Letter 32: Theodore Studite, Letter 32; Greek heading: Νικολάῳ χαρτουλαρίῳ.

We had somehow supposed that your great piety was ill-disposed, our most beloved master, toward our lowliness on account of some matter that had intervened; but in truth you have shown, in the present occasion, that your honored soul is pure of all ill-will, and indeed filled with all godliness, in that you have become eager and fervent, from the very first of our entreaties, to be moved for the sake of the peace of the Church of God toward union with our most holy patriarch [Nikephoros of Constantinople]. This is the mark of sincere friendship; this is the property of a God-fearing man; this is the proof of a clear zeal for the truth. And so may the Lord render to you, even if nothing should come of it, the whole reward of righteousness; for it is not from the outcome of affairs, but from the disposition concerning them, whether it be praiseworthy or not so, that the Divine is wont to assign recompense to those who act. You have therefore gained, in a single inclination of the moment, not gold and silver, but unfailing treasures of heavenly recompense. And we still beseech and implore you to press on in this matter, so that you yourself may gain a rich treasure, and that we, the lowly, may obtain that which unites us to the high priest [the patriarch]; or rather, so that the Church of God, having been arbitrated through your mediation, may weave for you many crowns of praise. And there is no need to say more. But since you have commanded that we indicate how great is the account of our lowliness, we now make it known without falsehood to your greatest eminence, as in the presence of the Lord, the knower of things unseen, that there is in no respect any doubt for us regarding communion with the high priest, except on account of the oikonomos [the steward, here Joseph, the priest who had blessed the emperor's adulterous marriage], inasmuch as he stands deposed by the divine canons. And whenever he is withdrawn from the sacred ministry, as formerly by the good pleasure of God and of the most holy patriarch and of our pious masters [the emperors], it is clear that, though he be oikonomos and hold the honor, then straightway and at once we both concelebrate and hold communion and are ordained, seeking nothing concerning his concelebration during these three years for the sake of dispensation [oikonomia, the principle of pastoral accommodation] -- not out of fear, but for the common benefit and salvation. For let the falsely accusing tongues be silent, which are stirred against the peace of God, claiming that, when the oikonomos has been barred from the sacred ministry, we will seize the occasion to bring a charge against our high priest, as having already concelebrated with the deposed man, and then against the most holy patriarch who preceded him [Tarasios]. Deceitful lips are those that speak such things, the work of slanderous and envious men who do not wish the debt that has fallen upon the Church to come to healing. By no means, may it not be! Both the patriarch who preceded [Tarasios] we have received and do receive -- wherefore also we were in communion with him until his death -- and the now most holy high priest [Nikephoros] we have received and do receive; for on this account also we make commemoration each day. Let the oikonomos who crowned the adulterer be barred from the sacred ministry and, as we have declared beforehand, we will concelebrate with him [the high priest], if he so commands, in the catholic church, each according to his own rank. And if this comes to pass, joy in heaven, peace in the Church of God among us; the schism gives way, concord shines forth clearly, our high priest will be crowned with praises, and so greatly that his encomium will be spread abroad unto coming generations; our most mighty emperors, together with their most precious diadems, will be crowned with angelic acclamation; the priests will be clothed with righteousness, and still more the holy ones -- I mean the monastic order -- will rejoice with exceeding joy. As for our master [Nicholas], what a great and how great a prize you will receive -- what need is there to say? And what good thing will not rather come about? What delight will not be brought in? Let us say this also: that even the oikonomos himself will be praised and glorified and will on this account inherit great mercy, both in this present age and in the age to come; and we sinners will be falling down and venerating and giving overflowing thanks, contributing in deed and word what is due to the high priest above every man, according to what is owed. And for the confirmation of what has been said, we make the account in writing at length, that after the cessation of the oikonomos's sacred ministry, as formerly, if we do not straightway enter in and hold communion, as has been written above, let the vote be against us, whatever you wish, and let it no longer be permitted for us to speak concerning the matter. And behold, it is not a man, not an angel, but the Lord Himself who through us draws and urges and entreats you.

Ὑπελάβομέν πως ἀπεχθῶς ἔχειν τὴν μεγάλην σου εὐσέβειαν, παμπόθητε ἡμῶν δέσποτα, πρὸς τὴν ταπείνωσιν ἡμῶν διά τινα παρεμπίπτουσαν ὑπόθεσιν· ἀλλ' ὄντως ἔδειξας ἐν τῷ παρόντι καιρῷ καθαράν σου τὴν τιμίαν ψυχὴν πάσης δυσμενείας, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης θεοσεβείας πεπληρωμένην ἐν τῷ γοργὸν καὶ θερμόν σε γενέσθαι εἰς τὸ χάριν εἰρήνης τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ εὐθὺς ἀπὸ πρώτης ἡμῶν παρακλήσεως κινηθῆναι πρὸς συνάφειαν τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου ἡμῶν πατριάρχου. τοῦτο γνώρισμα εἰλικρινοῦς φιλίας, τοῦτο ἰδίωμα ἀνθρώπου θεοφόβου, τοῦτο ἀπόδειξις ἐναργοῦς ζήλου ἀληθείας. καὶ γοῦν ἀποδώσειέν σοι Κύριος, εἰ καὶ μηδέν τι γένηται, ὁλόκληρον δικαιοσύνης μισθόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ τέλους τῶν πραγμάτων, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς περὶ αὐτὰ προθέσεως, εἴτε ἐπαινετῶς εἴτε οὐχ οὕτως, εἴωθεν τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τὸ θεῖον ἐπιψηφίζεσθαι τοῖς δρῶσιν. κεκέρδηκας τοιγαροῦν ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ οὐ χρυσίον τε καὶ ἀργύριον, ἀλλὰ θησαυροὺς ἀνεκλείπτους οὐρανίας ἀνταποδόσεως. Ἔτι δὲ παρακαλοῦμεν καὶ δυσωποῦμεν ἐπειχθῆναί σε ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ ὑποθέσει, ἵνα αὐτὸς μὲν κερδήσῃς πλούσιον τὸ θησαύρισμα, ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ εὐτελεῖς τύχωμεν τοῦ πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα συναπτικοῦ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἵνα ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ, τῇ σῇ μεσιτείᾳ βραβευθεῖσα, πολλούς σου τοὺς τῶν ἐγκωμίων στεφάνους καταπλέξειεν. καὶ οὐ πλέον τι χρὴ λέγειν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐκέλευσας ἐπισημᾶναι ὁπόσος ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν, ἤδη ἀψευδῶς γνωρίζομεν τῇ μεγίστῃ σου ὑπεροχῇ ὡς ἐν προσώπῳ Κυρίου τοῦ τῶν ἀδήλων γνώστου οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἔν τινι τὸ ἀμφιβάλλον τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα κοινωνίας ἢ διὰ τὸν οἰκονόμον, κατὰ τὸ καθῃρημένον αὐτὸν εἶναι ὑπὸ τῶν θείων κανόνων. καὶ ἡνίκα ὑποσταλῇ τῆς ἱερουργίας, καθὰ τὸ πρότερον εὐδοκίᾳ θεοῦ τοῦ τε ἁγιωτάτου πατριάρχου τῶν τε εὐσεβῶν ἡμῶν δεσποτῶν, δῆλον ὅτι ὄντος αὐτοῦ οἰκονόμου καὶ τὴν τιμὴν ἔχοντος εὐθὺς παραυτίκα καὶ συλλειτουργοῦμεν καὶ συγκοινωνοῦμεν καὶ χειροτονούμεθα, μηδὲν ἐπιζητοῦντες περὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς τρισὶ χρόνοις τούτοις συλλειτουργίας αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίας χάριν, οὐ διὰ φόβον, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ κοινωφελὲς καὶ σωτήριον. Σιγάτωσαν γὰρ αἱ ψευδοκατήγοροι γλῶτται, κατὰ τῆς εἰρήνης τοῦ θεοῦ κινούμεναι, ὅτι, ἐπὰν εἰρχθῇ τῆς ἱερουργίας ὁ οἰκονόμος, ἐπιδραξόμεθα αἰτίας κατενεγκεῖν τὸν ἀρχιερέα ἡμῶν, ὡς ἤδη τῷ καθηρημένῳ συλλειτουργήσαντα, ἔπειτα τὸν προηγησάμενον ἁγιώτατον πατριάρχην. χείλη δόλια, τὰ λαλοῦντα τὰ τοιαῦτα, ἀνθρώπων συκοφαντῶν καὶ φθονερῶν τὸ δρᾶμα καὶ μὴ θελόντων εἰς ἴασιν ἐλθεῖν τὸ προσπεσὸν ὄφλημα τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. οὐδαμῶς, μὴ γένοιτο. καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην τὸν προηγησάμενον καὶ ἐδεξάμεθα καὶ δεχόμεθα, διὸ καὶ ἕως θανάτου συνεκοινωνοῦμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὸν νυνὶ ἁγιώτατον ἀρχιερέα καὶ ἐδεξάμεθα καὶ δεχόμεθα· ἐπὶ τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ ἀναφέρομεν καθεκάστην. ὁ οἰκονόμος εἰρχθῇ τῆς ἱερουργίας ὁ τὸν μοιχὸν στεφανώσας καί, ὡς προδεδηλώκαμεν, συλλειτουργοῦμεν αὐτῷ, εἰ κελεύει, ἐπὶ τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἕκαστος κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἡμῶν τάξιν. καὶ εἰ τοῦτο γένηται, χαρὰ ἐν οὐρανοῖς, εἰρήνη ἐν τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ· τὸ σχίσμα ὑποχωρεῖ, ἡ ὁμόνοια ἀναλάμψειεν τρανῶς, ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἡμῶν στεφανωθήσεται τοῖς ἐπαίνοις καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὡς διαδοθῆναι αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐγκώμιον ἕως γενεᾶς, οἱ κράτιστοι ἡμῶν βασιλεῖς σὺν τοῖς πολυτιμήτοις αὐτῶν διαδήμασι καταστεφανωθήσονται τῇ ἀγγελικῇ εὐφημία, οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐνδύσονται δικαιοσύνην, ἔτι μᾶλλον οἱ ὅσιοι, τὸ μοναδικὸν λέγω τάγμα, ἀγαλλιάσει ἀγαλλιάσονται. ὁ δεσπότης ἡμῶν οἷον καὶ ἡλίκον λήψῃ τὸ βραβεῖον, τί δεῖ λέγειν; καὶ τί μᾶλλον οὐ γενήσεται; τί τερπνὸν οὐκ εἰσαχθήσεται; εἴπωμεν καὶ τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ οἰκονόμος εὐφημηθήσεται καὶ δοξασθήσεται καὶ κληρονομήσει διὰ τοῦτο μέγα ἔλεος καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι· ἡμεῖς τε οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐσόμεθα ὑποπίπτοντες καὶ προσκυνοῦντες καὶ ὑπερευχαριστοῦντες, ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ τὰ δέοντα ὡς ἀρχιερεῖ ὑπὲρ πάντα ἄνθρωπον κατὰ τὸ ὀφειλόμενον συνεισφέροντες. πρὸς δὲ πίστωσιν τῶν εἰρημένων ποιούμεθα τὸν λόγον ἔγγραφον διὰ πλάτους, ὅτι μετὰ τὴν παῦσιν τῆς ἱερουργίας, καθὰ τὸ πρότερον, ἐὰν μὴ εὐθὺς εἰσέλθωμεν καὶ κοινωνήσωμεν, ὡς προγέγραπται, ἔστω ἡ ψῆφος καθ' ὑμᾶς, εἴ τι βούλεσθε, καὶ μὴ ἐξὸν ἔτι λαλεῖν ἡμᾶς περὶ τῆς ὑποθέσεως. καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἄγγελος, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ὁ δι' ἡμῶν ἕλκων καὶ συνωθῶν καὶ παρακαλῶν σε.