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20The lamp20 indeed 20of the body is the eye20, as we have heard, not only this one that sees and is seen corporeally, but also the one that contemplates and is contemplated spiritually; and the lamp of the Church is the bishop, which is clear to you even if we ourselves do not write it. 41.5 It is necessary, therefore, just as when that one is pure the body is also led aright, but when it happens to be not pure, not aright; so also the Church with its leader, in whichever state he may be, in every case either shares in the danger or is saved along with him. 41.6 Therefore, care must be taken for every Church, as Christ’s body, but especially for yours, which was from the beginning, and now is, and is considered the mother of almost all the Churches, and to which the common body looks, as a circle drawn around a center, not only on account of the orthodoxy proclaimed to all from the beginning, but also on account of the grace of concord clearly given to it from God. 41.7 Since, therefore, you have also called us to the consultation concerning this, doing so rightly and according to the canons, but we are held back by old age and illness, if we ourselves might be present, the Spirit strengthening us (for nothing is impossible for those who believe), this would be better for everyone and more pleasant for us, so that we might also contribute something to you and ourselves partake of the blessing; but if the things of weakness should prevail, we contribute as much as is possible for us in our absence; 41.8 I am persuaded that there are also others among you worthy of the leadership, as one would expect from so great a city, and one led in such a way and by such men from the beginning; but I am able to prefer no one of the honorable men among you to our most God-beloved son Basil the presbyter (and I speak as with God as my witness), a man purified both in life and in speech and alone of all, or very nearly so, able in both respects to stand against the present time and the prevailing contentiousness of the heretics. 41.9 I write these things both to the priests and to the monks and to those of the official and senatorial rank and to all the people. If, then, this is jointly decided and our vote should prevail, being so right and sound, as having been cast with God, then I am and will be present in spirit, or rather, I have already laid my hand on him and I trust in the Spirit. But if something else and not this is decided, and such matters should be judged according to factions and kinship, and the hand of the mob again carries away what is right, do what seems best to you, but we will hold back. 42.T TO EUSEBIUS OF SAMOSATA 42.1 20Who will give me wings like a dove?20 or how might my old age be renewed, so that I might be able to cross over to your love and to relieve the longing which I have for you, and to relate the sorrows of my soul, and through you to find some consolation for my afflictions? 42.2 For upon the falling asleep of the blessed bishop Eusebius, no small fear has seized us lest those who once were lying in wait for the Church of our metropolis, and wanting to fill it with the tares of the heretics, seizing the opportunity now, might root out with their own teachings the piety sown with much labor in the souls of men, and cut up its unity, which indeed they have done to many Churches. 42.3 And since letters also came to us from the clergy, exhorting that they not be overlooked in such a time, looking all around I remembered your love and right faith and the zeal which you always have for the Churches of God; 42.4 and for this reason I have sent our beloved fellow-deacon Eustathius to exhort your reverence and to entreat you to add this present labor also to all your labors for the Churches, and to relieve my old age by your presence, and to set aright for the orthodox Church its renowned piety, by giving to it, with us (if indeed we should be deemed worthy to assist you in this good work), a shepherd according to the will of the Lord, able to guide His people. 42.5 For we have a man before our eyes, whom you yourselves do not fail to know; if we should be deemed worthy to obtain him, I know that we will acquire great confidence before God

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20Λύχνος20 μὲν 20τοῦ σώματός ἐστιν ὁ ὀφθαλμός20, ὡς ἠκούσαμεν, οὐ μόνον οὗτος ὁ σωματικῶς ὁρῶν καὶ ὁρώμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ πνευματικῶς θεωρῶν καὶ θεωρούμενος· λύχνος δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐπίσκοπος, ὃ δῆλον ὑμῖν κἂν αὐτοὶ μὴ γράφωμεν. 41.5 Ἀνάγκη τοίνυν, ὥσπερ ἐκείνου καθαρῶς μὲν ἔχοντος ὀρθῶς ἄγεσθαι καὶ τὸ σῶμα, μὴ καθαροῦ δὲ τυγχάνοντος, οὐκ ὀρθῶς· οὕτω καὶ τῷ προστάτῃ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ὁποτέρως ἂν ἔχῃ, πάντως ἢ συνδιακινδυνεύειν ἢ συνδιασώζεσθαι. 41.6 Πάσης μὲν οὖν Ἐκκλησίας φροντιστέον, ὡς Χριστοῦ σώματος, μάλιστα δὲ τῆς ὑμετέρας, ἣ μήτηρ σχεδὸν πασῶν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἦν τ' ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ νῦν ἐστι καὶ νομίζεται, καὶ πρὸς ἣν τὸ κοινὸν βλέπει, ὡς κέντρῳ κύκλος περιγραφόμενος, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν ὀρθοδοξίαν ἄνωθεν πᾶσι κεκηρυγμένην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ δεδομένην αὐτῇ προδήλως χάριν τῆς ὁμονοίας. 41.7 Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν κεκλήκατε μὲν καὶ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν περὶ τούτου διάσκεψιν, ποιοῦντες ὀρθῶς καὶ κανονικῶς, κρατούμεθα δὲ γήρᾳ καὶ ἀρρωστίᾳ, εἰ μὲν καὶ αὐτοὶ παρείημεν, τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπιρρώσαντος (οὐδὲν γὰρ ἄπιστον τοῖς πιστοῖς), τοῦτο τῷ παντὶ βέλτιον καὶ ἡμῖν ἥδιον, ἵνα καὶ ὑμῖν τι συνεισε νέγκωμεν καὶ αὐτοὶ τῆς εὐλογίας μετάσχωμεν· εἰ δὲ τὰ τῆς ἀσθενείας νικῴη, ὅσα γ' ἀποῦσι δυνατὸν συνεισφέρομεν· 41.8 Πείθομαι μὲν καὶ ἄλλους εἶναι παρ' ὑμῖν τῆς προσ τασίας ἀξίους, καὶ ὡς ἐκ πόλεως τοσαύτης καὶ οὕτω καὶ ὑπὸ τοιούτων ἠγμένης ἄνωθεν· ἑνὸς δ' οὐδένα δύναμαι προτιμῆσαι τῶν παρ' ὑμῖν τιμίων τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου υἱοῦ ἡμῶν Βασιλείου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου (λέγω δ' ὡς ὑπὸ Θεῷ μάρτυρι), ἀνδρὸς καὶ βίῳ καὶ λόγῳ κεκαθαρμένου καὶ μόνου τῶν πάντων, ἢ ὅτι μάλιστα, κατ' ἀμφότερα δυναμένου στῆναι πρὸς τὸν νῦν καιρὸν καὶ τὴν κατέχουσαν τῶν αἱρετικῶν γλωσσαλγίαν. 41.9 Ταῦτα καὶ ἱερατικοῖς γράφω καὶ μοναστικοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἐκ τοῦ ἀξιωματικοῦ καὶ βουλευτικοῦ τάγματος καὶ τοῦ δήμου παντός. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο συνδόξειε καὶ ἡ ψῆφος ἡμῶν κρατοίη, οὕτως ὀρθῶς τε καὶ ὑγιῶς ἔχουσα, ὡς μετὰ Θεοῦ ψηφιζομένη, καὶ πάρειμι πνευματικῶς καὶ παρέσομαι, μᾶλλον δ' ἐπιβέβληκα τὴν χεῖρα ἤδη καὶ θαρρῶ τῷ Πνεύματι. Εἰ δ' ἄλλο τι καὶ μὴ τοῦτο συνδόξειε καὶ κατὰ φατρίας καὶ συγγενείας τὰ τοιαῦτα κρίνοιτο καὶ ἡ ὀχλώδης χεὶρ πάλιν παρασύροι τὸ ἀκριβές, πράττοιτε καθ' ὑμᾶς τὸ ἀρέσκον, ἡμεῖς δὲ συσταλησόμεθα. 42.Τ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΩΙ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ 42.1 20Τίς δώσει μοι πτέρυγας ὡσεὶ περιστερᾶς;20 ἢ πῶς ἀνακαινισθῇ μου τὸ γῆρας, ὥστε με δυνηθῆναι διαβῆναι πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην καὶ τόν τε πόθον, ὃν ἔχω ἐφ' ὑμῖν, ἀναπαῦσαι καὶ τὰ λυπηρὰ τῆς ψυχῆς διηγήσασθαι καὶ δι' ὑμῶν εὑρέσθαι τινὰ παραμυθίαν τῶν θλίψεων; 42.2 Ἐπὶ γὰρ τῇ κοιμήσει τοῦ μακαρίου Εὐσε βίου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου φόβος ἡμᾶς κατέλαβεν οὐ μικρὸς μήποτε οἵ ποτε ἐφεδρεύοντες τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τῆς μητροπό λεως ἡμῶν καὶ βουλόμενοι αὐτὴν αἱρετικῶν ζιζανίων πληρῶσαι, καιροῦ νῦν λαβόμενοι, τὴν πολλῷ καμάτῳ κατασπαρεῖσαν ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐσέβειαν ταῖς παρ' ἑαυτῶν διδασκαλίαις ἐκριζώσωσι καὶ ταύτης τὴν ἑνότητα κατατέμωσιν, ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ πολλῶν Ἐκκλη σιῶν πεποιήκασιν. 42.3 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ γράμματα πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀφίκετο τοῦ κλήρου, παρακαλοῦντα μὴ παροφθῆναι ἐν καιρῷ τοιούτῳ, περιβλεψάμενος ἐν κύκλῳ ἐμνήσθην τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης καὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως καὶ τοῦ ζήλου ὃν ἔχετε ἀεὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ· 42.4 καὶ τούτου ἕνεκεν ἀπέστειλα τὸν ἀγαπητὸν Εὐστάθιον τὸν συνδιάκονον παρακαλέσαι ὑμῶν τὴν σεμνοπρέπειαν καὶ δυσωπῆσαι πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν καμάτοις καὶ τὸν παρόντα ἐπιθεῖναι κἀμοῦ τε τὸ γῆρας τῇ συντυχίᾳ ἀναπαῦσαι καὶ τῇ ὀρθῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ τὴν περιβόητον εὐσέ βειαν διορθώσασθαι, δόντας αὐτῇ μεθ' ἡμῶν (εἰ ἄρα καταξιωθείημεν συναντιλαβέσθαι ὑμῖν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἔργου) ποιμένα κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Κυρίου, δυνάμενον διευ θῦναι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ. 42.5 Ἔχομεν γὰρ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἄνδρα, ὃν οὐδ' αὐτοὶ ἀγνοεῖτε· οὗ εἰ καταξιωθείημεν ἐπιτυχεῖν, οἶδα ὅτι μεγάλην παρρησίαν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν κτησόμεθα