62

as far as it depended on those who willed it? Then what? We have been delivered from those who grieve us. 214.3 What greater benefit could we receive than this? Therefore, considering these things, you yourself also give thanks to God for the insult, even if not to those who perpetrated it. 215. TO THE SAME 215.1 What is terrible for us? Nothing, except to sin against God and divine things. As for the rest, let it be as God brings it, whether He orders us for righteousness through weapons of the right hand and of goodness, or through those of the left hand and of evil. 215.2 The steward of our life knows the reasons for these things. Let us fear one thing only, that we might suffer something unphilosophical. 215.3 We have supported the poor, we have loved the brethren, we have delighted in psalmody, as long as it was possible. This is not permitted to us; let us be philosophers in some other way, grace is not impoverished; let us be by ourselves, let us contemplate, let us purify our mind with divine manifestations, which is perhaps even higher than the things mentioned before. 215.4 But do we not have it so, but because we have failed in one thing, do we think we have fallen from everything? Not so, but let us still hold on to good hope; let us see if anything is left for us, and not suffer the same thing as colts, which, because they are not accustomed to alarms, become wild at noises and throw off their own riders. 216. TO EUDOKIOS 216.1 One who is of one spirit, is also sympathetic; and one who is sympathetic, is also genuine; and one who is genuine, is also trustworthy for counsel. 216.2 Since, therefore, we are older in piety, and have become experienced with many men and characters (and experience is the mother of understanding), 216.3 and you are like newly yoked colts, and just now beginning the contests for God (and everything that is beginning is hotter and more powerful, and being empowered by the fervor of the spirit is able to accomplish many necessary things, but also to fail in many through ignorance), 216.4 be willing, having come to us, both to honor us as elders, and to respect us as fathers, and to use us as mediators in your dispute with our most reverend brother and fellow presbyter Sacerdos, for he himself is also present; 216.5 so that, having settled matters with one another, you may both appease the bishop, and remove the scandal from the many, and, greatest of all, propitiate God, lest you destroy in so short a time so great and glorious a matter (I mean your unanimity and the covenants of your life according to God). 217. TO THE SAME 217.1 After the war, the alliance; and though it was necessary to take counsel first, then to act, we have reversed the order; after the act we take counsel. 217.2 If, then, it were necessary to flatter and make things worse, I would have found many ways of flattery, inasmuch as the matter is both easier and is now accomplished by many. But since it is not our way to do harm, especially to a soul still young and just now approaching the good, hear the truth. 217.3 The beginning is unphilosophical, and those who courted you loved you badly, having played their own games under another guise. 217.4 If, therefore, you should even now change and heal the sin, perhaps some healing of the wound might come to you, even if with difficulty; but if you should remain in the same things and be proud of your evil victory, 20My wound is grievous20, says the divine Scripture, 20from where shall I be healed?20; for I make your affairs my own. 217.5 And although I feel and write this way, if you desire a meeting, I will not refuse. 218. TO THE SAME 218.1 The good and virtuous presbyter Sacerdos is a friend to me, I confess it, and may he be so, and all the more for this reason, that he is attached to you. 218.2 For not even in the things he accused did his affection fail, but he made his complaint more like a brother than a quarrelsome accusation. 218.3 I am not, however, so ignorant and rash as to pass judgment before hearing both sides (do not suppose this), I who even in that very letter, which you condemned as audacious (unless you read it carelessly), did not attack you so much as those who are inflaming you and profiting from your faintheartedness for their own enjoyment. 218.4 What then is it that I have experienced? You might know it thus. Horse-tamers train colts for colors and noises, and for steep and level places, not

62

ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῖς βουληθεῖσι; Εἶτα τί; τῶν λυπούντων ἡμᾶς ἀπηλλάγμεθα. 214.3 Τούτων τί ἂν μεῖζον εὐεργετη θείημεν; Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοῶν καὶ αὐτὸς χάριν ὁμολόγει τῷ Θεῷ τῆς ἐπηρείας, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῖς δράσασιν. 215.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 215.1 Τί δεινὸν ἡμῖν; Οὐδέν, ὅτι μὴ Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν θείων διαμαρτάνειν. Τἄλλα δέ, ὡς ἂν φέρῃ Θεός, οὕτως ἐχέτω, εἴτε διὰ τῶν δεξιῶν ὅπλων καὶ χρηστοτέρων οἰκονομεῖ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡμᾶς, εἴτε διὰ τῶν ἀριστερῶν τε καὶ σκαιοτέρων. 215.2 Οἶδε τοὺς λόγους τούτων ὁ τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν οἰκονόμος. Ἓν φοβηθῶμεν μόνον, τὸ μήτι παθεῖν ἀφιλόσοφον. 215.3 Ἐπτωχοτροφήσαμεν, ἐφιλαδελφήσαμεν, ψαλμῳδίαις ἐνετρυφήσαμεν, ἕως ἐξῆν. Οὐ συγχωρούμεθα τοῦτο· ἄλλο τι φιλοσοφήσωμεν, οὐ πενιχρὰ ἡ χάρις· ἰδιάσωμεν, θεωρήσωμεν, τὸν νοῦν καθάρωμεν ταῖς θείαις ἐμφάσεσιν, ὃ τάχα καὶ τῶν προειρημένων ὑψηλότερον. 215.4 Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχομεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοῦ ἑνὸς διημάρ τομεν, τοῦ παντὸς ἐκπεπτωκέναι νομίζομεν; Μὴ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἔτι κρατῶμεν τῆς χρηστῆς ἐλπίδος· ἴδωμεν εἴ τι ἡμῖν ὑπολειπόμενον, καὶ μὴ ταὐτὸν πάσχωμεν τοῖς πώλοις, οἳ τῷ μὴ συνειθίσθαι ταῖς πτόαις πρὸς τοὺς ψόφους ἐξαγριαίνοντες τοὺς ἐπιβάτας ἑαυτῶν καταβάλ λουσιν. 216.Τ ΕΥ∆ΟΚΙΩΙ 216.1 Ὁ σύμπνους, καὶ συμπαθής· τὸ δὲ συμπαθές, καὶ γνήσιον· τὸ γνήσιον δέ, καὶ εἰς συμβουλὴν ἀξιόπιστον. 216.2 Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἡμεῖς μὲν ἀρχαιότεροι τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ πολλῶν καὶ ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἠθῶν ἐν πείρᾳ γεγόναμεν (πεῖρα δὲ μήτηρ συνέσεως), 216.3 ὑμεῖς δὲ οἷον πῶλοι νεοζυγεῖς, καὶ ἄρτι τῶν κατὰ Θεὸν ἀγώνων ἀρχόμενοι (τὸ δὲ ἀρχόμενον ἅπαν θερμότερον καὶ δυνατώτερον, δυναμούμενον τῇ ζέσει τοῦ πνεύματος πολλὰ μὲν κατορ θῶσαι τῶν δεόντων, πολλὰ δὲ διαμαρτεῖν ἐξ ἀγνοίας), 216.4 θέλησον, γενόμενος μέχρις ἡμῶν, καὶ ὡς γέροντας τιμῆσαι, καὶ ὡς πατέρας αἰδεσθῆναι, καὶ μεσίταις χρήσασ θαι τῆς πρὸς τὸν αἰδεσιμώτατον ἀδελφὸν καὶ συμπρεσ βύτερον ἡμῶν Σακερδῶτα διαφορᾶς, πάρεστι γὰρ καὶ αὐτός· 216.5 ἵνα τὰ πρὸς ἀλλήλους εὖ θέμενοι, καὶ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον θεραπεύσητε, καὶ τὸ σκάνδαλον τῶν πολλῶν λύσητε, καί, τὸ μέγιστον ἁπάντων, τὸν Θεὸν ἱλεώσησθε, μὴ πρᾶγμα τοσοῦτον καὶ οὕτως ἔνδοξον (λέγω δὲ τὴν σύμπνοιαν ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς κατὰ Θεὸν τοῦ βίου συνθήκας) οὕτως ἐν βραχεῖ καταλύσητε. 217.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 217.1 Μετὰ τὸν πόλεμον ἡ συμμαχία· καὶ δέον βουλεύ σασθαι πρότερον, εἶτα πρᾶξαι, τὴν τάξιν ἀνεστρέψαμεν· μετὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν βουλευόμεθα. 217.2 Εἰ μὲν οὖν κολακεύειν ἔδει καὶ χείρω ποιεῖν, πολλὰς ἂν εὗρον κολακείας ὁδούς, ὅσῳ καὶ ῥᾷον τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ πολλοῖς νῦν κατορθούμενον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὸ βλάπτειν οὐ πρὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ μάλιστα ψυχὴν ἔτι νεοτελῆ καὶ ἄρτι τῷ καλῷ προσβαίνουσαν, ἄκουε τἀληθῆ. 217.3 Ἀφιλόσοφος ἡ ἀρχή, καὶ κακῶς ἠγάπησάν σε οἱ θεραπεύσαντες καὶ ὑπ' ἄλλῳ προσωπείῳ τὰ ἑαυτῶν παίξαντες. 217.4 Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀλλὰ νῦν μεταβάλοις καὶ θεραπεύσεις τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, τάχα ἄν τις ὑμῖν ἔλθοι συνού λωσις, εἰ καὶ μόγις· εἰ δ' ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν μένοις καὶ τῇ κακῇ νίκῃ μέγα φρονοίης, 20Ἀλγηρὰ ἡ πληγή μου20, φησὶν ἡ θεία Γραφή, 20πόθεν ἰαθήσομαι20; ποιοῦμαι γὰρ ἐμαυτοῦ τὰ ὑμέτερα. 217.5 Καίπερ δὲ οὕτως ἔχων καὶ γράφων, εἰ τὴν συντυχίαν ποθεῖς, οὐκ ἀρνήσομαι. 218.Τ ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ 218.1 Ἐμοὶ φίλος μέν ἐστιν, ὁμολογῶ, καὶ εἴη ὁ καλός τε καὶ ἀγαθὸς Σακερδὼς ὁ συμπρεσβύτερος, καὶ ταύτῃ μᾶλλον ὅτι σου περιέχεται. 218.2 Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν οἷς ᾐτιᾶτο τὸ φίλτρον ἀπέλειπεν, ἀλλ' ἀδελφικὴν μᾶλλον ἐποιεῖτο μέμψιν ἢ κατηγορίαν φιλαπεχθήμονα. 218.3 Οὐ μέντοι τοσοῦτον ἀμαθῶς ἔχω καὶ προπετῶς, ὥστε δίκην δικάζειν πρὶν ἀμφοτέρων ἀκοῦσαι (μὴ τοῦθ' ὑπολάβῃς), ὅς γε καὶ δι' αὐτῆς τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ἧς κατέγνωκας ὡς θρασείας (εἰ μὴ παρέργως ταύτην ἀνέγνως), οὐ τοσοῦτόν σου καθηψάμην ὅσον τῶν ἀναπτόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ παρακερδαι νόντων ἐκ τῆς ὑμετέρας μικροψυχίας ἰδίαν ἀπόλαυσιν. 218.4 Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὃ πέπονθα; Γνοίης ἂν οὕτως. Οἱ πωλο δάμναι τοὺς πώλους γυμνάζουσι πρὸς τὰ χρώματα καὶ τοὺς ψόφους, καὶ τῶν χωρίων τὰ πρανῆ τε καὶ τὰ ὕπτια, οὐχ