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at any time, so as to recount their actions. However, having been escorted by his most honored bodyguards and fellow initiates, they passed through all his country, receiving the honors and attentions of the bishops. And they were brought conspicuously into the city, holding church with authority. For the people were handed over to them, the altar was handed over. They, since they had advanced as far as Nicopolis and were unable to accomplish any of what they had promised, how they returned and how they appeared on their return the present ones know. Thus they are always seen doing all things for their own advantage. And if they say that they repented, let them show their repentance in writing and an anathema of the faith of Constantinople and a separation from the heretics, and let them not deceive the more simple-minded. And such are their affairs. 251.4 But we, beloved brothers, though small and humble, are yet always the same by the grace of God; we have never been disposed to go along with the changes of circumstances. Our faith is not one thing in Seleucia, another in Constantinople, another in Zela, another in Lampsacus, and another in Rome, nor is the one now circulating different from the previous ones, but it is one and the same. For as we have received from the Lord, so we are baptized; as we are baptized, so we believe; as we believe, so also we give glory; neither separating the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son, nor saying that the Spirit is prior to the Father or older than the Son, as the tongues of the blasphemers devise. For who is so bold as to thrust aside the Master's ordinance and dare to devise his own order for the names? But we neither call the Spirit, who is ranked with the Father and the Son, a creature, nor do we dare to call the governing one a servant. And we exhort you, remembering the threat of the Lord, who said: "Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the age to come"; keep yourselves from the harmful teachings against the Spirit. Stand firm in the faith, look around at the inhabited world and see that this part which is sick is small; but the rest of the entire Church, which has received the Gospel from one end to the other, holds to this sound and unperverted teaching. We pray not to fall away from their communion, and we pray with you to receive a share on the righteous day of our Lord Jesus Christ, when he comes to give to each of us according to his deeds.

252. TO THE BISHOPS OF THE PONTIC DIOCESE

252.1 The honors of the martyrs are highly esteemed by all who have hoped in the Lord,

but especially by you who lay claim to virtue, who through your disposition toward the esteemed of your fellow servants demonstrate your good will toward the common Master, and also because the life of exactness has something akin to those who were perfected through endurance. Since, therefore, the most distinguished of the martyrs, Eupsychius and Damas and the company with them, whose memory is celebrated annually by our city and by the whole surrounding region, the Church, through our voice, reminds you of her own adornment, exhorting you to resume the ancient custom of your visit. Since, therefore, a great work lies before you among a people seeking edification from you, and since rewards are laid up in the honor of the martyrs, accept our exhortation and consent to this favor, providing a great benefit to us with little effort.

253. TO THE PRESBYTERS OF ANTIOCH

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ποτε ὥστε τὰς ἐκείνων πράξεις ἀπαριθμεῖσθαι. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ὑπὸ δορυφόροις τοῖς τιμιωτάτοις αὐτῷ καὶ συμμύσταις παραπεμφθέντες διεξῆλθον μὲν διὰ πάσης αὐτοῦ τῆς χώρας τὰς τῶν ἐπισκόπων τιμὰς καὶ θεραπείας ἔχοντες. Εἰσήχ θησαν δὲ περιφανῶς εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐκκλησιάσαντες μετὰ αὐθεντίας. Παρεδόθη γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὁ λαός, παρεδόθη τὸ θυ σιαστήριον. Οἵ, ἐπεὶ μέχρι Νικοπόλεως προελθόντες οὐδὲν ἠδυνήθησαν ὧν ἐπηγγείλαντο διαπράξασθαι, πῶς ἐπανῆλθον καὶ πῶς ὤφθησαν κατὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἴσασιν οἱ παρόντες. Οὕτως ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ ἑαυτῶν συμφέρον πάντα ποιοῦντες φαίνονται. Εἰ δὲ λέγουσιν ὅτι μετενόησαν, δειξάτωσαν αὐτῶν ἔγγραφον τὴν μετάνοιαν καὶ ἀναθεματισμὸν τῆς ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει πίστεως καὶ χωρισμὸν τῶν αἱρετικῶν, καὶ μὴ ἐξαπατάτωσαν τοὺς ἀκεραιοτέρους. Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐκείνων τοιαῦτα. 251.4 Ἡμεῖς δέ, ἀγαπητοὶ ἀδελφοί, μικροὶ μὲν καὶ ταπει νοί, ἀεὶ μέντοι οἱ αὐτοὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι, οὐδέποτε ταῖς μεταβολαῖς τῶν πραγμάτων συνδιετέθημεν. Πίστις παρ' ἡμῖν οὐκ ἄλλη μὲν ἐν Σελευκείᾳ, ἄλλη δὲ ἐν Κωνσταντινου πόλει καὶ ἄλλη ἐν Ζήλοις καὶ ἐν Λαμψάκῳ ἄλλη καὶ ἐπὶ Ῥώμην ἑτέρα καὶ ἡ νῦν περιφερομένη διάφορος παρὰ τὰς προτέρας, ἀλλὰ μία καὶ ἡ αὐτή. Ὡς γὰρ παρελάβομεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου, οὕτω βαπτιζόμεθα· οὕτω πιστεύομεν ὡς βα πτιζόμεθα· ὡς πιστεύομεν, οὕτω καὶ δοξολογοῦμεν· οὔτε χωρίζοντες Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ τὸ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, οὔτε προ τιθέντες Πατρὸς ἢ πρεσβύτερον εἶναι τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγοντες, ὡς αἱ τῶν βλασφήμων γλῶσσαι κατασκευάζουσι. Τίς γὰρ οὕτω τολμηρὸς ὃς τὴν δεσποτικὴν παρωσάμενος νομοθεσίαν ἰδίαν τολμᾷ τοῖς ὀνόμασι τάξιν ἐπινοεῖν; Ἀλλ' οὔτε κτιστὸν λέγομεν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ μετὰ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ τεταγμένον, οὔτε δουλικὸν τολμῶμεν εἰπεῖν τὸ ἡγεμονικόν. Καὶ ὑμᾶς παρακαλοῦμεν μεμνημένους τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἀπειλῆς, τοῦ εἰπόντος· «Πᾶσα ἁμαρτία καὶ βλασφημία ἀφεθήσεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ δὲ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον βλασφημία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται οὔτε ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι»· φυλάξατε ἑαυτοὺς τῶν βλαβερῶν κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος διδαγμάτων. Στήκετε ἐν τῇ πίστει, περιβλέ ψασθε εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι μικρόν ἐστι τοῦτο τὸ μέρος τὸ νενοσηκός· ἡ δὲ λοιπὴ πᾶσα Ἐκκλησία, ἡ ἀπὸ περάτων εἰς πέρατα δεξαμένη τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ἐπὶ τῆς ὑγιοῦς ἐστι ταύτης καὶ ἀδιαστρόφου διδασκαλίας. Ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς εὐχόμεθα τῆς κοινωνίας μὴ ἐκπεσεῖν καὶ ὑμῖν συνευ χόμεθα τὴν μερίδα λαβεῖν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῇ δικαίᾳ, ὅταν ἔλθῃ δοῦναι ἡμῖν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ.

252.τ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΠΟΝΤΙΚΗΣ ∆ΙΟΙΚΗΣΕΩΣ

252.1 Μαρτύρων τιμαὶ πᾶσι μὲν περισπούδαστοι τοῖς ἐπὶ Κύριον ἠλπικόσιν,

ἐξαιρέτως δὲ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἀρετῆς ἀντιποι ουμένοις οἳ διὰ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς εὐδοκίμους τῶν ὁμοδούλων διαθέσεως τὴν πρὸς τὸν κοινὸν ∆εσπότην εὔνοιαν ἐπιδεί κνυσθε, ἄλλως δὲ καὶ διὰ τὸ συγγενές τι ἔχειν τὸν ἐν ἀκρι βείᾳ βίον πρὸς τοὺς διὰ καρτερίας τελειωθέντας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐπισημότατοι μαρτύρων Εὐψύχιος καὶ ∆άμας καὶ ὁ περὶ αὐτοὺς χορὸς ὧν ἡ μνήμη δι' ἔτους παρὰ τῆς πόλεως ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς περιοικίδος δὲ πάσης τελεῖται, ὑπομιμνήσκει ὑμᾶς τὸν ἴδιον ἑαυτῆς κόσμον ἡ Ἐκκλησία διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας φωνῆς παρακαλοῦσα τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἀπολαβεῖν τῆς ἐπισκέ ψεως ὑμῶν συνήθειαν. Ὡς οὖν ἐργασίας μεγάλης προκει μένης ὑμῖν ἐν λαῷ ἐπιζητοῦντι τὴν παρ' ὑμῶν οἰκοδομὴν καὶ μισθῶν ἐν τῇ τιμῇ τῶν μαρτύρων ἀποκειμένων, δέξασθε ἡμῶν τὴν παράκλησιν καὶ ἐπινεύσατε πρὸς τὴν χάριν μικρῷ πόνῳ μεγάλην ἡμῖν εὐεργεσίαν παρεχόμενοι.

253.τ ΤΟΙΣ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΟΙΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΙΑΣ