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of God, unless you take the initiative to correct it. And what is the correction? if it is possible, with you yourself being present, but if not, through your messenger a written defense concerning the things for which you were previously accused, exonerating yourself through the defense and demonstrating the right faith and the right handling of the word of truth in all things. and thus, with concord having come about in the Lord, I do not say with this one or that one, but with me alone the humble, the stumbling block has been removed from our midst and the things divided have been joined; and the Lord is in our midst and his name is not blasphemed on our account, I do not say among the gentiles, but among the Christians. and if any are in disagreement, after our agreement with each other they will be taught and joined together through us the humble, defending you as ourselves. and God will be merciful and your life thus blessed and your end praiseworthy and your legacy in righteousness. Behold, this is my second humble letter. And if you do what is necessary, making clear and defending yourself concerning all the things of which you are accused, you our brother have been won, to speak in the strict sense, and we the humble rejoice greatly over you; but if, which may it not be, you persist in the same silence and disobedience, you will bear the eternal judgment, practicing things that are futile, or rather, ruinously tearing apart the people of God through your own private action. But we will pay attention to the apostle who says, after a first and second admonition, have nothing more to do with a divisive person, knowing that such a person is warped and is sinning, being self-condemned. 486 {1To the Archimandrite of Gothia}1 We give thanks to the holy God, because we have been deemed worthy to receive loving letters from your holiness, yet we do not need an apology for the delay; for who are we the humble or for what reason at all should you report to our nothingness concerning the necessary matters that move you? nevertheless, since being of a modest mind you know how to deal even with the least, with good reason you yourselves have both written and we have been taught, not only what the letter says, but also what the most reverend brothers and fathers who bring it have taught. For all these things our God is a defender and a reconciler of the accusations brought without reason. And we the humble will also contribute, if ever the occasion should arise, what is in our power against those who are quick to slander, not laying down a favor for you, but fulfilling what is owed to love. For this reason we were compelled to write also to the most God-beloved father and high priest lord Philaretus, if indeed our humble exhortation might be accepted, binding together the things that make for peace, than which nothing is more profitable and by which the disciples of Christ who are called by him ought to be characterized. These things in summary concerning urgent matters. But concerning the other matters, why have we been asked at all to answer, when you who are taught by God have the God-inscribed book of Basil the Great, teaching the saving and beneficial things of the solitary or cenobitic life, without which it is not possible either to guide in a God-pleasing manner or to be guided profitably, whether a ruler or one who is ruled? He, being asked concerning every subject and occasion of the sacred life in community, has answered through the Holy Spirit, and the one who follows him has followed the Holy Spirit, but the one who disobeys him has disobeyed Christ who spoke in him. At any rate, the faults that happen to the brothers through inattention may not be judged before lay persons, and the holy apostle himself cries out: Does any of you who has a matter dare to be judged before the unrighteous and not before the saints? and after other things: So is there no one wise among you who will be able to judge between his brother, but brother is judged with brother, and this before unbelievers? And it is equivalent to unbelievers for the affairs of monks to be examined before the laity and to open a door to those for whom it is not lawful to peer into our affairs; and this is altogether discordant and unprofitable for the church of God. Concerning renunciation and tonsure, since also

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θεοῦ, εἰ μὴ προκαταλάβοις διορθώσασθαι. Τίς δὲ ἡ διόρθωσις; εἰ μὲν οἷόν τε, σοῦ αὐτοῦ παρόντος, εἰ δὲ μή, δι' ἀποστόλου σου ἀπολογία γραμματικὴ περὶ ὧν πρότερον ἐνεκλήθης, ἀθωῶν ἑαυτὸν διὰ τῆς ἀπολογίας καὶ ὑποδεικνύων ὀρθὴν τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὴν ἐφ' ἅπασιν ὀρθοτομίαν τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας. καὶ οὕτως γινομένης ὁμονοίας ἐν Κυρίῳ, οὐ λέγω μετὰ τοῦδε καὶ τοῦδε, ἀλλὰ μετ' ἐμοῦ μόνου τοῦ ταπεινοῦ, ἤρθη τὸ σκάνδαλον ἐκ μέσου καὶ συνήφθη τὰ διεστῶτα· καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν μέσῳ ἡμῶν καὶ οὐ βλασφημούμενον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς, οὐ λέγω ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς χριστιανοῖς. κἄν τινες διαφέρωνται, μετὰ τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλους συμφωνίαν διδαχθήσονται καὶ συναφθήσονται δι' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν τῶν ταπεινῶν, ὑπερασπιζομένων σου ὡς ἐμαυτῶν. καὶ ἵλεως ἔσται θεὸς καὶ ὁ βίος σου οὕτω μακάριος καὶ τὸ τέλος σου αἰνετὸν καὶ τὰ ἐγκαταλείμματά σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ. Ἰδοὺ δευτέρα ἡ ἐπιστολή μου αὕτη ἡ εὐτελής. καὶ εἰ μὲν δράσεις τὰ δέοντα, δηλῶν καὶ ἀπολογούμενος περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλῇ, ἐκερδήθης ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν, κυριολέκτως εἰπεῖν, καὶ χαίρομεν ἐπὶ σοὶ μέγα οἱ ταπεινοί· εἰ δέ, ὅπερ ἀπείη, ἐμμείνῃς ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ σιωπῇ καὶ ἀπειθείᾳ, βαστάσοις τὸ κρίμα αἰώνιον, ἄπρακτα ἀσκῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ ὀλεθρίως σχίζων τὸν λαὸν τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἰδιοπραγίας. ἡμεῖς δὲ προσέξομεν τῷ ἀποστόλῳ λέγοντι, αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἁμαρτάνει ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος. 486 {1Ἀρχιμανδρίτῃ Γοτθίασ}1 Χάριν ὁμολογοῦμεν τῷ ἁγίῳ θεῷ, ὅτι ἠξιώθημεν δέξασθαι γράμματα ἀγαπητικὰ τῆς ὁσιότητος ὑμῶν, οὐ μὴν χρῄζομεν ἀπολογίας διὰ τὴν βραδυτῆτα· τίνες γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ εὐτελεῖς ἢ τίνος ἕνεκεν ὅλως τὸ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ οὐθενότητι ἀναφέρειν ὑμᾶς περὶ τῶν συγκινούντων ὑμᾶς ἀναγκαίων; ὅμως ἐπειδὴ μετριόφρονες τυγχάνοντες οἴδατε καὶ τοῖς ἐλαχίστοις συμπεριφέρεσθαι, εἰκότως καὶ αὐτοὶ γεγράφατε καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐδιδάχθημεν, οὐ μόνον ὅσα ἡ ἐπιστολή, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσα οἱ ταύτην ἐπιφερόμενοι αἰδεσιμώτατοι ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες ἐδίδαξαν. καθ' ὧν ἁπάντων ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὑπερασπιστὴς καὶ τῶν ἐπιφερομένων ἀλόγως αἰτιαμάτων διαλλάκτης. συνεισοίσομεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ ταπεινοί, εἴ ποτε λόγος γίνοιτο, τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐν τοῖς φθάζουσιν ἐνδιαβάλλειν, οὐ χάριν ὑμῖν καταβαλλόμενοι, ἀλλὰ τὸ κεχρεωστημένον τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἀποπληρώσοντες. οὗ χάριν ἠναγκάσθημεν ἐπιστεῖλαι καὶ τῷ θεοφιλεστάτῳ πατρὶ καὶ ἀρχιερεῖ κυρίῳ Φιλαρέτῳ, εἴ γε καὶ προσδεχθείη ἡ παράκλησις ἡμῶν τῶν ταπεινῶν, συνδέουσα τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην, ἧς οὐδὲν λυσιτελέστερον καὶ ἐφ' ᾗ Χριστοῦ μαθηταὶ οἱ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ κεκλημένοι ὀφείλουσι χαρακτηρίζεσθαι. Ταῦτα ὡς ἐν κεφαλαίῳ περὶ τῶν κατεπειγόντων. ὑπὲρ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων τί καὶ ἐπεζητήθημεν ὅλως ἀποκριθῆναι, ἐχόντων ὑμῶν τῶν θεοδιδάκτων τὴν θεοχάρακτον βίβλον τοῦ Μεγάλου Βασιλείου, διδάσκουσαν τοῦ μοναδικοῦ εἴτουν κοινοβιακοῦ βίου τὰ σωτήρια καὶ ὀνησιφόρα, ἧς χωρὶς οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε καθοδηγῆσαι θεοπρεπῶς οὔτε καθοδηγηθῆναι λυσιτελῶς καὶ ἄρχοντα καὶ ἀρχόμενον; ἐκεῖνος ἐρωτώμενος ἐπὶ πάσῃ ὑποθέσει καὶ ἀφορμῇ τῆς ἐν κοινοβίῳ ἱερᾶς ζωῆς διὰ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου ἀποκέκριται καὶ ὁ ἐκείνῳ στοιχῶν ἐστοίχησεν τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, ὁ δ' αὐτῷ ἀπειθῶν ἠπείθησεν τῷ ἐν αὐτῷ φθεγξαμένῳ Χριστῷ. τὰ γοῦν συμπίπτοντα ἐξ ἀπροσεξίας τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς σφάλματα οὐκ ἐξὸν ἐπὶ λαϊκῶν προσώπων κρίνεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἱερὸς ἀπόστολος βοᾷ· τολμᾷ τις ὑμῶν πρᾶγμα ἔχων κρίνεσθαι ἐπὶ τῶν ἀδίκων καὶ οὐχὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων; καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· οὕτως οὐκ ἔνι ἐν ὑμῖν οὐδεὶς σοφός, ὃς δυνήσεται διακρῖναι ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ἀδελφὸς μετὰ ἀδελφοῦ κρίνεται, καὶ τοῦτο ἐπὶ ἀπίστων; ἴσον δὲ τῶν ἀπίστων ἐστὶν τὸ ἐπὶ τῶν λαϊκῶν τὰ τῶν μοναχῶν ἐξετάζεσθαι καὶ ἀνοίγειν θύραν οἷς οὐ θεμιτὸν παρακύπτειν εἰς τὰ ἡμέτερα· καὶ τοῦτο ἀπᾷδόν ἐστι παντάπασι καὶ ἀσύμφορον τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ. Περὶ ἀποταγῆς καὶ ἀποκάρσεως, ἐπειδὴ καὶ