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But indeed by the name of slander he shows himself worthy to be called so; what could be worse than this among men? But to the accusation is the discourse. "4He deifies"5, he says, "4the icon of Christ"5. Not this at all, O thrice-desired one, in my letter, but that the icon of Christ is not to be worshiped with latreia (for this is the mindset of idolatry; for this is to be offered to the Holy Trinity alone) and that Christ, venerated in his own icon, is worshiped with latreia together with the Father and the Spirit, but the icon of Christ is to be venerated with relative veneration and that in venerating it we venerate Christ, not divided according to hypostasis, but differing according to the principle of essence, which is also true; for the archetype is revealed in the icon, and each is in the other, except for the difference in essence, as the all-wise Dionysius says. How then, when the letter is thus, does the opponent slander and prove himself an adversary to the saints? But what would he want? That when we venerate the icon of Christ, we confess to venerate another hypostasis? Alas for the absurdity! For this is to divide the indivisible. But it is not possible; for neither is the power split nor is the glory divided, as Basil the Great says again. Therefore, when the icon is venerated, Christ is venerated, of whom it is the likeness, and not the matter that has received the likeness, as is also demonstrated in the case of the sign of the cross; for he who thinks he venerates the matter is infantile, irrational. Therefore, neither is the matter, on which the icon is, venerated in either case, nor is there another hypostasis besides that of the one depicted; for the deviation in either case holds impiety. Therefore, for this reason, both the sign of the cross is called the cross, and the icon of Christ is called Christ, not in the proper sense, but by catachresis. If, then, this persuades us not to call the sign of the cross "cross", it would persuade us not to call the icon of Christ "Christ"; and, if in the first case we do not venerate the cross when venerating the sign, neither in the second case do we venerate Christ when venerating the icon of Christ. But indeed the first is true, that its own sign is both called cross and is venerated; therefore the second is also true, that his own icon is both called Christ and is venerated, and he who thinks or says anything newer contrary to these things speaks idly in vain. I have written these things, at once placing myself outside of accusation, and at the same time sparing your loving excellency, so that you may lay claim to orthodox faith and not be carried away by words of other-teaching. 477 {1To Theodore the monk}1 I received the letter from your honor, entitled "Encyclical Letter," or rather, "Curative," and I was immediately beside myself from the starting-line, brother; and going through what followed, I nearly lost my wits, not having anything to consider or what apology to make to the beloved. And may you bear with me patiently, even if the things to be said are rather harsh, as I have no other way to speak out what is likely and necessary to say concerning what has fallen upon my humble heart. Could it be, beloved, that someone, assuming your person, has been carried away by such a bulk of pride as to think things above the clouds and do things that cast down? Could it be that we ourselves, having at some point gone out of our minds, have chosen to compose some child's play in matters that are not for play, but are also exceedingly difficult undertakings? What are you saying, my good man? Is it permissible for us, who have no clerical lot of the priesthood but are only numbered among monks, apart from when the truth is in danger, by seizing priestly dignity, to compose an encyclical letter and by this to rise up against hierarchs and priests, monks and abbots, and not only this but also to bring forth private laws from a self-judging heart, and in addition, to subject the whole body of the confessor brotherhood to insults and reproaches, condemnations and alienations? For these men, as you say, although not all of them are defenders of the truth, pretending that of repentance, in the same way that those of the opposite party have falsely assumed the name of piety, are equally altogether difficult

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ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τῆς διαβολῆς αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἄξιον ὀνομάζεσθαι ἀποφαίνει· οὗ τί χεῖρον εἶεν ἐν ἀνθρώποις; Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν ἔγκλησιν ὁ λόγος. "4θεοποιεῖται"5, φησί, "4τὴν Χριστοῦ εἰκόνα"5. οὔ τί που τοῦτο, ὦ τριπόθητε, ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ μου, ἀλλ' ὅτι τῇ εἰκόνι Χριστοῦ οὐ λατρευτέον (εἰδωλολατρείας γὰρ φρόνημα τοῦτο· μόνῃ γὰρ τῇ Ἁγίᾳ Τριάδι τοῦτο ἀναθετέον) καὶ ὅτι ὁ ἐν τῇ οἰκείᾳ εἰκόνι προσκυνούμενος Χριστὸς λατρεύεται σὺν πατρὶ καὶ πνεύματι, τὴν δὲ Χριστοῦ εἰκόνα προσκυνητέον σχετικῇ προσκυνήσει καὶ ὅτι ταύτην προσκυνοῦντες τὸν Χριστὸν προσκυνοῦμεν, οὐ διαιρούμενον κατὰ τὴν ὑπόστασιν, ἀλλὰ διαφορούμενον κατὰ τὸν τῆς οὐσίας λόγον, ὅπερ καὶ ἄληθες· τὸ γὰρ ἀρχέτυπον ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι ἐκφαίνεται καὶ ἑκάτερον ἐν ἑκατέρῳ παρὰ τὸ τῆς οὐσίας διάφορον, ὥς φησιν ὁ πάνσοφος ∆ιονύσιος. Πῶς οὖν, οὕτως ἐχούσης τῆς ἐπιστολῆς, ἐνδιαβάλλοι ὁ δι' ἐναντίας καὶ ἀποδείκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν ἀντίθετον τοῖς ἁγίοις; ἀλλὰ τί βούλοιτο; προσκυνοῦντας ἡμᾶς τὴν Χριστοῦ εἰκόνα ὁμολογεῖν προσκυνεῖν ἄλλην ὑπόστασιν; φεῦ τῆς ἀτοπίας· τούτῳ γὰρ μερίζειν ἐστὶ τὰ ἀμέριστα. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐνδέχεται· οὔτε γὰρ τὸ κράτος σχίζεται οὔτε ἡ δόξα μερίζεται, ὡς αὖθίς φησιν ὁ Μέγας Βασίλειος. διὸ καὶ προσκυνουμένης τῆς εἰκόνος ὁ Χριστὸς προσκυνεῖται, οὗ ἐστι καὶ ὁμοιότης, καὶ οὐχὶ ἡ ὑποδεξαμένη ὕλη τὴν ὁμοιότητα, ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τύπου τοῦ σταυροῦ διαδείκνυται· ὁ γὰρ τὴν ὕλην δοκῶν προσκυνεῖν νήπιος, ἄλογος. οὔτε οὖν ἡ ὕλη, ἐφ' ᾗ ἡ εἰκών, προσκυνεῖται ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις οὔτε παρὰ τὴν τοῦ εἰκονιζομένου ἄλλη ὑπόστασις· ἐφίσης γὰρ ἡ παρατροπὴ τὸ ἀσεβὲς ἔχει. τοιγαροῦν διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ τύπος τοῦ σταυροῦ σταυρὸς εἴρηται καὶ ἡ εἰκὼν τοῦ Χριστοῦ Χριστὸς εἴρηται, οὐ κυρίως, ἀλλὰ κατὰ κατάχρησιν. ἐὰν οὖν τοῦτο ἡμᾶς πείσῃ μὴ τὸν τύπον τοῦ σταυροῦ σταυρὸν ὀνομάζειν, πείσειεν ἡμᾶς μήτε τὴν εἰκόνα Χριστοῦ Χριστὸν ὀνομάζειν· καί, ἐὰν ἐν τῷ πρώτῳ τὸ μὴ προσκυνεῖν τὸν σταυρὸν προσκυνοῦντας τὸν τύπον, μηδὲ ἐν τῷ δευτέρῳ προσκυνεῖν Χριστὸν προσκυνοῦντας τὴν Χριστοῦ εἰκόνα. ἀλλὰ μὴν τὸ πρῶτον ἄληθες, ὅτι σταυρὸς καὶ λέλεκται καὶ προσκυνεῖται ὁ οἰκεῖος αὐτοῦ τύπος, οὐκοῦν καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ἄληθες, ὅτι Χριστὸς καὶ λέλεκται καὶ προσκυνεῖται ἡ οἰκεία αὐτοῦ εἰκών, καὶ μάτην εἰκαιολογεῖ ὁ παρὰ ταῦτα καινότερόν τι φρονῶν ἢ λέγων. Ταῦτα γέγραφα, ὁμοῦ μὲν ἑαυτὸν ἔξω αἰτίας τιθείς, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τῆς σῆς φειδόμενος ἀγαπητικῆς ὑπεροχῆς εἰς τὸ ἀντιποιεῖσθαι ὀρθοδόξου πίστεως καὶ μὴ παρασύρεσθαι λόγοις ἑτεροδιδασκαλίας. 477 {1Θεοδώρῳ μονάζοντι}1 Ἐδεξάμην σου τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τῆς τιμιότητος ἐπιγράφουσαν ἐγκύκλιος ἐπιστολή, ἤτοι θεραπευτική, καὶ εὐθὺς ἀπὸ βαλβῖδος ἐξέστην, ἀδελφέ· ἐπελθὼν δὲ τοῖς ἐφεξῆς μικροῦ καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἀπώλεσα, μὴ ἔχων ὅ τι διαλογίσομαι ἢ τί ἀπολογήσομαι τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ. καί μοι μακροθύμως οἴσειας, εἰ καὶ τραχύτερα τὰ λεχθησόμενα, οὐκ ἔχοντί πως ἄλλως τὰ ἐνσκήψαντα τῇ ταπεινῇ μου καρδίᾳ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐκφερομυθῆσαι καὶ ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν. Ἆρα μή τις, ἀγαπητέ, τὸ σὸν πρόσωπον ὑποδὺς εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐξετραχηλιάσθη ὄγκον φρονήματος, ὥστε ἐννοῆσαι τὰ ὑπερνεφῆ καὶ δρᾶσαι τὰ καταράσσοντα; ἆρα μὴ αὐτοὶ ἡμεῖς, ἔξω ποτὲ φρενῶν γενόμενοι, παιδιάν τινα προειλάμεθα συγγράφεσθαι ἐν οὐ παικτοῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν χαλεποῖς τολμήμασιν; τί λέγεις, ὦ τᾶν; ἔξεστιν ἡμῖν, τοῖς μή τινα κλῆρον ἱερωσύνης ἔχουσιν ἢ μόνον ἐν μοναχοῖς τελοῦσιν, δίχα κινδυνευούσης ἀληθείας ἁρπαγμῷ ἱερατικοῦ ἀξιώματος ἐγκύκλιον ἐπιστολὴν ἐντάττειν καὶ ταύτῃ κατεξανίστασθαι ἱεραρχῶν τε καὶ ἱερωμένων, μοναστῶν τε καὶ καθηγουμένων, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ νόμους ἰδικοὺς ἀποίσειν ἐξ ἰδιοκρίτου καρδίας, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ὕβρεσι καὶ ὀνείδεσι, κατακρίσεσί τε καὶ ἀλλοτριώσεσιν ὑποβάλλειν τὸ ὅλον πλήρωμα τῆς ὁμολογητικῆς ἀδελφότητος; Οὗτοι γάρ, ὡς φῆς, κἂν οὐχὶ πάντες οἱ τῆς ἀληθείας ὑπασπισταί, τὸ τῆς μετανοίας ὑποκρινόμενοι, ὃν τρόπον οἱ τῆς ἐναντίας μοίρας τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας ὄνομα ψευδῶς ὑποδυσάμενοι, ἐξ ἴσου παγχάλεπα