Letter 71: Among the pagans — though the devil led them wherever he pleased, even into idolatry — and among the Jews — though...

To Antipatros the Sophist. To Lampetios the Bishop. Since you have written that Bishop Eusebius does not cease from his faults, which are greater than what merits pardon, but rather, by appearing to defend himself, he acts shamelessly, saying: \"What was I lacking that I should sell the ordinations? For I enjoy glory and honor, such as anyone would pray for, and even beyond prayer.\" And when one of his friends, famous for their hatred of wickedness, was present, he said: \"It is clear that the corruption has gone so far that the bishop considers his crimes not as faults to be repented of but as achievements to be boasted about. When the shepherd sells the sacred offices, he sells not merely a position but the souls of those who are placed under unworthy pastors, and the blood of those souls will be required at his hands. Let us therefore not cease from opposing this evil, even if our efforts seem futile, for God sees and will judge in due time.\"

ΚΑ΄. – ΑΝΤΙΠΑΤΡΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ ΟΑ'. – ΛΑΜΠΕΤΙΟ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟ. Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας ὅτι Εὐσέβιος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, οὐ τῷ ἀποστῆναι τῶν συγγνώμης μειζόνων πταισμά- των γνωσιμαχεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῷ δοκεῖν (56) ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ἀναισχυντεῖ φάσκων · Τίνος ὧν ἐνδεὴς ἐπίπρασκον τὰς χειροτονίας; ὧν γὰρ εὔξαιτ᾽ ἂν ἕκαστος, εἰ μὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ εὐχὴν, ἀπολαύω καὶ δόξης καὶ τιμῆς· παρών τις φίλων τῶν μισοπονηρίας ἕνεκεν δια βοήτων, ἔφη· Ὅτι μὲν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἡ λειτουργία, ἧς παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀπέλαυσε, πάντων ἐστὶ τῶν C ἀνθρώποις εὐκταίων ὅρος, οἶδα καὶ σύμφημι. Τοῖς δὲ πρὸς κακίαν ῥέπουσι, καὶ λήμματος ήττωμέ- νοις, οὐδὲν ἐστιν αύταρκες. Οὐδ᾽ ἂν ἐγίνοντο ἐx τῶν ἡγεμόνων τινὲς μοχθηροὶ καὶ κακοῦργοι, εἰ τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν ἡρχοῦντο, καὶ συμμετρεῖσθαι τὰς εὐημερίας ᾔδεσαν. ᾿Αλλ' οἶμαι πολλάκις γίνεσθαι καὶ πλείους ἀπὸ τούτων, ἢ τῶν καταδεεστέρων. Ὅσῳ γὰρ καὶ ἐπηρμένοι παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους εἰσὶ, καὶ φλεγμαίνουσι τῷ τύφῳ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς φρονεῖν ἀξιοῦσι, καὶ τὸ συμβουλεύεσθαι ὕβριν ἡγοῦνται· τοσούτῳ καὶ αὐθάδεια, καὶ ἐπιθυμία πλειόνων, καὶ θάρσος τοῦ μηδ᾽ ἂν ἀλῶσι δίκην ὑφέξειν, αὐτοῖς εἰσέρχεται. Γνωσιμαχείτω τοιγαρ- οῦν, καὶ μὴ δοκείτω ἀπιθάνῳ ἀπολογεῖσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπολύεται τὰ ἐγκλήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ γέλωτα D προσοφλισκάνει. ΑΝΔΡΕΑ Σοφίας μέν ἐστιν ἀεὶ ποθεινοτέραν τὴν ἐπέκεινα ταύτης ἀρετήν, ἀσφαλέστερον γὰρ ἡ τῶν πρακτέων διδασκαλία ΟΑ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἰ ποτὲ ἴδοις ἔλθῃς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ καὶ οὐχ ὡς οἴει, καὶ δι᾿ ἑαυτοῦ ἀφέντα τούτῳ τοῦ πλεονεκτήματος ἐν οἷς οὗτος δοκεῖ ὑποληφθείη ταῦτα ἀπληρέστερον διαβουλεύεσθαι ἢ τῆς ταύτης δυνάμεως ἑαυτοὺς εἴη δώσεσθαι ἐξ οὗ τούτων ἐνδείξει. ΟΕ΄. – ΔΙΟΓΕΝΕΙ ΔΙΑΚΟΝΩ. ᾿Αχαριστίας, Λίαν σοι μέμφομαι, ὅτι τέθνηκε παρὰ σοὶ ἡ χάρις, ἣν δεόμενος τότε ἀθάνατον ἔξειν (81) διεβεβαιώσω" ἴσθι τοιγαροῦν, ὅτι περιπεσών αὖθις συμφορᾷ οὐχ ἔξεις τὸν ἀντιληψόμενον· βοηθῶν γὰρ ἀναγκαίως ·ἀποροῦσιν οἱ ἐπιλήσμονες ὄντες χαρίτων. ΠΒ΄. - ΑΡΤΕΜΙΔΩΡΟ. Ὁ πάντα τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἥκοντα πληρώσας εἰς τὸ πεῖσαι, καὶ μὴ πείσας, ὡς ἀνύσας δίκαιος ἂν εἴη θαυμάζεσθαι· τοσοῦτον ἀπέχει τοῦ μέμψεως ἄξιος εἶναι. Εἰ δὲ θαυμαστὸν εἶναί σοι τοῦτο δόξει, ἐπι- ψηφιείται (85) ὁ Παῦλος φάσκων· « Ἕκαστος δὲ τὸν ΡΠΗ΄. – ΘΕΟΔΟΣΙΩ Τὸ κρῖμα εἰσελκύει κακῶν τὴν ἀπειρίαν.