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127 TO SABINIANUS THE BISHOP. I praised your holiness, for leaving the envied throne. For what was once venerable has now become ridiculous; for we have made it for sale. But I was amazed, learning that you ran to those who had driven you out. For you should have done the opposite; and when exhorted to take hold of the rudders, to flee the governance, as those sailing with you have become enemies. Or do you not know, most God-beloved, what our Savior taught us to proclaim through the holy apostles, and what the heirs of the apostolic doctrines have now legislated to revere? For which of the ancient teachers, from when the preaching was first announced until the present blinding darkness, has heard anyone proclaim one nature of flesh and divinity, or ever dared to call the divinity of the Only-Begotten passible? These things are now openly dared to be said by some, and are overlooked by others when said, and in silence they partake of the abomination. What then must those do, someone might say, who detest these things? I would say one of two things: either to advance together and refute the spuriousness of the doctrines, or to flee the communion of those who are openly impious. For I too received the injustice done against me as a divine benefaction, not acknowledging thanks to those who did wrong—for how could I to those who are fratricides and have become of Cain's portion?—but hymning my Master, because He deemed me worthy of the lot of the wronged, and separated me from the wrongdoers and blasphemers, and gave me the most lovely quiet. 128 TO JOVIUS THE PRESBYTER AND ARCHIMANDRITE. Abraham the patriarch was valiant even in old age; and Moses the great, having already become an old man, extending his hands in prayer, struck down Amalek; and Samuel the divine routed the foreigners after his hair was gray. Your venerable old age emulates these men, and is courageous in the wars for piety, and fights for the evangelical doctrines, and outshines the young with the eagerness of its spirit. And I, hearing these things, am gladdened, and rejoice, and I long to embrace your most revered gray hair. But since I am deprived of this—for old age keeps your God-reverence at home, and an imperial law confines me here—through letters I contrive what is longed for, and I offer to your love of God my most beloved greeting, and I beseech you with prayers to defend the Churches filled with the storm, and indeed also to procure for me divine support, as I am embattled for the apostolic doctrines, and in need of help from above. 129 TO CANDIDUS THE PRESBYTER AND ARCHIMANDRITE. Old age, it seems, has conquered the eagerness of your God-loving soul, and you do not have your hands outstretched as usual; for this very reason Amalek strives to conquer. Let some therefore be helpers of your weakness, just as once Hur and Aaron supported the lawgiver's hands, so that you may both strike down Amalek and save Israel. For now especially there is need of more earnest prayers, while the Greeks and Jews, and every heresy are at peace, but the Church alone is storm-tossed, and has fallen into a most grievous surge. And we especially need the help of your prayers, as those who were considered fellow-combatants are now opposing us.

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127 ΣΑΒΙΝΙΑΝΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ. Ἐπῄνεσά σου τὴν ὁσιότητα, καταλιποῦσαν τὸν ἐπίφθονον θρόνον. Ὁ γὰρ πάλαι σεβάσμιος νῦν γέγονε καταγέλαστος· ὤνιον γὰρ αὐτὸν ἡμεῖς ἐποιήσαμεν. Ἐθαύμασα δέ, μαθὼν ὡς πρὸς τοὺς ἐξελάσαντας ἔδραμες. ∆ρᾶσαι γὰρ τοὐναντίον ἐχρῆν· καὶ παρακαλούμενον ἔχεσθαι τῶν οἰάκων, φυγεῖν τὴν κυβέρνησιν, ὡς τῶν συμπλεόντων πολεμίων γεγενημένων. Ἢ οὐκ οἶσθα, θεοφιλέστατε, τίνα μὲν ὁ Σωτὴρ ὁ ἡμέτερος διὰ τῶν ἱερῶν ἀποστόλων κηρύττειν ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξεν, τίνα δὲ νῦν θρησκεύειν ἐνομοθέτησαν οἱ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν κληρονόμοι δογμάτων; Τίς γὰρ τῶν παλαιῶν διδασκάλων, ἐξ οὗπερ κατηγ γέλη τὸ κήρυγμα μέχρι τῆς κατεχούσης νῦν σκοτομήνης, ἀκήκοε σαρκὸς καὶ θεότητος μίαν φύσιν κηρύξαντος, ἢ ἐτόλ μησε πώποτε παθητὴν ὀνομάσαι τοῦ Μονογενοῦς τὴν θεό τητα; Ταῦτα νῦν παρ' ἐνίων λέγεσθαι προφανῶς τολμᾶται, παρὰ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων περιορᾶται λεγόμενα, καὶ σιγῇ τοῦ μύσους μεταλαγχάνουσι. Τί οὖν χρὴ ποιεῖν, εἴποι τις ἄν, τοὺς ταῦτα μυσαττομένους; ∆υοῖν θάτερον εἴποιμ' ἄν· ἢ ὁμόσε χωρεῖν καὶ διελέγχειν τῶν δογμάτων τὸ κίβδηλον, ἢ φεύγειν ὡς προ φανῶς δυσσεβούντων τὴν κοινωνίαν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ τὴν κατ' ἐμοῦ γεγενημένην ἀδικίαν ὡς θείαν ἐδεξάμην εὐεργεσίαν, οὐ τοῖς ἠδικηκόσι χάριν ὁμολογῶν-πῶς γὰρ τοῖς γε ἀδελφοκτό νοις καὶ τῆς τοῦ Κάϊν γεγενημένοις μερίδος-ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐμὸν ∆εσπότην ὑμνῶν, ὅτι με καὶ τῆς τῶν ἠδικημένων κατηξίωσε μοίρας, καὶ τῶν ἠδικηκότων καὶ βλασφημούντων ἐχώρισε, καὶ τὴν ἐρασμιωτάτην ἐμοὶ ἔδωκεν ἡσυχίαν. 128 ΙΩΒΙΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ ΚΑΙ ΑΡΧΙΜΑΝ∆ΡΙΤΗ. Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατριάρχης καὶ μετὰ γῆρας ἠρίστευσε· καὶ Μωϋ σῆς ὁ μέγας πρεσβύτης ἤδη γενόμενος, εἰς προσευχὴν τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνων, τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ κατηκόντισε· καὶ Σαμουὴλ ὁ θεσπέσιος μετὰ πολιὰν τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ἐτρέπετο. Τούτους τὸ σεβάσμιόν σου γῆρας ζηλοῖ, κἀν τοῖς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας πολέ μοις ἀνδραγαθίζεται, καὶ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν δογμάτων ὑπερ μαχεῖ, καὶ τοὺς νέους ἀποκρύπτει τῇ προθυμίᾳ τῆς γνώμης. Ἐγὼ δὲ ταῦτα ἀκούων γάννυμαι, καὶ εὐφραίνομαι, καὶ περι πτύξασθαι μὲν ποθῶ τὴν σεπτοτάτην σου πολιάν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τούτου διαμαρτάνω-τὴν μὲν γὰρ σὴν θεοσέβειαν οἴκοι γῆρας ἐπέχει, ἐμὲ δὲ νόμος ἐνθάδε καθείργει βασιλικός- διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων σοφίζομαι τὸ ποθούμενον, καὶ προσφέρω σου τῇ φιλοθεΐᾳ τὸν ἐμοὶ πανεπέραστον ἀσπασμόν, καὶ παρακαλῶ εὐχαῖς ἐπαμῦναι ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ζάλης ἐμπεπλησμέναις, καὶ μέντοι κἀμοὶ τὴν θείαν προξενῆσαι ῥοπήν, ὑπὲρ μὲν τῶν ἀποστολικῶν πολεμουμένῳ δογμάτων, δεομένῳ δὲ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀντιλήψεως. 129 ΚΑΝ∆Ι∆Ω ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ ΚΑΙ ΑΡΧΙΜΑΝ∆ΡΙΤΗ. Ἐνίκησεν, ὡς ἔοικε, τὸ γῆρας τῆς θεοφιλοῦς σου ψυχῆς τὴν προθυμίαν, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας οὐκ ἔχεις συνήθως ἐκτεταμένας· διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ φιλονεικεῖ νικᾶν ὁ Ἀμαλήκ. Γενέσθωσαν τοίνυν τινὲς ἐπίκουροι τῆς ἀσθενείας, καθάπερ πάλαι ποτὲ Ὢρ καὶ Ἀαρὼν ὑπεστήριζον τοῦ νομοθέτου τὰς χεῖρας, ἵνα καὶ τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ καταλεύσῃς, καὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ διασώσῃς. Νῦν γὰρ μάλιστα σπουδαιοτέρων δεῖ προσευχῶν, Ἑλλήνων μὲν καὶ Ἰουδαίων, καὶ πάσης εἰρηνευούσης αἱρέσεως, μόνης δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας χειμαζομένης, καὶ παγχαλέπῳ κλύδωνι περιπεσού σης. Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ διαφερόντως τῆς τῶν ὑμετέρων προσευχῶν δεόμεθα βοηθείας, καὶ τῶν νομισθέντων συναγωνιστῶν ἀντα γωνιζομένων.