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the disorderly state of those who are debased by indifference, about which the whole discourse is to you. But I do not think, dearest, that the person you indicated acts and speaks thus; for how could one who has been raised to a rank of the hierarchy be led in a base manner, and how also does one who has contended through confession endure along with the unenviable and unholy? For you say that he says that there is nothing to prevent sitting in an episcopal residence, in which the one occupying it acted impiously, and that to be fed by compromisers who are not bishops in no way conflicts with the rule of piety. And how does this not conflict with the truth, with the holy David singing in the psalms, "let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head," and with Saint Athanasius commanding that we have no communion with heretics, but indeed not even with those who have communion with the impious? And how is it not communion, if indeed one must sit in such a place and be fed by such men? It cannot be; for even if someone does not sit there, but is fed from there, the very act of giving and receiving would produce communion; for the apostle says: "You yourselves also know, Philippians, that when I left Macedonia, no church entered into fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only, because even in Thessalonica both once and twice you sent for my need." If therefore receiving once and twice the light of the world declared to be communion, who then, who of sound mind, would not flee from receiving always as being opposed to light? But your holiness must gently and with a humble mind bring these reminders to the father, and if he is persuaded, we have gained the father, but if not, let us not betray our own safety. For concerning the children being baptized by these men but not by those, I have sent the whole letter, which I wrote to the same one who complained about the same matter, to your honor as well, considering it superfluous to speak idly twice on the same subject. Thus therefore I, the humble one, think, and I see that the saints think so, but as it seems good to each, so let them find it. But perhaps the one being fed might say that the reception is from one who has come to his right mind and been censured. But this is not yet the case, as long as he holds the episcopate, even if he does not celebrate the liturgy nor partakes of the holy things. But true repentance consists in relinquishing the episcopate and going far away, as some have done, from whom it is harmless to receive, and with whom it is also acceptable to eat together. I have nothing else to say than to exhort you to pray for my lowliness not only to speak rightly, but also to walk rightly in action. 467 {1To Thomas the chartoularios}1 Having read the letters of your honor and having learned that the lady your wife has departed from life, I grieved with you, my lord, knowing how painful the suffering is; for the separation of marriage causes the same pain which a sword makes when cutting the body; for here too they are one flesh according to the word of the Lord. but nevertheless it has happened and we have undergone the penalty of separation common to all. and a little later we too shall travel the same road, as you know; and such is life, for those not existing to come into being, and having come into being to be dissolved. And we have praised your piety, for choosing in your separation to live as a monk and to be joined wholly to the Lord; for the letter indicated this, and that a certain monk is present for guidance in so great a life, whom you in turn rejected as unsuitable through the report of George, the good man and your own notary, asking rather that another be given by us, one who is capable of guiding souls and of preserving a whole monastery. The praise, therefore, has rightly been spoken by us beforehand; but first you must learn what the monastic profession is and how great is the height of this life, so that, being introduced without experience, we might not endanger our voyage. The renunciation is nothing else than a promise of the cross and of death. What is this? According to the word of the Lord, for one who wishes to renounce all his possessions and, having taken up the cross, to follow after him. And since every true abbot holds the place of Christ, it is to follow Christ truly through him, and thus

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ἀκατάτακτον τῶν χυδαιουμένων τῇ ἀδιαφορίᾳ, περὶ ἧς σοι καὶ ὁ πᾶς λόγος. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ οἴομαι, φίλτατε, ὅπερ ἐσήμανας πρόσωπον οὕτω πράττειν καὶ λέγειν· πῶς γὰρ ὁ ἐν βαθμῷ ἱεραρχίας ἀνηγμένος χαμαιζήλως ἄγοιτο, πῶς δὲ καὶ ὁ ἠθληκὼς δι' ὁμολογίας συνυποφέρεται τοῖς ἀζηλώτοις καὶ ἀνιέροις; φῆς γὰρ λέγειν αὐτὸν ὅτι τὸ καθέζεσθαι εἰς ἐπισκοπεῖον, ἐν ᾧπερ ἠσέβησεν ὁ κατέχων, τὸ κωλῦον οὐδὲν καὶ τὸ παρὰ συγκαταβατῶν ἀνεπισκόπων σιτίζεσθαι οὐδὲν μάχεται τῷ κανόνι τῆς εὐσεβείας. καὶ πῶς τοῦτο οὐ μάχεται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, τοῦ ἁγίου ∆αυὶδ ψάλλοντος ἔλαιον ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ λιπανάτω τὴν κεφαλήν μου τοῦ τε Ἁγίου Ἀθανασίου προστάσσοντος μηδεμίαν κοινωνίαν ἔχειν ἡμᾶς πρὸς τοὺς αἱρετικούς, ἀλλὰ μὴν μηδὲ πρὸς τοὺς κοινωνοῦντας μετὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν; πῶς δὲ οὐ κοινωνία, εἴπερ δεῖ καθέζεσθαι ἐν τόπῳ τοιούτῳ κἀκ τῶν τοιούτων σιτίζεσθαι; οὐκ ἔχει φύσιν· κἂν μὴ ἐκεῖσε κάθηταί τις, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ τρέφοιτο, αὐτὴ ἡ δόσις καὶ λῆψις κοινωνίαν ἐργάζοιτο· φησὶ γὰρ ὁ ἀπόστολος· οἴδατε καὶ ὑμεῖς, Φιλιππήσιοι, ὅτι ὅτε ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας οὐδεμία μοι ἐκκλησία ἐκοινώνησε χάριν δόσεώς τε καὶ λήψεως, εἰ μὴ ὑμεῖς μόνον, ὅτι καὶ ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς εἰς τὴν χρείαν μοι ἐπέμψατε. εἰ οὖν τὸ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς λαβεῖν κοινωνίαν ἀπέφηνε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου, τὸ ἀεὶ λαμβάνειν τίς δ' ἄν, τίς εὖ φρονῶν οὐ φεύξοιτο ὡς ἀντίθετον φωτός; ∆εῖ δὲ τὴν ἁγιωσύνην σου ἐπιεικῶς καὶ ταπεινοφρόνως τῷ πατρὶ τὰς ὑπομνήσεις εἰσοῖσαι, κἂν μὲν πεισθῇ, ἐκερδήσαμεν τὸν πατέρα, εἰ δὲ μή, τὸ ἑαυτῶν ἀσφαλὲς μὴ προώμεθα. περὶ γὰρ τοῦ τὰ παιδία βαπτίζεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶνδε ἀλλ' οὐχ ὑπὸ τῶνδε τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ὅλην, ἣν πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν ἐγκαλέσαντα περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πράγματος ἐχάραξα, καὶ τῇ σῇ τιμιότητι ἀπέστειλα, περιττὸν ἡγησάμενος δὶς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ εἰκαιολογεῖν. οὕτως οὖν ἐγὼ ὁ ταπεινὸς φρονῶ καὶ φρονοῦντας τοὺς ἁγίους ὁρῶ, ὡς δὲ ἑκάστῳ δοκεῖ ἔχειν εὕροιεν. ἴσως δὲ φαίη ὁ σιτιζόμενος ἐκ τοῦ ὀρθοφρονήσαντος καὶ ἐπιτιμηθέντος εἶναι τὴν λῆψιν. ἀλλ' οὔπω ταῦτα, ἕως δ' ἂν κατέχοι τὴν ἐπισκοπήν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἱερουργεῖ μηδὲ μετέχοι τῶν ἁγιασμάτων. ἡ δὲ ἀληθὴς μετάνοια ἐν τῷ ἀφῆσαι τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν καὶ πόρρω γενέσθαι, ὥσπερ τινὲς ἐποίησαν, ἀφ' ὧν ἀβλαβὲς τὸ λαμβάνειν, μεθ' ὧν καταδεκτὸν καὶ τὸ συνεσθίειν. Ἄλλο τι λέγειν οὐκ ἔχω ἢ τὸ παρακληθῆναί σε προσεύχεσθαι περὶ τῆς ταπεινώσεώς μου οὐ μόνον ὀρθολεκτεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀρθοποδεῖν περὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν. 467 {1Θωμᾷ χαρτουλαρίῳ}1 Ἐντυχὼν τοῖς γράμμασι τῆς τιμιότητός σου καὶ καταμαθὼν ὅτι παρῆλθεν τοῦ βίου ἡ κυρία καὶ ὁμόζυγος συνήλγησά σοι, δέσποτα, εἰδὼς ὅσον ἐστὶν ἀλγεινὸν τὸ πάθος· ὃν γὰρ ποιεῖ μάχαιρα τέμνουσα σῶμα πόνον, τὸν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ τῆς ὁμοζυγίας χωρισμός· μία γὰρ κἀνταῦθα σὰρξ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνήν. ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐγένετο καὶ ὑπέστημεν τὸ κοινὸν πᾶσιν ἐπιτίμιον τῆς διαζεύξεως. μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερον καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν πορευσόμεθα, ὡς οἶσθα· καὶ οὕτως ὁ βίος, οὐκ ὄντας γενέσθαι καὶ γεναμένους ἀναλυθῆναι. ἐπαινέσαμεν δὲ τὴν εὐσέβειάν σου, τῇ διαζεύξει αἱρησαμένην μονάσαι καὶ κολληθῆναι ἐξ ὁλοκλήρου τῷ Κυρίῳ· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδήλου τὸ γράμμα καὶ ὅτι ἀδελφός τις μονάζων πάρεστιν εἰς ὁδηγίαν τοῦ τηλικούτου βίου, ὃν αὖθις ἀπέκρινεν ὡς ἀδόκιμον διὰ δηλώματος Γεωργίου τοῦ καλοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ οἰκείου νοταρίου, ἄλλον δὲ πρὸς ἡμῶν δοθῆναι μᾶλλον αἰτοῦσα, τὸν ἱκανῶς ἔχοντα κυβερνῆσαι ψυχὰς καὶ ὅλην μονὴν διασώσασθαι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἔπαινος εἰκότως ἡμῖν προείρηται· δεῖ δὲ πρῶτον μαθεῖν ὑμᾶς τί τὸ μοναδικὸν ἐπάγγελμα καὶ ὅσον τὸ τοῦ βίου ὕψος, ἵνα μὴ ἀπείρως εἰσαχθέντες κινδυνεύσωμεν περὶ τὸν πλοῦν. ἡ ἀποταγὴ οὐδὲν ἄλλο καθέστηκεν, εἰ μὴ σταυροῦ καὶ θανάτου ἐπαγγελία. τί τοῦτο; κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου πᾶσι τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὑπάρχουσιν ἀποτάξασθαι τὸν βουλόμενον καί, ἄραντα τὸν σταυρόν, ἀκολουθεῖν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ. ἐπειδὴ δὲ πρόσωπον ἐπέχει Χριστοῦ πᾶς ἀληθινὸς ἡγούμενος, Χριστῷ διὰ μέσου ἐκείνου ἀκολουθεῖν ἐστιν ἀψευδῶς, καὶ οὕτως