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[LETTER OF PETER TO JAMES.]

Peter to James, the lord and bishop of the holy church. under the Father of all, through Jesus Christ, in peace always.

Knowing, my brother, that you hasten eagerly for that which is for our common advantage, I ask and beseech you not to impart the books of my preachings which I have sent you to any of the Gentiles nor to any of our own race before trial; but if anyone, having been tested, is found worthy, then to hand them over to him according to the method of initiation by which Moses also handed them over to the seventy who had received his chair. For this reason also the fruit of that security is seen even to the present. For those of the same race everywhere preserve the same rule of the monarchy and polity, being in no way able to be led astray to think otherwise by the scriptures which have many meanings.

For according to the rule handed down to them they try to correct the inconsistencies of the scriptures, if anyone, perhaps not knowing the traditions, should be perplexed by the many-voiced utterances of the prophets. For this reason they do not permit anyone to teach, unless he first learns how the scriptures must be used. Therefore among them there is one God, one law, one hope. That the same thing, therefore, may also take place among us, give the books of my preachings to our seventy brethren with the same mystery of initiation, so that they may equip those who wish to undertake the part of teaching. For if it is not done so, our word of truth will be divided into many opinions. This I know, not as a prophet, but as already seeing the beginning of the evil itself. For some from the Gentiles have rejected the lawful preaching through me, having accepted a certain lawless and foolish teaching from the hostile man. And these things, while I am still alive, some have attempted, by certain varied interpretations, to transform my words into the dissolution of the law, as though I myself thought so, but did not preach it with boldness. May this not be! For to do such a thing is to act against the law of God which was spoken through Moses and testified to by our Lord concerning its eternal duration. For thus he said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but one iota or one tittle shall not pass away from the law."

This he has said, "that all things might be." But some, I know not how, professing my mind, attempt to interpret the words they heard from me more wisely than I who spoke them, saying to those catechized by them that this is my opinion, which I never even considered. But if, while I am still alive, they dare to tell such lies, how much more will those who come after me dare to do so after me? So that such a thing may not happen, for this reason I have asked and besought you not to impart the books of my preachings which I sent you to anyone, either of our own race or of another race, before trial, but if anyone, having been tested, is found worthy, then to hand them over to him according to the initiation of Moses, by which he handed them over to the seventy who had received his chair, so that they may guard the faiths and everywhere hand down the rule of truth, interpreting all things according to our tradition, and not themselves be dragged down by ignorance, and being drawn into error by conjectures of the soul, lead others into the similar pit of destruction.

And what has seemed good to me I have well indicated to you, but what seems good to you, my lord, fittingly carry out. Farewell.

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[EΠIΣΤOΛH ΠEΤΡOΥ ΠΡOΣ IAΚΩΒOΝ.]

Πέτρος Ἰακώβῳ τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ ἐπισκόπῳ τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας. ὑπὸ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων πατρὸς διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν εἰρήνῃ πάντοτε.

Eἰδώς σε, ἀδελφέ μου, εἰς τὸ κοινῇ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν συμφέρον σπεύδοντα προθύμως, ἀξιῶ καὶ δέομαι τῶν ἐμῶν κηρυγμάτων ἃς ἔπεμψά σοι βίβλους μηδενὶ τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν μεταδοῦναι μήτε ὁμοφύλῳ πρὸ πείρας, ἀλλ' ἐάν τις δοκιμασθεὶς ἄξιος ὑρεθῇ, τότε αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν ἀγωγὴν παραδοῦναι, καθ' ἣν καὶ τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ὁ Μωυσῆς παρέδωκε τοῖς τὴν καθέδραν αὐτοῦ παρειληφόσιν. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ καρπὸς τῆς ἀσφαλείας μέχρι τοῦ δεῦρο φαίνεται. τὸν γὰρ αὐτὸν οἱ πανταχῆ ὁμόεθνοι τῆς μοναρχίας καὶ πολιτείας φυλάσσουσι κανόνα, κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον ἄλλως φρονεῖν ὑπὸ τῶν πολλὰ νευρουσῶν γραφῶν ἐξοδευθῆναι δυνηθέντες.

Κατὰ γὰρ τὸν παραδοθέντα αὐτοῖς κανόνα τὰ τῶν γραφῶν ἀσύμφωνα πειρῶνται μεταρρυθμίζειν, εἰ δή τις· τυχὸν μὴ εἰδὼς τὰς παραδόσεις ναρκᾷ πρὸς τὰς τῶν προφητῶν πολυσήμους φωνάς. οὗ ἕνεκεν οὐδενὶ διδάσκειν ἐπιτρέπουσιν, ἐὰν μὴ πρότερον μάθῃ πῶς δεῖ ταῖς γραφαῖς χρῆσθαι. διὰ τοῦτο παρ' αὐτοῖς εἷς θεός, εἷς νόμος, μία ἐλπίς. ἵνα γοῦν τὸ ὅμοιον καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν γένηται, τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ἡμῶν ἀδελφοῖς τὰς βίβλους μου τῶν κηρυγμάτων δὸς μετὰ τοῦ ὁμοίου τῆς ἀγωγῆς μυστηρίου, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς βουλομένους τὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀναδέξασθαι μέρος ἐφοδιάζειν ἐφοδιάζωσιν· ἐπεὶ ἐὰν μὴ οὕτως γένηται, εἰς πολλὰς γνώμας ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ἡμῶν διαιρεθήσεται λόγος. τοῦτο δὲ οὐχ ὡς προφήτης ὢν ἐπίσταμαι, ἀλλ' ἤδη αὐτοῦ τοῦ κακοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁρῶν. τινὲς γὰρ τῶν ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν τὸ δι' ἐμοῦ νόμιμον ἀπεδοκίμασαν κήρυγμα, τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἀνθρώπου ἄνομόν τινα καὶ φλυαρώδη προσηκάμενοι διδασκαλίαν. καὶ ταῦτα ἔτι μου περιόντος ἐπεχείρησάν τινες ποικίλαις τισὶν ἑρμηνείαις τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους μετασχηματίζειν εἰς τὴν τοῦ νόμου κατάλυσιν, ὡς καὶ ἐμοῦ αὐτοῦ οὕτω μὲν φρονοῦντος, μὴ ἐκ παρρησίας δὲ κηρύσσοντος. ὅπερ ἀπείη. τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτο ἀντιπράσσειν ἐστὶ τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ νόμῳ τῷ διὰ Μωυσέως ῥηθέντι καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν μαρτυρηθέντι περὶ τῆς ἀιδίου αὐτοῦ διαμονῆς. ἐπεὶ οὕτως εἶπεν· «Ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται, ἰῶτα ἓν ἢ μία κεραία οὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου».

Τοῦτο δὲ εἴρηκεν, «ἵνα τὰ πάντα γίνηται». οἱ δὲ οὐκ οἶδα πῶς τὸν ἐμὸν νοῦν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, οὓς ἤκουσαν ἐξ ἐμοῦ λόγους, ἐμοῦ τοῦ εἰπόντος αὐτοὺς φρονιμώτερον ἐπιχειροῦσιν ἑρμηνεύειν, λέγοντες τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτῶν κατηχουμένοις τοῦτο εἶναι τὸ ἐμὸν φρόνημα, ὃ ἐγὼ οὐδὲ ἐνεθυμήθην. εἰ δὲ ἐμοῦ ἔτι περιόντος τοιαῦτα τολμῶσιν καταψεύδεσθαι, πόσῳ γε μᾶλλον μετ' ἐμὲ ποιεῖν οἱ μετ' ἐμὲ τολμήσουσιν; ἵνα οὖν μὴ τοιοῦτόν τι γένηται, τούτου ἕνεκα ἠξίωσα καὶ ἐδεήθην τῶν ἐμῶν κηρυγμάτων ἃς ἔπεμψά σοι βίβλους μηδενὶ μεταδοῦναι μήτε ὁμοφύλῳ μήτε ἀλλοφύλῳ πρὸ πείρας, ἀλλ' ἐάν τις δοκιμασθεὶς ἄξιος εὑρεθῇ, τότε αὐτῷ κατὰ τὴν Μωυσέως ἀγωγὴν παραδοῦναι, καθ' ἣν τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα παρέδωκεν τοῖς τὴν καθέδραν αὐτοῦ παρειληφόσιν, ἵνα οὕτως τὰς πίστεις φυλάξωσιν καὶ πανταχῆ τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας κανόνα παραδῶσιν, ἑρμηνεύοντες τὰ πάντα πρὸς τὴν παράδοσιν ἡμῶν, καὶ μὴ αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ ἀμαθείας κατασπώμενοι, ὑπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν στοχασμῶν εἰς πλάνην ἑλκόμενοι, ἄλλους εἰς τὸν ὅμοιον τῆς ἀπωλείας ἐνέγκωσιν βόθυνον.

Καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐμοὶ δόξαντα καλῶς ἐσήμανά σοι, τὸ δὲ σοὶ δοκοῦν, κύριέ μου, πρεπόντως ἐπιτέλει. ἔρρωσο.