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I mean the exarch. 215 {1To a presbyter who signed}1 What your honor has suffered in the shipwreck of the signature and how much I lamented the fall (for it is truly a fall, the stretching out of the hand, and that only, against the holy icon of Christ), I learned through your note, O man of God, and I have suffered with you and lamented with you and grieved with you, uttering dreadful things and such as are naturally fitting for one who is brotherly-minded; for we are members of one another, and, if one member suffers, all the members ought to suffer with it (it is an apostolic utterance), or if one member is honored, the joy is for all. But oh, the outrage! We have been plundered, we have been terrified, we have been frightened in matters where one should not be frightened nor again terrified, if indeed we read, "do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to take the soul." Why then, O friend, have you referred the matter to me, the unprofitable one? Who am I for healing, I who am sick in sins and not one of those entrusted to heal such fractures? Since God is not a God of disorder, he has assigned the affairs of presbyters, that is, of priests, to bishops to correct and to heal. How could you seek from me things that are beyond me? It is not possible. But this I suggest and say in a consultative and loving way, so that I might not leave you entirely without an answer. God is good, not wanting the death of the sinner, but that he should turn and live. If, therefore, your repentance is in truth, abstain from celebrating the liturgy completely. I do not know, except perhaps in the present necessity you might give some of the consecrated elements to someone; for it is possible out of necessity and want and for anyone on his own to receive communion on account of the need to flee the heresy. For as many things as you have done, whether on your own initiative or when permitted by another, are good and praiseworthy for inclining God, but there is absolutely nothing that can grant absolution from celebrating the liturgy even if it might seem to be from any archbishop whatsoever, and this until the peace of God's church, in which at that time by a synodical decision, as is right, everything of this sort will be regulated and will have a divinely ratified judgment. But if you say that "4while signing I was crying out that I venerate the holy icons,"5 forgive me, brother, Pilate too with his mouth declared himself innocent of Christ's slaughter while with the reed he ratified his death. These things are from me the humble one to you, as in the presence of God. But, I beseech you, make mention for my salvation in the repentance of your affliction, and be so kind as to greet those whom you said you see, my holy fathers among the bishops, as from me, the wretched one. 216 {1To Callistus my child}1 I have not forgotten you, my beloved child Callistus, but I remember you and hold you in my heart in the love of Christ; receiving you greatly in your association and service to the oikonomos (and I am not lying in what I say) I seem myself to be served and refreshed. May my Lord therefore show you to be useful in all things, you who first served our blessed father well, and then my ever-memorable Arsenius, after this now the oikonomos, in both cases having attended to and served me, the humble one, as has been said, except that you also served through the ministry of the cellarer. I rejoice that in everything you are proven, capable, polished, faithful, well-disposed, patient, father-loving, sharp-witted, economical, steadfast, a guardian of the law, unwavering in the faith and confession of Christ. In these things, therefore, exist, in these be confirmed, in these rejoice, for your reward is great with God. I too would have wished to have you with me now, but from now on (thanks be to God) you refresh me more greatly in your absence, refreshing my eye, my soul, the oikonomos, not only in matters at home, but also in your comings and goings to the brothers. May grace from God abound to you. Pray for my humility; your brothers greet you. 217 {1To Cassia the Candidatissa}1 What you sent to me for the Lord's sake I have received; and who am I, the humble one, to be remembered by your reverence? Nevertheless, being the offspring of a good root, you know how to do good. I hear that you are also doing good to our spiritual child Dorotheus, who is imprisoned for the sake of

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φημὶ τὸν ἔξαρχον. 215 {1Πρεσβυτέρῳ ὑπογράψαντι}1 Οἷον πέπονθεν ἡ τιμιότης σου ἐν τῷ ναυαγίῳ τῆς ὑπογραφῆς καὶ ὁπόσον ἀπεκλαύσω τὸ πτῶμα (πτῶμα γάρ ἐστιν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἡ κατὰ τῆς ἁγίας εἰκόνος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔκτασις καὶ μόνον τῆς χειρός), ἔγνων διὰ τοῦ πιττακίου σου, ὦ ἄνθρωπε τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ συμπέπονθα καὶ συνεποτνίασα καὶ συνήλγησα, σχέτλια φθεγξάμενος καὶ οἷα εἰκὸς ἁρμόζει τῷ φιλαδέλφως ἔχοντι· καὶ γὰρ μέλη ἀλλήλων ἐσμὲν καί, εἴτε πάσχει ἓν μέλος, συμπάσχειν ὀφείλει πάντα τὰ μέλη (φωνή ἐστιν ἀποστολική), εἴτε δοξάζεται ἓν μέλος, ἡ χαρὰ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν. ἀλλ' ὢ τῆς ἐπηρείας· ἐσυλήθημεν, ἐπτοήθημεν, ἐφοβήθημεν ἐν οἷς οὐ φοβητέον οὐδ' αὖ πτοητέον, εἴπερ ἀναγινώσκομεν τὸ μὴ φοβηθῆτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτενόντων τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν οὐ δυναμένων λαβέσθαι. τί οὖν πρός με τὸν ἀχρεῖον, ὦ φίλε, ἀνήνεγκας τὸν λόγον; τίς ἐγὼ πρὸς ἰατρείαν, ὁ νοσῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις καὶ οὐ τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα πεπιστευμένων ἰᾶσθαι συντρίμματα; ἐπεὶ μὴ ἀταξίας ὁ θεός, τὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ἤγουν ἱερέων, ἐπισκόποις ἀπένειμεν ἐπανορθοῦν καὶ ἰᾶσθαι. πῶς παρ' ἐμοῦ ἐπιζητοίης τὰ ὑπὲρ ἐμέ; οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ. τοῦτο δὲ συμβου λευτικῶς καὶ ἀγαπητικῶς ὑποτίθημι καὶ λέγω, ἵνα μή σε ἀναπόκριτον ἐάσω πάντῃ. ὁ θεὸς ἀγαθός ἐστιν, οὐ θέλων τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῆν αὐτόν. εἰ οὖν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ἡ μετάνοια, στῆθι τῆς ἱερουργίας παντάπασιν. οὐκ οἶδα, εἰ μὴ κατὰ ἀνάγκην τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν μεταδοίης τισὶ τῶν ἁγιασμάτων· ἔστι γὰρ ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ ἀπορίας καὶ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ μεταλαβεῖν τὸν τυχόντα διὰ τὸ φευκτὸν τῆς αἱρέσεως. ὅσα γὰρ ἐποίησας, εἴτε παρ' ἑαυτοῦ εἴτε καὶ πρὸς ἄλλου ἐπιτραπείς, καλὰ μὲν καὶ ἐπαινετὰ εἰς θεοῦ ἐπίκαμψιν, οὐδὲν δὲ τὸ καθόλου τὸ δυνάμενον λῦσαι τῆς ἱερουργίας κἂν ἐξ οἱουδηποτοῦν ἀρχιερέως δόξειεν εἶναι, καὶ τοῦτο ἕως εἰρήνης τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίας, ἐν ᾗ τηνικαῦτα κρίσει συνοδικῇ ὡς δέον πᾶν ὁτιοῦν τῶν τοιούτων κανονισθήσεται καὶ κρίσιν ἕξει θεόψηφον. εἰ δὲ φῂς ὅτι "4ὑπογράφων ἔκραζον προσκυνεῖν με τὰς ἁγίας εἰκόνας"5, σύγγνωθι, ἀδελφέ, καὶ Πιλᾶτος τῷ στόματι ἀθωῶν ἑαυτὸν τῆς σφαγῆς Χριστοῦ τῷ καλάμῳ ἐκύρου τὸν θάνατον. Ταῦτά σοι παρ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ ὡς ἐνώπιον θεοῦ. ἀλλά, δέομαι, μνείαν ποιοῦ ὑπὲρ ἐμῆς σωτηρίας ἐν τῇ μετανοίᾳ τῆς συνθλίψεώς σου, προσαγορεῦσαί τε παρακλήθητι οὓς ἔφης ὁρᾶν ἁγίους πατέρας μου ἐν ἐπισκόποις ὡς ἐξ ἐμοῦ τοῦ οἰκτροῦ. 216 {1Καλλίστῳ τέκνῳ}1 Οὐκ ἐπιλέλησμαί σου, τέκνον μου ἠγαπημένον Κάλλιστε, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέμνημαι καὶ ἔχω σε ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου ἐν ἀγάπῃ Χριστοῦ· ἀποδεχόμενός σε λίαν ἐν τῇ πρὸς τὸν οἰκονόμον συναφείᾳ καὶ διακονίᾳ (καὶ οὐ ψεύδομαι ὃ λέγω) δοκῶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ὑπηρετεῖσθαι καὶ ἀναπαύεσθαι. ἐν πᾶσιν οὖν χρήσιμόν σε ὁ Κύριός μου ἀναδείξειεν, ἐξυπηρετησάμενον πρῶτα καλῶς τῷ μακαρίῳ πατρὶ ἡμῶν, εἶτα καὶ τῷ ἀειμνήστῳ Ἀρσενίῳ μου, μετὰ ταῦτα νῦν τῷ οἰκονόμῳ, ἐν ἀμφοτέροις ἐμέ, ὡς εἴρηται, τὸν ταπεινὸν θεραπευκὼς καὶ δουλεύσας, πλὴν ὅτι καὶ ἐδούλευσας διὰ τῆς τοῦ κελλαρίου διακονίας. χαίρω ὅτι ἐν παντὶ εἶ δόκιμος, ἱκανός, ἀπεξεσμένος, πιστός, εὔνους, ὑπομονητικός, φιλοπάτωρ, ὀξύνους, οἰκονομικός, σταθερός, νομοφύλαξ, ἀπαράτρεπτος τῆς πίστεως καὶ ὁμολογίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἐν τούτοις οὖν ἴσθι, ἐν τούτοις βεβαιοῦ, ἐν τούτοις χαῖρε, ὅτι ὁ μισθός σοι πολὺς παρὰ θεῷ. ἤθελον δὲ κἀγὼ σχεῖν σε ἄρτι εἰς ἐμαυτόν, ἀλλὰ ἀπάρτι (χάρις τῷ θεῷ) μειζόνως ἐν τῇ ἀπουσίᾳ ἀναπαύεις με, ἀναπαίων τὸν ὀφθαλμόν μου, τὴν ψυχήν μου, τὸν οἰκονόμον, οὐ μόνον ἐν τοῖς οἴκοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ταῖς πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰσόδοις καὶ ἐξόδοις. εἴη σοι ἡ χάρις παρὰ θεοῦ πλεονάζουσα. προσεύχου περὶ τῆς ταπεινώσεώς μου· ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ ἀδελφοί σου. 217 {1Κασσίᾳ κανδιδατίσσῃ}1 Ἅπερ ἀπέστειλάς μοι διὰ Κύριον ἐδεξάμην· καὶ τίς εἰμι ἐγὼ ὁ ταπεινὸς μνημονευθεὶς παρὰ τῆς εὐλαβείας σου; ὅμως ὅτι ἀγαθῆς ῥίζης οὖσα βλάστημα οἶδας ἀγαθοποιεῖν. ἀκούω δὲ εὖ ποιεῖν σε καὶ τῷ πνευματικῷ ἡμῶν τέκνῳ ∆ωροθέῳ, ὄντι πεφυλακισμένῳ ὑπὲρ