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of the very greatest honor, if they had any distinction of rank; but they ordered us to have no share of roof, nor of water, nor of anything at all. Thus they wished to become imitators of our Father in heaven, who makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust . But I will leave these men be. For the judgment seat of the Lord is near, where what is sought is not hypocrisy of appearances, but the truth of deeds. But I entreat your greatness, to offer the confession of grace on our behalf to the Christ-loving and victorious emperor, and to the most pious and most God-loving Augusta, that to the pious empire they have given a strong root, piety, and to beseech their majesties to establish a firm peace for the Churches, and to order a synod to be gathered, not of troublemakers, people stirring up the assembly again, but of lovers of the truth, who strengthen the apostolic teaching and reject this new and counterfeit heresy; so that you may receive the fruits of these admirable labors from the philanthropic Lord. 142 To Marcellus, Archimandrite of the Acoemetae. Your praiseworthy life indeed makes your godliness shine, showing on earth the image of the life of the angels; but your zeal for the apostolic faith has made it shine more brightly. For what the keel is to a ship, and the foundation to a house, this the truth of the evangelical dogmas is to those who choose to be pious. When this was warred against, you eagerly contended for it, not as defending it as though it were weak, but demonstrating your God-loving disposition. For the teaching of the Lord Christ has what is steadfast and sure, according to the promise of the Savior himself; For the gates of Hades, he says, will not prevail against it . For this, the philanthropic and magnanimous Lord deemed us worthy both to be dishonored and to be slaughtered. For indeed we have considered dishonor an honor, and slaughter life. For we have heard the Apostle saying that To us it has been granted by God, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake . But the Lord rose up quickly as one sleeping, and stopped the mouths that speak blasphemy against God and injustice against us; and he prepared the tongues of the pious to pour forth streams for their accustomed mission. And we are gathering the admirable fruits of tranquility; and seeing the storm of the Churches we grieve, but we are glad and rejoice, being delivered from cares. We have always rejoiced with your godliness, admired for all things; but until the present we have not written, not neglecting the laws of love, but waiting to receive some occasion for a letter. Now, having just met with the most pious and most prudent monks who were sent by your holiness for the sake of other needs, we have immediately done what was desired, and embracing your God-loving head, we ask you first to support us with your prayers, and then also to gladden us with letters. For through divine grace we have fought for the apostolic dogmas. 143 To the Same. And already through other letters we have addressed your godliness, having given the letter to your most honorable brothers; and now again we address your holiness. For both your admirable life urges us to do this, and your praiseworthy zeal, which you have shown for the apostolic faith, fearing neither royal power nor episcopal agreement. For even if of the

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πλείστης ὅσης τιμῆς, εἴπερ τινὰ ἔχοιεν ἀξιώματος περιφάνειαν· ἡμᾶς δὲ προσέταξαν μὴ στέγης, μὴ ὕδατος, μὴ ὅλου μεταλαχεῖν. Οὕτως ἐβουλήθησαν μιμηταὶ γενέσθαι τοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ὃς ἀνατέλλει τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθούς, καὶ βρέ χει ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους . Ἀλλὰ τούτους μὲν ἐάσω. Ἐγγὺς γὰρ τὸ τοῦ ∆εσπότου κριτήριον, ἔνθα οὐ ζητεῖται σχημάτων ὑπόκρισις, ἀλλὰ πραγμάτων ἀλήθεια. Τὸ δὲ ὑμέτε ρον παρακαλῶ μέγεθος, τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῆς χάριτος ὁμολογίαν τῷ φιλοχρίστῳ καὶ νικηφόρῳ προσενεγκεῖν βασιλεῖ, καὶ τῇ εὐσεβεστάτῃ καὶ θεοφιλεστάτῃ Αὐγούστῃ, ὅτι τῇ εὐσεβεῖ βα σιλείᾳ ῥίζαν ἔδωκαν ἰσχυρὰν τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ ἀντιβολῆσαι αὐτῶν τὸ κράτος, βεβαίαν πρυτανεῦσαι ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τὴν εἰρήνην, καὶ σύνοδον ἀθροισθῆναι κελεῦσαι, μὴ τῶν ταραχο ποιῶν, πάλιν ἀνθρώπων διακυκώντων τὸν σύλλογον, ἀλλὰ τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐραστῶν, τὴν ἀποστολικὴν κρατυνόντων διδα σκαλίαν, καὶ ἀποκηρυττόντων τὴν καινὴν ταύτην καὶ κίβδηλον αἵρεσιν· ἵνα καὶ τῶν ἀξιεράστων τούτων πόνων παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Κυρίου κομίσησθε τοὺς καρπούς. 142 ΜΑΡΚΕΛΛΩ ΑΡΧΙΜΑΝ∆ΡΙΤΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΚΟΙΜΗΤΩΝ. Λαμπρύνει μὲν ὑμῶν τὴν θεοσέβειαν ὁ ἀξιέπαινος βίος, τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων πολιτείας ἐν τῇ γῇ τὴν εἰκόνα δεικνύς· λαμπρότερον δὲ τοῦτον ἀπέφηνεν ὁ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς πίστεως ζῆλος. Ὅπερ γάρ ἐστι πλοίῳ μὲν τρόπις, οἰκίᾳ δὲ θεμέλιος, τοῦτο τοῖς εὐσεβεῖν προαιρουμένοις ἡ τῶν εὐαγγε λικῶν δογμάτων ἀλήθεια. Ταύτης δὲ πολεμηθείσης ἐκθύμως ὑπερηθλήσατε, οὐχ ὡς ἀσθενούσης προκινδυνεύοντες, ἀλλὰ τὴν φιλόθεον ἐπιδεικνύντες διάθεσιν. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ διδασκαλία τὸ σταθερὸν ἔχει καὶ βέβαιον, κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὑπόσχεσιν· Πύλαι γὰρ ᾅδου, φησίν, οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς . Ὑπὲρ ταύτης καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀτιμασθῆ ναι καὶ σφαγῆναι ὁ φιλάνθρωπος καὶ μεγαλόδωρος ἠξίωσε Κύριος. Τὴν γὰρ δὴ ἀτιμίαν τιμήν, καὶ τὴν σφαγὴν ζωὴν ὑπει λήφαμεν. Ἠκούσαμεν γὰρ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος, ὅτι Ἡμῖν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἐχαρίσθη οὐ μόνον τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάσχειν . Ἀνέστη δὲ τάχιστα ὡς ὁ ὑπνῶν Κύριος, καὶ ἐνέφραξε μὲν τὰ στόματα τὰ λαλοῦντα κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημίαν, καὶ καθ' ἡμῶν ἀδι κίαν· τὰς δὲ τῶν εὐσεβούντων γλώττας εἰς τὴν συνήθη ἀπο στολὴν τὰ νάματα προχεῖν παρεσκεύασεν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τῆς ἡσυχίας τοὺς ἀξιεράστους τρυγῶμεν καρπούς· καὶ τὴν μὲν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ζάλην ὁρῶντες ἀλγοῦμεν, γαννύμεθα δὲ καὶ εὐφραινόμεθα φροντίδων ἀπηλλαγμένοι. Τῇ δὲ θεοσεβείᾳ σου ἀεὶ μὲν συνήσθημεν διὰ πάντα θαυμαζομένῃ· μέχρι δὲ τοῦ παρόντος οὐκ ἐγράψαμεν, οὐ τῶν τῆς ἀγάπης νόμων ὀλιγω ροῦντες, ἀλλ' ἀφορμήν τινα λαβεῖν γραμμάτων προσμένοντες. Αὐτίκα νῦν τοῖς εὐσεβεστάτοις καὶ συνετωτάτοις συντετυχη κότες μονάζουσιν, οἳ παρὰ τῆς σῆς ὁσιότητος ἑτέρων εἵνεκα χρειῶν ἀπεστάλησαν, εὐθὺς δεδράκαμεν τὸ ποθούμενον, καὶ τὴν θεοφιλῆ σου περιπτυσσόμενοι κεφαλήν, παρακαλοῦμεν πρῶτον μὲν ἡμᾶς ἀνέχειν ταῖς προσευχαῖς, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ γράμμασιν εὐφραίνειν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν θείαν χάριν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν πεπολεμήμεθα δογμάτων. 143 ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ. Καὶ ἤδη δι' ἑτέρων γραμμάτων τὴν σὴν προσείπομεν θεοσέ βειαν, τοῖς τιμιωτάτοις ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ὑμετέροις τὴν ἐπιστο λὴν δεδωκότες· καὶ νῦν δὲ πάλιν προσφθεγγόμεθά σου τὴν ἁγιότητα. Προτρέπει γὰρ ἡμᾶς τοῦτο ποιεῖν καὶ ὁ ἀξιάγαστος ὑμῶν βίος, καὶ ὁ ἀξιέπαινος ζῆλος, ὃν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀποστολικῆς ἐπεδείξασθε πίστεως, οὐ βασιλικὴν δείσαντες δυναστείαν, οὐκ ἐπισκοπικὴν συμφωνίαν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τῶν