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161.1 Blessed be God, who in every generation chooses those who please him and makes known the vessels of election, and has used them for the service of the saints; who even now, though you were fleeing, as you yourself say, not us, but the call expected through us, has caught you in the inescapable nets of grace and brought you into the midst of Pisidia, so that you might catch men for the Lord and draw up from the deep into the light those who have been caught by the devil for his will. Say, therefore, with the blessed David: 'Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?' For such are the wonders our man-loving Master works. Donkeys are lost, that a king of Israel may be made. But he, being an Israelite, was given to Israel, whereas the one who nourished you and raised you to such a height of virtue does not have you, but sees her neighbor glorying in her own adornment. But since all who have hoped in Christ are one people, and those who are Christ’s are now one Church, even if it is named from different places, our fatherland also rejoices and is gladdened by the Lord's dispensations, and considers not that it has been deprived of one man, but that through one man it has gained whole Churches. May the Lord only grant that we may see you while we are present, and hear of your progress when we are absent, your progress in the Gospel, and the good order of the Churches. 162.2 Be strong, therefore, and of good courage, and go before the people whom the Most High has entrusted to your right hand. And steering like a wise pilot, rising in mind above every storm stirred up by the heretical winds, keep the ship unsubmerged by the salty and bitter waves of false doctrine, awaiting the calm which the Lord will make, whenever a voice is found worthy to arouse him to rebuke the winds and the sea. But if you wish to visit us, as we are now urged on by our long illness toward the necessary departure, neither await an opportunity nor a sign from us, knowing that with a father's heart every occasion is a good one to embrace a beloved child, and the disposition of the soul is better than any word. And do not lament a burden that exceeds your strength. For if you yourself were the one to bear this burden, even so it would not be heavy, but entirely bearable. But if the Lord is the one who bears it with you, 'Cast your care upon the Lord, and he will do it.' Only be entreated to observe this in all things: not to conform yourself to wicked customs, but to transform what has been wrongly established into something useful, through the wisdom given to you from God. For Christ sent you not to follow others, but yourself to lead those who are being saved. And we ask you to pray for us, that, if we are still in this life, we may be deemed worthy to see you with the Church; but if we are commanded to depart now, we may see you there with the Lord, the one as a vine flourishing in good works, and you as a wise husbandman and good servant, giving the measure of wheat to your fellow-servants in due season, receiving the reward of a faithful and prudent steward. All who are with us greet your reverence. May you be strong and cheerful in the Lord, may you be kept prospering in the gifts of the Spirit and of wisdom.

162.t TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA

162.1 This seems to me both to produce a reluctance to write and to show it to be necessary

again. For whenever I look to the duty of my own visit and reckon the benefit of a meeting, I am quite inclined to disregard letters, as being unable to fulfill even the role of a shadow compared to the reality.

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161.1 Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς ὁ τοὺς καθ' ἑκάστην γενεὰν εὐαρεστοῦντας αὐτῷ ἐκλεγόμενος καὶ γνωρίζων τὰ σκεύη τῆς ἐκλογῆς καὶ κεχρημένος αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὴν λειτουργίαν τῶν ἁγίων, ὁ καὶ νῦν σε φεύγοντα, ὡς αὐτὸς φῄς, οὐχ ἡμᾶς, ἀλλὰ τὴν δι' ἡμῶν προσδοκωμένην κλῆ σιν, τοῖς ἀφύκτοις δικτύοις τῆς χάριτος σαγηνεύσας καὶ ἀγαγὼν εἰς τὰ μέσα τῆς Πισιδίας, ὥστε ἀνθρώ πους ζωγρεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἕλκειν ἀπὸ τοῦ βυθοῦ εἰς τὸ φῶς τοὺς ἐζωγρημένους ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα. Λέγε οὖν καὶ σὺ τὰ τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αβίδ· «Ποῦ πορευθῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός σου; καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου, ποῦ φύγω;» Τοιαῦτα γὰρ θαυματουργεῖ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ἡμῶν ∆εσπότης. Ὄνοι ἀπόλλυνται, ἵνα βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ γένηται. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν Ἰσραηλίτηςὢν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἐδόθη, σὲ δὲ ἡ θρεψαμένη καὶ πρὸς τοσοῦτον ἀναβιβάσασα τῆς ἀρετῆς ὕψος οὐκ ἔχει, ἀλλὰ τὴν γείτονα ὁρᾷ τῷ ἰδίῳ κόσμῳ σεμνυνομένην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἷς λαὸς πάντες οἱ εἰς Χριστὸν ἠλπικότες καὶ μία Ἐκκλησία νῦν οἱ Χριστοῦ, κἂν ἐκ διαφόρων τόπων προσαγορεύηται, χαίρει καὶ ἡ πατρὶς καὶ εὐφραίνεται ταῖς τοῦ Κυρίου οἰκονομίαις καὶ οὐχ ἡγεῖται ἕνα ἄνδρα ἐζημιῶσθαι, ἀλλὰ δι' ἑνὸς Ἐκκλησίας ὅλας προσειληφέναι. Μόνον παράσχοι ὁ Κύριος καὶ παρόντας ὁρᾶν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀπόντας ἀκούειν τὴν προκοπήν σου, τὴν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, καὶ τὴν εὐταξίαν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν. 161.2 Ἀνδρίζου τοίνυν καὶ ἴσχυε, καὶ προπορεύου τοῦ λαοῦ ὃν ἐπίστευσε τῇ δεξιᾷ σου ὁ Ὕψιστος. Καὶ ὡς νοήμων κυβέρνησιν ποιησάμενος, πάσης ζάλης ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρετικῶν πνευμάτων ἐγειρομένης ὑψηλότερος γινόμενος τῇ γνώμῃ ἀβάπτιστον τοῖς ἁλμυροῖς καὶ πικροῖς τῆς κακοδοξίας κύμασι διαφύλασσε τὴν ὁλκάδα, ἀναμένων τὴν γαλήνην ἣν ποιήσει ὁ Κύριος, ἐπειδὰν εὑρεθῇ φωνὴ ἀξία τοῦ διαναστῆσαι αὐτὸν πρὸς τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν τῶν πνευ μάτων καὶ τῆς θαλάσσης. Εἰ δὲ βούλει ἡμᾶς λοιπὸν ὑπὸ τῆς μακρᾶς ἀρρωστίας ἐπειγομένους πρὸς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἔξοδον ἐπισκέψασθαι, μήτε καιρὸν ἀναμείνῃς μήτε τὸ παρ' ἡμῶν σύνθημα, εἰδὼς ὅτι πατρικοῖς σπλάγχνοις πᾶσα εὐκαιρία ἐστὶ περιπτύσσεσθαι τέκνον ἀγαπητὸν καὶ λόγου παντὸς κρείττων ἡ κατὰ ψυχὴν διάθεσις. Βάρος δὲ ὑπερ βαῖνον τὴν δύναμιν μὴ ὀδύρου. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς ᾖς ὁ μέλλων φέρειν τὸ βάσταγμα τοῦτο, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἂν ἦν βαρύ, ἀλλὰ φορητὸν παντελῶς. Εἰ δὲ Κύριος ὁ συνδια φέρων, «Ἐπίρριψον ἐπὶ Κύριον τὴν μέριμνάν σου, καὶ αὐτὸς ποιήσει.» Μόνον ἐκεῖνο παραφυλάσσειν ἐν πᾶσι παρακλήθητι μὴ αὐτὸς τοῖς μοχθηροῖς ἔθεσι συμπεριφέ ρεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὰ κακῶς προειλημμένα διὰ τῆς δεδομένης σοι παρὰ Θεοῦ σοφίας μετατιθέναι πρὸς τὸ χρήσιμον. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπέστειλέ σε Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑτέροις κατακολουθεῖν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν καθηγεῖσθαι τῶν σωζομένων. Καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν προσεύχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα, ἐὰν μὲν ἔτι ὦμεν ἐπὶ τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης, ἰδεῖν σε μετὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καταξιωθῶμεν· ἐὰν δὲ ἀπελθεῖν λοιπὸν προσταχθῶμεν, ἐκεῖ ὑμᾶς ἴδωμεν παρὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ, τὴν μὲν ὡς ἄμπελον εὐθηνοῦσαν ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις, σὲ δὲ ὡς σοφὸν γεωργὸν καὶ ἀγαθὸν δοῦλον, ἐν καιρῷ διδόντα τοῖς ὁμοδούλοις τὸ σιτομέτριον, πιστοῦ καὶ φρονίμου οἰκονόμου τὸν μισθὸν κομιζόμενον. Οἱ σὺν ἡμῖν πάντες ἀσπάζονταί σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν. Ἐρρωμένος καὶ εὔθυμος ἐν Κυρίῳ εἴης, εὐδοκιμῶν ἐπὶ χαρίσμασι Πνεύ ματος καὶ σοφίας φυλαχθείης.

162.τ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ

162.1 Ἔοικέ μοι τοῦτο καὶ ὄκνον ἐμποιεῖν πρὸς τὸ γράφειν καὶ ἀναγκαῖον

αὐτὸ πάλιν ὑποδεικνύναι. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπίδω χρέος καὶ τὸ τῆς συντυχίας ὑπολογίσωμαι ὄφελος, πάνυ μοι τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ὑπερορᾶν ἔπεισιν ὡς οὐδὲ σκιᾶς λόγον ἐκπληροῦν δυνα μένων πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν.