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you have shown and made my faith more firm. I am eager, therefore, myself offering my own shoulders, to renew your most holy house, which those abominable and most impious men outraged by the atrocity of its demolition. 2.56.1 I desire your people to be at peace and to remain free from strife for the common good of the inhabited world and for the benefit of all men. Let those who are in error, gladly receive the same enjoyment of peace and quiet as those who believe. For this sweetness of fellowship will have the power to correct them also and to lead them to the straight path. Let no one trouble another; let each one hold fast to what his soul desires, let him make use of this. 2.56.2 But those who think rightly must be persuaded that these alone will live holily and purely, whom you yourself call to rest upon your holy laws. But those who withdraw themselves, let them have, if they wish, the precincts of falsehood; we have the most glorious house of your truth, which you have given according to nature. This we pray for them also, so that indeed 2.57.1 through the common harmony they too may receive gladness. For there is nothing new or recent in our practice, but from when we have believed the ordering of all things to have been firmly established, with the reverence that befits you you have commanded this. But the human race has been deceived, led astray by all sorts of errors; but you, through your son, so that evil might not increase further, having caused a pure light to rise, have reminded all about yourself. Your actions confirm these things; your power makes us innocent and faithful. The sun and moon have their ordered course, nor do the stars have a disorderly revolution of the cosmic circle; the changes of the seasons revolve according to law, the firm stability of the earth is established by your word, and the wind makes its movement according to the prescribed ordinance, and the flow of the waters runs forth in the measure of an immeasurable current, the sea is contained by fixed boundaries, and whatever is extended along with the land and the ocean, all this is crafted with certain wonderful 2.58.2 and useful works of magnificence. And if this were not done according to the judgment of your will, such great diversity and the great distinction of authority would undoubtedly have brought ruin to all life and affairs. For those who fight against each other would more grievously have harmed the human race; which is what they do even when unseen. 2.59.1 But greatest thanks to you, Master of all, greatest God; for as much as humanity is known by its different pursuits, so much the more are the teachings of the divine word established for those who think more rightly and who care for genuine virtue. However, whoever hinders himself from being healed, let him not impute this to another; for the art of healing is set forth openly for all. Only let no one harm this, which guarantees that things be undefiled. Let us all, therefore, as men, make use of the common inheritance of the good that has been given, that is, the blessing of peace, separating our conscience, of course, from everything contrary. But let not one man harm another with what he has persuaded himself to accept; with what one man has seen and understood, let him help his neighbor, if possible; but if it is impossible, let him be. For it is one thing to undertake voluntarily the contest for immortality, 2.60.2 another to compel it with punishment. These things I have said, these things I have detailed at greater length than the aim of my clemency requires, since I did not wish to conceal the faith of the truth, especially because some, as I hear, say that the customs of the temples and the power of darkness have been abolished; which I would have advised for all men, if the violent rebellion of wicked error had not become immoderately fixed in the souls of some, to the detriment of the common salvation. 2.61.1 Such things the emperor, as if a most loud-voiced herald of God, addressed to all the inhabitants of the provinces through his own letter, restraining his 2.61.2 subjects from demonic error, and urging them to pursue true piety.

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ἔδειξας καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν πίστιν βεβαιοτέραν εἰργάσω. ἐπείγομαι γοῦν καὶ τοὺς ὤμους αὐτὸς ὑποσχὼν τοὺς ἐμοὺς τὸν ἁγιώτατόν σου οἶκον ἀνανεώσασθαι, ὃν οἱ μυσαροὶ ἐκεῖνοι καὶ ἀσεβέστατοι τῷ ἀτοπήματι τῆς καθαιρέσεως ἐλυμήναντο. 2.56.1 Εἰρηνεύειν σου τὸν λαὸν καὶ ἀστασίαστον μένειν ἐπιθυμῶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης καὶ τοῦ πάντων ἀνθρώπων χρησίμου. ὁμοίαν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν οἱ πλανώμενοι χαίροντες λαμβανέτωσαν εἰρήνης τε καὶ ἡσυχίας ἀπόλαυσιν. αὕτη γὰρ ἡ τῆς κοινωνίας γλυκύτης κἀκείνους ἐπανορθώσασθαι καὶ πρὸς τὴν εὐθεῖαν ἀγαγεῖν ὁδὸν ἰσχύσει. μηδεὶς τὸν ἕτερον παρενοχλείτω· ἕκαστος ὅπερ ἡ ψυχὴ βούλεται κατεχέτω, τούτῳ 2.56.2 κατακεχρήσθω. τοὺς δ' εὖ φρονοῦντας πεπεῖσθαι χρή, ὡς οὗτοι μόνοι ἁγίως καὶ καθαρῶς βιώσονται, οὓς αὐτὸς καλεῖς ἐπαναπαύεσθαι τοῖς σοῖς ἁγίοις νόμοις. οἱ δ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀφέλκοντες ἐχόντων βουλόμενοι τὰ τῆς ψευδολογίας τεμένη· ἡμεῖς ἔχομεν τὸν φαιδρότατον τῆς σῆς ἀληθείας οἶκον, ὅνπερ κατὰ φύσιν δέδωκας. τοῦτο κἀκείνοις εὐχόμεθα, ἵνα δηλαδὴ 2.57.1 διὰ τῆς κοινῆς ὁμονοίας καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν θυμηδίαν ἀποφέρωνται. οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστι καινὸν οὐδέ τι νεώτερον τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' ἐξ οὗπερ τὴν τῶν ὅλων διακόσμησιν παγίως γεγενῆσθαι πεπιστεύκαμεν, μετὰ τοῦ πρέποντός σοι σεβάσματος τοῦτο παρεκελεύσω, ἐσφάλη δὲ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος πλάναις παντοίαις παρηγμένον· ἀλλὰ σύ γε διὰ τοῦ σοῦ υἱοῦ, ἵνα μὴ τὸ κακὸν ἐπὶ πλέον ἐπιβρίσῃ, καθαρὸν φῶς ἀνασχὼν ὑπέμνησας περὶ σεαυτοῦ τοὺς πάντας. Αἱ σαὶ πράξεις ταῦτα πιστοῦνται· τὸ σὸν κράτος ἀθῴους ἡμᾶς καὶ πιστοὺς ἐργάζεται, ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη ἔννομον ἔχουσι τὴν πορείαν, οὐδὲ τὰ ἄστρα ἄτακτον ἔχει τὴν τοῦ κοσμικοῦ κύκλου περιφοράν· αἱ τῶν καιρῶν ἀμοιβαὶ νομίμως ἀνακυκλοῦνται, ἡ τῆς γῆς ἑδραία στάσις τῷ σῷ λόγῳ συνέστηκε, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα κατὰ τὸν ἐπιταχθέντα θεσμὸν ποιεῖται τὴν κίνησιν, ἥ τε τῶν ὑδάτων φορὰ θέουσα πρόεισιν ἀπλέτου ῥεύματος μέτρῳ, ἡ θάλασσα ὅροις ἐμπεριέχεται πεπηγόσι, καὶ ὅ τι ἂν τῇ γῇ καὶ τῷ ὠκεανῷ συμπαρεκτείνηται, τοῦτο πᾶν θαυμασταῖς τισι 2.58.2 καὶ χρησίμοις τεχνάζεται πολυτελείαις. ὅπερ εἰ μὴ κατὰ κρίσιν τῆς σῆς βουλήσεως ἐπράττετο, ἀναμφιβόλως ἂν ἡ τοσαύτη διαφορὰ καὶ ἡ πολλὴ τῆς ἐξουσίας διάκρισις παντὶ τῷ βίῳ καὶ τοῖς πράγμασιν ἐλυμήνατο. οἱ γὰρ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς μαχεσθέντες χαλεπώτερον ἂν τὸ ἀνθρώπινον κατέβλαψαν γένος· ὅπερ καὶ μὴ ὁρώμενοι πράττουσιν. 2.59.1 Ἀλλὰ χάρις σοι πλείστη, δέσποτα τῶν ἁπάντων, μέγιστε θεέ· ὅσον γὰρ διαφόροις σπουδάσμασιν ἡ ἀνθρωπότης γνωρίζεται, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον τοῖς ὀρθότερον φρονοῦσι καὶ γνησίας ἐπιμελομένοις ἀρετῆς τὰ τοῦ θείου λόγου μαθήματα συνίσταται. πλὴν ὅστις αὐτὸν θεραπεύεσθαι κωλύει, ἄλλῳ τοῦτο μὴ λογιζέσθω· ἡ γὰρ ἰατρικὴ τῶν ἰαμάτων προκαθέζεται ἅπασιν εἰς τοὐμφανὲς προκειμένη. μόνον μή τις καταβλαπτέτω τοῦθ', ὅπερ ἄχραντον εἶναι τὰ πράγματα παρεγγυᾷ. χρησώμεθα τοίνυν ἅπαντες ἄνθρωποι τῇ τοῦ δοθέντος ἀγαθοῦ συγκληρίᾳ, τουτέστι τῷ τῆς εἰρήνης καλῷ, χωρίζοντες δηλαδὴ τὴν συνείδησιν ἀπὸ παντὸς ἐναντίου. πλὴν ἕκαστος ὅπερ πείσας ἑαυτὸν ἀναδέδεκται, τούτῳ τὸν ἕτερον μὴ καταβλαπτέτω· ὅπερ θάτερος εἶδέν τε καὶ ἐνενόησεν, τούτῳ τὸν πλησίον εἰ μὲν γενέσθαι δυνατὸν ὠφελείτω, εἰ δ' ἀδύνατον παραπεμπέσθω. ἄλλο γάρ ἐστι τὸν ὑπὲρ ἀθανασίας ἆθλον ἑκουσίως ἐπαναι2.60.2 ρεῖσθαι, ἄλλο τὸ μετὰ τιμωρίας ἐπαναγκάζειν. ταῦτα εἶπον, ταῦτα διεξῆλθον μακρότερον ἢ ὁ τῆς ἐμῆς ἐπιεικείας ἀπαιτεῖ σκοπός, ἐπειδὴ τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἀποκρύψασθαι πίστιν οὐκ ἐβουλόμην, μάλισθ' ὅτι τινὲς ὡς ἀκούω φασὶ τῶν ναῶν περιῃρῆσθαι τὰ ἔθη καὶ τοῦ σκότους τὴν ἐξουσίαν· ὅπερ συνεβούλευσα ἂν πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις, εἰ μὴ τῆς μοχθηρᾶς πλάνης ἡ βίαιος ἐπανάστασις ἐπὶ βλάβῃ τῆς κοινῆς σωτηρίας ἀμέτρως ταῖς ἐνίων ψυχαῖς ἐμπεπήγει. 2.61.1 Τοιαῦτα βασιλεὺς ὡσανεὶ θεοῦ μεγαλοφωνότατος κήρυξ τοῖς ἐπαρχιώταις ἅπασι δι' οἰκείου προσεφώνει γράμματος, δαιμονικῆς μὲν ἀπείργων τοὺς 2.61.2 ἀρχομένους πλάνης, τὴν δ' ἀληθῆ μετιέναι θεοσέβειαν ἐγκελευόμενος.