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We sinners are surely more deserving of pity from blessed and sinless men than of their anger. 204.5 But if the error is concerning faith, let the scripture be shown to us, let it again establish an equal and common criterion. Let the accusation be read. Let it be examined whether it is not through the ignorance of the accuser that it seems to be an accusation, rather than that the text is condemned by its own nature. For many good things do not seem to be so to those who do not possess an accurate criterion of the mind, just as even masses of equal weight do not seem to be equal when the scales are not balanced against each other. And honey has already appeared bitter to some whose sense of taste has been corrupted by their affliction. But an unhealthy eye has not seen many things that exist, and has supposed many things that do not exist. And so I often see the same thing happening with respect to the power of words, when the judge is far removed from the disposition of the writers. For both the one who judges the words and the one who writes them must set out from nearly the same preparation. Or is it that one who is not a farmer is unable to judge the works of farming, and one who does not have the knowledge of music will not distinguish the discordant and the harmonious in musical rhythms, but whoever wishes will immediately be a judge of words, one who can show neither a teacher for himself, nor a time in which he has learned, nor understands at all anything small or great concerning words? But I see that even in the oracles of the Spirit, not everyone was permitted to undertake the examination of what was said, but only the one having the Spirit of discernment, as the Apostle taught us in the distributions of the gifts, saying: "For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits." So, if our words are spiritual, let the one who wishes to judge our words show that he himself has the gift of discernment of spiritual things. But if, as he himself reviles, it is from the wisdom of this world, let him show himself to be experienced in the wisdom of the world, and then we will entrust to him the votes of judgment. And let no one suppose that these things are devised by us for the avoidance of refutations. For I entrust to you, most beloved brothers, to make for yourselves the examination of the things of which we are accused. Are you so slow of mind that you need advocates for all things in order to find the truth? But if on your own they appear to you to be irrefutable, persuade those who cavil to desist from all contentiousness. But if anything seems to be even doubtful, ask us through some mediators who are able to minister our words faithfully, or, if you please, demand written proofs from us. But by all means take care not to leave these matters unexamined. 204.6 And what clearer proof of our faith could there be than that we were brought up by our grandmother, a blessed woman who came from you? I mean the famous Macrina, from whom we learned the words of the most blessed Gregory, as many as, having been preserved for her by a continuous memory, she both kept and formed and shaped us, while we were still infants, with the doctrines of piety. And when we ourselves received the faculty of understanding, our reason having been completed through age, we traveled over much land and sea, and if we found any who followed the transmitted rule of piety, these we registered as fathers and made them guides of our souls in the journey toward God. And up to this present hour, by the grace of Him who called us with a holy calling to the knowledge of Himself, we know of no word hostile to sound doctrine that we have received into our hearts, nor have our souls ever been polluted by the ill-omened blasphemy of the Arians. But if we ever received into communion any who came from that teacher, who concealed the disease deep within and words

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Ἐλεεῖσθαί που δικαιότεροί ἐσμεν παρὰ τῶν μακαρίων ἀνδρῶν καὶ ἀναμαρτήτων οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἡμεῖς μᾶλλον ἢ χαλεπαίνεσθαι. 204.5 Εἰ δὲ περὶ πίστιν τὸ σφάλμα, δειχθήτω ἡμῖν ἡ συγ γραφή, πάλιν ἴσον καὶ κοινὸν κριτήριον καθισάτω. Ἀναγ νωσθήτω τὸ ἔγκλημα. ∆οκιμασθήτω εἰ μὴ ἀγνοίᾳ τοῦ ἐγκαλοῦντος ἔγκλημα εἶναι δοκεῖ μᾶλλον ἢ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ φύσει κατεγνωσμένον ἐστὶ τὸ γράμμα. Πολλὰ γὰρ τῶν καλῶν οὐ δοκεῖ εἶναι τοιαῦτα τοῖς τὸ κριτήριον τῆς δια νοίας οὐκ ἀκριβὲς κεκτημένοις, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὰ ἰσοβαρῆ τῶν ὄγκων οὐκ ἴσα εἶναι δοκεῖ, ὅταν μὴ ἰσορρόπως ἔχωσι πρὸς ἀλλήλας αἱ πλάστιγγες. Καὶ τὸ μέλι ἤδη πικρόν τισι κατεφάνη τὴν γευστικὴν αἴσθησιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους διεφθαρ μένοις. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐχ ὑγιῶς ἔχων πολλὰ μὲν τῶν ὄντων οὐκ εἶδε, πολλὰ δὲ τῶν οὐκ ὄντων ὑπέθετο. Καὶ τοίνυν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν λόγων δυνάμεως τὸ ἴσον ὁρῶ πολλάκις γινόμενον, ὅταν τῆς τῶν συγγραψαμένων ἕξεως ὁ κριτὴς ἀπολιμπάνηται. ∆εῖ γὰρ σχεδὸν ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς παρασκευῆς ὡρμῆσθαι τόν τε κρίνοντα τοὺς λόγους καὶ τὸν συγγράφοντα. Ἢ τὰ μὲν γεωργίας ἔργα ἀδύνατός ἐστι κρίνειν ὅ γε μὴ γεωργικός, καὶ τὸ ἐκμελές τε καὶ ἐμμελὲς τῶν κατὰ μουσικὴν ῥυθμῶν οὐ διαγνώσεται ὁ μὴ τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἔχων τῆς μουσικῆς, λόγων δὲ κριτὴς εὐθὺς ὁ βουλόμενος ἔσται, ὁ μήτε διδάσκαλον ἔχων ἑαυτοῦ δεικνύναι οὔτε χρόνον ἐν ᾧ μεμάθηκεν οὔτε ὅλως ἐπαΐων τι μικρὸν ἢ μεῖζον τῶν περὶ λόγους. Ἐγὼ δὲ ὁρῶ ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς λογίοις τοῦ Πνεύμα τος οὐ παντὶ ἐξῆν ἐπιβάλλειν τῇ ἐξετάσει τῶν εἰρημένων, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἔχοντι τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς διακρίσεως, καθὼς ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἐν ταῖς διαιρέσεσι τῶν χαρισμάτων εἰπών· «Ὧ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα, ἑτέρῳ δὲ πίστις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ Πνεύματι, ἄλλῳ δὲ ἐνεργή ματα δυνάμεων, ἄλλῳ προφητεία, ἄλλῳ διάκρισις πνευ μάτων». Ὥστε, εἰ μὲν πνευματικὰ τὰ ἡμέτερα, δεικνύτω ἑαυτὸν ἔχοντα τὸ χάρισμα τῆς διακρίσεως τῶν πνευμα τικῶν ὁ τὰ ἡμέτερα κρίνειν βουλόμενος. Εἰ δέ, ὡς αὐτὸς λοιδορεῖ, ἀπὸ τῆς σοφίας ἐστὶ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, δειξάτω ἑαυτὸν ἔμπειρον τῆς σοφίας τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τότε αὐτῷ τὰς ψήφους τῆς κρίσεως ἐπιτρέψομεν. Καὶ μηδεὶς οἰέσθω ταῦτα πρὸς ἀποφυγὴν τῶν ἐλέγχων ἐπινοεῖσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν. Ὑμῖν γὰρ ἐπιτρέπω, ποθεινότατοι ἀδελφοί, ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν ποιήσασθαι τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων ἡμῖν τὴν ἐξέτασιν. Οὕτως ἐστὲ βραδεῖς τὴν διάνοιαν ὥστε πάντων δεῖσθε τῶν συνηγόρων πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς εὕρεσιν; Ἀλλ' ἐὰν μὲν ἀναντίρρητα ὑμῖν φανῇ ἐφ' ἑαυτῶν, πείσατε τοὺς ἐρεσχελοῦντας ἀφέσθαι πάσης φιλονεικίας. Ἐὰν δέ τι δοκῇ καὶ ἀμφίβολον ἔχειν, ἐρωτήσατε ἡμᾶς διά τινων μεσι τῶν δυναμένων πιστῶς διακονήσασθαι τὰ ἡμέτερα, ἢ καὶ ἐγγράφους, εἰ δοκεῖ, ἀπαιτήσατε ἡμᾶς τὰς ἀποδείξεις. Πάντως δὲ παντὶ τρόπῳ σπουδάσατε μὴ ἀνεξέταστα ταῦτα καταλιπεῖν. 204.6 Πίστεως δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας τίς ἂν καὶ γένοιτο ἐναρ γεστέρα ἀπόδειξις ἢ ὅτι τραφέντες ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ τήθῃ μακαρίᾳ γυναικὶ παρ' ὑμῶν ὡρμημένῃ; Μακρίναν λέγω τὴν περιβόητον, παρ' ἧς ἐδιδάχθημεν τὰ τοῦ μακαριωτάτου Γρηγορίου ῥήματα ὅσα πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀκολουθίᾳ μνήμης διασωθέντα αὐτή τε ἐφύλασσε καὶ ἡμᾶς ἔτι νηπίους ὄντας ἔπλαττε καὶ ἐμόρφου τοῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας δόγμασιν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν τοῦ φρονεῖν δύναμιν ἀπελάβομεν τοῦ λόγου ἡμῖν διὰ τῆς ἡλικίας συμπληρωθέντος, πολλὴν ἐπελθόντες γῆν τε καὶ θάλασσαν, εἴ τινας εὕρομεν τῷ παραδοθέντι κανόνι τῆς εὐσεβείας στοιχοῦντας, τούτους καὶ πατέρας ἐπεγραψάμεθα καὶ ὁδηγοὺς τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν πορείαν ἐποιησάμεθα. Καὶ μέχρι γε τῆς ὥρας ταύτης, χάριτι τοῦ καλέσαντος ἡμᾶς κλήσει ἁγίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπίγνωσιν, οὐδένα οἴδαμεν λόγον ἐχθρὸν τῆς ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας ταῖς καρδίαις παρα δεξάμενοι οὐδὲ μολυνθέντες ποτὲ τὰς ψυχὰς τῇ δυσω νύμῳ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν βλασφημίᾳ. Ἀλλ' εἴ τινάς ποτε ὡρμημένους ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῦ διδασκάλου εἰς κοινωνίαν προσελαβόμεθα, ἐπικρυπτομένους τὴν ἐν τῷ βάθει νόσον καὶ ῥήματα