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EPISTLE 29. ... TO THE SAME. 29. By the same to the same. (15Β_404> God indeed, seeking, came down from heaven, and longing for the sheep

put on flesh; and thus saving the one who wandered, placing it upon his shoulders, he compassionately brought it back to its own pasture. But you, most holy Father and shepherd, having only filled the reed of teaching with the Holy Spirit, have brought back full to yourself the flock of rational sheep, which had involuntarily departed from its fatherland, but voluntarily ran to your voice of the good and knowledgeable shepherd, as it had a perfect discernment of what is advantageous. For it did not wander across the vast seas, having scorned the divine pasture; but for the sake of the saving security of the divine offerings of the soul.

But receive the flock, which has remained not only unassailable by wolves, but also has become a destroyer of wolves, and is rich in many spiritual goods; And draw your bow, and prosper, and reign, for the sake of truth and meekness and righteousness; as a teacher of the divine doctrines according to piety, and a guide of a pure life and a venerable 0624 way of life, and a lawgiver of right discernment in all things; receiving especially, along with the said holy flock, also the sanctified lord abba George the presbyter, a holy man, possessing a life equal to his word; and through both being a destroyer of the evil power. But since I have been consumed by great grief, not bearing their separation, either receive me also, and let me rest under your wings; or strengthen me through prayers to bear bravely the pain at the separation from my dearest ones.

EPISTLE 30. ... TO JOHN THE BISHOP. 30. By the same to John the bishop. (15Β_406> Those who have rationally considered the nature of beings say that of everything

the power of fire is attractive to its substrate; to which the interpreters of the divine mysteries, symbolically comparing God, say that He Himself is also attractive to all who wish to obey His laws, and who embrace living holily; to whom, saying that the priesthood exists as an image skillfully having its imitation in a picture, they declare that it too, by the same law according to the grace of sympathy, is attractive to all who are of the same nature. Since you, then, holy Father, have been allotted to have this image of God on earth, call to yourself with ways and words of sympathy those who long to return to you, and who desire to be shepherded by you according to their prayers; and assure them with true promises through your precious words, of your providence for them in all things with God; if indeed the foul expectation of the enemies has been completely frustrated; for which cause they endured such a flight, those who considered it safe to follow the law of God, which clearly cries out: If they persecute you in this city, flee to another; and preferring praiseworthy timidity to rashness; so that, after God, believing your words, they may make their return without fear; and that from the toils with which they have been hard pressed for the sake of virtue, and for obeying God who commands (15Β_408> to flee from persecutors, during this terrible exile, they may find respite in your merciful arrangement for them in all things.

Do not, then, holy Father, disdain to receive your supplicant and servant who beseeches you; but honor with your own words, as you are honored, the one of no honor

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ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΚΘ'. ... ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. ΚΘ´Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός τόν αὐτόν. (15Β_404> Ὁ μέν Θεός ζητῶν κατῆλθεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καί ποθῶν τό πρόβατον

ἐνεδύσατο· καί οὕτως σώσας τό πλανώμενον, πρός τά σύννομα τῶν ὤμων ἐπιθείς, συμπαθῶς ἐπανήγαγε. Σύ δέ, πανάγιε Πάτερ καί ποιμήν, μόνον Πνεύματος ἁγίου πληρώσας τῆς διδασκαλίας τόν δόνακα, πρός ἑαυτόν ἐπανήγαγες πλήρη, τήν ἀκουσίως μέν τῆς πατρίδος ἀποφοιτήσασαν ἀγέλην τῶν λογικῶν προβάτων, ἑκουσίως δέ προστρέχουσαν τῇ φωνῇ σου τοῦ καλοῦ ποιμένος καί ἐπιστήμονος, ὡς τελείαν διάγνωσιν ἔχουσαν τοῦ συμφέροντος. Οὐ γάρ πλανηθεῖσα τά μακρά διεπέρασε πελάγη, τῆς θείας κατολιγωρήσασα νομῆς· ἀσφαλείας δέ χάριν σωστικῆς τῶν κατά ψυχήν θείων ἀναθημάτων.

Ἀλλά δέξαι ποίμνην, οὐ μόνον ἀνεπίβατον λύκοις διαμείνασαν, ἀλλά καί λύκων ἀναιρετικήν γενομένην, καί πολλοῖς πλουτοῦσαν τοῖς κατά ψυχήν ἀγαθοῖς· Καί ἔντεινον, καί κατευοδοῦ, καί βασίλευε, ἕνεκεν ἀληθείας καί πραότητος καί δικαιοσύνης· ὡς τῶν κατ᾿ εὐσέβειαν θείων δογμάτων διδάσκαλος, καί βίου καθαροῦ, καί σεμνῆς 0624 πολιτείας ὑφηγητής, καί τοῖς ἐν πᾶσιν ὀρθῆς διακρίσεως νομοθέτης· προσλαβόμενος μάλιστα μετά τῆς εἰρημένης ἱερᾶς ποίμνης, καί τόν ἡγιασμένος κύριον ἀββᾶν Γεώργιον τόν πρεσβύτερον, ἄνθρωπον ἱερόν, ἴσον τῷ λόγῳ κεκτημένον τόν βίον· καί δι᾿ ἀμφοτέρων ὄντα τῆς πονηρᾶς καθαιρέτην δυνάμεως. Ἀλλ᾿ ἐπειδή μεγάλῃ κατεπόθην λύπῃ μή φέρων τήν τούτων διάζευξιν, ἤ κἀμέ προσλάβετε, καί ὑπό τάς ὑμετέρας καταπαύετε πτέρυγας· ἤ στηρίξατε δι᾿ εὐχῶν πρός τό γενναίως φέρειν τήν ἐπί τῷ χωρισμῷ τῶν φιλτάτων ὀδύνην.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ Λ'. ... ΠΡΟΣ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΝ. Λ´Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός Ἰωάννην ἐπίσκοπον. (15Β_406> Φασίν οἱ τήν τῶν ὄντων φύσιν λογικῶς διασκεψάμενοι, παντός

ἑλκτικήν εἶναι τοῦ ὑποκειμένου τήν τοῦ πυρός δύναμιν· ᾧ παραβάλοντες συμβολικῶς τόν Θεόν, οἱ τῶν θείων ἐξηγηταί μυστηρίων, ἑλκτικόν καί αὐτόν εἶναί φασιν πάντων τῶν βουλεμένων τοῖς αὐτοῦ πείθεσθαι νόμοις, καί τό ζῇν ὁσίως ἀνεχομένων ἀσπάζεσθαι· πρός ὅν, ὥσπερ ἐν εἰκόνι γραφήν εὐφυῶς τήν μίμησιν ἔχουσαν ὑπάρχειν λέγοντες τήν ἱερωσύνην, καί αὐτήν τῷ ἴσῳ κατά τήν χάριν συμπαθείας νόμῳ, πάντων ἑλκτικήν εἶναι τῶν ὑπό τήν αὐτήν φύσιν διαγορεύουσι. Ταύτην οὖν καί αὐτός, ἅγιε Πάτερ, ἐπί γῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰκόνα ἔχειν λαχών, κάλεσον πρός ἑαυτόν συμπαθείας τρόποις καί λόγοις, τούς πρός σέ ποθοῦντας ἐπανελθεῖν, καί ὑπό σοῦ ποιμανθῆναι κατ᾿ εὐχάς ἐπιθυμοῦντας· καί πίστωσον ἐπαγγελίαις ἀληθέσι διά συλλαβῶν σου τιμίων, τήν εἰς αὐτούς σύν Θεῷ περί πάντα σου πρόνοιαν· εἴπερ παντελῶς ἡ τῶν ἐχθρῶν δυσώδης ἀπεγένετο προσδοκία· δι᾿ ἥν τοσαύτην ὑπέμειναν φυγήν, οἱ τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατακολουθεῖν ἀσφαλές ἡγησάμενοι, τῷ διαῤῥῄδην βοῶντι· Ἐάν διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης, φεύγετε εἰς τήν ἄλλην· καί τήν ἐπαινετήν δειλίαν τοῦ θράσους προκρίναντες· ἵνα μετά Θεόν τοῖς σοῖς πιστεύοντες λόγοις, ἀφόβως ποιήσωνται τήν ἐπάνοδον· καί τῶν πόνων οἷς ὑπέρ ἀρετῆς, καί τοῦ πεισθῆναι Θεῷ τούς διώκοντας (15Β_408> φεύγειν κελεύοντι, κατά τήν φοβεράν ταύτην ξενιτείαν, ὑπεπιάσθησαν, ἄνεσιν εὕρωσιν, ἐλεήμονα τήν σήν περί αὐτούς κατά πάντα συγκρότησιν.

Μή τοίνυν ἀπαξιώσῃς, ἅγιε Πάτερ, τόν σόν ἱκέτην καί δοῦλον παρακαλοῦντα προσδέξασθαι· ἀλλά τίμησον οἰκείαις συλλαβαῖς, ὡς τίμιος, τόν μηδεμιᾶς τιμῆς