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To think two thoughts at the same time is entirely impossible. In perceptions through the senses, it is impossible to receive and distinguish two voices striking the ears together at the same time, and this even though two auditory passages are open to us. And the eyes, unless both are directed to one of the visible objects, cannot perform their own function accurately. And these things are from nature, but to recount to you the things from the Scriptures is no less ridiculous than, as the saying goes, "to bring an owl to Athens." Why then do we mix the unmixable, political turmoil and the practice of piety, and not rather, having withdrawn from turmoil and from having and causing troubles for others, become our own masters, and confirm by deed the aim of piety which we long ago set before ourselves, and show to those who wish to insult us that it is not in their power to grieve us whenever they wish? And this will be when we show ourselves free from every handle. So much for these things. May it be that we may sometime be in the same place and take more exact counsel about what is profitable for our souls, so that we may not be overtaken by the necessary departure while we are caring for vain things. I was overjoyed with the things sent by your Charity, which were most pleasant even by their own nature, but the addition of the sender made the pleasure many times greater. As for the things from Pontus, salt-fish and wax-tapers, receive them gladly when we send them; for at present we did not have them.

292. To Palladius

292.1 The holy God has fulfilled half of our desire by arranging the meeting with our most modest sister, your wife. And He is able to grant what remains, so that we, having seen your Nobility as well, may give perfect thanks to God. For we are in great desire, especially now that we have heard that you have been honored with the great honor, the immortal garment which, having enveloped our humanity, has made the death in the flesh to disappear, and mortality was swallowed up in the garment of incorruption. Since, therefore, the Lord has made you His own through grace, and has alienated you from all sin, and has opened the kingdom of heaven and has shown the ways that lead to the blessedness there, we exhort you, a man so surpassing the rest in wisdom, to receive the grace with reason and to become a faithful guardian of the treasure, keeping with all diligence the watch over the royal deposit, so that, having preserved the seal inviolate, you may stand before the Lord, shining in the splendor of the saints, casting no spot or wrinkle upon the pure garment of incorruption, but preserving sanctification in all your members as one who has put on Christ. "For as many of you," it says, "as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ." Let all your members, therefore, be holy, so that they may be fitting to be covered by the holy and luminous garment.

293. To Julian

293.1 How has your body been during this interval, if you have completely recovered the use of your hand? And how are the other affairs of life, if they are proceeding according to your mind, as we pray and as is owed to your character? For to those whose mind is prone to change, it is not unlikely that their life also is not well-ordered; but for those whose judgment is firm and ever constant and the same, it follows that they lead their lives in harmony with their purpose. For in truth it is not permitted for a pilot to make a calm when he wishes; but for us to make our own selves free from waves

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δύο νοῆσαι κατὰ ταὐτὸν νοήματα παντελῶς ἀμήχανον. Ἔν τε ταῖς κατὰ τὴν αἴσθησιν ἀντιλήψεσι δύο φωνὰς ὁμοῦ προσπιπτούσας ταῖς ἀκοαῖς δέχεσθαι ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ διακρίνειν ἀδύνατον, καὶ τοῦτο ἀκουστικῶν δύο πόρων ἡμῖν ἀνεῳγμένων. Ὀφθαλμοὶ δέ, ἐὰν μὴ πρὸς ἕν τι τῶν ὁρατῶν ἀποταθῶσιν ἀμφότεροι, ἐνεργεῖν τὸ ἑαυτῶν ἀκριβῶς οὐ δύνανται. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν τὰ παρὰ τῆς φύσεως, τὰ δὲ ἐκ τῶν Γραφῶν σοι διηγεῖσθαι οὐχ ἧττόν ἐστι καταγέλαστον ἢ γλαῦκα, φησίν, Ἀθηναίοις ἄγειν. Τί οὖν τὰ ἄμικτα μίγνυμεν, θορύβους πολιτικοὺς καὶ εὐσεβείας ἄσκησιν, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ἀποστάντες τῶν θορύβων καὶ τοῦ πράγματα ἔχειν καὶ παρέχειν ἑτέροις ἡμῶν αὐτῶν γινό μεθα, καὶ ὃν πάλαι ὑπεθέμεθα τῆς εὐσεβείας σκοπὸν βεβαι οῦμεν τῷ ἔργῳ καὶ δείκνυμεν τοῖς ἐπηρεάζειν βουλομένοις ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς τὸ λυπεῖν ἡμᾶς ὅταν θέλωσι; Τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται ἐπειδὰν πάσης λαβῆς ἐλευθέρους ἑαυτοὺς ἀποδείξωμεν. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον. Εἴη δὲ ἡμᾶς ποτε καὶ ἐν ταὐτῷ γενέσθαι καὶ ἀκριβέστερον βουλεύσασθαι περὶ τῶν συμφερόντων ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν, ἵνα μὴ ἐν τῇ περὶ τῶν ματαίων φροντίδι καταληφθῶμεν τῆς ἀναγκαίας ἐξόδου ἐπελθούσης ἡμῖν. Τοῖς δὲ ἀποσταλεῖσι παρὰ τῆς ἀγάπης σου ὑπερήσθην, οἷς ὑπῆρχε μὲν ἡδίστοις εἶναι καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν φύσιν, πολλαπλασίονα δὲ τὴν ἡδονὴν ἐποίει ἡ προσθήκη τοῦ ἀποστείλαντος. Τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Πόντου, ἄκοπα καὶ κηρούς, ἡδέως δέξαι ὅταν ἀποστείλω μεν· νῦν γὰρ ἡμῖν οὐ παρῆν.

292.τ ΠΑΛΛΑ∆ΙΩ

292.1 Τὸ ἥμισυ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἡμῶν ἐξεπλήρωσεν ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς οἰκονομήσας

τὴν συντυχίαν τῆς κοσμιωτάτης ἀδελφῆς ἡμῶν τῆς συμβίου σου. ∆υνατὸς δὲ παρασχεῖν καὶ τὸ λειπό μενον, ὥστε ἰδόντας ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν σὴν εὐγένειαν τελείαν ἀποδοῦναι τῷ Θεῷ τὴν χάριν. Ἐν πολλῇ γάρ ἐσμεν ἐπιθυ μίᾳ, μάλιστα νῦν ὅτε ἠκούσαμεν τετιμῆσθαί σε τῇ μεγάλῃ τιμῇ, τῷ ἀθανάτῳ ἐνδύματι ὃ περισχὸν ἡμῶν τὴν ἀνθρωπό τητα τὸν ἐν τῇ σαρκὶ θάνατον ἐξηφάνισε καὶ κατεπόθη τὸ θνητὸν ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας ἐνδύματι. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν οἰκεῖον μέν σε αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος διὰ τῆς χάριτος ἐποίησεν, ἠλλοτρίωσε δὲ πάσης τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἤνοιξε δὲ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν καὶ ὁδοὺς τὰς ἀπαγούσας πρὸς τὴν ἐκεῖ μακαριότητα ὑπέδειξε, παρακαλοῦμέν σε ἄνδρα τοσοῦτον φρονήσει τῶν λοιπῶν ὑπερέχοντα λελογισμένως τὴν χάριν δέξασθαι καὶ πιστὸν φύλακα γενέσθαι τοῦ θησαυροῦ πάσῃ ἐπιμελείᾳ τηροῦντα τῆς βασιλικῆς παρακαταθήκης τὴν φυλακήν, ἵνα ἄσυλον τὴν σφραγῖδα διασωσάμενος παραστῇς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐκλάμπων ἐν τῇ λαμπρότητι τῶν ἁγίων, μηδένα σπῖλον ἢ ῥυτίδα ἐπι βάλλων τῷ καθαρῷ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας ἐνδύματι, ἀλλ' ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς μέλεσι τὸν ἁγιασμὸν διασώζων ὡς Χριστὸν ἐνδυσά μενος. «Ὅσοι γάρ, φησίν, εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χρισ τὸν ἐνεδύσασθε.» Ἔστω οὖν πάντα τὰ μέλη ἅγια, ὥστε πρέ ποντα εἶναι σκέπεσθαι τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ φωτεινῷ περιβλήματι.

293.τ ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΩ

293.1 Πῶς σοι τὸν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ τοῦτον χρόνον τὸ σῶμα ἔσχεν, εἰ καθαρῶς

ἀπέλαβες τῆς χειρὸς τὴν ἐνέργειαν; Πῶς δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ τοῦ βίου πράγματα, εἰ κατὰ γνώμην χωρεῖ σοι, ὥσπερ εὐχόμεθα καὶ ὡς ἔστιν ὀφειλόμενον τῇ σῇ προαιρέσει; Καὶ γὰρ οἷς μὲν εὔκολος πρὸς μεταβολὴν ἡ διάνοια, τούτοις οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς καὶ τὸν βίον εἶναι μὴ τεταγμένον· οἷς δὲ πεπηγυῖα ἡ γνώμη καὶ ἀεὶ ἑστῶσα καὶ ἡ αὐτή, τούτους ἀκόλουθον συμφώνως τῇ προαιρέσει τὴν ζωὴν διεξάγειν. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ κυβερνήτῃ μὲν οὐκ ἐφίεται γαλήνην ποιεῖν ὅτε βούλεται· ἡμῖν δὲ ἀκύμονα ἑαυτοῖς καθιστᾶν