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to us. You have come through more humble words, showing the height of your virtue, and have given the best example without wishing to; but that you urged us to write again and not to be hindered, this completely gladdened us and brought us to the conviction that we have found you to be such as reason seeks and the pastoral character describes. For no one, it seems, of your colleagues has spoken in this way or drawn us in, since even when they receive letters, they do not deign to write back; and their reason is that they have been ordered by the authorities not to teach, not to write a letter. And may you forgive me, most blessed one, for having taken offense; for if we must observe what the ruler does contrary to God, why do we not also join his heresy, but are orthodox by halves? But they, I know not how, behave in this way; but you have both enlightened and strengthened and guided, saying all that it is fitting for a true hierarch to say. Yet we are not, O sacred head, as you deify us, but poor and sinful and praying not to fall away completely from the sacred company of those who resist in the Lord. And what you have said about the heresy, it is so; for it fights against the truth in practice, possessing one weapon, authority; when this is taken away, it too will be unwearyingly destroyed at that time, whenever the lawlessness is wiped out, on account of which there is also this scourge. But it grieves me that the weak body of your holiness has to endure the hardships from confinement; but strength is yours from God, in whom you trust and for whom you have considered all things as rubbish, first through the taking up of monastic perfection, and now through your confessor's resistance. Do not cease, my most holy father, to pray for your least child. 313 {1To Peter of Nicaea}1 Knowing that you love for me, a man of no account, to speak to you, my sacred head, I now speak for the sake of friendship, not out of need; and it seems I have also addressed you in another letter, which, whether he has received it, I do not know. In both, therefore, my one message is that you be healthy in body, my father, the firm foundation of the truth for the support of many, for a seal of faith, for the praise of Christ, for the glory of the whole church; since you are a conspicuous eye beyond the others, known in the East and West, possessing with your holy life also abundant eloquence, from which you have become dear to emperors and beloved by rulers and praised by monks. And what need is there to speak of your own church? They call you blessed and long for you because of the very many achievements you accomplished, as infants for their mother's breasts, as fledglings for their feeder, as lambs for the true shepherd (and how could they not?), having your lively words ringing in their ears, seeing before their eyes the temples of God erected by you. and I do not yet mention the abundance of your almsgiving and the rest of your holy deeds. And do not think that I am showing favor out of friendship; for though I have not seen it with my own eyes, yet I have heard of it from those who know. But if it is the case that now the filth, the one truly one-eyed in both his outer and inner eyes, possesses these things, do not be grieved, O blessed one, nor be surprised; the apostles were in the upper room and the God-slayers held the far-famed temple. Such are the deeds of the iconoclasts and the Jewish-minded now; may the Lord convert them and keep you safe as you pray for me, your child. 314 {1To Theophylact of Nicomedia}1 For a long time I have desired to write to your blessedness and it has not been possible for my humble self for lack of a letter-carrier. But now, by the good pleasure of God, having achieved my desire, I fulfill it, which I rightly have for you, not only because of your confession in the Lord, but also especially because of your exceptional character, different from the many, your gentleness, your simplicity, your charm, your sweetness in conversation, your affability in encounters, your beneficence in all things; from which the character of your holy soul, even without being seen, has been observed, adorned with a variety of virtues. But enough of this, since it is not the time for eulogies; but what do the present circumstances seem to you, O blessed one? but is it not almost Judaism, or rather Hellenism?

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ἡμῖν. ἤλυθας διὰ ταπεινοτέρων φωνῶν τὸ ὕψος τῆς ἀρετῆς σου, καὶ μὴ βουλόμενος ὑποδείξας ἄριστα· ὅτι δὲ προετρέψω καὶ αὖθις ἐπιστεῖλαι ἡμᾶς καὶ μὴ ἐγκόπτειν, τοῦτο ἡμᾶς τέλεον εὔφρανεν καὶ εἰς πίστιν ἤγαγεν εὑρηκέναι σε οἷον ὁ λόγος ζητεῖ καὶ ὁ ποιμαντικὸς χαρακτηρίζει τρόπος. οὐδεὶς γάρ που οὕτω διείλεκται οὐδὲ ἐφέλκεται τῶν ὁμοταγῶν σου, ὡς ἔοικεν, ὅτι μηδὲ δεχόμενοι γράμματα ἀξιοῦσιν ἀντεπιστέλλειν· καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς τὸ παρὰ τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐντετάλθαι μὴ διδάσκειν, μὴ χαράττειν γράμμα. καὶ συγγνώσειάς μοι, μακαριώτατε, σκινδαλμὸν δεξαμένῳ· εἰ γὰρ ἃ πράττει ὁ κρατῶν ἀπεναντίας θεοῦ δεῖ φυλάττειν, τί μὴ καὶ συναιρετίσωμεν αὐτῷ, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἡμισείας ὀρθοδοξοῦμεν; Ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ μέν, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως, οὕτω φέρονται· σὺ δὲ καὶ ἐφώτισας καὶ ἐστερέωσας καὶ καθωδήγησας, πάντα εἰπών, ὅσα εἰκὸς τὸν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἱεράρχην ἔστιν φάναι. οὐ μὴν ἡμεῖς, ἱερὰ κορυφή, ὡς ἐκθειάζεις, πενιχροὶ δὲ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ εὐχόμενοι μὴ πάντῃ ἀποστῆναι τοῦ ἱεροῦ πληρώματος τῶν ἐνισταμένων ἐν Κυρίῳ. ἃ δὲ εἴρηκας περὶ τῆς αἱρέσεως, οὕτως ἔχει· πραγματικῶς γὰρ μάχεται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, ἓν ὅπλον κτωμένη, τὴν ἐξουσίαν· ἧς ἀναιρουμένης ἀκαμάτως συναναιρεθήσεται καὶ αὐτὴ τηνικαῦτα, ὁπόταν ἐκτριβείη ἡ ἀνομία, δι' ἣν καὶ ἡ μάστιξ. ἐμὲ δὲ λυπεῖ ὅτι ἀσθενὲς τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἁγιωσύνης σου ὑποφέρειν τὰς ἐκ τῆς περιορίσεως κακοπαθείας· ἀλλ' ἰσχύς σοι παρὰ θεῷ, ᾧ πέποιθας καὶ δι' ὃν τὰ πάντα ἡγήσω σκύβαλα, πρότερον μὲν διὰ τῆς ἀναλήψεως τῆς μοναχικῆς τελειώσεως, νυνὶ δὲ διὰ τῆς ὁμολογητικῆς ἐνστάσεως. Προσεύχεσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐλαχίστου τέκνου σου, ἁγιώτατέ μου πάτερ, μὴ διαλείποις. 313 {1Πέτρῳ Νικαίασ}1 Εἰδὼς ὅτι φιλεῖς φθέγγεσθαί με, τὸν οὐδενὸς ἄξιον, πρὸς σέ, τὴν ἱεράν μου κορυφήν, φιλίας χάριν, οὐ χρείας ἕνεκα ἤδη φθέγγομαι· φαίνομαι δὲ καὶ προσφθεγξάμενος δι' ἑτέρας ἐπιστολῆς, ἥν, εἰ ἐδέξατο, οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι. ἐν οὖν ἀμφοτέραις εἷς μοι ὁ λόγος, ὑγιαίνειν σε τῷ σώματι, τὸν ἐμὸν πατέρα, τὸν στερεὸν θεμέλιον τῆς ἀληθείας εἰς ἕδρασμα πολλῶν, εἰς σφραγῖδα πίστεως, εἰς ἔπαινον Χριστοῦ, εἰς κλέος τῆς ὅλης ἐκκλησίας· ἐπειδὴ περιφανὴς σὺ ὀφθαλμὸς παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους, ἀνατολῇ καὶ δύσει γνωριζόμενος, ἔχων μετὰ τοῦ ἱεροῦ βίου καὶ τὸν λόγον πολλοστόν, ἐξ οὗ καὶ βασιλεῦσι γέγονας φιλητὸς καὶ ἄρχουσιν ἐραστὸς καὶ μονασταῖς ἐπαινετός. τῇ δὲ οἰκείᾳ ἐκκλησίᾳ τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν; μακαρίζουσί σε καὶ ἐπιποθοῦσι δι' ἃ ἔδρασας πλεῖστα ὅτι μάλιστα κατορθώματα ὡς νήπια τοὺς μητρικοὺς μαζούς, ὡς νεοττοὶ τὴν τροφόν, ὡς ἄρνες τὸν ἀληθῶς ποιμένα (καὶ πῶς γὰρ οὔ;), ἔναυλα ἔχοντες τὰ ζωηρά σου ῥήματα, κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς βλέποντες τοὺς ὑπὸ σοῦ ἀνορθωθέντας ναοὺς θεοῦ. καὶ οὔπω λέγω τὸ δαψιλὲς τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὁσιώματα. καὶ μὴ δόξειας φιλίᾳ με χαρίζεσθαι· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ ὄψει ὑπέλαβον, ἀλλ' ὅμως κατήκοος ἐγενόμην παρὰ τῶν εἰδότων. εἰ δὲ ὅτι νῦν κάθαρμα ὁ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἑτερόφθαλμος καὶ τοῖς ἔξω καὶ τοῖς ἔνδον ὄμμασι κατέχει ταῦτα, μὴ λυποῦ, ὦ μάκαρ, μήτε μὴν θαυμάσῃς· οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἐν τῷ ὑπερῴῳ ἦσαν καὶ τὸν περιβόητον ναὸν οἱ θεοκτόνοι περιελάμβανον. τοιαῦτα καὶ τὰ εἰκονομάχων καὶ ἰουδαιοφρόνων νῦν· οὓς ἐπιστρέψειεν ὁ Κύριος καί σε περιφυλάξειεν προσευχόμενον περὶ ἐμοῦ, τοῦ σοῦ τέκνου. 314 {1Θεοφυλάκτῳ Νικομηδείασ}1 Πάλαι ἐπεθύμουν ἐπιστεῖλαι τῇ μακαριότητί σου καὶ οὐκ ἐξεγένετό μοι τῷ ταπεινῷ ἀπορίᾳ γραμματηφόρου. νῦν δὲ εὐδοκίᾳ θεοῦ ἐπιτυχὼν τὸν πόθον μου ἀποπληρῶ, ὃν εἰκότως ἐπ' αὐτῇ κέκτημαι, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὴν ἐν Κυρίῳ ὁμολογίαν, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἰδίως διὰ τὴν ἐξαίρετόν σου παρὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἰδιοτροπίαν, τὸ μειλίχιον, τὸ ἁπλοῦν, τὸ ἐπίχαρι, τὸ γλυκὺ ἐν ταῖς ὁμιλίαις, τὸ εὐπροσήγορον ἐν ταῖς ἐντεύξεσι, τὸ περὶ πάντα ἀγαθοεργές· ἀφ' ὧν ὁ τῆς ἱερᾶς σου ψυχῆς χαρακτὴρ καὶ μὴ ὁρώμενος τεθεώρηται ὡραϊσμένος τῇ ποικιλίᾳ τῶν ἀρετῶν. Ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦδε μὲν ἱκανῶς, ὅτι μηδὲ καιρὸς ἐγκωμίων· τί δέ σοι ὦπται, ὦ μάκαρ, τὰ παρόντα; ἀλλ' οὐχὶ μικροῦ δεῖν ἰουδαϊσμός, ἤτοι ἑλληνισμός;