57
of the fathers, what heresies might be in relation to schisms, it is thus clearly distinguished according to the following meaning, what is the canon that indispensably deposes the one who prayed with a deposed person, compared to the one who was in a parasynagogue; that the one who knows that he is praying with one who is admittedly deposed is reasonably deposed immediately, having acted indifferently and not having heeded the canon, but the one who, as not thinking him to be deposed with whom he was associated with a multitude, when, it says, he repents, is received into the same rank. And this is also often added in the discourse of the saint, so that it is possible even for a repentant person not to be received into the same rank. And this discourse has been published as a possibility, but the apostolic canon as a necessity and indispensably. That the falsely named Christopher returned again to his own vomit, I was not at all surprised, knowing his instability and unsteadiness; but that Cledonius endured imprisonment and blows from the impious for a single day for the sake of truth, I was utterly astonished. So that, if he persists until now by the power of God, it may not be an idle task for you and the other brothers to extend a hand to him, if it is possible. Concerning the aforementioned, I mean those being baptized and anointed with the holy myrrh and anathematizing the heresy, I have not written as the divine Epiphanius arranged and numbered the heresies, but as I found a note by a certain one of the more ancient, industrious men, who made the investigation and discovery from books from the church in Byzantium. The brother Gregory sends genuine greetings. 41 {1To Silvanus and Euprepianus, my children}1 Since I seek to learn about the brothers, children, or you yourselves often wish to make things known about them, I considered it good, both for the sake of brevity and secrecy, for them to be indicated by the letters, that is, of the twenty-four letters. And so I say. ˉα is for our father, ˉβ for the archbishop, ˉγ for Calogerus, ˉδ for Athanasius, ˉε for Barsanuphius, ˉζ for Nicolas, ˉη for Sophronius, ˉθ for Euthymius, ˉι for John, ˉκ for Dometian, ˉλ for the steward, ˉμ for Arsenius, ˉν for Acacius, ˉξ for Meletius, ˉο for Lucian, ˉπ for Epiphanius, ˉρ for Litoes, ˉσ for Basil, ˉτ for Euschemon, ˉυ for Silvanus, ˉφ for Euprepianus, ˉχ for Gregory, ˉψ for Eustathius, ˉω is for me. Therefore, when a certain letter is placed in the superscription, it will certainly be known whose letter it is; for example, ˉα for our father, and each one likewise. Again, when I ask, how is ˉβ? It is clear that the question is known to be about the archbishop. Similarly, when I ask again, how are those with ˉβ? it is manifest that the question is about those who are with him; likewise for the remaining letters. Again another question: what do you hear concerning ˉπ or concerning ˉρ or concerning ˉψ? The answer is for each single letter. Again I ask, who came from outside? You must answer according to the letter, either that it was ˉη or that it was ˉο or from the others; or that ˉη or ˉο did not enter, but those with ˉη or ˉο are so many, that this and that happened to so-and-so letter. So when there is a death, again, "4this letter has died"5 or "4is sick"5 or "4is grieved"5, and so on. But if someone from those with the letter has suffered something, also declare the name, as in the case of Christopher, that he ran away from ˉε, which also has happened. Therefore, when you receive the letters sent by us, if it is from one of the letters, the letter will have the superscription of the letter. Therefore, when you yourselves also send letters from the same letters, put the same letter in your own letter; and if the senders are unaware, you smooth out the superscription and insert the letter of the sender. But if it is not from one of the letters, let the superscription remain; just as also when I write, if it is not from one of the letters, let the superscription to whom the letter is addressed remain. Again, it must be considered that on each of my letters to those who are under the letters, the superscription will be thus: ˉω to ˉα,
57
πατέρων, τίνες εἶεν αἱρέσεις πρὸς σχίσματα, οὕτω διακέκριται δηλονότι κατὰ τὴν ἀκόλουθον ἔννοιαν, τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀπαραιτήτως καθαίρων κανὼν τὸν καθῃρημένῳ συνευξάμενον παρὰ τὸν ἐν παρασυναγωγῇ γενόμενον· ὅτι ὁ μὲν εἰδὼς ὅτι ὁμολογουμένως καθῃρημένῳ συνεύχεται εἰκότως αὐτίκα καθαίρεται, ἀδιαφόρως ἐνεχθεὶς καὶ μὴ προσεσχηκὼς τῷ κανόνι, ὁ δὲ ὡς οὐκ οἰόμενος εἶναι καθῃρημένον ᾧ συναπήχθη μετὰ πλήθους, ἐπάν, φησί, μεταμεληθῇ, εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν παραδέδεκται τάξιν. πρόσκειται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο πολλάκις ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ ἁγίου, ὥστε ἔστι καὶ μεταμελόμενον μὴ εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν τάξιν παραδεχθῆναι. καὶ οὗτος μὲν ὁ λόγος ἐνδεχομένως ἐκδέδοται, ὁ ἀποστολικὸς δὲ κανὼν ἀναγκαίως καὶ ἀπαραιτήτως. Ὅτι ὁ ψευδώνυμος Χριστοφόρος πάλιν εἰς τὸ ἴδιον ἐξέρασμα ὑπέστρεψεν, οὐδόλως ἐθαύμασα, εἰδὼς αὐτοῦ τὸ ἄστατον καὶ ἀπαγές· ὅτι δὲ ὁ Κληδόνιος ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας μίαν μόνην ἡμέραν ἤνεγκε φυλακὴν καὶ πληγὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν, πάνυ ἐξέστην. ὥστε, εἰ ἕως τοῦ νῦν ἐπιμένει δυνάμει θεοῦ, μὴ ἀεργὸν γένηταί σοί τε καὶ ἄλλοις ἀδελφοῖς ὀρέγειν αὐτῷ χεῖρα, εἴπερ οἷόν τε. Περὶ δὲ τῶν προειρημένων, βαπτιζομένων λέγω χριομένων τε τῷ ἁγίῳ μύρῳ καὶ ἀναθεματιζόντων τε τὴν αἵρεσιν, οὐχ ὡς ὁ θεῖος Ἐπιφάνιος τέταχε καὶ ἠρίθμησε τὰς αἱρέσεις γέγραφα, ἀλλ' ὡς εὗρον παρασημείωσίν τινος τῶν ἀρχαιοτέρων φιλοπόνου ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐν Βυζαντίδι ἐκκλησίας τὴν ἐκ βιβλίων ἔρευναν καὶ εὕρεσιν ποιησαμένου. Ὁ ἀδελφὸς Γρηγόριος γνησίως προσαγορεύει. 41 {1Σιλουανῷ καὶ Εὐπρεπιανῷ τέκνοισ}1 Ἐπειδὴ ζητῶ μανθάνειν περὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, τέκνα, ἢ καὶ αὐτοὶ πολλάκις θέλετε δηλοῦν περὶ αὐτῶν, ἐσκόπησα καλὸν εἶναι ὁμοῦ τε διὰ τὸ συντομώτερον καὶ ἐπικρυπτότερον ἀπὸ τῶν στοιχείων, ἤγουν τῶν εἰκοσιτεσσάρων γραμμάτων, τούτους ἐπιδηλοῦσθαι. καὶ δὴ λέγω. Τὸ ˉα τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, τὸ ˉβ τοῦ ἀρχιεπισκόπου, τὸ ˉγ τοῦ Καλογήρου, τὸ ˉδ τοῦ Ἀθανασίου, τὸ ˉε τοῦ Βαρσανουφίου, τὸ ˉζ τοῦ Νικολάου, τὸ ˉη τοῦ Σωφρονίου, τὸ ˉθ τοῦ Εὐθυμίου, τὸ ˉι τοῦ Ἰωάννου, τὸ ˉκ τοῦ ∆ομετιανοῦ, τὸ ˉλ τοῦ οἰκονόμου, τὸ ˉμ τοῦ Ἀρσενίου, τὸ ˉν τοῦ Ἀκακίου, τὸ ˉξ τοῦ Μελετίου, τὸ ˉο τοῦ Λουκιανοῦ, τὸ ˉπ τοῦ Ἐπι-φανίου, τὸ ˉρ τοῦ Λιτόη, τὸ ˉσ τοῦ Βασιλείου, τὸ ˉτ τοῦ Εὐσχήμονος, τὸ ˉυ τοῦ Σιλουανοῦ, τὸ ˉφ τοῦ Εὐπρεπιανοῦ, τὸ ˉχ τοῦ Γρηγορίου, τὸ ˉψ τοῦ Εὐσταθίου, τὸ ˉω τὸ ἐμόν. Ὅτε τοίνυν κεῖται ἐν τῇ ἐπιγραφῇ τι στοιχεῖον, οὗτινός ἐστιν ἡ ἐπιστολὴ πάντως ἐγνωρίσθη· οἷον, τὸ ˉα τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ ἕκαστον ὡσαύτως. πάλιν ἐρωτῶντός μου, πῶς ἔχει τὸ ˉβ; δῆλον ὅτι ἐγνωρίσθη περὶ τοῦ ἀρχιεπισκόπου εἶναι τὴν ἐρώτησιν. ὁμοίως ἐν τῷ πάλιν ἐρωτῆσαί με, πῶς ἔχουσιν οἱ περὶ τὸ ˉβ; φανερὸν ὅτι περὶ τῶν ὄντων μετ' αὐτοῦ ἡ ἐρώτησις· ὡσαύτως ἐπὶ τῶν λοιπῶν στοιχείων. πάλιν ἑτέρα ἐρώτησις· τί ἀκούετε περὶ τοῦ ˉπ ἢ περὶ τοῦ ˉρ ἢ περὶ τοῦ ˉψ; πρὸς ἓν ἕκαστον στοιχεῖον ἡ ἀπόκρισις. πάλιν ἐρωτῶ, τίς ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν ἔξω; δέον ὑμᾶς ἀποκριθῆναι κατὰ τὸ στοιχεῖον, ἢ ὅτι τὸ ˉη ἢ ὅτι τὸ ˉο ἢ ἐκ τῶν λοιπῶν· ἢ ὅτι οὐκ εἰσῆλθε τὸ ˉη ἢ τὸ ˉο, ἀλλ' οἱ περὶ τὸ ˉη ἢ τὸ ˉο τόσοι, ὅτι γέγονε τόδε κἀκεῖνο εἰς τὸ ὁ δεῖνα στοιχεῖον. ὅτε οὖν θάνατος πάλιν, "4ἀπέθανε τόδε τὸ στοιχεῖον"5 ἢ "4ἀσθενεῖ"5 ἢ "4λυπεῖται"5, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα. εἰ δέ τίς ἐστιν ἐκ τοῦ περὶ τὸ στοιχεῖον παθών τι, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα δηλοῦντες, οἷον ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοφόρου, ὅτι ἀπέδρασεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ˉε, ὃ καὶ γέγονε. ∆εχόμενοι οὖν τὰς παρ' ἡμῶν πεμπομένας ἐπιστολὰς πάντως, ἐάν ἐστιν ἐκ τῶν στοιχείων, τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν τοῦ στοιχείου ἕξει ἡ ἐπι στολή. πέμποντες οὖν καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰς ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν στοιχείων ἐπιστολάς, τὸ αὐτὸ στοιχεῖον θέσθε ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐπιστολῇ· κἂν δὲ ἀγνοῶσιν οἱ πέμποντες, ὑμεῖς λειοῦτε τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν καὶ ἐντιθεῖτε τὸ στοιχεῖον τοῦ ἐπιστείλαντος. εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τῶν στοιχείων, μενέτω ἡ ἐπιγραφή· ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν τῷ γράφειν με, ἐὰν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τῶν στοιχείων, μενέτω ἡ ἐπιγραφὴ πρὸς ὃν ἡ ἐπιστολή. πάλιν σκεπτέον ὅτι ἐφ' ἑκάστης μου ἐπιστολῆς πρὸς τοὺς ὄντας ὑπὸ τὰ στοιχεῖα οὕτως ἕξει ἡ ἐπιγραφή· τὸ ˉω τῷ ˉα,