Letter 37: You honor the Lord well by offering us the firstfruits of your harvest and tithing the produce of your land to the...

To the same. It was necessary for those who hold correct views to express the word soundly. To Leontios the Bishop. Many human beings reach out for virtue, but are reluctant to walk the road that leads to it. Others do not even consider virtue to exist. One must therefore persuade the former to put aside their hesitation, and teach the latter that virtue truly is virtue. To Neilammon the Deacon and Physician. That God is loving toward humanity, I know very well. But that he also demands the most severe penalties from those who have despised his love for humanity, the sacred oracles also proclaim. Therefore let no one abuse the patience and forbearance of God, thinking that because punishment is delayed, it has been cancelled.

Δ΄. ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ. Ἔδει τὸν λόγον ὑγιῶς φράζειν τοὺς τὰ ὀρθ Η΄. – ΛΕΟΝΤΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ. Πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὀρέγονται μὲν ἀρετῆς, τὴν δὲ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν φέρουσαν ὁδὸν ὀκνοῦσιν ἰέναι. "Αλλοι δὲ οὐδ᾽ ἀρετὴν εἶναι ἡγοῦνται. Χρὴ γοῦν, τοὺς μὲν πε- πεῖσθαι (92) τὸν ὅκνον ἀποθέσθαι, τοὺς δὲ διδάξαι, ὅει ὄντως ἀρετὴ ἐστιν ἡ ἀρετή. ΟΑ' – ΝΕΙΛΑΜΜΩΝΙ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ ΙΑΤΡΟ. Ὅτι μὲν φιλάνθρωπός ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς, μάλ᾽ ἀκριβῶς οἶδα. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἀπαιτεῖ δίκας σφοδροτάτας τοὺς τῆς φιλανθρωπίας καταφρονήσαντας, καὶ αἱ ἱεραὶ χρησ- μῳδοῦσι Γραφαὶ, καὶ τὰ πράγματα μαρτυρεῖ. Τις γὰρ τὸν κατακλυσμὸν ἐπήγαγε; Τις τὴν Σοδομιτῶν μετὰ τῶν οἰκητόρων ἐνέπρησε γῆν; Τις τὴν Ἱερου σαλήμ μετῆλθε; Τις τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ᾐχμαλώτευσε, καὶ πανταχοῦ γῆς ὡς δραπέτας καὶ μαστιγίας πε- ριήγαγε; Μή τοίνυν τῇ φιλανθρωπία μόνῃ θαῤῥοῦν- τες ἁμαρτάνωμεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐννοοῦν τες, γνωσιμαχῶμεν· ἶνα κἀκεῖσε ἡμῖν ὀφθῇ φιλάν- θρωπος· ἡ γὰρ τῆς προαιρέσεως μετάνοια εύλογον παρασκευάζει τῷ κριτῇ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὴν ὁδόν. ΛΗ΄. – ΠΕΤΡΩ Εἰς τὸ γεγραμμένον· « Μετὰ βουλῆς πάντα ποίει. Οἱ μὲν θυμῷ πλέον στρατηγούμενοι, εἰς χαλεπὸν, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ, καταστρέφουσι τέλος· οἱ δὲ συνέσει μὲν στρατηγούμενοι, τὰ δὲ σώματα ὄργανα ταύτης ἡγούμενοι, οὐκ ἀμοιροῦσι τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς καλλίστοις δόξης. Καὶ τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ὅπερ ἔφη ὁ Παροιμιαστής· «Μετὰ βουλῆς πάντα ποίει· · · · τὸ γὰρ ἀπερίσκεπτον, σφαλερόν. ΛΖ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἰ σμικρότερον οἴει καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ὅλης ἐνούσης τῆς γνησιότητος τὸ δέος, δῆλον ὡς ἐν μὲν ἀρχῇ ὁ τοιοῦτος φίλον ἐποιεῖτο, ἐν δὲ μέσῳ καὶ τέλει ἐβασανίζετο τῷ ζήλῳ. ΡΝΔ΄. – ΘΕΟΔΟΣΙΩ ΚΟΜΙΤΙ Τὰ βραβεύοντα τὸν ἀθλητὴν, ἀνάγκη τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην ἀπολαβεῖν.