21

to his fold. And just as it is not right for anyone at all to release a proper disciple whom your holiness binds (for this is an act of lawlessness and, by the common vote of the whole church, a condemnation of fellow-feeling), so certainly your holiness does not impose herself upon our authority, which the Lord has given us unworthily, not for the tearing down but for the building up of souls; for the judgment is dreadful. For this reason, we beseech you, by all means hand over our spiritual child to the brothers, praying unceasingly for us sinners.

15 {1To Theodoulos the Stylite}1

Having for a long time until the present had the desire, my most holy father, to come and receive your holy prayers, no way has been open to me, entirely because of my sins, just as now. Therefore I was compelled to send our brother Kalogeros, to make up for the absence of our lowliness; since we too shall come to venerate your precious footsteps, if God prospers the way. Forgive me, father, for what I am about to say, for it is in simplicity and out of sincere love and from my desire for the blamelessness of your way of life. Certain men have insinuated, as knowing me to be your genuine and like-minded child and friend, being themselves also especially friends, that your holiness is acting improperly; and when I was displeased at this and objected and spoke of the greatest achievements of your lofty life, they joined me in this. But they brought accusations regarding certain words and deeds; and, to say one thing, they said that "he has painted angels, and these crucified in the windows in the same form as Christ, and Christ himself and the angels as old men." And though questioning much on this point, I was not able to answer them; for they alleged that something strange and alien to the tradition of the church had been done, and that the matter was entirely not from God but from the adversary, since in so many years and with so many God-bearing and holy fathers this particularity was not exemplified. For what is now being innovated, even if it is from an angel, the apostle makes it safe for us not to receive, saying somewhere, even if we ourselves or an angel preaches a gospel (I will add, and hands down) contrary to what we have preached, let him be anathema. What then, my holy father, I can say to these things, I do not have; and being seized with perplexity I was compelled to write to you, so that we may free ourselves from all harm from those who are making accusations in this matter, and as it were from the whole church. And for God's sake, receive me as your child, who is distressed for you and considers your glory my glory and does not want to hear any blame of you in anything, you who truly live blamelessly. Enlighten, guide, hearken, attend, instruct, deliver from all discord those who see your lofty life.

16 {1To the Emperor Nikephoros}1

Our good God, caring for his own church, was about to appoint your piety in the present generation to rule over the Christians, so that not only might the worldly authority, being in a bad state, be well-ordered, but also the leadership of the church, if it is in any way deficient, might be set right and a new leaven, as it were, might arise in both; which by his grace your Christ-loving majesty has accomplished in the one part, and may it accomplish yet more, being strengthened by influences from above. It remains, therefore, now for the other part also to enjoy the same

21

τῇ μάνδρᾳ αὐτοῦ. ὥσπερ δὲ οὐ θέμις, ὃν δεσμοῖ οἰκεῖον μαθητὴν ἡ ἁγιωσύνη σου, λύειν τινὰ τὸ καθόλου (παρανομίας γὰρ τοῦτο ἔργον καὶ ἐκ ψήφου κοινοῦ τῆς ὅλης ἐκκλησίας καταδίκη ὁμοιοπαθείας), οὕτω πάντως οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐξουσίαν, ἣν ἀναξίως δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος, οὐκ εἰς καθαίρεσιν ἀλλ' οἰκοδομὴν ψυχῶν ἐπιβάλλει ἑαυτὴν ἡ ἁγιωσύνη σου· φρικτὸν γὰρ τὸ κρίμα. διὰ τοῦτο, παρακα λοῦμεν, πάντως γε τὸ πνευματικὸν ἡμῶν τέκνον παραδώσει τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, εὐχομένη ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀδιαλείπτως.

15 {1Θεοδούλῳ κιονίτῃ}1

Ἐκ χρόνου πολλοῦ ἐπιθυμίαν ἔχοντι ἕως τοῦ παρόντος, ἁγιώτατέ μου πάτερ,

ἐλθεῖν καὶ κομίσασθαί σου τὰς ἁγίας εὐχὰς οὐκ ἐξεγένετό μοι ὁδὸς πάντως διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου, ὥσπερ καὶ νῦν. διὸ ἠναγκάσθην ἀποστεῖλαι τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν τὸν Καλόγηρον, ἀναπληροῦντα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν τὴν ἀπουσίαν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐλευσόμεθα προσκυνήσοντες τὰ τίμιά σου ἴχνη, θεοῦ εὐοδοῦντος. Σύγγνωθι δέ μοι, πάτερ, ὃ μέλλω λέγειν, ὅτι ἐν ἁπλότητί ἐστι καὶ ἐξ ἀγάπης εἰλικρινοῦς καὶ ἐκ τοῦ ἐφίεσθαί με τὸ ἀμώμητον τῆς πολιτείας σου. τινὲς ὑπέκρουσαν ὡς ἐπιστάμενοί με γνήσιόν σου εἶναι καὶ ὁμόψυχον τέκνον καὶ φίλον, ὄντες καὶ αὐτοὶ φίλοι διαφερόντως, ὅτι παρὰ τὸ δέον πράττει ἡ ἁγιωσύνη σου· κἀμοῦ πρὸς τοῦτο δυσχεράναντος καὶ ἐνισταμένου καὶ ἐπιφθεγγομένου τὰ μέγιστα κατορθώματα τοῦ ὑψηλοῦ σου βίου συνείροντό μοι ἐν τούτῳ. πρὸς δὲ ῥήματά τινα καὶ πράγματα καταιτιῶντο· καί, ἵνα ἓν εἴπω, ἔφασαν ὅτι "ἀγγέλους ἀνιστόρησεν, καὶ τούτους ἰσότυπον τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τοῖς φεγγίοις ἐσταυρωμένους, αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους γηραλέους". καὶ πολλὰ πρὸς τοῦτο φιλοπευστῶν οὐκ ἠδυνήθην αὐτοῖς ἀντιφθέγξασθαι· εἴροντο γὰρ ξένον τι καὶ ἀλλότριον τῆς παραδόσεως τῆς ἐκκλησίας εἰργάσθαι καὶ πάντως οὐχ ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐναντίου εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἐπὰν ἐν τοσούτοις ἔτεσιν καὶ τοσούτοις θεοφόροις καὶ ἁγίοις πατράσιν οὐχ ὑποδειγματίσθη τοῦτο τὸ ἰδίωμα. τὸ γὰρ νῦν καινοτομούμενον, κἂν ἐξ ἀγγέλου ἐστίν, ἀσφαλίζεται ἡμᾶς ὁ ἀπόστολος μὴ δέχεσθαι, λέγων που, κἂν ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἢ ἄγγελος εὐαγγελίζεται (προσθήσω, καὶ παραδίδωσιν) παρ' ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. Τί οὖν, πάτερ μου ἅγιε, πρὸς ταῦτα φῆσαι οὐκ ἔχω· καὶ τῇ ἀπορίᾳ συνεχόμενος ἠναγκάσθην γράψαι σοι, ἵνα ἀπολύσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς πάσης βλάβης πρὸς τοὺς ἐν λόγῳ ἐγκαλοῦντας καὶ ὡς ἐκ πάσης τῆς ἐκκλησίας. καὶ διὰ τὸν θεὸν δέξαι με ὡς τέκνον σου, πονοῦντα ὑπὲρ σοῦ καὶ ἡγούμενον τὴν δόξαν σου δόξαν μου καὶ μὴ θέλοντα ἀκούειν μῶμόν σου ἔν τινι, τοῦ ὄντως ἀμωμήτως βιοτεύοντος. φώτισον, ὁδήγησον, ἐπάκουσον, πρόσσχες, ἐπίστησον, λῦσον πάσης διχονοίας τοὺς ὁρῶντάς σου τὸν ὑψηλὸν βίον.

16 {1Νικηφόρῳ βασιλεῖ}1

Ἔμελλεν ὁ ἀγαθὸς θεὸς ἡμῶν, τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἐκκλησίας φροντίζων, τὴν

ὑμετέραν εὐσέβειαν ἐπὶ τῆς παρούσης γενεᾶς προστήσασθαι βασιλεύειν τῶν Χριστιανῶν, ἵνα μὴ μόνον ἡ κοσμικὴ ἀρχὴ εὖ διατεθῇ, κακῶς διακειμένη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἡγεμονία, εἴ τι ἐνδεῶς ἔχει, ἀνορθωθείη καὶ νέον πως φύραμα γένηται ἐν ἀμφοτέραις· ὅπερ τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι κατώρθωκεν ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ μέρει ἡ φιλόχριστος ὑμῶν βασιλεία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔτι κατορθώσειεν, ταῖς ἄνωθεν ῥοπαῖς δυναμουμένη. λειπόμενον οὖν ἐστιν ἄρτι καὶ τὸ ἕτερον τῆς ἴσης ἀπολαῦσαι