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or to the impious and circumcised, except that most of all a knife divides our affairs and a sword makes its home in the one flock of Christ, and the Gentiles rejoice, by whom the calling of Christ is insulted, and for us there is in every way no truce and no peace.

2.28 What caused these things? The little word set before you in the Creed, which, being common to the impious, you cut off and appropriated for yourselves, having altered it slightly. But we do not wish it to be altered at all, and very rightly so. But you did this out of love of power and rashly, which ought not to have been done. For if you had something else to think, you should have mixed it in with other things and not with the common property; "Do not move the boundaries of the fathers," you hear the wise one advising. I for my part guard the deposit as I received it, but you counterfeit it. Who among us, then, is the cause of the enmity? Who dismisses peace as hateful? I keep the common things inviolate, but you insert other things into them, so that it might be changed toward something newer. And which of the brothers will be persuaded by you? For I will dare to say according to Paul: if anyone should try to add one iota to this symbol of faith, whether he be Greek or Italian or some angel from heaven, I for my part will keep silent about what follows, being wary of the ill-omened word, but another who is more hostilely disposed will not refrain from speaking it out. For do you think that you do such things as are pleasing to Christ? I truly testify to you: even if what was put by you in the Creed were most true, you would not have forgiveness at the time of that great and just judgment because you walked autonomously in these matters and personally forged some new path of faith. But it has been recognized by us that what is said does not even hold to orthodoxy; therefore, it must be removed for these reasons. Cut out—for again I advise you in a friendly and brotherly way—the scandal from the Creed, lest Satan should so prevail over us, as to change us to such great arrogance and pride, that we do not even for the sake of brotherly love condescend to what is just and hold to the fitting things of the fathers, but consider everything to be nothing in comparison with what has been conceived and said by us. For if you are willing, according to the Lord's command, not to scandalize us, this will easily be accomplished by you. Let us say the symbol of faith commonly with one mind and word and spirit and with one heart and mouth let us proclaim it in all things. We do not demand great and difficult things of you, nor things that cast far from what is just, but things both divine and fitting, both just and holy, not pleasing to Satan, but loved by the Spirit. Concerning that for which the war is, concerning this let the peace also be established, in which God rejoices even more. Let us therefore embrace and enfold one another in the harmony of the Spirit and greet one another with a holy kiss, thinking the same things, dogmatizing the same things, so that we might be gathered together in the same eternal and blessed tents by the one Spirit. Let there be a common joy for those in heaven and on earth in our union; for they will rejoice, I know well, in these things, the angels and every supernal power, just as they are now grieved by the division, and those who follow our laws or words would leap for joy, having seen their leaders thinking the same thing, but the demons would become sullen and the impious of the nations would be struck with terror. May this also happen a second time, O divine Creator of the universe and Provider for all that has come to be and Corrector of things that are faring badly, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for to you belongs glory and magnificence forever and ever. Amen.

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ἢ τοῖς ἀσεβέσι καὶ περιτετμημένοις, εἰ μὴ ὅτι καὶ μάλιστα καὶ μάχαιρα διακρίνει τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς καὶ ξίφος ἐμφιλοχωρεῖ τῇ μιᾷ ποίμνῃ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἐπιχαίρει τὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν, οἷς ἡ κλῆσις τοῦ Χρι στοῦ καθυβρίζεται, καὶ ἄσπονδα ἡμῖν πάντη καὶ ἀνειρήνευτα.

2.28 Τί τὸ προξενῆσαν ταῦτα; τὸ μικρὸν ῥῆμα τὸ ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ συμβόλῳ προκείμενον, ὃ κοινὸν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι γινό μενον ὑμεῖς ἀποτεμόντες ἐσφετερίσασθε, ὀλίγον αὐτὸ παρα ποιησάμενοι. ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς ὅλως παραποιηθῆναι αὐτὸ οὐ βουλόμεθα καὶ δικαίως ἄγαν. φιλαρχικῶς δὲ τοῦτο ὑμεῖς καὶ θρασέως εἰργάσασθε, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔδει. εἴ τι γὰρ εἶχες ἄλλο νοεῖν, ἐν ἄλλοις καὶ οὐκ ἐν τῷ κοινῷ παραμιγνύναι ἐχρῆν· «ὅρια πατέρων μὴ μέταιρε» ἀκούεις τοῦ σοφοῦ συμ βουλεύοντος. ἔγωγε τὴν παρακαταθήκην φυλάττω καθὼς παρέλαβον, σὺ δὲ ταύτην παραχαράττεις. τίς οὖν ἐξ ἡμῶν τῆς ἔχθρας αἴτιος; τίς τὴν εἰρήνην ὡς μισητὴν ἀπο πέμπεται; ἐγὼ τὰ κοινὰ διατηρῶ ἀπαράθραυστα, σὺ δὲ τού τοις παρεμβάλλεις καὶ ἕτερα, ὡς ἂν ἀλλοιωθείη πρὸς τὸ καινότερον. καὶ τίς τῶν ἀδελφῶν σοι πεισθήσεται; τολμήσω γὰρ κατὰ Παῦλον εἰπεῖν· εἴ τις ἐν τῷ συμβόλῳ τούτῳ τῆς πίστεως κεραίαν μίαν προσθεῖναι πειράσαιτο, κἂν Γραικὸς εἴη κἂν Ἰταλὸς κἂν ἄγγελός τις ἐξ οὐρανῶν, ἔγωγε μὲν τὸ ἑξῆς σιωπῶ τὸ δύσφημον εὐλαβούμενος, ἅτερος δὲ ἐχθρωδέστερον διακείμενος οὐ φείσεται κατειπεῖν. τί γὰρ οἴεσθε ὡς φίλα τὰ τοιαῦτα Χριστῷ διαπράττεσθε; ἐγὼ ὑμῖν ὡς ὄντως διαμαρτύρομαι· καὶ εἰ ἀληθέστατον ἦν τὸ παρ' ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ συμβόλῳ τεθέν, οὐχ ἕξετε ἂν συγγνώμην καιρῷ τῆς μεγάλης ἐκείνης καὶ δικαίας κρίσεως διὰ τὸ αὐτονόμως ἐν τούτοις βαδίσαι καὶ καινήν τινα ἰδίως ὁδὸν αὐτουργῆσαι τῆς πίστεως. ἐπέγνωσται δὲ ἡμῖν, ὡς οὐδὲ τῆς ὀρθότητος ἔχεται τὸ λεγόμενον· περιαιρετέον οὖν διὰ ταῦτα αὐτό. ἀπότεμε-καὶ αὖθις γὰρ φιλικῶς καὶ ἀδελφικῶς συμβουλεύω σοι-ἐκ τοῦ συμβόλου τὸ σκάνδαλον, μὴ τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν ὁ σατὰν κατισχύσειεν, ὡς εἰς τοσαύτην ἡμᾶς μεταβαλεῖν ἀγερωχίαν καὶ ἔπαρσιν, ὡς μηδὲ διὰ φιλαδελφίαν τοῖς δικαίοις συγκαταβαίνειν καὶ τῶν πατέρων προσηκόντων ἀντέχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἡγεῖσθαι οὐδὲν πρὸς τὰ ὑφ' ἡμῶν νενοημένα καὶ λελεγμένα. εἰ γὰρ θελήσεις κατὰ τὸ κυρίου παράγγελμα μὴ σκανδαλίζειν ἡμᾶς, εὐχερῶς σοι τοῦτο κατορθωθήσεται. κοινῶς ἑνὶ καὶ νοῒ καὶ λόγῳ πνεύματι τὸ τῆς πίστεως λέξωμεν σύμβολον καὶ μιᾷ καρδίᾳ καὶ στόματι ἐν πᾶσι τοῦτο διακηρύξωμεν. οὐ μεγάλα ὑμᾶς ἀπαιτοῦμεν καὶ δυσχερῆ οὐδὲ τοῦ δικαίου πόρρω βάλλοντα, ἀλλὰ θεῖά τε καὶ προσήκοντα, δίκαιά τε καὶ ὅσια, οὐδὲ τῷ σατὰν κεχαρισμένα, ἀλλὰ τὰ πεφιλημένα τῷ πνεύματι. ὑπὲρ οὗ γοῦν ὁ πόλεμος, ὑπὲρ τούτου καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη κατορθωθήτω, ἐν ᾗ καὶ μᾶλλον χαίρει θεός. περιβάλωμεν οὖν ἀλλήλους καὶ περιπτυξώμεθα ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ ἀσπασώμεθα ἐν ἁγίῳ φιλήματι, τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦντες, τὰ αὐτὰ δογματίζοντες, ἵνα ταῖς αὐταῖς σκηναῖς ταῖς αἰωνίαις καὶ μακαρίαις τῷ ἑνὶ συναχθείημεν πνεύματι. κοινὴ γενέσθω τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ἑνώσει χαρὰ τοῖς οὐρανίοις καὶ ἐπιγείοις· χαιρήσονται γάρ, εὖ οἶδα, ἐν τούτοις ἄγγελοι καὶ πᾶσα ἡ ὑπερκειμένη δύναμις, ὥσπερ ἀρτίως ἀνιῶνται τῇ διαστάσει, οἱ δὲ τοῖς ἡμετέροις ἑπόμενοι νόμοις ἢ λόγοις σκιρτήσαιεν, τοὺς προηγουμένους αὐτῶν ὁμοφρονοῦντας τεθεαμένοι, δαίμονες δὲ σκυθρωπάσαιεν καὶ τὰ ἀσεβῆ τῶν ἐθνῶν καταπτήξαιεν. ὃ καὶ γένοιτο δεύτατα, θεῖε δημιουργὲ τοῦ παντὸς καὶ τῶν γεγενημένων προνοητὰ καὶ τῶν κακῶς φερομένων διορθωτά, ὁ πατὴρ ὁ υἱὸς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ὅτι σοι πρέπει δόξα καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ἀμήν.