Letter 92: If you care nothing for hell and nothing for the kingdom of heaven — if neither threat nor promise moves you — then...

To Domnos. Those are utterly foolish who flee from the truths. Those who were persuaded by Eunomios — a man who thought himself clever but dared to say that the Son belongs among those who worship, and who was unable to understand, or, as I think, unwilling on account of prejudice and love of power to say what is both true and what both wise and foolish men recognize — namely that in response to the supposition of the Samaritan woman, who was speaking to him as a Jew and preferring her own practices to those of the Jews, he gave this answer: "We worship what we know" — it is obvious that he is among those worshipped. But lest we seem to be accused by them of writing from contempt, say to them in skirmishing: You suffer the utmost foolishness, having been persuaded by a man who dared to dogmatize that the Father is incomparable, and who rejected the divinely-inspired Paul who said, "He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped." For the "greater" that you cite to diminish the Son is said from comparison, and not from incomparable superiority. If therefore, as you say, he came into being from nothing, not even the "greater" stands on your terms. For what comparison is there between the one who always exists and things that came into being from nothing? But if you confess that he was begotten timelessly and without passion from the Father's own nature, even if you are unable to attain the precise understanding for which it was said, "My Father is greater than I" — for this was said to the apostles not for the sake of teaching, but for consolation alone, since they were dead with fear, as though about to be changed at any moment, so that they might take courage, as though he were going to the one they considered greater. And a clear proof of this is that it was said at no other time but on that one night alone in which he was about to be betrayed, in which he also shaped what was said into such lowliness as to say, "Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and he will give me twelve legions of angels?" For why were so many needed, when one angel under Hezekiah slew 185,000 and sheared away the Persian power? But as I said, he spoke to their cowardice and their supposition. If therefore you do not attain this true meaning, but have chosen to stand apart from the impiety of the Anomoeans, you can say what someone said when disputing with them: that the "greater" stands inasmuch as he is the begetter, and the "equal" inasmuch as he is God and of the same essence. To Peter. Do not shadowbox, O friend, nor by quarreling about trifles harm yourself in the greatest and most vital matters. Do not emulate those who swallow the camel and strain out the gnat. To Theon the Bishop. Having resolved to send you an admonition, I wish, O friend, to tell you first how my associates reacted when I shared with them my intention to give counsel. Some of them were very afraid that I might manufacture a basis for enmity from this act of care. For they thought it would seem to you that, under the guise of advice, I had set out to speak ill of you. They said they would be amazed if a Persian war did not break out at those very words. But there were also those who strongly encouraged me to be bold, saying you would accept it; and they said they were so far from expecting anything terrible that they even expected a public declaration of gratitude for it. It seems to me that both groups hit the truth in some respects and missed it in others. For I believe you will be indignant at first, but ultimately not at all; and I expect you to accept me in your own way — though certainly not in all things. Nevertheless, expecting both outcomes, I shall not refrain from saying what presents itself. For first, the best people will be on our side, preventing not only you but also any others who dare to cause offense. And then, even if it should happen that one is wounded while defending virtue, it is not a heavy thing to suffer. What then do I wish to say? It shall be said — for the die is cast. Above all, cease driving the sword against yourself and treating yourself more barbarously than any barbarian, and inflicting upon yourself such evils as not even your bitterest enemies would inflict. But if you have resolved to cling fast to vice and this doctrine is unmovable with you, at least cease making war against the nurslings of virtue. For not only to stumble, but also to drag down those who succeed through the tongue you arm against them — that is the ultimate boundary of vice, or rather a proof of utter insensibility.

ΔΟΜΝΩ Σκαιοὶ παντελῶς εἰσιν, ὅσοι διαφεύγουσιν ἐκ τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας Αὐνομίῳ πεισθέντας, ἀνθρώπιῳ δεινῷ μὲν εἶναι οἱη- θέντι, εἰπεῖν δὲ τολμήσαντι, ὅτι τῶν προσκυνούντων ἐστὶν ὁ Υἱὸς, καὶ μὴ δυνηθέντι ἐννοῆσαι, ἢ, ὡς Εγωγε οἶμαι, μὴ βουληθέντι ὑπὸ προλήψεως καὶ φιλαρχία; εἰπεῖν τοῦθ' ὅπερ καὶ ἀληθὲς ἐστι, καὶ σοφοί τε καὶ ἀνόητοι ἐννοοῦσιν, ὅτι πρὸς τὴν ὑπὸ νοιαν τῆς Σαμαρείτιδος, τῆς ὡς Ἰουδαίῳ αὐτῷ δια- λεγομένης, καὶ τὰ ἑαυτῆς τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν προκρι- νούσης, τὴν ἀπόκρισιν ταύτην πεποίηται, ὅτι « Ἡμεῖς προσκυνοῦμεν ὁ οἴδαμεν· » εὔδηλον γὰρ ὅτι τῶν προσ- κυνουμένων ἐστί. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ δόξωμεν ὑπερ οψίας γραφὴν γράφεσθαι παρ᾿ αὐτῶν, ἀκροβολιζό μενος πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰπὲ, ὅτι ᾿Αβελτηρίαν ἐσχάτην νόσεῖτε, πεισθέντες ἀνθρώπῳ δογματίσαι τολμήσαντι, ἀσύγκριτον εἶναι τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ παραγραψαμένῳ Β΄ τὸν θεσπέσιον Παῦλον εἰρηκότα· « Οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ. » Τὸ γὰρ μεῖζον, ὁ προ- φέρετε πρὸς ἐλάττωσιν τοῦ Υἱοῦ, ἐκ συγκρίσεως εἴρηται, καὶ οὐκ ἐκ τῆς ἀσυγκρίτου ὑπεροχῆς. Εἰ μὲν οὖν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, ὡς φατε, γέγονεν, οὐδὲ τὸ μεῖζον ἴσταται καθ' ὑμᾶς. Ποία γὰρ σύγκρι σις τοῦ ἀεὶ ὄντος πρὸς τὰ ἐκ μὴ ὄντων γεγονότα; Eἰ δὲ ἀχρόνως καὶ ἀπαθῶς γεγενῆσθαι αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς πατρικῆς ἰδιότητος ὁμολογήσετε, κἂν μὴ δυνη θείητε τῆ τῆς ἀκριβοῦς ἐννοίας ἐφικέσθαι, ἧς ἕνεκεν εἴρηται, « Ὁ Πατήρ μου μείζων μοῦ ἐστιν, » Οὐ γάρ διδασκαλίας, ἀλλὰ παραμυθίας ἕνεκεν μόνης τοῦτο εἴρηται τοῖς ἀποστόλοις τεθνηκόσι τῷ δέει, ὡς αὐτίκα μάλα ἀλλασσομένοις, ἵνα θαρ- ῥοῖεν, ὡς πρὸς τὸν δοκοῦντα αὐτοῖς μείζονα, πορευο- μένου αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τούτου ἀπόδειξις ἐναργής, τὸ μὴ ἐν ἄλλῳ καιρῷ, ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ νυκτὶ μόνῃ, ἐν ᾗ ἔμελλε παραδίδοσθαι, τοῦτο εἶρῆσθαι, ἐν ᾗ καὶ εἰς τοσαύτην ταπεινότητα ἐσχημάτισε τὰ λεγόμενα, ὡς εἰπεῖν, « Δοκεῖτε ὅτι οὐ δύναμαι παρακαλέσαι τὸν Πατέρα μου, καὶ δώσει μοι δώδεκα λεγεώνας ἀγα γέλων;». Τι γὰρ τοσούτων ἔδει, ἑνὸς ἐπὶ Ἐζεχίου ρπε' χιλιάδας ἀνελόντος, καὶ τὴν Περσικὴν δύναμιν ἀποκείραντος; ᾿Αλλ' ὡς ἔφην, πρὸς τὴν δειλίαν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν ἐφθέγξατο. Εἰ τοίνυν ταύ της ἀληθοῦς ἐννοίας οὐκ ἐφικνεῖσθε, ἀφεστάναι δὲ τῆς τῶν ᾿Ανομοίων ἀτεβείας προήρησθε, δύνασθε λέγειν, ὁ ἔφησέ τις πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαλεγόμενος, ὅτι καὶ τὸ μεῖζον ἴσταται, ᾗ γεννήτωρ, καὶ τὸ ἴσαν καθ Δ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ὁμοούσιος. ΨΩΔΙΑΣ ΠΕΡΙΠΕΤΕΙΑ Η͂ Η ΤΗΣ ΚΩΜΩΔΙΑΣ ΥΠΟΘΕΣΙΣ; ΛΒ΄. – ΠΕΤΡΩ. Μὴ σκιαμάχει, ὦ φίλος· μηδὲ περὶ τῶν συχόντων φιλονεικῶν, ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις καὶ καιρίοις σαυτὸν κατάβλαπτε - μηδὲ ζήλου τοὺς τὴν κάμηλον καταπίνοντας, καὶ τὸν κώνωπα διυλίζοντας. Β΄. – ΘΕΩΝΙ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ. Παραίνεσιν διεγνωκώς πέμψαι σοι, βούλομαι, ὦ φίλος, προδιελθεῖν πρὸς σὲ, ὡς συνέβη διατεθῆναι τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις, ἐπειδήπερ αὐτοῖς ἀνεκοινού - μην, τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς συμβουλῆς προαίρεσιν. Ἐκείνων τοίνυν οἱ μὲν καὶ κομιδῇ ἔδεισαν, μὴ ἔχθρας ὑπό -θεσιν ἀπὸ τῆς προνοίας ταύτης κατασκευάσαιμι. Δόξειν γάρ σοι ἐν εἰσηγήσεως σχήματι προῃρῆσθαί σε κακῶς λέγειν. Οὐκοῦν ἔφασαν θαυμάζειν, εἰ παρ' αὐτοὺς τοὺς λόγους πόλεμος μὴ Περσικός περι- σταίη· ἦσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ πάνυ θαῤῥεῖν προετρέποντο, ὡς ἀποδεξομένου σου · καὶ τοσοῦτον ἔφασαν ἀφεστάναι προσδοκᾷν τι δεινὸν, ὡς καὶ ἀνάῤῥησιν προσδοκᾷν διὰ τοῦτο. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκοῦσιν ἀμφότεροι πῆ μὲν ἐστο- χᾶσθαι τἀληθοῦς, πῆ δὲ διημαρτηκέναι. Ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν γὰρ ἀγανακτήσειν σε πεπίστευκα, εἰς τέλος δὲ οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀποδέξασθαί με κατὰ σαυτὸν προσδοκῶ, ἐπὶ πάντων δὲ ἥκιστα· ὅμως ἑκάτερον προσδοκῶν, οὐκ ἀποστήσομαι τὸ παριστάμενον εἰ- πεῖν. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οἱ βέλτιστοι μεθ' ἡμῶν ἔσον- ται, κωλύσοντες οὐ μόνον σὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους τοὺς λυπεῖν τολμήσοντας. Ἔπειτα δε εἰ καὶ τρω- θῆναι συμβαίη τῇ ἀρετῇ συνηγοροῦντα, τοῦτο πα- θεῖν οὐ βαρύ. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὁ βούλομαι εἰπεῖν; Εἰρή- σεται· Ανεῤῥίφθω γὰρ κύβος· μάλιστα μὲν πέπαυσο κατὰ σαυτοῦ τὸ ξίφος ὠθῶν, καὶ παντὸς βαρβάρου βαρβαρικώτερον σαυτῷ χρώμενος· καὶ τοσαῦτα σαυ- τὸν διατιθεὶς κακὰ, ὅσα ἂν οὐδὲ οἱ κομιδῇ πολέμιοι ο διέθηκαν. Εἰ δὲ τῆς κακίας ἀπρὶξ ἔχεσθαι κέκρικας, καὶ τὸ δόγμα τοῦτο ἀκίνητόν ἐστι παρὰ σοί· κἂν τοὺς τῆς ἀρετῆς τροφίμους παῦσαι καταπολεμῶν. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ μόνον πταίειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς κατορθοῦντας δι' ὧν τὴν γλῶτταν κατ᾿ αὐτῶν ὁπλίζεις, διασύρειν, Εσχατος ὅρος κακίας, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀναλγησίας τεκμή- ριόν ἐστιν. ΡΝΘ΄. – ΚΟΜΙΤΙ Ὡς χρὴ τῶν ἐκ τῆς τρυφῆς φυλάττειν τὰ πταίσματα.