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I desire a meeting with you, which may the Holy One arrange to take place where it might be unobjectionable and He Himself might invite us. For it is not difficult for me, if you were to occupy the house at Euphemias, for us to be together, as I would be escaping the troubles here and hastening toward your sincere love. And perhaps for another reason the journey to Nazianzus is made necessary for me by the sudden departure of the most God-beloved bishop Gregory, the reason for which is unknown until now. But as for the man, about whom I also spoke to your Perfection and whom you yourself now hoped to be ready, know that having fallen into a long illness and being now afflicted in his very eyes, from his old ailment and the sickness that recently befell him he has remained completely useless for any duties. There is no one else among us. So it is better, even if they entrusted the matter to us, that nevertheless one of their own number be appointed. For one must consider these words to be of necessity, but that their soul desires that which they sought from the beginning, that their leader be one of their own. But if there is one of the newly baptized, whether it seems good to Macedonius or not, let him be appointed. You will shape him for what is needful, with the Lord working with you in all things and providing the grace for this. 217.51 Concerning the clergy, the canons have laid down without distinction, commanding that one punishment be appointed for those who have fallen: the falling from their ministry, whether they happen to be in a rank or continue in an unordained ministry. 217.52 She who has neglected her offspring on the road, if, being able to save it, she despised it, or thinking thereby to conceal her sin, or using wholly bestial and inhuman reasoning, let her be judged as for murder. But if she was not able to care for it, and because of the deserted place and lack of necessities the child perished, the mother is pardonable. 217.53 The widowed slave perhaps has not sinned greatly by choosing a second marriage under the guise of an abduction. Therefore she ought not to be accused on this account. For the appearances are not judged, but the intention. But it is clear that the penance for second marriage remains for her. 217.54 I know that some time ago I wrote to your Piety about the distinctions of involuntary homicides as far as was possible for me, and I can say nothing more than those things, but it is for your wisdom, according to the peculiarity of the circumstance, to increase the penances or to reduce them. 217.55 Those who go out against robbers, if they are laymen, are excluded from the communion of the good; but if they are clerics, they are deposed from their rank. "For," it says, "all who take the sword will perish by the sword." 217.56 He who has voluntarily committed murder, and after this repented, shall be without communion of the holy things for twenty years. The twenty years shall be arranged for him in this way. For four years he must be a weeper, standing outside the door of the house of prayer, and begging the faithful who enter to make prayer for him, confessing his own transgression. And after the four years he will be received among the hearers, and for five years he will depart with them. For seven years he will pray with those in prostration and will depart. For four years he will only stand with the faithful, but he will not partake of the offering. And when these are completed he will partake of the holy things. 217.57 He who has involuntarily committed murder shall be without communion of the holy things for ten years. The ten years shall be arranged for him in this way. For two years he shall be a weeper, for three years he shall continue among the hearers, for four as a prostrator, and for a year he shall only stand with [the faithful], and in the next he will be received to the holy things. 217.58 The adulterer shall be without communion of the holy things for fifteen years; for four years as a weeper, for five as a hearer, for four as a prostrator, for two standing with [the faithful] without communion. 217.59 The fornicator shall be without communion of the holy things for seven years; two as a weeper, and two as a hearer, and two as a prostrator, and for one only standing with [the faithful]; in the eighth he shall be received to communion. 217.60 She who [professed] virginity

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ποιοῦμαι τὴν συντυχίαν σου, ἣν οἰκονομήσειεν ὁ Ἅγιος γενέσθαι ὅπου ἀνε παχθὲς ᾗ καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς προσκαλέσῃ. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ χαλεπόν μοι, εἰ καταλάβοις τὸν οἶκον τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς Εὐφημιάδος, γενέσθαι ὁμοῦ τά τε ὧδε ὀχληρὰ διαφεύγοντι καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀνυπόκριτόν σου ἀγάπην ἐπειγομένῳ. Τάχα δέ μοι καὶ ἄλλως ἀναγκαίαν ποιεῖ τὴν μέχρι Ναζιανζοῦ ὁδὸν ἡ ἀθρόα τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Γρηγορίου ἀναχώρησις, μετὰ ποίας αἰτίας γενομένη ἀγνοουμένη μέχρι τοῦ νῦν. Ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος, περὶ οὗ κἀγὼ ἤμην διαλεχθεὶς τῇ τελειότητί σου καὶ αὐτὸς νῦν ἤλπισας ἕτοιμον εἶναι, γίνωσκε ὅτι μακρᾷ ἀρρωστίᾳ περιπεσὼν καὶ κάμνων λοιπὸν περὶ αὐτὰς τὰς ὄψεις, ἐκ τοῦ παλαιοῦ πάθους καὶ τῆς ἔναγχος αὐτῷ ἐπισυμβάσης νόσου παντελῶς ἄχρηστος πρὸς τὰς τυχούσας ἐνεργείας ἀπέμεινεν. Ἄλλος δὲ οὐκ ἔστι παρ' ἡμῖν. Ὥστε βέλτιον, εἰ καὶ ἡμῖν ἐπέτρεψαν τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀλλ' οὖν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τινὰ προβληθῆναι. Καὶ γὰρ ἡγεῖσθαι χρὴ ταῦτα μὲν τῆς ἀνάγκης εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ἐκεῖνο βούλεσθαι ὅπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπεζήτησαν, οἰκεῖον εἶναι τὸν καθηγούμενον. Εἰ δέ ἐστί τις τῶν νεοφω τίστων, κἂν δοκῇ τῷ Μακεδονίῳ κἂν μή, ἐκεῖνος προ βληθήτω. Τυπώσεις δὲ αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸ δέον, τοῦ ἐν πᾶσι συνεργοῦντός σοι Κυρίου καὶ τὴν εἰς τοῦτο χάριν παρε χομένου. 217.51 Τὸ κατὰ τοὺς κληρικοὺς ἀδιορίστως οἱ κανόνες ἐξέθεντο κελεύσαντες μίαν ἐπὶ τοῖς παραπεσοῦσιν ὁρί ζεσθαι τιμωρίαν, τὴν ἔκπτωσιν τῆς ὑπηρεσίας, εἴτε ἐν βαθμῷ τυγχάνοιεν εἴτε καὶ ἀχειροθέτῳ ὑπηρεσίᾳ προσκαρ τεροῖεν. 217.52 Ἡ τοῦ κυήματος κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἀμελήσασα, εἰ μὲν οὖν δυναμένη περισώσασθαι κατεφρόνησεν ἢ συγκαλύψειν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐντεῦθεν νομίζουσα ἢ ὅλως θηριώδει καὶ ἀπανθρώπῳ λογισμῷ χρησαμένη, ὡς ἐπὶ φόνῳ κρινέσθω. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἠδυνήθη περιστεῖλαι καὶ δι' ἐρημίαν καὶ ἀπορίαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων διεφθάρη τὸ γεννηθέν, συγγνωστὴ ἡ μήτηρ. 217.53 Ἡ χήρα δούλη τάχα οὐ μέγα ἔπταισεν, ἑλομένη δεύτερον γάμον ἐν σχήματι ἁρπαγῆς. Ὥστε οὐδὲν τούτου ἕνεκεν ἐγκαλεῖσθαι χρή. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ σχήματα κρίνεται, ἀλλ' ἡ προαίρεσις. ∆ῆλον δὲ ὅτι τὸ τῆς διγαμίας μένει αὐτὴν ἐπιτίμιον. 217.54 Τὰς τῶν ἀκουσίων φόνων διαφορὰς πρὸ χρόνου οἶδα ἐπιστείλας τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σου κατὰ τὸ ἐμοὶ δυνατὸν καὶ πλέον ἐκείνων οὐδὲν εἰπεῖν δύναμαι, τῆς δὲ σῆς συνέσεώς ἐστι κατὰ τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς περιστάσεως ἐπιτείνειν τὰ ἐπι τίμια ἢ καὶ ὑφεῖναι. 217.55 Οἱ τοῖς λῃσταῖς ἀντεπεξιόντες, ἔξω μὲν ὄντες, τῆς κοινωνίας εἴργονται τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ· κληρικοὶ δὲ ὄντες, τοῦ βαθμοῦ καθαιροῦνται. «Πᾶς γάρ, φησίν, ὁ λαβὼν μάχαιραν ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποθανεῖται». 217.56 Ὁ ἑκουσίως φονεύσας, μετὰ δὲ τοῦτο μεταμεληθείς, εἴκοσιν ἔτεσιν ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται τοῖς ἁγιάσμασι. Τὰ δὲ εἴκοσιν ἔτη οὕτως οἰκονομηθήσεται ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Ἐν τέσσαρσιν ἔτεσι προσκλαίειν ὀφείλει ἔξω τῆς θύρας ἑστὼς τοῦ εὐκτηρίου οἴκου καὶ τῶν εἰσιόντων πιστῶν δεόμενος εὐχὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ποιεῖσθαι ἐξαγορεύων τὴν ἰδίαν παρανομίαν. Μετὰ δὲ τὰ τέσσαρα ἔτη εἰς τοὺς ἀκροωμένους δεχθήσεται καὶ ἐν πέντε ἔτεσι μετ' αὐτῶν ἐξελεύσεται. Ἐν ἑπτὰ ἔτεσι μετὰ τῶν ἐν ὑποπτώσει προσευχόμενος ἐξελεύσεται. Ἐν τέσσαρσι συστήσεται μόνον τοῖς πιστοῖς, προσφορᾶς δὲ οὐ μεταλήψεται. Πληρωθέντων δὲ τούτων μεθέξει τῶν ἁγιασμάτων. 217.57 Ὁ ἀκουσίως φονεύσας ἐν δέκα ἔτεσιν ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται τῶν ἁγιασμάτων. Οἰκονομηθήσεται δὲ τὰ δέκα ἔτη ἐπ' αὐτῷ οὕτω. ∆ύο μὲν ἔτη προσκλαύσει, τρία δὲ ἔτη ἐν ἀκροωμένοις διατελέσει, τέσσαρσιν ὑποπίπτων, καὶ ἐνιαυτῷ συσταθήσεται μόνον, καὶ τῷ ἑξῆς εἰς τὰ ἅγια δεχθήσεται. 217.58 Ὁ μοιχεύσας ἐν δέκα καὶ πέντε ἔτεσιν ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται τῶν ἁγιασμάτων· ἐν τέσσαρσι μὲν προσκλαίων ἔτεσιν, ἐν πέντε δὲ ἀκροώμενος, ἐν τέσσαρσιν ὑποπίπτων, ἐν δυσὶ συνεστὼς ἄνευ κοινωνίας. 217.59 Ὁ πόρνος ἐν ἑπτὰ ἔτεσιν ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται τῶν ἁγιασμάτων· δύο προσκλαίων, καὶ δύο ἀκροώμενος, καὶ δύο ὑποπίπτων, καὶ ἑνὶ συνεστὼς μόνον· τῷ ὀγδόῳ δεχθήσεται εἰς τὴν κοινωνίαν. 217.60 Ἡ παρθενίαν