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The slanderers compel me to transgress the boundaries and force me to write to you, who have been adorned with the greatest offices and have obtained the highest honors. For this reason, I ask to receive pardon. For I write not out of audacity, but impelled by necessity; nor because I am wary of unjustly falling into some grim circumstances—for this is what has generally happened to all who have genuinely served God—, but because I wish to persuade your Highness that those who accuse our doctrines bring forth false charges against us. For we, after our mother's milk, received apostolic nourishment, and the faith set forth in Nicaea by the holy and blessed Fathers we have both learned and teach; and we indict for impiety those who think anything other than this. But if anyone insists that we teach things other than this, let him not make accusations in our absence, but refute us in our presence. For this seems right both to divine laws and to human ones. And to whom is it so fitting to defend the wronged, as to you, O Christ-loving ones, to whom the distinction of your family, the height of your dignities, and moreover the preeminence in what is lawful, provides freedom of speech? 89 TO FLORENTIUS THE PATRICIAN. I undertake a matter greater than is suited to myself, by sending letters to your greatness. But rashness is not the cause of this boldness, but rather those who have used revilings against us. For we considered it important to inform your unwavering ears that those who accuse our doctrines openly slander us. We say that we have sinned in very many other ways; but the dogmatic teaching of the apostles we have kept unharmed up to the present, and through this alone we hope to obtain pity and loving-kindness on the day of the Lord's appearance. For on behalf of this we continually strive against all kinds of heresies; this we continuously offer to the nurslings of piety; through this, having changed countless wolves into sheep, we have offered them to the Chief Shepherd and Savior of us all. And these things were handed down to us not only by the apostles and prophets, but also by those who have interpreted their writings, Ignatius, Eustathius, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory, John, and the other luminaries of the world; and before them, the holy Fathers who gathered in Nicaea; whose confession of faith we keep inviolate as a paternal inheritance, and those who dare to transgress these doctrines we call counterfeit, and enemies of the truth. I ask, therefore, your Highness, having been taught these things by us, to silence those who have used revilings against us. For I think it is absurd to believe as true the things said against those who are absent; but it is lawful and just for those who wish to prosecute to accuse the defendants in their presence, and to bring forward the proofs. For thus the judges will be able to find the truth easily. 90 TO LUPICINUS THE MAGISTER. Having passed through the struggles of youth and having come within the bounds of old age, and having expected to enjoy greater honor as old men, we are struck by the arrows of slander, and are compelled to offer a defense against the accusations that have been made; for which reason we also ask your magnificence not to believe the falsehoods of those who accuse us. For if I happened to be among those who embrace silence, perhaps the suspicion of false opinion would have a place. But since we continually preach in the Churches, many through divine grace

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Ὑπερβαίνειν με τοὺς ὅρους οἱ συκοφάνται βιάζονται καὶ γράφειν ὑμῖν, τοῖς τὰς μεγίστας κεκοσμηκόσιν ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ὑπερτάτας εἰληχόσι τιμὰς ἀναγκάζουσιν. Οὗ δὴ χάριν παρα καλῶ συγγνώμης μεταλαχεῖν. Γράφω γὰρ οὐκ αὐθαδείᾳ χρώ μενος, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς χρείας ὠθούμενος· οὐδὲ τὸ σκυθρωποῖς τισιν ἀδίκως περιπεσεῖν ὑφορώμενος- τοῦτο γὰρ ὡς ἐπίπαν πεπόνθασιν ἅπαντες οἱ τῷ Θεῷ γνησίως δεδουλευκότες-, ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγαλοφυΐαν πεῖσαι βουλόμενος, ὡς ψευδεῖς καθ' ἡμῶν ὠδίνουσι λόγους οἱ τῶν ἡμετέρων κατηγοροῦντες δογμάτων. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γάρ, μετὰ τὴν μητρῴαν θηλήν, τὴν ἀποστολικὴν τροφὴν ἐδεξάμεθα, καὶ τὴν ἐκτεθεῖσαν ἐν Νι καίᾳ πίστιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων καὶ μακαρίων Πατέρων καὶ μεμα θήκαμεν καὶ διδάσκομεν· καὶ τοὺς ἄλλο τι παρὰ ταύτην φρονοῦντας δυσσεβείας γραφόμεθα. Εἰ δέ τις ἕτερα διδάσκειν ἡμᾶς παρὰ ταύτην ἰσχυρίζεται, μὴ ἐρήμην κατηγορείτω, ἀλλὰ παρόντας ἐξελεγξάτω. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τοῖς θείοις νόμοις καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρωπείοις δοκεῖ. Τίνι δὲ οὕτω προσήκει τῶν ἀδικουμέ νων ὑπερμαχεῖν, ὡς ὑμῖν, ὦ φιλόχριστοι, οἷς καὶ τοῦ γένους ἡ περιφάνεια, καὶ τῶν ἀξιωμάτων τὸ ὕψος, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὸ τῶν νομίμων πρωτεύειν, παρέχει τὴν παρρησίαν; 89 ΦΛΩΡΕΝΤΙΩ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΩ. Μείζονι μὲν ἢ κατ' ἐμαυτὸν ἐγχειρῶ πράγματι, τῷ ὑμε τέρῳ μεγέθει πέμπων ἐπιστολάς. Ἀλλ' οὐ θρασύτης αἰτία τῆς τόλμης, ἀλλ' οἱ ταῖς καθ' ἡμῶν λοιδορίαις χρησάμενοι. Προὔργου γὰρ ὑπελάβομεν, διδάξαι τὰς ἀκλινεῖς ὑμῶν ἀκοάς, ὡς ἄντικρυς ἡμᾶς συκοφαντοῦσιν οἱ τῶν ἡμετέρων κατηγο ροῦντες δογμάτων. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἕτερα μὲν πλεῖστα πεπλημμε ληκέναι φαμέν· τὴν δέ γε δογματικὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων διδασκα λίαν μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος ἀλώβητον ἐφυλάξαμεν, καὶ διὰ ταύτην μόνην οἴκτου τυχεῖν καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ἐν τῇ τῆς ∆εσποτικῆς ἐπιφανείας ἐλπίζομεν ἡμέρᾳ. Ὑπὲρ γὰρ ταύτης πρὸς τὰς παντοδαπὰς αἱρέσεις διατελοῦμεν ἀγωνιζόμενοι· ταύτην διη νεκῶς τοῖς τροφίμοις τῆς εὐσεβείας προσφέρομεν· διὰ ταύτης λύκους μυρίους εἰς πρόβατα μεταβαλόντες, τῷ πάντων ἡμῶν Ἀρχιποιμένι καὶ Σωτῆρι προσενηνόχαμεν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν παρέδοσαν οὐ μόνον οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ προφῆται, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τὰ τούτων ἡρμηνευκότες συγγράμματα, Ἰγνάτιος, Εὐστάθιος, Ἀθανάσιος, Βασίλειος, Γρηγόριος, Ἰωάννης, καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι τῆς οἰκουμένης φωστῆρες· καὶ πρὸ τούτων οἱ ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελη λυθότες ἅγιοι Πατέρες· ὧν τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς πίστεως ὡς πατρῷον κλῆρον φυλάττομεν ἄσυλον, καὶ τοὺς ταῦτα παρα βαίνειν τολμῶντας τὰ δόγματα κιβδήλους ἀποκαλοῦμεν, καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρούς. Παρακαλῶ τοίνυν τὴν ὑμετέραν μεγα λοφυΐαν, ταῦτα παρ' ἡμῶν διδαχθεῖσαν, ἐπιστομίσαι τοὺς λοιδορίαις καθ' ἡμῶν χρησαμένους. Ἄτοπον γὰρ οἶμαι τοῖς κατὰ τῶν ἀπόντων λεγομένοις ὡς ἀληθέσι πιστεύειν· ἔννομον δὲ καὶ δίκαιον τοὺς βουλομένους διώκειν παρόντων κατηγορεῖν τῶν φευγόντων, καὶ τοὺς ἐλέγχους παράγειν. Οὕτω γὰρ οἱ δικάζοντες εὑρεῖν τἀληθὲς ῥᾳδίως δυνήσονται. 90 ΛΟΥΠΙΚΙΝΩ ΜΑΓΙΣΤΡΩ. Τοὺς τῆς νεότητος διεξελθόντες ἀγῶνας καὶ τῶν τοῦ γήρως ὅρων εἴσω γενόμενοι καὶ πλείονος τιμῆς ὡς γεγηρα κότες ἀπολαύσεσθαι προσδοκήσαντες, τοῖς τῆς συκοφαντίας βαλλόμεθα βέλεσι, καὶ πρὸς τὰς γεγενημένας κατηγορίας ἀπολογίαν προσφέρειν ἀναγκαζόμεθα· οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν παρακαλοῦμεν μεγαλοπρέπειαν ταῖς τῶν κατηγο ρούντων ἡμᾶς μὴ πιστεῦσαι ψευδολογίαις. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τῶν σιωπὴν ἀσπαζομένων ἐτύγχανον, ἴσως ἂν εἶχε χώραν τῆς κακοδοξίας ἡ ὑποψία. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ διηνεκῶς ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις διαλεγόμεθα, πολλὰς διὰ τὴν θείαν χάριν