60

clarifying the argument for the common good. According to the first point, we do not separate ourselves on account of one man from the church of the north and west and sea, and indeed also of the one here, obviously, except for the supporters of adultery; for these are not the church of the Lord. But if it is a church, we separate from the church on account of one man united to it, I mean by not accepting the one who yoked himself to an adulteress. But since it is not the church of God, they themselves are truly separating, on account of one man united to them, from the church of God, resembling those mentioned in the chronicle, while we are not being schismatics from it on account of such a man. According to the second point, we obviously do not have communion with his absolution, by not having communion with those who have manifestly absolved him. But if we have communion with them, we have communion with his absolution. But since we piously do not have communion with those who absolved him, we therefore securely do not have communion with his absolution. According to the third point, we receive communion from every priest who is beyond reproach. For this reason, we do not receive communion from Joseph, as he has been publicly censured; and those who concelebrate with this man, who has been deposed, would certainly be censured as well. But if we receive communion from such men as from those beyond reproach, then Joseph, who concelebrates with them, would also be beyond reproach. But since he is truly censured and we do not receive communion from him, it is clear that we also do not from those who celebrate the liturgy with him, as they are likewise censured. Therefore the word of your holiness is strengthened, and so we are in agreement. And let what is inseparable for us through the true harmony here be so in the age to come, my dearest brother, so that we, the humble, may also be deemed worthy to offer some trace of a right action in succession to our fathers. And concerning your city, you have lit a pillar of piety, not to be extinguished by man forever. And you must not grieve, but rather rejoice, just as I, the wretched one, do in the dissolution of my humble monastery, because the dissolution is for the Lord's sake. And it is not that so many stood firm without being bent that is the great glory, but even if it were one; for one who does the will of the Lord is better than ten thousand transgressors. And you yourself are not the cause of their dispersal, even if some talk nonsense, but I, the unfortunate one. And may we have communion, if you will endure it, in both matters. And you yourself will have as great a reward in the divinely-inspired dispersal of the brethren, as I might find in my abandonment of Thessaloniki according to the law of God. But concerning my jailer, there is no word, since he is such a man and of one mind with Joseph. Do not cease praying fervently for my humility, my good and most holy brother-father. Know that Theosostos has stood firm in not receiving communion from the one who unholily ascended to your throne, and has been vigorously cast out from his monastery. Our brothers with Athanasius are still being held confined there. My jailer went out and brought me greetings from the patriarch, who said, "4May God forgive you that, when we had need to have you here to help us, you went out and settled there"5 and, "4I envy you"5. And when I heard this, I laughed; for there was no need for me to reply at the time, except only that if he is envious, let him also go out. He also made my imprisonment less strict, urging me to rest. For he also brought me greetings from Symeon, and that "4he wishes to speak to the emperor that you have toiled in prison"5. And from Leontius, a humble greeting, saying that "4I suffered compulsion, and may God not separate me from your word"5. And I said that I do not need these things from him. And they compelled him to go to the oikonomos and Arsenius and John, saying that the lord Tarasios absolved him and that "4I have just now regained my sight"5. And they truly struck him. The one with me greets with much longing my shepherd on my behalf. 44 {1To Sergius the consul}1 You indeed, as I learn, are changing offices upon offices under the emperor below, and against your will, my beloved

60

πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον διατρανοῦντι τὸν λόγον. κατὰ τὴν πρώτην οὐ δι' ἕνα ἄνθρωπον ἀποσχίζομεν τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἀπὸ βορρᾶ καὶ δυσμῶν καὶ θαλάσσης, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῆς ἐνταῦθα δῆλον ὅτι, πλὴν τῶν μοιχοκυρώτων· οὐ γὰρ οὗτοι ἐκκλησία Κυρίου. εἰ δὲ ἐκκλησία, ἀποσχίζομεν τῆς ἐκκλησίας δι' ἕνα ἄνθρωπον συνημμένον αὐτῇ, λέγω δὴ τὸν μοιχοζεύκτην μὴ προσιέμενοι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἐκκλησία θεοῦ, ἀποσχίζουσιν αὐτοὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς δι' ἕνα ἄνθρωπον συνημμένον αὐτοῖς τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐκείνοις παρεοικότες τοῖς ἐν τῷ χρονογράφῳ κειμένοις, ἡμῶν μὴ σχιζομένων αὐτῆς διὰ τὸν τοιοῦτον. κατὰ τὴν δευτέραν οὐ κοινωνοῦμεν τῇ λύσει αὐτοῦ δῆλον ὅτι, μὴ κοινωνοῦντες τοῖς προδήλως λύσασιν αὐτόν. εἰ δὲ ἐκείνοις κοινωνοῦμεν, συγκοινωνοῦμεν τῇ λύσει αὐτοῦ. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ἐκείνοις θεοπρεπῶς οὐ συγκοινωνοῦμεν λύσασιν, ἀσφαλῶς ἄρα οὐ συγκοινωνοῦμεν τῇ λύσει αὐτοῦ. κατὰ τὴν τρίτην ἐκ παντὸς ἱερέως ἀδιαβλήτου μεταλαμβάνομεν. διὰ τοῦτο δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ οὐ μεταλαμβάνομεν, ὡς διαβεβλημένου αὐτοῦ δημοσίᾳ· διαβεβλημένοι δ' ἂν εἶεν πάντως καὶ οἱ τούτῳ συλλειτουργοῦντες καθῃρημένῳ ὄντι. εἰ δὲ ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων μεταλαμβάνομεν ὡς ἐξ ἀδιαβλήτων, ἀδιάβλητος ἂν εἴη καὶ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ συλλειτουργῶν αὐτοῖς. ἐπεὶ δὲ διαβεβλημένος ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ οὐ μεταλαμβάνομεν, δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν συνιερουργούντων αὐτῷ, ὡσαύτως ὄντων διαβεβλημένων. Ἔρρωται τοίνυν ὁ λόγος τῆς ἁγιωσύνης σου, καὶ οὕτως συμφρονοῦμεν. καὶ ἔστω ἡμῖν τὸ ἀδιάσπαστον διὰ τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἀληθοῦς συμφωνίας ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι, φίλτατέ μου ἀδελφέ, ὡς ἂν ἀξιωθείημεν καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ ταπεινοὶ ἀπενέγκασθαί τι ἴχνος κατορθώματος τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ἀκόλουθον. περὶ δὲ τῆς πόλεώς σου στύλον ἀνῆψας εὐσεβείας, οὐ σβεννύμενον παρὰ ἀνθρώπου ἕως αἰῶνος. καὶ οὐ λυπεῖσθαι χρή, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον χαίρειν, ὥσπερ κἀγὼ ὁ τάλας ἐν τῇ διαλύσει τοῦ ταπεινοῦ μου μοναστηρίου, ὅτι διὰ Κύριον ἡ διάλυσις. καὶ οὐχ ὅτι τοσοῦτοι ἔστησαν μὴ κατακαμφθέντες μέγα τὸ κλέος, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ εἷς· κρείσσων γὰρ εἷς ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα Κυρίου ἢ μυρίοι παραβαίνοντες. καὶ οὐκ αἴτιος αὐτὸς τῆς λύσεως αὐτῶν, εἰ καὶ φλυαρῶσί τινες, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ὁ δύστηνος. εἴη δὲ ἡμῖν κοινωνία, εἴπερ ἀνέχῃ, ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις. καὶ τοσοῦτον ἕξοις αὐτὸς τὸν μισθὸν ἐν τῇ ἐνθέῳ διαλύσει τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ὅσον ἐγὼ εὕροιμι ἐν τῇ κατὰ νόμον θεοῦ καταλείψει τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ φυλακίτου μου οὐδεὶς λόγος, τοιούτου αὐτοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὄντος καὶ συμψύχου τοῦ Ἰωσήφ. μὴ διαλείποις ὑπερευχόμενος τῆς ταπεινώσεώς μου κραταιῶς, ἀδελφοπάτορ μου καλὲ καὶ ὁσιώτατε. γίνωσκε ἐνσταθέντα τὸν Θεόσωστον τοῦ μὴ κοινωνῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἀνιέρως ἀνελθόντος εἰς τὸν θρόνον σου, καὶ ἐκδιωχθέντα νεανικῶς ἐκ τοῦ μοναστηρίου αὐτοῦ. οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀθανάσιον ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἀκμὴν κρατοῦνται περιωρισμένοι ἐκεῖσε. ὁ φυλακίτης μου ἐξελθὼν ἤγαγέν μοι προσκύνησιν ἐκ τοῦ πατριάρχου, λέγοντος ὅτι "4ὁ θεὸς συγχωρήσει σοι τοῦ, ὅτε εἴχομεν χρείαν ἔχειν σε ὧδε εἰς βοήθειαν ἡμῶν, ἐξῆλθες καὶ ἐκάθισας αὐτοῦ"5 καὶ ὅτι "4φθονῶ σε"5. καὶ ἀκούσας ἐγέλασα· οὐ γὰρ ἦν χρεία τέως ἀποκριθῆναί με ἢ μόνον ὅτι, ἐὰν φθονῇ, ἐξέλθῃ κἀκεῖνος. ἐχαύνωσεν δὲ καὶ τὴν φυλακὴν προτρεπόμενος εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν. ἐξήγαγεν γάρ μοι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Συμεὼν προσκύνησιν καὶ ὅτι "4βούλεται λαλῆσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι κεκοπίακας ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ"5. καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Λεοντίου τεταπεινωμένην προσκύνησιν, λέγοντος ὅτι "4ἀνάγκην ἔπαθον, καὶ μὴ χωρίσῃ με ὁ θεὸς τοῦ λόγου σου"5. καὶ εἶπον ὅτι οὐ χρῄζω ταῦτα ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. ἠνάγκασαν δὲ αὐτὸν ἀπελθεῖν εἴς τε τὸν οἰκονόμον καὶ τὸν Ἀρσένιον καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην, λέγοντα ὅτι ὁ κῦρις Ταράσιος ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὅτι "4ἄρτι ἀνέβλεψα"5. καὶ ἀπερράπισαν αὐτὸν τῷ ὄντι. Ὁ σὺν ἐμοὶ προσαγορεύει πόθῳ πολλῷ τὸν ποιμένα μου ἐξ ἐμοῦ. 44 {1Σεργίῳ ὑπάτῳ}1 Αὐτὸς μέν, ὡς μανθάνω, ἀμείβεις ἀρχὰς ἐξ ἀρχῶν παρὰ τῷ κάτω Καίσαρι καὶ παρὰ προαίρεσιν, ἠγαπημένε μοι