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having become his pope. For he, perceiving that some in the west were pouring out censure against him, by an imperial command made himself free from the blame regarding the Church, writing that, The Ecthesis is not mine; for I neither dictated it, nor commanded it to be made; but Sergius the patriarch, having composed it five years before I came up from the East, beseeched me, when I was in this most blessed city, that it be set forth in my name with a signature; and I accepted his entreaty. But now, knowing that some dispute over it, I make it clear to all that it is not mine. He made this command to the blessed Pope John, who was condemning the Ecthesis in the writings to Pyrrhus at that time. And from that time, it is everywhere called the Ecthesis of Sergius. This our now piously reigning emperor will also do, and his prepossession will remain completely unstained by any blame.

15Γ_100 Then, shaking their heads, they fell silent, having said only this: All things are difficult and impassable.

12. When these and various other things had been said, having been venerated and

venerating, they departed with all cheerfulness. And again on the next Sabbath, they brought them up into the palace; and they first bring in the disciple of the elder, the two patriarchs also having come together; and they bring Constantine and Menas as accusers of the elder, and demanding that the disciple agree to what was being said against them.

But with all boldness the disciple fearlessly said to the senate: You bring Constantine into a secret chamber of the palace? This man is neither a presbyter, nor a monk, but a tribune of the stage. It was made known to Africans and Romans what sort of women he was shepherding when he came there. All learned of his villainies, which he did in order to remain unnoticed: at one time saying that they are his sisters; at another, that because I did not commune with the Church of Constantinople I took them, so that they might not be defiled by heretical communion. But again, if he is lacking in profligacy, and finds a place not knowing him, he does the same things, for the sake of shameful gain, and filthy pleasure. And it is a great shame even to encounter him, for those who wish to live reverently.

Then after these things, being asked if he anathematized the Typos, he fearlessly said: Not only did I anathematize it, but I also made a written declaration.

What then? Do you not confess to have done wrongly? the rulers say to him. And he says: God forbid, that what I have done well according to the ordinance

of the church, I should say 0128 was done wrongly. 15Γ_102 And having been asked many other things, and having answered as God

supplied him, he is led out of the secret chamber. 13. And they bring in the elder, and lord Troilus says to him: Speak, abba,

look, speak the truth, and the master will have mercy on you; since if we come by way of a legal account, and even one of the things of which you are accused is found to be true, the law will put you to death.

And he said: and I have already said, and I say again, that if only one thing is said to be true, then Satan is God. But if he is not God, but an apostate, then the things of which I am accused are false and without substance. Nevertheless, if you command me to do anything, do it. Worshipping God, I am not wronged.

And he says to him: Did you not anathematize the Typos?

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γενόμενος αὐτοῦ πάππος. Ἐκεῖνος γάρ αἰσθόμενος ὅτι ψόγον αὐτοῦ τινες κατά τήν δύσιν καταχέουσι, διά κελεύσεως ἐλεύθερον ἑαυτόν ἐποίησε τῆς ἐπί τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ μέμψεως, γράψας, ὅτι Ἔκθεσις οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμή· οὔτε γάρ ἐγώ ὑπηγόρευσα, ἤ ἐκέλευσα γενέσθαι· ἀλλά Σέργιος αὐτήν ὁ πατριάρχης συντάξας πρό πέντε ἐτῶν, τοῦ ἀνελθεῖν με ἀπό τῆς Ἀνατολῆς, ἐδεήθη μου κατ' αὐτήν γενομένου τήν πανευδαίμονα πόλιν, ὀνοματί μου προτεθῆναι αὐτήν μεθ' ὑπογραφῆς· καί κατεδεξάμην τήν ἐκείνου παράκλησιν. Νῦν δέ γνούς ὅτι τινές ἐπ' αὐτήν διαμάχονται, πᾶσι δῆλον ποιῶ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμή. Ταύτην ἐποιήσατο τήν κέλευσιν πρός τόν μακάριον Ἰωάννην πάππαν, κατακρίνοντα τήν ἔκθεσιν, ἐν τοῖς πρός Πύῤῥον τότε γραφεῖσι. Καί ἔκτοτε Σεργίου χρηματίζει πανταχοῦ εἶναι ἔκθεσις. Τοῦτο ποιήσει καί ὁ νῦν εὐσεβῶς βασιλεύων ἡμῶν, καί μενεῖ παντελῶς ἄχραντος πάσης μέμψεως ἡ πρόληψις αὐτοῦ.

15Γ_100 Τότε σείσαντες τάς κεφαλάς, ἐσιώπησαν, τοῦτο μονον εἰρηκότες· Ὅλα δυσχερῆ καί ἀνέκβατα.

ΙΒ´. Τούτων καί ἑτέρων διαφόρων λαληθέντων, προσκυνηθέντες καί

προσκυνήσαντες, μετά πάσης ἱλαρότητος ἀνεχώρησαν. Καί πάλιν τῷ ἄλλῳ Σαββάτῳ, ἀνήγαγον αὐτούς ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ· καί εἰσφέρουσι πρῶτον τόν μαθητήν τοῦ γέροντος, συνελθόντων καί τῶν δύο πατριαρχῶν· καί ἄγουσι Κωνσταντῖνον καί Μηνᾶν κατηγόρους τοῦ γέροντος, καί ἀπαιτοῦντες τόν μαθητήν συγκαταθέσθαι τοῖς κατ' αὐτῶν λαλουμένοις.

Μετά δέ πάσης παῤῥησίας εἶπεν ὁ μαθητής ἀφόβως πρός τήν σύγκλητον· Κωνσταντῖνον εἰσάγετε ἐν σεκρέτῳ παλατίου; Οὗτος οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε πρεσβύτερος, οὔτε μοναχός, ἀλλά τριβοῦνος θυμέλης. Ἐγνωρίσθη Ἀφροῖς καίῬωμαίοις, ποῖα γύναια βόσκων ἦλθεν ἐκεῖσε. Πάντες ἔμαθον τάς πανουργίας αὐτοῦ, ἅς ἐποίησε πρός τό λαθεῖν· ποτέ μέν λέγων, ὅτι ἀδελφαί αὐτοῦ εἰσί· ποτέ δέ, ὅτι διά τό μή κοινωνῆσαι τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπῆρα αὐτάς, ἵνα μή χρανθῶσι τῇ αἱρετικῇ κοινωνίᾳ. Ἀλλά καί πάλιν ἐάν λείψῃ αὐτῷ σπατάλῃ, καί εὕρῃ χώραν μή γνωρίζουσαν αὐτόν, τά αὐτά ποιεῖ, αἰσχροῦ κέρδους χάριν, καί ῥυπαρᾶς ἡδονῆς. Καί μεγάλη αἰσχύνη ἐστί, τό κἄν συντυγχάνειν αὐτῷ, τοῖς σεμνῶς βιῶναι θέλουσιν.

Εἶτα μετά ταῦτα, ἐρωτηθείς εἰ τόν τύπον ἐνεθεμάτισεν, ἀφόβως εἶπεν· Οὐ μόνον ἀνεθεμάτισα, ἀλλά καί λίβελλον ἐποίησα.

Τί οὖν; οὐχ ὁμολογεῖς πεποιηκέναι κακῶς; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ οἱ ἄρχοντες. Καί λέγει· Μή δῷ ὁ Θεός, ἵνα ὅπερ ἐποίησα καλῶς κατά θεσμόν

ἐκκλησιαστικόν, εἴπω 0128 γενέσθαι κακῶς. 15Γ_102 Καί πολλά ἄλλα ἐρωτηθείς, καί ἀποκριθείς καθώς ὁ Θεός

ἐχορήγησεν αὐτῷ, ἐξάγεται τοῦ σεκρέτου. ΙΓ´. Καί εἰσάγουσι τόν γέροντα, καί λέγει πρός αὐτόν κῦρις Τρώϊλος· Εἰπέ, ἀββᾶ,

βλέπε, εἰπέ τήν ἀλήθειαν, καί ἐλεεῖ σε ὁ δεσπότης· ἐπεί ἐάν διά τῆς νομίμου διηγήσεως ἔλθωμεν, καί εὕρῃ κἄν ἕν τῶν κατηγορηθέντων σου ἀληθές, ὁ νόμος φονεύει σε.

Καί εἶπε· καί ἤδη εἶπον, καί πάλιν λέγω, ὅτι ἐάν μόνον ἕν λέγηται εἶναι ἀληθές, καί ὁ Σατανᾶς Θεός ἐστιν. Εἰ δέ οὐκ ἔστι Θεός, ἀλλ' ἀποστάτης, καί τά κατηγορηθέντα μου ψευδῆ καί ἀνυπόστατα. Πλήν εἴ τι κελεύετε ποιῆσαι, ποιήσατε. Θεόν σέβων, οὐκ ἀδικοῦμαι.

Καί λέγει αὐτῷ· Οὔκ ἀνεθεμάτισας τόν τύπον;