230

of the Trinity. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. amen. 383 {1To the child Athanasius}1 In addition to other things, this also is a good thing for us in these days as we struggle for the truth of God: to hear one another's voice more frequently through writing and to communicate the dispositions of our hearts. For you see, beloved brother, how our letters are like daily reports, uniting us more affectionately? See how many good things the persecution for Christ has provided and may yet provide, should it find us more fervent for what is to come, shrinking from nothing human, but eager to endure sufferings that imitate God, for which you yourself also struggle, being carried here and there. But it shall be well with those who help and share your struggles with you, for whom I have already spoken well and will indeed speak again. But since I am coming to the question, I will let pass the objections to the gift for which you praise me, so that I might not be thought to agree with the praise; for I am destitute of all good. Therefore, where Basil the Great, the light of the world, has made a pronouncement, who that has any sense at all would dare to oppose it? And this is in a question of the ascetical works, as I have indicated, namely: whether one must lie for the sake of a supposedly useful economy. To which he says: the decree of our Lord Jesus Christ does not permit this, since he once said that the lie is from the devil, showing no distinction of lie whatsoever. And the apostle also bears witness, having written that, even if one competes, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. These things are from the father. But you said that a note is added in the chapter, that the question is for the sake of what is useful, not what is necessary; for the two are not the same. and again in another chapter the same luminary says that one must lay down one's life for one's friends until death, whether the friend is a sinner or righteous, so that from this you are at a loss how one can both not lie at all in the occurring necessities that lead to a brother's death, and again lay down one's life for him. "4For if I do not lie"5, you say, "4the friend dies, and by lying I do not compete according to the rules and fall away from God"5. This chapter, therefore, is a difficulty for me too, and I think for many. Nevertheless, I will try, as far as I am able, to give an answer to your love, if God is willing. That, therefore, according to the note, 'useful' and 'necessary' are not the same, is true; for the one is contingent. For example, it is useful for me to speak with so-and-so about this; but yet, even if I do not speak, it is possible to obtain what is sought. And again: it is useful to turn away so-and-so; but yet, even if I do not turn away today, I could turn him away tomorrow. Such is the 'useful,' that is, the contingent. But the 'necessary' is indispensable, that which in no way admits of ambiguity. For example, if I am uninitiated, it is not possible for me to be saved without being baptized. And again: if I say "4I can not breathe and live"5, it is a lie; for breathing is necessary, without which it is not possible to live. The commandments of God, therefore, were proclaimed as necessary by the mouth that does not lie and they must of necessity be kept, not being turned aside so that in one way it is possible to keep them, and in another not, or by this person yes, but by that person no, or at one time yes, at another time no, but always and for every person and occasion. In this regard Basil the Great said, "4showing no distinction of lie whatsoever"5, meaning that the decree is of necessity, even if the question was proposed as contingent; for, as I said, 'useful' and 'contingent' are the same. Then what will happen, as you said before, in the event of the brother dying because I chose not to lie? But this is not a lie, as I think. For example, I adapt something of this sort to myself: a maiden came to me, pursued by a certain defiler, asking "4not to reveal to the defiler when he asks that you are protecting me, since he will certainly defile me"5. Then when the defiler came and inquired "4did a maiden come here to you?"5, my saying

230

Τριάδος. Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μεθ' ὑμῶν. ἀμήν. 383 {1Ἀθανασίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Πρὸς τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἀγωνιζομένοις ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας θεοῦ, συχνότερον τῆς παρ' ἀλλήλων φωνῆς διὰ τοῦ γράμματος ἀκούειν καὶ ἀνακοινοῦσθαι τὰς ἐν καρδίᾳ διαθέσεις. ὁρᾷς γάρ, ἀδελφὲ ἠγαπημένε, ὅπως ὡσανεὶ ἐφημερίδες αἱ ἐπιστολαὶ ὑπάρχουσιν, συνάπτουσαι ἡμᾶς φιλικώτερον; ἴδε πόσα καλὰ ὁ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ διωγμὸς παρέσχετο καὶ ἔτι παράσχοιεν, ἐπὰν θερμοτέρους ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς λάβοιεν, μηδὲν ὑποπτήσσοντας τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων, ἀλλὰ γλιχομένους τὰ θεομίμητα ὑποίσειν παθήματα, δι' ἃ ὧδε κἀκεῖσε φερόμενος καὶ αὐτὸς ἀθλεῖς. ἀλλ' εὖ ἔσται τοῖς βοηθοῦσι καὶ συνδιαφέρουσί σοι τὰ ἀγωνίσματα, οἷς καὶ καλῶς προαπελογησάμην καὶ αὖθις δὴ ἀπολογήσομαι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τὴν ἐρώτησιν μέτειμι, ἐῶν ὑπὲρ ὧν δῶρον ἐγκωμιάζεις με τὰς ἀντιλέξεις ἀποίσειν, ὡς μὴ οἰηθῆναί με συγκαταθέσθαι τοῖς ἐπαίνοις· εἰμὶ γὰρ ἔρημος παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ. ὅπου οὖν ὁ Μέγας Βασί λειος, τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, ἀποφήσειεν, τίνι τολμητέον ἔχοντι νοῦν ὅλως ἀντιφέρεσθαι; ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο ἐν τῇ ἐρωτήσει τῶν ἀσκητικῶν, καθὼς ὑπεσημήνω, ἤγουν· εἰ χρὴ οἰκονομίας δῆθεν χρησίμου ψεύδεσθαι. πρὸς ὅν φησιν· ἡ ἀπόφασις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦτο οὐ συγχωρεῖ, ἅπαξ εἰπόντος ὅτι τὸ ψεῦδος ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν, διαφορὰν ψεύδους μηδεμίαν ἐμφήναντος. καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος δὲ μαρτυρεῖ γράψας ὅτι, κἂν ἀθλῇ τις, οὐ στεφανοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ. Ταῦτα μὲν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός. ἔφης δὲ προσκεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ κεφαλαίῳ σχόλιον, ὅτι χρησίμου ἕνεκεν ἡ ἐρώτησις, οὐκ ἀναγκαίου· οὐ γὰρ ταὐτὸν ἀμφότερα. καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἑτέρῳ κεφαλαίῳ τὸν αὐτὸν φωστῆρα λέγειν ὅτιπερ δεῖ τιθέναι τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν φίλων μέχρι θανάτου, εἴτε ἁμαρτωλοῦ εἴτε δικαίου ὄντος τοῦ φίλου, ὡς ἐντεῦθεν ἀπορεῖν σε πῶς καὶ μὴ ψεύδεσθαι ὅλως ἐν ταῖς συμβαινούσαις ἀνάγκαις, εἰς θάνατον ἡκούσαις ἀδελφοῦ, καὶ πάλιν τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τιθέναι· "4ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ψεύσωμαι"5, φῆς, "4ἀποθνήσκειν τὸν φίλον, καὶ ψευδόμενος οὐκ ἀθλῶ νομίμως καὶ ἐκπίπτω τοῦ θεοῦ"5. τοῦτο οὖν τὸ κεφάλαιον καὶ ἐμοὶ ἠπορημένον ἐστί, δοκῶ δὲ καὶ πολλοῖς. πειράσομαι δ' οὖν ὅμως, ὡς οἷόν τέ μοι, δοῦναι ἀπόκρισιν τῇ ἀγάπῃ σου, εὐδοκοῦντος θεοῦ. ὅτι μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὸ σχόλιον οὐ ταὐτὸν χρήσιμον καὶ ἀναγκαῖον, ἀληθές· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐνδεχόμενόν ἐστιν· οἷον, χρήσιμον δὴ διαλεχθῆναί με τῷ δεῖνι περὶ τοῦδε· ἀλλὰ μήν, κἂν οὐ διαλέξοιμι, ἔστι δυνατὸν ἐπιτυχεῖν τοῦ ζητουμένου. καὶ πάλιν· χρήσιμόν ἐστιν ἀποστραφῆναι τὸν ὁ δεῖνα· ἀλλὰ γάρ, κἂν σήμερον μὴ ἀποστραφῶ, δυναίμην αὐτὸν αὔριον ἀποστραφῆναι. τοιοῦτόν ἐστι τὸ χρήσιμον, ἤτοι ἐνδεχόμενον. τὸ δὲ ἀναγκαῖον ἀπαραίτητόν ἐστι, τὸ πάντως μὴ ἀμφοτερίζειν· οἷον, ἐάν εἰμι ἀμύητος, οὐκ ἐνδέχεται μὴ βαπτισθησόμενον σωθῆναί με. καὶ πάλιν· ἐὰν εἴπω "4δύναμαι μὴ ἀναπνεῖν καὶ ζῆν"5, ψεῦδος· ἀναγκαῖον γὰρ τὸ ἀναπνεῖν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐκ ἔστι ζῆν. Αἱ τοίνυν ἐντολαὶ τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ τὸ ἀναγκαῖον παρὰ τοῦ ἀψευδοῦς στόματος διηγορεύθησαν καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὀφείλουσι φυλάττεσθαι, οὐ τρεπόμεναι εἰς τὸ πῇ μὲν ἐνδέχεσθαι φυλάττεσθαι, πῇ δὲ οὔ, ἢ ὑπὸ τοῦδε μὲν ναί, ὑπὸ τοῦδε δὲ οὔ, ἢ ποτὲ μὲν ναί, ποτὲ δὲ οὔ, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς προσώπου καὶ καιροῦ. κατὰ τοῦτο εἴρηκεν ὁ Μέγας Βασίλειος "4διαφορὰν ψεύδους μηδεμίαν ἐμφήναντος"5, ὡς ὅτι ἐξ ἀναγκαίου ἡ ἀπόφασις, κἂν ἡ ἐρώτησις προετάθη ὡς ἐνδεχομένη· ταὐτὸν γάρ, ὡς ἔφην, χρήσιμον καὶ ἐνδεχόμενον. εἶτα τί γενήσεται, καθὰ προέφης, ἐν τῇ συμβάσει τοῦ ἀποθνήσκειν τὸν ἀδελφὸν τῷ μὴ αἱρήσασθαί με ψεύσασθαι; τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔστι ψεῦδος, ὡς δοκῶ. οἷον, μετασχηματίζω εἰς ἐμαυτὸν τοιοῦτόν τι· ἦλθεν κόρη πρός με διωκομένη ὑπό τινος φθορέως, αἰτοῦσα "4μὴ φανερῶσαι τῷ φθορεῖ ἐρωτῶντι ὅτι με φυλάττοις, ἐπεὶ φθείρει με πάντως"5. τοίνυν ἐλθόντος τοῦ φθορέως καὶ ἀνακρίναντος "4ἦλθεν ὧδε κόρη πρὸς σέ;"5, λέγων ἐγὼ