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to make it a land of peace, and a pasture of rational sheep, being led up to God through practice; whose law I have not yet harmlessly passed through spiritual contemplation, as Israel did Mount Seir; nor have I passed through its desires with dispassion, through gnostic practice, as their brothers the sons of Esau, who dwell in Arabah by Moses, those who derive their race from Jacob did; but I still dwell in Arabah according to the sons of Esau, the west I mean, that is, the flesh; not expecting another after the present life, on account of the pleasures of the flesh. Which every true Israel and seer of God does not deign even to sojourn in, hastening to depart from the flesh through virtues, and longing to be at home with the Lord through knowledge; who is truly 15Β_130 a land of promise of ineffable goods, mystically both being and named, the one flowing with milk and honey. For the Lord is nourishing to those who are infants according to him, and gladdening to those who are growing into manhood according to him, as he nurtures with virtues through practice, as with milk, those who fear him, and sweetens with mystical knowledge, as with honey through spiritual contemplation, those who love him.

Therefore, do not cease to shepherd me, who have been captured by beasts, with words of truth, honored Father, 0445 and do not stop delivering me from the passions in the flesh along with the spirits of wickedness that stir them up, evils that are devouring and consuming my inner man; and call me to yourself, and let me dwell under your wings. if indeed it is true that all fear of perceptible Barbarians, on account of whom I, as a lover of life, have crossed such expanses of sea, is absent; about which I especially beseech your most holy selves, after the desired indication of your all-radiant strength in God, to declare more accurately; and to show me through letters the whole prevailing situation there at present, just as it is. For being weak in reasoning and very unsound, and scarcely able to be sober even in a small way in peace, and to gather my mind which is scattered over many things out of cowardice, I wish to make the voyage with security; as one imperfect in thought, and not being able to delve into the principles of the providence that wisely directs all things; lest perhaps in what befalls, having become hesitant in my reasoning out of ignorance, and having given in to the struggles of endurance out of weakness, I should be deprived of the crowns from them, having become a deserter in the trial of necessary things.

Through this letter, as if present, I greet your most holy selves, and all those with you; asking to be commended to Christ the God and Savior of all, through your holy and well-pleasing prayers.

LETTER 9. TO THALASSIUS THE PRESBYTER AND ABBOT 9. Of the same, to Thalassius the presbyter and abbot. 15Β_132 Three things, they say well, exist that lead man;

or rather, toward which man is moved by will and judgment according to choice: God, and nature, and the world. And each of these, when it draws, separates from the other two, altering the one being led toward itself; and making him by position that which it itself is known to be by nature, except, however, for nature. For that preserves man as that which he is. If, then, it is God who leads man, by the grace of the Word he is disposed to make him a god by position, bestowing deification upon the one being led as a good beyond nature; and he cuts him off cleanly from the two, I mean the world and nature. But if it is nature that leads man, being in accordance with himself, it shows man to be by nature; being between God and the world; as partaking of neither of these by judgment. But if

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ποιῆσαι αὐτήν χώραν εἰρήνης, καί λογικῶν προβάτων νομήν, διά πράξεως πρός Θεόν ἀναγομένων· ἧς ἐγώ τέως οὔπω τόν νόμον παρῆλθον ἀβλαβῶς διά θεωρίας πνευματικῆς, καθάπερ ὁ Ἰσραήλ τό ὄρος Σιείρ· οὐδέ τάς αὐτῆς ἀπαθῶς διῆλθον ἐπιθυμίας, διά πράξεως γνωστικῆς, ὥσπερ τούς ἀδελφούς αὐτῶν τούς υἱούς Ἡσαῦ, τούς κατοικοῦντας ἐν Ἄραβα διά Μωσέως, οἱ ἐξ Ἰακώβ τό γένος κατάγοντες ἀλλ᾿ ἔτι κατοικῶ τήν Ἄραβα κατά τούς υἱούς Ἡσαῦ, τάς δυσμάς λέγω δέ τήν σάρκα· μετά τήν παροῦσαν ζωήν, διά τάς σαρκός ἡδονάς, ἑτέραν μή ἐκδεχόμενος. Ἥν οὐδέ παροικῆσαι πᾶς ἀληθινός Ἰσραήλ καί ὁρῶν Θεόν καταδέχεται, τῆς σαρκός ἐκδημῆσαι διά τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐπειγόμενος, καί ἐνδημῆσαι πρός τόν Κύριον διά τῆς γνώσεως ἐφιέμενος· τόν ὄντως 15Β_130 γῆν ἐπαγγελίας ἀῤῥήτων ἀγαθῶν μυστικῶς καί ὄντα καί ὠνομασμένον, τήν ῥέουσαν γάλα καί μέλι. Θρεπτικός γάρ τῶν κατ᾿ αὐτόν νηπιαζόντων, καί εὐφραντικός ὑπάρχει τῶν κατ᾿ αὐτόν ἀνδριζομένων ὁ Κύριος, ὡς ἀρεταῖς ἐκτρέφων διά πράξεως, καθάπερ γάλακτι, τούς φοβουμένους αὐτόν, καί γνώσεσι καταγλυκαίνων μυστικαῖς, καθάπερ μέλιτι διά θεωρίας πνευματικῆς, τούς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν.

Τοιγαροῦν, μή διαλίπῃς ποιμαίνων με συμπαθῶς ἀληθείας λόγοις τόν θηριάλωτον, τίμιε Πάτερ, 0445 καί τῶν ἐν σαρκί παθῶν μετά τῶν ἀνακινούντων αὐτά πνευμάτων τῆς πονηρίας, μή παύσῃ λυτρούμενος, τῶν κακῶν κατεσθιόντων καί δαπανώντων μου τόν ἐντός ἄνθρωπον· καί κάλεσον πρός ἑαυτόν, καί ὑπό τάς σάς κατασκήνωσον πτέρυγας. εἴπερ ἀληθῶς ἄπεστι, πᾶς φόβος Βαρβάρων αἰσθητῶν, δι᾿ οὕς τοσαῦτα διαστήματα θαλάσσης, ὡς φιλόζωος, ἦλθον· περί οὗ μάλιστα παρακαλῶ τούς ἁγιωτάτους ὑμᾶς, μετά τήν εὐκταίαν σημείωσιν τῆς κατά Θεόν παμφαοῦς ὑμῶν ῥώσεως, ἀκριβέστερον δηλῶσαι· καί πᾶσαν τήν κρατοῦσαν ἐπί τοῦ παρόντος αὐτόθι κατάστασιν, ὡς ἔστι, παραδεῖξαί μοι διά γραμμάτων. Ἀσθενής γάρ ὤν τόν λογισμόν καί πάνυ σαθρός, καί μόλις κἄν ἐν εἰρῄνη νήφειν μικρομερῶς δυνάμενος, καί περί πολλά σκεδαννύμενον ἐκ δειλίας συνάγειν τόν νοῦν, θέλω σύν ἀσφαλείᾳ ποιήσασθαι τόν πλοῦν· ὡς ἀτελής τήν διάνοιαν, καί τοῖς λόγοις τῆς σοφῶς τό πᾶν διεξαγούσης προνοίας ἐμβατεύειν οὐχ οἷός τε ὤν· μή πως ἐν τοῖς συμβαίνουσιν ἐξ ἀγνοίας ὀκλάσας τόν λογισμόν, καί τοῖς τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἐξ ἀσθενείας ἐνδούς ἀγῶσι, τούς ἐξ αὐτῶν ζημιωθῶ στεφάνους, ὡς λειποτάκτης ἐν τῇ πείρᾳ τῶν δεόντων γενόμενος.

∆ιά τοῦ γράμματος ὡς παρών ἀσπάζομαι τούς ἁγιωτάτους ὑμᾶς, καί πάντας τούς σύν ὑμῖν· αἰτῶν διά τῶν ἁγίων καί εὐπροσδέκτων ὑμῶν εὐχῶν, Χριστῷ τῷ Θεῷ καί Σωτῆρι τῶν ὅλων παρατεθῆναι.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ Θ'. ΠΡΟΣ ΘΑΛΛΑΣΙΟΝ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΝ ΚΑΙ ΗΓΟΥΜΕΝΟΝ Θ´. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός Θαλλάσιον πρεσβύτερον καί ἡγούμενον. 15Β_132 Τρία, καλῶς φασιν, ὑπάρχουσι, τά τόν ἄνθρωπον ἄγοντα·

μᾶλλον δέ πρός ἅ βουλήσει τε καί γνώμῃ κατά προαίρεσιν κινεῖται ὁ ἄνθρωπος· Θεός, καί φύσις, καί κόσμος. Καί τούτων ἕκαστον ἕλκον, τῶν ἄλλων δύο ἐξίστησι, πρός ἑαυτό ἀλλοιοῦν τόν ἀγόμενον· κἀκεῖνο ποιοῦν αὐτόν θέσει, ὅπερ αὐτό ὑπάρχον φύσει γνωρίζεται, πλήν μέντοι τῆς φύσεως. Ἐκείνη γάρ, τοῦθ᾿ ὅπερ ἐστί διαφυλάττει τόν ἄνθρωπον. Εἰ μέν οὖν Θεός ἐστιν ὁ ἄγων τόν ἄνθρωπον, τῇ τοῦ Λόγου χάριτι θεόν ποιεῖν θέσει πέφυκε, θέωσιν ὡς ἀγαθός ὑπέρ φύσιν τῷ ἀγομένῳ δωρούμενος· καί τῶν δύο καθαρῶς ἀποτέμνει, κόσμου λέγω καί φύσεως. Εἰ δέ φύσις ἐστίν ἡ ἄγουσα τόν ἄνθρωπον, καθ᾿ ἑαυτόν ὄντα, φύσει τόν ἄνθρωπον διαδείκνυσι· μέσον Θεοῦ καί κόσμου τυγχάνουσα· ὡς οὐδετέρου τούτων κατά γνώμην μετέχοντα. Εἰ δέ