Letter 33: The way into the Holy of Holies was hidden within the temple, sealed off by the veil that separated God's presence...

To Prounichios. On the saying, "There has not arisen among those born of women anyone greater than John," and what was more in him. Why is he the greatest among those born of women, you asked. To Ischyrion the Presbyter. I greatly praised your godliness, which honored your father's judgment and assigned to the one appointed to lead the vote of having deliberated most excellently. To Andreas the Sophist. Those who desire the truth and seek the matter at hand must pursue the subject and demonstrate it. To the same. The beginnings of arguments must be true and trustworthy. For if the premise is false, necessarily the conclusion will also be found inconsistent.

ΑΓ΄. – ΠΡΟΥΝΙΧΙΩ (32). Διὰ τὸ μείζων ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν Ἰωάννου οὐκ ἐγήγερται καὶ τί περισσότερον ἐν αὐτῷ. Διὰ τί μείζων ἐν γεννητοῖς γυναικῶν, ἔφης, ΑΓ. – ΙΣΧΥΡΙΩΝΙ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Λίαν ἐπῇνεσα τὴν σὴν θεοσέβειαν, τιμήσασαν τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς γνώμην, καὶ τῷ ἡγεῖσθαι λαχόντι τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ ἄριστα διεσκέφθαι ἀπονενεμηκυίαν ψήφον. Κ΄. ΑΝΔΡΕΑ ΤΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ. Έδει τοὺς τῆς ἀληθείας ποθοῦντας καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν ἐπιζητοῦντας τὴν ὑπόθεσιν καὶ ἀποδ ΣΑΓ'. – ΤΟ ΑΥΤΩ. Χρὴ τὰς ἀρχὰς τῶν λόγων ἀληθεῖς εἶναι καὶ πι- στὰς. Ψευδοῦς γὰρ οὔσης τῆς ὑποθέσεως, ἀναγκαίως καὶ τὸ συμπέρασμα ἀσύστατον εὑρεθήσεται. ΛΓ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἰ δεῖ κινεῖσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ, δῆλον ὅτι κατὰ μὲν τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς πάθη οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν θανάτου φανερότερον ἐστιν γινώσκεσθαι· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν οἱ χρηστῶν τοιούτων ἔχοντες τὸν ἔλεγχον τρανέστερον ἀπολαύουσι. Η΄. – ΑΛΦΙΝΟ ΥΠΟΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. Ἄμεινον μὲν μὴ ἀλῶναι ἐπὶ κακίᾳ· ἀλόντα δὲ τὸ εἰδέναι ὅτι ἦλω, καὶ ταχέως ὥσπερ ἔκ τινος μέθης ἀνενεγκεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ ἁλοὺς μὲν, ἑαλωκέναι δὲ οὐx οἰόμενος, ἀνήκεστα νοσεῖ. ΡΝ΄. – ΑΝΔΡΟΝΙΚΩ ΚΟΜΙΤΙ Οὐ χρὴ εἰς ὕβριν τοὺς ἀγνοουμένους ἄγειν.