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to persevere in disposition, both keeping the word of orthodoxy sound and a life not opposing the word. But if you confess to have gained anything from us, the matter must be ascribed to God, from whom is our salvation and yours, of both soul and body. And enough about these things, for it is not the time for me to speak at length, being occupied with other matters not easily resolved. But concerning the bishop of Chios, why have you written this and that? We neither brought the man into our sight when he had come here, avoiding suspicions, nor did we leave him entirely without a response, since it is not right to send away even an ordinary person, let alone one of the same habit and allotted the name of bishop. We were glad, therefore, that at long last he removed himself from the episcopate, choosing to be cast aside somewhere here, also subjecting him to a fitting penance, just as we have done for those who acted similarly to him. and God is the God of the repentant. And this clear example of repentance has been sought both by us and by others, of those charged with healing: the withdrawal of the one who has fallen from the episcopate and the suspension from sacred ministry with a penance until a time of peace. If therefore these things have been agreed to by the man, who were we to reject the one who approaches and in this to be an enemy to God? May you not, O admirable one, be vexed at the man, even if what you say he has done is proven to be most true, since we have neither heard of it until the present nor, even if we had heard, would we judge him in these matters; for it is written: Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing? And again the Apostle says: Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. Besides, the discussion or authority to judge is not about these things, but about accepting the repentance of those who have fallen, the things said by your honor being reserved either here at the proper time for the leaders of the church or in the age to come for the judge of all. Therefore I advise your goodness, having laid aside those words, for the time being to give thanks to the Lord for the man's repentance, so that we may be co-workers with God, who loves that every person be saved, and in this may we have peace with him through our Lord Jesus Christ. And finally, when you have an opportunity, if you indeed seek it, then you may judge matters of uprightness; but for now, pray for us, that we may be saved in both soul and body, for we confess to be more sinful than all men. The lord archbishop greets you many times, having been greeted by your voice, as do also all the brethren with us. Farewell in the Lord, brother. 518 {1To Auxentius the Abbot}1 We have received the letter of your honor and have gone through it as we were able, setting aside the praises concerning us as far as possible, as we are not at all worthy of any appearance of praise, if not rather of reproachful mockery; for who are we, the unprofitable ones and not even worthy of the name by which we have been called? But as for the scriptural chapters sought by you, we were utterly astonished that the inquiry is from us, the unlearned, and indeed about such expressions, which it befits only the God-bearers to clarify, from whom the clarification has also come, and especially, indeed, word for word from the great and divine Basil. Therefore, taking his exegetical volume on Isaiah you will learn the things you seek, especially since the examination of such things also exceeds the measure of a letter, requiring a whole treatise. But as to the fact that a war of words with the Jews is proposed, let the Christ-fighters, O best of fathers, rage against themselves; for those who slapped away the teachings of Christ himself, our true God, and thrust aside the instructions of the apostles, and in sum abominated the lofty words of all the God-bearers would hardly be led by us or accept fitting reason. Let them alone, the Lord said, they are blind. And the prophet says: There is no saying 'hail' to the ungodly, says the Lord. For against

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διαθέσει ἐπιμένειν, τόν τε λόγον τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας σῶον διαφυλάττοντα καὶ τὸν βίον μὴ ἀνθιστάμενον τῷ λόγῳ. εἰ δέ τι πρὸς ἡμῶν ὁμολογεῖς ἀπώνασθαι, θεῷ ἀναθετέον τὸ πρᾶγμα, παρ' οὗ καὶ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν τὸ σωτήριον ψυχῆς τε καὶ σώματος. Καὶ περὶ τούτων μὲν ἅλις, ὅτι μηδὲ καιρός μοι μακρηγορεῖν, ἐν ἄλλοις ἀσχολουμένῳ πράγμασιν οὐκ εὐδιαλύτοις. περὶ δὲ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου Χίου τί τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο γέγραφας; ἡμεῖς οὔτε τὸν ἄνδρα εἰς ὄψιν ἡμῶν ἠγάγομεν ἐληλυθότα ἐνταῦθα, τὰς ὑποψίας διαφεύγοντες, οὔτε πάντῃ ἀναπόκριτον εἰάσαμεν, ὅτι μηδὲ θεμιτὸν καὶ τὸν τυχόντα ἀποπέμπεσθαι, μὴ ὅτι γε ὁμόσχημον καὶ ἐπισκοπῆς ὄνομα κεκληρωμένον. ἠσμενίσαμεν οὖν ὅτι ὀψέ ποτε ἀπενόσφισε τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς, εἱλάμενος ὧδέ που παραρρερρίφθαι, ὑποβάλλοντες αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπιτιμίῳ προσήκοντι, ὥσπερ πεποιήκαμεν ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁμοίως αὐτῷ δράσασι. καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῶν μετανοούντων ἐστίν. καὶ τοῦτο ἐναργὲς ὑπόδειγμα μετανοίας ἐπεζήτηται καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν καὶ πρὸς ἄλλων, τῶν ἰατρεύειν ἐπιτεταγμένων, ἡ τοῦ ὑποπεπτωκότος ὑποχώρησις τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς καὶ εἶρξις τῆς ἱερουργίας σὺν ἐπιτιμίῳ ἕως καιροῦ εἰρήνης. Εἰ οὖν ταῦτα ὡμολόγηται τῷ ἀνδρί, τίνες ἦμεν ἡμεῖς ἀποσείεσθαι τὸν προσιόντα καὶ ἐχθραίνειν ἐν τούτῳ θεῷ; μὴ σύ, ὦ θαυμάσιε, βαρέως φέροιο ἐπὶ τῷ ἀνδρί, κἂν ὅτι μάλιστα, ἃ λέγεις πεπραχέναι αὐτόν, ἀποδέδεικται ἀληθῆ εἶναι, ἐπεὶ ἡμεῖς οὔτε ἀκηκόαμεν ἕως τοῦ παρόντος οὔτε, εἰ καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν, κρίνομεν αὐτὸν ἐν τούτοις· γέγραπται γάρ· μὴ ὁ νόμος ὑμῶν κρίνῃ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ παρ' αὐτοῦ πρότερον καὶ γνῷ τί ποιεῖ. καὶ πάλιν ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγει· κατὰ πρεσβυτέρου κατηγορίαν μὴ παραδέχου, ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ δύο ἢ τριῶν μαρτύρων. ἔπειτα οὐδὲ περὶ τούτων πρόκειται λόγος ἢ ἐξουσία τοῦ κρίνειν, ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ προσίεσθαι τοὺς ὑποπεπτωκότας τὴν μετάνοιαν, ταμιευομένων τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς τιμιότητός σου λελεγμένων ἢ ἐνταῦθα καιρῷ τῷ δέοντι τοῖς προεστῶσι τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἢ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι τῷ κριτῇ τῶν ἁπάντων. διὸ συμβουλεύω τῇ χρηστότητί σου, ἀφεμένῃ τῶν λόγων ἐκείνων, ἐν τῷ τέως εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μετανοίᾳ, ὡς ἂν συνεργοὶ εἴημεν θεῷ, τῷ φιλοῦντι σῴζεσθαι πάντα ἄνθρωπον, κἀν τούτῳ εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ τέλος, ὅταν λάβῃς καιρόν, εἴπερ καὶ ζητεῖς, τότε εὐθύτητας κρίνοιο· τὸ δὲ νῦν προσεύχου περὶ ἡμῶν σῴζεσθαι ἡμᾶς ψυχῇ τε καὶ σώματι, ὅτι ὁμολογοῦμεν πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἁμαρτωλότεροι εἶναι. ὁ κύριος ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος πλεῖστά σε προσαγορεύει, προσαγορευθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς φωνῆς σου, ἐπεὶ καὶ πάντες οἱ μεθ' ἡμῶν ἀδελφοί. ἔρρωσο ἐν Κυρίῳ, ἀδελφέ. 518 {1Αὐξεντίῳ ἡγουμένῳ}1 Τὸ μὲν γράμμα τῆς τιμιότητός σου ἐδεξάμεθα καὶ ὡς ἦν ἡμῖν δυνατὸν ἐπήλθομεν, τὰ μὲν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐγκώμια πορρωτέρω θέμενοι, ὡς οὐκ ἄξιοι ἐγκωμιαστικῆς οὐδόλως ἐμφάσεως, ὅτι μὴ καὶ κατηγορητικῆς μᾶλλον ἐπισκώψεως· τίνες γάρ ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς οἱ ἀχρεῖοι καὶ οὐδὲ ὀνόματος ἄξιοι, οὗ ἐπικεκλήμεθα; πρὸς δὲ τὰ ἐπιζητηθέντα σοι κεφάλαια γραφικὰ πάνυ ἐξενίσθημεν, ὅτι καὶ πρὸς ἡμῶν τῶν ἀμαθῶν ἡ ἐξήτησις, καί γε περὶ τοιούτων ἐμφάσεων, ἃ ἀνήκει μόνοις τοῖς θεοφόροις διαλευκαίνειν, παρ' ὧν καὶ ἡ διασάφησις ἐγεγόνει, καί γε μάλιστα κατὰ λέξιν ὑπὸ τοῦ Μεγάλου καὶ θείου Βασιλείου. λαβὼν οὖν τὸ εἰς τὸν Ἠσαΐαν ἑρμηνευτικὸν αὐτοῦ πτυ-κτίον μαθήσῃ τὰ ἐπιζητούμενα, ἄλλως τε ὅτι καὶ μέτρον ὑπερβαίνει ἐπιστολῆς, ὅλης συγγραφῆς δεομένη ἡ τῶν τοιούτων ἐπίκρισις. Πρὸς δὲ ὅτι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις λογομαχία πρόκειται, ἔα τοὺς χριστομάχους, ὦ πατέρων ἄριστε, λυττᾶν εἰς ἑαυτούς· οἱ γὰρ αὐτοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν τὰς διδαχὰς ἀπορραπίσαντες, τάς τε τῶν ἀποστόλων ὑποθήκας παρωσάμενοι καὶ συλλήβδην πάντων τῶν θεοφόρων τὰς ὑψηγορίας βδελυξάμενοι σχολῇ γ' ἂν ὑφ' ἡμῶν αὐτοὺς ὁδηγεῖσθαι ἢ συναίρειν λόγον καθῆκον. ἄφετε αὐτούς, ὁ Κύριος εἶπεν, τυφλοί εἰσιν. καὶ ὁ προφήτης φησίν· οὐκ ἔστι λέγειν χαίρειν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι λέγει Κύριος. πρὸς γὰρ