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that you accomplished for your blessed brother; for they say that you opened the coffin, having arrived from a foreign land, then embraced the remains and took them in your arms, as if re-interring the dead man with other new linens. Who then would not admire your sisterly love? And who present at that time would not have shed tears, would not have lamented warmly, when indeed the suffering touched even us, being further away, from hearing alone, and grieved our heart exceedingly? O bitter news! O mournful meeting! What were we and what have we become? Suddenly orphans, bereft of a brother. Perhaps the sun too groaned, seeing what happened, and the moon wept for what had come to pass, and the stars grew gloomy as if grieving, or to say anything else of the elements, suffering similar things. What then, shall we persist in sorrowful things? Shall we be darkened by the cloud of grief and become like those who have lost all? By no means, sister in the Lord; for our affairs are not without providence nor without hope like the uninitiated gentiles, but in the hands of God who holds all things, from whom we have come to be, both we and those who begot us, from whom we possess both breathing and living and having been brought to this, the virginal profession, greatest of dignities. We have wept, therefore, what is fitting for our brother; now is the time for consolation, now is the day of thanksgiving. Let us therefore put off the mournful appearance and put on the arms of magnanimity. We have sent forth a brother good in appearance and in mind and in faith, just as before our kinsmen and our parents; a little later we ourselves will follow, and no one is born and not buried. Let us then also prepare ourselves for the departure, let us prepare the provisions for the transition, let us form the sisters by our own disposition both to mourn in due season and to give thanks fittingly; let us show to those who see that God is glorified in us, thanked for what he commands. He himself gave, he himself also has taken away, as it seemed good to the Lord, so also it has come to be. Yes, I beseech your honor, as both a mother and one who has given birth, that is, my most beloved sister, let us send forth a voice of praise, let us show a countenance of cheerfulness, let us teach by our deeds that we bear the cross on our shoulders and in our purpose have died and yield in all things to the divine realities. If you act thus, how great the good, you will gladden Christ, your immortal bridegroom; since, if you grieve, you grieve him as is likely, as one loving another more than him. Do you see where the argument has led you, that you are neither an orphan nor unsupervised nor unprotected? For if God is with us, who is against us? If he is the one who encompasses, who is the one who opposes? Thus even now I was led, sister, to exhort you; but may you, doing well, be persuaded by an unwise old man, who counsels well and who in reality sympathizes with your affairs as his own, as is due. 549 {1To Methodius the monk}1 However much desire your honor has to see our lowliness, so much let it be thought our desire is also for a face-to-face conversation. But since it is written, it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy, to him one must commit the longing and cast the care, and he himself will do, whenever he wishes, the will of those who fear him; but for the present, it is necessary to give fitting answers concerning the chapters proposed by our spiritual brothers Hilarion and Eustratius, with your reverence mediating. And so that what is said may be easy to survey, let the reply be for each proposed chapter in sequence. Question. Concerning presbyters ordained in Rome, in Naples, and in Lombardy, who are unproclaimed and laicized, whether it is right to receive such men and have communion with them and eat with them and pray with them. Answer. In a time of heresy, things do not happen in every case unalterably according to what was laid down in time of peace, because of compelling need, which is what the most blessed Athanasius and the most holy Eusebius appear to have done,

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τοῦ μακαρίου ἀδελφοῦ σου καταπράξασθαί σε· φασὶ γὰρ ἀνεῳγέναι σε τὴν θήκην, παραγενομένην ἐκ τῆς ἀλλοδαπῆς, εἶτα περιπλακῆναι τῷ λειψάνῳ καὶ εἰς ἀγκάλας ἑλεῖν, μετενταφιάζουσα οἱονεὶ τὸν νεκρὸν ἄλλοις καινοῖς ὀθονίοις. τίς οὖν οὐκ ἀγάσαιτο τὸ φιλάδελφόν σου; τίς δὲ τηνικαῦτα παρὼν οὐκ ἂν ἐξέχεεν δάκρυα, οὐκ ἂν ὠλοφύρατο θερμῶς, ὅπου γε καὶ ἡμῶν, πορρωτέρω διακειμένων, ἐξ ἀκοῆς μόνον ἥψατο τὸ πάθος καὶ περιωδύνησεν ἡμῶν τὴν καρδίαν σφόδρα; ὢ ἀγγελίας πικρᾶς· ὢ συναντήματος ὀδυρτικοῦ· τί ἦμεν καὶ τί ἐγενόμεθα; ἐξαπίνης ὀρφανοί, ἐρημάδελφοι. τάχα ἐστέναξεν ὁρῶν καὶ ὁ ἥλιος τὸ γιγνόμενον, ἐδάκρυσεν δὲ σελήνη τὰ φθάσαντα, ἐστυγνίασαν δὲ ἀστέρες ὡς λυπούμενοι, ὁτιοῦν εἰπεῖν ἄλλο τῶν στοιχείων, πεπονθὸς τὰ ὅμοια. Τί οὖν, ἐπιμείνωμεν τοῖς λυπηροῖς; συσκοτάσωμεν τῷ νέφει τῆς λύπης καὶ γενώμεθα ὡς οἱ ἀπολελωκότες; οὔμενουν, ἀδελφὴ ἐν Κυρίῳ· οὐ γὰρ ἀπρονόητα τὰ ἡμέτερα οὐδὲ ἀνέλπιστα κατὰ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ ἀμύητα, ἀλλ' ἐν χερσὶ θεοῦ τοῦ τὰ πάντα συνέχοντος, παρ' οὗ καὶ γεγόναμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ γεγεννηκότες ἡμᾶς, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τὸ ἀναπνεῖν καὶ ζῆν κεκτήμεθα καὶ τὸ εἰς τόδε προαχθῆναι τοῦ μεγίστου τῶν ἀξιωμάτων παρθενικὸν ἐπάγγελμα. ἐκλαύσαμεν οὖν τὰ εἰκότα ἐπὶ τῷ ἀδελφῷ· νῦν καιρὸς παρακλήσεως, νῦν ἡμέρα εὐχαριστίας. ἀποθώμεθα οὖν τὸ πενθικὸν σχῆμα καὶ ἐνδυσώμεθα τὰ ὅπλα τῆς μεγαλοψυχίας. προυπέμψαμεν ἀδελφὸν ἀγαθὸν τῷ τε εἴδει καὶ τῇ γνώμῃ καὶ τῇ πίστει, ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον τοὺς ὁμαίμονας καὶ τοὺς γεννήτορας· μικρὸν ὕστερον συνεψόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁ γεννηθεὶς καὶ μὴ ταφείς. παρασκευασώμεθα λοιπὸν καὶ ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον, ἑτοιμάσωμεν τὰ ἐφόδια τῆς μεταστάσεως, τυπώσωμεν τὰς ἀδελφὰς τῷ οἰκείῳ καταστήματι καὶ πενθεῖν εὐκαίρως καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν ἁρμοδίως· δείξωμεν τοῖς ὁρῶσιν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν δοξαζόμενος, εὐχαριστούμενος ἐφ' οἷς κελεύει. αὐτὸς ἔδωκεν, αὐτὸς καὶ ἀφείλατο, ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτως καὶ ἐγένετο. Ναί, παρακαλῶ τὴν τιμιότητά σου ἴσα καὶ μητρὶ καὶ γεννησάσῃ, ἤτοι ἀδελφῇ τῇ φιλτοτάτῃ μοι, ἀφήσωμεν φωνὴν αἰνέσεως, ὑπο δείξωμεν πρόσωπον φαιδρότητος, διδάξωμεν ἔργοις ὅτι τὸν σταυρὸν ἐπ' ὤμων φέρομεν καὶ τῇ προαιρέσει ἀπεθάνομεν καὶ εἴκομεν κατὰ πάντα τοῖς θείοις πράγμασιν. ἐὰν οὕτω πράξοις, ὅσον τὸ καλόν, εὐφρανεῖς Χριστόν, τὸν ἀθάνατόν σου νυμφίον· ἐπεί, ἐὰν λυπῇ, λυπεῖς αὐτὸν ὡς τὸ εἰκός, ὡς ἄλλον περισσότερον ἐκείνου φιλοῦσα. ὁρᾷς ποῦ σε ὁ λόγος ἤγαγεν ὡς οὐδὲ ὀρφανὴν οὖσαν οὐδὲ ἀνεπίσκοπον οὐδὲ ἀπροστάτευτον; εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς μεθ' ἡμῶν, τίς καθ' ἡμῶν; εἰ αὐτὸς ὁ περιέπων, τίς ὁ ἀντιπίπτων; οὕτως καὶ τανῦν προήχθην, ἀδελφή, παρακαλέσαι σε· αὐτὴ δὲ εὖ πράττουσα πείθοιο ἀσόφῳ γέροντι, εὖ συμβουλεύοντι καὶ τῷ ὄντι οἰκειοπαθοῦντι ὀφειλομένως ὡς οἰκεῖα τὰ σά. 549 {1Μεθοδίῳ μονάζοντι}1 Ὅσην ἔχει ἐπιποθίαν ἡ τιμιότης σου ἰδεῖν τὴν ταπείνωσιν ἡμῶν, τοσαύτην οἰέσθω καὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν εἶναι πρὸς τὴν κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς ὁμιλίαν. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ γέγραπται, οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος θεοῦ, αὐτῷ ἀναθετέον τὸν πόθον καὶ ἐπιρριπτέον τὴν μέριμναν, καὶ αὐτὸς ποιήσει, ὁπηνίκα καὶ βούληται, θέλημα τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτόν· τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον ἀναγκαῖον περὶ τῶν προταθέντων κεφαλαίων ὑπὸ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἡμῶν ἀδελφῶν Ἱλαρίωνός τε καὶ Εὐστρατίου, μεσολαβούσης τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας, ἀποκριθῆναι τὰ εἰκότα. ὡς ἂν δὲ εὐσύνοπτα γένηται τὰ λεγόμενα, ἑνὸς ἑκάστου προταθέντος κεφαλαίου κατὰ συνέχειαν καὶ ἡ ἀπόκρισις εἶεν. Ἐρώτησις. περὶ τῶν χειροτονηθέντων πρεσβυτέρων ἐν Ῥώμῃ, ἐν Νεαπόλει καὶ ἐν Λαγγιβαρδίᾳ ἀκηρύκτων καὶ ἀπολελυμένων, εἰ χρὴ τοὺς τοιούτους δέχεσθαι καὶ κοινωνεῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ συνεσθίειν καὶ συνεύχεσθαι. Ἀπόκρισις. ἐν καιρῷ αἱρέσεως οὐ κατὰ τὰ ἐν εἰρήνῃ τυπωθέντα πάντως ἀπαραλείπτως γίνεται διὰ τὴν ἀναγκάζουσαν χρείαν, ὅπερ φαίνεται πεποιηκὼς ὅ τε μακαριώτατος Ἀθανάσιος καὶ ὁ ἁγιώτατος Εὐσέβιος,