126

do the captured Nazirites weep or, as if having suffered nothing, do they swim in the waves of heresy? And what of our Maximinus? teach me, guarding the deposit of faith inviolate, if nothing else, presenting it pure to God. 163 {1To Gregory the cleric}1 Greetings, soldier of Christ, you have become an exile for his sake; for since you were melted down like some gold, as it were, and fired by the scourgings, the imprisonments, the insults, the spittings, by whatever else followed the preceding (for it is not possible to enumerate everything), you have received the glory of exile too, like some diadem. The island has you as a gift of orthodoxy, she who bore you boasts of you, proclaiming everywhere the might of your courage. O the wonder! alone from the clergy of the queen of cities, you are a divine offering. Where indeed is the presbytery? And where are the subordinate ranks? O the perdition! All belong to the moment, all to the things here, all to the flesh, all to fears, but not the sacred and ministering Gregory of Christ; for I invoke your name too, as if to record some divine sound. You are numbered with the great Gregories, having watched over divine things as your name suggests and having endured for God’s sake toils and sweats, and I would add even bloodshed. Rejoice, apostles of the Lord, the divine and renowned church; for from you is the herald of truth, you are the ones who have borne the fruit of your noble man and minister. Rejoice, martyrs of Christ, to whom his eloquent tongue sang in many ways through the night watches, whose virtue is piercing and knowledge is glorious and melodiousness is worthy of love. Come to me, initiate, initiate me even there in the things worthy of initiation, teach the ignorant, enlighten those in darkness, for whose sake God was pleased with the exile. Do you have those who support your weak flesh, or have you been deprived of all for Christ's sake? But Christ is your hearth, Christ is your helper, Christ is the giver of crowns; to whom do not fail to pray that I too may be kept safe and unharmed from the ever-roaring dragon. 164 {1To Anatolius my child}1 I rejoice, whenever I receive a letter from you, my beloved and longed-for children; for I hear your voice and am gladdened, I see your character in my mind and I am delighted. For when could I ever forget you, my own bowels, my own limbs? But I rejoice more exceedingly hearing and learning that you remain together undivided, just as you were also joined together in the Lord in my presence. And this is first from your grace, my beloved child Anatolius, the light of my eyes in the spirit, and then also from you, my good child Sabbatius, who for the Lord’s sake loves to be ranked second to your brother, which is apostolic; for in sending out the disciples two by two for the proclamation, the Lord subordinated one of the two. since even the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets, as the apostle says. And this is the best law, and this is the best life. Love one another thus, therefore, beloved, passing day after day with patience and long-suffering (for in this the saints received the promises; for he who endures to the end, he says, will be saved), watching lest anything be done contrary to the commandment, lest anything be ruinous through boldness, lest anything happen through spiritual drowsiness; for you know, my brothers, that the war of the enemy in us is undeclared, as he always yearns by all kinds of devices to make us fall, to destroy, to devour us. But may the Lord not give him power over us, if we are watchful, if we are sober, if His pure fear nails our flesh and at times restrains it when it is aroused and moved; for these things belong to war. The flesh desires against the Spirit, says the apostle, and the Spirit against the flesh, so that we may not do what we wish, but what the Spirit wishes. May Christ be our helper, in whom we are commanded to conquer Satan according to both the principle of action and that of faith, in which especially the contest is now raging. See to it, little children, that you are not made cowards by those who kill the body; it is a time of martyrdom, let us endure all things, I beseech you, for Christ's sake, that we may be crowned. Pray for

126

τῶν Ναζιραίων οἱ ἑαλωκότες κλάουσιν ἢ ὡς μηδὲν πεπονθότες νήχονται τοῖς τῆς αἱρέσεως κύμασι; καί γε ὁ ἡμέτερος Μαξιμινίτης; δίδαξον, φρουρῶν τὴν παρακαταθήκην τῆς πίστεως ἄσυλον, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, ταύτην εἰλικρινῆ τῷ θεῷ παριστῶντες. 163 {1Γρηγορίῳ κληρικῷ}1 Χαῖρε, στρατιῶτα Χριστοῦ, γέγονας ἐξόριστος δι' αὐτόν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὥσπερ τις χρυσὸς ἐχωνεύθης οἱονεὶ καὶ ἐπυρώθης ταῖς μάστιξι, ταῖς φυλακαῖς, τοῖς προπηλακισμοῖς, τοῖς ἐμπτυσμοῖς, οἷστισιν ἄλλοις ἑπομένοις τοῖς προηγουμένοις (οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπαριθμεῖν πάντα δυνατόν), εἴληφας καὶ τὸ τῆς ὑπερορίας κλέος ὥσπερ τι διάδημα. ἔχει σε ἡ νῆσος προῖκα ὀρθοδοξίας, αὐχεῖ σε ἡ ἐνεγκαμένη, περιθρυλλοῦσά σου τὸ κράτος τῆς ἀνδρείας. ὢ τοῦ θαύματος· μόνος ἐκ τοῦ κλήρου τῆς βασιλίδος, θεῖον σὺ ἀνάθημα. ποῦ δὴ τὸ πρεσβυτέριον; ποῦ δὲ τὰ ὑφειμένα τάγματα; ὢ τῆς ἀπωλείας· πάντες τοῦ καιροῦ, πάντες τῶν τῇδε, πάντες τῆς σαρκός, πάντες τῶν φόβων, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ἱερὸς καὶ ἱερουργὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ Γρηγόριος· καλῶ γάρ σου καὶ τὸ ὄνομα, ὥσπερ τι θεῖον ἄκουσμα ὑπομνηματίσαι. τοῖς μεγάλοις Γρηγορίοις σὺ συναρίθμιος, φερωνύμως γρηγορήσας τὰ θεῖα καὶ ὑπὲρ θεοῦ ἀνατλὰς πόνους καὶ ἱδρῶτας, προσθείην δ' ἂν καὶ αἱματεκχυσίας. χαίρετε, ἀπόστολοι Κυρίου, ὁ θεῖος ναὸς καὶ περιβόητος· ἀφ' ὑμῶν γὰρ ὁ κῆρυξ τῆς ἀληθείας, ὑμεῖς τὸν γενναῖον ἄνδρα καὶ ἱερουργὸν ὑμῶν οἱ καρποφορήσαντες. χαίρετε, μάρτυρες Χριστοῦ, οἷς ἡ εὔλαλος γλῶσσα πολλαχῶς παννυχίως ἐμελῴδησεν, οὗ ἡ ἀρετὴ διαπρύσιος καὶ ἡ γνῶσις περίδοξος καὶ ἡ εὐμέλεια ἀξιέραστος. ∆εῦρό μοι, μύστα, μύησον καὐτόθι τὰ μυήσεως ἄξια, δίδαξον τοὺς ἀμαθεῖς, φώτισον τοὺς ἐνσκοτισμένους, δι' οὓς ηὐδόκησεν τὴν ἐξόρισιν θεός. ἔχεις τοὺς τὸ ἀσθενές σου σαρκίον ὑπερείδοντας ἢ πάντων ἀφῃρέθης διὰ Χριστόν; πλὴν Χριστός σοι ἑστία, Χριστὸς ἐπαρωγός, Χριστὸς στεφανοδότης· ᾧ μὴ ἐλλείπῃς προσεύχεσθαι κἀμὲ σῶον καὶ ἀπήμονα διαφυλαχθῆναι τοῦ ὠρυομένου ἀεὶ δράκοντος. 164 {1Ἀνατολίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Χαίρω, ὁσάκις δέξωμαι ὑμῶν γράμμα, τέκνα μου ἀγαπητὰ καὶ ἐπιπόθητα· ἀκούω γὰρ ὑμῶν τῆς φωνῆς καὶ ἥδομαι, βλέπω κατὰ νοῦν ὑμῶν τὸν χαρακτῆρα καὶ γάννυμαι. πότε γὰρ καὶ ἐπιλαθέσθαι ὑμῶν δυνηθείην, τῶν ἐμῶν σπλάγχνων, τῶν ἐμῶν μελῶν; περισσοτέρως δὲ χαίρω ἀκούων καὶ μανθάνων ὅτι μένετε ὁμοῦ ἀδιάσπαστοι καθὼς καὶ συνήφθητε ἐν Κυρίῳ κατὰ προσώπου μου. τοῦτο δὲ τῆς σῆς ἐπιχάριτος πρῶτον, ἠγαπημένον μου τέκνον Ἀνατόλιε, ὁ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου φωτισμὸς ἐν πνεύματι, ἔπειτα καὶ σοῦ, τέκνον μου καλὸν Σαββάτιε, τοῦ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου διὰ Κύριον φιλοῦντος πρωτεύεσθαι, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀποστολικόν· καὶ γὰρ ἀνὰ δύο ἀποστέλλων ὁ Κύριος τοὺς μαθητὰς εἰς τὸ κήρυγμα τοῖν δυοῖν τὸν ἕνα ὑπέταξεν. ἐπεὶ καὶ πνεύματα προφητῶν προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος. καὶ οὗτος ἄριστος νόμος, καὶ αὕτη ἀρίστη ζωή. Στέργετε οὖν οὕτως, ἀγαπητοί, ἕλκοντες ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας μεθ' ὑπομονῆς καὶ μακροθυμίας (ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ ἐκομίσαντο τὰς ἐπαγγελίας οἱ ἅγιοι· ὁ γὰρ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, φησίν, οὗτος σωθήσεται), ἐπιτηροῦντες μή τι παρ' ἐντολὴν τὸ γινόμενον, μή τι κατὰ παρρησίαν ὀλέθριον, μή τι κατὰ ψυχικὸν νυσταγμόν· ἴστε γάρ, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅτι ἀκήρυκτος ὁ ἐν ἡμῖν πόλεμος τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, παντοίαις μηχαναῖς πάντοτε γλιχομένου ἡμᾶς πτῶσαι, ὀλέσαι, καταπιεῖν. ἀλλ' οὐ δοίη αὐτῷ Κύριος δύναμιν καθ' ἡμῶν, ἐάνπερ γρηγορῶμεν, ἐάνπερ νήφωμεν, ἐάνπερ ὁ ἁγνὸς αὐτοῦ φόβος καθηλοῖ τὰς σάρκας ἡμῶν καὶ κατασπᾷ ἔσθ' ὅτε ἐρεθιζομένας καὶ κινουμένας· πολέμου γὰρ ταῦτα. ἡ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα κατὰ τῆς σαρκός, ἵνα μὴ ἃ ἂν θέλωμεν, ταῦτα ποιῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἅπερ τὸ πνεῦμα. εἴη Χριστὸς βοηθὸς ἡμῶν, ἐν ᾧ νικᾶν τὸν σατανᾶν προστετάγμεθα κατά τε τὸν τῆς πράξεως λόγον καὶ τὸν τῆς πίστεως, ἐν ᾗ μάλιστα καὶ ὁ ἀγὼν τανῦν ἀκμάζων. βλέπετε, τεκνία, μὴ δειλανθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτενόντων τὸ σῶμα· μαρτυρίου καιρός, πάντα ὑποίσωμεν, παρακαλῶ, ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα στεφανωθῶμεν. Προσεύχεσθε περὶ