Letter 72: Since excessive intimacy seems to invite suspicion, let it be tempered by the fear of God, so that both may flourish...

To Synesios the Sophist. To Epimachos the Reader. I think that the gifts of grace are not given indiscriminately, but according to the preparation of mind of those who receive them. And, if you please, let us examine the case of Moses the hierophant. For he, since he defended the wronged against the Egyptian, and reconciled his fellow countrymen who were fighting with one another into friendship, was ordained by God to be the punisher of the Egyptians and the lawgiver of his own people. Thus God's gifts correspond to the character and preparation of those who receive them — not as a reward for past deeds merely, but because the deeds reveal a disposition that is fitted for the gift. Moses showed himself capable of righteous indignation against injustice and capable of peacemaking among brethren; therefore God entrusted him with the authority to execute judgment on oppressors and to establish laws of righteousness for his people. In the same way, those who prepare their hearts for divine service through genuine virtue will find that God bestows upon them gifts proportionate to their readiness.

ΚΒ΄. – ΣΥΝΕΣΙΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ Ου. - ΕΠΙΜΑΧΩ ΑΝΑΓΝΩΣΤΗ. Οἶμαι μὴ ἁπλῶς τὰ χαρίσματα δίδοσθαι, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν προπαρασκευὴν τῆς διανοίας τῶν δεχο- μένων (55). Καὶ, εἰ δοκεῖ, τὰ κατὰ Μωσέα τὸν ἱεροφάντην σκοπήσωμεν. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ τὸν μὲν ἀδικοῦντα Αἰγύπτιον ἡμύνατο, τοὺς δ᾽ ὁμοφύ- λους διαμαχομένους εἰς φιλίαν συνήλλαξεν, έχει- ροτονήθη παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῶν μὲν Αἰγυττίων κο- λαστὴς, τῶν δ᾽ ὁμοφύλων νομοθέτης. ΜΕΛΕΤΙΩ Εἰ μὴ τὰς ἀκίθους ἐκκαθαροῦμεν τῶν λογισμῶν, ΤΑΣ. – ΠΕΤΡΩ. Περὶ τῆς ἐν ταῖς δημηγορίαις παῤῥησίας του Παύλου. Λίαν θαυμάζω τοῦ ἀοιδίμου Παύλου τὴν ἀνδρίαν, πῶς καὶ κρινόμενος ἐδημηγόρει, καὶ εὐθύνας ἀπαι- τούμενος ἐδίδασκε. Διδασκάλου μὲν γὰρ ἐστι τὸ μετ᾿ ἐξουσίας λέγειν, κρινομένου δὲ τὸ μετρεῖν τῷ καιρῷ τοὺς λόγους. ᾿Αλλ' οὗτος εἰς τοὐναντίον ἐχώρει· Β εἶχε γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸν τῆς σοφίας χορηγόν τε καὶ πρύτανιν. ΟΒ΄. – ΗΡΩΝΙ ΣΧΟΛΑΣΤΙΚΩ. Περί [τοῦ] αὐτοῦ. Ἡ μὲν ἄλογος (30) εὐπραγία ὡς τὰ πολλὰ εἰς ὕβριν χωρεῖ· ἡ δὲ κατὰ λόγον, πολλάκις ἀγαθὸν ὠδίνει πέρας. Πλήν τινες καὶ τῶν παραλόγως δυ- ναστευσάντων τὴν τῆς εὐπραγίας αὖραν μετρίως ἑνεγκόντες, ἐπαίνων τετυχήκασι · καὶ τῶν εὐπατρι δῶν καὶ εὐπρογόνων λαμπρῶν εἰς ὑβριν τιμὴν ἔτρε ψαν. Διὸ χρὴ τὴν προαίρεσιν μᾶλλον αἰτιᾶσθαι τῶν πέρα τοῦ μετρίου ταῖς δυναστείαις χρωμένων. ΟΒ΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Εἰ σὺ διὰ ταύτην τὴν εἰσδοχὴν δυσχερῶς τὴν ἐπιμελείας ἐπολιτευσάμην εἴη μὲν προσήκοι αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ὡς καὶ ταῖς ἀνθρωπίναις ψυχαῖς τὰ χρηστὰ ποιῆσαι, δῆλον εἴη ὡς ἀρετῆς τοίνυν ἐκδεδώκοι ἐπεὶ ταύτης χεῖρότερον ἀεὶ φανεῖεν οἷς δὴ ἡ ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ζωὴ καὶ τὸ κατ᾿ ἀξίαν ζῆν ἐνυπάρχει. ΣΙΔ΄. – ΕΡΜΕΙΑ (72). Εἰς τὸ ἐν τῇ Σοφίᾳ Ἰησοῦ γεγραμμένον · · Μὴ ζήτει γενέσθαι κριτής (73). » Εἰ οὔτε (74) ἀνιχνεῦσαι τὸ δίκαιον ῥάδιον, οὔτε τὸ θηράσαντα μὴ προδοῦναι· (οἱ μὲν γὰρ διὰ νωθρίαν οὐχ εὑρίσκουσι τοῦτο· οἱ δὲ δι᾽ ὀξύτητα μὲν νοῦ θηρῶνται, διὰ δὲ ἀνελεύθερα πάθη προδιδόασιν, ἢ φόβῳ, ἢ ἀνανδρίᾳ, ἢ χρήμασιν, ἢ φιλίᾳ, ἢ ἔχθρα, διαφθείροντες ·) εἰκότως ὁ παραινέτης συνεβούλευσε « Μὴ ζήτει γενέσθαι κριτής. α) ΡΠΘ΄. – ΑΝΔΡΟΝΙΚΩ Μαθητῶν ἀλόγων ἡ ἀκολασία λυμαίνεται τὴν δόξαν τοῦ διδασκάλου.