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a letter from your brothers, leap away, depart from the curse of the Lord, from the eternal woe; join yourself to your brother, that Christ may be reconciled to you, so that you may cease the pain of me, a sinner, that you may destroy the scandal of Satan, whom you have befriended. Do not disobey God; for our God is a consuming fire. Since this is the voice for you, which Basil the Great spoke to someone cohabiting with a woman just like you: "You will be anathema to all the people, and those who receive you will be excommunicated." May this be far from you, my child Theophilus, both to say and to think. 167 {1To my child Pasarion}1 Having learned that you departed from where you were to the present place and came down to the steward, child, seeking to walk well, I glorified my good God, having cast off my grief; for I was no little grieved that you remained there against the commandment, not coming together in the time of our persecution and distress on account of our true worship, although you were one of the leaders and able to help in deed and word. But nevertheless it happened, and may God forgive you. Now therefore, my beloved child, walk piously, building up your slowness for the benefit of your brothers and others, persevering until death and not betraying Christ. Do not be alone, but with one or more, but certainly with the one chosen, whoever he may be; for it is not possible for me to permit it definitively. Do not cease remembering me; your brothers greet you. 168 {1To my child Laurentius}1 What is this great grace for you, child, that the steward summons me on his behalf to offer thanks to you? Not on his behalf only at all, but also on my own I both write and praise and pray for you, because you are truly a faithful son, father-loving, brother-loving, showing it by your deeds. For who first visited me the sinner here? Who saw the steward or gave a practical disposition of love? For he is the first brother, and he who does something for him does it for me; not that you are not all my heart (for you are), but that he is more honorable, bearing the person of my lowliness according to what is just. Blessed are you, my longed-for son, and blessed is your submission and obedience. Pray for me, the lowly one, that I may be saved in all things. Greet from me my brother and beloved son Dionysius and, if there is any other of my children keeping the mystery, greet him also. I ask you, concerning Arkadios, if he does not drink where he is, take him as from me and save him. You have a reward. 169 {1To Athanasius the abbot}1 This letter of yours is also divinely inspired, gladdening us the lowly ones on account of your health and manliness, but grieving us on account of the praises and encomiums, with which you dignify us who are undignified and negligent and have done nothing good at all on earth; for the saints say this out of humility, but I, the sinner, out of truth. But the friendship of your fatherly holiness attributes to us things that are not, in order to make us better in every way, since often praise also helps. Thanks therefore to the holy God that you bear your bonds and imprisonment with courage, noble soldier of Christ. For you shoot forth your divine zeal and love, as it were, through your precious words, and the most beautiful thing, is that it is with knowledge and sublime contemplation, which the leaping from the midst and the running up to the height of the confession of Christ has provided for you; in which may you be perfectly preserved, shining as a morning star for those in the night-battle of heresy, and perhaps also as a pillar and foundation of the truth, supporting the weak and the wavering. But indeed, may you also as a high arm extend a hand to those who have fallen and slipped. And your letter to Photinoudios has shown this to us; you did well, if indeed it might accomplish anything; for the time being, at any rate, you yourself fulfilled what was necessary. But the undertaking must be considered, lest in addition to being of no benefit it might even be a cause of harm, if the one who receives the letter blabs it abroad and thenceforth

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ἐπιστολὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου, ἀποπήδησον, ἀναχώρησον ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ Κυρίου, ἐκ τοῦ αἰωνίου οὐαί· σύμμιξον σεαυτὸν ἀδελφῷ σου, ἵνα διαλλαγῇ Χριστὸς ἐπὶ σοί, ὅπως παύσῃς τὸ ἄλγος μου τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ἵνα καταλύσῃς τὸ σκάνδαλον τοῦ σατανᾶ, ᾧτινι ἐφιλιώθης. μὴ παρακούσῃς θεοῦ· πῦρ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν καταναλίσκον. ἐπεὶ αὕτη ἡ φωνή σοι, ἣν ὁ Μέγας Βασίλειος πρός τινα ὁμοίως σοι συνοικοῦντα γυναικὶ εἴρηκεν· ἀνάθεμα ἔσῃ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, καὶ οἱ δεχόμενοί σε ἐκκήρυκτοι ἔσονται. ὅπερ ἀπείη ἐν σοί, τέκνον μου Θεόφιλε, καὶ λέγειν καὶ ἐννοεῖν. 167 {1Πασαρίωνι τέκνῳ}1 Μαθὼν ὅτι ἀπέστης ἐξ οὗ ἦς ἕως τοῦ παρόντος τόπου καὶ κατῆλθες πρὸς τὸν οἰκονόμον, τέκνον, ζητῶν τὸ καλῶς πορεύεσθαι, ἐδόξασα τὸν ἀγαθόν μου θεόν, ἀποβαλὼν τὸ λυπηρόν· καὶ γὰρ οὐ μικρὸν ἐλυπούμην ὅτι ἐνέμεινες παρὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν ἐκεῖσε, μὴ συνελθὼν ἐν καιρῷ τοῦ διωγμοῦ καὶ τῆς περιστάσεως ἡμῶν ἕνεκεν τῆς ἀληθινῆς ἡμῶν λατρείας, καίπερ ὢν ἐκ τῶν κεφαλῶν καὶ δυναμένων βοηθεῖν ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ. ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐγένετο καὶ ὁ θεὸς συγχωρήσοι σοι. Νῦν οὖν, τέκνον μου ἀγαπητόν, περιπάτησον εὐαγῶς, ἀνοικοδομῶν τὴν βραδυτῆτά σου εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου καὶ ἑτέρων ὠφέλειαν, μέχρι θανάτου ἐγκαρτερῶν καὶ μὴ προδιδοὺς τὸν Χριστόν. μόνος μὴ εἶ, ἀλλὰ μεθ' ἑνὸς ἢ καὶ πρός, μετ' ἐκείνου δὲ πάντως τοῦ αἱρουμένου, εἴ τις ἂν εἴη· ὁριστικῶς γὰρ οὐχ οἷόν τε ἐπιτρέψαι με. Μνημονεύων μοι μὴ διαλείποις· ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ ἀδελφοί σου. 168 {1Λαυρεντίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Τίς ἐστιν ἡ τοσαύτη χάρις σοι, τέκνον, ἵνα ἐκκαλεῖταί με ὁ οἰκονόμος ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ εὐχαριστίας σοι προσφέρειν; ὅλως οὐχ ὑπὲρ ἐκείνου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ γράφω καὶ ἐπαινῶ καὶ εὔχομαί σοι, ὅτι ὡς ἀληθῶς πιστὸς υἱὸς εἶ, φιλοπάτωρ, φιλάδελφος, δεικνύων αὐτοῖς ἔργοις. τίς γὰρ πρῶτόν σου ἐπεσκέψατό με τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐνταῦθα; τίς δὲ τὸν οἰκονόμον ἢ ἐθεώρησεν ἢ ἐπέδωκεν διάθεσιν ἀγάπης ἔμπρακτον; καὶ γάρ ἐστι πρῶτος ἀδελφός, καὶ ὁ ἐκείνῳ ποιῶν τι ἐμοὶ ποιεῖ· οὐχ ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ πάντες οὐκ ἐστὲ σπλάγχνα μου (ἐστὲ γάρ), ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐκεῖνος τιμιώτερος, τὸ πρόσωπον τῆς ταπεινώσεώς μου φέρων κατὰ τὸ δίκαιον. Εὐλογημένος εἶ, υἱέ μου ποθητέ, καὶ εὐλογημένη ἡ ὑποταγὴ καὶ ὑπακοή σου. προσεύχου περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ ἵνα σῴζωμαι ἐν πᾶσιν. ἐξ ἐμοῦ προσαγόρευσον τὸν ἀδελφόν μου καὶ ἀγαπητὸν υἱὸν ∆ιονύσιον καί, εἴ τις ἔστιν ἄλλος φυλάττων μυστήριον τῶν τέκνων μου, κἀκεῖνον ἄσπασαι. παρακαλῶ δέ, τὸν Ἀρκάδιον, ἐὰν οὐ συμπίῃ ὅπου ἐστί, παράλαβε αὐτὸν ὡς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ καὶ περίσωσον αὐτόν. μισθὸν ἔχεις. 169 {1Ἀθανασίῳ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Καὶ αὕτη σου ἡ ἐπιστολὴ θεοχάρακτος, εὐφράνασα μὲν ἡμᾶς τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ ὑγιείᾳ καὶ εὐανδρίᾳ σου, λυπήσασα δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐπαίνοις καὶ ἐγκωμίοις, οἷς κατασεμνύνεις ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀσέμνους καὶ ἀτημελεῖς καὶ μηδ' ὁτιοῦν πεποιηκότας ἀγαθὸν ἐπὶ γῆς· λέγουσι μὲν γὰρ τοῦτο ἐκ ταπεινώσεως οἱ ἅγιοι, ἐγὼ δὲ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐξ ἀληθείας. ἀλλ' ἡ φιλία τῆς πατρικῆς σου ἁγιωσύνης τὰ οὐκ ὄντα προσάπτει ἡμῖν, ἵνα πάντως βελτίους ποιήσῃ, ἐπειδὴ πολλάκις καὶ ἔπαινος ὀνίνησι. Χάρις οὖν τῷ ἁγίῳ θεῷ ὅτι εὐψύχως φέρεις τὰ δεσμὰ καὶ τὴν φρουράν, γενναῖε Χριστοῦ στρατιῶτα. τὰς γὰρ θείας προθυμίας καὶ ἀγάπας σου οἱονεὶ πυροβολεῖς διὰ τῶν τιμίων λόγων σου καὶ τὸ κάλλιστον, ὅτι μετὰ γνώσεως καὶ ἀνηγμένης θεωρίας, ἥν σοι παρέσχεν ἡ ἐκ μέσου ἀποπήδησις καὶ ἐφ' ὕψους ἀναδρομὴ τῆς Χριστοῦ ὁμολογίας· ἐν ᾗ καὶ περιφυλαχθείης τέλεον, φρυκτωρῶν ὡς ἑῷος ἀστὴρ τοῖς ἐν νυκτομαχίᾳ τῆς αἱρέσεως, τάχα δὲ καὶ ὡς στῦλος καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας, ὑποστηρίζων τοὺς χαύνους καὶ ὀκλάζοντας. ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ ὡς βραχίων ὑψηλὸς χεῖρα ὀρέγοι τοὺς ὑποπεπτωκότας καὶ ὀλισθήσαντας. καὶ τοῦτο ἐδήλωσεν ἡμῖν τὸ πρὸς τὸν Φωτεινουδίου γραμματεῖον· εὖ ἔπραξας, εἴπερ καὶ ἀνύσειέν τι· τέως δ' οὖν αὐτὸς τὸ δέον ἐπλήρωσας. σκεπτέον δὲ τὸ ἐγχείρημα μήπως πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν ὀνῆσαι ἔτι καὶ βλάβης αἴτιον εἴη, ἐκφερομυθοῦντος τὸ γράμμα τοῦ δεχομένου κἀντεῦθεν