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(15Β_424> Having carefully read the wise and honorable letter of your, master, paternal holiness; and having examined everything, and the whole book of my pure conscience, I found nothing in me of what was mentioned. . .εσω. . ολο. . sooner I contracted the tone of my soul, tightening the slackness, having considered it vain to be added to the praises of others' goods, and having judged it to be the property of a soul alone that has an inclination towards every seductive deceit. For it is truly vain for one who does not have in his deeds the glory of what is said to rashly try to appropriate praises as if full of virtue. But my master, judging the things of others from his own advantages of virtue, reckons, through an abundance of godlike perfection covering the shame, the one wounded by many . . . passions, as is the custom for those who love the Lord. But I, my 0636 blessed master . . of all-radiant perfection in virtue the command . . . most ready, being about to embark upon every reproach and blame, as if on account of my rashness in this, by the . . λοσ . . νων, placing your love higher . . . . . . to the lord Abba Thomas this readily served . . in the matter. Providing, that is, sufficient material, as I think, through (15Β_426> the winter, to be able to fulfill such a command of yours with the Lord cooperating.

May you be exceedingly well, beloved and honored Father, and may you save by your prayers to God . . . your attendant and slave; and I will add, lover, being delivered by his mediation from every diabolical device.

EPISTLE 41. ... TO THE SAME. 41. From the same to the same. Having been taught by the Spirit to take everything captive to Christ, from

all things he knows how to reap benefit; just as you also do from me, who am utterly estranged from divine grace, and nobly bound by the laws of the flesh. And since I have nothing, and zealously, I ought to decline entirely from ever visiting, lest I do more harm, by carrying out your command. And I will come when the Lord wills, knowing that you have remained undefiled and unpolluted even when associating with me, the profane one. For that which is holy by habit, just as that which is so by nature, will not be stained by anything unclean. And concerning the matter of the Vestitor, you do well to sympathize, if the matter causes no harm; and especially if you know that he is able to endure it.

EPISTLE 42. ... TO THE SAME. 42. From the same to the same. The blessed David, that great king of the Lord, after the terrible

wars with the foreigners, after the great temptations from his own people, after the toilsome exiles and the frequent plots against him in return for his many benefactions, after the rebellions of his relatives, after the tr . . . . esis and the kingdom, when he perceived that God from all sides . . . . . . him; then (15Β_428> he planned to build a house for the Lord God . . . . . and God accepts him as one who had planned well . . . . . . esis but yet a suitable distinction, saying . . . . . . that the seed from him must bring to completion the good t. . . . as undertaking; adding the reason, that he had shed much blood upon the earth. And he is persuaded by God's counsel; and he embraces the advice with pleasure and judges it more honorable than his own form. And he himself does not build the temple of God. But he passes on to his son bountifully. . . . he gives both the material and the plan; being taught. . . . . . as I think,

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(15Β_424> Τῷ σοφῷ καί τιμίῳ γράμματι τῆς ὑμετέρας, δέσποτα, πατρικῆς ἁγιωσύνης ἐντυχών ἐπιμελῶς· πάντα τε σκοπήσας, καί πᾶσάν μου τῆς συνειδήσεως ἐναγνούς τήν βίβλον, οὐδέν εὗρον ἐμοί τῶν ἐμφερομένων. . .εσω. . ολο. . θᾶττον συνέστειλα τῆς ψυχῆς τόν τόνον, διασφίγξας τήν χαύνωσιν, ἀλλοτρίων καλῶν ἐπαίνοις προστεθῆναι, μάταιον ἡγησάμενος, καί μόνης ἴδιον εἶναι κρίνας ψυχῆς τήν ῥοπήν ἐχομένης πρός πᾶσαν ἀπάτην ἐπαγωγόν. Τῷ ὄντι γάρ μάταιον, ὡς ἀρετῆς μεστόν ἐπαίνους οἰκειοῦσθαι προπετῶς πειρᾶσθαι, τόν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασι τό κλέος τῶν λεγομένων οὐκ ἔχοντα. Ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ἐμός δεσπότης ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων τῆς ἀρετῆς πλεονεκτημάτων τά τῶν ἄλλων κρίνων, ψηφίζεται, διά περιουσίαν θεοειδοῦς τελειότητος τό αἶσχος καλύπτων, τόν πολλοῖς . . . παθῶν τετρωμένον, ὡς ἔθος ἐστί τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τόν Κύριον. Πλήν ἐγώ, δέσποτά μου 0636 εὐλογημένε . . παμφαοῦς ἐπ᾿ ἀρετῇ τελειότητος τήν κέλευσιν ἠρωσ . . . οιμότατος, παντός ὀνείδους καί ψόγου τυχόν ἐμβῆναι μέλλων, ὡς ἐμῆς ἄν ἐπί τοῦτο προπετείας ἕνεκεν παρά τῶν . . λοσ . . νων, τήν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην ἀνωτέρω τιθε . . . . . . κυρίῳ ἀββᾷ Θωμᾷ τούτῳ προθύμως ὑπουργ . . πράγματι. Ὀρέγοντες δηλαδή, τήν ἀρκοῦσαν ὕλην, ὡς οἶμαι, διά (15Β_426> τοῦ χειμῶνος, τήν τοιαύτην ὑμῶν τοῦ Κυρίου συνεργοῦντος πληρῶσαι κέλευσιν δύνασθαι.

Σώζοιό μοι λίαν, ἠγαπημένε καί τίμιε Πάτερ, καί σώζοις ταῖς πρός Θεόν εὐχωλῇσιν υμ . . . τόν σόν οἰκέτην καί δοῦλον· προσθήσω δέ καί ἐραστήν, πάσης τῇ ἑαυτοῦ μεσιτείᾳ διαβολικῆς ἐξαιρούμενος μηχανῆς.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΜΑ'. ... ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. ΜΑ´ Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός τόν αὐτόν. Εἰς Χριστόν πάντα αἰχμαλωτίζειν ὑπό τοῦ Πνεύματος δεδιδαγμένος, ἐκ

πάντων οἶδε καρποῦσθαι ὠφέλειαν· ὥσπερ οὖν καί ὑμεῖς ἐξ ἐμοῦ τοῦ πάμπαν τῆς θείας ἠλλοτριωμένου χάριτος, καί τῶν νόμων τῆς σαρκός γενναίως καταδεδεμένου. Καί μηδέν ἔχοντός εἰμι καί σπουδαίως, χρεών ἦν με παραιτεῖσθαι καθόλου τοῦ ποτε φοιτᾷν, ἵνα μή βλάπτω μᾶλλον, ποιῶν τήν κέλευσιν ὑμῶν. Καί ἔρχομαι ὅτε ὁ Κύριος θελήσῃ, γινώσκων ἀχράντους καί ἀμολύντους ὑμᾶς διαμεμενηκέναι καί συνουσιάζοντές μοι τῷ βεβήλῳ. Τό γάρ καθ᾿ ἕξιν ἅγιον ὥσπερ τό φύσει, ὑπ᾿ οὐδενός ἀκαθάρτου χρανθήσεται. Περί δέ τῆς τοῦ Βεστίτορος, καλῶς ποιεῖτε συμπάσχοντες, εἰ μή ἔχῃ βλάβην τό πρᾶγμα· καί μάλιστα εἰ γινώσκετε δύνασθαι ἀνέξεσθαι αὐτῆς.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ΜΒ'. ... ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. ΜΒ´Τοῦ αὐτοῦ πρός τόν αὐτόν. Ὁ μακάριος ∆αβίδ, ὁ μέγας ἐκεῖνος τοῦ Κυρίου βασιλεύς, μετά τούς φοβερούς

τῶν ἀλλοφύλων πολέμους, μετά τούς μεγάλους τῶν ὁμοφύλων πειρασμούς, μετά τάς ἐπιπόνους φυγάς καί τάς ὑπέρ τῶν πολλῶν εὐεργεσιῶν συχνάς ἐπιβουλάς, μετά τάς τῶν συγγενῶν ἐπαναστάσεις, μετά τήν τρ . . . . ησιν τε καί βασιλείαν, ὅταν ᾔσθετο τοῦ Θεοῦ πανταχόθεν αὐτῷ . . . . . . αύοντος· τότε (15Β_428> διενοήθη οἰκοδομῆσαι οἶκον τῷ Κυρίῳ Θεῷ . . . . . καί ἀποδέχεται μέν αὐτόν ὁ Θεός ὡς καλῶς διανοηθέντα . . . . . . ησιν δέ καί ὅμως διαστολήν πρόσφορον, λέγων . . . . . . σπέρμα τό ἐξ αὐτοῦ δεῖν εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν τό καλόν τ. . . . ας ἐγχείρημα· προσθείς τήν αἰτίαν, διά τό πολύν αὐτόν ἐκκεχυκέναι αἷμα ἐπί τῆς γῆς. Καί πείθεται μέν παραινοῦντι τῷ Θεῷ· ἀσπάζεται δέ μεθ᾿ ἡδονῆς τήν συμβουλήν καί τῆς ἰδίας μορφῆς κρίνει τιμιωτέραν. Καί αὐτός μέν οὐκ οἰκοδομεῖ τόν τοῦ Θεοῦ ναόν. Παραπέμπει δέ τῷ υἱῷ δαψιλ. . . . δίδωσι τήν τε ὕλην καί τό παράδειγμα· διδασκόμενος. . . . . . ὡς οἶμαι,