Letters 202–206
Greek text: PG 32.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895), Letters.
Chapter 202
202PG 32:736c–744d
Ἀμφιλοχίῳ, ἑπισκὸπῳ Ικονίου. Καὶ ἄλλως μέν πολλοῦ ἄξιον τὸ συντυγχάνειν τῇ σεμνότητί σου, νῦν δὲ καὶ μάλιστα, ὅτι τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ συνάγον ἡμᾶς πρᾶγμα. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ τὰ λείψανα τῆς ἀρρωστίας μου τοιαῦτα, ὡς μηδὶ τὴν βριχυτάτην μοι κίνησιν συγχωρεῖν, ὃς γε, ἳνα τήν μέχρι τῶν μαρτύρων ὀδόν ὀχήματι πορευθῶ, πάλιν μικροῦ πρὸς τὴν αὐτὴν ὑπέστρεψα νόσον, ἀνάγκη· συγγνώμης τυχεῖν παρʼ ὑμῶνʼ Κᾶν μὲν ᾖ δυνατὸν ὑπερτεθῆναι τὸ πρᾶγμα ὀλιγαις ὓστερον ἡμέραις, καὶ συνεσομαι ὑμῖν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χαριτι, καὶ mamillis τῶν φροντίδων. Ἐὰν δὲ ἐπείγῃ τὰ σπουδαζόμενα, πράξατε μὲν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ συνεργίᾳ τὰ ἐν χερσισυναριθμήσατε δέ με ἑαυτοῖς, ὡς παρόντα, καὶ {iv καλῶς ’γινομένων συνεφαπτόμενον. Ἐῥρωμενὸς καὶ ο εὔθυμος ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὐπερευχόμενὸς μου, φυλαχθιιης τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησιᾳ χάριτι τοῦ ἁγίου. ΑΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΣΓʼ. Τοῖς παρ αλιώταις ἐπισκόποις. '4, Ἐγένετο μοι πολλὴ ὁρμὴ τῆς συντυχίας ὑμῶν, xvii. ἆιί τι ἐπεγένετο κώλυμα, ἐμποδίζον μον τῆ προθυμία. Ἱῐ γὰρ ἡ τοῦ σώματος ἀσθένεια συνεπόδισέ με (ἦν οὐκ ἀγνοεῖτε πάντως, ὅση μοι πάρεστιν ἐκ τῆς πρώτης ἡλικίας μέχρι τοῦ γήρως τούτου, συντραφιῖσοὶ μοι, καὶ παιδεύουσά με, κατὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν τοῦ πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ οἰκονομοῦντος Θεοῦ), ἡ αἱ τῶν Ἐκχλησιῶν ἐπμεἿ.ειαι, ἦ οἱ πρὸς τοὺς ἐπανισταμένους τῶ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀγῶνες. Διὸ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος ἓν θλίψει πολλῆ καὶ λύπῃ διάγω, συνειδὼς, ὅτι τὸ καθʼ ὑμᾶς ἑλλεῆιειπταί μοι. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἀκούσας erupit τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιδημίαν χαταδεξαμένου, ἵνα καὶ τοῖς ὑποδείγμασι τῶν πρακτέων ῥυθμίσῃ τὸν βίον ἡμῶν, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἰδίας φωνῆς iaman ἡμῖν τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας, ὅτι Ἓν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηται ἔστι, ἆᾰν ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους· καὶ ὅτι ἐξιτήριον δῶρον τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς, μέλλων συμπληροῦν τὴν ἓν σαρκὶ οἰκονομίαν, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ εῖρήνηνό Κύριος κατέλιπεν εἰπώνʼ Εἰρήνην ἀφίημι ὑμῖν, ειρὴνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν· οὐ δύναμαι πεῖσαι ἐμαυτόν, ὃτι ἄνευ τῆς ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἀγάπης καὶ ἅνω του, τὸ εἰς ἐμὲ ἧκον, εἰρηνεύειν πρὸς πάντας δύναμαι ἄξιος κληθῆναι δοῦλος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Πολὺν μὲν γὰρ ἀνέμεινα χρόνον, εἴποτε καὶ παρὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης γένηται τις πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἑπιaxi-big. οὗ ’γὰρ ἀγνοεῖτε, ὅτι, δημοσίᾳ προκείμενοι πᾶσιν, ὥσπερ οὶὲν τῆ χαλάσσῃ προβεβλημένοι σχόπιλοι, ἡμεῖς τὸν θυμὸν τῶν αἰρετιχῶν κυμάτων ὑποδεχόμιθα, καὶ περὶ ἡμᾶς ῥηγνύμενοι, τὰ χατόπιν ἡμῶν οὐκ ἑπικλύζουσι. Τὸ δὲ ἡμεῖς. ὅταν εέπω, ουκ εἰς τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀναφέρω δύναμιν, ἀλλʼ εὶς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν, τοῦ ἐν τῆ ἀσθενείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸ δυνατὸν ἑαυτοῦ δεικνύντος, καθά ῳησιν ό φοβηθήσεσθε, τὸν τιθέντα ἄμμον ὅριοι λάσσῃ ;τῷ γὰρ ἀσθενεστάτῳ πάντων ἑὰ) ταφρονήτῳ πράγματι, τῇ ψάμμῳ, τὴν μὲνᾶλἧί βαρεῖαν θάλασσαν ἐπέδησεν ὁ δυνατός. Ἐπεὶ τοιοῦτόν τί ἑστι καὶ τὸ καθʼ ἡμᾶς. iudicum-$7.,» παρὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης καὶ τῶν τῇ]σῶϋὸ ’ ’ αποστέλλεσοαι συνεχῶς εἰς ἐπίσκεψιν iam ' καὶ γράμμαεα ἁγαπὴτικὰ Μτᾲλ- συνεγέστεοον. τοῦτο uir; Μῡῖζήὖῗάτι ταπονουμένων, πρὸς ἡμᾶς συνεχέστερον, τοῦτο μὶν ἡμῶν τήν προθυμίαν, τοῦτο δὲ, καὶ εἶ fl σφΰλόμξζ ἐπανορθούμενα. Οὐκ ἀρνοῦμιθα τὰρ σφάλμασιν ὑποκεῖσθαι, ἄνθρωποι ὄντες in}. ἓν ζῶντες. ’ 2.Αλλ ἐπειδὴ τὸν πρὸ τούτου χρὸνὰιὸ, ἣ alii. β συνιδεῖν τὸ πρέπον, παρελίπετε τὰ ὃφὲιλθβὶξί ἡμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ τιμιώτατοι, ἦ διά τό πρόληψθῆω παρά τινων εἰς τὰς καθʼ ἡμῶν διαβολὰς, bth σατε ἡμᾶς ἀξίους εἶναι ἀγαπητικῆς έπιάέεφὲεξῖ ἰδοὺ νῦν καὶ κατάρχομεν τοῦ γράμματος affini; τὰς ἐπιφερομένας ἡμῖν αἰτίας ὁμολογοῦμεν ἐχειν ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ἀποδύσασθαι· μόνον ἐὰν ut". χωνται οἰ ὑβριζοντες ὑμᾶς, ἀντιπρόσωποι εμέειιι τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐλαβείας καταστῆναι. “imm μὲν γᾱρ καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἡμῶν firm μεθα- καὶ ὑμεῖς μετὰ τοὺς ἐλέγχους ἕξετε παρὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡμῶν κοινωνίας ἑαυτοὺς ὑποστέλλοντες· κάξ δι Off ξαντες, μισθὸν ἕξουσιν, ὡς τὴν κεκρυμμένην iw κακίαν δημοσιεύσαντες. Ἐὰν δὲ πρὸ τῶν affixi! καταδικάζητε ἡμᾶς, ἡμεῖς μὲν οὐδὲν ἐσόμεθα κημένοι, ἐκτὸς τοῦ ζημιωθῆναι τό πάντων ἡμῖν ra μιώτατον κτῆμα τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀγάπηυ; δὲ, καὶ τοῦτο αὐτό πείσεσθαι ἡμᾶς οὐκ γ ’ καὶ τῷ Εὐαγγελιῳ δόξετε μάχεσθαι τῷ εὶπὰντὶί λ ὁ νόμος ἡμῶν κρινει τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ίᾶν μῆ ἇῆᾶῧὲξν 7 κ I ι. - ν Ἀ fi‘ ιιι ~ ‘u-n πρῶ-ον, καὶ γνῷ τι ποιεῖ;Ὀ δὲ διαταχέων θρῖον ἰ Pl τὰς λοιδορίας, τὸν δὲ τῶν λεγομένων ἔλεγχον fit“ ’ ἐπάγων, φανήσεται πονηρὰν ἑαυτῷ προσηγορίαν ” γκὼν, ἐκ τῆς ἀτόπου τῶν λόγων χρήσεως. γάρ διαβάλλοντα πῶς ἄλλως προσῆκεν diuidit“? ἡ οὐχ). ἦν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πράγματος ἐπιτηδεύει πρδάἐ» ηγορίαν αὐτῷ τιθεμένους; Mirr: οὖν ὁ λοιδοβΐ ἡμᾶς δ ιάβολος ἔστω, ἀλλὰ κατήγορος μᾶλλον δε μηδέ τὸ τοῦ κατηγόρου δεχέσθω ὅνωμα, ἀλλʼ ἀδελφός ἔστω ἐν ἀγάπη νουθετῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ διορθώσει ἐπάγων τὸν ἔλεγχον· μήτε ὑμεῖς λοιδοριῶν γένησθε ἀκροαταὶ, αλλʼ ἐλέγχων δ οκιμασταίο μήτε ἡμεῖς ἀνιάτρευτοι καταλειφθῶμεν, μὴ φανερουμένης ἡμῖν τῆς ἁμαρτιας ἡμῶν, 3. Μὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ὑμᾶς ὁ λοθισμός κατεχέτω, ὅτι οἱ τὴν παραλίαν οἰκοῦντες ἔξω ἐσμὲν τοῦ πάθους τῶν πολλῶν, καὶ οὐδὲν τῆς παρʼ ἐτέρων ἐπικουρίας δεόμεθα· ὥστε τίς ἡμῖν χρεία τῆς πρός ἐτέρους κοινωνίας; Ὀ γὰρ Κύριος τὰς μὲν νήσους τῆς ἠπείρου διὰ θαλάσσης διέστησε, τοὺς δὲ νησιώτας τοῖς ἠπειρώταις διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης συνέδησεν. Οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς χωρίζει ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐὰν μὴ τᾷ προαιρέσει τὸν χωρισμόν ύποστῶμεν. Εἷς ἡμῶν Κύριος, μία πίστις, ἐλπὶς ἠ αὕτη. Εἴτε κεφαλὴν ἑαυτούς τῆς καθόλου Ἐκκλησιας λογίζεστε, ού δύναται ἠ κεφαλὴ εἰπεῖν τοῖς ποσὶ, Χρείαν ὑμῶν ούκ ἔχω· εἴτε καὶ ἐν ἄλλη τάξει τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν μελῶν ἑαυτοὺς τάσσετε, ού δύ·ναστε λέγειν τοῖς ἐν τῷ αύτῷ σώματι κατατεταγμένοις ἡμῖν τό, Χρείαν ὑμῶν οὐκ ἔχομεν. Αἰ τε γὰρ χεῖρες αλλήλων δέονται, καὶ οἱ πόδες ἀλλήλους στηρίζουσι, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἓν τῆ συμφωνίᾳ τὸ ἐναργὲς τῆς καταλήψεως ἔχουσιν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γὰρ ὁμολογοῦμεν τὸ ἑαυτῶν ἀσθενές· καὶ ἐπιζητοῦμεν τὴν σύμπνοιαν ὑμῶν. Οἴδαμεν γὰρ, ὅτι, κᾶν μὴ παρῆτε τῷ σώματι, τῇ διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν βοηθείᾳ μέγα παρέξετε ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαιοτάτοις καιροῖς ὄφελος. Ὺμᾶς δὲ ούκ ἔστιν οὔτε παρὰ ἀνθρώποις εὐπρεπὲς, οὔτε τῷ Θεῷ εὐάρεστον ταῖς τοιαύταις κεχρῆσθαι φωναῖς, αἷς οὐδὲ τὰ ἔθνη κέχρηνται τὰ μὴ εἰδότα τόν Θεόν. Ἀλλὰ κάκεῖνα ἀκούομεν, κᾶν εἰς πάντα ἆύτάρκη τὴν χώραν νέμωνται, τῆς γοῦν τῶν μελλόντον ἕνεκεν ἆδηλίας τὴν πρός αλλήλόυς συμμαχίαν ἀσπάζεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ἐπιμιξίαν ὡς ἔχουσάν τι κέρδος μεταδιώκειν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐκείνων ὄντες τῶν πατέρων, οἳ ἐνομοθέτησαν διὰ μικρῶν χαρακτήρων τά τῆς κοινωνίας σύμβολα ἀπό περάτων τῆς γῆς εἰς πέρατα περιφέρεσθαι, καὶ πάντας πᾶσι πολίτας καὶ οἰκείους εἶναι, νῦν ἀποτέμνομεν ἑαυτοὺς τῆς οἰκουμένης, καὶ οὔτε ἐπαισχυνόμεθα τῇ μονώσει, οὔτε ζημίαν φέρειν τόν διασπασμὸν τῆς ὁμονοίας τιθέμεθα- οὔτε φρίσσομεν, ὅτι εἰς ἡμᾶς φθάνει ἠ φοβερὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν προφητεία, εἰπόντος, ὅτι Διά τό πληθυνθῆναι τὴν ἀνομίαν, ψυγήσεται ἧ ἀγάπη τῶν πολλῶν. 4. Μὴ ταῦτα, ἀδελφοὶ τιμιώτατοι, μὴ ἀνάσχησθε τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς παρελθοῦσι παρακαλέσατε ἡμᾶς γράμμασιν εἰρηνικοῖς καὶ ἀγαπητικαῖς προσφωνήσεσιν, οἱονεὶ πραείᾳ τινὶ ἐπαφῆ τό τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν ἕλκος, ὂ ἐκ τῆς παρελθούσης ἀμελείας ἐνεποιήσατε ἡμῖν, παραμυθούμενοι· Καὶ εἴτε αὐτοὶ σαι τὰ αρρωστὴματα ἡμῶν, εἰ ὄντως τοιαῦτά ἐστιν οἶα ἀκούετε, ἦ ταῖς ἐκ τοῦ ψεύδους προσθήκαις βαρύτερα ὐμῖν ἀπαγγέλλεται τὰ οἶμαρτήματα ἡμῶν, γενεσθω καὶ τοῦτο· ἕτοιμοι ἡμεῖς ὑπτίαις χερσὶ τὴν παρουσίαν ὑμῶν ὑποδέξασθαι, καὶ προθεῖναι ἑαυτοὺς εἰς ἀκριβῆ βάσανον· μόνον ἀγάπη ἡγείσθω τῶν γινομένων εἶτε καὶ βούλεσθε παρʼ ἑαυτοῖς ὑποδεῖξαί τινα τόπον, ἐν γενόμενοι,καὶ ὑμῖν τὸ ὀφειλόμενον τῆς ἐπισκέψεως χρέος ἀποπληρώσομεν, καὶ ἑαυτῷν τὴν ἐνδεχομένην πεῖραν πα· ρέξομεν, ὥστε καὶ τὰ προλαβόντα ἰάσασθαι, καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ μηδεμίαν διαβολαῖς χώραν καταλιπεῖν καὶ τοῦτο γενέσθω. Πάντως γὰρ, εἰ καῖ ἀσθενῆ περιφέρομιν σάρκα, ἀλλʼ ἕως ἀναπνέωμεν, ὑπεύθυνοί ἐσμεν μηδὲν ἐλλιμπάνειν τῶν εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Μὴ οὖν παραλογίσησθε ἡ μῶν τὴν παράκλησιν ταύτην, μὴ εἰς ἀνάγκην ἡμᾶς ἀγάγητε, καί πρὸς ἄλλους ἐξειπεῖν τὴν ὀδύνην ἡμῶν. Μέχρι γάρ νῦν, γινώσκετε, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν λύπην στέγομεν, αἰσχυνόμενοι τοῖς πόρρωθεν ἡμῶν κοινωνικοις τὴν προς ἡμᾶς ἀλλο· τριῶσιν ὑμῶν διαγγεῖλαιʼ ἶνα μὴ κάκείνους θλίψωμεν, καὶ χαρὰν τοῖς μισοῦσιν ἡμᾶς ἐμποιήσωμεν. Ταῦτα μόνος ἐπέστειλα νῦνο γνώμῃ δὲ τῶν ἐν Καππαδοκίᾳ παντων ἀδελφῶν ἔπεμψα, οἱ καὶ παρεκάλεσάν με, μὴ τῷ τυχόντι χρήσασθαι διακόνῳ τοῦ γράμματος, ἀλλʼ ἀνδρὶ, ὃς δυνήσεται ὅσα διὰ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς παρήκαμεν, φοβούμενοι μὴ εἰς ἀμετρίαν πολλὴν τόν λόγον ἐκβάλωμεν,ταυτοι διὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συνέσεως, ἣν ἔχει ἐκ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀναπληρῶσαί· Λέγομεν δὲ τόν ποθεινότατον ἡμῖν καὶ εὐλαβέστατον ἀδελφόν Πέτρον τὸν συμπρεσβύτερον, ὃν καὶ δέξασθε ἰν ἀγάπη καὶ προπέμψατε πρὸς ἡ μᾶς εἰρηνῖκῶς, ἵνα γένηται ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν ἀγγελος.
Amphilochiǭ, hepiskopǭ Ikoniou. Kai allōs men pollou axion to syntynchanein tę̄ semnotēti sou, nyn de kai malista, hoti toiouton esti to synagon hēmas pragma. Allʼ epeidē ta leipsana tēs arrōstias mou toiauta, hōs mēdi tēn brichytatēn moi kinēsin synchōrein, hos ge, hina tēn mechri tōn martyrōn odon ochēmati poreuthō, palin mikrou pros tēn autēn hypestrepsa noson, anankē; syngnōmēs tychein parʼ hymōnʼ Kan men ę̄ dynaton hypertethēnai to pragma oligais hysteron hēmerais, kai synesomai hymin tę̄ tou Theou chariti, kai mamillis tōn phrontidōn. Ean de epeigę̄ ta spoudazomena, praxate men tę̄ tou Theou synergią ta en chersisynarithmēsate de me heautois, hōs paronta, kai {iv kalōs ’ginomenōn synephaptomenon. Erhrōmenos kai o euthymos en Kyriǭ, ypereuchomenos mou, phylachthiiēs tę̄ tou Theou Ekklēsią chariti tou hagiou. AEPISTOLĒ SGʼ. Tois par aliōtais episkopois. '4, Egeneto moi pollē hormē tēs syntychias hymōn, xvii. aii ti epegeneto kōlyma, empodizon mon tē prothymia. Hii gar hē tou sōmatos astheneia synepodise me (ēn ouk agnoeite pantōs, hosē moi parestin ek tēs prōtēs hēlikias mechri tou gērōs toutou, syntraphiisoi moi, kai paideuousa me, kata tēn dikaian krisin tou panta en sophią oikonomountos Theou), hē hai tōn Ekchlēsiōn epmeI.eiai, ē hoi pros tous epanistamenous tō logǭ tēs alētheias agōnes. Dio mechri tou parontos hen thlipsei pollē kai lypę̄ diagō, syneidōs, hoti to kathʼ hymas helleēieiptai moi. Egō gar akousas erupit tou Theou tou dia touto tēn dia sarkos epidēmian chatadexamenou, hina kai tois hypodeigmasi tōn prakteōn rhythmisę̄ ton bion hēmōn, kai dia tēs idias phōnēs iaman hēmin to Euangelion tēs basileias, hoti Hen toutǭ gnōsontai pantes, hoti emoi mathētai esti, aan agapate allēlous; kai hoti exitērion dōron tois heautou mathētais, mellōn symplēroun tēn hen sarki oikonomian, tēn heautou eirēnēno Kyrios katelipen eipōnʼ Eirēnēn aphiēmi hymin, eirēnēn tēn emēn didōmi hymin; ou dynamai peisai emauton, hoti aneu tēs en allēlois agapēs kai hanō tou, to eis eme hēkon, eirēneuein pros pantas dynamai axios klēthēnai doulos Iēsou Christou. Polyn men gar anemeina chronon, eipote kai para tēs hymeteras agapēs genētai tis pros hēmas hepiaxi-big. hou ’gar agnoeite, hoti, dēmosią prokeimenoi pasin, hōsper oien tē chalassę̄ probeblēmenoi schopiloi, hēmeis ton thymon tōn airetichōn kymatōn hypodechomitha, kai peri hēmas rhēgnymenoi, ta chatopin hēmōn ouk hepiklyzousi. To de hēmeis. hotan eepō, ouk eis tēn anthrōpinēn anapherō dynamin, allʼ eis tēn tou Theou charin, tou en tē astheneią tōn anthrōpōn to dynaton heautou deiknyntos, katha ǭēsin o phobēthēsesthe, ton tithenta ammon horioi lassę̄ ?tǭ gar asthenestatǭ pantōn hea) taphronētǭ pragmati, tę̄ psammǭ, tēn menalēi bareian thalassan epedēsen ho dynatos. Epei toiouton ti hesti kai to kathʼ hēmas. iudicum-$7.,» para tēs hymeteras agapēs kai tōn tę̄]sōÿo ’ ’ apostellesoai synechōs eis episkepsin iam ' kai grammaea hagapētika Mtąl- synegesteoon. touto uir? Muizēuïati taponoumenōn, pros hēmas synechesteron, touto min hēmōn tēn prothymian, touto de, kai ei fl sphÿlomxz epanorthoumena. Ouk arnoumitha tar sphalmasin hypokeisthai, anthrōpoi ontes in}. hen zōntes. ’ 2.All epeidē ton pro toutou chronaio, hē alii. b synidein to prepon, parelipete ta hopheilthbixi hēmin, adelphoi timiōtatoi, ē dia to prolēpsthēō para tinōn eis tas kathʼ hēmōn diabolas, bth sate hēmas axious einai agapētikēs epiaeepheexi idou nyn kai katarchomen tou grammatos affini? tas epipheromenas hēmin aitias homologoumen echein hyphʼ hymōn apodysasthai; monon ean ut". chōntai oi hybrizontes hymas, antiprosōpoi emeeiii tēs hymeteras eulabeias katastēnai. “imm men gar kai hēmeis tēn hamartian hēmōn firm metha- kai hymeis meta tous elenchous hexete para tǭ Kyriǭ, ek tēs tōn hamartōlōn hēmōn koinōnias heautous hypostellontes; kax di Off xantes, misthon hexousin, hōs tēn kekrymmenēn iw kakian dēmosieusantes. Ean de pro tōn affixi! katadikazēte hēmas, hēmeis men ouden esometha kēmenoi, ektos tou zēmiōthēnai to pantōn hēmin ra miōtaton ktēma tēn pros hymas agapēu? de, kai touto auto peisesthai hēmas ouk g ’ kai tǭ Euangeliǭ doxete machesthai tǭ eipantii l ho nomos hēmōn krinei ton anthrōpon, ian mē haēaÿexn 7 k I i. - n A fi‘ iii ~ ‘u-n prō-on, kai gnǭ ti poiei?O de diatacheōn thrion i Pl tas loidorias, ton de tōn legomenōn elenchon fit“ ’ epagōn, phanēsetai ponēran heautǭ prosēgorian ” nkōn, ek tēs atopou tōn logōn chrēseōs. gar diaballonta pōs allōs prosēken diuidit“? hē ouch). ēn ex autou tou pragmatos epitēdeuei prdae» ēgorian autǭ tithemenous? Mirr: oun ho loidobï hēmas d iabolos estō, alla katēgoros mallon de mēde to tou katēgorou dechesthō honōma, allʼ adelphos estō en agapē nouthetōn, kai epi diorthōsei epagōn ton elenchon; mēte hymeis loidoriōn genēsthe akroatai, allʼ elenchōn d okimastaio mēte hēmeis aniatreutoi kataleiphthōmen, mē phaneroumenēs hēmin tēs hamartias hēmōn, 3. Mē gar ekeinos hymas ho lothismos katechetō, hoti hoi tēn paralian oikountes exō esmen tou pathous tōn pollōn, kai ouden tēs parʼ eterōn epikourias deometha; hōste tis hēmin chreia tēs pros eterous koinōnias? O gar Kyrios tas men nēsous tēs ēpeirou dia thalassēs diestēse, tous de nēsiōtas tois ēpeirōtais dia tēs agapēs synedēsen. Ouden hēmas chōrizei apʼ allēlōn, adelphoi, ean mē tą proairesei ton chōrismon ypostōmen. Heis hēmōn Kyrios, mia pistis, elpis ē hautē. Eite kephalēn heautous tēs katholou Ekklēsias logizeste, ou dynatai ē kephalē eipein tois posi, Chreian hymōn ouk echō; eite kai en allē taxei tōn ekklēsiastikōn melōn heautous tassete, ou dy;naste legein tois en tǭ autǭ sōmati katatetagmenois hēmin to, Chreian hymōn ouk echomen. Ai te gar cheires allēlōn deontai, kai hoi podes allēlous stērizousi, kai hoi ophthalmoi hen tē symphōnią to enarges tēs katalēpseōs echousin. Hēmeis men gar homologoumen to heautōn asthenes; kai epizētoumen tēn sympnoian hymōn. Oidamen gar, hoti, kan mē parēte tǭ sōmati, tę̄ dia tōn euchōn boētheią mega parexete hēmin en tois anankaiotatois kairois ophelos. Ymas de ouk estin oute para anthrōpois euprepes, oute tǭ Theǭ euareston tais toiautais kechrēsthai phōnais, hais oude ta ethnē kechrēntai ta mē eidota ton Theon. Alla kakeina akouomen, kan eis panta autarkē tēn chōran nemōntai, tēs goun tōn mellonton heneken adēlias tēn pros allēlous symmachian aspazesthai, kai tēn epimixian hōs echousan ti kerdos metadiōkein. Hēmeis de ekeinōn ontes tōn paterōn, hoi enomothetēsan dia mikrōn charaktērōn ta tēs koinōnias symbola apo peratōn tēs gēs eis perata peripheresthai, kai pantas pasi politas kai oikeious einai, nyn apotemnomen heautous tēs oikoumenēs, kai oute epaischynometha tę̄ monōsei, oute zēmian pherein ton diaspasmon tēs homonoias tithemetha- oute phrissomen, hoti eis hēmas phthanei ē phobera tou Kyriou hēmōn prophēteia, eipontos, hoti Dia to plēthynthēnai tēn anomian, psygēsetai hē agapē tōn pollōn. 4. Mē tauta, adelphoi timiōtatoi, mē anaschēsthe touto, alla kai epi tois parelthousi parakalesate hēmas grammasin eirēnikois kai agapētikais prosphōnēsesin, hoionei praeią tini epaphē to tēs kardias hēmōn helkos, o ek tēs parelthousēs ameleias enepoiēsate hēmin, paramythoumenoi; Kai eite autoi sai ta arrōstēmata hēmōn, ei ontōs toiauta estin oia akouete, ē tais ek tou pseudous prosthēkais barytera ymin apangelletai ta oimartēmata hēmōn, genesthō kai touto; hetoimoi hēmeis hyptiais chersi tēn parousian hymōn hypodexasthai, kai protheinai heautous eis akribē basanon; monon agapē hēgeisthō tōn ginomenōn eite kai boulesthe parʼ heautois hypodeixai tina topon, en genomenoi,kai hymin to opheilomenon tēs episkepseōs chreos apoplērōsomen, kai heautǭn tēn endechomenēn peiran pa; rexomen, hōste kai ta prolabonta iasasthai, kai tou loipou mēdemian diabolais chōran katalipein kai touto genesthō. Pantōs gar, ei kai asthenē peripheromin sarka, allʼ heōs anapneōmen, hypeuthynoi esmen mēden ellimpanein tōn eis oikodomēn tōn Ekklēsiōn tou Christou. Mē oun paralogisēsthe hē mōn tēn paraklēsin tautēn, mē eis anankēn hēmas agagēte, kai pros allous exeipein tēn odynēn hēmōn. Mechri gar nyn, ginōskete, adelphoi, en heautois tēn lypēn stegomen, aischynomenoi tois porrōthen hēmōn koinōnikois tēn pros hēmas allo; triōsin hymōn diangeilaiʼ ina mē kakeinous thlipsōmen, kai charan tois misousin hēmas empoiēsōmen. Tauta monos epesteila nyno gnōmę̄ de tōn en Kappadokią pantōn adelphōn epempsa, hoi kai parekalesan me, mē tǭ tychonti chrēsasthai diakonǭ tou grammatos, allʼ andri, hos dynēsetai hosa dia tēs epistolēs parēkamen, phoboumenoi mē eis ametrian pollēn ton logon ekbalōmen,tautoi dia tēs heautou syneseōs, hēn echei ek tēs charitos tou Theou, anaplērōsai; Legomen de ton potheinotaton hēmin kai eulabestaton adelphon Petron ton sympresbyteron, hon kai dexasthe in agapē kai propempsate pros hē mas eirēnikōs, hina genētai hēmin agathōn angelos.
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. At other times it is worth much to meet your dignity, but now especially, when the matter that brings us together is of such a kind. But since the remnants of my illness are such as not to allow me even the shortest movement (indeed, when I travelled by carriage as far as the martyrs, I almost fell back into the same disease), I must obtain pardon from you. If it is possible to put off the matter a few days, I will be with you by the grace of God and share in your cares. But if the matters in hand are urgent, do what is in hand with God's help, but count me with you as present and taking part in what is well done. May you be kept for the church of God, strong and cheerful in the Lord, praying for me, by the grace of the Holy One. [Letter 203] To the bishops of the sea coast. 1. I had a great desire to meet you, but always some hindrance arose to impede my eagerness. For either the weakness of my body hindered me (you surely know how much of it I have had from my first youth to this old age, growing up with me and chastening me by the just judgment of God who orders all things in wisdom), or the harassments of the churches, or the contests with those who rise up against the word of truth. Therefore up to the present I live in much affliction and grief, conscious that my duty toward you has been left undone. For I have heard the Lord, who for this reason accepted the sojourn in the flesh, that he might both regulate our life by the examples of what is to be done and announce to us with his own voice the gospel of the kingdom, saying, 'By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another'; and I have heard that as a parting gift to his disciples, when about to complete the dispensation in the flesh, the Lord left them his own peace, saying, 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you'; and so I cannot persuade myself that without love for one another and without being at peace with all, as far as lies with me, I can be worthy to be called a servant of Jesus Christ. I waited a long time, in case some visit to us might come from your love too. For you are not unaware that, set out publicly before all like rocks projecting into the sea, we receive the rage of the heretical waves, and they, breaking around us, do not flood what lies behind us. And when I say 'we', I do not refer it to human power, but to the grace of God, who shows his power in the weakness of men, as the prophet says in the person of the Lord: 'Will you not fear me, who set the sand as a boundary for the sea?' For by the weakest and most despised thing of all, sand, the Mighty One bound the great and heavy sea. Since our situation is something like this, it was fitting that men be sent continually from your love to visit us, and loving letters more frequently, … partly to strengthen our eagerness, and partly to correct whatever errors we may have. For we do not deny that we are subject to errors, being men and living in the flesh. 2. But since in the time before this, either neglecting to see what was fitting, you left undone what you owed us, most honoured brothers, or, prejudiced by some in favour of the slanders against us, you did not think us worthy of a loving visit, see, now we ourselves begin the correspondence, and we declare that we are ready to clear ourselves before you of the charges brought against us; only let those who insult us be willing to stand face to face before your reverence. If we are convicted, we too shall acknowledge our sin, and you will have your reward with the Lord after the convictions, withdrawing yourselves from communion with us sinners; and those who convicted us will have a reward, as having made public the hidden wickedness. But if you condemn us before the convictions, we shall be no worse off, except for being deprived of what is most precious of all to us, our love for you; but you … and you will seem to fight against the gospel, which says, 'Does our law judge a man unless it first hears him and knows what he does?' He who spreads abuse and brings no proof of what is said will be found to have earned himself a wicked name from his improper use of words. For how else is it fitting to name one who slanders than by giving him the name from the very thing he practises? So let the one who abuses us not be a devil, a slanderer, but an accuser; or rather let him not even take the name of accuser, but let him be a brother admonishing in love and bringing the reproof for correction; and let you not become hearers of abuse but testers of proofs; and let us not be left uncured, our sin not being made plain to us. 3. And let not this reasoning hold you: that we who live on the coast are outside the sufferings of the many and need no help from others, so what need have we of communion with others? For the Lord separated the islands from the mainland by sea, but bound the islanders to the mainlanders by love. Nothing separates us from one another, brothers, unless we accept the separation by our own choice. We have one Lord, one faith, the same hope. Whether you reckon yourselves the head of the universal church, the head cannot say to the feet, 'I have no need of you'; or whether you rank yourselves in another order of the members of the church, you cannot say to us, ranked in the same body, 'We have no need of you.' For the hands need one another, the feet support one another, and the eyes have clearness of perception by agreeing together. We for our part confess our own weakness and seek your concord. For we know that, even if you are not present in body, by the help of your prayers you will give us great benefit in the most critical times. But it is neither seemly among men nor pleasing to God for you to use such words as not even the nations that do not know God use. For we hear that they, even if they inhabit a country sufficient for everything, yet because of the uncertainty of the future embrace alliance with one another and pursue mutual intercourse as bringing some gain. But we, being sons of those fathers who made a law that by little marks the tokens of communion should be carried from the ends of the earth to its ends, and that all should be fellow citizens and kin to all, now cut ourselves off from the world, and are neither ashamed of our isolation nor count the tearing apart of concord as bringing loss; nor do we shudder that the fearful prophecy of our Lord reaches us, who said, 'Because lawlessness is multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.' 4. Not so, most honoured brothers, do not allow this; but even for the past comfort us with peaceable letters and loving addresses, soothing as with a gentle touch the wound of our heart which you made by your past neglect. And whether you yourselves wish to come to us to visit our sicknesses, if they really are such as you hear, or whether our sins are reported to you as heavier by the additions of falsehood, let this be done too: we are ready to receive your coming with open hands and to offer ourselves to exact examination; only let love lead what is done. Or if you wish to name some place among yourselves, coming to which we will both pay the debt of the visit owed to you and offer what proof of ourselves we can, so as both to heal what went before and to leave no room for slanders in future, let this too be done. For surely, even if we carry about weak flesh, as long as we breathe we are bound to leave nothing undone for the building up of the churches of Christ. Do not, then, disregard this appeal of ours; do not force us to tell our pain to others too. For until now, know this, brothers, we have kept the grief within ourselves, ashamed to report your estrangement from us to those far away who are in communion with us, lest we grieve them too and give joy to those who hate us. I have written this alone now; but I sent it with the consent of all the brothers in Cappadocia, who also urged me not to use a chance bearer for the letter, but a man who will be able by his own intelligence, which he has from the grace of God, to fill in what we have left out of the letter for fear of extending our discourse to great excess. I mean our most beloved and pious brother Peter the fellow presbyter, whom receive in love and send back to us in peace, that he may become a messenger of good things to us.
John 13:35 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:27 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Jer 5:22 (quotation, high confidence) · John 7:51 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 24:12 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil, too ill to travel, excuses himself to Amphilochius; then (Letter 203) he appeals to the bishops of the sea coast, estranged from him by slanders, to restore communion and love or to meet him and examine the charges.
- This staged ref holds Letter 202, to Amphilochius, and Letter 203, to the bishops of the sea coast (headed "Letter 203" in the scan). The scan doubles some lines at the start of Letter 202; they are removed by a logged correction. In Letter 203 several lines at the end of section 1 and in section 2 are garbled; they are translated by sense or marked "…". Quotations and allusions in Letter 203: John 13:35; John 14:27; 2 Cor 12:9; Jer 5:22; John 7:51; Eph 4:5; 1 Cor 12:21; Matt 24:12.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (the scan prints these lines twice, interleaved; one copy removed and the split words rejoined): Καὶ ἄλλως μέν ποι πολλοῦ ἄξιον τὸ συντυγχαυω ςμέν ποι πολλοῦ ἄξιον τὸ συντυγχαυω τι σου, νῦν δὲ καὶ μάλιστα, ὅτε τοιοῦτῶ τῇ σεμνότητι σου, νῦν δὲ καὶ μάλιστα, ὅτι τοιοῦτὸν ἐστι τὸ συνάγον ἡμᾶς πρᾶγμα. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ τὰ αγον ἡμᾶς πρᾶγμα. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ τὰ ὀὸωστίαε uau τοιαῦται ὡς and“: τὴν βοιψανα τῆς ἀρρωστίας → Καὶ ἄλλως μέν πολλοῦ ἄξιον τὸ συντυγχάνειν τῇ σεμνότητί σου, νῦν δὲ καὶ μάλιστα, ὅτι τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ συνάγον ἡμᾶς πρᾶγμα. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ τὰ λείψανα τῆς ἀρρωστίας.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 202 (PG 32:736c–744d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/202/#p-202). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-basil-epistulae-202) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 204
204PG 32:745a–756c
συμπαρατεῖναι; Ὀ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν γινόμε· νον (ιβ-47), οὐδεμιᾶς τοῦ διεζεῦχθαι δικαίας ἀφορμῆς ὑπαρχούσης, οὐκοῦν ὅσα γι ἴσμεν αὐτοί ο ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔναντίον, πολλῶν καὶ μεγάλων πρὸς τὴν ἄκραν ἡμῖν φιλίαν καὶ ἕνωσιν ἐνυπαρχόντων τό ἐξ ἀρχῆς ’ ἑνός μὲν τοῦ μεγίστου καὶ πρώτου, τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ Κυρίου διαρῥήδην εἰπόντος, ὅτι Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες, ὃτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε, ἐὰν ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους καὶ πάλιν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου σαφῶς τό τῆς ἀγάπης καλὸν παριστῶντος ἡμῖν, τοῦτο μὲν ἐνοῖς ἀποφαίνεται πλήρωμα νόμου εἶναι τὴν ἀγάπην, τοῦτο δὶ ὅταν προτίθησι πάντων όμοῦ τῶν μεγάλων,τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης καλὸν, ἓν οἷς φησιν Ἐὰν ταῖς γλώσσαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαλῶ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, γέγονα χαλκός ἠχῶν, ἦ κύμβαλον ἀλαλάζον. Καὶ ἐὰν ἔχω προφητείαν, καὶ εἰδῶ τὰ μυστήρια πάντα, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν ὥστε ὄρη μιθιστᾷν, πην δί μὴ ἔχω, οὐδέν εἰμι. Κάν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, καὶ παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυθῇ, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι· οὐχ ὡς δυναμένου ποτὲ τῶν ἀπηριθμημένων ἑκάστου δίχα τῆς ἀγάπης ἐνεργηθῆναι, ἀλλά βουλομένου τοῦ · ἁγίου, ὡς αὐτὸς εἷπε, τῷ καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν τρόπῳ τήν κατά πάντων ὑπεροχὴν προσμαρτυρῆσαι τῇ ἒντολῇ - ν 2. Δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι, εἶ τι μέγα συμβάλλεται πρός συνάφειαν καὶ τὸ τῶν αὐτῶν μετασχεῖν διδασκάλων, οἱ αὐτοὶ ὑμῖν τί εἰσι καὶ ἡμῖν διδάσκαλοί τε τῶν μυστηρίων τοῦ Θεοῦ, και πατέρες πνευματικοὶ, οἱ ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ὑμετέραν θεμελιώσαντες ο Γρηγόριον λέγω τὸν πανυ, καὶ ὅσοι ἐφεξῆς ἐκείνῳ τῆς παρʼ ὑμῖν ἐπισκοπῆς τὸν θρόνον διαδεξάμενοι, ἆλλος ἐπ ama», ὥσπερ τινες ἀστέρες ἐπανατελλοντις, κατά τῶν αὐτῶν ἰχνῶν ἐπέβησαν, ὥστε διάγνωστα καταλιπεῖν τῆς κατʼ οὐρανόν πολιτείας τά σημεῖα τοῖς βουλομένοις. Εἰ δὲ καὶ αἱ σωματικαὶ οἰκειότητες οὐκ ἀπόβλητοι, ἀλλά καὶ μέγα συμβαλλόμεναι πρὸς ἀρραγῆ συνάφεια-ι καὶ κοινωνίαν βίου· καὶ ταῦτα ἡμῖν ὑπῆρξε πρὸς ὑμᾶς τά δίκαια. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν, ὦ σεμνοτάτη πόλεων (διʼ ὑμῶν γὰρ τῇ πόλει πάσῃ διαλέγομαι), οὐ γράμμα ἥμερον αὐτόθεν, οὐ φωνὴ δεξιὰ, ἀλλʼ ἤνοικται μὲν ὑμῶν τὰ ὦτα τοῖς διαβάλλειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν; ὥστε τοσοῦτον πλέον στενάζειν ὀφείλω, ὅσῳπερ ἂν μᾶλλον ἴδω τὺ σπουδαζόμενον · ἐπειδὴ τὸ τῆς διαβολῆς ἔργον φανερὸν ἔχει τόν καθηγούμενον. ὃς, ἀπὸ πολλῶν ὑπάρχων ἀδικημάτων γνώριμος, ἀπὸ τοι-5 της μάλιστα τῆς πονηρίας χαρακτηρίζεται, ὥστε καὶ ὅνομα αὐτῷ γενέσθαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Πλὴν ἀλλʼ ὑμεῖς ἀνάσχεσθέ μον τῆς παρῥησίας · ἀμφοτέροις τὰς ακοᾶς τοῖς διαβάλλουσιν ἡμᾶς ἀναπετάσαντες, πάντα ως ταῖς ψυχαῖς παραδέχεσθε “ καὶ οὐδεὶς ό τοῦ ανεςεταστ ντ-ι. ἀληθοῦς τὸ qia-flio; ονλοκρενὼν Τίς ἡπόρησί ποτε πονηρῶν ἐγκλημάτων μόνος ἀγωνιζόμενοςς τίς i157χθη ψευδομενος, μὴ παρόντος τοῦ σνκοφαντουμένον; ποῖον ῥῆμα οὐκ ἔστι πιθανὸν τςπς ἁκούουσιν, ἐὰν ὃ μὲν λοίδορος ὃιατείνηται, ἦ μὴν οὕτως ἔχειν, ὁ δὲ λοιδορούμενος μήτε παρῇ, μήτε ἓπακούη τῶν βλασφημιῶν; Οὐᾶε αὐτή ἡ τού βίον συνήθεια παιδεύιι ὑμᾶς πρὸς ταῦτα, ὅτι δεῖ τον μέλλοντα ἴσον καὶ κοινὸν ἀκροατὴν γενήσεσθαι, μὴ ὅλον ἀπάγεσθαι παρὰ τοὺ προλαβόντος, ἀλλʼ ἀναμένειν καὶ τὴν ἁπολογίαν τοῦ ἐναγομένου, ἵνʼ οὕτως ἐκ τῆς παραθέσεως, ἑκατέρων τῶν λόγων διαδειχθῇ ἡ ἀλήθειας Κρῖμια δίκαιον κρίνατε· πρόσταγμα iam ἓν τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων εἰς σωτηρίαν. 3. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω, οὐκ ἐπιλελησμένος τῶν ἐποο-τολικῶν ῥημάτων, ὅτι, φεύγων ὶκεῖνος τὰ ἀνθρὼπινα κριτήρια, ὅλον ἑαυτοῦ τὸν βίον ταῖς εὐθύναις τον ἀνεξαπατητου δικαστηρίου ἐταμιεύετο ἓν οἷς φησιν· Ἐμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐλάχιστον ἔστιν ἱνα ὑφʼ ὑμῶν ἀνακριθῶ, ᾖ ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης ἡμέρας. Ἀλλʼ ὃμῶς ἐπειδὴ προλαβούσαι διαβολαὶ ψευδεῖς κατέσχον ὑμῶν τὰς ἀκοὰς, καὶ διαβέβληται μὲν ἡμῶν ὁ βίος, διοιεὲc ἕληται δὲ ἡ περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν πίστις, εἰδὼς, ὃτι τρισὶν ὁμοῦ προσώποις τὴν βλάβην προστρίβεται ὃ διαβάλλων · τόν τε γαρ συκοφαντούμενον ἀδικεῖ, καὶ πρὸς οὖς ὁ λόγος ἐστὶν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἑαυτὸν· τῆςμὲν ἐμαυτοῦ βλάβης κᾶν ἀπεσιώπησα, εὖ ἴστε, οὐ καταφρονῶν τῆς παρʼ ὑμῖν (iiii) ὑπολήψεως, (πῶς γὰρ ὃς γε» ἵνα μὴ ταύτην ζημιωθώ, ταῦτα ἐπιστέλλω καὶ ἀγωνίζομαι νῦν ;) ἀλλʼ ὀλοῶν, ὃτι ἐν τρισὶ τοῖς βλαπτομένοις ὁ τὰ ἐλάττονα ζημιούμενος, εὶμί ἓγὼ.Ἐ7ὢ μὲν γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἀποστεροῦμαι, ὑμεῖς δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀφαιρεῖσθε· καὶ ὁ τούτων αἴτιος ἐμὲ μὲν ὑμῶν διίστησιν, ἑαυτὸν δέ ἀλλοτριοῖ τοῦ Κυρίου· διότι οὐκ ἔστι Θεῴ ἐκ τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων οἰκειωθῆναι.’ΐμῶν οὖν πῶλον ἕνεκεν ἦ ἐμαντοὺ ποιοῦμαι τοὺς λόγους, και τοῦ ὑμᾶς ἐξελέσθαι βλάβης οὐκ ἀνεκτῆς. Τί ’γὰρ ἂν καὶ μεῖζον πάθοι κακον τις τό τιμιώτατον τῶν ὄντων ζημιωθεὶς, την ἀλήθειαν ς 4. Τί οὖν φημι, ridi/qm; Θὺχ ὅτι ἀναμάρτητος τις ἐγὼ, οὗθʼ ὅτι ο βίος ὁ ἐμὸς οὐχὶ πλήρης ἐστὶ μυρίων ἐλαττωμάτων· οῖὸα γὰρ ἐμαυτόν καὶ οὗ διοιλείπω γε στάζων τὸ δάκρυον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, εἴ πως δυνηθείην ἔξιλάσασθαί μου τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ διαφυγεῖν τὴν ἀπειληθείσαν κόλασιν· ἀλλʼ ὅτι ὀ τὰ ἠμτερα κρίνων, εἰ μὲν καθαρὸν ἔχειν διαβεβαιοῦται τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν, καρφολογείτω ἡμῶν τὸ ὄμμα. Ὀμολογοῦμεν γάρ δεῖσθαι πολλῆς τῆς ἐκ τῶν ὀγιαινὸντων ἐπιμελείας εἰ δὲ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἆν εἴποι, καὶ τοσούτῳ γε πλέον οὐκ ἐρεῖ, ὅσῳπερ ἂν μᾶλλον ᾖ καθαρὸς (διοτι ἴδιον τῶν τελείων τὸ μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ὑπεραίρειν· ἐπεὶ πάντως ὑπόδικοι τῇ ἀλαζονείᾳ τοῦ Φαρισαίου γενήσονται, ὅς, ἑαυτὸν δικαιῶν, κατέκρινε τὸν τελώνην), μετʼ ἐμοῦ ζητείτω τὸν ἰατρὸν, καὶ μὴ πρὸ καιροῦ κρινέτω, ἕως ἂν ἔλθη ὁ Κύριος, ὃς ἀποκάλύψει τὰ κρυπτά τοῦ σκότους, καὶ φανερώσει τὰς βουλάς τῶν καρδιῶν. Μεμνήσθω δὲ καὶ τοῦ εἰπόντος. Μὴ κρίνετε, ἱνα μὴ κριθῆτε· καὶ, Μὴ καταδικάζετε, ἵνα μὴ καταδικασθῆτε. Ὀλως δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, εἰ μὲν ἰάσιμα ἡμῶν ἔστι τά πλημμελήματα, τί οὐχὶ πείθεται τῷ διδασκάλῳ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν λέγοντι· Ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον; Εἰ δὲ ἀνίατος ἡμῶν ἠ ἀνομία, τί οὐχὶ εἰς πρόσωπον ἡμῖν ἀντικαθίσταται, καὶ δημοσιώσας ἡμῶν τὰ ἀνομήματα, ἐλευθεροῖ τῆς παρʼ ἡμῶν βλάβης τὰς Ἐκκλησίας; Μὴ τοίνυν ἀνάσχησθε τῆς ὑπʼ ὀδόντα λαλουμένης καθʼ ἡ μῶν λοιδορίας. Τοῦτο γὰρ κᾶν παιδίσκη μία τῶν ἐκ μύλωνος ποιήσειε, κᾶν τῶν ἀγοραίων τις μεθʼ ὑπερβολῆς ἐπιδείξαιτο, οἷς ἠ γλῶσσα πρὸς πᾶσαν ἠκόνηται λοιδορίαν. Ἀλλʼ εἰσὶν ἐπίσκοποι· κληθῶσιν εἰς ἀκρόασιν, ’Ἐστι κλῆρος κατά πᾶσαν τοῦ Θεοῦ παροικίαν συναχοήτωσαν οἱ δοκιμώτατοι. Λεγέτω μετὰ παρρησίας ὁ βουλόμενος, ἰνκ ΰ.εγχος ᾖ τὸ γινόμενον, καὶ μὴ λοιδορία. Tn" ὄψιν ἀγέτω τὰ λανθάνοντά μου τῆς πονηρίας· μισείτω δε μηδί τότε, ἀλλὰ νουθετείτω ὥς ἀδελφόν. Ἐλεεῖσθοιί που δικαιότεροί ἐσμεν παρά τῶν μακαρίων ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἀναμαρτήτων οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἡμεῖς μᾶλλον ἦ χαλεπαίνεσθαι. 5. Ei δί περὶ πίστιν τὸ σφάλμα, δειχθήτω ἡμῖν ἡ συγγραφὴ ο πάλιν ἴσον καὶ κοινὸν κριτήριον καθισατω. ’Λναγνωσθήτω τὸ ἔγκλημα. Δοκιμασθήτω, εἰ μὴ ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ ἂγκαλοῦντος ἔγκλημα εἶναι δοκεῖ μᾶλλον, ἦ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ φύσιι κατεγνῶσμίνον ἐστὶ τὸ γράμμα. Πολλά γὰρ τῶν καλῶν οὐ δοκεῖ εἶναι τοιαῦτα τοῖς τὸ κριτήριον τῆς διανοίας οὐκ ἀκριβὲς κεκτημένοις. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ ἱσοβαρῆ τῶν ὄγκων οὐκ ἶσα εἶναι δοκεῖ, ὅταν μή ἰσορρόπως ἔχωσι πρὸς ἀλλήλας αἱ πλάστιγγες. Καὶ τὸ μέλι ἤδη πικρόν τισι κατεφάνη, τὴν γευστικὴν αἴσθησιν ὑπὸ τοῦ· πάθους διεφθαρμένοις. Ἀλλά καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐχ ὑγιῶς ἔχων πολλὰ μὲν τῶν ὄντων οὐκ εἶδε, πολλὰ δὲ τῶν οὐκ ὄντων ὐπέθετο. Καὶ τοίνυν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν λόγων δυνάμεως τὸ ἶσον ὁρῶ πολλάκις γινόμενον, ὅταν της τῶν συγγραψαμένων ἕξεως 6 κριτὴς ἀπολιμπάνηται. Δεῖ γὰρ σχεδὸν ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς παρασκευῆς ὡρμῆσθαι τὸν τε κρίνοντα τοὺς λόγους και τὸν συγγράφοντα. Ἠ τα μὲν γεωργίας ἔργα οὗ δυνατός ἐστι κρίνειν 6 γε μὴ γεωργικὸς, καὶ τό ἐκμελές τε καὶ ἐμμελὲς τῶν κατά μουσικὴν ῥυθμῶν οὗ διαγνώσεται 6 μὴ τὴν ἔπιστήμην ἔχων τῆς μουσικῆς λόγων δὲ κριτὴς εὐθνςὸ βουλόμενος ἔσται, 6 μήτε διδάσκαλον ἔχων ἑαυτοῦ δεικνύναι, οὔτε χρόνον ἐν ᾧ μεμάθηκεν, οὗτε ὅλως ἐπαΐων τι μικρὸν ἦ μεῖζον τῶν περὶ λόγους. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὁρῶ ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς λογίοις τοῦ Πνεύματος ου παντὶ ἐξῆν ἐπιβάλλεῐν τῆ ἐξετάσει τῶν εἰρημένων, ἀλλά τῷ ἔχοντι τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς διακρίσεως, καθὼς ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς ὃ Ἀπόστολος, ἐν ταῖς διαιρέσεσι τῶν χαρισμάτων εἰπών· ’ῼ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ Πνεῦματος δίδοται λογος σοφίας, in? δὲ λόγος γνώσεως, κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα· ἑτέρῳ δε πίστις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ Πνεύο ματι· ἄλλω δέ ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεωνσ ἄλλω προφητεία, οἴλλῳ διακρίσεις πνευμάτων. Ὥστε εἰ πνευματικὰ τὰ ἡμέτερα, δεικνύτω ἑαυτὸν ἔχοντα τό χάρισμα τῆς διακρίσεως τῶν πνευματικῶν 6 τὰ ἠμέτερα κρίνειν βουλόμενος· εἰ δὲ, ὡς αὐτὸς λοιδορεῖ, ἀπὸ τῆς σοφίας ἐστὶ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, δειξάτω ἐαυτὸν ἔμπειρον τῆς σοφίας τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τότε αὐτῷ τὰς ψήφους τῆς κρίσεως ἐπιτρέψομεν. Καὶ μηδεὶς οἰέσθω ταῦτα πρὸς ἀποφυγὴν τῶν ἂέγχων ἐπινοεῖσθαι παρʼ ἡμῶν. ’Υμῐν γὰρ ἐπιτρέπω, ποθεινότατοι αδελφοί, ἐφʼ ἑαυτῶν ποιήσασθαι τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων ἡμῖν τὴν ἐξέτασιν. Οὕτως ἐστὲ βραδεῖς τὴν διάνοιαν, ὥστε πάντων δεῖσθαι τῶν συνηγόρων πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς εῦρεσινς Ἀλλʼ ἐὰν μὲν ἀναντίρρητα ὑμῖν φανῇ ἐφʼ ἑαυτῶν, πείσατε τοὺς ἐρεσχελοῦντας ἀφέσθαι πάσης φιλονεικίας· ἐὰν δὲ τι δοκεί καὶ ἀμφίβολον ἔχειν, ἐρωτήσατε ἡμᾶς διὰ τινων μεσιτῶν δυναμένων πιστῶς διακονήσασθαι τὰ ἡμέτερα· ἦ καί ἐγγράφους, εἰ δοκεῖ, ἀπαιτήσατε ἡμᾶς τὰς ἀποδείξεις. Πάντως δε παντὶ τρόπῳ σπουδάσατε μὴ ἀνεξέταστα ταῦτα καταλιπεῖν. 6. Πίστεως δέ τῆς ἡμετέρας τίς ἆν καὶ γένοιτο ἐναργεστέρα ἀπόδειξις ἦ ὅτι τραφέντες ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ τίτθῃ μακαρίᾳ γυναικὶ, παρʼ ὑμῶν ὡρμημένη; Μακρίναν λέγω τὴν περιβόητον, παρʼ ἧς ἐδιδάχθημεν τὰ τοῦ μακαριωτάτον Γρηγορίου ῥήματα, ὅσα πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀκολουθίᾳ μέἠμης διασωθέντα αῦτὴ τε Eae. λασσε, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἔτι νηπίους ὄντας ἔπλαττε καὶ ἔμόρφου τοῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας δόγμασιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν τοῦ φρονεῖν δύναμιν ἀπελάβομεν, τοῦ λόγου ἡμῖν διὰ τῆς ἡλικίας συμπληρωθέντος, πολλὴν ἐπελθόντες ’γῆν τε καὶ θάλασσαν, εἴ τινας εὕρομεν τῷ παραδοθέντι κανόνι τῆς εὐσεβείας στοιχοῦντας, τούτους καὶ πατέρας ἐπεγραψάμεθα, καὶ ὁδηγοὺς τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν πρός Θεόν πορείαν ἐποιησάμεθα. Καὶ μέχρι γε τῆς ὧρας ταύτης, χάριτι τοῦ καλέσαντος ἡμᾶς κλήσει ἁγίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπίγνωσιν, οὐδένα οἴδαμεν λόγον ἐχθρόν τῆς ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας ταῖς καρδίαις παραδεξάμενοι οὐδὲ μο· λυνθεντες ποτε τὰς ψυχὰς τῇ δυσωνύμῳ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν βλασφημίᾳ. Ἀλλʼ εἰ τινάς ποτε ὡρμημένους ἐξ ἕκείνου τοῦ διδασκάλου εἰς κοινωνίαν προσελαβόμεθα, ἐπικρυπτομένους τὴν ἐν τῷ βάθει νόσον, καὶ ῥήματα λαλοῦντας εὐσεβῆ, ἦ τοῖς γε παρʼ ἡμῶν λεγομένοις μὴ ἀντιτείνοντας, οὕτω προσηκάμεθα, οὔτε πᾶσαν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν κατʼ αὐτοὺς κρίσιν ἐπιτρέψαντες, ἀλλὰ ταῖς προεξενεχθείσαις περὶ αὐτῶν ψήφοις παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν ἀκολουθήσαντες, Ἐγὼ γὰρ δεξάμενος γράμματα τοῦ μακαριωτάτου Πατρός Ἀθανασίου τοῦ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐπισκόπου, ἃ καὶ ἔχω ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ, καὶ προβάλλομαι τοῖς ἐπιζητοῦσιν, ἐν οἷς φανερῶς διηγόρευσαν, εἰ τις ἐκ τῆς τῶν Ἀρειανῶν αἱρέσεως βούλοιτο μετατίθεσθαι, ὁμολογῶν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν, τοῦτον προσίεσθαι, μηδὲν δ ιακρινομένους ἐπʼ αὐτῷ · καὶ τούτου τοῦ δόγματος κοινωνούς μοι παρεχομένου τούς τε τῆς Μακεδονίας καὶ τῆς Ἀχαίας ἐπισκόπους ἅπαντας νομίζων ἀναγκαῖον εἶναι ἀκολουθεῖν ἀνδρὶ τοσούτῳ διὰ τό ἀξιόπιστον τῶν νομο- Θετη σάντων, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ ἐπιθυμῶν τόν τῆς εἰρηνοποιίας μισθόν ὑποδέξασθαι, τοὺς ταύτην ὁμολογοῦντας τὴν πί·στιν ἐγκατέτασσον μερίδι τῶν κοινωνικῶν. 7° Δικαιότερον δε τὰ καθʼ ἡμᾶς κρίνεσθαι μὴ ἐξ ἰνὸς ἦ δευτέρου τῶν μὴ ὀρθοποδούντων πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀλλʼ ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπισκόπων συνημμένων ἡμῖν χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἐξετασθῶσι δὲ Πισίδαι, Λυκάονες, Ἰσαῦροι, Φρύγες ἑκάτεροι, Ἀρμενίων ὅσον ὑμῖν ἐστι πρόσοικον, Μακεδόνες, Ἀχαιοὶ, Ἰλλύριοι, Γάλλοι, Ἱσπαvol, Ἰταλία σύμπασα, Σικελιῶται, Ἀφροι, Αίγύmox) τό ὑγιαῖνον, τῆς Συρίας ὁπόσον λείψανον οἵτινες πέμπουσί τε πρός ἠμῆς γράμματα, καὶ πάλιν δέχονται παρʼ ἡμῶν ; Ὧν ἔστίν ὑμῖν ἔκ τε τῶν ἐκεῖ· θεν φερομνων φραμμάτων μαθεῖν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐντεῦθεν πάλιν [ἀντιπεμπομένων αὐτοῖς διδαχθῆναι, ὅτι στῦμψυχοι πάντες ἐσμὲν, τό ἓν φρονοῦντες. ’ῼστε ὁ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς κοινωνίαν ἆποὸιδρασκων μή λανθανέτω ὑμῶν τήν ἀκρίβειαν, πάσης ἑαυτὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀπορρηγνύς. …, ἀδελφοί, πρὸς τίνας ἐστὶν ὑμῖν ἡ κοινωνία· ἐπειδὰν παρʼ ἡμῶν μὴ δεχθῆτε, τίς λοιπὸν ὑμᾶς inquom-Stat; Mr: ἁγάγητε ἡμᾶς εἱς ἀνάγκην σκυθρωπόν τι βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῆς φιλτάτης ἡμῖν Ἐκκλησίας. Μὴ ποιήσητε με, ἃ νῦν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ κρυπτω τῇ ἕμαν τοῦ, κατʼ ἐμαυτὸν στενάζων καὶ ὀδυρόμενος του καιροῦ τήν κακότητα, ὅτι, αἰτίας οὐκ οὔσης, αἱ μέγισται τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, καὶ ἐκ παλαιοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλας ἁδελφων τάξιν ἓπέχουσαι, αὗται νῦν διεστήκασι ’ μή με ποιήσητε ταῦτα πρὸς πάντας ὁμοῦ τοὺς κοινωνικοὺς ἀποδύρασθαι. Μὴ ἐκβιάσήσβἐ με ἀφεῖναι ῥήματα, ἂμέχρι τοῦ νῦν τῷ ἐκ τοῦ λογισμοῦ χαλινῷ κεκρυμμένα ἔχω παρʼ ἐμαυτῷ. Βίλτιόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ἐκ ποδῶν γενέσθαι, τὰς δὲ Ἐκκλησίας ὁμονοεῖν πρὸς ἀλλήλας,ἦ διὰ τὰς μειρακιώδεις ἡμῶν μικροψυχίας κακὸν τοσοῦτον ἐπάγεσθαι τοῖς λαοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐρωτήσατε τοὺς Πατέρας ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσιν ὑμῖν, ὃτί, εἰ καὶ τῇ Θέσει τοῦ τόπου διῃρῆσθαι ἐδόκουν Ξ αἱ παροικίαι, ἀλλὰ τῷ γε φρονήματι ἓν ἦσαν, καὶ μιᾷ γνώμῃ ἐκυβερνῶντο, Συνεχεῖς μὲν τοῦ λαοῦ αἱ ἐπιμιξίαι ο συνεχεῖς δὲ τοῦ κλήρου ἐπιδημίαν
symparateinai? O peri hēmas estin idein ginome; non (ib-47), oudemias tou diezeuchthai dikaias aphormēs hyparchousēs, oukoun hosa gi ismen autoi o alla to enantion, pollōn kai megalōn pros tēn akran hēmin philian kai henōsin enyparchontōn to ex archēs ’ henos men tou megistou kai prōtou, tēs entolēs tou Kyriou diarrhēdēn eipontos, hoti En toutǭ gnōsontai pantes, hoti emoi mathētai este, ean agapate allēlous kai palin tou Apostolou saphōs to tēs agapēs kalon paristōntos hēmin, touto men enois apophainetai plērōma nomou einai tēn agapēn, touto di hotan protithēsi pantōn omou tōn megalōn,to tēs agapēs kalon, hen hois phēsin Ean tais glōssais tōn anthrōpōn lalō kai tōn angelōn, agapēn de mē echō, gegona chalkos ēchōn, ē kymbalon alalazon. Kai ean echō prophēteian, kai eidō ta mystēria panta, kai pasan tēn gnōsin, kai echō pasan tēn pistin hōste orē mithistąn, pēn di mē echō, ouden eimi. Kan psōmisō panta ta hyparchonta mou, kai paradō to sōma mou hina kauthę̄, agapēn de mē echō, ouden ōpheloumai; ouch hōs dynamenou pote tōn apērithmēmenōn hekastou dicha tēs agapēs energēthēnai, alla boulomenou tou ; hagiou, hōs autos heipe, tǭ kathʼ hyperbolēn tropǭ tēn kata pantōn hyperochēn prosmartyrēsai tę̄ entolę̄ - n 2. Deuteron de, hoti, ei ti mega symballetai pros synapheian kai to tōn autōn metaschein didaskalōn, hoi autoi hymin ti eisi kai hēmin didaskaloi te tōn mystēriōn tou Theou, kai pateres pneumatikoi, hoi ex archēs tēn Ekklēsian tēn hymeteran themeliōsantes o Grēgorion legō ton pany, kai hosoi ephexēs ekeinǭ tēs parʼ hymin episkopēs ton thronon diadexamenoi, allos ep ama», hōsper tines asteres epanatellontis, kata tōn autōn ichnōn epebēsan, hōste diagnōsta katalipein tēs katʼ ouranon politeias ta sēmeia tois boulomenois. Ei de kai hai sōmatikai oikeiotētes ouk apoblētoi, alla kai mega symballomenai pros arragē synapheia-i kai koinōnian biou; kai tauta hēmin hypērxe pros hymas ta dikaia. Tinos oun heneken, ō semnotatē poleōn (diʼ hymōn gar tę̄ polei pasę̄ dialegomai), ou gramma hēmeron autothen, ou phōnē dexia, allʼ ēnoiktai men hymōn ta ōta tois diaballein epicheirousin? hōste tosouton pleon stenazein opheilō, hosǭper an mallon idō ty spoudazomenon ; epeidē to tēs diabolēs ergon phaneron echei ton kathēgoumenon. hos, apo pollōn hyparchōn adikēmatōn gnōrimos, apo toi-5 tēs malista tēs ponērias charaktērizetai, hōste kai honoma autǭ genesthai tēn hamartian. Plēn allʼ hymeis anaschesthe mon tēs parrhēsias ; amphoterois tas akoas tois diaballousin hēmas anapetasantes, panta ōs tais psychais paradechesthe “ kai oudeis o tou anesetast nt-i. alēthous to qia-flio? onlokrenōn Tis hēporēsi pote ponērōn enklēmatōn monos agōnizomenoss tis i157chthē pseudomenos, mē parontos tou snkophantoumenon? poion rhēma ouk esti pithanon tsps hakouousin, ean ho men loidoros hoiateinētai, ē mēn houtōs echein, ho de loidoroumenos mēte parę̄, mēte hepakouē tōn blasphēmiōn? Ouae autē hē tou bion synētheia paideuii hymas pros tauta, hoti dei ton mellonta ison kai koinon akroatēn genēsesthai, mē holon apagesthai para tou prolabontos, allʼ anamenein kai tēn hapologian tou enagomenou, hinʼ houtōs ek tēs paratheseōs, hekaterōn tōn logōn diadeichthę̄ hē alētheias Krimia dikaion krinate; prostagma iam hen tōn anankaiotatōn eis sōtērian. 3. Kai tauta legō, ouk epilelēsmenos tōn epoo-tolikōn rhēmatōn, hoti, pheugōn ikeinos ta anthrōpina kritēria, holon heautou ton bion tais euthynais ton anexapatētou dikastēriou etamieueto hen hois phēsin; Emoi de eis elachiston estin hina hyphʼ hymōn anakrithō, ę̄ hypo anthrōpinēs hēmeras. Allʼ homōs epeidē prolabousai diabolai pseudeis kateschon hymōn tas akoas, kai diabeblētai men hēmōn ho bios, dioieec helētai de hē peri ton Theon hēmōn pistis, eidōs, hoti trisin homou prosōpois tēn blabēn prostribetai ho diaballōn ; ton te gar sykophantoumenon adikei, kai pros ous ho logos estin autǭ, kai heauton; tēsmen emautou blabēs kan apesiōpēsa, eu iste, ou kataphronōn tēs parʼ hymin (iiii) hypolēpseōs, (pōs gar hos ge» hina mē tautēn zēmiōthō, tauta epistellō kai agōnizomai nyn ?) allʼ oloōn, hoti en trisi tois blaptomenois ho ta elattona zēmioumenos, eimi hegō.E7ō men gar hymas aposteroumai, hymeis de tēn alētheian aphaireisthe; kai ho toutōn aitios eme men hymōn diistēsin, heauton de allotrioi tou Kyriou; dioti ouk esti Theǭ ek tōn apēgoreumenōn oikeiōthēnai.’ïmōn oun pōlon heneken ē emantou poioumai tous logous, kai tou hymas exelesthai blabēs ouk anektēs. Ti ’gar an kai meizon pathoi kakon tis to timiōtaton tōn ontōn zēmiōtheis, tēn alētheian s 4. Ti oun phēmi, ridi/qm? Thych hoti anamartētos tis egō, houthʼ hoti o bios ho emos ouchi plērēs esti myriōn elattōmatōn; oioa gar emauton kai hou dioileipō ge stazōn to dakryon hyper tōn hamartēmatōn, ei pōs dynētheiēn exilasasthai mou ton Theon, kai diaphygein tēn apeilētheisan kolasin; allʼ hoti o ta ēmtera krinōn, ei men katharon echein diabebaioutai ton ophthalmon, karphologeitō hēmōn to omma. Omologoumen gar deisthai pollēs tēs ek tōn ogiainontōn epimeleias ei de touto men ouk an eipoi, kai tosoutǭ ge pleon ouk erei, hosǭper an mallon ę̄ katharos (dioti idion tōn teleiōn to mē heautous hyperairein; epei pantōs hypodikoi tę̄ alazoneią tou Pharisaiou genēsontai, hos, heauton dikaiōn, katekrine ton telōnēn), metʼ emou zēteitō ton iatron, kai mē pro kairou krinetō, heōs an elthē ho Kyrios, hos apokalypsei ta krypta tou skotous, kai phanerōsei tas boulas tōn kardiōn. Memnēsthō de kai tou eipontos. Mē krinete, hina mē krithēte; kai, Mē katadikazete, hina mē katadikasthēte. Olōs de, adelphoi, ei men iasima hēmōn esti ta plēmmelēmata, ti ouchi peithetai tǭ didaskalǭ tōn Ekklēsiōn legonti; Elenxon, epitimēson, parakaleson? Ei de aniatos hēmōn ē anomia, ti ouchi eis prosōpon hēmin antikathistatai, kai dēmosiōsas hēmōn ta anomēmata, eleutheroi tēs parʼ hēmōn blabēs tas Ekklēsias? Mē toinyn anaschēsthe tēs hypʼ odonta laloumenēs kathʼ hē mōn loidorias. Touto gar kan paidiskē mia tōn ek mylōnos poiēseie, kan tōn agoraiōn tis methʼ hyperbolēs epideixaito, hois ē glōssa pros pasan ēkonētai loidorian. Allʼ eisin episkopoi; klēthōsin eis akroasin, ’Esti klēros kata pasan tou Theou paroikian synachoētōsan hoi dokimōtatoi. Legetō meta parrēsias ho boulomenos, ink ÿ.enchos ę̄ to ginomenon, kai mē loidoria. Tn" opsin agetō ta lanthanonta mou tēs ponērias; miseitō de mēdi tote, alla noutheteitō hōs adelphon. Eleeisthoii pou dikaioteroi esmen para tōn makariōn andrōn kai anamartētōn hoi hamartōloi hēmeis mallon ē chalepainesthai. 5. Ei di peri pistin to sphalma, deichthētō hēmin hē syngraphē o palin ison kai koinon kritērion kathisatō. ’Lnagnōsthētō to enklēma. Dokimasthētō, ei mē agnoią tou ankalountos enklēma einai dokei mallon, ē tę̄ heautou physii kategnōsminon esti to gramma. Polla gar tōn kalōn ou dokei einai toiauta tois to kritērion tēs dianoias ouk akribes kektēmenois. Epei kai ta hisobarē tōn onkōn ouk isa einai dokei, hotan mē isorropōs echōsi pros allēlas hai plastinges. Kai to meli ēdē pikron tisi katephanē, tēn geustikēn aisthēsin hypo tou; pathous diephtharmenois. Alla kai ophthalmos ouch hygiōs echōn polla men tōn ontōn ouk eide, polla de tōn ouk ontōn ypetheto. Kai toinyn kai epi tēs tōn logōn dynameōs to ison horō pollakis ginomenon, hotan tēs tōn syngrapsamenōn hexeōs 6 kritēs apolimpanētai. Dei gar schedon ek tēs autēs paraskeuēs hōrmēsthai ton te krinonta tous logous kai ton syngraphonta. Ē ta men geōrgias erga hou dynatos esti krinein 6 ge mē geōrgikos, kai to ekmeles te kai emmeles tōn kata mousikēn rhythmōn hou diagnōsetai 6 mē tēn epistēmēn echōn tēs mousikēs logōn de kritēs euthnso boulomenos estai, 6 mēte didaskalon echōn heautou deiknynai, oute chronon en hǭ memathēken, houte holōs epaïōn ti mikron ē meizon tōn peri logous. Egō de horō hoti kai en tois logiois tou Pneumatos ou panti exēn epiballein tē exetasei tōn eirēmenōn, alla tǭ echonti to Pneuma tēs diakriseōs, kathōs edidaxen hēmas ho Apostolos, en tais diairesesi tōn charismatōn eipōn; ’Ǭ men gar dia tou Pneumatos didotai logos sophias, in? de logos gnōseōs, kata to auto Pneuma; heterǭ de pistis en tǭ autǭ Pneuo mati; allō de energēmata dynameōns allō prophēteia, oillǭ diakriseis pneumatōn. Hōste ei pneumatika ta hēmetera, deiknytō heauton echonta to charisma tēs diakriseōs tōn pneumatikōn 6 ta ēmetera krinein boulomenos; ei de, hōs autos loidorei, apo tēs sophias esti tou kosmou toutou, deixatō eauton empeiron tēs sophias tou kosmou, kai tote autǭ tas psēphous tēs kriseōs epitrepsomen. Kai mēdeis oiesthō tauta pros apophygēn tōn aenchōn epinoeisthai parʼ hēmōn. ’Ymin gar epitrepō, potheinotatoi adelphoi, ephʼ heautōn poiēsasthai tōn enkaloumenōn hēmin tēn exetasin. Houtōs este bradeis tēn dianoian, hōste pantōn deisthai tōn synēgorōn pros tēn tou alēthous euresins Allʼ ean men anantirrēta hymin phanę̄ ephʼ heautōn, peisate tous ereschelountas aphesthai pasēs philoneikias; ean de ti dokei kai amphibolon echein, erōtēsate hēmas dia tinōn mesitōn dynamenōn pistōs diakonēsasthai ta hēmetera; ē kai engraphous, ei dokei, apaitēsate hēmas tas apodeixeis. Pantōs de panti tropǭ spoudasate mē anexetasta tauta katalipein. 6. Pisteōs de tēs hēmeteras tis an kai genoito enargestera apodeixis ē hoti traphentes hēmeis hypo titthę̄ makarią gynaiki, parʼ hymōn hōrmēmenē? Makrinan legō tēn periboēton, parʼ hēs edidachthēmen ta tou makariōtaton Grēgoriou rhēmata, hosa pros autēn akolouthią meēmēs diasōthenta autē te Eae. lasse, kai hēmas eti nēpious ontas eplatte kai emorphou tois tēs eusebeias dogmasin. Epeidē de kai autoi tēn tou phronein dynamin apelabomen, tou logou hēmin dia tēs hēlikias symplērōthentos, pollēn epelthontes ’gēn te kai thalassan, ei tinas heuromen tǭ paradothenti kanoni tēs eusebeias stoichountas, toutous kai pateras epegrapsametha, kai hodēgous tōn psychōn hēmōn eis tēn pros Theon poreian epoiēsametha. Kai mechri ge tēs hōras tautēs, chariti tou kalesantos hēmas klēsei hagią eis tēn heautou epignōsin, oudena oidamen logon echthron tēs hygiainousēs didaskalias tais kardiais paradexamenoi oude mo; lynthentes pote tas psychas tę̄ dysōnymǭ tōn Areianōn blasphēmią. Allʼ ei tinas pote hōrmēmenous ex hekeinou tou didaskalou eis koinōnian proselabometha, epikryptomenous tēn en tǭ bathei noson, kai rhēmata lalountas eusebē, ē tois ge parʼ hēmōn legomenois mē antiteinontas, houtō prosēkametha, oute pasan heautois tēn katʼ autous krisin epitrepsantes, alla tais proexenechtheisais peri autōn psēphois para tōn Paterōn hēmōn akolouthēsantes, Egō gar dexamenos grammata tou makariōtatou Patros Athanasiou tou tēs Alexandreias episkopou, ha kai echō en tais chersi, kai proballomai tois epizētousin, en hois phanerōs diēgoreusan, ei tis ek tēs tōn Areianōn haireseōs bouloito metatithesthai, homologōn tēn en Nikaią pistin, touton prosiesthai, mēden d iakrinomenous epʼ autǭ ; kai toutou tou dogmatos koinōnous moi parechomenou tous te tēs Makedonias kai tēs Achaias episkopous hapantas nomizōn anankaion einai akolouthein andri tosoutǭ dia to axiopiston tōn nomo- Thetē santōn, homou de kai epithymōn ton tēs eirēnopoiias misthon hypodexasthai, tous tautēn homologountas tēn pi;stin enkatetasson meridi tōn koinōnikōn. 7° Dikaioteron de ta kathʼ hēmas krinesthai mē ex inos ē deuterou tōn mē orthopodountōn pros tēn alētheian, allʼ ek tou plēthous tōn kata tēn oikoumenēn episkopōn synēmmenōn hēmin chariti tou Kyriou. Exetasthōsi de Pisidai, Lykaones, Isauroi, Phryges hekateroi, Armeniōn hoson hymin esti prosoikon, Makedones, Achaioi, Illyrioi, Galloi, Hispavol, Italia sympasa, Sikeliōtai, Aphroi, Aigymox) to hygiainon, tēs Syrias hoposon leipsanon hoitines pempousi te pros ēmēs grammata, kai palin dechontai parʼ hēmōn ? Hōn estin hymin ek te tōn ekei; then pheromnōn phrammatōn mathein kai ek tōn enteuthen palin [antipempomenōn autois didachthēnai, hoti stympsychoi pantes esmen, to hen phronountes. ’Ǭste ho tēn pros hēmas koinōnian apooidraskōn mē lanthanetō hymōn tēn akribeian, pasēs heauton tēs Ekklēsias aporrēgnys. …, adelphoi, pros tinas estin hymin hē koinōnia; epeidan parʼ hēmōn mē dechthēte, tis loipon hymas inquom-Stat? Mr: hagagēte hēmas heis anankēn skythrōpon ti bouleusasthai peri tēs philtatēs hēmin Ekklēsias. Mē poiēsēte me, ha nyn en tę̄ kardią kryptō tę̄ heman tou, katʼ emauton stenazōn kai odyromenos tou kairou tēn kakotēta, hoti, aitias ouk ousēs, hai megistai tōn Ekklēsiōn, kai ek palaiou pros allēlas hadelphōn taxin hepechousai, hautai nyn diestēkasi ’ mē me poiēsēte tauta pros pantas homou tous koinōnikous apodyrasthai. Mē ekbiasēsbe me apheinai rhēmata, amechri tou nyn tǭ ek tou logismou chalinǭ kekrymmena echō parʼ emautǭ. Biltion estin hēmas ek podōn genesthai, tas de Ekklēsias homonoein pros allēlas,ē dia tas meirakiōdeis hēmōn mikropsychias kakon tosouton epagesthai tois laois tou Theou. Erōtēsate tous Pateras hymōn, kai anangelousin hymin, hoti, ei kai tę̄ Thesei tou topou dię̄rēsthai edokoun X hai paroikiai, alla tǭ ge phronēmati hen ēsan, kai mią gnōmę̄ ekybernōnto, Synecheis men tou laou hai epimixiai o synecheis de tou klērou epidēmian
… to extend along with it? So it is to be seen what is happening with us, although there is no just ground for the separation, as far as we ourselves know; but on the contrary, many great things have existed from the beginning to bind us in the closest friendship and union. One, the greatest and first, is the commandment of the Lord, who said expressly, 'By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another'; and again the apostle clearly sets before us the beauty of love, both where he declares love to be the fulfilment of the law, and where he puts the beauty of love before all great things together, saying: 'If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions, and hand over my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing'; not as though any of the things listed could ever be done without love, but because the Holy One wished, as he himself said, by way of hyperbole to bear witness to the commandment's supremacy over all. 2. Second, if sharing the same teachers contributes greatly to union, the same men are both to you and to us teachers of the mysteries of God and spiritual fathers, those who founded your church from the beginning: I mean Gregory the great, and those who after him succeeded one after another to the throne of the episcopate among you, rising like stars, and walked in the same footsteps, so as to leave the marks of the heavenly way of life plain to all who wish to see them. And if bodily kinships too are not to be cast aside, but contribute greatly to unbroken union and to sharing a common life, these claims too we have toward you. Why, then, most venerable of cities (for through you I speak to the whole city), is there no gentle letter from there, no kindly word, but your ears are open to those who undertake to slander? So I ought to groan the more, the more clearly I see what is being pursued; since the work of slander has an evident leader, who, though known for many wrongs, is marked most of all by this wickedness, so that sin has become his very name. But bear with my frankness: you open both your ears to those who slander us and receive everything into your souls, and no one tests what is true. Who was ever at a loss for wicked charges when contending alone? Who was ever convicted of lying when the one slandered was not present? What word does not sound persuasive to the hearers when the abuser insists that it is truly so, and the one abused is neither present nor hears the blasphemies? Does not the very custom of life teach you this: that one who is to be a fair and impartial hearer must not be carried away wholly by the one who speaks first, but must wait also for the defence of the accused, so that the truth may be shown from setting the arguments of both side by side? 'Judge righteous judgment' is a command among those most necessary for salvation. 3. I say this not forgetting the apostolic words, that the apostle, shunning human tribunals, reserved his whole life for the examination of the tribunal that cannot be deceived, where he says, 'But to me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human day.' But since false slanders have got hold of your ears beforehand, and our life has been slandered, and our faith in God has been called in question, knowing that the slanderer does harm to three persons at once, for he wrongs the one slandered, and those to whom he speaks, and himself, I would have kept silent about my own harm, be sure, not because I despise your opinion of me (how could I, since I am writing this and contending now so as not to lose it?), but knowing that of the three who are harmed I suffer the least loss. For I am deprived of you, but you are robbed of the truth; and the one who causes these things separates me from you, but estranges himself from the Lord, because it is not possible to be made God's own by forbidden means. So I speak for your sake much more than for my own, and to rescue you from an unbearable harm. For what greater evil could one suffer than to lose the most precious thing there is, the truth? 4. What, then, do I say, brothers? Not that I am sinless, nor that my life is not full of countless faults; for I know myself, and I do not cease shedding tears for my sins, if somehow I may be able to propitiate my God and escape the threatened punishment. But I say this: the one who judges our affairs, if he affirms that his own eye is clean, let him pick the speck out of our eye. For we confess that we need much care from those who are healthy. But if he would not say this (and he will say it the less, the purer he is, for it is characteristic of the perfect not to exalt themselves; otherwise they will be liable to the boasting of the Pharisee, who, justifying himself, condemned the tax collector), let him seek the physician with me, and not judge before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of hearts. And let him remember him who said, 'Judge not, that you be not judged', and 'Do not condemn, that you be not condemned.' In general, brothers, if our offences are curable, why does he not obey the teacher of the churches who says, 'Reprove, rebuke, exhort'? But if our lawlessness is incurable, why does he not stand against us face to face, and, making our lawless deeds public, free the churches from the harm we do? Do not, then, tolerate the abuse muttered against us under the breath. For even a slave girl from the mill might do that, or any of the market loafers display it to excess, whose tongues are sharpened for every abuse. But there are bishops; let them be called to a hearing. There is a clergy in every district of God; let the most approved be assembled. Let whoever wishes speak with frankness, so that what happens may be a proof and not abuse. Let him bring to light the hidden things of my wickedness; but let him not hate me even then, but admonish me as a brother. We sinners deserve rather to be pitied by blessed and sinless men than to be raged at. 5. And if the fault concerns the faith, let the writing be shown to us; again let a fair and impartial tribunal sit. Let the charge be read. Let it be tested whether it seems a charge rather through the ignorance of the accuser, or whether the writing is condemnable by its own nature. For many good things do not seem so to those who have no exact standard of judgment. For things of equal weight do not seem equal when the pans of the scale are not balanced with one another. And honey has seemed bitter to some, whose sense of taste was corrupted by disease. And an eye that is not healthy has failed to see many things that exist and has imagined many that do not. So also in the power of words I see the same thing often happening, when the judge falls short of the skill of the writers. For the one who judges words and the one who writes them must start from nearly the same preparation. A man who is no farmer cannot judge the works of farming, and one without knowledge of music will not discern what is out of tune and in tune in musical rhythms; but whoever wishes will at once be a judge of words, though he can show neither a teacher of his own, nor a time in which he learned, nor any acquaintance at all, small or great, with the business of discourse. But I see that even in the oracles of the Spirit it was not allowed to everyone to undertake the examination of what was said, but to the one who has the Spirit of discernment, as the apostle taught us in the distributions of the gifts, saying: 'For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith in the same Spirit, to another workings of powers, to another prophecy, to another discernings of spirits.' So if our writings are spiritual, let him who wishes to judge ours show himself to have the gift of discerning spiritual things; but if, as he slanders, they come from the wisdom of this world, let him show himself experienced in the wisdom of the world, and then we will entrust him with the votes of judgment. And let no one think that this is contrived by us to escape proofs. For I entrust it to you, most beloved brothers, to make the examination of the charges against us yourselves. Are you so slow of mind as to need advocates for every point in finding out the truth? But if they appear to you of yourselves incontestable, persuade those who wrangle to give up all contention; and if anything seems to be ambiguous, ask us through some intermediaries able to represent our part faithfully; or, if you like, demand the proofs from us in writing. But in any case strive by every means not to leave these things unexamined. 6. And what clearer proof of our faith could there be than that we were brought up by our grandmother, a blessed woman who came from among you? I mean the celebrated Macrina, by whom we were taught the words of the most blessed Gregory, which, preserved down to her by succession of memory, she both kept herself and used to shape and form us, while we were still children, in the doctrines of godliness. And when we ourselves received the power of understanding, reason having been completed in us with age, travelling over much land and sea, whomever we found walking by the rule of godliness handed down, these we enrolled as fathers and made guides of our souls on the journey to God. And up to this hour, by the grace of him who called us with a holy calling to the knowledge of himself, we know of no word hostile to sound teaching that we have received into our hearts, nor have we ever defiled our souls with the ill-named blasphemy of the Arians. But if ever we received into communion some who had set out from that teacher, hiding the disease in their depth and speaking pious words, or at least not opposing what we said, we accepted them on that basis, not taking upon ourselves all the judgment about them, but following the votes previously cast about them by our fathers. For I received letters from the most blessed father Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, which I have in my hands and show to those who ask, in which he plainly declared that if anyone from the heresy of the Arians wished to change over, confessing the faith of Nicaea, he should be received, without making any distinction about him; and he presented to me all the bishops of Macedonia and Achaea as sharers of this decision. Thinking it necessary to follow so great a man because of the trustworthiness of those who laid down the rule, and at the same time wishing to receive the reward of peacemaking, I enrolled those who confessed this faith in the portion of those in communion. 7. It is more just that our affairs be judged not from one or two of those who do not walk straight toward the truth, but from the multitude of bishops throughout the world joined to us by the grace of the Lord. Let inquiry be made of the Pisidians, Lycaonians, Isaurians, the people of both Phrygias, as much of Armenia as borders on you, Macedonians, Achaeans, Illyrians, Gauls, Spaniards, all Italy, Sicilians, Africans, the sound part of Egypt, whatever remnant there is of Syria: all who send letters to us and receive them again from us. From the letters brought from there, and from those sent back from here in turn, you can learn that we are all of one soul, thinking the same thing. So let it not escape your exactness that he who flees from communion with us tears himself away from the whole church. Consider, brothers, with whom you have communion: when you are not received by us, who will acknowledge you any longer? Do not drive us to the necessity of planning something gloomy about the church most dear to us. Do not make me lament to all those in communion with us together what I now hide in my own heart, groaning and lamenting to myself the badness of the times: that, with no cause, the greatest of the churches, which from of old held the rank of sisters toward one another, now stand apart. Do not force me to let out words which until now I have kept hidden within me by the bridle of reason. It is better that we should be out of the way, and the churches be of one mind with one another, than that so great an evil should be brought on the peoples of God through our childish pettiness. Ask your fathers, and they will tell you that, even if the districts seemed divided by the position of their places, yet in mind they were one and were governed by one judgment. Frequent were the mixings of the people, frequent the visits of the clergy …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
John 13:35 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 13:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:3 (quotation, high confidence) · John 7:24 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 4:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 7:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 18:11 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 4:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 7:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 6:37 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 4:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:8 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 12:10 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 1:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Deut 32:7 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil appeals to the church of Neocaesarea, estranged from him by slander, to examine the charges fairly, recalling their common teachers (Gregory Thaumaturgus, Macrina), his orthodoxy, and his communion with bishops throughout the world.
- This staged ref is Letter 204, to the Neocaesareans. Its opening is lost in the scan (the staged text begins mid-sentence, marked "…") and it breaks off in section 7 ("…"). A Migne apparatus note leaked into section 7 and is removed by logged corrections; one word there is lost and marked "…" in the text (translated as "Consider"). "Gregory the great" is Gregory Thaumaturgus, founder of the church of Neocaesarea; Macrina is Basil's grandmother. The "evident leader" whose name is "sin" is probably the slanderer (διάβολος) Atarbius or another opponent; Basil does not name him. Quotations and allusions: John 13:35; Rom 13:10; 1 Cor 13:1–3; John 7:24; 1 Cor 4:3; Matt 7:3–5; Luke 18:11; 1 Cor 4:5; Matt 7:1; Luke 6:37; 2 Tim 4:2; 1 Cor 12:8–10; 2 Tim 1:9; Deut 32:7.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's apparatus note leaked into the text; a split word rejoined; a garbled word marked as lost): Ί69) Οὔτε... κατʼ αὐτούς. Ita mss. sex. Editi οὐ... χειτὲ τοῦς τοιούτους. Ibidem Coisl. primus τροσε- κεν εισαιε.. εχσεεσαις, ςράμματα...Εάἱίὶφ Paris. additnmpatt‘sed → ; τῆς Ἐκκληἀπορρήγνυς. mmsis-taces, ἀδελφοὶ, σίας πρὸς → τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀπορρηγνύς. …, ἀδελφοί, πρὸς.
Topics: Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 204 (PG 32:745a–756c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/202/#p-204). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 205
205PG 32:756c–757b
Ο Ἐλπιδ ίῳ ἑπισκὸπῳ. Πάλιν ἡμεῖς τὸν ἀγαπητὸν καὶ συμπρεσβύτερον Μελέτιον ἐκινήσαμεν, ἐπὶ τήν σήν ἀγάπην προσηγορίας ἡμῶν διακομίζοντα. Οὔ εἰ καὶ πάνυ ἐγνώκειμεν φείδεσθαι διὰ τήν ἀσθένειαν, ἣν ἑκουσίως ἐαυτῷ ἐπηγάγετο, δουλαγωγῶν τῆν σάρκα διὰ τό Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅμως καὶ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς πρόπαν εἶναι κρίναντες διὰ τοιούτων προσφθέγκεσθαί σε, τῶν δυναμένων ὅσα διαφεύγει τὸ ’γράμμα παρʼ ἑαυτῶν ῥαδίως ἀναπληρῶσαι, καὶ οἱονεὶ ἀντʼ ἐπιστολῆς ἐμψύχου γενέσθαι τῷ τε ’γράφοντι καὶ τῷ δεχομένῳ · καὶ τὸν αὑτοῦ δί πόθον ἀναπληροῦντες, ὃν ἔχει ἀεὶ περὶ τήν σὴν τελειότητα, ἀφʼ οὗ εἰς πεῖ· ραν ἀφίκετο τῶν ἐν σαὶ καλῶν · καὶ νυν αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν ὡς σε ἐδυσωπησαμεν, διʼ οὗ καὶτὸ τῆς ἐπικαὶ παρακαλοῦμεν σκέψεως ἀποπληροῡμεν χρέος, προσεύχεσθαί σε ύπερ ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἱνα de) ἡμῖν ό Κύριος ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγειν, τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ Εύαγγελίου ἐπηρείας ἀπαλλαγέντας Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῇ σῇ συνέσει ἀκόλουθον καὶ ἀναγκαῖον καταφαίνεται εἰς ταυτὸν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλους ἐλθεῖν, καὶ συντυχεῖν καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς τιμιωτάτοις ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς τὴν παραλὶαν κατοικοῦσιν ἐπισκόποις, αύτὸς καὶ ἡμῖν ἀπόδειξον τόπον καὶ καιρόν καθʼ ὃν ἔσται τοῦτο, καὶ τοῖςἀδελφοῖς ἐπέστειlow, ἵνα, ἐπὶ ὡρισμένοιςΔ καταλιπόντες ἕκαστος τὴν ἐν χερσὶν ἀσχολίαν, δυνηθῶμεν τι τῶν εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τῆςἚκκληο-ίας τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιῆσαι, καὶ ἀνελεῖν μὲν τὰς ἐξ ὑπονοιῶν νῦν ἡμῖν πρὸς άλλη-γους ἐγγινομένας λύπας, κυρῶσαι δὲ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἧς ἄνευ ἀτελῆ εἶναι πάσης ἐντολῆς ἐργασίαν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ό Κύριος διωρίσατο. Β
O Elpid iǭ hepiskopǭ. Palin hēmeis ton agapēton kai sympresbyteron Meletion ekinēsamen, epi tēn sēn agapēn prosēgorias hēmōn diakomizonta. Ou ei kai pany egnōkeimen pheidesthai dia tēn astheneian, hēn hekousiōs eautǭ epēgageto, doulagōgōn tēn sarka dia to Euangelion tou Christou, homōs kai hēmin autois propan einai krinantes dia toioutōn prosphthenkesthai se, tōn dynamenōn hosa diapheugei to ’gramma parʼ heautōn rhadiōs anaplērōsai, kai hoionei antʼ epistolēs empsychou genesthai tǭ te ’graphonti kai tǭ dechomenǭ ; kai ton hautou di pothon anaplērountes, hon echei aei peri tēn sēn teleiotēta, aphʼ hou eis pei; ran aphiketo tōn en sai kalōn ; kai nyn auton elthein hōs se edysōpēsamen, diʼ hou kaito tēs epikai parakaloumen skepseōs apoplēroumen chreos, proseuchesthai se yper hēmōn kai tēs Ekklēsias tou Theou; hina de) hēmin o Kyrios ēremon kai hēsychion bion diagein, tēs ek tōn echthrōn tou Euangeliou epēreias apallagentas Ei de kai tę̄ sę̄ synesei akolouthon kai anankaion kataphainetai eis tauton hēmas allēlous elthein, kai syntychein kai tois loipois timiōtatois adelphois tois tēn paralian katoikousin episkopois, autos kai hēmin apodeixon topon kai kairon kathʼ hon estai touto, kai toisadelphois epesteilow, hina, epi hōrismenoisD katalipontes hekastos tēn en chersin ascholian, dynēthōmen ti tōn eis oikodomēn tēsEkklēo-ias tou Theou poiēsai, kai anelein men tas ex hyponoiōn nyn hēmin pros allē-gous enginomenas lypas, kyrōsai de tēn agapēn, hēs aneu atelē einai pasēs entolēs ergasian autos hēmin o Kyrios diōrisato. B
To Elpidius, bishop. Again we have sent off our beloved fellow presbyter Meletius, carrying our greetings to your love. Though we had resolved to spare him because of the weakness he brought upon himself of his own will, bringing his flesh into subjection for the gospel of Christ, we nevertheless judged it fitting for us to address you through such men, who can easily fill in of themselves whatever escapes the letter, and become, as it were, a living letter for both the writer and the receiver; and also to satisfy his own longing, which he has always had for your perfection since he came to know your good qualities by experience. So now too we persuaded him to come to you; through him we pay the debt of our visit and beg you to pray for us and for the church of God, that the Lord may grant us to lead a calm and quiet life, freed from the harassment of the enemies of the gospel. And if it also seems to your intelligence fitting and necessary that we should come together and meet the other most honoured brothers, the bishops who live on the coast, do you yourself appoint for us the place and time when this shall be, and write to the brothers, so that at a fixed time, each leaving the business in hand, we may do something for the building up of the church of God, remove the griefs that have now arisen between us from suspicions, and confirm love, without which the Lord himself declared the performance of every commandment to be incomplete.
1 Cor 9:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 3:2 (echo, low confidence) · 1 Tim 2:2 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:3 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil sends Meletius to Elpidius and proposes a meeting with the bishops of the coast to remove suspicions and confirm love.
- Letter 205. Allusions: 1 Cor 9:27; 2 Cor 3:2–3 (living letter); 1 Tim 2:2; 1 Cor 13:1–3.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 205 (PG 32:756c–757b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/202/#p-205). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 206
206PG 32:757b–760a
Ἐλπιδ ίῳ ἐπισκόπῳ παραμυθητικὴ. Νῦν μάλιστα τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενείας αἰσθάνομαι, ὅτε ὁρῶ μοι τοσοῦτον ἐμποδίζουσαν τῆς ψυχῆς ὠφελείᾳ. Εἰηγάρ μοι κατά νοῦν ἐχώρει τὰ πράγματα, ούκ οἷν διʼ ἐπιστολῶν, οὐδὲ δια μέσων ἀλλʼ αὐτὸς οἷν ἀνθρώπων προσεφθεγγόμην ὑμᾶς · διʼ ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀπεπλὴρουν χρέος, καὶ ἐγγύθεν ἀπέλαυοντοῦ πνευματικοῦ κέρδους. Νῦν δε οὕτω διάκειμαι, ὡς ἀγαπητῶς καὶ τὰς τῆς πατρίδος κινήσεις ὑφίστασθαι, ἅς ἀναγκαίως ποιούμεθα ἕπισκεπτόμενοι τας κατὰ τὴν χώραν ἡμῶν παροικίας. Ἀλλά παράσχοι ό Κύριος καὶ ὑμῖν ἰσχὺν καὶ προθυμίαν, καὶ ἐμοὶ πρὸς τῆ σπουδῇ ἣν ἔχω νῦν καί δύναμιν, ὥστε, καθὼς παρεκάλεσα ὑμᾶς, πραγματεύσασθαι ἡμῖν τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, γενομένοις ἐπὶ τῆς Κομανικῆς ἕνορίας. Φοβοῦμαι ὃὶ περὶ τῆς σῆς κοσμιότητος, μήπου σοι ἐμπόδιον γένηταιή περὶ τῶν οἰκείων λύπη. Καὶ γὰρ ἔμαθον, ὅτι σε ἕθλιψε παιδίου τελευτή· οὗ τὴν στέρησιν, ὡς μεθʼ πάππῳ, λυπηρὰν εἰκός εἶναι. ὡς δὲ ἀνδρὶ πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἤδη διαβεβηκότι τῆς ἀρετῆς, καὶ ἐπισταμένῳ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τὴνφύσιν ἐκ τῆς κατά τὸν χρόνον ἐμπειρίας, καὶ ἐκ τῆς πνευματικῆς διδασκαλίας, ἀκόλουθον μὴ πάντη δύσφορον εἶναι τῶν οἰκειοτάτων τὸν χωρισμόν. Καὶ γὰρ ού τὰ αύτά ἀπαιτεῖ ἡμᾶς τε καὶ τοὺς τυχόντας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ό Κύριος. Oi μὲν γαρ συνηθείᾳ ζῶσιν) ἡμεῖς δὲ κανόνι τῆς πολιτείας τῇ ἐντοὶῇ τοῦ Κυρίου κεχρήμεθα, καὶ τοῖς προλαβοῦσι τῶν μακαρίων ἀνδρῶν ὑποδείγμασιν, ὧν τό μεγαλοφυες τῆς διανοίας ἰπὶ τῶν περιστατικῶν καιρῶν μάλιστα διεδείκνυτο. Ἰνα οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπόδειγμα ἀνδρείας καὶιτῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐλπιζομένοις ἀληθινῆς δια- Θέσιως καταλίπῃς τῷ βίῳ, δεῖξον σαυτὸν μὴ καμπτόμενον τῷ πάθει, ἀλλʼ ὑψηλότερον ὄντα τῶν λυπηρῶν, τῇ μεν θλίψει ὑπομένων, τῇ δε ἆλπίδι χαίρων, Μηδὲν οὖν τούτων γένηται κώλυμα πρὸς τὴν ὶλπιζομένην ἡμῖν συντυχίαν. Τοῖς μὶν γὰρ νηπίοις αὐτάρκης ἡ ἡλικία πρὸς τὸ ἀνέγκλητον· ἡμεῖς δι ὑπεύθυνοί ἐσμεν τὰ. διατεταγμένα ἡμῖν ὑπηρετεῖν τῷ Δεσπότῃ, καὶ εἰς πάντα εὔθετοι εἶναι τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τῶν Ἐκκλη·
Elpid iǭ episkopǭ paramythētikē. Nyn malista tēs tou sōmatos astheneias aisthanomai, hote horō moi tosouton empodizousan tēs psychēs ōpheleią. Eiēgar moi kata noun echōrei ta pragmata, ouk hoin diʼ epistolōn, oude dia mesōn allʼ autos hoin anthrōpōn prosephthengomēn hymas ; diʼ emautou kai to tēs agapēs apeplēroun chreos, kai engythen apelauontou pneumatikou kerdous. Nyn de houtō diakeimai, hōs agapētōs kai tas tēs patridos kinēseis hyphistasthai, has anankaiōs poioumetha hepiskeptomenoi tas kata tēn chōran hēmōn paroikias. Alla paraschoi o Kyrios kai hymin ischyn kai prothymian, kai emoi pros tē spoudę̄ hēn echō nyn kai dynamin, hōste, kathōs parekalesa hymas, pragmateusasthai hēmin tēn apolausin, genomenois epi tēs Komanikēs henorias. Phoboumai hoi peri tēs sēs kosmiotētos, mēpou soi empodion genētaiē peri tōn oikeiōn lypē. Kai gar emathon, hoti se hethlipse paidiou teleutē; hou tēn sterēsin, hōs methʼ pappǭ, lypēran eikos einai. hōs de andri pros tosouton ēdē diabebēkoti tēs aretēs, kai epistamenǭ tōn anthrōpinōn tēnphysin ek tēs kata ton chronon empeirias, kai ek tēs pneumatikēs didaskalias, akolouthon mē pantē dysphoron einai tōn oikeiotatōn ton chōrismon. Kai gar ou ta auta apaitei hēmas te kai tous tychontas tōn anthrōpōn o Kyrios. Oi men gar synētheią zōsin) hēmeis de kanoni tēs politeias tę̄ entoię̄ tou Kyriou kechrēmetha, kai tois prolabousi tōn makariōn andrōn hypodeigmasin, hōn to megalophyes tēs dianoias ipi tōn peristatikōn kairōn malista diedeiknyto. Ina oun kai autos hypodeigma andreias kaiitēs epi tois elpizomenois alēthinēs dia- Thesiōs katalipę̄s tǭ biǭ, deixon sauton mē kamptomenon tǭ pathei, allʼ hypsēloteron onta tōn lypērōn, tę̄ men thlipsei hypomenōn, tę̄ de alpidi chairōn, Mēden oun toutōn genētai kōlyma pros tēn ilpizomenēn hēmin syntychian. Tois min gar nēpiois autarkēs hē hēlikia pros to anenklēton; hēmeis di hypeuthynoi esmen ta. diatetagmena hēmin hypēretein tǭ Despotę̄, kai eis panta euthetoi einai tę̄ oikonomią tōn Ekklē;
To Elpidius, bishop, a letter of consolation. Now most of all I feel the weakness of my body, when I see it hindering so much the benefit of my soul. For if things went as I wished, I would not greet you by letters or through intermediaries, but would address you myself, paying the debt of love in person and enjoying the spiritual gain close at hand. But now I am in such a state that I can barely bear even the journeys within my homeland, which I must make in visiting the districts of our country. But may the Lord grant you strength and eagerness, and me power in addition to the zeal I now have, so that, as I begged you, we may manage to enjoy each other's company when we are in the region of Comana. But I fear for your decorum, lest grief over your family be a hindrance to you. For I learned that the death of a little child has afflicted you; its loss is naturally painful to you as a grandfather; but for a man who has advanced so far in virtue, and knows human nature from the experience of years and from spiritual teaching, it is fitting that the separation from those dearest should not be wholly unbearable. For the Lord does not demand the same things of us and of ordinary men. They live by custom; but we use the commandment of the Lord as the rule of our life, and the examples of the blessed men who went before us, whose greatness of mind was shown most of all in times of trouble. So that you too may leave to life an example of courage and of a true disposition toward what we hope for, show yourself not bent by suffering, but higher than grief, enduring in affliction and rejoicing in hope. Let none of these things, then, be a hindrance to the meeting we hope for. For little children their age is enough to make them blameless; but we are bound to serve the Master in what has been appointed us, and to be ready for everything in the administration of the churches …
Rom 12:12 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil hopes to meet Elpidius near Comana and consoles him on the death of a grandchild.
- Letter 206. The scan breaks off in the last sentence (marked "…"). Allusion: Rom 12:12.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 206 (PG 32:757b–760a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/202/#p-206). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.