Letters 214–219
Greek text: PG 32.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895), Letters.
Chapter 214
214PG 32:785a–789d
Τερεντίῳ κόμητι. Α 1. Ὅτε ἠκούσαμεν τὴν σεμνότητά σου πάλιν ἐκβεβιάσθαι πρὸς τὴν τῶν κοινῶν ἐπιμέλειαν, εὐθὺς μὲν διε· ταράχθημεν (εἰρήσεται γὰρ τάληθὲς), λογιζόμενοι ὅπως σοι παρὰ γνώμην ἐστὶν, ἅπαξ ἁφεθέντι τῶν δημοσίων φροντίδων, καὶ σχολάσαντι τῇ ἐπιμελείᾳ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φυχὶςν πάλιν ἀναγκάζεσθαι πρὸς τὰ αὐτὰ ὑποστρέ· φειν. Ἔπειτα εἰς ἔννοιαν ἐλθόντες, ὡς ὅτι τάχαὸ Κύριος, βουλόμενος τῶν μυρίων ὀδυνῶν, αἱ νῦν τὰς καθʼ ἡμᾶς Ἐκκλησίας συνέχουσι, μίαν ταύτην χαρίσασθαι παραμυθίαν, τὴν σὴν σεμνοπρέπειαν πάλιν ᾠκονόμησεν ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων φανῆναι · καὶ δή καὶ εὐθυμόο τεροι ἦμεν, ὡς μέλλοντες ἔτι γοῦν ἅπαξ, πρὶν ἀπιέναι τῆς ζωῆς 1ἀὐτ-ης, συντεύξεσθαι τῇ τιμιότητί σου. 2. Ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἡμᾶς ἑτέρα φήμὴ κατέσχεν, ’ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς Ἀντιοχείας διάγοντος, καὶ τὰ ἐν χερσὶ πράγματα ταῖς μεγάλαις ἀρχαῖς συνδιέποντος. Πρὸς δὲ τῇ φήμῃ ταύτῃ κατέλαβεν ἡμᾶς ἀκοὴ, ὅτι καὶ οἱ τῆς κατὰ Παυλῖνον συντάξεῳς ἀδελφοὶ ἅιαλέγονταὶ τινα τῇ ὀρθότητί σου περὶτῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἑνώσεως · ἡμᾶς δὲ λέγω τοὺς τῆς μερίδος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, Μελετίου, τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. Ούς καὶ γράμματα ἀκούω νῦν τῶν Δυτικῶν περιφέρειν, αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν τῆς κατά ’Δντιόχειαν Ἐκκλησίας ἐπιτρέποντα, παραλογιζόμενα δε τὸν θαυμασιώτατον ἐπίσκοπον τῆς ἀληθινῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας Μελέτιον. Καὶ οὐ θαυμάξω τοῦτο. Οί μὲν γὰρ ἀγνοοῦσι παντελῶς τὰ ἕνταῡθα οἱ δὲ, καὶ δοκοῦντες εἰδέναι, φιλονεικότερον μᾶλλον ἦ ἀληθέστερον αὐτοῖς ἐξηγοῦνται. Πλὴν ἀλλʼ ἐκείνους μὲν οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς ἦ ἀγνοεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἦ καὶ ἀποκρύπτεσθαι τὴν αἰτίαν, διʼ ἣν εἰς τὸ γράφειν Παυλίνῳ ἦλθεν ὁ μακαριώτατος ἐπίσκοπος Ἀθανάσιος ’ Τὴν δὲ σὴν τελειόο τητα αὐτοῦ ἔχουσαν τοὺς δυναμένους τὰ μεταξὺ τῶν ἐπισκόπων γενόμενα ἐπὶ τῆς Ἰοβιανοῦ βασιλείας ἀκριβῶς διηγήσασθαι, παρακαλοῦμεν ὑπʼ αὐτῶν πληδοφορηθῆναι. Πλὴν ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ οὐδενός κατεγουοῦμεν, πρὸς πάντας δὲ ἔχειν εὐχόμεθα τὴν ἀγάπην, ιαὶ μάλιστα πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πιττεως, συγχαίροιεν τοῖς κομισαμένοις τὰ ἁπόῬώμης γράμματα. Κᾶν τινα σεμνὴν καὶ μεγαλην ἔχῃ αὐτοῖς μαρτνρίανʼ ὠκύμεθα ἀληθῆ εἶναι ταύτην, καὶ διʼ αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων βεβαιουμένην. Οὐ μέντοι τούτου ’γε ἕνεκεν δυνάμεθά ποτε ἑαυτοὺς πεῖσαι ἡ Μελέτιον ἀγνοῆσαι, ἦ τῆς ὑπʼ αὐτὸν Ἐκκλησίας ἐπιλαθέσθαι, ἣ τὰ ζητήματα, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἡ διάστασις γέγονε, μικρὰ ἡγήσασθαι, και ὀλίγην ἔχειν διαφορὰν νομίσαι πρόςτόν τῆς εὐσεβείας exoπόν.Ἐίγὼ γὰρ, οὐχ ὅπως εἰ ἐπιστολήν τις ἀνθρὼπωύ δεξάμενος, ἐπʼ αὐτῇ μέγα φρονεῖ, τούτου ἕνεκεν ὑποσταλῆναι ποτε καταδέξομαι · ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ ἂν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἥκῃ τῶν οὐρανῶν, μὴ στοιχῇ δὲ τῷ ὑγιαίνοντι λόγῳ τῇ ς πίστεως, ,Β δύναμαι αὐτὸν κοινωνὸν ἡγήσασθαι τών ἁγίων. 3. Ἐνθυμήθητι γὰρ, ω θαυμάσιε, ὅτι οἱ παραχαέ ράκται τῆς ἀληθείας, οἱ τὸ Ἀρείανόν σχίσμα τῇ ὑγιεί τῶν πατέρῳν ἔπεισαγαγόντες πίστει, οὐ· δεμίαν ἄλλην αἰτίαν προβάλλονται τοῦ μὴ παραδέχεσθαι τό εὐσεβὲς τῶν πατέρων δόγμα, ἦ τὴν τοῦ ὁμοουσίου διάνοιαν, ἣν αὐτοὶ πονηρῶς καὶ ἐπὶ διαβολῇ τῆς ὅλης πίστεως ἐξηγοῦνται, λέγοντες τὸν Υἱὸν κατὰ τὴν ὑπόστασιν ὁμοούσιον λέγεσθαι παρʼ ἡμῶν Οἷς ἐάν τινα δῶμεν ἀφορμήν, ἐκ τοῦ περιφέρεσθαι τοῖς διʼ ἁπλότητα μᾶλλον, ἣ διὰ κακίαν ταῦτα ᾖ τὰ τούτοις παραπλήσια λέγουσιν, οὐδʼἐν κωλύει καὶ ἡμᾶς ἆναντιῤῥήτους μὲν δοῦναι καθʼ ἑαυτῶν τὰς λαβὰς, ἰσχυρὰν δὲ ἐκείνοις κατασκευάσαι τὴν αἵρεσιν, οἷς μία μελέτη ἐστὶν, ἐν τοῖς ἔπι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας λόγοις οὐ τὰ ἑαυτῶν κατασκευάζειν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἡμέτερα διαβάλλειν. Τίς δʼ ἂν γένοιτο τῆς διαβολῆς ταύτης χαλεπωτέρα, καὶ μᾶλλον δυναμένη τοὺς πολλοὺς διασαλλῦσαι, ἢ εἰ φανείησαν τὶνες ἐξ ἡμῶν Πατρός καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου ῐΙνεύματος μίαν ὑπόστασιν λέγοντες, οἳ, κᾶν πάνυ τὸ τῶν προσώπων ’ διάφορον ἐναργῶς δογματίζωσιν ἀλλʼ οὖν τῷ παρὰ τοῦ Σαβελλίου προειλῆφθαι τό αὐτὸ τοῦτο λέγοντος 9 ἕνα μὲν εἶναι τῇ ὑποστάσει τὸν Θεὸν, προσωποποιεῖσθαι δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς διαφόρως, κατὰ τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς ὑποκειμένης ἑκάστοτε χρείας· καὶ νῦν μὲν τὰς πατρικὰς ἑαυτῷ περιτιθέναι φωνὰς, ὅταν τούτου καιρὸςῇ τοῦ προσώπου νῦν δὲ τὰς Tin πρεπούσας, ὅταν πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐπιμελειαν ὃ πρὸς ἄλλοις τινὰς οἰκονομικὰς ἐνεργείας ὑποβαίνῃ ς νόν δὲ τὸ τοῦ Ιινεὺματος όποδύεσθαι προσωπεῖον, ὅταν 6 καιρὸς τὰς διτό τοῦ τοιούτου προσώπου φωνὰς ἀπαιτῇ · ἐὰν οὖν καὶ παρʼ ἡμῖν φανῶσι τινες Et: τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ Πατέρα καὶ ria» καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα λίγοντες, τρία δὲ πρόσωπα τέλεια ὐμολογοῶντεςο πῶς 4. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ, ὅτι ὑπόστασις καὶ οὐσία οὐ ταυτόν ἐστι, καὶ αὐτοὶ, ὡς νομίζω, ὐπεσημὴναντο οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Δύσεως ἀδελφοὶ, ἐν οἷς τό στενόν τῆς ἑαυτῶν γλώττης ὑφορώμενοι, τὸ τῆς οὐσίας ὄνομα τῇ Ἑλλάδι φωνῇ παραδεδώκασιν· ἵνα, εἰ τις εἴη διαφορὰ τῆς ἐννοίας, σώζοιτο αὐτὴ ἐν τῇ εὐκρινεῖ καὶμὰσυγχύτῳ διαστάσει τῶν ὀνομάτων. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ καὶ ἡμᾶς τὸ δοκοῦν ἡμῖν ἐν βραχεῖ εἰπεῖν, ἐκεῖνο ἐροῦμεν, ὅτι ὃν ἔχει λόγον τὸ κοινὸν πρὸς τὸ ῖὸ ιον, τοῦτον ἔχει ἡ οὐσία πρὸς τὴν ὑπόστασιν. Ἕκαστος γὰρ ἡμῶν καὶ τῷ κοινῷ τῆς οὐσίας λόγῳ τοῦ εἶναι μετέχει, καὶ τοῖς περὶ αὐτόν ἰδιώμασιν ό δεῖνά ἐστι καὶ ό δεῖνα. Οὕτω κᾶκεῖ ό τῆς οὐσίας λόγος κοινός· οἷον ἡ ἀγαθότης, ἡ θεότης,η εἳ τι ἄλλο νοοῖτο· ἡ δὲ ὑπόστασις ἐν τῷ ἰδιώματι τῆς πατρότητος, ἦ τῆς τίόυητος, ἦ τῆς ἀγιοιστικῆς δυνάμεως θεωρεῖται. Εἰ μεν οὖν ἀνυπόστατα λέγουσι τὰ πρόσωπα, αὐτόθεν ἔχει ό λόγος τὴν ἀτοπίαν· εἰ δὲ ἕν ὑποστάσει εἶναι αὖτὰ ἀληθινῇ συγχωυ ροῦσιν, ὃ ὁμολογοῦσι, καὶ ἀριθμείτωσαν, ἵνα καὶ ό τοῦ όμοουσίου λόγος διαφυλαχθῇ ἐν τῇ ἑνότητι τῆς θεότητος, καὶ ἡ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπίγνωσις, Πατρός καὶ Υἱοὺ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ἐν τῇ ἀπηρτισμένη καὶ ὁλοτελεί ἑκάστου τῶν ὀνομαζομένων ὑποστάσει κηρύσσηται.”ομως δε ἐκεῖνο βούλομαι πεπεῖσθαι τὴν σεμνότητά σου, ὅτι καὶ σε καὶ πάντα τόν παραπλησίως σοι τῆς ἀληθείας φροντίζοντα, καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀγωνιζομένους μὴ ἀτιμαζοντα, ἀναμένειν δεῖ καθηγήσασθαι τῆν συναφείας ταύτης καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης τοὺς προστάτας τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν, οὓς ἐγὼ στύλους καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τίθεμαι, καὶ τοσούτῳ πλέον αὐτοὺς αἰδοῦμαι, ὅσῳ ἀν μακρότερον ἐξοικισθὼσιν, ἀντὶ τιμωρίας αὐτοῖς ἐπαγομένου τοῦ χωρισμοῦ. Παρακαλῶ οὖν, φύλαξον ἡμῖν σεαυτὸν ἀπρόληπτον, ἵνʼ ἔχωμεν σοι γοῦν ἐπαναπαύεσθαι, ὃν ἐν πᾶσι βακτηρίαν ἡμῖν καὶ ἔρεισμα ό Θεὸς ἐχαρίσατο.
Terentiǭ komēti. A 1. Hote ēkousamen tēn semnotēta sou palin ekbebiasthai pros tēn tōn koinōn epimeleian, euthys men die; tarachthēmen (eirēsetai gar talēthes), logizomenoi hopōs soi para gnōmēn estin, hapax haphethenti tōn dēmosiōn phrontidōn, kai scholasanti tę̄ epimeleią tēs heautou phychisn palin anankazesthai pros ta auta hypostre; phein. Epeita eis ennoian elthontes, hōs hoti tachao Kyrios, boulomenos tōn myriōn odynōn, hai nyn tas kathʼ hēmas Ekklēsias synechousi, mian tautēn charisasthai paramythian, tēn sēn semnoprepeian palin ǭkonomēsen epi tōn pragmatōn phanēnai ; kai dē kai euthymoo teroi ēmen, hōs mellontes eti goun hapax, prin apienai tēs zōēs 1aut-ēs, synteuxesthai tę̄ timiotēti sou. 2. Alla palin hēmas hetera phēmē kateschen, ’hōs epi tēs Antiocheias diagontos, kai ta en chersi pragmata tais megalais archais syndiepontos. Pros de tę̄ phēmę̄ tautę̄ katelaben hēmas akoē, hoti kai hoi tēs kata Paulinon syntaxeǭs adelphoi haialegontai tina tę̄ orthotēti sou peritēs pros hēmas henōseōs ; hēmas de legō tous tēs meridos tou anthrōpou tou Theou, Meletiou, tou episkopou. Ous kai grammata akouō nyn tōn Dytikōn peripherein, autois tēn episkopēn tēs kata ’Dntiocheian Ekklēsias epitreponta, paralogizomena de ton thaumasiōtaton episkopon tēs alēthinēs tou Theou Ekklēsias Meletion. Kai ou thaumaxō touto. Oi men gar agnoousi pantelōs ta hentautha hoi de, kai dokountes eidenai, philoneikoteron mallon ē alēthesteron autois exēgountai. Plēn allʼ ekeinous men ouden apeikos ē agnoein tēn alētheian, ē kai apokryptesthai tēn aitian, diʼ hēn eis to graphein Paulinǭ ēlthen ho makariōtatos episkopos Athanasios ’ Tēn de sēn teleioo tēta autou echousan tous dynamenous ta metaxy tōn episkopōn genomena epi tēs Iobianou basileias akribōs diēgēsasthai, parakaloumen hypʼ autōn plēdophorēthēnai. Plēn allʼ epeidē oudenos kategououmen, pros pantas de echein euchometha tēn agapēn, iai malista pros tous oikeious tēs pitteōs, synchairoien tois komisamenois ta hapoRhōmēs grammata. Kan tina semnēn kai megalēn echę̄ autois martnrianʼ ōkymetha alēthē einai tautēn, kai diʼ autōn tōn ergōn bebaioumenēn. Ou mentoi toutou ’ge heneken dynametha pote heautous peisai hē Meletion agnoēsai, ē tēs hypʼ auton Ekklēsias epilathesthai, hē ta zētēmata, hyper hōn ex archēs hē diastasis gegone, mikra hēgēsasthai, kai oligēn echein diaphoran nomisai proston tēs eusebeias exopon.Eigō gar, ouch hopōs ei epistolēn tis anthrōpōy dexamenos, epʼ autę̄ mega phronei, toutou heneken hypostalēnai pote katadexomai ; allʼ oudʼ an ex autōn hēkę̄ tōn ouranōn, mē stoichę̄ de tǭ hygiainonti logǭ tę̄ s pisteōs, ,B dynamai auton koinōnon hēgēsasthai tōn hagiōn. 3. Enthymēthēti gar, ō thaumasie, hoti hoi parachae raktai tēs alētheias, hoi to Areianon schisma tę̄ hygiei tōn paterǭn epeisagagontes pistei, ou; demian allēn aitian proballontai tou mē paradechesthai to eusebes tōn paterōn dogma, ē tēn tou homoousiou dianoian, hēn autoi ponērōs kai epi diabolę̄ tēs holēs pisteōs exēgountai, legontes ton Huion kata tēn hypostasin homoousion legesthai parʼ hēmōn Hois ean tina dōmen aphormēn, ek tou peripheresthai tois diʼ haplotēta mallon, hē dia kakian tauta ę̄ ta toutois paraplēsia legousin, oudʼen kōlyei kai hēmas anantirrhētous men dounai kathʼ heautōn tas labas, ischyran de ekeinois kataskeuasai tēn hairesin, hois mia meletē estin, en tois epi tēs Ekklēsias logois ou ta heautōn kataskeuazein, alla ta hēmetera diaballein. Tis dʼ an genoito tēs diabolēs tautēs chalepōtera, kai mallon dynamenē tous pollous diasallysai, ē ei phaneiēsan tines ex hēmōn Patros kai Huiou kai hagiou iIneumatos mian hypostasin legontes, hoi, kan pany to tōn prosōpōn ’ diaphoron enargōs dogmatizōsin allʼ oun tǭ para tou Sabelliou proeilēphthai to auto touto legontos 9 hena men einai tę̄ hypostasei ton Theon, prosōpopoieisthai de hypo tēs Graphēs diaphorōs, kata to idiōma tēs hypokeimenēs hekastote chreias; kai nyn men tas patrikas heautǭ peritithenai phōnas, hotan toutou kairosę̄ tou prosōpou nyn de tas Tin prepousas, hotan pros tēn hēmeteran epimeleian ho pros allois tinas oikonomikas energeias hypobainę̄ s non de to tou Iineumatos opodyesthai prosōpeion, hotan 6 kairos tas dito tou toioutou prosōpou phōnas apaitę̄ ; ean oun kai parʼ hēmin phanōsi tines Et: tǭ hypokeimenǭ Patera kai ria» kai hagion Pneuma ligontes, tria de prosōpa teleia ymologoōnteso pōs 4. Peri de tou, hoti hypostasis kai ousia ou tauton esti, kai autoi, hōs nomizō, ypesēmēnanto hoi apo tēs Dyseōs adelphoi, en hois to stenon tēs heautōn glōttēs hyphorōmenoi, to tēs ousias onoma tę̄ Helladi phōnę̄ paradedōkasin; hina, ei tis eiē diaphora tēs ennoias, sōzoito autē en tę̄ eukrinei kaimasynchytǭ diastasei tōn onomatōn. Ei de dei kai hēmas to dokoun hēmin en brachei eipein, ekeino eroumen, hoti hon echei logon to koinon pros to io ion, touton echei hē ousia pros tēn hypostasin. Hekastos gar hēmōn kai tǭ koinǭ tēs ousias logǭ tou einai metechei, kai tois peri auton idiōmasin o deina esti kai o deina. Houtō kakei o tēs ousias logos koinos; hoion hē agathotēs, hē theotēs,ē hei ti allo nooito; hē de hypostasis en tǭ idiōmati tēs patrotētos, ē tēs tiouētos, ē tēs agioistikēs dynameōs theōreitai. Ei men oun anypostata legousi ta prosōpa, autothen echei o logos tēn atopian; ei de hen hypostasei einai auta alēthinę̄ synchōy rousin, ho homologousi, kai arithmeitōsan, hina kai o tou omoousiou logos diaphylachthę̄ en tę̄ henotēti tēs theotētos, kai hē tēs eusebeias epignōsis, Patros kai Huiou kai hagiou Pneumatos, en tę̄ apērtismenē kai holotelei hekastou tōn onomazomenōn hypostasei kēryssētai.”omōs de ekeino boulomai pepeisthai tēn semnotēta sou, hoti kai se kai panta ton paraplēsiōs soi tēs alētheias phrontizonta, kai tous hyper tēs eusebeias agōnizomenous mē atimazonta, anamenein dei kathēgēsasthai tēn synapheias tautēs kai tēs eirēnēs tous prostatas tōn Ekklēsiōn, hous egō stylous kai hedraiōma tēs alētheias kai tēs Ekklēsias tithemai, kai tosoutǭ pleon autous aidoumai, hosǭ an makroteron exoikisthōsin, anti timōrias autois epagomenou tou chōrismou. Parakalō oun, phylaxon hēmin seauton aprolēpton, hinʼ echōmen soi goun epanapauesthai, hon en pasi baktērian hēmin kai ereisma o Theos echarisato.
To Count Terentius. 1. When we heard that your dignity had again been forced into the care of public affairs, we were at once troubled (for the truth shall be told), reckoning how much against your wish it must be, once released from public cares and at leisure for the care of your own soul, to be compelled to return to the same things again. Then, coming to the thought that perhaps the Lord, wishing to grant this one consolation among the countless pains that now hold our churches, arranged that your dignity should appear again in public affairs, we were more cheerful, as being about to meet your honour at least once more before departing this life. 2. But again another report held us back, that you were staying in Antioch and managing the affairs in hand together with the great authorities. And besides this report a rumour reached us that the brothers of Paulinus's party are discussing with your excellency their union with us; by 'us' I mean those of the party of the man of God, Meletius the bishop. I hear that they are now carrying about letters from the Westerners entrusting them with the episcopate of the church at Antioch, but misrepresenting the most admirable Meletius, bishop of the true church of God. And I do not wonder at this. For some of them are wholly ignorant of affairs here, and others, though they seem to know, explain them to them more contentiously than truly. Yet it is not unlikely that they either do not know the truth or conceal the reason why the most blessed bishop Athanasius came to write to Paulinus. But since your perfection has there men able to relate exactly what took place between the bishops in the reign of Jovian, we beg you to be fully informed by them. Nevertheless, since we condemn no one, but pray to have love toward all, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith, we rejoice with those who received the letters from Rome. And if the letter gives them some solemn and great testimony, we pray that it may be true and confirmed by their very deeds. But not for this can we ever persuade ourselves either to ignore Meletius, or to forget the church under him, or to think small the questions over which the division arose from the beginning, and regard them as making little difference to the aim of godliness. For I will never consent to give way merely because someone has received a letter from men and is proud of it; nay, not even if he should come from heaven itself, but did not walk by the sound word of faith, could I regard him as a partaker of the saints. 3. Consider, admirable sir, that the falsifiers of the truth, who brought the Arian schism into the sound faith of the fathers, put forward no other reason for not receiving the pious doctrine of the fathers than the meaning of 'of the same essence', which they wickedly interpret to slander the whole faith, saying that the Son is said by us to be of the same essence in hypostasis. If we give them any occasion, through people who, from simplicity rather than malice, say these things or things like them and are carried about with them, nothing prevents us from both giving incontestable handles against ourselves and building up the heresy strongly for those whose one study, in what they say about the church, is not to establish their own views but to slander ours. And what slander could be more grievous than this, or more able to shake the many, than if some of us were seen saying that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one hypostasis? Even if they very clearly teach the difference of the persons, yet, since Sabellius anticipated them by saying this very thing, that God is one in hypostasis but is represented as a person by Scripture in various ways according to the particular need of each occasion, now putting on himself the words of the Father, when this person is timely, now those befitting the Son, when he comes down to care for us or to some other operations of the dispensation, now putting on the mask of the Spirit, when the occasion requires words from such a person: if, then, some among us too should be seen saying that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one in subject, while confessing three perfect persons, how … 4. That hypostasis and essence are not the same, the brothers from the West themselves, I think, indicated, where, suspecting the narrowness of their own language, they handed down the word 'essence' in Greek, so that, if there were some difference of meaning, it might be kept in the clear and unconfused distinction of the words. If we too must say briefly what seems right to us, we will say this: that essence has the same relation to hypostasis as the common has to the particular. For each of us both shares in being by the common account of essence, and by his own properties is this man or that. So there too the account of the essence is common, such as goodness, godhead, or whatever else may be conceived; but the hypostasis is seen in the property of fatherhood, or of sonship, or of sanctifying power. If, then, they say the persons are without hypostasis, the argument is absurd on its face; but if they grant that they exist in true hypostasis, which they confess, let them also count them, so that both the account of 'of the same essence' may be preserved in the unity of the godhead, and the knowledge of godliness, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, may be proclaimed in the perfect and complete hypostasis of each of those named. Nevertheless I want your dignity to be persuaded of this: that both you and everyone who, like you, cares for the truth and does not dishonour those who contend for godliness, must wait for the leaders of the churches to lead this union and peace, whom I hold to be pillars and foundation of the truth and of the church, and whom I revere the more, the further they have been removed, separation having been inflicted on them as a punishment. I beg you, then, keep yourself unprejudiced for us, so that we may at least have you to rest on, whom God has given us as a staff and support in all things.
Gal 6:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 1:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 3:15 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil warns Count Terentius against the party of Paulinus at Antioch and its Western letters, defends Meletius, and explains why speaking of one hypostasis in God gives ground to Sabellianism: essence is common, hypostasis particular.
- This staged ref is Letter 214. A line or more is lost at the end of section 3 (marked "…"). "Of the same essence" renders ὁμοούσιος. Basil's account of essence and hypostasis ("as the common to the particular") is translated as he states it. Allusions: Gal 6:10; Gal 1:8; 1 Tim 3:15.
Topics: Trinity, Heresy, Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 214 (PG 32:785a–789d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/214/#p-214). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 215
215PG 32:792a–792b
[ίῳ δρόμῳ ὁδεύοντι, καὶ ἐνετειλάμην πρώτοις ὑμῖν ἐμφανίσαι τὸ γράμμα. Τὴν δί ἐπὶ Ῥώμην ὁδὸν οὐκ οἶδα ὅπως οὐδεὶς ἀνήγγειλε τῇ συνέσει ὑμῶν, ὅτι έν τῳ χειμῶνι παντελῶς ἔστιν ἄπορος,τῆς μεταξὺ χώρας ἀπὸ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως μέχρι τῶν καθʼ ἡμᾶς ὅρων πολεμίων πεπληρωμένος. Εἰ δὴ δ εἰ θαλάσσῃ χρήσασθαι, ἔσται καιρός· μόνον ἐάν καταδέξηται καὶ τὸν πλοῦν, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν τοιούτων πραγμάτων πρεσβύτα ὁ θεοφιλέστατος ἐπίσκοπος Γρηγόριος ὂ ἀδελφός. Ἐἰύ μὲνγὰρ οὔτε τοὺς συναπερχομένους αὐτῷ ὁρῶ, καὶ αὑτὸν γινώσκω παντελῶς ἄπειρον ὄντα τῶν κατὰ τὰς Ἐκκλησὶας· καὶ εὐγνώμονι μιν ἀνδρὶ αἰδέσιμον αὐτοῦ καὶ πολλοῦ ἀξίαν τὴν συντυχίαν, ὑψηλῷ δί καὶ μετεώρῳ, ᾶνω που καθημένῳ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο iuseum τῶν laudes-ri αὐτῷ τήν ἀλήθειαν φθεγγομένων μὴ δυναμένῳ, τί liv γένοιτο ὄφελος τοῖς κοινοῖς παρᾷ τῆς τοῦ
[iǭ dromǭ hodeuonti, kai eneteilamēn prōtois hymin emphanisai to gramma. Tēn di epi Rhōmēn hodon ouk oida hopōs oudeis anēngeile tę̄ synesei hymōn, hoti en tǭ cheimōni pantelōs estin aporos,tēs metaxy chōras apo Kōnstantinoupoleōs mechri tōn kathʼ hēmas horōn polemiōn peplērōmenos. Ei dē d ei thalassę̄ chrēsasthai, estai kairos; monon ean katadexētai kai ton ploun, kai tēn hyper tōn toioutōn pragmatōn presbyta ho theophilestatos episkopos Grēgorios o adelphos. Eiy mengar oute tous synaperchomenous autǭ horō, kai hauton ginōskō pantelōs apeiron onta tōn kata tas Ekklēsias; kai eugnōmoni min andri aidesimon autou kai pollou axian tēn syntychian, hypsēlǭ di kai meteōrǭ, anō pou kathēmenǭ, kai dia touto iuseum tōn laudes-ri autǭ tēn alētheian phthengomenōn mē dynamenǭ, ti liv genoito ophelos tois koinois parą tēs tou
… travelling by the public post, and I instructed him to show the letter to you first. As to the journey to Rome, I do not know how no one has told your intelligence that in winter it is altogether impassable, since the country between Constantinople and our borders is full of enemies. If one must go by sea, there will be time for it; only if the most God-beloved bishop Gregory, my brother, consents to the voyage and to the embassy on such matters. For I neither see who would go with him, and I know that he is altogether inexperienced in the affairs of the churches; and to a fair-minded man a meeting with him would be respectable and of great worth; but to a lofty and exalted man, seated somewhere on high, and therefore unable to hear those who speak the truth to him from below on the ground, what benefit could come to the common affairs from the …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells the presbyter Dorotheus that a winter journey to Rome is impossible and doubts that his brother Gregory of Nyssa is fit for an embassy to the Western bishop.
- This staged ref is Letter 215, to the presbyter Dorotheus. Its opening is lost in the scan, and it breaks off mid-sentence at the end (both marked "…"). The "lofty and exalted man" is probably Damasus, bishop of Rome; the description is translated as written. A few words are garbled in the scan and translated by sense.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 215 (PG 32:792a–792b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/214/#p-215). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 216
216PG 32:792b–793a
Μιλετίῳ, επισκοπῳ Ἀντιοχείας. Πολλαὶ μὲν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἄλλαι ἀποδημίαι τῇς πατρίδος ἀπὴγαγον. Καὶ γὰρ μέχρι τῆς “medic; διέβημεν, ὧστι μετὰ τῶν ἐκεῖ ἐπισκόπων τὰ κατὰ τοὺς ἐν τῇ Ἰσαυρίᾳ ἀδελφούς τυπῶσαι. Κάκεῖθεν ἧ ἐπὶ τὸν Πόντον ἡμᾶς διεδέξατο ἀποδημία, ἱκανῶς τὸν Δαζιμῶνα ταράξαντος τοῦ Εὑσταθίον, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀναπείσαντος τῶν ἐκεῖ ἀποσχισθῆναι τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἡμῶν. Ἐγενόμεοα δέ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ aliud!“ Πέτρου τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν, ὁ, διὰ τὸ προσηγγίζια τοῖς κατὰ Νεοκαισάρειαν τόποις, πολλῆς μὲν τοῖς ἐκεῖ ταραχῆς παρέσχεν αἰτίαν, πολλῆς δὲ ὕβρεως ἡμῖν ὑπόθεσιν προεξένησεν. 0i. μὶν γὰρ ἔφευγον, οὐδενὸς διώκοντος· ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐνομιζόμεθα ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν παρʼ αὐτοῖς ἐπαίνων καὶ οἶκλητοι εἰσωθίζισθαι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐπανήλθομεν, ἑκ τῶν ὄμβρων καὶ τῶν ἄθυμιῶν πολλὴν ἀρρωστίαν συναγαγόντες, εὐθὺς ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς Ἀνατολῆς κατέλαβε γράμματα, σημαίνοντα τοῖς περὶ Παυλῖνον ἀπὸ τῆς Δύσεως ἐπιστολάς τινας, ὥσπερ τινος ἀρχῆς συνθήματα, κεκομίσθαι, μαὶ μέγα φρονεῖν τούς στασιαστὰς τοῦ μέρους ἑκαίνου, καὶ ἑπαγσὶλλεσθαι τοῖς γράμμασιν, εἶτα καὶ πίστιν προτείνεσθαι, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ ἑτοίμως ἔχειν συντω ἅπτεσθαι τῇ καθʼ ἡμᾶς Ἐκκλησία, Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις κάκεῖνο ἡμῖν ἀπηγγέλθη, ὅτι ὑπηγάγοντο πρὸς τὴν ὑπὲρ αυτῶν σπουδὴν τὸν πάντα ἄριστον ἄνδρα, Τερέντιον, ταχέως ἐπέστειλα, καθʼ ὅσον ᾖν μοι δυνατόν, ἐπέχων αὐτόν τῆς ὁρμῆς, καὶ διδάσκων τὴν κατʼ αὐτοὺς ἀπάτην,
Miletiǭ, episkopǭ Antiocheias. Pollai men hēmas kai allai apodēmiai tę̄s patridos apēgagon. Kai gar mechri tēs “medic? diebēmen, hōsti meta tōn ekei episkopōn ta kata tous en tę̄ Isaurią adelphous typōsai. Kakeithen hē epi ton Ponton hēmas diedexato apodēmia, hikanōs ton Dazimōna taraxantos tou Heustathion, kai pollous anapeisantos tōn ekei aposchisthēnai tēs Ekklēsias hēmōn. Egenomeoa de kai mechri tou aliud!“ Petrou tou adelphou hēmōn, ho, dia to prosēngizia tois kata Neokaisareian topois, pollēs men tois ekei tarachēs pareschen aitian, pollēs de hybreōs hēmin hypothesin proexenēsen. 0i. min gar epheugon, oudenos diōkontos; hēmeis de enomizometha epithymią tōn parʼ autois epainōn kai oiklētoi eisōthizisthai. Epei de epanēlthomen, hek tōn ombrōn kai tōn athymiōn pollēn arrōstian synagagontes, euthys hēmas ek tēs Anatolēs katelabe grammata, sēmainonta tois peri Paulinon apo tēs Dyseōs epistolas tinas, hōsper tinos archēs synthēmata, kekomisthai, mai mega phronein tous stasiastas tou merous hekainou, kai hepagsillesthai tois grammasin, eita kai pistin proteinesthai, kai epi tautę̄ hetoimōs echein syntō haptesthai tę̄ kathʼ hēmas Ekklēsia, Pros de toutois kakeino hēmin apēngelthē, hoti hypēgagonto pros tēn hyper autōn spoudēn ton panta ariston andra, Terention, tacheōs epesteila, kathʼ hoson ę̄n moi dynaton, epechōn auton tēs hormēs, kai didaskōn tēn katʼ autous apatēn,
To Meletius, bishop of Antioch. Many other journeys too have taken us away from home. For we crossed as far as Pisidia, so as to settle with the bishops there the affairs of the brothers in Isauria. And from there the journey to Pontus followed, Eustathius having thrown Dazimon into considerable disturbance and persuaded many there to split from our church. We went also as far as the house of Peter our brother, which, because it is near the region of Neocaesarea, gave the people there cause for much disturbance and procured us occasion for much insult. For some fled with no one pursuing; and we were thought to be pushing in uninvited out of desire for their praises. When we returned, having contracted much sickness from the rains and our despondency, at once letters reached us from the East, indicating that some letters from the West had been brought to those with Paulinus, like the tokens of some authority, and that the faction-makers of that party were proud and boasting of the letters, and then proposing a creed, and on that basis ready to be united with our church. In addition to this it was reported to us that they had drawn to zeal on their behalf the most excellent man Terentius; I wrote to him quickly, as forcefully as I could, checking his impulse and teaching him their deceit.
Prov 28:1 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil tells Meletius of his journeys to Pisidia and Pontus, the troubles at Dazimon and Neocaesarea, and his letter warning Terentius against the party of Paulinus.
- Letter 216. Peter is Basil's brother Peter (later bishop of Sebasteia), whose estate was at Annesi near Neocaesarea. Allusion: Prov 28:1.
Topics: Church office
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 216 (PG 32:792b–793a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/214/#p-216). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 217
217PG 32:793b–809a
Ἀμφιλοχίω περὶ κανόνων. ’Λπό ὀδοῦ μακρᾶς ἐπανελθὼν (ἐγενόμην γὰρ μέχρι τοῦ Πόντου (ί) ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἕνεκεν χρειῶν καὶ κατʼ ἐπίσκεψιν τῶν ἐπιτηδείων), καὶ τὸ σῶμά μου συντετριμμένον ἐπαναγαγὼν, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μετρίως κεκακωμένος, ἐπειδὴ τὸ γράμμα τῆς εὐλαβείας σου ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἔλαβον, πάντων ἀθρόως ἐπελαθόμην, καὶ τῆς φωνῆς τῆς πασῶν ἐμοὶ ἡδίστης, καὶ χειρὸς τῆς φιλτάτης ὑποδεξάμενος σύμβολα. Ὃς οὖν ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων ούτως ἐγενόμην ἡδίων, εἰκάζειν ὀφείλείς πόσου ἀξίαν ποιοῦμαι τὴν συντυχίαν σον, ἣν οἰκονομήσειεν ὁ ’Λγιος γενέσθαι, ὅπου ἀνεπαχθὲς ἦ, καὶ αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς προσκαλίσῃ. Καὶ γὰρ ού χαλεπόν μοι, εἰ καταλάβοις τόν οἷκον τόν ἐπὶ τῆς Εὐφημιάδος, γενέσθαι ὁμοῦ, τά τε ὧδε ὀχληρὰ διαφεύγοντι, καὶ πρὸς τήν ἅνυπόκριτόν σου ἀγάπην ἐπειγομένῳ. Τά·χοι δόμοι καὶ ἄλλως ἀναγκαίαν ποιεῖ τὴν μέχρι Ναζιανζοῦ ὁδὸν ἡ ἁθρόα τοῦ Θεοφιλεστάτου ἐπισκόπου Γρηγορίου ἀναχώρησις, μετὰ ποίας αἰτίας γε· νομένη, ἁγνοουμένη μέχρι τοῦ νῦν. Ὀ δὲ ἅνθρωπος, περὶ οὗ κάγὼ ἤμην διαλεχθεὶς τῇ τελειότητί σου, καὶ αὐτὸς νῦν ἤλπισας ἕτοιμον εἶναι, γίνωσκε, ὅτι, μακρᾷ ἁρῥωστίᾳ περιπεσὼν, καὶ κάμνων λοιπὸν περὶ αὐτὰς τὰς ὄψεις, ἐκ τοῦ παλαιοῦ πᾶθους καὶ τῆς ἔναγχος αὐτῷ ἐπισυμβάσης νόσον, παντελῶς ἄχρηστος πρὸς τὰς τυχούσας ἐνεργείας ἁπέμεινεν. ’Ἄλλος δε οὐκ ἔστι παρʼ ἡμῖν. Ὠστε βέλτιον, εἰ καὶ ἡμῖν ἐπέτρεψαν τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀλλʼ οὖν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκείνων τινὰ προβληθῆναι. Καὶ γὰρ ἡγεῖσθαι χρὴ ταῦτα μὲν τῆς ἀνάγκης εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ἐκεῖνο βούλεσθαι, ὅπερ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπεζήτησαν, οἰκεῖον εἶναι τόν καθηγούμενον. Εἰ δέ ἐστι δοκῇ τῷ Μακετις τῶν νεοφωτίστων, κᾶν ὃονίῳ, κᾶν μὴ, ἐκεῖνος προβληοήτω. Τνπώσεις ἑκεῐνος προβληοήτω. NA'. Τὸ κατὰ τοὺς κληρικοὺς ἀδιορίστως οἱ κα. νόνες ἐξέθεντο, κελεύσαντες μίαν, ἐπὶ τοῖς παραπεσοῦσιν όρίζρσβαι τιμωρίαν, τὴν ἔκπτωσιν τῆς ὑπηρεσίας· εἴτε ἐν βαθμῶ τυγχάνοιεν, εἴτε καὶ ἀχειροθέτῷ ὑπηρεσία, προσκαρτεροῖεν. ΝΒʼ. Il’ τοῦ κυήματος κατά τὴν ὁδὸν ἀμελήσασιι, εἰ κίεν οὖν δυναμένη περισώσασθαι κατεφρόνησεν, ἢ captandam τὴν απαρτῖαν ἐντεῦθεν νομίζονσα,ἠ ὅλως θηριώδει καὶ ἀπανθρώπῳ λογῖσμῷ χρησαμένη, ὡς ἐπὶ φόνῳ κρινέσθω. Ei δὲ οὐκ ἠδυνήθη περιστεῖλαι,καὶ διʼ ἐρημίαν καὶ ἀπορίαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων διεφθάρη τὸ γεννηθὲν, συγγνωστὴ ἡ μήτηρ. NI". Π χήρα δούλη τάχα οὐ μέγα ἔπταισεν, ἑλομένη δεύτερον γάμον ἐν σχήματι ἁρπαγῆς. Ὠστε οὐδὲν τούτου ἕνεκεν ἐγκαλεῖσθαι χρὴ. Οὐ γὰρ τὰ σχήματα κρίνεται, ἀλλʼ ἡ προαίρεσις. Δῆλον δὲ. ὁτιτό τῆς ὃιγαμίας μένει αὐτὴν ἐπιθίμιον. ΝΔʼ.Τὰς τῶν ἀκουσίων φόνων διαφοράς πρὸ χρόι νον οἶδα ἐπιπεῦιας τῇ Οεοσεβείᾳ σου κατὰ τὸ apol δυνατόνκαὶ πλέον ἐκείνων οὐδὲν εἰπεῖν δύναμαι* τῆςδε σῆς συνέσεώς ἐστὶ κατά το ἰδίωμα τῆς περιστάσεως ἐπιτείντιν τὰ ἐπιτίμια, ἦ καὶ ὑφεῖναι, ΝΕ. Οἱ τοῖς λῃσταῖς ἀντεπεξιόντες, ἔξω μὲν ὄντες (Η), τῆς κοινωνίας εἴργονται τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ· κληρικοὶ δὴ ἄντες, τοῦ βαθμοῦ καθαιροῦνται. Πᾶς γὰρ, φιοσὶν, ὀ λαβὼν μάχαιραν ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποθανεῖται.. Νεί- Ὀ ἑκουσίως φονεύσας, μετά δὲ τοῦτο μεταμεληθεὶς, εἴκοσιν ἔτεσιν ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται τοῖς ἁγιάσμασι. Τὰ δὶεῖκοσιν ἔτη οὕτως οἰκονομηθήσεται ἐπʼ αὐτῷ. Ἐν τέσσαρσιν ἔτεσι προσ-κλαίειν ὀφείλει, ἔξω τῆς θύρας ἑστὼς τοῦ εὐκτηρίου οἴκου, καὶ τῶν εἰσιόντων πιστῶν δεόμενος εὐχὴν ὑπὲρ αὗτοῡ ποιεῖσθαι, ἐξαγορεύων τὴν ἰὸἰαν παρανομίαν. Μετᾶ δὲ τὰ τέσσαρα ἔτη εἰς τοὺς ἀκροωμένους ὃςχθὴσιται · καὶ ἐν πέντε ἔτεσι μετʼ αὐτῶν ἐξελεύσεται. Ἐν ἑπτὰ ἔτεσι μετὰ τῶν ἐν citam-diust προσευχόμενοςἐξελεύσεται. Ἐν τέσσαρσι συστήσεται μόνον τοῖς πιστοῖς, προσφορᾶς δὲ οὐ μεταλήψεται. Πληρωθέντων δὲ τούτων μεθέξει τῶν ἁγιασμάτων. NZ'. Ὀ ἀκουσίως φονείσας ἐν δέκα ἔτεσιν ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται τῶν ἁγιασμάτων. Οἰκονομηοήcum δὲ τὴ δέκα ἕτή ἐπʼ αὐτῷ οὕτω. Δύο μὲν ἔτη προσκλαύσει· τρία δὲ ἔτη ἐν ἀκροωμένοις διατελέσιι, τέσσαρσιν ὑποπίπτων καὶ ἐνιαυτῷ συσταθήσεται μόνον · καὶ τῷ ἑξῆς εἰς τὰ ἅγια δεχθῆσεται. ΝΗʼ.Ὀ μοιχεύσας ἐν ιεʼ ἔτεσιν ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται τῶν ἅτικσμάτων ἐν τέσσαρσι μὲν προσκλαὶων ἔτεσιν, ὶν sim δὲ ἀκροώμενος· ἐν τέσσαρσιν ὑποπίπτων, ἄν δυσὶ συνεστὼς ἄνευ κοινωνίας. Ne’. Ὀ πόρνος ἐν ἑπτὰ ἔτεσιν ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται τῶν ἁτιασμάτων · δύο προσκλαίων, καὶ δύο ἀκροώμενος· καὶ δύο ὑποπίπτων, καὶ ἐνὶ συνεστὼς privet" τῷ ὀγδόῳ δεχθήσεται εἰς τήν κοινωνίαν. Ξ.Ἠ παρθενίαν ὀμολογήσασα, καὶ ἐκπεςοῡσα τῆς ina-filling, τὸν χρόνον τοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς μοιχείας ἁμαρτήματος ἂν τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ τῆς καθʼ ἑαυτὸν ζωῆς πληρώσαι. Τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ἆπὶ τῶν βίον μοναξόντων ἕπαγγειλαμὲνων, καὶ ἐκπιπτόντων. ΞΜ. Ὀ κλὶψας, εἰ μὶν ἀφʼ ἑαυτοῦ μιταμύηθιὶς κατηγορήσιιεν ἐαυτοῦ, ἐνιαυτὸν κωλυθήπται μόνον τῆς κοινωνίας τῶν ἀγιαισμάτων· si δί ἔλιγχθιίη, ἂν δυσὶν ἔτεσι. "sproelium-at δὶ αὐτῷ ὁ χρόνος ιίς ὑπόπτωσιν καὶ σύστασιν · καὶ τότε διξιούσθω τῆς κοινωνίας. Ξῐϊ Ὀ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην ἐν τοῖς ᾶῤῥισιν induτινύμενος τὸν χρόνον τοῦ ἐν τῇ μοιχείᾳ παρανομοῦν τος ο ἰκονομη Θή σεται. ΞΓ. Ὀ ἐν ἀλόγοις τήν ἑαυτοῦ ἀσέβειαν ἐξαγορεύων τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον ἐξομολογούμενος παραγνλήξεται. ΞΔʼ. Ὀ ἐπίορκος iv δέκα {nam ἀκοινώνητος ἔσται· δυσὶν Errat προσκλαίων, τρισὶν ἀκροώμενος, τέσσαρσιν ὑποπίπτων, ὶνιαυτὸν συνιστὼς μόνονʼ ui τότε τῆς κοινωνίας ἀξιούμενος. ΞΕ. Ὀ χοητείαν ἦ φαρμακείαν ὶξαγοριῦυι τὸν τοῦ φονὶως χρόνον ἐξομολογήσεται, οὕτως obuoμοὺμενος, ὡς ἐν ἔκιίνῳ τῷ ἁμαρτήματι ἁπτὸν ἐλέγξας. Ξς· ὀ τυμβωρύχος ἐν δέκα ἔτισαν τος ἔσται · ἐν δυσὶ προσ-κλαίων, ἑν γʼ ἁχρούμαος,δ δʼ ὑποπίπτων, ἐνιαυτὸν συνιστὼς · καὶ τότε διχθαδμενος. ΞΖ· Ἀδιλφομιξία τὸν τοῦ φονέως χρόνον ἕξομλ* γη θή σεται. ΞΗ Ἠ τῆς ἁπειρημένης cru-nenia: εἰς ἀνθρώπων σύσξασις, εἰ paperes“ ἂν ἆμαρ· τήμασι γεγενημένη, τὰ τῶν μοιχῶν ἐπετίμα δέξεται. ΞΘᾌ ’Δναγνώστης, ei τῇ ἑαυτοῦ μνηστῇ πρὸ τσῦ γάμου συνιᾱλλάξεισν, ἐνιαυτὸν ἁργήσας, εἰςτὀ ἂν* γινώσκειν διχθήσιται, μένων ἀχρόκοπος. KW'T" Τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ ὑπηρέτης. Οʼ. Aidano; εν χιίλισι αιανθεὶς καὶ, μέχρι τούτου ἡμαρτηκέναι ὁμολογήσας, τῆς λειτουργίας έπισχεθήσεται· τοῦ μετέχειν τῶν ἀγιασμοίτων μετὰ τῶν διακόνων ἀξιωθήσεται. Τό δί αὐτὸ καὶ πρεσβύτερος. Εἰ δέ τι τούτου πλεῖον φωραθείη τις ἡμαρτηκὼς, ἐν οἴῳ ἂν ᾗ βαθμῷ, καθαιρεθήσεται. OA'. Ὀ συδεγνωκὼς ἑκάστῳ τῶν προειρημένων ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ μὴ ὁμολογήσας, ἀλλʼ ἐλεγχθεὶς, τοῦ τοσούτου χρόνον, εἰς ὃν ἐργάτης τῶν κακῶν ἑπιτιτίμηται, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται έν ἐπιτιμίῳ. ΟΒʼ. Ὀ μάντεσιν ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδοὺς, ἦ τισι τοιούτοις, τὸν χρόνον τοῦ φονέως mi: αὐτὸς οἰκονομηθήσιται, 01". Ὀ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀρνησάμενος καὶ παραβὰς τὸ τῆς σωτηρίας μυστήριον, ἐν παντὶ τῷ χρόνῳ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτοῦ προσκλαίιιν ὀφείλει, καὶ ἐξομολοι γιῖσθαι χρεωστετ, ἄν τῷ καιρῷ ἱκθαίνει τοῦ Βίου, το] ἁγιάσματος ἀξιούμενος, πίστει τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ 90mθρωπίας, ΟΔʼ. Ἐὰν μέντοιγε ἕκαστος τῶν ἐν τοῖς προ-μ. γραμμένοις ἁμαρτήμασι γινομένων σπουδαῖος γένη. ται, ἐξομολογούμενος - ὁ πιστευθεὶς παρὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας λύειν καὶ δεσμεῖν, εἰ (Induviaeπότερος γένοιτο, τὸ amem” τῆς ἐξομολογήσεος ὀρῶν τοῦ ἡμαρτηκότος, εἰς τὸ ἔλαττῶσαι τὸν χρόνον τῶν ἱπιτιμίων, οὐχ ἔσται καταγνώσεως ἄξιος· τῆς ἐν ταῖς Γραφᾳῖς ἱστορίας γνωριξούσης ἡμῖν τοὺς μετὰ μείζονος πονου ἰξομολογουμένους ταχέως rb τοῦ Θεοῦ φιὶανβρωπὶαν καταλαμβάνειν. ΟΕ. Ὀ ἀδελφῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐκ πατρὸς ἦ ἐκμητρόςσνμ· pravast; εἰς οἷκον προσευχῆς μὴ ἐπιτρηίσθω πρ- B εἶναι, ἓως ἄν ἀποστῇ τῆς παρανόμου καί iam πράξεως. Μετὰ δὲ τὸ ὒοεῖυ εὶς συναίσθησυή φοβερᾶς ἁμαρτίας ἐκείνης, τριετίαν προσηλοῦται, τῇ θύρᾳ τὼν εὐκτηρίων οἳκων παρεστηκὼς, ul“μεως τοῦ λαοῦ εἰσιόντος ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχὴέ ὄπι ἕκαστον μετὰ συμπαθείας ὑπὲρ αὑτοῦ ἐκτενεῖςπριείη σθαι πρὸς τόν Κύριον τὰς δεήσεις, Μετὲϋξηζὲτσ mm τριετίαν εἰς ἀκρόασιν μόνην mng καὶ ἁκούων τῶν Γροιφῶν καὶ τῆς didam”?βαλλέσθω, κοιὶ μὴ καταξιούσθω προσωχῆςῖῇἀ, εἰπερ μετὰ δακρύων ἑξεζήτησεν αὐτὴν, ad ηερω-, ι ἐπετε τῷ Κυρίῳ μετὰ συντριμμοϋ lapathe. li ταπεινώσεως ἰσχυρᾶς, διδόσθω αὐτῷ ἡ ὑπόνοια ἐν enim; τρισὶν ἔτεσι. Καὶ οὕτως, ἑπιιδᾶνῖ καρποὺς τῆς μετανοίας ἀξίους ἐπιδείξηται, κοίτῳ ἔτει εἰς τὴν τῶν πιστῶν εὐχὴν dixerim ’καβις προσφορᾶς· καὶ δύο ἔτη συστὰς εἰς τὴν ώχήυπῖς γ πιστοῖς, οὕτω λοιπὸν χαταξιούσθω τῆς τοῦῇῶ κοινωνιας. λ -γ Ὀ αὐτὸς τύπος καὶ περὶ τῶν τὰς νύμφαςωῇ λαμβανόντων. ‘ O7]. e0 μέντοι καταλιμπάνων τήν νομίμί αὐτῷ συναφθεῐσαν γυναῖκα, καὶ ἑτέραν ονναγόμῗκρ 1 κατὰ τήν τοῦ Κυρίου ἀπόφασιν, τῷ τῆς μοιχειαι ὑπόκειται κρίματι. Κεκανόνισται δὶ παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ἡμῶν τοὺς τοιούτους ἐνιαυτὸν προσχλαίειν, διετίαν ἐπακροᾶσθαι, τριετίαν ὑποπίπτειν ε τῷ δὲ ἑβδόμῳ συνίστασθαι τοῖς πιστοῖς· καὶ οὕτω τῆς προσφορᾶς χαταξιοῦσθαι, ἐὰν μετὰ. δακρύων μετα- ΟΠ. Ὀ δὲ αὐτὸς τύπος κρατείτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τὰς δύο ἀδελφὰς λαμβανόντων εἰς ωνοικέσιον εἰ καὶ κατὰ διαφόρους χρόνους, ΟΘʼ. Οἱ δὲ ταῖς μητρυιαῖς ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἐπιμαινόμενοι τῷ αὐτῷ ὑπόκεινται κανόνι, καὶ οἰ ταῖς ἑαυτῶν ἀδελφαῖς ἐπιμαινόμενοι. Π. Τὴν δὲ πολυγαμίαν οἱ Ιῐατέρες ἀπεσιώπη σαν, ὡς κτηνὼδη, καὶ παντελῶς ἀλλοτρίαν τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἡμῖν δὲ παρίσταται πλέον τι πορ‹ νείας εἶναι τὸ ἁμάρτημα. Διὸ εὔλογον τοὺς τοιούτους ὑποβάλλεσθαι τοῖς κανόσιʼ δηλονότι ἐνίαυτον προσκλαύσοιντας, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ὑποπεσόντας, οὕτω ὃεκτοὺς εἶναι. ΠΧ Ἐπειδή δὲ πολλοὶ ἓν τῇ τῶν βαρβάρων καταδρομῇ παρέβησαν τὴν εἰς Θεὸν πίστιν, ὅρκους ἐθνιχούς ἐπιτελέσανές, καὶ ἀθεμίτων τινῶν γευσάμενοι, τῶν ἐι τοῖς εἰδώλοις τοῖς [iw/moi; προσενεχθέντων αὐτοῖς, οὗτοι κατὰ τοὺς ἤδη παρὰ τῶν navigas ἡμῶν ἐξενεχῦέντας κανόνας οἱκο- “pauonum. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀνάγκην χαλεπὴν ἐκ βασάi Ι i ν η νων ὑπομένοντες, καὶ μὴ φέροντες τοὺς πόνους, καὶ ἐλκνσθέντες πρὸς τὴν ἄρνησιν, ἐν τρισὶν ἔτεσιν ἁὸἐκτους εἶναι, καὶ ἐν δυσὶν ἀκροᾶσθαι “ καὶ εν τριciv ὑποπισόντας, οὕτω deum}; γενέσθαι εἰς τὴν κοινωνίαν· οἱ δὲ ἄνευ ἀνάγκης μεγάλης προὸόντες Ι ν τὴν εὶς Θεὸν πίστιν, καὶ ἁψάμενοι τῆς τραπέζης τῶν δαιμονίων, καὶ ὀμόσαντες ὄρχους Ἑλληνικοὺς, ἑκβἀλλισοαι μὲν ἐν γʼ ἔτεσι, καὶ ἐν ἀκροᾶσθαι ε ἐν ὑποπτὼσιι δι ιύξαμίνους ἄν γʼ ἔτεσι, καὶ ἄν ἀλλοις γʼ συστάντας τοῖς πιστοῖς si; τὴν dinam, οὕτω δικτοὺς εἶναι τῇ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ κοινωνίᾳ. HB'. Καὶ περὶ τῶν ἕπιορκησοὲντων, εἰ μὶν ἆκ βίας καὶ ἀνάγκης παρέβησαν τοὺς ὅρκους, κουφοτέροις ὑπόκεινται ἐπιτιμίοις, ὥστε μετὰ ςʼ ἔτη εἶναι αὐτοὺς δεκτούς· εἰ δὲ zisz ἀνάγκης προδόντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν πίστιν, ὶν δυσὶν ἔτεσι προσκλαύσαντες, καὶ ἓν δυσὶν ἀκροασάμενοι, καὶ ἐν πίντι ἦν ύποπτὼσιι εὐξάμενοι, καὶ ἐι δυσὶν ἄλλοις ᾶνιυ προσφορᾶς εἰς τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς προσιυχῆς παραδιχθέντις, οὗτοι τελευταῖον ἀξιόλογον, δηλαδὴ, τὴν μετάνοιαν ἔπιδειξάμινοι, ἀποκαταστήσονται εἰς τὴν κοινωνίαν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ Χρ ιστοῡ. ΗΓ. Oi καταμαντευόμενοι, καὶ ταῖς συνηθείαις τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀκολουθοῦντες, ἦ εἰσάγοντες τινας εἰς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν οἴκους ἐπὶ ὰνιυρέσιι (ραρμακιιῶν, καὶ καθάρσει, ὑπὸ τὸν κανόνα πιπτέτωσαν τῆς ἕξαηίας. Ενιαυτον προσκλαύσαντες, καὶ ὶνιουτόν ἀκροασάμενοι, καὶ ἐν γʼ ἔτεσιν ὑποπίπτοντες, καὶ ὶνιαυτὸν συστάντες τοῖς πιστοῖς, οὕτω δεχθὴτωσαν. ΙῐΔʼ. Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα γράφομεν, ὥστε τοὺς καρποὺς δοκιμάζεσθαι τῆς μετανοίας. Οὐ γὰρ πάντως τῷ χρόνῳ κρίνομεν τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἀλλὰ τῷ τρόπῲ τῆς μετανοίας προσέχομεν. Ἐὰν δε δυσαποσπάστως ἔχωσι τῶν ἰδίων ἐθῶν, καὶ ταῖς ἡδοναῖς τῆς σαρκὸς μᾶλλον δουλεύειν θέλωσιν ᾖ τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ τὴν κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγίλιον ζωὴν μὴ καταδέχωνται, οὐδεὶς ἡμῖν πρὸς αὐτοὺς κοινὸς λόγος. ’Πμιῖς γὰρ ἄν λαῷ ἁτειθιῐ καὶ ἀντιλέγοντι δεδιδάγμιθα ἀκούειν, ὃτι Σώςων σῶζε τὴν σεαυτοῦ ψυχὴν. Μὴ τοίνυν κατα. δεξώμεθα συναπόλλυσθαι τοῖς τοιούτοις· ἀλλὰ φοβησθένττς τὸ βαρὺ κρῖμα, καὶ τὴν φοβερὰν ἡμέραν τῆς ἁνταποδὸσεως τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλυῶν λαβόντες, μὴ θελήσωμεν ἁμαρτίαις ἀλλοτρίαις συναπόλλυσθαι, Εἰ ’γὰρ μὴ ἔπαίὸευνην ἡμᾶς τα φοβερὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, μηδὲ αἱ τηλικαῦται πληγαὶ εἰς αἲσθησιν ἡμᾶς ἤγαγον, ὃτι διὰ τὴν ἀνομίαν ἡμῶν ἔγκοιτὲλιπεν ἡμᾶς ὀ Κύριος, καὶ παρέδωκε-ι ιίς χιῑρας βαρβάρων, καὶ ἀπήχθη αἰχμάλωτος εἰς τοὺς πολιμίους ό λαός, καί παρεδόθη τῇ διασπορᾷ, διότι ταῦτα ἐτόλμων οἱ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ περιφέροντις · εἱ μὴ ἔγνωσαν, μηδὲ συνῆκαν, ὅτι διὰ ταῦτα ἦλθεν ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῡʼ τις ἡμῖν κοινός πρὸς τούτους λόγοςς Ἀλλὰ διαμαρτύρεσθαι αὐτοῖς καὶ - νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, καὶ δημοσίᾳ καὶ ἰδίᾳ ὀφείλομεν· συναπιίγεσθαι δὲ αὐτῶν ταῖς πονηρῖαις μὴ mnsamμεθα, προσευχόμενοι μάλιστα μεν κερδῆσαι αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐξελέσθαι τῆς παγίδος τοῦ πονηροῦ · ἐὰν δὲ τοῦτο μὴ δυνηθῶμεν, σπουδάσωμεν τὰς γοῦν ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς τῆς αἰωνίου κατακρίσεως περισώσασθαι,
Amphilochiō peri kanonōn. ’Lpo odou makras epanelthōn (egenomēn gar mechri tou Pontou (i) ekklēsiastikōn heneken chreiōn kai katʼ episkepsin tōn epitēdeiōn), kai to sōma mou syntetrimmenon epanagagōn, kai tēn psychēn metriōs kekakōmenos, epeidē to gramma tēs eulabeias sou epi cheiras elabon, pantōn athroōs epelathomēn, kai tēs phōnēs tēs pasōn emoi hēdistēs, kai cheiros tēs philtatēs hypodexamenos symbola. Hos oun ek tōn grammatōn outōs egenomēn hēdiōn, eikazein opheileis posou axian poioumai tēn syntychian son, hēn oikonomēseien ho ’Lgios genesthai, hopou anepachthes ē, kai autos hēmas proskalisę̄. Kai gar ou chalepon moi, ei katalabois ton hoikon ton epi tēs Euphēmiados, genesthai homou, ta te hōde ochlēra diapheugonti, kai pros tēn hanypokriton sou agapēn epeigomenǭ. Ta;choi domoi kai allōs anankaian poiei tēn mechri Nazianzou hodon hē hathroa tou Theophilestatou episkopou Grēgoriou anachōrēsis, meta poias aitias ge; nomenē, hagnooumenē mechri tou nyn. O de hanthrōpos, peri hou kagō ēmēn dialechtheis tę̄ teleiotēti sou, kai autos nyn ēlpisas hetoimon einai, ginōske, hoti, makrą harrhōstią peripesōn, kai kamnōn loipon peri autas tas opseis, ek tou palaiou pathous kai tēs enanchos autǭ episymbasēs noson, pantelōs achrēstos pros tas tychousas energeias hapemeinen. ’Allos de ouk esti parʼ hēmin. Ōste beltion, ei kai hēmin epetrepsan to pragma, allʼ oun ex autōn ekeinōn tina problēthēnai. Kai gar hēgeisthai chrē tauta men tēs anankēs einai ta rhēmata, tēn de psychēn autōn ekeino boulesthai, hoper ex archēs epezētēsan, oikeion einai ton kathēgoumenon. Ei de esti dokę̄ tǭ Maketis tōn neophōtistōn, kan hooniǭ, kan mē, ekeinos problēoētō. Tnpōseis hekeinos problēoētō. NA'. To kata tous klērikous adioristōs hoi ka. nones exethento, keleusantes mian, epi tois parapesousin orizrsbai timōrian, tēn ekptōsin tēs hypēresias; eite en bathmō tynchanoien, eite kai acheirothetǭ hypēresia, proskarteroien. NBʼ. Il’ tou kyēmatos kata tēn hodon amelēsasii, ei kien oun dynamenē perisōsasthai katephronēsen, ē captandam tēn apartian enteuthen nomizonsa,ē holōs thēriōdei kai apanthrōpǭ logismǭ chrēsamenē, hōs epi phonǭ krinesthō. Ei de ouk ēdynēthē peristeilai,kai diʼ erēmian kai aporian tōn anankaiōn diephtharē to gennēthen, syngnōstē hē mētēr. NI". P chēra doulē tacha ou mega eptaisen, helomenē deuteron gamon en schēmati harpagēs. Ōste ouden toutou heneken enkaleisthai chrē. Ou gar ta schēmata krinetai, allʼ hē proairesis. Dēlon de. hotito tēs hoigamias menei autēn epithimion. NDʼ.Tas tōn akousiōn phonōn diaphoras pro chroi non oida epipeuias tę̄ Oeosebeią sou kata to apol dynatonkai pleon ekeinōn ouden eipein dynamai* tēsde sēs syneseōs esti kata to idiōma tēs peristaseōs epiteintin ta epitimia, ē kai hypheinai, NE. Hoi tois lę̄stais antepexiontes, exō men ontes (Ē), tēs koinōnias eirgontai tou agathou; klērikoi dē antes, tou bathmou kathairountai. Pas gar, phiosin, o labōn machairan en machairą apothaneitai.. Nei- O hekousiōs phoneusas, meta de touto metamelētheis, eikosin etesin akoinōnētos estai tois hagiasmasi. Ta dieikosin etē houtōs oikonomēthēsetai epʼ autǭ. En tessarsin etesi pros-klaiein opheilei, exō tēs thyras hestōs tou euktēriou oikou, kai tōn eisiontōn pistōn deomenos euchēn hyper hautou poieisthai, exagoreuōn tēn ioian paranomian. Meta de ta tessara etē eis tous akroōmenous hoschthēsitai ; kai en pente etesi metʼ autōn exeleusetai. En hepta etesi meta tōn en citam-diust proseuchomenosexeleusetai. En tessarsi systēsetai monon tois pistois, prosphoras de ou metalēpsetai. Plērōthentōn de toutōn methexei tōn hagiasmatōn. NZ'. O akousiōs phoneisas en deka etesin akoinōnētos estai tōn hagiasmatōn. Oikonomēoēcum de tē deka hetē epʼ autǭ houtō. Dyo men etē prosklausei; tria de etē en akroōmenois diatelesii, tessarsin hypopiptōn kai eniautǭ systathēsetai monon ; kai tǭ hexēs eis ta hagia dechthēsetai. NĒʼ.O moicheusas en ieʼ etesin akoinōnētos estai tōn hatiksmatōn en tessarsi men prosklaiōn etesin, in sim de akroōmenos; en tessarsin hypopiptōn, an dysi synestōs aneu koinōnias. Ne’. O pornos en hepta etesin akoinōnētos estai tōn hatiasmatōn ; dyo prosklaiōn, kai dyo akroōmenos; kai dyo hypopiptōn, kai eni synestōs privet" tǭ ogdoǭ dechthēsetai eis tēn koinōnian. X.Ē parthenian omologēsasa, kai ekpesousa tēs ina-filling, ton chronon tou epi tēs moicheias hamartēmatos an tę̄ oikonomią tēs kathʼ heauton zōēs plērōsai. To auto kai api tōn bion monaxontōn hepangeilamenōn, kai ekpiptontōn. XM. O klipsas, ei min aphʼ heautou mitamyēthiis katēgorēsiien eautou, eniauton kōlythēptai monon tēs koinōnias tōn agiaismatōn; si di elinchthiiē, an dysin etesi. "sproelium-at di autǭ ho chronos iis hypoptōsin kai systasin ; kai tote dixiousthō tēs koinōnias. Xiï O tēn aschēmosynēn en tois arrhisin indutinymenos ton chronon tou en tę̄ moicheią paranomoun tos o ikonomē Thē setai. XG. O en alogois tēn heautou asebeian exagoreuōn ton auton chronon exomologoumenos paragnlēxetai. XDʼ. O epiorkos iv deka {nam akoinōnētos estai; dysin Errat prosklaiōn, trisin akroōmenos, tessarsin hypopiptōn, iniauton synistōs mononʼ ui tote tēs koinōnias axioumenos. XE. O choēteian ē pharmakeian ixagoriyui ton tou phoniōs chronon exomologēsetai, houtōs obuomoumenos, hōs en ekiinǭ tǭ hamartēmati hapton elenxas. Xs; o tymbōrychos en deka etisan tos estai ; en dysi pros-klaiōn, hen gʼ hachroumaos,d dʼ hypopiptōn, eniauton synistōs ; kai tote dichthadmenos. XZ; Adilphomixia ton tou phoneōs chronon hexoml* gē thē setai. XĒ Ē tēs hapeirēmenēs cru-nenia: eis anthrōpōn sysxasis, ei paperes“ an amar; tēmasi gegenēmenē, ta tōn moichōn epetima dexetai. XThĄ ’Dnagnōstēs, ei tę̄ heautou mnēstę̄ pro tsy gamou syniallaxeisn, eniauton hargēsas, eisto an* ginōskein dichthēsitai, menōn achrokopos. KW'T" To auto kai hypēretēs. Oʼ. Aidano? en chiilisi aiantheis kai, mechri toutou hēmartēkenai homologēsas, tēs leitourgias epischethēsetai; tou metechein tōn agiasmoitōn meta tōn diakonōn axiōthēsetai. To di auto kai presbyteros. Ei de ti toutou pleion phōratheiē tis hēmartēkōs, en oiǭ an hę̄ bathmǭ, kathairethēsetai. OA'. O sydegnōkōs hekastǭ tōn proeirēmenōn hamartēmatōn, kai mē homologēsas, allʼ elenchtheis, tou tosoutou chronon, eis hon ergatēs tōn kakōn hepititimētai, kai autos estai en epitimiǭ. OBʼ. O mantesin heauton epidous, ē tisi toioutois, ton chronon tou phoneōs mi: autos oikonomēthēsitai, 01". O ton Christon arnēsamenos kai parabas to tēs sōtērias mystērion, en panti tǭ chronǭ tēs zōēs autou prosklaiiin opheilei, kai exomoloi giisthai chreōstet, an tǭ kairǭ hikthainei tou Biou, to] hagiasmatos axioumenos, pistei tēs para Theou 90mthrōpias, ODʼ. Ean mentoige hekastos tōn en tois pro-m. grammenois hamartēmasi ginomenōn spoudaios genē. tai, exomologoumenos - ho pisteutheis para tēs tou Theou philanthrōpias lyein kai desmein, ei (Induviaepoteros genoito, to amem” tēs exomologēseos orōn tou hēmartēkotos, eis to elattōsai ton chronon tōn hipitimiōn, ouch estai katagnōseōs axios; tēs en tais Graphąis historias gnōrixousēs hēmin tous meta meizonos ponou ixomologoumenous tacheōs rb tou Theou phiianbrōpian katalambanein. OE. O adelphę̄ idią ek patros ē ekmētrossnm; pravast? eis hoikon proseuchēs mē epitrēisthō pr- B einai, heōs an apostę̄ tēs paranomou kai iam praxeōs. Meta de to yoeiy eis synaisthēsyē phoberas hamartias ekeinēs, trietian prosēloutai, tę̄ thyrą tōn euktēriōn hoikōn parestēkōs, ul“meōs tou laou eisiontos epi tēn proseuchēe opi hekaston meta sympatheias hyper hautou ekteneisprieiē sthai pros ton Kyrion tas deēseis, Meteÿxēzets mm trietian eis akroasin monēn mng kai hakouōn tōn Groiphōn kai tēs didam”?ballesthō, koii mē kataxiousthō prosōchēsię̄a, eiper meta dakryōn hexezētēsen autēn, ad ēerō-, i epete tǭ Kyriǭ meta syntrimmoÿ lapathe. li tapeinōseōs ischyras, didosthō autǭ hē hyponoia en enim? trisin etesi. Kai houtōs, hepiidani karpous tēs metanoias axious epideixētai, koitǭ etei eis tēn tōn pistōn euchēn dixerim ’kabis prosphoras; kai dyo etē systas eis tēn ōchēupis g pistois, houtō loipon chataxiousthō tēs touę̄ō koinōnias. l -g O autos typos kai peri tōn tas nymphasōę̄ lambanontōn. ‘ O7]. e0 mentoi katalimpanōn tēn nomimi autǭ synaphtheisan gynaika, kai heteran onnagomïkr 1 kata tēn tou Kyriou apophasin, tǭ tēs moicheiai hypokeitai krimati. Kekanonistai di para tōn Paterōn hēmōn tous toioutous eniauton proschlaiein, dietian epakroasthai, trietian hypopiptein e tǭ de hebdomǭ synistasthai tois pistois; kai houtō tēs prosphoras chataxiousthai, ean meta. dakryōn meta- OP. O de autos typos krateitō kai epi tōn tas dyo adelphas lambanontōn eis ōnoikesion ei kai kata diaphorous chronous, OThʼ. Hoi de tais mētruiais tais heautōn epimainomenoi tǭ autǭ hypokeintai kanoni, kai oi tais heautōn adelphais epimainomenoi. P. Tēn de polygamian hoi Iiateres apesiōpē san, hōs ktēnōdē, kai pantelōs allotrian tou genous tōn anthrōpōn. Hēmin de paristatai pleon ti por‹ neias einai to hamartēma. Dio eulogon tous toioutous hypoballesthai tois kanosiʼ dēlonoti eniauton prosklausointas, kai en trisin hypopesontas, houtō hoektous einai. PCh Epeidē de polloi hen tę̄ tōn barbarōn katadromę̄ parebēsan tēn eis Theon pistin, horkous ethnichous epitelesanes, kai athemitōn tinōn geusamenoi, tōn ei tois eidōlois tois [iw/moi? prosenechthentōn autois, houtoi kata tous ēdē para tōn navigas hēmōn exenechyentas kanonas hoiko- “pauonum. Hoi men gar anankēn chalepēn ek basai I i n ē nōn hypomenontes, kai mē pherontes tous ponous, kai elknsthentes pros tēn arnēsin, en trisin etesin haoektous einai, kai en dysin akroasthai “ kai en triciv hypopisontas, houtō deum}? genesthai eis tēn koinōnian; hoi de aneu anankēs megalēs prooontes I n tēn eis Theon pistin, kai hapsamenoi tēs trapezēs tōn daimoniōn, kai omosantes orchous Hellēnikous, hekballisoai men en gʼ etesi, kai en akroasthai e en hypoptōsii di iyxaminous an gʼ etesi, kai an allois gʼ systantas tois pistois si? tēn dinam, houtō diktous einai tę̄ tou agathou koinōnią. HB'. Kai peri tōn hepiorkēsoentōn, ei min ak bias kai anankēs parebēsan tous horkous, kouphoterois hypokeintai epitimiois, hōste meta sʼ etē einai autous dektous; ei de zisz anankēs prodontes tēn heautōn pistin, in dysin etesi prosklausantes, kai hen dysin akroasamenoi, kai en pinti ēn ypoptōsii euxamenoi, kai ei dysin allois aniy prosphoras eis tēn koinōnian tēs prosiychēs paradichthentis, houtoi teleutaion axiologon, dēladē, tēn metanoian epideixaminoi, apokatastēsontai eis tēn koinōnian tou sōmatos tou Chr istou. ĒG. Oi katamanteuomenoi, kai tais synētheiais tōn ethnōn akolouthountes, ē eisagontes tinas eis tous heautōn oikous epi aniyresii (rarmakiiōn, kai katharsei, hypo ton kanona piptetōsan tēs hexaēias. Eniauton prosklausantes, kai iniouton akroasamenoi, kai en gʼ etesin hypopiptontes, kai iniauton systantes tois pistois, houtō dechthētōsan. IiDʼ. Panta de tauta graphomen, hōste tous karpous dokimazesthai tēs metanoias. Ou gar pantōs tǭ chronǭ krinomen ta toiauta, alla tǭ tropǭ tēs metanoias prosechomen. Ean de dysapospastōs echōsi tōn idiōn ethōn, kai tais hēdonais tēs sarkos mallon douleuein thelōsin ę̄ tǭ Kyriǭ, kai tēn kata to Euangilion zōēn mē katadechōntai, oudeis hēmin pros autous koinos logos. ’Pmiis gar an laǭ hateithii kai antilegonti dedidagmitha akouein, hoti Sōsōn sōze tēn seautou psychēn. Mē toinyn kata. dexōmetha synapollysthai tois toioutois; alla phobēsthentts to bary krima, kai tēn phoberan hēmeran tēs hantapodoseōs tou Kyriou pro tōn ophthalyōn labontes, mē thelēsōmen hamartiais allotriais synapollysthai, Ei ’gar mē epaioeunēn hēmas ta phobera tou Kyriou, mēde hai tēlikautai plēgai eis aisthēsin hēmas ēgagon, hoti dia tēn anomian hēmōn enkoitelipen hēmas o Kyrios, kai paredōke-i iis chiiras barbarōn, kai apēchthē aichmalōtos eis tous polimious o laos, kai paredothē tę̄ diasporą, dioti tauta etolmōn hoi to onoma tou Christou peripherontis ; hei mē egnōsan, mēde synēkan, hoti dia tauta ēlthen ephʼ hēmas hē orgē tou Theouʼ tis hēmin koinos pros toutous logoss Alla diamartyresthai autois kai - nyktos kai hēmeras, kai dēmosią kai idią opheilomen; synapiigesthai de autōn tais ponēriais mē mnsammetha, proseuchomenoi malista men kerdēsai autous kai exelesthai tēs pagidos tou ponērou ; ean de touto mē dynēthōmen, spoudasōmen tas goun heautōn psychas tēs aiōniou katakriseōs perisōsasthai,
To Amphilochius, on the canons. Returning from a long journey (for I went as far as Pontus for the needs of the churches and to visit my kinsfolk), and bringing my body back shattered and my soul somewhat afflicted, when I took into my hands the letter of your reverence, I forgot everything at once, having received tokens of the voice that is sweetest of all to me and of the dearest hand. Since then I was so much cheered by the letter, you ought to guess how much I value meeting you, which may the Holy One arrange to happen wherever it is not burdensome and you yourself invite us. For it is not hard for me, if you come to the house at Euphemias, to be together, escaping the troubles here and hastening to your unfeigned love. Perhaps, besides, the sudden withdrawal of the most God-beloved bishop Gregory makes the journey to Nazianzus necessary in any case; for what reasons it happened is unknown until now. As for the man about whom I had spoken to your perfection, and whom you now hoped to be ready, know that having fallen into a long illness, and suffering now in his very eyes, from his old affliction and the sickness that recently befell him, he remains altogether useless for ordinary activities. There is no other with us. So it is better, even though they have entrusted the matter to us, that someone from among themselves be put forward. For one must consider that these are the words of necessity, but that their soul wants what they sought from the beginning, that their leader be one of their own. If there is anyone among the newly baptized, whether Macedonius approves or not, let him be put forward. You will instruct him … (51) As for clerics, the canons have set forth without distinction, ordering that one punishment be fixed for those who have fallen, expulsion from the ministry, whether they happen to be in a rank or continue in a ministry that has no imposition of hands. (52) The woman who neglected her offspring on the road, if, being able to save it, she disregarded it, either thinking thereby to conceal her sin or using a wholly brutal and inhuman reasoning, let her be judged as for murder. But if she could not care for it, and the newborn perished through solitude and lack of necessities, the mother is to be pardoned. (53) The widowed slave perhaps did not greatly offend in choosing a second marriage under the appearance of abduction. So she need not be accused at all on this account. For it is not outward appearances that are judged but the intention. But it is clear that the penalty for a second marriage remains for her. (54) The distinctions between involuntary homicides I know I sent to your piety some time ago, as far as was possible, and I can say nothing more than those; it belongs to your understanding to increase the penalties according to the particular circumstances, or to lessen them. (55) Those who go out against robbers in return, if they are laymen, are kept from the communion of the good thing; if they are clerics, they are deposed from their rank. "For everyone," it says, "who takes the sword shall die by the sword." (56) He who has killed voluntarily and afterward repented shall be without communion in the holy things for twenty years. The twenty years shall be arranged for him thus. For four years he must weep, standing outside the door of the house of prayer, begging the faithful who go in to make prayer for him, and confessing his own transgression. After the four years he shall be received among the hearers, and for five years he shall go out with them. For seven years he shall go out with those in prostration, praying. For four years he shall only stand with the faithful, but shall not partake of the offering. When these are completed he shall share in the holy things. (57) He who has killed involuntarily shall be without communion in the holy things for ten years. The ten years shall be arranged for him thus: two years he shall weep; three years he shall continue among the hearers; four he shall prostrate himself; and for one year he shall only stand with the faithful; and in the next he shall be received to the holy things. (58) He who has committed adultery shall be without communion in the holy things for fifteen years: four years weeping, five hearing, four prostrating, two standing with the faithful without communion. (59) The fornicator shall be without communion in the holy things for seven years: two weeping, two hearing, two prostrating, and one standing with the faithful only; in the eighth he shall be received into communion. (60) She who has professed virginity and fallen from her promise shall fulfill the time of the sin of adultery in the ordering of her own life. The same also for those who have professed the life of monks and fall. (61) The thief, if he repented of himself and accused himself, shall be kept from the communion of the holy things for one year only; if he was convicted, for two years. The time shall be divided for him between prostration and standing with the faithful; and then let him be deemed worthy of communion. (62) He who commits indecency with males shall be dealt with for the time of one who transgresses in adultery. (63) He who confesses his impiety with animals shall complete the same time in confession. (64) The perjurer shall be without communion for ten years: two weeping, three hearing, four prostrating, one year only standing with the faithful, and then deemed worthy of communion. (65) He who confesses sorcery or poisoning shall do penance for the time of the murderer, being dealt with as one who has convicted himself of that sin. (66) The grave-robber shall be without communion for ten years: two weeping, three hearing, four prostrating, one year standing with the faithful; and then he shall be received. (67) Intercourse with a sister shall do penance for the time of the murderer. (68) The union of people within forbidden kinship, if it is detected as having been done as a human sin, shall receive the penalties of adulterers. (69) A reader, if he has had intercourse with his own betrothed before the marriage, after being suspended for a year, shall be received to read, remaining without promotion. … The same also for a minister. (70) A deacon defiled with the lips, who confesses that he has sinned only so far, shall be withheld from the liturgy; but he shall be deemed worthy to partake of the holy things with the deacons. The same also for a presbyter. But if anyone is detected as having sinned beyond this, in whatever rank he may be, he shall be deposed. (71) He who was privy to each of the sins mentioned above, and did not confess but was convicted, shall himself be under penalty for as long a time as the doer of the evil is penalized. (72) He who has given himself over to diviners or any such people shall himself be dealt with for the time of the murderer. (73) He who has denied Christ and transgressed the mystery of salvation must weep for the whole time of his life, and is bound to confess, being deemed worthy of the sanctification at the time when he departs this life, through faith in the love of God for humankind. (74) If, however, each of those who have fallen into the sins written above becomes earnest in confession, he who has been entrusted by the love of God for humankind with loosing and binding, if he becomes more lenient, seeing the abundance of the sinner's confession, so as to lessen the time of the penalties, will not be worthy of condemnation; since the history in the Scriptures makes known to us that those who confess with greater toil quickly obtain the love of God for humankind. (75) He who has defiled himself with his own sister, on his father's or his mother's side, let him not be permitted to be in a house of prayer until he departs from the unlawful and … practice. After he has come to an awareness of that fearful sin, let him weep for three years, standing at the door of the houses of prayer, and entreating the people as they go in to prayer that each with compassion offer fervent supplications to the Lord for him. After this, for another three years let him be admitted to hearing only; and while hearing the Scriptures and the teaching, let him be put out and not deemed worthy of prayer. Then, if indeed he has sought it with tears and has fallen down before the Lord with contrition of heart and strong humility, let prostration be given him for three years. And thus, when he has shown fruits worthy of repentance, in the tenth year let him be received into the prayer of the faithful without the offering; and after standing with the faithful in prayer for two years, then at last let him be deemed worthy of the communion of the good thing. (76) The same pattern also for those who take their daughters-in-law. (77) But he who leaves the wife lawfully joined to him and brings in another is, according to the Lord's sentence, subject to the judgment of adultery. It has been laid down by canon by our Fathers that such people should weep for a year, be hearers for two years, prostrate themselves for three years, and in the seventh stand with the faithful; and so be deemed worthy of the offering, if they repent with tears. (78) Let the same pattern hold also for those who take two sisters in marriage, even if at different times. (79) Those who rage with lust for their own stepmothers are subject to the same canon, and also those who rage with lust for their own sisters. (80) Polygamy the Fathers passed over in silence, as bestial and altogether foreign to the human race. But to us the sin appears to be something more than fornication. Therefore it is reasonable that such people be subjected to the canons: namely, that after weeping for a year and prostrating for three, they then be received. (81) Since many in the inroad of the barbarians transgressed their faith in God, performing pagan oaths and tasting certain unlawful things offered to them at the idols of the Magi, these shall be dealt with according to the canons already issued by our Fathers. For those who endured harsh compulsion from tortures, and could not bear the pains, and were dragged into denial, shall be unreceived for three years, hear for two, and after prostrating for three years shall thus be received into communion. But those who without great necessity betrayed their faith in God, and touched the table of demons, and swore Greek oaths, shall be put out for three years, hear for …, pray in prostration for three years, and after standing with the faithful in prayer for another three years, shall thus be received to the communion of the good thing. (82) And concerning those who have perjured themselves: if they broke their oaths under force and necessity, they are subject to lighter penalties, so that after six years they may be received; but if they betrayed their own faith without necessity, after weeping for two years, hearing for two years, praying for five years in prostration, and being admitted for two more years to the communion of prayer without the offering, then at last, having shown a worthy repentance, they shall be restored to the communion of the body of Christ. (83) Those who practice divination and follow the customs of the nations, or bring people into their own houses to discover sorceries and for purification, let them fall under the canon of six years: after weeping for a year, hearing for a year, prostrating for three years, and standing with the faithful for a year, let them thus be received. (84) We write all this so that the fruits of repentance may be tested. For we do not judge such things simply by time, but we attend to the manner of the repentance. But if they cling stubbornly to their own habits and wish to serve the pleasures of the flesh rather than the Lord, and do not accept the life according to the Gospel, we have no common ground with them. For we have been taught, in the case of a disobedient and contradicting people, to hear: "Save your own soul." Let us not then consent to perish along with such people; but, fearing the heavy judgment and setting before our eyes the fearful day of the Lord's recompense, let us not be willing to perish along with other people's sins. For if the terrors of the Lord have not taught them, nor such great blows brought them to awareness that because of our lawlessness the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of barbarians, and the people was led captive to the enemy and given over to dispersion, because those who bear the name of Christ dared these things; if they have not known nor understood that because of these things the wrath of God has come upon us, what common ground have we with them? But we ought to bear witness to them night and day, publicly and privately; but let us not consent to be dragged along in their wickedness, praying above all to win them and rescue them from the snare of the evil one; but if we cannot do this, let us strive at least to save our own souls from eternal condemnation.
Matt 26:52 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 16:19 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 18:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 3:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 51:17 (50:19 LXX) (echo, medium confidence) · Matt 19:9 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 65:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 10:21 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gen 19:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Tim 2:26 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil's third canonical letter to Amphilochius: after personal news, canons 51–84 set the penitential periods for murder, adultery, fornication, incest, perjury, sorcery, apostasy, and other sins, and stress that the fruits of repentance, not time alone, decide.
- Letter 217 (Basil's Third Canonical Letter). The canons are numbered 51–84 in the scan, continuing Letters 188 and 199; the numerals are given in round brackets. The canons are translated exactly as written. The four stages of public penance are weeping (outside the door), hearing, prostration, and standing with the faithful without receiving the offering. The scan OCR is badly garbled in places: in the opening, the name Macedonius is read by sense from a garbled word, and the sentence beginning "You will instruct him" breaks off ("…"); in canon 69 a sentence seems to be lost before "The same also for a minister" ("…"); in canon 75 one adjective describing the practice is lost ("…"); in canon 81 the number of years of hearing is lost ("…"); "at the idols of the Magi" is a reading by sense of a garbled phrase. Canon 77 applies the Lord's saying on divorce and remarriage (Matt 19:9) to a man who leaves his lawful wife and marries another; canon 80 treats polygamy (here, marrying more than twice) as worse than fornication. Quotations and allusions: Matt 26:52 (canon 55); Matt 16:19; 18:18 (binding and loosing, 74); Matt 3:8 (fruits worthy of repentance, 75); Ps 51:17 (contrition, 75); Matt 19:9 (77); 1 Cor 10:21 (table of demons, 81); Isa 65:2 / Rom 10:21 (a disobedient and contradicting people, 84); Gen 19:17 ("Save your own soul", 84); 2 Tim 2:26 (snare, 84).
Topics: Ethics, Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage, Church office, Divorce and remarriage
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 217 (PG 32:793b–809a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/214/#p-217). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 218
218PG 32:809b–812a
Ἀμφιλοχίω, ἐπισκόπει) Ἰκονίου. Τὴν μὲν χρεῑαν, ἧς ἕνεκεν παρεγένεό ὁ ἁδελφὸς Αἰλιανὸς, κατώρθωσεν ἐρʼ ἑαυτοῦ, οὐδεμιᾶς παρʼ ἡμῶν συνεργίας προσδεηθεὶς· ἡμῖν δὲ διπλὴν ἔδωκε χάριν, κομί-σας τε γράμματα τῆς σῆς Οεοσεβειῖας, καὶ ἀφορμήν τὼν πρὸς σε γραμμάτων ἡμῖν παρασχόμενος. Καὶ προσαγορεύομεν οὖν διʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀληθινήν σου καὶ ἀμίμητον ἀγάπην· καὶ παρακαλούμεν προσεύχεσθαι περὶ ἡμῶν, νῦν, εἴπερ ποτε, τῆς ἐκ τῶν προσευχῶν σου βοηθείας προσδεομένων. Τὸ γὰρ σῶμά μου, ἐκ τῆς ὀδοῦ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν Πόντον σνντριξὲν, ὑπὸ ἀρρωστιας συνέχεται οὐκ ἀνεκτῶς. Ἐκεῖνο ὃὲ καὶ πάλαι ἐβονλομην γνώριμον ποιῆσαι τῇ σῇ συνέσει (οὐχ ὡς ὑπʼ ἀλλης προηγουμένης αἰτίας διακρουσοεὶς ἐξελαθόμην)νῦν δί ὑπομιμνήσκω, ἵνα καταξιώσῃς ἄνδρα σπουδαῖον πέμψαι ei; τὴν Λυκίαν, κατασκέψασθαι, τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως. Δεῖ γὰρ τάχα μὴ παροφθῆναι αὐτοὺς, εἴπερ ἀληθῆ ἐστιν οἱ τις τῶν ἐκεῖθεν παραγινομένων πρὸς ἡμᾶς εὐλαβῶν διηγήσατο· ὅτι, πάντη πρὸς τό ’Δσιανὸν φρόνημα ἀπηλλοτριωμένοι, ἡμᾶς καταδέἐ 1 t ν xcv-rw. ἐπιγράφεσθαι κοινωνούς. Εἰ δὲ μέλλει τις ἀπιέναι, ὶπιζητησάτω ἐν Κορνδάλοις Ἀλέξανδρον ὰπὸ μοναζόντων ἐπίσκοπον, καὶ ἐν Λιμύρᾳ Διατιμον, καὶ ἐν Κύροις Τατιανὸν καὶ Πολέμωνα καὶ Μακάριον πρεσβντέρους, ἐν Πατάροις ἐπίσκοπον Εὔδημον, ἐν Τελμέσῷ Ἰλάριον ἐπίσκοπον, ἐν Φέλῳ Λολλιανόν ἐπίσκοπον. Τούτους καὶ ἔτι πλείους ἀνεγνώρισέ τις ἡμῖν, ὡς ὑγιαίνοντας περὶ τὴν πίστιν· καὶ πολλὴν ἔσχονμιιὲ) χάριν τῷ Θεῷ, εἳ τινες ὁλως ἐν τῷ κλίματι τῷ Ἀσιανῲ εἰσι τῆς βλάβης τῶν αἰρετικὼν · Ἐὰν μὲν οὖνῇ δυνατὸν, τέως cluso γραμμάτων αὐτοὺς χατοισκεψώμεθα· πεισθέντες δί, λοιπόν καὶ ἀποστέλλομεν επιστολὴν, καὶ σπουδάζομέν τινα ἐξ αὐτῶν προσκαλέσασθαι εἰς τὴν συντυχίαν ἡμῶν. Γένοιτο δὶ πάντα ἐν καιρῷ περὶ τὴν ποθεινοτάτην ἡμῖν Ἐκκλησίαν τὴν Ἰκονίου. Πάντα τὸν τίμιον κλῆρον καὶ τοὺς συνόντας τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ σου ὰσπαζόμιθα διὰ σοῦ.
Amphilochiō, episkopei) Ikoniou. Tēn men chreian, hēs heneken paregeneo ho hadelphos Ailianos, katōrthōsen erʼ heautou, oudemias parʼ hēmōn synergias prosdeētheis; hēmin de diplēn edōke charin, komi-sas te grammata tēs sēs Oeosebeiias, kai aphormēn tōn pros se grammatōn hēmin paraschomenos. Kai prosagoreuomen oun diʼ autou tēn alēthinēn sou kai amimēton agapēn; kai parakaloumen proseuchesthai peri hēmōn, nyn, eiper pote, tēs ek tōn proseuchōn sou boētheias prosdeomenōn. To gar sōma mou, ek tēs odou tēs epi ton Ponton snntrixen, hypo arrōstias synechetai ouk anektōs. Ekeino hoe kai palai ebonlomēn gnōrimon poiēsai tę̄ sę̄ synesei (ouch hōs hypʼ allēs proēgoumenēs aitias diakrousoeis exelathomēn)nyn di hypomimnēskō, hina kataxiōsę̄s andra spoudaion pempsai ei? tēn Lykian, kataskepsasthai, tines eisin hoi tēs orthēs pisteōs. Dei gar tacha mē parophthēnai autous, eiper alēthē estin hoi tis tōn ekeithen paraginomenōn pros hēmas eulabōn diēgēsato; hoti, pantē pros to ’Dsianon phronēma apēllotriōmenoi, hēmas katadee 1 t n xcv-rw. epigraphesthai koinōnous. Ei de mellei tis apienai, ipizētēsatō en Korndalois Alexandron apo monazontōn episkopon, kai en Limyrą Diatimon, kai en Kyrois Tatianon kai Polemōna kai Makarion presbnterous, en Patarois episkopon Eudēmon, en Telmesǭ Ilarion episkopon, en Phelǭ Lollianon episkopon. Toutous kai eti pleious anegnōrise tis hēmin, hōs hygiainontas peri tēn pistin; kai pollēn eschonmiie) charin tǭ Theǭ, hei tines holōs en tǭ klimati tǭ Asianǭ eisi tēs blabēs tōn airetikōn ; Ean men ounę̄ dynaton, teōs cluso grammatōn autous chatoiskepsōmetha; peisthentes di, loipon kai apostellomen epistolēn, kai spoudazomen tina ex autōn proskalesasthai eis tēn syntychian hēmōn. Genoito di panta en kairǭ peri tēn potheinotatēn hēmin Ekklēsian tēn Ikoniou. Panta ton timion klēron kai tous synontas tę̄ theosebeią sou aspazomitha dia sou.
To Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. The business for which brother Aelianus came he accomplished by himself, needing no help from us; but to us he gave a double favor, bringing a letter from your piety and providing us with an occasion for a letter to you. So through him we greet your true and inimitable love, and we urge you to pray for us, since now, if ever, we need the help of your prayers. For my body, shattered by the journey to Pontus, is held fast by an unbearable sickness. And this I wanted long ago to make known to your understanding (not that, being put off by some other more pressing cause, I forgot it), and now I remind you: that you deign to send an earnest man into Lycia to examine who there are of the right faith. For perhaps they should not be overlooked, if what one of the devout people who came to us from there related is true: that, having become entirely estranged from the Asian way of thinking, they wish to enroll themselves as our communicants. If someone is going to go, let him look for Alexander, the bishop who came from the monks, in Corydala; and in Limyra Diotimus; and in Myra Tatianus, Polemon, and Macarius, presbyters; in Patara the bishop Eudemus; in Telmessus the bishop Hilarius; in Phellus the bishop Lollianus. These and still more someone made known to us as sound in the faith; and we gave great thanks to God that there are any at all in the Asian region free from the harm of the heretics. If it is possible, then, let us for the present examine them through letters; and once we are satisfied, we will then send a letter, and endeavor to invite one of them to a meeting with us. May all things go well in good season for the Church of Iconium, most dear to us. Through you we greet all the honorable clergy and those who are with your piety.
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil, ill after his journey to Pontus, asks Amphilochius to send a trustworthy man to Lycia to find out which bishops and presbyters there hold the orthodox faith, naming several.
- Letter 218. "Myra" renders the scan's garbled place name (Κύροις). The "Asian way of thinking" refers to the doctrinal party then dominant in the province of Asia.
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 218 (PG 32:809b–812a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/214/#p-218). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.
Chapter 219
219PG 32:812b–816c
Τῷ Σαμοσατέων κλήρῳ. 1. Ὁ πάντα μέτρῳ καὶ σταθμῷ ὁρίζων ἡμῖν Κύριος, καὶ τοὺς πειρασμους ἐπάγων μὴ ὑπερβαίνοντας ἡμῶν τὴν δύναμιν, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζων μὲν διὰ τῆς περιστάσεως τοὺς ἀγωνιστὰς τῆς εὐσεβείας, οὐκ ἐῶν δὲ πειρασθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δύνανται ὑπενεγκεῖν, χαὶ ποτίζων δάκρυσιν ἐν μέτρῳ τοὺς ὀφείλοντας διδαχθῆναι, εἰ ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι τὸ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχάριστον διασώζουσι· μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας τῆς καθʼ ὑμᾶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ φιλάνθρωπον ἐγανέρωσε, μὴ συγχωρήσας ὑμῖν τὸν παρὰ τὼν ἐχθρῶν διωγμὸν τοιουτον ἐπενεχθῆναι, οἷον δύνασθαι περιτρέψαι τινας ἡ διασαλεῦσαι ἀπὸ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως. Κούφοις γὰρ καὶ εὐκαταγωνίστοις ἀντιπάλοις παραζεύξας ὑμᾶς, ἐν τῇ κατʼ αὐτῶν νίκῃ το βραβεῖον ὑμῖν τῆς ὑπομονῆς ηὑτρέπισιν, Ἀλλʼ ὁ κοινὸς ἐχθρὸς τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν, ο ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ μεθοόείαις ὁητιμαχομενος τοῦ Θεού τῇ χρηστότητι, ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν ὑμᾶς ὡς τεῖχος χραταιον τῆς ἔξωθεν προσβολῆς καταφρονονντας, ἐν ὑμῖν αὐτοῖς, ὡς ἀκούω, ἐπενόησε γενέσθαι τινας λύπας πρὸς ἀλλήλους καὶ μικροψυχίαςδ αἱ παρὰ μὲν τὴν πρώτην μικραί εισι καὶ εὐθεράπευτοι, προίόντος δὲ τοῦ χρόνον ὑπο φιλονεικίας αὐξανόμεναι, εὶς ἀνίατον παντελῶς ἐκπίπτειν πεφύκασι. Διὸ ὥρμησα πρὸς τὴν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος τοῦδε παράκλησιν. Εἰ μὲν ἦν; δυνατὸν, αὐτὸς ἂν παρεγενόμην, καὶ διʼ ἐμαυτοῦ ἱκέτευσα ὑμᾶς· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο οὶ καιροὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπουσι, τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην ἀνθʼ ικετηρίας ὑμῖν προτείνομεν· ἶνα, αἰδεσθέντες ἡμῶν τὰς παρακλήσεις, καταλύσητε πᾶσαν τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους φιλονεικίαν, καὶ ταχέως μοι ὃιαπέμψησθε τὴν ἀγαθήν ἀγγελίαν, ὅτι ἀφήκατε ἀλλήλοις τὰς μέμψεις. 2. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ εἰδέναι βούλομαι τήν ’σύνεσιν fige: - ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μέγας παρὰ Θεῷ, ό ταπεινοφρόνως ὑποκατακλιθεὶς τῷ πλησίον, καὶ ἀνεπαισχύντως ἐφʼ ἑαυτὸν ἀναδεξάμενος τὰ ἐγκλήματα, κᾶν μή ἀληθῆ ᾖ, ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὸ μέγα ὄφελος τὴν εἰρήνην χαρίσασθαι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησία. Γ ενέσθω οὖν ἐν ὑμῖν ἅμιλλα ἀγαθὴ, τίς πρῶτος καταξιωθῇ υἱός Θεοῦ κληθῆναι, δια τῆς εἰρηνοποιίας ἐαυτῷ τό ἀξίωμα τοῦτο περιποιησάμενος. Ἐπέστειλε δε καὶ ό θεοφιλέστατος ἐπίσκοπος ὑμῖν τὰ πρέποντα, καὶ ἐπιστελεῖ πάλιν τὰ ἐπιβάλλοντα αὐτῷ. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμεῖς, δ ιὰ τό ἔτι συγκεχωο ρῆσθαι ἐγγύτεροι ὑμῶν εἶναι, ἀμελεῖν τῶν καθʼ ὑμᾶς οὐ δυνάμεθα. Ὅθεν καὶ παραγενομένου του εὐλαβεστάτου ἀδελφοῦ Θεοδώρου τοῦ ὑποδιακόνου, καὶ εἰπόντος τήν Ἐκκλησίαν ἰν λύπῃ εῖναι καὶ ταραχῇ, σφοδρῶς συντριβέντες καὶ βαθείᾳ ὀδύνη τήν καρδίαν πληγέντες, ἠσυχάσαι οὐκ ἠνειχόμεθα· αλλὰ παρεκαλέσαμεν ὑμᾶς, πᾶσαν δικαιολογίαν της πρὸς ἀλλήλους ῥίψαντας, καταπράξασθαι τὴν εἰρήνην, ἵνα μήτε ἡδονήν τοῖς ἐναντίοις παράσχησθε, μήτε τὸ καύχημα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προδῶτε, ὁ νῦν εὶς πᾶσαν τήν οἰκουμένην δ ιαβεβόηται, ὅτι οἱ πάντες, ὡς ὑπὸ μιᾶς ψυχῆς καὶ καρδίας οἰκονομούμενοι, ἐν ἐνὶ σώματι οὕτω διάγετε. Πάντα τόν λαόν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τούς τε ἐν ἀξιωμασι καὶ δυναστείαις πολιτικαῖς ,καὶ τοῦ παν τός κλήρου τό πλή ρωμαεδια τῆ ς ὑμετέρας εὐλαβείας κατασπαζόμεθα, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν ὁμοίους ἑαυτοῖς διαμεῖναι. Οὑδεμίαν γὰρ προσθήκην ἐπιζητοῦμεν, διὰ τὸ πᾶσαν ὑπερβολήν προλαβόντας αὐτοὺς διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ἐπιδείξεως ἀποκλεῖσαι. ΣΠΙΣΤΟΛΗ ZK'. ἱγων τήν καθημερινὴν ὑμῶν ἄθλησιν, καὶ τὴν εὔτονον ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἔνστασιν, τοσοῦτον ἡμῖν ἐνεποίησε τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἤγειρε τὸν πόθον τῆς ἀπολαύσεως τῶν ἐν ὑμῖν καλῶν, ὥστε προσεύχεσθαι ἡμᾶς τῷ Κυρίῳ γενέσθαι ποτὶ καιρόν καὶ διὰ τῆς οἰκείας πιίρας γνωρίσαι τὰ καθʼ ὑμᾶς. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπήγγειλεν ἡμῖν οὐ μόνον ὑμῶν τῶν τήν λειτουργίαν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου πεπιστευμένων τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ δήμου παντὸς τὴν συμφωνίαν, καὶτῶν καθηγουμίνων τῆς πόλεως καὶ προπολιτιυομένων αὐτῆς τό μιγαλοφυὶς τῶν τρόπων, καὶ τό γνήσιον τῆς περὶ Θεὸν δια θέσεως, ὥστε μακαρίσαι ἡμᾶς τὴν ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων συμπληρουμένην Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ εὔχεσθαι νῦν πλέον δοθῆναι ὑμῖν τὴν πνευματικὴν γαλήνην· ἶνα ἆ νῦν ἐ) τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀθλήσεως ἐπεδείξασθε, τούτων ἐκ τῷ τῆς ἀνέσεως χρόνῳ κομίσησθε τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν. Πέφυιι γάρ πως τὰ δυσχερῆ κατὰ τὴν πεῖραν ἡδονὴν φέρειν τοῖς ὑπομιμνησκομένοις. Τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς μὴ ἐκκακιίν, μηδι ἀπαγορεύειν πρὸς τὴν συνίχιιαν τῶν κακώσεων. Ἐῃὺς γὰρ οἱ στέφανοι, mter/1); ἠ ἀντίληψις τοῦ Κυρίου. Μὴ ἔκχέητι τὰ προπεπονημένα ὑμῖν· μὴ ἆχριιὼσητι τὸν κόπον τόν δια πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης βεβοημίνον. Ὀλιγοχρόνιοι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων αἱ καταστάσης· Πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος, ιαὶ πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου. Ἐξηράνθηό χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἄξέπεσιʼ τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα Κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Τῆς διαμενούσης ἐντολῆς ἀντιχόσ μενοι, τῆς παρερχομένης φαντασίας καραφρονήσωμεν. Πολλὰς Ἐκκλησιας ἁνὼρθωσι 1’ὸ καθʼ ὑμᾶς ύπόὃειγμα. Πολύν, κατὰ τὸ λανθάνον, ἑαυτοῖς συνηγάγιτε τὸν μισθὸν, δ ιʼ ὧν τοὺς ἆπιιροτὲρονς εἰς τόν ὅμοιον ζῆλον
Tǭ Samosateōn klērǭ. 1. Ho panta metrǭ kai stathmǭ horizōn hēmin Kyrios, kai tous peirasmous epagōn mē hyperbainontas hēmōn tēn dynamin, alla dokimazōn men dia tēs peristaseōs tous agōnistas tēs eusebeias, ouk eōn de peirasthēnai hyper ho dynantai hypenenkein, chai potizōn dakrysin en metrǭ tous opheilontas didachthēnai, ei en tais thlipsesi to pros ton Theon euchariston diasōzousi; malista epi tēs oikonomias tēs kathʼ hymas to heautou philanthrōpon eganerōse, mē synchōrēsas hymin ton para tōn echthrōn diōgmon toiouton epenechthēnai, hoion dynasthai peritrepsai tinas hē diasaleusai apo tēs eis Christon pisteōs. Kouphois gar kai eukatagōnistois antipalois parazeuxas hymas, en tę̄ katʼ autōn nikę̄ to brabeion hymin tēs hypomonēs hēutrepisin, Allʼ ho koinos echthros tēs zōēs hēmōn, o tais heautou methooeiais hoētimachomenos tou Theou tę̄ chrēstotēti, epeidē eiden hymas hōs teichos chrataion tēs exōthen prosbolēs kataphrononntas, en hymin autois, hōs akouō, epenoēse genesthai tinas lypas pros allēlous kai mikropsychiasd hai para men tēn prōtēn mikrai eisi kai eutherapeutoi, proiontos de tou chronon hypo philoneikias auxanomenai, eis aniaton pantelōs ekpiptein pephykasi. Dio hōrmēsa pros tēn dia tou grammatos toude paraklēsin. Ei men ēn? dynaton, autos an paregenomēn, kai diʼ emautou hiketeusa hymas; epeidē de touto oi kairoi ouk epitrepousi, tēn epistolēn tautēn anthʼ iketērias hymin proteinomen; ina, aidesthentes hēmōn tas paraklēseis, katalysēte pasan tēn pros allēlous philoneikian, kai tacheōs moi hoiapempsēsthe tēn agathēn angelian, hoti aphēkate allēlois tas mempseis. 2. Ekeino gar eidenai boulomai tēn ’synesin fige: - hoti ekeinos megas para Theǭ, o tapeinophronōs hypokataklitheis tǭ plēsion, kai anepaischyntōs ephʼ heauton anadexamenos ta enklēmata, kan mē alēthē ę̄, hyper tou to mega ophelos tēn eirēnēn charisasthai tę̄ tou Theou Ekklēsia. G enesthō oun en hymin hamilla agathē, tis prōtos kataxiōthę̄ huios Theou klēthēnai, dia tēs eirēnopoiias eautǭ to axiōma touto peripoiēsamenos. Epesteile de kai o theophilestatos episkopos hymin ta preponta, kai epistelei palin ta epiballonta autǭ. Plēn alla kai hēmeis, d ia to eti synkechōo rēsthai engyteroi hymōn einai, amelein tōn kathʼ hymas ou dynametha. Hothen kai paragenomenou tou eulabestatou adelphou Theodōrou tou hypodiakonou, kai eipontos tēn Ekklēsian in lypę̄ einai kai tarachę̄, sphodrōs syntribentes kai batheią odynē tēn kardian plēgentes, ēsychasai ouk ēneichometha; alla parekalesamen hymas, pasan dikaiologian tēs pros allēlous rhipsantas, katapraxasthai tēn eirēnēn, hina mēte hēdonēn tois enantiois paraschēsthe, mēte to kauchēma tēs Ekklēsias prodōte, ho nyn eis pasan tēn oikoumenēn d iabeboētai, hoti hoi pantes, hōs hypo mias psychēs kai kardias oikonomoumenoi, en eni sōmati houtō diagete. Panta ton laon tou Theou, tous te en axiōmasi kai dynasteiais politikais ,kai tou pan tos klērou to plē rōmaedia tē s hymeteras eulabeias kataspazometha, kai parakaloumen homoious heautois diameinai. Houdemian gar prosthēkēn epizētoumen, dia to pasan hyperbolēn prolabontas autous dia tēs tōn agathōn ergōn epideixeōs apokleisai. SPISTOLĒ ZK'. higōn tēn kathēmerinēn hymōn athlēsin, kai tēn eutonon hyper tēs eusebeias enstasin, tosouton hēmin enepoiēse to thauma, kai tosouton ēgeire ton pothon tēs apolauseōs tōn en hymin kalōn, hōste proseuchesthai hēmas tǭ Kyriǭ genesthai poti kairon kai dia tēs oikeias piiras gnōrisai ta kathʼ hymas. Kai gar apēngeilen hēmin ou monon hymōn tōn tēn leitourgian tou thysiastēriou pepisteumenōn tēn akribeian, alla kai tou dēmou pantos tēn symphōnian, kaitōn kathēgouminōn tēs poleōs kai propolitiyomenōn autēs to migalophuis tōn tropōn, kai to gnēsion tēs peri Theon dia theseōs, hōste makarisai hēmas tēn ek tōn toioutōn symplēroumenēn Ekklēsian, kai euchesthai nyn pleon dothēnai hymin tēn pneumatikēn galēnēn; ina a nyn e) tǭ kairǭ tēs athlēseōs epedeixasthe, toutōn ek tǭ tēs aneseōs chronǭ komisēsthe tēn apolausin. Pephuii gar pōs ta dyscherē kata tēn peiran hēdonēn pherein tois hypomimnēskomenois. To de nyn echon parakaloumen hymas mē ekkakiin, mēdi apagoreuein pros tēn synichiian tōn kakōseōn. Eę̄us gar hoi stephanoi, mter/1)? ē antilēpsis tou Kyriou. Mē ekcheēti ta propeponēmena hymin; mē achriiōsēti ton kopon ton dia pasēs tēs oikoumenēs beboēminon. Oligochronioi tōn anthrōpinōn pragmatōn hai katastasēs; Pasa sarx chortos, iai pasa doxa anthrōpou hōs anthos chortou. Exēranthēo chortos, kai to anthos axepesiʼ to de rhēma Kyriou menei eis ton aiōna, Tēs diamenousēs entolēs antichos menoi, tēs parerchomenēs phantasias karaphronēsōmen. Pollas Ekklēsias hanōrthōsi 1’o kathʼ hymas ypooeigma. Polyn, kata to lanthanon, heautois synēgagite ton misthon, d iʼ hōn tous apiiroterons eis ton homoion zēlon
To the clergy of Samosata. 1. The Lord, who determines everything for us by measure and weight, and who brings on temptations that do not exceed our strength, but tests the contenders for godliness through hardship while not allowing them to be tempted beyond what they are able to bear, and who gives tears to drink in measure to those who need to be taught whether in afflictions they keep their gratitude toward God, has shown his love for humankind above all in his dealings with you, not allowing such a persecution from your enemies to be brought upon you as could overturn some or shake them from their faith in Christ. For by matching you with light and easily beaten opponents, he prepared for you the prize of endurance in the victory over them. But the common enemy of our life, who by his wiles fights against the goodness of God, when he saw you, like a strong wall, despising the attack from outside, contrived, as I hear, that certain grievances and petty quarrels should arise among yourselves against one another; these at first are small and easily healed, but as time goes on, growing through contentiousness, they naturally fall into what is altogether incurable. Therefore I have hastened to exhort you through this letter. If it were possible, I would have come myself and entreated you in person; but since the times do not permit this, we hold out this letter to you in place of a suppliant's plea, so that, respecting our entreaties, you may put an end to all contention with one another, and quickly send me the good news that you have forgiven one another your complaints. 2. For I want your understanding to know this: that he is great before God who humbly yields place to his neighbor and without shame takes the charges upon himself, even if they are not true, in order to grant that great benefit, peace, to the Church of God. Let there then be a good rivalry among you, as to who shall first be deemed worthy to be called a son of God, having won this dignity for himself by peacemaking. The most God-beloved bishop too has written to you what is fitting, and will write again what falls to him. Nevertheless we too, because we have been allowed to be still nearer to you, cannot neglect your affairs. Hence, when the most reverent brother Theodorus the subdeacon came and said that the Church was in grief and turmoil, we were deeply crushed and struck to the heart with deep pain, and could not bear to keep quiet; but we have urged you, throwing aside every self-justification against one another, to bring about peace, so that you neither give pleasure to your opponents nor betray the boast of the Church, which has now been proclaimed throughout the whole world: that all of you, as though governed by one soul and heart, live thus in one body. Through your reverence we greet all the people of God, both those in dignities and civic offices, and the whole body of the clergy, and we urge them to remain like themselves. For we seek no addition, because by the display of their good works they have anticipated and shut out every excess. [Letter 220] [To the Beroeans.] … your daily contest and your vigorous resistance on behalf of godliness has produced such admiration in us, and so roused our longing to enjoy the good things among you, that we pray to the Lord that a time may come when we may also come to know your affairs by our own experience. For he reported to us not only the strictness of you who have been entrusted with the ministry of the altar, but also the concord of the whole people, and the magnanimity of character of the leaders of the city and of those who govern it, and the genuineness of their disposition toward God; so that we counted blessed the Church filled up with such people, and we pray that spiritual calm may now be given you all the more, so that what you have shown now in the time of contest you may receive the enjoyment of in the time of rest. For hardships, once experienced, somehow naturally bring pleasure to those who remember them. For the present we urge you not to lose heart nor to give up before the continual ill-treatment. For the crowns are near, near is the help of the Lord. Do not pour away what you have already labored for; do not make useless the toil that has been proclaimed throughout the whole world. Short-lived are the states of human affairs: "All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withered, and the flower fell; but the word of the Lord abides forever." Holding fast to the commandment that abides, let us despise the passing show. Your example has set many Churches upright. Without knowing it you have gathered for yourselves a great reward, through which you have [roused] the less experienced to a like zeal …
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
1 Cor 10:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 80:5 (79:6 LXX) (echo, medium confidence) · Matt 5:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 4:32 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 40:6 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 1:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 6:9 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Basil urges the clergy of Samosata to end their quarrels and make peace; a second letter, to the Beroeans, whose heading is lost, praises their steadfastness and urges them not to lose heart.
- Staged ref 219 holds Letter 219 (to the clergy of Samosata) and, from "[Letter 220]", Letter 220 (to the Beroeans), whose heading and first words are lost in the scan ("…"); the scan breaks off before the end of Letter 220 ("…"; "roused" is supplied by sense). Quotations and allusions: Wis 11:20 (measure and weight); 1 Cor 10:13; Ps 80:5 (tears in measure); Matt 5:9 (peacemakers called sons of God); Acts 4:32 (one heart and soul); Isa 40:6–8 / 1 Pet 1:24–25 (quoted); Gal 6:9 (not lose heart).
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 11:20 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Basil, Ep. 219 (PG 32:812b–816c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/basil-epistulae/214/#p-219). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Migne PG 32 scan text; compared in full afterwards with NPNF² 8, which gives only summaries from Letter 296 and omits some letters; those were re-read against the Greek.