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Whatever man counsels contrary to what is laid down in the divine scripture speaks from his heart and recounts the commandments of men; and concerning such men, citing the words of the apostle, he says that even if he is an angel from heaven, let him be anathema. And where shall we place the words, "My priests have violated my law and have profaned my holy things"? This prophetic saying the Theologian took up in his great Apology and adds the following: "They did not distinguish between the profane and the holy, but all things were common to them." And how many other things, if anyone wishes to hear? Let them therefore cease who distort the truth of God with false words and let them pay attention to themselves. For we, since the commandment is far-shining and threatens eternal fire for its transgression, will not submit to human fears or toils, no, by the contests for virtue, but even if it is necessary to shed our blood, we will pour it out with joy, as God strengthens us through your holy prayers. Be courageous, therefore, yourself too, brother lord Euthymius; you have fought a good fight; let us not be separated from one another, my light and heart, let us not for the sake of a little and temporary well-being lose the blessed life. Do not be delighted by present pleasures and shrink from afflictions, O brother, do not turn your back. For Christ was delighted, seeing you being beaten for his sake; do not grieve him, my beloved, nor the angels who rejoiced, nor the lord father, nor our venerable mother who travailed for us in the Holy Spirit, nor all your brothers, especially me, whom you say you love as a gift. We are three brothers according to the flesh; let it be so also according to the spirit. Let us not dishonor the precious and divine number; let us give ourselves to suffer for the sake of God's commandment, so that we may live for eternity. But we have great grief, father, also for our other sweet brothers, how the Lord has arranged things for them. For as sinners we pray for this, that he himself might become their caretaker, administrator, guide, governing their affairs as he knows and commands and wills. For in truth we shed bitter tears for them and their faces are always before our eyes, as they ask for their prayer to help our slothfulness. Nevertheless, pray, O father, for all, that we may acquire endurance, good fortune, a covering from God and help from the temptations of the devil and, what is pleasing to God, about seeing you or our brothers in the flesh; may it be, may it be. We ask and dare on our own to greet our sweet brother, if he is with you, or any other brother of ours who might be, and that you might manage to inform us. The lord deacon and our father, my good brother and your child, the steward, and the rest of the precious and much-longed-for brothers greet your holy soul with me. Pray for us, father, fervently and unceasingly, as you command; for we have nothing else to say.

2 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}] 1 I am writing now for the second time to my lord and father; I do not know if you received

the letters. And in those, therefore, if the occasion demanded anything and it was within our power, unworthily though it was, we nevertheless spoke, and now too whatever is fitting and God gives for the benefit of my humble soul or even for the consolation, I dare say, of your magnanimity, O father, we will add. And this, as many times before, I say now also and make my defense, that if there is any speech in me and some small skill in writing, it has not been granted on account of me, your wretched servant, but on account of you, who have ungrudging grace springing forth in your heart and for this reason gladly and joyfully make it your work to instruct and make wise not only us, whom some, thinking us to be nephews, were mistaken, but also all whom you have borne from the spirit, both sons and

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οἷος ἂν ᾗ ἄνθρωπος παρὰ τὰ ἐν τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ κείμενα συμβουλεύων ἀπὸ καρδίας λαλεῖ καὶ ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων διηγεῖται· καὶ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων φέρων τὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέγει ὅτι κἂν ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐστιν, ἀνάθεμα αὐτῷ. ποῦ δὲ θήσομεν τὸ οἱ ἱερεῖς μου ἠθέτουν νόμον μου καὶ ἐβεβήλουν τὰ ἅγιά μου; ὃ προφητικὸν ὂν προσλαβὼν ὁ Θεολόγος ἐν τῷ μεγάλῳ ἀπολογητικῷ προστίθησιν οὕτω λέγων· βεβήλοις καὶ ὁσίοις οὐ διέστελλον, ἀλλ' ἦν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα κοινά. πόσα δὲ ἄλλα, ἐάν τις θέλῃ ἀκούειν; Παυέσθωσαν λοιπὸν οἱ διαστρέφοντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ θεοῦ ψευδέσι λόγοις καὶ ἑαυτοῖς προσεχέτωσαν. ἡμεῖς γάρ, τῆς ἐντολῆς τηλαυγοῦς οὔσης καὶ τῇ παραβάσει τὸ αἰώνιον πῦρ ἀπειλούσης, οὐχ ὑποκύψομεν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις φόβοις ἢ πόνοις, οὔ, μὰ τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς ἀγῶνας, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ τὸ αἷμα χεῦσαι δεῖ, μετὰ χαρᾶς προησόμεθα, θεοῦ ἐνισχύοντος διὰ τῶν σῶν ἁγίων προσευχῶν. Ἀνδρίζου οὖν καὶ αὐτός, ἀδελφὲ κῦρι Εὐθύμιε· καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγωνίσω· μὴ ἀπολειφθῶμεν ἀλλήλων, φῶς ἐμὸν καὶ σπλάγχνον, μὴ δι' ὀλίγην καὶ πρόσκαιρον εὐζωΐαν ἀπολέσωμεν τὴν μακαρίαν ζωήν. μὴ τερφθῇς τοῖς παροῦσιν ἡδέσιν καὶ ὀκλάσῃς πρὸς τὰ θλιβερά, ὦ ἀδελφέ, μὴ δώσῃς νῶτα. ἐτέρφθη οὖν ὁ Χριστός, ἰδών σε τυπτόμενον ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ· μὴ λυπήσῃς αὐτόν, ἀγαπητέ μου, μηδὲ τοὺς περιχαρέντας ἀγγέλους μηδὲ τὸν κύριον τὸν πατέρα μηδὲ τὴν καὶ πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ὠδίνουσαν ἡμᾶς σεβασμίαν μητέρα μηδὲ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου πάντας, ἐξαιρέτως ἐμέ, ὃν λέγεις δῶρον φιλεῖν. τρεῖς ἐσμεν ἀδελφοὶ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ἔστω καὶ τὸ κατὰ πνεῦμα. μὴ ἀτιμάσωμεν τὸν τίμιον καὶ θεαρχικὸν ἀριθμόν, δῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς ὑπὲρ ἐντολῆς θεοῦ πάσχειν, ἵνα ζήσωμεν τὸν αἰῶνα. Λύπη δ' οὖν ἡμῖν ἐστι, πάτερ, μεγάλη καὶ διὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς γλυκείους ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν, πῶς ὁ κύριος διευθέτησεν αὐτούς. τοῦτο γὰρ ὡς ἁμαρτωλοὶ εὐχόμεθα, ἵνα αὐτὸς μεριμνητὴς αὐτῶν γένηται, διοικητής, ὁδηγός, ὡς οἶδεν καὶ κελεύει καὶ θέλει τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς πρυτανεύων· τῷ ὄντι γὰρ πικρὰ δάκρυα ἀποστάζομεν δι' αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπ' ὀφθαλμοὺς ἡμῶν ἀεὶ αἱ ὄψεις αὐτῶν κεῖνται, τὴν εὐχὴν αὐτῶν δεομένων εἰς βοήθειαν τῆς ῥαθυμίας ἡμῶν. ὅμως εὔχου, ὦ πάτερ, ὑπὲρ πάντων, ὑπομονὴν κτήσασθαι ἡμᾶς, εὐτυχίαν, σκέπην ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ βοήθειαν ἐκ τῶν πειρασμῶν τοῦ διαβόλου καί, ὃ ἀρέσκει τῷ θεῷ, περὶ τοῦ ἐν σαρκὶ ἰδεῖν σε ἢ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν· γένοιτο, γένοιτο. δεόμεθα καὶ τολμοῦμεν ἐξ ἡμῶν προσαγορεῦσαι τὸν γλυκὺν ἡμῶν ἀδελφόν, εἴπερ ἐστὶ μετὰ σοῦ, ἢ καὶ ἄλλος ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν οἷος ἂν ᾖ καὶ φθάσῃς μηνύσαι. ἀσπάζεται δὲ σὺν ἐμοὶ τὴν ἁγίαν σου ψυχὴν ὁ κύριος διάκονος καὶ πατὴρ ἡμῶν, ὁ καλός μου ἀδελφὸς καὶ τέκνον σου, ὁ οἰκονόμος, οἱ λοιποὶ τίμιοι ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πολυπόθητοι. εὔχου ἡμῖν, πάτερ, θερμῶς καὶ ἀδιαλείπτως, ὡς κελεύεις· τὶ γὰρ ἄλλο λέγειν οὐκ ἔχομεν.

2 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}] 1 ∆ευτερεύω ἄρτι γράφων πρὸς τὸν κῦριν καὶ πατέρα μου· οὐκ οἶδα εἰ ἐδέξω

τὰ γράμματα. καὶ ἐν ἐκείνοις οὖν, εἴ τι ὁ καιρὸς ἀπῄτει καὶ ἦν ἡμῖν εἰς δύναμιν, ἀναξίως δ' οὖν ὅμως ἐφθεγξάμεθα, καὶ ἄρτι δὲ ὅσα ἐπιβάλλει καὶ διδοῖ θεὸς ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τῆς ταπεινῆς μου ψυχῆς ἢ καὶ πρὸς παρηγορίαν, τολμῶν λέγω, τῆς σῆς μεγαλοψυχίας, ὦ πάτερ, προσερήσομεν. τοῦτο δὲ ὡς πολλάκις καὶ νῦν λέγω καὶ ἀπολογοῦμαι, ὅτι, εἴ τις λόγος ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἐπιτηδειότης πώς ποτε μικρὰ περὶ τοῦ γράφειν, οὐ δι' ἐμὲ τὸν ἄθλιον δοῦλόν σου δεδώρηται, ἀλλ' ἕνεκα σοῦ τοῦ ἔχοντος τὴν ἄφθονον χάριν ἐν καρδίᾳ πηγάζουσαν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἡδομένως καὶ χαιρόντως ἔργον ἔχειν παιδεύειν καὶ σοφίζειν οὐ μόνον ἡμᾶς, οὓς ὡς ἀδελφιδοῦς οἰηθέντες τινὲς ἀπεσφάλησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας, ὅσους ἐκ πνεύματος ἤνεγκας υἱούς τε καὶ