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The renowned Anna, having promised Samuel before his birth, did not substitute the one who was promised, although she also had other children, but offered this one to God; the blessed Nonna, likewise having promised Gregory the Theologian, fulfilled her vow to God; and indeed Saint Euthymius was given to God by his parents before birth and was not exchanged after his birth. These also appeared as something wondrous to the world, for which their parents have also been blessed. How then, O most wise one, could we, acting contrary to these things, fall outside of accusation, and would not the blessed Peter rather rebuke us, saying somewhere like this, ‘Did it not remain yours while it remained, and after it was sold, was it not in your own authority?’ Why is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? And the blasphemous part that follows I omit to speak, since I am conversing with one who knows. For indeed, whenever anything has been dedicated to God through a favorable vow, it is not without danger to transfer it to common use. And common use is the marriage of this life. And just as one who has promised to live as a monk and for this purpose is tonsured, if he draws back and marries, is condemned, so also the one who has chosen to offer a son or daughter to God, and then changes his mind, would have the same condemnation. Thus we think, forgive us, although we desire your repose and that what is wished for you may come to fruition; but a commandment may not be transgressed for the sake of a commandment, nor may the injurious thing of one be pursued for the sake of the salvation of another, as the God-bearing fathers have declared. And the third point of the argument is that there are some, he says, monks who, while seemingly holding to the orthodox faith and having endured many persecutions for the sake of truth, nevertheless associate and eat with the heretics and those who compromise with them, considering the matter indifferent, as if it were legislated by some father to observe these three things: not to be blessed by heretics, not to sing psalms with them when they lead, and to abstain from communion of their bread. This which is said is contrary to the things ordained by the holy fathers; for they do not deign either to associate with them, or to eat with them, or to sing psalms with them, or to have any communion with them at all, but they also pronounce 'woe' on those who have fellowship with them even in food and drink and relationship. So whoever says those things, whoever he may be among men, is excommunicated and a teacher of foreign doctrine. 501 {1To the brotherhood of Pelecete}1 Grievous indeed is what has befallen your honor, brothers and fathers (for how could it not be?), that you have lost your shepherd and have become like a flock bereft, and this in such days, in which grievous wolves are coming upon the flocks of Christ and are devising to plunder souls. But nevertheless, since what has happened is from God and your shepherd was taken up by Him, at the time when the Lord who directs all things in his wisdom knew what was expedient for both, one must give thanks and not be vexed; for he gave, and he has taken away, and, as it seemed good to the Lord, so it came to pass. What then is sought? That you now come to yourselves and, as you have chosen to select the lord Sergius, our most devout brother, as shepherd, if there is no hesitation regarding the lord Macarius our spiritual father, you should persevere, being guided and ruled by him whom you have chosen as your spiritual father, for your God-saved constitution and for the completion of a life inclined to God, so that you might escape the tempest of the heretical spirits and be brought into a harbor of salvation, so that the name of God may not be blasphemed because of you, but rather be glorified according to the prevailing holy conduct of your life. But you, beloved brother, have not acted unreasonably, since it so happened, coming down from the cleft of the rock and leading the brothers; for our Lord Jesus Christ also, using condescension, completed the mystery of the economy for the salvation of all. Stand firm therefore, as you have judged and it has been judged by the brothers, until the day of the manifestation of the

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Ἄννα ἡ ἀοίδιμος, τὸν Σαμουὴλ πρὸ γεννήσεως ὑποσχομένη, οὐχ ὑπήλλαξεν τὸν ὑποσχεθέντα, καίτοι ἔχουσα καὶ ἑτέρους παῖδας, ἀλλὰ τοῦτον προσήγαγεν τῷ θεῷ· Νόννα ἡ μακαρία, ὡσαύτως ὑποσχομένη Γρηγόριον τὸν Θεολόγον, ἀπέδωκεν θεῷ τὴν εὐχὴν αὐτῆς· καὶ μὴν ὁ Ἅγιος Εὐθύμιος δοτὸς τῷ θεῷ παρὰ τοῖς γονεῦσι πρὸ γεννήσεως καὶ οὐ διήλλακται μετὰ τὴν γέννησιν. οἳ καὶ χρῆμά τι θαυμαστὸν τῷ κόσμῳ ὤφθησαν, ἐξ ὧν καὶ οἱ τοκεῖς μεμακάρηνται. πῶς δ' ἂν οὖν ἡμεῖς, ὦ συνετώτατε, παρὰ ταῦτα ποιοῦντες, ἔξω ἐγκλήματος πέσοιμεν καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον καθάψοιτο ἡμῶν ὁ μακάριος Πέτρος, ὧδέ που λέγων, οὐχὶ μένον σοι ἔμενεν καὶ πραθὲν ἐν τῇ σῇ ἐξουσίᾳ ὑπῆρχεν; τί ὅτι ἔθου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο; καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς δύσφημον πάρειμι λέγειν, εἰδότι διαλεγόμενος. καὶ γάρ, ἐπὰν ὁτιοῦν ἀποταχθείη θεῷ δι' εὐχῆς αἰσίας, εἰς κοινὴν χρῆσιν μεταφέρειν οὐκ ἀκίνδυνον. κοινὴ δὲ χρῆσίς ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ βίου ἐπιγαμία. καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ ὑποσχόμενος μονάσαι καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ κείμενος ὑποστήσας καὶ γήμας κατακέκριται, οὕτω καὶ ὁ προελόμενος υἱὸν ἢ θυγατέρα προσοῖσαι θεῷ, εἶτα μεταλλάξας, τὴν αὐτὴν κατάκρισιν ἔχοι. οὕτω νοοῦμεν, σύγγνωθι, καίπερ ἐφιέμενοι τὸ ἀναπαυστικόν σου καὶ τὸ περὶ σεαυτὸν εὐχθὲν εἰς ἔργον ἀποβῆναι· ἀλλ' οὐ δι' ἐντολὴν ἐντολὴ παραβαίνοιτο οὐδὲ διὰ τὸ θατέρου σωτηριῶδες τὸ θατέρου ἐπιζήμιον πραγματεύοιτο, ὡς οἱ θεοφόροι πατέρες ἀπεφήναντο. Ἡ δὲ τρίτη ἐπιβολὴ τοῦ λόγου, ὅτι εἰσί τινες, φησί, μοναχοί, ὡς τὸ δοκεῖν τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως ἀντεχόμενοι καὶ πολλοὺς διωγμοὺς ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας ὑπομεμενηκότες, συναναστρεφόμενοι δὲ ὅμως καὶ συνεσθίοντες τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς καὶ συγκαταβάταις καὶ ἀδιάφορον τὸ πρᾶγμα οἰόμενοι, ὡς παρά τινι πατρὶ νενομοθετημένοι τρία ταῦτα φυλάξασθαι, μὴ εὐλογεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν αἱρετιζόντων, μὴ συμψάλλειν αὐτοῖς προαρχομένοις καὶ τὸ ἀπέχεσθαι τῆς κοινωνίας τοῦ ἄρτου αὐτῶν. παρὰ τὰ διατεταγμένα τοῖς ἁγίοις πατράσιν τὸ λεγόμενον· οὔτε γὰρ συναναστρέφεσθαι οὔτε συνεσθίειν οὔτε συμψάλλειν οὐθ' ὅλως ἔχειν τινὰ κοινωνίαν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καταδέχονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ οὐαὶ ἐπιφθέγγονται τοῖς μέχρι βρώματος καὶ πόματος καὶ σχέσεως κοινωνοῦσιν αὐτοῖς. ὥστε ἐκκήρυκτος καὶ ἀλλοτριοδιδάσκαλος ὁ ἐκεῖνα λέγων, ὅστις ἂν εἴη ἐν ἀνθρώποις. 501 {1Τῇ ἀδελφότητι τῆς Πελεκητῆσ}1 Λυπηρὸν μὲν τὸ συμβεβηκὸς τῇ τιμιότητι ὑμῶν, ἀδελφοὶ καὶ πατέρες (πῶς γὰρ οὔ;), ὅτι τὸν ποιμένα ὑμῶν ἀποβεβλήκατε καὶ ἐγένεσθε ὡς ποίμνιον ἠπορημένον, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν ἡμέραις τοιαύταις, ἐφ' αἷς λύκοι βαρεῖς ἐπὶ τὰ ποίμνια τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπερχόμενοι καὶ συλαγωγεῖν ψυχὰς σοφιζόμενοι. ἀλλ' ὅμως, ἐπειδὴ παρὰ θεοῦ τὸ συμβὰν καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ προσελήφθη ὁ ποιμὴν ὑμῶν, καθ' ὃν καιρὸν ᾔδει τὸ συμφέρον ἀμφοτέρων ὁ τὰ πάντα ἐν τῇ αὐτοῦ σοφίᾳ διοικῶν Κύριος, εὐχαριστητέον καὶ οὐκ ἀγανακτητέον· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἔδωκεν, αὐτὸς καὶ προσελάβετο καί, ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτως καὶ ἐγένετο. τί οὖν τὸ ἐπιζητούμενον; ἵνα εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἄρτι γένησθε καί, καθὼς ᾑρετίσασθε ἑλέσθαι ποιμένα τὸν κύριον Σέργιον τὸν εὐλαβέστατον ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν, εἴπερ μή ἐστί τι πρὸς τὸν κύριον Μακάριον τὸν πνευματικὸν ἡμῶν πατέρα ἐνδοιάζον, ἐπιμείνητε εὐθυνόμενοι καὶ ἀρχόμενοι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, οὗ ἐξελέξασθε πνευματικοῦ πατρός, εἰς ἐπισύστασιν ὑμῶν θεόσωστον καὶ εἰς ἀποπεραίωσιν βίου θεοκλινοῦς, ὡς ἂν τὴν ζάλην τῶν αἱρετικῶν πνευμάτων διαφύγοιτε καὶ εἰς λιμένα σωτηρίας ἐμβιβάζοισθε εἰς τὸ μὴ βλασφημηθῆναι δι' ὑμᾶς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ δοξασθῆναι κατὰ τὴν προκρατήσασαν εὐαγῆ διαγωγὴν τῆς ζωῆς ὑμῶν. Σὺ δέ, ἀδελφὲ ἀγαπητέ, οὐκ ἔξω τοῦ εἰκότος πέπραχας, ἐπὰν οὕτως ἐγένετο, κατεληλυθὼς ἐκ τῆς ὀπῆς τῆς πέτρας καὶ ἡγησάμενος τῶν ἀδελφῶν· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, συγκαταβάσει χρησάμενος, τὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἐξετέλεσε μυστήριον ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τοῦ παντός. στῆθι οὖν, καθὸ κέκρικας καὶ κέκριται ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ἕως ἡμέρας ἀναδείξεως τοῦ