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Wherefore, as I learn, you also keep yourself unpartaking of the communion of the heretics. thanks be to God for your reverence. The spouse of that good man, longed for by all, my lady; a good man, long known to us. From the beginning you have been both lovers of monks and ministers to the needy, just as you are now; for I learn that Litoius, our son, is also being entertained at your blessed hearth; for you yourself know the others, whom you also care for. Good is your work, blessed is your widowhood; may you be kept in all things well-pleasing to Christ and receiving the reward for us in eternal life, my most honorable lady. 229 {1To Hypatissa}1 I have read the letter of your honor, and for your health I, the humble one, have glorified God; and by health I mean not so much that of the body (for sometimes this is even unprofitable for some, whenever it is not for the working of virtue), but that of the soul; for this is always to be prayed for. How is this known? Because you keep yourself safe from the communion of the Christ-fighting heresy through fear of God and orthodox faith; in which things I also rejoice, being the trainer of such a God-minded woman. But at your affliction I was grieved not moderately, as you are tried by misfortune upon misfortune. I pray therefore, as the least of all, that the sorrows which have befallen you may be scattered by the mercy of God, both concerning your children and your servants; but you, O venerable woman, bear your troubles with thanksgiving, for whom the Lord loves He disciplines, since it is through tribulations that one attains eternal life, but with leniency (I remind you) towards those under your hand; forbearing, as the apostle says, threatening, knowing that your Master also is in heaven. But I know that you are humane concerning them. And be not burdened by this loving reminder. In all things, therefore, may my Lord keep you unafflicted, prospering in the path of his commandments. 230 {1To Macarius the Hegumen}1 Even before reading, from the mere fact of receiving into my hands the holy letter of your blessedness, my humble soul was comforted, my God-honored father; and when I had read it, I was released from every suspicion that was grieving my humility, having learned the reasons for the delay in writing, and I glorified my good God, finding the spiritual love of your God-lovingness remaining sincere towards us, the lowly. But may it also remain, O peacemaker of the universe, God and Lord; for know, most God-loving one, that you are genuinely loved by us and that we maintain the bond of love unbroken, inasmuch as we were previously moved to write to you who have entered into the struggles for piety, not as if our lowly letter were able to benefit you in any way or had the strength to anoint you (for we are far removed from such things, cast aside both in word and in life), but as the occasion and love required; for which reason we were also compelled to write letters to other brothers and fathers. And your honor has said well and very appropriately that one must redeem the time with leniency towards the persecutors and those who have not thought as brothers; whose fall who would not mourn, being so grievous and harmful to the whole church of God? If even for them, who have acted irrationally, it seems that a way of economy has been worked, O, the evil beginning and root—you know, father, of whom I speak, from whom the rest also went astray through evil counsel. But oh, how can I recall Flubutes to memory without tears? For in the case of the others, the things being done are usual and not so astonishing, but concerning that man, what shall I say, what shall I think? Oh, how the morning star has fallen! Oh, how the pillar that reached to heaven has been brought down! I was nearly beside myself at the report and it seemed to me for a long time incredible, if he, whom I knew from much experience and indeed saw on the way when I was being exiled here and received words of witness from, who persuaded even the bishop of Nicaea himself not to enter into communion, as he says, or to cut himself off if that one entered, this man has become a communicant with the Christ-fighters and, what is more pitiful, that he is also unfeeling, as I learn, about his impiety, not even a word

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ὅθεν, ὡς μανθάνω, καὶ φυλάττεις ἑαυτὴν ἀμέθεκτον τῆς τῶν αἱρετικῶν κοινωνίας. χάρις τῷ θεῷ ἐπὶ τῇ σεμνοπρεπείᾳ σου. τοῦ καλοῦ δὴ ἐκείνου ἀνθρώπου καὶ πᾶσιν ἐπιποθήτου σύμβιος ἡ κυρία μου· ἀγαθὸς ἀνήρ, γνώριμος ἡμῖν πάλαι. ὑμεῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ φιλομόναχοι καὶ θεραπευταὶ τῶν ἐνδεῶν, ὥσπερ καὶ τανῦν· καὶ γὰρ ξενοδοχεῖσθαι πύθομαι παρὰ τῇ εὐλογημένῃ σου ἑστίᾳ καὶ Λιτόιον, τὸν ἡμέτερον υἱόν· τοὺς γὰρ ἄλλους αὐτὴ οἶσθα, οὓς καὶ περιέπεις. Ἀγαθή σου ἡ ἐργασία, εὐλογημένη σου ἡ χηρεία· φυλαχθείης ἐν ἅπασιν εὐαρεστοῦσα Χριστῷ καὶ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν μισθὸν ἀμειβομένη ἐν τῇ αἰωνίᾳ ζωῇ, δέσποινά μου τιμιωτάτη. 229 {1Ὑπατίσσῃ}1 Ἀνέγνων τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῆς τιμιότητός σου, καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῇ ὑγιείᾳ σου ἐδόξασα τὸν θεὸν ὁ ταπεινός· ὑγιείαν δὲ λέγω οὐ τὴν τοῦ σώματος τοσοῦτον (ἔστι γὰρ ὅτε τισὶ καὶ ἀλυσιτελὴς αὕτη, ὁπότε οὐ πρὸς ἀρετῆς ἐστιν ἐργασίαν), ἀλλὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς· αὕτη γὰρ ἀεὶ εὐκταία. πόθεν γνωστόν; ὅτι φυλάττεις ἑαυτὴν σώαν τῆς κοινωνίας τῆς χριστομάχου αἱρέσεως φόβῳ θεοῦ καὶ πίστει ὀρθοδόξῳ· ἐν οἷς κἀγὼ χαίρω, τοιαύτης γυναικὸς θεόφρονος ἀλείπτης ὑπάρχων. ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ θλίψει σου συνελυπήθην οὐ μετρίως, συμφορᾷ ἐπὶ συμφορᾷ δοκιμαζομένης. εὔχομαι οὖν ὡς ἐλάχιστος διασκεδασθῆναι τὰ προσπεσόντα σοι λυπηρὰ ἐλέει θεοῦ καὶ εἰς τὰ τέκνα καὶ εἰς τοὺς δούλους· σὺ δὲ φέρε, ὦ γύναι σεβαστή, εὐχαρίστως τὰ θλιβερά, ὅτι ὃν ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος παιδεύει, ἐπειδὴ διὰ θλίψεών ἐστιν ἐπιτυχεῖν ζωῆς αἰωνίου, φειδοῖ δὲ (ὑπομνήσκω) ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ χεῖρα· ἀνιέντες, ὥς φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος, τὴν ἀπειλήν, εἰδότες ὅτι καὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν ὁ Κύριός ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. οἶδα δὲ ὅτι φιλανθρώπως ἔχεις τὰ περὶ αὐτούς. καὶ μὴ βαρηθῇς ἐν τῇ ὑπομνήσει τῇ ἀγαπητικῇ. ἐν πᾶσιν οὖν ὁ Κύριός μου ἄθλιπτόν σε διατηρήσοι, εὐθηνουμένην ἐν τῇ τρίβῳ τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ. 230 {1Μακαρίῳ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Καὶ πρὸ ἀναγνώσεως, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ μόνου τοῦ ἐπὶ χεῖρας δέξασθαί με τὴν τῆς μακαριότητός σου ἁγίαν ἐπιστολήν, παρεκλήθη μου ἡ ταπεινὴ ψυχή, θεοτίμητέ μου πάτερ· ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ἀνέγνων, ἀπελύθην πάσης ὑπονοίας ὑπολυπούσης μου τὴν ταπείνωσιν, μαθὼν τῆς βρα δυγραφίας τὰς αἰτίας, καὶ ἐδόξασά μου τὸν ἀγαθὸν θεόν, εὑρηκὼς τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀγάπην τῆς θεοφιλίας σου διαμένουσαν εἰλικρινῆ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς εὐτελεῖς. ἀλλὰ καὶ διαμείνοιεν, ὦ εἰρηνοποιητὰ τοῦ παντός, θεὲ καὶ Κύριε· ἴσθι γάρ, φιλοθεώτατε, γνησίως φιλεῖσθαί σε παρ' ἡμῶν καὶ ἀρραγῆ τὸν τῆς ἀγάπης σύνδεσμον ἡμᾶς διατηρεῖν, καθότι καὶ προήχθημεν τὸ πρότερον γράψαι πρὸς τοὺς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγῶνας ἐμβεβηκότι σοι, οὐχ ὡς τοῦ εὐτελοῦς ἡμῶν γράμματος ὀνήσασθαί τι δυναμένου ἢ ἀλείφειν ἐξισχύοντος (πόρρω γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ἡμεῖς καὶ λόγῳ καὶ βίῳ παρερριμμένοι), ἀλλ' ὡς τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ τῆς ἀγάπης ἀπαιτούσης· οὗ χάριν καὶ τὸ πρὸς ἄλλους ἀδελφοὺς καὶ πατέρας ἐπιστέλλειν ἠναγκάσθημεν. εὖ δὲ καὶ πάνυ εἰκότως λέλεχέν σου ἡ τιμιότης τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοράζειν φειδοῖ τῶν διωκόντων καὶ τῶν μὴ τὰ ἀδελφὰ φρονησάντων· ὧν τίς οὐ στενάξειεν τὴν πτῶσιν, χαλεπὴν οὕτω οὖσαν καὶ ἐπιβλαβῆ πάσῃ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ; εἰ κἀκείνοις ἀλογευθεῖσιν οἰκονομίας δοκεῖ εἰργάσθαι τρόπος, ὢ τῆς κακῆς ἀρχῆς καὶ ῥίζης-οἶδας ὁ πατὴρ ὃν λέγω, ἐξ οὗ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ᾤχοντο τῇ δυσβουλίᾳ. Ἀλλ' ὤ, πῶς ἀδακρυτὶ τὸν Φλουβουτῆς εἰς μνήμην ἐνέγκω; ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἄλλων σύνηθες τὰ πραττόμενα καὶ οὐ τοσοῦτον ἐκπλήττοντα, εἰς δ' οὖν τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκεῖνον τί εἴπω, τί διανοηθῶ; ὤ, πῶς πέπτωκεν ὁ ἑωσφόρος; ὤ, πῶς κατηνέχθη ὁ οὐρανομήκης στῦλος; μικροῦ καὶ ἐξέστην τῇ ἀκοῇ καὶ ὡς πολλοῦ ἄπιστός μοι ἔδοξεν εἶναι, εἰ, ὃν ἐγὼ ἠπιστάμην ἐν πολλῇ πείρᾳ καί γε ἐν τῷ ἐξορίζεσθαί με ἐνταῦθα εἶδον καθ' ὁδοῦ καὶ ἔλαβον φωνὰς μαρτυρικάς, ἀναπείσαντα καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Νικαίας μὴ συνελθεῖν εἰς κοινωνίαν, ὥς φησι, ἢ ἀπορρῆξαι ἑαυτὸν ἐκείνου συνελθόντος, οὗτος κοινωνὸς τοῖς χριστομάχοις γέγονεν καί, τό γε ἐλεεινότερον, ὅτι καὶ ἀναλγήτως ἔχει, ὡς πυνθάνομαι, ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ, μηδὲ ῥῆμα