Letter 278: Theodore Studite, Letter 278; Greek heading: Εἰς τὴν λαύραν τοῦ Ἁγίου Χαρίτωνοσ.

To my God-honored, beloved, and spiritual father, the lord superior of the great Lavra of our all-blessed holy father Chariton [Saint Chariton the Confessor, founder of monastic life in the Judean desert], and to my holy fathers who are under his charge, Theodore, least of presbyters and abbot of the Stoudios [monastery in Constantinople]. Since the receipt of your letters has come beyond my hope, I will cry out in wonder: "Whence has this come to me, that I, the worthless one, should be deemed worthy to write to you, my holy fathers?" For behold, this most grievous persecution [the second iconoclast persecution under Emperor Leo V] has overtaken us on account of our sins, the report of which has surely reached even to you. I, the lowly one, was considering and searching out how, and through what person, I might be able to lament and pour out to you the holy ones the dreadful things that have befallen us, for no other reason than to call upon your holy souls for compassion, that you might take our part through your prayers, suffering with us, that is, as men who know, according to the apostolic teaching, that we are all the body of Christ and members in part. And as I was already pondering these things, suddenly the letter-bearer also presented himself, having come from your very place, and he too is my son in spirit and exceedingly most faithful. How then was I, the sinner, not to be astonished at this windfall, and how was I not to make due acknowledgment to the Lord my God? But before I tell of the painful matters, I, the lowly one, will discharge my longing toward you. Rejoice, O most blessed fathers, inhabitants of the holy land, the golden race, you who are most approved in the faith and the all-subduers of the passions; rejoice, O renowned assembly of Christ, you laborers at the commandments of the Lord and imitators of the godlike life of the dwelling in paradise; rejoice, O chosen city of God, since the Lord is in your midst, served through the undertaking of good works. I wished to behold your divine enclosure with my own eyes and to touch your sacred footprints, to see the holy precinct, to venerate the divine ground, to examine each thing closely: where the holy one of God, the one fittingly filled with graces [a play on the name Chariton, from the Greek 'charis,' grace], contended both as a martyr and as an ascetic together; and where his sacred body is treasured up, he who is truly the treasury of the virtues, the citizen of the desert and the lamp of the whole inhabited world, whose honored seed has not failed nor would fail until the consummation of the age. Would that I had seen these things and embraced the dust as though it were alive; I ought to have been led away also among the remaining tombs of the holy ones, sanctified by that sight alone. But since these things have been hymned by me at brief length, come, let me also recount the matters full of grief. "There arose another king," says the sacred writing somewhere, "who did not know Joseph." Such, then, is our Pharaoh, O most holy ones: not ignorant of Joseph, but denying the Master who purchased him; for it is plain that he who rejects His icon [image] rejects Him, and thus he has also rejected the Theotokos [the Mother of God] and every saint. For being a nature given to denial, he could not bear not to take away together with the head all the members as well, so that his image alone might be displayed, by a Nebuchadnezzar-like decree. Hence the desolation of all the churches of God, every venerable icon being everywhere destroyed; hence the burning of sacred offerings on which there is an icon, and of books in which anything is said concerning it; hence the demanding of the written documents of impiety and the partaking of the godless communion through much inquisition and search, so that no person at all is left untaken; for one of two things is necessary: either to venerate the golden image or to be subjected to the wicked flame of the torments. And yet the unbending are few to count. Who are these? Our sacred patriarch [Nikephoros], hierarchs and priests, monks and nuns; for not even the harlot's countenance was ashamed to lay on the scourges even as far as these. How could I plainly set before you the afflictions, the imprisonments, the bonds, the starvings, the exiles, the deportations, the deaths (since the experience has reached even to this), the fugitive wanderings in the mountains, the hidings in caves and holes of the earth? Obadiah the prophet, while still an officer of Ahab, when Jezebel was murderous, is said to have hidden the sons of the prophets, fifty in each of two caves, and to have fed them; but here, if anyone be detected who has hidden even a single one, he is in great danger; yet, even in secret, fleeing the impious communion, one either guards an icon or a book containing what pertains to it. The mouths of the pious are silenced within, the blasphemous tongue is let loose, the great mystery of the dispensation [oikonomia, the divine plan of salvation, here especially the Incarnation that makes the icon possible] is held up to mockery. "Now," he says, "the Lord has spoken peace upon His people, and upon His holy ones, and upon those who turn their heart unto Him" -- He who in the beginning said to His own disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." "Now," he says, "the abominations of Greek polytheism have been removed from our midst" -- though the apostle from the beginning cried out, "An idol is nothing in the world." "Now," he says, "the Church has been cleansed," which long ago that same apostle declared to have no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but to be holy and without blemish. "Now," they say, "the light has shone upon the Christians, who were held fast in the gloom of ignorance" -- to whom from above and from the beginning Christ said, "I have come as a light into the world, that everyone who believes in me may not remain in the darkness." Do you see, holy brothers, the apostasy which must first come, as the apostle says? Already before our eyes we behold the preludes of the Antichrist. We have failed, we have been consumed; the bellows has given out, every hope, so far as concerns man, has been driven away. But groan over us, O most compassionate ones, as fellow members of one body; stretch out an intercessory hand as brother-lovers. Our affairs are more barbarized than those in your region. We have already become as Sodom and have been made like Gomorrah. For this reason, therefore, we the lowly have cried out to your holiness as with one mouth of all the brothers who suffer with us; for we know that your righteous petition, when it is at work, has power, so that by its propitiation the destruction wrought by the heretical sword may abate, the Lord leading back our Church too into peaceful orthodoxy. And that you also may know in part, O reverend ones, what sort are the impious doctrines of the godless, I have sent along with this letter these things in quires, which I, the unlearned, even thought to refute, having been urged on by the pious. And I ask, of your divine sagacity, to be looked upon, and to receive pardon for the things I owe, and to be taken into remembrance in your God-inclined prayers, and indeed also to be ranked, as the last member of all, in the fullness of your holy church.

Τῷ θεοτιμήτῳ, ἠγαπημένῳ καὶ πνευματικῷ μου πατρί, κυρίῳ καθηγεμόνι τῆς μεγίστης λαύρας τοῦ παμμάκαρος ἁγίου πατρὸς ἡμῶν Χαρίτωνος, καὶ τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτῇ ὁσίοις μου πατράσι Θεόδωρος ἐλάχιστος πρεσβύτερος καὶ ἡγούμενος τῶν Στουδίου. Ἐπειδὴ παρ' ἐλπίδα ἡ ἐπίτευξις τῶν γραμμάτων, θαυμαστικῶς βοήσομαι· "4πόθεν μοι τοῦτο, ἵνα ἀξιωθῶ ὁ εὐτελὴς ἐπιστεῖλαι ὑμῖν, τοῖς ἁγίοις μου πατράσιν;"5 ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὡς κατείληφεν ἡμᾶς διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ὁ χαλεπώτατος διωγμὸς οὗτος, οὗ ἡ ἀκοὴ πάντως μέχρι καὶ ὑμῶν ἔφθασεν. ἐσκόπουν καὶ ἀνηρεύνων ὁ ταπεινός, πῶς καὶ δι' οὗτινος προσώπου δυνηθείην ἀποδύρασθαι καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς τοὺς ἁγίους τὰ συμβάντα ἡμῖν δεινά, οὐκ ἄλλου τινὸς ἕνεκεν ἢ τοῦ εἰς συμπάθειαν ἐκκαλέσασθαι ὑμῶν τὰς ἁγίας ψυχὰς ἀντιλαβέσθαι ἡμῶν διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν, συμπάσχειν δῆλον ὅτι εἰδότων κατὰ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν διδασκαλίαν, εἴπερ ἐσμὲν οἱ πάντες σῶμα Χριστοῦ καὶ μέλη ἐκ μέρους. καὶ ὡς ἤδη ταῦτα ἐνενόουν, ἐπέστη ἀθρόως καὶ ὁ γραμματηφόρος, ἐκ τῶν αὐτόθι ἥκων, καὶ οὗτος υἱὸς ἐμὸς ἐν πνεύματι καὶ λίαν πιστότατος. πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἔμελλον ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐκπλαγῆναι ἐπὶ τῷ ἑρμαίῳ, πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἀνθομολογήσασθαι Κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ μου τὰ εἰκότα; Ἀλλὰ πρὶν ἐξειπεῖν τὰ ὀδυνηρά, τὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς μου πόθον ἀφοσιώσομαι ὁ ταπεινός. χαίρετε, ὦ μακαριώτατοι πατέρες, οἱ τῆς ἁγίας γῆς οἰκήτορες, τὸ χρυσοῦν γένος, οἱ τὴν πίστιν δοκιμώτατοι καὶ τῶν παθῶν πανδαμάτορες· χαίρετε, ἡ περιβόητος ὁμήγυρις Χριστοῦ, οἱ ἐργάται τῶν ἐντολῶν Κυρίου καὶ τῆς ἐν παραδείσῳ διαίτης τὴν θεοειδῆ ζωὴν μιμούμενοι· χαίρετε, ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ πόλις ἐκλεκτή, εἴπερ ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν Κύριος, διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ἀναλήψεως θεραπευόμενος. ἐβουλόμην ὄψει ὑπολαβεῖν τὴν θείαν ὑμῶν περιοχὴν καὶ προσάψασθαι τῶν ἱερῶν ὑμῶν ἰχνῶν, ἰδεῖν τὸ ἅγιον τέμενος, προσκυνῆσαι τὸ θεῖον ἔδαφος, ἕκαστα κατασκοπῆσαι, ποῦ ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ φερωνύμως χαρίτων πεπληρωμένος, ἐνήθλησε μαρτυρικῶς τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀσκητικῶς, πῇ δὲ τὸ ἱερὸν αὐτοῦ σῶμα τεταμίευται, ὁ ὄντως θησαυρὸς τῶν ἀρετῶν, ὁ τῆς ἐρήμου πολίτης καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης λαμπτήρ, οὗ τὸ ἔντιμον σπέρμα οὐκ ἐκλέλοιπεν οὐδὲ ἐκλείψειεν ἕως συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. εἴθε εἶδον ταῦτα καὶ περιεπτυξάμην τὸν χοῦν ὡς ἔμψυχον· ὤφελον ἀπήχθην καὶ ἐν ταῖς λοιπαῖς θήκαις τῶν ὁσίων, ἀπ' αὐτῆς μόνης ὄψεως ἁγιαζόμενος. Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ταῦτα ἐξ ὀλίγου μοι ὕμνηται, φέρε διηγήσωμαι καὶ τὰ ὀδύνης ἔμπλεα. ἀνέστη βασιλεὺς ἕτερος, φησί που τὸ ἱερὸν γράμμα, ὃς οὐκ ᾔδει τὸν Ἰωσήφ. τοιοῦτος δὴ οὖν ὁ ἡμέτερος Φαραώ, ὦ ἁγιώτατοι, οὐ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἀγνοῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀγοράσαντα αὐτὸν δεσπότην ἀρνούμενος· δῆλον γὰρ ὡς ὁ ἀθετῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτὸν ἀθετεῖ, οὕτω καὶ τὴν Θεοτόκον καὶ πάντα ἅγιον ἠθέτησεν. οὐ γὰρ ἔφερεν, φύσις ὢν ἀρνητική, μὴ οὐχὶ τῇ κεφαλῇ συμπεριελεῖν καὶ τὰ μέλη πάντα, ἵνα μόνη ἡ αὐτοῦ εἰκὼν ἐμφανίζηται Ναβουχοδονοσορικῷ δόγματι. ἐντεῦθεν ἐρήμωσις πασῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀφανιζομένης πανταχοῦ πάσης σεπτῆς εἰκόνος· ἐντεῦθεν ἔμπρησις ἱερῶν ἀναθημάτων, ἐν οἷς εἰκών, καὶ βίβλων, ἐν αἷς περὶ αὐτῆς τι λεκτόν· ἐντεῦθεν τὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας χειρόγραφα ἀπαιτούμενα καὶ ἡ μέθεξις τῆς ἀθέου κοινωνίας διὰ πολλῆς ἐκζητήσεως καὶ ἐρεύνης, ὡς μὴ ὑπολειφθῆναι ἀνάλωτον πάντα ἄνθρωπον· δυοῖν γὰρ θάτερον ἀνάγκη, ἢ προσκυνῆσαι τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ ἢ τῇ πονηρᾷ φλογὶ τῶν βασάνων ὑποβληθῆναι. καὶ ὅμως εὐαρίθμητοι οἱ ἀκαμπεῖς. τίνες οὗτοι; ὁ ἱερὸς ἡμῶν πατριάρχης, ἱεράρχαι τε καὶ ἱερεῖς, μονασταὶ καὶ μονάζουσαι· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ πόρνη ὄψις ᾐδέσθη καὶ μέχρι τούτων τὰς μάστιγας ἐπαφεῖναι. πῶς ἂν ἐναργῶς παραστήσαιμι τὰ θλίψεις, τὰς φυλακάς, τοὺς δεσμούς, τὰς λιμοκτονήσεις, τὰς ἐξορίας, τὰς ἐπαγωγάς, τοὺς θανάτους (ἐπεὶ καὶ μέχρι τοῦδε ἡ πεῖρα), τὰς ἐν ὄρεσι φυγαδείας, τὰς ἐν σπηλαίοις καὶ ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς κατακρύψεις; Ἀβδιοὺ ὁ προφήτης, ἔτι ὢν τριστάτης Ἀχαάβ, τῆς Ἰεζάβελ φονώσης, λέγεται κατακρύψαι υἱοὺς τῶν προφητῶν ἀνὰ πεντήκοντα εἰς δύο σπήλαια, οὓς καὶ διέτρεφεν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ εἰ φωραθείη τις καὶ μόνον ἕνα κεκρυφώς, ἐν κινδύνῳ μεγάλῳ, ἀλλὰ γὰρ κἂν κρύβδην, φεύγων τὴν ἀσεβῆ κοινωνίαν, ἢ εἰκόνα φρουρῶν ἢ βίβλον περιέχουσαν τὰ κατ' αὐτήν. σιγᾷ τὰ τῶν εὐσεβούντων ἔνδον στόματα, ἀνεῖται βλάσφημος γλῶσσα, κωμῳδεῖται τὸ μέγα τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον. ἄρτι, φησί, Κύριος ἐλάλησεν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἐπιστρέφοντας καρδίαν ἐπ' αὐτόν, ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ φήσας τοῖς οἰκείοις μαθηταῖς· εἰρήνην ἀφίημι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν. ἄρτι, φησίν, ἤρθη ἐκ μέσου βδελύγματα ἑλληνικῆς πολυθεΐας, τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἀρχῆθεν βοῶντος, οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ· ἄρτι, φησί, κεκάθαρται ἡ ἐκκλησία, ἣν πάλαι ἀπέφηνεν ὁ αὐτὸς ἀπόστολος μὴ ἔχειν σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλ' εἶναι ἁγίαν καὶ ἄμωμον· ἄρτι, φασί, τὸ φῶς ηὔγασε τοῖς χριστιανοῖς, ἐνισχημένοις ζόφῳ ἀγνοίας, οἷς ἄνωθεν καὶ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς Χριστὸς ἔφησεν, ἐγὼ φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλήλυθα, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ μὴ μείνῃ. ὁρᾶτε, ἀδελφοὶ ἅγιοι, τὴν ἀποστασίαν, ἣν δεῖ πρῶτον ἐλθεῖν, καθά φησιν ὁ ἀπόστολος; ἤδη ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν ὁρῶμεν τὰ εἰσόδια τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου. ἐκλελοίπαμεν, παρανηλώμεθα· ἐξέλιπεν φυσητήρ, ἀπελήλαται πᾶσα ἐλπὶς ὅσον κατὰ ἄνθρωπον. Ἀλλὰ στενάξατε ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, ὦ συμπαθέστατοι, ὡς σύσσωμοι, ὀρέξατε χεῖρα πρεσβευτικὴν ὡς φιλάδελφοι. τῶν αὐτόθι χείρονα τὰ ἡμέτερα βαρβαρίζεται. ὡς Σόδομα ἤδη γεγόναμεν καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἤδη ὡμοιώθημεν. διὰ τοῦτο τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἐπεβοησάμεθα τῇ ἁγιωσύνῃ ὑμῶν οἱ ταπεινοὶ ὡς ἐν ἑνὶ στόματι τῶν πάντων ἀδελφῶν καὶ συμπασχόντων· ἴσμεν γὰρ ὅτι ἰσχύει ἡ δικαία ὑμῶν δέησις ἐνεργουμένη, ὡς ἂν τῷ ἐξιλασμῷ αὐτῆς κοπάσῃ ἡ θραῦσις τῆς αἱρετικῆς ῥομφαίας, τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς εἰρηνικὴν ὀρθοδοξίαν ἐπανάγοντος καὶ τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησίαν. ἵνα δὲ εἰδῆτε καὶ ὑμεῖς, ὦ σεβάσμιοι, ἐκ μέρους, οἷα τὰ ἀσεβῆ δόγματα τῶν ἀθέων, συναπέστειλα τοῖς γράμμασι ταῦτα ἐν τετραδίοις, ἃ καὶ ἔδοξα ὁ ἀμαθὴς ἀνατρέπειν, προτραπεὶς παρὰ εὐσεβῶν. αἰτῶ δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς θείας ἀγχινοίας ὑμῶν ἐπισκεφθῆναι καὶ συγγνώμην τῶν ἐπωφλημένων δέξασθαί με, λαμβάνεσθαί τε εἰς μνήμην ἐν ταῖς θεοκλινέσιν ὑμῶν προσευχαῖς, καὶ μὴν καὶ συντάττεσθαι ὡς ἔσχατον πάντων μέλος ἐν τῷ πληρώματι τῆς ἁγίας ὑμῶν ἐκκλησίας.