Letter 15: Theodore Studite, Letter 15; Greek heading: Θεοδούλῳ κιονίτῃ.

For a long time, up to the present, my most holy father, I have had a desire to come and to receive your holy prayers; but a way has by no means opened to me, on account of my sins, just as is the case even now. For this reason I have been compelled to send our brother Calogerus, to make up for the absence of our lowliness; since we too shall come to venerate [proskynesis: do reverence to] your honored footsteps, if God prospers the way. But pardon me, father, in what I am about to say, for it is in simplicity, and out of sincere love, and out of my longing for the blamelessness of your manner of life. Certain persons interrupted, on the ground that they knew me to be your genuine and like-minded child and friend, being themselves also exceedingly friends, [saying] that Your Holiness is doing something contrary to what is proper. And when I was vexed at this, and stood firm against it, and proclaimed aloud the greatest achievements of your exalted life, they kept pressing me on this point. They brought accusations concerning certain expressions and matters; and, to mention one, they said that "he has portrayed angels, and these crucified in the likeness of Christ within the rays of light [phengia: the radiant nimbi or aureoles], but Christ himself and the angels as aged men." And although I inquired closely on this point, I was not able to make any reply against them; for they said that something strange and foreign to the tradition of the Church had been done, and that this matter is by no means from God but from the adversary, since in so many years and among so many God-bearing and holy fathers this particular feature has never been exhibited. For as regards what is now being innovated, even if it be from an angel, the Apostle secures us against receiving it, saying somewhere: even if we ourselves or an angel preach the gospel (I will add: and hand it down) contrary to what we preached, let him be anathema [Galatians 1:8]. What then, my holy father, I have nothing to say in reply to these things; and, held fast by perplexity, I have been compelled to write to you, that we may free ourselves from all harm in the face of those who bring the charge by way of argument, and as if on behalf of the whole Church. And for God's sake receive me as your child, who labors on your behalf and counts your glory as my glory, and who does not wish to hear any reproach against you in anything, since you truly live a blameless life. Enlighten, guide, hearken, give heed, take charge, free from all dissension those who behold your exalted life.