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of those who had assembled, the majority, having been coerced, agreed, but at any rate with their signatures they strengthened the new heresy. But none of these things shook your love of God; rather, you have remained in the ancient dogmas, which the Lord taught the Churches to believe through the prophets and the apostles. We too pray to keep these boundaries, and to preserve until the end the faith and confession in the one Father, and the one Son, and the one Holy Spirit. For the incarnation of the Only-begotten did not increase the number of the Trinity, but the Trinity has remained the Trinity even after the incarnation. For thus we were discipled from the beginning, thus we believed, thus we were baptized, thus we preached, thus we baptized, thus we continue glorifying. But concerning the father of those who speak falsehood the Lord said: When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks from his own resources . And what was said about the teacher is fitting for his disciples. For these too, using falsehoods against us, speak from their own resources, they do not say our things. But the Lord comforts us, saying: Blessed are you when they revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake; rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven . And we beseech your piety to pray, not to be of the portion of those who wrong us, but of those who are wronged for the sake of the truth of the Gospels. 144 TO ANDREW THE MONK OF CONSTANTINOPLE. Though I have never seen your piety, nor spoken with you through letters, I have become a most ardent admirer of it. The affection was wrought, and this it kindles continuously, by the things said in unison by those who have tasted of your honey. For all marvel at the orthodoxy of your faith, the splendor of your life, the stability of your soul, the harmony of your character, the charm and sweetness of your company, and all the other things that describe the perfect nursling of philosophy. For these reasons I am devoted to your love of God. And my longing has caused me to begin to write. But, O dear head to me, impart as quickly as possible what is longed for and grant us discourse through letters. For conversation through epistles provides sufficient comfort to those who are separated. You will be writing not to a heretic, but to one nourished in the teaching of the apostles, and a herald of a Trinity, not a quaternity. For in fact I have considered similarly impious, both those who dare to bring together the two natures of the Only-begotten into one, and those who attempt to divide our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, the incarnate God the Word, into two sons. If indeed there are any such; for I do not think so; but this slander against the Church the partisans of Arius and Eunomius, and indeed also of Apollinarius, have always shamelessly woven. And it is easy for the diligent to know that our all-praised Fathers, the luminaries of the Churches, endured this accusation from the enemies of the truth, which we now suffer from the best champions of the new heresy. Whose impiety the all-wise Lord has laid bare, not enduring to strengthen the unholy heresy by long-suffering. Being persuaded, therefore, that you are writing to those of the same opinion, master—and it is easy for you to learn this also from our many writings—, send a letter in reply. For these are again, one might say with God's help, the kindlings of love. But before the letters, give the help of your prayers, and entreat our good Lord to direct our feet toward the unerring path, that we may complete the remaining course according to His laws. For having boldness from a pure life, you will most easily persuade him to do good
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συνεληλυθότων οἱ πλεῖστοι βιασθέντες συνέθεντο, ἀλλ' οὖν ταῖς ὑπογραφαῖς τὴν καινὴν ἐκράτυναν αἵρεσιν. Τὴν δὲ ὑμετέραν φιλοθεΐαν οὐδὲν τούτων διέσεισεν· ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῶν παλαιῶν διεμείνατε δογμάτων, ἃ καὶ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων φρονεῖν τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ὁ ∆εσπότης ἐδίδαξε. Τούτους καὶ ἡμεῖς τοὺς ὅρους φυλάττειν εὐχόμεθα, καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸν ἕνα Πατέρα, καὶ τὸν ἕνα Υἱόν, καὶ τὸ ἓν ἅγιον Πνεῦμα πίστιν τε καὶ ὁμολογίαν μέχρι τέλους διατηρῆσαι. Ἡ γὰρ ἐνανθρώπησις τοῦ Μονογε νοῦς οὐκ ηὔξησε τῆς Τριάδος τὸν ἀριθμόν, ἀλλὰ μεμένηκε καὶ μετὰ τὴν σάρκωσιν Τριὰς ἡ Τριάς. Οὕτω γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐμαθητεύθημεν, οὕτως ἐπιστεύσαμεν, οὕτως ἐβαπτίσθημεν, οὕτως ἐκηρύξαμεν, οὕτως ἐβαπτίσαμεν, οὕτω διατελοῦμεν δοξάζοντες. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ πατρὸς τῶν λαλούντων τὸ ψεῦδος ὁ Κύριος ἔφη· Ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλεῖ . Ἁρμόττει δὲ τοῖς μαθηταῖς τὰ περὶ τοῦ διδασκάλου ῥηθέντα. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι, ταῖς καθ' ἡμῶν ψευδολογίαις χρησά μενοι, ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λαλοῦσιν, οὐ τὰ ἡμέτερα λέγουσιν. Ἡμᾶς δὲ ὁ ∆εσπότης ψυχαγωγεῖ λέγων· Μακάριοι ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς, καὶ διώξωσι, καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ ψευδόμενοι· χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς . Καὶ τὴν σὴν δὲ παρακαλοῦμεν προσεύ ξασθαι θεοσέβειαν, μὴ τῆς τῶν ἀδικούντων ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι μερίδος, ἀλλὰ τῆς τῶν ἠδικημένων διὰ τὴν τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἀλήθειαν. 144 ΑΝ∆ΡΕΑ ΜΟΝΑΖΟΝΤΙ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ. Οὔτε θεασάμενος πώποτε τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν, οὔτε διὰ γραμ μάτων ὁμιληκώς, ἐραστὴς αὐτῆς ἐγενόμην θερμότατος. Εἰργά σατο δὲ τὸ φίλτρον, καὶ τοῦτο πυρσεύει διηνεκῶς, τὰ παρὰ τῶν τοῦ σοῦ μέλιτος γεγευμένων συμφώνως λεγόμενα. Θαυ μάζουσι γὰρ ἅπαντες τῆς πίστεως τὴν ὀρθότητα, τὴν τοῦ βίου λαμπρότητα, τὴν εὐστάθειαν τῆς ψυχῆς, τὴν τῶν ἠθῶν ἁρμονίαν, τὸ τῆς συνουσίας ἐπαγωγὸν καὶ γλυκύ, καὶ τἄλλα ὅσα τὸν τέλειον ὑπογράφει τῆς φιλοσοφίας τρόφιμον. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα τῆς σῆς φιλοθεΐας ἐξήρτημαι. Ὁ δὲ πόθος καὶ γραμμά των ἄρξαι πεποίηκεν. Ἀλλ' ὦ φίλη μοι κεφαλή, μετάδος ὡς τάχιστα τοῦ ποθουμένου καὶ τὴν διὰ γραμμάτων ἡμῖν παράσχε διάλεξιν. Ἱκανὴν γὰρ τοῖς διεστηκόσι παρέχει ψυχαγωγίαν ἡ δι' ἐπιστολῶν ὁμιλιά. Γράψεις δὲ οὐχ ἑτεροδόξῳ, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐντεθραμμένῳ διδασκαλίᾳ, καὶ Τριάδος οὐ τετρά δος κήρυκι. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ παραπλησίως ὑπείληφα δυσσεβεῖς, τούς τε τὰς δύο τοῦ Μονογενοῦς φύσεις εἰς μίαν συνάγειν τολμῶντας, καὶ τοὺς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος, τὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα Θεὸν Λόγον, εἰς δύο μερίζειν ἐπιχειροῦντας υἱούς. Εἴπερ ἄρα τινές εἰσιν· ἐγὼ γὰρ οὐκ οἴομαι· ἀλλὰ ταύτην ἀεὶ τὴν συκοφαντίαν κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας οἱ τῆς Ἀρείου καὶ Εὐνομίου, καὶ μέντοι καὶ Ἀπολιναρίου συμμορίας ἀναίδην ἐξύφηναν. Καὶ ῥᾴδιον γνῶναι τοῖς φιλοπόνοις, ὡς οἱ πανεύφημοι Πατέρες ἡμῶν, τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν οἱ φωστῆρες, παρὰ τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθρῶν ταύτην τὴν κατηγορίαν ὑπέμειναν, ἣν νῦν ἡμεῖς παρὰ τῶν βελτίστων ὑφιστάμεθα τῆς καινῆς προμάχων αἱρέσεως. Ὧν ὁ πάνσοφος ∆εσπότης ἐγύμνωσε τὴν ἀσέβειαν οὐκ ἀνασχό μενος τὴν ἀνοσίαν αἵρεσιν τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ κρατῦναι. Πεισθεὶς τοίνυν ὡς ὁμοδόξοις, δέσποτα, γράφεις-ῥᾴδιον δέ σοι τοῦτο καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν ἡμῶν συγγραμμάτων μαθεῖν-, ἀντίδος τὰ γράμματα. Ἔστι γὰρ ταῦτα πάλιν, σὺν Θεῷ φάναι, τῆς ἀγάπης ἐκκαύματα. Πρὸ δὲ τῶν γραμμάτων, δὸς τῶν προσευχῶν τὴν βοήθειαν, καὶ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἡμῶν ἀντιβόλησον Κύριον, πρὸς τὴν ἀπλανῆ κατευθῦναι πορείαν τοὺς ἡμετέρους πόδας, ἵνα μετὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ νόμων ἐξανύσωμεν τὸν λειπόμενον δρόμον. Ἔχων γὰρ τὴν ἐκ τῆς καθαρᾶς βιοτῆς παρρησίαν, ῥᾷστα πείσεις τὸν εὐεργετεῖν