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no, not even a blessing. To ˉδ I have written; but also in the case of another person, either one of ours or of the others, whenever you think it is useful, make it known, and if I too approve it as being well, I will write. For it is not fitting to be silent for fear of the rulers, when it is necessary; for if he shrinks back, he says, my soul has no pleasure in you. opposing which, the emperor commands not to teach nor to speak at all. But even if we are sinners, we know that we are disciples of those who said, you judge whether it is right to listen to you or to our God; we therefore cannot but speak what we have heard and known. We take precautions therefore also about the rumors that go out; and indeed, if it is not necessary, we will not consider even those things which you send along. But you should send them again, when it is fitting; if you go beyond two weeks without sending, we will struggle with our thoughts, but if within that time, not at all. Christ be with your spirit, child; pray for me fervently, as I also for you. 120 {1To the same}1 The news greatly astonished me, child; and I have nothing to say except that it was a movement of God that our noble brothers were so emboldened to act daringly in the matter of the impious Antony. Therefore they have borne away the glory of martyrs, having invited upon themselves the sacred contests, and there is no one who speaks against it. But blessed be our God, who made them brave and strengthened them and deemed them worthy to bear His marks; may they pray for me, the humble one, to walk behind them. Well done also to ˉη and to ˉθ because out of necessity, or rather they too in the manner of martyrs, gave themselves up to be arrested for the help of those suffering in the monastery. May the Lord bless and have mercy also on my good Proterius both in his comings and goings; and again, my child, send him, even if it is daring, and may the Lord make his ways prosperous, because through him is the word and the way, and the one who labors, he says, will set a thigh. And how else will God be glorified than by showing resourcefulness in impossible situations? Now are the tokens of brotherly love, now the characteristics of those who love their children. For this reason I too, the wretched one, am eager, I am required to write, to exhort, to support as much as possible, putting human affairs second, taking as a model for my unworthy self the work of Saint Cyprian; for the Theologian says that even when exiled he did not cease by his letters to anoint and strengthen those under his hand, of whom he made many to be martyrs. Come now then, my child, send ˉχ again, carrying letters, let him be managed by your shrewdness; and may the Lord see the work and make his path easy. Faith is what achieves great things, faith is what also delivers from death; relying on this we, the unworthy, do what we do. Concerning ˉμ, when Euthalius returns, then send him along, God prospering the way. As for the thought, about which I spoke to you, we have been relieved by your prayers; however, there is need of ˉμ. Do the rest as the Lord prospers you, and write also to ˉη and to ˉθ. May the Lord save you, child. Greet the brothers; those with me greet you. 121 {1To the same}1 It is a labor, child, in such a great storm for someone to come here, especially crossing the muddied river; except that we were relieved seeing the brother and reading your letters, though receiving one thing with sorrow, the fall of the wretched Nectarius. However, because the present things are also consistent with his whole life, he seeks one thing only, to do the desires of his flesh, and may the breezes carry away matters of faith. He, being this way, has also slipped in this way. But may the God of my father establish, strengthen, and confirm you and all our brothers, both those who are held and those who are not, to fulfill day by day the testimony of their confession; for it is not to begin good things that is praiseworthy simply, but to bring them to completion. Pay attention therefore to your reading, touching upon grammar as much as is possible, securing your seat, lest suddenly the heretics. Fear God, in whom is to be purified or to remain pure. Concerning the steward the brother will report to you. Who is to go to the

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μή, κἂν εὐλογίαν. τῷ ˉδ ἐπέστειλα· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφ' ἑτέρου προσώπου ἢ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἢ τῶν ἄλλων, ἡνίκα ἐπινοεῖς χρήσιμον εἶναι, δήλου, καὶ εἰ δοκιμάσω κἀγὼ εὖ ἔχειν, ἐπιστέλλω. οὐ γὰρ καθήκει σιωπᾶν δέει τῶν κρατούντων, ὁπόταν δέοι· ἐὰν γὰρ ὑποστείλῃ, φησίν, οὐκ εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου ἐν σοί. ᾧ ἀντιτασσόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ μὴ διδάσκειν μηδὲ λαλεῖν καθόλου ἐγκελεύεται. ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοί ἐσμεν οἴδαμεν ἐκείνων εἶναι μαθηταὶ τῶν λεγόντων, ὑμεῖς κρίνατε, εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ὑμῶν ἀκούειν ἢ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν· οὐ δυνάμεθα οὖν ἃ ἠκούσαμεν καὶ οἴδαμεν μὴ λαλεῖν. ἀσφαλιζόμεθα οὖν καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐκβαινόντων ἀκοῶν· καί γε, εἰ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀναγκαῖον, οὐ θεωρήσομεν οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν ὧν παραπέμπεις. παραπέμψοις δὲ πάλιν, ὅταν καθήκῃ· εἰ ὑπερβῇς τὰς δύο ἑβδομάδας μὴ πέμπων, λογισμομαχήσομεν, εἰ δὲ ἔνδον, οὐδαμῶς. Ὁ Χριστὸς μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου, τέκνον· εὔχου μοι ζεόντως, ὡς κἀγὼ σοί. 120 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Ἐξέπληξέν με λίαν ἡ ἀγγελία, τέκνον· καὶ τί εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔχω ἢ ὅτι θεοῦ κίνησις ἐγένετο οὕτω θαρσυνθῆναι τοὺς γενναίους ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἀσεβῆ Ἀντώνιον πρᾶξαι ῥιψοκινδύνως. μαρτύρων οὖν ἀπενέγκαντο κλέος, τῶν ἐκκαλεσαμένων ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν τὰ ἱερὰ σκάμματα, καὶ ὁ ἀντιλέγων οὐδείς. ἀλλ' εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ ἀνδρειώσας καὶ κρατύνας καὶ τὰ αὐτοῦ στίγματα φορέσαι αὐτοὺς καταξιώσας· εὔξαιντο περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ κατόπιν αὐτῶν βαδίσαι. εὖγε καὶ τῷ ˉη καὶ τῷ ˉθ ὅτι ἀναγκαίως, μᾶλλον δὲ καὐτοὶ μαρτυρικῶς ἐπέδωκαν ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς βοήθειαν τῶν ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ κακουμένων κρατηθῆναι. εὐλογήσαι καὶ ἐλεήσαι Κύριος καὶ τὸν καλόν μου Προτέριον ἔντε ταῖς εἰσόδοις αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξόδοις· καὶ πάλιν, τέκνον μου, ἀπόστειλον αὐτόν, εἰ καὶ τολμηρόν, καὶ Κύριος εὐοδώσειεν τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, ὅτι δι' αὐτὸν ὁ λόγος καὶ ὁ τρόπος, καὶ ὁ πονῶν, φησί, θήσει μηρόν. καὶ πῶς ἄλλως δοξασθήσεται ὁ θεὸς ἢ ἐν ταῖς ἀμηχανίαις δεικνὺς εὐμηχανίας; ἄρτι τῶν φιλαδέλφων τὰ γνωρίσματα, ἄρτι τῶν φιλοτέκνων τὰ ἰδιώματα. διὰ τοῦτο κἀγὼ ὁ τάλας προθυμοῦμαι, ἀπαιτοῦμαι γράφειν, παρακαλεῖν, ὑποστηρίζειν ὅσον ἐνδέχεται, δεύτερα τιθέμενος τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, ὑποδειγματιζόμενος τῷ ἔργῳ τοῦ Ἁγίου Κυριανοῦ ὁ ἀνάξιος· φησὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεολόγος ὅτι καὶ ἐξορισθεὶς οὐ διέλειπεν ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς ἀλείφων καὶ κρατύνων τοὺς ὑπὸ χεῖρα, ἐξ ὧν πολλοὺς ἀπετέλεσε μάρτυρας. ∆εῦρο δὴ οὖν, τέκνον μου, ἀπόστειλον πάλιν τὸ ˉχ, κομίζοντα ἐπιστολάς, τρακταϊζόμενον αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγχινοίας σου· καὶ ἴδοι Κύριος τὸ ἔργον καὶ εὐμαρίσοι τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ. πίστις ἡ τὰ μεγάλα κατορθοῦσα, πίστις ἡ καὶ ἐκ θανάτου ῥυομένη· ταύτῃ ἐπερειδόμενοι πράττομεν ἃ πράττομεν οἱ ἀνάξιοι. περὶ τοῦ ˉμ, ἡνίκα ὁ Εὐθάλιος ὑποστρέψει, τότε παράπεμψον αὐτόν, θεοῦ εὐοδοῦντος. εἰς τὸν λογισμόν, ὃν ἐλάλησά σοι, εὐχαῖς σου ἐρραΐσθημεν· πλὴν χρεία τοῦ ˉμ. τὰ λοιπὰ ὡς ὁ Κύριος εὐοδοῖ σοι πρᾶττε, ἐπίστειλον δὲ καὶ τῷ ˉη καὶ τῷ ˉθ. Ὁ Κύριός σε σώσοι, τέκνον. προσαγόρευσον τοὺς ἀδελφούς· οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ ἀσπάζονταί σε. 121 {1Τῷ αὐτῷ}1 Κόπος ἐστί, τέκνον, ἐν τῷ τηλικούτῳ χειμῶνι παραγίνεσθαί τινα ἐνταῦθα, περῶντα μάλιστα τὸν βορβορωθέντα ποταμόν· πλὴν ὅτι ἀνέθημεν ἰδόντες τὸν ἀδελφὸν καὶ ἐντυχόντες τοῖς γράμμασί σου, ἓν λυπηρῶς δεξάμενοι, τὴν πτῶσιν τοῦ ἐλεεινοῦ Νεκταρίου. ὅμως ὅτι ἀκόλουθα τοῦ ὅλου βίου αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ παρόντα, ἓν ζητεῖ μόνον, ποιῆσαι τὰς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ τῆς πίστεως αὖραι φέροιεν. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὕτως ἔχων, οὕτω καὶ ὠλίσθησεν. σὲ δὲ ὁ θεὸς τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ τοὺς πάντας ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν, τούς τε κρατουμένους καὶ μή, στηρίξειεν, σθενώσειεν, βεβαιώσειεν, ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς ὁμολογίας αὐτῶν ἀποπληρῶσαι· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἐνάρξασθαι τὰ καλὰ ἐπαινετὸν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸ εἰς πέρας ἀγαγεῖν. πρόσεχε οὖν τῇ ἀναγνώσει, ἁπτόμενος καὶ τῆς γραμματικῆς ὅσον ἐνδέχεται, ἀσφαλῶς τὸ κάθισμά σου, μὴ ἐξαπίνης οἱ αἱρετικοί. τὸν θεὸν φοβοῦ, ἐν ᾧ ἐστι τὸ καθαίρεσθαι ἢ μένειν καθαρόν. περὶ τοῦ παροικονόμου ἀπαγγελεῖ σοι ὁ ἀδελφός. τίς ἀπίῃ εἰς τὸν