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to converse in spirit, and being constrained to meet with him while absent through letters. But let us not receive the power of the things said in a cursory manner; since with other things, we shall certainly have such words either as advocates or as accusers; both I who speak, and those who hear, 15Β_092 on the fearful day of judgment, according to how we are disposed toward them. May it be that all of us, both those speaking what is fitting and those hearing, be shown to be doers of all the divine words; and not only hearers or speakers; by the grace of Christ our God and Savior, who has called us to His own glory and kingdom.

EPISTLE 5. TO CONSTANTINE V. The same to Constantine. 15Β_094 If, as if meeting with me in person, through letters

my blessed master truly rejoices, as he has written, it is clear that in accepting my words he certainly rejoices. And the acceptance of words is the disposition, according to the words, of the one accepting the words. And an exact proof of this disposition is the work of the power contained in the words. Therefore, let my Master provide me a most faithful pledge for the exhortation to speak: his own readiness to do the things spoken; and I will never restrain, as it is written, my lips from speaking to him the things that can profit both him and me and others; inasmuch as I am able to receive the grace for understanding wisely and for speaking piously what has been understood, from the God who gives to all generously and without reproach.

0421 Let us then, beloved, be zealous doers of the works according to the commandment; and let us flee the deceit of this age, and not bind the soul to any of the things in it that are considered pleasant. For the world is passing away, and all things in it are fading, being by nature the fuel of corruption. Now, this zeal concerning divine things for those who long for salvation is proven not only by hatred for sin and an untroubled life; but also by alienation from wicked men, and the soul's disinclination towards all corruptible things; and contempt for the flesh for the sake of virtue, and firm and unyielding self-control toward all things that through the senses deceitfully 15Β_096 entice the soul; by which we both wither all licentious desires; and we calm the disorderly movements of anger, not allowing reason, having been enslaved, to be carried away by them, and like a charioteer seized by unruly horses, to be carried down into chasms; there being no one to control and restrain the irrational impulse of the yoked beasts. But also patience and endurance toward all involuntary temptations; according to which even when suffering bodily, we remain passionless in soul, and unconquered; not being cast down by any of the things that shake us. Through both of these, I mean self-control over the passions within our power and endurance of those not within our power, having been tested, as from some most divine seed of the commandments, we bring forth becoming and mature fruits, the virtues. For example, gnostic prudence against both ignorance and superstition; courage, against both cowardice and reckless audacity; temperance, against licentiousness and foolishness; justice against injustice; I mean, against greed and deficiency; arming ourselves with humility against pride; bringing forth condescension against arrogance; moderation against conceit; long-suffering against faint-heartedness; and moreover gentleness toward all, and meekness, and toward those

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κατά ψυχήν διαλέγεσθαι, καί ἀπόντι βιαζόμενον συντυγχάνειν διά γραμμάτων. Ἀλλά μή παρέργως δεξώμεθα τῶν λεγομένων τήν δύναμιν· ἐπειδή μετά τῶν ἄλλων, καί τούς τοιούτους λόγους ἕξομεν πάντως ἤ συνηγόρους ἤ κατηγόρους· ἐγώ τε ὁ λέγων, καί οἱ ἀκούοντες, 15Β_092 κατά τήν φοβεράν ἡμέραν τῆς διαγνώσεως, ὁποτέρω, ἄν περί αὐτούς διατεθῶμεν. Γένοιτο δέ πάντας ἡμᾶς, τούς τε λέγοντάς τι τῶν δεόντων, καί τούς ἀκούοντας, πάντων τῶν θείων ποιητάς ἀποδειχθῆναι λόγων· καί μή μόνον ἀκροατάς ἤ λέκτας· χάριτι Χριστοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ καί Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, τοῦ καλέσαντος ἡμᾶς εἰς τήν ἑαυτοῦ δόξαν τε καί βασιλείαν.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ Ε'. ΠΡΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΝ Ε´. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός Κωνσταντῖνον. 15Β_094 Εἰ ὡς παρόντι μοι συντυγχάνων, διά τῶν γραμμάτων

εὐφραίνεται κατ᾿ ἀλήθειαν ὁ εὐλογημένος μου δεσπότης, ὡς γέγραφε, δῆλον ὡς τούς ἐμούς ἀποδεχόμενος λόγους πάντως εὐφραίνεται. Ἀποδοχή δέ λόγων ἐστίν, ἡ κατά τούς λόγους τοῦ ἀποδεχομένου τούς λόγους διάθεσις. Ταύτης δέ τῆς διαθέσεως ἀπόδειξίς ἐστιν ἀκριβής, τό ἔργον τῆς ἐμφερομένης τοῖς λόγοις δυνάμεως. Οὐκοῦν τῆς περί τό λέγειν προτροπῆς ἀῤῥαβῶνά μοι παράσχῃ πιστότατον ὁ ἐμός ∆εσπότης, τήν αὐτοῦ περί τό ποιεῖν τά λεγόμενα προθυμίαν· καί οὐδέποτε κωλύσω, κατά τό γεγραμμένον, τά χείλη μου, τοῦ λέγειν πρός αὐτόν τά λυσιτελεῖν αὐτῷ τε κἀμοί καί ἄλλοις δυνάμενα· καθόσον εἰμί δυνατός ὑποδέξασθαι τήν περί τό νοεῖν τε συνετῶς καί εὐσεβῶς λέγειν τά νοηθέντα χάριν τοῦ δωρουμένου Θεοῦ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς, καί μή ὀνειδίζοντος.

0421 Γενώμεθα τοίνυν, ἠγαπημένε, πρόθυμοι τῶν κατ᾿ ἐντολήν ἔργων ποιηταί· καί φύγωμεν τήν πλάνην τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καί μηδενί τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ νομιζομένων τερπνῶν τήν ψυχήν καταδήσωμεν. Παρέρχεται γάρ ὁ κόσμος, καί πάντα τά ἐν αὐτῷ μαραίνεται, φθορᾶς ὄντα κατά φύσιν παραναλώματα. Ταύτην δέ τήν περί τά θεῖα τῶν σωτηρίας ἐφιεμένων τεκμηριοῖ προθυμίαν, οὐ μόνον τό πρός τήν ἁμαρτίαν μῖσος, καί ἡ ἀπράγμων διαγωγή· ἥ τε τῶν μοχθηρῶν ἀνδρῶν ἀλλοτρίωσις, καί πρός τά φθειρόμενα πάντα τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποδιάθεσις· ἥ τε τῆς σαρκός διά τήν ἀρετή καταφρόνησις, καί ἡ πρός πάντα τά διά τῶν αἰσθήσεως ἀπατηλῶς 15Β_096 τήν ψυχήν ὑποσαίνοντα, στεῤῥά καί ἀνένδοτος ἐγκράτεια· δι᾿ ἧς πάσας τε τάς ἀκολάστους ὀρέξεις μαραίνομεν· καί τάς ἀτάκτους κινήσεις τοῦ θυμοῦ κατευνάζομεν, μή συγχωροῦντες ἐξανδραποδισθέντα συνεκφέρεσθαι ταύταις τόν λογισμόν, καί καθάπερ ἠνίοχον ὑπό δυσηνίων ἵππων συναρπασθέντα κατά βαράθρων φέρεσθαι· μηδενός ὄντος τοῦ τάσσοντος καί ἐπισχεῖν δυναμένου τήν ἄλογον τῶν ὑπεζευγμένων ὁρμήν. Ἀλλά καί ἡ πρός πάντας τούς ἀκουσίους πειρασμούς, ὑπομονή καί καρτερία· καθ᾿ ἥν καί πάσχοντες σωματικῶς, ἀπαθεῖς κατά ψυχήν διαμένομεν, καί ἀήττητοι· μηδενί τῶν τινασσόντων καταβαλλόμενοι. ∆ι᾿ ὧν ἀμφοτέρων, ἐγκρατείας τε λέγω τῶν ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν παθημάτων, καί ὑπομονῆς τῶν οὐκ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῖν, δοκιμασθέντες, καθάπερ τινός σπορᾶς θειοτάτης τῶν ἐντολῶν, εὐπρεπεῖς καί ὡρίμους προβαλλόμεθα καρπούς τάς ἀρετάς. Οἷον, φρόνησιν γνωστικήν, κατά τε τῆς ἀγνοίας, καί τῆς δεισιδαιμονίας· ἀνδρείαν, κατά τε τῆς δειλίας, καί τῆς προπετοῦς θρασύτητος· σωφροσύνην, κατά τῆς ἀκολασίας καί τῆς ἠλιθιότητος· δικαιοσύνην κατά τῆς ἀδικίας· λέγω δέ κατά τῆς πλεονεξίας καί μειονεξίας· ταπεινοφροσύνην, κατά τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ὁπλίζοντες· συγκατάβασιν, κατά τῆς ἐπάρσεως προφέροντες· μετριότητα κατά τῆς οἰήσεως· μακροθυμίαν κατά τῆς ὀλιγοψυχίας· ἡμερότητός τε αὖ πρός πάντας, καί πραότητος, καί τῆς πρός τούς