Letter 8: That it is necessary that the labor of spiritual discipline[34] be moderate[35].

To the same. Concerning nocturnal fantasies. Nocturnal fantasies, as you have written, most eager learner, are not only echoes of daytime encounters and conversations, but also offspring of a careless way of life. For when the mind is seized by the torpor of intoxication, it becomes a base of operations for the passions. But when it is soberly wakeful and awaits the Lord with girded loins, it is neither overcome by the belly nor by the passions that come from it. For being cast out is nothing other than having the strength of one's loins bound. To Junia. Concerning virgins. Not by bodily purity alone, O wise one, but also by freedom from worldly business does the divinely inspired Paul define virginity. To Hermios the Count. Since you are scandalized, as you have written, by the life of Zosimus the presbyter, and consider those who are baptized by him to be harmed in the most essential and necessary matters, I thought it right to write back as quickly as possible that the one being initiated is in no way harmed with respect to the salvific symbols of the priesthood, even if the priest has not lived well. Rather, that person will certainly — for it must be affirmed — enjoy those divine and indescribable blessings. But the priest will render a more grievous account for his own life, and as great an addition to his punishment will accrue to him as the honor that belonged to him was great. For the one who has not even been honored with the priesthood, having become evil, would reasonably deserve a greater punishment. Let none of those being initiated into that divine rite, which opens the heavens to the initiated, worry that they are being harmed with respect to the tokens of salvation; nor whenever someone should stumble, let him consider the life of the priest a specious defense. I say these things not as if all priests were such — God forbid\! For if these charges belong to some, they are absent from others. And if certain accomplishments are not present in some, they are not absent from all. Rather, I wished to show that even if all were such, the one being baptized suffers no harm whatsoever. To the same. Even if you seem to us to be content with what has been given, you will render your own nature more pitiable, not adding this occupation on account of wine. To the same. I know how one must bear misfortunes, knowing that the affairs of human beings are weak. But I shall also learn the progress of your spirit — I mean the progress in virtue. Untitled. Virtue alone is sufficient to adorn the one who possesses it. For none of those in authority has his honor in himself, but possesses his dignity in his subjects. But the lover of virtue has his glory both in himself and inalienably. To Procopios the Presbyter. I have not seen you neglecting your friends. Will it be sufficient for you to say this too? And will silence be deemed proper by you when I say such things? For it is not easy for the uneducated to give, if he wishes, his neglect of these things, and to reckon nothing. To Apollonios. Do not flee afflictions, but endure them nobly and give thanks.

That it is necessary that the labor of spiritual discipline[34] be moderate[35]. Just as the body that is healthy lacks a bruise, since it soothes the swelling of an injury[36], so also the body that is sick is in need of aid, and the soul that is downcast ruins the body, with the result that it must be illuminated by the divine commandments.[37] One, therefore, must take care of both. For when one of the two[38] is in want, sanctification[39] is difficult.

Θ'. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ. Περὶ τῶν νυκτερινῶν φαντασιῶν. Αἱ νυκτεριναὶ φαντασίαι (9), ὡς γέγραφας, φιλο- μαθέστατε, οὐ μόνον τῶν μεθημερινῶν εἰσι συντυ- χιῶν καὶ ὁμιλιῶν ἀπηχήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ῥᾳθύμου συνηθείας γεννήματα. Ὅτε γὰρ κάρῳ μέθης ὁ νοῦς συλληφθῇ, ὁρμητήριον γίνεται τῶν παθῶν. Ὅτε δὲ νήφει ἐγρηγόρως, καὶ τὸν Κύριον περιεζωσμένως καραδοκεῖ, οὔτε ὑπὸ γαστρὸς ἡττᾶται, οὔτε τῶν ἀπ᾿ ἐκείνης παθῶν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἔτερόν ἐστι τὸ ἐξῶσθαι, ἢ τὸ δεδέσθαι τὴν ἰσχὺν τῆς ὀσφύος. Η'. – ΙΟΥΝΙΑ (94). Περὶ παρθένων. Οὐ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἁγνείᾳ μόνον, ω σοφὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ ἀπραγμοσύνῃ τὴν παρθενίαν ὁ θεσπέσιος ὁρίζεται Παῦλος. ΑΖ΄. – ΕΡΜΙΟ ΚΟΜΗΤΙ. Ἐπειδὴ σκανδαλιζόμενος, ὡς γέγραφας, τῷ βίῳ Ζωσίμου τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου, τοὺς βαπτιζομένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, εἰς τὰ καίρια καὶ ἀναγκαιότατα ἡγῇ παραβλάπτεσθαι· ἀντεπιστεῖλαι τὴν ταχίστην δίκαιον ᾖ θην, ὅτι ὁ τελούμενος οὐδὲν παραβλάπτεται εἰς τὰ ἱερωσύνης σωτηριώδη σύμβολα, εἰ ὁ ἱερεὺς μὴ εὖ βιοὺς εἴη· ἀλλὰ αὐτὸς μὲν πάντως (χρὴ γὰρ διαβεβαιώσασθαι) ἀπολαύσει τῶν θείων ἐκείνων καὶ λόγου κρειττόνων εὐεργεσιῶν· ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς τοῦ ἰδίου βίου ἀργαλεώτιρον ὑφέξει λόγον, καὶ τοσαύτη αὐτῷ προσθήκη καλάσεως γεν[ν]ήσεται, ὅση καὶ τιμὴ αὐτῷ ὑπῆρκται. Ὁ γὰρ μηδὲ τῷ ἱερωσύνῃ τετιμῆσθαι, γενόμενος ἀγαθὸς, μείζονος ἂν εἴη κολάσεως εἰκότως ἄξιος. Μηδεὶς τοιγαροῦν τῶν μυουμένων τὴν θείαν ἐκείνην τελὴν, ἥτις τοὺς οὐρανοὺς τοῖς μυηθεῖσιν ἀνοίγει, φροντιζέτω, ὡς ταύτῃ παραβλαπτόμενος εἰς τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας συνθήματα, μηδ' ὅταν πταίσειεν, εὐπρόσ[...]πον ἡγείσθω ἔχειν ἀπολογίαν τὸν τοῦ ἱερέως βίον. Ταῦτα δὲ φημι, οὐχ ὡς πάντων τῶν ἱερέων τοιούτων ὄντων, μὴ γένοιτο (εἰ γὰρ καὶ τισι πρόσεστι ταῦτα τὰ ἐγκλήματα, τινῶν ἄπεστι. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τισι πρόσεστι κατορθώματα, οὐδὲ πάντων ἄπεστιν)· ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι θέλων, ὡς κἂν πάντες εἶεν τοιοῦτοι, οὐδὲν ὁ Α. ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ. Εἰ καὶ δοκεῖς ἡμῖν στέργειν οἷσπερ ὑπῆρξεν, ἐλεεινοτέραν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φύσιν παρέξεις, οὐ δι' οἶνον προσυφεὶς τὸ ἐπιτήδευμα. Η΄. – ΤΩ ΑΥΤΩ Ἐπίσταμαι μὲν πῶς χρὴ τὰς συμφορὰς φέρειν, εἰδὼς μὲν, ὡς τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀσθενῆ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ διδαχθήσομαι τοῦ σοῦ πνεύματος τὴν προκοπὴν, τὴν κατ᾿ ἀρετὴν λέγω. ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ Μόνη ἡ ἀρετὴ αὐτάρκης κοσμῆσαι τὸν ἔχοντα. Οὐδεὶς γοῦν τῶν ἐν τέλει καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἔχει τὸ γέρας, ἀλλὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑπηκόοις κέκτηται τὴν τιμήν· ὁ δὲ φιλάρετος καὶ ἐν ἑαυτῷ καὶ ἀναφαίρετον ἔχει τὸ κλέος. ΑΗ΄. – ΠΡΟΚΟΠΙΩ ΠΡΕΣΒΥΤΕΡΩ. Τῶν φίλων ἀμελῶν οὐκ εἶδον. Εξαρκοῦν καὶ σοὶ τοῦτο ἔσται λέγειν; καὶ τὸ σιωπᾷν νομισθήσεταί σοι παρ' ἐμοῦ τοιαῦτα λέγοντος; Οὐ γάρ ἐστι τοῦ ἀπαιδευ- του διδόναι ῥᾴδιον, ἐὰν ἐθέλῃ, τούτων ἀμελεῖν, καὶ μηδὲν λογίζεσθαι. ΡΟΕ΄. – ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙΩ Μὴ φεύγειν τὰς θλίψεις, ἀλλὰ μιμνεῖν γενναίως, καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν. Р. 203. LIB. III, EP. 296. P. 376, lit. C, lin. 6. καὶ ἔργοις διαπρέψαντες, des. in cat. ΤΟΓ΄. – ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΩ Inscriptio quoque epistolæ exstat in catena. P. 111, lit. E, lin. 10. Ρ. φαυλοτριβής, και. κεωα- λοτριβής. ΛΣΤ΄. Διὰ τι μείζων ἐν γεν- νητοῖς γυναικῶν ἔφης (1) Ἰωάννης· καὶ (εἰ προφή- της ὁ Ἰωάννης), (2) τι ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ περισσότερον προφήτου, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο λέγει ὁ Κύριος. ριος. ῎Ἄκους τοίνυν πλεῖστα ἐν ὀλίγοις· Μείζων ἐν γεννητοῖς γυ- ναικῶν ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἐπει δὴ ἐξ αὐτῆς νηδύος μητρι κῆς προεφήτευσε, καὶ ἐν σκότει κρυπτόμενος, τὸ φῶς ἐλθὸν οὐκ ἠγνόησε. Περισσότερον δὲ προφη- τῶν, τὸ καὶ αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν ἐν σαρκὶ τὸν προφητευό- μενον, ὃν πάντες οἱ πα- τριάρχαι καὶ προφῆται, δι᾽ ὀνείρων μὲν ἡ ὀπτασιῶν ἐφαντάσθησαν, θεωρῆ- σαι δὲ αὐτοψεὶ οὐκ ἐπ- έτυχον. P. 67, lit. B, lin. 7. τὸ Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, des, in cat. ibid. 8. Ρ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὁ τ. θ. ό., cal. ὁ τ. θ. ὑ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ. ibid. 9. P. ἐξειργάσατο, cat. εἰργάσατο. Cæterum cat, auct. addit hæc, τὸ δὲ εἰπεῖν ὅτι Συ εἰ ὁ Υἱὸς, ὁ τὸ ἐν τῷ θεῷ, ἢ μετὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατὰ τὸν θεοστυγή Νεστόριον. P. 691. -LIB. IV, БР. 18. P. 421, lit. D, lin. 4. 6 deest in cat. ibid. 8. Ρ. μᾶλλον οἱ, cat. μᾶλλον ἅπαντες οἱ. - Lit. E, lin. 1. Ρ. πολλὴν τοιγαροῦν τὴν μετάστασιν, καὶ μεγάλην δεικτέον τὴν μεταβολὴν, ἀσκοῦντας καὶ ἠρεμοῦντας, καὶ μὴ χρηματιζομένους, εἴπερ βούλοιντό τινας, κ. τ. λ. και. μεγάλην οὖν δεικτέον τὴν μετάστασιν εἴπερ βούλονταί τινας, κ. τ. λ. ibid. 5. εἰ γὰρ, ibid. 7. ἀναῤῥηθήσονται, des, in cat. ibid. Ρ. μὴ γὰρ δὴ τὸ εἰρ. cat. τὸ μέντοι εἰρ. ibid. 9. ἐπὶ τῆς καθέδρ. ibid. 10. Φαρισσαῖοι des, in cat, P. 422, lit. A, lin. 1. Ρ. πάντα οὖν, cal. ὅτι πάντα. ibid. Inter ὑμῖν εἰ ποιεῖν inserit οἱ ἱερεῖς cat. auct. P. 422, lit. A, lin. 1. Post ποιεῖτε sic pergit cat.. κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε, μὴ πρὸς οἰκείαν ἀπ. Cfr. lin. 2. ibid. 3. ἡ γὰρ δοκοῦσα. ibid. 6. προσ- τριβομένη. des. in cat. ibid. 10. P. ποιεῖτε, cat. ποιῆτε. – Lit. B. lin. 1 P. μήτε, cat. μή. ibid. 3. Ρ. τοῖς ὁρῶσι παρέχη, cal. παρ. τ. όρ. ibid. 3. 4. P. πραττομένοις, cat. προσταττομένοις. ibid. 4. Ρ. συν- ἀδοιεν τοῖς, cat. συνάδει ἐν τοῖς. ibid. 7. Ρ. Μωῦ-