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let us take thought of the divine decree brought forth against our race, and in addition to this the commonality of suffering—for life is full of such sufferings—we shall bear nobly what has happened, and we shall repel the assaults of despondency, and we shall sing that wondrous hymn: The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it has come to pass; may the name of the Lord be blessed forever. But we have even more grounds for consolation. For we have clearly received the hopes of the resurrection and we await the revival of the dead; and we have often heard the Master call death sleep. If then we believe, as indeed we do believe, the words of the Savior, we ought not to mourn those who have fallen asleep, even if their sleep is longer than usual. But we must await the resurrection; and we must know that the Ruler of all, being wise, and knowing clearly not only the present but also the future, directs things toward what is profitable. And so a certain wise man, knowing this, philosophizes about such deaths, and says: He was snatched away, lest wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul. Let us yield, therefore, I beseech you, to the wise Governor of the universe, and let us be content with his dispensations, whatever they may be, whether pleasing or painful. For these things are both advantageous and profitable, and an occasion for philosophy, and productive of crowns for those who persevere. 138 TO JOHN THE ARCHIMANDRITE. The blessed David committed certain other sins, which God, who wisely governs all things, had recorded for the benefit of those who would come after. But Absalom the patricide, and murderer, and impious, and all-wicked tyrant, did not undertake that rage against his father on account of those things; but desiring tyranny, he chose that most unjust war. The divine David, however, even as these things were happening, was reminded of the sin he had committed. And so I am conscious of certain other sins in myself, but I have kept the doctrinal teaching of the apostles pure. But they, trampling both divine and human laws, and condemning us in our absence, did not pass sentence for the sins we committed; for what was hidden was not clear to them; but they wove falsehood and slander against us, or rather, openly warring against the apostolic doctrines, they condemned the one who followed them. But the Lord awoke as one sleeping, and He refuted His enemies, and gave them an eternal reproach. And He scattered the counterfeit and spurious doctrines, and He caused those things which He delivered to us in the holy Gospels to be preached with boldness. And for us these things are sufficient for complete gladness. For we do not desire the city in which we have spent our whole time toiling; but we long to see the truth of the Gospels confirmed. And the Master has fulfilled this longing of ours. For this reason we are bright and joyful and we hymn the bounteous Lord, and we exhort your piety to do this with us, and hymning to entreat earnestly, that the philanthropic Lord may strengthen those who now say these things, and now those, and change with the times, just as chameleons change to the color of the leaves, and may He establish them upon the rock, and grant them to prefer the truth above all things. 139 TO ANATOLIUS THE PATRICIAN. We for our part have gladly accepted the tranquility we have obtained and are reaping its beneficial and most sweet fruits. But our Christ-loving emperor, having reaped the kingdom as the fruit of his piety, the first-fruits of his kingdom to the giver of the

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νοῦν λάβοιμεν καὶ τὴν θείαν ψῆφον τὴν κατὰ τοῦ γένους ἐξενεχθεῖσαν, καὶ πρὸς τού τοις τὸ τοῦ πάθους κοινόν-πλήρης γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων παθη μάτων ὁ βίος-οἴσομεν γενναίως τὸ γεγονός, καὶ τὰς τῆς ἀθυμίας ἀποκρουσόμεθα προσβολάς, καὶ τὴν θαυμασίαν ἐκεί νην ᾄσομεν ὑμνῳδίαν· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλετο, ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτως καὶ ἐγένετο· εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας . Ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ πλείους ἔχομεν εἰς παραψυχὴν ἀφορμάς. Τὰς γὰρ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἐλπίδας ἐναργῶς ἐδεξάμεθα καὶ τὴν τῶν τεθνεώτων προσμένομεν ἀναβίωσιν· καὶ πολλάκις ἀκηκόαμεν τοῦ ∆εσπότου ὕπνον κεκληκότος τὸν θάνατον. Εἰ δὲ πιστεύο μεν, ὡσπεροῦν πιστεύομεν, ταῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωναῖς, οὐ δεῖ θρηνεῖν τοὺς κοιμηθέντας, κἂν μακρότερος ᾖ τοῦ εἰωθότος ὃ ὕπνος. Ἀλλὰ προσδέχεσθαι μὲν χρὴ τὴν ἀνάστασιν· εἰδέναι δὲ ὡς σοφὸς ὢν τῶν ὅλων ὁ Πρύτανις, καὶ οὐ τὰ παρόντα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα γινώσκων σαφῶς, πρὸς τὸ συμφέ ρον ἰθύνει τὰ πράγματα. Τοῦτο δὴ καὶ σοφός τις εἰδὼς περὶ τῶν τοιούτων θανάτων φιλοσοφεῖ, καί φησιν· Ἡρπάγη πρὶν ἡ κακία ἀλλάξῃ σύνεσιν αὐτοῦ, ἢ δόλος ἀπατήσῃ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ . Παραχωρήσωμεν τοίνυν, παρακαλῶ, τῷ σοφῷ τοῦ παντὸς Κυβερνήτῃ, καὶ στέρξωμεν τὰ οἰκονομούμενα, ὁποῖά ποτ' ἂν ᾖ, κἂν θυμήρη, κἂν λυπρά. Σύμφορα γὰρ ταῦτα καὶ λυσιτελῆ, καὶ φιλοσοφίας πρόξενα, καὶ στεφάνων τοῖς καρτεροῦσι παρεκτικά. 138 ΙΩΑΝΝΗ ΑΡΧΙΜΑΝ∆ΡΙΤΗ. Ὁ μὲν μακάριος ∆αβὶδ ἕτερά τινα πεπλημμέληκεν, ἃ καὶ ἀνάγραπτα πεποίηκεν εἰς τὴν τῶν ὕστερον ἐσομένων ὠφέ λειαν ὁ σοφῶς ἅπαντα πρυτανεύων Θεός. Ἀβεσαλῶν δὲ ὁ πατραλοίας, καὶ μιαιφόνος, καὶ δυσσεβής, καὶ παμπόνηρος τύραννος, οὐκ ἐκείνων χάριν τὴν κατὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀνεδέξατο λύτταν· ἀλλὰ τῆς τυραννίδος ἐπιθυμήσας, τὸν ἀδικώτατον ἐκεῖνον προείλετο πόλεμον. Ὁ μέντοι θεῖος ∆αβίδ, καὶ τούτων οὕτω γιγνομένων, τῆς εἰργασμένης ἀνεμιμνῄσκετο πλημμε λείας. Κἀγὼ τοίνυν ἕτερα μέν τινα ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα πλημμε λήματα, τὴν δέ γε δογματικὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων διδασκαλίαν ἀκραιφνῆ διετήρησα. Οἱ δέ, καὶ τοὺς θείους καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρω πείους πατήσαντες νόμους, καὶ ἀπόντας ἡμᾶς κατακρίναντες, οὐχ ὑπὲρ ὧν ἡμάρτομεν τὴν ψῆφον ἐξήνεγκαν· οὐ γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῖς δῆλα τὰ κεκρυμμένα· ἀλλὰ ψευδολογίαν καὶ συκοφαν τίαν ὕφηναν καθ' ἡμῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς δόγμασι προφανῶς πολεμοῦντες, τὸν ἐκείνοις ἑπόμενον ἀπεκήρυξαν. Ἀλλ' ἐξηγέρθη ὡς ὁ ὑπνῶν Κύριος, καὶ διήλεγξε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὄνειδος αἰώνιον ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς . Καὶ τὰ μὲν κίβδηλα καὶ νόθα διεσκέδασε δόγματα, ἃ δὲ παρέδωκεν ἡμῖν ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις, σὺν παρρησίᾳ κηρύττεσθαι παρεσκεύασεν. Ἡμῖν δὲ ταῦτα εἰς τελείαν ἀρκεῖ θυμηδίαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πόλεως ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, ἐν ᾗ μοχθοῦντες τὸν ἅπαντα διατετελέκαμεν χρόνον· ἀλλὰ τὴν τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἀλήθειαν ποθοῦμεν κρατυνομένην ὁρᾶν. Τοῦτον δὲ ἡμῶν τὸν πόθον ὁ ∆εσπότης πεπλήρωκεν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γαννύμεθα καὶ γεγήθαμεν καὶ τὸν μεγαλόδωρον Κύριον ὑμνοῦμεν, καὶ τὴν ὑμε τέραν θεοσέβειαν τοῦτο σὺν ἡμῖν παρακαλοῦμεν ποιεῖν, καὶ ὑμνοῦντας ἱκετεῦσαι σπουδαίως, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς νῦν μὲν ταῦτα, νῦν δὲ ἐκεῖνα λέγοντας, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς καιροὺς μεταβαλλομέ νους, καθάπερ οἱ χαμαιλέοντες τὴν τῶν φύλλων μεταμφιέσ κονται χρόαν, ὁ φιλάνθρωπος βεβαιώσῃ Κύριος, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας ἐρείσῃ, καὶ δοίη πάντων προτιμᾶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. 139 ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΩ ΠΑΤΡΙΚΙΩ. Ἡμεῖς μὲν ἣν ἐλάχομεν ἡσυχίαν ἀσπαστῶς ἐδεξάμεθα καὶ τοὺς ὀνησιφόρους αὐτῆς καὶ ἡδίστους τρυγῶμεν καρπούς. Ὁ δὲ φιλόχριστος ἡμῶν βασιλεύς, τῆς εὐσεβείας καρπὸν τὴν βασιλείαν δρεψάμενος, ἀπαρχὰς τῆς βασιλείας τῷ δοτῆρι τῆς