Letter 32: Even if the heresy of Montanus was unknown to you until now, as you write, it has long been known to the Church —...

To Dositheos. It signifies that the priest must be a lamp. God lights a lamp — the priest — and places it upon the lampstand of his own light-bearing seat, so that it may flash forth illumination to the Church, of both doctrines and deeds freed from darkness, so that the peoples, seeing the rays of the life-giving brilliance, may be directed toward them and glorify the Father of lights. You have the concise answer to your questions. To Synesios the Bishop. It is good to gird one's loins before dangers and to serve God, and to cast oneself wholly upon him with unwavering faith. For the one who prepares before the battle finds strength in the hour of trial, but the one who waits until danger is already present discovers that his unpreparedness has become his greatest enemy. Therefore, take up the full armor of God now, while there is still time to train the soul in endurance, so that when the day of testing arrives, you may stand firm and not be shaken.

ΛΒ. – ΔΟΣΙΘΕΟ. Σημαίνει ὅτι λύχνον τὸν ἱερέα εἶναι χρή. Απτει λύχνον ὁ Θεὸς ἱερέα, καὶ τίθησιν ἐπὶ λυ- χνίας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φωτοφόρου καθέδρας, ἵν᾿ ἐξαστρά- πτῇ φωτισμὸν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ δογμάτων καὶ πρά- ξεων σκότους ἀπηλλαγμένων · ὅπως ὁρῶντες οἱ λαοὶ τὰς ἀκτῖνας τῆς ζωτικῆς (31) λαμπηδόνος, πρὸς ἐκεί- νας εὐθύνωνται, καὶ τὸν Πατέρα τῶν φώτων δοξάζω- σιν. Ἔχεις τὴν λύσιν ὧν ἠρώτησας σύντομον. ΣΛΒ΄. – ΣΥΝΕΣΙΟ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ. Καλον (18) μὲν τὸ πρὸ κινδύνων ἐζῶσθαι τὴν ὀσφὺν, καὶ Θεῷ διακονεῖσθαι, καὶ βάλλειν τὰς ἐναν- τίας φάλαγγας πίστει, ἀλλὰ μὴ ῥᾳθυμοῦντας καὶ ἐχθροῖς καὶ πολεμίοις ἐκκεῖσθαι· ἐπειδὴ εἰς τοῦτο προήλθομεν ἀβουλίας, ὥστε μηδὲ καιρὸν ἔχειν θεῷ Ιερατεύειν, τῶν κυκλούντων κακῶν οὐ διδόν των ἅψασθαι τῶν ἀμυντηρίων ὀργάνων· ἐπεὶ καὶ Φινεὲς σειρομάστῃ ἐχρήσατο, ὅτε Θεὸς παρωργίζετο. ``` ΛΒ΄. – ΗΡΑΚΛΕΙΟ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ Ὥσῳ κρείττω παι ἀξιολογωτερα ἐχειροτονήθης οἰκονομεῖν πράγματα, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἀκοίμητον καὶ διορατικώτατον (15) εἶναί σε χρή· ἵνα μὴ θείων διολισθήσας ἐγχειρημάτων, μείζονα ἀπενέγκῃ τὴν γραφήν. ᾿Ανάγκη γὰρ τὴν κατηγορίαν τοσαύτην ἔσε- σθαι διαμαρτόντι τῶν μεγίστων, ὅσην ἂν καὶ τὴν ἀμοιδὴν, ἅμεμπτον διατηρήσαντι τὴν λειτουργίαν. ΙΗ΄. ΝΑΥΚΡΑΤΙΩ ΚΟΜΙΤΙ. Ἔδει τοὺς τοιούτους ἑαυτοὺς ἑλέγχειν, μᾶλλον ἢ πρὸς τοὺς δικαιοτάτους αὐτῶν κατηγορεῖν ἐφιεσ ΑΒ΄. – ΔΩΡΟΘΕΩ ΛΑΜΠΡΟΤΑΤΟ (21). Περὶ δόξης τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ. Τὸν ἀοίδιμον σταυρὸν δίκαιον προσειπεῖν, οὐ μονον ΛΒ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Ἐπειδὴ ἀξιοῖ ὁ θεῖος λόγος μηδένα ἀπολεῖσθαι, φανερὸν ὅτι καὶ ἡ ἡμετέρα χρὴ ἐπὶ τούτῳ καταντᾶν σπουδή. Ζ'. ΠΑΛΛΑΔΙΟ ΥΠΟΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Ὁ ἐπιεικὴς φιλανθρωποτέραν δίκαιος ἂν εἴη ἔχειν τὴν γνώμην τοῦ λίαν δικαίου, καὶ ἀκριβοῦς. Πρέπει γὰρ αὐτῷ μᾶλλον τοῦ δικαίου κεχρῆσθαι τῇ φιλανθρωπία. ΡΜΘ΄. – ΙΣΙΔΩΡΩ Ὅτι τὸ ὀργίζεσθαι τῆς ψυχῆς τὸν λογισμὸν ἀποκρύπτει.