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of some things he says he is ready to make a defense, and to show that the others have been fabricated as lies. For this also has persuaded us, that he makes his arguments with the fear of God.

221. TO HOMOPHRONIUS 221.1 You call us to the synod; but I was praying

to be in such bodily condition as to be present with you even uninvited, that I might see your sacred house, the lodging-place of Christ, the root of the holy branches, the one who is truly 20a mother rejoicing in her children20 and they rejoicing. 221.2 I know this and am persuaded in the Lord and for this reason I speak with confidence; and if anything grievous has now met you, not 20shall the lamp of Israel be quenched20, even if it is fanned by the breezes of the evil one, nor will the goodness of God be hidden for long, which 20He hides for those who fear Him20 by the ineffable reasons of His providence, but it will be glorified rather and marveled at through your endurance and 20the hope that does not disappoint20. 221.3 Advise this also to our most honored son Sacerdos, to be in no way disheartened nor to suffer anything unworthy of himself, but so to manage the occasion as to take grievous things as material for philosophy. 221.4 Further, let him attend to our most honored bishop; further, let him strengthen the brethren, so that above all our work which we have set before us in the Lord, being so great and so renowned, may not be destroyed. 221.5 But if not, at least we will show our forbearance and conquer envy, as having given no handle against ourselves 20to those20 evil ones 20who are vainly hostile to us20.

222. TO THECLA 222.1 I myself was also setting out to your reverence, although my body is weak, both to visit you and at the same time to praise the fortitude which you are exercising over your most blessed brother; for this is not doubtful. 222.2 But since I was hindered by a certain circumstance, I have necessarily resorted to writing and will philosophize with you briefly on your affairs. 222.3 Whence is our good Sacerdos, the genuine attendant of God both now and before? From God. And where is Sacerdos now? With God, having yielded, I well know, not unwillingly to envy and to the wrestlings of the evil one. 222.4 And whence are we? Are we not from there? And where shall we depart? Is it not to the same Master? And would that it be with equal confidence. We were brought forth as worshippers of the same One and we shall be translated, having suffered a few evils here, at least in comparison with the hope from there, and perhaps so that we may know grace, from what we have suffered here. 222.5 Father, mother, brother, those who have gone before, what is this? A number of praiseworthy travelers. Thecla too will follow these after a little while, the servant of God and the first-fruit of good things, having endured for a little, long enough to honor them by her fortitude and to become an example to many of this philosophy. 222.6 Let us therefore praise the same Lordship and accept the dispensation more loftily than the many. Hold these things now in our place and take heed to these reasonings, even if you find better ones from yourself. 222.7 And if we should be counted worthy to see you face to face with all your company and those around you, the greater the grace to the benefactor.

223. TO THE SAME 223.1 You are grieved at our departure, as is likely; but we are more so at the separation from your reverence. Nevertheless we thank God for having reached you, and we did not complain of the toil. 223.2 For we saw the steadfastness of your faith in Christ and your praiseworthy solitude and your philosophical seclusion, because having been separated from all the pleasant things of the world you have shut yourself up with God alone and with the holy martyrs, among whom you dwell, and you brought to God and you bring with your beloved children 20a living sacrifice, well-pleasing20. 223.3 Therefore let these things be to you a consolation for your griefs, since David the great also hides the painful things of this life in the good things of that life, to which he sends his thoughts, when he says: 20For he has hidden me in his tabernacle in the day of evils20; and he not only puts away the pain when

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τῶν ἀπολο γήσασθαί φησιν ἕτοιμος εἶναι, τὰ δὲ ὡς ψεύδη κατεσ κεύασται δεῖξαι. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἔπεισεν, ὡς φόβῳ Θεοῦ τοὺς λόγους ποιούμενος.

221.Τ ΟΜΟΦΡΟΝΙΩΙ 221.1 Ἐπὶ τὴν σύνοδον ἡμᾶς καλεῖς· ἐγὼ δὲ ηὐχόμην

οὕτως ἔχειν τοῦ σώματος ὥστε παρεῖναι ὑμῖν καὶ αὐτό κλητος, ἵν' ἴδω τὸν ἱερὸν οἶκον ὑμῶν, τὸ Χριστοῦ κατα γώγιον, τὴν τῶν ἁγίων κλάδων ῥίζαν, τὴν ὡς ἀληθῶς 20μητέρα τέκνων εὐφραινομένην20 τε καὶ εὐφραινο μένων. 221.2 Οἶδα τοῦτο καὶ πέπεισμαι ἐν Κυρίῳ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο λέγω θαρρῶν· καὶ εἴ τι λυπηρὸν νῦν ὑμῖν ἀπήντηκεν, οὐ 20μὴ ἀποσβεσθῇ ὁ λύχνος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ20, κἂν ταῖς αὔραις τοῦ πονηροῦ ῥιπίζηται, οὐδὲ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χρηστότης ἐπὶ πλεῖον κρυφθήσεται, ἣν 20κρύπτει τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτὸν20 λόγοις ἀρρήτοις οἰκονομίας, ἀλλ' ἐνδοξασθήσεται μᾶλλον καὶ θαυμασθήσεται διὰ τῆς ὑμετέρας ὑπομονῆς καὶ 20τῆς μὴ καταισχυνούσης ἐλπίδος20. 221.3 Τοῦτο δὲ παραίνει καὶ τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ υἱῷ ἡμῶν Σακερδῶτι, μηδὲν ἀθυμεῖν μηδ' ἀνάξιον ἑαυτοῦ τι πάσχειν, ἀλλ' οὕτω τὸν καιρὸν διαθέσθαι ὡς φιλοσοφίας ὕλην τὰ λυπηρὰ λαβεῖν. 221.4 Ἔτι θεραπευσάτω τὸν τιμιώτατον ἡμῶν ἐπίσκοπον· ἔτι ῥωννύτω τοὺς ἀδελφούς, ἵνα μάλιστα μὲν μὴ καταλυθῇ τὸ ἔργον ἡμῶν ὃ προεθέμεθα ἐν Κυρίῳ, τοσοῦτόν τε ὂν καὶ οὕτω περιβόητον. 221.5 Εἰ δὲ μή, τὸ γοῦν ἐπιεικὲς δείξομεν καὶ τὸν φθόνον νικήσομεν, ὡς μηδεμίαν δεδωκότες καθ' ἑαυτῶν λαβὴν 20τοῖς20 πονη ροῖς 20ματαίως ἡμῖν ἐχθραίνουσιν20. 222.Τ ΘΕΚΛΗΙ 222.1 Ὥρμησα μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐλάβειαν, καίπερ ἀσθενοῦντος ἡμῖν τοῦ σώματος, ἐπισκεψόμενός τε ὁμοῦ καὶ τῆς καρτερίας ἐπαινεσόμενος, ἣν ἐπὶ τῷ μακα ριωτάτῳ ἀδελφῷ σου φιλοσοφεῖς· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἀμφί βολον. 222.2 Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὑπό τινος περιστάσεως ἐκωλύθην, ἀναγκαίως ἦλθον ἐπὶ τὰ γράμματα καὶ συμφιλοσοφήσω σοι διὰ βραχέων τὰ σά. 222.3 Πόθεν ὁ καλὸς Σακερδὼς ἡμῖν, ὁ γνήσιος τοῦ Θεοῦ παραστάτης καὶ νῦν καὶ πρότε ρον; Ἐκ Θεοῦ. Ποῦ δὲ νῦν Σακερδώς; Πρὸς Θεόν, οὐκ ἀηδῶς ὑποχωρήσας, εὖ οἶδα, τῷ φθόνῳ καὶ τοῖς τοῦ πονηροῦ παλαίσμασι. 222.4 Πόθεν δ' ἡμεῖς; Οὐκ ἐκεῖθεν; Ποῦ δ' ἡμεῖς ἀναλύσομεν; Οὐ πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν ∆εσπότην; Καὶ εἴθε μετ' ἴσης τῆς παρρησίας. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ προσκυνηταὶ καὶ παρήχθημεν καὶ μεταχθησόμεθα, ὀλίγα ἐνταῦθα κακοπαθήσαντες, ὥς γε πρὸς τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐλπίδα, καὶ ἴσως ἵνα γνῶμεν τὴν χάριν, ἐξ ὧν ἐνταῦθα πεπόνθαμεν. 222.5 Πατήρ, μήτηρ, ἀδελφός, οἱ προειληφότες, τί τοῦτό ἐστιν; Ἀριθμὸς ἐπαινετῶν ὁδοιπόρων. Τούτοις ἀκολου θήσει καὶ Θέκλα μετὰ μικρόν, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δούλη καὶ ἀπαρχὴ τῶν καλῶν, ὀλίγον ὑπομείνασα, ὅσον ἐκείνους τε τιμῆσαι τῇ καρτερίᾳ καὶ πολλοῖς ὑπόδειγμα γενέσθαι τῆς περὶ ταῦτα φιλοσοφίας. 222.6 Ἐπαινῶμεν οὖν τὴν αὐτὴν δεσποτείαν καὶ δεχώμεθα τὴν οἰκονομίαν τῶν πολλῶν ὑψηλότερον. Ταῦτα ἔχε νῦν ἀνθ' ἡμῶν καὶ τούτοις σύνεσο τοῖς λογισμοῖς, εἰ καὶ κρείττονας παρὰ σεαυτῇ ἀνευρίσκεις. 222.7 Εἰ δέ σε καὶ κατ' ὄψιν ἰδεῖν καταξιωθείημεν μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ σοῦ καὶ περὶ σὲ πληρώματος, πλείων ἡ χάρις τῷ εὐεργέτῃ. 223.Τ ΤΗΙ ΑΥΤΗΙ 223.1 Ἀλγεῖς ἀπολειφθέντων ἡμῶν, ὡς εἰκός· ἡμεῖς δὲ πλέον ἐπὶ τῷ χωρισμῷ τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας. Πλὴν εὐχα ριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ μέχρι σοῦ φθάσαντες, καὶ οὐκ ἐμεμψά μεθα τῷ κόπῳ. 223.2 Εἴδομεν γάρ σου τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως καὶ τὴν ἐπαινετὴν ἐρημίαν καὶ τὸν φιλόσοφον ἰδιασμόν, ὅτι πάντων χωρισθεῖσα τῶν τοῦ κόσμου τερπνῶν Θεῷ μόνῳ συνέκλεισας ἑαυτὴν καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις μάρτυσιν, οἷς παροικεῖς, καὶ προσήγαγες τῷ Θεῷ καὶ προσάγεις μετὰ τῶν ἀγαπητῶν σου τέκνων 20θυσίαν ζῶσαν, εὐάρεστον20. 223.3 Ταῦτα οὖν ἔστω σοι καὶ παρα μυθία τῶν λυπηρῶν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ∆αυῒδ ὁ μέγας ἐγκρύπτει τοῖς ἐκεῖθεν ἀγαθοῖς, εἰς ἃ πέμπει τοὺς λογισμούς, τὰ ἐντεῦθεν ὀδυνηρά, ὅταν λέγη· 20Ὅτι ἔκρυψέ με ἐν σκηνῇ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακῶν20· καὶ οὐκ ἀποτίθεται μόνον τὸ ἀλγεινὸν ὅταν