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falling short of the matter because of the unclean friendship for the passions that lies somewhere in the depth of the soul.

Nor again let us display divine knowledge by the mere utterance of words polished for beauty; nor let us define good understanding to be merely the ability to speak without acting; but by a disposition of soul formed in practice by the virtues, and for this reason, with practice on the one hand illuminating the light of knowledge; and with knowledge on the other hand brightening the intensity of practice; (15B_368> so that fear, coming together with the longing for God according to good understanding through deeds, may work out for us perfect divine wisdom; beginning in the avoidance of evils according to the divine fear, and being perfected in the practice of the commandments according to good understanding. For he who defines understanding to be in the mere utterance of divine words alone is like a parrot, imitating human words. For this animal alone among birds, being taught, mimics human words, having nothing at all human according to its nature; just as also he who only goes as far as mere utterance, imitating the words of the truly intelligent to the astonishment of the listeners, but not having the state of knowledge formed by the practice of the virtues, is truly another Pharisee, or a reprehensible priest, both being and being called such; feigning understanding by the mere utterance of words; but falling completely short of that wisdom which truly has its being in works; and for this reason, puffed up with pride, and by the arrogance of the conceit that nourishes the pride in his mind, stands against the word of truth; not knowing, as it seems, that the knowledge of those puffed up over it for the sake of vainglory has become, without practice, manifestly a theology of demons; having Jesus, who is supposedly theologized, openly rebuking it, even if such a person, being overcome by passion, does not perceive it.

For this very reason let us fear God with fear, and let us free ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, not allowing the law of the flesh to rise up against the law of the spirit through the praised mortification of the members; nor let us circumscribe the magnificence of the divine fear only by outward moral behavior; but let us make the outward composure a herald of the good inner disposition of the soul, so that we may flee the coming threat of fire; and let us adorn (15B_370> good understanding with the practice of the commandments, so that we may not, as vainglorious men, carry about dead words, deprived of the life that is in the practice of the commandments; but let us make the divine words 0604 effective in deeds, pursuing peace with all and love; caring for kindness and meekness, and long-suffering and forbearance in all things towards all; bearing what happens with patience and thanksgiving; and receiving tribulations unshakably, as divine decrees [gifts]; contradicting nothing of the words of the providence which advantageously guides our life through these things, so that we may obtain eternal life with all the saints, delighting in the good things to come, in the permanence of eternal blessedness, hearing God say to us: Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; and let us rejoice, enjoying those ineffable good things, Which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love him.

EPISTLE 21. ... TO THE MOST HOLY BISHOP OF KYDONIA. 21. By the same to the most holy bishop of Kydonia.

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πράγματος διά τήν ἀκάθαρτον ἐν τῷ βάθει που κειμένην τῆς ψυχῆς πρός τά πάθη φιλίαν ἀπολειπόμενος.

Μηδέ πάλιν μόνῃ προφορᾷ λόγων πρός κάλλος ἀπεξεσμένων τήν θείαν γνῶσιν ἐπιδειξώμεθα· μηδέ μέχρι ψιλοῦ τοῦ δύνασθαι μόνον λαλεῖν δίχα τοῦ πράττειν, εἶναι τήν ἀγαθήν ὁρισώμεθα σύνεσιν· ἀλλά διαθέσει ψυχῆς κατά τήν πρᾶξιν ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ποιωθείσης, καί διά τοῦτο πράξει μέν τό φέγγος λαμπρυνούσης τῆς γνώσεως· γνώσει δέ τόν τόνον φαιδρυνούσης τῆς πράξεως· (15Β_368> ἵνα τῷ κατά τήν ἀγαθήν σύνεσιν πόθῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ συνελθών διά τῶν πραγμάτων ὁ φόβος, τελείαν ἡμῖν τήν θείαν ἐργάσωνται σοφίαν· ἐν μέν τῇ κατά τόν θεῖον φόβον ἀποχῇ τῶν κακῶν ἀρχομένην, ἐν δέ τῇ πράξει τῶν ἐντολῶν κατά τήν ἀγαθήν σύνεσιν τελειουμένην. Ὁ γάρ ἐν μόνῃ ψιλῇ τῇ προφορᾷ τῶν θείων λόγων εἶναι τήν σύνεσιν διοριζόμενος, ἔοικε ψιττακῷ, τούς ἀνθρωπίνους μιμηλευομένῳ λόγους. Τοῦτο γάρ μονώτατον τό ζῶον ἐν τοῖς πτηνοῖς, τούς ἀνθρωπίνους διδασκόμενον ὑποκρίνεται λόγους, μηδέν ἔχων παντελῶς κατά τήν φύσιν ἀνθρώπινον· ὥσπερ καί ὁ μέχρι μόνης τῆς ψιλῆς προφορᾶς, τούς μέν τῶν ἀληθῶς συνετῶν λόγους πρός τήν τῶν ἀκουόντων κατάπληξιν μιμηλευόμενος, τήν δέ τῆς γνώσεως ἕξιν οὐκ ἔχων τῇ πράξει τῶν ἀρετῶν πεποιωμένην, Φαρισαῖος τις ἄλλος ὡς ἀληθῶς, ἤ ψεκτός ἱερεύς καί ὤν καί καλούμενος· τήν μέν σύνεσιν τῇ προφορᾷ μόνῃ τῶν λόγων ὑποκρινόμενος· αὐτῆς δέ τῆς ὄντως ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις ἐχούσης τό εἶναι σοφίας παντελῶς ἀπολειπόμενος· καί διά τοῦτο μέγα φυσῶν, καί τῇ ἀλαζονείᾳ τῆς ὑποτρεφούσης αὐτοῦ τήν κατά νοῦν ὑπερηφανίαν οἰήσεως, κατά τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας ἱστάμενος· οὐκ εἰδώς, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὅτι δαιμόνων θεολογία προδήλως, ἡ τῶν ἐπ᾿ αὐτῇ διά φιλοδοξίαν μέγα φυσώντων καθέστηκε δίχα πράξεως γνῶσις· ἐπιτιμῶντα διαῤῥήδην Ἰησοῦν ἔχουσα, τόν δῆθεν θεολογούμενον, κἄν ὁ τοιοῦτος τῷ πάθει κρατούμενος οὐκ αἰσθάνεται.

∆ιά τοι τοῦτο φόβῳ φοβηθῶμεν ἡμεῖς τόν Θεόν, καί παντός ῥύπου σαρκός καί πνεύματος ἑαυτούς ἐλευθερώσωμεν, μή συγχωροῦντες, τόν νόμον τῆς σαρκός διά τῆς ἐπαινουμένης τῶν μελῶν νεκρώσεως ἐπαναστῆναι τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ πνεύματος· μηδέ μόνοις τοῖς κατ᾿ ἦθος φαινομένοις τρόποις περιγράψωμεν τοῦ θείου φόβου τήν μεγαλοπρέπειαν· ἀλλά τῆς ἐντός κατά ψυχήν καλῆς διαθέσεως κήρυκα ποιησώμεθα τήν περί τό ἦθος καταστολήν, ἵνα φύγωμεν τήν μέλλουσαν τοῦ πυρός ἀπειλήν· καί τήν (15Β_370> σύνεσιν τήν ἀγαθήν τῇ πράξει τῶν ἐντολῶν κατακοσμήσωμεν, ἵνα μή νεκρούς, ὡς κενόδοξοι, περιφέρωμεν λόγους, καί τῆς κατά τήν πρᾶξιν τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐστερημένους ζωῆς· ἀλλ᾿ ἐμπράκτους τούς θείους λόγους 0604 ποιήσωμεν, εἰρήνην μετά πάντων διώκοντες καί ἀγάπην· χρηστότητός τε καί πραότητος ἐπιμελούμενοι, καί μακροθυμίας καί τῆς ἐν πᾶσι πρός πάντας ἀνοχῆς· μεθ᾿ ὑπομονῆς τά συμβαίνοντα φέροντες, καί εὐχαριστίας· καί ὡς θεῖα δόγματα [δόματα], τάς θλίψεις ἀκατασείστως δεχόμενοι· μηδέν πρός τούς λόγους τῆς διά τούτων συμφερόντως διεξαγούσης ἡμῶν τήν ζωήν προνοίας ἀντιτείνοντες, ὅπως τύχωμεν τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς μετά πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, κατατρυφῶντες τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ἐν τῇ διαμονῇ τῆς τῶν αἰωνίων μακαριότητος, λέγοντος πρός ἡμᾶς ἀκούοντες τοῦ Θεοῦ· ∆εῦτε οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τήν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπό καταβολῆς κόσμου· καί εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐκείνων ἀπολαύοντες τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων ἀγαθῶν, Ἅπερ ὀφθαλμός οὐκ εἶδε, καί οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καί ἐπί καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἅ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεός τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΚΑ'. ... ΠΡΟΣ ΑΓΙΩΤΑΤΟΝ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΝ ΚΥ∆ΩΝΙΑΣ. ΚΑ´Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός ἁγιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον Κυδωνίας.