excels in dignity and knowledge strive, bringing forward and teaching the doctrine of the right faith, but the disciple also must take courage and profess the truth with an intrepid and free voice. These are not my words, sinner that I am, but those of the divine Chrysostom and other Fathers. But that the superiors of the Lord, detained by the emperor, did not do this in the least—even though they excelled in dignity and knowledge above all the superiors of this region—but rather remained silent; and not only this, which is grave in itself, but even gave a signature that they would neither meet among themselves nor teach—this is truly to betray the truth, and to abandon their charge, and to subvert those subject to them, as well as their equals and companions. For the Apostles, when they were ordered by the Jews not to teach in the name of Christ, answered in these words: "Judge whether it is just in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God." And again: "We must obey God rather than men." They should have said these or similar things, so that God might be glorified through them, and the orthodox might be edified, so that they might have strengthened the monasteries and comforted those suffering in exile. But why is it that we value monasteries more than God, and value the comforts we receive from them more than the evils we endure for the sake of the good? Where is that saying: "I spoke in the presence of kings, and I was not ashamed"? And that saying: "Behold, I will not hold back my lips, O Lord, you have known"? Where is the glory and strength of our order? How did the blessed Sabas and Theodosius, C when the emperor Anastasius at that time embraced an impious heresy, arise, fighting sharply for the faith; both by excommunicating those who felt wrongly in the Church, and by writing to the emperor himself that they were prepared to suffer death rather than change anything of what had been established? And
A they say, as rumor has it, the lord abbots: "Who are we? First, Christians, who ought above all to speak now; then, monks, who should not be snatched away or led off by anything, as being in no way bound or beholden to the world; then, abbots, who ought also to cast out the scandals of others, and who are bound to give scandal to no one, 'that,' as he says, 'the ministry may not be blamed' (II Cor. VI, 3). But what kind of scandal and reproach, or rather what kind of concession, they have given through their own handwritten document, what need is there to say? For if silence is a part of consent, how great an impiety is it to confirm it in writing in the eyes of the whole Church?"
And you say that Nicephorus B is secretly performing the sacred ministry and offering the sacrifice, and that all the patricians, to say nothing of the rest, are orthodox. But what does Christ say? "Whoever will confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in the heavens" (Matth. X, 32). And conversely regarding denial. For although they have only covenanted by their document that they will not meet with one another, it is exactly the same thing. For how will they observe what Christ says: "Him who comes to me, I will not cast out" (John VI, 37)? Some one comes asking and seeking to learn the truth, whether he be an abbot or some other person; what will the abbot answer? Clearly this: "I have received a command not C to speak." And would that it were only that! But also not to receive you into the monastery, nor to eat with you. Christ says, "Receive and teach." "But if he shrinks back," he says, "my soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebr. X, 38). They have therefore made a written agreement so that they might obey the emperor against Christ. Such are the things, brethren and Fathers, which I know for a truth they have done. And since you judged me to speak about that which was before me, I have reported it before God as witness, having also taken the word as if to guard a mystery, out of sparingness for temptation; as for the rest, do you, in saving yourselves, save your own souls, praying also for me, the humble one.
To an Abbot
To Theophylact, Bishop of Nicomedia
D [816, n. 36]It is two years now that I have been preoccupied and laboring in my thoughts to write to your sacred eminence, and only now at last have I, humble as I am, fulfilled my desire. But it is well that I am deemed worthy through this letter to greet you, my Father, the pillar of truth, the foundation of orthodoxy, the guardian of piety, the bulwark of the Church, the victorious man, the Christ-bearing high priest, the martyr of the confession of God. For is not the crown of martyrdom at hand for you, who for Christ’s sake are an exile, a wanderer, a sufferer of many woes? And this in a body [that is] frail by nature, and worn out, I know well, by the former labors of the ascetic life. The chorus of those of right mind boasts in you; the region of Nicomedia rejoices, and the whole world triumphs, showing you forth and casting off the reproaches long ago bruited about those who presided there. And if fittingly
A one should speak of something even more appropriate: Tarasius of holy memory, having previously seen—from his own fold and hand—a sheep, and then a renowned pastor, now sees him struggling and risking all for the sake of orthodoxy; which he contributed via the synod by the grace of God in the days of a reign by the name of peace, and a giver of peace, so that the things themselves might fittingly correspond to the names. But those matters were of that sort. The present ones, however, are bitter and painful. For how could they not be, with altars being obliterated, churches being pillaged, heresy turning everything upside down, and persecuting Christ along with His mother and His servants? For were these not persecuted when their holy images were cast down and trampled? If, then, someone were to say that the cross is not removed from our midst even if the type of the life-giving wood should be abolished, would not one be B speaking incorrectly? But if, regarding this, such a thing is not to be admitted, how can it not also be conceded regarding the image? For both the type and the image are the same; thus the argument turns back in the other direction. But who am I, a wretch and uninitiated, to provide the rationale for these things to a divine Father and teacher? Do you yourself teach us, O most holy one, the deeper things, as one initiated by God; and by your deeds instruct us to bear firmly the present chastisement, or rather testing: the former fitting us because of our sins, the latter fitting you because of your divine love for Christ, whom you should not cease to beseech to scatter the shadow of impiety and to transform it most quickly into the dawn of a tranquil and faithful orthodoxy.
To his son Naucratius.
C Thaddaeus the monk's martyrdom. Complaint concerning certain who have lapsed. Exhortation to constancy. (Baron. an. 814, n. 55.)News upon news; report upon report. What shall I say, and what shall I speak? How is a wretch such as I to compose myself at what has occurred? Joy is mine, and sorrow; relief, and dejection. I am caught in the middle of two passions, and I cannot decide to which I should turn. Nevertheless, He who conquered Satan and the rulers and tormentors of this age is victorious. There has been put to death for Christ the lamb of Christ, D scourged with lashes, Thaddaeus, my branch, my very entrails, the son of obedience, the stalk of piety, namesake of the Apostle. An immense joy, an incredible exultation—not for me, lowly as I am, but equally for all the angels and for men. How magnified are your works, O Lord! That even now, in this humble generation, You have shown forth an incorruptible witness of Your truth, and one not from the wise and noble of this world, but from those of the contrary sort, so that the word of the Apostle might be fulfilled: *God chose the base and the despised of the world, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are.* And whither have you departed from me, blessed son? Where have you been so quickly exalted, having become numbered among the martyrs? O your lot! O your nobility! O your wise counsel! In one day you have earned infinite ages; through the torments of the tortures you have attained ineffable joys; with the contribution of a hundred and thirty lashes you have received the perfect reward of labor.
A If the number—I speak of the number of perfection, and the number corresponding to the Trinity—was one that showed, even from your very punishment, that God would demonstrate your greatness of soul. Your blood is an ointment; your relics, a bestowal of sanctification to those who touch them. I beg you, holy Thaddaeus of God, make intercession for me, your unworthy servant; for I do not dare call you son. See, my brothers, what has happened; what a treasure and what a member we have gained. It is enough for the glory of God and for our boast, and for the joy of the whole Church together, that we have the martyr of Christ, Thaddaeus. What of the rest? “The first,” he says, “shall be last, and the last shall be first.” I say this regarding James and Lucian: the one who contended—and would that he were still contending to the end—along with Dorotheus and Bessarion. But the other, because of my sins, has made shipwreck with those of like mind. Alas, how did those most miserable men fall in the midst of luminaries! They forgot Him who said: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body.” For did not the only Potentate, who strengthens the weak, measure out [our] strength? And the martyrs are close at hand. For would He not rescue out of necessity those who do not yet have the strength by nature, though they have it by resolution? And the martyr Thaddaeus is faithful in heaven. B Let us not, therefore, my brothers, be scared or become fearful at the fall of those who were overcome, as if we ourselves cannot endure the lashes. We shall endure by the power of God, and we shall cross over, even if there be fire, even if there be the sword. God is He who goes before us and calls us to enter into the kingdom promised to us, as [He led] Israel into the land of promise. Do you not know what happened to those who were then disturbing the people, saying, “We shall not be able to cross over, because there we saw cities fenced up to heaven, and giants, among whom was Enac”? And what was the result? Was it not because of this that they themselves were consumed by fire, and the entire murmuring populace perished, whose limbs fell in the desert? Let there be no such disturber, no such despiser, no such despondent one. We shall cross over, brothers, we shall cross over as Caleb, I say, and Joshua the son of Nun, the heirs of the promise. C Spiritual walls will be shattered for us, as those of Jericho were then by the trumpet of thanksgiving, which the blessed Thaddaeus sounded, chanting from the starting-line of his labors: “This is the day which the Lord has made.” That is how I exhort, that is how I adjure: “For Christ,” he says, “we are ambassadors, as though God were pleading through us.” We beg you not to fear the very death, if it should be necessary to endure it for Him and with Him. The letter is to all, even if it is inscribed to you, my excellent son. Therefore I greet everyone and I congratulate everyone in their hardships. And who is worthy to “fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ in his flesh”? And woe to him who denies and has turned back, even if he avoids death; because the eternal death shall shepherd him. And they shall prevail
over him, the upright, in the morning. Peace to you from Christ, might, strength, consolation; pray for all the brethren, and for me, that I may fulfill what I exhort, that I may appear by the mercy of God. The brethren who are with me greet you.
VI. — To a presbyter who had subscribed. On the holy images.
What has happened to your reverence in this shipwreck of subscription? And how much have you wept over the fall? For it is in truth a fall, the extending of the hand against the holy image of Christ, and that by the hand alone. I understood from your letter, O man of God, and I have sympathized, and groaned together, and suffered with you, uttering laments, and as is fitting for one who has brotherly love. For we are members of one another. And: “Whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (it is the Apostolic voice); “or one member is glorified, the joy belongs to all.” But O, the misfortune! We have been despoiled, terrified, struck with fear, where there was no fear, no cause for terror: since we read, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to harm the soul.” Why then, my friend, do you bring the matter to a useless person like me? What power of healing is in me, when I am sick with sins, and not among the number of those to whom the treatment of such wounds is entrusted? For God is not a God of confusion; the concerns of presbyters, that is, of priests, He has assigned to bishops to correct and to heal. Why do you seek from me what is beyond me? It is not permitted. But this I suggest and say, as a matter of counsel and affection, so that I do not leave you altogether without a response. God is good, not desiring the death of a man, so that he may turn and live. If, therefore, your repentance is sincere, cease entirely from the sacred ministry, unless perhaps a necessary cause arises, and you must distribute the holy gifts to some. For it happens sometimes from necessity and difficulty, that one must receive even from himself, in order to avoid heresy. Whatever you have therefore done, whether by your own hand, or persuaded by another, are good and praiseworthy things for the turning of God’s favor. But nothing whatsoever can give pardon for the performing of the sacred ministry, even if it might seem to be given by any bishop; and this stands until there is peace in the Church of God, at which time by synodal judgment, as is proper, all that pertains to such matters shall be regulated by the canons, and will have a decision established by God. But if you say, “While subscribing, I cried out that I venerate the holy images,” forgive me, brother; and Pilate, while making himself innocent of the slaughter of Christ with his mouth, confirmed the death with his pen. These things from me, your humble servant, as before God. But I beg you to make mention of my salvation in the repentance of your affliction. And be moved to greet those whom you say are my holy Fathers among the bishops, as from me, the wretched one.
VII. — To John his son.
A I am delighted, my son and brother, at your letters; for they come in due sequence and avoid the weariness of prolixity. For this is the proper virtue of a letter: to begin speaking immediately upon the proposed subject, and to say what is necessary, and not to revolve matters that are not of this kind. Let us proceed to other things. Concerning what you have asked, this is not the time to be overly inquisitive about such matters, nor is it for me to instruct you, my good boy; since, among other things, I am inexperienced and unskilled in matters that are difficult to grasp. But that my silence may not cause you any distress, I rule thus concerning the first point: that none of the other divinely inspired Fathers has illuminated this question as Gregory of Nyssa has. Let us be satisfied, then, with the contemplation of the Spirit, in a highly elevated contemplation. For what is beyond the Pillars of Hercules is unreachable, as the saying goes. Concerning the second point: "The prudent man will be silent in that time, for it is an evil time" (Amos v, 13); it does not seem to me to have been spoken crookedly or perversely. For there is a time to speak and a time to be silent, according to the requisite need, while we observe and dispense the word of truth. For are we not commanded not to give what is holy to the dogs, nor to cast pearls before swine? B Observe the divinely inspired ones; and you will find that, in one place, they hide the word under the bushel of silence when it is unprofitable to speak, or rather, even harmful. But in another place, they set it upon the lampstand, when the seed is fruitful and not on stony ground. These, then, are the things that my mind sees in the proposed question. If, by yourself or with the help of others, you find things that are more approved, do not begrudge sharing them with your father and brother, who is in need of such thoughts. Fare well, praying much for me. C
VIII. — Theodore to all the brotherhoods, that is, to the communities dispersed everywhere for Christ's sake, together with those held in prisons and in exile, greeting in the Lord.
D Grace to you and peace, to use the apostolic words, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope; for whom and because of whom is the persecution, the affliction and the straitness, the desertion and flight, the imprisonments and punishments, and whatever other things occur and befall us to heap up calamity day by day. For this reason, my beloved brothers, providing some comfort for the absence of our humble person, we send this letter to you, making known that we unceasingly make mention of you in our humble prayers, recalling and pondering each one individually, lifting up our hands to God with tears and groans; so that just as we have taken up the struggles for the sake of the truth, and in one spirit and one soul, as
A from the nest of our sacred monasteries, so might we persevere until the end, by the power of the Lord, having the same faith, the same love, being of one mind, thinking the same thing, and holding fast the dogma of the truth, which has been proclaimed and inscribed for both sight and hearing, in all creation under heaven: to worship, then, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the much-hymned and blessed Trinity, according to the principle of theology; but to confess the One of the Trinity, the Son and Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, to have emptied Himself, and taken the form of a servant, and having come in the likeness of men, to be depicted in an appearance like ours, and to be characterized by the feature of a body, inasmuch as He is the same perfect God, and together also became man; having come within the circumscription like us, whose nature He also took, even as He is remote from it by the incomprehensibility of the divine nature. For it is not, of course, as Scripture says, that He takes hold of angels (even if it is fitting for them also to be depicted, as they have appeared to those to whom it was granted by the Spirit to see), but He takes hold of the seed of Abraham. B Whence it behooved Him to be made like His brothers in all things. Let the Christ-fighters say, then, how is it possible for the seed of Abraham not to be depicted? And how will He have that which is in all things like us, whose brother He is called, if He is not demonstrated to have taken the property of circumscription as it is in us, who are His brothers? Therefore He is not a brother, nor is He even like us; and consequently, He is not a man either. Thus it is concluded from the fact that they deny that Christ is depicted after our manner. And thus they destroy the saving economy, just as the Manichaeans, the Valentinians, and the Marcionites; whose communion let us flee, brothers, as the venom of a serpent, not darkening the body, as the Theologian says in a certain place, but the depths of the soul. C We, consenting to the apostolic and universal Church (for this Byzantine [group] is a heretical segment, to which it is customary to be frequently cut off from the others), depict our Lord Jesus Christ in a bodily feature: the series extending upwards from His very advent, derived from the apostolic act, deriving image from image, just as also of the life-giving cross: and not that we would depict this, which is the armor of Christ against the devil, but not depict Him who is the armorbearer and slayer of Satan. For who could depict the victorious and true armor, which does not also subject the armed one himself to the eyes? Next, we worship His holy image, as though worshipping Christ expressed therein. For He proceeded from the womb of His mother, the Theotokos, expressed and formed; D if not, He was some abortive and unformed human, O God-fighters! But if the infant proceeds formed, as is true, of whom the prophet said: "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to God" (Exod. XIII, 2); it is entirely necessary that He be capable by His nature of being expressed and depicted. Deaf, hear; and blind, look (Isa. XLII, 18). In one thing alone is a novelty in Christ recognized—
that He was conceived without seed in the womb of a Virgin, and was born without corruption; and that He committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth (I Petr. II, 22). But all other things are according to our own nature: He ate, He drank, He drew breath, He grew, He walked, He sweated, He labored, He was crucified, He died; and although, as God, He rose on the third day, having even after the resurrection our own form expressed, now deified and rendered immortal in Him—according to which He was both seen by the apostles, and in His risen state ate and drank, and was handled by Thomas, saying to all who suspected Him of being a spirit: "Handle me, and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have" (Luc. XXIV, 39). Thus was He also received up into glory; and thus shall He come in the same form of our likeness; whom every eye shall see from heaven with the angels of His power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to those who do not know God and to those who have not obeyed His Gospel (II Thess. I, 7-8), as it is written: with whom shall lament both the Jews who crucified Him and the B Iconoclasts who cannot tolerate His being depicted. These, brethren, are the evangelical preachings; these are the apostolic doctrines. But those who think the opposite, attempting to lead the people of God into another Gospel—which indeed is not another (Galat. I, 7)—produce spurious writings, speaking from the belly, and not from the mouth of the Lord. For it is customary that tares are always sown along with the wheat, and falsehood is set alongside the truth. For how else would the truth be made manifest, if it had no contradiction? But "even if we," says the Apostle, "or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema; as we have said before, and now I say again: If anyone preaches a gospel to you other than that which you have received, let him be anathema" (Galat. I, 8-9).
Regarding the Theotokos, or any of the saints, that they are depicted, it is superfluous for me to write to you. For I would say it is foolish for any man not to be characterized. But those who deny that Christ can be circumscribed, He who is the head of the body of the Church, have deemed it fit to include therewith that the members of Christ should not be fashioned; since we all are the body of Christ, and members in particular (I Cor. XII, 27). But the C refutation for them is that the Mother of God is depicted, yet not He who was born of her, and who was seen at her breast, and all those things that followed His bodily presence; or again, that the eyewitnesses and ministers are represented in images, but He whom they served and with whom they consorted is not characterized. And they show themselves to be worse than the Jews, who do not accept the image of Moses, nor of any other of the prophets; those who accept them from before the time of grace are treated as followers of the Law and not as Christians. But these men are so senseless that they contend both against themselves and against the Jews; and they are neither keepers of the Law like the Jews nor are they Christians, since they refuse to depict Christ, whom they have accepted as having become man. D The voice of Peter the
A apostle is found in the history of the martyrdom of Saint Pancratius: "Child Joseph, bring out the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, and imprint it in the small tower, so that the people may see what form the Son of God took; so that by seeing it they may believe more, beholding the type of that form, and may receive a reminder of those things which have been preached to them by us." The voice of Paul is: "O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified?" (Gal. III, 1). The voice of Basil the Great is: "Let Christ, the president of the contest, be inscribed on the tablet." And again: "The honor paid to the image passes to the prototype." The voice of the champion Athanasius is: "We, the faithful, do not worship images as gods—far be it—as the Greeks do; but we manifest only the affection and the zeal of our love toward the figure of the person expressed through the image." The voice of Chrysostom is: "I have also loved the proclaimed writing, filled for the sake of piety. For I saw an angel in an image driving the hosts of barbarians into flight; I saw barbarian tribes trampled, and David singing truly: 'O Lord, in thy city thou shalt bring their image to nothing'" (Ps. LXXI, 20). B This is what the Iconoclasts of this time are doing to Christ, to the Theotokos, and to the saints—O, a thing horrible to hear!—by abolishing their holy images. And that I may pass over the other authorities of other men (for many are available), if I add one, I shall turn my discourse to another matter.
The voice of the divine Fathers who were present at the sixth holy synod is: "In some paintings of the venerable images, a lamb pointed to by the finger of the Forerunner is depicted; he who was chosen as a type of grace, revealing to us the true Lamb through the law, Christ our God. We, therefore, embracing the ancient types and shadows as signs and prefigurations of the truth delivered to the Church, prefer grace and truth, C having received this as the fulfillment of the law. Thus, so that that which is perfect may be presented to the eyes of all in paintings, we decree that henceforth, in place of the old lamb, that Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, Christ our God, be set up in human form even in images; so that through him, comprehending in our minds the height of the humility of the Word of God, we may be led to the memory of his life in the flesh, of his passion, and of his saving death, whence redemption was made for the world." Having these testimonies, therefore, beloved, together with that demonstration of our own and from the truth itself, which is in no way doubtful, as it has been demonstrated above, I beseech you, "Watch, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1 Cor. XVI, 13); "in nothing be terrified by your adversaries" (Philip. I, 28), nor again by the false brethren who have been seduced and led into deceit; which for them is a cause of perdition, but for us of salvation: and D
this is from God, as it is written: "For it has been granted to you by God for Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake; having the same struggle as you saw in me, the sinner, and now hear." Being of one mind, of one soul, fellow-laborers in the faith of the Gospel; working out your own salvation with fear and trembling: so that I, the sinner, hearing of you, may rejoice. See Satan; see his boldness; take care that no one in any way provokes God to anger. For the great dragon is artful and very experienced. Where he cannot destroy through faith, there he hastens through some transgression to achieve the same evil in ourselves, through the law of sin that wars against the law of our mind. He roars, he watches like a lion to seize, he tickles [the passions]; he kindles fire; he is eager to burn down the house of the soul. We have from God the defensive weapons to overthrow him: the water of the head, the fountain of tears; supplications; prayers. Above all, let the fear of God be B a bit and a curb to our flesh. Let envy nowhere lodge, nor again strife; certainly not vainglory; nor any of the works of darkness. Until it skirmishes, let the passions be repelled, so that they may not settle in and poison the soul and become difficult to remove. He who struggles practices self-control in all things. So run, that you may attain; let the last yield to the first. For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. Do you who are leaders love those who follow, in a godly manner; and do not demand submission and obedience out of authority, but out of virtue and goodness. Do not separate from one another, changing many places and nowhere being useful. Paul did not choose to take along the evangelist Mark, as it is written, because he did not come with them, but had turned back home in the first instance. How much more are we obligated to be joined together; "Each one, brethren, in which he was called, let him remain in it." Let us purify ourselves, beloved, always from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Hold the traditions which you have been taught; instruct one another; always receive a reminder of death. Pray therefore, I beseech you, for all. Bless those who persecute you; bless, and curse not; going about from place to place, destitute, afflicted, evil-entreated; wandering in deserts and mountains, or perhaps even hiding in the caves of the earth. Boast that for Christ’s sake, the world is not worthy of you. Endure, my little children, my little children, endure a little while, and the Lord the crown-giver will come, the rewarder; of whom we have been promised to become joint-heirs; "If indeed we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together"; in all things praying C for me also, the miserable one, so that my heart may be strengthened to endure even unto death the things that are inflicted upon us: so that Christ may not reject me because of my unworthiness: so that I may be delivered from the evil one completely. Now I live, most beloved, while you stand fast in the Lord. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Is it not you
A both in this present age and in the one to come? Yes, for you are my comfort in love and my consolation. May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless. Faithful is our God, who also will do it, brothers. Greet one another with a holy kiss. My greeting, the humble Theodore’s, to all my members from the lips of my heart. The brothers with me greet you. Grace be with your spirit. Amen.
IX. To Joseph, brother and archbishop.
He laments the prevarication of certain persons.It is always desirable for me to write to your holiness, and B all the more, the longer the intervals of our exile become; for it causes me to come, in a way, closer to your venerable presence, and this very address brings relief, as it does even now to me, grieving heavily over the betrayal of the truth by certain superiors. For as your holiness already knows, that former guard—I mean Joseph the accomplice in adultery, the Photinodite, the Heracleote, the Mediciote, the Myliane, the Hypolichniote, the Gulaite, and, alas for my sin! even the Phlubutenian—having been caught by foolish simplicity, with unanimous consent, ostensibly championing an "economy," having been led on by Joseph, who is accustomed to perpetrating such things, they have gone after Satan, communicating once and twice with the impious. By which they, having been kindly dismissed, cast the unstable into their own downfall. Furthermore, as it appears, the bishop of Nicaea also C is placed in the ruin of the bishops. For they are recalling them from exiles in order to perform such things. And if the hand of God does not prevent us, propping us up, we too who remain are perishing. What is it, therefore, that again, as it seems, this drama is centered upon us humble ones with a few others? Arise, therefore, man of God, as a high priest of Christ, the true prince of shepherds, and all the more earnestly as you excel all others in the height of the priesthood, with the exception of the one who is held in a hidden place: "Glorify God in your body and in your spirit." You are not left entirely on the island; it is perhaps fitting that you be exercised and tested, as before, so that you may bring back a more illustrious crown from it. Alas! Alas, brother, to what times we have been reserved! D But grace, nevertheless, to Him who reserved us; "for this," says the Apostle, "has been granted to us by God for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake." The Lord did not despise our humility in the things that came before; but neither now, I trust, will He despise your reverence. But as then, so also now, Christ will be magnified in your body, showing His mercy beyond measure for the demonstration of your virtue. Therefore, holy man, reach out also to me a hand of intercession, that I may be confirmed and rescued from the approaching winter
bitter. Stand and show mercy, that the storm may be transformed into the breeze of the Holy Spirit; would that it were so! I greet the brethren most warmly, and I beseech them to pray for my humility. Those who are with me fall at your feet.
X. — To his son Naucratius.
A Dogmatic [letter] concerning the holy images. On the fact that others should not be perturbed by the fall of some, but rather, by that very fact, be stirred to constancy. (Baron., ann. 815, n. 13.)
The news in your letter is grievous, O son; it touched my humble soul and truly pained it, and brought forth tears from my heart; it almost made me sleepless the night I received the letter into my hands. This is [the case] with regard to all who have fallen, but especially regarding the superior of Phlubuta. For as to the others, they have acted in a manner consistent with their past; but he was known as one of those who seemed to stand securely. I marveled, therefore, before they fell, that not having acknowledged their former defeat concerning adultery and the adulterous marriage, they were daring something in the present matter; and perhaps I was imagining that they had privately and within themselves felt repentance, and I, the humble one, was rejoicing at their walking [uprightly] in the right path. B But as it seems, having built their house upon rotten ground, by the whirlwind of the heresy that has fallen upon them, they have fallen a most grievous fall, calling the setting aside of the truth a "dispensation" once again. The very same men who had previously been a scandal to the Church of God are now relapsing into the same thing, and by the example of their own deeds, they are provoking everyone to ruin. And indeed, many are prepared for the fellowship of the crime, desiring to find some pretext in [their] necessities, by which the struggle for piety might be rendered painless and C free from toil for them; they have entered into communion [with the heretics] through the denial of Christ, of the Theotokos, and of all the saints. For the denial of an image of anyone is, in fact, just this. Woe for the disaster! Woe for the deception! Alas! How, having begun well, have they turned backward? Alas! To how many will they be a cause of destruction—[both] to those of the same rank and to those in authority, to the laity, and to the clergy, and to the monks? But the ancient wound is an internal evil: Joseph, of old rightly called the "adulterer-joiner" (Moichozeuktes), and now the "Christ-mocker" (Christempaiktes), he himself was the leader and superior of the old guard. What [are we to do] in view of these things? Shall we be enfeebled? Shall we D fall down? Shall we grow weary in our confession and resistance for Christ? By no means, O brethren, by no means. For if the just are to be fearful when the impious fall, [it should be noted that] the fall of one's neighbor is the greatest assurance for him who stands. Let us stand, therefore, more firmly in the Lord, I exhort you all the more, not being terrified in anything by those who oppose us. For is our confession on account of those who have been subverted? Or were we relying on their stability, so that we should be shaken by their fall? Far be it! Neither on account of these, nor of others. Christ is our foundation, in whom we stand; in whom we glory, saying with Paul: "Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation? Or anguish? Or fa-
mine? Or persecution? Or nakedness? Or danger? Or sword?" But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us. A Therefore, one who has girded himself for Christ, if he does not contend, he cannot be a Christian.
Are the struggles, contests, and torments of the martyrs then in vain? Did they not bear the same flesh as we do? Subjected to such tortures, did they not feel the effort? And were they not weary of living, as the Apostle says? But through fear of eternal torment and desire for heavenly rewards, they preferred, as prudent men, to undergo the death of the flesh rather than eternal death. They were not afraid, they were not cast down in spirit; and mediating upon things future as if they were present, they proceeded B joyful and eager to the tortures, holding the many tribulations to be a gift: "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." And elsewhere again: "For in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy was." Thus they held, thus all the saints rejoiced while suffering for Christ. Let us also, beloved, taste the love of Christ; let us walk in the footsteps of the saints; let us cast away the affections of this age. "We have not here a lasting city," but the Jerusalem C above is our fatherland and city, O men powerful in the Spirit, O children of God—for it is not mine, the sinner's! May we not be broken, even if all fall away; which may it never be. But let us, as formerly empowered by God, even now fight as single combatants. God is with us; all the saints from ages past are with us; East and West are with us. Small is the part that has broken itself off from the universal Church, and separated itself, and this out of fear, for the sake of temporal things, for the sake of the flesh; which a little later we shall deliver to eternal fire, D along with the soul itself, if we do not hold fast to the truth. Let it be, let us be tried; let us be scourged; and this often; finally, let us die. What then? Is there not an ineffable joy for us as we attain the kingdom of heaven, and from there bring back immortal glory, rather than, by guarding the aforementioned, be mocked to the end and suffer endless shame? Yes, I entreat you, my little children, whom I have begotten in the Lord, to whom Christ has given increase through struggles and labors not only ascetic, but also athletic. Fulfill my joy, that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, minding one thing; doing nothing through contention or vainglory, but by humility considering others better than yourselves. These are apostolic admonitions, even if they are brought to mind by me, the wretched one. Pray also for me, I beseech you, that there be given to me fortitude, strength, and speech through you, although I am unworthy of divine grace; so that with one accord in one spirit God may be glorified in our body and in our spirit. Send to the excellent archbishop Dionysius. Greet abbot Peter, Ignatius...
and abbot Tithoes, and show them the letter. Furthermore, prepare yourself along with the others, and especially those previously mentioned; for since those who were near to us have slipped and fallen, it is impossible that we should be spared from being slandered by those very same persons. May the Lord grant you strength, power, understanding, discernment, and foresight, that you may do all things rightly to the praise and glory of Christ; for my own boasting, and for your eternal renown. Those who are with me greet you both. Christ be with you. Amen.
XI. — To the same. Concerning certain ones who had fallen, to be received back.
Præter expectation, beloved son, I saw your letter and the brethren; for you did not, as I had previously written, delay until September. Nevertheless, I welcomed your eagerness, your unremitting charity, your ardent desire, and your piety toward God in all things; to which I would add, your filial devotion to me. You are my joy and my consolation; you are my support in the Lord in all dangers and tribulations, and my crown of boasting, together with all your fellow-contestants and, before all, our brothers and children in Christ Jesus. Therefore I rejoice greatly, praising the God of my Father, that you are thriving in soul and body; for God has so ordered it that you should be released from chains, so that you might assist those who are in chains, and by uniting them, confirm those who are set free. This you do by the grace of Christ, exhorting, admonishing, and comforting each one. Truly you are a steward of God. I pray, therefore, that you do not faint in doing this very thing for the glory of Christ, for the assurance of your own salvation, and for the glory of me, who am destitute of every good thing. Yet, brother, know that we have not run in vain, nor do we run, now or in the past; nor do we labor in vain; for it is for Christ and through Christ; for whom to suffer is a Passover, for whom to be sorrowful is joy. If we suffer with him, he says, we shall also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the coming glory which shall be revealed in us. And rightly so. For the affliction here is, as it were, shadowy and like a dream; but the reward there is a life without end with eternal glory. Do not, therefore, be ashamed, O son, of this present testimony; for it is of the Lord. Many desired for the love of Christ to see this, but did not attain it; yet we have been counted worthy. What is this? To suffer for Him; to be persecuted, to be taken captive, to be imprisoned, to be driven from place to place, or perhaps even to be beaten; to become a spectacle to both angels and men. And if they have cast out our name as evil, anathematizing us both privately and publicly along with the saints, is there not joy? Is it not a reason to leap for joy? I know, my son, the beatitude proclaimed by the Lord. Do you also rejoice in these things; be glad with all the children. For you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And whether he suffers
part. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Seeking, he says, the things that remain: the spittings, the buffetings, finally the cross; the nails of Christ are sweet to me, by which who shall be deemed worthy to be crucified with Him? To be pierced by the lance with the Lord, to mingle blood with blood—the man with the living God? With such a disposition, full of this affection, the saints rejoiced when they were mangled; they exulted when their limbs were severed. Our joy has therefore also arrived; we have been tempted in part, and would that the temptation had been completed by the grace and loving-kindness of Jesus Christ our Lord! For by grace may there be victory in all things, that no one may boast as if he had anything of his own; but rather that we may attain the mercy of God in Christ Jesus through humility and effective confidence. If therefore there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy; with the Apostle, this miserable one says: B To be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, doing nothing through strife or vainglory, and not standing against one another. For it is natural for the love of preeminence and contentiousness to creep in even in those struggles which are undertaken for the sake of piety. But you, as ministers of God—for I include in your person those who govern and those who shall read this letter—give no offense in anything, that your ministry be not blamed.
Concerning those about whom you wrote to me...
Regarding those whom you write to me are led by repentance for their error; toward those who are of our body, we are physicians, although unworthy. The penalty, therefore, which we imposed upon Orestes, who came here to us, through the agency of the brethren (for it did not seem fitting for many reasons that he should be admitted into our presence), let the others also receive; namely, that they shall not participate in the holy mysteries, along with other observations. You ask, until when? Until the serenity of the Orthodox faith shall shine forth. If death should intervene, he says, let them communicate. We believe their sin to be forgiven. But as for what you have indicated, that you are at variance among yourselves about this or that matter: remove your disputes and have mutual peace. These are not to be received as those who turn from heresy—although even there the distinction between one and another is not slight—but as those who have denied the name of the Lord, or have communicated with the Christ-fighters in His denial, whether driven by fear or some other necessity. For in that denial, they communicated with those who openly denied His holy image. For the denial of the image passes to the prototype, as he who cries out declares. And it is not otherwise, even if some should wish to diminish the denial. If, therefore, not having previously held the right belief, and not having been instructed in the truth, they had flown to us having been illuminated by the light of truth through divine providence, the case would be different, and they should not be rashly admitted, except by the consensus of many orthodox persons, as the divine Basil has shown toward those
A in Mesopotamia, who had been relegated from Egypt, reproving them because they admitted such persons without caution.
Do you not know what the same Father says in another epistle? “I do not acknowledge a bishop, nor would I number among bishops him who has been promoted to the primacy by profane hands for the destruction of the faith;” such as they are now, not through ignorance, but through a love of authority, leaping upon the thrones; voluntarily betraying the truth, and receiving in its place the primacy of impiety. “If,” says the Apostle, “I have fought with beasts at Ephesus after the manner of men, what does it profit me?” I say also: If, according to you, such persons are to be received immediately and without penance after their denial or communion with the Christ-fighters, why do I peril myself in vain every day, instead of willingly running to the adversaries, and then, as soon as I regret it, B attaching myself again to the orthodox without any penalty? “Do not be deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” Awake in the Lord. “For what fellowship has light with darkness?” that our affairs should be ordered after the example of the Christ-fighters? For they say that they receive with joy, and without inflicting any penalty, those who cross over to them from the orthodox side. Woe! Are we therefore to crown the deniers of Christ, and treat them with solemn honor, as some of those are treated by them? “Brothers, I beseech you, do not be children in mind; but be perfected through true knowledge.” As for those outside our brotherhood, who am I to speak? But if someone should compel me, since “love, being the fulfilling of the law,” has its own persuasion, I say the same thing that I say of our own: for they too are ours. A presbyter, whether he has subscribed or whether he has C communicated through fear, not bearing the affliction, should be excluded from communion. For if one has entered into communion against Christ, how can he communicate with Christ? The relaxation of the deprivation of the sacrifice belongs to synodical consultation. He who returns to the struggle after a fall should abstain from the place he previously occupied; otherwise, how will the denial he underwent be made known both to himself and to others?
I cannot permit it; especially when his renewed struggle is not seen through any notable deed, as it was in the case of the bishop of Laodicea. For I would not myself advise him to celebrate the sacrifice, but only to communicate because of the solemnity. So it is for any monk, so it is for a layman: he must be excluded from communion, D along with the other worthy fruits of repentance; and they must await the time of the orthodox faith. Furthermore, since it is possible for the penance to be both remitted and increased by him who imposes it—I speak of communion—if the times of heresy are prolonged by the unsearchable judgments of the just wrath of God, it is permissible to grant relaxation even before a synod in the Lord, as the person has fallen more grievously or more lightly, and according to the repentance he again shows; and they should not be forbidden from eating together both with our own and with those outside; yet not so that they should bless before
the relaxation. These are the things I have to say regarding these matters in the fear of God and in truth. If anything newer should be brought forward either by you or by others, I shall learn it. For I confess that I commit many sins, and I do not deny that I am ignorant of many things. Greet your brothers and my children, the abbot Peter, and Ignatius, and Tithoes [or Tidöios], my dearly beloved in the Lord and my helpers. Greet those who are dear to me from the holy congregation. Greet the guardians of the mysteries, my most beloved heart’s blood. Greet her who labors much in the Lord, from whom I receive and abound in good things. A Greet all the brothers in Christ, even those who are laymen, among whom is the pious Sergius and Engius [or Hagios]. The brothers who are with me, always beloved, greet you and the others. Remember my lowliness. Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, brothers.
XII. — To Pope Paschal of Rome.
(The Roman pontiff is implored for help against the Iconoclasts. Baron. year 817, no. 21.)
To the most holy luminary, the great one, the supreme of hierarchs, our lord, the apostolic master and Pope, B John, Theodosius, Athanasius, John, and Theodore, the least of presbyters and superiors of those at Kathara, at Picridium, at Paulopetrium, at Euceria, and at Studium.
The things that have befallen our Church on account of our sins have, without doubt, already reached your supreme blessedness. For we have become a parable and a proverb to all nations, to speak according to Scripture; yet perhaps the report has not yet been fully or exactly conveyed by letters. C Therefore, we the least, although we are the lowest member of the body of Christ, yet, since He who is our head is captive, and those who are preeminent among the brothers are scattered hither and thither, have been able in some way, because we are nearby and through mutual communication—as if with one spirit and in common words, however rash it may be—to write these things. Listen, apostolic head, appointed by God as shepherd of the sheep of Christ, gatekeeper of the kingdom of heaven, rock of the faith upon which the catholic Church is built. For you are Peter, adorning and governing the throne of Peter. D Grave wolves have broken into the sheepfold of the Lord; the gates of hell, as of old, have set upon it. What is this? Christ is suffering persecution with His mother and His ministers, since an attack against the image is a persecution of the prototype. Hence the detention of the patriarchal head; the exiles and relegations of archbishops and priests, and of monks and nuns; dungeons and iron chains, tortures, and unto the end, death. O horrific hearing! The venerable image of our Savior God, which even demons fear, has been treated with contumely and held up to mockery, not only in the royal city, but also in every region and town. Altars have been destroyed, temples demolished, holy things profaned; blood has been shed and continues to be shed of those who retain
the Gospel. Persecutions and exiles of those who are still left behind. A Every pious mouth has fallen silent from the fear of death; the opposing and blasphemous tongue has been opened; all flesh has been shaken, wavering in uncertainty. "Woe is me," he says, "for we have become as one who gathers the straw in the harvest, and the grape in the vintage, when there is no cluster." B Upon us, O blessed one, all these things have come. Who would not grieve for himself while contemplating the sufferings of his neighbor? Who would not reckon these to be precursors of the coming of the Antichrist, differing as much as an image from its archetype, against which he also rages? Come then, O imitator of Christ, from the West, "Arise, and do not cast us off unto the end." To you Christ our God has said: "And you, when you have returned, will strengthen your brothers." Behold the time and the place; help us, you who are ordained by God for this; stretch out your hand as much as it is possible; you have the power from God, in that you are the prince of all, in which state you have been placed. Terrify, we beseech you, the heretical beasts with the pen of your divine word. Good pastor, lay down your soul for the sheep; we beseech you. Let the Church under heaven hear that those who have dared these things, and who even now anathematize our holy Fathers, are anathematized by you synodically. This would be acceptable to God; a cause of joy to the angels and the saints; a support for the shaken; a seal for those who are established; a rising up for those who have fallen; an exultation for the whole Church of the orthodox; and for your highness, according to those who have preceded you in ancient times, an eternal monument. Those who in similar times did that which is now sought by us sinners, being moved by the Spirit, are both remembered and held blessed. C We believe and trust entirely that, bending with the mercy of your compassion, you will accept our humble letter, imitating Christ, who, being the God of all, did not disdain to receive a letter from Abgar and to write back to it.
XIII. To the same
To the all-holy Father in all things, supreme universal luminary, our lord, the apostolic pope, John, Theodosius, Athanasius, and Theodore, the least of the presbyters and abbots of the Cathari, of the Picridion, of the Paulopetrian monastery, and of the Studion. [The same, and of the same subject.]
D "The Orient from on high has visited us," Christ our God, placing your blessedness in the West, as a certain divinely-radiant lamp, for the illumination of the Church under heaven, upon the most primary apostolic throne. For we who were held in the darkness and shadow of death by the wicked heresy have perceived an intellectual light; and we have cast off the cloud of despondency, and have risen to good hopes, having learned from our brothers and fellow servants whom we sent, what great things your holy highness has done and said: when indeed [you did treat] the heretics...
A as thieves, and did not even admit them to a holy audience, but deservedly sent them away when they were still far off. But regarding our calamities, through the hearing of the letters and the account of those sent, you grieved and groaned in a God-imitating way, as if for your own members. And by this fact we humble ones have known that a manifest successor of the prince of the Apostles presides over the Roman Church, and we have been firmly persuaded that the Lord has by no means deserted our Church, to which the only help granted by you until now, and from the very beginning in the troubles that occurred, has been by the providence of God. You are therefore in truth the clear and sincere spring of orthodoxy from the beginning: you are the calm harbor, set apart from every heretical storm, for the whole Church: you are the city chosen by God as a refuge of salvation. But since B it is presumptuous for us, miserable and unworthy as we are, to heap praises upon your divine name, which divine tongues have long ago proclaimed blessed, it is better that we come to our miseries.
The impious therefore do not cease to do what is usual for them with every effort and madness: dragging and snatching all who are broken by the fear of death into the abyss of heresy; for it is absolutely necessary that he who is unwilling to yield be subjected to the punishment of scourges and other torments, so that some gradually fall away, which is most miserable, even from among those who had previously sustained the struggle. We, however, again humble and last among the members, both on behalf of our own holy head, and on behalf of the remaining fathers and brothers who are struggling, C daring, do perform this embassy, and we beseech you that your holy and apostolic soul may console us. First, which we believe you are doing, that you do not intermit your prayers, which bend God, for the stability and salvation of all. Thus we implore your most sacred heart. Then that what you have deliberated and decided by the instinct of the Holy Spirit for the utility of our humility and for the perpetual praise of your own virtue, you may bring to an outcome, with God helping.
To the Pope of Alexandria.
The same, and the two above are of the same argument. (Baron. an. 817, n. 26.)
To the all-most holy Father of Fathers, light of lights, my Lord, the most blessed Pope of Alexandria, D Theodorus, the least of presbyters and abbot of the Studium.
It was the greatest gift to my humility, and a work of the highest vow, to be deemed worthy to converse by letter with your apostolic head, not only because of the slenderness of my smallness, which is unequal even to write to equals, let alone to such a great and divine head; but also because of the difficult access at such a distance, which the pagan obstruction particularly prevents. Yet by the goodness of the best God it has fallen to my lot, and I now write for two reasons: the first, that I might explain as a sinner the desire by which I have long been held,
A by an intellectual contact with your sacred feet, since otherwise it is not possible to fulfill my vow; and the second, which pressed upon me even more, that I might make known to your most divine Eminence the terrible things that have occurred here, so that you, who sympathize with the members of the whole body of the Church, might know of them. These things, I suppose, have been heard of even to the ends of the earth by reason of the abundance of this wickedness.
A persecution has seized us, O most blessed one, and the most grievous of persecutions. Of old, indeed, Ahab, in seeking the prophet Elijah, is said to have set fire to every place, that fire manifesting the anger and fury of the impious man. B But now, the Ahabite, in both dignity and heart, is seeking—not only for the image of Elijah, but for the very Master of it, Jesus Christ, our Lord and God; and for the Theotokos and every saint—and upon finding them, he is destroying them with great rage from every city and region under his hand. Hence, altars have been torn down; the temples of the Lord have been profaned, both private and public, those in the habitations of men and of virgins, both those of old and those recently erected. A miserable spectacle, even as one contemplating men deformed in face and certain monsters: so are the Churches of God to be seen, shorn of their proper adornment and left unsightly. Who has heard of such a thing, or seen it in the examples of ancient impiety? C Perchance even the Arab who oppresses you conducts himself more mildly toward Christ in this regard. But not so our Tabeel. Spare, O Lord, and do not give Thy heritage over to reproach. Since, therefore, he tears apart, mocks, and reviles as abominations hateful to God those images painted on panels, or taken from sacred offerings, and the books that make mention of them—things that are pleasing to God and salutary for the world—alas! who can hold back tears? Who would not send forth a groan from the depths of his heart? The ways of Zion mourn, because there are none who walk in them piously. And indeed, All have turned aside, they have together become unprofitable. D Those who were thought to be hierarchs and priests, monks and laity, of every gender and every age—some have suffered final shipwreck concerning the faith, while others, if not submerged in mind and thought, have nonetheless been implicated in the same danger to a partial degree by heretical communion, contracted through fear of bodily death. Yet there are some who have been left, those who have not bowed the knee to Baal; and these are so many as have been numbered by the Lord. Before all is our chief one, our holy head, who is of the same rank as your Holiness; then the hierarchs and priests of the Lord, and monks and monastics, of whom some have experienced mockery and scourging, while others have endured chains and prison, living on a modest ration of bread and water. Others have been sentenced to exile; others dwell in deserts and mountains, and in caves and the holes of the earth; and some, having been scourged at the time, have departed as martyrs to the Lord. There are even those who, enclosed in sacks, were cast into the sea by night, as has been reported by those who saw it.
A What more? Our holy Fathers are struck with anathema; those who have acted impiously are proclaimed as saints; infants are reared in the dogmas of impiety, with the tome handed over to their teachers. There is nowhere among mortals any place of refuge for the body; it is not permitted to utter any pious word, and the hunt is at hand, so that a man must be on his guard even against his own wife. Informers and those who deliver written accusations are hired by the ruler for this very purpose, to observe where anyone might say something at variance with the Caesar, or not commune with the impiety, or possess a book treating of icons, or receive the icon itself, or welcome an exile, or minister to those held captive for the Lord’s sake. And if one is caught, he is immediately dragged away, scourged, and banished; hence you may even see masters supplicating their own servants for fear of an accusation. B It is fitting for us to say: *There is no prince, and prophet, and leader, nor place of first fruits before the Lord, that we might find mercy.* Therefore, we unworthy ones lament these things before your holy soul, as if speaking from the mouth of all who defend the truth, imploring its protection and compassion. For we know that if it cannot help in any other way, yet by the aid of its prayers, having God as propitious, it will provide us with great benefit in our most dire straits. However, so that you may know in part what the nefarious dogmas of the godless are, I have attached these to this letter in booklets, which I, unlearned as I am, undertook to refute at the request of the pious. C But I pray your divine wisdom to inspect all things, and to correct what is imperfect, and to grant me pardon for my errors, and to remember me, your useless son, in your prayers that bend God to mercy. This same letter was also sent to the patriarch of Antioch.
Against the heresy and ferocity of the Iconoclasts (Baron. an. 817, n. 30)
XV.— To the all-holiest Father of Fathers, light of lights, my master, the lord patriarch of Jerusalem, Theodore, the least, presbyter and abbot of the Studion.
D *Who shall announce to Abraham, that Sarah gives suck?* the holy word says somewhere. And who to me, the unworthy one, would bring the good news that my humble letter has reached the sacred hands of your apostolic and most blessed eminence? Yet I believe it will happen; for it was not by senseless desire, but compelled by a necessary cause, that I, a sinner, dared to send the letter and to send along as the bearer our most beloved brother Dionysios, who is faithful and able to explain of his own accord all that is lacking in the letter. Therefore, as absent in body but present in spirit, I, first of all, the humble one, embrace your feet that walk according to God; for from this comes my blessing and sanctification. Then, as if commanded by you, I set out to the holy places; I venerate the sacred ground which the divine footsteps trod, the life-giving tomb, in which
A the most holy body of God and our Savior Jesus Christ was laid, the sacred spot of Calvary, where the Lord of glory was crucified. I proceed elsewhere: I behold holy Bethlehem as if it were Eden; I adore the divine manger above the golden urn, in which not manna, but the bread of life is stored. And behold, I see the holy Mount, where the most divine Transfiguration occurred; the Mount of Olives, from whence the Lord of all flew up to the heavens; holy Gethsemane, where the tomb of our all-honored Lady, the Theotokos, is located. This and that—not to spin out a long discourse. Oh, how even from the mere remembrance of them a participation in sanctification flows! Oh, to what great and awesome holy things the crown of your beatitude stands at the head! You are the first of the patriarchs, even if you are counted fifth. For where the bishop of souls and high priest of all was born, and performed all his divine works, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again, and lived, and was taken up, there clearly is the dignity that surpasses all. But of these things, I have dared to speak thus far, impelled by longing and trembling; but now I shall turn to another report.
A persecution has overtaken us, most blessed one, and one most like the persecution of the heathens. For since Satan perceived that the blessed hope and B appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ is at the doors, he kindles greater flames of heresy, as precursors of the coming of the Antichrist. What is this? The impiety which once arose under Leo and Constantine, and raged for a long time, and was broken by divine rebuke, has now again been renewed by an emperor who is C namesake and kin in impiety, and with such effort that he obscures the madness of those others. He persecutes Christ—represented in paintings—together with His Mother and His servants; and wherever he finds them, he wipes them out and burns them. Hence, altars have been torn down; holy churches have been darkened; sacred vessels have been burned; and there is no part of the kingdom under him that remains immune from this ravaging. Moreover, if anyone is found to have hidden a venerable icon, or a book which speaks of it, he is immediately seized, scourged, and suffers everything else that is dreadful. Hence, there is terror, trembling, and astonishment D upon every person: insomuch that brother says farewell to brother, and friend turns away from friend. A synod was held, confirming that old impiety and condemning the orthodox with anathema. The priests have become foolish, and have not sought the Lord; but they have applauded what was pleasing to Ahab. All have turned aside; together they have become unprofitable, except for a very few. Who are these? Bishops and abbots, monks and nuns, and, by the grace of God, our own supreme archbishop. Of these, some have been scourged, others exiled, others thrust into prison. Some, even immediately after these punishments, have departed to the Lord, having received the athlete's crown. What shall I say of the blasphemy? The venerable and—
A terrible image of Christ as an abomination of desolation, as an idol of error: in the same way, any other image of our Lady and the saints. "Now," they say, "the faith is pure and blameless; now," they say, "the Lord has spoken peace unto his people, and to his saints, and to those who turn their heart to him." As if peace had been taken away ever since Christ said: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you," up to this present time, and as if his Church were contaminated—the Church which holy Paul proclaims to have neither spot nor wrinkle, or anything of the sort, but to be holy and immaculate. And some indeed have made final shipwreck regarding the faith; others, although they have not been submerged in mind and thought, have nevertheless perished because of the communion of the heresy. For even those who think rightly waver regarding the truth due to the length of the persecution, just as happens to those who are unskilled in navigation and are blinded by the tenth waves of the sea. All things are miserable for us, and worthy of lamentation. The hymns received from the ancients, in which mention is made of images, are removed; in their place are sung new impious dogmas, openly exposed, which are even handed down to children by their teachers. And there is a most godless change of all things. We have become, so to speak, like Sodom and Gomorrah because of our sins; and the storm of heresy, rising higher day by day, covers us; and there is none found who might awaken Christ our God, that he may rebuke this turbulent sea.
But do you become for us one of the twelve apostles, most blessed one: awaken from sleep the unsleeping eye C that is sleeping in its dispensation, for we are perishing entirely. If there is some other medicine of help to heal the sick, apply it as one who is skilled. We beseech, most holy one, we entreat, we exhort. We are your members, since all the faithful are the body of Christ and members in particular. Command also our other holy Fathers to stretch forth an intercessory hand, so that, through the intercession of the many, God may grant us his mercy. To this end is this letter, and the bearer, sent with the intention of all, even if sent by us alone who, being the least of all, are acting in their stead. But that your highness may know in part of what kind are the dogmas of the impious, I have added these things to the letter, described in the quaternions, which I, though unskilled, undertook to refute at the request of others. I ask, however, that your divine wisdom might examine them, and supply what is lacking, and grant me pardon for errors; and furthermore, that you permit our fellow-servant and brother to deliver the letters he has received to the other saints, and afterwards, God willing, to return hither.
XVI. — To the Laura of Saint Sabas
To the God-honored, beloved, and spiritual Father, the Lord Hegumen of the celebrated Laura of our most blessed and holy Father Sabas, and to the saints who are under him.
A
Up to this point, most holy and sweetest one, I have been speaking; but do you listen. Since the whole way of righteousness leaps from epistle to epistle, and the zealot of truth strips himself in order to struggle, he does well and in a manner pleasing to God. For the word of God is not bound. But we, even if we are bound and exiled, our word is not bound, but runs and is glorified among you who are lovers of Christ and lovers of the truth. This is good and salutary; the salutation of peace is good, and that of concord is desirable. Yet not every peace is peace; for there is a peace according to truth, and there is a peace according to apparent safety. Now, the peace according to truth is joined to justice; but that safety according to the appearance, which alienates one from justice, is not peace, but the name of peace. This, even now, if it should happen, I fear lest falling into it we might sin against justice, and from thence partake of spiritual danger. Whence I exhort your love to be sober and to watch, and to adhere immovably to the canons of the holy Fathers, so that we too may be without sin in the judgment of God.
To the God-honored, beloved, and spiritual Father, the Lord Hegumen of the celebrated Laura of our most blessed and holy Father Sabas, and to the saints who are under him. Theodore the least, presbyter and hegumen of the Studios.
B Great is my joy, and a reflection of glory to the unworthy, that I have been deemed worthy to send my humble little letter into a holy place, into the tents of the holy ones of your most beloved fatherhood. For since it was not possible for me to be present in bodily presence at your footsteps, and to see the holy precinct, your sacred domain, which I, the humble one, as a city of God, hold in reverence—it pleased the good God through the visitation of the letter to fulfill the longing of me the sinner. And indeed, as if present before your feet, I embrace you with holy longing, and I worship the divine ground, where the chosen vessel of God is stored; the light of the monks, the lamp of the inhabited world, the sinker of the intelligible Pharaoh, and the guide of the holy nation, the possessor of the holy land, and the bequeather of divine monasteries. I salute also the remaining venerable tombs, over which are the sacred bodies of the holy ones; to whom the wealth of virtues, in the night of this life, are like divine glowing stars. I see the place, upon which the pillar of fire is seen by the pillar of virtues; the victory-bearing contest against the invisible enemies; the spectacle of miracle-working; this and that adorned by the occasional energies of the Spirit. C Oh, how many things does longing urge me to say! And the manner restrains me from letting the letter fall into excess. Oh, how many symbols and memorials of good deeds are among you, almost able, by the very sight of them, to urge the soul to the increase of virtue. But let the first discourse have these things, even if it is more deficient than my desire. But I shall proceed to another, a mournful one, not a joyful one; for which the former was also prompted to be mine. The wrath of God has overtaken us, O most holy Fathers, because of the multiplication of lawlessness, the love having grown cold, as the Lord has said. A persecution Greek-like, most grievous indeed. The chief shepherd of us was driven out of the fold; the sheep of Christ were scattered; heavy wolves crept in [Gk: crept in] into the flock, and the wild boar has laid it waste. What is this? Again here has been dishonored the venerable image of God and our Savior Jesus Christ, of the Theotokos, and of any saint whatsoever. D For this reason the shepherds have acted foolishly, and not that they did not seek out the Lord, to speak prophetically—for that would have been a lesser impiety—but that they gathered together Judaically against the Lord, and against His Christ, rejecting His holy image, and that of His Mother, and of His servants. For this reason holy altars have vanished; and temples of the Lord have been darkened, in every city and region of their power, lying in mourning for those who see, deprived of their own proper ornament of divine beauty. For this reason sacred vessels are being melted down, and vestments
[given] to the fire, with the images depicted on panels and the books in which there was any mention of images. For this reason the great mystery of the Economy is mocked, and called an abomination—a thing which I shudder even to mention—the likeness of Christ which is saving to the world; or rather, Christ Himself with His Mother and His ministers, since both are the same in honor and designation, [both] image and prototype. For this reason there are investigations and inquiries, both house by house and man by man; and there are fears and threats, lest any image at all, whether individual or entire, be left untouched by the heresy. For this reason priests act lawlessly, and monks, having cast off the monastic life, bear down upon those of the same station; disciples [rise up] against their abbots, receiving the position of prior as the prize for their apostasy, and he who is most driven by madness against Christ is held worthy of greater honors. For this reason there are lashes, bonds, imprisonments, death by starvation, exiles, and deaths for those who resist.
The impious have no reverence for the priesthood, no compassion for gray hair, no regard for piety, nor for anything else that might merit mercy. The one law for them is the will of the Caesar; and the one zeal is that all should be caught in this snare. The deserts hold those who have fled; the rocks and caves hold those who have consulted their safety. Oh, how we have been made like a pelican of the wilderness! Oh, how we have been delivered into the hands of the teeth of the impious! And many other things I omit, lest they cause disgust. But mourn for us, you who are most sympathetic, as being of the same body; stretch out a hand of intercession as brothers. What we suffer here is worse than anything that has been done anywhere by barbarians. We have become like Sodom, and we have been made like Gomorrah. For this reason, therefore, we humble ones have implored the help of your holiness, as if with one mouth for all the brethren who are suffering together. For we know that our righteous prayer, being fervent, is powerful, so that by God being entreated, [the severity of] the edge of the heretical sword may be stilled; the Lord leading back our Church also into peaceful orthodoxy. In order that you yourselves may also know, O most venerable ones, in part what the impious dogmas of the godless are, I have sent these things along with my letter in booklets, which, although I am ignorant, I was emboldened to refute at the exhortation of good men. I pray that you may assess them according to your divine sagacity; that you may amend what is faulty and grant pardon for any errors, and that you may remember me in your prayers that bend God; and finally, that I may be counted as the last member of all in the fullness of your holy Church.
This same letter was sent also to the monastery of Saint Theodosios.
Against the same Iconoclasts. (Baron. an. 817, n. 34)
XVII. To my God-honored, beloved, and spiritual Father, the lord superior of the great Laura of our most blessed holy Father Chariton, and to those under him.
A Since an opportunity for correspondence has unexpectedly presented itself, I shall exclaim in amazement: Whence is this to me, that I, being of no account, should be worthy to write to you, my holy Fathers? For behold, how this most grievous persecution, on account of our sins, has overtaken us, the report of which has reached even unto you. I, in my wretchedness, considered and pondered in my mind how and through whom I might be permitted to lament even before you, holy men, the misfortunes that have befallen us, for no other reason than to call forth your holy prayers in compassion, that you might assist us through your supplications—since you know well how to sympathize, in accordance with the apostolic exhortation. B Siquidem (For indeed) we are all one body of Christ, and members in particular. And as I was already contemplating these things, suddenly there arrived the letter-carrier from those parts, himself a son of mine in the spirit, and of most sincere faith. How, then, was I, a sinner, not to be astonished at such a windfall? How was it not fitting to offer thanks to my Lord God? But before I speak of painful matters, let me, in my humility, express my longing for you. Rejoice, most blessed Fathers, inhabitants of the holy land; you golden race, most proven in faith, and subduers of the passions; rejoice, you renowned assembly of Christ, fulfillers of the Lord's commandments, and those who imitate the life lived in Paradise through your divine manner of living; C rejoice, you elect city of God, inasmuch as the Lord is in the midst of your assembly, whom you serve through the practice of good works. I longed to behold with my own eyes your divine enclosure, and to touch your holy footprints, to see the sacred sanctuary, to venerate the divine ground, and to examine everything in detail: where the holy Chariton, full of God, struggled both as a martyr and as an ascetic; where his sacred body is deposited; he who is truly a treasure of virtues, a citizen of the desert, and a beacon of the world whose precious seed has not failed, nor indeed will it fail, even unto the consummation of the age. Would that I had seen these things, and embraced the dust as if it were living! Would that I could have been led to the remaining shrines of the saints, being sanctified by the mere sight! D But since I am only able to touch upon these things briefly, come, let me tell you of the things full of grief: "There arose a new king," as the holy Scripture somewhere relates, "who did not know Joseph." Such indeed is our Pharaoh, O most holy ones; not that he does not know Joseph, but that he denies the Master who bought him. For it is manifest that he who rejects His image, rejects Him. Thus he has also rejected the Theotokos and every saint. For his nature, being prone to the denial of God, could not help but remove the members along with the head, so that his own image alone might be visible, according to the decree of Nebuchadnezzar. Hence the desolation of the Churches of God, as they are vanishing...
A and every venerable image is taken away from the midst. From this comes the burning of sacred offerings, in which there is an image, and of volumes in which there is any mention of it. From this comes the demand for signatures of full impiety, and the participation in sacrilegious communion is brought about by diligent and anxious inquiry, so that no mortal may remain unvanquished or be spared from ruin. For it is necessary that one of two things be done: either to worship the golden image, or to be subjected to the bitter flame of tortures. And yet, it is easy to count those who have stood unmoved. Who, then, are these? Your holy patriarch, the hierarchs and priests, the monks and the nuns. For not even the eye of an harlot B felt shame in inflicting lashes even upon these. For how could I clearly describe the vexations, the prisons, the chains, the starvation, the exiles, the injuries inflicted, the deaths? And we have experienced all these things: flights into the mountains, concealments in caves and the crevices of the earth. Obadiah the prophet, while still a court official of Ahab when Jezebel was committing murders, is said to have hidden the sons of the prophets by fifties in two caves, whom he also fed (III Kings XVIII, 4).
But if here any person is discovered to have hidden even one, he comes into great danger; indeed, even if he has secretly shunned the impious communion, or kept by him an image, or any volume in which there was anything of that subject matter. The mouths of the pious are silent at home; the nefarious tongue is loosed; C the great mystery of the Incarnation is brought into contempt. "Now," he says, "the Lord has spoken peace to His people, and to His saints, and to those who turn their heart to Him" (Ps. LXXXIV, 9), who at the beginning said to His own disciples, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you" (John XIV, 27). Now, they say, the idols of ethnic superstition, which built up the multitude of the Gods, have been removed from the midst, while the Apostle long ago cried out, "There is no idol in the world" (I Cor. VIII, 4). Now, they say, the Church has been cleansed, which the same Apostle long ago proclaimed to have no spot or wrinkle, or anything of the kind, D but to be holy and immaculate (Eph. V, 27). Now, they say, the light has shone upon Christians entangled in the darkness of ignorance, to whom from the beginning Christ long ago said, "I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness" (John XII, 46). Do you see, holy brothers, the apostasy which must first come, as the Apostle says (II Thess. II, 3)? We see now with our own eyes the entry of the Antichrist. We have despaired, we have been consumed; "The bellows are burned" (Jerem. VI, 29); all hope is dead, if human capacity is looked upon. Mourn in our place, you whose heart is tender towards the sufferings of others, as if of the same body. Bring us help through your prayers, as lovers of the brethren. More bitter are the things that we suffer here than those which are practiced anywhere by the Barbarians. We have now become like Sodom, and we are now made similar to Gomorrah (Isa. I, 9). For this cause, therefore, we humble ones have cried out to your holiness, as in one body of all the brethren who are suffering together. For we know that your righteous prayer, when it is effective, is of great power, so that by the propi-
Atiation of God, the blade of the heretical sword may be quelled, the Lord bringing back even our own Church to peaceful orthodoxy. But that you also, O venerable ones, may know in part what the impious dogmas of the godless are like, I have sent these along with the letter in notebooks; which I, though unlearned, deemed it necessary to refute, having been urged by pious men. I ask that they be examined by your divine sagacity, that what is lacking may be set right, that you may grant me forgiveness for the errors committed, that you may take me into your remembrance in your God-inclined prayers, and furthermore that you may enroll me as the last of all members in the fullness of your holy Church. The same letter was also sent to the monastery of Saint Euthymius.
XVIII. To Nicephorus, the Most Holy Patriarch. He comforts the exile.
B Since I have often proposed to write to the sacred summit of your beatitude, I have been hindered, partly by considering my own unworthiness, and partly by being wanting in the face of temptations. But now, having disregarded both, and trusting in the Trinity, I, wretched as I am, say these things: Rejoice, truly, conqueror of impiety, who in the chariot of virtues art running the race of faith; rejoice, great sun of orthodoxy, by whose rays of confession the inhabited world is illuminated; rejoice, champion of truth, shining forth with the beauty of virtue like the God-bearing ones of old. C You abandoned the high throne for the sake of Him who humbled Himself even unto death, and the death of the cross; you abandoned the throng of servants and archiepiscopal comforts; and you preferred to be exercised with various hardships in the manner of confessors, rather than to enjoy the temporal pleasures of sin. Yet, because not being of them, even while living in them, you were mortifying the members of the flesh with a life in the Lord, you endured the deprivation of your holy Mother [Church]; stripped of precious brethren, and of all things together, in all respects. And I do not yet mention your Christ-like reproaches, the onslaughts, molestations, anxieties, and as it were, suffocations D inflicted by those in power. You were brought down with Christ by night; since you too were betrayed, were confined, and were relocated, sitting in some hill-country, you martyr of Christ. But bravo, for all things are for your good. Lift your eyes in a circle from the watchtower of your mind, and look upon your children, or if you prefer, your sheep, good shepherd, although dispersed in body, yet united in spirit, having permeated almost the whole of your Church, each in another part; and with the rays of confession, like stars, they light up for those in the night-battle of heresy the light of the orthodoxy—some having been sacrificed to God through athletic consummation, others contending, fearing nothing of the present things; but strengthened by your God-inclined prayers. This is the glory of your Church; this is your mark and symbol
A of your martyrdom, which the coming age, receiving, shall glorify God in you, as it does even now. Many praises are due to you for struggling on behalf of the image of Christ. But forgive me, O imitator of God, for having dared out of longing to say what I said; and grant me your holy prayers, that I might not cease to be your least son, I who am the most useless of all because of my sins.
XIX. — To Nuns.
He exhorts to the perfection of the religious life.
Having heard B good news concerning your reverence, I, the humble one, rejoice; especially because you are of the blood and spirit of the man of God and our common father. I rejoice even more, and I glorify God, learning that you have remained until now unspotted by any communion with heretics. And surely those who have kept their bodies undefiled must also preserve the integrity of the faith. For it is a species of fornication, O most prudent ones, even to participate in such communion; from which may the Lord preserve you untouched until the end, He who betrothed you to Himself through the vow of virginity. This is the first part of my discourse. But why do you ask for instruction from me, the sinner, when you yourselves are, by the grace of Christ, taught by God? For both of you are sprung from pious parents, and are excellent in knowledge, and by the very manner of your life you proclaim the doctrine of the commandments. C But if you seek anything from us, who are unskilled, the fear of God is the thing sought. For when this has entered into the heart, light shines forth, and it tempers the vicious passions. From this comes contrition, tears, hatred of the world, a desire for the heavens; and indeed, what good thing does not arise from this? For this is the indwelling of God; and where God is, there is the fountain of good things, peace, joy, charity. Therefore I, the humble one, exhort you not to look toward the examples of those around you, and especially not toward the hypocritical, lukewarm, and—if I may so speak—disordered manner of life displayed by most nuns; but rather toward the archetypal beauties, whose lives you have in your hands, flashing with divine love everywhere: just as a painter would not D paint an image from unsightly things, but from beautiful images distinguished by antiquity. What was known to you in them? Release from the bonds of the passions; flight from the gaze of men as much as possible; a humble mind; simple clothing; eyes cast down to the earth; the avoidance of useless prattle; a mouth speaking divine things; the affliction of the body. For thus did they overcome the passions of the flesh; since "the flesh lusts against the spirit," as it is written, "and the spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary to one another" 11, and the war is implacable. And it is necessary for us every day, I would even say every hour, to arm ourselves against the passions vigorously, with God and leaning on God, in a great struggle overcoming the enemy, who always thirsts for our ruin; whose darts are finally of no account to those who attend.
It is not possible for one who struggles not to be defeated at all, and be struck, in word and thought, and in similar things that do not lead to the death of sin; but one must wrestle back quickly, and stand in the state that is fitting. For who shall understand transgressions? And who shall boast that he has a pure soul? And the one who lives in the Lord is in tribulation, since narrow and compressed is the way that leads to life; as the contrary way is for the contrary. But when the end of the struggles has come, then you shall know, O brides of Christ, what the manner of life you have taken up has procured for you; for you shall be caught up in ineffable joy by good angels, and you shall enter into the bridal chamber not made by hands, into the heavenly bedchamber, to be forever with the Lord into the ages. I had indeed more to say; but since I deem that I have exceeded the measure of an epistle, I shall stop my discourse here; for which, grant to me, the sinner, your holy prayers. B
XX. To Macarius, the Abbot. Concerning a certain abbot, and others who have fallen.
What are you doing, O divine Father, humbling yourself, who are lofty in virtue, and exalting me, who am lowly in wickedness, with your honorable words, as I am besieged by myriads of passions every day? I am, therefore, your servant and child, desiring rather to be a learner than able to teach. Nevertheless, the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things; such are you, both seen and read. Now, concerning the abbot of Demetrias and his disciples, that they have perished—so that you may know the tree from its fruits—pray for them indeed for repentance, and for me, the wretch, for strengthening against the enemies, both invisible and visible, so that I might be deemed worthy to follow in the steps of all the confessors of Christ of this age; for a confessor is everyone who resists. C Regarding two other matters, this is what occurs to me: A presbyter who has subscribed to impiety ought to repent, and weep bitterly, so that the impiety may be forgiven him; but to perform sacred functions, even if he does not commemorate the impious one, by no means; but he is to be barred from the sacred ministry until the Lord looks down and grants a time for an orthodox synod, in which each shall receive what is due according to God's judgment. But I advise that, if he participated in the impious communion, he should abstain from the partaking of the holy things for one or two years. For it is written: "You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and the table of demons." And the same is to be determined D regarding the churches. "What agreement has the temple of God with idols?" Therefore, it is not right to enter into the martyrs' shrines of the heretics; it has been commanded to us by the holy synod; I do not know if, unless the temple is completely under the authority of an orthodox person so that it is no longer ministered in by a heretic, then indeed it should be entered.
and that the orthodox [priest] should perform the liturgy. There is no prejudice in what has been said before. Thus I, humble as I am, think, Father, while A reviewing the examples of the holy Fathers. It would be for your excellence to contemplate better things and to show them to my eyes. In sound health, fighting for God, may you remain safe for me—you who are highly renowned among Fathers—praying at the same time for my unworthiness, partly out of charity, and partly as you obey the law that commands it.
XXI.—Theodore to the beloved brothers who are detained for the sake of the Lord in various prisons, greeting. B
Concerning the holy images.
(Baron. an. 816, n. 27.)What is the meaning of these things that we see? Joy and exultation; because we have been deemed worthy to contend in martyrdom for Christ; because we have been delivered into prisons and to torments for the sake of the word of God; because we have been subjected to stripes and insults for the sake of Christ, who for our sake endured lashes, reproaches, and finally the cross. Who would not praise? Who would not glorify? The East rejoices, the West exults; the whole Church C of the four corners of the world rejoices. And why do I speak of the earthly globe? Heaven itself is filled with gladness; because not only the chief of our prelates, bishops and priests, heads of monasteries and disciples, but also nuns with their superiors, have entered the arena of martyrdom. I omit those who, in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth, are afflicted as exiles, suffering want and vexed by harsh persecution for Christ. Therefore, rightly, my brothers, beloved and most desired, my joy and crown (Phil. IV, 1), I rejoice and congratulate you. Do you also rejoice and congratulate me for the same thing. Indeed, these are the words of the blessed Paul, but they are fitting for this time. Since all D things have been written for our instruction (Rom. XV, 4), he implores us to be his imitators. First, then, I would say this true thing: that we are not given over to tribulations and trials to the extent that those who vex us wish and desire. For thus the trial would be unbearable, as is that which is secretly brought upon us by the demons; but only as much as Christ, the arbiter of the contest and our fellow-combatant, allows, according to the measure and standard of each one's strength, in just judgment assigning the contests, whether for the expiation of sins—if indeed we have come to suffer of our own accord—or for the reward of victorious crowns, as we proceed from glory to glory. For we have not been tortured in the same way as Peter or Paul with their equals, or George and Theodore with their companions in glory, or Thecla and Febronia with their peers, to whom, because they loved much, the sufferings of Christ were granted in corresponding abundance. But to those for whom the love is slight, the suffering is also less; so that they grieve and are distressed that we do not suffer much—not [that it] changes
A the divinely-judged encounter, but [it happens] because of the exhaustion, cowardice, and godlessness of one who has become soft. For God has given the strength to prevail against the power of the evil one, willing that the athlete should be a victor; but the person who through negligence has cast away the armor of patience has perished. A witness to this word is the One who cries: *God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it* (I Cor. x, 13). Here is patience, brothers; here are the divinely-woven crowns of true faith. Let us not, therefore, be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor let us allow ourselves to be overcome by Thaddaeus, the newly-enrolled martyr, and those who confessed along with him and traveled B behind him, whose names you indeed know.
The Church of God has been watered by the blood of martyrs, and even now it is irrigated by those who are still struggling and are being pressed in various ways by afflictions. He who is kept imprisoned, who is isolated, who is distressed, who is snatched away from every face, who is deprived of necessities, who hungers, who thirsts, who does not receive the ray of the sun, who is dying daily, as Paul declares, and *all the day long* is *killed* (Ps. XLIII, 22), as David sings, pours forth blood. *But if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we suffer, we shall also reign with him* (II Tim. II, 11-12). In times past, grace chose those whom it chose for the testimony of Christ. Through every generation, martyrs arise. *For it must needs be that offenses come* (Matth. XVIII, 7), Christ said, that the elect may shine like the sun, and the tares may become manifest by their night-like [nature].
Let us, O brothers, C in this crooked and perverse generation, be as lights shining in the darkness of heresy; Christ has chosen us for His own glory, for the splendor of orthodoxy. Just as those of old were for us, so may we be demonstrated as a pillar and a pattern for those who come after, and may we be found dancing on the day of Christ. Yet we have a testimony more manifest than our predecessors. For it is not about the natures or wills in Christ, and whatever else was called into question among these—the error of which, being in the concepts, offered no demonstration to the senses—but now, along with the concepts, the matter in dispute (or rather, the impiety) strikes the eyes. For our opponents not only say that Christ, along with the Theotokos and any of the saints, should not be depicted, and think wrongly regarding this; they even destroy those already drawn, D dogmatizing that the holy images are a deception and the destruction of souls. O the impiety of the Jew and the Greek, which has returned again! There is then no difference at all, either regarding the substance or the change in what is discussed. The Jew, or the Greek, says to the Christian: "Deny Christ, [deny] Mary." This is what the Iconoclast also does. The
A image of Christ, just as of the Theotokos, is synonymously called Christ and Theotokos. So that he who says that the image is to be denied, he who demands that the one whose image it is be expressly denied. For the argument is not mine, who am nothing. Hear what the God of all says to Moses: "Make Cherubim" (Exod. xxv, 18). And yet He commanded that an image of Cherubim be made. For no one in his right mind would say that He intended to represent the Cherubic nature. And again: "Make a bronze serpent" (Num. xxi, 9); and here too He commands an image of a serpent to be made. But this is the nature of the prototype and of the derivative model, that the model takes the name of the archetype, and with the removal of the one, the other is removed, as if they were existing together. There was an angel, and therefore too the image of an angel; there was a serpent, and therefore too the image of a serpent; and of any other thing that exists. And they are called sometimes images of those things whose images they are; but sometimes, because of the relationship, they are named as the archetypes themselves, and not as images of them.
In this way the divine Apostle says: "And over it the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat" (Hebr. ix, 5), giving the name of the prototypes to the images. Hear also the great Basil: "Let there be inscribed upon the tablet also the Christ who presides over the struggles." For he did not say, "Let the image of the Christ who presides over the struggles be inscribed," but, "Christ." Hear also Gregory of Nyssa: "Isaac is present." He calls the very image of Isaac, Isaac. Hear Chrysostom: "I saw an angel in an image." For he did not say that he saw the image of an angel in an image, but C an angel. For in the image the archetype is manifested; just as in the type of the cross [is manifested] the life-giving cross; inasmuch as it is inseparable and one from the other in adoration. Therefore the image also obtains the name of the archetype. For the type of the cross is called the cross. Thus also concerning a king, and every man, and every species, it is true for us to say that the king is called also the image of the king, says the divine Basil; and Peter, the image of Peter; and Paul, the image of Paul. Let me say something even more sublime: man also is called God, as the image of God. Therefore just as Basil said, so also Christ is the image of Christ; for he said, and I say again: "Let there be inscribed upon the tablet, not the image of Christ, but Christ." But if the contentious will not bear these things; D first, they reject the divine voices; then, they teach from this that Christ did not become man in deed, even if not in word. For if He is man, He is evidently depicted; for the first property of man is to be depicted. But if He is not depicted, He is not man, but bodiless; and Christ has not yet come, as the Jews falsely claim. For this reason they also banish the depicted Theotokos, and all the saints, as if she were not the mother of Christ, nor were they the servants of Christ.
The golden voice exclaims: "Thy works are more credible to me than Thy words." It follows, therefore, that the Iconoclasts truly Judaize; and he who suffers at their hands, because of Christ
B and for Christ suffering, because of the Theotokos and for the Theotokos, because of every saint and for all the saints, is an unassailable martyr and confessor of Christ, who strives and stands fast. And no argument shall gainsay it. The Maccabean martyrs would not suffer to taste of swine’s flesh against the law. The Forerunner was a martyr for the proof of the truth; another was a martyr because he would not contribute an obol to the construction of an idol’s temple; and another for yet some other command. For what is the need to say much? And here, clearly, shall he who strives for the sake of Christ not be a martyr, as some of those wretches say? He is a martyr, clearly true, in no way lacking in comparison to those whom the Gentiles or Jews made martyrs; "And the witness in heaven is faithful." In short, therefore, if he who rejects the form of the cross refers this rejection to Christ, much more does he who denies the image of Christ refer his denial unto Christ. Thus, he who suffers martyrdom for either one is a most true martyr, and even more so in the case of the image; because the form is a sign, whereas the image is the form of Christ. I beseech you, my holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, first C to make mention of me in your prayers, the humble one; praying that I may be proven by deed in what I say, being in no way weakened by either invisible or visible assaults; next, that you attend to yourselves and to the struggle now before you. But do not be inflamed by these reasonings, through poverty of understanding, in the showing of things that are governed deeply by Providence, and which a human mind cannot attain; nor may that happen to you which you chant: "My feet were almost moved; my steps had well-nigh slipped; for I was jealous at the transgressors, seeing this and that." But rather, hear the Lord saying: "Wait for me until the day of my resurrection." And: "He that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved." D
XXII. To the absent brethren.
(Written in prison as a testament.)
It is always necessary for a Christian to prepare his affairs for death, but especially when he is surrounded by trials that threaten death. Since, therefore, our situation is such, because of the pulsating madness of the persecutors for the sake of Christ’s love—that is to say, for the martyrdom and confession concerning Him which is set before us—and since I do not know what will suddenly happen to me, being isolated and confined far from you, my absent brethren and Fathers, I have judged it well to entrust this letter to you as a final word, as it were, and through you to the whole brotherhood. For it is better to testify often and wait, than by the expectation of a longer life to be suddenly snatched away and left intestate and unaware. What then is the present situation? Since I have often already reviewed and recorded all that needed to be said, whether when lying ill with severe sickness or when persecutions were imminent, there is no need now to repeat what has already been spoken. This first, my brethren, that you grant me forgiveness...
A for those things which, contrary to reason, I said or did against you in my direction of you, both in word and in deed. For who can understand his errors? And: "We all stumble," and I most of all, the most useless of all men. Wherefore I also implore your prayer for the attainment of salvation for my wretched soul; furthermore, for the brethren who, on account of my sins, have been torn away and severed from our fellowship in the Holy Spirit. It is indeed, it is plainly manifest to all, that a just judgment of God awaits them; but nevertheless, since they are children and members, one must sympathize with them, and still protest to them. I speak, that is, to brother Leontius, Maximus, Clement, and to all the others, who in any way whatsoever have separated themselves under the pretext of vain excuses. As for the things done toward me, I have said before, and I say now: forgiveness must be granted to them. But since those things which are against God are not for man to absolve if they remain unrepentant—and they do not appear to have repented, but have even proceeded to do this and that, which they know—I beseech you, either now or after my death, by the fear of temptations, that the word be delivered to them: because you see, brethren, that the judgment is terrible and inescapable, unless you appease God with worthy repentance; for as far as it concerns me, the sinner, you are to be forgiven. This is what troubles me somewhat and comes to my mind; and I beseech you to accomplish this toward all. Fare you well in the Lord.
XXIII. — To the Abbot.
On the holy images.
I delayed in writing to your paternal holiness, B being hindered in such a way by the custody that surrounds me. For I long since heard of your struggle in the prison and your contest for the sake of the Lord. But blessed be God, who also called your holiness to the confession of his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and God. For it is nothing else to contend for the image of his bodily form than it is to bear witness for him himself; since it is one and the same, as regards the power of representation, both the image and him who is adumbrated by the image. That Christ is depicted, even the stones themselves cry out. For this reason he was made like unto us in all things, save for sin, as it is written: C and it is "save for sin" because he received flesh without seed, and was conceived in a virginal manner from his all-holy Mother and Theotokos. Since, then, every one of us is depicted—for he who cannot be depicted is not a man, but some sort of abortion; for it is the nature of every living thing that has come into the light to be able to be depicted—it is manifest that Christ is also depicted, even if it does not seem so to the impious, who thereby deny the mystery of our saving dispensation. For how could the Son of God be confessed to have become man just like us, and who even deigned to be called our brother, unless he were circumscribed just as we are? Or how could he have been born by the law of nature, unless he were similar [to us] in his mother? If, therefore, he is not circum-
Ascribed, not being from her virginal blood, out of which he built up for himself a temple, but [is instead] bearing a heavenly body—as is the opinion of the heretic Marcellus, and those impious ones who were long before him—thenceforth, not even is the Mother truly the Mother, but she bears a false name, nor is he similar to us, but is of a different essence. Furthermore, he is not even called Adam; for how could he be? [How could] that which is of earth [be restored] by a body of a different nature? For it is shown that the like must be saved by the like. Therefore, neither is death abolished as a consequence, nor has the legal servitude ceased; there is need of circumcision and the rest.
Thou seest, O man of God, into what abyss of impiety those who have fallen have plunged, by holding the opinion B that Christ is not to be depicted upon a tablet. They are Judaizing, therefore, with certainty. Thenceforth, they accept neither the Theotokos, nor any of the saints, for by the negation of their proper forms, they execrate those whose forms are represented. For the honor and dishonor of the image passes on to the prototype, as the great Basil says. Thou execratest the likeness of the Cross; and what is it that thou execratest? Is it not the life-giving Cross itself? So [it is] with the likeness of the king, or of any man whatever; so too with that of Christ, and of his Mother, and of every saint. Christ has been denied, and has been persecuted, and has been treated with contempt. And blessed art thou, Father, struggling and contending for the orthodox faith. But pray also for me, the wretched one, that I may follow in the footsteps C of thy holiness, and not be cast out on account of my sins.
XXIV. — To Ignatius, my Son.
Thou hast written, beloved son, and I have understood; and I rejoiced to hear thy voice. Yet, my affairs are not as thou supposest; for they are empty and of no worth, except that thou claimest to be helped by my words. Write and receive; and I shall not be begrudging. I understand that thou art dragging out a life full of afflictions in the present persecution, just as those who are hiding, like thee, are doing. But let hope lighten thy labor. Keep thy affairs secure, along with the good Eusebius, whom I also greet. The communion [offered] by heretics is not common bread, but a poison, which darkens and obscures not the body, but the soul. But whether one should cast it away in secret is not for me to say; yet there are those who do so out of fear; concerning whom it is possible to use this [saying]: *Many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue. For they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God* (John XII, 42). But if the prayers of the liturgy are orthodox, what difference does it make if they are performed by heretics? The answer is that they do not think as the one who composed them, nor do those [heretics] believe what the words themselves signify; for the entire mystical rite holds the opinion that Christ truly became man, whereas they deny this, and even while they speak, they maintain the opinion that he cannot be depicted.
A Just as if someone were to say, "I believe in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit," while thinking that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one hypostasis with three names—which is the dogma of the foolish Sabellius—what then? Should we say that such a person believes in the Trinity? Certainly not, even if he says so. Thus, neither does this man here believe as he speaks, even if the rite of the mystery is orthodox; rather, such a person speaks in vain, or indeed mocks and insults the liturgy, since even sorcerers and enchanters use divine hymns in their demonic rites. It is preferable that someone not yet sprinkled in the sacred font, if an orthodox baptizer is not available, be baptized by a monk, or if he is not available, by a layman, who says: "So-and-so is baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," than to depart from this life without the laver; and he is truly baptized. For B by necessity there occurs a change of law, as has happened in the past and as has been demonstrated.
XXV. To Peter of Nicaea.
On avoiding the communion of heretics.
Knowing that it is dear to your heart that I, a man of no account, should speak with you, my sacred head, I speak now for the sake of love, not necessity. And indeed, I seem to have spoken before in another letter, although I do not know whether you have received it. But in both, my message to you is the same: that you may be well in body, my Father, you who are the firm foundation of the truth, a support for many, a seal of faith, to the praise of Christ, to the glory of the whole Church; since you are a conspicuous eye C above others, known to the East and West, possessing together with a holy life, an excellent faculty of speech. Whence you have become dear to emperors, beloved by princes, and praiseworthy to monks; but what need is there even to speak of your own Church, which calls you blessed, longs for you, and loves you for the many excellent deeds you have performed, just as infants love maternal breasts, as chicks their nurse, as lambs their true shepherd? And why not? Since your life-giving words ring in their ears, and they see with their eyes the temples of God restored by you. And I do not yet mention the abundance of alms and your other holy works. But do not think that I am indulging in friendship. For even if I have not beheld you with my eyes, I have heard nevertheless from those who have. But if currently this [heretical] contagion occupies the one who is truly cross-eyed, both in his external D and internal eyes, do not be grieved, blessed one, nor be amazed. The Apostles were in the upper room, and the deicides occupied the most celebrated temple. The method of the Iconoclasts and those who think like the Jews is the same now; may the Lord convert them, and may He guard you, who pray for me, your son.
XXVI. To Theophylact of Nicomedia.
On the holy images.
I have long desired to write to your beatitude; but the lack of a messenger was wanting to me, humble as I am. Now, by the will of God
having obtained this, I fulfill my desire, which I justly cherish toward you: not only on account of your confession in the Lord, but also specifically because of your disposition, which is excellent beyond that of many others, your gentleness, your sincerity, your grace, your honeyed conversation, your affability in meetings, and above all your beneficence; from which the character of your holy soul, even if not seen, appears adorned with a variety of virtues. But enough on this: for it is not a time for encomiums. But what, O blessed one, do these present events seem to you? Are they not almost Judaism, or paganism? The adornment of the Church has been taken away, the appearance of the holy temples; the holy things have been handed over to fire; another form is seen in Christianity: if it is fitting to call it Christianity, and not rather Judaism. Now it is timely to say: "Lord, they have killed your prophets, and have destroyed your altars" (III Reg. XIX, 14). And indeed they killed, and indeed they destroyed. For what else is scraping off and digging out their face, than openly destroying? Take away the face of a man, and he will no longer be a man, but some sort of abortion, if he can even live. "They have burnt your sanctuary with fire" (Ps. LXXIII, 7). And this truly likewise: burning every divine image inscribed in any material. A blasphemous mouth has been opened, calling Christ an idol, and the Theotokos, and every saint: for the exemplar indeed retains the name of the archetype, as it does the adoration also. Therefore we also call every sign of the cross, a cross, and adoring the life-giving cross, we embrace it. C But I, humble, have lamented these things, not as if your all-wise perfection were unaware of the destruction of this error—lest I seem foolish—but so that I might myself soothe the pain of my heart by recounting them; for narratives, when they are brought forth, are wont to lighten hidden troubles; and at the same time to stir [my soul] to pray more earnestly to God, that He may grant speedy retribution to this wicked heresy for the salvation of His people. Pray also for me, your least son, most holy Father.
XXVII. — To Timothy, son.
D Such as is your soul, my beloved son, such are your letters: bold, cheerful, ready, full of love for God and for the martyrs; for words are the images of the soul, and from the abundance of the heart each one brings forth his words; so that we, having heard your remarks, have been strengthened and made more manly, and more ready to enter into the struggle. And Brother Adrian, in explaining you to me, moved me even more: having reported your courage, your steadfastness, and your freedom of speech, and also your skill in arguing against those who provoke you. Whence come these gifts to you? Are they not from your preceding good purpose and faith in God; by the aid of which you have endured the things that came before, and have stood in the hope of the glory of God, even until the
A end, being prepared for the struggle? Rejoice, be glad; you will have the strength, with God, to endure all things, having bound upon yourself the victor's crown. But pray also for me, brother, that I may follow in your footsteps, and in those of anyone else who is similar to you. But by the grace of Christ there are many such examples. For the stadium is indeed bright and visible; and the martyrs are very many. For do not imagine that what is now happening is anything other than a denial of Christ on the part of those who persecute, and a martyrdom for Christ on the part of those who bear away the prizes; and this is perfectly clear. For as in the icon of the Cross, the life-giving Cross is both acknowledged and denied, so too in the icon of Christ the same thing must be held without distinction. Even if the world is blinded, and, in denying Christ, treats the insult as a game, it does so because of the forbearance of Him who is being insulted. And what is strange if He endures it, seeking the conversion of those who offer such provocations? Did the soldiers not place a crown of thorns upon His head? Did they not clothe Him in a purple robe? And did they not say, “Hail, King of the Jews,” while giving Him slaps? And He bore all things, being mocked, derided, and suffering all other things on the Cross. Such are the things He now suffers through His icon, and in His icon; since the archetype is manifested in the icon, as has been said by the saints. B But may there soon be mercy for His Church, strengthening those who confess Him. I hear that you are prolonging your fast; and I rejoice in this, yet I counsel you to take food every day after evening. For this is the royal road, and this is the praiseworthy abstinence in this kind of martyrdom.
XXVIII. To Basil the Abbot.
That he may persevere in suffering bravely for Christ, and not be afraid if he is led before the emperor or magistrates.When I learned everything that your holiness has suffered for the Lord, together with your holy subordinate, I greatly glorified our good God; for you yourself have also risen like a star in the world alongside other luminaries during this present night-battle of heresy, a vessel of election, a pillar and foundation of the truth. How admirable is that pair of yours! How beloved by Christ, having endured for His sake blows, banishments, and prisons, and this even C until the present day! But why is it that before you did it, you came to me, the humble one, as I have learned from you, yet you were not able to enjoy the sight of me? Nor is it any wonder. For when you assumed I was present, I was not; for I am a wretched and darkened man; why therefore should you have put yourself to trouble? But now you have joined yourself to us through your letter; and we already see one another in the spirit; and we have come together in the spirit, having become one soul in the Lord, I, the humble one, in you the saints, and you in me. Wherefore Christ is in our midst, according to His truthful promise. What, then, remains? That, just as we have begun in our labors for Christ, we should complete the contest set before us, fearing nothing—neither blows again, nor bonds, nor torturers, nor fire, nor sword, nor water, nor D
blade. Thus the Word suggests to us; thus the Apostle; thus the consummation of all the martyrs. We are not born of humbler stock than they, even though we too were generated from God and have obtained the same mother of adoption. They struggled, and shall we behave unseemly? Women and maidens were crowned, and shall we pamper our flesh? Infants have conquered tyrants and kings, and shall we be dizzy with fear? By no means. Let us leave the flesh to those who love the flesh; the soul is unassailable. Let us not fear those who kill the body, but Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Now is the time for exultation and gladness. For B if we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified with Him. Let the devil mourn, and his ministers; for this is what they suffer by the invincible constancy of the martyrs. You say that you have never seen a king, nor met with princes, and therefore you are somewhat afraid. By no means. O Father, despise both, you who have Christ as your garment. Let him fear you, just as the demons do. Open your mouth when you are present before him. For speech will be given to you; Christ has promised it. Reprove him if he prattles in vain. Did not Elijah rebuke C Ahab? Did not John rebuke Herod? Did not others rebuke them in turn? Not to prolong the discourse by naming them individually. The God who was then is the same now. As He loved them, so He loves us. You have professed yourself a disciple of the apostles, martyrs, prophets, Fathers, and holy ones. The fruit should follow the tree. And if we do not walk in this way, we are not worthy; we are not disciples, nor sons, nor fruit, but [belonging to] the opposing faction—to those who love the world, clearly, and to those who are slaves to the flesh, whose imitation we should flee, and instead, as [servants] of God, strive with perfection in Jesus Christ our Lord, who has said: "Take courage, I have overcome the world."
XXIX. — To Megalo and Maria, Nuns.
Your letter is precious, and your greeting is wise; but the news, D what shall I say? Is it full of grief, or of joy? My Father has departed from the living, the confessor of Christ, a second Job, the ornament of monks, the conciliator of charity, a man dear to all, a man of God, whose eye was always wet with tears, his mind eager for learning, rich in divine doctrines, assiduous in humility, and likewise renowned for the perspicacity of his soul; conspicuous before his sacred habit, and far more excellent after his monastic perfection. Bound by the love of God, he then despised the world, and by a gratuitous gift [bestowed] all his wealth—though he was very rich—on Christ; he was then separated from his illustrious spouse, from kin and friends and acquaintances, and from the rest of his worldly station, house, city, and country; and this in the prime of his age: in the elegance of his countenance and the height of his stature, in the strength of his body and in the ambidexterity of his manners, both intellectual and sensory; and if one were to say more than this, he would [still be saying] less.
He lived, and he departed to the Lord. But where and how? He was snatched hastily from his flock because of a difficult illness; he was shut up in prison in the city for two years more and then some; finally, he was banished to a certain island, where, as befits a confessor, he finished his course for Christ.
This event, therefore, brings me not sorrow, but singular joy. He is not dead, but has migrated to eternal life; the earth does not cover him, but heaven embraces him. The choir of confessors, the company of ascetics, has received him; where there is the true light, where there is blessed rest—to attain which he willingly underwent labors and hardships in the flesh, in the manner of ascetics and confessors. Now this day is for me solemn and festive, and indeed there is great delight of soul for me, but also for all the orthodox, because they have sent forward an advocate to God, who accomplished his course in the same manner as the martyrs have hitherto. Let the Church rejoice that it still possesses pillars; let the holy assembly exult that stars are rising again in the world, which reveal light to those who dwell in the darkness of heresy. Oh, Father, Father! How splendid is that course of yours! How holy is your monument! How blessed is the remembrance of you! You are altogether splendid, altogether lovely. Who, having looked upon you, has not loved you? Who, having met you, has not been softened? Your company is desirable; your virtue, proven. What remains? Remember your flock, and me myself, your son, though I am of the least and most insignificant. You know the love you had for me; and I know yours for me. Help B the whole Church before the Lord; pray also for me, a wretched man, that I may quickly come to you in the way you have been perfected. These are my pleadings to our common Father. But you I exhort, do not betray the faith; live in holiness, being as you are of his [family]—one the wife, the other the kinswoman of the husband—so that you may enjoy eternal glory together with him.
XXX. To Simeon the monk.
[alt-version omitted]The letter of your holiness has been delivered to me. When I read it, and learned individually what had happened to it and to our other holy Fathers who are with it—whose names are in the book of life—that is, the sacred expulsion of all, the long-distance deportation, that C burdensome and grievous [ordeal] by reason of the various transportations here and there, and the harsh custody of the impious; I sighed, lowly as I am, while considering in my mind into what kind of temptations the time had led the Churches of God. At the same time, however, I called blessed the struggles of those who were persecuted for Christ, and as for you, who became for us the messenger of all the events that occurred, and did not refuse, concerning me—a man of no account—to move your hand to write and to recount one by one the whole series of afflictions: for this reason may the Lord bless you, and more and more establish and confirm you in that bitter testimony D
B of the martyrdom of Christ. For indeed, I have learned that upon encountering John, the leader of the impious, after your stand, you did not retreat, nor did you prove inferior in the conflict of words; but, resisting stoutly, you overcame him and rendered him speechless with the youthful vigor of the word of truth, which the operation of the Holy Spirit suggested to you. C For there is no power of speech in those who are deceived, since there is neither light, nor proof of truth, nor anything upright or holy in those who walk in darkness with a foolish heart and blinded mind—or, to speak more truly, with ignorance, lack of learning, and blindness. One thing alone is present, both first and last: the power of darkness. This is, for them, both speech and definition, and faith, and glory, and weapon. "By their fruits you shall know them," says the Lord. For what impious or Judaic thing have they not done? They have insulted Christ, the Theotokos, and the saints; and those whose bodily features are disgraced, the insult is transmitted to the prototypes themselves. D Therefore, the Iconoclasts may rightly be called Antichrists, since the Theologian and Evangelist says, "And now many Antichrists have come." These things [I say] to your prudence; but they are symbols of that charity which has been bestowed upon us by God in one mind and one soul. But pray for me, noble brother, that I may struggle in the fight alongside you; and do not hesitate to make known to me again how you fare, and how your holy companions are and shall be.
XXXI. To Joseph, brother and archbishop.
A He recounts both what was impiously done by the Iconoclasts, and what was bravely accomplished against the Iconoclasts by the confessors of Christ.As far as [your] letters are concerned, I learned nothing of your health; but alas for my sins, that it happened so! For it was indicated to me by the brothers that those letters, along with others, had perished; and this is an operation of the devil. But glory to God, who hid them from those who hold power, for many were in danger. Furthermore, the iambics which you rightly composed against the Iconoclasts have also perished; but you ought not to have sent them at all without a copy and without notation. B These things, as was fitting, have saddened us. But I, the humble one, address your holiness again, desiring to see your venerable face; for whom [should I desire to see] rather than you? And is it not always so? And this, not so much from nature as from the conspiring fellowship of our actions, which were not born of the earth, but proceeded from heaven, from almost the first starting-gate down to this day, as all know; and have our parents—shall I say bodily or spiritually—formed [us]? But I pray that we may remain so even hereafter, C so that I may not be separated from your virtue by the multitude of my sins, being upheld by divine benevolence and by the prayer of those who brought [us] to the light. Such, then, are [the matters] of prayer. But as for the rest, what and how many they are in the Church of God, worthy of groans and lamentations, they are already entirely audi-
- A ble; for [the things] that not even the heretics of old dared to do against Christ, these have been carried out with more frantic rage. And Christ is sleeping; and the salty sea of unbelief has risen high, causing total destruction. But may there be with you those of the disciples who are genuine, rousing Christ for the rebuke and calming of the storm. He who stood surety for my monastic habit has also departed, a good man, having borne away the crown of confession in such a most grievous sickness, to the point of being unable even to turn himself upon his bed. How? By having stood firm, and having been seized and imprisoned, and then also exiled; and in this way he finished his martyrdom. Did the Lord, then, not see his labors of obedience, as many as you know, even if he was caught by craft among the Moechians because of my sins, sparing his body, [though] not being carried away in his mind, as the event itself proved? Therefore, having been led away from the assembly by God, he turned the victory to the other side: just as the monk of Medikion did, and likewise indeed the one from Nicaea; as I have been taught by their very letters. And why do I speak of this one or that one? For I am persuaded that all who have resisted are in such a state. Nay, even our true patriarch himself confesses the truth, as I learned from the mouth of one who had heard him and praised his stand. I have said these things, both to honor the deceased as is fitting, and at the same time to make known to your holiness [the things] that were due. But you are not ignorant of the internal evil: that Leontius, who was once ours, who was led away to the Moechians before, and is now a leader of the Iconoclasts. For this reason he took over the Studion, and unjustly rules the Saccedion. B Out of an impure [source] nothing is pure: such as the carnal parent, such also is the offspring; whom may God convert through your holy prayers, and may He establish me, the sinner, in His fear. I greet those who serve your holiness. He who is with me venerates you as a servant.
XXXII. To Thalelaeus the son.
Concerning a presbyter who, while being orthodox, was eating with heretics out of fear. (Baron. an. 818, n. 20.)
You acted rightly in writing to me, beloved son. For by this very thing you have manifested both your faith and your love. But why do you sing praises to me, of which I am entirely devoid? Do you not know that I am a sinner and unskilled in speech? But charity is very cunning, attributing to friends praises of which they are devoid. Therefore, let the desire for praising be set aside, and pray rather, son, that I may be established in the Lord and saved in every way from the Wicked One. May your bodily infirmity be [offered] with thanksgiving C to God; and do not be grieved by the manner in which it came about. The Lord knows how to bestow what is profitable to each one; but I do not know whence this [slander] came to you. Let the calumny be despised, and it will quickly vanish; for if it is feared, it increases all the more; may you overcome it, God strengthening you. Although many harassments by those who persecute are increasing, yet the heavenly reward is [there]. For if we suffer together, we shall also be glorified together. For it is not a time of ease, but of martyrdom. D
A The problem concerning the presbyter who appears to be orthodox, but who eats with a bishop, as you mentioned: if he ceases from such dining together, with a penance of being barred from performing sacred rites for a certain time, so as never to fall into the same slip again, he has a remedy for performing sacred rites to God. But if he is indifferent—may his own wealth not be a ransom for a man!—to flee, along with the gift, the heretical communion and any other sinful act; not indeed by the exchange of giving what is good and receiving what is worse; such as giving light and receiving darkness. Nor if someone provides all the wealth of the world and communicates with the heresy, is he established as a friend of God, but an enemy. And why do I say communion? Even if he associates with heretics in food and drink and friendship, he is liable. This is the pronouncement of Chrysostom, and indeed of every holy person. B But how is it involuntary, and not the work of one who appears to think rightly, yet nevertheless communicates with heresy? It is involuntary when someone forcibly opens the mouth of an orthodox person and pours in the heretical communion, which is what the heretics of old did, and, as I have learned, what the Christ-fighters of today are doing. But to participate of one’s own accord is voluntary. And if it is because of fear—for this is what is being sought—not even thus will he have an excuse. For do not fear those who kill the body, but God, who can send both into the hell of eternal fire. Do we hear? Truly, the whole world is not worth a single soul, which keeps itself immune from both heretical communion and every evil. But those who are participants of both are like hay, wood, and stubble, which the testing fire of judgment will burn up; yet it will preserve their authors, burning them eternally, and not purifying them.
XXXIII. — To those who say that Christ is not circumscribable.
He who says that Christ is not circumscribable by the form of a body, using a certain entirely natural connection and logical demonstration, C has made an objection concerning this for the confirmation of the truth and the clarification of the uninitiated. Therefore, let him come forward and teach what the nature of the Word is, and what is the cause of the lack of description. Is it that He is not formed in the likeness of our nature? That the body is not divided by bones? That the pupils of the eyes are not fitted with eyelids and eyebrows? That the ears are not stretched with spiral passages? That the nose is not suited for perceiving odors? That it is not attached to maturing cheeks? That He has not spoken, eaten, and drunk with mouth and tongue, lips and teeth? That He is not formed by the encompassment of shoulders, arms, and hands? That He does not have a chest and back by nature, together with legs and feet? That He has not received the extension of time according to the growth and increase of age? That the movement of walking for Him—upward, downward, D inward, outward, to the right, to the left, circular—is not manifested? That by labors and
troubles and other innocent passions He was not intertwined, wearing His hair long upon His head and covering His whole body with garments? But if He is confessedly seen in these things which we have gathered as a true man, of whom a delineation can be made regarding his bodily form—a truthful likeness, without which no composite body can even exist, if such a thing consists in touch and color—what great blindness and godless contention is this, to maintain that Christ, who appeared consubstantial with us and like us in all things, cannot be depicted? But how, if the depicted one perishes, will not all the related properties perish at the same time? For "the property," says the Theologian, "is immutable"; or how does a property remain if it is moved and changing? Let the adversary answer.
XXXIV. To his
us through the opening of the small door, and it sustains us. We do not dare to say what Daniel said when he received the meal from Habakkuk: "For God has remembered me." However, He has also remembered us who are sinners; and He pities, and cares for, and protects. As long, then, as there is something within from which we may be fed, or whenever one of the porters acts secretly from inside—the one who is on weekly duty—he feeds us, and we glorify God. But if our necessities fail, by God’s economy, we shall ourselves lay down our life, and in this we rejoice; and this, too, is of the great bounty of God.
And who am I, a wretch, to be seized in this manner for His name, and—going forward as He commands—to be made worthy, together with my brother, of a more abundant glory, the crown of the ageless? I beseech you, therefore, brothers, strive with me in your prayers to God, that I may be delivered in every way and at all times from the Evil One; and that He who began in us the work of His confession through the compassion of His mercies—not because of any works of mine, for I have done nothing good upon the earth, but the opposite—may He Himself also bring it to completion in both. This, we humble ones do not cease to ask for you, who suffer the same things, with tears. We greet in the Lord not only the eight chosen ones of the Lord, but also the Abbot Peter, and the good Letoios, and whomsoever else there may be. B
XXXV. — To Epiphanius his son
(Epiphanius is sent to the supreme pontiff Paschal. Baron. an. 818, n. 4.)
Behold, my beloved son, as you have eagerly purposed to depart for the West, I have told you to take these letters. I have sent two letters, one to the Apostolic See, and one to the lord Methodius. For the brother Dionysius, by the grace of God, reached those parts safely and brought back good hopes; to which I thought it worth the effort to add these repeated letters. I have written, however, not as from myself alone, but, as before, on behalf of both of the superiors, as the letter indicates—except for the one from Eucaria; for he, as I have learned, has fallen on account of my sins. C Therefore, by common consent and knowledge, both by secret message and by the reading of the letter, we wrote at that time, as the former letter also declared. But now, even if I have not been able to do this because of close confinement, nevertheless, as if both were already in agreement, this letter is theirs as well. And perhaps it may happen hereafter that they themselves also become aware. Go, therefore, noble Epiphanius; show yourself to the West as a faithful messenger, prudent, and long-tested. Deliver the letter, and in accordance with the things divinely inspired in the holy Apostolic See, by the suggestion and words of the holy Methodius and of the holy bishop of Monembasia, intercede also yourself, and pray that these things may be carried through to their conclusion by the will of God, who is able both to save you and to bring you to the holy and blessed supreme head. Do not fear; many things for you
A are the reward, and great is the struggle. Christ is with you. Greet all the saints, and especially those who are most well known, and particularly my holy Father the archimandrite, and my master the Chartophylax, whose love is fixed in my humble heart.
XXXVI. To the son Naucratius.
Dogmatic [Letter] concerning the holy icons.
I rejoice over you, my brother Naucratius, that you have been made a son of gladness, which is to suffer for Christ. For what is more pleasant than this, or what is more glorious? You were scourged, therefore, B in imitation of Christ; you were taken from prison to prison, having been handed over into the hands of the impious John, under whom I, too, a humble man, have struggled. Furthermore, that you were not subverted when he attacked you, but on the contrary repelled and refuted the man of insane mind, I—wretched as I am—have heard, and have received great pleasure in my soul. May there be present for you hereafter, in all events, help from the Lord. Since you intimated that certain opinions were brought forward by him during the disputation for the subversion of the holy icons—namely those of Asterius, Epiphanius, and Theodotus—I thought it worth the effort, for the instruction of both of you, to recount here (even though it exceeds the limit of a letter) both their own statements and our refutation of them, with God's help, unskilled though we may be.
The statement of Asterius is word for word as follows: “Do not paint Christ; for that one humility of the incarnation, which he voluntarily accepted for our sake, is sufficient for him; but carry around in mind and intellect the bodiless Word.” Let the logographer be asked, therefore, why, having forbidden Christ to be painted, he says that the one humility of the C incarnation is sufficient for him. It is as if he were avoiding the manifestation of humility that is secondary, [as he avoids] that which was once accepted as dishonorable. And how is it voluntary, if it is dishonorable? For that which is voluntary is glorious, having none of the dishonor of the involuntary. But if it is not this—but if it is a repetition, the writing that presents in likeness the same thing and the first? And how, too, will he not decline being reminded through hearing, if through sight it is a matter of triumphing, as bringing a second [manifestation] which is offensive to him? For each one is harmonious and equal to the other, as the divine mouth, Basil the Great, pronounced. It shall also be understood by way of comparison, if the cross is drawn once—that is to say, it is a repetition of another cross—just as it is also regarding the Gospel. And since both are always being written, there exist countless crosses, and furthermore, many Gospels, and not just one of each. But if the cross is one and not another, even if it be painted a thousand D times...
[Note: 1. In the Royal codex, on the margin of the book: It is to be known that Asterius is anathematized by the most holy Sophronius in his synodical writings, and is coupled by another Father with Apollinarius and Eutyches. 2. In the Royal codex, on the margin of the book: Christ is one, even if countless are painted. So also is the cross, even if more are made.]
et si infinite describatur, it is one Gospel; it is one and not two, even if it be written in the same way, and it is one Christ. For he is described, just as he is read; and the ear shall not be filled from what is heard, nor the eye from what is seen, because God has become man, A and the Eternal has been seen as an infant; and He who sustains all things is nourished with milk; and the Incomprehensible is held in arms; and He who is God most high is named a man; and the Abyss of wisdom is baptized; and the Transcendent performs things both divine and human; and the Lord of glory is crucified; and He who bestows life upon all things is buried and rises again; and He who is contained by no space is received in a manner befitting a man. Let him cease to forbid such a manifestation of the world’s salvation in both respects, and to suppose that the glory of the Lord is a disgrace, and attributing to Him an involuntary humility that was self-chosen; let him also cease to oppose the great Basil, whose voice is the voice of God, B who somewhere enjoins thus: "Let Christ, the President of the contests, be painted on the tablet." And let the following assertion, too, as possessing an equal measure of absurdity, be cast away by the divine choir along with the present decision.
For what does he say? "In your soul, by contemplation, bear about the incorporeal Word." O the folly! For did the divine mouth ever, after He became flesh, call the Word "incorporeal"? The holy Apostle did not call Christ "not flesh," but he did not call the Word "incorporeal," in those places where he says: "From now on we know no one according to the flesh; and even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him no longer" (II Cor. v, 16). C Which thing, interpreting it, the Theologian Gregory said referred to the affections of the flesh, and those things of ours which are without sin; as he says elsewhere: "No longer flesh, yet not incorporeal." But he who calls the Word "incorporeal" would be acting in contradiction not only to the two, but to all the God-bearing Fathers. It has been shown, therefore, by the logic of nature, that absurdity follows upon absurdity; and for the overthrow of falsehood, let the truth be established in its place. In what way? Paint Christ where it is fitting, as having Him dwelling in your heart; so that, being both read in a book and seen in a depiction, as being recognized in a twofold manner by the two senses, He may enlighten your mind; and that you, having learned what you were taught through the word, may behold this D with your eyes. And indeed, in being thus heard and seen, it has a natural capacity that God should be glorified, and the pious man be pricked to the heart—and what could be more conducive to salvation and more accessible to God than this? Thus, then, we, who are insignificant, think the truth, even if some of the holy Fathers before us have conceived of the refuted problem otherwise. Since, then, his claim has been disposed of, what of Epiphanius’s? Your God-fearing mind will understand whether it is fitting...
Letter LIII. To the same Naucratius.
I received the letter of your beloved soul, and I learned of your situation and the situation of the brothers there; and I rejoiced at their good conduct, which you reported to us. May God be their protector unto the ages. Regarding what was said to us by someone, that those around so-and-so were seeking to leave, I wrote to them not to let this happen; for their salvation is not in this. Let them remain, then, with God, where they are, struggling according to their ability for salvation. But as for what brother Epiphanius wrote regarding the manner of our accuser, what should I say? Did this good man not know that those who wish to live in Christ will be persecuted? But since he has suffered this, may God help him so that he may turn back from his error. As for us, let us stand in our confession, praying for all those who treat us unjustly.
Letter LIV. To the same.
I received the letter of your holiness, brother, and I was gladdened by your steadfastness in the faith and your love toward us. I believe that God will not forsake you, but will strengthen you through the prayers of the holy Fathers. And regarding what you wrote to me, that some say that the worship of the holy icons is idolatry, know clearly, O brother, that such a thing is blasphemous and heretical, and by no means to be accepted by the pious. For the honor of the image passes to the prototype, as the divine Basil teaches. Do not therefore give ears to such people, but hold firmly to the tradition of the holy Church.
A Is it proper for us to have God depictable through colors? Look further at the liar. He did not say Christ, in whom circumscription is demonstrated along with uncircumscription—for thus the declaration of both natures is made—but rather that we have God depictable, stripping the Word of his humanity according to the Manichaean frame of mind, and putting forward a naked God, so that he might terrify the hearer with the absurdity of the proposition. So indeed, it is absurd to speak of a visible God; since the divine Scripture says: *No one has ever seen God*; and yet the one-begotten Son, being God and seen, has explained this. But it is clear that no one has seen [him] as a God naked of humanity. Since the Only-begotten is not naked after the incarnation, for this reason he is also visible. And the holy Apostle cried out: *God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.* Therefore, the [phrase] "in the flesh" must be taken with every statement from the context. For the first expression is a B sequence, not only to those that follow, but also to all the properties of the incarnation. As then God was manifested in the flesh, and in each of those things mentioned before (for he would not have a nature, if "in the flesh" is not understood, either to be seen or to be taken up); so indeed he is also fed with milk in the flesh, and grows in age, and walks with feet, and sweats in agony, and speaks with a tongue, and whatever else is of the same category.
If these things are so, since circumscription is one of all the properties of the body, it is manifest that God is also circumscribed in the flesh, whether he is shadowed by colors or in any other way. For of two things, one is absolutely necessary. If he was seen in the flesh, he is also circumscribed in the flesh, since these things are cognate to one another, and one is the cause of the other. If, therefore, the latter is not true, certainly neither is the former; but the former is true, therefore the latter is also [true]. Thus, both according to the divine Words and according to the common mode of reasoning, it is foolish not to confess that God is painted in the flesh, since he has been seen in the flesh. Then the energetic man says in another place: "I have heard some ordering the incomprehensible Son of God to be painted. When you hear this, shudder." Who then, possessed of sound mind, would not C laugh at the empty-headed man? Has he not read that *they seized Jesus, and bound him, and led him away to Annas first, the high priest*? And again in another place: *They took therefore the body of Jesus; and bound it in linen cloths with the spices*? Does he not confess that Jesus is God? If therefore he is God, how was he who cannot be comprehended, comprehended and bound, if not clearly in the flesh, as the all-wise Paul confessed? Let the furious man who is against Christ, and this deceiver besides, fall silent. But if he should hear that we possess a God who is even eaten, perhaps he would not only shudder, but would also be torn apart, not enduring the hearing.
But what does Christ say? "And he who eats me, he also shall live because of me" (John vi, 58). And he could not be eaten in any other way except in the flesh. For since Christ is at once God and perfect man, he might be named according to either of the natures of which he is composed; and he could be spoken of as being properly understood according to either, without the property of the one being diminished or commingled within the singularity of the Person. And God the Word himself is a witness to this account, saying in one place: "Why do you seek to kill me, a man who has spoken the truth to you?" (John viii, 40). Yet, even as he said this, he was also the immortal God. In another place, indeed, he says: "You say that you blaspheme, because I said: I am the Son of God" (John x, 36). And yet, he who said this was also the son of man. Thus, in assigning what is proper to either appellation to its respective nature, we are nowhere in error. A Since this statement has reached its end, what is that of Theodotus? "We have not been taught to form the ideas of the saints in images of gross colors, but we have been taught to delineate their virtues, as it were living images, through the things declared concerning them in the Scriptures, from which we are incited to a zeal similar to theirs. Let those, then, who erect such figures of forms say what fruit they ultimately attain from them, or to what spiritual contemplation they ascend through the admonition of these things. But it is clear that such a notion is vain and an invention of diabolical craft." B The starting point of the argument is not to be censured immediately, even if it paves the way for the absurdities that follow. For many of the holy teachers judge the narrative made by word as more useful than the sight of images, yet they do not disparage the latter; others think the reverse. But it is the same thing, as the great Basil says: "For what the discourse of the narrative conveys through hearing, this a silent painting shows through imitation." And not all are painters, nor are all writers of discourses; but to each as God has distributed the measure of grace. Therefore, passing over this proposition, let him state the next: "Let those, then, who erect such figures of forms say what fruit they ultimately attain from them, or to what spiritual contemplation they ascend through the admonition of these things." C Let the champion be questioned in return: for what benefit and holy contemplation is it not possible to find from this? For if this is the nature of an image—to be an imitation of the archetype, as Gregory the Theologian says—and in the image the archetype is made manifest, as the all-wise Dionysius speaks—it is clear that from the imitation,
A much profit proceeds; and through the representation, a manifold contemplation of the mind concerning the archetype arises. A witness to this is the same divine Basil, who says somewhere: "The honor of the image ascends to the archetype." If it ascends, then it also descends; it is clear that from the archetype it descends to the image. For no one would be so foolish as to call the honor useless, nor to claim that a copy is not the express likeness of the thing copied, so that —according to the divine Dionysius—each is in the other; for what could be more useful or more leading-upward than this? B It is indeed an expression of the vision itself, and—to use a familiar example—the image is to the light of the sun like the light of the moon. Otherwise, if it were not so, what use was the tabernacle of testimony to the ancients, which was an image of heavenly things? For there, too, the Cherubim of glory were overshadowing the mercy seat; that is, images formed in human shape—all of them leading upward, and subject-matters for worship in spirit. But if their position were true, the image of the cross would be in vain for us; in vain also that which represents the lance; in vain that which represents the sponge. Since these too are images, even if they are not in human form, then in vain also are all those other things handed down to us through sensible images, to speak with Dionysius, through which we are led up, as he says, to intelligible contemplation as far as is possible.
C Then, too, one of the five faculties of the soul is the imagination; and imagination may rightly be thought of as an image, for both are phantasms. Therefore, the image is not useless since it is like the imagination. If that which is superior is useless, then much more so is the inferior one, which is naturally co-existent with it; and if it is in vain, then so are its correlates: sense, opinion, thought, and mind. Thus, by using physical reasoning, the argument shows the denigrator of the image or imagination to be D mindless, through a more persuasive contemplation. But I admire the imagination for another reason. For some say that a woman, having formed an image of an Ethiopian at the time of conception, bore an Ethiopian child. Something similar is told concerning the patriarch Jacob in the peeling of the rods; from that vision, the young of the flocks were born of various colors, and—O, the wonder!—that the image-making imagination was seen to have exercised a creative power. But let the argument return to the point: "Let those who set up such effigies of forms say what fruit they finally obtain from them, or to what spiritual contemplation they are advanced by their reminder." Who, my friend, upon seeing an image—if he indeed gazes intently, his eyes fixed to the right and left—does not take in the likenesses and fix them in his mind: and if the image is excellent, excellent ones; if base, base ones? So that often, even while remaining at home, one is now pricked with compunction, now filled with indignation. Does not someone also sometimes wake up from nocturnal visions, either joyful or sorrowful? If it is so in those cases, much more so in the manifest images in real life are we affected.
A Do you not know, most excellent man, that the ancients served the pattern and shadow of heavenly things? What? Was it not in an image that they were led up to the contemplation of things above? Does not man pass through life in an image, to speak with David? Are you yourself, O Iconomach, not an image of God, and born according to the likeness of your father, and graphically depicted on a tablet? Or are you yourself without an image, as if you were not a man, but an abortion, and that is why you think the same about the saints? But that this discourse may find greater belief, omitting my own reasoning, it shall present the lights of the world to answer your questions. B Gregory of Nyssa: "I have often seen in a painting an image of a pitiable object, and I did not pass by the sight without tears; so clearly did the art bring the history beneath my eyes." Chrysostom: "I also have loved a painting poured in wax, completed for the sake of piety. For I saw an angel in a painting scattering the bands of Barbarians; I saw the nations of the Barbarians being trampled; and David singing: Lord, in your city you will bring their image to nothing." Cyril of Alexandria: "I saw a painting on a wall, a maiden struggling in the games; and I did not behold the sight without tears." Gregory the Theologian:
Polemon stood out in the painting. When she (a harlot) saw this (for it was C venerable), She departed at once; she was overcome by the sight, Ashamed, and blushing at the one depicted.
Basil the Great: "Arise for me now, O brilliant painters of athletic deeds; complete with your arts the maimed image of the commander; make the athlete, depicted more obscurely by me, shine with the colors of your wisdom." Let me depart conquered by the painting of the martyr's noble deeds. I rejoice that I am today conquered by such a victory of your strength. May I see the struggle of the hand against the fire described by you more accurately. May I see the wrestler depicted more vividly on your image. Let the demons be terrified by the martyr's achievements, being struck even now; let the burning and victorious hand be shown again. D You see how he prefers painting to narrative; how great is the glorification, so that even the demons are made to weep; and how great is the way he called the image-making venerable, so that it might even be a discipline for a harlot? Then again, how the other does not depart from the sight of the image without tears, seeing the martyr struggling in the painting? Again, how another calls the wax-poured painting beloved, as if the prototypes were in it? Then also he who follows after them, how he himself does not depart from the sight of this tablet without dry eyes, just as if he had beheld the thing itself with his eyes?
See how many advantages there are in this matter: contemplate how great the benefits are. And since you have asked and heard—not from this person or that, from men of the common crowd and of no account, but from those who spoke by the Spirit of God and thundered across the world—add what follows from this, O reasoner. But it is clear that such an empty way of thinking is the invention of diabolical craft. A It is fitting here to cry out loudly: "Be astonished, O heaven, at this," because they call that a frivolous way of thinking and an invention of the devil’s craft which the holy Fathers have taught. But it is not so, O most wicked of imposters: rather, the darts of your quivering tongue must be turned back upon yourself. B Since, therefore, the web is woven to the end, I would have you know, brother, that these sentences are brought forward by the Iconoclasts: some are manifestly sought from heretics; for it cannot be, it absolutely cannot be, that falsehood should not be interspersed with truth, even as tares with wheat; others are from the holy Fathers, which they, with minds clouded by darkness, construe perversely; C others, finally, are foreign to the purpose, adapting to the image of Christ things that concern idols: to whom one must not rashly give voice, nor yet hold converse with heretics contrary to the apostolic mandate. For the rest, be saved, my son; and pray that I too may be saved.
XXXVII. Theodore to the brotherhoods dispersed everywhere.
(He exhorts them to patience.)D "Grace to you and peace be multiplied." For it is right to address with apostolic words those who suffer persecution for Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who opened a door to our humility, although we are guarded securely, so that we might join in the conversation of letters with you, our dearest brothers. Truly "the Word of God is not chained": even if those who hold power think to chain it. Truly we ought to rejoice exceedingly, when we behold in ourselves, sinners that we are, the fulfillment of divine predictions. Come, let us say with the Apostle, brothers: "Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation, or distress, or famine, or persecution, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?" For did he say these things only for himself, and not also for us? It is so that we might be so disposed toward God, that we are not broken by these afflictions that we endure, but love to endure even the remaining sufferings with joy. For it is an ineffable joy to suffer for Christ and with Christ, just as all the saints have shown, even to our martyr Thaddaeus, and any other confessor, with excellent constancy of soul and deeds appropriate to persecution: who, whether from prison or from any other place of exile, have followed after him.
A Let us also, my brothers, be martyrs in this way: by being prepared always to be taken, to confess, to be scourged, to die. This is to be a martyr every day; this is to die every day. From this, it follows that the soul is purified, that it withdraws from the passions, draws near to God, hates the world, and contemplates heaven, the goods laid up for the ages, and indeed the sorrows as well. For such a state of preparedness does not grant the mind leisure to pursue pleasure or to be disposed with passion toward this thing or that; rather, it gives strength to the heart, it compuncts the eyes to shed tears, it instills a desire to depart from the body as if from some burdensome prison. Let us therefore consider what manner of men we are; and if we are thus, it is very well; but if otherwise, let us turn back and be cleansed. Let us flee the fierce dragon, the devil, and the fiery darts of bitter and deadly desire. It is not pleasure, but pain; not sweetness, but gall; not benevolence, but hatred, slavery, corruption, demonic vexation, and an alteration of the state which is according to nature. For if it were noble and sweet, how is it that those whom it has snatched away, it immediately renders foolish, beast-like, shameful, servile, hopeless, enervated, and guilty of eternal death? B Thus it bewitches, alienating from the mind, perverting, and yet not being what it purports to be, but a sorceress, just as it does to those who are demonized, who do not understand what they are suffering until they have come to their senses. Let us see, therefore, beloved, what our dwelling-places are, where we live, and with whom we associate. And if there is something harmful there, we must move. And if we are with someone who causes scandal, they must be cut off. And if we are with no one, we must associate, for it is detestable to be alone, so long as necessity does not compel it. The rest must be observed—food, drink, sleep, labor—so that all things may be done in measure, providing the body with the strength to serve the commandments, but not so as to make it savage and cause it to rise up against the soul. It is a colt; if it is overfed, it becomes unruly and carries the rider, the mind, down. We speak C of our own concerns from yours, since all men have received the reins of free will from God with equal right and authority, even though there is a perpetual war, with the soul and body fighting against each other. Regarding this, let these things suffice. What follows next? The faith is firm and immovable, just as I have delivered it to you, and as I have received it from the saints, or rather, both of us have received it from one and the same Spirit. Christ is not Christ if He cannot be depicted. For at the same time one says Christ, one must conceive of the mystery of His incarnation. For the Word would not be called Christ if He were thought of as naked of a body. But since the Word became flesh, He is clearly circumscribed by flesh; and with the name of Christ, the property of circumscription is also introduced and conceived. Thus, those who say that He cannot be depicted—that is, cannot be represented by an icon—assume Him to be bodiless. And they are far from the fold of Christ, even if they were Peter or Paul, as D
A they have announced for our safety. Not that any of the apostles or the saints who followed them denied that Christ can be circumscribed by a body, as the impious, uttering adulterated things, say; far from it! Let us hold this sincere faith, O brethren; let us guard this noble confession, declining in no direction. Those who think otherwise deny Christ; but those who defend this are martyrs of Christ, to be numbered with the forty and with the whole assembly of athletes who have ever existed. What? Were not the Maccabees martyrs because they would not eat swine’s flesh, which was forbidden at that time? And are you not counted a martyr, having suffered because you would not deny that Christ can be circumscribed? John the Precursor, slain for the defense of the truth against Herod, B was the ornament of martyrs; and will you not be in the roll of martyrs by dying for Christ? Let no one seduce you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
A legitimate martyr is one who confesses, and all the more so the more he is vexed by evils. Do not let the duration of the persecution trouble you; we have not yet endured many years, as did the confessors of old. We have not yet been examined by the legitimate fire of most approved trials; lead is still mixed within us, and the sinful wrinkle remains. Who are you to search the depths of inscrutable judgments? Think of those things which have been prescribed for you. C God permitted the seed of Abraham, to whom the inheritance of the holy land had been promised by the blessing of God, to serve in slavery under the hand of Pharaoh for four hundred and thirty years. The Church of Christ, from the preaching of the apostles down to Constantine, the first Christian emperor, endured raging persecution for over two hundred years. Those who followed experienced, indeed, a milder but nonetheless longer persecution, except under Julian the Apostate. The great Paul endured persecution for thirty-five years, dying daily; and do you grow faint in the space of five years? Clemens, a man of many struggles, was in perpetual martyrdom for twenty-eight years; and do you give up within a few? And what time would be sufficient for me to commemorate other martyrs? Have you not heard of the endurance of Job? D Was he not vexed for fifteen years and more with a grievous ulcer, besides other mournful accidents that were added? And this, although he was conscious of no evil deed, but rather of very many laudable struggles. But what does the oracle answer him? "That you may appear righteous," it says. Thus does Providence even now, in a way, sift the men of this time, so that it may cast out the tares that are within, that the pure wheat may remain.
Do you not hear what He says to Jeremiah? "Put them into the furnace, and see if it is proved, as I have been proved for them." Let us endure a while longer, O strenuous soldiers of Christ. Days pass away like a shadow, however much the persecutors may think they will remain. "If they have persecuted me," He says, "they will also persecute you; if they have kept my word, they will keep yours as well. But they will do all these things"
to you on account of my name, because they do not know Him who sent me." For in truth, they do not know that God the Father sent His only-begotten Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, that He might redeem those who were under the Law, and gain the world for His own Father. For otherwise they would not deny that He can be depicted; for no one born of a woman is incapable of being depicted, unless indeed he were an abortion. Thus, therefore, brothers, let us strengthen ourselves. And thus we find consolation in the words of our Savior Jesus Christ, awaiting the reward. But you know what kind of man Leontius is: of the A race of eunuchs, not only ignoble, as one of the saintly men has said, but also a denier of Christ; and not even content with these limits, but also savagely tormenting our brothers. He who was formerly a disciple is now a Judaizing denier; he who was pre-eminent among the brothers is now, against the brothers, above all the judges. He who did not simply speak of an image, but of a holy image—be it of Christ, of the Theotokos, or of any of the saints—is now burning and destroying them, blaspheming like a raging beast. Hence he has become dear to the ruler, and takes control of our monasteries, and the wretch does everything to the insult of Christ. But woe is me! For these are his mockeries of my own work. Nevertheless, B he is like him who begat him according to the flesh, for he too was in times past the first-fruits of impiety, just as was Hermias. For both are driven by madness; and God does not mate the crow with the dove, but like with like. Let them be, then. And may the Lord grant them knowledge of the truth, being held captive by the devil for his own will. But may Christ, together with those whom the apostate torments, strengthen, empower, and confirm you, that you may still be able to endure, being hungry, thirsty, naked, buffeted, unstable, suffering, reviled, persecuted, blasphemed—as the off-scouring of the world, for all of us the refuse, according to the great Paul, with whom may your portion also be. Brothers, pray for us sinners, that we may be saved, being counted worthy, together with all who have resisted, of the lowest rank. Brother Nicholas, who is with me, greets you. The grace of God be with you all. Amen.
XXXVIII. — Theodore to the brotherhoods dispersed everywhere.
C Rejoice, my desired brothers and Fathers, for the tidings of joy are present. Again we who are unworthy were counted worthy to confess the beautiful confession; again we were both scourged for the name of the Lord. For indeed, brother Nicholas also contended most beautifully and most faithfully. We, the lowly, saw D our blood flowing from our flesh onto the ground; we beheld the welts, the suppuration, and the things that follow from these. Are these not reasons for joy? Are these not causes for spiritual exultation? But who am I
A wretched man, to be numbered with you, the worthy confessors of Christ, being the most useless of all men? The cause, however, of what has happened was a previous Catechesis, which, having come into the hands of the Emperor, he sent to the commander of the army, ordering that the Count of the cohort come to us. He, having arrived with leaders and soldiers in the dead of the night, and having suddenly besieged the little house in which we were with a great shout, as if having caught some quarry, quickly smashed the partition wall with laborers; then he brought me out, interrogated me, and produced the Catechesis. We confessed that we had written it, as God willed. He indeed sought only this: that we should descend to the will of the Emperor. We answered what the truth demanded: "Far be it! We do not reject our God," and whatever other things were fitting to reply. Upon this, he beat us severely. And the brother, indeed, suffered nothing of this kind in his distresses after his first arrest and recording. But I, humble and frail, seized by intense fevers and unbearable pains, was nearly deprived of life. Yet the good God gradually took pity on me, while my brother assisted me in acts of care, even though the wounds still remain, not having achieved complete healing. These things, therefore, are as they are; I have explained to you the extent of the harm, knowing that you desire to learn so that you may suffer with us. What then, since these things are so? The threat is more terrible, and the security stricter. For there are beatings commanded for the guards and for the warden of the custody, so that we may not even mutter, much less write to anyone. Shall we therefore be deterred and keep silent, obeying men out of fear and not God? By no means. But until the Lord opens a door for us, we shall not cease to perform our duty as far as lies in our power, fearing and trembling at the judgment impending for silence: "For if he draws back," He says, "my soul shall have no pleasure in him." And again the Apostle: "But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of faith to the preservation of the soul." B For this reason, my letter is addressed to all the dispersed brothers, who are enduring the tribulation of persecution painfully, but especially to you, the confessors of Christ. Let us endure, my beloved brothers, being strengthened more and more, and not terrified in our sufferings. They are but flesh; let us not spare ourselves. Being tormented for Christ, let us exult. Let him who has abundant labors rejoice all the more, as though abounding in rewards; let him who fears the pains of scourging cast off fear, by contemplating the eternal torments. For their wounds, if compared with those, are like a dream or the arrows of children. I beg you, I entreat you: let us delight in our distresses for Christ, however bitter they may be according to the flesh. Let us contemplate the things that are future and lasting, and not the things that are present and passing. Let us desire to mix our blood with the blood of the martyrs, our portion with the portion of the confessors, that we may dance C
A Who is prudent? who is wise? who is a good merchant, to give blood and receive the Spirit of God? He who loves his soul shall lose it, says the Lord; and he who hates his soul in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Let us give ear to his words, and let us follow him. Where I am, he says, there shall also my servant be. Where is he? Upon the cross. And we, the humble ones, as men desiring to be his disciples, are there. I beseech you to B bear with the word of exhortation; for I have written to you in few words. Know that we sinners rejoice, and do not lose heart, so long as you stand in the Lord. Nicolaus, my fellow-captive, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, and your most true brother, greets you. Salute one another with a holy kiss; let the athletes salute those who struggle together with them; those who have suffered persecution, those who have suffered persecution; and all, those who love you in the faith. If anyone does not confess our Lord Jesus Christ depicted in body, let him be anathema from the Trinity. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
XXXIX. — To Athanasius the son.
C A Admitting response to the query concerning lying.
In addition to other goods, this also has befallen us in these present tempests, we who struggle for the truth of God: that we hear more frequently the voice of one another through letters, and share the dispositions that are in our hearts. For you see, beloved brother, how our letters are like daily journals, binding us D more closely and affectionately together. See how many good things the persecution for Christ has bestowed, and may it bestow still more, since it has rendered us more ardent toward the things that are at hand, fearing nothing of human events, but, according to the example of God, being desirous of enduring hardships, through which you yourself, being driven hither and thither, are struggling. But it shall be well with those who bring you aid and endure the warfare together with you; whom I have already defended nobly, and will defend again.
I come, however, to the question, leaving aside for now anything to offer in return for the praises with which you burden me, lest I seem to acquiesce to those praises. For I am devoid of every virtue and every good thing. Where, then, the great Basil, the light of the world, has expressed his opinion, who is there of sound mind who would dare to contend against it? This is found in the question of the Ascetic works, as you have noted: “Whether it is permitted to lie for the sake of a useful dispensation?” To which he replies: “The decision of our Lord Jesus Christ does not allow this, having once said that a lie is of the devil; and he indicates no distinction of a lie. And the Apostle also testifies, writing that even if one struggles, he is not crowned unless he struggles lawfully.” Thus far the Father. You said, however, that an annotation was appended to the chapter, that the question was for the sake of utility, not of necessity. For the two are not the same. And again
A in another chapter he speaks of the same luminary—that one ought to lay down one’s soul for friends even to death, whether the friend is a sinner or a righteous man. Hence you are in doubt, and [wonder] whether one should not lie at all in the necessities that arise reaching to the death of a brother, and yet again lay down one’s soul for him. For if I do not lie, you say, the friend dies; and by lying, I do not struggle lawfully and I fall from God. This chapter, therefore, is a cause of doubt for me, and I think for many others as well. I will try, however, as much as I am able, to give an answer to your love, God granting. That in accordance with the annotation that which is useful and that which is necessary are not the same is true. For that which is contingent is one thing; for example, it is useful for me to speak to such and such a person about such and such a matter; but even if I did not discuss it, it is possible for him to attain what he is seeking. And again, it is useful to turn someone away from error, but even if I do not turn him away today, I might be able to turn him away tomorrow. Such is that which is called useful, namely, the contingent. But that which is necessary is unavoidable. It is entirely incapable of being two-sided. For example, if I am uninitiated, it is not possible that I should not be baptized in order to be saved. And again, if I say, “I am able not to breathe and to live,” it is a lie; for breathing is necessary, without which it is not possible to live.
The commandments of God, therefore, were declared by the truthful mouth B in accordance with necessity, and they must of necessity be kept; they are not of a changeable nature, so that at times it is right to keep them and at times not; or by this person, yes, and by that person, no; or at one time, yes, and at another time, no; but always, and in the case of every person and every season. In accordance with this the great Basil said: “He showed no difference in lies,” so that the decision is from necessity, even if the question was proposed as a contingent one. For the useful and the contingent are the same, as I said. What then will happen, as you suggest, in the event of the brother dying because I do not choose to lie? This, however, is not a lie, as I think; for instance, I fashion into myself such a thing. A girl came to me pursued by some defiler, asking me not to reveal to the defiler who is asking that you might be keeping her; since he will surely defile me. Therefore, when the defiler came and inquired, “Has the girl come to you?” I say, “No.” I am not lying, not because I think the girl is not at home, but because I deny through silence that this wickedness is to be committed in my presence. Once again, another case. Someone entrusted a sword to me with which he might kill himself; later he comes and demands it back from me. If I say, therefore, “I do not know, nor did I receive it,” I am not lying. For I say, “I do not know, nor did I receive it” for the purpose of handing the sword over to you for C death; for if I say “Yes,” the girl is defiled, and he who gave the sword has killed himself; and this is an evil. But evil is not from the good, but from a lie; for the father of a lie is also the author of evil. And the fact that the girl is not defiled
A and not killing oneself, is the one who granted the sword, is good; and good is truth; for God is at once good and truth. That which seemed to be a lie was therefore found to be acknowledged truth. And I laid down my life in what seemed to be a falsehood for the sake of a friend; and the commandment is strengthened on both sides; for it was perfected not in a falsehood, but in truth. Yet, it is not right to do this for one's own sake, so that I might not die; for that is a lie. Nor, indeed, to swear at all, whether for one's own safety or for that of another; for the transgression is manifest. This is how the matter appears to me. For even Sarah said to Abimelech, "I am the sister of Abraham" (Gen. XII, 1). And the prophet Jeremiah, to the princes who asked him, "What did the king say to you?" turned a response into another, as the king had suggested to him, for fear of death, and then it was appropriate. And this very thing is included among the sayings of the Fathers. But if you yourself, or through another, find anything, do not hesitate to make it known to us, for the knowledge of truth and the illumination of our dim intellect. I greet your fellow-sufferer. He who is with me greets you.
B M'. – To Naucratios my son.
Epistola XL. – To Naucratios my son.
You are always accustomed to make the exordium of your letter long, heaping up for us, who are unworthy, many praises—which are not true, but are proofs of a friendly disposition. But I, in few words. Why is this? That you may be well in the Lord, my brother, becoming ever more fervent in the love of Christ to endure things for His sake, and that you may not in any way flag through sloth. And may there be in you still a burning, that you may sing with blessed David: "As the hart panteth after the fountains of waters, so my soul panteth after thee, O God" (Ps. XLI, 2). This could be effectively sung by one C who has a purified heart, or is in the process of being purified. "For where there is purification, as the Theologian says, there is illumination" (Greg. Naz., orat. 39). How happy is that soul for whom to endure all things for Christ is most desirable, and to consider the whole work of the flesh an abomination! Pray, brother, that I smell this fragrance, having been putrid in my passions. This is the first account. The second, concerning Anatolios. How bitter to me was his fall! Yet, I welcomed your treatment of it. Continue, therefore, to care for him with brotherly affection. The third, concerning the points you have proposed.
I. If an orthodox person, accused of not communicating, makes a cross and says, D "I communicate," without engaging in any further discourse with the heretics, while holding in his mind the thought, "I communicate with the orthodox"—this is not a dispensation, but a betrayal of the truth. He must undergo half the penalty established for one who has communicated with the heresy in every way. But as to how great that penalty is, since it has already been asked and answered before, it is superfluous to repeat the same things twice.
A II. If anyone, by the persuasion of the impious, betrays to their sight a presbyter who is in hiding on account of the dogma of the orthodox faith—and who does not commemorate the heretics—and becomes a participant in the sacred mysteries through him, let this person, as a betrayer of the truth, have as a penalty an exclusion from the sacred mysteries for one year.
III. If anyone has sworn neither to venerate a divine image nor to receive orthodox monks; but after the oath, recognizing his fault, repents and venerates them in secret: it is a grave offense, for he has already denied Christ, the Theotokos, and the saints. Let him be excluded from the divine mysteries for three years, with great philanthropy.
IV. If anyone, out of fear, punctures an image of Christ or of any of the saints, let him be prohibited from communion for a year.
V. If a priest commemorates a heretic publicly, but is invited privately by some orthodox person into an oratory, is he to omit commemorating the heretic; and ought the religious man to perform prayers in such an oratory? By no means.
VI. Can anyone rightly, while he is expiating his sins with penalties, take a companion to himself for the alleviation of the penalty? Concerning communion, certainly not; but concerning other things, it is not altogether to be disapproved. But neither can he, by means of alms, remove anything of the established penalty of his own accord. For he who imposes the penalty knows how to weigh altogether the person, the time, and the circumstances, so as to relax it. For these things cannot be comprehended within a fixed limit, according to the canons which are set down contingently, as the great Basil himself said. B For by giving the bishop the power of addition and remission, he did not establish the canon out of an inescapable necessity, but contingently; so that he who gives, let him see how he gives. And I, the humble one, do not answer the questions proposed to me—whether by you or by another—out of a desire to define, but driven by force and for the sake of offering counsel, as I have often said. But for me, humble as I am, pray; providing aid with all your strength to those who contend for the affairs of the Studium, whenever and wherever you are able in the Lord. Brother Nikolas greets you.
XLI.—To Theophilus of Ephesus. Concerning the holy images.
C I received your sacred letter as if it were a divinely written scroll, and I received the blessing at the same time as an incitement of love. And who am I, a wretch, to be praised in such a way by your holy mouth, I who am not worthy to loosen the thong of your sandal? Behold the property of humility that imitates God. You, most blessed Father, who are called great and are extolled and preached in the East and in the West, gracing the throne of the greatest Apostle, evangelist, and theologian worthily through the things you have suffered and are even now suffering; D illuminating life with the blood of your holy flesh and confessing that Christ is to be depicted as corporeal, not
A as the impious do, denying it; for if they do not receive Him depicted, He is neither depicted nor corporeal. I omit saying that even though an angel is incorporeal, he is handed down to be recorded by theologians through sensible images. But they have denied that the corporeal Master, and the incorporeal servant, and furthermore the Mother of God, along with all the servants of the Lord, can be depicted, clearly denying at the same time through the images the prototypes themselves. And not understanding this very thing, that they possess their hold through the reception of their own character; for if it is taken away or dishonored, their ruling power is clearly taken away and dishonored. But nevertheless, they do not wish to know these things to their own profit. For those men, it is "hard to kick against the goad." But may the mighty hand preserve you for the glory of His own Church, as a pillar, as a foundation, as a bulwark. And may we the humble see you, either returning from there to the Asian land, as formerly the sun of the Gospel did from the imprisonment in Patmos, or glorified hierarchically in the heavens above ten cities.
XLII. — To Thalelæus the son
. Dogmatics. On holy images. Against Gregory of Adelphi, who had adhered to the Iconoclasts. Then the passage of Chrysostom is explained.What you signified through the letter, I have understood; what I shall answer you, these are the things. The holy Apostle commands us to withdraw from every brother walking inordinately. How then does Gregory of Adelphi say that you turn away from him without cause, since he himself does not merely walk inordinately, but has allowed himself to be led and drawn completely toward the ways of the Iconoclasts, subscribing to the heresy, and eating, drinking, and associating with them? But if he should say that he has repented and holds to the penances, let him show this through a written confession, anathematizing the heretics together with the heresy, and in no way associating with them. Until he does this, let him be abominable to you who fear the Lord. For he is deceitful, enticing you through a pretense of repentance and sowing pestilential words as if from the mouth of the opponents. Whence you, being B weaker, were ensnared by his discourse and were in doubt regarding this and that. But, since you have asked for the solution, receive it intelligently. The statement made by Chrysostom, "Our Christ is not circumscribed by walls," C when he was praising the holy Romanus, should not be taken simply, but one must know to whom he was speaking when he said it; since in discourses it is necessary to observe the time, the person, and the mode. Time, because the same precepts are not given to those of old as to those under the law of grace. Person, because the person of a heretic is one thing, and that of an orthodox, another. Mode, since it is not the same thing to discourse dogmatically and to weave speech with simple thread. To whom then was Chrysostom discoursing? Was it to an orthodox person setting up the icon of Christ? By no means; but to some Gentile, who characterizes the supreme cause, and from the things in the uttermost things, as the divine Dionysius says; and he says that nothing surpasses D that of the pla
plastered and multi-formed images which he fashions. Well, therefore, and most appropriately did the Father say, "Our Christ is not circumscribed by walls," which must be understood in accordance with the nature of the divinity, just as the gods of the Gentiles sit within walls, confined to that space, and have nothing else to be understood by the mind than what is seen by those looking at them. "They have eyes, and do not see; ears, and do not hear; hands, and do not handle; feet, and do not walk; noses, and do not smell," just as the Prophet reproaches them.
B But our Christ is not merely according to external appearance, but is man properly and truly, inasmuch as He has become like us in all things, both in body and soul and age, and in all other things that are acknowledged to pertain to human nature, sin alone excepted; but He is also God by nature and in truth, and the same one in both. For example, I say, just as the same Chrysostom speaks somewhere: "Below He is fatigued, above He moves the elements; below He hungers, above He sends down rains; below He fears, above He thunders; below He stands before the tribunal, above He beholds all things." Therefore, he spoke this same opinion to the Gentile: "Our Christ is not circumscribed by walls." Do not think that the statement needs to be expressed more accurately because of the madness of the current heresy. It is manifest that the one who is fatigued, and hungering, and trembling, and standing before the tribunal, the holy man undoubtedly knew to be circumscribed by the image of a body, whether in colors on a wall or on a panel. And indeed, in clear matters, there was no cause to demand an explanation. For if he tells of an angel, who is without a body, being seen by him in an image, would he not see the embodied Christ in an image? It is certainly the mark of a madman to suspect such a thing about a holy man. If, therefore, they call upon this witness of their own perverse dogma, why do they reject this same man, and why do they take it ill that either an angel or any of the saints should be painted? Since Chrysostom says somewhere: "What, therefore, you have done in names, this same you have performed in his image," namely of Saint Meletius. "For also on the bezels of rings, and on cups and bowls, and on the walls of bedchambers, and everywhere, many have engraved that holy C image." And yet they do not sustain even listening to him.
Regarding the history of Saint Pancratius, that it is not clear by whom it was written, what of that? Most of the acts of the martyrs are not inscribed with any title; but they are nonetheless genuine: and from there doctors draw arguments for the praise of the martyrs. Saint Pancratius is honored in Sicily, in a very large temple, where they say miracles have also occurred. Therefore, he who does not admit the history, evidently rejects the martyr along with it. These things, then, are said in brief. But you, my child, remain in health and be saved; and depart far from Gregory, lest he destroy you D through lack of heed. XLIII.
To those Reclused.
I have read the letter of your reverence. But what is this praise that you have bestowed upon us, who are devoid of every good? Or why ask for words of instruction from us, who are scarcely able to satisfy our own thirst, let alone provide irrigation for others? Nevertheless, since it is written, *Give to everyone who asks you* (Luke vi, 30), accept a few brief words from our poverty.
For those engaging in the common life, it is not easy for the eye of the mind to be so cleansed as to gaze undistractedly upon the beauty of the glory of God; it is, as it were, blear-eyed from the affliction of fleshly desire. But for us, who must renounce all things and are commanded B to take up only the cross of Christ, the vision of God is easy—that is, to have and to think of nothing else but how we might please the Lord; to serve Him with a pure heart, in the severance of every fleshly connection. Let the boundary of your reclusion, therefore, be a city of God, adorned with golden virtues; keep it closed not only in body, but also in spirit.
It is fitting, then, that you should avoid the sight of men, attachments to blood relatives, and friendships with the whole world; that you should associate only with one another, and have one soul and one heart, in imitation of those who from the beginning, in the time of the Apostles, were believers (cf. Acts iv, 32). Let the superior so lead as one occupying C the character of Christ, doing first, and then teaching; failing in nothing to demonstrate, in practice, the things of the commandment. Let the subordinate so obey and yield, as fulfilling obedience to Christ Himself. Where these things exist, there is the fruit of every good work; where these are not, there are entirely the opposites: cliques, strifes, whisperings, private property, pride, and affections, both towards one another and towards outsiders, whether by blood or by some other friendship.
Thus, this brief admonition on this subject is made. I, the humble one, beseech you, along with your way of life, to hold to a bright and steadfast faith; in no way communicate with the Christ-battling heresy, D which differs in no way from Judaism, denying the saving dispensation of Christ through the removal of the venerable icons of Christ Himself, of the Theotokos, and of all the saints; since the icon is the same as the prototype in honor and adoration, just as is the case for the life-giving Cross itself and its depiction. Do not, therefore, deny Christ, you who bear Christ in your holy habit; neither let the many labors which you have endured, having spent your life in virginity within the walls of reclusion, be lost thereby, becoming—which may it be far from me to even think or say—a part of the opposing camp. But, knowing well that neither a life without right faith, nor again faith without divine works, can afford salvation, may you be from both sides...
A gifted with both, to the glory of God, to the splendor of the Church, and to the attainment of the eternal goods which have been promised; praying also for us sinners, that we may be saved.
XLIV. — To Simeon the Son.
(With nine others in hiding; concerning those who offer themselves to martyrdom.)Sero indeed, yet I have received your letters, child, and I have given thanks to the Lord both for your defense and for the prudence and protection with which you keep so many brothers safe from the hunt of the heretics, who rend not the bodies but the souls; though it is true that they rend the bodies too, by inflicting B lashes and death. Be of sound mind, my beloved son; be brave, lead your brothers, make them of a ready spirit, exhibit the things that pertain to the truth, and urge them toward martyrdom. For the time demands it, although you rightly sought out hiding places. For to throw oneself into temptation, just as you asked to be taught, is this: to be moved of one's own accord and to reveal oneself to the murderers. But as for the fact that Saint Gordios, just like certain others among the martyrs, came as a self-convener, the order of the time so required C it, when no one dared to speak freely, and with impiety flaring up more fiercely. Furthermore, they beheld God clearly with a pure heart, and were moved by Him. For even the great Forerunner intrepidly rebuked Herod. But recently, many, being strengthened by the grace of God, have been bearing witness; yet it is not lawful to deliver oneself into dangers. I rejoiced greatly, however, that other Fathers agree with you, "whose names are in the book of life," whom I salute through you, and for whose holy prayers I pine, to D aid my salvation. It pleases me greatly that you have obtained something good from Brother Hypatios. "Brothers are to be found useful in times of distress," as the sacred scriptures admonish. For from my weakness there is nothing for the others, even if you yourself speak magnificently of us out of charity. Since you also asked for the catechesis which I delivered to all the brothers, I have recently sent it to you. Do you, moreover, pray incessantly for my salvation. I have received the cup, and I shall keep it for a more vivid memory of you. I bid the nine brothers and sons to be well, earnestly imploring their prayers. Brother Nicholas, who is enclosed with me, greets you along with everyone else. Grace be with you. Amen.
XLV. — To Basil the Hegumen.
(Concerning the reception of the lapsed and their penance.)I read your brief letter, holy Father, with pleasure, as one offered from a pure heart; yet I was not delighted by the praises, as I am a stranger to the things you mentioned. But you, if you wish, pray rather that I might attain something of your portion and standing. But enough on this matter. Would that, indeed, as you say, the work of Brother Hypatios or any other of those who are struggling might be useful to God, so that even through them we, the humble, might have the divine favor as propitious. The question concerning those who have fallen into sins...
A has this answer: that true repentance is known by the demonstration of its fruits; which are, the abstaining from the holy mysteries in accordance with the canons, together with the endurance of continence, which obtains the forgiveness of sins committed, even without stripes and martyrdom. For as long as the door is not closed against us, as it is written—and the closing is death—even if true repentance should arrive at the last hour of life, it saves him who has turned from sin. Thus God through Ezekiel the theologian has decreed; and we have such a philanthropic God, who even admitted the thief in one hour, the first and the last, and similarly justified the publican. But if, according to what has just happened, the sinner should offer himself and receive stripes upon his back, and something else more severe, who would doubt that his sin has been forgiven? For even to die in the confession of Christ constitutes a martyr of the Lord in the proper sense. But perhaps the matter concerns the penance. That if he were subjected to tortures, yet did not die; this should be regulated by him who imposed the penance, as to how much one should deduct because of the sufferings, whether one half of the whole. For it is not possible for us to determine. Such is the word of our humility. But if it should be otherwise, teach me, Father, and cast light upon us, the uninitiated. Salute my brother, the lord Procopius, with very many greetings.
XLVI. — To Arcadius the Monk.
An exhortation to constancy for one who is an exile, in bonds, and has suffered stripes.C I am writing to you for the second time, Beloved, since you were seized by the Judaizers. You did not receive the first; I pray that this letter at least may reach your hands. For I am writing to you under much urgency, first, according to the common law of love, considering myself a debtor—since it is fitting that those who are joined together in the same purpose of the confession of Christ should encourage one another—and I find it necessary to write to you. Then, also because of the private relationship which you know, as to what kind and how great it has been between us from the beginning. But thanks be to God, my most honorable brother, that in this bitter winter of unbelief you have shone forth as a flower of the orthodox faith; or rather, as a confessor of Christ, once brought D before the tribunal of those who hold power, you did not shrink; you confessed the good confession; you were whipped enough, you were exiled, you were restricted somewhere in a corner. You were again brought into the hands of the tormentors; you did not lose heart; you did not deny the faith; you were again lacerated by stripes; yet you remained unconquered, not fearing those who kill the body, but only the Lord and God and King, according to what was commanded by Him. Blessed are you, and it shall be well with you; for you are noble, and more noble than those of the Orient where the sun rises. But if you have been numbered with the manual laborers as a servant of the king, do not
A be amazed; for such things happen to the saints. Furthermore, even if they did not wish to, they have truly shown the world that you are a servant of the King of heavens, a proof of God’s testimony, and a reproof of impiety. Stand firm, therefore, noble soldier of Christ; struggle perfectly; do the work of an evangelist; fulfill your confession, having God as your invisible helper, and the angel—the guardian of your life—encircling you, attending to you, rejoicing greatly, and carrying your prayers up to God as an odor of sweet fragrance; in which prayers, remember also us, who are sinners indeed, but who love you greatly.
XLVII. — To a Superior.
[MZ'].—To a Superior.
Since I have learned that you have been brought to trial and scourged for the sake of Christ, O most desired one, I rejoice and congratulate you. For this is joy and exultation, not according to the joy of the world—for that is joyless, appearing to be joy but not being so in reality, since it flows away and cannot stand, and, when it ends, brings about death—but [it is] the joy that is according to God; for this alone is sweet and remains the same, the end of which is eternal life. Justly, therefore, do I rejoice and congratulate you, most revered Father. But because, as they say, a hundred lashes like snow were struck, by which your skin was cut—this is a new accession of joy. I received this news, though absent, not indeed without some feeling of pain. But glory be to God, who has glorified you. For the fact that you received immense wounds on your back from the impious, your praise is immortal, a holy endurance, a firmament for those who likewise confess [the faith], an alacrity for the orthodox, a gnashing of teeth for the heretics, an edification of the Church of God. B "Holy stones are rolled upon the earth," as the prophet says. What does this mean? It is for the smoothing of piety, for the building up of the Church. You, therefore, are one of all of these, fitted together and joined by the Holy Spirit to the cornerstone. But remember also us who are sinners, most holy Father, in your prayers, that we may not fall away from the building, but find ourselves to be at least like a pebble, by the grace and philanthropy of our good God.
XLVIII. — Theodore to the brotherhoods scattered everywhere, together with those who struggle in the confession of Christ, greeting.
[MH'].—Theodore to the brotherhoods scattered everywhere, together with those who struggle in the confession of Christ, greeting.
You must consider it all joy, my brothers, in your present tribulations. Since it is for Christ that there is the persecution of those who are harassed, and the, prisons of those who are detained; I would add, also the scourging of those who are whipped. I shall not cease, therefore, to address, exhort, and remind you all both collectively and individually: even though I know that you are established in the faith, and that you have within yourselves an exhortation and instruction. But nevertheless, I am a debtor D to the patience, the love of Christ, and the encouragement of perseverance.
A I, a sinner, add my own voice, so that I too may contribute something from my own store. I am zealous for you yourselves, with a zeal that comes from love—a zeal that compels me. I am zealous for you with a zeal for God; I, who have nothing to be proud of, take pride in your confessional virtues. You are my joy and my crown, my support and my unconquerable strength. Yes, I entreat and exhort you all to remain unshaken, with every joy and eagerness. Always, says the divine Apostle, rejoice; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks. What, then, is that over and above these, this rejoicing? It is that if we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him; if we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him, as it is written. How great the promise, beloved! For if we are cast into fire, let us bear it; if we are delivered to wild beasts, let us endure. For thus have borne all those who in every age have struggled as athletes—men and women alike—looking forward to the good things of the other life, lightening the present pain with hope, judging sufferings to be a delight, and seeking out the increase of their trials, not shrinking from them, as those who plunder more than their companions do—a thing you yourselves know, having tasted of that immortal sweetness.
B O deceitful world! How bitter is that which seems sweet to you, and death-dealing in every pleasure and excessive joy! And O love of Christ, for to you belongs blessing, and joy, and kingdom, and also to those who possess you! See with what words I, even I the worthless, entreat you; not with words of praise, but with friendly ones. Whoever accuses the Lord’s visitation of being slow, let them consider this: that the goodness of God leads those who persecute to repentance, and those who suffer to the proof. Let them not be discouraged, nor let them investigate the judgments of the Lord. It is not for decent and upright servants to say, "How long?" That noble Job did not say this, nor Peter, nor Paul, those thousand-fold athletes, nor any of the martyrs. The watchful eye knows what is sufficient for both. Do you not pity yourself, who treasure up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation and the just judgment of God—whoever you are—where there is no end C to the punishment, nor any release for those in the unquenchable fire? It is necessary to exhort you to patience, as much as lies in us; if not for our own sakes, then at least for the sake of those who are perishing and have fallen away from patience. He who is in a hurry to see the death of the sinner cannot have peace with God; and there is nothing worse than this. For he is always in turmoil of soul, desiring what God abhors, and wanting what He does not want. Hence come boredom, despondency, blasphemies, and the other fruits of wickedness. Let us say, brothers: Thy will be done, and let us say it from the heart. I became as a beast before you, and I am continually with you. And thus a soul at peace will have boldness before God, D choosing to spend a hundred years in struggles for His sake. For neither will it come faster if we pray for speed, nor will it be delayed if we pray against it; but it will come then, when He who is before
A the foundation of the world has determined, for God knows how to judge what is just. Pray, I beseech you, for us who are sinners, that we may attain salvation. Brother Nicolaus, yours and mine, greets you all. Grace be with you. Amen.
XLIX.—To my spiritual holy Fathers who have fled for the sake of the Lord, Theodore, the least of presbyters and abbot of the Studites, greeting in the Lord.
That they have withdrawn into the mountains as refugees for Christ’s sake is something to be celebrated, as being closer to heaven and God; he soon answers their questions regarding the punishments for the lapsed and the need to avoid the company of the Iconoclasts.
B To receive even a single letter from an orthodox person in these most difficult times is something new, and much more so from many gathered together in one place; it is like a rose rich in leaves appearing in winter. This is pleasant to my humility in the first place, so that even at the mere sight of the address my spirit has exulted, and has rendered thanks, as is fitting, to the Lord, who in this present persecution, similar to that of Ahab, has left for Himself so many men who have not bowed the knee before Baal 45. For I do not think there are fewer now who have not been broken than there were then; not only because of those who have become known through confession, but also because of those who have escaped hither and thither unharmed, wandering in solitudes, in mountains, and in dens, and in caves of the earth 46, to use the Apostle’s words; just as that mountain of the three peaks C shows forth your assembly, having obtained [that site] like an immortal ornament. Thanks, therefore, be to God, who is rich in you, and in all who call upon His name 47. I praise this sacred flight of yours; I proclaim that dwelling of yours in the mountain to be wretched indeed, yet divine. Moses held converse with God on Mount Sinai. Elijah deserved to behold God on Mount Horeb, as far as it is permitted. Jesus Himself, the most divine, went up into the mountain as a man to pray. What is the meaning of this? I think it is a symbol of the mind's ascent, to be contemplated by us. For as a mountain is higher than the plain and the hollow places set below it, by the same proportion the mind of one praying ascends to God from a high place. Behold, O most desired ones, what and how great your seat is. D Furthermore, be mindful of us, who are sinners and dwell here on the ground, that we may be associated with you who are the high-flying eagles of the Lord. But let these things be said so far, although my spirit burns to say more. But what was the cause that moved you to think so humbly of yourselves as to learn from me, who am unlearned, the answers to the questions you have put forward? While, through the grace of Christ, you yourselves know what ought to be done; or if not, you certainly know those who excel in both dignity and the faculty of speech. For there are very many, as the discourse has indicated, who need to be taught. Fearing, therefore, that I might appear to offend you, and at the same time to be unwilling to obey you, I prepare myself to comply. But I have this to say first: that this heresy (although it may perhaps have seemed to elders, or may still seem to some, not so wicked or very grave), to me, indeed, who am dull, appears to be nothing else than a denial of Christ. For if in the image the prototype is revealed, as the all-wise Dionysius says, and if the honor of the image [reaches] to the prototype...
A as the great Basil says: now, however, the image of Christ has been held in contempt, denied, and trampled upon by the Christ-enemies; so that in His image and through the image, Christ is denied, treated with ignominy, and rejected in a Jewish manner; and it is not possible to deduce any other [conclusion], when the matter is clearly seen. Therefore, this is a time for weeping and lamentation; therefore, so many are standing firm, not only men, but also women, since Christ is logically and actually being denied; which has not been seen in the heresies of old. Logically, in that the impious say it is impossible for Christ to be depicted in the likeness of a body; and actually, in that they are destroying every holy image of Christ, of the Theotokos, of the angels, and of every saint, man and woman, from every church, from every holy dedication, delivering them to the fire, mocking them, B railing against the great mystery of piety, calling the Christ depicted with His Mother and His servants an abominable thing; which to think, to say, and to do, is the way of Jews and Greeks. For even the Arabs and Scythians, moved by reverence, have been seen to do nothing of the sort. How then is this not a denial of the dispensation of Christ?
But let the discourse return to the propositions. Some yielded of their own free will, without anyone forcing them; others [yielded] under blows; others were terrified by threats alone; others, because of threats and tortures, out of sheer fear; others, [for fear] of being stripped of their goods; and some even through ignorance. How ought those such as these to be received if they repent? Surely, if they show forth all the fruits worthy of repentance. And what are those fruits? Abstinence from the holy things, with weeping and intense supplication; for the first sort, for three years; for the second, for two years; for the third, fourth, and fifth, the same as the first; for the sixths, the space of one year. Once they have completed these, how ought they to be regarded? If anyone is of the priestly order and has not signed, and has not been a participant in the impious communion, let him remain in the clergy in which he was ordained. But if he has signed, let him be barred from performing holy services until an orthodox synod, yet let him communicate in the holy mysteries.
Is it permitted for those who share in communion by necessity because of fear, or because of hunger, or even without necessity and through force, with men who are in every way impious while professing themselves to be orthodox, to dine with them? In no way, in no way at all, C especially not with the most desperate, not indiscriminately; but only in the case of some necessity, once or twice. If one must eat the remnants of those who communicate with them out of necessity, or even without necessity, because the sign of the cross has been previously stamped upon them? If it is from a priest, in no way; if not, it must be taken out of necessity. Is it permitted to enter their houses of prayer for the sake of prayer? And is it permitted to perform the holy oblation there with one's own table? Neither is permitted. Is it right to wish them well, to speak with them, or to greet them? In no way, as the great Basil says: the Lord has forbidden the common greeting. This is by way of convention; but as for [expressions] of love and peace, it must be avoided, so that it may be fulfilled in this. It is not possible to rejoice with the impious. There are some of the monks D who have joined them neither by word nor by deed, having fled...
so as to secure their salvation; and again, after their secession, they have withdrawn themselves from the impious. This is right. But if the sacred rites have been performed by the impious in some church, even if only once, they may enter it to perform prayers alone; but if it has been done often, they are to withdraw far away from it. There are certain laymen, or even monks, who vehemently detest and lament the impiety; but because of the threats of the godless, they join in their communion, thinking that they might thus attract them, yet they beg us to offer prayer for them. B Is it permitted to share the divine mysteries with them? It is permitted to offer prayer, but not to share the sacred things, whatever they may say or do. If they set up crosses along the public roads, should one offer them veneration? It is not to be forbidden. Are we to receive the offerings of such as these? By no means. We have spoken these things as the Lord put them into our mind; not as legislating—for we are not among the number of the hierarchs, whose power it is to ordain canons—but as giving counsel, since we are of the same order as you; and since those are absent who by higher authority ought to settle these matters, we have been constrained by you to arrive at this point. Do you, most holy Fathers, grant pardon if anything in what has been said is displeasing to you. Besides the fact that a physician of both soul and body observes the quality of the person, the opportuneness of the time, the condition, the affects, the strengths, and the weaknesses, and thus prepares and applies remedies—now increasing, now diminishing the measure of the medicine, which cannot be rightly comprehended under one heading or genus—just as the holy Fathers themselves have defined.
To Lucian, my son
C Our good God, knowing the slipperiness of human nature, and that even if someone seems to walk uprightly, he does not know how, if he slackens even a little, he is tripped up in a way he does not expect, has in His philanthropy granted repentance, which calls man back from his fall and restores him to wholeness. Since, therefore, you yourself, my brother, have suffered what you have suffered, and have fulfilled the time of a praiseworthy repentance with much contrition and abundant tears, as I have heard, having propitiated God; and you now beg for absolution, as it was signified to me by the steward and the deputy steward: have this from the Lord. And you shall be whole from this day forward, my son, rejoicing in Christ and living prosperously in Him, so that you do not fall away hereafter from the faith pledged to the Lord, but rather undergo death for His sake, just as He also suffered for you. Therefore, formerly by letter, I, unworthy as I am, addressed you lamenting: "Adam, where art thou?" D calling to mind the divine voice.
inculcating that you had fallen from a sublime way of life as if from paradise. But now it is necessary for me, miserable as I am, to speak boldly and freely: Peace be to you; arise, Christ commands: live forever. A
LI. — To Albeneca, Protospatharia. She teaches one desiring to renounce the world how she might obtain this from her husband.
The letters of your nobility have stirred me in no small measure; for they were dictated with such a religious affection of soul, and composed with such an intimate sense of pious sorrow, that upon reading them over again, I finally cried out: What, and of what kind, and how great is the soul that writes these things to me, wretched as I am? But when those things were announced to me by the courier which you had commissioned him to communicate to me by word of mouth, then indeed I was struck with much greater wonder, and I praised our good God who inspired such an intention in you, and kindled you with the desire for its fulfillment.
Magnum utique quiddam est—a great thing, indeed, is that which you have sought, Lady, and a difficult one, not only because of the sublimity of this heavenly life (for renunciation is nothing other than a declaration of cross and of death for him who is truly a monk), but also because you are bound to a husband—from whom, to be separated is a great undertaking, for the reason that God has obviously joined the two of you together. B Who, then, shall separate you? Surely He who joined you, who compels you to advance to a more excellent institution of life. It is necessary, therefore, according to the prescription of Saint Basil, that those things which pertain to one's spouse be first rightfully composed. What is this? To reveal the counsel you have devised; to suggest how worldly things are empty and like a dream; that there is nothing here fixed or stable, nothing that is not passing like a shadow, however pleasant or agreeable that may be, however much joy and pleasure it might bring, or even if it were royal power. For, like the flower of the field, all things vanish. C And not this alone, but also there will be an inexorable judgment for those who have lived in the present age defiled by vicious affections, and not according to the precepts of Christ; which task is arduous to accomplish in the secular life. Speak these things, exhort, use the blandishments of words, that you may induce his mind to embrace the purpose of renunciation together with you. For how do you know, O woman, it says, whether you will save your husband? And this is sufficient for a time. And if indeed he consents, it is well; but if not, then if so great a love for God inflames you, you will do that which is pleasing, even against the wish of your spouse. D But the matter, as was said before, has much difficulty and labor; especially in a time of persecution, and because you are not one of the common people, but one of the primary and leading women, and a kinswoman of the Augusta. Whence it occurs to me to marvel how, in such abundant glory of the present life, having repudiated it, you desire to put on the humility of Christ. Blessed is the Lord by whom this thought has been injected; for truly, in the presence of the glory of God, it is an abominable thing
A to be saved in this empty life, and with a husband. And again, in the sequence, as the Lord may grant success, so may you continue, not grieving your spouse, but rather drawing him to yourself through your godly conduct. Regarding your sister, I have declared to her what concerns me. Regarding the steward and most beloved son, I offer you the greatest thanks, for having treated him with every office of humanity. May you obtain mercy from the Lord.
LII. — To Maria the Nun.
BThat you remain hidden under a secular habit for fear of persecution is not disapproved of. I have read your letter, and I have understood your pious intention: that you have a disposition in accordance with that blessed Father, of suffering for Christ; and rightly so, that it may appear that one flesh and one mind hold sway, and that there is no disagreement in matters of faith. Thanks, therefore, be to God, who has thus, because of His own fear and love, separated you from one another by the sword of the Gospel as regards the body, but has joined you soul-wise in one spirit and intent. Strive, therefore, my lady, to be deemed worthy of the same portion as him, and to meet him there, and to be with him, choosing him as He chose you. C For with remarkable charity he took upon himself great care for your salvation, as I myself know; inasmuch as he used to communicate his own affairs to my humility as if to a son. That, because of the most difficult times of the persecution, for the sake of dissimulation, you wear secular adornment in your outward habit, and that too in moderation and not for long—this is something found among the saints for some necessary reason; but for all time, by no means. As for what else I might say, I am at a loss. For if I were to be the author of your dropping this feigned habit, you would say that you are not equal to martyrdom; for you would be dragged to punishments. D If, on the other hand, I were to leave you thus, there is no written authority that would support it. Two evils being proposed, however, it is better to be a nun in secret than, if you cannot endure the lashes, to communicate with the heretical sect, and to fall away from Christ, in whom your future lot is eternal.LIII. — To a Nun.
Hortatory. That she is prepared to suffer martyrdom for the right faith.
The condition of this present time is such that it behooves us to be solicitous for others, since we are endowed with the same spirit and the same faith: inasmuch as God has called together, as one Church or gathering, all those who fight for the truth and who confess it. Just as, therefore, it is not without danger for one who is of the same monastery not to care for his fellow disciples, or for a superior not to be likewise solicitous for his students, so it is surely the same for all of us; inasmuch as, as has been said, we are one coenobitic Church. I visit you by this letter, and I ask you how, indeed, you fare in the Lord, my spiritual sister: whether you remain in the excellent confession of Christ; whether you keep the deposit of faith secure through the Holy Spirit; whether you are strengthened in God, not terrified by the impious.A Well done, well done: be comforted still more; and so much so that you may be able to sing with holy David: "I will not fear, while the earth is troubled, and the mountains are carried into the heart of the seas." And truly, one who is firmly faithful cannot be moved at all from the love of Christ; from which neither tribulation, nor distress, nor famine, nor persecution, nor danger, nor the sword is able to separate us. By this confidence all the saints were perfected; may your reverence be so also. For you are not of lower birth than Thecla, or Febronia, or that blessed company around them; you are a daughter of God, a bride of Christ, just as they were. For this reason, martyrdom is at hand now, just as it was then. Let us endure, therefore, I beseech you, not only in those things by which we are now distressed, but even if all the aforementioned things should come upon us. God is no respecter of persons; He loves us with the same love with which He loved those of old. These things are for a few words; knowing that your dignity surely has consolations at home and from others; nevertheless, have these also from us, that you may know that we are affected by your affairs, as is right; and that you may pray for strength and fortitude for us sinners.
BLIV. — To Basil, Patrician.
Consolation on the death of a son.
It was a work of divine condescension that you not only allowed our spiritual brother to come into your sacred presence and to speak freely of the things which he deemed right, so gently and moderately, but also that you brought the lady, the patrician venerable to me, along with your most noble children, and ordered them to bow their knees before him, not their heads. O your greatest humility! O your God-loving wisdom! O your exceeding faith in sinners! And you shall not be cheated of the reward of this hospitality. For these very things, and even more for the sake of virtue, you have rightly become, both by blood and spirit, dear to all who have known and seen you. And the proofs of this are those merits of your prerogative, being as they are so many rewards of virtue: for regarding that virtue, C when you, together with your wife, according to the law of nature, formed your sons and daughters, you truly fashioned them as conspicuous images of your own piety; which, from the indistinct and manifest similarity to you, are most certainly recognized.
But enough of this argument. For what humbler consolatory speech could I, a humble man, find regarding the death of your most beautiful son, who was of the same name as the Forerunner? By what art shall I mitigate in the least the grief of your venerable souls? For it was reported to me by that same brother, how great is your sorrow, what kind and how fervent are the tears that flow from your eyes, and then what invocations, what lugubrious speech, what sighs; so that as I heard the individual gifts of the boy, I was moved by a feeling of grief almost equal to yours. D Alas, how we have been made like David, being in mourning for the son who was! And if he suffered so for the impious and rebellious one who paid the just penalty for his lawlessness, what must be said here? And how great
A a necessity is there to contribute a tribute of prayer? The boy passed away while he was still enjoying the very flower of his age, being well-instructed in both conduct and speech, gracious in both character and tone, and by his very appearance attracting everyone to a love for himself; and, what is greater, pure in body and candid in soul: the one on account of his virginity, which is a gift possessing the greatest admirability; for he was not entangled after the manner of the lost, but overcame vice; and the other, because he entered into no partnership with the heresy that now rages. B Thus, integrity of soul and integrity of body coalesced by divine providence. How worthy of praise are his parents, who are said to have begotten such a boy, and who brought forth a most noble shoot, not only physically, but also spiritually! How blessed is the account: at once echoing his father, and yet having imaged Christ in himself, who, by honoring virginity in his birth from the Virgin, received your son as a follower, as a son of light. What then? Should this drama be of mourning or of joy? It is clearly of gladness, even if his departure has caused you grief. He now rejoices with the joy that is in heaven, being established as a prince. We, therefore, must henceforth rejoice in his joy, and not sadden him with our mourning. Let the epistle have this ending, bringing with it, together with the transmitted gift, both thanksgiving and an apology.
LV. — To Gregoras the Layman.
CTo strengthen a prisoner in the faith.
Hail, confessor of Christ. I once rightly called you a man of God; and my humble speech was not a lie, appearing rather as sublime in you. How is the prison? I hear you are bearing even iron chains, with your body constrained. A burdensome thing. Nevertheless, take heart in the Lord, holy one, and fight after the manner of the martyrs. Well done, well done, brother, how you have shone forth! How greatly you have been exalted! You, one layman from among all—I speak of those who live under this empire—you alone have been shown as a confessor to God, and to angels, and to men. Do you see where the persecutors are detaining you? In the palace; as a D pearl, as a king of the passions—even if they do not think so. Do not fear, friend, and do not be terrified by the impending blows; endure; Christ is the one encouraging you, the one assisting you, as if fighting with you and being struck with you. If, therefore, being detained by one of your subjects, you had the emperor as your defender, and when you were being scourged, he was scourged with you in spirit and in affection, would you not rejoice to suffer, loving the world, as if by that suffering you were gathering the wealth, honors, and primacy you desired? How much more, then, must this be understood in the present matter! Which we must also necessarily embrace, so that we may not obtain these dream-like and vain things, but the eternal, true, and ineffable goods, fleeing the eternal punishments which those who deny that Christ can be depicted will undergo; from which may we be delivered, brother, praying for one another.
LVI. — To Leo the Patrician and Sacellarius.
He deplores the bitterness of the persecution with him.
If you yourself desire to learn the things of my humble
A life, as one using a sincere and mutual disposition, you have spoken. For I, the humble one, would be eager to send letters to your peerless excellency, learning this very thing—of your desirable health—and thinking I see your beloved face and hear your most sweet voice, with the gracious conversation and contemplation of you toward the letter-bearer! For you receive them most blandly for God’s sake, and you converse kindly even with a private individual. And he reported to me with how bitter a spirit you bear the deeds which they have dared to commit, on account of our sins, groaning and being offended by each of the evils that happen, with an inward sense of grief. And with good reason. For you are a man of God, having a holy mind, a soul that loves Christ, divine expertise, a harmonious faculty of thought, and pure opinion; in which you struggle, not being able to help matters as you are accustomed to do, but seeing the Church in such danger, which the Lord acquired B through His own blood (Act. xx, 28). O Master, into what dire straits have we arrived, and how great are the evils we have witnessed! These are the requitals of the sins that preceded them. For since we did not approve of having God in our knowledge, keeping His commandments, but we broke not just one, but many, and privately and publicly tore the Gospel of Christ—you who are wise understand what I say—God delivered us into what we are suffering, that we might not be condemned with the world (1 Cor. xi, 32); even if we appear to be something. Wherefore let not the wicked exalt themselves, as though they were pious; but let them clearly understand that Christ is denied C where His venerable image is set aside. Yet He delays to inflict punishment out of benevolence toward men and mercy, so as to lead them to repentance; but He knows how at the end to punish those who do not repent. Therefore, you yourself, as one pleasing to God, pray for the cessation of these calamities. But do not delegate this task to us, who are barely equal to propitiating the good God for our own sins. Nevertheless, we ourselves also entreat this. D NZʹ.
LVII. — To Anastasius Protospatharios.
He gives thanks for his zeal toward him, then explains by what hardships he is afflicted. Friendship is an exquisite thing, not only for other reasons, but because it is accustomed to deserve well of absent friends just as much as of those who are present. Such, indeed, is that noble benevolence and piety of yours toward me, the miserable one, from long ago until this present day, both when I looked upon you face-to-face, and now while you reside at such a,great distance of places—when, from Sicily, you burdened me with benefits while I was dwelling in Byzantium, and from Byzantium while I was here or there in exile, just as you do now. And what is this, that you act thus toward a sinful man, unworthy of your nobility? Unless it is because he loves you exceedingly for the sake of your absolute virtue and piety, which not only Sicily, and this region or that, celebrates, but even the imperial city itself. Wherefore you are dear to the kings themselves and to the dignitaries, and dignities have been granted to you on account of your virtue.A My father has departed from me, having gone to the Lord, as you well know yourself. Likewise also did Calogerus. My brother and archbishop is left to me alone. But even he, because of the evils that have now overtaken us, is separated by a very great distance. I am distressed on all sides; yet, because it is for Christ’s sake, these troubles are most sweet and most spacious. But what is this compared to the storm of unbelief, in which almost the whole world, insofar as it is subject to this empire, suffers shipwreck? See, Lord, to what evils we have been reserved: which differ nothing or very little from Judaism, since the image of Christ, of the holy Theotokos, and of every saint has been rejected, held as nothing, and treated with insult. For Christ Himself, with His mother and His servants, is He who suffers these things, even if it does not seem so to those who deny it. But may the Lord keep you in correct judgment and preserve you from shipwreck, although you are sprinkled from without by the waves of heresy; since it is not possible for you to escape altogether while moving in the midst of them. And may He render to you a manifold reward in return for my humility, both in this life and in the age to come. I am, at the same time, an outcast and an orphan.
LVIII. — To the Studite Brethren.
B Hail in the Lord, brethren and fathers; hail, soldiers of Christ; hail, triad of brethren, you who have been enriched by the grace of the holy Trinity, truly worthy of such salutations, because for the sake of Christ you endure bravely the harshest imprisonment, harassed by the wicked Leontius. O the apostasy of this Jewish-minded man! If he were a wild beast, he could certainly have been sated by now, having spilled and lapped up your blood for such a long time in his torments. But this demonic drinker of blood remains insatiable, behaving ferociously and having no feeling of mercy, no compassion of humanity toward you, the lambs of Christ, but afflicting you and devising in every way with Satan to devour you, so that the dragon may boast, and so that through you he may terrify us all. But in vain. For faithful is God, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make with the temptation an issue, that you may be able to bear it (1 Cor. x, 14). Remember the saints who have been from the ages, C that no one has pleased God without trials and many tribulations. One was sawn asunder; another was stoned; another has been consumed by fire; others have been stretched on the rack (Heb. xii, 35). And what time would suffice to recount to us the cloud of martyrs encompassing us? Being partakers and fellows in the contests of those of whom you are, rejoice, my brethren, with ineffable joy, reigning against heresy and against the passions. You, in accordance with your name, are of strong soul, Carterius; you, rich in patience, most opulent Aphthonius; you, strengthened by divine charity, most truly Agapius. The darkness of the prison is the bringer to you of eternal and unapproachable light; the starvation is [the bringer] of the delights of paradise; the nakedness, [of the bringer] of the shroud of immortality; the solitude, [of the bringer] of the conversation with God; the hair unshorn, [of the bringer] of becoming beauty: so that [revealed]with face unveiled we may reflect the glory of the Lord. Is not this joy? Is not this an exultation greater than all exultation? Perhaps we should even be distressed that our feet have not been placed in the stocks, and a chain has not been laid upon us. For as much as our sufferings increase, by so much does the consolation of the glory of God also increase. This in brief: knowing that you possess patience, I have exhorted you, beloved. But do you render back to me, together with our brother Nicholas who is with me, and who greets you, your holy prayers, that we may be saved. B
LIX. — To the Nuns.
Thirty nuns who for Christ have endured prison and stripes; he praises them and exhorts them to perseverance. (Baron. an. 816, n. 20.)
I owe it, if I owe anything at all, humble as I am, to exhort you in word and to kindle you with admonitions, you who are truly sisters and mothers in the Lord, as Truth Itself has said; you who for Christ’s sake endure the deprivation of a spiritual mother, the separation from one another, the taking away of your holy convent, and also the keeping of imprisonment, having already been scourged for the confession of the truth. But what sufficiently great thing shall I say, praising your renown? That the entire congregation of one monastery, thirty in number, in this present time when both rulers and subjects have turned aside, rejecting the word of the Lord for fear of death—monks and nuns alike, even if a few have been left behind—that you should have thus conspired in spirit and undertaken the contest for Christ, this is truly to be compared with the times of old. C This is a likeness of the forty holy martyrs, or an imitation expressed by some other blessed victors. How blessed you are, one surpassing another in burning zeal, and all together sharpening one another for the stadium of confession! A spectacle worthy of the angelic choirs and the gathering of martyrs, most pleasing to God, for whose sake these afflictions have been undertaken. Come then, therefore, daughters of Jerusalem, branches of the true vine, true disciples of the Word; let us exult and give thanks to Him who has strengthened us to endure what has come to pass; then let us also prepare ourselves for what is to come. What is this? Even if there be scourgings, even if bonds, even if fire, even if the sword; do not retreat, but be ready eagerly to endure all things for the sake of Christ. For we shall be strong; since to him who believes, D all things are possible. Do you see what these encomia are? What, then, of the future rewards, the kingdom of heaven, the ineffable joy? Therefore, let no one succumb to Satan, let no one be a lover of life, as was that one out of the forty, among these thirty. They were a symbol of abstinence; you are a likeness of the Holy Trinity, triply decemated. Such is our meager and worthless exhortation. But you, O thrice-blessed mothers, render back to me your prayers, as provision for the journey of salvation.
LX. — To the Canonesses. He gives thanks for the benefits conferred upon Naucratius and other confessors of Christ.
In previous times, we received an excellent specimen of your religious affection toward our humility, but now we receive it just as much—so that in truth we are struck with amazement when we look upon your gifts, how many and how great they are. Furthermore, having been informed by the letter-carrier, who himself witnessed and understood how much care and solicitude you have—charity and compassion in providing food, drink, and clothing—and with what alacrity you supply our poverty with whatever is necessary for life, and how eagerly you seek this out in order to bring it to completion by your very act: is it not then with good reason that it is right for me to give thanks to God for these things, having found spiritual mothers and sisters? Is it not fitting and deserved that I should sing praises to you, who seek God with your whole heart? B Rejoice, mothers and daughters in the Lord; rejoice, busy workers of the evangelical mandates. Rejoice, lilies of the intelligible field, situated in the midst of thorns as far as the place is concerned, but as for your customs, far removed from the heretical thicket. Rejoice, excellent gathering, clinging to one another and bound together for the service of God by one another. How great is your concord in God, that friendly union, that solitary life! Rejoice, mistress associated with mistress, mother to mother, and directress to directress; at once in charge and at once subject. How excellent is your exercise and profession, that you may gather a reward from obedience and provide security for the one set over you! Rejoice, you who are mistress and you who are subject; the one because she presides over many, the other because she obeys the one. Blessed is your prudence, both you who rule and you who are ruled, and are being led to the harbor of salvation. C The praise is brief, but it is permitted to understand the many things from the few. May the Lord repay you the reward in our stead, likewise in the stead of the steward, and in the stead of any other person from whom you have well deserved. Guard yourselves, I beseech you, from the heresy, than which nothing is more destructive to the soul; the communion of which is an alienation from Christ. At the same time, render your way of life more resplendent, like a golden chain separated from the multitude, so that, adorned on both sides, you may arrive with bright lamps into the bridal chamber of the Lord, destined to enjoy eternal goods.
LXI. — To Naucratius his son. Praises of the confessors of Christ. (Baron. an. 818, n. 21.)
You have chanced upon such a faithful letter-carrier that I, humble as I am, have considered it to be a dispensation of the providence of the good God that letters should be sent to you through him, holy son. Moreover, to learn that you are well, together with all the confessors and your brothers—how would this not be cause for joy for us sinners, especially since you, who are the leader, are steadfast in spirit, and are carried here and there by letters full of charity and solicitude toward all, as befits a divine man? Then, too, because brother Adrian has arrived safely to those who are there, we have been relieved of our anxiety, having given thanks
A to the Lord. And even if we are anxious on account of our brother Epiphanius, as you have previously indicated, and unprepared for temptation, suspecting as is natural the things that lie in wait, still, wherever it is pleasing to God, let these things be and let them be brought to pass. For those who love God, all things work together for good, as the holy word says. Pray, brother, that we may become such, even if we are far from God through our sins, and we shall not fear what man may do to us. We have suffered nothing of the sort that you mentioned while adorning us with your praises. But if anything is worthy of praise, that very thing is on account of you and from you, for we are strengthened by your prayers and held worthy. May the mercy of the Lord be upon us, the unworthy, henceforth as well. I was glad that you dealt kindly and indulgently in the Lord with the patrician, and this too for our sake: for she herself made this very fact known to me, and determined to do good more than usual. You live for our sake, brother; but we also live for yours. Do not marvel that the persecutors of Christ act madly, nor that Christ endures it in silence. B All things must be fulfilled, so that those who are approved may shine more clearly, and the lawless may finally pay the full penalty for what they have perpetrated. I have sent you a little book and fourteen quaternions, in which are discourses and the lives of the brothers in metrical verse; which, when you and some of the faithful brothers have read, keep safely hidden. I do not do anything, brother, worthy of note; but because I have leisure, and as it were am goaded by my holy Father, and again hearing the divine Paul saying to holy Timothy, "Do not neglect the gift that is in you," I do what I do as one unworthy, with fear and trembling. Greet brother Athanasius with the vicar of the steward. C And if I wrote that brother Adrian had finished his journey, I spoke in ignorance; later I learned that he had not yet arrived when you wrote to me. Brother Nicolaus sends you his warmest greetings, greatly revering your discourses. The Lord be with your spirit, my brother and father.
Catechesis
D (He exhorts his scattered brothers from the prison in Smyrna.)Having lately been read by you in the East, I now appear from Thrace. For the princes of this age have transferred us to Smyrna, and they guard us more strictly and severely than in our former prison. But the word of God is not chained, nor does love rest, nor is the commandment silent. Therefore, I the humble one speak again: Rejoice in the Lord, Fathers and brothers; rejoice, you who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness; rejoice, you who dwell in mountains and caves; but indeed also you who are hidden away in cities and in more desolate places. For if it has been commanded by the Apostle that we should always rejoice, how much more now, when you suffer on behalf of Christ, who is depicted on the tablet, who is discerned in his image, who is honored through it?
A For the words are not my own, those of a wretched man, but those of the all-wise Dionysius and the great Basil. And it is not yet the time to introduce the testimonies of other God-bearing men into this letter. Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth (Isa. 1, 2). Moab has disregarded—the Byzantine region, that is to say—it has shaken off the evangelical yoke; like a heifer gone mad, it has refused the reins. "I do not wish to know your ways," it has declared in word and deed (cf. Job 21, 14). It acts like a Corybant; it raves, it drinks blood like a lioness; like an adder it stops its ears, reacting when reproved. B A warning voice came to it as if from heaven, from the most preeminent, from the Roman throne: "What have you done?" it cries; "You have denied Christ, rejecting the image of Christ, of the Theotokos, and of all the saints." Open your obedient ear; give ear to the evangelical, apostolic, prophetic, and patristic words. And it did not admit them, it did not receive them; but, tearing itself away from the five-headed body of the Church—since the holy Nicephorus is still alive—it raises its neck against God the Almighty, insulting Christ, trampling upon holy things. Such are its deeds, O most desired ones. And God is with us, in the East, the West, the North, and the sea. In this there is joy; but if there is also mourning, it is for those who are perishing. C Come then, stand firm, O noble and grateful ones, seizing the sufferings for Christ as if they were treasures. How favorable a time is this for those who struggle, breathing sweetly, fragrant with the ointments of tribulations, more than all aromatics! The blood of the martyrs flows into the Church, irrigating it more than the Eden saturated by the fount of the fourfold river. The choirs of the martyrs from all ages draw near; the felicities of the confessors, which were formerly spoken of, are now seen with our own eyes. Do you not then hasten to the contest, hearing these things, disdaining the mountain, or the desert, or any concealment whatsoever? D Yet remain where you are; you too have a great blessedness. Pray, and praise the most blessed ones; strike for me the invisible dragon; war against the intestine conflict of the flesh; let the spirit conquer, let the body be enslaved; so that the soul may be free, as mistress and lady, having peace with God. If this is done, it is a daily martyrdom, garlands woven by God. Do not be anxious about us sinners, even if you have heard that we were again beaten with scourges. Through your prayers we bore it joyfully, with thanksgiving; and the bitterness of the pain was but for a short time. Only do not cease extending your holy hands. For we believe, even if we are very weak, that we shall yet erect a trophy over this Amalek. Nicholas, your brother, sends you many greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss (II Cor. 13, 12), companions with companions, the small with the great, and especially the neighboring Fathers. And when this letter has been read by you, do not be reluctant for it to be read by them as well, if only it is worthy; since all are one-minded, and one body, even if the members are diverse. The Lord Jesus Christ be with you and with us sinners. Amen.
Epistle LXIII. To Naucratius his son.
AMy ear shall not be satiated from the hearing of your voices. For you speak things necessary and urgent; hearing which even now, O excellent son, I, humble as I am, have sung songs of thanksgiving, that the Lord has not utterly forsaken His Church: but has shown that she still possesses her strength, having stirred up our brothers from the West, as a rebuke to the drunkenness of those here, and an illumination for those fighting by night against the heresy. Even though the obstinate have shaken them off; even though they have not opened the eyes of their heart. I testify now before God and men: they have torn themselves away from the body of Christ, from the supreme vertical throne, in which Christ placed the keys of the faith, against which the gates of hell, that is to say, the mouths of the heretics, have not prevailed from of old, nor shall they prevail even until the end, according to the promise of Him who does not lie. B Let the most blessed and apostolic and rightly-named Paschalis therefore rejoice; for he has fulfilled the work of Peter. Let every choir of the orthodox exult, because it has seen before its eyes the episcopate of Christ, according to our holy Fathers of old. For as for other things, let them be borne wherever it is pleasing to God. May the blood of the martyrs irrigate the Church; may the choir of confessors increase: this is the good pleasure of God; this is joy and exultation: although for those who are perishing it is most miserable.
What can the adversaries say? They do not have the East; they have been deprived of the West; they have been severed from the five-headed ecclesiastical body (for the holy Nicephorus still lives). Therefore they are alienated from Christ; therefore they have died; therefore they walk in darkness. But if, because they hold sway in the desert C of heresy, this is also what robbers do; since they also kill, even as these do; shedding blood, so to speak, every day. Let these things be thus. But how much shall I sing regarding the transformation of Leontius? O the greatest of God’s wonders! You, indeed, my friend, have transformed the enemy of Christ into this and that. I, however, suspected him of Cyprianizing in the matter, that having been driven out by the emperor, he was hastening to those struggling and engaged in the contest, according to the famous Justina. May the Lord grant that in both, both may eventually be seen. That your custody has been moved further inward is distressing to me because of your infirmity. But be strengthened and endure, confessor of Christ, as we have previously signified. But that you may know even more clearly, I add these things: the prefect of the prison now holds us also confined. Why, and how? D Since it is necessary to use economy in necessary matters; when we were gathered with the heresiarch of the Chonae (for thither we were first led by those who had dragged us from the East), we both bent the knee, he likewise bending his knee, and we embraced him. And since he allowed me and the lord Athanasius to come into the same place; and we drank with him once and twice; we did not, however, eat with him, although the serpent was entreating us and whispering deceitful [words]. By this measure
we dealt with him, being led away from there to the dragon with whom we are now. He, having learned the sequence of events beforehand, pressed us no further, as he was unable to persuade us; nevertheless, when he saw us, he brought up discourse concerning the matter, saying that what is in dispute is nothing and of small account. A To this I replied that it is indeed among the very greatest things. "And if you command," I said, "speak and hear in turn." But let us omit the present [account] of what happened. To say the rest would take a long time; and the discourse tends toward the goal for which I began. The cunning man thought he would gradually entice us, not by conferring in argument about the icons, but perhaps by doing good, and by speaking in an amicable manner, and by interjecting mention of his prefecture (for he is prefect over five Themes), and indeed even by extolling the emperor with divine praises. He came and initiated such conversations; and—a thing he had not even once done in prison—he offered [us] something to drink. I accepted in anxiety, and drank after signing [myself] three times; I feared the performance. Alas! A little later he leads me away. I introduced a discourse about the truth. He too was incited. We contended with one another in our opinions; he, indeed, mouthing off ridiculously with full cheeks, while I proceeded with moderation in certain matters, because the discourse was directed toward the emperor, and so that we might not be separated in a state of tumult. Since, indeed, when I put forward my proposition, he was at a loss, I said, "What is this blasphemy? Did the Father and the Spirit participate in those things which Christ performed in the flesh, or not?" He nodded and asserted that it was so. B Therefore, the contest was relaxed, and it was as if we had departed from the fight. But he, as he was leaving, said, "I thought that he knew nothing at all, but I have rendered him speechless." I, however, knew that he was devoid of reason and foolish to the highest degree, along with his impiety. I sought one thing, however: to put aside the pretense and to adopt another persona, such as is fitting against a leader of impiety; for it is not right to cast pearls before swine. Hence the great care of the guard, and the prohibition against our seeing any man, although God ordains otherwise. These things, even if they are somewhat digressive, have nonetheless been said necessarily, so that you may fervently pray that we be delivered from the snares of the impious one. Your brother sends you greetings.
Proclaiming those who struggle for Christ, and strengthening them by the example of the martyrs.
C LXIV. Theodore, a sinful monk, to my spiritual Fathers and brothers who have confessed and are struggling in prisons, whose names are in the book of life.
When I received, O most desired ones, the testimony of your excellent confession for Christ, I broke forth into praises; I glorified God who called you from a foreign land into the queen of cities, as if rational lambs, to pour out your blood for a sweet-smelling savor unto Him; as light for those who are struggling in the darkness of the heretical night-battle! D Then, with incredible desire, I, the humble one, longed to see you, the athletes, and to embrace
each one of you, drawn by a burning longing. But since this is physically impossible, I am caught up by [this] letter, and standing in the midst, I embrace your holy vestiges and kiss your sacred faces with a holy kiss. A O valiant soldiers of Christ, chosen as if from a heavenly draft! O shining stars, who in the night of impiety shine forth the light of orthodoxy! More precious than gold, more brilliant than emerald and pearl! Desirous as I am to crown you with many fitting titles, I am not permitted to do so, constrained by the measure of this letter. But in one word, embracing the whole, I would say this: that your martyrdom is equal to the martyrdoms of old, since he who confesses that he receives the image of Christ manifestly confesses Christ, just as he also bears the weight of his denial. B For the honor of the image ascends to the prototype, as the great Basil said; and the archetype is seen in the image, as the all-wise Dionysius also said. And since Christ is perfect man, having lacked nothing of those things which are contemplated in men, he has the capacity to be depicted just as every man does; just as he has the capacity not to be circumscribed, inasmuch as he is the same [being as] the perfect God. But if he cannot be depicted with bodily characteristics, he is in no way a man. For the first and true sign that he is man is if he is depicted. And I do not yet speak of the Queen of the universe, the Theotokos, and of all the saints in general, whose rejection is the destruction of their venerable images. But he who is understanding understands; and he who is a scoffer scoffs to his own destruction, speaking against the sacred scriptures. C And the authorities act always with authority, and those who are of God are few, even if all are His creatures; and finally, against the God-called rock, the gates of Hades have dashed themselves from above and from the beginning, but they have not prevailed in any way, nor shall they prevail against it, as the promise of the Truthful One [states]. Therefore, my Fathers and brothers, stand in the faith, act manfully, be strengthened in the Lord. The choirs of the martyrs invite you to themselves, and the confessors likewise. These things, as in few words. The least of us, though absent, join ourselves to you in spirit, so that you may know that you have even the lowest member, restricted somewhere for the same confession, asking you to assist him with your holy prayers, that he may follow in your honored footsteps. D
LXV. — To Naucratios my son.
Dogmatic, and very necessary, concerning the sacred image of Christ: explaining how it ought to be understood that the image of Christ is worshipped just as Christ himself is; that is to say, by reason of similitude or relation, and not by way of essential identity or naturally. Having learned from the letter-carrier, O noble brother, that contentions have arisen among you (I mean this: that one says, "I worship the image of Christ as Christ himself," while another refuses to say it), I received this not without sorrow, knowing that such altercations, sown by the devil, are accustomed to severA even the sound part of the Orthodox; which brings joy to the adversaries, who confirm their own impiety through our infirmities. Nor did I deem it right to suppress what I had heard with silence, but rather to find, God willing, some remedy of healing from myself.
The sum of the argument is this: The particle "as" is sometimes used in divine Scripture for likeness, and sometimes for affirmation. In the first way: "I have become as a sparrow alone upon the housetop. And: I, as a fruitful olive tree." In the second: "How good is the God of Israel!" And: "How beloved are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!" For in the latter, the word is not for likeness, but for affirmation. If, therefore, anyone says he adores the image of Christ as Christ himself, he is sound in his mindset; but if he says it by way of affirmation, not at all. For the image and the archetype are not the same in nature, but they are the same in likeness. For both, though spoken of in the same way, differ utterly in substance; I speak of images made by art. How, therefore, shall he adore the image as Christ himself by way of affirmation, since Christ is not in it physically, but relatively, that is, by way of likeness? The statement is otherwise belied by the truth: "The archetype is manifested in the image; and Christ is adored in the image." Therefore, to say "in the image" means that one thing is shown in another, and one is adored through another. Chrysostom saw an angel in an image; but Cornelius saw the angel himself. We behold Christ in an image; the apostles beheld Christ himself. "For we have seen," he says, "the Lord." We adore him in his own image; they adored him himself. B "And seeing him," he says, "they adored." Therefore, Christ is adored in an image by way of likeness—whether relatively or homonymously, for both result in the same thing—but not by literal sight. And without an image, he is also adored mentally and by contemplation, since he cannot be seen at all times with a sensible image.
But if someone should say: "If, therefore, it is permitted for me to adore mentally, it is superfluous to do so in an image," let such a person know that he has denied that Christ is adored mentally as well. For unless the mind has contemplated him in the likeness of a man, seated at the right hand of God and the Father, it will not offer adoration, unless perhaps he denies that the Word became flesh. But the image is a faithful witness that he was made like unto man; and by the acceptance and adoration of this, Christ is accepted and adored, C just as by the rejection of it, he is rejected. Abgar adored, having received the faith mentally, Christ; he adored him even more manifestly in the image not made by hands, sent to him by Christ himself. Wherefore in that image Christ was adored both according to likeness and, at the same time, through the intellect: now indeed in this way, but in the life to come, intuitively. And of his visible theophany—as the most wise Dionysius says—in the all-pure contemplations D
full of most lucid splendors irradiating us, just as the disciples in that most divine transfiguration; and we shall be participants of his intelligible illustration, according to the mind devoid of passions and matter. Accept these things from us, whether incompletely or sufficiently. I ask you, however, that when there is a discussion about God, you should raise questions religiously and attentively, and seek the truth either from yourselves or from others, having cast aside all contention; but also, if anything has been erred in what we have said, you should correct it, since I am of small intelligence and a sinner.
LXVI. — Catechesis.
B The present circumstance demands that I should write collectively to all, and not privately to each one individually; not out of contempt or neglect, far be it! For how could I despise my own bowels and the confessors of Christ, and not rather shed my blood instead of ink, and offer my skin instead of parchment, in order to write and address you every day, if it were possible? And it is not because you are not strengthened of yourselves. For I know and am convinced how great the power from God is in you; but I do this in order to satisfy my own longing and to fulfill the debt of the commandment. The cause, moreover, is the custody, which is more secure: for we have just been transferred, as you have already heard, from the Orientals C to the Thracians in Smyrna; and also because replies have not been brought to us for a long time; and otherwise, because for those who are struggling for the same cause, one letter will surely suffice.
Come then, my brothers, let us sing thanksgivings even now, that we have been deemed worthy to serve the living and true God; and not only this, but also to suffer for his sake: which is more glorious than all glory, and more joyful than all joy. For what is the cause of your suffering? Is it not for the sake of Christ? Because you confess that Christ, having become man, is truly circumscribed in the flesh, and so is depicted by painting; and that the acceptance of the icon is the proof of his incarnation: D which, being discarded and rejected, clearly the incarnation is also discarded and rejected with it. But since the god of this age has blinded the minds of the Iconoclasts, so that the splendor of his icon might not shine upon them; for this reason, walking in darkness, they deny Christ by denying his icon; and they strive to make everyone as blind as themselves; persecuting, tormenting, imprisoning, and, as one might say, ever killing. But they shall not drag away those who are strengthened and established in the immutable truth. Nor indeed did they escape being rebuked by the supreme throne of the Church, as also happened, and you know it. And for us indeed, all things were safe and sincere, even before the coming of the Westerners. But more was added, that especially...
A as we know that it is consistent with the preceding generations, so God, who looks upon our time, looks upon it; and He brought the testimony before our eyes, that those who deny the icon are alienated from Him. For if they have been cut off from the coryphaeus, and from the other three patriarchs, and clearly from Christ, who is the head of those aforenamed, then it is fitting to mourn and be saddened on their account, but for us, there is great and transcendent cause to rejoice.
Let us therefore, dearly beloved, endure the hardships of the prison and the temptations that impend; this very thing—to die daily, to bear witness, and to contend—until the time of peace arrives, which the Lord has judged to be sufficient for the proving of those who confess and for the retribution of those who abrogate the faith to the truth. Let day follow day with patience and alacrity; let the hand work whatever task it may; let the tongue sing psalms; let the body be brought into servitude; let the mind take heed to itself, lest it open a door to the passions, so that in this way the custody may become spacious, gracious, and pleasant, a palace of Christ; for the reality seems to be the opposite. B With you lies the confidence of those who are on the outside, of men and women, of monastics and of the laity; and rightly so, since by the grace of Christ you are the light of Byzantium, not to say of the whole world. But let us watch out for the devil, who sows tares among the wheat; and with a spiritual sieve let us indeed admit the faith, but let us shake off the affections, C so that the field of the soul may not be devastated. The great Paul also had most dear ones—Apphia, Persis—and he entreats Euodia and beseeches Syntyche to think the same thing in the Lord, as fellow-workers and fellow-soldiers and helpers. It is indeed necessary to have such, but as he had them. Then he says concerning Priscilla and Aquila: "Who for my life have laid down their own necks." Do you see the ardor of love and the commendation of the Apostle? Thus, my brothers, as we and you, let us likewise have and embrace those who are of the same condition and merit, who are joined and devoted to us, so that God may be glorified and we may be enlightened, and not defiled or perturbed.
Concerning you three, it has been reported to me that you have been united through the repentance and conversion of Leontius; and I, the sinner, have glorified God, both for his mitigation, if he only perseveres, D and for your struggle; because, as the three holy children from the furnace of fire, so you too have emerged unharmed from the wretched prison, with the tyrant terrified. But struggle further, my stout-hearted ones, and prepare yourselves for temptation even unto blood. For this is the law of martyrdom. Blessed be they who strengthen you, whether at home or abroad. We wretches have again been struck with blows, but we have received them with thanksgiving, and now we are even more pleased. Wherefore, do not be saddened by our humiliation, but rejoice rather, and pray that we may still have strength in all things, and to tolerate those things which are brought upon us by the authorities, and to endure those things which happen from the invisible...
enemy; A together with brother Nicholas, who also greets you most affectionately. Remember my sighs. Grace be with you. Amen.
LVII. — To Naucratius the son.
B C He consoles and confirms those imprisoned for Christ with the hope of reward. He replies concerning the penitence of certain ones who have lapsed: as also concerning certain inscriptions of images.Beyond expectation, yet nevertheless in accordance with expectation, I received your letter, reverend child: first, because of the tightening of the guard by order of the king; second, because of the infinite goodness of the philanthropic God, who, for the sake of you who are saints, manages even our affairs—we who are sinners—most excellently; although men endeavor to create difficult situations. And what shall I say, or what shall I, miserable, think? Or is it that *All my bones shall say: Lord, Lord, who is like unto thee? Who deliverest the poor out of the hands of those who are stronger than him?* (Ps. xxxiv, 10, 11). This is the first cry of the miserable one, albeit from the Davidic ode. But this is the second, that I was also freed from weariness upon reading your letter; for I found your state of imprisonment to be as you had taught me, for I had previously learned only that you had been transferred. Have courage, brother, and rejoice, because just as the passions of Christ abound in you, and in those who share your sentiments and character, so too shall your consolation, your reward, and your glory. And how could the vessels of election become manifest, if scandals were not to occur, God permitting, showing those who perform them for what they are, as tares reserved for the burning of eternal fire? While he proves those who endure the temptations, that they might shine like the sun in the kingdom of heaven?
Let not the things which happen daily surprise you; whether one has been taken away, or another is bound; or another has been beaten, or another sent into exile; or whatever other things occur in this way or that. D The time of retribution will come a little while later. I have read what you sent; and having understood it and given thanks to the Lord, I have sent it back regarding Ignatius; alas, that he has been captured! For the man is a friend above the rest. But you have done well in giving him the medicine for the penitent. It is enough, child, that which you have given; and I, miserable as I am, pray for his reintegration into the struggle; for I have also received his offerings. My humble soul is moved with compassion for brother Anatolius; since you, too, love him brotherly. For this reason, I dare to say: let another year be removed for him, so that after the two years have been completed, he may partake of the holy things. Those of the brethren who have died, sons of light who have been perfected for the sake of the Light in the struggle, let them pray for us. As for those who have died otherwise, their end is miserable, because of my sins, just as you have stated. Severianus is such a man, and even worse. Nevertheless, even from among the perverse, there is hope of reversion for those to whom this is a concern; and I agitate this matter in discussion, as often as someone approaches, even from the side of the adversaries, so that in the examination, as if by the friction of stones, the truth of the truth might be called forth. And indeed even now, such...
A is your proposal. In certain histories, images are found inscribed thus: Divinity, Lordship, Royal power. Clearly, you mean this concerning the image of Christ. And how is this? Such terms are understood commonly in regard to the Trinity; not distinguishedly in regard to one Person. For although each Person may be called God and Lord, yet not simply "Divinity" and "Lordship." For example, "I am the God of thy father," He says, not "the Divinity." "I am He who is," not "essentiality." And: "The Lord rained fire from the Lord," not "Lordship from Lordship." If, therefore, it is thus in theology, much more in the mystery of the incarnation is it impious to inscribe upon the image of Christ "Divinity" or "Lordship." God indeed may be spoken of, and Lord, or something B of the powers equivalent to these; and this even homonymously; but not "Divinity" or "Lordship." As, for example, even in the case of a painted man, he may indeed be called "man," but not "humanity"; and a king of those upon the earth, but not "kingship." Thus, the inscription is erroneous, as it seems to me; for it circumscribes both the Father and the Spirit, which is absurd. These things, then, briefly and in summary. As for you, pray more fervently for my humility; and indeed also for the brother, who greets you most affectionately. I have received the garment; and how long will you not cease providing us with clothing, beloved? May the Lord in turn cherish you in the Spirit. The bearer will communicate the rest. Fare well in all things.
LXVIII. — To Irene the Patrician.
(Having fallen, and subsequently confessed, and suffered grave tribulations, he exhorts her to persevere in her confession.)Superior time, which was for repentance, made it wearisome to write to your reverence; but now, it is especially joyful, after you have risen up, having also received on your venerable body stripes for the confession of Christ. And well done, well done, woman of most manly spirit, that after the defeat, you have made the restoration of the battle more splendid; gladdening God and the angels, and the most pious of men. And you are truly noble, springing from the sun-risings; you are a lover of God and a lover of virtue; you are a slayer of passions and an enemy of the world. How great is the commendation of your name! How C much is your martyrdom in the mouth and speech of all! For what is this? You have taken up the evangelical sword, as a soldier of Christ; you cut off in an ecstatic state the attachments of the body; you were severed, head bowed, from your only daughter; bidding farewell to the royal city, illustrious lineage, superior friends, a splendid family, most eminent dignity, a huge number of earthly servants, possessions of every kind, and other things which I can scarcely recount; having taken up a life of cross-bearing; you have been sent away far, as I have learned, to an island. Blessed are you, and blessed is the fruit of your martyrdom. And from where comes to you all this good, the great glory, the highest commendation, if not from the virtues that D preceded you?
A Exceeding prayers and through your most beneficent will towards the monks? The fruits have not perished, even if they were shaken a little; the serpent who is our enemy has not overturned your tower of virtue, even if he has dealt it a bite. The envy of the mockers has been repelled; the trifles of the revilers have fallen; Christ has conquered in you and through you, O noble woman, O lover of martyrdom, and, thirdly, O my mother—for I call you by this name in the Spirit, as a companion in the struggle, and more closely bound than those related by the bowels of the flesh. For thus the Spirit knows how to join those whom He Himself has begotten. I know your labors; I know how many troubles of soul you have endured, which you bear since you have been torn away from the world. But take courage: great is your reward in heaven; you are called bride of B Christ, even if after marriage; you are a citizen of the just and the saints, if indeed we persist until the end in our divine confession. Now, however, I beseech and exhort you to bear your exile and the deprivation of all things with an even mind, keeping your gaze upon heavenly things; for you understand well that whatever is earthly is a mere pastime and quickly perishes. The angel who is the guardian of your life is with you, as is Christ Himself, who said: "I and the Father will come, and we will make our home with him." But one thing I advise: that you take care of your health, embracing a gentler rule of life. For this is not the time for an abstinence so rigid as existed heretofore. Finally, pour out your prayers for me, a sinner, that my way may accord with my words.
LXIX. — To Euphemia the Recluse.
That she may serve Christ her Bridegroom with her whole mind.C Even if we have omitted to write more frequently to your reverence, yet we have not ceased to remember you in the Lord, both on account of the communion of our purpose and the progress of your resolve. That which is just, as I learn, you chose from your early youth: the cross-bearing life, and furthermore, the life of a recluse. And how great is your commendation, O bride of Christ! I remind you of one thing, caring for you spiritually as for a sister. Hasten, lady, hasten to tend to the Bridegroom. You who have been betrothed, stand apart from every attachment, having your whole heart, and soul, and your whole mind lovingly turned toward your own Bridegroom. If this is true regarding that which is mortal and flowing, how much more so regarding Him who is incorruptible and eternal? Thus we ought (and this is a common saying) to be disposed toward the Lord and Master, D and not to grow sated of longing for Him; and in this, to be relieved of every soul-destroying pleasure. For He Himself is disposed toward us, and as it were, is carried out of Himself by His immeasurable love. For did He not, being God, take on the form of a servant for your sake—that form which the iconoclasts now treat with dishonor? Did He not, being rich, become poor? Did He not endure all grievous things: insults, spittings, slaps, scourges, the cross and death? Thus ought every soul to be disposed; as if for it alone, even though it were for all, He endured His sufferings, so that it might love Him and desire Him with equal, corresponding
patience. And if perhaps there is no place to endure these things, the intention takes the place of the work and has its reward, for the good God so remunerates. These things I have set forth, not as if you did not have them before your eyes, but because my mind is one with yours in the Lord. A
LXX. — To Theophilus of Ephesus.
Having lent my letter, I was expecting to receive the debt of charity; but since I have not received it, I desire to lend again. For this loan is very sweet to me—that is, to converse with your sacred head, which has suffered for Christ, or rather, has been crowned and adorned like a confessor. For the mind does not look with the same eyes through which the world sees when it beholds God and divine things. For the one (the world) deems corruptible and perishing things to possess the name of "goods," judging wrongly and perversely; B but the other (the mind) deems that and that alone to be blessed which does not define pleasure by these limits, but is stored up for the age to come, for the fruit of unending joy. In this way, I who am wretched, looking at the affairs regarding your holiness, rejoice and congratulate you, most thrice-blessed one. You have despised earthly glory; you have chosen with Christ things humble and despised, or rather, tribulation and distress, stripes and exiles. How blessed are the things you have done! How praiseworthy are the things you have suffered! Celebrated in the East and in the West, C written in the heavens, gladdening the angels, delighting the confessors and martyrs, and stinging the demons and those who are like them in sense and character, the Iconoclasts! Justly, therefore, do I rejoice with you, chief of Fathers. But I ask that you also pray for me, who am wretched in every way, so that I may not fall away from following in your footsteps.
LXXI. — To Naucratius my son.
We were slow to write to you, beloved son; but it is because here too the persecution is raging, with stripes, bonds, and prisons; so does he who detains us breathe out fury and threats, and he captures and harasses the pious wherever they are found. He, in fact, D setting out for the city—for he is staying there now—did not hesitate to say that he would ask the emperor to let him take with him a royal minister to behead everyone, or even to cut out their tongues. I do not know if the words have reached their end. On this account we have already made all our preparations, conjecturing from other things, namely, the perversity of the man and the convergence of the bishops who are there; since it is said that they are present so that some such thing might be accomplished. But the minister, being struck with fear and terror—for the leader had previously threatened him most severely, proposing death if he were found guilty of even the slightest error—was utterly afraid to give us paper and ink. Hence the delay. Added to the impediment was the rumor I had heard that you had been led out of prison; but also the bishop of Sardis, of such a nature as he is not
A clearly defined, was beheaded. From both causes, therefore, came the hesitation. Nevertheless, we humble ones have been deemed worthy to break forth in voice again to your ears, letting you know that we are well in body—and one might say, as well in spirit, through your holy prayers, along with my blessed Father.
As for what you yourself indicated, what shall I say, and what shall I speak, except that the bitterness of the persecution is consistent with the atrocity of the heresy? For what do you wish to see, when Christ is denied through the insult B to his holy image? Is there not flowing blood and torn flesh? Are there not afflictions and straits? Are there not bonds and prisons, and every other kind of vexation? Are there not vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, of which he whom you mentioned is one? And you will see, brother, even worse things, if the heresy endures for a long time. But blessed are those who endure, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Already the choirs of confessors and martyrs are exulting and rejoicing; some of them welcomed home through a timely death, others comforted and C confirmed invisibly by visitations. And why do I speak of martyrs? Christ himself, who is confessed by the martyrs, is present, rejoicing and struggling together with each one of the confessors. For if it were not so, those who bear the present trials would not bear them bravely; women would not have acted with manly courage after the example of the holy women of old; laymen and senators would not have stripped themselves for the struggle; maidens would not have scorned the gaze of impious men; public prisons would not have been seen everywhere, and deserts, mountains, glens, and caves filled D with those exiled for the Lord’s sake; the whole world under heaven would not have been stirred, to say the least. Thus it is clearly believed that Christ is the one being persecuted; thus it is to be hoped and boldly ventured that everyone believing in truth will bear whatever punishment there may be with Christ and in Christ. Such are our tidings. Let the meek hear and be glad. Let East and West hear what is happening in Byzantium and give praise. Where sin abounded, grace did superabound. Here is the athletic struggle; here flows the blood that waters the Church of Christ more abundantly than the garden of Eden was watered. "As I live, says the Lord, I will glorify those who glorify me, and he who despises me shall be dishonored." Write down also, you who zealously follow the Lord, these new, or rather divine, martyrdoms, so that later generations may know that God is truly in us, and that the seed of the righteous lives, and the golden race of the martyrs bears Christ within them; against whom the gates of Hades have not prevailed, nor will they prevail, according to the promise of Him who is truthful. "It is hard for you," He says, "to kick against the goads," and it cannot be otherwise. I, the wretched one, say these things. But you, holy son, render me your prayers in return. Greet your fellow-confessors and fellow-disciples by name; and not only these, but if you can, all the other chosen ones of God as well; those chosen from out of the myriads; those
lary A in the world, the vessels of mercy, those useful to God, those yearned for by the Trinity: by whose prayers may we also, who are unworthy, be saved. He who is with me greets you along with them all.
LXXII. To Nicolaus my son.
Concerning the holy images. Four kinds of arguments for the catholic doctrine regarding images: The nature of the body; History; Fathers; Synods. That the adversaries vainly allege the arguments of these same categories.
Since you desire to know, brother Nicolaus, by what four premises the truth regarding the venerable image of Christ is strengthened, you must know: by natural dogma; by ancient history; by the voices of the saints; by synodal proclamation.
How by natural dogma? Because this is the nature of a body, that it is subject to touch and color; and that which is subject to touch and color is circumscribed, that is, it can be depicted in a likeness. Such is the body of Christ, just like our own, tangible and colored. And indeed it is written: *And as many as touched him were saved.* And elsewhere: *And the appearance of his countenance was changed.* Therefore, He is depicted according to the form of the body, while the principle of the uncircumscribed, which pertains to His divinity, remains meanwhile unharmed. For neither am I, although circumscribed in body, necessarily circumscribed also according to the invisible soul, which cannot be seen by the eyes; nor, because my body is circumscribed B while my soul is uncircumscribed, is the one being split into two. Thus, by much greater reason, neither does Christ undergo any partitioning or division for the fact that He is depicted with a bodily likeness.
How by ancient history? Because the whole world, from the very ascension of Christ, exhibits His venerable image depicted in sacred temples. What could be more illustrious than this for demonstrating the truth? Since the thing itself is much more certain than speech, and sight is a more trustworthy witness than hearing.
How by the voices of the saints? Because somewhere the coryphaeus of the apostles, Peter, says: “Produce the image of our Lord Jesus Christ and engrave it upon the tower, so that the peoples may see what form the Son of God assumed.” Somewhere else, the great Basil says: “Let Christ, the president of the contests, also be depicted on the tablet.” With whom, clearly, all the saints agree.
How by synodal proclamation? Because that [synod] which was gathered after the sixth ecumenical council states this: “We therefore decree that from now on, in place of the ancient lamb, the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is to be set up.”
If, however, the Iconoclasts should also say that their own dogma is strengthened by these same four premises, let them show, for example, regarding the first point, how this is so. Do they say [His] body is such as the truth has exhibited, or not? If indeed it is such, they will, even against their will, confess that Christ is C depicted. If they do not, D
it is not, it remains entirely for them to say that it is not subject to touch or color; for there is no middle ground between these, neither between that which consists of matter and that which is void of matter, nor between that which is seen and that which cannot be seen. To say that Christ assumed such a body is the talk of those who foolishly prattle that the salutary dispensation of Christ took place only in appearance and fantasy. B Regarding the second point: even if they themselves suppress the truth, the stones will cry out that the whole world is illuminated by the image of Christ. Regarding the third: those who oppose the coryphaeus Peter and the great Basil are entirely alien to the fold of Christ. Regarding the fourth: the synod which they call the one at Blachernae against the image of Christ is much later than the one assembled after the Sixth Council in favor of the image of Christ. And the latter was received by the five patriarchs, whereas the former was anathematized by the four as Christ-opposing. Then, too, the second Council of Nicaea, as being of one mind with that which is called after the Sixth, is readily admitted by the five, while that which is now gathered for the confirmation of the one which is called at Blachernae against the image of Christ is, like the other, detestable. This, therefore, is a summary account of the truth and a refutation of the adversaries.
LXXIII. — To my son Naucratius.
C The holy scripture says: "A voice was heard in Rama, lamentation and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted" (Jerem. XXXI, 15; Matt. II, 18). But I, the wretched one, having changed the voice, might rightly say: Auspicious tidings of joy have been heard from your reverence, by reason of which let not only this or that city exult, but I might almost say everything under heaven, because the Lord has taken away—not Sehon, king of the Amorites, nor Og, king of Bashan, kings who were small and vexing only a small part of the world—but the newly risen great dragon, which was plundering a great part of the world; the twisting serpent hissing blasphemies; the abomination of desolation; the vessel of wrath; the son of Tabeel—not to say of Caballinus; the grandson of Ahab; the prototype of Julian; the fullness of wickedness; the insulter of Christ; the enemy of the Theotokos; the adversary of all the saints. For since he persecuted their holy characters and removed them from their midst, he was without doubt an enemy and persecutor of them entirely. "Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult" (Ps. XCVI, 11); "let the mountains rain sweetness and the hills righteousness." The enemy has fallen; he who was beating us is crushed. "The mouth of those who speak unjust things is stopped" (Ps. LXII, 12); the hand of Absalom has been restrained. The hard-hearted Pharaoh has perished; and yet I have neither the time nor the place to express things worthy of being heard regarding the all-wicked dragon. This, however, I will add to what I have said: that it was fitting for the apostate to end his life in the manner in which you wrote.
It was A fitting that the son of darkness should meet his end by night; it was fitting that he who had laid waste the divine temples should see swords drawn against him in the temple of the Lord; it was fitting that he who had destroyed the altar itself should not find salvation while fleeing to the divine altar; it was fitting that a severing should be inflicted upon the hand which had been stretched out against the holy things; that a blade should be driven through the throat which had vomited forth impieties; that a timely wound should be endured by the shoulder which had been moved in insult against Christ; that for the shedding of just blood, unjust blood should be spilled; that for the cutting and lacerating of limbs and backs, limbs hateful to God should be hewn; that for a holy death, an unholy death should be meted out, and that in place of purple, the ignoble offspring should be clothed in rags. And B I do not rejoice at the downfall of the impious man; rather, groaning and weeping, I denounce the manner of his death. Yet, because the evil man will perish miserably, as is the judgment of the Truth, and everyone who rises up insolently against God will receive his due reward even here—for I do not yet speak of the future and final fire by which every impious and lawless person will be tested. What then follows these things? There is need of a new Josiah, or if you will, of a Jovian, or another of such a kind, who, burning with zeal for the Lord, may endeavor to raise up what has fallen, join together what has been sundered, and render unto God the things that are God’s, that, as it is said, he may restore the image of Christ, of the Theotokos, and of each of the saints—not that the image of Christ has ever fallen, God forbid!—but so that we who have fallen through impiety may be raised up. Such an emperor, most pious and divinely appointed, we sinners pray and hope to see and to have. And if it should be so, it is excellent and worthy of being celebrated for ages. But if, on account of my sins, it is not so, yet we shall remain thus in the confession of Christ, not scorning His holy prison, nor cowering, nor fearing anything more than God, as God Himself exhorts us. Show these things to your fellow confessors, and greet them from us, as well as the friends and pious men whom you approve. Would that we were worthy to meet face to face! But if this is not the will of God, use this letter, my brother, so that you may see and be seen through it. Your brother Nicholas greets you warmly.
LXXIV. To Michael, the Emperor and Prince.
He extolls the new emperor with great praise as orthodox. (Baron. an. 821, n. 21.)It is D fitting at this time, more than ever, that praise should be prepared from the mouths of all those who have suffered persecution: first indeed to Christ, the King of all, and then to your divinely established empire, through which we who were bound have received release, the imprisoned have received dismissal, the afflicted have received consolation, the wounded have received health, the condemned have received liberty, and the exiles have received their return. And I think I rightly hold the view that your reign will be an imitation of Christ, so that, rendering like for like, it might now itself say, with Christ and after Christ, to those who are bound: "Come forth"; and to those who are in darkness: "Be revealed," and: "Blessed be the Lord."
God of Israel, for He hath raised up a horn of salvation for us," the new David, the second Josiah, A the king of peaceful rule; he who doing shall do the things pleasing to God; who shall raise up what has fallen, shall join together what has been severed, and shall heal; and on the third day, to speak prophetically, He shall raise up. Since, however, O Christ-imitating Emperor, those who have arrived at and died in heresy have gone off into the portion of perdition, denying Christ while denying His image, even if they are called Christians. For to believe in Christ is nothing else than that the Son of God and the Father, having become perfect man, is imaged according to our likeness, so that it may not be some other thing from us, remaining the same uncircumscribed with the Father and the Spirit, insofar as He is the true God. Thus, therefore, let Him be understood as Mediator of God and men, as having both of both, and in neither is He lacking any part; as the whole choir of God-bearing Fathers cries out. And just as in your empire the reception B of the depicted image is a confession of your reigning, just as conversely; so also in the case of Christ, the King of all the earth, it is possible to take the same, and much more, because of His kingdom there shall be no end. If, therefore, in the denial of the image of Christ, it is demonstrated by all truth that Christ Himself is denied, it is clear that by the disapproval of His adoration, the adoration of Christ Himself is also abrogated. And therefore all that is under heaven, from the apostolic preaching itself, as both sight testifies through painting, and hearing through written monuments, carries and adores the holy image of Christ, of the Theotokos, of the angels (since even these are painted with a body by divine command, though they are incorporeal), and of the saints who have been in different times, in divine temples and sacred vessels. Although lately our Church C was severed from the four patriarchs, it has not in any way prevaricated. But now is the acceptable time, O Christ-loving Lord, now is the day of salvation, that we may be reconciled to Christ, with the peaceable reign as auspices and mediator: that we may be united to the summit of the Churches of God, Rome, and through it to the three patriarchs; that with one accord, with one mouth, we may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, celebrating also your most pious and most desirable reign.
LXXV. — To Stephanus a Secretis
(Regarding the murder of Leo [the Armenian]. Then some things for the defense of the images: and that this Stephanus may favor the cause of the orthodox before the new emperor.)You indeed, O friend, bid us greeting long ago D through the mouth of him by whom we are held captive: from whose fury may we both be delivered. For he breathes threats and anger beyond measure against those who cultivate piety, casting them into chains and custodies, beating, and devastating the Churches of God with every kind of blasphemy and contumely; in a manner I know not whether any other among those in impiety
A have achieved. But I praise your philosophical spirit, and most rightly so. For it was the act of a philosopher for you to utter that voice before the sovereign which you know, and to have done and endeavored the other things for the restoration of our fallen Church. And it was altogether fitting that a wise man, whose piety had been clearly discerned, should perform what was at once for his own interest and for the interest of the whole body of Christ, which that great dragon tore apart—that apostate, that tortuous serpent, that precursor of Antichrist, that impure and wicked mouth, that one who is exalted above every temple of God, 19 that Assyrian mind, that barbarian abortion, that hand such as Rabshakeh’s, that heart cursed by God, he who is in every part a minister of Satan. And I know not by what words I might worthily describe this plague, for the impiety of that nefarious man can be called by many names. But the narration of those things shall belong to another time. Now, however, tell me this, O most desired one: how is it that, winter being past, it is not yet perfect spring, but only a kind of calm and the gleaming hope of a prosperous voyage? The fire has been extinguished: why does any smoky residue still remain? Rise up again, my longing, and fight more strongly, O member of Christ. Do you not see the impious one, how he is scorched by fire, how that head, execrable to speak of and to hear of, has fallen? If his destruction does not make us wiser—as the Golden-mouthed one says—who then will have pity on us? Shall we not awake? Shall we not understand that if Christ had not B been denied, when His holy image was being rejected, He would never have brought such ruin upon the one who insulted it? Hear these things, all you nations; listen with your ears, all you who inhabit the world, 20 what has happened among the Greeks. Before the Antichrist, an Antichrist: he has taken away from us the sign of the kingdom of Christ. For if the likeness of His bodily form does not appear among us bearing the sign of the cross on its head—but one thing is rejected and another is admitted—then Christ is divided. Or rather, the King who slew the devil is despised; and the spear by which He pierced the enemy, which is His own power, the royal powers have bound; and they have subjected to the one who was slain, with equal victory, the one who did the slaying, treating him as an enemy. Hear, O heaven, and listen, O earth. 21 What is this stupor that has demented the people of God? Hear, O East and West, how the Byzantine region has been blinded; how it has become deaf, neither hearing the voice of your reproof nor observing the example of your testimony, but looking to Jannes and Jambres, that destructive pair of the enemies of Christ, which I know full well the Trinity will quickly dissolve, so that, along with the two impious men who have already perished, this pair also may be taken from the midst—that four-headed chariot of the devil. Come hither, C come, brother: engage in the struggles again; the Lord commands it. Inculcate good words into the venerable ears of our pious emperor. Let him imitate that celebrated Josiah. Let him become a new David, whether as one who casts aside the acts of Saul or of Amon—the acts of the execrable Leo—and in this way, by appeasing God from thence
and by the crown of peaceful administration rendering the strength of his empire invincible. A
LXXVI. — To Stephanos the Magister.
*He offers consolation on the death of his wife; he then exhorts him to act on behalf of the holy images before the new prince.*
I know, my lord, how to show deference to high offices, and especially to your own, which is unsurpassed. Yet your accessibility and the moderation of your mind have granted us the liberty of speech, both to write to you some time ago and to do the same now, as the time calls for it, and as we sinners have been released from the prison endured for the Lord’s sake through the demise of the persecutor, the report of which, as it spread, made both the ears of every man tingle; not because he was merely taken from our midst, but because of the manner in which it happened. Let this be the preamble of this letter. But now, before I approach the subject of my writing, I wish to signify this by the way: that it was not without inward groaning and deep affliction of heart that I received the news of the passing of your noble and ever-memorable wife, as I reflect upon the greatness of the wound your venerable soul has sustained by this separation; for she was blessed among praiseworthy women, as far as external report—of which I, the lowly one, have had a small measure, though my blessed father had a much greater one—could attain, though you, my lord, know all these B things perfectly yourself. May her memory be with the just. For thus I surmise, since beyond her other virtues she was of an upright and lofty spirit.
As to the reason for this letter, it is plain to your magnificent authority. The choir of the persecuted seeks you; the word of truth calls upon you—the former as one full of love for the poor and for monks, the latter as one who is a bold lover of it. It is not that you have not been stirred until now to contend for both; for we have heard what you have acted and said by the impulse of God; but that you may look to it also hereafter, my lord, seeing the nature of this new heresy. For were it not of such magnitude, there would not be so many who suffer, nor so many outrages and afflictions, which have reached to the ends of the inhabited world. You see also the death of the persecutor. Be comforted, you who are easily comforted. Be moved, you who are moved by God. Reach out a hand to the Church of our time, lying on the ground as much as possible; as far as you have power, speak what is good to the ear of our pious C emperor. It is the contest for Christ, for the Theotokos, for all the saints. For indeed, if anyone holding fast to the image of the emperor says or does anything, he directs the word to no one else but to the emperor. And if this cause concerned only one of the saints, the reward for you would be great. But where it is for Christ, and the business is for Christ, is it not to you a joy, a glory, and an exultation, to give yourself over entirely with great eagerness? Yes, my most desired lord, even I, wretched as I am, entreat you. And this also, because we are doing good to ourselves by caring for the common interest; for we are suffering from the same disease, and even if we are not stretched so severely, yet we are still contaminated by heretical communion. This is our humble D
A request, this our petition; and that not merely for a good word are there no contemptible rewards stored up for you; much more so for such great labor, which we have received word you undertook of your own accord. May the mighty hand of God preserve you, a man truly worthy of admiration, and the first-ranking of the senate.
LXXVII. To the holy confessors, Fathers and brothers.
B On the death of the Iconoclast emperor and on the end of the persecution, he offers congratulations.
Now is the time to cry out with David and say: *Exult in the Lord, O you just: praise becomes the upright* (Ps. xxxii, 1). *Sing to him, yes, sing psalms to him* (Ps. civ, 2); for the Lord has heard, together with all who are endowed with equal glory, your assiduous prayers. What then has come to pass? The impious one has perished; he who was striking us down has been crushed. You have conquered the son of wickedness; you have cast down the beast of wrath, the crooked mind. O most-desired ones, how powerful is your blood! This it was that halted the avenging torturer; it was this that poured out the unholy blood of the murderer. Indeed, he who is truthful promised that he would lend his ear to those crying out to him night and day, as the Sacred Scriptures say. Learn, O Christ-accuser, how powerful was the cry of those whose flesh you mangled. Know, leader of darkness, how great was your achievement against Christ; seeing that you were kicking against the goad, you have fallen headlong. Your blood, if not your innards, was poured out, C in three incisions, as one who struck against the Trinity through the insult inflicted upon the holy image of Christ. Depart with Judas, O judaizer. Go to meet your father Uralyphius, he who is named after a Horse. Drink this first, as the prophet says (Isa. ix, 1), and then what is more bitter at the last.
O the fury of that man against Christ, and O your confession! You are men bearing Christ, foster-sons of piety, ointments of immortality, living monuments to the enemy. You are the sinews of the Church, the firmament of the faith, the glory of the world under the sun. Most auspicious is your memory, which the future age will also receive. Your crown is heavenly, duly woven with the flowers of divine praise. What then remains, except that praises be given to God and thanks to the pious emperor, because he has finally put an end to prisons and sufferings? It is to be hoped that God, who granted D auspicious beginnings, will add that the conclusion may correspond to the start, and that the true faith may lift up its head joined with peace. I only beg you to remember me more earnestly in your prayers, and always take heed to yourselves. For as long as we draw this vital breath, the tempter is present. Your brother Nicholas sends greetings as usual.
LXXVIII. To Nicetas the abbot.
On the death of the persecutor, and against the Iconoclasts. It was sent to my humility, as I have learned, by your holiness...
A your letters, but they have not reached me, I know not by what chance. But now, as though I had received them, I am scratching out to you this meager little letter of mine, carrying a greeting and begging you to rejoice. Why? Because he who was beating us has been crushed, or rather broken to pieces; because the Lord has made manifest in the eyes of all that he was a denier of Him, and a despiser of His holy image. For just as a ray is not separated from the sun, so neither is an image from its prototype, save only in the difference of substance—I speak, of course, of things made by craftsmen. But nevertheless, although the truth shines so brightly, there is no one who pays attention; there is nowhere a return to sobriety. And who would not groan? Who would not weep? I do not mean for those who are struggling for the prize—let no one imagine that; for how are those divinely blessed ones to be wept over?—but for those who are blind and who persist in being bolstered by the darkness of impiety. I, indeed, wretched as I am, both think thus and lament thus. But you, O holy head, friend of my own humility, do not cease to pray that peace may reach the people of God from above and, furthermore, that we who are unworthy may be saved, following in the footsteps of you who are holy. The brother with me greets you personally. I greet the brethren who are with your holiness, and especially the holy Arsenius.
LXXIX. To Nicephorus the most holy patriarch.
B He laments that peace was not yet fully restored to his Church by the death of Leo the Armenian, but finds solace in the hope of better things.I wrote long ago, wretched as I am, not looking for a return shift of letters—for servants are not owed such things by their masters—but wishing to declare my own disposition, since love and the urgency of the occasion compelled me not unreasonably. But you, O divine and supreme summit of holy heads, not only did you deign to send an answer to the unworthy, being guided evidently by the example of God, but from the very beginning of the address you displayed to us the divine summit of your humility so clearly that you struck my wretched mind with amazement. O thing to be wondered at! If such a one, so great in dignity, and bearing in himself such brilliant virtue as the deeds themselves testify, called himself the son of a weakling, what name shall a man who is a nobody and of no account give to himself? And if the lamp of holiness signs himself a sinner, what shall the sinner and the destitute one say, and what answer shall he give? Therefore, if nothing else had been written in the letter, this alone was enough to stun the mind of the receiver and to extol the insurmountable virtue of the sender. But after we, in our humility, had read through the whole context of the sacred book, we rejoiced all the more, noting that the whole body of the discourse corresponded fittingly to its head. You know, O holy man of God, what things you have spoken under the movement of the Spirit: how you have strengthened our weak mind with the medicine of praises; how you have steeled us courageously and bravely not to be discouraged in afflictions; and whatever else divine wisdom has beautifully suggested. But blessed is God, who in such a movement and upheaval of impiety has bestowed such a champion and at the same time a pilot upon His Church, unshaken, immovable, one holding the words of life, the light of confession—
A illuminating the world. But if the winter has not yet passed, even if a small clear patch has shone through, one must not despair, O thrice-blessed one. For the Lord, who granted a brief spark of peace, can—swayed by your prayers that incline God—unfold the spring of orthodoxy in its entirety; and then, in due course, when the cloud of wrath has completely turned, the love of the pious and of those who love God will be more clearly proven. I have dared to mutter these things in the present, like a little puppy to my own truly excellent arch-pastor, having received the venerable handbook with great exultation.
LXXX. — To John the Logothete.
(On the death of Leo the Armenian, commensurate with his crimes. Baron. ann. 821, n. 24.)The time has opened the door to freedom, so that we may speak B together with good men and friends. And among these, who would hold a higher place than your piety? You who, on account of this very worship of piety, have suffered no small distress and misery from him who offended both God and destroyed the world with impiety, and violently ended a life equal to his apostasy, not in a holy place—though this is a horrible thing to say—because it is by no means a holy temple of God, which has been profaned by heretics, but a profane house, as the great Basil says, its angel having departed, just as he presides over every Church, withdrawing on account of impiety. Wherefore not even the sacrifice performed in it is acceptable to God. And hear him saying: C "The sinner who sacrifices a calf to me is as he who kills a dog" (Isa. LXVI, 3, sec. LXX). But if you should contend that the impious man died, as it were, in a temple, this may be explained quite aptly. For it was necessary, it was necessary that he who had waged war on the temples of God should see swords drawn against him in a temple; it was necessary that he who had destroyed the divine altar should be removed from the midst before the altar; that the hand which had been raised to the insult of Christ should be struck and amputated; that the head which was moved for the destruction D of others should have a sword drawn against it; that the shoulder which was raised for the torture of the pious should be inflicted with a lethal wound; that he who had insulted the holy image of Christ, of the Theotokos, and of any saint whatsoever, should be expelled with disgrace from the royal palace. But why, my lord, have I described the death of this wicked man to you in such a tragic manner? Because it is necessary from this not only for a pious emperor to recognize the outcome of the impious that is congruent with his impiety, but also for every single person to do so. And I truly marvel greatly how our good Master, knowing this, does not triumph over the impiety of the nefarious persecutor, nor grant to himself and his subjects reconciliation with the orthodox faith, like a prince of peace, after the example of Christ. Therefore I ask and humbly beseech you, who are exceptionally pious, to continue—as I have heard you have already begun of your own accord—to surrender yourself entirely to the restoration of the faith, in which lies the salvation of both the empire and its subjects.
A The virtue of others is known to us by hearsay; but that of my most honorable Lord was known first by sight, and now by fame, which has reached even to the ends of the earth where we reside. And what, moreover, is the talk concerning you? That, inspired by the Spirit, you have spoken boldly and freely the wisdom of God and the words of truth, for the benefit and salvation of your own soul and of our entire Church. And you are blessed, and your name is blessed; and may all the pious who have heard of you praise you. And a crown of graces is upon your honorable head, and a golden chain upon your sacred neck, O son of obedience, child of light, nursling of piety. Thus says the Lord: “Open your mouth, and I will fill it” (Ps. lxxx, 11); because you have hearkened to my voice. For it is a command of the Lord not to be silent at a time when the faith is in danger. “Speak,” He says, “and do not keep silent.” And, “If he draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Hebr. x, 38). And, “If these should be silent, the stones will cry out” (Luc. xix, 40). Wherefore, when the discourse is about the faith, it is not for anyone to say: Who am I? A priest? Not at all. A ruler? Not even that. A soldier? Where would I be? A farmer? Not even that either. A beggar, only seeking daily sustenance. B It is nothing that falls into my argument, nor is it of concern or care to me. Alas! The stones will cry out, and will you be silent and act the fool? A sense-devoid nature has hearkened to God, and are you destitute of sense? That which is not animate, from which no account is required in judgment, issues a voice as if terrified at the command: and you, who are to be judged before God at the time of inquiry, and who are to give an account even for an idle word, if you happen to be a beggar, do you foolishly say: What is that to me? “These things, my Lord,” says Paul, “I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sake; that in us you might learn not to think above what is written” (I Cor. iv, 6). Wherefore, even the beggar himself is devoid of any excuse on the day of judgment, unless he speaks now as one about to be judged; and for this reason only, C not to mention those who are of superior rank, up to him who is invested with the diadem, for whom the judgment will be intolerable. “For the mighty,” he says, “shall be mightily tormented” (Sap. vi, 7). And, “Judgment is most severe for those who lead” (Ibid. 6). Speak then, my Lord, speak. For this reason I, too, a wretch, fearing the judgment, speak. Send forth your voice unto the divine ears of our pious emperor, and of those who are in authority; for you are of the number of those who lead. No heresy of those which have sprung from the Church has been more grievous than this Iconomachist heresy. It has denied Christ, strikes Him in the face, and rages in both deed and word. For one part is so senseless that it denies that Christ can be circumscribed according to the form of the body, which is clearly to deny that the Word was made flesh. For if He is flesh, He is entirely circumscribable; for to be a phantom is the sentiment of the Manichæan Gospel. But the other part scrapes, breaks, destroys, and burns every sacred temple, and every sacred offering in which is Christ’s
effigies, of the Theotokos, or of any saint whatsoever. A We Christians are being destroyed. Let us hasten to the face of Christ in confession; let us embrace Christ, whom we deny through the rejection of His holy image.
LXXXII. To Democharis, Logothete General.
He praises him for having refuted the impious John according to his deserts; then he exhorts him to continue to act on behalf of the faith before the emperor.
The affability of upright men gives even a stranger the power of approaching them freely; much more is this the case for those who are already acquaintances and have experienced their kindness. B Confident in this, we humble men write this letter to your eminent and most religious magnificence, congratulating you, as is fitting, for being an excellent offspring of an excellent root; a divine work of sagacious prudence; a desirable grace of varied education; whence you are acceptable to kings and celebrated by the mouth and speech of all. On account of this, occupying one magistracy after another, you have finally and swiftly arrived at the highest. Rejoice, and with good reason. But even if it is paradoxical that your virtue should have inspired such longing in us lowly men, it is not a matter for much wonder, given that we are nobodies; however, the time suggests that even from lowly men a petition should be offered to you, namely, that you extend a hand to our Church, which has fallen, broken by an impiety of ruin. C That you have already labored for this, report has brought to us; and we sinners have prayed that you continue to exert your efforts therein. We have extolled you with the highest praises and a sincere affection of the heart, because you refuted John, the chief of impiety, with a just reproach, casting in his teeth what it was fitting for that wicked man to hear—things which were, I think, well known both to us and to many others. Since there is nothing hidden that shall not be known, as the Scriptures say. And furthermore, because the leaders of impiety are most justly proven guilty of such deeds. D Do not therefore, my lord, desist from that noble struggle of yours, but contribute a help equal to your great preeminence, inasmuch as you were called by God to this in these straits of time and affairs. For thus you will win greater glory, both before God, to whom this matter is most acceptable, and before the emperor, who has now raised the standard of religion, and before all who proclaim the right word of truth; and furthermore, you will yourself construct an amulet against the stain that arises from heretical communion.
LXXXIII. To my holy Fathers and confessors of Christ, John, Michael, and Basil.
He announces that he is released from prison and exile, and congratulates them on having suffered much for Christ.
And now I thought it right to write to my Fathers, and to write to them simultaneously as to participants in the same virtue, mind, and martyrdom for Christ. For since it pleased our good God that we sinners should be released from prison through the intervention of the good emperor, I offer to you this letter as a sort of gift, rejoicing and congratulating you...
A on your paternity, and on your victory, so to speak, in Christ. For you have indeed overcome the wicked one, O venerable ones, both within through the struggle of your thoughts, and without through your godly endurance, not having bent the knee to the dragon who serves him. For Leo, that most wicked attendant of his, was the artisan of that [dragon’s] work, he who was the insulter of Christ's image and the murderer of the saints. Both of them, having agreed with each other and having entered into a pact, sought to remove the name of Christ by the removal of his divine and adorable character. Since the time of the second divine appearance had not yet arrived, so that Christ might be openly denied. But blessed be God, who both destroyed the persecutor with a death that is notorious and worthy of his apostasy—for it was necessary that he who cut the Lord’s body should himself have his life cut off by the sword—and also showed you to be victors and gained glory for His Church, B as trainers in virtue, bulwarks of faith, foundations of truth, models of constancy, truly teachers, truly monks, images of those blessed and saints of old; who, having become manly in similar contests, were adorned with the unfading crown of righteousness, dancing eternally. Such are you, and your praise exceeds the capacity of my lowly tongue, which sings only as much as is sufficient to satisfy the time, to heal the longing, and to rekindle the spirit toward unceasing prayer to the One who is invoked as God, that He may fully reveal to us the good of peace. For you see, O venerable ones, how matters still fluctuate. But God is powerful to join a prosperous end to happy beginnings. I beg you to pray for my humility, O ever-venerable ones. C
LXXXIV. — To Theodore the Monk. On the holy image. He interprets the saying of Basil.
I was the author of your piety, that you should desist from praises of me and instead pour forth prayers, lest I be further turned away from God; but you, moved by I know not what reason, have broken forth into much more abundant praises. Cease entirely from acting so, Father. Or do you not know that I, wretched man, am more sinful than all other men? And I know not by what mercy of God I have always continued under His protection and guardianship. Therefore I fear that, when He visits during the completed marriage of confession, He may see me not wearing a wedding garment—that is, purity—and may say to the ministering angels: "Bind his hands and feet, D and cast him into the outer darkness," since he has intruded himself unworthily among my confessors. Therefore, knowing these things, weep for me all the more, Father, and pray that this may not happen to me. But let these things be said thus far. Regarding the particles *dia* (through) and *ana* (up) used by Basil the Great—manifestly in the usage of the texts concerning the image—it does not seem to me that these were spoken by the saint in this or that way, but [are] from a transcription.
A For the mistake of the scribe, however, it leads the mind to the same point. For example, the honor of the image ascends to the prototype; and this is true both in the natural image and in that which is made by art: the ascent signifying nothing else than that there is the same honor in things made by art, apart from the difference of substance, but in natural things, according to the similar substance of both. Verily, the Truth itself has said: "He who rejects you, rejects me; and he who rejects me, rejects him who sent me." The Son is truly the natural image of God and the Father; but we are images of the Son, as also of the Father, made by art—that is to say, fashioned—for God should rightly be called the Maker and Artificer of all things.
Saint Basil understood the "made by art" in images which are in painted tablets, and it is to be understood the same for us who have been created according to the image of God, and that the image which we ourselves have fashioned on a tablet is [to be understood] according to the one made by art. Moreover, our likeness is one and the same with us in similarity (just as the effigy of Christ is with Him) more truly than our likeness is with God; since God and men are separated by an infinite interval. For He is uncreated, incomprehensible, uncircumscribed, and all that is of the same category; but men are created things, body, circumscription, and whatever is of the same order. Man and the image of man are both created, although there is a difference in substance for each created thing. And I truly rejoice over the question proposed by you. For it has become clear to us from the divine oracle itself that, the image of Him being rejected, He Himself is rejected; but by Christ Himself being rejected, the Father who sent Him is rejected; and the Iconoclasts are found to be not only deniers of Christ, but even triple-deniers. Now, what concerns the word B *diabainein* (to pass) comes to the same thing, the transition and the ascent. The Lord said: "I ascend to my Father." And Moses: "I will pass over and see." The movement of both is similar, and neither represents the one or the other by a circular or tortuous figure; but whatever difference there is, is as to position, not as to relationship. For they say there are seven movements. But the ascent, that I may represent it by a figure, is thus: —; and the transition in this way: — —. Therefore, the reasoning for both, as has been said, is equal. For a line, in the philosophical manner, is an example. Whatever relationship, therefore, the top has to the bottom, the same also the right side has to the left. Wherefore, to ascend and to transition come to the same thing. And if indeed our discourse has hit the mark, let there be thanks to God and the Word; but if not, teach me, unlearned as I am, O excellent man.
LXXXV. — To Athanasius the son.
How, you ask, is the image of Christ not worshipped via *latreia*, but it is Christ who is worshipped in it, since there is one worship for both? Because the *latreia*-worship is directed to Christ Himself (for I adore Him Himself, and at the same time I adore the Father and the Holy Spirit together).
But in the case of the image, the worship is indeed the same (how could it not be? For those whose authority and glory is one, of them, clearly, the reverence is one, and the worship is one), yet it is relative, or homonymous. For in adoring it, I have not co-adored Christ, but I have adored Him not divided according to hypostasis, but distinguished according to the principle of essence. Which is relative, but not *latreia*-worship; and although it is the same, in that case it is understood and spoken of as such, insofar as it is Triadic or natural; here, however, the reverse is the case, insofar as it is relative or hypostatic. For if you call it *latreia*-worship, you imply that the Son, and the Father, and the Spirit have been made flesh, which is absurd. Therefore, when I adore the image of Christ, I do not adore the divinity, as some say—for that signifies the Trinity, and the Trinity has not been made flesh—far from it! What then? I adore Christ Himself relatively. For He alone is the God-Word made flesh. But when I adore Christ Himself, I clearly co-adore the Father and the Spirit along with Him. Thus, in the case of the image, it is [relative worship], if it is to be so understood and called; but in the case of Christ Himself, it is *latreia*-worship, as the Father and the Spirit are thought of and co-adored along with Him.
Epistle LXXXVI.—Epistle from the Person of All the Superiors to Emperor Michael
Those liberated from chains and exile offer thanks. They pray that it may be permitted to speak to him. But that it is not permitted to converse with heretics.
CWe who have gathered together by the command of your God-fearing imperial majesty, the least of the bishops and superiors, utter this first voice under your divinely constituted rule, a voice of thanksgiving and praise: because we who had been cast out have been recalled; because we who were crushed by afflictions have experienced mercy; because we who were failing have been refreshed; because we have seen strange and paradoxical things—from winter to spring, from storm to calm, from despondency to joy. For your righteous empire is thus: joyful, cheerful, highly desirable, peaceful, lover of justice, and worthy of many other titles; as it is an imitation of Christ, our true God, binding together what was divided, healing what was ailing, making joyful what was sorrowful; being an exceptional empire, and equal to those of old that were called blessed, which a human tongue could not easily exalt with praises. But since these things are so, we the unworthy beseech and implore that we may be deemed worthy of your own sacred sight, and to hear the most sweet voice of your most precious and God-wise mouth, so that what we hear with our ears, we may behold with our eyes and leap for joy in our spirit, as if changing our mournful garb for the exultation of gladness. And since the second matter concerns our sincere and blameless faith as Christians, we venture to bring this forward with reverence, as if the matter being spoken of were human, and subject to the authority either of our holiest patriarch or of us unworthy ones—not only the trivial, but indeed the whole matter should Dbe set aside, as the commandment dictates.
A For if all things are of God and unto God, neither this man nor that man—nay, not even Peter and Paul, nor even if one of the angels were to be, would dare to alter in the slightest degree anything at all, as this would mean the overturning of the entire Gospel. B Furthermore, to engage in argumentative discourse with the heterodox, contrary to the apostolic command, is improper, except perhaps for the sake of setting them right. For this reason, we, the unworthy servants of your pious empire, do not even dare so much as to murmur. But if there is anything of such a sort that your divine majesty doubts or distrusts whether it can be piously resolved by the patriarch, let that great hand of his, confirmed by God—emulating the divine as it does for the common good—order that a declaration be received from the elder Rome, just as it was transmitted from of old and from the beginning by paternal tradition. For this, O Christ-imitating Emperor, is the supreme Church of God in which Peter first held the throne, to whom the Lord said: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." C This is the petition of your unworthy servants; this, with God, is the plea of those who are humbled. May the mighty hand of God protect you, desirable to the world and pious Emperor of the Christians, maintaining you for many years, and may you pass on the empire to children’s children with prosperous success and victories over enemies and foes. So be it, so be it!
LXXXVII.—To the Bishops in exile for the Lord’s sake.
D Having recently heard of your blessed state, most longed-for Fathers, I rejoiced greatly and gave praise to our good God. That I was not deemed worthy to see you and to enjoy the gifts that are in you, I bore with great distress. For I was going to see men of God, bishops of the Lord, blessed men, luminaries of the world, foundations of the faith, and—if there is any other honorable thing—possessing both the reality and the name of it. O the loss! O the calamity! Yet our many sins were the cause of what has befallen us. And we do not wonder at the misfortune, but we offer up supplication. What is it, then? That you might compensate for what was lacking via letters, instructing, enlightening, confirming, and demonstrating whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is suitable for the defense and contest of the faith. If there is any virtue, and if there is any praise of confession, write of these things—and how Christ expressed in an image is to be worshipped, whether homonymously or synonymously, since the one is of orthodoxy and the other of heterodoxy; and how the worship is to be understood regarding both Christ and His image: is it one worship or two? Since one is ours, and the other is—
A that of the Iconoclasts? For of whom there is one and the same hypostatic likeness, of them there is one and the same adoration: except that the substance of the image is in no way adored. This is our slight, cautionary address, not prepared for the purpose of teaching; but yours is so much the more perfect in proportion to the eminence of the dignity of the unction, in which, most holy ones, perform the present course manfully, as those about to receive the crown of righteousness.
LXXXVIII. — To Ammon the son.
(He encourages an apostate monk, who is also entangled in marriage, to repentance.)Hei mihi! B Straight from the very beginning of this letter I send forth a sigh from the depths of my heart, and I mingle tears with the ink, on account of the things I have heard about you, brother. For they say that you have cast off the holy habit of a monk, and are living among the laity, and have taken yourself a wife. O sorrowful report! O my deep calamity! For your sin, my son, is mine, according to the manner of paternal compassion. Where is the light of the mind? Where the wings of hope? Where the love for God? Where the shield of faith? Where the keen discernment of the reason? C Where the flight from the world starting from that point? Where the abandonment of all things on earth? Where the administration of the monastery? Where the soul’s compunction at your admission? Where the fundamental principles of the monastic life? Where the enlightening confession? Where the good tears? Where the reverent habit, witnessed by the fulness of the brotherhood? Where the confession on the holy altar? Where the promises made to God and the angels? Where the brilliant splendor of the habit? Where the spiritually understood marriage? D Where the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for you? Where the joy of the brothers according to the Gospel precept? Where the most holy embrace of all? Where the approach to the divine altar? Where the divine participation in the body and blood of Christ? Where the whole bright and angel-joyous ceremony? Where the shining lamp? Where the true vine? Where the fruit-bearing plantation of the Spirit? Where my son, miserable me, he who was making greater progress in virtue day by day, and was seen to be most useful to the brotherhood, the child of God, the dancer in the light, the citizen of the kingdom of heaven, the chosen vessel? How was he turned backward? How did the beloved kick against the goad? How is he obscured by darkness who was full of light? How did he lay down the weapons of chastity? How did he become the prey of the devil, captured by him for his own will, and having abandoned the fair Bridegroom, the Lord of glory, who is the sovereign of all? Who would not groan from the depths? Who would not show compassion to one who has been deceived? O heaven, stand aghast at this; O earth, cry out at the evil. What has been done, brother? Did you not even feel shame for those who saw you? Do you not blush before the very air itself? Could you not bear the stench of this most accursed sin? Have you a mind? Do you even live? Do you behold the sun? Do you see the moon? Do you look upon the stars? It cannot be said, it absolutely cannot be said, how great this wickedness is, how great the darkness, how great the madness. And would that it had only progressed as far as this. But for a judgment, brother, that is implacable—
B, fire eternal, darkness outer and unillumined, gnashing of teeth, and all the other torments in which there is accountability, and this endless for ages. And I do not yet mention the deprivation of the good things which you have procured for yourself. What are these? To be with God, joy ineffable, life incorruptible, gladness eternal, the delights of paradise, the splendor of the holy Trinity, and every other happiness that is named or conceived. Come, therefore, come, my child, awake, be recalled, be renewed, cast off the bonds of sin entwined upon you by the enemy; be severed from Eve; draw near to Jesus, who is most forgetful of wrongs and most merciful. Opposite, he cries out: "Come to me all you who labor and are burdened" with sins. He goes out to meet you, he rushes into an embrace, he leads you into his home, he does not upbraid you for the past, he keeps a feast again, he saves the prodigal. Truly, I beseech you, my child, listen, be inflamed, wound the one who wounded you. Come, therefore, come quickly to us sinners. I lay down my soul for you; I am the surety for your salvation; I will heal you with gentle medicines; I, miserable as I am, will embrace you with God’s love more than I did before. Only fly hither, only do not persist any longer; but as for Eve, leave her to have her own amusements. But if she obeys the divine C voice, introduce her into a convent; and you will offer yourself to God and to us. I testify therefore before God and the elect angels, that hearing these things you may change yourself, hastening to us before the end arrives, before the inexorable answer shuts the doors against you.
LXXXIX. — To Theophilus the Hegumen
He rebukes him because he had communicated with the iconoclasts during the time of persecution. He urges him to wash away his fault through penance.Not a few things have been reported to me regarding your reverence, by which I was affected with no small sorrow; yet your venerable letter has dispelled these. For the Lord—I dare to say—has accepted your repentance and your satisfaction for returning to the monastery, even if at the time it was not just, when Christ was being persecuted. But now that the persecution has ceased, why do you contemplate flight, and not rather a struggle? "From me," he says, "you shall see, and so do." This is what you ought to have said to the disciples when they were pressed to return home: not to obey, and to become an example of giving in; and this indeed was after your fall. Do you not know that, Christ having been denied, you had communion with those who were led away by an impious error? Furthermore, after you underwent penance through withdrawal (for this was the head and front of repentance, without which there would be no pardon for the offense), why did you turn back again to your vice? Forgive me, Father; since you have surrendered yourself to my humility, I am compelled to speak what is fitting for you as if from the mouth of the Lord. Why did you not admonish all to endure the affliction with you? Or, if they were unwilling, why did you not dismiss them as haters of Christ, as lovers of the flesh, as disobedient, and not as sons? Why did you not make the disaster even less, and sub-
- A stitute a good example for the Church of Christ, rather than the ruin previously introduced?
Thus acted our most God-beloved brother and abbot of the Studios; thus our most holy Father of Laodicea; and others as well. It must be one of two things: if they are righteous, you are lawless, and whoever has done the same as you. But there are some, as I learn, of that sycophantic faction (whose names I shall willingly postpone mentioning), who say that one should not even repent for this act, nor even seek forgiveness, and they add that you have acted well; from which, they say, both brothers have been saved and churches left unharmed. B O the hardness of heart! O the battle against God! Christ has been rejected, with his holy image being set at naught; the Theotokos has been dishonored, with the saints being set at naught; by means of whom even archbishops were pursued, and bishops were confined, and abbots were subjected to the same suffering, monks and nuns, laymen and laywomen—some were beaten, others were imprisoned; some suffered famine, others were scraped; some were cast into the sea, others were put to death; others were hidden away, others were fugitives. The deserts and caves are full; the mountains and glens are full; flesh was torn, blood flowed, the world under our heavens, so to speak, was groaning, and lamenting, and you, O thrice-miserable one, caught in soul-destroying communion, and remaining in the destructive place—for you do not even say it is a monastery—and you mock like the Jews the Christ-bearers, or rather Christ himself, for whose sake they suffer. And what is the semblance? That by defiling your own self you have spared the temple of God? Whom did you protect as brothers? You have corrupted them with your destructive communion, even if only in food; an offense to the world, an example of denial, an incitement to perdition, flesh and not spirit, darkness and not light. These things the truth itself cries out against those who act so impiously, whom, unless they repent, one must consider not as Christians. C
You have heard the sentence, Father; you have sinned by turning back and setting at naught your promise. Nevertheless, the good God will forgive you. Only remain now in the monastery, until things might otherwise change, being mindful to confess your sin to every person, so that God may be appeased and lead you back to your former light, when the lamp of your manner of life shone, when you were respected even by emperors, when not even the least thing overlooked was considered contemptible by you. And as regards what follows, as the Lord will order the affairs of the Church, so shall we also speak, and so shall we die together with you through love, in love. Pray for us sinners, and do not think that we have written out of arrogance, for we know ourselves to be an abomination among holy men, but rather for the sake of the truth and your salvation. If you have benefited from others, let the one who has suffered confess the grace to God. D
Triste miserabilis vitæ commodum! Paulisper in variis fortunis vixi; omnia secunda adversaque vidi; ad gloriam, inferni faucibus ereptus, elevatus sum; atque rex et dominus, eheu! sum appellatus. Nunc in angusto lapide jaceo, inanimis, absque spiritu, in cinerem solutus. Illa vero somnium erant et nihil amplius. Sed, o tu, qui metuis intemeratis manibus plasmasti, rursum plasma me solutum, et da manum adjutricem mihi jacenti, iterum, mi plasmator, tuum lumen ostende.
XC (*). — To my beloved spiritual children and brothers, Laurentius, Simeon, Dionysius, Poemen, Litoius, and the rest who are dispersed here and there, Theodore, a sinful monk, sends greetings in the Lord.
That they are delivered from persecution, and may give thanks to God, nor relax in any way from the pursuit of virtue.
A It is always possible for those who live according to God to rejoice, even if they fall into sadness and things contrary to joy; because the one work of true joy is hope in God, and to live and move for Him and because of Him, and to do anything whatsoever for His sake. That you are so disposed, the events themselves bear witness. For what other reason was your dispersal, labor, and agitation, if not for our good God Himself? Even if now, by His providence, the persecution has ceased through the declaration of the most excellent Emperor, and a door of freedom has been opened to those who were persecuted, enjoying a moderate abatement and peace throughout every city and region—for which we owe it, Fathers, to bring thanks to the Lord, and prayers both for more abundant peace and for the confirmation of our Emperors chosen by God. This, then, is our first word. B The next is that neither we nor you should take this relaxation and release as a reason for slackening in virtue; but wherever each of us may be, let us hold the same opinion, let us walk by the same rule, giving no offense in anything, that the ministry may not be blamed, but in all things showing ourselves as ministers of God, in patience, in tribulations, in distresses, and in other things to which the life of current days is subject. For so we shall confirm the things already accomplished as stable, and we shall make those which now press upon us easier, and we shall meet the future in a manner becoming our piety.
We are here, dwelling before the city, with the Emperor's knowledge: we see and are in turn seen by the brothers and our Fathers who come to visit; and freedom has been established by the pious Emperor. C As for the future, as the Lord shall direct and the Emperor shall command—whether to remain here or to depart elsewhere—so shall we conduct our journey. Only do you persist, intent upon your work, and pray assiduously for our humility, so that we may be without offense to both these and those, and to the Church of God. It pleased the All-Good God that the brothers who had been rashly torn from us in various ways should be reunited D to us through a suitable word. And we, unworthy as we are, rejoiced with a great joy, because we saw with our own eyes things we did not hope for; and the divided members have been scarred over, and we celebrate a feast to the Lord in the meeting of each one; and we confess to the Lord and give thanks to the rulers, because if nothing else, this is to our heart a great benefit; and further, because these things would by no means have fallen out so aptly for us, had we not been released from prison in this way, and had we not settled in such a place. All things have turned out well for us, and will turn out well, I know, for the saints.
A Since mention has been made of the recall, our beloved son Clemens, the most devout hegoumenos, has been recalled and has joined us, along with the others, and even more than the others, acting as our messenger; he has gladly accepted the things that needed to be said to him, and has provided a proper apology regarding all matters. For this we were pleased and greeted him gladly, hoping that even through him we sinners might have a source of pride, which is itself salvation. And you, I beg you, receive the brother as brothers, as members [receive] members, the like-minded as the like-minded. For in this way you will find that he, by the grace of Christ, is in all things doing well and seeking God.
XCI. — To the Hegoumeni of Nicaea.
B Gratulating her on her constancy during the time of persecution.The good reports regarding your worthiness moved us even before this to write to you. And now, relying upon those same praises, we write and address your reverence, accepting and blessing you, because you chose, for the sake of the Lord, to undergo tribulations and distress, the persecution of the monastery, and the exile of displacement, and whatever else is calamitous and serves as a token of confession. These things are full of praise and laudation; these are the prizes and contests of the Bride of Christ, and what is even more worthy of admiration, the holiness of the sisters under your charge: for there are also those among them who, on account of your confession, were stripped of their goods, and were of a brave spirit, and received stripes, and were cast into exile, and glorified God in their body and in their spirit. O the contests! C Oh, the beautiful discipline! Such as the ruler is, such also is the subject; such as the teacher is, such are the students. For you, this word is fitting: "Here am I and the children whom God has given me" (Heb. ii, 13), who fought well, who are manly, who are lovers of Christ rather than lovers of the flesh, counting all things as dung that they might gain Christ (Phil. iii, 8), having offered all their members to Christ, that they might please their Lover. You have been numbered with the confessors, you have been crowned with the martyrs, as far as the past is concerned. But since, O mother, no one is crowned unless they have contested lawfully (II Tim. ii, 5), and lawful it is to excel in both faith and life until the end, I beg and remind you: walk worthily of the calling with which we have been called, D with all humility and gentleness (Eph. iv, 1); with security for the future, so that you are neither caught by the yet-raging, Christ-denying heresy, nor allow yourselves to be swerved from the proper monastic life as is ordained, but do everything for the glory of God; that we may shine in all ways through the keeping of the commandments, which I believe you are doing to the praise of the glory of Christ, for an eternal boast—and would that it were granted to include us who are sinners. For even if we are all of one Father, we are all brothers by adoption; and we do not consider the zealous striving of all to be a matter of boasting for one another.
Pray for us. Our greeting is in the Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. I have heard that you are practicing prolonged abstinence, and I was pleased; but since moderation is best in all things, I offer this reminder: maintain moderation even in this, so that the body may be brought into subjection and not become incapacitated for the fulfillment of the commandments.
Epistle XCII – To the Bishops exiled for Christ's sake in Cherson
BThe work of true charity and the proof of unfeigned faith is the fact that, from such a great local distance, your paternal holiness has sent one of your fellow-exiled brethren, the most reverend—or rather, most blessed, according to that which was spoken by the Lord concerning those who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake—monk Agapetus: to visit, first indeed [our] divine and supreme head; and then us also, the least among [his] brethren and spiritual sons. O excellent counsel! O sincere affection! And whose [affection] could it be, if not of those who for Christ's sake have chosen to be separated from their own, and to have fled to a foreign land, separated by such a length of sea, and to endure there all that the condition of such an exile entails? This is the clearest proof of your charity. Blessed, therefore, is the Lord God, who has so moved you toward our insignificance, and has given strength and grace to [your] delegate to make known to us all things you have accomplished, and which you still endure, O most blessed Fathers, for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having heard these things, we rejoiced, we gave praise, we offered thanks, and we said: Truly, God is among you, being well-pleased and served by the confession on behalf of the truth.
I, however, believe that your exile was ordained by the providence that preserves all things, not only for the sake of your own safety, but also for the salvation of the inhabitants [of those regions]. For, having arrived there, you immediately showed yourselves as luminaries to those wandering in the darkness and error of life, as guides of the blind, teachers of virtue, heralds of piety, and messengers of all the terrible outrages committed here against Christ. Thus, both there and everywhere on land and sea, the Lord has kindled [his] confessors for the manifestation of the truth and the overthrow of impiety, just as in ages past. And His name was magnified, and the elect people of Christ were proven, and the Christ-hating assembly was rejected; and finally, the great dragon, the Assyrian mind, received an end of life worthy of the rashness which he exercised against God. D As to how matters stand here now, it would be superfluous to speak, since the bearer of this letter is, by the grace of Christ, sufficient to teach everything accurately. To him we have entrusted, along with the letter, a certain distribution, which we ask you to deign to receive, bestowing upon us your precious prayers for the strengthening of our soul.
XCIII. — To the Superioress of the Gordinensian Monastery.
A He praises the alumni of that monastery for their constant zeal for the faith and true piety.Our beloved brother Antonius solicited this letter from us, suggesting that I had long ago promised to do so. And for this reason, therefore, and on account of the sisters sent by you, behold, I address you and greet you as mothers, as sisters in the Lord, mindful of your danger and toil, in enduring which you have signified the exceeding charity of His name, having turned away from communion with the heretics and keeping yourselves unscathed from the world. See to it, therefore, for the future as well, holy women; since it is imminent...
XCIV. — To Eudocon the Virgin.
B He gives thanks for the services rendered to him in prison....when we were detained in prison there, I and my brother Nicolaus, and when we were placed before the opening of the cell, the guards, because of the interdict of the impious, would not allow anyone to come closer: then you (to pass over previous things, however memorable) trusting in God, were sending help, in a certain way nourishing, feeding, giving drink, consoling, and exhorting, casting yourself into open danger of death—which, indeed, had not the hand of God forestalled and snatched you away, you would have truly suffered. You know the accusations of neighbors, the exactions of the magistrates; because you accepted gifts from the condemned; because you lent an ear to mandates, this and that. And yet, oh, the magnitude of your faith! Not even then did you desist in any way, though they were stirred up. But as if nothing new had happened, you persisted again in the ministry, winning over the guards with gifts, and, as the saying goes, serving God through us sinners, from whom comes both the release from dangers and salvation beyond hope. In what respect do these things fall short of those of Priscilla and Phoebe, or their equals in the ministry, on account of which they are celebrated by the divine Apostle? In no way, in my opinion, except that it was toward the unworthy; but this is all the more praiseworthy. For in their case, the greatness of the person might have moved even unfeeling stones to kindness; here, on the contrary, the baseness of those who were being served was enough to make even those possessed of C feeling minds languish. Since, therefore, these things were so, and you nevertheless were seen to act otherwise, see what praise you deserve. We have received, therefore, noble virgin, your mercy, and we justly praise you, embracing at the same time and praising your other ornaments: temperance, dishevelled hair, neglected clothing, beneficence toward others, the love of chastity, and that you have never been reproached for it by any mortal. O your illustrious actions! O head dear to God and elderly! You have blossomed in the midst of thorns, like a rose: you have given forth an odor in the midst of a wicked and perverse nation, like a straight lily. What remains? That you may remain safe even for the future without offense, keeping also all the other commandments of the Lord: that you may neither swear by the name of the Lord at all, nor despise any other of the commandments. But I say this, not as if I thought you guilty of a fault
but as one having the desire for you to be complete in all things, and from that to attain the goods that are in the promises. Brother Nicholas greets you; and I, too, the Lord, and your nephew.
XCV. — To Basil the Abbot.
He writes to one who grieves for having consented to the Iconoclasts, and who is repenting; he prescribes a penance.
In what your reverence has written, brother, you signified that you are acquiescing in undergoing the penances, and are being carried further toward better things: just as the letter-bearer has informed us, but also before him, our most reverend brother Peter, who is also beloved by you; B for which I, humble as I am, rejoiced and gave thanks. For it is no small or contemptible thing that we have suffered, my friend, by having participated in the denial of the image of Christ; but it is something exceedingly strange and clearly alien to the faith, because the denial of the image ascends to the prototype; and in this denial of Christ, all who have participated in any way whatsoever, have participated. But since you have confessed again, and said that you let the images be taken away for fear of the persecutor, that transgression is more grievous; and that you said you also signed, that is iniquity and denial in its entirety. What, then, is to be done, seeing that you seek the remedy of salvation, yet say that you cannot bear that small remainder which is to be added to the penalty, pleading your health, and preferring to undergo this or that instead? I am brought into great straits on either side: on the one hand by the love of a brother, so as not to desert you; on the other, by the gravity of the sin, so as not to diminish the medicine. Yet, being driven rather by charity, I define these things with fear and trembling. For one more year, brother, abstain from the holy mysteries on account of your double fault, I mean the destruction of the holy images and the impious subscription. For it is a subscription, even if you were only led to trace the sign of the cross. Meanwhile, you will perform the same prayers and genuflections, provided there is no sickness. And since the penance is very small, contribute in return sufficient alms as an equivalent compensation. As to how much this should be, it will declare...
XCVI. — To Nicetas the Curator.
...fittingly: and thus it is necessary to say, "God was not manifested in the flesh"—what could be more Jewish than this? Let these things suffice for the brevity of a letter. But if God should grant that we see one another at last, then such dogmas of truth regarding the painting and adoration of the holy images will be spoken to you, such as your honorable ears could scarce contain.
XCVII. — To Basil the spiritual son.
He exhorts him especially to the care of the brethren.
We were hoping, with Lord Gregory, to see you also there...
beloved son; but since that has not happened, we mitigate our longing with letters, that you may understand that you are ever borne by us in our humble heart; for we desire your salvation and that of the brethren and sons who are with you. For the glory and praise of a father is the son, and the cause of pious exultation is the grave and composed life of the sons. I beseech you, therefore, in the Lord, that you take thought not only for your own stability, but also bear concern for the brethren: that you may be loved by them and love them in turn, that you may be loved and may love. For where there is spiritual charity, there Christ is in the midst, as He promised. As a good instructor, lead the sheep of Christ, dealing with them with compassion and sparing them as your own members; you know who you are, being void of perverse affection, with notable ease and kindness, exact discipline of manners, and observance of the commandments of God. Let the soul of all be one, so that all things may be common; let there be manifestation of soul, since everything that is in the open is light, and vice versa. Let there be obedience, for if this exists, the thief finds no place of deception; let there be humility, which God embraced when He became man, so that He might thereby make men gods. O excellent Basil, guard the deposit, rejecting evil things, embracing divine things; as a pattern of good works proposed to the whole brotherhood. For so he who rejects you, rejects God; and he who obeys you, obeys God. Be mindful, together with the brethren, of my humility.
B XCVIII. — To the beloved brethren Gregory, Ezekiel, Erastus, Theophanes, Anina, and the rest in Greece.
Precepts of the monastic life, especially concerning poverty.
A time to speak, and a time to keep silence. Since, therefore, the latter part of the sentence held sway in the preceding days, I shall say now what the present condition requires. Therefore, having with difficulty and just now departed from the city by the grace of God, we address you, fathers and brethren. We address you with the words of the Apostle: Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice; not with the joy of this world; nor indeed is it joy, but heavy affliction, when a subordinate lives wickedly. But rejoice according to the Spirit of holiness, because you have been redeemed from the captivity of the enemy, from vain conversation, from flesh and blood, serving the living and true God; from which came both that former happiness in persecution, and this exile which you now endure, dispersed here and there, until the Lord shall look upon us, granting peace to His Church, and reconciling us into one. Regarding the present state of things, I pray you, brethren, to walk worthily of the vocation wherewith you were called, with all diligence and attention, with all humility and C obedience towards one another; the one presiding holding the place of authority, not for diabolical elation of mind, but as a pattern of virtue to those who follow, and to those who obey and yield, as to me the unworthy, or rather to Christ, for whom even the whole of life D
and the daily voluntary death, O children, is a great mystery of salvation. A See how you comport yourselves; not as given to passions, but as dispassionate; not as lovers of the flesh, but as lovers of God. Cast not your eyes upon the faces of women, and be not overly familiar even with one another. For license is a fire that consumes the soul. Always meditate on death, so as to be prepared and eager for your departure from life. Keep the traditions; perform what is ordained, whether it pertains to psalmody, or prayer, or anything else. Do not store up gold for yourselves to bestow upon kinsmen and friends when you are gathered together, for the monastery has care of our affairs. This is not the way of the children of God, but of those who mind the things of the flesh. How then? Let it be contributed to the common use, and whatever may be acquired, let it be distributed to the brotherhood, so that the substance of the coenobium may be constituted from the contributions of many. I have said these things because the report has reached us that some are already making such designations from here. "This animal," they say, "and this garment, or whatever else it may be, I wish to bequeath to such a person." O the misery! O the folly! Is then such a one neither a son, nor a brother? Nay, he is a stranger, indeed he is a sacrilegious person, whose portion is with Giezi the thief.
XCIX. To Abraham the Hospitaller. He exhorts him to gentleness toward his subordinates.
B C ...is obscured by fear of what is done. For there is nothing greater than the fear of God, and nothing more necessary for the salvation of the soul. "For what will it profit a man," he says, "if he gains the whole world, and suffers the loss of his own soul?" And in adverse states of bodily health, a physician must be sought; and in a storm, a pilot. Do you not see that there is a great storm and a divinely sent plague? Heal, master, govern, that you may save yourself, and heal those who are at fault, and steer them back to stability, holding back threats, as you yourself are in a body and subject to falling. For thus you will also have God merciful. And when God protects, who can cause harm? Remember, my master, that you also are flesh and liable to fall; and as you fear a fall, forgive those who have fallen. For with the same measure with which we measure, it shall be measured back to us. Remember, excellent brother, that we are today, and we do not know what the coming day will bring forth; so that we may not be found shamed and cursed, both in the present age and in the future. Remember that dreadful and inexorable judgment, by which the unmerciful will be sent into unquenchable fire. D Remember that those who have been treated by us either with benefit or with harm will be set before our eyes. What good will it be then to have had an illustrious reputation throughout this life? Do not, I implore you, let us slay ourselves with our own sword. I say these things out of great love for you, and being especially anxious for you, master, that I may bring my words to an end. May I hear henceforth joyful tidings of the kindness and gentleness of my master in his manner of instructing; that I may sing, that I may know how much more my friend[1353/4A] will comply. For even those here in our neighborhood are fearful and trembling at what they hear, although they have not committed any fault. A tyrant is coming; he carries a sword; the poor man will not endure the threat; he will not fight back; he accepts it, even if he would not wish to, and is blameless in this. For not even I, if I were caught in such a way, could act otherwise. But if the fault lies with him, it is well; and even so, let it be with compassion, in the eyes of the Lord; from which the subject will be more firmly established, serving with good will the victorious emperors.
[1353/4B]
C. — To Hypatus, my son.
(He praises Jacob the monk, an excellent confessor of Christ, who has passed away.) Neither have we humble ones received, my son, without sorrow the holy falling asleep of Jacob, confessor of Christ and our most dear brother; but yet, neither without joy. The first, because of spiritual affection—for what was he if not a son, and such a son, that I, for my sins, was not even worthy to be called his father? But the second, by reason of hope, or rather of the benefit, and not ours alone, to whose holy body he was about to become a member, [1353/4C] but indeed that of the whole Church of God. For what do you think of the man? Is he not a confessor? Is he not a martyr? Is he not a saint? From his youth he lived ascetically, being lawfully subject, fighting manfully against the movements of the soul, keeping his body undefiled through the endurance of abstinence and servitude; eating and sleeping just as it happened, while he was still healthy, as a stranger toward those who saw him, for the most part retreating, both into himself and recollecting himself, and from thence rising up toward heavenly love. And let no one think that these words are feigned by me for the sake of amusement [1353/4D] for those who hear them; God is witness, and his holy instructor Lucianus, though he can be brought forward with difficulty, from whom came the explanation of those things I did not know. And these things are as a rough sketch of his ascetic life.What a great and magnificent spectacle his confession was, both to angels and to men! O generous and God-beloved heart! He entered the stadium like a soldier of Christ, unafraid, unmoving; here and there the ministers of darkness tore his back, chest, and arms with blows; they drew blood, they cut his flesh, they left the holy one lying upon the ground, not uttering a single evil word at all, but fulfilling a martyrdom acceptable to God, and this for the sake of Christ, the Son of God and our God. For to contend for His holy icon is, for His own sake, to suffer martyrdom. *Let the meek hear and be glad* (Ps. XXXIII, 2); let the lovers of martyrs exult and leap for joy; let the devil be confounded; let the troop of Iconoclasts perish; from the works of both, according to the divine command (Matt. VII, 20), recognize both. For they have not only this man, but also many of our own, and not our own, but yet our own; for all are one body
A in Christ Jesus, who is the head of all. Likewise they tortured, stretched, strangled, and whatever else followed these. But he, being paralyzed from those most grievous blows, and dislocated, and subjecting his body to the most bitter pains of surgical treatment, and broken from that time until the end, dragged out his life as if dying daily, and indeed with thanksgiving, and even with humility. B But if, as you write, he also predicted his own passing, this itself was a consequence of his struggles. Furthermore, since you added that there was a very great turnout for the funeral, including illustrious persons of both kinds, this also contributes to the testimony of what I say. For it would not have been that such a turnout occurred for a man obscure according to the flesh, except by the divine will. He, therefore, has departed to heaven and has been added to his fellow soldiers; and the chorus of the confessors and martyrs of old has been increased, from which there is joy in heaven and gladness of soul, by whose prayers let us be saved, C brothers; and may he himself obtain the reward worthy of his service. Blessed are those also who attended, truly pious, truly lovers of the martyrs, whose lot may it be to be with him whom they carried forth. Concerning his venerable relics, as I wrote about the canon, I shall do so if it pleases the Lord: "Greet one another with a holy kiss" (1 Pet. V, 14). For this is to be read to all the brothers. The lord archbishop, the protopresbyter, the oeconomus, and the remaining brothers greet you. The Lord be with you. Amen.
CI. — To Peter of Nicaea. D
Regarding the time of penance for the lapsed as prescribed.
Our counsel regarding the inquiry made by the lord hegumen is this: that all should be released from penance until the holy apostles, and become participants in the sacraments; not, however, that the priests should perform the duties of the priesthood until an orthodox synod convenes, in which there will be complete absolution and full joy of spirit. In common, however, all, as common monks, whether initiated into sacred orders or not, should bless and be blessed, and pray and receive prayers. And since it is necessary for the divine Liturgy to be celebrated, in order that a presbyter and deacon might be ordained, who may fill the places of those who are restrained—of whom not envy, but thanksgiving should be noted, since we are commanded by the apostolic words to "bear one another's burdens" (Gal. VI, 2)—this having already been openly established by all beforehand, that if God, through the inscrutable judgments of His justice, should permit persecution to be stirred up again, they should prefer to suffer all things even unto death, rather than betray the truth. Thus we humble ones think, and so we answer everyone. But whatever appears right to your paternal holiness, that is indeed even more consonant with true judgment.
CII. — To Evarestus, [my] son. Apostate monk recalled to duty.
With great anguish and distress of my heart, I add tears to this letter to you, brother, in that...
A I have heard that you are dead in the death of sin. For they say that you have cast off the profession of virginity, the evangelical garment, the way of life venerable both to angels and to men, and have taken to yourself a woman in adultery—or, more accurately, [it would be] to call her Eve. For she it is who cast you out from the paradise of a holy life, setting you [there]—a source of mourning to me, your sinful father, a source of shame to your angelic brotherhood, and a source of boasting and exultation to the devil. O, what has happened? Alas! How did the dragon subdue you? Into what depth of stench did he cast you? You who were light have become darkness; the sweet fragrance of Christ, B sacred, has become foul-smelling; the honored, dishonored; the glorious, inglorious; he who was not held by the demon, [is now] bound hand and foot; the beloved, hated; the sheep of Jesus, prey of the wolf. I will add [even] greater things to these. You, who were suffering persecution for the sake of righteousness, have been captured by sin; you, who were a confessor, are now a denier; you, who wore a blessedness on your head like a diadem, have been despoiled of the wonderful name of monk. Woe is me! Who that hears this will not groan? Who that contemplates it will not shudder? You have shamed the monastic state, you have struck terror into those that stood fast, you have shaken those who were faltering, you have drunk the cup of iniquity, you have drawn those with you to taste of death. O, I say it again, what has happened to you, wretched one? How did you, C Lucifer, become darkened? How were you, a useful vessel, broken? Do you not even revere your own name, that being called Evarestus [well-pleasing], you have turned out to be Dysarestus [ill-pleasing]? Did you not come to me and to the lord archbishop last year completely sound, with a cheerful and eager spirit, being a defender and a restorer even for another brother of yours? How did you fail so suddenly? How were you blinded? How did you forget both God and us, and your previous ascetical labors and sweats, since you were among the useful [brothers], and were counted among those [serving] in the highest ministries? Furthermore, a small assault of the enemy—a desire having, to one’s perception, sweetness, but being wrapped in a double-edged sword, than whose bitterness nothing is more galling—having seized you, cast you down as if from heaven D from [your] high mode of life, and shows you, as if covered in wounds, sleeping in the tomb. For what else is it to be in sin, than to be in corruption? There is no longer any intellectual light, no hope, no sweetness of soul, no sacred thought: but deep night, an obstruction of the mind, and a biting of the heart, and fear from any [trifling] thing: to be wallowing in the mire every day, as some animal rolling itself in the mud. What has the demon wrought? What has that detestable desire bestowed upon you? Through which, those who have been deceived from of old have neither profited from the things here, and have lost the heavenly things, possessing as an inheritance only the eternal fire. But come hither, my son, be recalled! I call you from the depths of my heart, from bowels that are inflamed; for your glory is my glory, just as [your] disgrace is the opposite. Come, awaken, the Lord has commanded: "I will not remember," he says, "your iniquities." And: "Shall he who falls not rise again?"
And: "I saw that you go about sad." And: "The healing is your contrition." Behold a good God, behold a merciful Physician. Yes, I beseech you, child; for you are my child, even if you have died. Do not remain in sin; break, break quickly [the] cords entangled about you by the devil; and as one risen from a pit, leap into the wonderful light of your former way of life. And I will receive you with outstretched hands, not reproaching but pitying; not making heavy the medicines of repentance, but softening them and rendering them as light as can be. Therefore, hasten, hasten before the inexorable angel suddenly comes, B leading you away from the body in a piteous manner, and transferring [you] to eternal punishment.
CIII. — To Gregory the Superior.
That he may keep watch over his flock, as an example of a good shepherd.We have already written to you according to our promise, as to our son, that you should prudently pasture the flock that is there according to the commandment of the Lord, omitting nothing of those things which conduce to the benefit of the brethren. For if he who is entrusted with irrational sheep does not sleep but keeps watch, nor neglects his care, but strives night and day lest any [sheep] be snatched by wild beasts, or remain unfed or lean; but also keeps watch against thieves and robbers, and drives away wild beasts, and speaks to the flock, and going before them provides them food, designating for them rest near waters and shade, and whatever else is to be seen in the shepherd's staff: what and how great is [the task] for one who has happened to have the care of souls, whose blood, if it should in any way be spilled, will be required from his hands, as it is written. Therefore, apply yourself from now on, child, keeping watch diligently in the governance of the flock: heal the sick, bring back the wandering, exhort, admonish, call to mind the promised kingdom for those who walk as becomes saints, and on the contrary, the unending judgment for those who live according to the passions; that thus you may save both yourself and those who hear you. He who loves, chastises diligently; but he who hates, allows those who follow to be indifferent. But also you, brethren and children in the Lord, be as sheep, loving to keep his commandments, and to live a monastic life, and not a secular one. Let there be one will of all, one heart, one soul; let there be no "mine and yours," [but] all things common, all things pure through confession. But if it happens otherwise: you have both lost that which was of the world, and since you are not true monks, you will be liable to just punishment. C Moved by charity, we have reminded [you]. Do you, however, fare well and please God; praying also for us sinners, that we may perform in deed those things which we teach, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory. Amen.
CIV. — To Irena and Euphrosyne, the Nuns.
That they may persevere in the holy institute of the monastic life.As our brother and steward is departing, we have thought it opportune to write/to scratch out for you a brief note to the sisters [who live] according to the Lord. And... D
indeed, we ask how your holy dyad is faring, and all the sisters. A You see how, [being] devoted to you according to God and not to other sisters, we inquire and converse; and rightly so: for where there is faith, there is also love, drawing and being drawn in turn through the Holy Spirit; and where these are, there also is the care of the body. For this reason we write, unworthy as we are, exhorting you on behalf of Christ to hold fast to the good confession which we all confessed before God and the elect angels: to live in the Lord in the putting-off of the carnal mind, which is the breaking of the bonds of the solicitations of this age, and coming to be with God, whom we have loved, to whom we were betrothed, and with whom we shall be forever. Let us love this true Love, this inaccessible desire, the only Master of heaven and earth. B Whose love toward men is so great, that He took upon Himself the form of a slave, in order to call us back from corruption and to make us gods. O what a great promise! O what a wondrous meeting in the heavens! There the righteous shall shine as the sun; there those who have put on virginity will be united to the incorruptible Bridegroom; there those who have practiced subjection and obedience as rulers of Christ will dance forever; but the contrary [people] will, clearly, suffer the contrary [things].
Therefore, sisters, cross-bearers, let us not, through negligence and corruption of the flesh, through disobedience and passionate behavior, store up for ourselves C instead of life and infinite joy, punishment and eternal fire; virtue is from God and is divine; wickedness is from Satan and is Satan. Those who choose the former are gods and belong to God; those who choose the latter are demons and belong to Satan. Thus we embrace you even now. And let me not be thought burdensome to you as if speaking heavy things, but rather acceptable, as one admonishing you for God's sake. And the word is not addressed to the mistresses; for they are teachers of others also. But it is addressed to the fullness of the sisterhood; may it be kept ever and ever, thriving, prospering for a boast, and for me, as an advocate, for the day of Christ: to whom be glory forever. Amen.
CV. — To Anthimos the son.
[To one who has fallen away.]The law of God is fear and trembling before Him, as He says: D *I have set you as a watchman to the house of Israel.* But the goal of the mandate compels me, brother, to announce to you again by letter the coming sword of God upon you—a sword fearful, a sword fiery, a sword that casts not the body, but the soul, into the gehenna of fire for endless ages. And I, miserable one, weep as I write, and I groan bitterly, because this word concerns my son and disciple. But what can I do? If I do not announce it, God said He will require your blood at my hands; meaning nothing other than that I would partake of the same sentence of punishment.
A O brother, why have you thus closed the eyes of your heart? Why have you despised God, at whose glance all things are shaken and cannot bear to stand? Long ago you leapt away from the ascetic wrestling ground; you went off to places which the Lord does not behold; you broke the seal of purity, you corrupted soul and body, you became a slave of sin; then, late at last, you came to us at the beginning of the persecution, confessing, paying the penalty, promising a return after the end of the persecution. To this end you were also instructed by the Steward, and were received by brother Dionysius, and you chose a beautiful exile, moving from bad places to live in good places, upon which are the eyes of the Lord, and the blessedness of the persecution circling over your head. And well done for this recall, this purification, this angelic assistance. What, then, has happened again? What is it that abducted you from God and delivered you to the devil? Woe to my unhappiness! You have returned again to the mire of sin, corrupting and corrupted by a woman, or rather by women. Lord, have mercy; spare, O God. Your guardian angel has left you, Satan has taken you up. Do you live, wretch? And how can he live who is being devoured by the murderer of men? Do you see the light? And how can one see who is beset by the darkness of sin? Do you pray to God? And how is it possible to approach the Lord, having enslaved yourself to the devil? Where is your good beginning? Your fervor? Your compunction? Your obedience? Your tears? Your prayer flying to God? Your heavenly conversation? They have all gone, they have perished. O my bitter groans at your madness! Would that you were a creature devoid of reason, which is not subject to judgment. But because you are a creature fashioned by God, which will rise again and will be judged, this is truly to be lamented. Come then, my son, who have perished: come, turn to the Lord; for since He is benevolent, He receives you again, He sanctifies you again, He clothes you again in the bridal garment, He slaughters the fatted calf again, and rejoicing, He will call together the upper Powers because you have been found. Do not therefore refuse to listen, my son, my son: but draw yourself back, but return, cleaving to your excellent brother Dionysius, before the sword of eternal death seizes you. B C
CVI. — To Eustratius the Abbot.
D (He chides him for having fallen and for defending his crime.)
I rejoiced to receive your venerable letter, dearest of Fathers, and to be instructed that things regarding your holiness are thus and so; since, as far as I heard from messengers, though they were trustworthy, I was deeply grieved to hear of the feigned subscription. And bear with me, most reverend, as I speak more freely: it was not without cause that when you were held by the royal minister, you were dismissed unharmed. For this is what has brought about the rumors that are being bandied about. It is admitted, therefore, that none of those who enjoyed freedom have remained without imprisonment, or at least without exile. Those, however, who were exempt from these things, these were led astray, so that I may not offend you by saying anything harsher.
A Did you not see clearly, most perspicacious one, the grievous persecution of Leo, worthy of a beast’s name? His Ahab-like hand seized even those who were under another empire, and it extended and destroyed; and the more humane thing it did was to imprison them after bitter scourging—to say nothing of those who were under his power. But if you, after being apprehended, have suffered nothing of this kind, forgive me, you have been spoiled, holy one. And do not say to me that your own churches have been preserved, and that the paintings remain intact, and the commemoration of our most holy patriarch. For this is what others also who have been led astray are accustomed to plead. These things could not have been preserved unless the betrayal of the true confession had intervened. What does it profit, if we, who are and are called the temple of God, have become useless, while we preserve inanimate houses intact? The image of Christ, nor of the Theotokos, nor of any saint, perishes. For it remains in them as in its prototypes; but they perish who think they are removing them—and indeed, those who, to spare these things, have cast away B their freedom, and the affliction that follows from it. Woe! Others are dying, others are being sent into exile, others being scourged, others being handed over to prisons; the mountains and the deserts, the rocks and the caves, have those who are blissfully persecuted, and we, remaining at home, and thinking that we can remain unharmed? By no means. Let all the visible material of the world perish; rather than that the certain destruction of the soul, which everyone who makes excuses incurs, should be preferred. I have said these things out of love and by way of reminder, and that we are worthy to come under penance; and because in a time of Orthodoxy, nothing should be left unexamined. And it is well to walk in humility, and to heal what is infirm, rather than by a lack of confession to pile up for ourselves greater charges.
CVII. To the brothers living in the city.
C He rebukes those acting against their duty and contrary to what is right.I have deemed it opportune, now that brother Leo is setting out, to send a letter in common to you all, blessed brothers and Fathers, calling back to memory what pertains to salvation; because, during this absence and exile, I am in fear and trembling, both on account of the burden of my own sins and concerning the worry and charge of you that rests upon me. For I fear and dread, lest you who dwell in the city might more easily fall into some lapse, and that those good works which we gathered through many labors and struggles, both before the persecution D and during the persecution, we might, through negligence for a short time, utterly lose. I hear of instability, of wandering; of one person departing from another and from his brother and from his place; and, what is more pitiable, of one living alone, and another having a small room in a house where there are women; and another, again, dwelling perpetually in a women’s monastery; another again frequenting places where there are maidens, where the fire is not consuming hay, but the house of the soul; others, again, forgetting the laws of the life they are bound to, buying slaves to live with them; and others likewise buying fields. O unhappy
soul of mine! How can I not groan at these things? How can I not fear, if I do not announce the commandment of God? Why have you departed from your right mind, brothers? Why have you, the servants of the Lord, become servants of passion? Why do you endure to act lawlessly while under the law? Why, as worshippers of Christ and aggravating children, do you not depart from this wicked seduction? Do you not sit in places free from scandal? Do you not live together two by two or even more, in apostolic fashion? Woe to him who is alone! Woe to him who has no seat! Woe to him who is given to women! Woe to the servant of a servant! Woe to Giezi, who, having bought fields and vineyards, has inherited the leprosy of Naaman! Are these not divine voices? Do I bring them forth from myself? When the persecution was ablaze, he who had fallen into any of the things I have enumerated had an excuse by necessity; and the necessity, arising on account of the faith, saved the one who was found in such a state. But now, there is no one persecuting, nor is there anyone to hinder us from living properly and being with at least two others. For you who live badly condemn out of your own mouths those who live according to the law. Is not this present state of godlessness, in which you are divided during a time of peace, a clear sign of this? Repent, I beg you, my holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling; if you are not corrected, you must not be called thus, but perhaps by the opposite names, which God forbid. These things I testify before God and the elect angels: if anyone is not corrected and persists after the allotted extension of time has passed, he shall be excluded from the participation of the divine sacraments, according to the power which the Lord gave me over you; for my speech is for edification and not for destruction. But you, my brothers, as sons of obedience, do well, so that you may both serve God and deliver me, wretched as I am, from the death of sin, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. B C
CVIII. To John of Sardis.
That he may recover from his grave illness, for the cause of the Church above all.We heard some time ago that your paternal holiness was ill, and now almost despaired of. At this news, we, humble as we are, were so dismayed and stricken with such grief that we desired to set out for there and behold with our own eyes the unwelcome rumor. This, however, could not be done because of pressing business. Wherefore we were compelled to fly to you, as it were, in body through these letters, and to behold you, the excellent father, the sincere friend, the noble witness of the truth. For the sake of this truth, you have indeed endured both exile and the bonds of prison; and even before these things, you were made a spectacle, to use the words of the Apostle, both to angels and to men, on the day when your sacred head was dashed to the ground by the impious before the Caiaphas-like council. O, what is happening to us? Why does the pillar of the Church hasten to depart from hence? Remain with us, remain yet a while; suffer for the Gospel as a good soldier. Do you see how the war burns? How we are fighting for the faith and D
for the Word? Yes, we implore you, remain. Ask of Christ Him whom you confessed, and whom you confess that you worship as depicted in human form, and He will hear your prayer. A If, however, you absolutely depart, as Providence so ordains, you yourself, we well know, will go away having received the reward of your confession; but for us, you will render the good God propitious through your intercessions, and further, that He might hasten to look upon His own Church.
CIX.—To the son of Elias
B Who compelled me to write to you, man? God, surely, who established me as your shepherd and lawgiver; to whom I must render an account for you, just as I must for all the rest of your brethren. You renounced the world of your own accord, and were obediently submissive; then Satan sifted you, tearing you away from the divine fellowship. Again, by the mercy of God, you were joined to us, and again, through the operation of the devil, you leaped away. Then, coming once more, you made confession, promising security for the future; but since the relaxation of the exile happened under Nicephorus, you did not return with the others, but remained by yourself, snared by the serpent, and this continued until he who now holds the empire—the fourth after Nicephorus. C How long, O pitiable man, will you wallow in the mire of sin? How long will you not cease to act indecorously before God and men? Is there no death? Is there no judgment? Will you not pay the eternal penalty, the very thought of which restrains the soul and turns it toward repentance? Awake, man, come to your senses, I beseech you; cease to build worldly houses, you who have demolished the house of your own soul; cease to ply the builder's trade like a layman, you who are being built by Satan; do not make use of this excuse or that; no one shall pluck you out of the hand of the Lord. Do not say, after having sinned: "I shall not pay the penalty." You shall pay it, my son—for so I, the humble one, call you in the hope of your conversion. D If I am a father, I shall administer medicine sparingly, compassionately, and lovingly. Only be willing, only be moved, break the bonds of death that hold you; the help of God is close at hand, and the angel, the guardian of your life, shall go before you. There shall be joy in heaven, the devil shall lament, and I, the wretch, will rejoice for having found my sheep that was lost, and so too will all your brethren. But if not, you shall be prey to the devil, an heir of the curse; through which—would that, by obeying me and coming with your brother Silas, you might be delivered!CX.—To the wife of Democharas
Consolation on the death of her husband. From the day that the death of the blessed master of soldiers was announced to us, until now, though we have tried many ways, we have not succeeded in writing to your Honor; and even now, as we write, we are unable to help you, nor can we lighten the weight of your sorrowful heart—relieve the heartache. For what speech can be found that might heal such great pain? Yet, that we may show that we too participate in the sorrow, not only for the sake of him who has departed to the Lord—since a good and pious man, a champion of orthodoxy, and a fighter for peace has left us, O what a calamity!—but also for your sake, you who have been left behind, bereaved of your conjugal support, and especially as you were a woman who loved her husband dearly. But since you are not ignorant of the divine decree: *You are earth, and to the earth you shall return*; and again: *That you may not grieve concerning those who are asleep, as do the rest who have no hope*; since they are to be brought by God with Jesus in the resurrection: we exhort and beseech you to cast off excessive grief, to receive some consolation, to return to yourself, and to cheer your soul. For you have children, and you have a noble household; and if your mind does not lift itself up to restrain your grief, it will in no way be able to rule and govern correctly. Finally, what we suggest will also benefit that blessed man; and what could be more desirable than that? What then remains, lady? Give glory to the good God; utter those words of Job: *The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so also it happened*. From this, indeed, there will be the greatest praise for you, and it will be revealed what a learned husband you had. For he was indeed learned, wise, and an instructor of the uninitiated. Therefore, just as he was a shining example to men, be you also for women, declining the impulse to mourn, and showing that God is your guardian, who, when you were not, brought you out of nothing to be, brought you to the prime of life, joined you to such a man, and will unite you again, separated as you are, through the resurrection. Therefore, consider his passing to be a journey. Would you not bear the deprivation if an earthly king commanded it? Bear, my lady, also this, which the only true King of all has commanded. Yes, we exhort you, and we truly believe that you will receive him on that day, as you keep your widowhood in the Lord and rear your noble offspring as best you can; whom we also greet, and we exhort that they bear their father's absence with the same moderation of spirit as you, and that they be formed by maternal guidance toward every uprightness. D
CXI. — To the Monks of Myeles. Elogium of the monk Dionysius who died as a guest among them.
The falling asleep of our beloved brother Dionysius, by the determined counsel of God before the foundation of the world, has already reached its limit. But may the Lord do good to you, brothers, because you received him when he was afflicted by illness while on a journey at your excellent monastery, and [cared for him] until he laid aside his tabernacle on earth and flew to heaven. That he was a brother worthy to arrive there, many things bear witness. First indeed is the degree of...
A his obedience inspected from youth. Then he was twice imprisoned, and once set out to the West as an apostle on behalf of our Church; whom the apostolic mouth blessed, and the Roman Church praised; who also has been testified to by very many of his brethren. A man powerful in deed and word, a worker of God's commandments, a pillar and foundation of his own monastery; having exhibited many tokens of virtue, and now this same thing during the present persecution, traversing cities and countries, in want, afflicted, in the ministration of the word of truth, until he breathed his last, departing to the Lord. Such a servant of the Lord, then, as the truth holds, you have entertained, and it has come about by divine providence that so holy a relic B was managed to be treasured up among you. Wherefore we have been even more attached by you in the charity according to God, and we pray for you the good things of the Jerusalem above, because with a sincere heart you received the holy Dionysius, whose memory is with the saints his fellow-soldiers.
CXII. Catechetical address to his own disciples, honoring their virtue and illustrious deeds. On the passing of Dionysius and Anthus, monks.
Brothers and Fathers. Others indeed announce the deaths of their own with sorrow; but I, even with extreme joy. Why so? Because those who have passed from life are our holy brothers, participants in the heavenly calling—Anthus, namesake [of a flower], who flourished in virtues, and Dionysius, who excelled in holiness in the manner of Dionysius. But what the death C of each was, it is right to explain. The former, indeed, having just returned from his own sojourn, and having submitted to us these very final commands, while returning, being seized by sickness on the way, fell asleep piously in the monastery of Myeles. The latter, however, having fallen into infirmity, endured, if it be not rash to say, the sufferings of the renowned Job. For he saw his own flesh wasting away, and his bones clinging to the flesh. Intolerable pains, ulcers from wounds, an immoderate flux of the belly, only the breath remaining; in which, with thanksgiving, he too [migrated] D to the Lord. See the blessed ones, as they too are martyrs: Dionysius, the proven worker of God, and Anthus, the lamb of Christ. Dionysius, who from youth until old age completed the contest of obedience; and Anthus, who from being a child was made holy until mid-life by obedience; both vessels useful to the Lord God. Not only in those things for which they were praised before and after; but for the fact that, besides these, they were adorned with the crowns of prisons for the sake of righteousness. What could be more glorious than this? The one has another boast, which is to have served his noble brother and archbishop, and that with a long service, and not only long, but also most highly praised. Therefore, on both counts the brother is worthy to be admired.
A What then shall we say to these things, brethren? That we must all, as many as are human beings, migrate from here, and that this migration is from sojourning to true rest, from darkness to light, from turmoil to tranquility, from war to peace, where there is no biting serpent, where there is no fear of change, where each one will receive according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore let us hasten, my brethren, that we too may depart this life in holiness, so that we may escape eternal judgment and be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Our God is a consuming fire. Let us fear, beloved children, let us shudder, and let us rise up against the dragon, the devil, both those who appear to be standing and those who have been tripped up; for to the former a brief relaxation brings a fall into death, but to the latter a small looking upward provides a healing of their soul's wounds. Does he who falls not rise again? Or he who turns away not return? Yes, my brethren, the door is not yet closed, the assembly is not yet dismissed. Let us spare ourselves; let us consider how we conduct ourselves in the city, where we sit, with whom we converse, what the measure of our food, our rest, our sleep, our conversation, and our singing of hymns is: may it all be pleasing to God, may it all be useful to our neighbor. Have mercy, help one another, let no one do anything that is unbecoming. What does it profit if I gain the whole world and suffer the loss of my wretched soul? What will the end of the pleasures of this life add to me on the day of death? And what pain shall I suffer when I see my peers and equals being taken up into the kingdom of God, while I am being snatched away into outer darkness? Truly, my brethren, the comfort of the flesh is nothing, an earthly kingdom is nothing, glory that lasts for a time is nothing, riches that are fleeting and fading are nothing, pleasures that flow away are nothing, nor is there any utility in any of the things that appear B beautiful and splendid to those who desire this life; but everything is vanity and a striving of the spirit, as he says who has made trial of all the sweet things of this age. And would that it were only vanity! But because in place of it, eternal torments are stored up for those who wallow in it. For us, to whom spiritual life has been granted by the Lord, how great and how much punishment awaits us, if we do not flee from it? Therefore, my brethren, I admonish, I exhort, I entreat, as a debtor and your servant for the Lord's sake, that we may live justly and holily even hereafter, that we may obtain eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
CXIII. — To Euphrosyne the Abbess
[He offers comfort upon the passing of her mother.]It called for this which has happened, regarding the blessed lady and our common mother (for I will not shrink from calling her our mother too, on account of her virtue), that
we ourselves should have come, and that we should have followed her with the appropriate funeral eulogy; and that we should have offered you—who were left behind and, as it were, orphaned of your maternal union and kinship of spirit—a consolation; if at least a remedy could be found of such a kind as would be able to soothe the painful and prostrate condition of your soul. But since this is impossible, let there be a visitation by letter. A How is it that the good mother has flown away from us, this Christ-bearing woman, the treasure of continence, the head adorned with grace, the shrine of religion, a spectacle full of days both for those who are passing away and those who remain, the sanctified temple, the olive grove of compassion, the mercy of generosity, a creature truly fashioned by God, an eye void of envy, a heart without malice, in this world a stranger before her death because of her longing for the Bridegroom Christ, and because of the indissoluble and immortal life there? O, how many words I could speak to relieve the eulogy that weighs upon my heart! And yet, I was a late learner of the lady and of the virtues that were in you, and I had as much B experience of them as one who has touched honey with the tip of his finger. But nevertheless, a brief tasting shows a sign of the whole sweetness, especially since I was instructed by those sisters to whom your virtue was better known, and I have a sufficient knowledge of her in the Lord. The condition of life from which she passed to this institution was of this kind. For it behooves me to take the matter from further back, and for the sake of consolation to dwell a little while in speech. It is thus. Her lineage was from the East, both in place and in manner; from Armenia, that is, whence also came her virtue. And if one must also examine the blood, she had it mingled with kings. Her husband’s civil and military prefectures were added to this, both in Armenia and in Greece; C for that man attained to the highest rank in the army as well as the patriciate. Once severed from him by his death, she could not bear to remain unwed, but had to have a spouse. Whom, then? Not this or that prince or king, as is the desire of the many, who are attached to flesh and blood; but the only beautiful Bridegroom, the Prince of peace. And so, having a name of peace, the bride chose for herself as Bridegroom the King of all, Christ, the Lord of glory, through the monastic profession. How she excelled in this, doing the things of her Beloved, the discourse has already set forth as in a sketch. D Her prayer was like a flashing lightning, her compunction, the shedding of tears, a tongue that slandered no one, modest conduct, humility imitating Christ, a right hand that loved the commandments, a mind focused on the divine, a heart burning with the fire of the love of Christ, and finally, orthodox worship and the guarded avoidance of heretical communion with fearless freedom of speech. And it is truly a wonder how, during the persecution that swept by, she kept not only herself, but you, lady, and your whole holy community, exempt from it by the help of God, putting a beautiful crown upon her end; partaking of the holy things from orthodox fountains, and departing joyfully from there; which is the greatest sign of those things which she longed for.
A Thus, therefore, the blessed one lived, and thus holily did she depart; and thus we sinners believe her to be. Now, the discourse must be turned to you. My lady, what is this, that although the separation is bitter, you nevertheless bore it with thanksgiving, as we have heard? And we have praised you vehemently for not pouring forth wailing alien to reason, nor lamentations devoid of hope; but as it was beautiful and as it befitted a true nun and an excellent mistress, who by her own example informs the souls entrusted to her by the Lord, or rather, to speak more openly, [informs] the daughter who was most illustrious and conspired with her in soul in the Lord, being a daughter-in-law in the flesh, and equals in the governance of virtue! For that there was one soul in two bodies, as regards you, is both laudable and glorious for you both.
Therefore, the lady is not completely separated from you, lady, but for a little while, until we too take the same path. B Besides the fact that she is now even present spiritually, and bestows her cares upon you; and what is greater, having become closer to God, she intercedes for you and yours. What remains, therefore, is that you do not lose heart, we pray, as if lacking a ruler, or as if left alone. You have her, and above her, God to whom all things belong; but you also have us sinners—just as she also requested, both before death and in death itself—if a sinful man can be of any avail. This is our funeral address. But you, O blessed soul (for the prayer must be turned to you), do not ask of us that God be made propitious to you by our means; rather, you procure for us the favor of Him by your own intercessions; for we trust that you have the power for this; and C do not let the lady, your sister, mother, and daughter, count us as helpers; but dedicate yourself to her and to us and to all your flock, in the Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
CXIV. — To Julian the Vestitor.
Various moral instructions.
Since you have greeted us through the brother, noble brother, I deemed it right to return the greeting to you by letter: in this showing that your excellence is dear to me; and not only this, but that I am solicitous that you may escape from the temptations of the devil; for you know, friend, that he goes about always like a lion, D seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. v, 8). Wherefore give heed diligently, and remember the covenants. It is written: Hast thou sinned? Add not again: but even for the former ones make supplication (Eccli. xxi, 1). And again the Lord says: Every branch not bearing fruit, my Father takes it away, and it is cast into the fire, and burns (John xv, 2). Let us therefore fear the example, and let us struggle for our souls, before the hour of death is upon us: lest, as unfruitful and
useless A branches, we be cut off from the good vine, which is Christ. Therefore He came, says the Lord, not to judge the world, but to save it. And again He says: *If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin.* And again: *The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.* Already, beloved, our good God has fulfilled all things for our sake: He was seen on earth, He took the form of a servant, He became obedient even unto death, and the death of the cross. And this, though He is the Lord of glory, and sustains all things by the word of His power; recalling us from the corruption that was born in us through the first-created man; and not only that, but also deifying us through His holy flesh: of which we have been deemed worthy to be called brothers, and fellow-members, and fellow-partakers, and co-heirs. We must, therefore, guard ourselves with every precaution B. You walk in the midst of snares as you pass through the city; see that you be not entangled. Let your conduct be in the fear of the Lord with good men; flee those who live without caution; flee youthful games and laughters; flee gluttony and pestiferous drunkenness. Let no corrupt speech proceed from your mouth; but only what is good for the edification of those who hear. Do not be anxious to grow rich; because you entered into this world naked, and naked you shall depart. Do not love the glory of this world; because it passes away like smoke. Love the one true good, to have a heart pure from the filth of sin; to attain the kingdom of heaven; and to flee eternal damnation. Keep the commandments as you have received them; incline your ear to the beggar; whenever your hand has the power to help, reach it out to the needy. Two mites of a poor widow surpassed all those who cast into the treasury. Let not an oath dwell in your mouth; for he who swears will not be saved, even if he seems to keep every commandment. Visit a man C detained in prison, that you may be visited by the Lord. Pray incessantly, and sing psalms in your heart; that you may receive the Holy Spirit as your indwelling companion. These are a few from among many dogmas of charity, good precepts, which let us both carry out that we may be saved, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
CXV. — To Euphrosyna, Abbess.
She writes again concerning the death of her mother.How excellent were the letters of your reverence, which attested both to your sorrow at the passing of your holy mother, and contained mention of hope! For just as it is rightly censured not to grieve at all, nor to weep at the departure of those who have fallen asleep (for it is proof of insensibility); so too, to be broken by grief beyond measure is the mark of those who have no hope of the resurrection. Come now, therefore, sister in the Lord, D
A having satisfied the requirements of mourning, let us return to ourselves—not that we should cast the image of that holy woman from our minds; far be it. For she shall ever be a memorial of all encouragement and guidance for us—but so that we may conduct ourselves more cheerfully and finish the struggle of asceticism set before us. Your mother did not leave you in an immature age, nor ignorant of divine matters, nor unversed in human affairs; but, by the grace of Christ, she left you instructed in all things, experienced in life, full of wisdom, rich in knowledge, and well-suited for governance. And since the days of human life are defined, look first to your own security, taking an assistant from within the house, if one is available, or from without. For it is entirely possible that you may find a woman to whom you can entrust the tasks that sometimes arise—tasks most difficult, for which a single mind is unable to provide a solution.
Attend similarly to the government of the sisters under your hand: leading them in the Lord B with all long-suffering and commiseration, requiring what is of duty, not urging them too fiercely, but as a nurse warming her own children, bestowing your whole self upon them, so that you would lay down your very soul for them; nor, on the other hand, relaxing the reins of the bridle entirely—for this is a cause of dissolution, disorder, and lack of love for one’s spiritual children. You know how you used to behave when your mother was present; you know that the eyes of all of them are turned toward you as toward God, seeing your person as a mediatrix to Him. If you yourself act in this way, it is clear that they ought to breathe nothing else than what you, as teacher, desire, command, and proclaim; just as genuine children towards a mother, as members of a body towards the head, as flowers towards a rosebed. C For it is for this that they have come together into one place, having left the world and the things in the world, parents and brothers, relatives and friends, possessions and ties of the flesh, having chosen celibacy and betrothed themselves to Christ: so that, having lived in a holy and virgin-like manner, they might inherit the kingdom of heaven and enter with Christ into that heavenly and ineffable bridal chamber. Such is the struggle and profession for both them and you, Lady; therefore, let us attend to this; in this let us move and live, not looking hither and thither, saying that such is that monastery, and such is another monastery. This is harmful; we must measure ourselves by the norm of the commandments, and not by our neighbors. For from the latter, no one succeeds in walking rightly D and proceeding in a manner worthy of God. Since the present generation is negligent and has fallen away from the precise discipline, and it is vain and useless to seek from it a rule of life, let us look there where the holy life that is pleasing to the Lord has shone forth. Do you see, sister and spiritual mother, how the love of God compelled me to speak to you freely? I would have done nothing more had I been addressing my own parent and my own sisters according to the flesh. Besides, we are all the body of Christ, and we call upon one Father, our good God. Wherefore, let us all be brothers one to another, all one body and fellow-members,
and members of one body, and sharers, and coheirs. Hence it is that we love your salvation just as the Lord loves it, and as it has been commanded. Peace be to you, Lady Mother. Peace to the sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
CXVI. — To John the Hermit. Concerning bringing back a certain heretical hermit to the Catholic faith.
A If anyone were to see a pleasant sight, he is accustomed to continue contemplating it in his mind even after he has departed. So it is with us humble ones, O man honored by God; from the time we once saw you and spoke with you, we have not forgotten you in the least, but we carry you impressed upon our mind, longing to see that very man of God, breathing forth divine grace in both countenance and words, and inciting others to the praises of God. You have attained this through eremitic solitude and the frequenting of prayer, your face shining like that of Moses before the ineffable light. Wherefore, we desire to gaze upon you again and to participate in the gifts of grace that are in you, according to a second ecclesiastical communion—you toward God, and we from you. You see how much God has glorified you, since you have glorified Him; may He yet glorify you further at the end of your life, B as you complete your course worthily. But pray for us sinners, that we might at least begin the saving course, since we lowly ones are far from God. This is the first purpose of my discourse.
What is the second? Concerning Theoctistus the hermit. How he was severed from the body of the Church by certain heretical propositions, you yourself know better than we do, most reverend one. Nevertheless, when we recently came to your cells, we learned of the man’s affairs from those who knew. Indeed, we even admonished him by letter and exhorted him to abstain from those dark and demon-inspired utterances, and rather to think in an orthodox manner regarding both the most holy Theotokos and the other points of doctrine. Now, therefore, our brother Nicanor, having journeyed to us, has reported that the man has repented, C that he wishes to agree with the Church, and that he denies having received any letter of mine, but rather desires to receive them. Since, therefore, it is written, Holy Father: "If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth" (Jer. xv, 19), and: "He who turns a man from the error of his way will cover a multitude of sins" (Jas. v, 20), your holiness must bestir yourself and reach out a helping hand to the one who has wandered. For in this you shall be a fellow-worker with God.
And how shall this come to pass? That you should summon Theoctistus to you by some means, and say and discuss the fitting things. If you find him yielding to the divine word, tell him also from me, humble as I am, that I am fixed on this very thing, loving his salvation; D and if you approve, Father, and he himself desires it, I will write to him appropriately, so that he may be drawn from both sides and the one who is perishing may be gained. For this is what God wills, and for this grace He came to earth, seeking to lead back that which was lost: and
A His friendship toward a neighbor is made for us a proof of love toward Him. And we must be moved with all our might, holy Father; for it was moved by this that I wrote to you. But if, after such an attempt, he who disobeys continues to disobey, the lawless one shall see. The Lord says: "Let them alone; they are blind." As therefore the Lord prospers you, be good enough, Father, to inform me in your venerable letter.
CXVII. — To Marianos the Spatharios. On the Contempt of the World.
B Your piety compels me to write, saying that you derive fruit from it; but I do not think so, because our speech, just like our life, is useless, but rather that it is stirred up by charity. For charity, says the Apostle, does not think evil. But however the matter may stand, I yield and comply with my friend, a good man, a most praiseworthy official, a foster-child of piety, a disciple of orthodox doctrine, a man of God, a lover of monks. Many are your encomiums, and most excellent your accomplishments. But see, my master, how you walk; for the Apostle cries out: "not as unwise, but as wise; not as devoted to the flesh, but as loving God; not as immortal, but as anxious about one's departure"; this is a common debt, a fixed limit which cannot be passed. C For, he says, "there is no one who shall live and not see death." You might ask, then, what are the characteristics of each group. I shall explain to you, my friend. Of the former: dances, laughter, games, base speech, drunkenness, gluttonous excesses, haughty spirits, empty boastings, ornaments for the sake of glory succeeding one another, desires for riches, and things more numerous and grave than these, which I pass over out of respect for your authority. And indeed, those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God, as the Apostle has declared. Come, let me also point out the strengths of the other side to you. Poverty of spirit, tears of compunction, gentleness, peace, mercy, contemplation of the mind toward God, contempt for money, hatred for the world, frugality, D and temperance according to the strength of each one's capacity—above a wife, above children, above parents, above brothers, above all without exception, to love the Lord who made us, who delivered Himself to death for each one of us. These things and those similar to them are those of the true Christian. Do not think, my lord, that what has been said applies only to the monk and not equally to the layman in all things (although more intensely in the monk), except for celibacy and non-possession, for which the secular person is not condemned; yet even here there are times for temperance and laws of frugality. For having food and covering, he says, let us be content with these. But those who desire to be rich fall into an inescapable pit. And again: "That those who have wives—"
A be as though they have none. Behold, my master, you have compelled me to announce the law of God to you. Let us both hasten to be saved. The time of our life that has passed is enough for fulfilling the desires of the flesh. Now, says the Apostle, is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. Behold, the good God awaits our fruit until our very last breath; lest he say: "Cut it down, why does it even occupy the ground?" lest he close the door to us, and there is no one to open it; lest the devil take us into his lot to be punished with him forever; lest it come to pass that we are snatched away suddenly. How often have we promised that if we were delivered from sickness, or from this danger, or from this distress, we would serve God sincerely: and afterwards we have forgotten our covenants? How much longer will he endure? How much longer will he hold back? It is quite necessary to depart from here shortly. Let us not, therefore, be found unprepared for good works, lest an eternal and endless woe befall us; but preparing ourselves to obtain the peace of God, that we may be deemed worthy to reign with the Lord into endless ages. Amen.
CXVIII. To Euphrosyne the Abbess
That she should study to imitate the virtues of her mother, whose passing she had mourned, especially in the governance of the monastery.Now I praise your reverence all the more, because you have put an end to mourning your blessed mother, when the steward reported that you had accepted consolation in the Lord. From this, my humility has also eased its grief, as from one concerned for a sister in Christ. C For it is fitting, Lady, that friends, while giving a token of their charity for one another, should mourn according to the leading of nature, and be comforted according to God, leaning upon those things which hope teaches, and that in neither direction should what is honorable be violated. For an excessive grief that exceeds due measure is akin to insensibility. Let us be guided by divine measures and rules, especially we who have chosen the profession of perfection. The people mourned Moses, the beholder of God, but for forty days; and the patriarch Jacob mourned the admirable Rachel with her children, but for a few days; and the most celebrated Joseph mourned this same man, as did others in the Old and in the New Testament, but for a certain time, not forever. Because you have acted and continue to act similarly in this, you are praiseworthy before God and men. D Always keep in your mind the one you desire; I strongly urge this; from which you will both be easily pricked to compunction, and conceive a hatred for the world, a love for God, and prepare yourself for death itself: for what could be more conducive to salvation? Govern the flock of God committed to you holily, as a spiritual mother, not presiding in the human manner: giving an example through yourself in those things which are commanded, not exacting what is beyond strength; distributing charity to all equally, not preferring one to another through the affection of blood. Do you see what laws have been imposed upon us by the truth? But what
does great Peter say? *And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away* 58. What great praise will be yours before the Lord, to exclaim: *Behold I and the children which God hath given me* 59. I would add also this: *I have not been weary of following thee, neither have I desired the day of man*, O Lord 60. For so it is. You have given all things to God; you have counted all things as dung, that you might gain Christ 61. Therefore, even if there are tribulations by which those who live according to God are troubled, bear them, lady. *Many are the afflictions of the righteous* 62, as holy David cries, both inwardly and outwardly ignited by the enemy. Do not be ignorant of his thoughts; ward off his devices with prayers. *We wrestle not against flesh and blood*, as the Apostle says, *but against principalities and powers of this world* 63: to escape whose snares is truly a great contest. Have a soul in which you may ponder what happens. From this comes the bridle of sin and divine help. Take those sisters whom you oversee as your own; for it behooves them to reveal their own inclinations to you, and to what each is more prone. You, however, receive them kindly; console this one, give courage to that one, confirm another, and confer what is ultimately useful to each. And do not let weariness take hold of you in this matter. God is the helper, the Lord is the one who strengthens; let us only begin, and He Himself teaches knowledge 64. *I am jealous over you*, says the Apostle, *with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ* 65. Think of our affairs in this way, as far as we can attain to any such assimilation, even though we are otherwise sinners. And may the God of peace, who took to Himself your mother Irene, who was called by the name of peace, in peace and holiness, deign to direct your life and conversation through her footsteps, feeding one who feeds, and leading one who leads, in Christ our God, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
CXIX. To Jacob the Monk.
That one should not communicate with him who, after a fall, retains his episcopacy, even if he condemns his error.We have been slow in responding to your letter, most honorable brother, because of the difficulty of the times; yet we return the favor with an equal measure of charity. We are indeed troubled by the encomiums you have devised for us, as we possess nothing worthy of praise; but we are refreshed by the ardent zeal of your exacting conduct, by which you take care not to be joined in any way to the negligence of the lukewarm, which is the whole subject of your discourse. I, however, dearest one, do not think that the one you mentioned speaks or acts in such a way. For how could one who has been raised to the rank of the hierarchy be drawn down to the lowest things? And how could he who has endured the struggle of confession be swept away with the unpraiseworthy and profane? For you say that he claims that, in the cathedra...
A of a bishop, to sit is in no way prohibited for one who behaved impiously while sitting there; and that to be fed by those pseudo-bishops who have yielded is not contrary to the rule of piety. And how does this not contradict the truth, when holy David sings: *Let not the oil of a sinner grease my head* (Ps. CXLI, 5)? And when holy Athanasius commands that we should have no communion with heretics, nor indeed with those who commune with the impious? How is it not communion, if one must sit in such a place, and be fed by such persons? It is not in the nature of things that even if one does not sit there, but is fed from there, the very act of giving and receiving would not constitute communion. For the Apostle says: *You also know, Philippians, that when I departed from Macedonia, no Church communicated with me regarding the matter of giving and receiving, but you only; for even in Thessalonica you sent once and twice to my need* (Phil. IV, 15, 16). If, therefore, to receive once or twice the Light of the world called communion, who that thinks rightly would not avoid receiving always as something contrary to the light?
It behooves your holiness to suggest admonitions to the Father B modestly and humbly; and if he is persuaded, we have gained the Father; but if not, let us not cast away our own safety. For concerning the baptism of children, I have written the entire letter to that same person who complained to me about this same matter, and sent it to your reverence, judging it superfluous to speak of the same thing twice. Such, then, is my humble view, and I see that the saints think in this way, though each may think as he sees fit. Perhaps he who is being fed might say that he receives from one who thinks rightly and who has undertaken penance; but it is not so. As long as he retains the bishopric, even if he does not sacrifice, he should not participate in the sacred mysteries. For true penance is to resign the bishopric and to depart to a distance, as some have done; from whom it is harmless to receive, and with whom it is lawful to eat. I have nothing else to say, except to urge you to pray for my humility, not only that I may speak rightly, but that I may also act rightly in my very deeds.
C CXX. — To Nicetas, the locum tenens.
Grace is rendered for the gifts sent by him, and saving admonitions are repaid.
Since your hand, a lover of the commandments, has showered gifts upon us, let it receive in turn, master, these gifts from those who are of low estate. Our gifts are prayers, thanksgivings, and, if anything else must be added, admonitions. And what are these? To fear God, to hold the right faith, to abstain from carnal desires, fornication, adultery, impurity, and all other licentiousness; but rather to choose to do divine things, to show mercy to the poor, to spare servants, D to stretch out a hand to one's neighbor, to be humble-minded, to be restrained, and...
A not to be distracted by the senses, through which the death of sin enters; to be content with little; not to be made drunk with wine, in which, as the Apostle says, there is debauchery; not to be greedy for money, in which is the root of all evils; to be assiduous in prayers, in readings, in psalmodies, in the meditation of death, in which there is contrition of soul and tears. For the present life, O Christians, is one of tears, and not of laughter. In no way to swear, nor to take the venerable name of God into one's mouth in oaths; for he who swears cannot be saved. To be immune from Cainite hatred, from destructive detraction, from hatred that is the enemy of God, from abuse that excludes one from the kingdom of heaven; to honor the king and one's parents; to love one's spouse as oneself, and not to know any other lecherous side, on which is God’s wrath; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. To educate one's children according to God, and to set oneself as an example for their understanding; and whatever else the word of the commandment requires for the salvation of the soul. These, O master, are the compensation for your noble gifts; do not despise them, even if they have proceeded from an ignoble head. For the commandments of God are to be valued more than all gold and precious stones.
CXXI. — To Thomas, Patriarch of Jerusalem
BHe gives thanks for the letters received from him: then he praises the fact that he defended the cause of Christ against the Iconoclasts. (Baron. anno 821, n. 55.)
How great was the joy with which we, the humble, were affected by the most wise address with which you deigned to honor us by letter, your supreme beatitude can perceive; inasmuch as you, who are preeminent in the apostolic rank and hold the person of the brother of the Lord by legitimate succession, could deservedly have honored us, the inglorious ones, by even a single word; much less by the heights of such great praises, from which we are so far removed that we scarcely dare to think that these things were said of us by you: nor indeed are these encomia for any of those who acted bravely, but for our most divine prelate, upon C whom any discourse of praise of any kind deservedly falls. But how else would your kindness, which emulates the divine, have been manifested, if it had not been brilliantly produced by paternal affections: just as the light of the sun is diffused as it breaks forth in rays? How else would a sense unanimous and conspiring with us be recognized; if it were not separated from those who have voluntarily defected to the adversaries, whoever they may be? Regarding whom, although it may be too bold for us [to speak], it is nevertheless fair to say, what finally? That when the persecution of heresy was bubbling forth, it was fitting that the prelates of sublime sees, as helpers of the D Spirit and full of apostolic instructions, should be moved with a brotherly mind, and stretch out a hand to those struggling for the truth by sympathizing. For, he says, if one
member suffers, all members suffer with it; if one member is glorified, all members rejoice with it, A seeing that Christ, our true Lord and God, is the head of the whole ecclesiastical body.
What the apostolic see of the West has achieved, and how much it has availed, what need is there to say? By confirming the minds of the contenders as much as possible—since even a small impulse is wont to afford strength to one who is weary—and by chastising the raging of the impious with a rebuke inspired by the Spirit; what could have been more salutary than this? On the other hand, those who could have done the same, but did not—I am unhappy to say it, out of reverence for the angel of your beatitude—how great a reproach is due to them! But these matters have reached their end, as has been heard by all: the good God having removed the pernicious dragon from his position, and indeed by a terrible death befitting his apostasy.
Yet the present circumstances are not entirely as you had surmised. For though the winter has passed, the longed-for spring is not yet here, unless it be that a certain brightness has shone forth, and even this through a cloud from the dawn. I think it sufficient, then, to leave the matter to be described by an image, B for your great intelligence is not in need of instruction, nor does the time permit me to speak more clearly. This is also the reason why your holy letters lacked any offering of money. For who would have accepted it from us, men of no value, who have been cast far away from the city into this place, just as others have been in various places, those who have suffered persecution? Thus, the collections have not even been made as we had desired, apart from what is indicated in the note enclosed with the letters; those who contributed profess that they have received grace rather than given a benefit, because they were judged worthy to have some communion in the most holy places, in which the great mystery of piety was accomplished: God appearing in our form.
O what an ineffable miracle! One which we—or rather the whole world under heaven—confess and worship, as it has been written in the Scripture, and handed down from the Fathers, or rather proclaimed by God, from the very starting point of the preaching. For Christ could not be confessed otherwise, as you, most blessed ones, teach; yet the detestable C Iconoclasts deny this in the manner of the Jews, as though they were agitated by an evil spirit. May you, O divine and sacred head, make Him propitious through your prayers most acceptable to God, so that He may put to flight the heresy that seduces the people and kindle the sun of orthodoxy; and then that He may cherish us who are the least among your sons, as we follow in the footsteps of our most blessed Father and prelate. So be it.
We, my brother and I, greet with the utmost affection the Father who ministers to you and our illustrious brothers, along with the most God-beloved Archbishop of Thessalonica. For it is much more appropriate to say that we both, and all those with us, desire to receive a blessing D before your holy face and at your feet.
A Behold, master, the letter you asked for; release us from the charge. But you might say, why not sooner? Because we were ashamed to offer an exhortation to your honor, whether by way of encouragement or teaching. But since you desire it, receive it, most beloved. For a true Christian is nothing other than an imitation and seal of Christ, being obliged to so unite himself to Him as each member is to the head, and a branch to the vine. For the Lord himself has said: "I am the vine, you are the branches." And again the Apostle: "You are the body of Christ, and members in particular." Let us therefore bear fruit, master, the clusters of virtues, and let us not be unfruitful. For the Lord says: "Every branch that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire," that is, of hell. Let us fear the fearful threat; let us glorify God in our body and in our spirit. The Apostle commands again—for these are also his words: "Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? God forbid!" Let us be kept in this way. Let us love our own wives as our own bodies, and we shall not lust after an unchaste body. B The wife, he says, should fear her husband. For by mixing fear with love, she will live an excellent life. Children, obey your parents, as he says again. It is just for parents to be honored and supported in their old age by their children. For they are the causes, after God, of their being brought into the light. And: "The blessing of a father establishes the houses of children, but the curse of a mother roots out the foundations." And: "Fathers," he says, "do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." So it is the task of parents to bring peace to their children, to school them and mold them with the character of piety. What remains? That slaves should be subject to their masters with fear and trembling, without guile, and with a brave spirit; but also that masters, relaxing their threats, should look upon all with equal care, knowing that there is one Lord of all, God. And here indeed is servitude, as is marriage; but in the future age both will cease, and all will be as the angels. C For this reason, anyone who wishes to be saved must watch and live according to the commandment: not to swear, not to be arrogant, not to laugh, not to live in luxury, not to play, not to be angry, not to commit fornication, not to be drunken, not to hoard gold. But what? To pray, to mourn, to sing hymns, to perform the commandments according to ones strength, to be content with little, to think on humble things, to love one's neighbor, not to speak against a brother, not to envy, not to be resentful; to be ready always for dangers on behalf of the good, not to fear anyone on earth except God the good; to be subject to the king in those matters where the commandment of God is not violated; to honor magistrates as ministers of order; to rejoice in the Lord always; and if there should be an occurrence of painful things, [to give thanks. D]
to the Lord, however He may dispose His own affairs. I have suggested these things in few words to your blessed soul, that I may show that I love my namesake, and a pious man, and an ardent friend. But if we still live, we shall still speak, we shall still exhort, we shall still persuade you to count all inferior things as naught in comparison to the love of God. For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, yet suffer the loss of his own soul? Let us flee from this, that we may find mercy in the day of judgment, and may be with God in ineffable joy for the ages.
CXXIII. To Euphrosyne the Abbess [19].
BHe urges the superior of the monastery to perform that duty holily and excellently.Having heard even now that the sorrow which your Reverence had felt from the passing of your blessed mother has been mitigated, I gave thanks to the Lord, who discerned you to be both a sincere lover of your mother and preeminent in the love of God: the former indeed through the sorrow filled with love, but the latter through fitting consolation; from which it was made manifest that you loved both your mother and God. But come, Lady, walk your path rejoicing and trembling: rejoicing, because you have been deemed worthy to be called the daughter of such a mother; but trembling, because the charge of the monastery's governance lies upon you; for this is no light struggle, nor is the reward to be held in contempt, but both are sublime in the eyes of those who understand rightly. You, therefore, as wise, as prudent, as one led in the Spirit by your mother, fashion for yourself the best and most regulated life, C proposing yourself to the sisters as an example of right action. Let the eye of your heart be awake for the keeping of the commandments of God. Do not stop the ear of your soul from hearing the voice of the teacher; learning and teaching, receiving light and illuminating, led by the hand and leading by the hand, offered to God and offering. May your name be famous in good conduct, so that God may be glorified in you and in your monastery; and may it not be dissolved by the lukewarmness of many, but may it remain diligently in duty according to the direction of the Spirit, in one sense, in one will, in one heart and soul, in imitation of the saints who are recorded in the Apostolic Acts. For it says, "Of all who believed, there was one soul and one heart: and no one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own D." This is a good life, this is the portion of the Lord; this is a true coenobium. Where these things are not, the contrary is clearly the case. What joy and glory for you, most reverend one, and for your children, to live apostolically, acting nobly by holding fast to the tradition of the fathers! For this is nobility: to lead a life acceptable to God, to converse as befits saints, to be called a chosen race, an honorable seed; of whom? Of that protomartyr Thecla, of Febronia, of Eupraxia, and the rest who belong to their same holy and blessed catalog. For if you have left the world, if parents
A you have renounced, if virginity you have chosen, if to Christ you are betrothed, if you have loved the kingdom of heaven, why do you not bestow all your zeal and care upon this, rejoicing that you have been deemed worthy of such a God-given gift, of an incomparable dignity? I do not speak according to human things—for these are shadows and dreams, which shall perish with the present age—but according to spiritual things; since virginity and poverty are the chief among the greatest gifts. And if those who are in the world are never satisfied, but acquire things that are vain and perishable, how much more satisfied ought we to be in the everlasting and ineffable goods? Truly I exhort, truly I beseech you: acquire the heavenly things; be daughters of God, glorious queens in heaven, brides of Christ, co-heirs of Christ, a light in the world, holy discourse, a conversation worthy of praise. You indeed, lady abbess and presiding one in Christ, and you, excellent offspring, daughters of the Jerusalem above, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
CXXIV. — Catechesis to his disciples.
Regarding their contentions among themselves, and certain other things he corrects.I, the humble one, labor at the catecheses, not from a desire for ostentation, nor from a puffed-up and absurd state of mind, but from fear and trembling, from an anxious and loving heart, B brothers and fathers. For it is a sign of one who loves to teach with diligence. Rebuke, he says, reprove, in season and out of season. 86 Add to this: exhort, instruct, and whatsoever else the law of God holds and commands. What, then, do we intend to signify by these words? It is about your petulance: that when called by pious and religious people for psalmody, you do not gather as is fitting and conduct the night vigil, but engage in verbal contentions and wrangling over whom shall have the first seat. "You anticipated me," one says, "and did not wait for me." "You partook of your own supper, and did not invite me." "I will lead the choir, and not you." And these things in the Church! And these things in the hearing of those who invited you; from which there is indeed the wrath of God invisibly, but C there is also a manifest sorrow and offense given to those who invited you. Do you not have the power, if any trouble occurs, to accuse one another privately, and to reconcile what arises through satisfaction and the requisite humility? But brother contends with brother, grows angry, offers insults, and behaves indecently in the eyes of all. O the petulance! O the spectacle so alien to monks! O the contempt for divine laws!
Then the cause is attributed to the superior. "Such a master," they say, "such disciples." Have you not made me hateful even to those in the city? Has not the glorious name, which was celebrated in our holy fraternity, been turned into the opposite? You fight and you wage war; you eat and you drink, not D
οὐδὲ quietly, but indecorously, but unmonastically. Therefore, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, says the Apostle, do all to the glory of God. A You, however, do not act thus, and you bring shame upon the holy habit; you scandalize the pious, or rather, even the impious. Would that it could be heard of each one of you: "What a pious countenance he bears!" "Oh, what great silence that one keeps!" Would that it were said of another, "What openness of heart!" Of another, "What orderliness!" Of another, "What dignity in chanting!" Of another, "What approachability!" Such traits adorn those who possess them, benefit those who observe them, gladden God, and bring honor to me, the sinner. But now, due to my sins, all is the reverse. And I do not censure all, since many, by the grace of God, are such as the word requires; but I censure those entangled in negligence. B I exhort you, therefore, or rather I command you: change your wicked manners and customs, your ways and your speech, your demeanor and your utterances. For what need is there, instead of good, to show wickedness to those who call you, to grieve God, and to shame me, the wretched one? I shall be heard, my brothers, for though I am unworthy, I shall cry out to the Lord. Then I shall separate myself from the disobedient. Perhaps I speak less prudently, and am carried away indiscriminately, not distinguishing the pious from the impious. Do you not fear God? Shall we not give an account for every idle word? Our God is a consuming fire, brothers. Let us fear Him, and let us serve Him henceforth holily, so that, abstaining from every evil even to the point of idle speech, and cleaving to virtue, we may become heirs of life eternal, C escaping the punishments threatened to the contemners, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
CXXV.—To the Canonesses of the Princes' Islands. He praises their virtues, and urges them to perfect holiness.
Yesterday, when I saw you, sisters in the Lord, because the matter was urgent due to the illness of the most God-beloved archbishop, I was prevented from speaking to you as much as was necessary. Now, however, I have judged it fitting to supply by letter what was lacking. For I saw your sisterhood, how great and of what sort it is—both ample in number and excelling in prudence—and I glorified our good God, who has gathered you in such a multitude D into one place, that, living under the cross, you may serve Him in holiness and justice. Whom, therefore, shall I praise? Your leader, or you who follow and are subject to her? Both are full of encomiums, of praises, and of commendations. And not only because you are joined by the bond of the spiritual life, but because you observe—as I have learned—an exact discipline of continence and mutual service and ministry towards one another. Blessed are you in the Lord; blessed is your assembly; laudable is your way of life.
A And to speak in the words of the Song of Songs, you are "a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed," a rose of good odor unto God, a lily of incorruption. O beautiful paradise! O meadow in which Christ God delights, who is in your midst, who is the tree of life.
But since there is also the forbidden tree for the trial and testing of virtue, B which is beautiful to behold—yet it is not truly what it appears, but rather bitter and deadly if one eats of it; and what is this but the pleasure by which our first mother Eve was beguiled? We warn and exhort you never to touch the lethal fruit, but to lay hold of the commandment, which is in every way beautiful and a fruit that is true in very deed, cultivating obedience and humility, charity towards one another, and equity void of envy, C abundance, detachment, and care and zeal for peace. For thus living, you shall glorify God in your body and in your spirit, as the holy Apostle proclaims. Thus you shall be multiplied all the more; thus you shall obtain the name of sanctity in this life, and in the world to come you shall enjoy glory together. It is written: "If we suffer, we shall also be glorified together." And what, then, is more beautiful for you? What is more august than to be called daughters of God, D sacred offerings, holy temples of virginity? Since, therefore, you are such, rejoice, sisters in Christ, rejoice, hating the joy of the world—hating the affections toward those joined to you by the flesh, hating the lot held in earthly things, hating all things that are desirable in the world: for "your citizenship is in heaven," and your inheritance is in the kingdom of heaven, and your spouse is Christ himself, who has called you that you might follow him: who shall introduce you through perfection into the heavenly bridal chamber with the prudent virgins. These things I have said in few words, that you may know that I have regarded you in the Holy Spirit as sisters, and I pray for the best things for you.
CXXVI. — To the monks of Photinudius.
D Of the death of an abbot, whom he praises: then of his successor, whom he exhorts to govern well, and the monks, that they may be obedient.
Truly, this news brings you grief, brethren, but there is even greater grief in the cause of this writing: that the good shepherd, the Father in the Lord, the guide and light, has left you, who for many years fed his many sheep and left the fold full of lambs—two hundred and twenty in number: a man venerable and composed of divine grace; white-haired, and bearing also a white heart; rich in love and richer in alms; truly adorned with many virtues, so that it is not easy to recount them all across a long speech. Alas! alas! how can these things not be heavy? How can they not be mournful? Or who, seeing the flock desolate henceforth, who would not weep to see these things happen? But what then? Are we to persist in mourning? Are we to be weighed down by dejection?
shall we abandon ourselves to our suffering? By no means, brothers. But knowing that it is God’s decree for all men who have come into being to return to the earth, and to receive a better life, free from pain, of which Christ our God, the Author of life, is the firstfruit, let us be consoled with the consolation of God, and let us come to ourselves. Let us say: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away” (Job 1, 21), that good teacher, that holy leader. For “what man is he that shall live, and shall not see death?” (Ps. LXXXVIII, 49). Thus, we may learn to endure the absence of our Father. We must give thanks that we were accounted worthy of such a man, and that his term of life was prolonged even to old age and gray hairs, and that he did not leave us without someone to care for us, nor destitute; but he even blessed our departure, and prayed for what was appropriate, and appointed one from among you to preside over you. Him we exhort to gird up his loins like a perfect man, and with a humility that mimics Christ, to take up the ministry entrusted to him, walking according to the rule and footsteps of that blessed man, that is, according to the word and commandment of God.
B We likewise exhort you, too, noble brotherhood, to obey your new leader in the Lord with a common faith and love, and to show that God is truly among you, and that the holy Father is eager to connect you all in concord and harmony. Indeed, beloved brothers, so be it, and so be strengthened. Even if every new beginning may not at once be easy, with the passage of time it attains experience and knowledge. And do not be like those who are restless and impatient with discipline out of a craving for power.
C But since we are in the extreme danger of persecution, I beseech you, do not betray your faith or your piety; but if it should come, do not under any circumstances be led astray by heretics. Endure with a brave heart, holding all things as secondary: not only monasteries and everything within them, however vast they may be, but even your own bodies. Choose the noble path of flight, and be crowned with the beatitude of persecution, which possesses glory, incredible and wonderful, just as that blessed man also commanded you.
But if anyone says that he was defeated—well, indeed, the disaster is to be lamented—yet he has been recalled, he has done penance, he has been reunited with the pious, and he is one of our brothers and Fathers, inasmuch as he has been received back by our most blessed high priest and patriarch. Knowing these things, then, brothers, be of good courage, maintain order, and fare well in Christ Jesus our Lord, who will grant him rest among the just, and perfect you in every good thing, our beloved brothers.
CXXVII. To Peter of Nicaea. Apologetic against the calumniators.
Now we are given the opportunity to write to your paternal holiness
A after our return from exile. For the incursion of the Arabs forced us, along with many others, out of our lodging and drove us to the Prince's Island before the city. Since we were worn down there by the press of the refugees among us, and by the heat, and by the water which was barely fit to drink, what need is there to speak? Then, when we proceeded nearer to the vicinity of Chalcedon, in addition to those two things, this third befell us: we fell into a most grievous malady which afflicted our wretched body with renal pains for seven whole days. To speak plainly, our journey had become most arduous. Nevertheless, three benefits came to us through the grace of God: first, that we were able to greet our most blessed pontiff and enjoy his sacred prayers; then, [to greet] these and those of the holy Fathers and brothers; and third, that by the mercy of God we were able to dissolve the objections and accusations B which the "architects of peace" had, I know not from where, ignited against us. They had previously painted us as schismatics, estranged from the communion of our divine pontiff; they claimed we had used private authority in the punishments of those who had adhered to the heretical communion; and many other things which are too difficult to include in a letter.
But to every particular, as we have said, by the aid of your prayers we responded appropriately, and we showed ourselves to be in communion with our holy pontiff; and he received us with supreme kindness, treated us lovingly, and sent us away, with no mention made of those things which had been fabricated through deceit. Furthermore, when mention was made of the blessed Lord Tarasius (for the so-called "lovers of the Fathers" had also said that we had defected from him, and that we called the second holy synod at Nicaea a local one), we proved that we both reckon him among the holy Fathers and confess the synod in word and writing to be ecumenical, even if C at some time, in some way, and to some people we answered otherwise. These things, just like the things that were done differently at that time, it is not necessary now to inquire into and rake up. For it provides a cause for tumult, and brings no benefit, but rather altercation and offense to the Church of God. In one way and another, this one and that one wrote and acted, each one thinking he held the truth. For many years, as you know, most beloved, that which is now in the mouths of all was performed, and what was then done and written, neither party can overturn to the knowledge of the East and the West. Now is the time for concord, now is the time for common struggle. The monuments of those who wrote anything, if they seem to posterity to be correct, D shall be worthy of praise; if not, otherwise. Faithful is the word, and we do not wish to say anything else about this matter, neither now nor in the future. "And the day of revelation will show it," he says, "and the final fire by which our deeds are judged and purged." These things have been written by me necessarily, partly as to a like-minded father and author of peace, and partly because the recollection of pain is accustomed to bring solace to those who are suffering.
And if, having been entreated, you are seen by us who are humble, undertaking a labor of love, you would altogether make us your own in every way. Those who are with us greet your holiness very much. We also greet those who are with you very much, most holy one.
CXXVIII. To Mary, who cultivates virginity.
A Since we have reached the point of receiving messages from your honor once and twice, we have judged it necessary not only to greet your reverence with a bare salutation, but also through a letter, and not so much for the sake of the messages as for the sake of your reverence. For we learn that you, having chosen the life in virginity, have settled to serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness. For what is better than virginity? Its care is how to please the Lord, how it might attain the blessings to come, how it might be able to flee the manifold stratagems of the devil. But she who is bound in marriage, on the contrary, [considers] how to please her husband, how to manage the things of the world well; she who is tossed about by the salty waves of life, in worrying about children, and menservants, and maidservants; and before these things, the things concerning the pleasing of her husband; not yet being able to rise above the revolutions of the world, and to be lifted up toward the Lord on the wings of the mind. You, therefore, O most beautiful of women, truly blessed and thrice-blessed, because you have chosen the good portion, after that renowned Mary, sitting as it were by the feet of Jesus, and hearing His word through a more tranquil life, you have sanctified yourself, having dedicated your life to God as a treasure. You have ennobled your blood in the Holy Spirit, setting yourself forth as a fair example. For what indeed will they gain who are under the yoke, unless they too might inquire after and reach out to God as much as is possible? Are not all marriages dissolved by death? Does not the beauty of this life depart like a dream? B How many things in marriage are truly pitiable! Some are without children, while others have bad children. Poverty and wealth: the former constrains and, as it were, roasts, while the latter are tossed about as though by dice from one [person] to another. Marriage chambers are built, but are also destroyed with lamentation; there are lamentations and wailings, and alternating calamities, with which life is full, and the examples of which are before our eyes. But you have escaped all these things, most excellent virgin, dwelling alone in your house, kept for the Lord as a rose of fragrance by your virginity; having, however, altogether also tribulations from visible and invisible enemies. For where there is an offering to the Lord, there the thief lies in wait to steal and plunder the sanctuary. C But take heart in the Lord, in whom you have hoped, in whom you cherish labors; because He is the guardian of your life; a helperin tribulations; who, also, as He completes your course, will make you worthy of His heavenly kingdom. These things have been addressed to you by us sinners, so that you may know that, as a handmaid of the Lord, you have also us who strive to serve the Lord as your brothers in the Spirit, just as we are your fellow servants by nature, praying for your honor. B
CXXIX. — To Leo the Sacellarius.
That a disputation concerning the images ought not to be held before the emperor.
Bound by the name of the vast debt of thanks and apologies that we owe, we think it right to return some small portion of that debt through this letter inscribed by our humility to your most praiseworthy and most desired excellence. For even now, what shall we answer regarding brother Silvanus? First, that your God-beloved soul admitted him into your presence as one of your intimates, speaking and interacting with that lowly man with honeyed affability and a cheerful countenance. Next, that you inquired about our affairs—who are sinners—and about the infirmity of the humble body of both of us, and in other ways showed the affection C of your charity toward us, even to the point of saying: "I fall under suspicion among those who are ill-disposed toward you, because I am a Studite," and expressing the fear that the bond of so great an affection might ever be weakened. All these things have bound us and have confirmed us more and more in a sincere love, so that we might use these words: "Never, O Lord of all, allow us to forget our excellent benefactor, our faithful, like-minded, and proven lover, our holy man, who is in all things and through all things our protector and patron, our master and Lord; but let this love remain fixed within us even after death, and let it accompany us in the future age, when we hope to know one another and to rejoice in God together with those who have loved us D by the impulse of the Spirit." But our discourse here departing, shall turn—if you so bid—to a double argument. In the former, therefore, whatever your sentiment may be, my lord, the same shall be ours. Thus, then, let us begin.
After a murderer is apprehended, he shall justly pay to the law the penalty that is equivalent. But now there is a civil war at hand, which, like other signs of divine wrath—earthquakes and famines, sea-floods and conflagrations—has been stirred up by God in just judgment for our correction, having destroyed as great a number of people as have perished. Since, therefore, the Lord, having had mercy, has checked the slaughter, He does not wish the survivors to perish; otherwise, He would have brought about a common destruction of all, just as in the time of the flood. What, then? He wishes those who remain to be saved and to become worthy of pardon. For He says in the Gospels: "Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you." And through the voice of the blessed Paul: "See that none render evil for evil to any man, but"
ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all." A Yet not without being open to rebuke. For even Cain, having murdered his brother, rightly received the manifold and oft-sung penalty. Lamech received a penalty from himself, and Absalom, who killed his brother Amnon, was by no means slain by his father, according to the problem of the woman of Tekoa; nor did David himself wish his father-slaying son Absalom to be killed, nor is it written that he commanded those who had conspired with him to be put to death after the cessation of the war. And so much for a summary regarding this matter. For God, being merciful, wills through chastisements—that is, exiles, imprisonments, and other such things—that the discipline of repentance be maintained for them throughout their life.
But regarding the other subject, what shall we say, since all things are known to your wise, prudent, and active mind? B The endeavor of the late Emperor Leo tended to the very same end, that we should hold a discussion with the heterodox, with him arbitrating so as to deliver a judgment contrary to us, as he supposed. Indeed, the disposition of him who now reigns was the same when he dealt with us face to face three years ago, although he said he would by no means be the judge, but rather this or that man from among those who, as it were, share our mind. Yet neither we, who were present face to face, nor the illustrious chief priest endured it, as both unlawful and alien; which is indeed the truth, my most desirable lord. For the discourse is not about worldly and carnal matters, C over which the emperor holds the power of judging and of secular jurisdiction, but about divine and heavenly dogmas, which have not been entrusted to others than those to whom God the Word Himself said: "Whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven." And who are these that are commissioned? The Apostles, and the successors of the Apostles. And who, then, are the successors? He who currently holds the first throne of the Romans, the second of Constantinople, and those of Alexandria and Antioch, and he of Jerusalem. This is the five-headed power of the Church. With them lies the judgment of divine dogmas. D As for emperors and rulers, it is theirs to render aid, to confirm what has been decreed, and to reconcile those who are in disagreement along carnal lines. Nothing else regarding divine dogmas has been handed down by God, nor will it stand if it be done. For this reason, those things that were convened and babbled with royal arrogance under the emperors Constantine and Leo concerning the dogma of the divine icons were rejected; on account of which this Church of ours was severed from the other four, subjected to perpetual anathemas, with the Holy Spirit approving. Afterwards, by the mercy of God, the horn of orthodoxy was raised up under the great Irene, when she held the empire along with her offshoot; under whom things that had been divided were joined together until the most recent Leo, under whom this Church was again divided and condemned by the same men with anathema.
A It is impossible, therefore, lord, that the divine judgment should be compared to a secular judgment, or that this Church should coalesce without the consent of the five patriarchs. But if anyone should ask how this might come to pass: it would be by the departure of the heterodox from the Churches of God, and by the recovery of his own throne by the holy patriarch Nicephorus; who, having gathered a convent of those with whom he strove (if it is not possible for vicars to be present from the other patriarchs—which is certainly possible, if the emperor wishes to have the Western [patriarch] present, to whom the supreme authority of an ecumenical council is also brought forward), might nonetheless effect peace and conjunction by sending his synodical [letters] to the prelate of the first see. But if the emperor does not approve this, and, as he says, patriarch Nicephorus has turned aside from the truth, an embassy must be sent to the Roman [see] from both sides, and from thence the certainty of the faith must be received. For indeed it is so: if one of the patriarchs goes astray, he must receive correction from the others of the same order, as the divine Dionysius hands down, not be judged by emperors, even if all the emperors who have ever been orthodox were to rise up. And our emperor ought by no means to despise this principle, B but to cherish it above all things, for therein lies the happiness of the empire and the duty of reigning justly. We humble and unworthy men have no other opinion, praying for the prosperity of your desirable life. If anything is wanting in this letter, the bearer, a worshipper of your venerable footsteps, will answer regarding it.
CXXX. — To the fraternity of the Cizareni.
On the death of an abbot, whom he highly praises.
The report of the spiritual falling asleep of our and your Father, most beloved brothers, has dismayed our soul, as was to be expected, and has elicited a bitter groan, not on account of the dead man; for blessed is he who finished a blessed life: since he was an upright monk and exercised himself excellently even to old age, and, which is the chief thing, C preserving the orthodox faith, he departed from life amidst persecutions and sorrows endured for the sake of the right, crowned in a certain manner with the justice of the confession for Christ: but [we grieve] for our sake, or rather for your own, who have been abandoned like a flock deprived by the death of a good shepherd. Indeed, the memory of the prelate provokes compassion and the pain of the heart, while the manner of his governance in the Lord comes to mind: in what manner he comforted this one who had collapsed, while he rebuked that one who was stubborn; D he exhorted one who was rejecting the reins, another who was sluggish he stirred up, ruling with mildness and equity according to the example of the Lord himself, who said: *Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart*; and, in short, in all things, in which among you he shone like a morning star
A Besides, especially from long-standing habit, the separation from a father is wont to weigh heavily upon the soul. But what shall we do, brethren, against the law of God which thus commands: *Thou art earth, and unto earth shalt thou return*? B Nay, rather, this disjunction is a departure to the Lord. He was bidden to migrate, and he departed from the body. He was separated from you, and was gathered to his fathers, leaving behind for you his own life as a clear example and image of virtue. What then remains to be sought? That you should return to yourselves, and console one another in the Holy Spirit. And since he has appointed master Antonius as rector for you, keeping the faith by the same rule and in the same footsteps of piety, and being prepared to suffer for it even unto death, if need be, according to the present persecution. By all means do not betray the truth, and embrace with all your strength mutual charity among yourselves and obedience toward your rector. For this is for your salvation: this will be a future glory for that blessed one on the day of the Lord: this is also most desirable to us, your friends and brothers. For, walking most rightly in this way, and following us likewise on the path of the Lord, as much as it shall be allowed, you will have us, most revered brethren. C
CXXXI. — Catechetical address to his disciples. He commends the duties of the monastic life.
Theodorus, the least [of monks], presbyter and hegumen of the Studium, to my beloved brethren and spiritual sons, dispersed hither and thither for the Lord’s sake.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who has granted you to suffer persecution for his name’s sake. Which, even if it is sad according to the flesh, is yet full of joy according to the spirit. For it is both a cause of divine beatitudes and a conciliator of eternal crowns. Wherefore I, too, the abject one, rejoice with joy and exult with exultation, because I have been deemed worthy to see that my beloved ones have progressed so far, and have arrived at the sublime degree of the noble confession which we have confessed before God and men, concerning the worshipping of Christ expressed by painting or image, according to all our holy Fathers. D I exhort and warn you of one thing: that you walk worthily of the Gospel of Christ, exhibiting your good conversation in whatever places you abide and with whatever persons; your speech seasoned with the salt of grace; your manner of mind full of circumspection; your food and drink moderated by frugality; your clothing and gait tempered with prudence, so that you may be a light to the laity, and not the contrary: an argument for your divine confession, and not the contrary. *As every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold*
A grace of God, as it is written. *If any man speak, as the oracles of God*—but let it not be empty talk; *if any man minister, as of the power*—but not through pride; *if any man work with his own hands*, that he may not be burdensome, but not so that he is merely avoiding being condemned as idle and not eating. If any man in all things acts according to the commandment, as a workman of God, let him not become instead a cause of scandal B to his neighbor; so that in all things God may be glorified. And I, miserable man that I am, hearing of this, am exhilarated and rejoice.
Behold the perverse conspiracies; behold the pernicious license; behold gluttony, the mother of adulteries. Let no one converse with a woman without necessity; let no one sit in solitude; let no one study greed, adding gain to gain, and increasing gold, in which is rooted sin and the portion of Judas. Let no one, while possessing monastic liberty, buy a purchased servant. For to such a point has the wickedness of some progressed, who have enslaved themselves to vicious C passions and have suffered the loss of their monastic dignity. Let no one gorge himself with wine, heeding the Apostle: *Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.* From these things, carnal desires are kindled against the soul, and the house of God—which is our inner man—is set ablaze. But let us be as strangers and pilgrims, each one of you, my brethren, in this persecution: *as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many spiritually rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things*, to use the apostolic words. D My eyes are ever toward you, whom I desire; my heart burns within you in the Lord. My senses are troubled when I hear something sinister about anyone; when I receive news of an aversion hateful to God, my eyes shed tears. My soul is crushed whenever someone, not loving God, walks contrary to the tradition, the constitution, and the demonstration of the things previously mentioned. You have gone forth, O Fathers, from the monastery into the higher light of persecution. For have we been separated from one another by the impulse of the Spirit into darkness? Have we been separated so that we might live voluptuously? Does God not see? Does the work of each one not reach the ears of men, in the way that you conduct yourselves?
These things you who have servants, hear; you who live alone, you who pursue women—that I may say nothing more—you greedy ones, you wanderers. I do not gladly rebuke, forgive me; but I accuse with pain, as one appointed for this duty. *Fulfil ye my joy, my children, that ye be likeminded, walking by the same rule*, imprinting good examples and memorials upon the souls of those who behold you, to the glory of God, to your own immortal honor, to the joy of me also, who am a sinner, and to the praise of your brotherhood in Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom be glory
in Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom be glory and power, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
CXXXII. — To the Superior of the Ignoroi.
AThat she may be an example to the nuns over whom she presides.I have praised and approved your piety, sister in the Lord, both in the gifts which you have sent and in the disposition with which you receive our communications. But there is nothing of the kind in us, who, while not being sufficiently instructed in virtue ourselves, how should we impart the doctrine of virtue to others? But I pray that you may live according to your faith in a divine manner, passing your life in virginity without reproach; and not only so, but also that you may carry out the office of superior without blame. Know, indeed, that it is a matter with great reward; but for those who are not cautious, it is also full of danger to rule over souls created in the image of God. Therefore, as one who rules in the Lord, guide your flock, B setting yourself as an example of every good thing, so that you may be worthy to say: "Behold, I and the children whom God hath given me." For God has entrusted souls to you through their renunciation, and it is necessary that you present them to Him as an acceptable sacrifice; and in this, your reward in heaven will be great. Teach them, urge upon them the saving commandments: to love Christ alone, and not flesh and blood; to live in poverty, to have nothing as private property; to be without attachment, and not to have any partial affection toward their companions; to work with zeal, and not be slothful in their asceticism. For if they are so, the bridegroom Christ will soon meet them bearing lamps, and they will be met with great joy; He will embrace them and greet them in a manner becoming the sacred; He will open to them the heavenly and uncreated bridal chamber; He will give them the kingdom of heaven, the delight of paradise, the drink of immortality, the sweetness of eternal life; He will clothe them in garments of light, He will adorn them with the ornaments of incorruption, with bridal diadems; He will fill them with infinite goods, C unto the ages of ages. For these things, you and they have labored; strive day by day to work out your own salvation; refresh yourselves with hopes; extinguish the fire brought in by the enemy into your souls with the divine love; for whatever is ordained for the training of asceticism is in order. With the lifting up of divine thoughts and hymns, find consolation, guarding yourselves also from the non-communion of heresy; and even if it be necessary to suffer for this sake, even unto death, by no means abandon the faith. For there is nothing more precious than the love of Christ; as the virgins from of old until this day have demonstrated; since even now there are those who are harassed and driven out of their monasteries for the sake of Christ, rather than share in the heretical bread. These things I have written to you as to a sister in Christ and a daughter, and to those who are with you, that you may see that
the Lord of us both is common; and how we desire all to be saved, since we are members of one body, that of Christ, and from Him are called brothers one to another. For in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female, but Christ is all and in all, who may He keep both you and us in safety.
CXXXIII. — To Ephraim and Agathon and the other children.
On the passing of Laurence the Superior.
A That blessed Laurence has finished his days, to him death is indeed a rest: for how could it be otherwise for a good man, departing from the toils of the ascetic life, or rather from the vexation endured for justice' sake, and migrating to the Lord? Of his virtues there are very many witnesses. But to you, most reverend brothers, and subsequently to us in our humility, this has befallen as a sad and bitter event, for we have lost a tried monk, a venerable brother, who was appointed to be the head and guide of the spiritual way. But yet, the sadness has been turned to joy for both parties, because an elect of God has been snatched from us by the command of the good God, in holiness and justice. Wherefore I, too, in my humility, rejoice and congratulate you that we have sent on to God such a vessel. For Laurence was indeed a vessel of election, first through his sincere renunciation and obedience; B second, through his love of virtue and his progress in it, for which he was deemed worthy of the priesthood and accepted the office of the superintendency of many brothers, ruling them kindly and usefully for the flock, living truly for God and his superior, not for the world or the affairs of the world: his exiles for the Lord are well known, as are his vexations both earlier and later: his feet were also beautiful, to speak with Scripture, when he went here and there, evangelizing to the brothers the saving commandments. His spiritual sweat was an ointment; his struggle and course of virtue a holy dew. Being taken up in this present persecution, what else did he obtain but blessedness from the Lord? And now he is indeed in heaven, enrolled in the same city as his companions; but we are still stationed in the contest, C and lie in fear of turning back. For happiness is not perfected in a man before his departure from life, since the outcome is uncertain. Wherefore I beseech you, brothers, to be vigilant and sober, to be manly and of strong spirit in the proposed contest of both the intellectual and the sensible persecution. For he who lives according to God always suffers persecution from the invisible vexer, that he may be caught in the snare of sin; let us flee from him, O strenuous soldiers of Christ. And how is it possible to flee? By being under the mighty hand of God, through pleasing Him in all things. But you will attain this if you do not live after your own will, but according to the common law, having, that is, the brother Ephraim in the place of the superior, just as he also consented, and we have assented, and as time and reason require. D Let all things be common; let "mine" and "thine" be banished; let charity be expressed,
and let obedience be preserved. And: "If you know these things, blessed are you," he says, "if you do them."
CXXXIV. — To Euphrosynē, Superioress.
Again regarding the passing of her mother.
A The memory of your blessed mother—yours indeed by both body and spirit, but mine by the spirit, and I make bold to say, that of many others—since that venerable lady urged me, as though incited by her herself, to address you, sister in the Lord, with a few words at this time. And what are these words? That you should fight the good fight of the ascetic life, to which you were called, and for which you confessed the good confession before many witnesses. And how is it possible to fight? By having the fear of God in your heart. For where there is fear, there is B observance of the commandments. By meditating on death. For where there is meditation on death, there is alienation from the passions. By worrying over the separation from the body, the angelic guardianship attending this, and the leading away of the soul to the heavens. How, then, might one pass by the prince of this world, who tries to drag toward himself the ascending soul, if he should see it marked by the passions? And then where might it find its place of rest until the time of the resurrection, when the associated body shall be joined to it by the ineffable power of God? And I do not yet speak C in detail of the imminent coming of the bridegroom Christ from heaven with the angels of his power, nor the snatching up of the God-loving souls into the air, nor the gathering of all creation together before the face of the fearful judgment seat; nor of the judgment upon both of the assembled parties—the one calling the righteous into the kingdom of heaven, and the other sending the sinners away into the outer fire. Therefore, the soul that thoughtfully considers these things trembles, fears, is pricked, weeps, is purified, is enlightened, becoming alienated from the relationships of this life; it is altered by a good transformation, D and hastens toward God in spiritual joy and ineffable gladness, so that it becomes irksome even to look upon the sun, or to enjoy the other pleasures of the present life, because of the surpassing contemplation of the Good. Thus it is to fight the good fight, most honored one. Having fought this, your good mother was united to God and departed this life in a praiseworthy manner. Let us therefore also, I pray, hasten to follow in her footsteps; and do not grow giddy at being invited to the height of virtue; because, on the one hand, by the grace of God you are being lifted up by these good ascents, in which I hear you are doing well; and on the other, because where the will is present, there the goal is achieved little by little, with God strengthening and loving the salvation of one so disposed. Perhaps you might think the governance of the sisters is an obstacle to such a purpose, being weighed down by the care of overseeing them. But not at all, O lady. For nothing is so acceptable to God as [to guide] those subject to you.
For he says to the great Peter: "If you love me, feed my sheep" (John 21:18). And again: "He who brings forth the worthy from the unworthy shall be as my mouth" (Jer. 15:19). And again: "He who has turned a sinner from the error of his way shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins" (Jas. 5:20). For if anyone, rushing forward out of a desire to rule, seizes the pastoral staff, he is hateful and abominable to God, neither saving others nor being saved himself. But if, having been called by God, he accepts the oversight out of obedience, he shall be shown to be both a friend to God and both saving and being saved. Since you have been called in this way, rejoice and tremble: the former because of hope, the latter because of the struggle. Rule and lead the way, shepherding and bestowing care upon the sisterhood. B You say that things rumored by hearsay terrify you? But you have God as your helper, and the effective aid of your mother's prayers. Cast all your care upon Him, and He himself will make your designs swift. Do you say that you lack someone who might properly defend you? But you have as president the very Lord whom you have loved; then also the angel who is the guardian of your life, rescuing you from every evil. Wherefore do not let your spirit sink, but lift it up; apply firm, not weak, strengths: providing for the good health of your body, so that you may serve God sufficiently and rule the sisters. And the sisters, in turn—for the word should extend to them—let them follow in a reasonable manner and be shepherded in a manner worthy of God, breathing only you, recognizing you as a true mother, and knowing one another as sincere blood-sisters. C For where such consonance of souls is present, there is Christ in the midst, and the perfect blessed life. For they have chosen a blessed life, embracing virginity and having Christ as their bridegroom, and not mortal suitors, whose companionship is burdensome and whose separation, which follows soon after, is much more painful. But the bridegroom they have, Christ, never dies; rather, He is the life of all. And they shall enter in with Him, keeping the vow of abstinence, into the heavenly bridal chamber. Let them eat, let them drink, let them be clothed, and let them receive whatever else is necessary for the use of life from your discerning, God-loving care; for the Apostle says: "Being so affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls" (1 Thess. 2:8). Only let them be of one mind, of one opinion, having one soul, one will, all things in common, nothing private, nowhere a contrary opinion; D and all things necessary for salvation will have been fulfilled for them, and they will have traversed the brief and most beautiful path of the coenobitic life; and they shall dance unto ages of ages with their good and God-minded mother. For thus the excellent coenobium, and she who manages it well, shall rejoice in a shared gladness, and they shall be with the Lord always. This is our short and valueless address. But do you, lady, receiving these few seeds, add from yourself what is lacking; and indeed, do not be loath to pour out prayers for us sinners.
so that those words of which we are teachers, we may appear as effective doers, and may be saved with you in the kingdom of heaven.
Epistle CXXXV. Catechetical.
AIt gives instructions of piety for the holy season of Lent.Since your reverence has sought a word of exhortation from our humility—though our word is of no value, and our life is neglected—nevertheless, because we are desirous of your salvation, seeing that you are a virgin, the bride of Christ, a treasure of holiness, and since you seek our exhortation out of confidence; and you seek it because of the holy Lent now standing at the doors; and the true virgin of Christ is not concerned with specific and defined days, but at every time and on every day she seeks how to please her Lord and Spouse. Yet the time of fasting certainly has a peculiar power of its own to sharpen one's zeal for the pursuit of virtue throughout the whole year. Therefore, most reverend lady, be eager to maintain now also your accustomed rule of asceticism in the monastery; for we cannot define this or that, either for you or for those who are trained with you, because your manner of life is not yet sufficiently known to me. But there is one law, one rule, to which it is right that all should be subject, especially those who profess the monastic life: that we should do nothing outside of what is displeasing to God, but
intempestiva garrulitate abstinere, inepta æmulatione, inutili otio: ac potius tempestivum silentium servare, loqui opportune, amare invicem ac diligere secundum Dominum: et habere communia omnia, et nihil privatim sepositum.
CXXXVI. — To Theodore the Strategos.
A ...are being met with the opposite result. O the calamity! What is this involuntary abduction? And what is this compulsory participation, hanging the threat of danger to the flesh over him who does not choose to participate in the heterodox bread? It is a voluntary sacrifice—O most Christian thought!—the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. B For the great Apostle says concerning Him: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and found in fashion as a man; He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Since, therefore, it is a voluntary sacrifice and voluntarily given to those who are willing, but not to those who are unwilling. For the Lord Himself says in the Gospels to the apostles: "Will you also go away?"—on account of those who had already left Him, of those who seemed to be disciples. And the response of the great Peter was thus: "To whom shall we go? C You have the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And again, the great Peter in his own epistle: "Feed the flock... willingly, not by constraint." Let those, therefore, who forcibly drag the unwilling to their communion know that they are doing this in the manner of the Gentiles; they are not offering the body of Christ, which was offered of His own will, but on the contrary, they are offering what has the appearance of a sacrifice offered to idols, inasmuch as it is a forced sacrifice, like the libations acceptable to demons which are performed among them. And the word is true, and the demonstration clear, and yet no one heeds. But, "Spare, O Lord, spare, and give not Your heritage to a perfect reproach," D as someone among the prophets said. But what shall we suffer, O most desired and praised by all? It will be said to us: If it is rather harsh, how can there be friendship in the word? Let us yet yield to the time. Shall we fear authority more than is proper? And where is the voice of the Lord that forbids fearing men, and ordains that one should rather fear God alone, in whom is all power and strength, who is able to cast both soul and body into the hell of fire? Alas for the fall! O for the trembling! in any person, and most of all in a Christian. Nevertheless, come hither again, my friend and excellent lord; let us be awakened, let us perform penance. "The Lord is near to those who seek Him," and He does not desire indeed the fall
of us through some transgression; but when we have fallen, He desires that we rise again swiftly, and that we who are sinning should turn back; and this, as often as it may happen according to any failure of foolishness. Your honorable soul might perhaps say: "He who has struck will also heal," and what is the punishment? For nothing is incurable if it is treated; the mention of medicine is not heavy to you.
CXXXVII. — To Procopius the monk.
A He reproves him for living outside the monastery.I write now to your honor, since I have happened upon the messenger of our letters, both mine and yours, who has also urged me to this very thing, as if your piety itself demands and loves it. Greetings, therefore, O man of God. Greetings, best of friends, and truly one of the ancients. Greetings, you who are renowned for piety, and who are heard of for your knowledge. Where have you left us at last, having hidden your honorable face for so many years? And what is the manner of your secluding yourself in your home, never coming forth or appearing publicly? And thirdly, that I may speak more plainly—or rather, more affectionately, for it is the property of love not to hold oneself back from helpful admonitions toward the one who is beloved—what is this way of living of yours, that someone who had fled the world through monastic perfection has returned again to his home? You, who had cast off the bonds of affections—for this is what renunciation is—are you again tied to the cohabitation of your lady-wife and your God-guarded children? And, what is even more strange, you, who had been tonsured as a sign of the solitary life and had been consecrated by divine initiation, are you again letting your hair grow long in the manner of hermits? B "Each one," says the Apostle, "in the calling in which he was called, let him remain." And again elsewhere: "Be without offense, both to Jews and Greeks, and to the Church of God." And in another place he says again concerning himself: "I will never eat meat forever, that I may not scandalize my brother." And each one shows himself to be recognized by his own attire: the soldier by wearing a sword, the city-dweller by wearing a cloak. And simply, almost everyone in authority, or in the arts, or in the trades, bears with him the tools appropriate to him; for neither would a doctor choose to carry a shepherd's staff, nor would a shepherd have a medical instrument in his hand. If these things are so, how much more then in spiritual and greatest matters should no one present himself in life or in outward habit contrary to those things which are proper to his state, lest he incur the judgment hanging over him from the Lord by scandalizing the world; C which let us flee, O most desired one, especially we who excel the many both in knowledge and in rank. For "judgment is most severe for those who are in authority." For "mercy is granted to the small," as it is written.
A And again the Lord says: "To whom much is given, from him much will be required." Let us not, therefore, I beg, being those who ought to be a light to those in darkness, be the opposite; nor let us, who are appointed to be the salt after the Gospel, be made tasteless through lack of attention. "Let all things be done decently and in order," cries the Apostle; "all things for the benefit of one's neighbor, and not to his harm." And if in the very things permitted to us there should be a cause for stumbling, the great Basil again cries this, and the whole of both Old and New Testaments simply commands everyone to remain within their own boundaries and customs; and do not think, lord, that I have approached thee arrogantly, but rather very lovingly and diligently, as one who receives thy affairs into my own, according to the blending of charity, and who desires the salvation of thy precious soul just as I do my own; but if my speech contains anything unreasonable, let thy discourse instruct me, and persuade my humility that thy deeds are done appropriately in those things that have been censured as absurd. B
CXXXVIII. To Theoctistus the hermit.
He endeavors to recall him from erroneous doctrine.The commandment of God, which requires us to love one another, and so much so that we lay down our souls for one another, has compelled me, spiritual brother, even again to write to thee, being anxious about thy salvation, since I hear that there is a schismatic division between you and other brothers—not a common one, but a very grave one, so that the multitude of the people has been torn into two opposing parts, one pressing against the other, and standing far apart from mutual communion; and this is entirely the work of Satan, the ancient murderer, and this is a great scandal; and it has been said by the Lord: "Woe to the world because of scandals." And again: "It is better that a millstone should be hung about his neck, and he be cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones." C And I marvel how thy reverence, having been practiced and having cleaved to God for so many years, is utterly unconcerned about this danger; which, if it is not corrected with all thy zeal and diligence, will not only render all thy asceticism empty, but will also alienate thee from God, which God forbid. For this reason, brother, moved by brotherly love three years ago, when I approached this place returning from Smyrna and had learned of the schism, I wrote to thee what I had heard, and how it behooves thee to think about the truth, and how to avoid the impending danger of the scandal. But thou didst not write back to me; and again I indicated it, and thou didst not answer me; and this is a manifest proof that thou art not willing to serve God, nor to walk uprightly concerning the truth. D Forgive me, and do not be grieved that I say what is true. It is written: "Thou shalt openly rebuke thy neighbor, and thou shalt not be involved in his sin."
Behold, I, wretched as I am, though I have never seen you, yet because you are my brother in Christ, I could not bear it in my fear; therefore I have rebuked you with rebuke, I have exhorted you with exhortation, stripping off judgment and loving your salvation. How will you yourself, who are accused and are the father of the schism, bear the judgment? How will you answer Christ, rendering an account for so great a people? Even if you had performed the works of John the Forerunner, He will cast you out from the kingdom of God, unless you hasten to make amends. And what is this amendment? If it be possible, by your own presence; but if not, then by an envoy of yours, a written defense concerning those things of which you were previously accused, clearing yourself through the apology, and demonstrating the right faith and the right cutting in all things of the word of truth. And if peace be thus brought about in the Lord—I do not say with this one or that one, but with me alone, the humble one—the scandal will be removed from the midst, and what was divided will be joined together; and the Lord will be in our midst, and His name will not be blasphemed on our account; I do not say among the Gentiles, but among Christians. And if any should dissent after our mutual concord, they shall be taught and united through us, the humble ones who will defend you as we defend ourselves. And God will be propitious, and your life will be blessed, and your end laudable, and your remains in righteousness. Lo, this is my second wretched letter. And if you do what is necessary, declaring and answering for all things of which you are accused, you have gained our brother, to speak in the literal sense, and we, humble as we are, will greatly rejoice over you. But if, which God forbid, you persist in this same silence and disobedience, you will bear the eternal judgment, working in vain, or rather, destructively dividing the people of God through your own private action. But we shall heed the Apostle who says: "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself."
CXXXIX. — To the Abbot Stephen.
A The frequency of letters shows the intensity of your reverence's love, established in the paternal custom. For that blessed one, among his other virtuous deeds, also fostered this beautiful study of charity towards the brethren in this manner. Write therefore, most beloved, imitating the Father in this, and gladdening us with the assiduity of your discourse. Yet do not offer praise, nor compare lead with gold, nor clay with a pearl. Pray rather B that we, as your followers, may follow behind, because I am useless in all things, even if, carried away by the force of love, you say that you are helped by our useless sermons. And if there be any utility for you
A that comes from another, the matter must be attributed to God, who distributes what is profitable both among these and those as the need requires. And so let these things be. But regarding the fact that those who have been restored by repentance make the sign [of the cross] at the table, or on some other such occasion—actions which those who have already escaped their fall have approved—I would say that it has already been examined and decreed by the holy Fathers, almost in a synodical fashion, that it is well for us, the humble, to keep this practice which is rightly approved, and to pass it on to others.
If, therefore, you yourself also wish to maintain this, we both praise and approve of it. For the fact that some refuse is a work of will-worship, condemned by the Apostle, a practice which possesses neither legality nor brotherly love. For whence will they confirm that it is safe [to forbid this], when there is no canon that decrees it, nor does our divine hierarch wish for this to be rejected by us? B Or is it not rather destructive of repentance and leaden with despair for salvation, that one who is permitted to partake of the sacraments, and to sign himself with the image of the cross, should not be allowed to sign common food, whether privately or publicly? Or do we not know that our good God and Lord, who alone is without sin and who takes away the sin of the world, endured for a harlot both to touch His immaculate feet with her hands and to anoint them with tears as well as with myrrh? But He also eats with publicans, and is with publicans, and has publicans as disciples; and nothing is as dear to Him as turning away from sin and mutual love. Thence He also designates that His disciples are to be recognized; and indeed, after his denial, He declares C the blessed Peter prince of the other apostles: what is greater than this for the confirmation of the matter proposed? What, truly, is more senseless than those who, ignorantly and arrogantly, do not allow those who have already been improved by repentance to sign [themselves] and pray? We, therefore, being humble, thus hold the view that has been stated, and we advise this to you. Others who hold a different view shall see to this matter themselves. We have replied to the things about which our brother Simeon asked, and we desire, humble as we are, that for you, honorable men, things may yield to peace in all respects; and we pray that you may be kept unharmed in all things.
CXL.—Catechetical Address to the Cyzicenes.
An exhortation to perseverance and the perfection of the monastic life.
We were glad to see, along with those who came, our brother Simeon, who has been appointed as head and rector for you: D partly because of the long absence, and partly because of his excellent conduct. For it is good conduct both for him and for us, that so many brothers should live together in one place during times of persecution. For wherever two or three may happen to be, it is worthy of praise, since Christ is in their midst, according to His promise. But for the whole monastery and a great congregation to be there in such numbers is praise beyond contradiction. And glory to the Lord, who has given us in one
spirit, with one soul, to work together for the faith of the Gospel, and to lead the ascetic life together, and to complete this clear and noble struggle. A We wished also to see you yourselves, who are absent, with our own eyes, and to be comforted by the communion of the Spirit, that we might learn the name, person, character, and words of each one. But since this could not happen, we have already seen you through your superior and your associates, whose presence refreshed our souls with the expression of their piety. What then remains to be said? That just as you have been gathered by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and linked together in spiritual harmony, and, shining by your unanimous concord in those places like certain stars in the dark night of heresy, B so may you remain the same hereafter: unanimous, thinking the same thing, of one mind, submissive, compliant, obedient, grateful, of good repute, chaste, sober, reverent, upright, perfect in every good work, still shining, and illuminating, still shedding light, and seasoning, so that it may be aptly said of you by the Lord: "You are the light of the world," and again, "You are the salt of the earth." Perhaps also, since you inhabit the mountains, that saying may fittingly be repeated of you: "A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden"; a mountain, that is, of high conduct, upon which those who have ascended dwell on earth as if in heaven, of whom the world is not worthy, according to what is said by the Apostle. C See, children and brothers, how the word of truth has lifted you up, placing you in lofty praises, and showing you to be true monks, confessors of Christ, fugitives from the world, men of better desires, slayers of the passions of the flesh, crowned in the Spirit. And these words are still without reward. But after you have properly completed the struggle of your obedience and confession, then, departing from this life, you will receive the blessedness of your works, which may we all attain, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.
CXLI. To an Abbot.
(He congratulates him concerning Ammon, whom the curator had brought back to the monastery.)D A greatest gift has God bestowed upon our province, most honorable brother, in the person of the most glorious curator, and one most excellent in piety; for, having become a defender of Christ, he brought under authority him who was living like a robber among Christians, although he had formerly been dedicated to God through monastic perfection. I speak of Ammon, once our brother, but now subject to you through the work of this admirable man, by the good pleasure of Christ Himself, who rejoices in the salvation of the one who was lost. What an admirable work has been accomplished by the God-loving curator, and how his
virtue warrants, but also as your own spiritual father, having taken the lost one upon his shoulders like Christ. I, then, in my humility, rejoiced and exulted because that which was lost has been found, and that which had been cast away has been brought home. And thanks be to the power and mercy of the glory of God, who both had mercy on him, and delivered me, the humble one, from my despondency. For I had been grieving for many years over the ruin of my son. You, therefore, have now become his father by the mercy of God, through the help of the good mediator; and you shall bring him to God, following this. For behold, I commit him into your hands, even as if before my own eyes, and let him be called your disciple, and let him study under you unto the end; and you shall receive his reward for ages to come. And you shall read this letter to him, that he may have assurance, just as I have written to him also; and let that which was written by the Apostle be fulfilled: *Bear one another’s burdens, and so will you fulfill the law of Christ*; who shall preserve you with all your God-chosen brotherhood, while praying also for us sinners A for better things.
CXLII. — To Basil the Hegoumenos.
He argues why he accepted gifts from an emperor who is not sufficiently orthodox.That which is above our merit, your brotherly reverence is always accustomed to write, adorning our insignificance with praises and eulogies; we, however, have learned not to depart from our own measure, and to consider ourselves as nothing, which indeed we are. But enough of this. Now, the tardiness of your venerable letters did not in the least cause us distress. For why? Or what was the necessity? However, it did distress us (for one must reveal what is in the mind) to hear of your presence in the city, and your discourse with the emperor, and his address, and your response, and your departure by his command; since we are again involved in the same difficulties, B detained under the hand of the heterodox. I would add also the mission of the oikonomos to that same ruler, and the sharing of food, and the escorting away. All these things have distressed us, most reverend one: and it hinders us—forgive me—your deceit, and gathering, and conversation, and the receiving and giving of gifts, and whatever other tokens of benevolence it is customary to use. *For why,* he says, *is my liberty judged by another’s conscience?* C And whereas we have practiced economy sufficiently in previous times, and that, as God alone knows, with great affection and mercy; it is now necessary also to be edifying, and not to suffer loss on both sides, neither by usurping what is alien, nor by recklessly casting away what is our own. I speak to those who know: *No one can serve two masters,* the Truth has declared. You are masters and rulers and leaders of your own monasteries and counsels: D but we are humble and wandering, having been cast into this place because of the persecution. Grant this
liberty to us, that we may lament our own sins. And I know indeed that this letter will be unpleasant to your reverence, just as it is to us: but nothing is to be preferred to the charity of God; for the sake of which we also, with our holy Fathers, because of the insult to Christ, have denied what we have denied, and embrace what we have professed. A
CXLIII. To the same.
He rejoices, having heard that he is resigning from his superiorship for the sake of the faith.
There is some consolation for our soul from your most reverend sorrow, if it is true that which you have written, and that you are ceding the power of the superiorship. For no communion, O friend, exists for those who have suffered persecution with those who have not suffered it, and who not only have not suffered, but even pay tribute to the persecutors, presiding over the monasteries that they hold; B unless perhaps some society be said to exist between light and darkness, which cannot be, as the holy word has declared. For that we have hitherto been inclined toward the lapsed through a medicinal indulgence, the matter happened in this way: that it was promised to us that they would no longer, by word or by deed, adhere in any way to the heterodox, and those who stood as it were in the middle ground, so as neither to possess the monasteries nor not to possess them; and finally, that the concession should be legitimate, by withdrawing themselves from the adversaries and resisting those who oppose. But after the time C of the requested accounting arrived, then that which had been agreed upon was not fulfilled before God and men for the more accurate curing of the former ruin; but there occurred a renewed abduction and a renewed ruin, both in words and in works, as the things themselves testify, and as we have heard from those who saw it; and the superiors were again unshaken, after they had been received kindly by the prince and sent back. The statement applies to all those who have acted in this way; and it is ridiculous to impose a penalty—nay, further, it cannot be done without the madness of those who impose it, and the vain quibbling and perturbation of the pious, and carelessness in the confession of Christ. D You must hear the Apostle admonishing: "Withdraw yourselves from every brother who walks inordinately, and not according to the tradition which they received from us"; or rather God Himself, who cries out through the prophet: "Go out from the midst of them, and be separated, and touch not the unclean; and I will receive you"—meaning those who withdraw themselves in this way, and do not confuse the confession of Christ. For what will they say, O most reverend one, both the superior of the villages and he of Gulaeus, along with the others who were likewise harassed a short time ago because they resisted, if they see you retaining the monasteries through the betrayal of the truth, and us being carried away with you? But what of those who are suffering harsh things in the mountains because of the severity of the persecution? Will they not grieve? Will they not lament? Will they not consider it...
A a ridiculous thing that we are suffering? Do not be deceived, says the Apostle, God is not mocked. The confession of Christ has not been debased, even if some fancy that they can think and speak otherwise. Since therefore, beloved brother, you wish to be accounted among us lowly ones, withdraw from the possession of the monastery, as you promised; for we urge this, and for this cause we pray, that as you are inwardly orthodox, so you may be outwardly, saving your precious soul, to which nothing that is seen can be compared. The Lord Archbishop, together with us, greets you most warmly, greatly desiring your salvation; and so do the rest B of the brethren.
CXLIV. — To Theodore the Patrician. He offers consolation on the death of his wife.
The letter comes too late, but it is because we were late in hearing the deadly news of the calamity that has befallen our master. O mournful account! Our desirable lady has left us; you have been torn away from your excellent wife; you have been severed from that praised flesh, as the holy word says: *They shall be two into one flesh* C. Now if there is, clearly, one flesh, there is no doubt that the separation brings such a wound upon those who are separated as a sword effects when it cuts one man into two parts. A bitter division indeed, and blood, as it were, flows before your eyes; and there is no poultice to be applied, nor bandage to bind it up, as far as human help is concerned. Besides, she who has passed away was a spouse of no common value, but highly praiseworthy and admirable. In the first place, she held a firm piety of faith, and love for her husband, if any woman ever did: which the holy D Apostle requires above all else in marriages. Hence, too, came her prayers and supplications on behalf of her husband's head, her cries and constant attendance upon God, while the blessed woman would set out on nighttime journeys with bare feet, so that by these means God might be moved to mercy. What of her care for the house? What of the upbringing of children? What of the protection of servants? The candor of her character, and her grace toward friends? Her reconciliation of kin? The lack of any envy toward her peers in honor? And in all things her gravity and modesty? These things, instead of golden necklaces, and strings of pearls, and costly garments, truly adorned that praiseworthy woman, both when she stayed at home, when she went abroad, and when she was seen in the royal palaces. Yet all these things have departed, and we have become, to speak from intense emotion, half-dead and broken; or rather, to speak as the Psalmist does, *as a night-owl in the house, as a sparrow alone upon the housetop*, seeing the house destitute of its protectress, and the children before your eyes...
A circling about and being circled, having nowhere to rest their hands, whence they might receive a mother's kiss, a lacteal inspiration. The hearth is parched, the sun having left it; and no one chirps in your ears, or those of your children, or of all your subordinates, now that she who was truly sweet-voiced is absent—she who used to delight those who heard her with her genuinely harmonious discourse and greeting. These things are truly pitiable, and lamentable, both figuratively spoken and considered in reality.
But what shall we do, O master? It is God’s commandment, or rather His decree, sung through the divine David: *There is no man who shall live and not see death* (Ps. LXXXVIII, 49). Thus, everyone from Adam, our forefather, until this present day, entering into the world by birth, shall again depart by dissolution into that higher and more godlike world. *For*, he says, *it is sown in corruption, it is raised
A in incorruption; *it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory*."
But, lady, let us return to our subject. He bore the paternal characteristics within himself: providing for the solitude of widowhood as much as was possible, and being the consolation of your whole life, as well as the support of your own home and of your blood relatives. And what has come to pass? He has flown from maternal eyes, lopped off from the good root, and death did not even occur before your eyes—that death from which those who send off their own people gather consolation through final words and a holy burial. But now, among other things, we have been deprived even of this comfort, as the good shoot has been cut down by a hostile sword. Oh, the miserable tragedy! Oh, the inconsolable turmoil and confusion! My mind wavers even now, considering the grief, where and how the event took place, on which part of the body the bloody hand fell, at what spot he fell and breathed his last; whether it was sudden; whether from a single blow; whether he uttered anything at the final moment! Alas for that hour! We sent forth our treasure with good hope, and have harvested an inconsolable mourning.
And who, while lamenting such grief, could say anything worthy of the sorrow? Perhaps even the sun is dismal to you, and the air oppressive, and the sea unpleasant, and the earth undesirable, and the heaven hateful, as it no longer possesses this fine star. These and even more than these are the things striking your soul, constricting your heart, pouring forth B hot tears, calling out lamentations, and leaving you in despair even of life itself. But come, lady, come, be refreshed; for it is time for a calling to remembrance; open your ears, listen to the divine voices: "*Man is like grass; his days are like the flower of the field, so shall he bloom*." "*There is no man who shall live and not see death*." —"*If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will also bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus*." Therefore, we have not utterly lost our son, but a little later, when the last trumpet shall sound, he shall rise to meet the Lord in the air, and there we shall see him. He was struck a mortal blow here; but there he shall not be tried by eternal sorrow, having been clothed with Christ through baptism, and having held the orthodox faith, and not yet having been filled with the pleasures of this world, having tasted them, as it were, only with the tip of his finger because of his youth. For which reason we believe that he will obtain forgiveness for those things which, as a human, he omitted or committed, through this untimely and unjust death. For how many evils, O lady, was he going to be filled with while remaining in the flesh? Or does it not seem to you that this life has become a place of temptation for man? The taking of a spouse, the begetting of children, the abundance of servants and other things useful for life; to which I would add the advancement of earthly glory. Disengaged from all these, he shall have great freedom of soul, becoming intimate with God, C and having had his soul only lightly sprinkled by the salty waves of life.
From this point, therefore, release and lay aside, lady, this inconsolable sorrow, and set a fitting limit to your grief. *Sacrifice to God a sacrifice of praise*, and meditate upon...
the words of the blessed Job: *The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so hath it come to pass.* Utter the words of David: *Turn unto thy rest, O my soul.* For your soul is the child of death. And looking toward widowhood, cry out: *The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man can do unto me.* For by thus disposing yourself, first you will gladden God, as if offering a voluntary sacrifice, like Abraham, in offering your son. Next, you will also do the most pleasing thing to the most beloved child himself, as he beholds you bearing your loss with a grateful heart. To all the others, too, you will provide a model of holy patience in Christ Jesus our Lord; whom we beseech, touching your heart in mercy and compassion, to pour into you the light of consolation and to grant you to pass your life in tranquility; and, your life here having been spent according to God, may He make you a partaker of the vision of your son and of eternal exultation with him.
CXLVI. To the Brotherhood of Pelecetes. That they may duly obey their new superior.
B It is indeed a grievous thing that has happened to your Reverences, brothers and fathers. And how could it be otherwise, since you have lost your shepherd and have become like a deserted flock, and that in such days, when cruel wolves are coming upon the folds of Christ, eager to plunder souls? Yet, since it is from God that this has occurred, and your shepherd has been taken up by Him at the time He knew to be expedient for both—He who disposes all things in His wisdom—it is right to give thanks, and not to be resentful. For the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; *as it pleased the Lord, so hath it come to pass.* What, then, is to be done? That you return now to yourselves; C and since it has seemed good to you to choose as shepherd our most religious brother, the lord Sergius—unless some doubt arises from our spiritual Father, the lord Macarius—proceed to be guided and governed by him whom you have chosen as your spiritual Father, for your salutary constancy and the perfection of a life devoted to God; so that you may avoid the storm of heretical spirits and be brought into the harbor of salvation, that the name of God may not be blasphemed because of you, but rather glorified, in accordance with the holy conduct of your life which prevailed before.
And you, beloved brother, you have acted not inappropriately, given the way circumstances have turned out, in coming forth from the mountain cave D and undertaking the guardianship of the brothers. For our Lord Jesus Christ also, by condescending, accomplished the mystery of the Economy for the salvation of all. Wait, therefore, as you have decided, and as has been decreed by the brothers, until the day of the manifestation of our holy high priest; and then will come to pass that which must be done in a more lawful and canonical manner. Until the time arrives which is sought, stand by the brothers and prosper in the Lord, as one about to render an account for their souls.
A And also as one who is to receive the reward on their behalf. For by as much as the yoke of governance is great, by so much is the reward more abundant. Only have eyes to see, and ears to hear, a heart vigilant and seeking God, a pastoral disposition, a word apt for teaching, a well-regulated character, a distinguished posture and bearing; let the word be preserved and directed entirely by the Word. And blessed are you, carrying out an apostolic work. For indeed the Lord showed that the preeminent demonstration of love toward Him is the pastoral staff, which He pointed out to Peter, the chief of the apostles: If you love me, He says, more than these, Peter, feed my sheep. Feed then the sheep of the Lord; securing them in the fold of the orthodox faith, and nourishing them on the pasture of His commandments, and causing them to dwell by the water of rest of His will. See that you be not snatched away, neither you yourself nor any of your sheep, by the heretical beasts. The things that have B happened hitherto are sufficient for those who preceded us. Now let us walk securely and without falling: sparing nothing, if the situation demands it, not even our own bodies, to say nothing of any other corruptible thing, for the love of God; may His peace reign in your hearts and in your thoughts, and may He direct your way in Christ Jesus our Lord.
CXLVII. Catechetical address to his disciples.
That they may spend the Quadragesima holily: and especially that they may flee the company of women.
The holy Quadragesima now being upon us, I have considered it timely to speak a few words to you, most beloved children and most honored brothers: and this indeed, being admonished by the Apostle to beseech, reprove, rebuke, in season and out of season. But now, the time of the fast has its own self-taught exhortation, since it knows how to prick even the hard and stubborn C heart. Receive then, brothers, these joyful days with a willing mind; each in the lodging where he is quartered, performing the customary duties according to his strength, so that through silence and frugality of diet we may cleanse the heart, lift up the soul, and trample down the passions. For this is what fasting and silence demand: this is the head of our salvation; from which also the participation in the holy mysteries will be accessible to us, and even more, a provision for eternal life. For he who eats and drinks unworthily, that is, not purely—insofar as it is permitted to our humble nature—eats and drinks judgment to himself, according to the apostolic verdict, not discerning the body of the Lord. For this reason we must struggle, my brothers, against unbecoming desire, and against envy which consumes the soul, and against avarice which submerges the mind, and against despondency which darkens the eye D of the soul, to keep ourselves pure, always awaiting the departure of the body, by which the passions wither, and—
A the soul is strengthened. Close the entrances to the passions; flee the places of temptations; flee feminine conversations and company. For how could a heart not be warmed, or rather set on fire, while giving and receiving words with a virgin, or a woman who is chanting, or with any woman whatsoever? How, to use the words of the Theologian, shall he save another, who has destroyed himself? For even if someone may seem to be on his guard in actual practice, he will not be sufficiently protected in his heart, according to the verdict of the Lord.
Therefore, persecution is not for destruction but for salvation; nor is there such great necessity as to compel one to dwell with a woman, just as distress forced the glorious Athanasius among the Fathers to take refuge under a virgin, or others of the holy ones to be served by women. But now both cities and regions offer free hospitality, so that it is not necessary to dwell with women. But you, do you not perceive that you are turning a confession and persecution for Christ into something against Christ, while speaking frequently with women, perhaps chanting with them, or even eating or living together—feeding upon the sight of your companion, and being enjoyed by her in turn? Flee as if from fire, both men from women, and women from men; and if it should be necessary to meet, let it be only as much as usage and necessity require, fleeing everything that might provide a scandal to others. For why is my liberty judged by another's conscience? And, If food scandalizes my brother, I will by no means eat meat forever, lest I scandalize my brother. Therefore, live without scandal, O children, and without offense, both to Jews and Greeks, and to the Church of God, as it is written; C mindful also of the uncertainty of death. Already brother Silas has departed, and before him the abbot Theosostus, and likewise brother Procopius, and no one will remain. And blessed is he who knows how to pass through this life without blame. Pray unceasingly for us, the humble, that we may be saved. D
CXLVIII. To Demetrio, Consul
[That he may properly fulfill his dual magistracy.]What other consolation could the absence of the body find, besides union through a letter? Therefore, O best of friends, we, the humble, unite ourselves now to your charity, embracing you in spirit, and making it known that absence has not dissolved our charity, but rather draws it on, thirsting for affection, just as those who are burnt by thirst run to the fountains of water. But this is enough of a demonstration of affection. Yet in what manner you proceed to govern the province entrusted to you by the emperors, we do not know; or rather, we are anxious and solicitous, since we hear that besides your former
A province, another has been imposed upon you, not by your own will, but by the command of the sovereign; and because, being further away than the former, it draws nearer to the Barbarians; on which account, as they say, your honorable soul has been struck with fear, being neither willing nor disposed to bear the sword, and to wage war or be waged war upon. All these things have moved us to offer up prayers and petitions that you may remain unharmed in both magistracies. And indeed, we trust that you will be preserved safe, having before your eyes the fear of God and the help called upon from Him. For where God is the helper, there every evil must depart. "For the angel of the Lord," he says, "will encamp round about them that fear him, and will deliver them" (Ps. xxxiii, 8). B Be such a one yourself, our most gentle master, through your piety and good works, guarded by the protection of the angel who is the keeper of your life. Watch in prayers, be sober in petitions, deliver righteous judgment, show a kindly eye to the poor, become a defender of those who suffer injury, and observe moderation in food and drink; for intemperance is the mother of evils. If others play and laugh, my master, listen to the Lord of all saying: "Woe to you that laugh, for you shall weep" (Luc. vi, 25). If others speak obscenities, do you, I beseech you, stop your ears; for words pave the way to deeds. If others fill their right hands with gifts, do you, C who love God, be content with your rations, as the Gospel says (Luc. x, 7), those which according to custom are given to those in authority. If others act impiously, do you be pious, withdrawing yourself as much as possible from wicked men. For you know that this world, like a dream, deceives those who serve it. "For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul?" (Matt. xvi, 26). Which, God forbid, should ever be thought of concerning your excellence, which has innate virtue and loves to serve God, who brought you from non-existence into being, and gave you life itself, and movement, and breath. Wherefore, see that you preserve safe the deposit which He entrusted to you through the Holy Spirit, both faith and right action, to give back to Him at the time of your departure, that you may hear from Him: "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many; enter into the joy of your Lord" (Matt. xxv, 23). And may it be granted to you to hear this voice, and to be saved with all your house in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
CXLIX. — To Lycostes, Consul. He consoles him concerning the death of his wife, a most pious woman.
D The one who brought your excellence's letter also announced to us the calamity that had befallen you; and indeed, your sorrow has truly touched us. For I am yours, and a kinsman, and also an ancient friend and contemporary; and it is impossible that he who loves sincerely
should not suffer with the beloved, just as, conversely, he should not rejoice in their joy. A But oh, the unwelcome news! The lady consulissa has left us; a woman, as it is said, and as we have heard from others and have ourselves observed with our own eyes, worthy of praise. First, because she was a lover of her husband—which is termed by the Apostle as the most beautiful thing in marriage—prudent, a home-keeper, easy to meet, affable, pious, a lover of the poor; and, what is greater, adorned with temperance and gilded with orthodoxy, whose fruits also—your children—are a testimony to the good life of you both. For just as the tree is known by its fruit, so too are parents known by their children, as to what sort they are and how great. And not yet having had profound experience of that blessed woman, how could I be able to praise her affairs? Only that, having been seen by her twice and having entered into conversation, I knew that God had truly given thee a helper; not like her of old, the first mother, an occasion of deception, but rather one who became for thee an occasion of salvation throughout thy whole life.
B O the calamity! She has departed; she has flown from your eyes; she has left you half-dead, torn away from your good consort. We have no eyes to behold that solace, greater than all delight; nor that comfort in tribulations; nor that consolation in calamities; nor that reminder, helper, and collaborator in all things owed. The sun of the household has set; who shall come to meet us? Who shall gladden us? Who shall console us? We have already become as one who has barely shorn off their own adornment, "as a sparrow alone upon the house-top," to speak with David. What then? Shall we grieve beyond measure and wrap ourselves in inconsolable mourning? By no means, by no means, O most longed-for one; but knowing that God, who first gave her to us for a life-partnership, is the very one who has now taken her back, let us bear the event with thanksgiving, imitating that blessed voice which he—not upon the loss of his wife, but upon ten children dying at once, along with the previous removal of all his outside goods, and even that later blow to his own body; he who had once sat as a king, now sitting upon a dunghill, and scraping the pus from his own flesh with a potsherd—uttered thus: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so it came to pass."
D If, therefore, O friend, we both resolve and speak these things for ourselves, we shall not be far from the lot of those others; but indeed, we shall also have made this a beautiful epitaph for that blessed woman. And we shall model those shoots given to us by God for ourselves into an image of a life pleasing to God; and all things from this point shall meet you for the good. For if God, the eternal Lord of all, shall see us willingly accepting what He has done to us, how shall He not also rightly distribute to us present things through the intercession of His Holy Spirit, and prepare for us future delights in ages without end? These things I, though few, yet as yours in charity, have written and ad-
encouraged. But do you, Lord, not disdain to greet your own illustrious children with our words.
CLI. — To Euphrosyne the Superior.
A That you treat the supervision of the nuns with all due diligence.
That your Reverence is a care to us, this humble letter of ours is witness. For we pledged to that blessed and holy mother that we would, as far as possible, cherish your dignity by visiting—whether we were further away or nearer; and to fail in that would be a sin. And indeed, even if that reason did not move us, your own trust in us, humble as we are, and your merits toward us would persuade us to bestow care upon you by letter. Hail, therefore, most honorable lady, and rule the flock which the holy mother, or rather God through her, has entrusted to you, in a manner pleasing to God and with solicitude. Know that the office of superior which you have undertaken is a B very great one. Recognize the condition of the souls that are under your hand. It is indeed a receptacle for the brides of the King of heaven, of the only beautiful and immortal Bridegroom Christ: who has entrusted to you not a single bride for the day of His espousal through the union in the Holy Spirit, but as many in number as you have, since you yourself are the first bride. For Jesus espouses even those who, like you, have come from the world; as the Bridegroom of many and C infinite [souls], and desiring that all souls, both of men and women, be joined to Him, to fill the heavenly conclave, in which there are many mansions, like chambers prepared by the Father for the souls which have been deemed worthy through a pure life and sincere faith; so that, when the time of the coming of the Bridegroom arrives, they may run after Him, and enter together into the chamber, and enjoy that eternal joy for ever and ever.
Behold, the ministry which you have received from the Lord is shown to you; it is great, and to be rewarded with many D heavenly rewards; so that not only you, but many brides may be brought to the immortal Bridegroom. For whom, what and how great is the recompense! He will place you among the excellent brides, among the chosen maidens; He will provide you with ornaments—the everlasting charismatic gifts of the Spirit; with shining garments, glittering with incorruptibility; He will crown you with the crown of righteousness; you will dance an indissoluble dance, equal to the angels, with everlasting exultation. What remains is this: realize, lady, and pay attention to yourself, and guard the brides of Christ with care. Feed them with the pure bread of orthodox doctrine, give them to drink from the stream of good deeds, so that they may be fat and beautiful—I speak of the beauty and appearance of the soul, which Christ our God desires, as the holy David promises. For thus he says: Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear; and forget
A your people, and your father’s house; and the king shall desire your beauty: for he is your Lord, and you shall worship him. Do you see that in your forgetting—that is, in renouncing parents, brothers and relations, friends and all things in this life—the King has desired the beauty of your soul for betrothal? As for the saying, "He is your Lord, and you shall worship him," this shall come to pass for you on the day of His appearing. Oh, oh, how wisely you have acted by forgetting all these things! Wonder of wonders, what a Bridegroom you have attained! Clap your hands, shout to God with a voice of exultation; for you have been exalted above all the kingdoms of the earth; you have been made more beautiful than all the beauties of the earth. The angels themselves revere you, the archangels attend upon you; you are preeminent queens in the heavens, above all mothers and daughters who come from the flesh. Therefore rejoice, and rejoice with one another, bearing the labors of your ascetic life from this point on—or rather, of your bridal chamber—with courage; knowing that all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass; and all the desires of this age end from corruption in corruption; but your love alone and your desire is endless and incorrupt. Wait yet a little while, endure, submitting yourselves well and obediently to the lady who is the first bride, who imposes the amorous customs and observances of the Bridegroom Christ; for she, as a bearer of the Bridegroom, and presenting her own soul—not to say anything else—for the defense of the maidens, not only of soul, but also of body, fulfills that which was said B by the Apostle: "Being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not only the Gospel of God, but also our own souls" (1 Thess. II, 8), in Christ Jesus our Lord; from whom you also, on our behalf, ask for the salvation of our humble soul: that we may ourselves remember those things of which we have warned others, and that we may all be delivered from the Evil One.
EPISTLE CLI. — To Severianus, his spiritual son
C That Christ is not worshipped in His image, nor should an image of Christ be worshipped with religious adoration.
The measure of joy that your short letter caused us, my son, finds an equal measure of sorrow in the longer one. For it is as if you had never heard from us what was fitting, and as though no words had been spoken concerning the propositions contained therein; you now burst forth into these expressions, pretending to be contending against another person, but in reality setting yourself against the truth: although it is by no means permitted for you to teach. And I do not say this D only because of your frailty—endure this patiently—but because those who are held fast by heretical communion, of whom you are one, have no authority to open their mouths; but they ought to remain in the silence that is fitting for them, and to ask for forgiveness for the rest of their lives.
Furthermore, you do not possess such skill in dogmatic science as to know how to speak accurately, since you have touched neither upon grammar nor philosophy; whereas even those who are well versed in these things do not themselves set forth any doctrine of their own regarding God, but strictly follow the footsteps of the God-bearing fathers. Whence, therefore, did it occur to you, I ask, to say: “The image of Christ is not worshipped relative to an object?” Do you know what a relation is? A relation is of those things which are “to something”; but the prototype and its derivative—that is to say, Christ and His image—are “to something” because each is held within the other, and is not separated either in power or in glory. Behold, in your ignorance you know not, and it is well to say of that: “I saw wickedness under the sun, a man who seemed to himself to be wise; and, what is worse than this, he attempted to instruct others.”
And what is your second proposition? “Christ is worshipped in His image; therefore, the image also ought to be worshipped with *latria*.” From where or from whom did you learn these things that you teach? For no one among the saints has said this; but they have said that Christ is worshipped in His image, and that the image is worthy of worship—that is to say, of honor or veneration (for the sense of both is the same)—and deservedly so, since *latria*, just as faith, pertains to the holy Trinity alone, while other things pertain to others: the Mother of God, the holy Cross, the saints, the venerable image of Christ, and all other holy images, and this only to the extent that the prototypes excel those things that are expressed from them. But if, as you say, Christ is worshipped with *latria* in the image, then since it is the property of the Trinity to be worshipped with *latria*, the Father and the Spirit are also worshipped with *latria* in the image. And what is the consequence derived from this? This: that the Father and the Spirit have also taken on flesh; than which, what could be said to be more impious? And, furthermore, since you say that the image of Christ is also to be worshipped with *latria*, it follows of necessity that you will be found a Tetradite, worshipping the image of Christ along with the Trinity. But if one should worship the Trinity, and likewise the image, the same absurdity will not follow. For it has been said that honor and reverence are shared even with a simple man, but not faith and *latria*. For just as we believe only in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, so also do we offer them *latria*. Give ear to these things, brother, I pray you, and distance yourself from the empty babbling of the Tzycalic, or Centucladic heresy, which is diametrically opposed to the Iconoclastic. But if, which God forbid, you persist, know that you have no part with us, or rather, with all the orthodox. It was with pain that I dictated this letter to you.
CLII. — To Theodore the Monk.
Concerning priests and deacons having fallen through subscription and heretical communion: and concerning the churches which were held by the heretics.It was with pleasure, not annoyance, that I received those things with which you reproached me, most reverend sir. For I am not so incorrigible as to
A be vexed at friendly rebukes. And if I was stung, it was not because of the reminder, but because of the heresy of each one, by which the body of Christ is cut asunder, being divided into a thousand opinions. I, therefore—that I may begin from the starting-line (for I must defend myself, being accused)—since I was compelled from the first day to impose a penalty, and that from prison by letters (because there was a petition in writing from both monks and priests)—I answered this not as a ruler, but in a consultative way regarding the penalty set by me. Why so? Because I am not a hierarch, but a priest; I lead my own disciples with admonitions, but not others in the same way. Rather, as has been said, I have postponed the matter for them until a time of peace, and then—whatever is determined by the most holy patriarch, with the approval of the holy synod—to accept it, whether it be an addition to the penalty or a mitigation. And I do not think I have done anything beyond what is reasonable, B having stretched out a hand to the fallen in mercy, without arrogating the authority to myself, which would be absurd.
But what is the penalty? It is varied for various offenses, which the brevity of a letter does not allow me to declare. To express it in summary: whoever is a priest, or even a deacon, convicted of subscription or communion with heretics, is to be entirely barred from the sacred ministry, and indeed from communion. But after the completion of the penance, he may be a participant in the sacraments, but in no way of the ministry, until the holy synod; and he is to bless and pray as an ordinary monk, not as one in holy orders, but even this only after the completion of the penitential period. Neither are they to enter into churches held by heretics, nor, if a temple is held by an orthodox person after heretical offerings have taken place there, is the orthodox person to perform the liturgy in it without the license of an orthodox bishop.
Since, therefore, by the favor of God we were released from prison and were joined with the most holy patriarch and the holy bishops, and C furthermore rendered an account to the holy abbots, we were not reproached by anyone for anything—only by one person concerning the matter of blessing; to whom we answered that if it is blameworthy, let the decree be issued by the head, and we shall be silent. So let those who bring charges not blame us, but the lord bishops, whom we, humble and lowly, follow; and by them being forcibly urged until this day, we have given penalties according to the aforementioned order, and we give them whenever it happens. Let the fault-finders take heed, lest, while they strain out D the gnat, they be found swallowing the camel; and while they examine the splinters, they do not perceive that they are carrying around the beam. We, therefore, God-honored brother, have lived in this way, with God as our witness, in sympathy and brotherly love—not according to personal bias nor any other human contingency. But he who troubles us, says the Apostle, shall bear his judgment, whoever he may be.
Epistle CLIII: To Laurentius the Son
A That no offering or sacred rite be made for one who has hanged himself, but only alms.A crime has reached our ears, my son Laurentius, which was committed in the town of Antisara through the prompting of the evil demon; and we have groaned greatly over it, both according to the common law of human charity and because he who strangled himself was joined by blood to our brother Athanasius, the protopresbyter (by whom I have been moved to write). O tragic spectacle! A man held in honor, superior to the local inhabitants, well-provided with the means of life, a prudent man, assiduous in prayers and supplications, and approved in the rest of his course of life—with no disastrous event B having occurred, which is often the cause of turning aside from duty—to have committed such a crime in no perturbation of circumstances as to put on the noose. O—and I will say it again—hateful voice! Such are the machinations of the devil. He is a murderer from the beginning, as the Lord said. He first urged Ahitophel, then Judas, to hang themselves; and he does not cease, even to this day, to persuade those who obey him to do the same. But I think he preys upon man in two ways, as we have learned by experience: either from inconsolable grief of heart, or from insane desire, spreading darkness and casting them down. For just as in homicide, or adultery, or other similar sins, he shows darkness as light and the bitter as sweet (for he could not hunt and capture us unless he taught us to perceive things this way), so too in the hanging; he made the death seem sweet, C he darkened the mind, and accomplished the hanging. I think I know what the dragon is like, and by what sorceries he murders men at every turn. He does this to one man in one way, and to another in another; and there is no one who will escape his snares without the help of God, which will be with him who lives faithfully with fear and trembling, according to His commandment.
But let the discourse come to the point at issue. You have indicated that all the inhabitants of that village avoid his house, that is to say, his wife and children, and are unwilling to deal with them, or touch anything, or even offer bread in return. And if those belonging to the man who strangled himself say that he acted rightly, and that they wish the same end for themselves, then they are rightly abandoned; D though not immediately. For it was necessary first to teach, to enlighten, and to exhort them to flee from such destruction; for this is what Christians do, and those who love their brethren. For even the Lord, when He knew what Judas was about to do, tried to dissuade him with many tokens of benevolence and suitable warnings for correction, pronouncing "woe" upon him, and saying: "It would have been better for that man if he had not been born," although the wretch did not understand. But if, as you say, they mourn for him who perished with the same end as Judas, and pray that every Christian may be spared that lot, and supplicate...
A for consolation; what is it you are saying, unless that these villagers are setting themselves against Christ and opening to the devil a door of destruction for those who are worthy of consolation? Woe to those who act thus, for they are co-workers of the devil. Rightly did the Lord Macarius and spiritual Father console them; rightly did he take food in that house; and let no Christian hesitate to do the same.
But with regard to the subject of penance—not that they are culpable; for each one, he says, shall die in his own sin, and children shall not die for their fathers, and conversely—for the sake of consolation, they shall abstain from meat for one Lent, and likewise not participate in the holy mysteries. Let them enter the church to pray, remaining until the catechumens are dismissed, and let them give the share belonging to the wretch to the poor. For it is not permitted that an oblation or liturgy be offered for him entirely; but let alms be given; for this benefits even an unbeliever, as Chrysostom says; and besides, the silver coins of Judas were given for the burial of strangers. And let them fix the sign of the life-giving cross in the place B where the hanging occurred; for the cross itself was fixed in the place of the Skull, because there was the skull of the man Adam, from which it also takes its name. These things we have to say from the Scriptures; and exhorting those to whom this happened to put an end to their great grief, and through thanksgiving and good works to be assiduous toward the good God. And we advise the villagers to lay aside their wicked judgment and have communion, as before, with those of that house, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
CLIV. To Niceta the Abbot.
[ccxxxii.] C Participation and communion are the same thing; and thus it is that the bread of heretics, when it is participated in by some, makes them communicants with the heretics.It will not be untimely, I think, this present letter to your paternal holiness; not only because it fulfills the duty of charity, but also because it discloses something grievous that sits heavy upon our humble soul. And, if you permit, attend to what I say. After our return from the sight of your holy paternity at Acrita, I met with our brother Athanasius, recounting the things discussed in the Lord; adding, moreover, that the superior of Medicius D commends Maximin for his most beautiful conversion, that is, in his apology and confession. But he refused; and when I asked the reason why he refused: "In the Apologetic which he wrote," he said, "and which I myself have read, he says that he participated, but did not communicate, and that this was a dispensation, by which strict law is relaxed, but truth is not lost." What is this, most honorable Father? Does he not confess, so to speak, that out of sparing the old man,
A I have destroyed my soul, having participated in the denial of the image of Christ, and of the Theotokos, and of all the saints? For this is the Iconoclastic heresy; and in this I have been gathered with the impious. Then, I remained until the end in my monastery, free from persecution, while our Church was being shaken. Does he not thus confess and lament? But he sings those trifles, and, as he who told me reports, he brings forward in his own defense a certain Dianius among the Fathers, who did the same thing and was accepted, he says, by Saint Basil; and then also the father of Gregory the Theologian. O [the] just indignation, both of our sacred high priest and of the whole choir of confessors! For if this is not to communicate, nor to fall, what is the fruit of the struggles and battles, the blood shed, and the hardships of those who suffered them? And why was he himself cut off? Why does he leave the monastery? Why is he restrained from the sacred liturgy? O, and I say it again, [what] divine B indignation! Because, holding the truth in unrighteousness, he thinks that the Fathers were affected by the same things as himself. Come then, let us see this irrational argument: "I participated, but I did not communicate." Therefore, the celebrated one among the theologians speaks somewhere thus: "I participated in the image, and I did not keep it; he participates in my infirmity, that he may both save the image and deliver the flesh to death." So he communicates in a second communion, which is far more paradoxical than the first. Behold, the term "I participated" has been shown to signify communion. For participation and communion are the same; the former is so named from being shared, the latter from those who participate being made common. And the divine Apostle likewise says: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of the Lord? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of the Lord? Because we, being many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of the one bread." C Behold, here also the light of the world has shown that participation is communion; and no one of sound mind would say that participation is anything other than the partaking of it. Just as, therefore, the divine bread, being partaken of by the Orthodox, makes all who participate in it one body; so surely the heretical bread, joining together those who participate in it, makes them one body opposed to Christ; and the idle-talker speaks idly in vain. But if, because the mind was not in agreement with the act when he participated, this is the more un-sinful—that is, that although he knew he was acting wrongly, yet he sinned with knowledge, not fearing Him who destroys both soul and body by casting them into hell, but fearing him who strikes the body for a time—what does it profit to join the D incompatible? Why does he consider the saints to be his advocates, when they contradict him? In their judgment, merely to nod or to shake the head, when it is a question of confession or denial, is decreed for them to be the fulfillment of the deed; and not even hypocrisy for the sake of testimony
A do they permit, of merely touching a victim, not even one sacrificed to idols, nor one slaughtered privately; and the examples are countless. For what else but this was in the previous persecution? The holy patriarch was seized, banished, and confined in an obscure place; an anti-throne Christ-fighter [replaced him]; a synod of nullifiers; the anathema of the holy synod at Nicaea; the recall of the one who was formerly an anti-Christian; the banishments of holy bishops and superiors, of monks and nuns; captivities, untimely deaths, bonds, strangulations by hunger, plunderings; and what is more terrible, both to be seen and to be heard, the venerable icon of Christ insulted and trampled upon, as well as those of the Theotokos and of all the saints; and the temples and the altars being laid waste; the holy things desecrated, delivered to fire. Since these things are so, is not everyone who has communicated, that is, partaken of the poisonous bread, a denier of Christ, cast out, impious, unless he is recalled through repentance? This is how the truth stands; and for this the martyrs were killed, and those who held fast endured all things. And if anyone walks by this rule, says the Apostle, peace be upon him, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God (Gal. VI, 16). For the matter of Dianius, and of the father of the Theologian, and if there be anything else of such a kind, which was craftily handled by the heretics in a technical document, was a theft of those who were deceived by their cleverness, and not [done] out of any fear, as those holy men signed. Therefore, immediately upon recognizing the deceit, the recovery was a bold apology. These things, holy Father, if it is permitted to you, convey to the man, that, knowing the truth, he may cast away that unjust document, and be enrolled in the number of the pious; since he is also an old man, and censured, and for this cause left his renowned monastery. If not, then at least pray for us that we have no communion in this matter with the man, if he should not repent. B
CLV. — To Theophilus of Ephesus. That it is not necessary to kill heretics.
I took into my hands the letter which your holy Eminence sent to our brother Athanasius, and having read it, I was moved with no small grief, my most honored Father. First, because even among us ourselves, who keep the word of the truth under the currently raging heresy of the Iconoclasts, quarrels arise and schisms spring up; then, because I, the least of all, am compelled to draw up a contrary dissertation in opposition. But may your magnificence forgive me; for it is for the sake of the truth that I speak, than which nothing is more precious, nothing more to be revered. What then is that which is contained in the letters, regarding which grief arises? "We," you say, "have counseled neither that the Manichaeans be killed, nor that they not be killed." For if we permitted this, we would be doing the greatest of the most beautiful deeds. What are you saying, D man
A honored by God? The Lord forbade this in the Gospels, saying: "No, lest in gathering the tares, you root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest." And would you say that the greatest of these most excellent things is the authorization of rooting them up? Since He called the heretics tares, denoting both those then present and those who would arise later, that is to say, all of them, let us hear Chrysostom interpreting this very thing, where he says: "What then does the Master forbid, saying, 'Lest you root up the wheat with them?' This He said, forbidding wars to occur and bloodshed and slaughter. For it is not necessary to slay heretics; otherwise, an implacable war would be introduced into the world." And after other things: "What else does 'Lest you root up the wheat with them' mean, he says, but that if you were to take up arms against heretics, it is inevitable that many of the saints will also be struck down?" Which is what also happened in our times. For indeed, blood and slaughter have filled our world, and many of the saints have departed with them, and the word of the Lord has not failed, as has been acknowledged by many. B And what are we to say about not permitting heretics to be killed? We are not even permitted to imprecate against them. Let us hear the Lord again to holy Carpus, as the words of the most wise Dionysius suggest, speaking thus: "Strike me again; for I am prepared to suffer again for the salvation of men, for this is agreeable to me, provided that other men do not sin. But see if it is well for you to exchange your dwelling in the chasm with the serpents for that which is with God and with the good and man-loving angels." C You see, most wise man, the divine indignation, because he was praying against the heretics that they might depart from life; and how, if he had persisted in that intention, the holy man was about to be condemned. Therefore, as the truth has shown, it is not right to imprecate; rather, it is better to pray for them, just as the Lord Himself when He was suffering prayed to His own Father, saying: "Father, forgive them their sin; for they do not know what they do." But as for what your holiness says, that you have some saints who are of the same opinion as you; forgive me, Father, we do not interpret the words of the saints correctly, and from this we are understood to oppose the Fathers and God Himself. For the divine Cyril, in his work against Julian, spoke according to what had long ago been established, not joining the Old Testament with the New; D far be it; for he was not unaware that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who were under the law; nor was he unaware of the comparison which the Savior uses, when He says: "It was said to those of old; but I say to you thus." Wherefore, as the divine Dionysius says to Demophilus, we will by no means approve of your unenviable impulses, even if you were to repeat Phinehas and Elijah a thousand times. For these things, when Jesus heard them, did not please the disciples who were devoid of this gentle and good spirit. For also our most divine sovereign.
A founder in meekness teaches those who are set against the doctrine of God. For those who are ignorant must be taught, not punished. Listen, O blessed one, to what the holy Paul, the sun of the world under heaven, has said. So too the God-bearer Ignatius says: "It is fitting to hate those who hate God, and to pine away over His enemies; yet not to pursue or strike them, as do the nations that know not God." If one must not even strike them, much less should one kill them. And when you suppose, O holy man, that Saint Simeon, who is on the Wondrous Mountain, agrees with you, do not imagine that he opposes Christ or teachers greater than himself. But why? His discourse was an exhortation to the emperor of that time concerning the race that was harassing the Christian people, that the Christians might not be oppressed by the Samaritans. This is well. And now we counsel the same thing: that the emperors should make war against the Scythians and Arabs who are killing the people of God, and not spare them. But that is different from this; for that is against enemies, while this is against subject heretics. Wherefore, what is reported concerning John the Faster, the prelate of Constantinople, that he ordered the sorcerers to be crucified, does not seem true to me; rather, that he allowed it. For they are murderers, and those who hold power from the Roman laws are not forbidden to judge them. "For he does not bear the sword in vain," he says; "he is an avenger upon him who does evil" B; but one must not permit it against those whom the Lord has forbidden. For those who preside over bodies may punish those who are convicted in bodily matters, but not those who are in spiritual matters; this belongs to those who rule souls, whose chastisements are excommunications and the other penalties.
So then, O lord, we the humble think thus; and indeed, if we may speak in our folly, we have spoken freely to our most blessed patriarch, that the Church does not take vengeance with the sword, and he acknowledged it; but to the emperors who committed the slaughter, to the first, that such a slaughter did not please God; and to the second, when he demanded a defense of the killing, that my head would be cut off sooner than I should consent to such things. These are the words of us, the sinners. But you, most holy ones, if you have read another Gospel C which we do not know, it is well; but if not, consider what the Apostle declares.
CLVI. To the brethren who are with Patricius the son.
On Theology and the immaculate sacred image of our Lord and God Jesus Christ.
Brethren and Fathers, having been asked by your Father, as I am both his father and yours through him, to impart to you a word of salvation; I consented, as was fitting, and from there I, the humble one, begin to speak. Salvation
of ours, beloved children, is to believe correctly in the Holy Trinity, and to have works testified to by the holy commandments of God. For A in Christ Jesus, as the Apostle says, neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love. And the word of faith refers to the dogma of orthodoxy, but the word of love refers to the contemplation of well-doing. We believe, therefore, in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; these are three persons, one nature, one power, one beginningless kingdom of all; worshiped in one, as in nature, so also in will and operation, with power and glory. We believe that one of the Holy Trinity, the Son and Word of God and the Father, through supreme goodness emptied himself and took on the form of a servant, having been seen appearing in our likeness. For this is what the Theologian says: *And the Word became flesh*; and what the great Apostle says: *God was manifested in the flesh*. And he is one and the same in two natures, perfect God and perfect man, and not lacking any property in either perfection, but having rather the things of the Father divinely, and all the things of the Mother humanly, as a true son. As, therefore, he is uncircumscribed from the Father, so he is circumscribed from the Mother, that is, being depicted in a motherly way. B The iconoclasts, against whom this argument is directed, not confessing that he is circumscribed, are clearly found not to confess that he is the true Son of the Mother; for where is the truth, and not rather something entirely foreign, if the offspring is not like the progenitor in all its natural properties? For as he has no communion with the Father regarding circumscription, but with the Mother, so regarding uncircumscription it is the opposite; his communion is with the begetter, not with the one who gave birth. Such is the right dogma of the truth; and this is the apostolic faith: to confess Christ in the flesh as circumscribed. And so the great Basil says: C “Let Christ, the president of the struggles, be depicted on the tablet.” And to venerate the depicted image, as though Christ were being worshiped in it. For the golden-tongued Chrysostom cries out that it is possible to see the incorporeal in an image; how much more, he says, the one who is incarnate? And if one sees, it is clear that one also worships the angel in the image just as one worships Christ. Since the honor of the image passes on to the prototype, as the divine Basil says again. D Those who are insulting toward his image are therefore deniers of Christ, as they direct their contempt toward him through their treatment of his image; and though they say with their tongue that they confess him—even as the demons confessed—in their deeds they deny him. Great, therefore, brothers, is their impiety; and great is our confession, being in no way inferior to that of the ancient martyrs. Stand, therefore, courageously, in no way waver
A in what has already been proven true; but, even to the shedding of blood, if the time calls for it, contending for the struggles. From this arises the luminous life, as light from the sun; for the brother of the Lord proved that the one is the evidence of the other. Love God with the entirety of your three powers, as the commandment enjoins. Love also yourselves as members of Christ. “For by this,” He says, “all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” By faith, obey your superior; let no one be without declaration, for such a person feeds a snake. Let no one have tepid faith; for such a person does not participate in the fervor of the Holy Spirit. Let no one hold onto private possessions; for such a person is a hidden Judas. Let no one be self-willed; for such a person is outside the monastic life. Let no one make bold speech; for such a person is a worker of destruction. Let no one eat in secret; for such a person is like a slave. B Let no one give offense in anything, that the ministry may not be blamed, as the Apostle cries out; but in all things commending oneself as a minister of God, in much patience, in tribulations, in distresses, and in the rest which he himself enumerated, perfecting the true Christian. But if these things are required of the subordinate, what and how much is to be required of the superior, who, being a good model, ought to be set before those whom he teaches? The struggle is great; but the reward is also infinitely vast, the kingdom of heaven, to which may we be deemed worthy, both leaders and led, living divinely in Christ Jesus our Lord. To whom be glory and power with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
CLVII. — To Antonius of Dyrrachium.
Concerning baptism which occurs out of necessity.
Although it is late, C because we have received the long-written letter of our most holy Father, we who are humble have greatly rejoiced; for nothing knows how to bind love and keep it inseparable as does reciprocal communication. But why, O master, have you extolled us—who have absolutely nothing good—with the panegyrical words of your most skillful tongue? Or is love the complete cause, suppressing the truth, and adapting to friends things that are not as though they were? Except that we do indeed have this (for it must be said) which, if we are not deceived, we love and cherish brothers and Fathers, especially those who are like you, who by the extraordinary probity of your character draw even a man of rustic temperament into love. And these things are for both of us D to your sacred head, responding briefly to your long and rich letter. But as for what we have in defense of brother Erastus, whom they are accusing, it is this. We, most sacred man, even if we are otherwise worthless, are not, however, so ignorant or contemners of divine constitutions,
A as to instruct our disciple, who exists outside the priesthood, to dare to lay hands on the things of the priesthood, and from that to baptize infants; for this is the accusation. But if the reason of necessity demanded it in those days, in which the error-leading heresy was rampant, and especially during the past depredations, when he who wished to be careful could not even look out from the hiding-place of a small house; I have no answer to give, according to the small understanding that is in me, against this monk, nor against another; since there is a change of law from necessity. And indeed we see in ancient times such things occurring; and if one should pour sand in the desert, because death was near, one has baptized and been baptized, and another in another way; nor are the things concerning holy Athanasius unknown to your perfection. Nevertheless, the childish act, having been viewed by the most blessed Alexander, was approved as divinely ordained, and he who performed it was considered as a priest, and he who was perfected as regenerated; even though the time was not of necessity. But the Sixth Synod also permits in its divine canons 17, if a priest is not present, that a layman B may out of necessity impart the sacraments to himself—which, however, is not to be accepted without an urgent reason.
Wherefore, if the matter was done in this way, forgive me, most honorable man, for we do not dare to say anything or to censure beyond those things which have been divinely shown by the Fathers. Now, the brother who so acted is attested, and with much anguish, first by the man himself who compelled him, and he is a man among the distinguished in piety and prudence, and among the illustrious, Thomas the consul and chartularius; then by James, a most religious monk, and having no part with the heresy; then also Euthymius, another venerable monk, who has suffered persecution. "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established," he says 18. You say, my lord, that it is not so; and you are obviously more eminent than all. What then shall I, a man constrained in the midst of so many witnesses, do? If it is as you say, and he, while priests were present, through ambition for mastery pledging the priesthood to himself, did this, he shall never be advanced by us to the dignity of the priesthood, besides other punishments; for this is just. But if, as the witnesses and he himself narrate, he was compelled, and when two things were proposed: either for an uninitiated infant to die, which had happened in the case of two children previously because he refused to comply; or for those who were observing piety to be exposed to the heretics—I, a sinner, would not dare to enjoin anything until our most blessed D high priest, having considered the matter, delivers his judgment. And do not, most beloved of Fathers, lament my lowliness; but rather pray that I may stand within my own measure, and that we may correct our erring life. Concerning the other faults of which your devoutness gave us an indication and explanation, we did not at all think that he acted unlawfully, but rather in a way worthy of praise, if, hearing certain ones committing adultery, he did not shrink from reporting the matter to those who could restrain
A them. For he knew that this was what was required and nothing else; and, as I myself heard, brother Erastus received much praise from the men mentioned above. A Therefore, O holy one, it was not because he was the author of discord in those places, but because of the incorrigible scandals, that I forbade the brother to recant, so that the one accused might be acquitted of the charges, and those who love accusations and sell vices might keep quiet. And may you, our most blessed Father, having heard this, grant us your prayers, which incline God to mercy, and also grant pardon to the brother.
CLVIII. To John the Spatharios
B De Theologia, et de divina incarnatione, et de sanctis ac sacris imaginibus.The herald of the salvation of my blessed master and spiritual brother, having arrived before the letter, cheered our humble hearts; but when the letter itself was read, it utterly gladdened and delighted us—and not us sinners only, but the angelic powers as well, if indeed there is joy in heaven over one man who repents, according to the sacred words 19. But blessed be God, who did not allow your honor to be led away until the end by the wicked heresy of the Christ-haters, but through your good and blessed daughter turned you back to the light of truth. And oh, what a miracle, both in the father and in the daughter! Oh, the sincere love of both!—of her, for having taken thought in her very last breaths for the salvation of her father; and of him, for having piously inclined his ear C and granted his petitioner a beautiful shroud: her own orthodox conversion. She indeed departed, having, along with her own holiness, a delightful gift to offer God: the salvation of her father. And he, in turn, expected from his holy daughter a pious adornment and, in truth, an exultation for all the orthodox. "For how do you know, O wife, if you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, if you will save your wife?" 20 We, however, must make a slight change, because the daughter saved the father. And blessed is she, the holy one; and blessed are you too, O most desired one. For I am persuaded that together with you, you will bring your whole family, and perhaps even your clan, to be orthodox before the Master Christ, in order that, from many persons, the grace given to you may be thanked by many on your behalf. Such is the divine offering, and most beautiful is your confession, which you have confessed by letter before God and men.
For this is the true faith of Christians: according to the dogma D of theology, to believe in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit—in whom also baptism finds its perfection—God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit; into one God, and not three,
heaven forbid; for the Godhead is one, not divided into three hypostases, but viewed undivided in each person. A And it is a wondrous thing: to call each one God, and to sum up the confession into one God; but according to the dogma of the economy, one must again believe that the Word became flesh—that is to say, one of the Holy Trinity was born of the all-pure Virgin Mary; remaining what He was, God immutable, and co-eternal with the Father, yet having assumed our nature through the virginal birth in the Holy Spirit. And He is whole God and whole man, bearing whole and entire within Himself the properties of both natures from which He was composed—I mean, of the Godhead and of the humanity—in one hypostasis: circumscribed and uncircumscribed. The one is by reason of the Godhead, the other by reason of the humanity; for these are indeed the properties. B And as the Uncircumscribed, He is one of the Holy Trinity; and as the Circumscribed, He is one of us. And in this He is believed to have become the mediator between God and men, so that by joining the extremes to Himself, and through Himself, He might make us partakers of the divine nature and sons of God—a thing wondrous and beyond all praise, whether it is thought or spoken. Therefore, whoever says that He cannot be circumscribed in the flesh, insofar as He is like us, denies—my blessed brother—that God appeared in the flesh, contradicting the Gospel of Christ, and is equal to the Jews. For where will the statement "He was made like us in all things" be true, if He is not represented according to our likeness? And where is the text: "Handle me and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see me have"? And where the text: "Why do you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from the Father"? He, therefore, who is not circumscribed is clearly neither like us, nor is He handled, nor, indeed, is He killed. C But He was indeed killed and handled after the resurrection. Therefore, He is also capable of being circumscribed by the representation that is ours. But the Iconoclasts have become vain in their reasonings, and their senseless heart has been darkened by denying the image of Christ, along with that of the Theotokos and of all the saints, denying the saving economy, and certainly confessing Christ with their lips, like the demons, but denying Him by their deeds. For Christ is not truly Christ if He is not circumscribed; nor is He worshipped if it is not believed that He is worshipped in His image.
So, therefore, O man of God, thus stands the truth; and thus it has been taught by the apostles, and prophets, and God-bearing Fathers—if not in these same words, yet certainly through the true explanation of what has been spoken by them. D For, as if they were certain seeds, all the dogmatic truths have been set forth in the notions of the divine oracles; but as heresies arise from time to time, the dogmas of piety are brought forward against them, cultivated thence by the impulse of the Spirit; and the tares of impiety are rooted out. Thus also you, believing, be strong...
in the Lord, worshipping Christ, and worshipping also His image, the Theotokos, and her image; the saints, and their images; since in the images the prototypes are worshipped; and the honor of the image ascends to the prototype, as the great Basil says. A
CLIX. — To Thomas the Chartulary.
That he who has founded a monastery, if he lays hands upon it after having handed it over to a superior, is not pleasing to God.
Having read the letters of your honor, and learned that your lady wife has departed from this life, I have grieved with you, lord, not being ignorant of how bitter this affliction is. For the same pain that a sword slicing through the body produces, the same thing does the separation of a marriage produce. For here there is one flesh, according to the voice of the Lord. Nevertheless, it has come to pass, and we have undergone the penalty common to all of separation. A little later, we too shall travel the same path, as you know; and such is the condition of life: for those who do not exist to be born, and for those who are born to be dissolved. B We have truly praised your piety, because after the separation you chose to become a monk, and to be joined wholly to the Lord. For this is what your letter indicated; and that a certain brother, a monk, is present for the guidance of such a life. Him you rejected in turn as unsuitable, upon the testimony of George, a man of distinction and a household Notary; and you seek that another be given by us, one able to rule souls and preserve the whole monastery. You were, then, rightly praised by us before. But you must first learn what the monastic profession is, C and how great is the loftiness of that life, so that, having entered without being instructed, we do not run the risk of shipwreck in our navigation. Renunciation is nothing else than a profession of the cross and death. What is this? According to the word of the Lord, for him who wishes [it] to renounce all his own possessions, and taking up the cross, to follow behind Him. Since every true superior bears the person of Christ, through his guidance it is possible to follow Christ without fear of deception. And so the wonderful command will be kept. But he who does not intend to act thus, but to build a monastery on his own property, and summoning a director who is a monk under his [the founder's] authority, by whom he may be led and D thus attain salvation; he does not see that he is taking up a vain labor, and will not find what he seeks, but rather the opposite, for such renunciation is not according to the command of the Lord. For he ought to have been stripped of all material things, and to have become far removed from his own [possessions], and to have obtained an excellent guide, and thus to cross the great sea of this present life without danger; not that he does none of the things before mentioned, but from the sole act of building a monastery wishes to gain favor from God, and in appearance only to have a superior, who is rather a steward, who at once hinders and is hindered, who neither saves nor is saved. Depart, He says, from your land
nor be saved. “Go forth,” he says, “from your land and from your kindred”; take up the cross upon your shoulders, be spat upon, be buffeted, drink vinegar, be scourged, ascend the cross, pour out your blood—whether intellectually or sensibly. But if you cannot endure these things, sit in your house, striving to be saved by a more humble life. For here, too, salvation is not without toil, but [comes] through many afflictions. Do not bring before me present-day examples; everything that is not in accordance with the commandment is worthless, stale, and a source of scandal—the work of one who has renounced the world in this manner, but not of a divine ordinance. If, however, you desire to found a monastery, this is not unreasonable; but as soon as you have handed it over to a man who will govern it, you shall no longer lay your hand upon it, as if it were your own property. And this will be pleasing to God, and it will meet you as an eternal lodging. We assign to the one who is chosen in this way that brother whom the seeker himself may choose, along with nine other brothers who are willing to submit to the superior. Behold, good friend, I have declared to you the duty of a monk; the manner of one who establishes a monastery; your own disposition. For the rest, may the Lord be your consolation, instructing you in all things unto salvation.
CLX. — To Gregory the son.
B C DOn the restoration of the age, and what the great Father teaches that this will be.
What was said in the previous letter about the most holy metropolitan of Chalcedon, and our father, as if in passing, shall now be spoken of more fully and explicitly. Tell him, with the reverence that one ought to show when addressing a father: What is it, that at all events, according to the verdict of the Apostle, "each man’s work, whatever it is, the fire will test. If anyone’s work which he has built upon it remains, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; yet he himself will be saved, but so as through fire"? I ask, therefore: does that word "burned up" signify a total abolition, or not? If the former is said—as the Theologian Gregory, following Paul, says somewhere, and it is the final fire by which all our things are condemned or purified—why is it that anyone hearing this should think that Saint Maximus did not speak rightly in saying there are three restorations to the pristine state, which the Church acknowledges? One of each person according to the measure of virtue, in which he is restored who has fulfilled the measure of virtue that he could. A second, of the whole nature in the resurrection, namely the restoration into incorruptibility and immortality. A third, which Gregory of Nyssa, who is among the saints, uses more frequently in his discourses: this is the restoration of the faculties of the soul that have fallen through sin, back to that state in which they were created. For just as the whole of nature must, in the resurrection, receive the incorruptibility of the flesh that has been hoped for over a long time, so too must the soul receive the faculties that have flowed away over the long duration of the ages; and having passed through all the ages, and finding no rest, it shall come to God who...
A has no end; and thus, through knowledge, not through participation in good things, it shall recover its faculties, and be restored to its original state, and it shall be clearly shown that the Creator is not the cause of sin. There is, therefore, no other third restoration; for concerning the other two there is no dispute, as the Apostle has taught, that the work of sin is to be burned, but he who committed it is to be saved without being burned; yet in such a way that he is not a participant in good things, but recognizes the privation of participation. And it has been very aptly said by the Father, that it is not shown that the Creator is the author of sin. For that which is from God, namely our nature, produced from nothing, cannot be consumed by that fire. But that which is not from God, namely sin, but is the effect of the will of him who committed it; since it is none of the things that exist, but is something that adheres to them, it shall perish, being unable to persist in the order B of those things which exist. Thus, therefore, even if neither Gregory of Nyssa nor Maximus the Father were to say it, yet the great Apostle declared that there is a fiery exchange for sin; and the implication is of a restoration, as was said to the Father, not Origenian—far be it! For there is no communion of light with darkness, nor agreement of the saints with heresiarchs; toward whom—those who misappropriate the sacred dogmata of the most divine Gregory for their own evil intent—there is a pure and thorough refutation, but not to the overthrow of the aforementioned points, as it might appear to us. But if something deeper should be discovered by the most holy metropolitan, we shall hear it again. For even our most holy patriarch, having heard what was C said to St. Maximus, said nothing dissonant at that time.
CLXI. To Nicetas the Spatharios
I have been informed by your good brother that one of our hierarchs has slandered me before your loving person, as though I worship the image of Christ as God; and that this exists in my letter to my brother Athanasius. At this calumny, the humble one sighed, reflecting on how those who have been strictly charged that they will render an account even for an idle word in the day of judgment, concerning such D great matters—for what is greater than faith?—speak so rashly and incautiously, piercing the innocent with the dart of accusation; and do not rather, if anything were amiss, lovingly admonish, according to that which is written: "Thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him." To slander in this way is not only destructive of the commandment, but also, by the very name of calumny, he declares himself worthy to be so named oneself; than which, what could be worse among men? But let the discourse come to the accusation. "He makes," he says, "the image of Christ into God." By no means, O dearest—
I say no such thing in my epistle. Rather, I say that the image of Christ is not to be worshiped with *latria*, for that is a thought characteristic of idolatry; that is to be reserved for the holy Trinity alone. And [I say] that Christ, who is worshiped in the holy image, is worshiped together with the Father and the Spirit, but the image of Christ is to be worshiped with relative worship; and that in worshiping this, we are worshiping Christ, not divided according to hypostasis, but distinguished according to the principle of essence—which is indeed true. A For the archetype is manifested in the image, and each in the other, according to the difference of essence, as the all-wise Dionysius says.
How then, when the epistle is thus, does the adversary calumniate [it], and show himself to be opposed to the saints? But what would he want? That we, worshiping the image of Christ, should confess that we are worshiping another hypostasis? Away with such absurdity! For this is to divide that which is indivisible, which is impossible. For neither is the sovereignty split, nor is the glory divided, as great Basil says again. B Therefore, when the image is worshiped, Christ is worshiped, whose likeness it is; and not the material that has received the likeness, as is also shown in the form of the cross. For he who thinks he is worshiping the material is a child and devoid of reason. Therefore, neither is the material upon which the image is [placed] worshiped, nor is there any other hypostasis besides that of the one depicted. For the error of impiety is equal in both cases. Therefore, for this reason, the form of the cross is called the cross, and the image of Christ is called Christ—not properly, C but by catachresis. If, therefore, he could persuade us of this, that the form of the cross is not to be called the cross, he would also persuade us not to call the image of Christ, Christ. And if, in the first case, those who worship the form do not worship the cross, then in the second case, those who worship the image of Christ do not worship Christ. But the first is true, that the proper form of the cross is both called cross and is worshiped. Therefore, the second is also true, that his proper image is both called Christ and is worshiped; and he who thinks or speaks anything D newer than these things prattles in vain. I have written these things, partly to prove myself to be without blame; and partly also out of regard for your most loving eminence, so that you might embrace the orthodox faith and not be led astray by the discourses of heterodox teaching.
CLXII. — To Theodore the Monk
(Concerning diverse arguments: and in the end, concerning the holy images.)I received the letter of your reverence, which was inscribed: "Encyclical letter," that is to say, "medicinal." And immediately from the start, brother, I was amazed. As I proceeded further, I nearly lost my reason, having nothing to say, nor knowing how I might reply to the one I love so dearly. And may you bear with me patiently, even if the things to be said seem rather harsh; for I have no other way—
A to explain conveniently the things that weigh upon my humble heart, and it is necessary for me to speak them. Has someone, my beloved, put on your own person and raised himself to such a swell of pride, as to have meditated upon such arrogant things and carried out such abominable deeds? Or were we ourselves, having lost our senses at some point, to judge it a game to append our name, not in trivial matters, but in the most difficult of affairs? What do you say, my friend? Is it permitted to us, who bear no rank of priesthood, and are numbered only among the monks, unless the truth is in peril, to seize the priestly office and insert an encyclical letter, and by means of this to rise up against bishops and priests, monks and abbots; nay, more, to produce private laws from an unwise heart; and, in addition to this, to subject the whole body of the confessor-brotherhood to insults and reproaches, to condemnations and alienations?
For these men, as you say (even if they are not all defenders of the truth), while pretending to penitence—in the same way as those on the opposing side have falsely usurped the name of piety—have made both truth and repentance equally difficult, attacking them with grievous words and introducing a dregs of wretched reasonings, stirring up dissensions, offending against the immaculate faith, dishonoring the helmsman and overseer and creator of all, wrangling among themselves, and, overcome by the desire for gain, devising methods B and ways, and because they are greedy for money, they take offense at those who, to gratify the impious, have conspired in one opinion—those among the confessors and those who have braved perils for the truth—preferring and valuing more highly those who have most injured and attacked it, while being hostile to those who patronize the truth, making light of suffering for Christ, and, having been badly taught, they have likewise and unseemly forgotten those for whose sake they have been in peril. The heaven has been appalled at this, and I, wretch that I am, have shuddered all the more; and had I not recognized your words, I would not have believed the one who earlier signified that a letter had been composed by your reverence against the Church of God. For it is against her to utter such trifles regarding the illustrious men and confessors who "wandered about in divers temptations, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, wandering in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens of the earth, of whom the world was not worthy" (Heb. XI, 37, 38)—to use the Apostle’s words. And I have not yet finished with the more systematic and more inhuman things.
Does someone, I ask, who is enrolled in the ranks of the soldiers, dare, having taken authority from a royal writing, to issue commands here and there, and to brand those who hold magistracies with disgrace and a mark, as if they were acting rashly and without counsel? And if someone were caught having done this, he is seized immediately and dragged off as one doomed to die. What, then, shall the simple monk not suffer from the tribunal of the Church, having dared such similar things? For do we not have a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, as it is written; and who is able to feel for C
A those who are ignorant and wandering? From whom is an encyclical letter sent, according to the power given to him by the Spirit? For if he had known that there was anything unlawful or unprofitable in what was being done, he certainly would have spoken as was fitting. But because he sees the heresy prevailing, and that things are pressed on both sides, he has allowed all those who are eager to heal the troubles that have arisen, as each one has the power, thus doing well, most divine man. So that what is being done is neither a promulgation of law, nor, on the other hand, is a soul for whom Christ died left without remedies; and this, of course, until an orthodox synod, at which time both what has been rightly initiated shall be approved, and what has been done otherwise shall be rejected. And this method is in the first place pleasing to God, who wishes all to be saved; how much more those who run to the remedy of repentance? B Who also brings help together with him who reaches out a hand with brotherly affection, who collaborates with him who raises up the one lying fallen? For his is the voice: *Comfort, comfort, O priests, my people; speak to the ears of Jerusalem.* For what else is consolation but the preservation of those who deviate, and the correction of those who have turned aside through repentance? Then to those who have sinned: *When you, having turned back, shall groan, then you shall be saved, and shall know where you were.* And again: *While you are yet speaking the words of prayer, he will say, Behold, I am here.* And he is a helper of those who turn from an evil way; and he carries the lost sheep upon his shoulders; and as long as it is called today, he provides the medicines of repentance; and [he] deemed the thief worthy C of paradise in a single moment of time; and he received the great Peter, who had denied him, with bitter weeping; and to David, as if he had not sinned at all, he granted again the gift of prophecy. But to what purpose is there to suggest more examples, and to prolong the discourse? He is kind to those who are kind to their fellow servants, and harsh to those who have shown themselves unmerciful. Wherefore the penalties that are paid in the present are remedies; not as your Reverence has jested wickedly—far be such a calumny from you—nor are the things that are being done the beginnings of scandals, but proofs of true charity. For the Lord says: *Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.* D The physicians, therefore, have laid down their souls for those who were in need of healing, according to the true word; not making merchandise of the divine dispensation as traders of Christ. And the people of God are daily being purified; and the house of Saul, weakening, has diminished; but the house of David, being magnified, has increased, with the health always progressing for the better. But what would you desire, O extraordinary man, in these times when heresy is prevailing, and the divine work is perishing, that no physician should be found anywhere? That there should be no art of healing? That a hand should not be offered to the blind? That the sick should not be healed? That a bandage should not be applied to a wound? That the lame should not be raised up
A again? That a broken bone should not be set? That a person should not be turned back from wandering? That one should not contend against every kind of disease as much as one is able? Yet we see in the doctors of bodies great diligence and many remedies, and one is entrusted to treat this person, another that; nor is he who is ranked in the order of servants forbidden to lay on hands according to the medical science that is in them, whether presiding or subservient. And every day those who are leaning over them, and full are the houses that receive them; and no one complains of such diligence, nor blames the one who is studious about medical treatment. But even the foremost, and the arch-physicians, and the middle, and the last, looking upon the philanthropic dispensation. But if it is so there, much more surely in matters of the soul, according to the proportion, ought all things to be seen and to happen. And he who would hinder [such things] shall be judged as a certain destroyer and common enemy of the race, as one working together with the manslayer from the beginning. Not so, you say, do our affairs hold; but this I ask: if the Lord did not dare to grant as a reward the repentance—which is a turning away from the exactness of justice and virtue, however much it may be commended—before B having by Himself paid the just punishment owed to the scales and balances of justice; who is so bold and arrogant as to permit himself to take away repentance from those who denied the sufferings endured for us by our Savior Christ, unless they first pay every debt to the exact and inviolable law of the highest justice?
Oh, the bold and senseless problem! When has Christ been seen preaching repentance? When did He say to the paralytic: "Take heart, child, your sins are forgiven you" (Matth. ix, 2)? When was the same forgiveness granted to her who watered the divine feet with her tears, while rebuking Simon the host (Luc. vii, 44)? When was it said to him who had been lying in infirmity for eight and thirty years: "Behold, you have become whole, sin no more, lest something worse happen to you" (Joan. v, 14)—implying, as it were, that the sickness had fallen upon him from sin? But as to the rest, which it would be inopportune to suggest while pondering the works of divine power, whether they were done before the passion, or after the passion? But if it is manifest and acknowledged by all that they were done before the passion, just as He also sent His disciples and gave them authority to heal every disease and every infirmity (Matth. x, 1), which was given because of the repentance and submission of those who approached—what great audacity is it for a tongue to say that Christ did not dare, before C every just punishment owed to the scales and balances of justice had been paid by Himself, and from that point to reproach those who have received the dispensation of repentance as bold and arrogant, for not having first paid back all the severity of justice? Or is it manifest D
A that this is a reproach of Pharisaic thinking and a prohibition of Novatian inhumanity? See therefore, man, how, in lifting yourself on high, you have fallen into a precipice, having stepped outside your own proper bounds and limits, and not having kept the dignity of the degree you were invested with. Have you not read that every bishop who invades a see not his own is excommunicated? And, "I did not send them," he says, "yet they prophesied." And, "No man takes the honor to himself, but he who is called by God." So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become high priest according to what is written, but He who said to Him, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." But who has called you, brother, and who has established you as a lawgiver in the Church of God, since you have not even learned how to be ruled? And having not been seen to rule anyone, it is more fitting for you to be legislated for than to legislate; to be led by the hand than to lead; to be enlightened than to enlighten; to be taught than to teach; and from the experience of the former to advance to the latter, just as the divine law dictates, being most excellently established with both divine and human judgments.
For let us not think, O friend, that if some, out of a foolish wisdom, know something and insist on a wicked word, this makes them lawgivers; since neither for the Moabites nor the Ammonites was there B access to the divine altar; but only for those whom obedience, which imitates Christ, has tested, and whom long-standing patience has proved, and whom the Gospel word has perfected. If, however, external learning is also present, it is not to be spurned, provided it is adorned with humility, and is subjected to the evangelical doctrine, and does not grow insolent with its own opinions. Those who glory in these, leaning upon them as upon a reed staff, are deservedly broken by the blow they receive.
But, you say, I have been very zealous for the Lord, and what is seen is not C to be endured. Yet where, my excellent sir, is the gift of prophecy for us? Where is Mount Carmel? Where are the keys of heaven? Where is the mantle dividing the Jordan, which fell to Elisha with the gift of a double portion of the spirit? And if there is some gift in us, to whom shall we leave it, having not even a disciple? Let us therefore see now, lest by desiring things beyond our strength, we fall away even from what is just and legitimate; and lest we strain out a gnat and swallow a camel; or, while attempting to remove the speck from our brothers' eyes, we ourselves are seen to carry the beam in our eyes, as the saying goes; for the reason that we converse and dine with them here and there, and are justly condemned.
"But that man," he says, "confessed falsely and dissemblingly, concealing his shameful deed; and another, hiding his impiety, tells one thing instead of another; how then can a physician affirm that these have attained to healing?" This, O good man, deserves not credence but sharp reproach. For no one comes forward of his own accord for healing D who does not desire to uncover his own wickedness. But whether it is always sincere is not for our judgment, but for God's, who searches the heart. For He says: "The things that are manifest are for God and for us; but the hidden things are for the Lord your God." But you, why do you judge your brother? Why
do you despise the physician? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then praise will come to each one from God.
"All," he says, "extend a foot beyond what is permitted, they dare to handle things not allowed, and reach out to things higher than themselves." You have perished by your own wings, as one of the ancients said; and from this comes your proposition. For as a foot established, you have risen to the place of the head out of arrogance. B Having refuted your other two propositions, excellent sir, here is another accusation: "All claim for themselves things beyond their own strength, and consider others inferior to themselves; they rush to bind and to loose without any measure and without summons; and they strive to draw everyone before their own feet; and they wish no one else to be or to be considered one who looses; they envy those who do these things, and admit only those whom they themselves have loosed; but those who have received correction from others, they turn away and accuse, because they have not run to them, nor have they sought absolution from them." These accusations are figments of a demonic mind and inventions of an envious heart, which anyone would rightly laugh at as mere jokes, trifles, and toys; or rather, to speak the truth, since out of distrust no one flies to us to receive penance, we rave against those who heal with confidence those who approach them, carried away by a certain diabolical vice, and treating upright men and Iconoclasts with equal dishonor.
"What," he says, "is the difference of this sect from the Manichaean?" Have we not fought against the Manichaean heresy both in word and deed? The written commentaries of those who have contended against it are witnesses, in which they proved it with unanswerable syllogisms and irrefutable demonstrations, even if now they have forgotten both themselves and their own writings. You seem, O good man, to reason ignorantly and to rely on private arguments for the abrogation of the truth, since you do not know that copies compared with prototypes are not those original archetypes themselves; but they have only as much similarity to each other as those which have a common name differ from other things. And some things are properly named, others improperly; some are called so by abuse, others according to truth. For example, in the case of the image of Christ and Christ Himself, the latter is and is called Christ according to truth; the former according to abuse, that is, homonymy. Since even the holy apostle Paul called avarice a second C idolatry, assigning the cause of the statement, namely according to the relation of similarity with that which is truly idolatry. Wherefore the same penalty is not to be imposed on the avaricious as on idolaters; otherwise we would have to depart from the world. But now there are many avaricious, and altogether blameless
A in this regard, who are passed over. What, therefore, is inconsistent here, if the Iconoclastic heresy were compared to the Manichæan, as far as concerns the doctrine of the image and the prototype? Insofar as even the second Ecumenical and holy Synod at Nicæa, while correcting those who had been ensnared by this heresy, did not treat them as Manichæans; nor indeed have those who composed works concerning it forgotten that they contended against them both in word and deed. You have truly been ignorant of yourself, which is a reproach of no small fault and stupidity.
I would have liked to attach other propositions of your prolix and tautological document to those mentioned above, and to show they have been utterly refuted by right reason; but some of them, as useless and absurd; others, as those which refute themselves; and others, as obscure and opposed to the truth, I cast away and throw far off, as if into the fire of Vulcan. Making an end to my speech, I add this: that if we seek forgiveness for having inconsiderately moved God to anger, and dishonored the Saints, and condemned the confessors, and defamed the Church, it will indeed be well. B If not, then we, at least, lowly as we are, will place a hand over our mouth, not provoking your holiness to a second written address.
CLXIII. — To Theodore the Patrician
C From your honorable letter we have seen your most praiseworthy excellence, and from hearing the things it signified, we have recognized your excellent soul. For what is it for you, in using such honorable words toward us sinners, and in desiring to see our humble face, and then to hear a saving discourse, if not the mark of a man truly inspired by God, and of a soul longing for God? And how wonderful are the works of the great and only God of us Christians! That He called you from a non-holy nation into the venerable knowledge of His truth in such a manner, in appearance indeed not at all voluntary, but in reality D of the most free will, together with your kinsmen who were led along at the same time! For not otherwise did it seem good to the divine dispensation to snatch you from impiety. O wonderful calling! O praiseworthy redemption! You have been translated from darkness into His marvelous light: having put off the old man, with his absurd and heathen thoughts and deeds, you have put on Christ, being a Christian in reality instead of a heathen; a son of light and of day instead of a son of darkness and of the night of impiety; worshipping one God, who is adored in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; fleeing the false religion of polytheism and Bulgarian idolatry: then, confessing the one from the holy Trinity, the Son Himself and Word of God through supreme love toward the race
became like to us in all things, while remaining the selfsame perfect God. For the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; one God, not three Gods—far from it. This is so on account of the one Godhead, while the other is on account of three persons. This is the true faith of Christians, abolishing every error and heresy. C And since Christ is twofold, as perfect God and perfect man—the one being as begotten from the Father before the ages, like radiance from the sun; the other as from the Mother in the last times, whose birth is as ours, or rather even above ours, since she who bore Him was a virgin before, in, and after the birth—on these grounds He is truly contemplated and named Theotokos. For this reason, just as He is uncircumscribed according to the Father, so is He inscribed in a tablet according to the Mother; and His inscription, that is, His icon, is to be adored and venerated, in which is seen by us Christians what manner of form He assumed. And He has been declared to have become like us in all things except sin, having abolished every idolatrous likeness, through whose cult the race of men was perishing from of old. He, therefore, who does not admit that He can be depicted, O good friend, contradicts the very facts, even if he agrees in word that the Son of God became man; and he who does not adore His holy icon, is convicted of not adoring Him, even if he professes that he does. For the honor of His icon passes to the prototype, just as the denial of the icon transmits the denial to Him. Since, therefore, as I learn, you also are persuaded of this, and on that account separate yourself from the communion of the Iconoclasts, I rejoice and rejoice with you; I give thanks and give thanks together with you, that you see the truth, even if you have learned it late, being a recently begotten son of God. And do not be surprised that error enters even among Christians. For where there is salvation, thither the dragon devil runs to cause destruction, and this through one man who holds the power. For only recently has this error been introduced among Christians. For from of old there has been the icon of Christ, of the Theotokos, and of His saints. D These things, most honorable master, as if moved by God, though I am a sinner, I have spoken for the confirmation of your faith, since you are our brother and not a stranger, as you have said. But if you are a stranger to the world, it is well. For we who are humble are just this ourselves, and for this reason we have been cast out here for the word of God. And blessed are you, who believe in Christ rightly and deem all things secondary to Him. But to see one another is difficult on account of the authority, unless God ordains it in the manner He sees fit. We shall not cease to remember you and to love you as our brother, whom we once did not know according to flesh and blood, but now we have as a kinsman by the Holy Spirit; both of us born from the adoptive mother, the font
Peace to you, friend and brother and master. Peace also to your house, and to all who belong to you, from the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
CLXIV. — Archimandrite of Gothia. On the Monastic Institute.
A We give thanks to the holy God, that we have been counted worthy to receive the friendly letters of your holiness; nor, indeed, do we have need of an excuse for our slowness. For who are we, such insignificant men? Or for what reason, in any way, would you refer matters of such great importance to our meagerness? Nevertheless, because you are humble of heart, and you know how to embrace even the least, it was fitting that you should write, and that we should learn, not only what the letter itself contained, but also what the most reverend brothers and fathers who brought them taught us. Against all these things, may God be our protector, and the one who wards off the complaints rashly brought against us. B We too, though humble, will contribute our part if ever the subject arises, as we will explain to those who would slander us; not that we should pay back a favor to you, but that we should fulfill what is owed to love. For this reason, we were compelled to write to the most God-beloved father and high priest, Lord Philaretus, if perchance our humble intercession might be accepted, to compose peace—since there is nothing more advantageous, and that by which Christ’s disciples, who are called by Him, ought to be distinguished. C These things, as it were in summary, are regarding urgent matters. As for other things, to what purpose have you asked that we reply, when you, being divinely taught, possess the God-written book of the great Basil, which teaches what is salutary and useful for the monastic or coenobitic life? Without this, neither can a superior govern in a manner worthy of God, nor can a subject be governed usefully. Being questioned on every argument and matter of the sacred coenobitic life, he answers through the Holy Spirit: so that whoever follows his guidance, follows the guidance of the Holy Spirit; and he who does not believe him, does not believe Christ who spoke through him. D Therefore, for those sins which creep upon the brothers through negligence, it is not permitted that they be judged by laymen; the holy Apostle himself cries out: "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?" And after other things: "So is there not among you one wise man who will be able to judge between his brother, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?" It is indeed the same as if it were done before unbelievers, for the concerns of monks to be examined before laymen, and to open a door to those to whom it is not lawful to peer into our affairs; and this is altogether contrary to the spirit of the Church of God and harmful to it.
A Regarding renunciation and tonsure, since the discourse also concerns this: it is not without danger to repel [him who comes to me, whom I will not cast out (John 6:37)], nor, on the other hand, is it holy to admit someone simply and at random, or to tonsure them lackadaisically. For if no soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him (2 Tim. 2:4), as it is written, how much more is this necessary in this God-ordained militia? It is necessary for all to renounce, to be stripped of all things, to be torn away from all things—from attachments, and relatives, and friends, and kin, and from the whole world—and in their disposition to become a stranger, that he who is truly about to follow Christ might proceed; and thus to be instructed and formed in the monastic profession established by God. And once his virtue has been observed and tested, he is thus to be introduced under the testimony of many to monastic perfection, and to become one of the sheep of Christ. B But to tonsure someone without initiation and without knowledge, as has been reported to us, is dangerous and most pernicious, both to the one being tonsured and to the one tonsuring. And to take the habit away from a monk is equal to stripping him of baptism. The audacity that proceeds to this point is something dreadful even to hear of. But if after the tonsure has been duly performed some return to worse things, and they persist in wickedness, and do not heal the diseases of their own souls, they must be cut off from the assembly of the brethren, just as putrid members are wont to be, lest what is sound be damaged by contact. For the Lord says: It is better for one of your members to perish, than that your whole body be thrown into hell (Matt. 5:29). But that he who has been cut off might be received by another out of kindness is not contrary to divine law and justice; if a more skilled physician be found to heal him, so that he is not simultaneously carried away by those who are perishing. As for those who, through levity, jump out of a cenobium, let them not be received in any way by other brotherhoods, so that there may be mutual love and harmony among all in all things, and so that some may not destroy the pious efforts of others; from which it happens that Christ, who gathers all things through peace, is not the head; but who is? It is detestable even to say. C Furthermore, for a monk to have a servant in a monastery is no less foreign than if he were to have a woman; for both are inventions of disobedience. And for those who yearn to return to the primal integrity through the monastic life, and who strive to imitate the paradisiacal life, free from evil, these things which I have mentioned are to be rejected. These things we have not produced from our own house, but have gathered from those things which the divine Fathers teach; requesting, most holy ones, that you pray that we may not only speak of good things, but also do them in the Lord. D
CLXV. To Gregory the son.
I rejoiced at your letter, beloved son: that those who are in the city conduct themselves urbanely and honestly, thatyou have recovered your health with brother Zosimas through bloodletting, and that other matters for you have turned out according to your aim. A Regarding the propositions of the Xenodochos, why did you seek an explanation from us? Since you have already replied to him properly according to the teaching of the God-bearing Fathers, we have nothing further to say beyond your counter-arguments. Those who question, it seems, are talking folly and do not desire to learn; nevertheless, because it is written: *Ready for an apology to everyone who asks you for an account of the hope that is in you* (1 Pet. III, 15), we also answer as follows. The habit of the monks is an outcome of virginity, and it is a mystery of monastic perfection, according to the voice of the divine and all-wise Dionysius. And as for those who ask: Whence arose the tradition by which a man renounces the world and becomes a monk? There is nothing else to reply than: Whence arose the tradition by which someone becomes a Christian? For He who previously ordained by apostolic tradition also set forth the latter, having established six mysteries: first, concerning baptism; second, concerning the synaxis, or communion; third, concerning the consecration of the ointment; fourth, concerning priestly initiations; fifth, concerning monastic perfection; B sixth, concerning those who have fallen asleep in holiness. What, then, is to be said in these matters? This, that he who disputes regarding one of the things mentioned clearly doubts also regarding the others—[doubting] whether they are held by divine tradition; and by the removal of one, the rest are necessarily removed as well. And there would be neither priestly initiation nor the regulation for those who have fallen asleep in holiness if monastic perfection were not present; for we would be pagan-minded, being godless in the world and having no hope. Such is he who brings forward this proposition, [asking] from where it is taken that a man should become a monk. And I do not yet mention that all the preeminent God-bearing Fathers were themselves monks and exalted the monastic life as angelic; from whom also volumes exist regarding the institutions of the holy life. But if anyone pays attention, he will find the divine Dionysius himself, C in the likeness of the angelic orders, distributing both the priestly ranks and those outside the priesthood into three equal orders: the first and introductory, of those still being brought to birth, namely the catechumens; the second, of those who have been illuminated; and the third, of those who are perfected in the monastic life. And to fight against things that are manifest is the behavior of those who are senseless or unbaptized.
The second problem is regarding infants, that, they say, Saint Basil in his Canons permits those reaching legal age, if they do not bear the yoke of the life of virginity, to be divested of the habit. It is not so; but he decreed all things in all things by the divine Spirit, and in a way conducive to the salvation of the world. And lest it come to anyone's mind that something else is better—however much some foolish men may attempt to legislate better things—he himself about those who D
come from an early age to those who have accepted them, has legislated the law of governance; A and the book reveals this, and to recount it point by point here is not sufficient. Except that after the completion of the discourse—that is, from sixteen years of age and onwards, when rewards and punishments also accompany them, as he himself says—he has commanded that they must be discerned and attached to the brotherhoods through monastic perfection. B And from that time forward, if they, having been transferred to the communal life, wish to transfer back—out of an evil turning—he has commanded that no door be opened to them for a mere tradition from which they have departed. But within the aforementioned year, if they do not choose the life of virginity, or even if they do choose it but do not wish to be trained for the monastic life, he commands them to be separated and sent away to the communal life, so that no disgrace may attach to the holy life. And since these things are not in all cases done as they are prescribed, but they are tonsured from infancy, or if at the lawful age, yet not lawfully and perfectly; for this reason everything is upside down, and both priest and prophet have gone astray, as it is written 65, and the tradition is infinite in number according to the whim of each, and the legislation that each person fashions by his own judgment is not out of love, but out of greed; neither for the sake of salvation, but for the sake of gain. And to these C things, I, wretched as I am, have nothing to reply other than to groan and be sorrowful, and to weep for our own sins; but may you be saved, beloved child.
CLXVI.—To Theoctistus the Hermit. On various arguments: and at the end, on the holy images.
Having received the letter of your reverence, and having read it aloud in the hearing of the most God-beloved archbishop and my brother, together with the brothers who were present; I, in my humility, gave thanks to the Lord, who inclined your heart to write the symbol of the faith correctly. For to profess that you accept the Old and New Testament, and all things delivered to the Church of God by the holy Fathers, is the rectitude of the faith in summary. But because heretics also are accustomed to say these things, D and yet are found not to be explaining the doctrine of truth correctly, as they themselves boast—therefore, through the brothers who were sent, and especially through abbot Sosipater, we inquired into the exact truth, just as you also requested in your letters, because the letter could not contain everything; and we found, by the grace of Christ, that they were relaying the things you entrusted to them in an orthodox manner. And what are these? It is necessary that they be indicated in chapters. First, concerning the holy Theotokos: for they say that you assert that the Virgin existed before the ages. Since you deny that you either say or think this, but confess that she was born of man and woman, Joachim and Anna, that is well. Second, concerning the Lord, that he was not crucified. Since, however, you confess
A that he was crucified according to the Scriptures, that is well. Third, concerning the angels and the demons, that after the judgment there will be a restitution to the original state, and there will be one fold and one shepherd. And since you deny this, and confess that both the judgment and the kingdom of heaven are eternal, that is well. Fourth, concerning any given monk, that he can rescue one hundred and fifty condemned persons from punishment. And since you deny this, and say that there is neither repentance after death, nor anyone who is able to rescue them from the punishment allotted by God B, that is well. Fifth, regarding the book known as that of Antony; that you say it is worthy of being received, even though there are many blasphemies in it, as we ourselves have learned by reading it. And since you acknowledge that this is to be rejected as alien to the Church of God, and that neither you nor those with you will any longer possess or read it, that is well. And blessed be God, who has cleansed you of the aforementioned scandals; and blessed be the name of his glory, which persuaded you to say that you are a simple and unlearned man, and that you would yield in all things and obey the words of my humility.
I, however, shall advise or prescribe nothing beyond those things that have been divinely enunciated to the holy apostles and prophets and Fathers; but this very thing, just as you have written, that you believe in the holy Trinity, undivided in essence but divided by the characteristics: in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; one God, one Lord: as also there is one faith. For the Father is God, and the Son C is God, and the Spirit is God; not three gods—God forbid!—but one God, just as he is one Lord. This is the dogma of theology. Regarding the economy, one must believe that one of the Trinity, by the good pleasure of the Father and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, was incarnate of the holy Theotokos, the Holy Spirit having come upon her, and thus the power of the Most High having overshadowed her, as it is in the Gospel; from whom also he was born as man, perfect at the same time and perfect God; one in hypostasis, dual in nature; just as the divinely inspired Fathers and the seven holy ecumenical D synods have set forth. To confess also that the Virgin is Theotokos, being higher and more honorable than all, and being able to intercede maternally with her Son and Lord for the whole world. To confess also the angels as angels, who themselves also greatly intercede for all men. That the race of demons is excluded from their company for endless ages, having been cast out into their own dwelling for their apostasy, and condemned by God to just punishments. To confess also all the saints, as servants of God, who are able to intercede with God for our salvation. To confess furthermore the holy images, both of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and of his Mother, and of the angels and of all the saints, and to worship and receive them, according to that which was established at the second synod in Nicaea; and to anathematize all heretics who have been [condemned] by the
synods; and to proclaim all those who were praised as orthodox by the same synods. This is the true faith of Christians: this is the testimony of the confession of Christ. Whoever thinks otherwise, let him be anathema from the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; just as the apostle Paul says: "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we preached to you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be anathema." Since, therefore, you have revealed these things in detail in your letters, it is absolutely necessary that you confess that you think in this way. How will this be? By your signing at the end of this letter according to the attached schedule. And thus the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard B and reward both us and you in one spirit and one heart, to believe and worship the Holy Trinity for the salvation of our own souls and of the people divided into two parts, in the presence of the lord Joannicius, our spiritual father, and of you, our honorable father and brother.
CLXVII. — To Diogenes the secretary. On the most holy image of Christ, and that it ought to be adored relatively, not worshipped with latria.
INTERROGATION. How ought one to name the image of Christ, and how ought one to adore it?
RESPONSE.
The question has a double answer, or rather, a double mode of naming. For that which is named by it is spoken of both properly and not properly. It is spoken of properly when it is called "the image of Christ," for it is his image; but not properly when it is called "Christ," except through C catachresis, as is customary. It is the same with the life-giving cross and its representation; one must acknowledge the theory. Likewise with regard to adoration: the adoration corresponds to the type of the cross. For it is relative, as is characteristic of things which are relative, between the prototype and the image, according to the dictum of the great Basil. For the honor of the image ascends to the prototype; there is one adoration for both, not cut, nor divided, but existing essentially in the prototype and relatively in the derivative; just as the form of the appearance is present there naturally, but here by participation. Whoever, therefore, adores the image of anyone—whether of Christ, or of the Theotokos, or of a saint, or simply of a king, or of a ruler, or of a subordinate person—has in D this adored the one whose image it happens to be. And one who adores in this way does not err, but, being orthodox and firmly grounded, justly repels those who oppose the truth in either direction. And who are these? Both those who refuse to adore the venerable images, and those who say in their adoration that they adore the prototypes themselves physically:
the blasphemy of both is of equal weight: of the former, as they destroy the mystery of the Economy; of the latter, as they make gods or substances of those things which are by nature far removed from their prototypes. Wherefore the image of Christ is to be adored—for this is the colophon of the dissertation—relatively, but not with the worship of *latria*; for this is proper to the nature of Christ Himself, since there is only one *latria* of the Trinity. Nor is the Theotokos herself to be worshiped with *latria*, nor even the life-giving Cross itself. Thus, neither is the image of Christ to be worshiped with *latria*, but it is to be adored; provided that all adorations, through the medium of their prototypes, are referred to the one and only *latria*-worship of the Holy Trinity. For all other adorations are not *latreutic*, but are all merely relative adorations, according to the distinction of the inferior or superior person. B
CLXVIII. To John the Grammarian. What is a suppositum.
The candor of your sincere charity, which is in no way disguised, was demonstrated by your Honor in those points which you observed to be in need of correction in the book composed by us who are unskilled. And those points will indeed be compared one by one with the book. But as for your hesitation regarding how we understood "suppositum," as if it were accepted by you otherwise than as you indicated, we too have hesitated, just as a man who is in every way most learned would hesitate. But "suppositum," O admirable man, the blessed Leontius—whose commentaries are most excellent—says is substance with hypostasis. Furthermore, the great Basil also speaks, though not concerning the "suppositum," when speaking of the holy Trinity. But the all-wise Dionysius also says in a certain place: "Many, indeed, in respect of accidents; but one in respect of the suppositum. And accidents are not viewed in the universal substance, but in the hypostasis, as you know." Therefore, when he says, "Many, indeed, in respect of accidents, but one in respect of the suppositum," he understood the suppositum as substance with hypostasis; and it is not, I think, written in the book otherwise than it should be. For why, if it is not one in suppositum, would it not be explained by the theologians in three names and things? So that the suppositum is nothing other than substance with hypostasis. But if anything more acute has been discovered by your Holiness, do not refuse to teach it to us and to bestow the gift polished by yourself.
CLXIX. Theodorus on behalf of Eustratius the Abbot. That Christ is uncircumscribed and circumscribed.
The proposition, which you consider to be contrary to sound doctrine, O friend—asking that I omit other preceding or subsequent small statements as inept and solecistic—is word for word as follows: Since Christ our true God has two natures, two wills, two operations, but has a single person of the two natures, whose person do I depict? Since, therefore, you have asked, "Which person?", listen attentively. That which assumed a form: if indeed the formless image
A of the Father's substance, he indeed assumed our own. That which is subject to time: because the eternal has a temporal extension. That which has eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth, and cheeks: because the unshaped was found in shape as a man. That which received a kiss: because the incomprehensible, having been comprehended, was affected by a kiss from the traitor. That which suffered a blow: because he who could not be touched, having become tangible, was struck by the servant. That which was seen on the cross, stretched crosswise: because the immortal, bowing his head, delivered up his spirit. And this does not demonstrate two persons—away with such impiety—but B shows that there is one person existing from two and in two natures indivisibly and inconfusedly. Hence the holy Apostle says: "Concerning His Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and who was designated Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness" (Rom. 1, 3). Therefore, he has shown you, by saying "according to the flesh," that he is circumscribable, that is, able to be depicted; but by saying "according to the spirit of holiness," that the same Jesus Christ is uncircumscribable. Taught by this, all the God-bearing Fathers proclaim with the clearest voice that he is both circumscribable and uncircumscribable, visible and invisible, temporal and eternal.
If you do not understand this, it is a Jewish proposition. How is it that, while calling Christ one of two natures, you speak of him as only uncircumscribable? For this is a signifier of his single nature. C But he who speaks of two must consistently speak of him as both circumscribable and uncircumscribable. Therefore, you contradict yourself. For if he appears to you as only uncircumscribable, this is the same as the Manichaean who strips the Word of humanity; for he who lacks this is uncircumscribable and non-depictable. For both are the same. Or again, how do you participate in the body and blood of Christ, while according to you he is uncircumscribable, but the things you participate in are circumscribed? Either abstain from participating, my good sir, or while participating, confess that you participate in the circumscribed body and blood of the circumscribed Christ; so that you might not "Paulianize," by participating as if in a mere man and not D in God incarnate. It is therefore concluded from the truth, firmly and well, that he who depicts Christ is not a worshiper of man according to Nestorius, nor a worshiper of a creature according to Arius, as you have babblingly and ignorantly suggested; but is strictly an orthodox and most true Christian. Just as he who does not depict him, according to you, is one who "Manichaeanizes" and at the same time "Paulianizes": on the one hand, by the term 'uncircumscribable' introducing a bare God who became man only in phantasy, and on the other hand, through the same term 'uncircumscribable,' participating in the body and blood as if of a mere man according to Paul, and not of God truly having become man.
To Theodorus the Deacon.
I come by the commission of your love to the answering of the heretical questions.if I should answer them rightly, set the seal upon the discourse; if not, you yourself explain it more clearly. A Since however it is impossible to solve a heretical objection satisfactorily unless the proposition itself is set forth, let that be placed first, and then the orthodox faith.
Objection of the Heretic
Confessing one nature of the Word of God incarnate, you speak of Christ as a certain whole, or as one totality from parts, namely of divinity and humanity. We ask, therefore, what is it that you add to the Holy Trinity B by way of enumeration? The whole, or a part? And if indeed the whole, the Holy Trinity will not be consubstantial; but if a part, by enumerating the divinity, you clearly leave the humanity outside the Holy Trinity; or by enumerating the humanity, you will be caught saying that the divinity is outside the Trinity.Solution of the Objection
Confessing one nature of the Word incarnate, we do not confess Christ simply as a certain whole, but as one from two totalities joined at the same time—divinity and humanity. C According to these totalities, which are assumed as parts for the composition, he is whole, as God, naturally joined to the Father and to the Holy Spirit; and whole, as man, substantially linked with the Mother and with us; binding the extremes to Himself by a singular character, and preserving the definitions of the extremes unharmed and unconfused in the union. In which the Trinity remains Trinity, admitting nothing foreign to its nature by way of addition; and the humanity remains humanity, not least divided from the divinity united to it. Wherefore your objection, boiling over from the heresy of the confounding Acephali, was devoid of reason.Another Objection by the Same Heretic
This Christ, whom we confess, is He enumerated D to the Holy Trinity, or not? And if indeed he is enumerated to the Holy Trinity, in what way will the Trinity now be consubstantial? But if he is not enumerated, he will not be God, but a mere man only. The same words by which you solve this doubt, preserving the opinion about one Christ unharmed, will satisfy us regarding this one as well.Solution of the Objection
This Christ, whom we confess, by the same words of truth by which He repelled the previous objection, will repel this one also, as it contains an equal impiety. But the Christ whom you preach—a certain single natural totality from parts, divinity and humanity—is neither consubstantial with the Father, if the Father is God only and not man; nor consubstantial with the Mother, if the Mother is man only and not God. And it is time for you to seek other Christs, to whom this one might be consubstantial; since it is not possible to find a nature that is proper to one person only. But if you do not find them,A you will teach that he is not Christ at all by this empty fiction.
CLXXI. — To Nicetas the monk
That just as every perfect man, even if he be numbered in the apostolic order, has need of the evangelical book; so too of the picture of the history which is contained in that book.
We have read the book sent to us through your holiness by the most religious metropolitan, B and the one who wrote this does not think rightly regarding the dogma of the venerable icons. For he says the following: "We affirm that the ineffable and incomprehensible kindness of God toward us, and the holy struggles of the saints are praised in holy Letters, by no means entertaining ourselves with any fiction or picture, as much as in us lies. But we allow those who are simpler, since they are more imperfect, according to their natural persuasion, and through sight that is proportional to them, to learn such things by way of introduction." What then is there to be said to these things? First, that he creates a division of our one and perfect faith, which admits of no addition or subtraction whatever; attributing to himself the delineation sought from the holy Letters; while deferring to those who are simpler and (as he supposes) more imperfect, the study of learning through the history in fiction and writing. Then, he ascribes the perfection of grace to himself, but leaves Judaic infancy to others who are in need of natural instruction. Consequently, according to him, the holy Apostle is lying, when he says: "There is neither Jew, nor Greek; there is neither bond nor free; there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galat. III, 28). But if he speaks the truth, C as indeed he has spoken the truth, and there is "One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephes. IV, 5); what is this empty division into two unequal segments? It divides "the holy nation, the royal priesthood" (I Petr. II, 9); so that some are of the more perfect part, and others are of the inferior. Then, since everyone if he is wise D desires perfection, he will deem that which is imperfect to be detestable; and from this the dogma of the history [of the picture] is necessarily superfluous. He also contradicts in the highest degree the great Basil, not agreeing with, nor joining together what he rightly taught. "For what the discourse of history offers through the ears, this the silent painting shows through imitation," he says (Hom. XX, in 40 martyrs). The noble fellow therefore rises up against the holy Oracles, just as he does against the chief Father; and thinking to correct another on this very dogma, he is himself caught having said vain things. And for this reason, we altogether reject such trifles. But we remind your excellence to follow the same rule of the orthodox faith, knowing that just as every perfect person, even if he be adorned with apostolic dignity, has need of the evangelical page; so too of the picture expressed according to it: since both are of the same honor and adoration.
To Hesychios the Protonotary. ABCD
The letter of your most excellent honor is indeed splendid, proceeding as if from the good treasure of the heart, and shining with the beauty of charity; yet it is not to be praised on the account that it extolled us, ignorant as we are, with praises. For when have I become, as you say, a lamp burning and shining, in which you, my Lord, have rejoiced being enlightened? Or a fountain flowing most clearly, from which your love has drawn a saving speech? Has not our face on the contrary been darkened even more than soot, to speak prophetically, by the uselessness of our life? And has our speech not languished, destitute of the power of deeds, for the establishing of the hearer? And I say this not while blaming the guard at Smyrna—far be it! For it is indeed venerable, a guardian of my venerable confession—but while blaming myself, as one who has not conducted himself worthily within it.
But leaving these aside, as they are tokens of charity, I turn my discourse to the urgent matter. Your goodness has signified to us that you have, to speak in a word, two daughters given by God; and that the former, before she was born, you vowed to God through the consecration of the monastic life, while you left the second in the middle and in an undecided state; but now, your counsel having changed, you have decided to do the reverse because of a certain necessity that has arisen: namely, to assign to the world her who was promised to God, that is, to hand her over to a man laudable in every respect and of the same age as the girl; and to offer to God the one left in the middle, who is quite young and unequal in age; and that in this you are wavering and perplexed, lest it perhaps be contrary to the will of God.
You ought, indeed, most honorable Lord, to have inquired of others regarding this affair, and to have received a solution from them, as those who excel us in knowledge, and not to have required an answer from us who are separated by such a long distance of places. Nevertheless, since you have decided so out of the trust you have had, we, having considered the matter with our most God-beloved archbishop and brother, have judged that action to be contrary to duty, and contrary to the right faith, and contrary to the examples that have ever been. Once, that renowned Anna promised Samuel before he was born, and she did not exchange him whom she had promised, although she had other children, but offered this one to God. The blessed Nonna, when she had similarly promised Gregory the Theologian, rendered her vow to God. Likewise, Saint Euthymius was given to God by his parents before birth and was not exchanged after his birth. These were clearly seen as wonderful in the world, and on their account their parents were also called blessed. How then would we, most wonderful man, acting contrary to these things, be beyond reproach? And would not the blessed Peter rather rebuke us, saying somewhere:
A “Was it not yours while it remained, and after it was sold, was it not in your power? Why have you put this thing in your heart?” And I omit what follows, which is of evil omen, since I am speaking to one who understands. For whenever anything is renounced to God by a good vow, it is not without danger to transfer it to common use. Common use, however, is secular marriage. And just as one who has promised to become a monk, and has settled on this, if he turns back and enters into marriage is condemned; so too if one has chosen to offer a son or a daughter to God, and then changes his mind, he should have the same condemnation. This is how we think—forgive us—even though we are eager for your comfort, and that what you have prayed for concerning yourself might turn into reality. But one commandment must not be violated for the sake of another, nor should that which is harmful to one be cured by that which is salutary for another, as the God-bearing Fathers have declared. And so much for these things.
The third head of the letter concerns certain monks who seem to hold the right faith and have endured many persecutions for the truth, yet nonetheless associate B and eat with heretics and condescend to them, thinking the matter indifferent, as though they had been instructed by some Father to observe these three things: not to be blessed by the heretics, not to chant with them when they are leading, and to abstain from communion of their bread. What they say is contrary to the things ordained by the holy Fathers. For they permit neither associating, nor eating together, nor chanting together, nor having any communion at all with them; rather, they even pronounce a woe upon those who have communion with them in food, in drink, or in affection. So he who says these things is excommunicate and a teacher of strange doctrine, whoever he may be among men.
CLXXIII. — To Gregory the Consul.
In the words of the Apostle: “In him dwells all the fullness of the divinity bodily.” CYour Honor has bereft us so far by not writing, although you do write excellently, as the letters themselves demonstrate. In which we praised not only your docility, but furthermore your zeal for learning, as you desire to obtain a more sublime doctrine; the codex of which you seek, we do indeed have, but not in this place. Therefore, when it happens that our financial steward goes there, he will take it from the place where it is stored and deliver it to you. Learning is a good thing, my lord, in so far as it can contribute to the doctrine which is truly the truth, but let it not, maddening [one] like the Corybantes, make those who are imbued with it unlearned. The meaning of the apostolic saying, “For in him dwells all the fullness of the divinity D bodily,” seems to me to be this: namely, that in the flesh of the Word assumed from the Virgin, or rather in the temple which he built for himself, all the fullness of the divinity dwells. He says “all the fullness,” not some part, as those have thought who divide the indivisible divinity. “Bodily,” that is to say, substantially; for so it has been interpreted
A by the Fathers against those who prattle that they are united only by affection. Such also is the text: B *The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.* For, lest anyone think that the Word was turned into flesh, he added, *and dwelt among us.* It is clear that the one dwelling is different from the tabernacle in which there is the dwelling of the one who dwells; so that the two, divinity and humanity, are at once in the one person of Christ. If it seems to you that the matter stands otherwise, do not deprive us, who have learned little—and, I might add, who are somewhat negligent—of a more observant and truer speculation, even if you yourself, in the manner of friends, have extolled us to the skies with your praises.
CLXXIV. To Philotheus the possessor. That he may avoid all communion with the Iconoclasts.
The letters of your honorableness are acceptable to God and to a pious man; C since in this present time, in which there is a nocturnal battle of heretics and a storm of unbelief, you have made it clear to us that you shine here like some star, neither darkened by the shadows of heretical communion, nor submerged by the salt sea of infidelity. And blessed be the Lord, who even in the lay order hath defenders of His law in this present confusion and subversion of orthodox doctrine. Blessed are you, most honorable brother, and truly your title befits you, because you have both loved God and guarded the deposit of faith. You announced, moreover, in your letters, that this or that affection had been instilled in you by those blessed Fathers who have departed to the Lord with a holy end, whose names are in the book of life. And this is well; this also is a property of your ardent zeal. And since, after their departure, being as it were orphaned, you requested of our humility to be instructed again—we being indeed vile and of no account, yet because it is written, *bearing with one another in love*, D for the sake of this love in the Lord, we yield and approve your consecration, which is altogether beautiful and praiseworthy. Therefore, as you have endeavored to abstain, and have abstained, as you say, by the grace of Christ, from heretical communion, continue to abstain; for thus you will show your affection and communion toward your God; for contrary communion separates one from Christ. But as for the fact that you are compelled by the commander of the army to sing psalms along with the heretics and to eat what has been signed with the cross by them, so that the lord strategos cannot act otherwise without danger—on this matter we do not have an easy answer, because the accurate rule of discipline absolutely forbids one who thinks rightly from participating with the heterodox, and he should not communicate with them in food, nor in drink, nor in affection. Since these things are perceived by your goodness, abide in your good zeal, upon a beautiful foundation, useful, exact
building up golden structures of precision; praying also for our lowliness.
CLXXV. — To Irene the Patrician.
A That she should stir up her husband to official duty and virtue.Since you have greeted us, the lowly, Lady, through the most reverend presbyter, we return the greeting by letter, accepting your good faith and warm confidence; recognizing from this that you are good among women, a lover of God and a lover of monks; so that it is fitting to apply that Scriptural saying: "The husband of a good woman is blessed." B You see, Lady, that because of your goodness, your lord, the patrician, and your God-given spouse, is declared blessed by Scripture. Therefore, strive with all zeal to make him even more blessed. But how could this come to be? By your continuing to do him good; that is, if you remind him, exhort him, and entreat him to govern the height of his military prefecture according to the will of God, just as he does in fact govern; to take care of orphans and widows in their afflictions; to keep himself unspotted from iniquity; to be a lover of monks and a lover of the poor; to be tempered with humanity; for his power itself is sufficient to strike terror into those under his hand; and indeed, to despise threats, and to strike for the sake of correction, but in a humane and measured manner; for neither is immoderate leniency in every respect wholesome, nor is severity that exceeds proper measure easily acceptable. But above all, let his faith be orthodox. For even if he perhaps says that he cannot maintain this externally in regard to previous matters—a thing which is not enough in itself to satisfy God (for nothing is to be preferred to the love of God)—yet he can certainly observe it according to the inner man, so that he may be an author of salvation to many, both to monks and laymen, and to rulers and the ruled. Moved by spiritual charity toward you, we have dared to suggest these things, not being ignorant that you are already held by a zeal for what is good and right, even without a monitor.
CLXXVI. — To Bryennios the Strategos.
D Consolation on the death of his mother.The death of your blessed mother has been announced to us; and how much we have groaned, what is the use of saying? Not on account of her who has fallen asleep in holiness, far from it; for her departure became a gain, as she fled this life which is prone to many sins; but it is when we consider your own excellence, as having been completely orphaned and possessing no consolation in life. And this, too, in such a somber situation, and as you were not even able to enjoy the holy funeral rites—which is wont to bring some small consolation: the prayer of the dying and her final voice, the embrace of dear remains, and the viewing of the very casket in which they are laid; and you seem to me to suffer the same thing—
perishing with thirst in the midst of springs, since you have received the news of your mother’s falling asleep by the ears only, and not by the eyes. What, then, of these things? Shall we lament beyond what is fitting? Shall we weep insatiably? Shall we be unrestrainedly outraged? And where is knowledge? Where is wisdom? Where is understanding? By these your nobility is adorned, and indeed it is superior to many of those who hold the magistracy now. By no means, then, O most longed-for one, by no means; but having lamented and wept moderately, as much as is enough to fulfill the maternal funeral rites and to manifest what belongs to nature, let us return to ourselves again, if you will, and let us contemplate with lofty vision the things here below: how it is a dream, and a shadow, and a plaything, this thing upon earth, as one of the theologians says, that those who are not come to be, and having been brought to be, are dissolved. For we too shall tread the same road which our Fathers have trodden before us; and the same lodging awaits all alike; yet perhaps one is more tragic than another; because for one person burial in peace may have happened, while for another it is not so. For one may have become the spoil of war or the gullet of the sea—or in some other way, as is seen in the miserable and sudden deaths of those who perish in other fashions; of which the blessed mother is B superior, having departed hence in holiness and a life of bearing the cross. It remains, then, for us to say in these things that celebrated saying of blessed Job: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it came to pass. I would add that this saying is useful for us in the difficulties and straits in which we are involved, since that renowned man, as you know, amid countless tribulations, gave thanks to God: let us not, therefore, yield in spirit, O most dear friend, nor despair even of life, knowing that the Lord will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. Who knows what the morrow will bring forth, and Who will tell Abraham that Sarah suckles? The saying is symbolic. We pray, therefore, to the Lord of glory Himself, that by touching your heart, He may produce in it a light of never-failing consolation, so that, having within yourself the means of consolation, you may not be in need of another’s voice. We have also seen our beloved brother and spiritual son, the lord John, the kinsman of your highness, who visited us sinners in a timely manner; him, too, we consoled with a few words regarding the passing of your mother, and in brotherly harmony we joined in reflecting upon your pious consolation.
CLXXVII. TO EUPHROSYNE, ABBESS
She commends the holiness of her life and the excellent administration of her monastery.Now also by this letter we visit your reverence, desiring to know how constantly you persevere in rightly bearing the spiritual C
A duty that is ours, inasmuch as you have commended yourself to our humility after the passing of your blessed mother, whose memory is in the book of the living. As she lived holily and left behind the form of piety, her own character, she bequeathed it not only to you, who are sacred and wise in divine things, and to the sisters who are under your hand, but also to all others who desire to emulate good things. Since, therefore, you possess this example of virtue from your mother, add furthermore what is your own, mistress, we implore you, that from an excellent image you may yourself become an image of divine life to those who behold you, such as you are becoming. For we hear again and again of the excellent things you are doing, partly in your guidance of the sisters, holding them all in one soul through love, B being vigilant in matters pertaining to God—in prayers, in psalmodies, in readings—and partly in the friendly reception of guests, dividing your soul into cares and advances. And as the eye is in the body, so, as I understand, is your monastery in the city of Byzantium, through which God is glorified, and the blessed mother rejoices ineffably; for it is the reward of the saints to see the well-doing of their disciples. Rejoice, therefore, good teacher and true mother according to God, nurse of the children of God! Let others have earthly glories and splendors, diadems and crowns of fleeting time; for you, the cross of Christ is sufficient, the life accepted by God, the house of virgins dear to Christ, and, if you will, the words of God, which are more precious than gold and precious stones; the humble garment, the following of Christ. These things are greater than all earthly goods, and are pledges of the kingdom of heaven. Let not the eye of your mind ever slumber, C nor let the ear of the heart become dull, nor let the divine love ever cease; but rather may you ever increase with additions of virtues, pricking and compuncting the soul, and pouring forth tears as if from a certain fountain. For this water is most excellent; it cleanses the soul, sometimes soiled by thoughts; it extinguishes the fire kindled by negligence through the love of the flesh; it calms a turbulent disposition and difficulty from the assault [of the enemy]; it truly inclines God to mercy and restores the fallen, again, to his former sincerity. Being wise, understand what I say. For the Lord gives you grace, and will yet give you more, for loving and being loved, for desiring and being mutually desired, so that you may also be able to say with the Apostle: *I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me*. For he who loves God D completely goes out of himself, living, moving, and being in the Beloved. Such reason demands you to be, as a bride of Christ, and indeed, the daughters of God committed to your care. And what follows from this? The Bridegroom Christ, the heavenly bridal chamber, and the good things of the Jerusalem above, that is, the kingdom of heaven and all that is promised to the saints for their rest; which, since the blessed mother has already attained, she exhorts us that we should persist in our discipline, in concord, in unanimity; to tread underfoot the perturbations of the soul.
to hate flesh and blood; to be devoted to those virtues by which it is possible to attain these ineffable good things. A
CLXXVIII. — To Eudocimus the Spatharios.
He praises his patience and his constancy in adversity.I am writing to your excellence again, and this at the urging of Silvanus, our most reverend brother. For since he came into our presence and conversation, he struck our humble soul, having recounted each thing: how you bear, our master, with thanksgiving what has happened, and refer this affliction to God; setting aside all those things that the injustice of men has contrived; and finally seeking only this one thing: by what means you might establish a life acceptable to the Lord of all hereafter. By all these things he caused us to say rightly that which is written: "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things." For, just as in some storehouse, having deposited in your soul the treasures of knowledge from previous divine and human instruction, you bring forth spiritual riches at an opportune time, dispensing them for your own salvation. And see, good man, that divine teachings have turned out for your good: reading and knowledge, leisure and activity, meeting and prayer, the possession of sacred discourses and books; how very rich you are, even if you have few of the provisions of life remaining; how beautiful your eyes and eyelids are, even if you have been deprived of sight by injury; how truly illustrious and glorious you are, even if you are considered to be enduring an ignoble and inglorious life. For this is without doubt a trial and a test of virtue, that from the very source whence we think we are abandoned, we may find ourselves B to be beneficiaries of the good God, who, through good report and evil report, through glory and dishonor, through evil fame and good fame, and as many other things as the apostolic voice distinguished, knows how to dispense our life profitably.
And this is an ancient decree, and a hallmark of the conduct of those men taken by God. Take for me Abel, the righteous one justly testified to by God; was he not toys for a brother’s hand? Consider Enoch, who pleased God; was it not because of the corrupters of that time, who were eager to corrupt even him, that God snatched him from the midst, transferring him to unknown places, where he remains to this day, a herald of the second coming of Christ? Recognize Abraham, tested by God in many ways; the proof of whose faith was more precious than gold. And that I may pass over others, who are many in number and cannot be commemorated within the measure of a letter; if we compare our own afflictions with the afflictions of Job, whose struggles were innumerable, we shall find ours to be inferior; and we shall make his own celebrated voice our own, adopting it at all times. Thus, therefore, we exhort you, that concerning your affairs C
Ayou determine, most dear one, to transform the time of adversity and manifold misery, through a better way of thinking and a faith-based resolve, into happiness and well-being. For nothing human will move one who is thus established and lives with trust in God, inasmuch as he has appeared superior to all things that are wont to bring sadness. And if you say that, while you are listening to a reader, sleep steals upon you, it is no wonder; for a deprivation of sight is wont to cause this. If you say that you have no work in your hands, on account of the lethargy of nature, let that not be a care to you. The Apostle says: You have a psalm, you have a teaching, you have a tongue, you have a revelation; let all things be done unto edification (1 Cor. XIV, 26). Eat, drink, sleep. Only keep a grateful spirit; and read whatever you have from your own reflections Band that which is stored up in the natural book of the mind. And a little later you shall look up significantly, and you shall see the inaccessible light, Jesus the Son of God, coming from the heavens with His glory and power in flaming fire; condemning some as guilty of judgment; but glorifying others as sharers of glory; among whom may you also be, my dearest and most honored one, shining like a ray of the sun. Concerning the suburban property in which you had decided to establish a monastery, or whatever else was justly and excellently ordained in one way or another, God has accepted all as if it were already done, provided that you bear the deprivation of all things with a grateful mind. Pray for us, the sinners; for not only we [who are] sinners, but even if any of the saints should ask for your prayer, [do so] as one who is struggling with afflictions. COur most God-loving brother and archbishop greets you much.
CLXXIX. — To Sergio the Abbot.
[71]. Exhorting him to vigilance and that he should avoid the communion of heretics.Thanks be to the Lord that your honor is in good health; for your letter and the two brothers have reported this. We welcomed also the intention of your desire to come to us, though you were hindered by the pressure of civil wars and the outrages that make the roads dangerous; which evils the Lord our God will quickly disperse, recalling His subjects to peace, and delivering them from the incursion of the Hagarenes. For we learned also of the sword of theirs, what and how great [a slaughter] it has wrought in those parts. And all these things are a punishment from God for our impenitent malice. Nevertheless you, good man and most honored brother, stand fast and act manfully in the leadership Dof the brotherhood; do not fall into despondency, even if the difficulties are many; do not grow weary in straits, even if your strength is being consumed. But first of all, which is the matter of primary concern, guard the faith safe and unshaken, avoiding the communion of the heterodox in every way. For know that persecution is present; and it is not a sign of perfection to sit at home and remain unpersecuted, while those who burn with zeal for piety suffer much, and some are already [experiencing] the [struggle] of martyrdom
A with those crowned in diadem. Wherefore, an exact life is necessary for you, to fulfill what remains of your age: such as he followed who previously led you, and what you received from him; for such as is the head, so is the whole body. And I say these things, not that you may be dispersed, but that you may be diligently preserved and strengthened, having nothing in common with heresy. Next, be attentive and pay attention, and be vigilant and watch, because many are attacking us from on high, because the snares of the devil are many: *For as a roaring lion he seeks whom he may devour*. And this one indeed he attempts to swallow up by the pleasure of the flesh; another, however, he attempts to tear away from the fellowship of the brethren by the disease of unbelief. Another he wounds with the arrows of envy, wishing to make him another Cain; another he casts down by the fall of avarice, desiring to show him to be a second Judas. And to speak at once, his work, night and day, is our destruction. Watch, guard by your words the sheep of Christ; and your reward shall be great from God. For He Himself said to the coryphaeus of the Apostles: *Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me more than these? Feed my sheep*. Therefore, the proof of love toward Him is, according to Scripture, the pastoral rod. B
CLXXX. — To Stephen the son. Commending monastic poverty.
Abbot Anthimus has arrived, O excellent Stephen, and beloved son; and since, as was fitting, I had received him as I would you yourself, I asked how you were conducting yourself. For because the reason of governance demands this, I also used such [discretion] toward your brother Anthimus. And I recognized that there is mutual charity among you, but not such as truth requires in brothers who are genuine according to the Lord. For what is this, that you do not make all things common; but you yourself have gold privately, and he has gold privately, that which is accustomed to divide charity? For how can it be one soul and one heart, where "mine" and "thine" is spoken? Hence arise suspicions, hence backbitings; C hence, thirdly, [it follows] that Christ is not in your midst, who said: *Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them*; but the enemy of our souls [is there], who severs the members of Christ. For it is evident that where there is private possession of things and not community, from thence Christ is absent; since it is written concerning the apostles: *They had all things common; and no one of them said that anything he possessed was his own*. Are we not ashamed now—grant me pardon—since you are two, not to possess goods in common, when among the apostles, who were so many in number, a community existed? Therefore Christ was there; among you, however, [He is] in no way [present], although it is grave to say: otherwise you would be of one mind, and consenting, and concordant; bearing with one another, D caring for one another, sufficient for yourselves, well-disposed, gentle, cheerful, ready-
A had by the saints. But now the contrary is the case, according to what was said before. For this reason there is distraction for you, that one silver coin or one gold coin might be added to the money already gathered—which is a disease of avarice and a Judaic outcome. I ask, and answer me: Do you possess bread and wine, and a little oil, along with other necessities and things to sustain the body, until one or two months? If you acknowledge this, glory to the Lord. But if not, buy them with the money I have just given you; and there will be no distraction and no disturbance. For I know that it will suffice even for a need of four months' time. And when you are in want, He who feeds all will provide, whether from there or from elsewhere; and I would add, even from the work of your hands, for He who feeds all will feed you too. This is the best life; thus would you have Christ in your midst, at times working, at others praying, and at times resting, and at others reading. And a sweet light will rise for you; and you will be beloved to those who see you; and God will be glorified in you, and will glorify you in return, both now and in the age to come. And you will be a source of pride for us sinners, and an ornament of the whole brotherhood. I have said these things, not as if you had gold hoarded up; nor may it happen that you possess such, lest you hear: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." A treasure is whatever a monk acquires for himself beyond three coins, according to what is written in the Fathers, so that he might be reckoned among the beggars; for a true monk, as one who is master of the world through poverty, possesses not even one silver coin and cries out with the holy B Paul: "As poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things." For God opens a door on every side to such a man, whether he is at rest, or being persecuted, or held in custody, or oppressed by any other tribulation. And such a one is Christ-bearing and a true Christian, and an angel on earth, and a man imitating God, and an heir of God, and a joint-heir of Christ. C Ponder then, brethren, the matter; and if you indeed both possess only three coins, you are not to be rejected from among monks, according to the patristic example; but if you have more than ten, as I hear, or even more, know that you have fallen from the monastic state, and are servants not of Christ but of the adversary; and you are children not of me, the humble one, but of him who loves gold. You might say perhaps that you possess them, but that Christ also had a money-box, as does every leader and president of the Churches. But they held it as stewards of the brethren. For the Lord says in the Gospel to Judas: "What do you do, do quickly." But no one of those reclining knew for what He said this to him. For some indeed thought, since Judas held the money-box, that D
A He said to him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor. Thus, in imitation of Christ, among all who truly preside, there is by all means a money-box; and not for any other reason—far be it!—for it is most hateful to God. If, then, even you are presiding, and some contribute to you, as they did to Christ Himself, from their own possessions, as it is written, the women who followed Him—and to the saints in like manner other men and women—it is well; and you may possess not ten coins, but even ten thousand; for nothing is yours, but Christ’s, and you are stewards through Christ. Just as Paul, possessing everything, had nothing, and any other person until this day who holds his position in the fear of God. But if you are not presiding, and are not stewards of souls, I exhort and entreat you, distribute what exceeds the prescribed measure with haste, lest, having been caught by the devil in the sickness of avarice, you cease to be disciples of Christ. I have not said these things to you alone, but through you to all the brethren; and not out of hatred—far be it!—but because I love you greatly; and not wishing you to be straightened, but to be greatly broadened. For in straitness is breadth, and in sorrow according to Christ is the exultation of the spirit. And hear me, children, a sinner counseling rightly, prescribing lawfully, that in all things and in everything being well-pleasing to Christ, we may become heirs of eternal goods.
CLXXXI. — To Queen Maria.
Against dwelling in the palace with the Augusta, her daughter, so as to flee the company of heretics. (Baron. an. 816, n. 23.)Who are we, the lowly, C that your supreme Excellency should have deigned to defend us against the troubles that have come upon us, and to honor us beyond measure with your praises? Yet, that we have received this condescension of your piety, the truth of the matter will teach; for it is also necessary that you free the many from the false opinion that is accustomed to intrude in such situations, and it is no wonder. For a word that is cast forth, when it is spread among many, is not everywhere true in the mouth of each one. But we, with what words shall we endeavor to wipe away the grief of your most afflicted heart? Or with what softer touch could we be able to smooth the roughness of your spirit? You have endured therefore (so that the discourse may proceed from the beginning), an unjust divorce from your spouse, D and you were torn asunder from the empire of which the world is given. A miserable spectacle! The adulteress wearing the purple, and the queen clad in dark garments; the handmaid ruling, and the mistress serving. And to pass over the rest—which you, having suffered, know better than we who are ignorant—you have endured exile for the sake of the truth, severed from your own offspring. From which there is for you both the greatest sorrow, and special praise from God and from all the pious. This is the third blow, concerning which I have been bidden to set forth what is fitting.
A And yet others will say that a mother must accompany her daughter. For they say this happens even among wild beasts by instinct of nature. Let them see to it; but we, who are humble, will use that word of the Lord: *Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?* And again: *If any man come to me, and hate not his daughter, he is not worthy of me.* What is the conclusion? That your piety should remain at home, while the Augusta occupies the palace; in which the evangelical sword is seen bringing about the division. Forgive these words, Lady; with great heart-felt attention and solicitude we have dared to write, as if speaking into your ear, praying for both of you for things better and more conducive to salvation, both now and in the future.
B
CLXXXII. To Basil the monk.
On the death of a certain Superioress and ten sisters.
We do not refuse to commit our humble discourse to writing, as often as your honor reasonably requests it, provided that it be also useful to you. For we noted this very thing in our previous epistle. Therefore, we accept it even now, being at once comforting and admonitory. Wherein is it comforting? Because, since the Superioress has died in the Lord with a group of ten sisters, as you say, the event is not without cause for grief, but is even very startling; for when the head is taken away, the whole body is dead, and when the most precious members are cut off, those that remain are unsightly. Such, then, is what has happened according to the flesh. C But since *spiritual things are compared with spiritual*, the event is at once sad and very joyful: the former because of the deprivation, the latter because of the hope. You have extolled the Superioress, endowed with the highest holiness, as you explain, together with the venerable sisters—a proof of joy; for those who have been taken are, as it were, acting as an embassy to prepare a place of rest for you, just as those who go ahead on a journey secure lodgings; while you—those who are left behind—strive to hasten toward a good life and a grave conversation, and you always look toward that place where we shall later meet the mother in God and the sisters. D Such, indeed, is your sorrow, conjoined with hope and joy; and not like that of those who have died according to the flesh, who, oppressed by insane lamentations and wailings, are filled with sadness, *just as those nations who have no hope*. Therefore, for them, death is not to be desired, but very much to be shunned. To us, however, *to whom to live is Christ, and to die is gain*, the death of spiritual Fathers is an occasion of unexpected joy, as they live in the Lord and their life is much more sublime and immortal than this life of ours. Casting away, therefore, each one, both men and women, every tri-
and irrational distress, and degenerate tears, according to what you have been appointed by the grace of Christ: the one for the rule of the men’s dwelling, the other for the guidance of the convent of virgins. "Be sober, be vigilant," "act like men, be strong." Let all your life be in charity, all in the keeping of the commandments, according to the instructions of saint Basil. And let these things flourish in your two monasteries, that leading a life without offense and reprehension, you may "glorify God in your body and in your spirit." Let one monastery be stirred up B by the other, and let them conspire in holiness, with you, brother Basil, who have written to us and have been approved by us, standing alongside, and partaking in the care of both monasteries as far as you are able, although you do not bear the burden of a superior; but as if your desire were fulfilled by the promotion of a successor, you apply yourself more zealously and assist where there is need. You have, therefore, for the increase of virtue, the excellent examples of those, both men and women, who have passed away. You have the lives of the saints, the laws and ordinances of the Fathers; you have, which is greater than these, the Creator of all, God, in your midst, according to His promise which is not at all deceptive. You have the holy Theotokos as a helper, and all the saints as intercessors. You have also our own insignificance ready and prepared for you in that which is good. Do everything well, therefore; conduct all things peacefully. "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks," cries the great Apostle, by whose intercessions may we and you be saved.
CLXXXIII.—To Elias, Presbyter.
C Regarding boys who are tonsured against their will by the will of their parents.Your kiss, holy man of God, is most venerable, and it keeps the token of concord; but the question, I scarcely dare to say, is crude, and not sufficiently explored by our humility. For to this day we have not heard that boys have been tonsured by a father by force and not spontaneously. For if they are clearly infants, or before puberty, the will is not in them; for they are not able to distinguish the good from the evil, but the matter must be left to the determination of those who begat them. When they have grown up, the whole matter is to be permitted.... D [The matter is to be permitted.] Whence there will be welfare of soul and body for us and for you. But enough of these things; since I have no leisure for a long discourse, being occupied with other businesses not easy to resolve. But concerning the Bishop of Chios, what is this that you write? We neither admitted the man into our sight when he came here, for the sake of avoiding suspicion, nor did we dismiss him altogether without a response: which was neither right nor...
fitting to do to just anyone, let alone one of the same order and endowed with the name of bishop. We were glad, therefore, that he finally cast off the episcopacy, choosing to be considered neglected even in this way; we subjected him to the appropriate penance, just as we have done to those who performed similar acts. And God is the God of the penitent. This is a clear proof of repentance that has been sought both by us and by others tasked with healing, namely, that he who has fallen should withdraw from the episcopacy and be restrained from sacred service, with penance to be undergone until the time of peace. If, therefore, this man B has openly shown these signs, who are we to repel him when he approaches, and thereby incur the hatred of God? Do not, O admirable one, bear hostility toward the man, even if what you recount as having been committed by him is proven to be true; since we have neither heard of it up to the present, nor, even if we had heard, would we judge him in these matters. For it is written: "Does our law judge a man unless it first hears from him, and knows what he does?" And again the Apostle says: "Do not receive an accusation against a presbyter, except on the evidence of two or three witnesses." Furthermore, the reason or power to judge these things is not ours, but rather to receive those who have submitted themselves to repentance; reserving those things which have been mentioned by your reverence, either for the proper time in this life to those who stand at the head of the Church, or in the age to come to the Judge of all. Therefore, I advise your kindness to put aside those words for the present and give thanks to the Lord for the man's repentance, C so that we may be coworkers with God, who wills every man to be saved, and in this have peace toward him through our Lord Jesus Christ. And finally, when you have the opportunity, if you truly seek it, then you shall judge with righteousness. But for now, pray for us, that we may be saved in soul and body, for we confess ourselves to be greater sinners than all men. The Lord Archbishop sends you many greetings, having been greeted by your voice; as do all the brethren who are with us. Farewell in the Lord, brother.
CLXXXIV. To Auxentio the Abbot.
[He answers his questions.]The letter of your honor we received, and as much as it was possible for us, we went through it—putting aside the praises of us to a distance, as we are in no way worthy of encomiastic laudation, but rather of accusatory reproach. For who are we, the useless ones, not even worthy of the name by which we are called? But as to those Scriptural chapters about which you inquired, D we were vehemently astonished that the explanation should be made by us, unlearned as we are, and indeed concerning such mysteries,
A belongs only to those who are God-bearers, from whom also the clarification has come, and indeed, most precisely, word for word, by the great and divine Basil. Taking, therefore, his interpretive volume on Isaiah, you will learn what is sought; besides, for it also exceeds the measure of a letter, as the discussion of such matters requires a complete treatise. But as to your saying that a dispute of words is proposed to the Jews: let the Christ-fighters, O best of fathers, rage against themselves. For they who have rejected the teachings of Christ himself, our true God, and have cast aside the precepts of the apostles, and have altogether abhorred the lofty discourses of all the God-bearing Fathers; it would hardly be fitting for us to walk with them or to converse. "Let them alone," the Lord said, "they are blind" (Matth. xv, 14). And the Prophet says: "There is no joy for the impious, says the Lord" (Isa. XLVIII, 22). For besides the fact that we would gain nothing from the exchange of words, we would harm ourselves with their venomous speeches, being poisoned like a serpent. "God will crush their teeth in their mouth; the Lord has shattered the jaw teeth of the lions" (Psal. LVII, 7). Let these things suffice for you. But what must we necessarily do, that we may please the Lord? How shall we escape the snares of the devil? Clearly, by being lifted up by the B spirit as if on wings, seeking the things that are above, and minding the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God (Coloss. III, 1); from whence he shall also come with the angels of his power in flaming fire, bringing vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of his (II Thess. I, 8)—that is to say, the Jews, and whoever is of the same mind as the Jews, both in the perversion of faith and in the crookedness of life. Meditate on these things, my friend, and abide in them, that your progress may be manifest in all things. Paul, the great preacher of the truth, exhorts you: "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain" (Tit. III, 9). But that we may answer in summary regarding what you have proposed, the whole argument of the C prophecy is concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom also the people who had been cast out shall be saved from the four wings, that is, from the corners of the earth. And that the walls of the new Jerusalem are described upon the hands (Isa. XLIX, 16), signifies the passion of the cross. For the nail being fixed in the holy hands, it draws men back from the immoderate affection of sin, and renders them beautiful with the archetypal beauty of deification. Wherefore, after the example of the resurrection after three days and nights, "Lift up your eyes round about, and behold all your children: behold they are gathered together and come to you. As I live, says the Lord" (Isa. LX, 4). The things that follow thereafter, connected prophetically, are joyful and festive and full of gladness; and he who is of a grateful mind will understand, and will at the same time acclaim the things that are in harmony: but the ungrateful Jew will have a perverse heart, and will listen rightly to neither the Old nor the New Testament. From which may we be delivered by the prayers of the saints, O sanctified Father,
and be saved in the kingdom of heaven, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
CLXXXV. To Eudocimus the Spatharios. On consolation for the blindness of his eyes.
A We ourselves felt how great was the pain and suffering that has befallen your honor. But now, since we have heard from you and from your sorrowful voices, which detailed each of the painful things that have happened, we have felt it even more, and we have sympathized, as is fitting. But since you might treat these matters as meeting you by the just requital of God, even in this acting rightly—as if these troubles were induced to punish malice rather than to test virtue—I will not delay any further from speaking to the matter in clear and plain words. You have therefore been deprived of sight. It is indeed grievous (for how could it not be?), to have lost the lamp of the body. But, on the other hand, there is reason for thanksgiving, because we do not see the vanities of the world, from which every mind is naturally accustomed to be carried away and dragged, in ways one would not wish. You are restrained from going out and from urban and palatial assemblies; but in this way, you have been liberated from the conventicle of the malicious and from the society of those acting illegally. You know what I am saying. You have been stripped of your possessions, and this is most difficult to bear; but you have the means to bear it lightly, and to be superior to the opportunities and dealings of the world. Where, O admirable man, could you have ever found such a place as you have now, in which it is permitted for you to have leisure for God, and to know Him as much as is possible? And where could you have such time for prayer, for lamentation, for contrition, and for the spreading of hands, as that which is now available for you to enjoy from the calamity that has been inflicted? Do you not see that the situation has met you for your good, the malice of men having been turned to your salvation? One thing above all must be judged: that in your former way of life it was difficult to understand how one might seize upon the path of salvation, with many, as you know, resisting that pious purpose. But now, there is open to you not only the door of repentance, but also the entrance to the kingdom of heaven; and everyone who thinks rightly will rank you B in the order of those being saved, for whose achievement all good people strive, and compared to the attainment of which nothing in all the world is of equal value. Would that it were possible to make an exchange, to swap our senses with one another. And it would be a task of great prayer for me, that with the removal of sight there might also be removed those stings of sin which are perceived through the eyes. But let these things be said for the sake of friendship. May our good God console you with much consolation, that you may bear all things with thanksgiving, after the example of the blessed Job; and may He deem us worthy to come together one day in face-to-face conversation, so that what cannot now be explained in writing, we may complete with a living voice; and then we may recognize each other more fully, having already tasted of your sweet charity from a small, preceding experience.
Nicetae Spathario. On the death of a wife.
A In small sorrows, indeed, it is easy to find consolation for one who wishes to comfort the afflicted. But in such a great sorrow as that by which your piety is beset, what consolatory speech could be found? Or who, attempting to heal such great grief, could skillfully accomplish it? O mournful news! Your lady wife has been snatched away, as we have recently heard: the only consolation in the misfortunes that befall us has been taken away; the blessed house has been despoiled of its ornament; the branches are saddened, for the good root has been cut out; the menservants and maidservants wander hither and thither, not having the lady who illuminated the house present to them. All things are full of sorrow: perhaps even the air itself seems changed to you because of the change in your mind. Where is she who would cheerfully receive you at home when you returned from your palace duties? Where is she who would humanely receive relatives, and who—to speak briefly—disposed of everything, brought matters to a successful conclusion, and dispensed and cared for everything that pertained to the house, and to those of the household or those received as guests? All have departed and perished, and we have become as if in a solitude, bereft of all our good things. B Such and so great is the calamity of your honorable soul, O master, that no comfort from men could be equal to assuaging the pain of your inflamed heart, but only from God alone, who consoles the humble in heart through the reception of good thoughts. She indeed is blessed; for blessed is she who cherished a firm faith toward God and lived an honest life—of which there are many proofs, of which we ourselves have not been without experience; and finally, she who, like gold in the furnace, having been tested by a long and difficult sickness, flew away from here. Wherefore, this is enough for our consolation: that you have sent such a wife to God, who left us her own life as an example of most beautiful conduct. Furthermore, since you yourself are learned in divine matters, you ought not to be disturbed by what has occurred. For you know that, as soon as we come into this light by God’s will at our birth, the end hangs over us, strictly joined to our nativity, and that no man is immortal, nor is any marriage indissoluble. C Let us contemplate, if it so pleases, those from Adam to this very day, and we shall find one succession descending after another as long as this world shall stand. Where are those who begat you, master, and those who procreated them? And going upwards, you will find nothing else but that there is a perpetual flux and reflux in human affairs. What, therefore, is required now? That we should be in control of ourselves, and that we should pay the fitting honors to the woman who must never be forgotten—for whom we also, though humble, have prayed not a little that she might remain in this life; yet, as sinners, we were not heard,
A that we might arrange the affairs of the children well and ready our own departure, living in this life in a manner worthy of God; so that, having departed from here when Providence allows, we may find there the noble spouse rejoicing with us in the participation of unspeakable goods in infinite ages. These things, even if they are very little for consolation, are nevertheless tokens of your love, which may it be granted to you to remain cheerful and easily comforted, based upon your total reliance upon God.
CLXXXVII. To Leo the Sacellarius.
[He expresses thanks and proclaims his virtues.]And it is not permitted for us to remain silent, enjoying as we do the benefits of your most great and desired excellence, and we are not able to respond according to your worth, lacking the matching B words. But if your God-loving soul does not think so, it is no wonder. For love, it says, thinks no evil; since it has long been accustomed to assume the same in a friendly way and to honor us, the unworthy, freely; and as they say, you do not even have [the desire] to compare [yourself] with others in rank. But these things, as has been said, are the marks of sacred affection. You, however, O most praiseworthy one, seemed to be established as some sort of citadel in the Queen of Cities; or, to speak the truth more appropriately, as a most capacious harbor, a resting place for the afflicted, C an ideal consolation for those wishing to hear pleasant things, daily, so to speak, receiving and healing, caring for and zealously attending to these and those, the greater and the lesser, priests and high priests, the fulfilled and the submissive. How magnificent is your divine dignity, and your God-pleasing conduct! The sayings of the celebrated Job also befit you: "I became a father of orphans, and a foot to the lame, and to every man my door was opened," and all that follows. You are the remnant of piety; you yourself the treasure of orthodoxy; and speech overlooks many things, lest it be thought to speak for favor, and that the things said to your face be D considered flattery. Yet, adding one word, I will cease from speaking: a father’s only consolation is a begotten and father-loving son, and your magnanimous and celebrated administration of the Queen of Cities.
CLXXXVIII. To the Spatharia, [wife] of Flavian.
[On the death of her son.]The dreaded report of the suffering of your son of eternal memory has reached even our humility. By it, just as those whose ears have been struck by thunder are altogether terrified, so this rumor has reduced us to the greatest straits, so that words are not even available that might be equal to the grief. Oh, what has happened suddenly! How did an admirable man depart, while in the very prime of life; how tall in stature! How beautiful to look upon! How noble in...
blood! How glorious in illustrious fame! He was as if left alone to his fortunate mother as a consolation, a support to his paternal house, an ornament and glory to his kin; I would add, even to the royal palaces a sight seldom seen. While administering the affairs of the Emperor in a distant region, he flew away, A leaving behind his most praiseworthy mother, leaving behind at the same time his illustrious wife, together with his noble young children, and a brilliant household, a most celebrated lineage, a wealthy estate, diligent servants, bodyguards who loved their master—in short, everything together, so that my discourse may not dissipate by recounting each detail one by one. Then, returning home from foreign lands—a pitiable burden, a lamentable encounter both for the imperial city and for his most distinguished house. O immoderate calamity! The very walls of the city would have groaned, not to mention the princes and his peers. The Emperors themselves would have groaned, being deprived of such an admirable sprout. Perhaps the fickle crowd might weep, and the whole lineage would naturally be shrouded in gloom. B But if these things are so, who could sufficiently lament your grief, O lady? Who that of his wife? Who that of his sister? Who that of his servants? Not even if the flowing waters of the rivers were turned into tears would they suffice to serve you in your mourning. And what of the air? Has it not, then, been altered in your eyes? And has the sun not ceased to rise, now that the sun of your household has perished? So many are the things that grief suggests for one to lament, and even more that are on a par with these. But since our discourse is addressed to a woman who has long been instructed in divine things, and who exhibits in her own life every proof of virtue, as the ears and eyes of almost everyone testify, there is no need for much admonition, since she possesses at home the remedies of consolation. C You have taken many sacred volumes into your hands; you have unrolled many writings of the Fathers, spending your time night and day in prayers, passing the nights in supplication—that is, in the modulation of nocturnal and diurnal psalms and hymns. From these come your continence and your mortification of the body; your liberality toward the poor, your observance toward priests and monks, and whatever else is praised and sung in other forms of piety. Therefore, at home and from yourself you have enough to suggest to your soul what is fitting. But also for the bride, and for your daughter, and for the whole Abrahamic household, you are as a common teacher, as an animate exemplar, and as one who has long since stored up the treasures of the divine oracles, and in due time you are able to distribute the measure of wheat to each. Remember, O noble and admirable D among women, that what has happened is neither new nor unexpected. Contemplate all who have been from Adam down to this very day, and enter into the deep judgments of God; and see that man is like grass; his days pass by like shadows. Since, therefore, the progenitor was mortal through sin, mortals also are his descendants, succeeding one another down to the present. But nonetheless, since Christ, death is no longer death, but the beginning of an immortal regeneration. A pious son, and orthodox, and
A you have born and sent before you. Let this be for you a sufficient consolation and a premise for thanksgiving. And we exhort you, be the God-comforted and all-wise one you are; as in all other things, so here too, be a noble example of magnanimity—a beautiful shroud for a most beautiful son, being piously concerned with those things that pertain to him, offering your contribution to God. For perhaps for this reason God kept you as the last of those who preceded him, so that having arranged all things in a manner worthy of God, you might depart happily from here, and一緒に with them inherit eternal life. These things our brother, the most God-beloved archbishop, also says in concert with us, my most precious lady.
B CLXXXIX. To Pantoleon the Logothete.
A Supplication on Behalf of Theodotus the Protospatharios
We know that excessive freedom of speech is open to reproach; we know, moreover, that the times themselves mandate caution upon us. Nevertheless, the surpassing magnitude of your inexplicable benevolence toward us, lowly as we are, has compelled us to use this letter even more boldly. For it is truly bold not only to report on one’s own affairs, but also to intercede for others. And yet, as has been said, your exceptional humanity and twofold piety have encouraged us to dare. What, then, is it that we are saying? It concerns Theodotus the Protospatharios; how he stands in danger because of the oikonomos of the Church, since he sailed to the West in his company, your incomparable eminence knows entirely. Who, then, could be found as another helper to take up this man’s cause? Who is more intelligent than your great mind to discern what needs to be done? Or whose work is more ready and powerful than your sincere protection? Bestow, most desired master, the mercy you have received from God upon him who asks. We prostrate ourselves before your honorable footsteps. Your counsel is like the counsel of an angel; your voice is like lightning, flashing with both the brilliance of boldness and the splendor of love; if your suppliant is deemed worthy to become a partaker of this, he will entirely escape the arrows of accusation cast by his adversary C in the various ways that are known to your lofty mind. We, for our part, though lowly, will offer you many thanks and prayers for the health of both of you, a truly beautiful and admirable union. And perhaps, as a reward for the divine favor and the humanity provided by the Lord, there will be no less merit for you both, most amiable and illustrious men, for the salvation of both soul and body, than if you were to offer golden gifts.
CXC. To Theophanius the monk.
That Christ is not Christ unless he is circumscribed by our image
If the letter from us, lowly as we are, is pleasing to you, then again
A receive it, O greatly desired one; it has nothing of comeliness or eloquence, as you say in your kindness, but it is, without doubt, a symbol of love; and the more frequent the exchange of letters, the more the affection of love grows. What could be more desirable than this? But let this be set aside for now; the discourse must move on to what follows. What is this new thing that has been attempted among you? And who are these newborn dragons, like a Charybdis, swallowing up souls that are not strengthened by the word of truth? You yourself did not name them; but we, even before your letter arrived, lamented exceedingly, because of one man, a heretic, or rather in truth a blasphemer against God, who obtained the office of chartulary there from the emperor, saying that this ruin had befallen the highly celebrated Sicily. This calamity, however, was not fashioned from dogmatic doctrine—for this huge statue is devoid of doctrine—but proceeded from an impious mind, and, to speak more truly, was born of impiety from his ancestors, and indeed alongside two other blood-relatives. But the Trinity, I know, will put them to flight by the divine mouth of you and those here who fight for the B truth. As for you and those like you, let not the still-raging heresy disturb you. For the evil has not yet been cast out and crushed, nor has the love of the faithful for God been sufficiently tested, and thirdly, we are not able to enter into the abyss of the judgments of God, as to how he allows his people to be stirred up even now by the storm of infidelity. But the conclusion of the matter, so that those who are approved may be made manifest, as the steward of wisdom, Paul, has said. Wherefore we exhort and beseech you not to grow weary, but to continue to refute your adversaries, bringing forth divine proofs from the inner storehouses of your heart; and demonstrating clearly from this that Christ is not Christ, unless he is circumscribed according to our likeness. For if he became flesh, he is certainly circumscribed as flesh. But that which is not circumscribed is not within humanity, C but undoubtedly outside of this, and also outside of place and time: God naked, whom we call and conceive of as incomprehensible and indefinite by nature. And it is necessary from the nature of things that this follows by a sure demonstration of the truth: namely, that Christ is circumscribed and worshipped in an image. "Since the archetype is represented in it," as the divinely eloquent Dionysius says somewhere; and elsewhere, "Each in the other, apart from the difference of substance." Therefore, he who denies that Christ can be depicted has denied that he was born a man; and he who does not worship his image does not worship him at all, even if he thinks he is worshipping him; since the holy word says: "Unbelievers confess that they know God, but in their works they deny him." I have not indicated these things to your reverence as to one who is ignorant, D but as to one who holds the same opinion, and drawing, as it were, a drop from an ocean of dogmas; since, moreover, there are countless opinions of the Fathers, along with ancient history from the very beginning of the evangelical preaching, to
the establishment of our immaculate Christian faith.
Letter CXCI. To Philotheus the possessor.
A Your honor deems it a great gain, as you say, to receive our letters, and at the same time to be mentioned by us ourselves. But this is a tribute to the great humility of your God-minded soul, not to us who are lowly and unworthy of notice. Nevertheless, according to your trust, you will receive the reward from the just judgment of our good God, who rewards each one’s faith with heavenly recompense, and imputes to Himself what is done to one’s neighbor in the likeness of Christ. We truly rejoice to have become acquainted with such a man, whose virtue is distinguished, whose praise is most just, and whose manner of life is an example to many who desire to live piously in this present generation, set forth as it were on a mountain top of virtues. B And you have truly shone forth in accordance with your name, choosing a life beloved of God, free from business and quiet, by keeping the divine commandments and attaining eternal goods. Although you are, in appearance, worthy of imperial power and, in regard to family, most illustrious, yet divine love has extinguished all these things and shown them to be nothing, as indeed is true; it has lifted the eyes of your mind toward the super-luminous beauty of divine splendor, so that you might see the radiance there, imagine it there, and set your manner of life there, where there is ineffable joy, an incorruptible life, where there are the flashes of light of the blessed and primordial Trinity. C But may this be yours, again and again, and may a store of good things be added to you, O admirable and longed-for by us, so that you may depart from here like a great merchant and be translated into the realm of the eternal. So much, then, for the matter of the greeting.
Since you have questioned me again regarding the presbyter, pointing out the unnamed penalty, we say this: the canon does not even allow a presbyter to be a guest at D the wedding of a digamist; how much less to crown such a person? For the crown is placed on the one who has conquered intemperance and preserved the glory of virginity. But the digamist, besides not being worthy to be crowned, is also canonically subjected to canonical penalties. How then is it not absurd to crown those who are under the canons for digamy? Therefore, forgive us, so that there be no other charge; it is not permitted to perform the sacred rites at all; nor do I know if, by dispensation, one may distribute the holy things which have been consecrated by a blameless presbyter. Regarding the reader who has returned after undergoing penance, it is just that he should not read the Apostle until the time of the synod. For the presbyter is inhibited from the sacrifice, the deacon from his ministry, and the reader from his reading. We feel and decree thus.
As it shall seem good to your piety, so do.
CXCII. — Irene, Patricia.
On not transferring a women’s monastery to men.
A It is a token of your good confidence that you have greeted us humble ones, Lady, most honorable to me, through our beloved brother, the Lord Peter, your kinsman; through whom we in turn render the greeting we owe, praising your piety and noble zeal in good things. For this we both know from ourselves, and are taught very often by the brother; and indeed, as you honor him for the love of God, so you honor him in a manner worthy of the virtue that is in you and of your husband’s conduct.
Since, however, you have inquired concerning the monastery called the Lions, as to whether it is fitting to establish it for men—such being your proposal in its restoration, since it was previously called and functioned as a women’s monastery—this is our response: that if the place had been consecrated by you for the first time, it would have been entirely in your power to do as you might choose. But since it was previously consecrated by your daughter of blessed memory, who was superior there and directed the monastery with a company of virgins for many years; and even though, because of the past civil war, a transfer of the sisters of that place took place, and the superior herself, who was resting there in sacred caskets, along with others of the same order who had departed before her, were removed—it is not right, I think, Lady, for a change to be made by you, nor to dismiss the sisters and daughters of her who preceded you, who prefer to serve God there where the superior is buried. B The word of the Apostle is: *Each one in which he was called, in this let him remain.* The monastery was called a women’s monastery; what is the reason for the change, that it should bear a man’s name, especially when there are no men appearing, and those who were driven out cannot endure not to live there? But if a change has often occurred in certain monasteries, it has been because of persecution, or unjust usurpation, or unlawful power. But for those whose faith is right, and whose life is not in opposition to the faith, it is fitting to speak and act according to the laws and canons. Therefore, we exhort and beseech you, as if your daughter of blessed memory herself were uttering a voice through us humble ones: let the monastery of the Lions continue to be called a women’s monastery, and let it guard her daughters in the spirit, serving God. For this, even as it will be to her praise, so will it be a very great one for your own piety, and it will give no handle of reproach to those who observe our affairs; which the Apostle enjoins, saying: *Be without offense, both to the Jews, and to the Greeks, and to the Church of God.* C For if you do otherwise, the matter will not endure, having been transferred from what is fitting to what is contrary to nature; and we shall not escape public
censure, and I would add, the fault of condemnation.
CXCIII. — To Eudocimus the Spatharios. On the foreknowledge and predestination of God.
A We have delayed beyond measure in replying to your Honor’s letters, so that it had almost escaped us what they chiefly contained. But the reason was that we had no faithful messenger. Now, however, since it was necessary to send the steward of our monastery to your parts, we are making up for what was omitted, as is fitting, and we state this first: that we are not able to provide a remedy for a grieving soul afflicted by many calamities. Nevertheless, one must strive to find the cure from the divinely inspired Scriptures. What then does the greatest dispenser of these say? "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks" (I Thess. v, 17-18). If, then, it has been commanded us to rejoice, to give thanks, and to pray at all times, in every circumstance, and without ceasing, no time will pass, not even a momentary one, B that is not marked out for the true Christian to rejoice and give thanks. Are, then, present things distressing, even if they have the heaviness of misfortune? And these things have been said by me to your good soul, not as though you were ignorant, but by way of reminder; because a struggling soul sometimes grows faint, becoming unable to reach the height of contemplation. C My second point is this: that even if those who hold power have stripped you of many of your possessions, they could in no way deprive you of your more precious property. Do you not see, and do you not give thanks for, the richness of knowledge that God has treasured up for you? And what a tongue [He has given you], from which, as if from the hidden treasuries of the heart, you bring forth words and thoughts, most freely! This is most excellent and more gainful than all wealth, and more substantial than any property; he who possesses this is, in the judgment of the wise, to be preferred to the most affluent, even if he were clothed only in rags. And this the whole choir of the righteous has demonstrated; and among those of the outside world, that Ulysses, who, after his shipwreck, was seen by the princess, naked.
D But we must turn our discourse to your question. Although you know what is right from yourself, you are curious to be taught by us, the unlearned. For you say that, on one hand, your reason urges you to prayer; on the other, it falters, as if God already knows what we wish to ask, so that, from this, prayer would be superfluous. Furthermore, since you are a sinner, prayer is of no use. And simply, if the letter signified anything else; for I did not have it at hand to examine. What then is there to say regarding these things? That this thought implies the existence of fortune and fate, and, to state the whole truth, the subversion of free will.
A We must not, therefore, lean upon this opinion, being sensible and enriched with the knowledge of God; rather, regarding the second problem, one must be persuaded that God also hears sinners who make use of the best repentance. For how, since He rejoices over those who repent, according to the sacred Oracles, should He not also hearken to their prayer? Regarding the former problem, the reply must be as follows: that divine foreknowledge does not nullify free will. For it is not because He foreknows that we do what we do, but because we are going to do it that He foreknows; and herein are confirmed both the definition of foreknowledge and the principle of free will. For in those matters which are not in our power, the decree of God precedes, concerning time, place, and manner; but in those which are in our power, in which there is free will, the foreknowledge of God is, in a certain way, consequent, both in virtue and in vice. Wherefore we ought to love and to pray for better things, that we may have God following us in that direction, and not the contrary. For He will follow us in B contrary ways: here, indeed, punishing and chastising, but there, crowning and rendering to us the kingdom of heaven.
CXCIV. To John the Grammarian.
(He defends a certain letter of his own concerning the cult of images.)When I had come to discourse on the venerable images, and our friend Plato was present in the conversation, he said that your eloquence, having previously received a letter of mine on this same subject, had been in doubt, as if it did not contain a sufficiently clear doctrine and might perhaps lead the hearer away from the truth. Truly, if he who struck me were one of the many, I would not have been quickly moved, as I am accustomed to endure the darts of envy and the insults of the unknown. But since the rebuke comes from a friend, and a most learned friend, I thought it necessary to present the letter itself to your eyes, and, as much as in me lies, to send it—discussed and approved—to your benevolence, so that you might either be freed from the concern of inquiring further, or that it might be corrected by your sagacity. For he who reproves ought, in turn, to bring forward his own opinion as to what he thinks deserves to be refuted. The letter is therefore of this sort.
Theodore to Athanasius.
«How, you say, C is the image of Christ not worshiped with *latria*, but rather Christ who is worshiped in it, seeing that there is one worship for both? Because in Christ Himself, truly, the worship is *latric*: for in worshiping Him, I worship concurrently the Father and the Holy Spirit—which is the worship and *latria* of the Trinity together. But as regards the image, the worship is indeed the same (for how could it be otherwise? Since the power and the glory of those [the Persons of the Trinity] are one, the reverence and the worship of them is also one), but yet it is relative, or homonymous. For in worshiping it, I have not worshiped alongside it, but I have worshiped Christ, not divided according to...
A substance, but differing according to the account of essence; which is relative, but not latreutic, even if it is the same. There, indeed, it is understood and spoken of in such a way, as being triadic, or natural; here, however, it is the reverse, as being relative, or hypostatic. For if you were to say "latreutic," you would have indicated that it has been incarnate, as with the Son, and the Father, and the Spirit; which is absurd. Therefore, in worshiping the image of Christ, I do not worship the divinity, as some say; for this would be indicative of the Trinity, and the Trinity has not been incarnate—far from it! But what? I worship Christ himself relatively. For only He is the incarnate God the Word. And in worshiping Christ himself, I have undoubtedly worshiped the Father together with the Spirit. Thus, the relative [nature] of the image would rightly be understood and spoken of as such; whereas in the case of Christ himself, it is latreutic, as the Father and the Spirit are thought of and worshiped along with Him.
Well then, my friend, it seems to me to be the correct theory that the preposition "with" should be used in the case of the blessed and adorable Trinity. For "with," while hinting at the distinction of the hypostases, suggests a natural unity, just as it is sung by all Christians in the Symbol of Faith. But in the worship of Christ B and of his image, the use of the preposition "with" has no place; for otherwise, it would result in rending the one hypostasis into two hypostases according to the principle of "consequence" just given, and would carry us away into the impiety of creature-worship. Therefore, the relative pronoun is rightly adopted, which, while preserving the unity of the hypostasis in both, distinguishes the diversity of their natures. "There is, therefore," says the all-wise Dionysius, "one in the other, except for the discrepancy of essence." But when he said "discrepancy of essence," he clearly implied the identity of the hypostasis, insofar as one is in the other; according to which relative worship is also established. For relationship, they say, is among those things which are "relative to something"; for they exist together and are convertible toward one another, such as an archetype toward an image. For one could not exist if the other were not present, just as has been philosophized concerning those things which are "together." Furthermore, the addition "or homonymous" is made, because this expression clearly has the same force. For the name is the name of the thing named. Wherefore here, too, there is the account of relative things; since, according to the precepts of philosophy, we are taught that those are homonymous whose name alone is common, but the account of their essence, which underlies the name, is different; C just as Christ himself and he who is painted. But when "hypostatic" is added, this is explicitly admitted: that it is not another hypostasis in addition to that of Christ in his image, but most certainly the very hypostasis of Christ, or the character of his form, being made manifest through the species in the image and being worshiped; and the whole argument is strengthened for those who think correctly. Moreover, to gain greater credit for what has been said, I deemed it necessary to subjoin to the letter three Patristic testimonies; so that here also may be fulfilled what is written: "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established" (Deut. xix, 15).
Chrysostom from the interpretation of the [Psalm] 118
A As when royal effigies and images are brought into a city, magistrates and the people go out to meet them with auspicious acclamations, honoring not the tablets or the waxen paintings, but the royal image; so the creature honors not the earthly figure, but venerates the heavenly effigy.Synod of Antioch under Patriarch Theodoritus
Not as another in form, but as the one and same Lord existing in one form; inasmuch as he is also one character born of the substance of the Father, and before the flesh he was incorporeal, and in the flesh he is one; and in the image he is the same one, not divided into two characters, nor rent into two glories; but coalescing into one. And after other things: But just as he himself is one from two contraries, and coalesces into one person; B so also his image is both one and of the same one Christ: and we do not say that one character appeared to us according to the flesh, and another character was formed in the image according to the appearance of his form; but the same one: since he is called a character not insofar as he is body, but insofar as he is incorporeal: and this will be explained more clearly by the divine Chrysostom, who calls the character heavenly, inasmuch as he [who is] from heaven, not insofar as [he is] body, C but insofar as [he is] incorporeal, the only-begotten God descending from the heavens became incarnate, and appeared clothed in our body. And after a few words: Therefore because by way of relation it shows the character itself, we adore Christ himself, and not the matter fashioned by art in the image.Synod of Nicaea II
And he who adores the image, adores in it the hypostasis of him who is depicted.CXCV.—To Eudocia, Candidatissa.
Strengthening the mind sick with vain terrors.
It was indicated to me by brother Silvanus that your honorable self is in grief, on account of a certain fear and terror which has occupied your soul without any cause. D Hearing this, I, being humble, did not bear it without feeling, but I grieved, and prayed—although I am unworthy to be heard by God—that this fear might depart from you. But even now both I and the lord archbishop, and the brethren all together, are praying that your piety may recover from this malady. Furthermore, this malady, lady, is absurd and deservedly to be despised; nor ought you to think that it can bring any evil upon you: since you have put on Christ, and have his cross as your armor; by whose sign fortifying yourself, believe that you will immediately drive away all the machinations of the demon, whether by day,A or by night. Pray therefore to the Lord: "Deliver my soul from the fear of the enemy." And again: "He shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow that flieth by day, nor of the thing that walketh about in the dark, nor of [the] invasion and the midday devil." If God is for you, who is against you? If it harms the body, it also buries the body; by which we trample upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Do not therefore cower or be troubled by this untimely fear; but be of good courage in the Lord, and, like our own protection, pray as we do, by night and by day if you can, and read a little; and the peace of God will guard you B and keep you unharmed in all things.
CXCVI. — To Euphrosyne the Abbess
How she ought to conduct herself regarding one who requested to be dismissed from her monastery.I have learned from one who knew well that your reverence was in pain because one of the sisters wished to be separated from your holy congregation; and indeed this pain is not without cause. For how could the soul not grieve when its own member is cut off? But nevertheless, because such things happen through the malice of the one who lays snares for the sons of disobedience, we must C bear it with a great spirit, showing every diligence, as much as true reason allows, so that we may be innocent of the blood of such a one, that is to say, of the sister or brother who has been named. You have asked to learn whether your reverence would be free of blame if you were to dismiss that sister who insists on leaving by force. And how is it that you, being wise and intelligent, do not discern for yourself what needs to be done? Therefore, it is devoid of risk neither for you yourself, the teacher, nor for the disciple, when separation happens in a schismatic way. For why or from whence could you have a reasonable basis for this? For if the disciple D is already perfect and accomplished, so as to be able to preside over other sisters, and this is sought by the community of sisters, this is a dispensation, as the holy Basil says, and not a schism: God forbid! For surely, from having been well ruled, one ascends to rule lawfully. And from that comes a good zeal for those of the same way of life, to advance toward perfection and to act in a godly manner; since our Lord and God, in showing the proof of the love for Him to the chief of the Apostles, said: "If you love me, feed my lambs." And again: "Tend my sheep." So that one who has entered into feeding with such intent would be blessed, imitating Christ, the true and first chief shepherd. There is, then, another dispensation observed among the Fathers: when a soul that is difficult in temper and character, after much and long diligence, chooses to be transplanted to another congregation, as being likely to be more useful there, in imitation of trees which are transplanted from one place to another. And if therefore this too...
you have done, there is a certain rationale: namely, that both the one who dismisses and the one who receives—aiding one another—fulfill the apostolic precept: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." A But the word of truth does not accept any other separation. In the first place, because the covenant of the Holy Spirit, which was confessed before God and men at the monastic profession, is broken: what could be more pernicious than this? And indeed, the word of the Lord applies also here: "What God has joined together, let no man put asunder." For if separation is forbidden there, even in a carnal union, how much more so in a spiritual conjunction? Unless, perhaps, the things of God are a mockery—but far be it! Faithful is the word of the sacrament, both in the remission of sins and in the indissoluble bond of union. B Furthermore, how will the congregation of sisters be edified, from which she is torn away, if she who is dismissed by the superior is free of fault? And will it not rather be led into dissension, severed by a similar zeal—now this woman, then another, and not long after yet another (and thus the whole body of Christ will be scattered and perish utterly), scarcely emerged from its first confines? And he who perpetrates all this evil is an heir to the curse, as Saint Basil cries out; for neither your monastery nor any other place where this occurs will have stability or foundation. Therefore, "Let him who disbelieves, disbelieve; and let him who acts wickedly, act wickedly," as it is written. But you, while you save yourself, C save your own soul, not casting aside the laws of God, but relying on the doctrines of the Saints, of whom the first among these is the great Basil, even if you should happen to live with but two or three virgins! For where two or three are gathered in my name, says the Lord, there am I in the midst of them; but not among those who act wickedly, even if they be ten thousand.
CXCVII. TO DOROTHEUS, HIS SON.
That the commemoration of one who has repented before death ought to be made in public prayers.
I have known, beloved son, even from the letter you recently wrote, your faith toward us, humble as we are, and your affection; which is indeed a sign of true subjection, even if we are sinners and of no account. D In which I hope you may persevere in the future, pleasing the Lord and shining with virtue among your brothers, and indeed, among many others too. For good, by its nature, is not accustomed to be hidden; but even when it seems most likely to lie concealed, it renders its worker conspicuous, so that he is called a city of God, as it is written. But so much for that. As for the matter you indicated—namely, the making of a commemoration for such-and-such a person—you ought to judge for yourself, that if, at the time of death, when he had previously communicated with the heresy out of human fear, he stood firm in confessing and, as it were, repenting...
A after being chastised by someone, and has thus been made a participant of Orthodox communion and departed in it, it is reasonable that he should have a place in the commemorations of the Orthodox, our good God through His supreme clemency receiving the penitent in that last hour and judging him there. Wherefore, if the matter happened so, it must not be refused that public prayers be made for him to God. But if none of these things happened, and he who was communicating with the heresy was not previously a participant of the body and blood of the Lord (for that bread of the heretical is not the body of Christ), it must not be dared to say that a synaxis should be held for him. For divine things are not matters of sport, B so that one might not hear He who asks for such a person: *You ask, and do not receive, because you ask amiss* (Jas. iv, 3). I have nothing else to say, as far as I am able to know what is true. *For what communion has light with darkness* (II Cor. vi, 14)? Neither shall he be placed in the portion of the Orthodox who does not communicate in orthodoxy even in his last hour. For where he is found, there he shall also be judged; and as the provision he has taken for eternal life is, so shall he be numbered. For the rest, pray for me. The lord archbishop greets you, and your brothers. The brothers who are with you I greet as my children; and likewise the lady Thecla as a daughter in Christ.
CXCVIII. — To Abolius and John, monks.
Concerning the holy image.
C Having received the greeting in your name, holy men, from Isaiah, the most God-beloved bishop and spiritual father, I not only understood what a holy pair of Fathers you two are, but I was also moved to write this miserable letter. We indeed, though humble and sinners, yet desire to kindle you to charity, than which nothing is more excellent. Otherwise, also compliant with your custom, we have applied our mind to writing. And truly we give thanks to God that you also have stood unmoved in the storm of the Iconoclastic heresy, holy Fathers, not having been in the least ensnared by its pestiferous communion; but having taken flight, you have attained to the thrice-happy crown of persecution, truly the reward of virtue and an illustrious proof of the struggles you earlier sustained in your monastic life. Wherefore, from what has now occurred, let each one gather a specimen of his former life, even while he conducts himself in a different manner. Adorned with the holiness of life, you have also put on the confession of Christ, both now conspicuous with praise. For the defense of the holy image itself is a confession of Christ, D as conversely, whoever denies this despises Christ; because, says the great Basil, the honor of the image passes to the prototype, and the one is seen and adored in the other; however much Leo, to whom the name from the beast is fitting, the minister of Satan, of Constantine, who formerly...
A in his zeal for ungodliness has raged against Christ, against his holy Mother, and against every saint—may his memory perish with a sound of eternal anathema! But may you be preserved as columns and foundations of the Church of God, and as defenders and patrons before the good God for us humble ones, so that, having faith which works through love, we may be saved from the evil one. Since we have sent a letter, fulfilling the task of love, may a written response be rendered in turn to us by you, so that we may the more fully recognize one another and, as if seeing and being seen, may we remain in the address of correspondence in Christ Jesus our Lord, whose incorrupt image is the salvation of the world and the antithesis of the delusion of idols.
CXCIX. — To the Emperors Michael and Theophilus. Concerning the Orthodox faith and the holy images.
B (Baron. an. 823, n. 14.)To the most pious and most religious Emperors, August from God and sovereigns, an apology and address from those who are scattered here and there.
It is well known to those endowed with reason that God, the King of all universally, has granted to human nature the matter and name of earthly empire for this reason: that the earth, in imitation of the heavens, obtaining peace and tranquility, might follow Him with like praise and adoration. Your Christ-emulating empire, having obtained the reins of this by divine vote, has justly called us, the least, to enter into discussion with those who dissent from us regarding the doctrine of faith, so that from this you might learn which side delivers the truth and might grant the palm to it, so that there may not be schisms among us, but that we all may think the same thing, orthodoxly. In this we have indeed praised your zeal for learning the faith, and we have praised even more the intention of composing peace, by which you take thought for the utility and salvation of your subjects. And for you from this there shall be a reward: in brightness, an ineffable brightness, and in the kingdom, an eternal kingdom. C But, O most excellent and God-loving lords, it is not possible for this great and desirable achievement to be accomplished so easily and without labor; since great things always have their difficulties. What does this mean? First, that those who oppose us have been long and synodically confirmed in their own opinions, while we are forbidden by the sanctions of the Apostles and Fathers to confer on matters of faith with those who are thus caught in error. Second, that the judgment of this matter does not belong to others, but only to those who alone have received from the Lord by the Spirit the authority, with your own selves assenting and sealing it, who by God have been especially called to this D very thing. But the sincere...
A and incorrupt opinion of our most Christian religion, what it is, I judge it necessary to set forth. We believe in one God, who is worshipped and glorified in the Father, and in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit: the most hymned, all-creating, and primordial Trinity, according to the divinely inspired symbol delivered to us by the holy three hundred and eighteen Fathers; through which every heresy has been exploded, and upon which every holy synod depends, as branches from a root and rivers from a fountain. Hence the second declared the proper voice of the Spirit. Then the third proclaimed the holy Mary as Theotokos, since she gave birth to the Only-begotten Son of God himself. Thereafter the fourth dogmatized our Lord Jesus Christ B as one in hypostasis out of and in two natures. Next the fifth, confirming that which preceded it, anathematized Origen and the Probyparctitae who were with him. Then the sixth, consistently with the two natures, taught that there were two wills and operations in the one Christ. And later the seventh, following upon those before it, as it decreed that all natural properties in the one Christ are twofold, so it declared the same to be uncircumscribed according to that which is not seen, and circumscribed according to that which is seen; holding the truth grounded in four ways: from natural doctrine, from Patristic utterances, from synodical declarations, and from ancient custom. C According, therefore, to natural consequence, the evangelist John demonstrates this, saying: *And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us* (John I, 14). If, therefore, the Word was made flesh, it is clear that as Word, he is uncircumscribed; but as flesh, he is circumscribed. *And he dwelt among us*; the one who dwells is different, and the dwelling is different; according to the one he might be circumscribed, while according to the other he is superior to circumscription. By what signs will a man be recognized to have been born, if not by the property of being imaged, which naturally exists in the man who is fashioned; by the removal of which, the man is rendered naught? But he is truly man; therefore, as man he is circumscribed, being as God uncircumscribed; D just as he became, by discourse, the Mediator of God and men, so as to have joined both extremes unto himself, and being both, and possessing the properties of both natures from which he was constituted in one hypostasis without lack; from the Father, with all else, the uncircumscription; seeing that he said: *All mine are thine, and thine are mine* (John XVII, 10); and from the Mother, with all else, also the circumscription; for it is written: *For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham* (Heb. II, 16). Whence he ought to have been in all things made like unto his brethren. If, therefore, the property which removes either nature be itself removed, then co-removed
A are also their natures. And a witness to this argument is the holy martyr Justin, who says somewhere: “For nothing of those things which exist remains, if one and only one of those things which naturally belong to it is lacking.” And from this, the matters of our faith are rendered empty and vain by this new hypothesis.
Consistently with the Evangelist, the Apostle also says these things: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant (Phil. II, 6). Therefore, if being in the form of God he took the form of a servant, undeniably, in that he is in the form of God, he is not depicted, since the Divine is beyond comprehension; but in that he took the form of a servant, he is depicted, because the servile form is subject to the comprehension that belongs to touch and color. For how would he be believed to have been made in the likeness of men, if he were not naturally fit to be depicted in the likeness of men? And how would he be said to be found in stature as a man, if he were not seen as having been drawn in human stature? You see, O most serene ones, how he who in all things needed to be made like unto his brethren, with whom he equally partook of flesh and blood, of necessity must be equally depicted just as they are; otherwise, he was not made like them, and he who declared it has lied. And nature has been altered.
And yet God and the Word himself says somewhere: Why seek you to kill me, a man, who have spoken the truth to you, which I have heard from God? (John VII, 20; VIII, 40). But he who cannot be depicted would never have called himself a man; nor could he who is fit to be killed B be unfit to be depicted; for the one draws the other along and confirms it. This is he who was put to death indeed in the flesh, but brought to life in the spirit (I Pet. III, 18), as the blessed Peter has said. But what else is this, than to say he is depicted according to the flesh, who is brought to life in the spirit? This is he who said: And he that eateth me, the same also shall live for me (John VI, 57). But he who was not circumscribed would by no means say he was eaten, unless perhaps he were some phantom. Which, if we were to accept, we would fall into the belief of the Manichaeans, destroying the great mystery of godliness.
For he who speaks of the Son manifesting his own substance on the mountain as both visible and invisible, says that he does not have two natures, but one. Wherefore those who similarly affirm that Christ is not circumscribed, as if preaching one nature, are shown to fall into that same belief. For what is uncircumscribed, the same is also incorporeal. Nor yet, because he is circumscribed, is the unique person of Christ, as some think, divided into C two persons. Because neither is the nature of the image and the prototype divided according to hypostasis; but it possesses its difference according to the definition of substance. For the all-wise Dionysius says: “Each in each, according to the difference of substance.” D
A Since even in the life-giving cross, no one would say that a cross-shaped image is anything other than its prototype, or that it differs from it in anything save by a natural definition; the example is close at hand, and the truth is beyond dispute. This, then, is the first of the modes we have mentioned. What is the second? The voices of the saints, which, not syllogistically but plainly and openly, declare that our Lord Jesus Christ is to be depicted. If we were to record all of them here, we would exceed the bounds of a moderate address. But choosing two or three from among many, and those the most important, we shall establish the faith regarding the others by their means; thus fulfilling what is written: "In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established." B Peter, the chief of the apostles, in the history of the holy martyr Pancratius, is recorded as follows: "Bring the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, and inscribe it in the tower, so that the people may see what form the Son of God took, so that seeing, they may believe all the more, beholding the type of form and receiving a reminder of what has been preached to them by us." How awesome is this saying! It is as if he were crying out: Bring the image of Him who covers the heavens with virtue, and inscribe it as if in a conspicuous place, as a manifest testimony; so that the people may see what form the Son of God took—not that of an angel, nor of an archangel, nor of any other power, but our own servile form; so that by seeing, they may believe more abundantly; as if the report through words were not enough, requiring also the operation through sight for a fuller faith, C that the Son of God has become the Son of man, and that they may receive a reminder of what was preached to them by us; it is equivalent to saying: "This is for you a monument unto generations of generations." The history indicates that the other apostles also did the same in cities and villages, arranging the story of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ from the beginning, from when the angel cried "Hail" to the Virgin, until He was taken up. Which, he says, they exhorted them to honor with fear. Do you see, O most humane ones, that together with the setting up of the holy icons, the fact that they are to be venerated with fear has been delivered by the apostles from the beginning? For to be honored is clearly admitted to be equivalent to being venerated. D The voice of Athanasius, the much-suffering athlete, from the address delivered in Berytus: "Lift up the eyes of your understanding, and see this new spectacle." And after other remarks: "Then when the Jews brought out the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, they said: 'Just as our fathers once spat upon Him, so let us also spit upon Him.' And they began to spit upon the face of the image of the Lord, and they struck it, while those gathered from here and there, that is, the image"
A of the Lord, saying, "Whatever our fathers did to Him, let us all do likewise to His image." And they say, "They mocked Him; let us do the same." Therefore, with infinite mockery they mocked the image of the Lord, things which we would not even dare to utter. Then they say, "We have heard that they pierced His hands and feet; let us do this also to Him." Then they pierced the hands and feet of the image of the Lord with nails. Again, being mad, they say, "We have heard that they gave Him vinegar and gall with a sponge to drink; let us do likewise to Him." And they did so, adding to the mouth of the image of the Lord a sponge filled with vinegar. Again they say, "We have learned that our fathers struck His head with a reed; let us do the same." And taking a reed, they struck the head of the Master. Finally they say, "As we accurately learn, that they pierced His side with a spear; let us omit nothing, but let us add this also." And having ordered a spear to be brought, they commanded one of their number to take the spear and strike against the side of the image of the Lord; and upon this doing, an abundance of blood and water immediately gushed forth from it. A trustworthy word, O most wise [men]; partly, because signs are given to the unbelieving, not to those who believe; and partly, so that we also may know that through the insult offered to the image, the prototype is insulted; just as, conversely, through the honor of the image, it is honored. B
The voice of Basil the Great from the eulogy for the martyr Barlaam: "Let Christ, the president and author of the contests, also be depicted on the tablet; for here too, O most serene ones, is the secure rule for the erecting of an image. For the divine man did not command that Christ be impressed upon the tablet of the mind, as some foolishly chatter. For we do not have Christ depicted in us, but rather dwelling in our hearts through faith, as the Apostle cries out. Then, since by inserting the conjunction 'and,' he signified the preceding things, which are thus: 'Arise now, you brilliant painters of athletic deeds, and with your arts magnify the icon of the commander that has been mutilated; and make the crowned athlete, depicted somewhat obscurely by me, conspicuous with the colors of your skill. Let me depart, having been defeated by the image placed by you of the martyr's struggles and victories: let me rejoice today to be overcome by such a victory through your dexterity. Let me see the struggle of his hand with the fire depicted more accurately by you. Let me see the wrestler depicted more vividly through your image. Let the demons also weep, now struck by the victories of the martyr in us; let his hand again be shown to them as burning and victorious.'" He would by no means say that these things are depicted in us; and if even this were granted, he would not command the servant to be depicted first, and then the master. Moreover, he says immediately at the beginning: "Arise now, O brilliant painters of athletic contests"; C without doubt [it is] of images, and not mouths.
A that he indicates, as he also says in the enconium of the forty martyrs: "For magnificent [are] the deeds in wars, and orators often, and painters very beautifully demonstrate [them], the former adorning them with speech, the latter carving [them] on tablets." Since, then, the second mode has reached its end, what is the third? The voice of the Fathers who convened at Constantinople after the sixth synod. In some of the venerable images, B the lamb indicated by the finger of the Forerunner is depicted, who was taken as a type of grace, foreshadowing to us through the Law the true Lamb, Christ our God. Therefore, embracing the ancient types and shadows as symbols and prefigurations of the truth handed down to the Church, we prefer grace and truth, having received this as the fulfillment of the Law. So that the perfect thing may also be depicted in colors before the eyes of all, we decree that the human character of the Lamb, Christ our God, who takes away the sin of the world, be set up henceforth in images instead of the ancient lamb; C through it, we consider the height of the humility of the Word of God, and are led to the memory of His life in the flesh, of His passion, and of His saving death, and of the redemption that thereby came to the world. Here, together with the image of Christ, the rationale for the images of all the saints is also present. First, that because the ancient lamb was a pre-figuration and is now lacking, it is the decree that He [Himself] be set up instead of the old lamb. Then, that the image of this One is not only to be embraced, in the way that the notes and signs in the Law are said to be embraced, but also to be adored, both [the image] of Him and of each of the saints. For it is worthy that one should consider it venerable and adorable. D Furthermore, that every image is called by the same name as its prototype, through the saying: "The Lamb, indicated by the finger of the Forerunner, is depicted." As the divine Gregory the Nyssene also says in this place: "Isaac lies out before his father at the altar." The voice of the Fathers who convened at Antioch: "Not as another in form, but as the same one Lord existing in one form; even as He is the one character [that is] by nature of the Father’s subsistence, and before the flesh was bodiless, He was one, and in the flesh He is one, and in the image the same [Person] exists as one, not divided into two characters, nor split into two glories; but gathered into one." And after other things: "But just as He Himself is one from two opposites, and is gathered into one person; so also His image is one, and [the image] of the same Christ. And we shall not call the character that appeared to us according to the flesh one, and the character that is shaped according to the image in the likeness of His form another; but the same one, since neither as far as the body
A is the character said to be, but as it is incorporeal. And this will be more clearly explained through the divine Chrysostom, who calls the character heavenly, since it was not as a body, but as incorporeal that the only-begotten God, descending from the heavens, was incarnate, and appeared clothed in our body. » And after a few words: « Therefore, since He shows that that same character, according to reference, is Christ Himself, we adore [Him], and not the matter artificially shaped in the image. » Lo, a clearer dogmatic declaration: first, that there is one form in both, in Christ, that is to say, and in the image; second, that the character itself of the subsistence of the Father, in the image, is the figure of His own form, being seen at the same time and adored with undivided glory. There remains the fourth B mode of ancient custom and institution. But lift up your eyes in a circle, O most humane man, and see the whole earth, from the apostolic preaching itself, everywhere among the nations, in holy temples, in divine vessels, and in sacred offerings, bearing Christ depicted, and by these very works uttering a voice that Christ has reigned over those who are upon the earth, as David sang: *Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession;* and: *That an idol is nothing in the world,* according to the saying of the Apostle; and that all things are filled with blessed light, He having come who said: *I am come a light into the world.* For what are the things that are seen? Here, indeed, He is born in a cave, and glorified by C angels; there, however, He is carried in the arms by His Mother, and adored by the Magi. Then as a boy, when He was seen sitting in the midst of the doctors. Then baptized by the Forerunner; then working miracles with the apostles; ascending the cross, breathing His last, buried, rising again, returning into the heavens. Striving toward all these things, therefore, through the image, just as the apostles did then through their direct gaze, we might rightly say: *We beheld his glory, glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.* This, therefore, is the faith preached from of old; this the holy synods have embraced; and to this all the Churches in every place everywhere, in the East and in the West, in the North and on the sea, give their suffrage; which we also, the least of all, embracing, pray and rightly supplicate for your reign, which God holds dear.
CC. — To Peter of Nicaea. On the death of the metropolitan of Synada.
D Your holy ears have surely heard of what befell our blessed and common Father, the metropolitan of Synada; and your holy soul has lamented for him, as was fitting; for the groaning has not yet ceased, nor has the pain been settled, which was born as if from a certain dissection. But come hither, and from us, O most desired man, learn more clearly, that you may
acknowledge the debt owed; and do you yourself, having recognized the history concerning him, receive some relief from the narrative. O, O! How am I to bear the mournful message without tears? The Father was in health, exercising the habits of his sincere love, the greetings toward the brothers and Fathers; for who was more eager for hospitality than he, and for caring for those he loved? Whom not even the constant arrival and persistence of those visiting from elsewhere tired, as much as their rarity and swift departure grieved him. And what need is there to fortify such matters to you, who know them well? He was, then, as has been said, in these duties. But since there was present the festive day of the second day after Pentecost, having risen from the feast, he was seized with the pains of a catarrh flowing from the head to the spine and the parts of the back. At which we, the humble ones, being moved, found him truly ailing, and explaining the causes of the onset. Then, when we had returned home, arriving the next day, we found him constrained by more severe pains and a burning fever, barely able to address us in a low voice, and signaling his despair of living in the flesh. What follows? On the third day, there was a binding of the tongue altogether, and not long after, the bitter death. But let that, indeed, be called bitter to us, who have been deprived of the holy man; to him, however, it is truly sweet to be dissolved and be with Christ, than which what could be more blessed? C The blessed man lay there (for it is good to describe this, as a strange spectacle), venerable in appearance, angelic in his form; as if his soul, departing to the Lord, had impressed certain radiant characters upon his sacred body, with which and in which he had served the Holy Trinity. Suddenly there gathered a crowd, at once of monks and of laymen, very numerous; they surrounded him, gazing upon him as a sacred relic, or, to speak more appropriately, as if he were still breathing and able to speak. The tears of the honorable men flowed without noise, while those of the servants were more audible. Thus, therefore, with becoming psalmodies and episcopal invocations, he was committed to the tomb in the place where the blessed one was accustomed to perform the sacred rites to the Lord; and the Father was added to the Fathers, the confessor to the confessors, the teacher to the teachers, the interpreter to the interpreters. And we might add these things as well: the temperate to the temperate, the chaste to the lovers of chastity, the hospitable to the lovers of hospitality, the modest to those who think D modestly of themselves; he who had become all things to all men, as far as was possible, that he might gain all, or the many; leaning upon apostolic achievements. And now we, the humble ones, lament like orphans for him who was truly a lover of Fathers and brothers; and his Church, or rather the little flock, not knowing where to turn, is wailing exceedingly, and calling back its shepherd and Father, as is likely for chicks to do....
CCI. — To Philotheus the Possessor.
A A presbyter who has crowned those married to a second spouse ought not to participate in sacred rites: just as the 191st letter had already been written to the same Philotheus concerning this same presbyter, whose praise is throughout all Macedonia, among monks and pious laymen, who have on their tongues the beauty and virtue of your piety. May the Lord still grant you to do well, to abound in good works, to be ready to give and to share, for yourself storing up a good foundation for the future, so that you may attain eternal life. Most excellent Philotheus, diligently guard the deposit of faith, always shining forth in godlike deeds. And of these things, enough.But since the discourse is again about the presbyter, while your Honor asks that he be free to perform sacred rites—this would indeed be right, if the matter requested were a human one; for we would hasten to comply with your every wish, desiring to serve you, since you assiduously serve us. But since the matter concerns God and the transgression of the decree of the divine canons, forgive us, dearest brother; we are not able to render a judgment against God and the holy canons, especially since, in a matter exactly similar, we have in past times staked our whole life, in facing dangers, and exiles, and deaths, rather than consent to iniquity and the violation of the Gospel of Christ. Neither, therefore, has an accomplice of adulterers, nor an accomplice of those married to a second spouse, received from us the authority to sacrifice. For if the holy canon does not permit a presbyter to dine at the nuptials of one married to a second spouse, much more certainly does it forbid him to crown such a person.
B But if others judge differently, let them see what they are doing. For, the Apostle says, we have no such custom, nor do the Churches of God 1 Cor. xi, 16. Wherefore, since you see the judgment bound up with danger, do not try to use force against our humility. For if we gird ourselves daily for dangers on behalf of the defense of the truth, how would we, with a different purpose, rush against the truth? It is not fitting, my lord, to do or to say anything contrary to what has been divinely decided by the canons. We believe, however, that you yourself, seeking one thing—the will of God and the salvation of your soul—will be of one mind with us regarding what has been said; and you will pray rather that we persist in the divine law, and that we do not let go of anything regarding the transgression of the command of God and the canon.
CCII. — To Maria the Spatharia.
C He imposes penance for the violation of church asylum. Your Honor acknowledges that the Church is a sanctuary of salvation, and that a fugitive, surrounded by distress, runs to it as if into the hands of God. Therefore, just as it was not lawful in the Old Testament to snatch anyone from those who had escaped to the cities of refuge, it is much more unlawful in the New Dispensation to tear those who have taken refuge from the Church.A For this is an insult to the divine laws and to the divine altar. Therefore, let your piety consider how great this transgression is. And what is the remedy? First, that you set a law for yourself, never to dare this again, even if all things should be turned upside down. Next, that you abstain from the holy things for the whole of Lent, bending your knees ten times each day, and saying fifty times: "Lord, forgive me this sin. Lord, be propitious to me a sinner." In the same way also: "Lord, have mercy on me gratuitously." And you shall recite three psalms especially, the sixth, the thirty-seventh, and the fiftieth; and thus God will remit the sin to you, Lady. And if you have the means, give forty silver pieces to the poor.
B
CCIII. — To Irena, Superioress
My ways and the words of my manner of life are far from your praises, most honorable of women. But a faithful soul, seeking the Lord, is accustomed to bestow praises upon the unworthy, so that from this it may gain the glory of humility. Such, therefore, have we found you to be, sister in the Lord. For as we recognize our own state, we do not deem ourselves worthy of even the lowest of those who now are, much less that we should be exalted to such a height as you have written. But let these things be laid aside here. And let the discourse be transferred to the matter of the presbyter. We do not, O Mother, say this today and another thing tomorrow; but the same discourse is always with us. What is this? That a presbyter who has been caught in the communion of heretics, and especially if he has signed, C is not permitted to perform sacred functions until an orthodox synod, in which such things will be judged and discerned; except only in a case of necessity to baptize, to bring out the dead, to give the habit to a monk, to sanctify the water of the Theophany, to evangelize at dawn, and to distribute the holy things already consecrated beforehand by an innocent and preserved presbyter. And these things, as I said, out of necessity. For if a priest can be found who has remained immune from that communion, it is not permitted to do even the things mentioned above.
Such, then, is our word. And if others think or judge otherwise, whether they are of the same rank or higher—since no canon has been issued by a chief priest D by which it is necessary for all to abide—they are masters of their own liberty, and we shall keep silence. But we exhort your reverence, just as you have diligence in good conduct, so also to apply it to orthodoxy, listening to the Apostle who says: "Let us cleanse ourselves from all pollution of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. vii, 1). For you know that no small persecution has been raised by the heresy that has raged up to the present time: but even with blood
A it has been poured out, and flesh has been torn, and martyrs have been brought to completion. And what need is there to speak of the sufferings in guards and prisons—the exiles, the expulsions, the robberies, the chaining in iron, the deaths by starvation, the diminishments, and all the other things, the record of which is no small task? If, therefore, these things are so, is it fitting for that presbyter to depart hence on equal terms, to receive the unfading crown of glory? On the contrary, since he has been caught in communion and in a subscription against Christ, against the Theotokos, and against all the holy ones—for such is the relation of the respective icons to the prototypes—how does he not consider it a great thing that he is even alive, and that the transgression has been entirely forgiven him? He avoids even touching upon those things mentioned out of human kindness, not to mention that he should be entirely permitted to perform sacred rites. Therefore, everything is stale, martyrdoms are in vain, and athletic contentions are to no purpose—but God forbid! A martyr is a martyr in this acknowledgment, and he who has denied is a fallen one in this denial; and it is necessary B for everyone who has fallen to weep until death, if he would listen to me, who counsels what is right.
CCIV.—To Theodora Augusta and her son Basil
From various trustworthy persons, and especially from the God-beloved bishop Isaiah and the most honorable abbot of Chrysodicium, our holy Fathers, we have learned regarding your affairs that, by the will of our most good God, you have been transformed into the way and reason of piety and orthodoxy, having bidden farewell to the former error as something not having had its start from God, but from the opposing faction. Wherefore your God-fearing nature has also originated from a pious root from your fathers. For it must be confessed that such a man was that person—beloved by God and adorned with all virtue. We gave thanks to the Lord, who did not allow you to remain in the darkness of heresy, but filled your souls with divine light to recognize that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, having been born in our form through the bowels of mercy, in order to redeem His own creature from destruction, is depicted and fashioned C in our manner, so that nothing of human properties is lacking to Him, while remaining as God the same uncircumscribed One, and as one who possesses all the paternal properties under a single person; wherefore He has appeared as mediator of God and men, participating in the extremes by His mediation, and through Himself making us partakers of the divine nature. For just as it is impossible that God, being Himself equal to the Father, should not be outside all circumscription—for the Divine is infinite and unbounded and incomprehensible—in the same way, it is impossible that He, being truly man and having become like us in all things, should not remain within circumscription. For His body is indeed comprehensible, palpable to the touch, and visible in color. And those who do not confess D
this, the Iconoclasts, are clearly manifested as Christ-deniers; they conceive of the One who has a body as bodiless, and they dictate that He who has become as we are is outside our nature. Hence the world has been shaken. Christ has been denied through His venerable icon, as has the Theotokos and every one of the saints. For by the reception of the icon, the one depicted is received, just as, conversely, by its rejection, He is rejected. Hence a persecution was stirred up: the divine patriarch was banished, [priests] and hierarchs, monks and most godly laity were seized—some exiled and imprisoned, others scourged and starved, and some even executed. Hence those who preferred nothing here above God were driven as fugitives into the mountains, into caves, and into the clefts of the earth. Hence temples were razed, holy things profaned, divine offerings handed over to the flames, and everything became full of clamor and plunder, to speak in brief.
Such were the attempts of impiety, that the tree might be known by its fruit. But since, as I have said, divine grace has embraced you through the good confession which you confessed to the Fathers—for which you are prepared to struggle even unto blood—we also, humble as we are, relying on this very confidence of confession, have received both you, noble lady, and your master and lord, together with the rest of your illustrious branches, and we enroll you into the party of the Orthodox, or rather into the Church of God. And coming to our humility, you venerate [us], and we communicate with you, sending up thanks to the good God who does great and inscrutable things, of which there is no number, who leads from darkness to light, and from the path of error to the track of piety, transferring everyone who desires from his heart to be saved.
These things are thus. But since the island of Chalcita was assigned to you by the great Emperor as a place of residence for two years, we were not a little distressed—not only we, but many of the Fathers—that the entire brotherhood, with its superior, was driven out of its ancient, proper monastery and is now cast about here and there, and that we appeared to give free rein to tongues for former revilings. However, since you replied through our spiritual son, Clement, the most reverend hegumen, that the matter was ordained in such and such a way by royal authority, we have cast off our grief. But we do entreat you, as much as it is possible for you to exert yourself, to soothe the pain of those who are departing; for it is written: "Give no place to a man to curse thee." And: "For why," he says, "is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?"
CCV.—To Cassia the Candidatissa.
[She was asked if she had] replied in previous letters to what she thought was true and equitable, and [it was said that she] could not depart from that opinion. Your long letter, honored one, and likewise...A expostulatory; and now humbling itself, now rising up against our lowliness, as if we rashly and inconsiderately admitted calumnies against you; and furthermore, as if we brought forth pronouncements without judgment, and these in matters of the greatest importance. We, however, are accustomed to dismiss such things, and we declare that we hear these much-bruited rumors as if they were mere child’s play, and we speak not as men-pleasers, but to God who tests our hearts, even if we happen to be sinners in other respects. For if Balaam the augur could not be prevailed upon to answer Balak, king of the foreigners, contrary to the will of God, how can we, who are placed in the rank of priesthood and who shall give an account on the day of judgment for those things concerning which we are asked, possibly speak anything otherwise than is fitting? B Thus, therefore, we answered those who asked, not as if we were commanding this or that to happen of our own prerogative, as you yourself were enticed to say. And what would you have? That we should answer like merchants, according to what pleases each person, or that we should rightly divide the word of truth? Do not, therefore, either you yourself strike at us lowly ones inopportunely, nor the lady sister, nor anyone else who chooses to mock and slander us. But know that we do not bear ill will toward the Strategos of eternal memory, but rather great affection, as also toward his spouse. We do, however, grieve and rightfully complain in turn that you, who excel in knowledge and claim piety, did not attend him in the end with true love. For you ought C to have striven before all things and above all things for that which was for the salvation of his soul, that he might share in the sacraments, considering all other things as refuse, provided only that he were found in the orthodox communion; for it is written: "Wherever I find you, there will I judge you." We indeed think and speak in this way. But if others [think] otherwise, they are masters of their own voice, and we for our part are silent. "The Lord knows those who are his; and let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity," as it is written.
CCVI. — To a Monastic Sister
. Rursus eam de fratris obitu consolatur. [Again, he consoles her concerning D the death of her brother.] Those who have embraced the monastic life and are thereby dead to the world, having already become superior to carnal affections and events, are not accustomed to be broken in spirit by the calamities that happen to kin, nor to grieve at their funerals. But because we find that even the saints themselves have been moved in the grief of their blood-relatives and have shed hot tears at their departures, we do not judge it something strange that we also have felt the same, especially on account of a brother—a brother most excellent in prudence and circumspection, and who, in the place of a father, sustained the charge of our solicitude toward you. A most heavy grief, indeed, sister in the Lord, whose wound the heartstrikes A like a sword in the act of cutting. What is this? The person must be uncovered. The lord brother, as they say, has fallen asleep. The good man has departed, the eye of the family has been extinguished, your consolation has flown away: the children he begat are orphaned; you yourself are orphaned, along with your sisters, having nowhere to place your faltering hand, nor anyone to look to when hemmed in by dangers. But why do we lament this affliction any further? Our discourse is addressed to someone who loves God, to one who is discreet, prudent, experienced in many things, and filled with divine knowledge, who is able to enlighten others by her own example. Bring forth from the good treasure of your heart those spiritual B riches, the remedies of consolation, and provide them both for yourself and for your sisters. For we know that they too are affected by this same sadness, just as the lady superior is, indeed the whole family, and I would add, the senate itself. Who would not groan on his account? Who would not shed tears? When even we, humble as we are, who live in this philosophic way, have been touched by the pain. But since we have kept in view that no one has come into this life who will not also depart from here, and this from our first parent Adam down to the present day, we deemed nothing of what has happened to be strange; rather, it would be strange if your God-given heart did not bear this with thanksgiving, becoming an example, along C with the clear-minded lady superior, to your sisters and all your kindred. Manage everything, as you are wont, with a calm spirit and with as great an understanding as is possible, helping also your brother’s house, so that it may not, abandoned of aid, fall into the hands of those who lie in wait amidst the troubles of men. Take care, therefore, as much as you can, of the soul of that good man; for even after death, those who have departed this life are assisted by the living. In short, we know that in all things you will order things rightly, and that you will follow reason as your guide, rather than be ruled by despondency and misery. For this very reason, we have sent our brother Athanasius, testifying to our grief for the deceased and our affection for your honor, whom we pray may soon return, bringing news of your D grateful endurance.
CCVII. — To Olbianus the Patrician.
That he may conduct himself in his magistracy piously and holily, and as behooves a Christian.
Georgius, a man of piety and a renowned notary, having brought us a greeting from your most praiseworthy and celebrated highness, requested that we return a mutual greeting in writing, as if your blessedness had commanded it. We, however, since we have determined to comply with the duties of friendship, write this letter, first of all offering greeting, as is fitting for us, who are lowly, to
and indeed, we approve and highly approve of this, that he desires to hear our voice, for we are miserable and sinful. For this is no common sign of piety, that one who is high in pre-eminence should bend down to the voice of the lowly, especially at the present time, when most are turning away even from those who are very dear friends, not to mention those of lower station; and subsequently, by reminding [them] to rule with submissiveness, and to direct those subject to them in a manner worthy of God. B For if all principality and power is ordained by God, to speak apostolically, it is evident that he who holds principality and power ought to direct the people under his hand in a godly manner: this, both in incorrupt judgments concerning those matters that come into dispute and controversy; and also in appearing to those who approach with a kind and peaceful countenance, and by a ready reception giving them confidence to speak what is necessary. For the beggar, it is said, does not endure threats. Furthermore, [one ought] to descend to the affairs of the beggar and the abject, and to chastise indeed when necessity compels; but to chastise not in anger, but with the aim of correction, without disturbance of mind; nor with a frequency of blows: for what is harsh is not pleasing to God; but [to do so] with discernment, and only by so much as to restrain what is undisciplined, and to secure the reformative [outcome], as a father to his child, and as a physician to the sick. And blessed is he who thus leads the people and commands the army. Since Moses the servant of God was a leader, and Joshua the son of Nun a general, and it is possible to name many C who, not only among kings, but among judges and rulers, both before the law, under the law, and under grace, exercising authority and holding the first rank, were well-pleasing to the Lord, living with piety. Following this example, therefore, we both love you, our most praiseworthy and longed-for Master, and pray that you may govern; and that you may be reckoned among these saved and admirable men. And do not take our admonition as arrogance, but rather as a mode of affection; since we love you, who love God, and it is a token of friendship to speak what is beneficial to the one who is loved; as our humble letter has shown. And may our good God grant us to come at last some time into face-to-face conversation, and to enjoy the good things that are in you: so that those things which report and hearing do not exhibit, this ocular knowledge may demonstrate when present, and render us more prepared and capable for friendly union: since we have learned from the good bearer of these letters that your piety is distinguished by not a few illustrious deeds, which may the Lord guard as the apple of the eye, D overcoming all harmful injuries, and save for His own kingdom which is in the heavens.
To Bishop Antony
He proclaims his zeal toward the confessors of Christ; then he announces the death of the metropolitan of Synada and certain others. He now uses a decent and paternal address.A it has been done not for our sakes, who are humble—far from it, for we know ourselves what we are, as being inferior even to those who are assigned to the last degree in the order of virtue—but for the sake of all the divine Fathers and confessors, as if some good messenger bearing greetings and binding us all together in the manner of love. B This is certainly just and fitting: that those who are dispersed elsewhere for the sake of the Word of God and the testimony of His only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, should speak to one another by letters and be bound together spiritually by reminders, and by no means, by remaining silent, be considered as dead. For we know that even the blessed apostle Paul, together with his fellow-missionaries, spoke to each other from afar, and coming to the same point with the connective word, they preached the Gospel of the kingdom of God to the whole world. In this, the Holy Spirit, even if it is daring to say so, commands us, placing us there: "Speak," He says, "and do not be silent, for I have many people here" (Acts 18:9-10). And elsewhere: "If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him" (Heb. 10:38). Thus, the judgment of silence is fearful, especially in this willful deafness of the heretics.
Which your holiness, as you wrote, while performing it piously and duly, suffers many troubles from those who do not wish to hear the holy word, but reject the God-painted image of Christ, of the Theotokos, and of any of His servants whatsoever. Stay, therefore, most desired one, upon the lampstand of the Word, placed according to the evangelical command, and shining to all who are in the house, C so that those who open their eyes may receive the light, while those who close their senses may reap the fruit of their own blindness. And indeed, pray that we too may do this, and carry away the gift of our stewardship blameless.
Furthermore, we wish you to know that one of the luminaries has flown off to the Lord; this is the most holy Metropolitan of Synada; as also formerly the renowned brothers and Fathers, Athanasius, the director of Paulopetrion, and John, the director of Chalcites. And the heretics indeed think that the confessional body of Christ is being cut down. But they are ignorant that it is rather increased, as the company of those flying to Him and the crowd spreading their wings are joined together by the zeal of those who have contended before. And Christ still sleeps, for some opening the door with ineffable goodness, for others proving their zeal with the crown of patience, and for others, as gold that has been tested, taking them up each time for the diadem of the beauty of His glory.
These things to you from us, O blessed one. But do you continue to entreat God to grant peace to His Church, plucking every evil from the midst, and deeming us who are left worthy to come to a face-to-face meeting, just as you indicated you wished.
CCIX. To Dionysius the Monk.
He confirms one who is penitent and has returned to the confession of the right faith.
Those who are treated by skilled physicians D
have no need for further examination, although out of charity they do not reject those who are occasionally well-intentioned. For this reason, your brotherly reverence performed a superfluous act; for having been healed by our most God-beloved father and archbishop of Dyrrachium, she did not rest, but sought further treatment from us, who are low and castaway. However, since the account of charity has moved you now to write, it has also persuaded us, who are of no account, to write back to you, and to join ourselves to you in an affectionate disposition. For it is necessary, even apart from any requirement, that those who have undertaken the same profession, and who embrace the same mind, should be lovingly knit together. For the Lord has said that because iniquity has multiplied, the love of many has grown cold. Therefore, let your healing, as established by the most holy archbishop, be maintained in its entirety B. But we exhort and remind you of this: do not slip back into the past, nor be led away to destructive submission by these or those signs. For the past is sufficient; over it we ought to groan and pray with tears, and to weep and lament incessantly, because while the brothers of the same habit have flown up like eagles through their confession, we were caught under the snare of heresy; and while they suffered persecution, we remained at home; and while they struggled even unto martyrdom, we became deniers, if not in heart, then at least in mouth and hand; and while others were imprisoned and starved to death, we lived in safety and security. How then should these things not be pondered, and why should we not mourn because of them? "How shall I be," says the great Basil, "with Job, I who have not accepted even the slightest affliction with thanksgiving? How with any of the saints, I who have not lived by walking in their footsteps?" See, brothers, what kind of terrors there are, and what a great chasm lies between. What will it profit a man, he says, if he gains the whole world, but suffers the loss of his own soul? Is this not the voice of the Lord? Therefore let us fear and tremble; and as for the former things, let us still implore forgiveness, and for the future let us walk with a straight step, not vacillating in any way, nor as it is written, limping on both sides, but walking straight in the commandments of God, keeping the faith pure and our manner of life unadulterated; C so that we may inherit, not fields and vineyards and fig trees, and all that belongs to this fleeting and perishing life, but the good things that are promised, eternal life, the kingdom of heaven. For that a reward contrary to these actions should be given in return—far be it from us to think or say such a thing. Peace be to you, brothers in the Lord. Be at peace with one another; pray for us brothers; be comforted. D
Epistle CCX — To Joseph, Superior of the Ceramei
A And before the arrival of the good Sergius, we had heard, most honored brothers, of your mourning for the blessed metropolitan; and how we groaned—I would even add, how we wept—the Knower of secrets knows. For he was a common father both to you and to us, and a faithful friend, such as is sought by all and rarely found. Oh, how the unshakeable pillar of the Church has fallen; how the light for those dwelling in darkness, and your own most special brightness, has been extinguished! The sweet-speaking tongue is silenced, the most prudent mind has departed, the support of faith has been withdrawn, the champion of the Churches, the honey-flowing speech, the persuasive voice—everything, in short, that is good and is sung and known of the man. And we have been made orphans, I do not say only you, but together with the entire body of the orthodox, over and above preceding bereavements. This blessed Father has gone before; another has followed; B another has flown away; nearly all the luminaries of the faithful have set, with only a very few remaining. And the heaven is saddened, wrapped in clouds; but the Church is saddened now most of all, having been deprived of her stars. Nevertheless, the Sun of Righteousness has taken the Fathers who have ended their lives with a blessed conclusion, and He has promised to be with us even to the consummation of the age. And so, although the present things are grievous, they are again full of joy because of the hope that we have our Fathers as intercessors before God, looking down upon us from above with mercy and inclining His goodness to pity for us.For the rest, my speech must be turned toward you. You are not an abandoned flock, brothers. For your good chief shepherd, the namesake of the blessed apostle Peter, already both shaped and instructed you, and while still living, he set a superior over you; and he arranged all that was required; and for a whole year, as if departing every single day, by addressing you with words preparatory for his departure, he perfectly instructed each one of you. And so it is to be hoped that things will not turn out otherwise, because of the difficulty of the time; but that you and the matters themselves will remain just as he arranged. Nor, however, if something comes to pass contrary to this, should you therefore abandon the truth; but, just as he commanded in writing, consider all things as dung for the sake of Christ, C and do not betray the words concerning the faith and the truth.
These things must be said to you all; but primarily to you, O Lord Superior; because as the ruler is, so the subjects naturally become. And indeed we have once been caught in heretical communion out of a desire for visible things; do not let us be so again, we beg you and remind you. D
we betray the precision of our profession A regarding monasteries, vineyards, olive groves, and orchards—assets which, a little later, we—just as our fathers did—shall leave behind forever—and become defiled by heretical communion, while looking about at crooked examples. These things will not stand to assist us at the time of death or in the hour of judgment; rather, a good conscience and a blameless manner of life will. And we exhort you to this not because we wish for you to suffer anything grievous, but because, as brothers to brothers, we choose to offer help according to the command that directs us.
For we also pity and sympathize with lord Gregory, our spiritual brother, as one who has already aged gracefully and is such as you know him to be, both in bodily duties and in spiritual achievements; even if he chose to endure everything with Christ-imitating humility B rather than to commit anything contrary to the patristic decrees. May the peace of God be granted to you, which He bestowed upon His holy apostles as He was departing into the heavens; and likewise, mutual love among you. "For by this," He says, "all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." Take courage, lord Superior, and you as well, lord Gregory; then each one of you in turn, all of you casting off sorrow and embarking, as it were, upon a new journey, upon your spiritual struggle, while praying also for us humble ones for things better and closer to salvation.
CCXI. — To Euphemius of Sardis.
CThat those who have communicated with heretics ought to abstain from sacred functions.
You, indeed, O blessed one, using your habitual humility, do not cease to magnify us, who are unworthy of honor. But we truly know you to be both a foundation of the Word and a pillar of the Church; and most especially now, when this one and that one—the illustrious Fathers, the glory of the Orthodox—have left us. You circulate as almost the only torch, shining before those who are more remiss in the city, enlightening many who are dim-sighted from a lack of light, and bringing more to God through your exuberant, honey-dropping doctrine, which flows like a river. But may you be preserved for us still, O most desired one; nay, for the whole Church, for its strengthening and divine rejoicing.
As for the presbyter about whom you ordered us to signify how he fares—and that he has been redeemed from barbarian captivity—we are aware, having learned everything from the man himself. But the man does not wish, or rather, does not endure, to be corrected D according to the rule accepted among us. For you know, O God-beloved one, that by the common vote of the confessors, both those still surviving and those who have recently departed to the Lord, it has been decreed that those initiated into sacred orders who have been caught even once in heretical communion are to be barred from sacred function, until, clearly, such time as divine Providence regards us. And how could we
A break the rule, and by the reception of one, transfer the same law to all those previously mentioned, and in this, act contrary to our divine and primary leader—since he does not even allow such persons to bless a common meal, let alone perform any further priestly function—and be a scandal to the rest of the confessors, and offer a cause for dissension to those who hold fast to exactness?
And if some perhaps, in their discernment, have already hastened, due to the pressure of time and the vehemence of those demanding it, to absolve certain presbyters after their penance, to us this is by no means pleasing to perform without the bishop's authorization; for we must believe the reason for the restraint to be sound. For where would the distinction appear between those who betrayed the truth and those who did not? Between those who struggled bravely and those who by no means chose to suffer for the sake of the good? And where are Christ and Belial, light and darkness, if everything is mixed together? And before a synodical judgment, a judgment? And before peace, peace? This is to be avoided, O best of Fathers, as it seems to us; and I would say this even to the truth itself. B This rebuke from the majority is sufficient for one such as this, as the Apostle says, so that perhaps such a one might not be swallowed up by excessive sorrow. However, he must not be brought back to the rank from which he fell due to his transgression until the fitting time, so that both the nature of what the offender has done may still be punished more severely, and the method of healing may appear to have had its sufficiency through the anticipation. C Even if certain exceptional things have been permitted out of necessity, when no innocent person was present, for him to act in a priestly manner—things which your perfection, already restrained by this, is aware of. But since this presbyter, reflecting on what he had gone through among the Barbarians, and how he enlightened many there, and that they say he must be released for all these things, did not endure to undergo things in the same way as those restrained here; for this reason we have permitted him to do as he sees fit regarding his own affairs, neither releasing him nor restraining him. Farewell in the Lord, most praised one; we and the brothers with us offer many greetings.
CCXI. — To John the Grammarian
D That the image of Christ ought to be venerated, not worshipped with latria, but Christ, who is adored in it relatively.I give thanks to the holy God, that I have been reached by your friendly voice, even if it is late in the day; for I would not say that I owe thanks to the one who previously severed it shamefully. But since, at the same time as your wise reverence laid aside its grief, you also introduced the subject of the venerable image of Christ, I have this to say, O most desired one: I find that your recent letter is in support of, not in contradiction to, the matters sent by me long ago, and that it is in harmony with them. For you confess, in accordance with the propositions established for you...
that every image is indicative of another A thing, namely the prototype; and if one must speak in technical grammatical terms, it would be relative, which is also called representative, indicative, and reciprocal.
Furthermore, it is not to the material that we must offer the adoration of the image of Christ, but to Christ Himself; for the honor of the image ascends to the prototype, the material being excluded by the faculty of the mind from the character formed upon it. And by the cult of *latria*, as you say, adoration is to be offered to the Savior Christ, both before His taking of flesh and after the incarnation; and before the image, and through it. And there is no one of sound mind, I think, who would oppose what has been rightly defined. But indeed, the examples of the sun in relation to water, and of the immaterial, that is, mathematical, triangle in relation to the material triangle, do not seem to hold up. For if, by hypothesis, the sun or the triangular figure were taken to be objects of *latria* B before the one glitters in the waters or the other is manifested in matter, it is manifest that even after these things have happened, or have been made simultaneously, each would be an object of *latria*. Thus, you have aptly shown our Lord Jesus Christ to be worthy of *latria* and adoration after the incarnation just as He was before the incarnation.
Therefore, my friend, Christ is admittedly a subject of *latria*, but His venerable image is not, just as the sun, by hypothesis, might be mixed with water, but the *image* of the sun is not; or the triangle might be materialized, but the *image* of the triangle is not. Observe, for there is only one *latria* of us Christians, offered to the holy and consubstantial Trinity alone, by every creature, visible and invisible. It is not permissible to call the venerable image of Christ a subject of *latria*. For one of two things must follow: either one must include that which is to be worshiped by *latria* according to its own nature within the *latria* of the Trinity, which is impossible, since it does not admit of any addition (for it would be found to be a quaternity); or, if it is not included, but is to be worshiped by itself as a subject of *latria*, one would be teaching that there are two *latriai* among us. And what else would the pro-Hellenic Iconoclasts seek from us than to prove from this that we, by admitting a double *latria*, worship the creature in place of the Creator, and are in no way less impious than the Arians? Therefore, C the image of Christ is to be adored, but *latria* is not to be deferred to it; rather, it is to be deferred to Christ, who is adored in it, according to the principle of sequence; since these two, image and prototype, are distinct not in hypostasis, but according to the definition of essence D.
CCXIII. — To Michael the Syncellus of Jerusalem
He praises him for the things that he endured at Jerusalem for the confession of the truth, and announces that the persecution at Constantinople has ceased. (Baron. an. 845, n. 42.)
I am writing to your Reverence now, since it has come to pass by the will of God that I have found a messenger for this letter.
A otherwise I would have done this very thing from my own confinement, and not once, but perhaps twice and many times over; for it is not because you are outsiders that we differ in appearance from you. But because we were born of one mother, adoption, and fashioned with the same character of sincere faith, and are brothers and fellow citizens, having Christ as our head—whose body we constitute, and being members of one another—we are debtors to rejoice with each other in times of cheer, and conversely to be pained in times of distress. But was it that, while you were intending to travel elsewhere, the rush of the times drove you to fall into the nets of those who hold power here? What then is there to say in response to this? Or rather, what the holy Scripture says: *And the multitude led Jehu* [4 Kings 9:13], though there it was to the kingdom of Israel, while here it is to bear witness to the truth, so that what has been spoken might now also be fulfilled: *Out of Sion shall go forth the word, and the law of the Lord from Jerusalem* [Isa. 2:3]. B Pay heed to these things, O blessed one: Stand bravely, as we remind you; glorify God in your body and in your spirit. Say also yourself with the divine Paul: *I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all confidence, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain* [Phil. 1:19-21]. Behold the sweet struggle, behold the blessed exchange: by means of short-lived tribulations and circumstances—that is to say, stripes and drops of blood—to become God’s, and to attain to God, who truly is. You have therefore been isolated, as we have heard, severed in purpose from those who have loved the present age; but you have been joined to all those who hold fast to the word of truth. From this side, the chorus of martyrs desires to receive you whole; from that side, the wedge of confessors stretches out a hand to take you into its own place.
Let us not be left behind from this noble choir, O venerable one, nor let us put to shame the hopes of all, O most desired one. How much you have labored, so that your name might fly about in virtue to those here and there! But now, having ascended as if unto a mountain of virtues through your confession, you have become conspicuous to the world, and you bear a lamp brighter than the sun, [offering] both life and discourse for the glory of our Father who is in the heavens; D you have been raised to a high place, you have been surrendered to a slanderous tongue—how much does it then fawn upon you? How much does it not utter falsehoods and attempt to bend you away from your high and divine frame of mind? But we know from report that you yourself are, by the grace of Christ, holding the word of life, bringing forth a river of wisdom from your mouth, opposing appropriate things to vain propositions. We, however, humble as we are, say and testify that excellent men have, both in the past and now, presided over this hierarchal throne, having set forth and handed down the contemplation and tenet concerning the holy icons with expertise in dogma. And, if
A one must speak with apostolic words, "Where sin abounded, grace did superabound" (Rom. v, 20). For here the Iconoclastic heresy, having proceeded as if from the gates of hell, has here also been checked, and it shall be checked even more by the wafts of the Holy Spirit, when Christ shall rebuke this wicked sea, in truth, around which there are many shipwrecks regarding the faith, caused not so much by the perversity of mind as by the fear of those in power. Nevertheless, many have emerged from the storm, leaning upon the rudder of the Holy Spirit; and many were the martyrdoms, and the writings of piety, refuting all error and manifesting the beauty of the truth to all faithful minds. With whom may your beatitude also be protected, fighting the good fight, finishing the race, keeping the faith, so that you may receive the crown of righteousness (II Tim. iv, 7). So be it.
CCXIV. — Hypacoe to a Nun. Regarding the consolation for the death of a brother.
B Though I write with timidity, I cannot refrain, however, from opening my mouth in thanks and praise to your honor. How long, therefore, will you not cease, illustrious mother, from expending yourself for us? How long will the gifts transmitted from here and there not cease? And especially now, when many sorrowful things have besieged you, because of which we are moved to write primarily, having learned what you did concerning the relics of your blessed brother. For they say that you opened the chest when it had been brought from another region, C then, pouring yourself out upon the relics, took them into your arms, and clothed them, as if the deceased himself, in other new linens. Who would not admire your sisterly love here? Or who, being present then, would not shed tears? Who would not grieve vehemently? Since even we, positioned far away, were touched by the sorrow from report alone, and it severely afflicted our heart. O bitter message! O mournful encounter! What were we, and what have we become? Suddenly orphans, destitute of a brother. Perhaps the sun itself groaned, seeing what happened; the moon wept for what had come to pass; the stars became dim, as if grieving, so that (to say no more) the elements suffered similar things. D Why then do we persist in sorrowful things? Shall we be darkened by the cloud of grief, and become as those who have perished? Not so, sister in the Lord. For our affairs are not without providence, nor without hope, as among the nations not initiated into the mysteries: but they are in the hands of God who contains all things; from whom we were made, both we and those who brought us forth; by whose gift we both breathe and live; from whom you, moreover, were brought forward to this, which is the greatest of all dignities, the profession of virginity. We have lamented the death of our brother as much as was sufficient. Now is the time of consolation, now the day of thanksgiving. Let us therefore put off the mournful habit, and put on the armor of magnanimity. We have sent forth a brother, excellent in form, and mind, and faith,
A as we previously did with our kinsmen and progenitors; a little later we ourselves shall follow. No one lives who will not die; no one is born who is not buried. Let us therefore make earnest preparation for our own departure; let us prepare the provisions for our passage; let us instruct our sisters in their proper demeanor—that they may mourn in due season, and give thanks as is fitting. Let us show those who observe us that God is glorified in us, and is thanked for the things He commands: *The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; as it pleased the Lord, so is it done* [Job I, 21]. Indeed, I implore your honor, just as I would a mother who bore me, or my dearest sister, let us raise a voice of praise; let us show a cheerful countenance; let us show by our deeds that we carry the cross upon our shoulders, and that by our own choice we have died, and have yielded in all things to the divine commandments. If you act in this way, as is fitting, you will gladden Christ, your immortal Spouse; for if you grieve, you grieve Him, as it is right to believe, as if you loved someone else more than Him. You see where this discourse has led you: that you are neither abandoned, nor lacking an overseer, nor without a guardian. *For if God is for us, who is against us?* [Rom. VIII, 31]. If He Himself takes care, who shall oppose? B Thus, sister, I have now been led to exhort you. You will do well if you trust an unlearned elder who counsels you, and one who is as concerned for your affairs, as is his duty, as if they were his own.
CCXV. — To Methodius the monk.
How great is the longing your excellency has to see our humility, so great should you consider our own to see you face-to-face. But since it is written: *It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy* [Rom. IX, 16]; to Him must our longing be referred, and upon Him must our care be cast, and He Himself will do, when He so wills, *the will of them that fear Him* [Ps. CXLIV, 19]. C But as to the present time, regarding the chapters proposed by our spiritual brothers Hilarion and Eustratius, with your reverence mediating, it is necessary to respond with what appears to be fitting. And so that what is said may be easily understood, the response will be subjoined in order, immediately following each proposed question.
Interrogation I. — Concerning the presbyters who were ordained at Rome, at Naples, and in Longobardia without acclamation, and were dismissed; whether it is right to accept such as these, and to communicate with them, and dine and pray with them.
Response. — In a time of heresy, what is established in times of peace is not always done strictly to the letter, because of the compelling necessity. D Which is what we perceive the most blessed Athanasius to have done, as well as the most holy
Eusebius, both of whom performed ordinations beyond their own borders. And now, the same thing is seen being done in the present heresy. Thus, those identified, if they have not been clearly condemned, are by no means to be avoided because they were ordained in this manner, but are to be admitted in accordance with the four propositions. A
Interrogatio II. — Concerning presbyters ordained outside their province in Sicily: whether they ought to be admitted.
Responsio. — This interrogation is similar to the one proposed above, even if it differs regarding the location. It shall, therefore, receive a similar response.
Interrogatio III. — Concerning churches defiled by priests who have communicated with the heresy, and which are held by them: whether it is proper to enter into them for the sake of prayer and psalmody. B
Responsio. — By no means is one to enter into churches of this kind, according to the ways already mentioned; since it is written: *Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.* For as soon as heresy is introduced, the angel who presided over that place has departed, according to the voice of the great Basil; and a temple of that kind becomes a common and profane house. *And I will not enter,* he says, *into the church of the malignant.* And the Apostle says: *What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?*
Interrogatio IV. — Concerning churches defiled by those same priests, but which are not held by them: whether it is proper to sing psalms and pray in them. C
Responsio. — One ought, certainly, to enter into such churches to sing psalms and pray, provided that they are no longer defiled by the heretics, but are permanently held by the orthodox. It is established herein, however, that the solemn opening of the church be performed by a bishop or priest of sound faith, with prayer being offered. So if this be done, the celebration of the sacred rites there will not be discordant. Let the example be the holy Athanasius, who, when he was urged by the Emperor Constantius to grant this one favor—namely, to surrender one church in Alexandria for the Arians to gather in—gave his consent, provided that he himself also obtain the same favor in Constantinople, that the orthodox might gather in one church held by the Arians. D
Interrogatio V. — Concerning the saints who are in the body: whether it is proper to enter their cemeteries, and to pray there and worship, while they are held by defiled priests.
Responsio. — The canon does not permit, according to what has been declared before, entering into such cemeteries. For it is written: *For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience?* unless, perhaps, out of necessity, the entry might occur solely for the purpose of venerating the relics of the saint.
Interrogatio VI. — Concerning those who have taken the monastic habit...
from contaminated priests; how they ought to be received. Responsio. — If they confess that they have sinned, and have performed penance for a certain time, and thus receive the seal from a presbyter of the true faith, they are to be admitted.
Interrogatio VII. — Concerning monks and clerics who subscribed to and communicated in the same heresy; how they ought to be received: without penance, or with penance, provided they profess that they will no longer perform sacred duties; and whether it is lawful for us to impose penances upon such persons. B Responsio. — Certainly with fitting penances; for how, unless they show the fruits of repentance, would they be worthy to be joined to the orthodox body? And that such penances be imposed by us is not to be disapproved. For it is written: "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galat. VI, 2).
Interrogatio VIII. — Concerning monks who promiscuously associate with anyone they happen upon, and pray and eat with them; whether such persons ought to be received into common meals and psalmody. Responsio. — Since the Apostle says: "That you withdraw yourselves from every brother walking inordinately, and not according to the tradition which they received from us" (II Thess. III, 6); how do you not judge for yourselves what is good? Therefore, if they desist from their sinful habit, and receive fitting penance, they are to be admitted. But one must observe who these people are whom you call "anyone they happen upon": are they heretics, or people of openly condemned life? For concerning such persons, C the Apostle says: "If any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater," and the rest; "with such a one, no, not to eat" (I Cor. V, 11).
Interrogatio IX. — Concerning presbyters who have eaten with heretics once or twice, but have not communicated, or subscribed, or concelebrated; whether such persons ought to be received into common meals and psalmody, without the seal or with the seal. Responsio. — Regarding such cases, one must observe whether the priests who ate [with them] did so with heretical priests or with laymen, and whether [they ate] with those who indeed hold the right faith but communicate with heretics. For the crime is greater in those who are in holy orders. Both groups, however, must be received with worthy repentance and admitted to the communion of D salt, and of prayers, and of the seal.
Interrogatio X. — Concerning laymen who have subscribed to and communicated in the heresy; whether it is fitting for orthodox laymen to eat food with such laymen. Promiscuous use is the cause of evils. Responsio. — For Scripture says: "They have made no distinction between the clean and the profane" (Ezech. XXII, 26). Therefore, if those who are orthodox are burning with zeal, they ought not to admit such persons to a common meal.
unless they have first done penance for their wicked subscription and have subsequently abstained from heretical communion. But since some, in fleeing from dangers during times of distress, become defiled by heretical communion, those who confess that this happened by accident and who show repentance ought to be admitted to a common meal; and this not indiscriminately, but according to a certain A concession suited to the times, which brings profit to both, but not spiritual detriment.
Interrogatio XI. — Concerning those who wish to be baptized, if no orthodox or blameless priest is found: is it necessary to be baptized by priests who are defiled and not canonically prohibited, especially if death is imminent?
Responsio. — A formula of this kind has been promulgated here by confessors, both hierarchs and superiors: that those presbyters who have been excluded from holy offices on account of communion with heretics may be permitted, if a priest of blameless faith is not found, both to baptize and to distribute the holy things which have been consecrated by a priest who is in no way tainted by guilt. They may also give the monastic habit, perform prayers at B funerals, read the Gospel at Matins, and bless the water of the Epiphany, as has been said, in times of distress, so that the people may not remain entirely without the hearing of the Gospel and unbaptized. If, therefore, this formula also pleases you, let it be observed in those places as well.
Interrogatio XII. — Concerning those who have seceded through schism and, led by repentance, come running: is it lawful for us to impose penances upon such persons, or to receive them?
Responsio. — It has already been declared in the foregoing that it is necessary to impose them; and it is superfluous to repeat the same thing twice.
Interrogatio XIII. — If a bishop, having fallen into crime, has been deposed by a synod, but afterwards ordains a presbyter; and that same presbyter, having come into a monastery, has received a penance for a time from his own superior, and afterwards has functioned C in the priesthood: we ask to be instructed whether it is fitting to receive such a priest if he is blameless.
Responsio. — Since the absurdity is manifest, there should not even have been an interrogation of us concerning such a crime. For Christ has said: "A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit" (Matt. VII, 17). Therefore, not only if he received penance from his own superior, but even if it were from some saint, such a person is not thereby absolved to perform the sacred rites. For neither the priest himself, nor the one who absolves him, is holy; since thus all canonical D constitutions would be subverted and disappear.
A Interrogatio XIV. — Regarding those presbyters who were ordained by orthodox [bishops], but who did not subscribe, nor communicate, but only ate with Gregory the metropolitan. Responsio. — The account regarding this matter was provided above. For whether with Gregory, or with any of those who have crept in, if one has eaten, he is absolved from the fault through appropriate repentance, in such a way that he may not only eat with those who have kept themselves immune from guilt, but also perform the priestly office with which he is invested. It is not possible to prescribe a definite measure of penance due to the quality of the person and their manner of life; so that it suffices for the one who has been penalized to have been punished by two or three quadragesimas.
Interrogatio XV. — Regarding presbyters similarly ordained by orthodox [bishops], who through ignorance ate with presbyters who had eaten with the same metropolitan. Responsio. — It is written: "Everything done in ignorance shall be purified." Therefore, they are not liable to any penalty.
B Interrogatio XVI. — Regarding orthodox presbyters, namely Hilarion and Eustratius the monk: do they have the authority to impose penances? Responsio. — It has been said before in the preceding [answers] that it is necessary to impose them. But since the question implies whether one who is not a priest ought, where there are no presbyters, to impose them on account of the faith of the one approaching, it is not outside of what is reasonable for even a simple monk to impose penances.
Interrogatio XVII. — Regarding a monk who, through ignorance, received the sacred habit from a presbyter who had been ordained by one who was deposed. Responsio. — It has been said in another chapter, that "Everything done in ignorance shall be purified." Nor is it permitted to turn away from table-fellowship with such a person, nor from other things that similarly foster concord and friendship.
These things we have explained to the best of our ability to you, as one soul-minded and a fellow-laborer. You, however, convey them C cautiously to the brothers who have inquired. "For not all have faith," nor have such things been divulged to many; not only because of the folly of those who have transgressed, but also because of the temptations of those who are in power. May those who are most pious receive from God a worthy reward for the many and excellent gifts they have sent, and these two small baskets as a memorial of friendship. Fare well in the Lord, most reverend ones, praying for us sinners for better things, and things that belong to salvation.
CCXVI. — To John the cleric. It is better to take care not to sin, than to know what penance ought to be established for a sin. We have accepted the gift of your love, sincere friend—
A sincere friend. Regarding the request that you asked for, namely, if it should happen that one is invited to eat with heretics, to know the penance: we say this, that for every sin, worthy repentance leads to forgiveness; but it is not permitted to establish penances before the sin occurs, and to open thereby the door of sin. For neither if you were to ask: "If I should happen to commit fornication, as I do not wish to, what is the penance?" ought I to answer you thus: for it becomes an incentive to sin. But this must be answered: "Do not commit the sin, nor strike your foot against a stone, either in thought or in sense." But when you have stumbled, then the physician gives the healing remedy to the one who beseeches and repents. I have written these things to you with much care, praying that you may be delivered, beloved, from every evil.
CCXVII. — To the virgin Thomaida. Concerning the fact that the image of the Lord is by no means to be worshipped with latria.
B I received with great joy the proposal of your honor, through the living voice of the most honorable lord chief physician, as having been expressed by a kinsman and lover of God. And I do not refuse to learn even from a woman what I sometimes do not know. Yet I do not think I have been ignorant concerning the adoration of the venerable images, as to how it ought to be. Therefore, most honorable lady, to pass over other matters for the present, we worship the image of our Lord Jesus Christ in such a way as we worship our Lord Jesus Christ himself. But this, "as," pertains to likeness, not to identity; otherwise, it would not be an image of Christ, but Christ himself. But indeed it is an image of Christ, and he is worshipped in his image, and is shown as one thing in another. For Chrysostom says: "I saw an angel in an image"; and Gregory the Theologian again: "Polemon was looking intently at this in an image." C Therefore, even Christ in that image is seen and worshipped. But even if it is by similitude, nevertheless, because he himself is worshipped and he himself is adored with latria, the image itself is not to be adored with latria; since there would be no difference between the image and the prototype. And so these are two, by the difference of essence, but not by the likeness of the hypostasis. Furthermore, if the Trinity alone is worshipped with latria, how could the image also be worshipped with latria? For the Trinity would be found to be a quaternity, having received an addition; which is impious. But if the image of Christ has it properly and specifically so that it should be worshipped with latria; in this way also two latriai would be detected, which would lead us to the worship of a creature, just like the heresy of the Arians. But away with such an impious thought. May our good God keep you unharmed and without stumbling, both in the orthodox faith and in the noble state of life which you have chosen through virginity, so that you may be pleasing to the Lord. D
A
CCXVIII. — TO DEMETRIUS, CONSUL.
That Constantine, son of Irene, is rightly called a second Herod on account of his adulterous marriage, yet mention of him in divine matters can still be made.We have already mentioned briefly by letter how great your confidence in us is, and how far it exceeds our merit, as well as your esteem and affection. We are not, however, whom you suppose us to be, but sinners, whose labor is vain both for you and for others. But may there be for you, in accordance with your faith, a reward and mercy from the Lord, together with the lady consulissa and your noble children; having received whose offerings, we have presented to the Lord the tokens of gratitude. But let our discourse turn to the urgent and necessary business. It was annoying to some, he says, because of the second Herod, that he was orthodox and the Church commemorates him. First, it is customary to call those in power "Herod," as the Theologian says: "If you stand before Herod, be silent." Then let those who bring the accusation consider whether the comparison is not appropriate. The first Herod, having as his wife the daughter of King Aretas, cast her aside and took the wife of his brother Philip into a second marriage; and because this was against the law, he was rebuked by the Forerunner; and not bearing the rebuke, he kills the prophet. Then, shortly after, having been driven out by his own people, he is killed, with the just Judge, God, bringing retribution upon the murderer, repaying a miserable end for the death of the holy man. Let us come to him about whom our argument is instituted. B He also, having Maria as his wife, lawfully joined to him from youth, having cast her aside, in adultery, according to the word of the Lord, took as a wife Theodote, the lady-in-waiting, in a second marriage; and because this is against the Gospels, he is rebuked to his face by Plato; and not bearing the rebuke, he imprisons the holy man as though he were buried; then, shortly after, being driven out by a subject, he is blinded, the just Judge, God, bringing the fitting penalty upon the jailer, in place of the imprisonment of the holy man, the loss of sight. Let everyone, therefore, who has a mind, give ear as to whether Constantine, as a second Herod—since he has practiced nothing else from then until now—should be so named, he himself having actively procured this name for himself. And let them not bring us trouble regarding this matter. Christ, who is the truth, cannot lie: that he is an adulterer who does not resist; and furthermore, he is an enemy of God. C And no age shall keep silent about that which the adulterer has done, even until the consummation of the age. But since those who complain have themselves acquiesced in the adultery, they bear the mention of this matter bitterly. They ought to confess the truth, and prostrate themselves, and weep before God on account of the captivity of the saints, for which they shall also give an account on the day of judgment, unless they repent. But if they sin to provoke God D
add to their sin; and it is hidden from them what a great persecution has been kindled from this everywhere; and I pass over in silence other things, out of reverence for certain persons. Let those, whoever they may be, cease from showing a grief that is hateful to God. For God does not accept the person of man. And, according to what we have received from the Gospel, if anyone preacheth a gospel to you besides that which we have preached, even if it be an angel, he is subject to anathema, as the blessed Apostle cries out. Since the most religious superior knows this well, let him not complain that Saint Theophanes did not escape accusation in this matter. For there is nothing to be preferred to the truth. Nor does he himself deny it when he hears it, just as neither the great apostle Peter denied his denial, nor holy David his adultery, nor the holy martyr Cyprian his sorcery. But as to the fact that he is mentioned in the Church as an orthodox man, this in no way stands against the Gospel; since Valentinian is also mentioned—yet not for the fact that he had two wives B at once against the law, but for his right faith—and Jovian, yet not as he is reported to have been a corrupter of boys, and Nicephorus, yet not as a greedy man. And there is much to be said about others who, even if they were accused of other crimes, nevertheless enjoyed ecclesiastical memory solely on account of their orthodoxy. Let these things stand thus. But you, my Lord, keep this letter securely; do not let it be made public, since it is a dangerous matter, as the letter-carrier will report. The Lord be with your spirit. Amen.
CCXIX. — Solutions to various chapters.
Interrogation I. — Regarding a presbyter, deacon, and reader C who held the right opinion, but communicated with heretics out of human fear: whether it is necessary to make an oblation for them, or a vigil, or a prayer.
Response. — If they remained communicating with heretics until their death, by no means. But if at the end they repented, and confessed that they had been overcome by fear, and thirdly, if they partook of the orthodox sacraments, it is to be allowed that what has been said before be done for them.
Interrogation II. — Regarding monks and nuns who likewise died in communion with heretics.
Response. — The aforementioned response should be observed in these cases as well. Likewise also for laymen, men, women, and children. But these things have been said regarding the dead. For if any one of all those mentioned before is still alive, and repents, casting off fear from this day forward, and choosing to suffer hardships for the sake of the good; if he is a presbyter or deacon, let him be debarred from D ministry until the time of an orthodox synod: after then performing the appropriate penance, let him be a participant in the holy Eucharist consecrated by an orthodox priest.
A The power of penance is the withholding of the holy gifts, for such time or times as the one imposing the penance may determine by economy. For it is not possible to define or decree this definitively, because one person differs from another in dignity, knowledge, zeal, and age. But if it be a monk, or a reader, or a nun, once the penance is completed, let them be given the divine participation immediately; the same is to be judged regarding laymen, men and women and children. It is clear, however, that even among these there is a difference, according to person, status, and age; so that even one Lent might be sufficient for the one receiving the penance. It is manifest that the penance of withholding the holy gifts also includes prayers, and genuflections, and abstinence from foods, according to the underlying strength and capacity of the one undergoing the penance. B
Interrogation III. — Regarding the giving of gifts in monasteries of both men and women.
Answer. — They should be given, provided they are free from heretical communion.Interrogation IV. — Regarding the communion of the holy Eucharist, how monks or nuns might receive it by themselves.
Answer. — It is not permissible for those outside the priesthood to touch the holy offerings; unless, perhaps, there is a total necessity, with no presbyter or deacon available, for them to receive the gift by themselves. But how is this to be done? A holy book is to be placed, and a pure linen cloth or a holy veil is to be spread out; the holy Eucharist, having been placed there first by hand with fear after the singing of hymns, should be taken by the mouth; then, in this way, a rinsing with wine should be performed by the one receiving it.Interrogation V. — Regarding orthodox laymen, men and women, who receive communion from an orthodox source, but who out of human fear mix with heretics in all other matters: how those who are strict are to act with them.
Answer. — For a sacred person, that is to say, a presbyter or deacon, and likewise a monk or a nun, one must avoid eating with them according to stricter discipline, unless by some mode of economy, and this only rarely. But for laymen, it is indifferent to eat with them; even if it happens often that they partake of the heresy out of fear, yet they still hold the orthodox faith in their minds. However, that the offense may not be unpunished, a slight penance should be imposed on those who mix with heretics out of fear. The penance is fifteen genuflections, and the same number of prayers: "Lord, forgive me this sin; Lord, be propitious to me a sinner; Lord, have mercy upon me"; fifty or a hundred times. CInterrogation VI. — Whether an orthodox priest should grant the holy gifts to those who chant with heretics but abstain from their communion, whether it be a presbyter, or a deacon, or a layman, or a woman.
Answer. — As for granting them, let him grant them; to those who are in holy orders, by economy with a penance, because of their association with heretics in other matters; but to the laymen, without penance. Regarding the reader who has spent two years in the abstinence of...heretical communion, it is just that he should partake of the holy things, even if he should be led away in other matters. These things are said by way of dispensation on account of human weakness; so that, while desiring to make them completely pure from heretical contamination, we might not inadvertently cast them into the same dangers. A
Question VII. — Is it proper to chant the psalms together with those who indeed do not communicate with heretics, but act freely with them in other matters; or to accept offerings, wax, or oil from them? Response. — If they are priests, and do not make offerings to the heterodox, the offerings brought by them should be accepted with some penance. But if they are laymen, one may approach them without penance. For there must be a distinction, on account of the dignity of the priesthood.
Question VIII. — Is it permitted to offer prayer for those who ask it, or to bless oil, or to light wax, or to drink from the sacred chalice? Response. — If they are heterodox, by no means; even if they approach with faith. For there is no fellowship of light with darkness. B
Question IX. — If a monk or a nun comes to us for the sake of divine Communion, what confession ought to be required, since their state is unknown? Response. — Communion is to be granted to everyone who comes. If their state is unknown, they must be asked whether they venerate the venerable image of Christ and the saints; whether they flee from the communion of heretics, and if they hold any other heretical opinion in their mind. And when they have confessed everything, and the confession is held to be a renunciation of every heresy, then the communion of the sacred Eucharist is to be imparted to them. C
Question X. — Is it permitted for a nun to drink water from the sacred chalice? Response. — In the complete lack of a priest or a monk, let her drink it, on account of the urgent necessity.
Question XI. — In passing by, is it lawful to enter a church which a heretic holds? Response. — If a church is held by a heretic, it is not at all permitted to enter it for the sake of prayer, unless it be for some other pressing reason.
Question XII. — If an unknown abbot comes to us, is it lawful to address him as a saint before an examination, and to ask for a prayer from him? Response. — Since it is a time of heresy, it is not proper before an examination; neither to say, "Bless, O Saint," nor to ask for a prayer from him. However, the ordinary salutation is not to be denied, according to the constitution of Saint Basil. D
Question XIII. — Concerning a well, if it is defiled, should an orthodox priest perform a prayer?
Response. — The prayer is to be performed where there is orthodox communion. But one must not go to those who communicate with heretics. For in those in whom they are defiled in soul through their bread, they will be defiled also in body. A Question XIV. — Concerning baptism, where there is no church held by an orthodox person, if someone asks us where it is appropriate to sign, catechize, and baptize; and what kind of parents and godparents [should be chosen].
Response. — It is not permissible to enter into a church held by a heretic, as has been said before; how much less to perform the aforementioned acts there? But because of the lack of a place, it is necessary to retire to the cleanest part of a house, where he who is to perform the sacred rite may administer the baptism of illumination upon a consecrated altar, or table. But as godparents, one must approach those who do not communicate with heretics, and parents who are similarly watchful. B Question XV. — There are churches, which have two or even three chapels; and of these, one is unoccupied; is it right to celebrate the liturgy there, or not?
Response. — If such a church is under the heretic mentioned, even if one chapel is not dedicated, it is not right to facilitate the liturgy there; but if it is held by an orthodox person, let him perform the liturgy in the chapel which is not dedicated. Question XVI. — If anyone can take possession of his church, so that the liturgy may not be performed in it by a heretic, how long is it permitted for it to be sealed/closed; and what should he do about it?
Response. — This matter has not been resolved by us; for it belongs to the bishop, by whom churches are C unsealed. Question XVII. — If there are men and women, lay heretics, whether through rustic simplicity or having the heresy inborn in them; is it permitted to eat with them, or to receive anything from them?
Response. — Neither if they are heretics out of malice, nor if out of ignorance, is it permitted either to eat or to receive what is offered by them; unless perhaps the ignorant ones, having been improved, profess to hold the orthodox faith. Question XVIII. — Concerning my father, is it right for him to be commemorated in the divine liturgy?
Response. — Whether it be father, or mother, or brother, D or whoever else has been found to have communicated with heresy until death, it has been said in the above chapter that no memorial should be made for him in the sacred rite; yet, nevertheless, each one may pray for such people in his own mind if he wishes, and give alms for them. For how could he who, while living, was a participant in heretical communion, and was thus carried out and buried, have a place in the diptychs while the orthodox perform the sacred rite? Assuredly not. I have not spoken these things as one establishing a law — for this is the duty of bishops — but have spoken by way of advice out of love; for nothing is more necessary than love. But if it seems to your piety that it should be dispensed otherwise, we have nothing to say on this matter beyond what is requested.
except that we beg for your holy prayers, since we are men subject to sins.
Epistle CCXX. Of our Holy Father and Confessor Theodore, Abbot of Stoudios, to the Spatharia, Whose Name is Machara.
A 1. What is the meaning of this beautiful letter of your nobility, composed in the vernacular tongue and, what is surprising, suddenly bringing forth its revelation as if it were a gift pleasing to God? Or why such trust and such pious outpouring from you toward us sinners? Unless, of course, it is so that it might become known to us with what and how great piety you possess; you who bring with yourself your master and head (your husband, that is), and furthermore draw into the same, as if it were an offering worthy of the table of God, your noble sisters as well. So wonderful is your letter, and it shows the most beautiful image of your piety! Now, as for the fact that you have entrusted yourselves to my humility, I am not permitted to say [to claim it]; however, do not entrust yourselves to me, but to God. For this reason we are bound both to rejoice in your excellent life and to pray for all holy things for you, and to bestow only that which is in our power, namely our simple speech: which, now offering, we inquire.
B 2. For what reason does your honor demand that I speak concerning divine communion, and why for so many years have you partaken of it so rarely? For this must have a reason. For it is not to be done rarely, nor daily, but with a pure conscience. For he who eats and drinks unworthily, says Scripture, eats and drinks judgment upon himself, not discerning the body of the Lord (I Cor. XI, 29). If, therefore, looking to your own affairs in this manner, and acting with reverence, you defer it, it is well; whether it happens in a shorter or longer time. And there is no other limit that can be assigned to this matter, other than to approach with a heart as pure as is possible for a man. But if anyone is weighed down by a fault that excludes him from communion, he shall then finally partake when he has completed the imposed penance. But if, on the other hand, anyone separates himself on account of heresy, this is certainly necessary. For to receive the most holy mystery from a heretic, or from one outwardly defamed in his way of life, is foreign to God, and draws one into the company of the devil. Consider, therefore, C ... D
A man, estranges him from God and makes him one of the devil’s household. Consider, therefore, O blessed one, what manner of conduct you have proposed for yourself from what has been said, and approach the holy mysteries according to it. For it is patent to all what heresy currently occupies our Church, namely, that of the Mochians. Take counsel, then, for your precious soul, together with your sisters and your head (your husband). Furthermore, you say to me that you fear to tell your presbyter that it is not permitted for an heresiarch to perform the liturgy. Regarding this, what am I to say to you now? I do not judge this to be free from fault. For since that communion which takes place in the liturgy defiles, he who performs the liturgy will by no means be orthodox. May the Lord, however, who has brought you to such a height of piety, keep and preserve you blameless and entirely whole in body and soul for every good work and for all the requirements of life—I mean your marriage and your most pious sisters—while everyone prays fervently for our unworthiness.
B CCXXI.—To Basilius, the illustrious superior, and to all the venerable monastery of Saint Sabas.
When the dogmas of religion stand fast, anyone who stirs up movements proves himself a disturber. Yet when these are in a state of faction, as is the case now, particularly in our Church, why is it not necessary to arise, sparing nothing—not long travel, nor other hardships—and even to despise death itself? This is the reason for the mission to you of our most holy spiritual sons, Letoïus and Simeon. This is the reason why they, after their reliance upon God, undertook this dangerous journey. But, O holy fathers, how can I clearly describe to you what has been dared and perpetrated by the men of this region against the Gospel of Christ? Jeremiah, who mourned most bitterly, says somewhere thus in his prophecies: "The shepherds have acted foolishly, and have not sought the Lord." But here, something harsher and altogether more C absurd has taken place; for those who have preferred to seek Him and to hold fast to His law, they have smitten with anathema as if they were apostates...
[There remain, furthermore, in Codex 95 of the Coislinian Library (as cited by Montfaucon in *Biblioth. Coislin.*, p. 194), two hundred and seventy-seven epistles, never hitherto brought to light, of which we provide a list. They begin at folio 210 verso, where: Epistle 272 is to Joseph, his brother and archbishop, in his third exile. Beginning: "I have received the letters of your holiness, etc." 273. To the same. Beginning: "We are now writing for the second time concerning your arrival from Byzantium, etc." 274. To Euthymius of Sardis. Beginning: "Your holiness has been distanced, etc." 275. To Ignatius, bishop of Miletus. Beginning: "I have caught a good find, etc."]
[NOTE: This heresy is very well-known in the writings of the Studite. For when Constantine, the son of Irene, the emperor of that time, had cast off his legitimate wife and taken another, both he and his supporters were called *moechoi*, from adultery. One should understand this to refer to Joseph the steward, who had blessed the emperor’s adulterous nuptials. On this, see Studites, Epist. lib. I, 21 and 22. Thus: "Let there be an *oikonomos*; but why does he also minister in holy things unworthily? He has ceased to be a presbyter." Studites writes epistles Lib. I, 21, 22, 23, and Lib. II, 30, to this Simeon, a strenuous defender of orthodoxy. He hints at the decrees of the Iconoclastic synod, to which Studites writes in Epist. lib. II, 1.]