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outside the camp for seven days, clearly moved by God, saying thus: everyone who has taken a life and who touches the wounded shall purify himself on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives. Whence it seems to me that Basil the Great, taking this as his starting point, or rather, divinely inspired, gives the penance of three years and as the one giving it might dispense; for the giving of such things is indeed permissible and not in every case necessarily according to the established text. Farewell in the Lord, my desired son, praying for me, a sinner, and for my beloved child who greets you along with me, but your brother, Gregory. 52 {1To Philip the deacon}1 Do not think, O sacred man, that I am closing the gate of repentance (for that is the work of the Novatians), but rather that I am unwilling to open a door of sin for those who wish it. For is it not such a case, which you have made clear through your previous letters, that the young woman made a vow, if her betrothed should recover, to be wedded to Christ, then, since he recovered, she wishes to be joined to him in violation of the second [vow], seeking a remedy for this? We answered you most excellently, therefore, and it is not possible to render an account otherwise for one who prefers human things to the things of God. For who would give a penance to one who has not yet sinned, except in desire? Or what physician applies a dressing before the sickness, and does not rather prevent the one inclined to this from becoming sick? And indeed, the definition of medicine is either to preserve existing health or to recall it when it is absent. But it is unreasonable, forgive me, to treat a sickness that is not yet present but being contemplated, as if it existed; for this is the action not of a physician, but of a corpse-abuser, drawing what is still unaffected to become involved in a passion. Such do you think is also the case of the girl. And I do not yet say that for someone to even think of something good, without bringing it to completion, will incur judgment, as the divine Basil has decreed. But here what was planned has, as it werewolf, even advanced to an act through the request and divine supplication. Refrain, therefore, beloved, from trifling with such things, hearing him who says, it is better not to vow than to vow and not to pay. Did it not remain yours while it remained? he says; Why is it that you have lied to the Holy Spirit? And I pass over what follows because of its ill-omened nature. And not that I am contemptuous of the girl (for I spare her as the apple of my eye, both for her own sake, desiring to be healed by my humble self, and for the sake of her lady mother, whom I revere and treat as my own holy mother), but fearing the judgment, which will stand beside each one on the day of judgment, both the one asking and the one answering; as it is inescapable that we will give an account to the incorruptible judge for even any idle word. If, therefore, the young woman is not yet joined, our statement is the same and no other before God and men, which you also ought to respect. But if she has been joined (alas for my wretchedness), it must be made known, and then we will give the penance; for nothing is incurable for those who wish to be healed. 53 {1To Stephen the lector and those with him}1 I received letters from your God-zealous love, addressed by one, but in effect sent to me from various persons. Whether, then, from one or from many, I am a debtor, having been asked, insofar as it is possible for my ignorance, to give a worthy reply. But this first for me, that of the things with which I was charmed by your much-praised tongue, I am a stranger to praise, being a sinner and possessing an unrighteous life. But if anything has happened, it is the gift of God, graciously given through the prayer of the father who begot me in the spirit, and through the supplication of you, the lovers of piety, it will be kept unharmed for the future. Secondly, I do not know how I shall make the explanation, since the inquiry has not been put forward clearly; I have surmised that the whole question revolves around Tarasios who was patriarch. I, therefore, for a long time have not been neglectful concerning what has been proposed, having turned over many things in my mind and having reviewed the outcomes of the matters. And indeed, those who stand for what is good and have suffered patiently for many years

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παρεμβολῆς ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας, ἐκ θεοῦ δῆλον ὅτι κινούμενος, λέγων οὕτως· πᾶς ὁ ἀνελὼν ψυχὴν καὶ ἁπτόμενος τοῦ τετρωμένου ἁγνισθήσεται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἑβδόμῃ, ὑμεῖς καὶ ἡ αἰχμαλωσία ὑμῶν. ὅθεν μοι δοκεῖ ὁ Μέγας Βασίλειος ἀφορμηθείς, μᾶλλον δὲ θεοπνευσθείς, δίδωσι τὸ τῆς τριετίας ἐπιτίμιον καὶ ὡς ἂν οἰκονομήσῃ ὁ διδούς· ἐνδεχομένη γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἀναγκαίως κατὰ τὸ κείμενον πάντως ἡ τῶν τοιούτων δόσις. Ἔρρωσο ἐν Κυρίῳ, υἱέ μου ποθητέ, εὐχόμενος περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ τοῦ συμπροσαγορεύοντός σε ἀγαπητοῦ τέκνου μου, σοῦ δὲ ἀδελφοῦ, Γρηγορίου. 52 {1Φιλίππῳ διακόνῳ}1 Μὴ οἴου με, ὦ ἱερὲ ἄνερ, κλείειν τὴν πύλην τῆς μετανοίας (Ναυατιανῶν γὰρ τὸ ἔργον), ἀλλὰ μὴ βούλεσθαι ἀνοίγειν θύραν τῆς ἁμαρτίας τοῖς βουλομένοις. ἦ γὰρ οὐχὶ τοιοῦτον, ὅπερ διὰ τῶν προτέρων σου γραμμάτων δεδήλωκας, τὸ τὴν νεάνιδα εὐξαμένην εὐχήν, εἰ ἀναρρωσθείη ὁ μνήστωρ, νυμφευθῆναι Χριστῷ, εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ ἀνέσφηλεν ἐκεῖνος, ἐθέλουσαν αὐτῷ συναφθῆναι ἐπ' ἀθετήσει τοῦ δευτέρου, ζητεῖν πρὸς τοῦτο ἴαμα; κάλλιστα τοίνυν ἀπεκρίθημέν σοι, καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τε ἄλλως ἀποδιδόναι λόγον τὸν ἀνθρώπων τὰ θεοῦ προκρίνοντα. τίς γὰρ ἂν καὶ δοίη ἐπιτίμιον τὸν μήπω ἡμαρτηκότα πλὴν τοῦ βούλεσθαι; ἢ τίς ἰατρὸς πρὸ νόσου μοτοῖ, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον εἴργει μὴ νοσηλεῦσαι τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦτο ῥέποντα; καί γε ἰατρείας ὅρος, ἢ τὴν ὑπάρχουσαν ὑγιείαν περιφυλάξαι ἢ τὴν ἀποῦσαν ἀνακαλέσασθαι. ἄλογον δέ, σύγγνωθι, τὸ μὴ ἤδη παροῦσαν, ἀλλὰ μελετωμένην νόσον ἰατρεύειν ὡς οὖσαν· οὐ γὰρ ἰητροῦ, ἀλλὰ πτωματιστοῦ τὸ δρᾶμα, ὑφελκομένου προσεμπαρῆναι εἰς πάθος αὐτὸ τὸ ἔτι ἀπαθές. τοιοῦτον οἴου καὶ τὸ τῆς παιδός. καὶ οὔπω λέγω ὅτι καὶ τὸ ἀγαθόν τι ἐνθυμηθῆναί τινα, μὴ τοῦτο εἰς πέρας ἄγοντα ὑφέξειν κρίμα, καθὰ ὁ θεῖος Βασίλειος διωρίσατο. ἐνταῦθα δὲ οἱονεὶ καὶ ἔργον προύβηκεν τὸ βουλευθὲν διὰ τῆς αἰτήσεως καὶ θείας συντεύξεως. Φείδοισθε οὖν, ὦ φιλούμενοι, τὰ τοιαῦτα παίζειν, ἀκούοντες τοῦ λέγοντος, ἀγαθὸν μὴ εὔξασθαι ἢ εὔξασθαι καὶ μὴ ἀποδοῦναι. οὐχὶ μένον ἔμενέν σοι; φησίν· τί ὅτι ἐψεύσω τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ Ἁγίῳ; καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς πάρειμι διὰ τὸ δύσφημον. καὶ οὐχ ὅτι καταφρονητικῶς ἔχω τῆς παιδὸς (φείδομαι γὰρ αὐτῆς ὡς τῆς κόρης μου τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ, καὶ δι' ἑαυτὴν ἐφιεμένην ἐκτῆς εὐτελείας μου θεραπεύεσθαι καὶ διὰ τὴν κυρίαν τὴν μητέρα, ἢν σέβω καὶ περιέπω ὡς τὴν ἐμὴν ὁσίαν μητέρα), ἀλλὰ τὸ κρίμα δεδοικώς, ὃ παρασταίη ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως ἑκάστῳ, τῷ τε ἐρωτῶντι καὶ τῷ ἀποκρινομένῳ· ὡς οὐκ ἐκφευκτέον μέχρι καὶ ἀργοῦ τοῦ τυχόντος ῥήματος μὴ δώσειν ἡμᾶς λόγον τῷ ἀδεκάστῳ κριτῇ. εἰ μὲν οὖν μήπω ἔζευκται ἡ νεᾶνις, ὁ αὐτὸς ἡμῖν λόγος καὶ οὐκ ἄλλος ἐναντίον θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ὃν καὶ ὑμᾶς εὐλαβεῖσθαι χρεών. εἰ δὲ συνέζευκται (φεῦ τῆς ἐμῆς ταλαιπωρίας), δηλωτέον, καὶ τότε δώσομεν τὸ ἐπιτίμιον· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀθεράπευτον τοῖς ἰαθῆναι βουλομένοις. 53 {1Στεφάνῳ ἀναγνώστῃ καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ}1 Γράμματα ἐδεξάμην τῆς θεοζήλου ἀγάπης σου, τῇ μὲν ἐπιγραφῇ ἐξ ἑνός, τῇ δὲ δυνάμει ἐκ διαφόρων μοι προσώπων ἐπεσταλμένα. εἴτε γοῦν ἐξ ἑνὸς εἴτε ἐκ πλειόνων, ὀφειλέτης εἰμὶ ἐρωτηθείς, καθ' ὅσον οἷόν τε τῇ ἀμαθίᾳ μου, ἀξιόλογον τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ἀποδοῦναι. ἐκεῖνο δέ μοι πρῶτον, ὅτι, ὧν κατεπᾳδόμην παρὰ τῆς πολυυμνήτου γλώττης σου, ξένος ἐγὼ ἐπαίνων, ἁμαρτωλὸς ὑπάρχων καὶ ἀκατόρθωτον τὸν βίον κεκτημένος. εἰ δέ τι γέγονεν, θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον, διὰ μὲν τῆς τοῦ γεννήσαντός με πνεύματι πατρὸς εὐχῆς κεχαρισμένον, δι' ὑμῶν δὲ τῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐραστῶν ἱκετηρίας πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς φυλαχθησόμενον ἀπήμαντον. δεύτερον, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τὴν ἐξηγορίαν ποιήσομαι, μὴ εὐκρινῶς προαχθείσης τῆς πεύσεως· ὅλως τὸ ζητούμενον εἰς Ταράσιον τὸν πατριαρχήσαντα περιίστασθαι ὑπολελόγισμαι. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἔκπαλαι περὶ τοῦ προταθέντος οὐκ ἀμελῶς ἔσχον, πολλὰ συστραφεὶς ἐν ἐμαυτῷ καὶ ἀναθεωρήσας τῶν πραγμάτων τὰς ἐκβάσεις. καὶ μέντοι καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τοῦ καλοῦ ἐνισταμένους καὶ πολλοῖς χρόνοις τληπαθήσαντας