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at the time of the passion, saying to his own father: Father, forgive them their sin; for they know not what they do. But for your Holiness to say that you have these saints agreeing with you on the problem, forgive me, father, we do not properly understand the voices of the saints and from this we find ourselves introducing a fight against the fathers, or rather a fight against God. For the divine Cyril, in his works against Julian, proposed the saying according to what was legislated of old, not comparing the old with the new as equal (may it not be); for he was not ignorant that whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law, nor the savior's comparison, in which he says: It was said to those of old this, but I say to you this. Therefore, as the God-revealing Dionysius says to a certain Demophilus, we will not accept your unenviable impulses, not even if you were to repeat ten thousand times Phinehas and Elijah; for hearing these things did not please Jesus, the disciples then being without share in the gentle and good spirit. For our most divine lawgiver also teaches to instruct in meekness those who oppose the teaching of God; for the ignorant must be taught, not punished. We have therefore heeded, O blessed one, what the holy Paul has also said, the sun of the world. Thus says also the God-bearer Ignatius: Therefore one must hate those who hate God and be consumed over his enemies, but not for us to persecute them or strike them, just as the gentiles who do not know God; and if one must not strike them, one would scarcely kill them. But since you have also taken, master, the holy Symeon of the wondrous mountain as agreeing with you, do not think this, O holy one, that he fights against Christ or the teachers above him, but what? The word of his exhortation to the emperor at that time was concerning a nation that was wounding the Christian people, so that the Christians might not be ravaged by the Samaritans. And this is well, and now we urge this same thing, that the emperors should make war and not spare Scythians and Arabs who are putting to death the people of God. This is one thing and that another, the one against enemies, the other against the heretics under our authority. For as for the matter concerning John the Faster, the prelate of Constantinople, it does not seem true to me, that he permitted the sorcerers to be impaled, but rather that he conceded it; for they too are murderers, against whom the rulers should not be hindered from doing the things of the Roman laws; for they do not bear the sword in vain, he says, they are avengers on the one who does evil. But one must not permit it against those whom the Lord forbade; for rulers of bodies may punish those caught in bodily things, not those in things concerning the soul; for this belongs to the rulers of souls, whose punishments are excommunications and the other penances. Thus, therefore, O master, do we, the humble, think; and indeed, that I may speak in foolishness, we have also spoken with boldness to our most blessed patriarch that "4the church does not take vengeance with the sword"5 (and he assented), and to the emperors who perpetrated the slaughter, to the first that "4God was not pleased with such a killing"5, and to the second, who demanded advocacy for the killing, that "4sooner would my head be taken off than I should agree to this"5. These things, then, are from us sinners; but you, most holy ones, if you have read another gospel, which we do not know, it would be well; but if not, consider what the apostle declares. 456 {1To the monks of Myeles}1 The falling asleep of our beloved brother Dionysius has already reached its term by the determined will of God before the foundation of the world; but to you, brothers, may the Lord do well, because you received him when he fell ill on his journey at your monastery, and this until he laid aside his tent in the earth and flew away to heaven. But that the brother is worthy of the journey there are many testimonies; first, his proven submission from youth until old age; then, he was imprisoned twice, once he departed to the West as an apostle on behalf of our church, whom an apostolic mouth blessed and the church of the Romans praised; who also has been witnessed to by many

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ἐν τῷ τοῦ πάθους καιρῷ, λέγων πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πατέρα· πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσιν. τὸ δὲ φαίειν σου τὴν ἁγιωσύνην ἔχειν αὐτῇ συμφωνοῦντας ἐν τῷ προβλήματι τούσδε τοὺς ἁγίους, σύγγνωθι, πάτερ, οὐ καλῶς ἐκλαμβάνομεν τὰς τῶν ἁγίων φωνὰς κἀντεῦθεν εὑρισκόμεθα πατρομαχίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ θεομαχίαν εἰσφέροντες. ὁ γάρ τοι θεῖος Κύριλλος ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Ἰουλιανὸν κατὰ τὸ πάλαι νενομοθετημένον προύτεινε τὴν ῥῆσιν, οὐκ ἐφάμιλλον τῇ νέᾳ τὴν παλαιὰν συμβάλλων (μὴ γένοιτο)· οὐ γὰρ ἠγνόει ὅτι ὅσα ὁ νόμος λέγει, τοῖς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ λαλεῖ, οὐδὲ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος σύγκρισιν, ἐν ᾗ φησιν· ἐρρήθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις τόδε, ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν τόδε. ὥστε, καθά φησιν ὁ θεοφάντωρ ∆ιονύσιος πρός τινα ∆ημόφιλον, οὐκ ἀποδεξόμεθά σου τὰς ἀζηλώτους ὁρμάς, οὐδ' εἰ μυριάκις ἐπαναλάβοις τὸν Φινεὲς καὶ τὸν Ἠλίαν· ταῦτα γὰρ ἀκούοντα τὸν Ἰησοῦν οὐκ ἤρεσκον οἱ τοῦ πραέος τότε καὶ ἀγαθοῦ πνεύματος ἀμέτοχοι μαθηταί. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ θειότατος ἡμῶν ἱεροθέτης ἐν πραότητι διδάσκειν τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ· διδάσκεσθαι γὰρ οὐ τιμωρεῖσθαι χρὴ τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας. ἐνωτίσμεθα οὖν, ὦ μάκαρ, ἃ λέλεχεν καὶ ὁ ἱερὸς Παῦλος, ὁ ἥλιος τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανόν. λέγει τοίνυν καὶ ὁ θεοφόρος Ἰγνάτιος· τοὺς μισοῦντας οὖν τὸν θεὸν μισεῖν χρὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς αὐτοῦ ἐκτετηκέναι, οὐ μὴν δὲ διώκειν ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἢ τύπτειν, καθάπερ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ εἰδότα τὸν θεόν· εἰ δὲ οὐ τύπτειν δεῖ, σχολῇ γ' ἂν αὐτοὺς κτένειν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τὸν ἅγιον Συμεὼν τὸν τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ ὄρους εἴληφας, δέσποτα, συνᾴδειν σοι, μὴ τοῦτο οἴου, ἱερέ, ὡς μάχεται Χριστῷ ἢ τοῖς ὑπὲρ αὐτὸν διδασκάλοις, ἀλλὰ τί; ἐπὶ ἔθνει τραυματίζοντι τὸ χριστιανικὸν φῦλον ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ τῆς πρὸς τὸν τηνικαῦτα βασιλέα παρακλήσεως, ὡς ἂν μὴ πορθοῦνται ὑπὸ Σαμαρειτῶν οἱ χριστιανοί. καὶ εὖ γε ἔχει, καὶ νῦν τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο παρακαλοῦμεν, καὶ Σκύθας καὶ Ἄραβας θανατοῦντας τὸν λαὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πολεμεῖν καὶ μὴ φείδεσθαι τοὺς βασιλέας. ἄλλο τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο ἕτερον, τὸ μὲν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους, τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ χεῖρα αἱρετικούς· τὸ γάρ τοι περὶ τοῦ Νηστευτοῦ Ἰωάννου, τοῦ τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως προέδρου, οὔ μοι φαίνεται ἀληθές, ἐπιτρέψαι ἀνασκολοπισθῆναι τοὺς γόητας, ἀλλὰ παρακεχωρηκέναι· φονεῖς γὰρ καὐτοί, ἐφ' οὓς οὐ κωλυτέον τοῖς κρατοῦσι τὰ τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν νόμων δρᾶν· οὐ γὰρ εἰκῇ, φησί, τὴν μάχαιραν φοροῦσιν, ἔκδικοί εἰσι τῷ τὸ κακὸν πράσσοντι. οὐ μὴν ἐφ' οὓς ὁ Κύριος ἐκώλυσεν ἐπιτρέπειν χρή· σωμάτων γὰρ ἄρχοντες τοὺς ἐν τοῖς σωματικοῖς ἁλόντας ἐξὸν αὐτοῖς κολάζειν, οὐχὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς κατὰ ψυχήν· τῶν γὰρ ψυχῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦτο, ὧν τὰ κολαστήρια ἀφορισμοὶ καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ ἐπιτιμίαι. Οὕτως οὖν, ὦ δέσποτα, ἡμεῖς οἱ εὐτελεῖς φρονοῦμεν· καί γε, ἵνα ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ εἴποιμι, καὶ παρρησίᾳ λελαλήκαμεν τῷ μὲν μακαριωτάτῳ ἡμῶν πατριάρχῃ ὅτι "4μαχαίρᾳ ἡ ἐκκλησία οὐκ ἐκδικεῖ"5 (καὶ κατένευσεν), τοῖς δὲ τὴν σφαγὴν δράσασι βασιλεῦσι, τῷ μὲν πρώτῳ ὅτι "4οὐκ ἠρέσθη θεὸς ἐπὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ ἀναιρέσει"5, τῷ δὲ δευτέρῳ, ἀπαιτοῦντι τὴν συνηγορίαν τῆς ἀναιρέσεως, ὅτι "4πρότερον ἡ κεφαλή μου αἴρεται ἤπερ συνθέσθαι με τούτῳ"5. ταῦτα δὴ παρ' ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν· ὑμεῖς δέ, ἁγιώτατοι, εἰ ἕτερον εὐαγγέλιον ἀνέγνωτε, ὅπερ ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἴσμεν, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι· εἰ δὲ μή, σκοπήσατε τί ὁ ἀπόστολος ἀποφαίνηται. 456 {1Τοῖς μονάζουσι Μυέλησ}1 Ἡ μὲν κοίμησις τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ ἡμῶν ἀδελφοῦ ∆ιονυσίου τῇ ὡρισμένῃ βουλῇ τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου ἤδη ὅρον ἔλαβεν· ὑμῖν δέ, ἀδελφοί, εὖ ποιήσαι Κύριος, ὅτι ὑπεδέξασθε αὐτὸν ἀσθενήσαντα κατὰ πάροδον ἐν τῇ διαφερούσῃ ὑμῖν μονῇ, καὶ τοῦτο μέχρις ἂν ἀπέθετο τὸ σκῆνος ἐν γῇ καὶ ἀπέπτη εἰς οὐρανόν. ὅτι δὲ ἄξιος τῆς ἐκεῖσε πορείας ὁ ἀδελφὸς μαρτύρια πολλά· πρῶτον μὲν ἡ μέχρι γήρους ἀπὸ νεότητος δόκιμος αὐτοῦ ὑποταγή· ἔπειτα δὶς ἐφυλακίσθη, ἅπαξ ἀπῆρεν ἐν τῇ ∆ύσει ὑπὲρ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησίας ἀπόστολος, ὅνπερ εὐλόγησεν ἀποστολικὸν στόμα καὶ ᾔνεσε Ῥωμαίων ἐκκλησία· ὃς καὶ μεμαρτύρηται ὑπὸ πολλῆς