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of the glory of God, being shortsighted as if by some defilement of attachment to the flesh; but for us, who must renounce all things and are commanded to bear only the cross of Christ, the vision of God is easy, that is, to have and to think of nothing else than how we might please the Lord, serving him with a pure heart in the renunciation of every carnal relation. Therefore let the enclosure of your confinement be a city of God, adorned with golden achievements, not a lock only on the body, but indeed also on the spirit. It is fitting, therefore, for you to flee the sight of men, relations with those of your blood, friendships with the whole world, but to be turned toward one another and to have one soul and heart in imitation of those who from the beginning in the time of the apostles believed. Let the one who leads, lead in such a way as possessing the character of Christ, doing first, and then teaching, omitting nothing of what is according to the commandment to show in practice, let the one who is subject obey and submit in such a way as accomplishing her obedience to Christ himself. Where these things are, there is the fruit of every good work, but where these things are not, there are entirely the opposites: factions, contentions, whisperings, possessions of private property, puffings up, attachments both to one another and to those outside, whether from kinship or from some other friendship. So then, in brief, is the reminder concerning this. But I, the humble one, exhort you to possess, along with your way of life, a brilliant faith, in no way communing with the Christ-fighting heresy, which differs in nothing from Judaism, denying the saving economy of Christ through the tearing down of the venerable icons of Christ himself, of the Theotokos, and of all the saints; since the icon is the same as the prototype in honor and veneration, just as in the case of the life-giving cross itself and its representation. Therefore, do not deny Christ, you Christ-bearers in your holy habit, nor the so many toils which you endure, living the life in virginity with confinement, so as to perish from thence and become of the opposing portion, which may it be far from us even to think or to say, but knowing that neither a life without right faith nor again faith without divine action can save, may you be illumined from both sides unto the glory of God, unto the fame of the church, unto the attainment of the eternal goods in the promises, praying also for us sinners that we might be saved. 388 {1To Symeon, child}1 It was late, but nevertheless I received your letters, child, and I thanked the Lord for your defense, your wisdom and deliverance, and that you have so many brothers whom you are preserving together from the hunt of the heretics who tear not flesh, but souls, except that they also tear bodies through the wounds and deaths they inflict. Be well, my beloved son, be excellent, lead your brothers, make them zealous, show them the things of the truth, sharpen them for martyrdom; for the time is such, even if you are lawfully in hiding. For to cast oneself into temptation, as you sought to learn, is this: for someone to be moved of his own accord and to reveal himself to those who would kill him. But if it is that Saint Gordius, just as some other of the martyrs, came unbidden, the manner of the times so demanded it, with no one speaking freely as it happened and atheism flaring up more fiercely, and then also having beheld God with a pure heart and being pricked by him; since even the great Forerunner recklessly rebuked Herod, but now many by the grace of God are resisting and bearing witness, and it is not lawful to cast oneself forth. And I rejoiced greatly that other fathers are in accord with you, whose names are in the book of life; whom I also greet through you and have requested their holy prayers for the assistance of salvation. I am glad that you found some good things from brother Hypatius; Scripture commands, let brothers be useful in times of need. For from my lowliness there is no benefit, even if you yourself boast greatly of us out of love. And since you sought also a catechesis, which I made for all the brothers, I have now sent it to you also, and you, pray without ceasing

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δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ, οἷόν τινι λύμῃ τῇ τῆς σαρκὸς προσπαθείᾳ μυωπάζων· ἡμῖν δέ, οἷς πᾶσιν ἀποτακτέον καὶ μόνον τὸν Χριστοῦ σταυρὸν αἴρειν ἐγκελευομένοις, εὐπετὴς ἡ θεοπτία, ἤγουν τὸ μηδὲν ἄλλο καὶ ἔχειν καὶ ἐννοεῖν ἢ τὸ πῶς εὐαρεστήσοιμεν τῷ Κυρίῳ καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ λατρεύειν αὐτῷ ἐν ἀπορρήξει πάσης σχέσεως σαρκικῆς. ἔστω οὖν ὑμῶν ἡ τῆς ἐγκλείσεως περιοχὴ πόλις θεοῦ πεποικιλμένη χρυσέοις κατορθώμασιν, μὴ κλεῖς περὶ τὸ σῶμα μόνον, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ κατὰ πνεῦμα. προσῆκον τοίνυν φεύγειν ὑμᾶς τὰς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὄψεις, τὰς πρὸς τοὺς ἀφ' αἵματος σχέσεις, τὰς πρὸς ὅλον τὸν κόσμον φιλίας, αὐτὰς δὲ ἐφ' ἑαυτὰς συνανεστράφθαι καὶ ἔχειν μίαν ψυχὴν καὶ καρδίαν κατὰ μίμησιν τῶν ἀρχῆθεν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων πεπιστευκότων. ἡ καθηγουμένη οὕτω καθηγείσθω ὡς Χριστοῦ ἐπέχουσα χαρακτῆρα, ποιοῦσα πρῶτον, εἶθ' οὕτως διδάσκουσα, μηδὲν ἐλλιμπάνουσα τῶν κατ' ἐντολὴν πρακτικῶς ὑποδεικνύναι, ἡ καθυποτασσομένη οὕτω πείθεσθαι καὶ ὑπείκειν ὡς αὐτῷ Χριστῷ τὴν ὑπακοὴν ἀνύουσα. ὅπου δὲ ταῦτα, ἐκεῖ πάσης ἀγαθοεργίας καρπός, οὗ δὲ οὐ ταῦτα, ἐκεῖ πάντως τὰ ἐναντία, ἑταιρίαι, φιλονεικίαι, ψιθυρισμοί, ἰδιοκτημοσύναι, φυσιώσεις, προσπάθειαι πρός τε ἀλλήλας καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἔξωθεν εἴτε ἐκ γένους εἴτε ἐκ φιλίας ἄλλης. Οὕτω μὲν οὖν ὡς ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἡ περὶ τοῦδε ὑπόμνησις. ἐγὼ δὲ ὁ ταπεινὸς παρακαλῶ σὺν τῷ βίῳ καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἠγλαϊσμένην κεκτῆσθαι ὑμᾶς, μηδαμῶς τῇ χριστομάχῳ αἱρέσει κοινωνεῖν, ἥτις ἰου δαϊσμοῦ οὐδὲν διενήνοχεν, τὴν σωτήριον Χριστοῦ οἰκονομίαν διὰ τῆς καθαιρέσεως τῶν σεπτῶν εἰκόνων αὐτοῦ τε Χριστοῦ, τῆς τε Θεοτόκου καὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων ἀρνουμένη· ἐπειδήπερ ἡ εἰκὼν ταὐτόν ἐστι τῷ πρωτοτύπῳ τιμῇ τε καὶ προσκυνήσει, οἷον ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ζωοποιοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τοῦ τύπου. μὴ δὴ οὖν ἀρνήσησθε τὸν Χριστὸν αἱ χριστοφόροι τῷ ἁγίῳ περιβλήματι μήτε τοὺς τοσούτους κόπους, οὓς ἀνατλᾶτε, τὸν ἐν παρθενίᾳ βίον μετὰ καθείρξεως διανύουσαι, ἔνθεν ὀλέσαι καὶ τῆς ἀντικειμένης μερίδος, ὅπερ ἀπείη καὶ ἐννοεῖν καὶ λέγειν, γινόμεναι, ἀλλ' εἰδυῖαι ὅτι οὔτε βίος δίχα πίστεως ὀρθῆς οὔτ' αὖ πίστις ἄτερ πράξεως θείας σῴζειν δύναιτο ἀμφοτέρωθεν εἴητε διηυγασμέναι εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ, εἰς κλέος τῆς ἐκκλησίας, εἰς ἐπίτευξιν τῶν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν, προσευχόμεναι καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ὡς ἂν σῳζοίμεθα. 388 {1Συμεὼν τέκνῳ}1 Ὀψὲ μέν, ὅμως ἐδεξάμην τὰ ἀντίγραφά σου, τέκνον, καὶ ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀπολογίᾳ σου, τῇ τε συνέσει καὶ διασώσει καὶ ὅτιπερ καὶ τοσούτους ἀδελφοὺς ἔχεις συνδιαφυλάττων ἀπὸ τῆς θήρας τῶν αἱρετιζόντων καὶ οὐ σάρκας, ἀλλὰ ψυχὰς σπαρασσόντων, πλὴν ὅτι καὶ σώματα δι' ὧν ἐπιφέρουσι πληγῶν καὶ θανάτων. ὑγίαινε, υἱέ μου ἀγαπητέ, ἀρίστευε, ἡγοῦ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου, προθυμοποίει, παραδείκνυε τὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, παράθηγε εἰς μαρτύριον· ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς τοιοῦτος, κἂν ὑποκρύβεσθε ἐννόμως. τὸ γὰρ ἐπιρρῖψαι ἑαυτὸν ἐν πειρασμῷ καθὰ ἐζήτησας μαθεῖν, τοῦτό ἐστι, τὸ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ κινηθῆναί τινα καὶ φανερῶσαι ἑαυτὸν τοῖς φονεύουσιν. εἰ δὲ ὅτι ὁ Ἅγιος Γόρδιος, ὥσπερ καί τινες ἄλλοι τῶν μαρτύρων, αὐτόκλητοι ἧκον, ὁ τρόπος οὕτως ἀπῄτει, οὐδενὸς ὡς ἔτυχεν παρρησιαζομένου καὶ ἀναπτούσης τῆς ἀθεΐας σφοδρότερον, ἔπειτα καὶ καθαρᾷ καρδίᾳ θεὸν ἐνοπτρισάμενοι καὶ πρὸς αὐτοῦ νυχθέντες· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ μέγας Πρόδρομος ῥιψοκινδύνως ἤλεγξεν τὸν Ἡρώδην, ἄρτι δὲ πολλοὶ χάριτι θεοῦ ἐνιστάμενοι καὶ μαρτυροῦντες, καὶ οὐκ ἔννομον τὸ ἐπιρρῖψαι. Ἐχάρην δὲ λίαν ὅτι καὶ ἕτεροι πατέρες συμπνέουσί σοι, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐν βίβλῳ ζωῆς· οὓς καὶ προσαγορεύω διὰ σοῦ καὶ δεδέημαι τῶν ἁγίων προσευχῶν εἰς ἐπικουρίαν σωτηρίας. ὤφελον ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ Ὑπατίου εὗρές τι τῶν καλῶν· ἀδελφοὶ ἐν ἀνάγκαις ἔστωσαν χρήσιμοι ἡ Γραφὴ ἐγκελεύεται. παρὰ γὰρ τῆς ἐμῆς ταπεινώσεως οὐδὲν ὄφελος, κἂν αὐτὸς μεγαλαυχῇς ἡμᾶς ἐξ ἀγάπης. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπεζήτησας καὶ κατήχησιν, ἣν πρὸς πάντας τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐποίησα, ἄρτι ἀπέστειλα καὶ πρὸς σέ, σύ τε προσεύχου ἀδιαλείπτως