37.  From the same zeal proceeded his opposition to the heretics, when, with the aid of the Emperor’s impiety, they made their expedition, in the hope of overpowering us also, and adding us to the number of the others whom they had, in almost all cases, succeeded in enslaving.  For in this he afforded us no slight assistance, both in himself, and by hounding us on like well-bred dogs against these most savage beasts, through his training in piety.  On one point I blame you both, and pray do not take amiss my plainspeaking, if I should annoy you by expressing the cause of my pain.  When I was disgusted at the evils of life, and longing, if anyone of our day has longed, for solitude, and eager, as speedily as possible, to escape to some haven of safety, from the surge and dust of public life, it was you who, somehow or other seized and gave me up by the noble title of the priesthood to this base and treacherous mart of souls.  In consequence, evils have already befallen me, and others are yet to be anticipated.  For past experience renders a man somewhat distrustful of the future, in spite of the better suggestions of reason to the contrary.

ΛΖʹ. Τοῦ δὲ αὐτοῦ ζήλου καὶ ἡ κατὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἔνστασις, ἡνίκα ἐπεστράτευσαν ἡμῖν μετὰ τῆς βασιλικῆς ἀσεβείας, ὡς καταστρεφόμενοι καὶ ἡμᾶς, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις προσθήσοντες, ἤδη σχεδὸν πᾶσι δεδουλωμένοις. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα μικρόν τι μέρος ἡμῖν συνεισήνεγκε, καὶ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν ἴσως: οὓς ἐπῆγεν ἐκείνοις, ὡς πικροτάτοις θηρίοις, οὐκ ἀγεννεῖς σκύλακας, γυμνάζων πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Ἓν ἀμφοτέροις μέμφομαι (καί μοι μηδὲν δυσχεράνητε τῆς παῤῥησίας: ἐκρήξω γὰρ τὸ λυποῦν, εἰ καὶ φορτικώτερον), ὅτι με τοῖς τοῦ βίου κακοῖς δυσχεραίνοντα, καὶ τῆς ἐρημίας ἐρῶντα, ὡς οὐκ οἶδ' εἴ τις ἄλλος τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὴν κοινὴν ταύτην ζάλην καὶ κόνιν, ὡς ἔχω τάχους, ἐκκλίνειν φιλονεικοῦντα, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ἀποσώζεσθαι, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τῇ φορτικῇ καὶ ἐπιβούλῳ τῶν ψυχῶν ἀγορᾷ ταύτῃ φέροντες παραδεδώκατε, δι' εὐπρεποῦς ὀνόματος τῆς ἱερωσύνης. Ἐξ ὧν ἤδη μοι τὰ μὲν συνέβη κακὰ, τὰ δὲ ἐλπίζεται. Τὸ γὰρ ἤδη παθεῖν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ μέλλον πως δύσελπι, κἂν ὁ λογισμὸς ἄλλο τι πείθῃ, τὸ κρεῖττον ὑποτιθέμενος.