109

with your spirit. 125 {1To Bassianus, my child}1 The time has come for me to write to you alone, my beloved child, since you have been separated from your brothers; I have given thanks and I give thanks to my God for you, because beyond what I had hoped I have now found you faithful in the Lord, a noble man, a guardian of unadulterated obedience, a lamb of Christ, choosing to die for his sake. I also praised and approved of you from your first letters, which revealed to me what had happened to you all and with such good courage. Well done, my good child Bassianus; perhaps it was by God's providence that you did not join me in my exile, so that the proof of your virtue might be revealed. You confessed, you were imprisoned, you were tried by fire like gold in affliction and weakness; still, my child, persevere with long-suffering so that you may shine forth like the sun. For Orestes and Aphrates could not bear to be grieved for a little while; therefore they have become sons of darkness. Suffer hardship for a very little while as a soldier of Christ, looking to the things above, considering the things to come; for present things fly away like dreams. How you are going to leap for joy a little later, not only in the age to come, but also here. Therefore be of good courage, pass the time from hour to hour, watching also for the enemies within so that we may be unconquered from every side. And if we should stumble a little, let us rise up more quickly. Let us pray, let us weep, let us lift our heart to God and help comes at once. Yes, my child, I beseech you, yes, I entreat your love. Complete your contest, praying also for me, a sinner, that I may be saved. The brother Nicholas greets you. 126 {1To Thaddaeus, child and confessor}1 O Thaddaeus, soldier of Christ, my desired child, man of steadfast heart, I embrace you through this letter as if from my own mouth, I wrap you in the arms of my heart. I was pleased and overjoyed at your boldness, you who are nobler than the risings of the sun, more eloquent and wiser than persuasive orators. For what does it matter if some have been made foolish more senselessly than beasts, becoming deniers of Christ like Orestes and Aphrates, sons of darkness, while you are in prison and affliction for His sake, and this while speaking boldly and being fervent? O your good obedience, which has led you to these measures; still, my child, endure, contend, persevere that you may be crowned, answering with understanding, conducting yourself with humility, passing your time with hope, choosing even to shed your blood by the sword for God, which indeed you do choose, as I know you. Pray also for me, the humble one, that I may be saved. The brother Nicholas greets you. 127 {1To Litoïus, my child}1 My words are not a long discourse, for the feeling of extreme joy, O child, does not permit me to postpone my voice. Since, therefore, you have said "4I have sinned"5, the Lord has put away your sin, he who is slow to anger and swift to pity. But what shall I render to my Lord, because he did not in the end overlook my humiliation to lose a sheep which with much labor and longing I acquired, which I had in my flock among the distinguished ones, whose voice was heard and re-echoed very sweetly, whose bearing appeared exceedingly well-ordered? And what need is there to say much? I have found what I lost, I have embraced what was snatched from me; our guardian angels rejoice with me, my fellow pastors are glad, the god-minded are joyful, only Beliar, the soul-destroying wolf, is gloomy. And though the bites are many, the remedies are benevolent and healing. Do not then be downcast, O my beautiful child, I the humble one am with you, I lay down my own neck for your soul; only be cheerful, only stand in the commandments of our God from this time forth. What is this? To be with your brother with whom you have now chosen to live, to heed the holy commandments, to flee the places of harm, the deadly noose of heresy, bearing fruit if anything is good, if anything is beneficial, bearing the afflictions of wandering here and there patiently because of the present necessity, praying also for me, a sinner. May you be saved, my beloved child, from

109

μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου. 125 {1Βασσιανῷ τέκνῳ}1 Καιρός μοι μονομερῶς σοι ἐπιστεῖλαι, τέκνον μου ἠγαπημένον, ἐπὰν τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου ἀπεμονώθης· εὐχαρίστησα καὶ εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ μου ἐπὶ σοί, ὅτι ὑπὲρ ὃ ἤλπιζον εὗρόν σε τανῦν πιστὸν ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἄνδρα γενναῖον, φύλακα ἀνοθεύτου ὑποταγῆς, ἄρνα Χριστοῦ, ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ προαιρούμενον ἀποθνήσκειν. ἐγὼ καὶ ἐκ τῶν πρώτων γραμμάτων σου ᾔνεσά σε καὶ ἀπεδεξάμην, φανερώσαντά μοι τὰ συμβεβηκότα ὑμῖν καὶ μετὰ τοσαύτης εὐψυχίας. εὖγε, καλόν μου τέκνον Βασσιανέ· τάχα οἰκονομία γέγονεν θεοῦ μὴ ἆραί σέ με ἐν τῇ ἐξορίᾳ μου, ἵνα τὸ δοκίμιόν σου τῆς ἀρετῆς φανῇ. ὡμολόγησας, ἐφρουρίσθης, ἐπυρώθης ὡς χρυσὸς ἐν τῇ θλίψει καὶ τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ· ἔτι, τέκνον μου, ἐπίμεινον μακροθύμως ὅπως ἐκλάμψοις ὡς ὁ ἥλιος. ὁ γὰρ Ὀρέστης καὶ Ἀφράτης μικρὸν οὐκ ἤνεγκαν λυπηθῆναι· διὸ γεγό-νασιν υἱοὶ σκότους. κακοπάθησον ὅσον ὅσον ὡς στρατιώτης Χριστοῦ, τὰ ἄνω ὁρῶν, τὰ μέλλοντα σκοπῶν· τὰ γὰρ παρόντα ὡς ὀνείρατα ἀφίπταται. οἷον μέλλεις σκιρτᾶν μικρὸν ὕστερον, οὐ μόνον ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα. διὸ εὐψύχει, διαβίβαζε ὥραν ἐξ ὥρας, σκοπῶν καὶ τοὺς ἔνδοθεν ἐχθροὺς ἵνα πάντοθεν ἀκυρίευτοι ὦμεν. κἂν δὲ μικρόν τι παραπίπτωμεν, θᾶττον διανιστάμεθα. προσευχώμεθα, κλαίωμεν, ἄρωμεν τὴν καρδίαν πρὸς θεὸν καὶ παραυτίκα ἡ βοήθεια. Ναί, τέκνον μου, παρακαλῶ, ναί, δέομαί σου τῆς ἀγάπης. τελείωσόν σου τὸν ἀγῶνα, προσευχόμενος καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἵνα σῴζωμαι. ὁ ἀδελφὸς Νικόλαος προσαγορεύει σε. 126 {1Θαδδαίῳ τέκνῳ καὶ ὁμολογητῇ}1 Ὦ Θαδδαῖε, στρατιῶτα Χριστοῦ, τέκνον μου ποθητόν, ἀνὴρ στερροκάρδιε, προσπτύσσομαί σε διὰ τοῦ γράμματος ὡς ἀπὸ στόματος, περιπλέκομαί σε ἀπὸ ἀγκαλῶν καρδίας μου. ἥσθην καὶ ὑπερήσθην τῆς εὐτολμίας σου, τῶν ἀφ' ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν εὐγενέστερε, τῶν εὐδιαλέκτων ῥητόρων εὐλαλέστερε καὶ σοφώτερε. τί γάρ, εἰ οἱ μὲν ἀπεμωράνθησαν ἀλογώτερον κτηνῶν, ἔξαρνοι Χριστοῦ γενάμενοι ὡς Ὀρέστης καὶ Ἀφράτης, υἱοὶ τοῦ σκότους, σὺ δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἐν φρουρᾷ καὶ κακώσει, καὶ ταῦτα παρρησιαζόμενος καὶ διαθερμαινόμενος; ὢ τῆς καλῆς σου ὑποταγῆς, ἥ σε ἤγαγεν ἐν τοῖς μέτροις τούτοις· ἔτι, τέκνον μου, ὑπένεγκε, ἐνάθλησον, ὑπόμεινον ἵνα στεφανωθῇς, συνετῶς ἀποκρινόμενος, ταπεινοφρόνως διεξερχόμενος, μετὰ ἐλπίδος διαβιβαζόμενος, προαιρούμενος καὶ τὸ αἷμα κενῶσαι διὰ σφαγῆς ὑπὲρ θεοῦ, ὅπερ καὶ προαιρῇ, ὡς ἐγώ σε οἶδα. Προσεύχου καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ ἵνα σῴζωμαι. ὁ ἀδελφὸς Νικόλαος προσαγορεύει σε. 127 {1Λιτοΐῳ τέκνῳ}1 Οὐ διὰ μακρᾶς περιόδου μοι ὁ λόγος, οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐᾷ τὸ πάθος τῆς περιχαρείας, ὦ τέκνον, ἀναβάλλεσθαι τὴν φωνήν. ἐπεὶ οὖν εἴρηκας "4ἥμαρτον"5, παρεβίβασε Κύριος τὸ ἁμάρτημά σου, ὁ βραδὺς εἰς ὀργὴν καὶ ταχὺς εἰς οἰκτιρμούς. ἀλλὰ τί ἀνταποδώσω μου τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τέλος παρεῖδέν μου τὴν ταπείνωσιν ἀπολέσαι με πρόβατον, ὃ πόνῳ πολλῷ καὶ πόθῳ περιεποιησάμην, ὃ εἶχον ἐν ἀγέλῃ μου ἐν ἐπισήμοις, οὗ φωνὴ ἠκούετο καὶ ἀντηκούετο ἡδύπνους μάλα, στάσις ἐπεφαίνετο εὔκοσμος ἄγαν; καὶ τί δεῖ πολλὰ λέγειν; εὗρον ὃ ἀπώλεσα, ἐστερνισάμην ὃ ἀφηρπάγην· συγχαίρουσί μοι οἱ ἔφοροι ἡμῶν ἄγγελοι, συνήδονται οἱ σύννομοι, εὐφραίνονται οἱ θεόφρονες, στυγνάζει μόνος ὁ Βελίαρ, ὁ ψυχοφθόρος λύκος. κἂν πολλὰ τὰ δήγματα, φιλάνθρωπα καὶ ἰάσιμα τὰ φάρμακα. Μὴ δὴ οὖν βαρυνθῇς, ὦ καλλίτεκνον, ἐγὼ ὁ ταπεινὸς μετὰ σοῦ, ἐγώ σου ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ τράχηλον ὑποτίθημι· μόνον εὐθύμει, μόνον στῆθι ἐν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐκ τοῦ δεῦρο. τί τοῦτο; τοῦ συνεῖναί σε μεθ' οὗ ᾑρετίσω βιοῦν ἄρτι ἀδελφοῦ σου, προσέχειν ἐντολαῖς ἁγίαις, φεύγειν τοὺς τῆς βλάβης χώρους, τὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως θανάσιμον βρόχον, εἴ τι καλόν, εἴ τι ὀνησιφόρον καρπούμενος, φέρων τὰ θλιπτικὰ ὑπομονητικῶς τῆς ὧδε κἀκεῖσε περιφορᾶς διὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην, προσευχόμενος καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ. σῴζοιο, τέκνον μου ἠγαπημένον, ἀπὸ