Ep. CLXXXIV.

The Lord fulfil all thy petitions (do not despise a father’s prayer), for you have abundantly refreshed my age, both by having gone to Parnassus, as you were invited to do, and by having refuted the calumny against the most Reverend and God-beloved Bishop.  For evil men love to set down their own faults to those who convict them.  For the age of this man is stronger than all the accusations, and so is his life, and we too who have often heard from him and taught others, and those whom he has recovered from error and added to the common body of the church; but yet the present evil times called for more accurate proof on account of the slanderers and evil-disposed; and this you have supplied us with, or rather you have supplied it to those who are of fickler mind and easily led away by such men.  But if you will undertake a longer journey, and will personally give testimony, and settle the matter with the other bishops, you will be doing a spiritual work worthy of your Perfection.  I and those with me salute your Fraternity.

[184] ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙΩΙ

« Πληρώσαι Κύριος πάντα τὰ αἰτήματά σου », καὶ μὴ ἀπαξιώσῃς πατρὸς εὐχήν: ἱκανῶς γὰρ τὸ γῆρας ἡμῶν ἀνέπαυσας καὶ γενόμενος μέχρι Παρνασσοῦ, καθὼς προεκλήθης, καὶ τὴν ἐπενεχθεῖσαν τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ καὶ θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ συκοφαντίαν ἐλέγξας: ἐπειδὴ φιλοῦσιν οἱ πονηροὶ τὰς ἑαυτῶν αἰτίας περιτρέπειν εἰς τοὺς ἐλέγχοντας. Ἰσχυρότερος μὲν γὰρ πάσης κατηγορίας ὁ χρόνος τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ ὁ βίος καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ πολλάκις τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ἀκούσαντες παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ διδάξαντες, οἵ τε ἐκ τῆς πλάνης ἐπαναχθέντες καὶ προστεθέντες τῷ κοινῷ σώματι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας: ἐδεῖτο δὲ ὅμως πονηρὸς ὁ καιρὸς ὤν, καὶ ἀκριβεστέρας ἀποδείξεως διὰ τοὺς ἐπηρεαστὰς καὶ κακοήθεις ἣν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ἐχαρίσω, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ τοῖς κουφοτέροις καὶ ῥᾳδίως ὑπὸ τῶν τοιούτων ἀπατωμένοις. Ταῦτα δὲ εἰ θελήσειας καὶ μακροτέραν ὁδὸν ὑποστὰς διὰ σεαυτοῦ μαρτυρῆσαι καὶ διαιτήσεις τοῖς ἀμφισβητουμένοις μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπισκόπων, ἔργον ποιήσεις πνευματικὸν καὶ τῆς σῆς τελειότητος ἄξιον. Τὴν σὺν σοὶ ἀδελφότητα ἐγώ τε καὶ οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ πάντες προσαγορεύομεν.