Letter 36: Theodore Studite, Letter 36; Greek heading: Εὐπρεπιανῷ καὶ τοῖς σὺν αὐτῷ.

I am of good hope, beloved children, concerning your peaceful and God-ordained manner of life. Therefore I will turn my discourse to what is most pressing. And what is this? When we uncover their wicked doctrines and point out the reasons for which they have anathematized us along with the others, they are shown to be altogether not merely heretics of some bare kind, but apostates from the Gospel of God, men who anathematize the saints and dissolvers of the canons. First, they set themselves against the old and the new [the Old and New Testaments]. "You shall not commit adultery," says the Law; "You shall not take the name of God in vain"; "There shall be one law for the Jew and for the proselyte." Again the Gospel, that is, Christ: "You have heard," he says, "that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not commit adultery'; but I say to you, do not even look upon a woman so as to desire her"; and, "Whoever looses one of these least commandments shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven"-that is, as the Fathers interpret it, he shall be cast into the fire. But these men (oh, the dreadful thing to hear!) have given the name of "dispensation" [oikonomia: an authorized accommodation or pastoral economy] of God-and a good and saving one for the Church-to that adultery which is proscribed by the Law and by grace down to the very desire of a glance; to the loosing of the commandment that is not the least but, one may say, the first in practice and the greatest; and, on top of this, to the taking of the name of God not in vain but upon so unlawful and wicked a deed-I mean upon a union joining an adulterer-the taking of the name of God and the partaking of the Mysteries of Christ, and to the crowning warfare against God waged by the adultery-working devil and his servant. Let us stop our ears, brothers, lest we ever waste away at the blasphemy. And this is their justification: he says that in the case of emperors the Gospel laws ought to be overlooked. See, here is another forerunning of Antichrist. And where then is the "there shall be one law"? And where the "strict judgment upon those who are in high place"? And where the "God does not regard the face of man"? And who is the lawgiver of the emperor? And since matters stand according to ruler and ruled, the Gospel laws would not belong even to the ruled. For if they belong to the ruler, they belong to the ruled also, that they may remain, ordered as under one law and one lawgiver, obedient and free from sedition. But if they do not belong to the ruler-when he so wills, and perhaps he would not will to keep any of them-while they do belong to the subjects, then there are these two consequences: either the emperor is God (for the divine alone is not under law), or there is anarchy and sedition. For where the law is not the same for all, how can there be peace, when the emperor wills something else-namely, to commit adultery, to favor heresy, and that those under his hand should not be enjoined to refuse fellowship with the adulterer, nor to share his heresy, nor to transgress in any way whatever what has been handed down by Christ and the apostles? And how does it not from this become manifest that Antichrist is at the doors? For the Moechians [the "adultery party," those who accepted the emperor's unlawful remarriage] will not dare to say, "Does not the people do, and is it not commanded to submit to, whatever lawless thing the emperor does?" And see, Antichrist has entered completely into their argument; for he too, being an emperor, will seek only this, that what he wills and says should come to pass; and there will be no difference between him and those before him, except that the others did not will and intend so much-as if he too should now will it. The same authority has been proclaimed synodically by the hierarchs [the iconoclast/Moechian bishops in their council]. And how should anyone who understands and is not contentious not confess that this is so? And what will be worse than this heresy until the very manifestation of Antichrist himself? I think he is not yet present; but rather that this very heresy, having begun, will reach its consummation, from now on, at that future time. And as many as fall under it-even had they lived then, they would have fallen; and as many as, contending by the power of God, stand fast, these would, even in those days, be conquering Antichrist in death together with Christ. But oh, the misery of mankind! How have men from this point turned their backs? How do we show forth what we shall be? For this reason those who shall stand are few; for this reason Elijah and Enoch (we do not know whether also the Theologian and Evangelist [John]) are helpers of human weakness and front-rank champions and prize-winners of the victory on behalf of the confession of Christ; for this reason the days of that necessity shall be cut short, being abolished by the appearing of Christ. You who understand, stand fast; do not deny Christ from now on; for the present things are the beginnings of those to come. The second matter does not need much clarification, being made evident from the first. Having therefore anathematized those who do not accept the union joining the adulterer, and the adultery of the emperor, and who regard as a holy dispensation the lawlessness of everyone who has been found out and has cast in his lot with it-what else have they done but anathematize the saints, and first of all the Forerunner [John the Baptist, who was beheaded for condemning Herod's unlawful marriage]? It is true to say, though it is dreadful, that they have anathematized the very Master of the saints himself; for he who forbade these things clearly does not accept nor approve of them, but threatened severely that the judgment is inescapable, and that the mere casting of one's lot with an adulterer-not of this man or that, but of anyone whatever, emperor, ruler, small and great-is condemned. For "there shall be one law," he says, and "one Gospel we have received"; and whoever shifts even the least thing from this Gospel-even were he an angel from heaven-the security is enough for you. Is the emperor greater than an angel? Is not the world-ruler in the world greater than all the demons and men who rule in worldly dominion, but not in a godly manner? And what does the Apostle say? "Let him be anathema." Angels do not dare to shift anything, nor do they who shift remain without being anathematized, like the devil and his apostate multitude. And how is not every man who is in the flesh, when he shifts and innovates-and especially such innovations-estranged from God? Now he who does not accept what He forbade (for the discourse must be taken up again from the point where it passed over into a digression), this man, according to the Moechians-or rather the Antichrists-is already anathematized. But if they have thus treated the Master as the Jews did, who said that he cast out the demons by Beelzeboul, what of his servants and ministers? For either they have decreed-as men not obeying the Master's laws in their dispensations-that the union joining the adulterer and the communion with the adulterer are of equal weight and equal honor, ranking it as a dispensation, and for this reason have not anathematized the saints as lawless and transgressors of the commandments (and from this they are by all means to be anathematized); or, while confessing them to be guardians of the law, they have anathematized themselves, but not the saints, the wretched men having appropriated to themselves the name of the saints in their so-called dispensation of the adulterous union-and for this reason again they have anathematized the saints as not being saints. Since, according to them, the saints are those who have made and make their dispensations after the manner of the adulterous union and of presiding over the adulterer's faction; and these men [the true saints], being estranged from God and lawless and transgressors of the commandments, are anathematized in their eyes-namely, those who do not accept their adultery-constituted dispensation and do not order their affairs along its track. So then, from whatever side you please, and whichever of their impieties you would wish to see made plain, consider it, O you of keen mind, and marvel, beholding and taking up depth out of depth of godlessness. For not even the heresies have their whole impiety openly displayed; but some of them stand wholly far from the Gospel, while others, slipping in, bring in along with themselves certain sayings from the Gospel, not saying that they do not march in step with the Gospel ordinances, but even very much, in appearance, contending on their behalf-by interpreting them thus and not thus-holding their ambiguity within the divine words. And since they fail of the right understanding, they have been named heresies. But here there is a manifest falling-away from the faith: they do not err concerning the meaning, but say: "Christ indeed spoke thus, but even if the Law holds that such things should be done thus in the case of emperors, the Gospel is to be overcome." Consider how the end follows the beginning. From the incarnation of Christ the heresies began outside the Gospel. Then the devil, beaten back, through the gradual advance of grace crept in unnoticed from the Gospel itself; he begets the heresies down to the iconoclasts [image-fighters], drawing his bait from Scripture and from their own texts. And when he perceived that men were ready to listen to him, the time of the consummation also driving on, he began from now on, as from the beginning, to kindle slaughter against the Gospel itself, so that he might fittingly arrive at Antichrist, in whom he will dwell and in whom all his bitterness and apostasy will be revealed-whom the Lord will destroy by his appearing, most swiftly. Concerning the third matter, what shall we say? For those who have dared with bare head [openly, brazenly] to transgress the Gospel, and have anathematized those who chose not to transgress, what care will they have for canons? And these too sealed by the Holy Spirit, and in their loosing all things being loosed-things that have come for our salvation; for nowhere [otherwise] is there priesthood, sacrifice, the other remedies of our spiritual sicknesses. But why do I speak of canons and make a distinction? It is the same to speak even concerning the very Gospel of Christ. For he himself gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to the great Peter, saying, "Whatever you loose, and whatever you bind, it shall be such and such." And again to all the apostles: "Receive the Holy Spirit; if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven, and if you retain the sins of any, they are retained"-and consequently to these, transmitting the authority to those who come after them, provided they should act in like manner. And for this reason the canons of Basil and of the saints of equal standing with him have been received as being apostolic, inasmuch as they followed, innovating nothing, but also augmenting them as was fitting. These new false-apostles, then, declare in practice, by no means according to the established definitions of the saints, but by their own authority and discretion, contrary to what has been ordained by them, that each of the hierarchs is at times to act, to loose in matters where the loosing is not from them, and to bind in matters where the binding is not by them. And you see these things happening every day; and the holy things have been profaned, and the adulterous synod has become, both secretly and openly, a provision for sin. The man who cannot be deposed is deposed, and the man who has been condemned is ordained, and the man who falls under the canons that require deposition is allowed to perform the sacred rites unaccountably. And the appointments are made from a human command and not from a divine and canonical vote. And alas for my misery, to recount all these things as a tragedy! And who, having a feeling heart, does not grieve and groan? And what mind, considering and putting these things together, does not confess this to be the apostate from Christ among the heresies? And how could I say all that is in my mind and exceed the measure of a letter? What is said is easily grasped, not adorned, not hard to understand-partly because I myself am not able to speak loftily, but am exceedingly small and of few words and of little knowledge, having these very things by the prayer of the common father and of you; and partly because some of you are not strong enough to comprehend the heresy in a more doctrinal way, and at the same time because the word of truth is simple, and the heresy is manifest and undoctrinal and easily grasped even by a child; for the word is brief for him to whom God has spoken. These men do not march in step [with the Gospel], but they even anathematize those who do march in step. And may the Lord give you grace in all things, beloved children.

Εὔελπίς εἰμι, τέκνα ἠγαπημένα, περὶ τῆς εἰρηναίας καὶ θεοτάκτου διαγωγῆς ὑμῶν. διὸ μετελεύσομαι τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὸ κατεπεῖγον. τί δὲ τοῦτο; ὅταν ἀνακαλύψωμεν τὰ πονηρὰ αὐτῶν δόγματα καὶ ὑποδείξωμεν τὰς αἰτίας, δι' ἃς ἡμᾶς ἀνεθεμάτισαν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων, παντάπασιν ἀποδείκνυνται οὐχ αἱρετικοὶ ψιλοί πως, ἀλλ' ἀποστάται τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν τε ἁγίων ἀναθεματισταὶ καὶ τῶν κανόνων καταλύται. τὸ πρῶτον, ἀντικαθιστάμενοι παλαιᾶς καὶ νέας. μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, ὁ νόμος· μὴ λήψῃ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ ματαίῳ· εἷς νόμος ἔστω τῷ Ἰουδαίῳ καὶ τῷ προσηλύτῳ. αὖθις τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ἤτοι ὁ Χριστός, ἠκούσατε, φησίν, ὅτι ἐρρέθη τοῖς ἀρχαίοις "4οὐ μοιχεύσεις"5; ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μηδὲ ἐμβλέψαι γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτήν· καί, ὁ λύων μίαν τῶν ἐντολῶν τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων, οὗτος ἐλάχιστος κληθήσεται ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἤγουν εἰς τὸ πῦρ, ὡς οἱ πατέρες ἑρμνεύουσιν, ἐμβληθήσεται. οἱ δὲ (ὢ τοῦ φοβεροῦ ἀκούσματος) τὴν μοιχείαν τὴν ἐκκήρυκτον νόμου καὶ χάριτος μέχρι καὶ ἐπιθυμίας ἐμβλεμματικῆς τήν τε λύσιν τῆς οὐκ ἐλαχίστης, ἀλλὰ πρώτης εἰπεῖν ἐν τῷ πρακτικῷ καὶ μεγίστης ἐντολῆς, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις τὴν οὐκ ἐπὶ ματαίῳ λῆψιν τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ἀθεμίτῳ τηλικαύτῃ πράξει πονηρᾷ, λέγω δὴ μοιχοζευξίᾳ, λῆψιν τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μετάληψιν τῶν μυστηρίων Χριστοῦ καὶ στεφανικὴν τοῦ μοιχουργοῦ διαβόλου καὶ ὑπηρέτου αὐτοῦ θεομαχίαν, οἰκονομίαν θεοῦ προσηγόρευσαν, ἀγαθήν τε καὶ σωτήριον τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. Βύσωμεν τὰ ὦτα μή ποτε τακῶμεν τῇ βλασφημίᾳ, ὦ ἀδελφοί. καὶ τὸ δικαίωμα αὐτοῖς, ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων φησὶ χρῆναι παραβλέπειν τοὺς εὐαγγελικοὺς νόμους. ἴδε ἄλλη ἀντιχριστικὴ προδρομία. καὶ ποῦ τὸ εἷς νόμος ἔσται; καὶ ποῦ τὸ κρίσις ἀπότομος ἐν τοῖς ὑπερέχουσι; καὶ ποῦ τὸ πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου θεὸς οὐ λαμβάνει; καὶ τίς ὁ νομοθέτης βασιλέως; καὶ ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὸ ἄρχον καὶ τὸ ἀρχόμενον, οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχομένων οἱ νόμοι οἱ εὐαγγελικοί. εἰ γὰρ ἐκείνου, κἀκείνων, ἵνα μένωσιν ὡς ὑφ' ἑνὶ ταττόμενοι νόμῳ καὶ νομοθέτῃ εὐπειθεῖς καὶ ἀστασίαστοι. εἰ δὲ ἐκείνου οὔ, ὅτε βούλεται, οὐ βούλοιτο δὲ τυχὸν οὐδένα φυλάττειν, αὐτῶν δὲ ναί, δύο ταῦτα, ἢ θεὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς (μόνον γὰρ τὸ θεῖον οὐχ ὑπὸ νόμον) ἢ ἀναρχία καὶ στάσις· οὗ γὰρ νόμος μὴ ταὐτός, πῶς εἰρήνη, τοῦ βασιλέως ἄλλο θέλοντος, ἤγουν μοιχεύειν, αἱρετίζειν, καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ χεῖρα μὴ συντίθεσθαι τὴν μερίδα μετὰ μοιχοῦ νομοθετουμένων μηδὲ συναιρετίζειν μηδ' ὁτιοῦν παραβαίνειν τὸ ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων παραδεδομένον; καὶ πῶς ἐντεῦθεν οὐ συναναφαίνεται ὁ Ἀντίχριστος ἐπὶ θύραις εἶναι; οὐ γὰρ τολμήσουσι φάναι οἱ μοιχειανοί, "4μὴ οὐχὶ ὃ ἀνομεῖ ὁ βασιλεύς, ποιεῖ τε καὶ κελεύει ὑπείκειν τὸν λαόν"5. καὶ ἴδε εἰσῆλθεν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ αὐτῶν πάντως ὁ Ἀντίχριστος· βασιλεὺς γὰρ ὢν κἀκεῖνος, τοῦτο μόνον ἐπιζητήσει, ὃ θέλει καὶ λέγει γίνεσθαι καὶ οὐδὲν τὸ διάφορον πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ ἢ τὸ μὴ τοσοῦτον θέλειν καὶ βούλεσθαι ὡς εἰ καὶ θελήσειεν καὶ ἄρτι. ἡ αὐτὴ ἐξουσία παρὰ τῶν ἱεραρχῶν συνοδικῶς ἐκπεφώνηται. καὶ πῶς συνιῶν τις καὶ οὐκ ὢν δύσερις οὐχ ὁμολογήσειεν οὕτως ἔχειν; τί δὲ ταύτης τῆς αἱρέσεως χεῖρον ἔσται ἕως ἀναδείξεως αὐτῆς τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου; ἐγὼ οὔπω δοκῶ εἶναι, ἀλλ' αὐτὴν ταύτην εἰς πέρας ἀρξαμένην ἐκ τοῦ δεῦρο τῷ τότε καιρῷ ἀπολῆξαι· καὶ ὅσοι ἐν ταύτῃ ὑποπέσωσι, κἂν τότε ὑπῆρχον, ὑπέπεσον ἄν, καὶ ὁπόσοι δυνάμει θεοῦ ἀνταγωνιζόμενοι στῶσιν, εἶεν ἂν κἀν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις νικῶντες τὸν Ἀντίχριστον ἐν θανάτῳ μετὰ Χριστοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὢ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ταλαιπωρίας. πῶς ἀπ' ἐντεῦθεν νῶτα ἔστρεψαν; πῶς ὑποδεικνύομεν τί ἐσόμεθα; διὰ τοῦτο ὀλίγοι οἱ μέλλοντες στῆναι· διὰ τοῦτο Ἠλίας καὶ Ἐνὼχ (οὐκ οἴδαμεν εἰ καὶ ὁ Θεολόγος καὶ εὐαγγελιστὴς) ἀρωγοὶ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀσθενείας καὶ πρωτοστάται καὶ ἀθλοφόροι τῆς ὑπὲρ ὁμολογίας Χριστοῦ νίκης· διὰ τοῦτο κολοβωθήσονται αἱ ἡμέραι τῆς ἀνάγκης ἐκείνης, τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ Χριστοῦ ἀναιρουμένης. οἱ συνιῶντες στῆτε, μὴ ἀρηνήσησθε Χριστὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ δεῦρο· ἀρκτικὰ γὰρ τὰ παρόντα τῶν τότε. Τὸ δεύτερον οὐ πολλῆς δεῖται σαφηνείας, ἐκ τοῦ προτέρου ἐπιδηλούμενον. ἀναθεματίσαντες οὖν τοὺς μὴ δεχομένους τὴν μοιχοζευξίαν καὶ τὴν μοιχείαν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τὴν τοῦ παντὸς εὑρεθέντος καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τὴν μερίδα θεμένου παρανομίαν ὡς ἁγίαν οἰκονομίαν, τί ἄλλο ἢ τοὺς ἁγίους, καὶ πρῶτόν γε τὸν Πρόδρομον, ἀναθεματίκασιν; ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, εἰ καὶ φοβερόν, καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν ἁγίων δεσπότην· ὃς γὰρ ταῦτα ἀπηγόρευσεν, οὐ δέχεται οὐδὲ εὐδοκεῖ δῆλον ὅτι, ἀλλὰ λίαν ἠπείλησεν ἀπαραίτητον τὸ κρίμα καὶ τὸ μόνον μετὰ μοιχοῦ τὴν μερίδα θεῖναι, οὐ τοῦδε ἢ τοῦδε, ἀλλὰ παντὸς οὑτινοσοῦν, βασιλέως, δυνάστου, μικροῦ καὶ μεγάλου. εἷς γὰρ νόμος ἔσται, φησί, καὶ ἓν εὐαγγέλιον παρελάβομεν· καὶ ὃς ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ εὐαγγελίου κἂν τὸ τυχὸν παρασαλεύσοι, κἂν ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ ἀσφάλεια. μὴ βασιλεὺς μείζων ἀγγέλου; μὴ οὐχὶ ὁ κοσμοκράτωρ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ μείζων πάντων τῶν κοσμοκρατορικῶς κρατούντων δαιμόνων καὶ ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ θεϊκῶς; καὶ τί ὁ ἀπόστολος; ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. ἄγγελοι οὐ τολμῶσι παρασαλεῦσαι, οὐδὲ σαλεύοντες μένουσι μὴ ἀναθεματιζόμενοι, ὡς ὁ διάβολος καὶ ἡ ἀποστατικὴ αὐτοῦ πληθύς. καὶ πῶς ἄνθρωπος πᾶς ἐν σαρκὶ ὤν, σαλεύων καὶ καινοτομῶν, καὶ μάλιστα τοιαύτας καινοτομίας, οὐκ ἀλλότριος θεοῦ; Ὃς δὲ οὐ δέχεται ἃ ἀπηγόρευσεν (ἀναληπτέος γὰρ ἐξ οὗ εἰς μεταξυλογίαν μετῆλθεν ὁ λόγος), οὗτος κατὰ τοὺς μοιχειανούς, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀντιχρίστους, ἤδη ἀναθεμάτισται. εἰ δὲ τὸν δεσπότην οὕτως, ὥσπερ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἐν Βεελζεβοὺλ ἐκβάλλειν αὐτὸν τὰ δαιμόνια κεκλήκασι, τί περὶ τῶν δούλων καὶ θεραπόντων αὐτοῦ; ἢ γὰρ ὡς οὐ πειθαρχήσαντας τοῖς δεσποτικοῖς νόμοις ἐν ταῖς οἰκονομίαις αὐτῶν ἐδογμάτισαν ἰσόρροπον καὶ ἰσοκλεῆ τὴν μοιχοζευξίαν καὶ μοιχοκοινωνίαν, οἰκονομίαν αὐταῖς συντάξαντες, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὡς ἀνόμους τοὺς ἁγίους καὶ παραβάτας τῶν ἐντολῶν οὐκ ἀνεθεμάτισαν (καὶ ἐντεῦθεν πάντως ἀναθεματιστέοι) ἢ νομοφύλακας αὐτοὺς ὁμολογοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀνεθεμάτισαν, ἀλλ' οὐ τοὺς ἁγίους, σφετερισάμενοι οἱ δείλαιοι εἰς ἑαυτοὺς τὸ τῶν ἁγίων ὄνομα ἐν τῇ λεγομένῃ αὐτοῖς οἰκονομίᾳ τῆς μοιχοζευξίας· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πάλιν τοὺς ἁγίους ἀνεθεμάτισαν ὡς μὴ ὄντας ἁγίους. ἐπεὶ ἅγιοι κατ' αὐτοὺς οἱ κατὰ δύναμιν τῆς μοιχοζευξίας καὶ μοιχομεριδαρχίας τὰς οἰκονομίας πεποιηκότες καὶ ποιοῦντες· καὶ οὗτοι ἀλλότριοι θεοῦ καὶ ἄνομοι καὶ παραβάται ἐντολῶν καὶ ἀναθεματισμένοι παρ' αὐτοῖς, οἱ μὴ τὴν μοιχοσύστατον αὐτῶν οἰκονομίαν δεχόμενοι καὶ τὰ κατ' ἴχνος αὐτῆς οἰκονομοῦντες. Ὅθεν οὖν βούλει, καὶ ποτέραν τῶν ἀσεβειῶν αὐτῶν φαεινὴν ἐθέλοις ἰδεῖν, νόει, ὁ ἀγχίνους, καὶ θαύμαζε, βάθος ἐκ βάθους ἀθεΐας ἀναθεωρῶν καὶ ἀναλαμβανόμενος· οὐδὲ γὰρ αἱ αἱρέσεις προφανῆ τὴν ὅλην ἀσέβειαν ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ' αἱ μὲν πόρρω τοῦ εὐαγγελίου πάντῃ γε, αἱ δὲ ὑποδυόμεναι ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ῥήσεις τινὰς συνεισέρχονται, οὐ λέγουσαι μὴ στοιχεῖν τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς θεσπίσμασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάνυ τῷ δοκεῖν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀντιποιούμεναι τῷ οὕτως νοεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ οὕτως, εἰς τοὺς θείους λόγους τὴν ἀμφιβολίαν ἔχουσαι. καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀποτυγχάνουσι τοῦ ὀρθοῦ φρονήματος, αἱρέσεις κατωνομάσθησαν. ἐνταῦθα δὲ φανερὰ ἔκπτωσις πίστεως, οὐ περὶ τὸν νοῦν σφαλλόμενοι, ἀλλὰ λέγοντες· "4καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Χριστὸς οὕτω, κἂν νόμος ἔχῃ τάδε ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων οὕτως γίνεσθαι, νικᾶσθαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον"5. σκόπησον πῶς τῇ ἀρχῇ τὸ τέλος ἀκολουθεῖ. ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ ἐναν θρωπήσεως ἤρξαντο ἔξωθεν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου αἱ αἱρέσεις. εἶτα ἀποκρουσθεὶς ὁ διάβολος διὰ τῆς κατὰ μικρὸν προκοπῆς τῆς χάριτος ὑπεισῆλθε λανθανόντως ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου· γεννᾷ τὰς αἱρέσεις μέχρι τῶν εἰκονομάχων, ἀπὸ Γραφῆς καὶ τῶν κειμένων αὐτῶν ὑποδυόμενος τὸ δέλεαρ. καὶ ἐπὰν ᾔσθετο εὐηκόους αὐτῷ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὑπάρχειν, συνελαύνοντος καὶ τοῦ καιροῦ τῆς συντελείας, ἤρξατο ἐκ τοῦ δεῦρο ὡς τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, κατ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἀνάπτειν τὸν φόνον, ὅπως καταντήσῃ εἰς τὸν Ἀντίχριστον εὐθέτως, ἐφ' ὃν κατοικήσει καὶ ἐν ᾧ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται ἡ πᾶσα αὐτοῦ πικρία καὶ ἀποστασία, ὃν ἀνελεῖ Κύριος τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ αὐτοῦ ὅτι τάχιστα. Περὶ τοῦ τρίτου τί καὶ φῶμεν; οἱ γὰρ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον παραβαίνειν γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ καταολμήσαντες καὶ τοὺς μὴ παραβαίνειν αἱρετισαμένους ἀναθεματίσαντες, τί περὶ κανόνων αὐτοῖς μελήσει; καί γε καὶ τούτων ὑπὸ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου ἐσφραγισμένων καὶ ἐν τῇ λύσει αὐτῶν λελυμένων ὄντων τῶν ἁπάντων εἰς σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν ἡκόντων· οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἱερωσύνη, θυσία, τἆλλα ἰάματα τῶν ψυχικῶν ἡμῶν ἀρρωστημάτων. τί δὲ λέγω κανόνων καὶ ποιοῦμαι διαφορά; ταὐτόν ἐστιν εἰπεῖν καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῶν εὐαγγελίου Χριστοῦ. αὐτὸς γὰρ τὰς κλεῖς δέδωκε τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν τῷ μεγάλῳ Πέτρῳ φάσκων, ὃν ἂν λύσῃς, καὶ ὃν ἂν δήσῃς, ἔσται τὸ καὶ τό. καὶ πάλιν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀποστόλοις· λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον· ἄν τινων ἀφῆτε τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἀφίενται καὶ ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται, καὶ ἑπομένως τούτοις εἰς τοὺς μετ' αὐτοὺς διαβιβάζων τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἐάνπερ ὡσαύτως πράξοιεν. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Βασιλείου καὶ τῶν ἰσοστασίων αὐτῷ ἁγίων ὡς τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ὄντων κανόνων δεδεγμένων, καθότι ἐξακολουθήκασι μηδὲν καινοτομηκότες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαυξήσαντες κατὰ τὸ δέον. Οὗτοι οὖν οἱ νέοι ψευδαπόστολοι ἀποφαίνονται ἐμπράκτως, μὴ πάντως κατὰ τοὺς κειμένους ὅρους τῶν ἁγίων, ἀλλ' οἰκείᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ καὶ διακρίσει παρὰ τὸ ὑπ' αὐτῶν διατεταγμένον ἔσθ' ὅτε ἕκαστον τῶν ἱεραρχῶν ποιεῖν, λύειν ἐν οἷς οὐ παρ' αὐτῶν λύσις καὶ δεσμεῖν ἐφ' οἷς οὐχ ὑπ' αὐτῶν ὁ δεσμός. καὶ ὁρᾶτε ταῦτα καθ' ἑκάστην γιγνόμενα· καὶ ἐβεβηλώθη τὰ ἅγια, καὶ ἐφόδιον ἁμαρτίας κρύβδην τε καὶ εἰς τοὐμφανὲς ἡ μοιχοσύνοδος. καὶ καθαίρεται ὁ ἀκαθαίρετος καὶ χειροτονεῖται ὁ διαβεβλημένος καὶ ἐᾶται ὁ ὑποπίπτων κανόσι καθαιρετικοῖς ἀνευθύνως ἱερουργῶν. καὶ ἐκ κελεύσματος ἀνθρωπίνου καὶ οὐκ ἐκ ψήφου θείας καὶ κανονικῆς αἱ προβολαί. Καὶ φεῦ μοι τῆς ταλαιπωρίας, πάντα κατατραγῳδεῖν. καὶ τίς ἔχων καρδίαν αἰσθητικὴν οὐκ ἀλγεῖ καὶ στένει; καὶ ποῖος νοῦς ταῦτα ἀναθρώσκων καὶ συμβάλλων οὐχ ὁμολογεῖ αἱρέσεων τὴν ἀποστάτριαν εἶναι Χριστοῦ; καὶ ποῦ μοι πάντα λέγειν τὰ κατὰ νοῦν καὶ ὑπερβαίνειν μέτρον ἐπιστολῆς; εὐσύνοπτα τὰ λεγόμενα, οὐ κεκομψευμένα, οὐ δυσνόητα· τὸ μέν, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐγὼ ὑψηγορεῖν δυνάμενος, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν ὀλίγος καὶ ὀλιγόλογος καὶ βραχύγνωστος, αὐτὰ ταῦτα δι' εὐχῆς τοῦ κοινοῦ πατρὸς καὶ ὑμῶν ἔχων, τὸ δέ, καὶ διὰ τὸ τινὰς ὑμῶν μὴ ἰσχύειν δογματικώτερον καταλαμβάνειν τὴν αἵρεσιν, καὶ ἅμα ὅτι καὶ ἁπλοῦς ὁ λόγος τῆς ἀληθείας ἥ τε αἵρεσις φανερὰ καὶ ἀδογμάτιστος καὶ παιδὶ εὐκατάληπτος· ᾧ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς εἶπε, σύντομος ὁ λόγος. οὗτοι οὐ στοιχοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ στοιχοῦντας ἀναθεματίζουσι. Δῴη δὲ ὑμῖν χάριν ὁ Κύριος ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, ἀγαπητὰ τέκνα.