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having been taught by our brother. And I say this not to defend myself against him (for I pray that it may not be counted against him by the Lord), but managing that the love from you may remain firm for us, which I fear they may disturb by the excessiveness of the slanders which they are likely to fabricate in defense of their offense. But whatever they may allege against us, let this be examined by your sagacity: whether they brought a charge against us, or sought the correction of the sin which they now bring upon us, or in any way made clear their grief against us. But now, with a cheerful countenance and with honored words of love, concealing some ineffable depth of deceit and bitterness of soul, they have revealed it through their ignoble silence. On which account, how much laughter we cause for those who always detest the reverent life in this miserable city, and who affirm that the pretense of humility is practiced as an art to be believed and a guise for deceit, is surely, even if we do not narrate it, known to your intelligence; so that no practice is henceforth so suspect of wickedness to those here as the profession of the ascetic life. But how it must be healed would be a matter for your intelligence to consider. For the charges stitched together against us by Sophronius are not preludes of good things, but a beginning of division and separation, and an effort that the love among us might grow cold. Whom we entreat, by your compassion, to be restrained from this harmful impulse, and to try with his own love to bind more tightly the things that are being separated, rather than to intensify the separation for those who are rushing towards division.

120. To Meletius, Bishop of Antioch

120.1 I received letters from the most God-beloved bishop Eusebius commanding that a letter be written again to the Westerners concerning certain ecclesiastical matters. And he wished that the letter be drafted by us, but signed by all those in communion. Since, therefore, I did not find how to write about the things he commanded, I have forwarded the memorandum to your God-reverence, so that having read it yourself and having paid attention to the reports from our most desired brother Sanctissimus the fellow presbyter, you yourself might deign, as it seems best to you, to draft a letter concerning these things, while we are ready both to agree with it and to have it quickly circulated to those in communion, so that the one who is about to set out for the bishops in the West may depart having the signatures of all. Command that what seems best to your holiness be made known to us quickly, so that we may not be ignorant of what you have decided. But concerning the things being plotted or even already contrived against us in Antioch, the same brother will report to your honor, unless the rumor of what has happened, arriving beforehand, makes known the deeds. For the hope of the outcome of the threats is near. But I want your reverence to know that our brother Anthimus has ordained Faustus, the companion of Papa, as bishop, having received no votes and having ordained him in the place of our most reverend brother Cyril, so as to fill Armenia with seditions. In order, therefore, that they may not speak falsely against us, nor we ourselves bear the blame for the disorder of what has happened, I have made these things known to your gravity. And it is clear that you yourself will deign to make them known to the others. For I think that this disorder will grieve many.

121. To Theodotus, Bishop of Nicopolis

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παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν διδαχθείς. Καὶ τοῦτο λέγω οὐκ ἐκεῖνον ἀμυνόμενος (εὔχομαι γὰρ αὐτῷ μὴ λογισ θῆναι παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου), ἀλλὰ βεβαίαν μοι τὴν παρὰ σοῦ ἀγάπην μεῖναι ἡμῖν διοικούμενος, ἣν φοβοῦμαι μὴ διασα λεύσωσι ταῖς ὑπερβολαῖς τῶν διαβολῶν ἃς εἰκὸς αὐτοὺς κατασκευάσαι εἰς ἀπολογίαν τοῦ πταίσματος. Ὅπερ δ' ἂν κατηγορήσωσιν ἡμῶν, ἐκεῖνο παρὰ τῆς σῆς ἀγχινοίας ἐξεταζέσθωσαν εἰ ἐνεκάλεσαν ἡμῖν ἢ τὴν διόρθωσιν τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος οὗ νῦν ἡμῖν ἐπάγουσιν ἐπεζήτησαν ἢ ὅλως φανερὰν ἑαυτῶν τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς λύπην κατέστησαν. Νῦν δὲ ἐν φαιδρῷ τῷ προσώπῳ καὶ τετιμημένοις ἀγάπης ῥήμασιν ἀμύθητόν τινα δόλου καὶ πικρίας βυθὸν τῆς ψυχῆς συγκαλύπτοντες διὰ τῆς ἀνελευθέρου σιωπῆς ἐφανέρωσαν. Ἐφ' ᾧ ὅσον μὲν προξενοῦμεν τὸν γέλωτα τοῖς ἀεὶ τὸν εὐλαβῆ βίον ἐν τῇ ἀθλίᾳ ταύτῃ πόλει βδελυσσομένοις καὶ τέχνην πρὸς τὸ πιστευθῆναι καὶ σχηματισμὸν εἰς ἀπάτην τὸ πλάσμα τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης διαβεβαιου μένοις ἐπιτηδεύεσθαι, πάντως, κἂν ἡμεῖς μὴ διηγησώ μεθα, γνώριμον τῇ συνέσει σου· ὡς μηδὲν ἐπιτήδευμα οὕτως ὕποπτον εἶναι πρὸς κακίαν λοιπὸν τοῖς ἐνταῦθα ὡς τὸ ἐπάγγελμα τοῦ ἀσκητικοῦ βίου. Ὅπως δὲ χρὴ θεραπευθῆναι τῆς σῆς ἂν εἴη συνέσεως φροντίσαι. Τὰ γὰρ παρὰ Σωφρονίου συνερραμμένα ἐγκλήματα ἡμῖν οὐκ ἀγαθῶν ἐστι προοίμια, ἀλλ' ἀρχὴ διαιρέσεως καὶ χωρισμοῦ καὶ σπουδὴ τοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπην ἀποψυγῆναι. Ὃν ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας παρακαλοῦμεν κατασχεθῆναι ἀπὸ τῆς βλαβερᾶς ταύτης ὁρμῆς καὶ πειραθῆναι τῇ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπῃ κατασφίγγειν μᾶλλον τὰ διιστάμενα ἢ τοῖς πρὸς διάστασιν ὡρμημένοις συνεπιτείνειν τὸν χωρισμόν.

120.τ ΜΕΛΕΤΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΙΑΣ

120.1 Γράμματα ἐδεξάμην παρὰ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Εὐσεβίου

προστάσσοντα πάλιν γραφῆναι τοῖς ∆υτικοῖς περί τινων ἐκκλησιαστικῶν. Καὶ ἐβουλήθη παρ' ἡμῶν τυπωθῆναι τὴν ἐπιστολήν, ὑπογραφῆναι δὲ παρὰ πάντων τῶν κοινωνικῶν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐχ εὗρον ὅπως ἐπιστείλω περὶ ὧν ἐπέταξε, παρέπεμψα τὸ ὑπομνηστικὸν τῇ θεοσε βείᾳ σου, ἵνα καὶ αὐτῷ ἐντυχὼν καὶ τοῖς ἀναφερομένοις παρὰ τοῦ ποθεινοτάτου ἀδελφοῦ Σαγκτησίμου τοῦ συμ πρεσβυτέρου προσσχὼν αὐτὸς καταξιώσῃς, ὡς παρίσταταί σοι, περὶ τούτων τυπῶσαι, ἡμῶν ἑτοίμως ἐχόντων καὶ αὐτῷ συνθέσθαι καὶ ταχέως ποιῆσαι περικομισθῆναι τοῖς κοινωνικοῖς, ὥστε τὰς πάντων ὑπογραφὰς ἔχοντα ἀπελθεῖν τὸν μέλλοντα ὁρμᾶν πρὸς τοὺς κατὰ τὴν ∆ύσιν ἐπισκό πους. Ταχέως ἡμῖν τὸ παριστάμενον τῇ ὁσιότητί σου γνωρισθῆναι κέλευσον, ἵνα μὴ ἀγνοῶμεν τὰ δόξαντά σοι. Περὶ δὲ τῶν τυρευομένων ἢ καὶ ἤδη ἐσκευωρημένων καθ' ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ Ἀντιοχείᾳ ἀνοίσει ὁ αὐτὸς ἀδελφὸς τῇ τιμιό τητί σου, ἐάν περ μὴ προλαβοῦσα ἡ φήμη τῶν γενομένων φανερὰ ποιήσῃ τὰ πεπραγμένα. Καὶ γὰρ ἐγγύς ἐστιν ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς ἐκβάσεως τῶν ἀπειλουμένων. Γινώσκειν δὲ βούλομαι τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφὸς Ἄνθιμος Φαῦ στον, τὸν συνόντα τῷ Πάπᾳ, ἐπίσκοπον ἐχειροτόνησε μηδὲ ψήφους δεξάμενος καὶ τῷ τόπῳ χειροτονήσας τοῦ αἰδε σιμωτάτου ἀδελφοῦ Κυρίλλου, ὥστε στάσεων ἐμπλῆσαι τὴν Ἀρμενίαν. Ἵνα τοίνυν μὴ καταψεύσωνται ἡμῶν, μηδὲ αὐτοὶ τὴν αἰτίαν σχῶμεν τῆς ἀταξίας τῶν γενομένων, ἐγνώρισα ταῦτα τῇ σεμνότητί σου. ∆ῆλον δὲ ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς καταξιώσεις γνώριμα ποιῆσαι τοῖς λοιποῖς. Ἡγοῦμαι γὰρ πολλοὺς λυπήσειν τὴν ἀταξίαν ταύτην.

121.τ ΘΕΟ∆ΟΤΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΕΩΣ