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I gladly spend myself for you. But the summit of unity, the harmony of faith; is to admit none of the spurious doctrines, but to keep that ancient and apostolic teaching, which venerable old age has brought to you, which the toils of virtue have nourished. I beseech your piety, therefore, to take now greater care of the flock, and to keep it unharmed for the shepherd, and to say with boldness the praiseworthy word of the patriarch: I have not brought to you what was torn by beasts . 76 TO URANIUS, ARCHON OF CYPRUS. Sincere friendship is strengthened by association, but local distance does not sever it; for its bonds are strong. And one might know this from many other things; but our own case is sufficient to show the truth of the statement. For many things separate us, both mountains and cities and sea; but nothing has extinguished the memory of your magnificence. For as soon as we see someone arriving from those cities which are near the shores of the sea, our conversation brings up Cyprus and its excellent governor, and we rejoice to hear of your fame. But now we have been filled with especially great gladness; for we have learned what is most lovely of all to us. For what, O best of men, is more pleasing to us than to see your praiseworthy soul enlightened by the light of knowledge? For we think it right that he who is adorned with many forms of virtue should also receive its summit; and we believe that we shall see what we long for. For it is clear that your brilliance will eagerly seize the God-given gift, being urged on by genuine friends who clearly understand its greatness, and being guided to the great-giving God, who wills all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth , and through men He nets men for salvation, leading those who are caught to ageless life. For the fisherman takes away the life of those he catches; but our fisher, whatever he catches alive, frees from the bitter bonds of death. For this reason He appeared on earth, and conversed with men , and through his visible humanity He brought life-giving teaching to men, and He legislated a way of life befitting rational beings; and having strengthened the laws by miracles, He destroyed death by the death of the flesh; and having raised it, He promised resurrection to us all, having given the resurrection of his own precious body as a worthy pledge of our resurrection. Thus He loved men, even though they hated these things, so that the mystery of the economy is disbelieved by some because of the excess of the sufferings. But it is enough to show the abyss of his love for mankind that He still calls the unbelieving every day. And He does this, not as needing human service—for of what is the Maker of all in need?—, but as thirsting for the salvation of each one. Seize, therefore, O wonderful man, the gift and praise the lover of gifts and provide for us a very great and most joyful feast. 77 TO EULALIUS, BISHOP OF PERSIAN ARMENIA. I have learned that Satan has asked to sift you also as wheat, and the Master has allowed it, that He might show the wheat, that He might test the gold, that He might glorify in return those who glorify Him, that He might crown the athletes, that He might proclaim the champions. I, however, am afraid and tremble, not anxious about you, the noble combatants for the truth, but knowing that it happens that some are also weaker. For if among twelve apostles one was found a traitor, it is clear that among many more people there will be more

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ἀσπασίως εἰς ὑμᾶς ἀναλίσκω. Ὁ δὲ κολοφῶν τῆς ἑνώσεως, ἡ συμφωνία τῆς πίστεως· τὸ μηδὲν τῶν νόθων εἰσδέξασθαι δογμάτων, ἀλλὰ τὴν παλαιὰν ἐκείνην καὶ ἀποστολικὴν φυλάτ τειν διδασκαλίαν, ἣν ἡ σεβασμία ὑμῖν προσενήνοχε πολιά, ἣν ἀρετῆς ἱδρῶτες ἐξέθρεψαν. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν τὴν ὑμετέραν θεοσέβειαν νῦν πλείονα τῆς ποίμνης ποιήσασθαι προμήθειαν, καὶ φυλάξαι τῷ ποιμένι ταύτην ἀλώβητον, καὶ μετὰ παρρησίας εἰπεῖν τὸν ἀξιέπαινον τοῦ πατριάρχου λόγον· Θηριάλωτον οὐκ ἐνήνοχά σοι . 76 ΟΥΡΑΝΙΩ ΑΡΧΟΝΤΙ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ. Τὴν εἰλικρινῆ φιλίαν κρατύνει μὲν συνουσία, τοπικὴ δὲ οὐ διατέμνει διάστασις· ἰσχυρὰ γὰρ τὰ ταύτης δεσμά. Καὶ τοῦτο γνοίη μὲν ἄν τις καὶ ἐξ ἑτέρων πολλῶν· ἀπόχρη δὲ καὶ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐπιδεῖξαι τοῦ λόγου τ' ἀληθές. Πολλὰ γὰρ ἡμᾶς διΐστησι καὶ ὄρη καὶ πόλεις καὶ θάλαττα· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἔσβεσεν τῆς σῆς μεγαλοπρεπείας τὴν μνήμην. Εὐθὺς γὰρ ἤν τινα ἴδωμεν ἐξ ἐκείνων ἀφιγμένον τῶν πόλεων, αἳ τῆς θαλάττης εἰσὶν ἀγχι τέρμονες, τὴν Κύπρον καὶ τὸν ταύτης ἄριστον κυβερνήτην εἰς μέσον ὁ λόγος προφέρει, καὶ γαννύμεθα τὸ σὸν ἀκούοντες κλέος. Νῦν δὲ διαφερόντως πολλῆς ἐνεπλήσθημεν θυμηδίας· τὸ γὰρ πάντων ἡμῖν ἐρασμιώτερον μεμαθήκαμεν. Τί γὰρ ἡμῖν, ὦ ἄριστε, θυμηρέστερον τοῦ τὴν ἀξιέπαινόν σου ψυχὴν τῷ τῆς γνώσεως φωτὶ πεφωτισμένην ἰδεῖν; Τὸν γὰρ πολλοῖς κοσμούμενον εἴδεσιν ἀρετῆς δίκαιον ἡγούμεθα καὶ τὸν ταύτης προσλαβεῖν κολοφῶνα· καὶ πιστεύομεν ὡς ὀψόμεθα τὸ ποθού μενον. Ἁρπάσει γὰρ δῆλον ὅτι προθύμως ἡ σὴ λαμπρότης τὴν θεόσδοτον δωρεάν, παρὰ γνησίων φίλων καὶ σαφῶς ταύτης ἐπισταμένων τὸ μέγεθος προτρεπομένη, καὶ πρὸς τὸν μεγαλό δωρον ποδηγουμένη Θεόν, ὃς πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλει σωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν , καὶ δι' ἀνθρώπων ἀνθρώπους σαγηνεύει πρὸς σωτηρίαν, εἰς ἀγήρω ζωὴν τοὺς ἀγρευομένους ἀπάγων. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἰχθυολκὸς τῶν θηρευομένων τὴν ζωὴν ἀφαιρεῖται· ὁ δὲ ἡμέτερος ἀσπαλιευ τής, ὅπερ ἂν ζωγρήσῃ, τῶν πικρῶν ἐλευθεροῖ τοῦ θανάτου δεσμῶν. Τούτου χάριν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη, καὶ τοῖς ἀν θρώποις συνανεστράφη , καὶ διὰ τῆς ὁρωμένης ἀνθρωπό τητος τὴν ζωηφόρον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις διδασκαλίαν προσήνεγκεν, καὶ λογικοῖς πρέπουσαν πολιτείαν ἐνομοθέτησεν· καὶ τοὺς νόμους ταῖς θαυματουργίαις κρατύνας, κατέλυσε τῷ τῆς σαρ κὸς θανάτῳ τὸν θάνατον· καὶ ταύτην ἀναστήσας, πᾶσιν ἡμῖν ὑπέσχετο τὴν ἀνάστασιν, ἐχέγγυον ἀξιόχρεων τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀναστάσεως τοῦ τιμίου σώματος αὑτοῦ δεδωκὼς τὴν ἀνάστα σιν. Οὕτω δὲ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ταῦτα μισοῦντας, ἠγάπησεν, ὡς τὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον παρά τισιν ἀπιστεῖσθαι διὰ τὴν τῶν παθημάτων ὑπερβολήν. Ἀπόχρη δὲ δεῖξαι τῆς φιλαν θρωπίας τὴν ἄβυσσον καὶ τὸ τοὺς ἀπιστοῦντας ἔτι καθ' ἡμέ ραν ἑκάστην καλεῖν. Ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρωπίνης θεραπείας δεόμενος-τίνος γὰρ ἐνδεὴς τῶν ὅλων ὁ Ποιη τής-, ἀλλ' ὡς διψῶν ἑκάστου τὴν σωτηρίαν. Ἅρπασον τοίνυν, ὦ θαυμάσιε, τὸ δῶρον καὶ τὸν φιλόδωρον ὕμνησον καὶ μεγίστην ἡμῖν καὶ θυμηρεστάτην προξένησον ἑορτήν. 77 ΕΥΛΑΛΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΤΗΣ ΠΕΡΣΙΚΗΣ ΑΡΜΕΝΙΑΣ. Ἔγνων ὡς ἐζήτησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς σινιάσαι καὶ ὑμᾶς ὡς τὸν σῖτον, καὶ ἐνδέδωκεν ὁ ∆εσπότης, ἵνα δείξῃ τὸν σῖτον, ἵνα τὸν χρυσὸν δοκιμάσῃ, ἵνα τοὺς δοξάζοντας ἀντιδοξάσῃ, ἵνα τοὺς ἀθλητὰς στεφανώσῃ, ἵνα τοὺς ἀριστέας ἀνακηρύξῃ. Ἐγὼ μέντοι δέδια καὶ φρίττω, οὐ περὶ ὑμῶν ἀγωνιῶν τῶν γενναίων τῆς ἀληθείας ἀγωνιστῶν, ἀλλ' εἰδὼς ὅτι συμβαίνει καὶ ἀσθενέστερον διακεῖσθαί τινας. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν δυοκαίδεκα ἀποστόλοις εἷς εὑρέθη προδότης, εὔδηλον ὅτι ἐν πολλαπλα σίοις ἀνθρώποις πλείους