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by your holy prayers. But since the discussion was about recalling, the letter-bearer was recalled and united to us, with the others and even more than the others, our beloved son Clemens, the most devout abbot, gladly accepting all that needed to be said to him, and making the appropriate defense concerning everything; at which we were pleased and embraced him from the heart, hoping, we sinners, to have through him this very saving boast. And you, I beseech you, receive the brother as brothers, the member as members, the like-minded as like-minded; for so you will find him, by the grace of Christ, doing well in all things and seeking God. 434 {1To the abbess of Nicaea}1 Both previously the good reports about your honor drew us to write to you, and now, relying on the same praises, we both write and address your reverence, accepting and blessing you, because you chose for the Lord's sake to endure tribulations and hardships, the persecution of the monastery and exile by relocation, and whatever other circumstance is indicative of confession. These things are of praise and confession, these are the prizes and contests of a bride of Christ, and what is even more admirable, your holiness toward the sisters under your charge; because they too chose to join you in the confession and acted bravely and were scourged and were banished and glorified God in their body and in their spirit. What struggles! What good training! Such as the ruler is, such also is the one ruled; such as the teacher is, so great also are the pupils. It is well for you to say: behold I and the children whom God has given me, contending, courageous, Christ-loving rather than flesh-loving, considering all things as refuse, that they might gain Christ, offering all their members to Christ, that they might serve their lover. You have been ranked with confessors, you have been crowned with martyrs, as far as what has already happened. But since, O mother, no one is crowned unless he competes according to the rules, and it is the rule to excel in faith and life until the end, I beseech and remind you that we walk worthy of the calling with which we were called, with all humility and gentleness, with security for the future, neither to be caught by the still-frenzied Christ-denying heresy, nor to deviate in anything from the ascetic life that ought to be regulated, but to do all things for the glory of God, to shine in every way with the light of the commandments; which I believe you are accomplishing for the praise of the glory of Christ, for your eternal boast, and may I say, also of us sinners. For if we are of one father, we are all called brothers of one another, and we all not unreasonably consider the endeavors of all to be boasts. Pray for us. Our greeting in the spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. I have heard that you practice great self-control, and I was pleased; yet, since moderation in all things is best, I remind you, be moderate with yourself in this too, so that the body may both be brought into subjection and not grow weak in serving the commandments. 435 {1To the bishops exiled in Cherson for the Lord's sake}1 A work of true love and a proof of unfeigned faith it is for your paternal holiness to send from so great a local distance one of the brothers persecuted with you, Agapetus the most venerable monk (or rather, most blessed, according to what is sung by the Lord concerning those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake), to pay a visit, first to the divine and supreme head, then to us the least among brothers and spiritual sons. Oh, the good counsel! Oh, the sincere love! And of whom else than those who for Christ's sake have chosen both to depart from their own and to have fled to a foreign land, separated by so great a length of sea, and to suffer there whatever is likely to happen, has this become a most evident sign? Blessed therefore be the Lord God, who has moved you so much toward our lowliness, and who gave strength and grace to the one sent to make known to us all things, which also

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εὐχαῖς ὑμῶν ἁγίαις. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ λόγος περὶ ἀνακλήσεως, ἀνεκλήθη καὶ ἡνώθη ἡμῖν σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ πλέον μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων ὁ γραμματηφόρος, ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἡμῶν υἱὸς Κλέμης, ὁ εὐλαβέστατος ἡγούμενος, πάντα ἀσμένως εἰσδεξάμενος, ἃ ἔδει αὐτῷ λαληθῆναι, καὶ περὶ πάντων ποιησάμενος τὴν προσήκουσαν ἀπολογίαν· ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ ἀρεσθέντες ἠσπασάμεθα αὐτὸν ἐνστερνισμένως, ἐλπίζοντες καὶ δι' αὐτὸν αὔχημα ἔχειν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ σωτήριον αὐτὸ τοῦτο. καὶ ὑμεῖς προσήκασθε, παρακαλῶ, τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὡς ἀδελφοί, τὸ μέλος ὡς μέλη, τὸν ὁμόφρονα ὡς ὁμόφρονες· οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸν εὕροιτε χάριτι Χριστοῦ ἐν πᾶσιν εὖ ἔχοντα καὶ ζητοῦντα θεόν. 434 {1Ἡγουμένῃ τῆς Νικαίασ}1 Καὶ πρότερον αἱ περὶ τῆς τιμιότητός σου ἀγαθαὶ ἀκοαὶ εἵλκυσαν ἡμᾶς ἐπιστεῖλαί σοι, καὶ νῦν ταῖς αὐταῖς εὐφημίαις ἐπερειδόμενοι καὶ γράφομεν καὶ προσαγορεύομεν τὴν σεμνοπρέπειάν σου ἀποδεχόμενοι καὶ μακαρίζοντες, ὅτι εἵλου διὰ Κύριον ὑποῖσαι θλίψεις καὶ στενοχωρίας, διωγμὸν τῆς μονῆς καὶ ἐξορίαν μεταθέσεως, εἴ τι ἄλλο περιστατικὸν καὶ ὁμολογίας ὑποδεικτικόν. ταῦτα αἰνέσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως, ταῦτα νύμφης Χριστοῦ ἔπαθλα καὶ ἀγωνίσματα καὶ τὸ ἔτι ἀξιαγαστότερον, ἡ περὶ τὰς ὑπὸ χεῖρα ἀδελφὰς ὁσιότης· ὅτι κἀξ αὐτῶν εἵλοντο συναποδύσασθαί σοι τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ καὶ ἠνδρίσαντο καὶ ἐμαστιγώθησαν καὶ περιωρίσθησαν καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν θεὸν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι. οἲ τῶν ἄθλων, οὐὰ τῆς καλῆς παιδαγωγίας· οἷον τὸ ἄρχον, τοιοῦτον καὶ τὸ ἀρχόμενον, οἵα ἡ διδάσκαλος, τηλικαῦται καὶ αἱ μαθήτριαι. σοὶ εὖ ἔχει λέγειν· ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός, ἔναθλοι, ἀνδρικαί, φιλόχριστοι μᾶλλον ἢ φιλόσαρκοι, πάντα σκύβαλα ἡγούμεναι, ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσωσιν, πάντα τὰ μέλη Χριστῷ προσενέγκασαι, ἵνα τὸν ἐραστὴν θεραπεύσωσιν. μετὰ ὁμολογητῶν συνετάγητε, μετὰ μαρτύρων ἐστεφανώθητε, ὅσον ἐκ τοῦ φθάσαντος. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδή, ὦ μῆτερ, οὐδεὶς στεφανοῦται, ἐὰν μὴ νομίμως ἀθλήσῃ, νόμιμον δέ ἐστι τὸ μέχρι τέλους καὶ πίστει καὶ βίῳ ἀριστεῦσαι, παρακαλῶ καὶ ὑπομνήσκω ἀξίως περιπατῆσαι ἡμᾶς τῆς κλήσεως ἧς ἐκλήθημεν μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πραότητος, μετὰ ἀσφαλείας πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς μήτε ἁλῶναι τῇ ἔτι κορυβαντιώσῃ αἱρέσει ἀρνησιχρίστῳ μήτε τι κατὰ τὸν ὀφειλόμενον κανονίζεσθαι ἀσκητικὸν βίον παρατρέπεσθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντα ποιεῖν εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ, παντοίως διαλάμπειν τῷ φωτισμῷ τῶν ἐντολῶν· ὅπερ πιστεύω ἐνεργεῖν ὑμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης Χριστοῦ, εἰς αὔχημα αἰώνιον ὑμῶν, εἴη δὲ εἰπεῖν καὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν. καὶ γάρ, εἰ ἑνὸς πατρός ἐσμεν, ἀδελφοὶ πάντες ἀλλήλων χρηματίζομεν καὶ τὰ πάντων σπουδάσματα ἐγκαυχήματα οἱ πάντες οὐκ ἀπεικότως ἡγούμεθα. Προσεύχεσθε περὶ ἡμῶν. ὁ ἀσπασμὸς ἡμῶν ἐν πνεύματι. ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν. ἀμήν. ἀκήκοα ὅτι ἐγκράτειαν ἕλκεις πολλὴν καὶ ἥσθην· πλὴν ἐπειδὴ τὸ μέτριον ἐν πᾶσιν ἄριστον, ὑπομνήσκω, μετρίωσον ἑαυτὴν κἀν τούτῳ, ἵνα καὶ δουλαγωγῆται τὸ σῶμα καὶ μὴ ἀτονῇ ὑπουργεῖν ταῖς ἐντολαῖς. 435 {1Ἐπισκόποις τοῖς διὰ Κύριον φυγαδευθεῖσιν ἐν Χερσῶνι}1 Ἀληθινῆς ἀγάπης ἔργον καὶ πίστεως ἀνυποκρίτου ἀπόδειξις τὸ ἐκ τοσούτου διαστήματος τοπικοῦ ἀποστεῖλαι τὴν πατρικὴν ὑμῶν ἁγιωσύνην ἕνα τῶν συνδεδιωγμένων ἀδελφῶν, Ἀγαπητὸν τὸν αἰδεσιμώτατον μοναστὴν (μᾶλλον δὲ μακαριώτατον κατὰ τὸ ὑπὸ Κυρίου ᾀδόμενον ἐν τοῖς δεδιωγμένοις ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης), ἐπισκοπὴν ποιησόμενον, προηγουμένως μὲν τῇ θείᾳ καὶ κορυφαιοτάτῃ κάρᾳ, ἔπειτα ἡμῖν τοῖς ἐλαχίστοις ἐν ἀδελφοῖς καὶ υἱέσι πνευματικοῖς. ὢ τῆς καλῆς εὐβουλίας· ὢ τῆς εἰλικρινοῦς ἀγάπης· καὶ τίνων ἄλλων ἢ τῶν διὰ Χριστὸν εἱλαμένων καὶ τῶν οἰκείων ἐκστῆναι καὶ εἰς ἀλλοδαπὴν ἐκπεφευγέναι τοσούτῳ μήκει θαλάσσης διειργομένην καὶ τληπαθεῖν ἐκεῖ ὅσα εἰκὸς ἐπισυμβαίνειν τοῦτο ἐναργέστατον δεῖγμα καθέστηκεν; εὐλογητὸς οὖν Κύριος ὁ θεός, ὃς κατήνυξεν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον πρὸς τὴν εὐτέλειαν ἡμῶν καὶ ὃς ἔδωκεν ἰσχὺν καὶ χάριν τῷ ἀποστόλῳ γνωρίσαι ἡμῖν πάντα, ἅπερ καὶ