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To brother Leontius, Maximus, Clement, and to all the others who have been separated by whatever means of vain pretext. As for what concerns me, I have said it long ago and I say it now: they must be forgiven. But since it is not for man to absolve what concerns God while it remains unrepented (and they certainly do not appear to have repented, but have also added this and that, as they know), I entreat through you, either now or after my death, that out of fear of the temptations the word be given to them that, "4See, brothers, the judgment is fearful and inexorable, unless you propitiate God with worthy repentance; for as it concerns me the sinner, you must be forgiven"5. This is what distresses and troubles me, which I beg you to carry out to all. Farewell in the Lord. 303 {1To my child Proterius}1 I was troubled, my beloved child, at your arrival; but when I read your letter (I do not know if it was in your own hand; for you learned quickly, and thanks be to the Lord), I was delivered from my trouble, giving thanks to God, and I was set at rest by what you well decided, the one to depart for the city, the other having arrived before Pascha and indeed with the provisions for the feast. In return for which, may the Lord nourish you with spiritual gifts, you who labor so for our humility. We are well, then, physically, and if you pray, spiritually also, so that, putting aside your anxiety for us, you may be more fervent in prayer with hope and joy; for by the grace of God and the prayers of my blessed father, along with your supplication also, we are carrying on with thanksgiving and long-suffering and patience the contest that lies before us, having become different men from what we were, beyond hope, and so much so as we never would have become, since we have known good and evil. It is the gift of God, not from our own works, only if for the future you do not grow weary of beseeching God on our behalf, just as we also do on yours. The problem, since the father left it unresolved, how can we the unlearned solve it? Nevertheless, the present heresy is surely a denial of Christ; and it is clear from other things, and clear also from what is said in the Patericon to the one tempted by fornication: it is better for you not to abstain from any prostitute than not to venerate the icon of Christ. Therefore it is not an ordinary heresy, but a denial of Christ; and let those who propose the dilemma of Climacus about falling into fornication or being caught in heresy, as if one were more preferable than the other, be frightened by the decision in the Patericon and let them be ensnared neither in fornication nor in the Christ-fighting heresy; for in either case it is adultery. And I had more to say, but the letter does not have space. Return in good health, greeting the brothers, and come again when the Lord is pleased for the brothers to arrive. 304 {1To Zacharias the consul}1 I am writing again and will not cease to write, making my defense and giving abundant thanks to your God-loving charity on account of your zeal according to Christ and your virtue-loving disposition toward our affliction, which you have shown from the beginning and from of old, doing good freely, showing mercy freely, freely exposing yourself almost to dangers, not being cautious because of the time of difficulty, but showing forth the standard of love, not being weighed down by the multitude of those being served, but being uplifted by the hope of divine gifts; which is the mark of a true Christian, fearing God, clearly contemplating the day of death and judgment at the fearful tribunal of Christ. Of such virtue also is the spouse joined to you by God, and indeed also your children; and reasonably so, since from a good root would also come good shoots. And I think that those under your authority are also such, because such as the ruler is, such also the ruled is for the most part wont to be. What then is there to say to these things except what the divine David says, behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord? May the Lord bless you from Zion and may you see the good things of the heavenly Jerusalem with all your household, my most-desired master. 305 {1To an Abbot}1 I have been slow to write to the

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ἀδελφῷ Λεοντίῳ, Μαξίμῳ, Κλήμεντι, τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι καθ' οἱονδήποτ' οὖν τρόπον προφασιλογίας ματαίας ἀποσχισθεῖσιν. τὰ εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ εἶπον πάλαι καὶ λέγω ἄρτι· συγχωρητέον αὐτοῖς. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὰ εἰς θεὸν οὐκ ἀνθρώπου λύειν ἀμετανόητα μένοντα (οὐ δήπου δὲ μετανενοηκότες φαίνονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσεξεργασάμενοι τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο, ἃ ἴσασι), παρακαλῶ δι' ὑμῶν ἢ νῦν εἴτε μετὰ θάνατόν μου φόβῳ τῶν πειρασμῶν δοθῆναι αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον ὅτι "4βλέπετε, ἀδελφοί, φοβερὸν τὸ κρίμα καὶ ἀπαραίτητον, εἰ μὴ μετανοίᾳ ἀξιολόγῳ ἐξιλεώσησθε τὸν θεόν· τὸ γὰρ ἐν ἐμοὶ τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ συγχωρητέον ὑμῖν"5. Τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὑπολυποῦν με καὶ παριστάμενον, ὃ διατελέσαι πρὸς πάντας δυσωπῶ ὑμᾶς. ἔρρωσθε ἐν Κυρίῳ. 303 {1Προτερίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Ἐθροήθην, τέκνον μου ἠγαπημένον, ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ σου· ἀλλ' ἐπὰν ἀνέγνων τὴν ἐπιστολήν σου (οὐκ οἶδα, εἰ ἰδιόχειρόν σου· ταχὺ γὰρ ἐξέμαθες, καὶ χάρις Κυρίῳ), τῆς θροήσεως ἀπηλλάγην εὐχαριστήσας τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἀνεπαυσάμην ἐφ' οἷς καλῶς ἐβουλεύσασθε, ὁ μὲν ἀπᾶραι ἐν ἄστει, ὁ δὲ πρὸ τοῦ Πάσχα παραγεγονὼς καί γε μετὰ τῶν ἐφοδίων τῆς ἑορτῆς. ἀνθ' ὧν θρέψειέν σε ὁ Κύριος τοῖς πνευματικοῖς χαρίσμασιν, οὕτως περιπονούμενον εἰς τὴν ταπείνωσιν ἡμῶν. Ὑγιαίνομεν οὖν σωματικῶς, εἰ δὲ προσεύχεσθε, καὶ πνευματικῶς, ὥστε τῆς ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀγωνίας σου ἀφέμενος μετ' ἐλπίδος καὶ χαρᾶς θερμότερος ἔσο τῇ προσευχῇ· θεοῦ γὰρ χάριτι καὶ εὐχαῖς τοῦ μακαρίου μου πατρὸς σὺν ἱκεσίᾳ καὶ ὑμῶν διανύομεν εὐχαρίστως καὶ μακροθύμως καὶ ὑπομονητικῶς τὸν προκείμενον ἡμῖν ἀγῶνα, ἕτεροι ἐξ ἑτέρων γεγονότες παρ' ἐλπίδα, καὶ τοσοῦτον ὡς οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἐγενόμεθα, ἐξ ὅτε γινώσκομεν καλόν τε καὶ κακόν. θεοῦ τὸ δῶρον, οὐκ ἐξ οἰκείων ἔργων, μόνον ἐάνπερ καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς μὴ ἐκκακήσητε παρακαλεῖν τὸν θεὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὥσπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν. Τὸ πρόβλημα, ἐπεὶ ἄπορον εἴασεν ὁ πατήρ, πῶς δυνάμεθα ἡμεῖς διαλῦσαι οἱ ἀμαθεῖς; πλὴν ἡ παροῦσα αἵρεσις ἄρνησις Χριστοῦ ἐστιν ἀσφαλῶς· καὶ δῆλον μὲν καὶ ἐξ ἄλλων, δῆλον δὲ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ λέγειν ἐν τῷ πατερικῷ πρὸς τὸν πολεμούμενον ὑπὸ τῆς πορνείας· συμφέρει σοι μηδεμιᾶς ἑταιρίδος ἀποσχέσθαι ἢ τὴν εἰκόνα Χριστοῦ μὴ προσκυνεῖν. ὥστε οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα αἵρεσις, ἀλλὰ ἀρνησίχριστος· καὶ τοὺς προβαλλομένους τὸ τοῦ Κλίμακος ἄπορον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς πορνείαν ἢ αἱρέσει ἁλῶναι, ὡς θατέρου αἱρετωτέρου ὄντος μᾶλλον, φοβείτω ἡ ἐν τῷ πατερικῷ ἀπόφασις καὶ μήτε εἰς πορνείαν μήτε ἐν τῇ χριστομάχῳ αἱρέσει ἐμπαρείτωσαν· καθ' ἑκάτερον γὰρ μοιχεία. καὶ ἔτι πλείονα εἶχον λέγειν, ἀλλ' οὐ χωρεῖ τὸ γράμμα. Ὑγιαίνων ὑπόστρεφε προσαγορεύων τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενος, ὅτε εὐδοκήσει Κύριος φθάσαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς. 304 {1Ζαχαρίᾳ ὑπάτῳ}1 Ἐγὼ καὶ γράφω πάλιν καὶ γράφειν οὐ παύσομαι, ἀπολογούμενος καὶ ὑπερευχαριστῶν τῇ θεοφιλεῖ σου ἀγάπῃ εἵνεκα τῆς κατὰ Χριστόν σου σπουδῆς καὶ φιλαρέτου γνώμης πρὸς τὴν ἡμῶν ταλαιπωρίαν, ἣν ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐνεδείξω, δωρεὰν εὐεργετῶν, δωρεὰν κατελεῶν, δωρεὰν ὑποτιθεὶς ἑαυτὸν μικροῦ δεῖν εἰς κινδύνους, οὐ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς δυσκολίας εὐλαβούμενος, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὅρον τῆς ἀγάπης ὑποφαινόμενος, οὐ τῷ πλήθει τῶν θεραπευομένων καταβαρούμενος, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐλπίδι τῶν θείων δωρεῶν ἀναπτερούμενος· ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἀληθινοῦ χριστιανοῦ ἰδίωμα, φοβουμένου τὸν θεόν, ἡμέραν θανάτου καὶ κρίσεως ἐπὶ τοῦ φοβεροῦ δικαστηρίου Χριστοῦ ἐναργῶς διαμεριμνῶντος. τοιαύτης ἀρετῆς καὶ ἡ παρὰ θεῷ ἁρμοσθεῖσά σοι ὁμόζυγος, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ οἱ παῖδες· καὶ εἰκότως, ἐπειδὴ ἀγαθῆς ῥίζης ἀγαθὰ εἶεν ἂν καὶ τὰ βλαστήματα. δοκῶ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ χεῖρα τοιούτους εἶναι, διότι οἷον τὸ ἄρχον τοιοῦτον καὶ τὸ ἀρχόμενον ὡς τὰ πολλὰ πέφυκεν ὑπάρχειν. Τί οὖν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν πρὸς ταῦτα ἢ ὅπερ ὁ θεῖος ∆αυίδ, ἰδοὺ οὕτως εὐλογηθήσεται ἄνθρωπος ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον; εὐλογήσαι σε Κύριος ἐκ Σιὼν καὶ ἴδοις τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῆς ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ πανέστιος, ὁ παμπόθητός μου δεσπότης. 305 {1Ἡγουμένῳ}1 Ἐβράδυνα ἐπιστεῖλαι τῇ