Letter CCXC.1517    Placed in the episcopate.

To Nectarius.

May many blessings rest on those who encourage your excellency in maintaining a constant correspondence with me!  And regard not such a wish as conventional merely, but as expressing my sincere conviction of the value of your utterances.  Whom could I honour above Nectarius—known to me from his earliest days as a child of fairest promise, who now through the exercise of every virtue has reached a position of the highest eminence?—So much so, that of all my friends the dearest is the bearer of your letter.

Touching the election of those set over districts,1518    On the word συμμορίας the Ben. note is:  “Hac voce non designatur tota diocesis, sed certos quidam pagorum numerus chorepiscopo commissus, ut patet ex epist. cxlii.,” q.v., “erat autem chorepiscoporum sedes insigni alicui affixa pago, cui alii pagi attribuebantur.  Unde Basilius in epist. clxxxviii. § 10.  Auctor est Amphilochio ut agrum Mestiæ subjectum Vasodis subjiciat. God forbid that I should do anything for the gratification of man, through listening to importunities or yielding to fear.  In that case I should be not a steward, but a huckster, battering the gift of God for the favour of man.  But seeing that votes are given but by mortals, who can only bear such testimony as they do from outward appearances, while the choice of fit persons is committed in all humility to Him Who knows the secrets of the heart, haply it is best for everybody, when he has tendered the evidence of his vote, to abstain from all heat and contention, as though some self-interest were involved in the testimony, and to pray to God that what is advantageous may not remain unknown.  Thus the result is no longer attributable to man, but a cause for thankfulness to God.  For these things, if they be of man, cannot be said to be; but are pretence only, altogether void of reality.

Consider also, that when a man strives with might and main to gain his end, there is no small danger of his drawing even sinners to his side; and there is much sinfulness, such is the weakness of man’s nature, even where we should least expect it.

Again, in private consultation we often offer our friends good advice, and, though we do not find them taking it, yet we are not angry.  Where then it is not man that counsels, but God that determines, shall we feel indignation at not being preferred before the determination of God?

And if these things were given to man by man, what need were there for us to ask them of ourselves?  Were it not better for each to take them from himself?  But if they are the gift of God, we ought to pray and not to grieve.  And in our prayer we should not seek our own will, but leave it to God who disposes for the best.

Now may the holy God keep from your home all taste of sorrow; and grant to you and to your family a life exempt from harm and sickness.

ΝΕΚΤΑΡΙῼ

[1] Πολλὰ ἀγαθὰ γένοιτο τοῖς κινοῦσι τὴν τιμιότητά σου πρὸς τὴν συνεχῆ ὁμιλίαν ἡμῶν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος. Μὴ γὰρ οἴου συνηθείας ἕνεκεν λέγεσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλὰ ἐκ διαθέσεως ἀληθινῆς πλείστου ἀξίαν τίθεσθαι ἡμᾶς τὴν φωνήν σου. Τί γὰρ ἂν ἐμοὶ Νεκταρίου γένοιτο τιμιώτερον, τοῦ ἐκ παιδὸς μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν καλλίστων ἡμῖν γνωρισθέντος, νῦν δὲ ἐκ παντοίας ἀρετῆς εἰς τοσοῦτον περιφανείας ἀναδραμόντος; Ὥστε μοι φίλων ἁπάντων φίλτατος ὁ σά μοι γράμματα διαφέρων. Περὶ μέντοι τῆς τῶν προστησομένων τῆς συμμορίας ἐκλογῆς, εἰ μὲν ἀνθρώποις χαριζόμενος ἢ ἱκεσίαις ἐνδιδοὺς ἢ φόβῳ εἴκων ποιῶ τι, μήτε ταυτὶ ποιήσαιμι. Οὐ γὰρ οἰκονόμος, ἀλλὰ κάπηλος ἔσομαι τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς ἀνθρωπίνας φιλίας διαμειβόμενος. Εἰ δὲ αἱ μὲν διδόμεναι ψῆφοι παρὰ ἀνθρώπων δίδονται ἐκ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἐπιφανείας μαρτυρεῖν ἐχόντων ἅπερ ἂν μαρτυρῶσιν, αἱ δὲ κρίσεις τῶν ἐπιτηδειοτέρων τῷ εἰδότι τὰ ἀπόρρητα τῶν καρδιῶν παρὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας ταπεινώσεως ἐπιτρέπονται, τάχα τῷ παντὶ βέλτιον καταθέμενον τὴν μαρτυρίαν σπουδῆς μὲν καὶ διαστάσεως πάσης ὡς ὑπὲρ οἰκείων τῶν μαρτυρηθέντων ἀφίστασθαι, προσεύχεσθαι δὲ τῷ Θεῷ μὴ λαθεῖν τὸ συμφέρον. Οὕτω γὰρ οὐκέτι ἄνθρωπον τῆς ἐφ' ἑκάτερα ἐκβάσεως αἰτιασόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ τὴν χάριν τῶν γινομένων εἰσόμεθα. Καίτοι εἰ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον γίνεται ταῦτα, οὐδὲ γίνεται, ἀλλὰ μίμησις μέν ἐστι τῆς ἀληθείας, αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας πάμπληθες ἀπολείπεται. Σκέψαι δὲ ὅτι οὐδὲ μικρός τις παραπέπηγε κίνδυνος τῷ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου τὸ ἑαυτοῦ κρατῆσαι φιλονεικοῦντι μή ποτε τῶν ἁμαρτανομένων ἐφ' ἑαυτοὺς ἑλκύσωμεν τὴν μερίδα. Πολλὰ γὰρ ἂν ἁμαρτηθείη καὶ παρὰ τῶν οὐκ ἂν προσδοκηθέντων ποτὲ διὰ τὸ εὔκολον τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως. Εἶτα ἰδίᾳ μὲν τοῖς φίλοις συμβουλεύσαντες πολλάκις τὰ κράτιστα, κἂν ἀπίθανοι δόξωμεν τοῖς βουλευομένοις, οὐ χαλεπαίνομεν: ἐν οἷς δὲ οὐ βουλὴ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ κρίσις ἐστὶ Θεοῦ, μὴ καὶ τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ κριμάτων προτιμηθέντες δυσχερανοῦμεν; Εἰ μὲν οὖν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων δίδοται, τί χρὴ παρ' ἡμῶν αἰτεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ αὐτὸν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ λαμβάνειν; Εἰ δὲ παρὰ Κυρίου, εὔχεσθαι προσῆκεν, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ ἀγανακτεῖν, καὶ ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ μὴ τὸ ἴδιον θέλημα αἰτεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐπιτρέπειν τῷ οἰκονομοῦντι τὸ συμφέρον Θεῷ. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ὁ ἅγιος ἀπαγάγοι πᾶσαν πεῖραν λυπηρῶν πραγμάτων ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου ὑμῶν, καὶ αὐτῷ τε σοὶ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς προσήκουσί σοι ἄνοσον καὶ ἀβλαβῆ ἐν πάσῃ εὐθηνίᾳ τὸν βίον ἐπιμετρήσειεν.