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now by his very deeds he cries out openly to the second Herod, "4It is lawful for you to have the wife Theodote the lewd one"5, and in his own person he expressly commands men to commit adultery until the end of time and that priests be the ones to crown such people. O daring heart; O contempt for the judgments of God. Why does not each one rather denounce the affair and separate himself from such a one, even to the point of not eating or meeting with him, if he does not renounce his sin after being completely barred from every sacred ministry? But for this reason we beseech your piety and your exactitude according to our holy habit to sound such words into the ears of our pious masters. For we believe that, if they remove this man with the approval of our most holy patriarch, the angels will have to applaud, all the saints will acclaim, and the whole church will rejoice, and there will be a great addition of divine aid from above to their power, both in taking on enemies and foes and in their peaceful and long-lived life. And where shall we put, holy father, the sacred canons, which bar him from acting as a priest? The first one does not permit a presbyter even to feast at the wedding of one who is marrying for a second time, although this is permitted by God. But if this man feasted not at a permitted wedding, but at a forbidden and adulterous one for thirty whole days, and not only this, but also that he placed the crowns of victory over virginity on adulterers and the impure, of what would he be worthy? Defrocking is perhaps a small thing. But if this goes unpunished, divine things are a game and the canons are stale. According to the second canon, again, he who has fallen into some error and for this reason has been excommunicated, if he does not strive within a year for his own reinstatement, it is no longer permitted for his voice to be heard. But he, having passed nine years, has leapt into the church. But if he should say that he received permission from his predecessor and that the affair is blameless, why then did the one who gave permission not perform the crowning himself? For it is in every way for patriarchs to crown emperors, not some priest; for it has never happened before. But it is clear that, with the danger of deposition from the high priesthood itself lying before him, finding this man eager (for he was often at the palace), he passed the danger on to his person (if indeed it is true that he gave permission; for we do not believe it, as he has given assurance to us and many others). But if again he should say that he was not excommunicated by his predecessor, why then did he not celebrate the liturgy during the nine years? Why now has he been absolved by a synod, as he says? It is clear that one who is bound is absolved, not one who is unbound. So he contradicts himself here too, that he was excluded, since he did not, within the year according to the canon, show himself innocent and receive absolution openly, if indeed there was absolution for one completely bound, even if he presents ten thousand false witnesses. These are the things, holy father, that frighten and constrict our hearts. And for these reasons, in order not to have communion with him and the preceding patriarch, when he was giving communion to the adulterer, I for my part was shut up in the place where you sit, while the abbot and the rest with the archbishop were exiled in Thessaloniki. But God has again brought us together through your prayers; and not even so were we united to the patriarch in a random way, but only when he confessed that we had done well. If therefore, when the adultery and the transgression of the canons were taking place, we did not shrink back by the power of God, how then now, when the empire is pious, shall we shrink back for the sake of one defrocked presbyter and betray the truth, endangering our souls? In no way, but all things are bearable for us up to death rather than to share in his communion and that of those who serve with him, until he ceases from the sacred ministry, just as in the case of the former, although the second case is more grievous; for his predecessor did not once concelebrate with him. and there

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νῦν αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἔργοις ἄντικρυς κράζει τῷ δευτέρῳ Ἡρώδῃ "4ἔξεστίν σοι ἔχειν γυναῖκα Θεοδότην τὴν μαχλῶσαν"5, κἀν τῷ αὐτοῦ προσώπῳ διαρρήδην προστάσσει ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος μοιχεύειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ τοὺς τοιούτους στεφανοῦντας εἶναι ἱερέας. Ὢ τολμηρᾶς καρδίας· ὢ καταφρονήσεως θεοῦ κριμάτων. διατί μὴ μᾶλλον ἕκαστος καταγορεύει τῆς ὑποθέσεως καὶ διαστέλλεται τοῦ τοιούτου καὶ μέχρι βρώσεως εἴτουν συντυχίας, εἰ μὴ ἐξαγορεύει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μετὰ τὸ παντάπασιν εἴργεσθαι αὐτὸν ἐκ πάσης ἱερουργίας; ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο δεόμεθά σου τῆς θεοσεβείας καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸ ἱερὸν ἡμῶν σχῆμα ἀκριβείας ἐνηχῆσαι εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῶν εὐσεβῶν ἡμῶν δεσποτῶν τοὺς τοιούτους λόγους. πιστεύομεν γὰρ ὅτι, εἰ τοῦτον παραστείλωσιν σὺν εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου ἡμῶν πατριάρχου, ἐπικροτῆσαι ἔχουσιν ἄγγελοι, ἀνευφημήσωσι πάντες οἱ ἅγιοι, εὐφρανθήσεται δὲ καὶ πᾶσα ἡ ἐκκλησία, γενήσεται δὲ καὶ τῷ κράτει αὐτῶν θείας ἄνωθεν ἐπικουρίας προσθήκη πολλὴ ἔν τε προσλήψει ἐχθρῶν τε καὶ πολεμίων καὶ ἐν εἰρηναίᾳ καὶ μακροημέρῳ αὐτῶν ζωῇ. Ποῦ δὲ καὶ θήσομεν, πάτερ ἅγιε, τοὺς ἱεροὺς κανόνας, εἴργοντας αὐτὸν τοῦ ἱερατεύειν; τὸν μὲν πρῶτον μὴ παραχωροῦντα μηδὲ εἰς διγαμοῦντος γάμον ἑστιαθῆναι τὸν πρεσβύτερον, καίπερ ὄντος ἐκ θεοῦ παρακεχωρημένου. εἰ δὲ ὅτι μὴ τὸν παρακεχωρημένον γάμον οὗτος, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν ἀποκήρυκτον καὶ μοιχικὸν ὅλαις τριάκοντα ἡμέραις εὐωχήσατο, καὶ οὐ μόνον τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ τοὺς νικητικοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ παρθενίᾳ στεφάνους ἐπιτέθεικε τοῖς μοιχοῖς καὶ ἀκαθάρτοις, τίνος εἴη ἄξιος; μικρὸν τάχα ἡ καθαίρεσις. εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἀνεκδίκητον, παίγνια τὰ θεῖα καὶ ἕωλοι οἱ κανόνες. κατὰ τὸν δεύτερον πάλιν κανόνα, ὅτι ὁ ὑποπεσὼν ἔν τινι σφάλματι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀφορισθείς, εἰ μὴ ἐντὸς ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐπαγωνίσηται τῇ οἰκείᾳ συστάσει, οὐκ ἐξὸν ἔτι φωνὴν αὐτοῦ προσδεχθῆναι. ὁ δὲ ἐννέα χρόνους ὑπερβὰς εἰσεπήδησεν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι παρὰ τοῦ προηγησαμένου λαβεῖν τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν καὶ ἀνέγκλητον εἶναι τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, τί δήποτε οὐχ ὁ ἐπιτρέψας αὐτούργησεν στεφανώσας; ἔστι γὰρ πάντως πατριάρχαις βασιλεῖς στεφανοῦν, οὐχ ἱερέα τινά· οὐ γὰρ πώποτε γεγένηται. ἀλλὰ δῆλον ὅτι κινδύνου αὐτῷ κειμένου εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἀρχιερωσύνην καθαιρέσεως εὑρὼν τοῦτον προθυμούμενον (ἦν γὰρ συναλιζόμενος εἰς τὰ βασίλεια) παρέπεμψεν εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου πρόσωπον τὸν κίνδυνον (εἴπερ καὶ ἀληθὲς ὅτι καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν· οὐ γὰρ πιστεύομεν ἡμῖν τε καὶ ἄλλοις πολλοῖς πεπληροφορηκώς). εἰ δὲ πάλιν λέγοι μὴ εἶναι ἀφωρισμένος ὑπὸ τοῦ προηγησαμένου, τί δήποτε οὐκ ἐλειτούργει ἐν τοῖς ἐννέα ἔτεσιν; τί δήποτε ὑπὸ συνόδου, ὡς λέγει, νῦν λέλυται; δῆλον ὅτι ὁ δεδεμένος λέλυται, οὐχ ὁ ἄδετος. ὥστε ἑαυτῷ περιπίπτει κἀνταῦθα εἰργμένος εἶναι, ἐφόσον οὐκ ἐντὸς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ κατὰ τὸν κανόνα ὑπέδειξεν ἑαυτὸν ἀθῶον καὶ ἔλαβεν τὴν λύσιν ἐμφανῶς, εἴπερ ἦν λύσις τῷ ὁλοδεσμίῳ, κἂν μυρίους παριστᾷ ψευδομάρτυρας. Ταῦτά ἐστι, πάτερ ἅγιε, τὰ φοβοῦντα καὶ συστέλλοντα ἡμῶν τὴν καρδίαν. καὶ διὰ ταῦτα πρὸς τὸ μὴ κοινωνῆσαι αὐτῷ τε καὶ τῷ προηγησαμένῳ πατριάρχῃ, ἐπὰν μετεδίδοι τῷ μοιχεύσαντι, ἀπεκλείσθην ἐγὼ μὲν ἐν ᾧ καθέζῃ τόπῳ, ὁ ἡγούμενος δὲ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ σὺν τῷ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ ἐν τῇ Θεσσαλονίκῃ ὑπερορισθέντες. ἀλλ' ὁ θεὸς πάλιν ἐπισυνήγαγεν ἡμᾶς εὐχαῖς σου· καὶ οὐδ' οὕτως ὡς ἔτυχεν ἡνώθημεν τῷ πατριάρχῃ, εἰ μὴ ὡμολόγησε καλῶς ἡμᾶς πεποιηκέναι. ἐὰν οὖν, ὅτε ἡ μοιχεία ἦν καὶ ἡ τῶν κανόνων παράβασις, οὐχ ὑπεστάλημεν δυνάμει θεοῦ, πῶς οὖν ἄρτι, ὅτε εὐσεβοῦσά ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία, ἕνεκεν ἑνὸς πρεσβυτέρου καθῃρημένου ὑποσταλησόμεθα καὶ προδώσομεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, κινδυνεύοντες κατὰ ψυχήν; οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἡμῖν φορητὰ μέχρι θανάτου ἢ μετασχεῖν τῆς ἐκείνου κοινωνίας καὶ τῶν ἐκείνῳ συλλειτουργούντων, ἕως ἂν παύσῃ τῆς ἱερουργίας, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ προτέρου, καίπερ ὄντος χαλεπωτέρου τοῦ δευτέρου· οὐδὲ γὰρ συνελειτούργησεν αὐτῷ καθάπαξ ὁ προηγησάμενος. καὶ ἐκεῖ