Letters 1.1–1.7

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

First I greet you in the Lord. I think that the souls which the grace of God has laid hold of, calling them to his proclamation through his own Word, have three ways, whether they are men or women. Some, through the law of the covenant and the good once placed within them from their first creation, did not delay when the Word of God reached them, but went on ready with him, as our forefather Abraham did. Because he had already set out on the search through the law of the covenant, God first appeared to him, saying: "Go out from your land and from your kindred and from your father's house, and come to the land that I will show you." He did not hesitate in anything, but was ready at the call. He was the first pattern of this way of life, which continues to this day in those who follow his footsteps. Hence again, if souls endure in this way and act in this way, they will easily take on the same virtues, because their hearts are ready to be filled with the Spirit of God. This is the first way. The second is that of those who hear the written law testifying to them all the punishments prepared for sinners, and proclaiming the holy promises to those who make progress; through the testimonies of the written law their will becomes sober, and through it they have sought to enter into the calling of the one who calls. So David also testifies, saying: "The law of the Lord is spotless, converting souls"; and in the same place: "The declaration of your words enlightens, and gives understanding to the little ones"; and very much else, which we cannot now recount. The third way is that in which, when people of hard heart persist long among vices and in the works of sin, the kind God sometimes brings hardships upon them to rebuke them, until they come to their senses through affliction and repent wholly, and they too receive virtues, like those of whom I spoke before. These, then, are the three entrances in the souls that come to repentance, until they obtain the grace and the calling of the Son of God.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

But I think that the Spirit first calls those who enter the contest with their whole heart and set themselves to endure every struggle with the adversary until they defeat him. The Spirit goes before them and helps them gently in everything, so that the works of repentance may be impressed upon them; he sets them limits by a kind of measure of repentance in their body and soul, until he teaches them also the way of turning back to their own maker, God. He also gives them a forceful constraint that runs through soul and body, so that both may be sanctified and both may receive the inheritance in the same way: the body by frequent fasts and vigils, the soul in the spirit and in watchfulness, and in the services which it performs in the body. This must be striven for in all bearing of fruit in the flesh.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

The Spirit of repentance becomes the guide in these people, and tests the person in these things, lest there be some hostility that might turn him back. Then the guiding Spirit begins to open the eyes of the soul to show repentance, and so that the mind too may be sanctified, he provides a discipline between them: the mind begins to be taught by the Spirit to sanctify the repentance of body and soul, the mind being instructed by the Spirit, who leads us to what soul and body must do. He sanctifies everything and provides discipline, so that even the fruit of the flesh may be brought into order in all the natural parts of the body, from which the transgression arose; and he brings each of the natural parts of the body back to its first condition, having in it nothing alien or hostile to the spirit. For the body is brought under the power of the mind, which has been taught by the spirit, according to the word of Paul: "I pummel my body and bring it into subjection." Then the mind … sanctifies itself in food and drink, in sleep, once for all and simply in all its movements, and in that which had separated the natural union for its own sanctification.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

I think there are three movements of the body. One is the natural movement, inborn in the body; yet it does nothing and accomplishes nothing without the will of the soul, except what it judges in the body alone. Another movement comes from the feeding of the body with much food and drink; from these the blood is heated, and through the foods it wars against the body of the whole soul, which is stirred up by the taking of feasts. For this reason the Apostle says: "Do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery." And again, when the Lord was instructing his disciples in the Gospel, it is said: "See that your hearts are never weighed down with food and drink" or with pleasures. Above all, for those who seek the measure of sanctification it is right to say: "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection." The third movement is that of the evil spirits, who tempt out of envy and want to make slacker those who try to sanctify themselves. But if in these three ways the soul holds itself to the testimonies by which the spirit has taught the mind, it will be sanctified, both together, from that threefold sickness. But if the mind abandons the testimonies which the spirit testifies to it, then the evil spirits settle upon the frame of the body and assail it with that movement until the soul grows weary and begins to ask where help may come from; and turning, it takes hold again of the testimonies of the spirit and is healed. Then the spirit also teaches it that the one rest to be asked of God is this, and that so its peace comes about.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

I have said these things about repentance in body and soul, and how the soul must be cleansed. When it has taken up such a contest, then the spirits that bring tidings are present, and it begins to discern also the sicknesses of the soul which come upon it through its own pleasures. Then there will be a partnership of the spirit with the mind, through the keeping of the commandments that he has handed to it; and he teaches it to heal every sickness of its own soul, distinguishing each of them, both those mingled in the body, among its natural parts, and the others that belong to it in a particular way apart from the body, from the head to the feet, having its own will mingled in them. He sets the eyes a limit, so that they may look rightly and with confidence, no longer bearing anything foreign. Then the ears, so that they may hear in peace and no longer take delight in hearing detraction and spiritual insults, but rather desire, more than any possession, the correction of all and the mercy that will come upon them, since formerly they were sick in these things. Then again he teaches it to sanctify its own tongue, so that, since it was sick with these things, it would always say something from them, handing them to the tongue as the organ of utterance, since it is its own. This sickness had grown more abundantly great in this member, which is the tongue. Hence the apostle James also testifies: "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his own tongue, he deceives himself, and his religion is vain"; and there too he says: "The tongue is small, staining the whole body," and much else that I cannot add in full. If the mind prevails to receive from the spirit, it will first be sanctified itself, and then, examining its words, it will hand them to its own tongue, but words that have nothing perverse or self-willed of the soul in them, by which the word of Solomon will be fulfilled when he says: "My words are spoken from God, and there is nothing perverse or crooked in them." He also says in another place: "The tongue of the wise heals," and very much else.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

Then again, the movements of the hands, if they were at times moved in things in which the soul ought not to have taken pleasure: now the one spirit sets the mind a limit, so that they move in holiness, in prayers and works of mercy, and do works of that kind. And in them the word spoken about prayers is fulfilled: "The lifting up of my hands, an evening sacrifice"; and Solomon elsewhere: "And the hands of the strong grow rich." And so afterwards he cleanses the very food and drink of the belly, even if they use them to the full; or if at times the soul's pleasure has been a little in desires for them, he considers that some, in fullness of food or drink, have obeyed the demons, of whom the Spirit says through David: "With the proud eye and the insatiable heart I did not eat." And these too, if they seek the holiness of the Lord again, the spirit again sets them the same holiness as a limit, so that they use food moderately and enough to sustain the body, and no longer have desire or pleasure in it. And so the word of Paul will be fulfilled, who says: "Whether you eat or drink or do anything else, do all to the glory of God." Then, as to the things that are stirred up below the belly by the thought of intercourse, the mind, taught again by the spirit, gives discernment to their movements in the three ways spoken of above, and strives for sanctification, having the spirit as helper. That movement too is extinguished by the power of the spirit, who brings peace to the whole body and kills that whole movement. This is the true word spoken by Paul: "Putting to death your members which are on earth: sexual immorality, impurity, evil desire," and what follows. So again the feet, which once did not have a sound step and did not walk according to God: the mind that is under the will of the spirit compels them to go and serve good works, so that the whole body may be changed and come under the power of the spirit. And I think that such a dwelling has already received, even here, some part of the spiritual body which it was to receive in the resurrection of the righteous.

Translated by Claude from Valerius de Sarasio (Valerio de Sarasio)'s Latin translation (16th century) of the Latin, Coptic, Georgian, Syriac and Arabic versions (the Greek original is lost); neither is shown

I have said these things because of the sicknesses of the soul which take over the mixture among the natural parts of the body, when the soul is moved in them from there, having become a follower of the evil spirits, so that they work in the members. But I have also said before that the soul has its own discernment of these things. For pride is a sickness of the same body; boasting is a sickness outside the body; so also arrogance, hatred, envy, anger, and faintheartedness, impatience too, and the other small things of this kind. But if the soul entrusts itself to God with its whole heart, then the kind God gives it the spirit of repentance and testifies to it, so that it may repent of each sickness. For this reason the adversaries hinder it, trying to take it over for themselves, and do not allow it to repent. But if it endures, obeying the spirit who urges it to repent, then its Creator too, moved with compassion over its labors in bodily privations, that is, in many fasts, in vigils, in much meditation on the word of God and abundant prayers, in renunciations of the world, in humility, in poverty of spirit: the kind God, seeing and considering it enduring in all these, and pitying its patience persevering in temptations, will help it.