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calling those in communion with us councillors and condemning them to public service, while bestowing the greatest honors on those who cleave to Eustathius. Again he ordered a synod of Galatians and Pontics to be convened at Nyssa. And they obeyed and having assembled sent someone to the Churches, what sort of man I would not choose to say, but it is possible for your wisdom to conjecture what sort of man is likely to be a servant to men of such principles. And now as I was writing these things, this same company rushed to Sebasteia, to join Eustathius and with him to destroy the affairs of the Nicopolitans; for the blessed Theodotus has fallen asleep. And for a time they nobly and steadfastly repulsed the first attacks of the vicar. For he tried to persuade them to receive Eustathius and through him to receive the bishop. But when he saw that they were not willingly yielding, he now tries to install the one given with a more violent hand. There is also a rumor of an expectation of a synod, at which they propose, having summoned us, either to receive us as communicants or to treat us in their usual way. Such, then, are the affairs of the Churches. But as for how I myself am doing in body, I think it better to be silent than to write, because in telling the truth I will cause grief, and I cannot bear to lie.

238. TO THE PRESBYTERS OF NICOPOLIS

238.1 I received the letters of your reverence, and I had nothing

newer than what was already known to be learned from them. For indeed the report has reached all the surrounding region, proclaiming the shame of the one who has fallen among you, who through desire of empty glory gathered to himself the basest dishonor and was found to have fallen away from the rewards of faith because of self-love, and that miserable bit of glory, which he desired and was sold to impiety for, he does not have because of the just hatred of those who fear the Lord. But he has brought forth the clearest proof of his whole life from his present choice, that he never lived in hope of the promises laid up for us by the Lord; but if he practiced any human things, both words of faith and a pretense of reverence, all were contrived for the deception of those who met him. But why does what has happened weary you? Why have you become worse than yourselves on account of this? One is missing from your number; and if another one or two also departed with him, they are to be pitied for their fall, but your body is whole by the grace of God. For indeed that which became useless has flowed away, and that which remains has not been mutilated. But if it distresses you that you were cast out from the walls, yet you shall lodge under the protection of the God of heaven and the angel who is guardian of the Church has gone with you. So that they recline in empty houses each day, preparing for themselves a heavy judgment from the dispersion of the people. And if there is any toil in the matter, I am persuaded by the Lord that this will not turn out to be in vain for you. So the more trials you undergo, the more precious the reward you should await from the just Judge. Therefore, neither be distressed at the present circumstances nor grow weary in hope. For yet a little while, and he who helps you will come to you and will not delay.

239. TO EUSEBIUS, BISHOP OF SAMOSATA

239.1 The Lord has given to us now also, through our most beloved and most reverent

brother Antiochus the fellow-presbyter, to address your holiness, and to exhort you to do your usual things, to pray for us, and for ourselves

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κοινωνοῦντας βουλευτὰς ὀνομάζων καὶ καταδικάζων τῇ ὑπηρεσίᾳ τῶν δημοσίων, τοὺς δὲ τῷ Εὐσταθίῳ προσκει μένους ταῖς μεγίσταις τιμαῖς περιέπων. Πάλιν σύνοδον περὶ Νύσσαν Γαλατῶν καὶ Ποντικῶν συγκροτηθῆναι προσέ ταξεν. Οἱ δὲ ὑπήκουσαν καὶ συνδραμόντες ἔπεμψάν τινα ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις, ὃν οὐκ ἂν ἑλοίμην ἐγὼ εἰπεῖν ὁποῖος, εἰκάζειν δὲ ἔξεστι τῇ σῇ φρονήσει ποταπὸν εἰκὸς εἶναι τὸν τοιαύταις προαιρέσεσιν ἀνθρώπων ὑπηρετούμενον. Καὶ νῦν ὅτε ταῦτα ἐπέστελλον, τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο σύνταγμα ἐπὶ τὴν Σεβάστειαν ὥρμησε, τῷ τε Εὐσταθίῳ συναφθῆναι καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ τὰ τῶν Νικοπολιτῶν καταστρέψασθαι· ὁ γὰρ μακά ριος Θεόδοτος κεκοίμηται. Καὶ τέως μὲν τὰς πρώτας τοῦ βικαρίου προσβολὰς γενναίως καὶ καρτερῶς ἀπεκρούσαντο. Πείθειν γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπειρᾶτο δέξασθαι τὸν Εὐστάθιον καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον. Ὡς δὲ εἶδεν αὐτοὺς ἑκόν τας οὐκ ἐνδιδόντας, νῦν πειρᾶται βιαιοτέρᾳ χειρὶ ἐγκατα στῆσαι τὸν διδόμενον. Ὑποθρυλεῖται δέ τις καὶ συνόδου προσδοκία, καθ' ἣν προαιροῦνται καλέσαντες ἡμᾶς ἢ λαβεῖν κοινωνοὺς ἢ χρήσασθαι τῇ συνηθείᾳ. Τὰ μὲν οὖν τῶν Ἐκκλη σιῶν τοιαῦτα. Ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτὸς ὅπως διάκειμαι κατὰ τὸ σῶμα σιωπᾶν ἡγοῦμαι βέλτιον εἶναι ἢ γράφειν, διότι τὰ μὲν ἀληθῆ λέγων λυπήσω, ψεύσασθαι δὲ οὐκ ἀνέχομαι.

238.τ ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤΑΙΣ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΙΣ

238.1 Ἐδεξάμην τὰ γράμματα τῆς εὐλαβείας ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔσχον

καινότερον τῶν ἐγνωσμένων ἤδη παρ' αὐτῶν διδαχ θῆναι. Καὶ γὰρ ἔφθασεν ἡ φήμη εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν περιοικίδα, τοῦ παρ' ὑμῖν καταπεσόντος τὴν αἰσχύνην περιαγγέλλουσα, ὃς ἐπιθυμίᾳ δόξης κενῆς τὴν αἰσχίστην ἑαυτῷ συνήγαγεν ἀτιμίαν καὶ εὑρέθη τῶν μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει μισθῶν διὰ τὴν φιλαυτίαν ἐκπεσών, αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ δύστηνον δοξάριον, οὗ ἐπιθυμήσας ἐπράθη τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ, οὐκ ἔχων διὰ τὸ δίκαιον μῖσος τῶν φοβουμένων τὸν Κύριον. Ἀλλὰ ἐκεῖνος μὲν τοῦ παντὸς ἑαυτοῦ βίου ἐναργέστατον ἐξήνεγκε δεῖγμα ἐκ τῆς νῦν προαιρέσεως, ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἔζη ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῶν ἀποκει μένων ἡμῖν ἐπαγγελιῶν παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου· ἀλλὰ εἴ τι αὐτῷ ἐπραγματεύετο τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων καὶ ῥήματα πίστεως καὶ πλάσμα εὐλαβείας, πάντα πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων ἀπάτην ἐπετηδεύετο. Ὑμᾶς δὲ τί καταπονεῖ τὸ συμβάν; Τί χείρους ἑαυτῶν γεγόνατε παρὰ τοῦτο; Ἔλειψεν εἷς ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος ὑμῶν· εἰ δὲ καὶ συναπῆλθέ που ἄλλος εἷς ἢ δεύτερος, ἐλεεινοὶ τοῦ πτώματος οὗτοι, ὑμῶν δὲ τὸ σῶμα ὁλόκληρόν ἐστι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ ἀχρειω θὲν ἀπερρύη καὶ οὐκ ἐκολοβώθη τὸ μένον. Εἰ δὲ ἀνιᾷ ὑμᾶς ὅτι τῶν τοίχων ἐξεβλήθητε, ἀλλ' ἐν σκέπῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐλισθήσεσθε καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἔφορος συναπῆλθεν ὑμῖν. Ὥστε κενοῖς τοῖς οἴκοις ἐγκατα κλίνονται καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ἐκ τῆς διασπορᾶς τοῦ λαοῦ βαρὺ ἑαυτοῖς τὸ κρίμα κατασκευάζοντες. Εἰ δέ τις καὶ κόπος ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ πράγματι, πέπεισμαι τῷ Κυρίῳ μὴ εἰς κενὸν ὑμῖν ἀποβήσεσθαι τοῦτο. Ὥστε ὅσῳ ἂν ἐν πλείοσι πειρατηρίοις γένησθε, τοσούτῳ πολυτελέστερον τὸν παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου Κριτοῦ μισθὸν ἀναμένετε. Μήτε οὖν δυσφορεῖτε τοῖς παροῦσι μήτε ἀποκάμνετε τῇ ἐλπίδι. Ἔτι γὰρ μικρὸν ὅσον ὅσον, ἥξει πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὁ ἀντιλαμβανόμενος ὑμῶν καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ.

239.τ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ

239.1 Ἔδωκεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῖν καὶ νῦν διὰ τοῦ ποθεινοτάτου καὶ εὐλαβεστάτου

ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν Ἀντιόχου τοῦ συμπρεσβυ τέρου προσφθέγξασθαί σου τὴν ὁσιότητα, καὶ σὲ μὲν παρα καλέσαι τὰ συνήθη ποιεῖν, προσεύχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ