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of Christ is near you. you know what you do; for in this you share in the contest of his struggle. consider that you are nourishing us sinners ourselves in our son. What then is our recompense to you but prayer and the word of exhortation? You have chosen a good life for God's sake, as I learn, from childhood. You have become a bride of Christ, no longer seek or love another; for who is more beautiful than he? May his beauty still flash in your heart so as to extinguish in you every flowing and corruptible desire. Fleeing, flee the sight of men, even if it be allowed, and of prudent men, lest somehow you be wounded or wound; the heavenly bridal chamber awaits you; there you will see him to whom you are betrothed, with whom you will rejoice eternally. The word is small, but sufficient as a reminder for your honor. May you be saved, daughter of Christ. 218 {1To Meletius, my child}1 Both from the letters of brother John previously, and now from your letter, child Meletius, I praised my good God for your conversion and confession. And thanks be to the Lord, that your good submission in the beginning and up to a point was not in vain; for I confess and testify to you that you have suffered out of zeal, but not according to knowledge, just as the others also. For this reason, relying on your own righteousness and prudence, you have broken from the divinely inspired and saving submission, wandering and treading on air into unattainable things; and time and events have shown and will show. But having said farewell to these things, I will again end my discourse in thanksgiving. I was gladdened, my beloved child, receiving you through your letter, and I rejoice over you more than over those who did not go astray. I am your father, though a sinner, I will lay down my humble soul for you. All things are forgiven you. From now on let us stand firm, let us serve the Lord in submission, fleeing the self-pleasing and deceitful demon; for thus may we be saved in the Lord. It makes no difference to me that you are there until the peace of the church of God; only may you be kept unharmed, praying always for my lowliness. 219 {1To John, my child}1 I am pleased, child and brother, in your letters, because they come in succession and refuse the nausea of much speaking; for indeed the virtue of a letter is to touch immediately upon the subject at hand and to say only as much as is necessary, but not to circle around things that are not so. Well then; concerning what you asked, it is not for the present time to inquire into such things nor for you to be initiated by us, O good child; since among other things I too am uninitiated in things hard to attain. But lest I should cause pain by my silence, I say this concerning the first point, that no one of the other God-bearing fathers has yet clarified the problem as has Gregory of Nyssa. Let us be content then with the father's contemplation, in a contemplation exceedingly sublime; for what is beyond Gades is not to be crossed, as the saying goes. But concerning the second point (he who has understanding in that time will be silent, for it is an evil time) it does not seem to me to be crooked and bent; for a time to speak has been appointed for us by the God-inspired Scripture and a time for silence, according as we consider the fitting need and manage the word of truth; for are we not commanded not to throw to the dogs what is holy nor to cast pearls before swine? Observe the God-bearing fathers, and you will find them at one time placing the word under the bushel of silence, when it is unprofitable to speak, or rather even harmful, and at another time raising it upon the lampstand, when the sowing is fruitful and not on rocky ground. So much have I perceived in this proposition. But finding for yourself or from others more proven things, do not begrudge to share them with me, your father and brother, who am in need of thoughts. Farewell, praying much for me. 220 {1To Hypatius, my child}1 And now I have recognized what you have written, beloved child, and in all things I approve your choice, which exists in a fervent heart of faith, choosing to be with me also physically. but it is not of the present time; for what you have devised, is a sign of your trust, but in every way unprofitable. Therefore do not

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Χριστοῦ ἔγγιστά σου. οἶδας τί ποιεῖς· συμμερίζῃ γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ τὸν τῆς ἀθλήσεως αὐτοῦ ἀγῶνα· δόκησον δὲ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς διατρέφειν ἐν τῷ υἱῷ ἡμῶν. τί οὖν ἀνταπόδομά σοι παρ' ἡμῶν ἢ προσευχὴ καὶ ὁ λόγος ὁ παραινετικός; καλὸν προείλου βίον διὰ θεόν, ὡς πυνθάνομαι, παιδιόθεν. νύμφη Χριστοῦ γέγονας, μηκέτι ζήτει ἄλλον μήτε φίλει· τίς γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὡραιότερος; οὗ τὸ κάλλος ἐναστράψειέν σου ἔτι ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ εἰς τὸ σβέσαι σε πάντα πόθον ῥέοντα καὶ φθειρόμενον. φεύγουσα φεῦγε τὰς ὄψεις τῶν ἀρρένων, εἰ θέμις καὶ σωφρόνων, μή που πληγῇς ἢ πλήξῃς· ἐκδέχεταί σε ὁ νυμφὼν ὁ ἐπουράνιος· ἐκεῖ ὄψει ὃν ἡρμόσω, μεθ' οὗ χαρήσῃ αἰωνίως. Μικρὸς ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ ἀρκῶν εἰς ὑπόμνησιν τῇ τιμιότητί σου. σωθείης, κόρη Χριστοῦ. 218 {1Μελετίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ἰωάννου πρότερον, καὶ νῦν ἀπὸ τῆς σῆς ἐπιστολῆς, τέκνον Μελέτιε, ᾔνεσα τὸν ἀγαθόν μου θεὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐπιστροφῇ καὶ ὁμολογίᾳ σου. καὶ χάρις τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἐγένετό σου ἡ καλὴ ὑποταγὴ ἐν ἀρχαῖς καὶ ἕως τίνος· ὁμολογῶ γὰρ καὶ μαρτυρῶ σοι ἐκ ζήλου πεπονθέναι, ἀλλ' οὐ κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι. διὰ τοῦτο τῇ ἰδίᾳ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ φρονήσει ἐπερειδόμενοι τῆς ὑποταγῆς ἐρράγητε τῆς ἐνθέου καὶ σωτηρίου, ἀλώμενοι καὶ κενεμβατοῦντες εἰς ἀκίχητα· καὶ ἔδειξεν καὶ δείξειεν ὁ καιρὸς καὶ τὰ πράγματα. Ἀλλὰ τούτοις τὸ χαίρειν φράσας εἰς εὐχαριστίαν πάλιν καταλήξω τὸν λόγον. ηὐφράνθην, τέκνον μου ἀγαπητόν, ἀπολαβών σε διὰ τοῦ γράμματος, καὶ χαίρω ἐπὶ σοὶ ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς μὴ πλανηθεῖσι. σός εἰμι, κἂν ἁμαρτωλός, πατήρ, τὴν ψυχήν μου τὴν ταπεινὴν ὑπὲρ σοῦ θήσω. συγχωρητά σοι πάντα. ἐκ τοῦ δεῦρο στῶμεν, δουλεύσωμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ ὑποτεταγμένως, φεύγοντες τὸν αὐτάρεσκον καὶ ἀπατεῶνα δαίμονα· οὕτως γὰρ σωθείημεν ἐν Κυρίῳ. οὐδέν μοι διαφέρει περὶ τοῦ εἶναί σε ἐν τοῖς αὐτόθι ἕως εἰρήνης τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ· μόνον ἀσινὴς διαφυλάττοιο, προσευχόμενος ἀεὶ περὶ τῆς ταπεινώσεώς μου. 219 {1Ἰωάννῃ τέκνῳ}1 Ἥδομαι, τέκνον καὶ ἀδελφέ, ἐν ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς σου, ὅτι καὶ καθ' εἱρμὸν ἔρχονται καὶ τὸν τῆς πολυλογίας ναυτιασμὸν ἀπαναίνονται· καὶ γὰρ ἐπιστολῆς ἀρετὴ εὐθὺς τῆς προκειμένης ὑποθέσεως ἅπτεσθαι καὶ τοσαῦτα λέγειν ἅττα ἐπάναγκες, ἀλλὰ μὴ ἐπικυκλεῖν τὰ οὐχ οὕτως. Εἶεν· περὶ ὧν ἠρώτησας, οὐ τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ τὰ τοιάδε φιλοπευστεῖν οὔτε πρὸς ἡμῶν μυεῖσθαί σε, ὦ καλὲ παῖ· ἐπειδὴ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ ἀμύητος ἐγὼ τῶν δυσεφίκτων. ὡς ἂν δὲ μὴ παραλυπῆσαι τῇ ἀφασίᾳ, ἐκεῖνο λέγω περὶ τοῦ πρώτου, ὅτι οὐδείς πω τῶν ἄλλων θεοφόρων ἐλεύκανε τὸ πρόβλημα οὕτως ὡς ὁ Νυσσααῖος Γρηγόριος. ἀρκεσθῶμεν οὖν τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς θεωρίᾳ ἐν ἀνηνεγμένῃ θεωρίᾳ ἄγαν· τὸ γὰρ ἐπέκεινα Γαδείρων οὐ περατόν, ὡς ὁ λόγος. περὶ δὲ τοῦ δευτέρου (ὁ συνιῶν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ σιωπήσεται, ὅτι καιρὸς πονηρός ἐστιν) οὐ δοκεῖ μοι καμπύλον καὶ σκολιὸν εἶναι· καιρὸς γὰρ τοῦ λαλεῖν ἡμᾶς διώρισται ὑπὸ τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς καὶ καιρὸς σιωπῆς, κατὰ τὴν ἐπιβάλλουσαν χρείαν σκοπούντων ἡμῶν καὶ οἰκονομούντων τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας· ἦ γὰρ οὐχὶ μὴ βάλλειν τοῖς κυσὶ τὰ ἅγια μήτε ῥίπτειν τοὺς μαργαρίτας ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων προστετάγμεθα; ἄθρει τοὺς θεοφόρους, καὶ τούσδε εὑρήσεις πῇ μὲν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον τῆς σιωπῆς τὸν λόγον τιθέντας, ὁπότε ἀλυσιτελὲς τὸ λέγειν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ζημιῶδες, πῇ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς λυχνίας αὐτὸν ἀνιόντας, ὁπηνίκα εὔκαρπος ἡ σπορὰ καὶ οὐ πετρώδης. Τοσαῦτά μοι συνεώραται ἐν τῇ προτάσει. ἐξευρίσκων δὲ παρὰ σεαυτοῦ ἢ καὶ ὑφ' ἑτέρων τὰ δοκιμώτερα μὴ φθονήσειας μεταδοῦναι ἐμοὶ τῷ σῷ πατρὶ καὶ ἀδελφῷ, ἐνδεεῖ τῶν νοημάτων ὑπάρχοντι. ἔρρωσο, πλεῖστά μοι προσευχόμενος. 220 {1Ὑπατίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Καὶ νῦν ἃ γέγραφας ἐπέγνων, τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, καὶ περὶ πάντα ἀποδέχομαί σου τὴν προαίρεσιν, ἐν ζεούσῃ καρδίᾳ πίστεως ὑπάρχουσαν, αἱρουμένην τε συνεῖναί μοι καὶ σωματικῶς. ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ· ὃ γὰρ ἐπενοήθης, τῆς μὲν πεποιθήσεώς σου γνώρισμα, ἀλυσιτελὲς δὲ πάντῃ. μὴ οὖν