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The parents of the virgins, as I learn, who cannot bear their childlessness and wish to bring back the scattered group and fall down with lamentations, as is likely, before their own daughters, this wonderful young man with his band of robbers insults and dishonors. Let these things seem intolerable to your reverence; for the ridicule is common to us all. But rather, command him to return with the virgins. For he might receive some kindness if he should return with a letter from you; but if not, at least send the virgins away to their mother, the Church. But if not, at least do not allow those who are willing to be tyrannized, but give orders for them to return to us, or we testify to you, and to God and men, that these things are not done well nor according to the rules of the Church. But if Glycerius should return with understanding and fitting stability, this is best; but if not, let him be removed from his service.

170. To GLYCERIUS

170.1 How long will you be desperate and ill-advised concerning yourself, vexing us,

and shaming the common order of monks? Return, therefore, to God with confidence and to us, whose love for mankind we imitate. For even if we have rebuked you paternally, we will also forgive you paternally. These things are from us to you, since many others are entreating, and before all others your presbyter, whose grey hairs and compassion we respect. But if you keep far from us, you have certainly fallen from your rank, and may you fall away from God also with your members and your garb, with which you lead the young women not to God, but into the abyss.

171. To GREGORY, A COMPANION

171.1 I wrote to you before about Glycerius and the virgins. But they

have not yet returned even today, but still delay, I do not know from where or how. For I would not condemn you for that, as if you do this for our slander, either suffering something yourself against us or gratifying others. Let them come, therefore, fearing nothing; you be the guarantor of this. For we grieve when our members are cut off, even if they were cut off rightly. But if they should resist, the burden is on others, and we wash our hands of it.

172. To SOPHRONIUS THE BISHOP

172.1 How you gladdened us with your letters, we have no need to write. For you may guess

in every way from those letters themselves which you sent, being such as they are. For you showed us the first fruit of the Spirit, love, through your letter. And what could be more precious to us than this in the present state of affairs, when because of the increase of lawlessness the love of many has grown cold? For nothing is now so rare as the meeting of a spiritual brother and a word of peace and a spiritual fellowship, which, having found in your perfection, we have given abundant thanks to the Lord, praying also to partake of the perfect joy in you. For if the letters are such, what will the meeting be like? And if from afar you captivate us thus, of how much worth will you be when you appear near to us? But know well, that if a multitude of countless cares did not surround me, and these unavoidable necessities by which we are bound, I myself would have hastened to your perfection. And yet, this old sickness of my body is a great hindrance to my movements, but nevertheless I would not have counted this an obstacle on account of the expected benefit. For to a man who thinks the same things and honors the faith of the Fathers, as the one of the

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τοὺς γονεῖς, ὡς πυνθάνομαι, τῶν παρθένων τὴν ἀτεκνίαν οὐ φέροντας καὶ τὴν διασπορὰν ἐπαναγαγεῖν βουλομένους καὶ μετ' ὀδυρμῶν προσπίπτοντας, ὡς εἰκός, ταῖς ἑαυτῶν θυγατράσι περιυβρίζει καὶ ἀτιμοῖ ὁ θαυμαστὸς νεανίσκος μετὰ τοῦ λῃστρικοῦ συντάγματος. Ταῦτα μὴ ἀνεκτὰ φανήτω τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ· καὶ γὰρ κοινὸς πάντων ἡμῶν ὁ γέλως· ἀλλὰ μάλιστα μὲν αὐτὸν κέλευσον μετὰ τῶν παρ θένων ἐπανελθεῖν. Τύχοι γὰρ ἄν τινος φιλανθρωπίας, εἰ μετὰ σῶν ἐπανήκοι γραμμάτων· εἰ δὲ μή, τάς γε παρθέ νους ἀπόπεμψον τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Εἰ δὲ μή, τάς γε βουλομένας τυραννεῖσθαι μὴ συγχωρήσῃς, ἀλλ' ἐπανελθεῖν τύπωσον πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἢ μαρτυρόμεθά σοι ὃ καὶ Θεῷ καὶ ἀνθρώποις, ὅτι μὴ καλῶς ταῦτα γίνεται μηδὲ θεσμοῖς Ἐκκλησίας. Γλυκέριος δὲ εἰ μὲν ἐπανέλθοι μετ' ἐπιστήμης καὶ τῆς πρεπούσης εὐσταθείας, τοῦτο ἄριστον· εἰ δὲ μή, ἔστω πεπαυμένος τῆς ὑπηρεσίας.

170.τ ΓΛΥΚΕΡΙΩ

170.1 Μέχρι τίνος ἀπονοῇ καὶ κακῶς βουλεύῃ περὶ σεαυ τοῦ, κινεῖς μὲν ἡμᾶς,

αἰσχύνεις δὲ τὸ κοινὸν τάγμα τῶν μοναστῶν; Ἐπάνελθε οὖν τῷ Θεῷ θαρρῶν καὶ ἡμῖν, οὗ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν μιμούμεθα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πατρικῶς ἐπετιμή σαμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ συγγνωσόμεθα πατρικῶς. Ταῦτά σοι παρ' ἡμῶν, ἐπειδὴ πολλοί τε ἱκετεύουσιν ἄλλοι καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ὁ σὸς πρεσβύτερος οὗ τὴν πολιὰν αἰδούμεθα καὶ τὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν. Εἰ δὲ μακρύνεις ἀφ' ἡμῶν, τοῦ βαθμοῦ μὲν πάντως ἐκπέπτωκας, ἐκπεσῇ δὲ καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ τῆς στολῆς, οἷς ἄγεις τὰς νέας οὐ πρὸς Θεόν, ἀλλ' εἰς βάραθρον.

171.τ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΙΩ ΕΤΑΙΡΩ

171.1 Ἐπέσταλκά σοι καὶ πρῴην περὶ Γλυκερίου καὶ τῶν παρθένων. Οἱ δὲ

οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον ἐπανήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἔτι μέλλουσιν, οὐκ οἶδα ὅθεν καὶ ὅπως. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἐκεῖνό σου καταγνοίην ὡς ἐφ' ἡμετέρᾳ διαβολῇ τοῦτο ποιεῖς ἢ αὐτὸς πάσχων τι πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἢ ἄλλοις χαριζόμενος. Ἡκέτωσαν οὖν μηδὲν δεδοικότες· σὺ γενοῦ τούτου ἐγγυη τής. Καὶ γὰρ ἀλγοῦμεν τεμνομένων τῶν μελῶν, εἰ καὶ καλῶς ἐτμήθησαν. Εἰ δὲ ἀντιτείνοιεν, ἐπ' ἄλλους τὸ βάρος, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀποπλυνόμεθα.

172.τ ΣΩΦΡΟΝΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ

172.1 Ὅπως ηὔφρανας ἡμᾶς τοῖς γράμμασιν οὐδὲν δεόμεθα γράφειν. Εἰκάζεις

γὰρ πάντως αὐτοῖς οἷς ἐπέστειλας τοιούτοις οὖσι. Τὸν γὰρ πρῶτον καρπὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος, τὴν ἀγάπην, ἔδειξας ἡμῖν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος. Τούτου δὲ τί ἂν γένοιτο τιμιώτερον ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ παρούσῃ τῶν καιρῶν καταστάσει, ἡνίκα διὰ τὸ πληθυνθῆναι τὴν ἀνομίαν ἐψύγη τῶν πολλῶν ἡ ἀγάπη; Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω σπάνιον νῦν ὡς ἀδελφοῦ συντυχία πνευματικοῦ καὶ ῥῆμα εἰρηνικὸν καὶ πνευματικὴ κοινωνία, ἣν εὑρόντες ἐν τῇ σῇ τελειότητι ὑπερηυχαριστήσαμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ δεόμενοι καὶ τῆς τελείας ἐπὶ σοὶ μετασχεῖν εὐφροσύνης. Εἰ γὰρ αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ τοιαῦται, ὁποία ἡ συντυχία; Καὶ εἰ πόρρωθεν οὕτως αἱρεῖς, πόσου ἄξιος ἔσῃ ἐγγύθεν ἡμῖν ἐπιφανείς; Εὖ δὲ ἴσθι, εἰ μὴ μυρίων ἀσχολιῶν περιεῖχε πλῆθος καὶ αἱ ἀπαραίτητοι αὗται ἀνάγκαι αἷς ἐνδεδέμεθα, αὐτόν με ἐπειχθῆναι πρὸς τὴν σὴν τελειότητα. Καίτοιγε μέγα μοι ἐμπόδιόν ἐστι πρὸς τὰς κινήσεις ἡ παλαιὰ αὕτη τοῦ σώμα τος ἀρρωστία, ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἂν ὑπελογισάμην τοῦτο ἐμπόδιον τῆς προσδοκωμένης ἕνεκεν ὠφελείας. Τὸ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦντι καὶ τὴν τῶν Πατέρων πρεσ βεύοντι πίστιν, ὡς ὁ τῶν