Letter 314: Theodore Studite, Letter 314; Greek heading: Θεοφυλάκτῳ Νικομηδείασ.

For a long time I had been longing to write to Your Beatitude, and it was not granted to me, lowly as I am, for lack of a letter-carrier. But now, having met with one by the good pleasure of God, I am fulfilling my desire, which I rightly cherish toward you, not only on account of our confession in the Lord, but also in a private way on account of that special character of yours, distinct from the many: your gentleness, your simplicity, your graciousness, the sweetness in your conversation, the affability in your dealings, your beneficence in all things. From these the imprint of your sacred soul, even though unseen, has been beheld, adorned with the variety of the virtues. But about this matter let it suffice, since it is not a time for encomiums. What has appeared to you, O blessed one, of the present state of things? Is it not little short of Judaism, or rather Hellenism [paganism]? The adornment of the Church has been stripped away, the appearance of the holy sanctuaries; the holy things have been delivered over to fire. Some other form is now recognized within Christianity-if indeed one is to call it Christianity, and not Judaism. It is fitting to say even now: Lord, they have slain your prophets and have demolished your altars [cf. Romans 11:3; 1 Kings 19:10, 14]. And indeed they have slain, and indeed they have demolished; for to scrape away and gouge out their appearance-is this not manifestly to demolish them? Take away a person's face, and he is no longer a person, but some misbegotten thing, if indeed it can even be said to live. They have burned your sanctuary with fire [cf. Psalm 73(74):7], and this truly, having set ablaze every divine image [eikon] inscribed in every material. A blasphemous tongue has been opened, calling Christ an idol, the Theotokos [the God-bearer, the Virgin Mary], and every saint. For indeed the derived likeness possesses the appellation of its archetype, since it possesses also the veneration [proskynesis]; and for this reason we also call every figure of the cross a cross, and venerating the life-giving cross we embrace it. But I, lowly one, have made a tragedy of these things, not as though your all-wise perfection were ignorant of the ruin of this error (may I not suffer anything foolish), but rather consoling the afflicting passion of my own heart through these reports, which when uttered are somehow apt to lighten the pains hidden within, and at the same time stirring it up to draw nearer to God more fervently, that He may bring a swift rebuke upon this wicked heresy [hairesis], for the salvation of His people. Pray also for me, your least child, my most holy father.