Letter 210: The things of this life are fleeting and shadowy.

To Christodoros. What is the meaning of "Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains." The signs of the final tribulation of the ages, which the Lord revealed for our knowledge — since you have requested through your letter that these be made clear to you — learn quickly their significance. "Let those in Judea flee to the mountains" means those who are firmly established in piety (for this is what "Judea" signifies in interpretation): let them look toward the lofty refuge, guarded by their own confession of faith. "And let the one on the housetop not come down to take anything from his house." The one who has despised the present dwelling, and trampled underfoot every earthly tabernacle, and become exalted in his manner of life, and dismissed the passions that dwell within — let him not draw back any of these things: not cowardice, not sloth, not vainglory, not desire for wealth, for all these represent a descent from the heights. "Let the one in the field not turn back to take his garment." The one who has stripped off the old man, and renounced the things of the flesh, let him put on the new man, who renewed him unto the knowledge of God and cleansed him from corruption. For in these things he will possess security against that great tribulation. To Zosimos the Presbyter. Since you are doing something resembling an incurable disease that has taken control and spares nothing it desires, but has bidden farewell to the physicians and feasts itself on the things that breed destruction — for this reason the return to temperance seems difficult to you. But if you would cease from the luxury that drives you mad into erotic frenzies (for this is the root and mother of licentiousness), the flame of debauchery will also be extinguished. For when the fuel is removed, the fire that was fed and magnified by it will obviously be put out as well. But if you yourself supply the materials to the fire, how will it cease and be quenched? If you yourself stir up the beast when it is at rest, who will tame it when it is agitated and raging? Reflecting on these things and their kindred truths, therefore, cease from your incessant indulgence. To Nemesia. On the saying "Turn not to the right or to the left," and that virtue is achieved through toil. Since liberality stands midway between prodigality and miserliness, and magnanimity between arrogance and abjectness, and piety between superstition and impiety — for this reason wise men, having determined that the vices are neighbors to the virtues, assigned the middle ground to the virtues. And to me as well, for all the virtues, the most central path appears best. To Adamantios. What is the meaning of the saying in the Song of Habakkuk, "His virtue covered the heavens." Since the mind cannot comprehend what is beyond mind, nor can speech express what is beyond speech — for this is indeed the case, as the divine Scriptures affirm, saying "The glory of the Lord conceals speech," that is, the glory of the Master is greater and higher than all speech — and it did not say "the nature" from which the glory proceeds, but "the glory" that comes from the essence — let all human nature yield before the greatness of the matter, and not scrutinize the essence, but worship the dignity. And let the entire host of angels and archangels and the heavenly powers above also yield. For the saying you wished to learn points to this: "His virtue covered the heavens." It reveals that the discourse concerning the divine essence is greater than the entire angelic multitude and the holy orders. To Skeutonios the Deacon. If, as you say, Zosimos and Maron have left no licentious deed undone, no shameful word unspoken, and still they attack even the best of men, both saying and doing things that are neither fit to be spoken nor bearable to be endured — do not condemn divine justice as negligent, but marvel at its long-suffering, which for now calls them to repentance and cuts off their excuse, but shortly hereafter will pursue them with the most severe punishment, either here or in the life to come. For if those before the Flood who committed unlawful acts, or those in Sodom who sinned beyond all bounds, or the Jews who raged against the Master, did not escape unpunished — neither will these men. And if some of those were drowned, others became fuel for fire, and others the victims of war, so as to overshadow all former and subsequent tragedies, and if in the world to come they will suffer the ultimate punishments — for what reason do you lose heart, as though these men will go unpunished? That they will indeed pay the penalty there is clear from the fact that the Truth has spoken: "It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city" — that is, the city that persecuted the heralds of truth. This He said because those who persecuted the heralds will pay a more grievous penalty than the Sodomites, whose punishment will be milder — not only because the Sodomites already paid a penalty here, but also because the former sinned against the Master of nature itself, while the latter sinned against nature alone.

ΣΙ΄. – ΧΡΙΣΤΟΔΩΡΟ. Τι ἐστι, « Τότε οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, φευγέτωσαν εἰς τὰ ὅρη. » Τῆς τελευταίας [τῶν χρόνων] ἀνάγκης τὰ σημεῖα, ἅπερ ὁ Κύριος πρὸς εἶδησιν ἡμῶν ἀπεκάλυψε, σαν φηνισθῆναί σοι ἀξιώσας διὰ τοῦ γράμματος, ταχέως τὴν τούτων μάνθανε δύναμιν. « Οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ φευ- γέτωσαν εἰς τὰ ὅρη, » οἱ ἐν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ ἐρηρεισμένοι (τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ Ἰουδαία ἑρμηνεύεται)· ἐπὶ τὴν ὑψηλὴν καταφυγὴν ἀφοράτωσαν, ὑπὸ τῆς οἰκείας ὁμολογίας φρουρούμενοι. «῾Ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος, μὴ καταβάτω ἆραί τι ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας αὐτοῦ. Ὁ τῆς παρούσης περι- φρονήσας οἰκίας, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἐνταῦθα (2) κατα- πατήσας σκηνὴν, καὶ ὑψηλὸς τῷ βίῳ γενόμενος, καὶ τὰ ἕνοικα πάθη ἀποπεμψάμενος, μηδὲν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐπισπάσθω, μὴ δειλίαν, μὴ ῥαθυμίαν, μὴ δόξαν κε- νὴν, μὴ ὄρεξιν πλούτου, ἅπερ ἀφ᾽ ὕψους ἐστὶ κατά- βασις. «Ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω ἆραι τὸ ἱμά- τιον αὐτοῦ. Ὁ τὸν παλαιὸν ἀπεκδυσάμενος ἄνθρωπον, καὶ τοῖς σαρκίνοις ἀποταξάμενος, τὸν νέον φορείτω, ὃς αὐτὸν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν Θεοῦ ἀνεκαίνισε, καὶ τῆς λύος ἐκάθηρεν. Ἐν τούτοις γὰρ ἔξει τὸ πρὸς ἐκεί νην τὴν μεγάλην κάκωσιν ἀνεπίβουλον. ΣΓ΄. – ΖΩΣΙΜΟ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Ἐπειδὴ παραπλήσιόν τι ποιεῖς νοσήματι ἀνηκέστῳ ἐξουσίαν λαβόντι μηδενὸς ὧν ἐπιθυμεῖ φείδεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν ἰατροῖς ἐῤῥῶσθαι φράσαντι, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ὅλεθρον ἐγειρόντων ἑαυτὸν εὐωχοῦντι· τούτου ἕνεκα δύσκολός σοι ἡ ἐπάνοδος ἡ ἐπὶ τὴν σωφροσύνην (43) δοκεῖ. Εἰ δὲ παύσοιο τῆς εἰς ἐρωτικοὺς οἴστρους ἐκ μαινούσης τρυφῆς (βίζα γὰρ ἀσελγείας αὕτη, καὶ μήτηρ καθέστηκε), σβεσθήσεται, καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀκολασίας φλόξ. Τῶν γὰρ ὑλῶν ὑπεξαιρεθεισῶν, καὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐ- τῶν αὐξόμενον, καὶ κορυφούμενον πῦρ δηλονότι ἀποσβεσθήσεται (44). Εἰ δ᾽ αὐτὸς τὰς ὅλας τῷ περὶ χορηγεῖς, πως λήξει καὶ παύσεται; Εἰ αὐτὸς ἡρεμοῦν διεγείρεις τὸ θηρίον, τις αὐτὸ κυκῶν καὶ μαινόμενον τιθασσεύει; Ταυτα οὖν καὶ τὰ τούτων ἀδελφὰ ἐννοῶν, παῦσαι τοῦ διὰ παντὸς τρυφᾷν. ΣΙ΄. – ΝΕΜΕΣΙΑ (35), Eἰς τὸ εἰρημένον· «Μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς δεξιὰ, ἢ ἀρι στερά. » Καὶ ὅτι πόνῳ κατορθοῦται ἡ ἀρετή. Dπειδὴ ἡ μὲν ἐλευθερία (56) μέση ἐστὶν ἀσωτίας καὶ φειδωλίας, ἡ δὲ μεγαλοψυχία ὑπερηφανίας καὶ ταπεινότητος· ἡ δὲ εὐσέβεια δεισιδαιμονίας καὶ ἀσε βείας· διὸ καὶ ἀγχιθύρους εἶναι τὰς κακίας ταῖς ἀρεταῖς (57) σοφοὶ ὁρισάμενοι ἄνδρες, τὴν μέσην χώραν ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ἀπέδοσαν · κὰμοὶ εἰς πάσας τὰς ἀρετὰς μεσαιτάτη ὁδὸς ἀρίστη φαίνεται. Καὶ τοῦτ᾽ ΣΙΑ΄. – ΑΔΑΜΑΝΤΙΟ. Τι ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν τῇ ᾠδῇ ᾿Αβακούμ «Ἐκά- λυψεν οὐρανοὺς ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτοῦ. » Ἐπειδὴ νοῦς τὰ ὑπὲρ νοῦν νοῆσαι οὐ δύναται, οὐδὲ λόγος τὰ ὑπὲρ λόγον φράσαι · τοῦτο γὰρ οὕτως ἔχον (62), ἰσχυρίζεται τὰ θεῖα λόγια, λέγοντα • Δόξα Κυρίου κρύπτει λόγον, » τουτέστι, παντὸς λόγου κρείττων ἐστὶ καὶ ἀνωτέρα ἡ δόξα ἡ δεσπο- τική· καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἡ φύσις, ἀφ᾿ ἧς ἡ δόξα, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ δόξα ἡ ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας· παραχωρείτω πᾶσα ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ πράγματος· καὶ μὴ τὴν οὐσίαν περιεργαζέσθω, ἀλλὰ προσκυνείτω τὴν ἀξίαν· παρα- χωρείτω δὲ πᾶς (62) ὁ τῶν ἀγγέλων, καὶ ἀρχαγγέ- λων, καὶ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων δῆμος. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ βλέπει τὸ ῥητὸν, ὅπερ ἠθέλησας μαθεῖν· « Ἑκά- λυψεν οὐρανοὺς ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτοῦ. » Μηνύει γὰρ, ὅτι πάσης τῆς ἀγγελικῆς πληθύος καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ταγ- μάτων μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ περὶ τῆς θείας οὐσίας λό- γος (63). ΣΚΕΥΤΟΝΙΟ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ Εἰ μηδὲν μετ' ἀκολασίας (49) ἔργον ἄπρακτον, μήτε λόγον αἰσχρὸν ἄρρητον, ὡς φὴς, παραλελοιπότες Ζωσιμός τε καὶ Μάρων, ἔτι καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἀρίστων ἐπιφύονται, ἃ τήτε λόγῳ ῥητά, μήτε ἔργῳ φορητά καὶ φράζοντες καὶ πράττοντες· μὴ τῆς θείας δίκης ἀμέλειαν καταψηφίσῃ, ἀλλὰ θαύμαζε αὐτῆς τὴν μα κροθυμίαν, τὴν νῦν μὲν εἰς μετάνοιαν αὐτοὺς καλοῦ- σαν, καὶ τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἀποτεμνομένην, μεκρὸν δὲ ὕστερον ἢ ἐνταῦθα, ἢ ἐκεῖ κολάσει σφοδροτάτῃ αὐ- τοὺς μετελευσομένην. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ οἱ πρὸ τοῦ κατα- κλυσμοῦ δε μὴ θέμες δράσαντες, ἢ ἐν Σοδόμοις ὑπερ- όρια πταίσαντες, ἢ οἱ κατὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου ἐπιλυτ- τήσαντες Ἰουδαῖοι ἀτιμώρητοι διέφυγον, διαφεύξονται καὶ οὗτοι. Εἰ δὲ ἐκείνων ἐνταῦθα οἱ μὲν κατεκλύσθη- σαν, οἱ δὲ πυρὸς, οἱ δὲ πολέμου ἔργον γεγένηνται, ὡς πάσας καὶ τὰς ἔμπροσθεν, καὶ τὰς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀποκρύψαι τραγῳδίας, κἀκεῖσε δὲ τὰς ἐσχάτας πεί σονται τιμωρίας· δι' ἣν αἰτίαν ὀλιγωρεῖς, ὡς ἀτι μωρήτων τούτων ὄντων; Ὅτι γὰρ κἀκεῖ δώσουσε δίκην, δῆλον, ἐκ τοῦ τὴν ἀλήθειαν εἰρηκέναι. «Ανεκτότερον ἔσται γῇ Σόδομων καὶ Γομόῤῥων, ἢ τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ, * τῇ διωξάση δηλονότι τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας κήρυκας· τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν, ὡς ἐκείνων μὲν ἀργαλεωτέραν δωσόντων δίκην, Σοδομιτῶν δὲ ἡμε ρωτέραν, οὐ μόνον διὰ τὸ κἀνταῦθα δεδωκέναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ τοὺς μὲν κατὰ τῆς φύσεως παπαρώνη κέναι, τοὺς δὲ κατὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου τῆς φύσεως λελυτ τηκέναι.