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with understanding, although recently, having written jointly to the entire presbytery, we were not deemed worthy of any response from you. Do not flatter, brothers, those who bring evil doctrines upon your souls, nor accept to knowingly overlook the people of God being destroyed through impious teachings. Sabellius the Libyan and Marcellus the Galatian alone of all men dared both to teach and to write these things which now among you, the leaders of the people attempt to put forward as their own discoveries, stammering with their tongue and not even being sufficient to bring these sophistries and fallacies to a plausible construction. These men make public speeches against us, saying things that may and may not be said, and in every way they avoid our company. For what reason? Is it not because they are suspicious of refutation in their own wicked teachings? They have become so shameless toward us as to even invent certain dreams against us, slandering our teachings as harmful; who, even if they were to receive upon their own heads all the phantoms of the autumn months, will be able to attach no blasphemy to us, since there are many in each Church testifying to the truth. 207.2 And if they are asked the cause of this undeclared and truceless war, they speak of psalms and a manner of melody altered from the custom that has prevailed among you, and certain such things for which they ought to be ashamed. But we are accused because we also have men who are ascetics of piety, having renounced the world and all the cares of life which the Lord compares to thorns, not allowing the word to come to fruition. Such men carry around in the body the dying of Jesus and having taken up their own cross, they follow God. And I would value it above my whole life for these offenses to be mine and to have men with me, under me as teacher, who have chosen this ascetic practice. But now in Egypt I hear there is such virtue of men, and perhaps some also in Palestine are achieving the way of life according to the Gospel. And I hear of some perfect and blessed men also in Mesopotamia. But we are children, at least in comparison with the perfect. And if women too, having chosen to live according to the Gospel, prefer virginity to marriage, and subject the mind of the flesh and live in that mourning which is called blessed, blessed are they for their choice, wherever on earth they may be. But from us, these small things are still being taught as basic elements and introduced to piety. But if they bring some disorder to the life of the women, I do not condescend to defend them. But this I solemnly declare to you, that what until now Satan the father of lies has not deigned to say, these things fearless hearts and unbridled mouths utter without fear. But I want you to know that we pray to have companies of both men and women, whose citizenship is in heaven, of those who have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, who are not anxious about food and clothing, but being undistracted and in constant attendance on the Lord, they persevere night and day in their prayers. Whose mouth does not speak of the works of men, but they sing hymns to our God continually, working with their own hands, so that they may have something to give to those in need. 207.3 But as to the accusation concerning the psalm-singing, with which our slanderers especially frighten the more simple, I have this to say, that the customs now prevailing are in accord and harmony with all the Churches of God. For from the night the people with us rise early to go to the house of prayer, and in labor and in affliction and in constraint of tears confessing to God, at last, rising up from their prayers, they proceed to psalmody. And now, divided into two groups, they sing antiphonally to one another, on the one hand strengthening thereby their meditation on the Oracles, and on the other hand also the

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συνέσει, εἰ καὶ ὅτι πρῴην κοινῇ παντὶ τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ γράψαντες οὐδεμιᾶς παρ' ὑμῶν ἀπο κρίσεως ἠξιώθημεν. Μὴ κολακεύετε, ἀδελφοί, τοὺς τὰ πονηρὰ δόγματα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐπάγοντας, μηδὲ κατα δέξησθε περιορᾶν ἐν γνώσει ὑμετέρᾳ τὸν λαὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν διδαγμάτων καταστρεφόμενον. Σαβέλλιος ὁ Λίβυς καὶ Μάρκελλος ὁ Γαλάτης μόνοι ἐκ πάντων ἐτόλμησαν καὶ διδάξαι ταῦτα καὶ γράψαι ἅπερ νῦν παρ' ὑμῖν, ὡς ἴδια ἑαυτῶν εὑρήματα, ἐπιχειροῦσι προφέρειν οἱ καθηγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ βαμβαίνοντες τῇ γλώσσῃ καὶ οὐδὲ εἰς πιθανὴν κατασκευὴν ἀγαγεῖν τὰ σοφίσματα ταῦτα καὶ τοὺς παρα λογισμοὺς ἐξαρκοῦντες. Οὗτοι ῥητὰ καὶ ἄρρητα καθ' ἡμῶν δημηγοροῦσι καὶ πάντα τρόπον τὰς συντυχίας ἡμῶν ἐκκλί νουσι. Τίνος ἕνεκεν; Οὐχὶ τὸν ἐν τοῖς πονηροῖς ἑαυτῶν διδάγμασιν ἔλεγχον ὑφορώμενοι; Οἵ γε ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν κατηναισχύντησαν ὥστε καὶ ὀνείρους τινὰς ἐφ' ἡμᾶς συμπλάσαι διαβάλλοντες ἡμῶν τὰς διδασκαλίας ὡς βλα βεράς· οἵ, κἂν πάντα τὰ τῶν φυλλοχόων μηνῶν φαντάσματα ταῖς ἑαυτῶν κεφαλαῖς ὑποδέξωνται, οὐδεμίαν ἡμῖν βλασ φημίαν δυνήσονται προστρίψασθαι, πολλῶν ὄντων ἐφ' ἑκάστης Ἐκκλησίας μαρτυρούντων τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. 207.2 Κἂν τὴν αἰτίαν ἐρωτηθῶσι τοῦ ἀκηρύκτου τούτου καὶ ἀσπόνδου πολέμου, ψαλμοὺς λέγουσι καὶ τρόπον μελῳδίας τῆς παρ' ὑμῖν κεκρατηκυίας συνηθείας παρηλ λαγμένον, καὶ τοιαῦτά τινα ἐφ' οἷς ἐχρῆν αὐτοὺς ἐγκα λύπτεσθαι. Ἐγκαλούμεθα δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἀνθρώπους ἔχομεν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀσκητάς, ἀποταξαμένους τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ πάσαις ταῖς βιωτικαῖς μερίμναις ἃς ἀκάνθαις παρεικάζει ὁ Κύριος, εἰς καρποφορίαν ἐλθεῖν τὸν λόγον μὴ συγχω ρούσαις. Οἱ τοιοῦτοι τὴν νεκρότητα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφέρουσι καὶ ἄραντες τὸν ἑαυτῶν σταυρὸν ἕπονται τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐγὼ δὲ παντὸς ἂν τιμησαίμην τοῦ ἐμαυτοῦ βίου ἐμὰ εἶναι τὰ ἀδικήματα ταῦτα καὶ ἔχειν ἄνδρας παρ' ἐμαυτῷ, ὑπ' ἐμοὶ διδασκάλῳ, τὴν ἄσκησιν ταύτην προελομένους Νῦν δὲ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ μὲν ἀκούω τοιαύτην εἶναι ἀνδρῶν ἀρετήν, καὶ τάχα τινὲς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιστίνης τὴν κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον πολιτείαν κατορ θοῦσιν. Ἀκούω δέ τινας καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Μέσης τῶν ποταμῶν τελείους καὶ μακαρίους ἄνδρας. Ἡμεῖς δὲ παῖδές ἐσμεν πρός γε τὴν τῶν τελείων σύγκρισιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ γυναῖκες εὐαγγελικῶς ζῆν προελόμεναι παρθενίαν μὲν γάμου προτι μῶσαι, δουλαγωγοῦσαι δὲ τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἐν πένθει ζῶσαι τῷ μακαριζομένῳ, μακάριαι τῆς προαιρέσεως, ὅπου ἂν ὦσι τῆς γῆς. Παρὰ δὲ ἡμῶν μικρὰ ταῦτα στοιχειουμένων ἔτι καὶ εἰσαγομένων πρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Εἰ δέ τινα ἀκοσμίαν τῷ βίῳ τῶν γυναικῶν ἐπιφέρουσιν, ἀπολογεῖσθαι μὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν οὐ καταδέχομαι. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ ὑμῖν διαμαρτύρομαι, ὅτι, ἃ μέχρι νῦν ὁ Σατανᾶς ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ ψεύδους εἰπεῖν οὐ κατεδέξατο, ταῦτα αἱ ἄφοβοι καρδίαι καὶ τὰ ἀχαλίνωτα στόματα φθέγγεται ἀδεῶς. Γινώσκειν δὲ ὑμᾶς βούλομαι ὅτι ἡμεῖς εὐχόμεθα καὶ ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν συντάγματα ἔχειν, ὧν τὸ πολίτευμά ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, τῶν τὴν σάρκα σταυρωσάντων σὺν τοῖς παθήμασι καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις, οἳ οὐ μεριμνῶσι περὶ βρωμάτων καὶ ἐνδυμάτων, ἀλλ' ἀπερίσπαστοι ὄντες καὶ εὐπάρεδροι τῷ Κυρίῳ νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας προσμένουσι ταῖς δεήσεσιν. Ὧν τὸ στόμα οὐ λαλεῖ τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ ψάλλουσιν ὕμνους τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν διηνεκῶς, ἐργαζόμε νοι ταῖς ἑαυτῶν χερσίν, ἵνα ἔχωσι μεταδιδόναι τοῖς χρείαν ἔχουσι. 207.3 Πρὸς δὲ τὸ ἐπὶ ταῖς ψαλμῳδίαις ἔγκλημα, ᾧ μάλιστα τοὺς ἁπλουστέρους φοβοῦσιν οἱ διαβάλλοντες ἡμᾶς, ἐκεῖνο εἰπεῖν ἔχω, ὅτι τὰ νῦν κεκρατηκότα ἔθη πάσαις ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίαις συνῳδά ἐστι καὶ σύμφωνα. Ἐκ νυκτὸςγὰρ ὀρθρίζει παρ' ἡμῖν ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τῆς προσ ευχῆς, καὶ ἐν πόνῳ καὶ ἐν θλίψει καὶ συνοχῇ δακρύων ἐξομολογούμενοι τῷ Θεῷ, τελευταῖον ἐξαναστάντες τῶν προσευχῶν εἰς τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν καθίστανται. Καὶ νῦν μὲν διχῆ διανεμηθέντες ἀντιψάλλουσιν ἀλλήλοις, ὁμοῦ μὲν τὴν μελέτην τῶν Λογίων ἐντεῦθεν κρατύνοντες, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τὴν