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they are tormented by their thoughts and have their own conscience as a bitter accuser. since they even admire; for they know how to admire, as the great Gregory says, a man's virtue, even enemies, when, their anger having ceased, the deed is judged by itself. Angels hymn you, men call you blessed, Christ has accepted you, He has opened to you the gates of the kingdom of heaven for ever; amen.

4 {1To Nicephorus the abbot}1

When the reply was given to us by the lord deacon, my genuine and much-longed-for cousin, we immediately wished to write to you. But since it was the winter season and second thoughts were constraining, we considered it good not to give an answer quickly. But when along with the inquiry they also demanded a letter, why is it necessary to hesitate further and not to speak out what is at hand? But first I will say this, and receive me, most honored one, that, as you yourself also know, I presented my own life to the many as an example of great evil; and there is scarcely a fault to speak of in which I myself did not also participate and hand over to others. But since I am learning of the philanthropy of God and that He rescues the one who has been carried down to the depth of evil and stretches out a hand towards repentance, I have fled despair and decided to support myself a little toward what is right. For this reason, as God, the knower of hidden things, knows, I have separated myself both from the company of my relatives and from the habit of my friends according to the flesh and from anyone else whatsoever, with only the power of God helping my weakness in all things. And now, what you sought to learn from me the unlearned is as the lord deacon has told you. And this we did not declare or even promise without judgment, but having been confirmed and strengthened in the research and discussion of the divinely inspired Scripture, and not least also through questioning those who ought to be asked. And indeed the truth is thus, with the divine law clearly forbidding it not only through the divine Paul, but also through other theologian fathers, who clarify this very thing and make it plain and concur with the apostolic command. And how then should I be unreasonably indifferent and not rather be separated and withdraw myself from those things that harm my wretched soul, whatever danger may be present, when the chiefest of the fathers cries out and says that, if anything is against a commandment or harms the commandment, one must in no way tolerate it, even if it holds the promise of life, or the threat of death? I omit to say how many other sayings there are that do not allow us to be led away even in the very smallest thing outside the commandment, especially as we have again a command from Basil the Great, that it is necessary to keep without omission all things that have been handed down by the Lord through the gospel and the apostles. These things I have dared to reveal to you as to a father and a beloved one; since we too, as God, the knower of hearts, is my witness, neither preach (for we are not prominent) nor are we hated. But also the emperor and most pious king we hold cherished in love, and all my relatives, being, as you know, a lover of my own people, and we commemorate him both in the divine liturgy and we pray for him both in private and in public. And we are in communion with the church, and may it never be that we are separated from it. Forgive me, the lone sinner; I have chosen to bewail my sins in this corner and not to be mixed up with those in the world. What crime is this? Grant me this, my most longed-for cousin, (for I know that you are also able) both to be at peace here and to be separated from any chance person; and with your skillful sagacity the crooked things

7

ταῖς ἐννοίαις ὑπωπιάζονται καὶ πικρὸν κατήγορον τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν ἔχουσιν. ἐπεὶ καὶ θαυμάζουσιν· ἴσασι γὰρ ἀγᾶσθαι, ὡς ὁ μέγας Γρηγόριος, ἀνδρὸς ἀρετὴν καὶ πολέμιοι, ὅταν τοῦ θυμοῦ λήξαντος ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν ἡ πρᾶξις δοκιμάζηται. ἄγγελοι ὑμνοῦσίν σε, ἄνθρωποι μακαρίζουσιν, Χριστὸς ἀπεδέξατο, τὰς πύλας σοι ἀνέῳγεν τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν εἰς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.

4 {1Νικηφόρῳ ἡγουμένῳ}1

Τῆς ἀποκρίσεως δοθείσης ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου διακόνου, γνήσιε καὶ

πολυπόθητέ μου ἀνεψιέ, εὐθὺς ἠβουλήθημεν ἐπιστεῖλαί σοι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἦν καιρὸς χειμέριος καὶ ἡ παλιμβουλία συστέλλουσα, ἀγαθὸν ἡγησάμεθα μὴ ταχὺ δοῦναι λόγον. ἡνίκα δὲ μετὰ τῆς ἐπερωτήσεως καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἠπαίτουν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο τί δεῖ ἔτι διακρίνεσθαι καὶ μὴ τὸ παριστάμενον ἐξειπεῖν; πρῶτον δὲ ἐκεῖνο ἐρῶ καί με δέξαιο, τιμιώτατε, ὅτι, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς οἶδας, πολλῆς κακίας ὑπόδειγμα τὸν ἑαυτοῦ βίον παρεστησάμην τοῖς πολλοῖς· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι σχεδὸν εἰπεῖν σφάλμα, οὗ μὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ μετίσχον καὶ ἄλλοις προσπαρέδωκα. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ μανθάνω τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸν εἰς πυθμένα κακίας κατενεχθέντα ἀναρρύεσθαι καὶ ὀρέγειν χεῖρα πρὸς μετάνοιαν, ἔφυγον τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν καὶ ἔδοξα μικρόν τι ὑποστηρίζειν ἐμαυτὸν πρὸς τὸ εὐθές. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, ὡς ὁ τῶν ἀφανῶν γνώστης θεὸς ἐπίσταται, ἀπεσχοίνισα ἐμαυτὸν καὶ τῆς συνδιατριβῆς τῶν συγγενῶν μου καὶ τοῦ ἐθισμοῦ τῶν κατὰ σάρκα φίλων μου καὶ εἴ τινος δὴ οὖν ἄλλου, μόνης τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιβοηθούσης τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ μου περὶ πάντα. καὶ νῦν, ὃ ἐπεζήτησας παρ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἀμαθοῦς μαθεῖν, οὕτως ἔχει, ὡς εἴρηκέν σοι ὁ κύριος διάκονος. τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἀκρίτως ἢ ἀπεφθεγξάμεθα ἢ καὶ ὑπίσχομεν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐρευνήσει καὶ συζητήσει τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς βεβαιωθέντες καὶ κρατυθέντες, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἐρωτήσεως τῶν ὀφειλόντων. καί γε ἡ ἀλήθεια οὕτως ἔχει, τοῦ θείου νόμου ἐμφανῶς ἀπαγορεύοντος οὐ διὰ τοῦ θείου Παύλου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ἄλλων θεολόγων πατέρων, αὐτὸ τοῦτο διευκρινούντων καὶ ἀπολευκαινόντων καὶ συναποφαινομένων τῇ ἀποστολικῇ ἐγκελεύσει. καὶ πῶς λοιπὸν ἀλόγως ἀδιαφορήσω καὶ μὴ μᾶλλον διασταλθῶ καὶ ὑπεξαγάγω ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν βλαπτόντων τὴν ἐλεεινήν μου ψυχήν, κἂν οἷος ἂν κίνδυνος παρῇ, τοῦ τῶν πατέρων κορυφαιοτάτου βοῶντος καὶ λέγοντος ὅτι, ἐάν τι παρ' ἐντολήν ἐστιν ἢ τὴν ἐντολὴν παραβλάπτῃ, οὐδαμῶς ἀνέχεσθαι χρή, κἂν ζωῆς ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχῃ, κἂν θανάτου ἀπειλήν; ἐῶ λέγειν ὅσαι παρυφίστανται καὶ ἄλλαι χρήσεις, μὴ ἐῶσαι ἡμᾶς ἐξυπάγεσθαι κἂν τὸ μικρότατον γοῦν ἔξω τῆς ἐντολῆς, ἄλλως τε καὶ πάλιν παραγγελίαν ἔχοντες τοῦ Μεγάλου Βασιλείου, ὅτι δεῖ πάντα ἀπαραλείπτως φυλάττειν τὰ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου παραδεδομένα. Ταῦτα ὡς πατρὶ καὶ φιλουμένῳ τεθάρρηκα φανερῶσαί σοι· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς, ὡς μάρτυς ὁ καρδιογνώστης θεός, οὔτε κηρύσσομεν (οὔτε γάρ ἐσμεν προύχοντες) οὔτε ἀπεχθανόμεθα. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν αὐτοκράτορα καὶ εὐσεβέστατον βασιλέα ἐγκαρδιωμένον ἔχομεν τῇ ἀγάπῃ καὶ ἅπαντας τοὺς συγγενεῖς μου, φιλοΐδιος ὑπάρχων, ὡς ὑμεῖς γινώσκετε, καὶ μνημονεύομεν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ θείᾳ λειτουργίᾳ καὶ ἐπευχόμεθα ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ δημοσίᾳ. καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας κοινωνικοί ἐσμεν, καὶ μὴ εἴη ἡμῖν ποτε διασχισθῆναι ἀπ' αὐτῆς. συγχωρήσατέ μοι τῷ μόνῳ ἁμαρτωλῷ· εἱλάμην θρηνῆσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου ἐν τῇ γωνίᾳ ταύτῃ καὶ μὴ συμφύρεσθαι τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ. τί τοῦτο ἔγκλημα; χάρισαί μοι τοῦτο, ποθεινότατέ μου ἀνεψιέ, (οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι καὶ δύνῃ) καὶ ἠρεμεῖν ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἀποδιίστασθαι παντὸς τυχὸν ἀνθρώπου· καὶ τῇ ἐμμελεῖ ἀγχινοίᾳ σου τὰ σκολιὰ