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as if in a balance, setting the better things against the more unpleasant to add our judgment to the inclination of the better things. But since things have been altered by those by whom this least ought to have happened, forgive us also, not for having altered our judgment, but for having changed our position. Or rather, we shall remain in the same position, but it is others who are constantly changing, and now even openly deserting to the enemy; and how much we valued their communion, while they were on the sound side, you yourself are not unaware. But now if we do not follow them and we shun those who think the same things as they do, we would rightly obtain forgiveness, holding nothing more precious than the truth and our own safety.

246.t TO THE NICOPOLITANS

246.1 Whenever I see evil prospering and your piety

grown weary and giving up in the face of the continuous insults, I am filled with despondency. But when again I consider the great hand of God and that he knows how to raise up the broken and to love the righteous, but to crush the proud and cast down the mighty from their thrones, changing again I become lighter in my hopes and I know that through your prayers the Lord will quickly show us peace. Only do not grow weary in praying, but of those things of which you are teachers in word, of these things at the present time be eager to add clear examples for all in deed.

247.t TO THE NICOPOLITANS

247.1 When I came upon the letters of your holiness, how much I groaned and

I lamented that I received even these evils into my own ears, blows and insults against you yourselves, the plundering of houses and desolation of the city and the overthrow of the whole country, persecution of the Church and flight of priests, the rising up of wolves and the scattering of flocks. But when I ceased from groaning and from tears, looking up to the Master in heaven, I know and am persuaded, which I also wish you to know, that help will be swift and the abandonment is not to the end. For what we have suffered, we have suffered because of our sins, but His help the lover of mankind will show on account of His love and compassion for His Churches. However, we did not fail, both in person, to supplicate those in power, and by writing to those in the camp who love us, that the rage of the madman might be restrained. And I think condemnation will come to him from many, unless perhaps the time, being full of turmoil, should give no leisure for these things to those in charge of affairs.

248.t TO AMPHILOCHIUS, BISHOP OF ICONIUM

248.1 When we look to our own desire, we are grieved

at being so separated from your reverence; but when we look to the peacefulness of your own life, we give thanks to the Lord, who delivered your reverence from this conflagration which has spread over our diocese especially. For the just Judge has given to us according to our works an angel of Satan to beat us sufficiently with his fists and to vehemently take vengeance for the heresy, but who has waged war against us to such an extent as not even to spare the blood of those who have believed in God. For surely it has not escaped your love that a certain Asclepius, because he would not choose the

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ὥσπερ ἐν τρυτάνῃ, τὰ χρηστότερα τοῖς ἀηδεστέροις ἀντιτιθέντες τῇ τῶν ἀμεινόνων ῥοπῇ προσθέσ θαι τὴν γνώμην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὰ πράγματα ἠλλοιώθη παρ' ὧν ἥκιστα ἐχρῆν τοῦτο γενέσθαι, συγγίνωσκε καὶ ἡμῖν οὐχὶ τὴν γνώμην ἀλλοιωθεῖσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τάξιν μεταθεμένοις. Μᾶλλον δὲ ἡμεῖς μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς μενοῦμεν τάξεως, ἕτεροι δέ εἰσιν οἱ συνεχῶς μετατιθέμενοι, νῦν δὲ καὶ φανερῶς πρὸς τοὺς ἐναντίους αὐτομολοῦντες· ὧν ὅσου ἀξίαν ἐτιθέμεθα τὴν κοινωνίαν, ἕως ἦσαν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑγιαινούσης μερίδος, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ἀγνοεῖς. Νῦν δὲ εἰ μήτε ἐκείνοις συνεπόμεθα καὶ τοὺς τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦντας αὐτοῖς ἐκκλίνομεν, συγγνώμης ἂν δικαίως τύχοιμεν μηδὲν προτιμότερον τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀσφαλείας τιθέμενοι.

246.τ ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤΑΙΣ

246.1 Ὅταν ἴδω καὶ τὸ κακὸν εὐοδούμενον καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν εὐλάβειαν

κεκμηκυῖαν καὶ ἀπαγορεύουσαν πρὸς τὸ συνεχὲς τῶν ἐπηρειῶν, ἀθυμίας πληροῦμαι. Ὅταν δὲ πάλιν τὴν μεγάλην χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐννοήσω καὶ ὅτι οἶδεν ἀνορθοῦν τοὺς κατερραγμένους καὶ ἀγαπᾶν δικαίους, συντρίβειν δὲ ὑπερηφάνους καὶ καθαιρεῖν ἀπὸ θρόνων δυνάστας, πάλιν μεταβαλὼν κουφότερος γίνομαι ταῖς ἐλπίσι καὶ οἶδα ὅτι διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν ταχεῖαν δείξει ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος τὴν γαλήνην. Μόνον μὴ ἀποκάμητε προσευχόμενοι, ἀλλ' ὧν λόγοις ἐστὲ διδάσκαλοι, τούτων ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ ἔργῳ πᾶσιν ἐναργῆ σπουδάσατε προσθεῖναι τὰ ὑποδείγματα.

247.τ ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤΑΙΣ

247.1 Ὅτε ἐνέτυχον τοῖς γράμμασιν ὑμῶν τῆς ὁσιότητος, ὅσον ἐστέναξα καὶ

ὠδυράμην ὅτι καὶ ταῦτα τὰ κακὰ ταῖς ἐμαυ τοῦ ἀκοαῖς ὑπεδεξάμην, πληγὰς μὲν καὶ ὕβρεις εἰς ὑμᾶς αὐτούς, πόρθησιν δὲ οἴκων καὶ ἐρήμωσιν πόλεως καὶ πατ ρίδος ὅλης ἀνατροπήν, διωγμὸν Ἐκκλησίας καὶ φυγὴν ἱε ρέων, ἐπανάστασιν λύκων καὶ ποιμνίων διασποράν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἐπαυσάμην τοῦ στεναγμοῦ καὶ τῶν δακρύων, πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ∆εσπότην ἀποβλέψας, οἶδα καὶ πέ πεισμαι, ὃ καὶ ὑμᾶς γινώσκειν βούλομαι, ὅτι ταχεῖα ἔσται ἡ ἀντίληψις καὶ οὐκ εἰς τέλος ἐστὶν ἡ ἐγκατάλειψις. Ὃ μὲν γὰρ πεπόνθαμεν διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν πεπόνθαμεν, τὴν δὲ αὐτοῦ βοήθειαν διὰ τὴν περὶ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην καὶ εὐσπλαγχνίαν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ἐπιδείξεται. Οὐ μέντοι παρελίπομεν καὶ παρόντες τοὺς ἐν δυνάμει καθικε τεύοντες καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ στρατοπέδου τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν ἡμᾶς ἐπιστέλλοντες ἐπισχεθῆναι τῆς ὀργῆς τὸν λυσσῶντα. Καὶ οἶμαι παρὰ πολλῶν ἥξειν αὐτῷ κατάγνωσιν, ἐὰν μὴ ἄρα ὁ καιρὸς θορύβου πεπληρωμένος μηδεμίαν δῷ σχολὴν περὶ ταῦτα τοῖς ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων.

248.τ ΑΜΦΙΛΟΧΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΙΚΟΝΙΟΥ

248.1 Ὅταν μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν αὐτῶν ἐπιθυμίαν ἀπίδω μεν, ἀχθόμεθα

τοσοῦτον διῳκισμένοι τῆς εὐλαβείας σου· ὅταν δὲ πρὸς τὸ εἰρηνικὸν τῆς σαυτοῦ διαγωγῆς, εὐχαρισ τοῦμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ, τῷ ἐξελομένῳ τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐμπρησμοῦ τούτου ὃς πλέον ἐπενείματο τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς πα ροικίαν. Ἔδωκε γὰρ ἡμῖν κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ἡμῶν ὁ ∆ικαιοκρίτης ἄγγελον Σατὰν ἱκανῶς ἡμᾶς κατακονδυλίζοντα καὶ σφοδρῶς μὲν ἐκδικοῦντα τὴν αἵρεσιν, μέχρι τοσούτου δὲ τὸν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξαγαγόντα πόλεμον ὥστε μηδὲ αἵματος φείσασθαι τῶν εἰς Θεὸν πεπιστευκότων. Πάντως γὰρ οὐκ ἔλαθέ σου τὴν ἀγάπην ὅτι Ἀσκλήπιός τις διὰ τὸ μὴ ἑλέσθαι τὴν