274

to one who has touched neither grammar nor philosophy, when even those knowledgeable in these things, according to God, do not dogmatize anything of their own, but follow the God-bearers. From where then did it occur to you, I ask, to say "4the icon of Christ is not venerated relatively"5? For do you know what relation is? Relation belongs to the category of 'relative things', and relative things are the prototype and the derivative, that is, Christ and his icon, because each is contained in the other and is not separated either in power or in glory. Behold, being unlearned you do not know, and it is well to say that: I have seen an evil under the sun, a man seeming wise to himself and, what is more grievous than this, striving to teach others. And what sort is your second problem? "4Christ is worshipped in his icon, so that the icon is also to be worshipped"5. From where or from whom having learned this do you dogmatize? For none of the saints would ever say this, but that Christ is venerated in his icon and the icon is to be venerated, whether honorific or reverential. For both bear the same meaning, and reasonably so; since worship, just as faith, is referred to the Holy Trinity alone, but other things to others, to the Mother of God, the life-giving cross, the saints, the revered icon of Christ and all other sanctified icons, and so much as the prototypes excel their respective derivatives. If then, as you say, Christ is worshipped in the icon, since worship belongs to the Trinity, the Father and the Spirit are also worshipped together in the icon. And what is the conclusion from this? That both the Father and the Spirit have been incarnated; than which what could be more impious? Since you again say "4the icon of Christ is also to be worshipped"5, it follows that you will be found to be nothing other than a Tetradite, worshipping, along with the Trinity, also the icon of Christ. However, it is not that for one venerating the Trinity, because he also venerates the icon, the same absurdity will follow. For it has been said that honor and veneration are shared even with an ordinary man, but not faith and worship; for just as we believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit alone, so also do we worship. Having heard these things, refrain, brother, I beseech you, from the empty talk and the Tzycalic, that is, Kendoucladic, heresy, which is diametrically opposed to the iconoclastic; but if you persist, which may it not be, know that you have no part with us, or rather, not even with any Orthodox person. With pain was this letter dictated by me concerning you. 446 {1To Theodore the monk}1 I was pleased, not stung, by the things with which you reproached me, most honorable one; for I am not so unadmonishable as to be vexed at loving rebukes. But if I was stung, it was not because of the reminder, but because of each one's heresy, from which the body of Christ has been cut, being divided into countless opinions. I, then, to relate from the beginning (for it is necessary for me, having been accused, to defend myself), having given a penance, being compelled from the first day, and this from prison through letters (because the request of monks and priests was also by letter), I answered this, that the penance from me was not definitive, but advisory; Why? Because I am not a hierarch, but a priest, acting legislatively toward my own disciples, but not so toward others, but, as has been said, referring the matter to them until a time of peace and then, to accept whatever might be decreed by the most holy patriarch with the judgment of the holy synod, whether the penance has an addition or a reduction. And I have not acted, I think, unreasonably, having extended a hand to the fallen in a philanthropic way, but not assuming to myself the authority, which is out of place. And what is the penance? A varied one for varied transgressions, which the measure of a letter does not permit to describe; but to speak in summary, that a priest or simply a deacon caught either by signature or by heretical communion be completely barred from sacred ministry, and indeed also from communion, and after the completion of the penance to partake of the sanctified gifts, but in no way of the liturgy, until a holy

274

γραμματικῆς μήτε φιλοσοφίας ἁψαμένῳ, ὁπότε καὶ οἱ τούτων ἐπιστήμονες κατὰ θεὸν οὐκ ἴδιόν τι δογματίζουσιν, ἀλλ' ἑπομένως τοῖς θεοφόροις. πόθεν οὖν σοι ἐπῆλθεν, ἐρωτῶ, λέγειν "4οὐ σχετικῶς προσκυνεῖται ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ Χριστοῦ"5; οἶδας γὰρ τί ἐστι σχέσις; ἡ σχέσις τῶν πρός τί ἐστιν, πρός τι δὲ τὸ πρωτότυπον καὶ παράγωγον, ἤτοι ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ ἡ αὐτοῦ εἰκών, ὅτι ἔχεται ἐν ἑκατέρῳ ἑκάτερον καὶ οὐκ ἀπέσχισται οὔτε τῷ κράτει οὔτε τῇ δόξῃ. ἰδοὺ ἀμαθαίνων οὐκ οἶσθα καὶ καλῶς ἐστιν ἐκεῖνο εἰπεῖν· εἶδον πονηρίαν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ἄνδρα δόξαντα παρ' ἑαυτῷ σοφὸν εἶναι καί, ὃ τούτου χαλεπώτερον, παιδεύειν ἄλλους φιλονεικοῦντα. Οἷον δέ σου καὶ τὸ δεύτερον πρόβλημα; "4λατρεύεται ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ εἰκόνι, ὥστε καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν λατρευτή"5. πόθεν τοῦτο ἢ παρὰ τίνος μαθὼν δογματίζεις; οὐδεὶς γάρ πω τῶν ἁγίων τοῦτο φαίη, ἀλλ' ὅτι προσκυνεῖται ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ εἰκόνι Χριστὸς καὶ προσκυνητὴ ἡ εἰκών, εἴτ' οὖν τιμητικὴ εἴτ' οὖν σεβαστή. ἀμφότερα γὰρ εἰς ταὐτὸν φέρει τὸν νοῦν, καὶ εἰκότως· ἐπειδὴ ἡ λατρεία, ὥσπερ καὶ ἡ πίστις, τῇ Ἁγίᾳ Τριάδι μόνῃ ἀναφέρεται, τὰ δ' ἄλλα τοῖς ἄλλοις, τῇ μητρὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, τῷ ζωοποιῷ σταυρῷ, τοῖς ἁγίοις, τῇ σεπτῇ εἰκόνι Χριστοῦ καὶ πάσαις ἄλλαις ἁγιωτικαῖς εἰκόσιν, καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ὑπερέχει τὰ πρωτότυπα τῶν κατὰ ταῦτα παραγώγων. εἰ οὖν λατρεύεται, ὡς φῆς, ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι, ἐπειδὴ τῆς Τριάδος τὸ λατρεύεσθαι, συλλατρεύεται ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι καὶ ὁ πατὴρ καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα. καὶ τί τὸ ἐντεῦθεν συναγόμενον; τὸ καὶ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα σεσαρκῶσθαι· οὗ τί ἂν γένοιτο ἀσεβέστερον; ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὖθις φῆς "4λατρευτὴ καὶ ἡ Χριστοῦ εἰκών"5, κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ τετραδίτης εὑρεθήσῃ, λατρεύων μετὰ τῆς Τριάδος καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι Χριστοῦ. οὐ μήν, ὅτι καὶ προσκυνοῦντι τῇ Τριάδι, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι, τὸ αὐτὸ ἀκολουθήσει ἄτοπον· εἴρηται γὰρ ὅτι ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ προσκύνησις κοινοποιοῦνται μέχρι καὶ τοῦ τυχόντος ἀνθρώπου, οὐ μὴν ἡ πίστις τε καὶ λατρεία· ὥσπερ γὰρ πιστεύομεν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα μόνον, οὕτω καὶ λατρεύομεν. Ταῦτα ἐνωτισθεὶς ἀπόσχου, ἀδελφέ, παρακαλῶ, τῆς κενοφωνίας καὶ Τζυκαλικῆς, ἤγουν Κενδουκλαδικῆς, αἱρέσεως, ἥτις ἐκ διαμέτρου πρὸς τὴν εἰκονομαχικὴν ἀντιφέρεται· εἰ δέ, ὅπερ μὴ γένοιτο, ἐπιμενεῖς, γίνωσκε μέρος μεθ' ἡμῶν μὴ ἔχειν, μᾶλλον δὲ μηδὲ μετὰ παντὸς ὀρθοδόξου. μετὰ πόνου μοι περὶ σοῦ ὑπηγορεύθη ἡ ἐπιστολὴ αὕτη. 446 {1Θεοδώρῳ μονάζοντι}1 Ἡδύνθην, οὐκ ἐδάχθην, ἐφ' οἷς καθήψω μου, τιμιώτατε· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως ἀνουθέτητός εἰμι, ὡς ἐν ταῖς ἀγαπητικαῖς ὑποκρούσεσι δυσχεραίνειν. εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐδάχθην, οὐ διὰ τὴν ὑπόμνησιν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν ἑκάστου αἵρεσιν, ἐξ ἧς τέτμηται τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰς μυρίας δόξας διαιρούμενον. ἐγὼ τοίνυν, ἵνα ἐκ βαλβῖδος ἀφηγήσωμαι (δεῖ γάρ με ἀπολογήσασθαι ἐγκληθέντα), δοὺς ἐπιτίμιον, καταναγκαζόμενος ἀπὸ πρώτης ἡμέρας, καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ φυλακῆς διὰ γραμμάτων (ὅτι καὶ διὰ γράμματος ἡ ἐξαίτησις μοναζόντων τε καὶ ἱερωμένων), τοῦτο ἀπεκρίθην, ὡς οὐχ ὁριστικῶς, ἀλλὰ συμβουλευτικῶς πρὸς ἐμοῦ τὸ ἐπιτίμιον· διατί; ὅτι οὐχ ἱεράρχης ἐγώ, ἀλλ' ἱερεύς, πρὸς μὲν τοὺς οἰκείους μαθητὰς νομοθετικῶς ἀγόμενος, πρὸς δὲ ἄλλους οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ', ὡς εἴρηται, ἀναθέμενος τὸν λόγον αὐτοῖς ἕως καιροῦ εἰρήνης καὶ τηνικαῦτα, ὅπερ διορισθῇ πρὸς τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου πατριάρχου σὺν ἐπικρίσει τῆς ἁγίας συνόδου, εἰσδέξασθαι, εἴτε πρόσθεσιν ἔχοντος τοῦ ἐπιτιμίου εἴτε ὕφεσιν. καὶ οὐκ ἔξω, οἶμαι, τοῦ εἰκότος πεποίηκα, ὀρέξας χεῖρα τοῖς πεπτωκόσι φιλανθρώπως, οὐ μὴν εἰς ἐμαυτὸν περιστήσας τὸ κράτος, ὅπερ ἔκτοπον. τί δὲ τὸ ἐπιτίμιον; ποικίλον ἐπὶ ποικίλοις τοῖς παραπτώμασιν, ὅπερ οὐκ ἐπιστολῆς μέτρον ἐξηγορεύει· ἐν κεφαλαίῳ δὲ εἰπεῖν, τὸν ἢ ὑπογραφῇ ἢ κοινωνίᾳ αἱρετικῇ ἁλόντα ἱερέα ἢ ἁπλῶς διάκονον εἴργεσθαι παντάπασιν τῆς ἱερουργίας, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τῆς κοινωνίας, μετὰ δὲ τὴν τῆς ἐπιτιμίας περαίωσιν τῶν μὲν ἁγιασμάτων μετέχειν, τῆς δὲ λειτουργίας οὐδαμῶς, ἕως ἁγίας