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with the other supporting it, nor would an eye see properly without having the other as a partner and with it looking in harmony at visible things. Hearing is more accurate, which receives the sound through both channels, and grasp is stronger by the fellowship of the fingers. And simply, I see nothing accomplished correctly, whether of things from nature or from choice, without being perfected by the concord of kindred beings, since even prayer itself, not having those who are in harmony, is much weaker than it would be, and the Lord promised to be in the midst of two or three calling upon Him in unity. And the Lord Himself undertook the dispensation, that He might make peace through the blood of His cross, whether things on earth or things in heaven. So for all these reasons we pray to remain in peace for our remaining days, and we ask that our falling asleep may be in peace. For the sake of this I have determined to spare no labor whatsoever, not to say or do anything base, not to reckon the length of a journey, not to shrink from any other trouble, so as to obtain the rewards of peacemaking. And if anyone follows us as we lead in these things, this is best and the fulfillment of prayer; but if he drags away to the contrary, I for my part will not even so depart from my own judgment. But each man himself will recognize the fruits of his own work on the day of recompense.

98. To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata

98.1 Although I was very eager to reach Nicopolis, after receiving the letters from your Decorum which contained a refusal of your arrival, I was overcome by despondency and was reminded of all my weakness at once. The indifference of those who had invited me also came to my mind, because, having made their invitation to us in passing through our most reverend brother Hellenius, who is the equal of Nazianzus, they did not see fit to send a second person to remind or guide us about the same matters. Since, therefore, we are suspect to them on account of our sins, we feared lest we might somehow trouble the cheerfulness of their festival by our presence. For with your greatness of soul we do not hesitate to face even great temptations, but without you we are not sufficient even to look ordinary afflictions in the face. Since, therefore, our meeting with them was to be for the sake of ecclesiastical matters, we have passed over the time of the festival, and we have postponed the meeting to a time of quiet and untroubled conduct, and we have chosen, upon reaching Nicopolis, to discuss matters necessary for the Churches with the most God-beloved bishop Meletius, if he should decline the journey to Samosata; but if not, we will meet there, if this is made clear to us by both, both from him himself writing back to us about these things (for we have written to him) and from your Godliness. 98.2 We were also about to meet with the bishops from Cappadocia Secunda; who, since they were named as belonging to another province, thought they had suddenly become both foreigners and aliens to us; they were as ignorant of us as those who have never had any experience nor ever entered into discussion with us. Another meeting was also expected with the most reverend bishop Eustathius, which also took place for us. For because he was decried by many as corrupting something concerning the faith, we entered into discussions with him and found him, with God's help, soundly following all orthodoxy. But the letters of the bishops were not brought to your Honor because of the fault of those very men who should have sent on what came from us, but it also escaped me, being driven from my memory by the continuity of my cares. But the brother

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συνυποστηρίζοντος τοῦ ἑτέρου, οὔτ' ἂν ὀφθαλμὸς ὑγιῶς ἴδοι μὴ κοινωνὸν ἔχων τὸν ἕτερον καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ συμφώνως προσβάλλων τοῖς ὁρατοῖς. Ἡ ἀκοὴ ἀκριβεστέρα, ἡ δι' ἀμφοῖν τοῖν πόροιν τὴν φωνὴν δεχο μένη, καὶ ἀντίληψις κραταιοτέρα τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν δακτύ λων. Καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς οὐδὲν οὔτε τῶν ἐκ φύσεως οὔτε τῶν ἐκ προαιρέσεως κατορθουμένων ὁρῶ ἄνευ τῆς τῶν ὁμο φύλων συμπνοίας ἐπιτελούμενον, ὅπου γε καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ προ σευχὴ μὴ ἔχουσα τοὺς συμφωνοῦντας ἀδρανεστέρα ἐστὶ πολλῷ ἑαυτῆς καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐπηγγείλατο μέσος γενήσεσθαι δύο ἢ τριῶν ἐπικαλουμένων αὐτὸν ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ. Καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ὁ Κύριος κατεδέξατο, ἵνα εἰρηνοποιήσῃ διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ σταυροῦ αὐτοῦ εἴτε τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἴτε τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ὥστε διὰ πάντα ταῦτα ἐν εἰρήνῃ μένειν τὰς λειπομένας ἡμῶν ἡμέρας εὐχόμεθα, ἐν εἰρήνῃ δὲ γενέσθαι τὴν κοίμησιν ἡμῶν αἰτοῦμεν. Ὑπὲρ ταύτης οὐδὲ πόνον ἐλλείπειν ὅντινα οὖν ἔγνωκα, οὐ ταπεινόν τι φθέγξασθαι ἢ ποιῆσαι, οὐχ ὁδοιπορίας μῆκος ὑπολογίσασθαι, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν ὀχληρῶν ὑποστείλασθαι, ὥστε τῶν μισθῶν τῆς εἰρηνοποιΐας ἐπιτυχεῖν. Κἂν μὲν ἕπηταί τις ταῦτα καθηγουμένοις ἡμῖν, τοῦτο ἄριστον καὶ εὐχῆς τυγχάνει πέρας· ἐὰν δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐναντίαν ἀφέλκῃ, ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδὲ οὕτω τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ κρίσεως ἀποστήσομαι. Αὐτὸς δὲ ἕκαστος τῆς οἰκείας ἐργασίας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως τοὺς καρποὺς ἐπιγνώσεται.

98.τ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ

98.1 Πάνυ ὡρμημένος καταλαβεῖν τὴν Νικόπολιν, μετὰ τὸ δέξασθαι τὰ παρὰ

τῆς κοσμιότητός σου γράμματα ἄρνησιν ἔχοντα τῆς ἀφίξεως παρείθην ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας καὶ πάσης ὁμοῦ τῆς ἀσθενείας ἀνεμνήσθην. Ἦλθε δέ μοι εἰς ἔννοιαν καὶ ἡ τῶν κεκληκότων ἀφοσίωσις, ὅτι, παροδικὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ποιησάμενοι τὴν κλῆσιν διὰ τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου ἀδελφοῦ Ἑλληνίου τοῦ ἐξισοῦντος Ναζιανζόν, δεύτερον περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ὑπομιμνήσκοντα ἢ ὁδηγοῦντα ἡμᾶς οὐ κατηξίωσαν ἀποστεῖλαι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὕποπτοι αὐτοῖς ἐσμεν διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, ἐφοβήθημεν μή που τὸ φαιδρὸν αὐτοῖς τῆς πανηγύρεως τῇ παρουσίᾳ ἡμῶν ἐπιθολώσωμεν. Μετὰ μὲν γὰρ τῆς σῆς μεγαλοφυΐας καὶ πρὸς τοὺς με γάλους ἀποδύσασθαι πειρασμοὺς οὐκ ὀκνοῦμεν, ἄνευ δὲ σοῦ οὐδὲ ταῖς τυχούσαις θλίψεσιν ἀντιβλέπειν αὐτάρκως ἔχομεν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἕνεκεν γίνεσθαι ἡμῶν ἡ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔντευξις ἔμελλε, τὸν μὲν τῆς πανηγύρεως καιρὸν παρελίπομεν, εἰς ἡσυχίαν δὲ καὶ ἀτάραχον διαγωγὴν τὴν συντυχίαν ὑπερεθέμεθα καὶ προῃρήμεθα καταλαβόντες τὴν Νικόπολιν διαλεχθῆναι περὶ τῶν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἀναγκαίων τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Μελετίῳ, εἰ μέλλοι παραιτεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπὶ Σαμόσατα ὁδόν· εἰ δὲ μή, αὐτοῦ συνδραμούμεθα, ἐὰν παρ' ἀμφοτέρων τοῦτο ἡμῖν κατάδηλον γένηται, παρά τε αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου ἀντιγράψαντος ἡμῖν περὶ τούτων (ἐπεστείλαμεν γάρ) καὶ παρὰ τῆς σῆς θεοσεβείας. 98.2 Ἐπισκόποις δὲ τοῖς ἐκ τῆς δευτέρας Καππαδοκίας συντυγχάνειν ἐμέλλομεν· οἵ, ἐπειδὴ ἑτέρας ὠνομάσθησαν ἐπαρχίας, ἐνόμισαν ἀθρόως καὶ ἀλλοεθνεῖς καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι πρὸς ἡμᾶς γεγενῆσθαι· οἳ τοσοῦτον ἡμᾶς ἠγνόησαν ὅσον οἱ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν πεπειραμένοι μηδὲ εἰς λόγους ποτὲ ἀφικόμενοι. Προσεδοκᾶτο δὲ καὶ ἑτέρα συντυχία τοῦ αἰδεσιμωτάτου ἐπισκόπου Εὐσταθίου, ἡ καὶ γενομένη ἡμῖν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὸ παρὰ πολλῶν καταβοᾶσθαι αὐτὸν ὡς περὶ τὴν πίστιν παραχαράσσοντά τι, ἀφικόμεθα αὐτῷ εἰς λόγους καὶ εὕρομεν σὺν Θεῷ πρὸς πᾶσαν ὀρθότητα εὐγνωμόνως ἀκολουθοῦντα. Τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐπισκόπων γράμματα παρὰ τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτῶν ἐκείνων οὐκ ἐκομίσθη τῇ τιμιότητί σου οὓς ἐχρῆν τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν διαπέμψασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐμὲ παρῆλθε τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῶν φροντίδων ἐκκρουσθέντα τῆς μνήμης. Τὸν δὲ ἀδελφὸν