Letter 393: Theodore Studite, Letter 393; Greek heading: Τοῖς διὰ Κύριον πεφυγαδευμένοις πνευματικοῖς ἁγίοις μου πατράσιν Θεόδωρος ἐλάχιστος πρεσβύτερος καὶ ἡγούμενος τῶν Στουδίου ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν.

To my spiritual, holy fathers who have been driven into exile for the Lord's sake, Theodore, least of presbyters and abbot of the Stoudios [the monastery of Stoudios in Constantinople], greetings in the Lord. To receive a letter even from a single orthodox man in these grievous days, to say nothing of one from many who have gathered together to the same place, is somehow a thing strange to the season, like a many-petaled rose in winter, and most delightful indeed to my lowliness, so that at the very superscription my spirit leapt and gave fitting thanks to the Lord, who even in the present Ahab-like persecution [Ahab, the idolatrous king of Israel; cf. 1 Kings] has left to Himself so many who have not bowed the knee to Baal. For I think that those now unbending are equal in number to those of that time, not only through the ones who are set in plain view by their confession, but indeed also through those preserved here and there in deserts and mountains and caves and in the holes of the earth, to speak as the Apostle does [cf. Hebrews 11:38], just as your own company too adorns the three-peaked mountain, which bears its thrice-blessed glory. Thanks, then, be to God, who makes you rich together with all who call upon His name; I praise your holy flight into exile, I sing the praise of your dwelling together in the mountains, because, though it is full of suffering, yet it makes men godlike. Moses on Mount Sinai conversed with God; Elijah on Mount Horeb was counted worthy to see God so far as is possible; Jesus Himself, the most divinely sovereign, goes up into the mountain to pray in a manner befitting man. What does this mean? It seems to me that this contemplation is a symbol of the ascent according to the soul; for just as the mountain is raised high above the plain and the hollow at its foot, by that same measure does the mind of the one who prays go up toward God through the lofty place. Do you see, O thrice-longed-for ones, what manner of dwelling place, and how great, is yours? Remember us too, the sinful and the earth-bound, from there, so that we may be kindled together with you, the high-flying eagles of the Lord. But let these things stand here, even though my longing rushes on to say more. But why have you come to so great a measure of humility as to learn from me, the unlearned, the answers to the questions you have put forward? You yourselves, by the grace of Christ, know what is needful of your own accord; or if not, then from those who excel both in rank and in word. For there are very many, as the discourse has shown, who ought to be instructed. So then, lest I seem to grieve you, and at the same time fearing to be disobedient, I submit myself to the charge laid upon me. But first I have this to say: that this heresy [hairesis - heresy; here the second iconoclasm], even if to those who came before it appeared otherwise, or even if to some now it appears moderately wicked in some such way and not exceedingly grievous, to me at any rate, dim-sighted as I am, it seems to be nothing other than a denial of Christ. For if in the icon [eikon - the image] the archetype is made manifest, as the all-wise Dionysius says, and if the honor paid to the icon ascends to the prototype, as Basil the Great says, but now the icon of Christ has been set at nothing, denied, trampled underfoot by the Christ-fighters, then in His icon and through the icon Christ has been denied, dishonored, rejected in the manner of the Jews; and there is no way to draw the conclusion otherwise. For this reason it is a time of lamentations and beatings of the breast; for this reason too there are so many who stand firm, not only men but also women, since Christ is being denied both in word and in deed - which was not seen in the heresies of old: in word, in that the impious assert that Christ cannot be represented in the character of a body; in deed, in that they pull down every holy icon of Christ, of the Theotokos [the God-bearer, the Virgin Mary], of the angels, of every saint, male and female, from every church and from every sacred votive offering, consigning them to the fire, mocking, laughing at the great mystery of godliness, calling Christ depicted, together with His Mother and His servants, an abomination. To think and say and do such things belongs to Jews and to Greeks [i.e. pagans]; for the Arabs and the Scythians, behaving with reverence, have been seen to do nothing of the kind. How then are these things not a denial of the dispensation [oikonomia - the divine economy, here the Incarnation] of Christ? But let the discourse turn to the propositions. (1) Some submitted of their own free choice without any compulsion. (2) Others after blows. (3) Others through threat alone. (4) Others without threat or tortures, through fear alone. (5) Others so as not to lose their own possessions. (6) And some out of ignorance. When these turn back, how must they be received? Clearly, when they all show forth worthy fruits of repentance. And what are these? Abstention from the holy sacraments, with weeping and laborious supplication: for the first, lasting three years; for the second, two years; for the third and fourth and fifth, the same as for the first; for the sixth, one year. After the completion, how must they be regarded? If a man is of the priestly order and did not sign, he is no longer to share in the impious communion, but to remain in the rank in which he was appointed; but if he did sign, then he is to be barred from sacred ministry until an orthodox synod, yet still sharing in the holy sacraments. Is it permitted, for those who are wholly impious - whether under the necessity of fear, or because of hunger, or even without necessity, or even under force - to share food with others who themselves confess that they are orthodox? In no way whatever, except perhaps in the most extreme cases, not indifferently, but by some necessary manner, once or twice. May one eat the remnants of foods belonging to these people, whether under necessity or even without necessity, because the cross has been impressed beforehand upon them? If it is from a priest, by no means; but if not, one may partake under force. Ought one to enter their oratory for the sake of prayer, and ought one to celebrate the holy offering in it with one's own table [altar]? Neither of the two by any means. Ought one to say "rejoice" to them and greet them? By no means, as Basil the Great says: the Lord forbade the common greeting; so that this is to be avoided by way of agreement, and as a matter of love and friendship, that in this may be fulfilled the saying: one must not say "rejoice" to the impious. There are some of the monasteries who joined neither in deed nor in word, procuring their salvation by flight, and again, after the withdrawal of the impious, returning back. This would be well. But if a church was used for liturgy by the impious, if only once, let them enter, performing only their prayers in it; but if many times, let them withdraw far from it. There are certain laymen, or even monks, who vehemently abhor and even lament the impiety, but because of the threats of the godless approach their communion, thinking it to be poison, and ask us to make prayer on their behalf: is it permitted to give them the divine mysteries? To make prayer is permitted, but not to give communion, whatever they may say or do. If they set up crosses along the highways, ought one to venerate them? It is not to be forbidden. Ought one to bring forward the offerings of such people? By no means. These things, then, as the Lord put it into our mind, we have uttered, not as legislating (since we are not even of those who hold hierarchical office; for it is theirs to lay down rules canonically), but by way of counsel, since we are of the same rank as you, and because, from the lack of those who ought hierarchically to lay down the rule, we have been compelled by you to come to this. But you, most holy fathers, pardon us, if there is anything displeasing to you in what has been said. Only let the physician watch the quality of soul and body and person, and the particular nature of the occasion, the condition and the affliction, the strength and the weakness, and so administer remedies and heal, employing diminutions and additions; which it is not possible to comprehend summarily in a canonical rule, as even our holy fathers themselves have determined.

Καὶ ἀφ' ἑνὸς ὀρθοδόξου τὸ δέξασθαι γραμματεῖον ἐν ταῖς χαλεπαῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις, μὴ ὅτι γε ἐκ πολλῶν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνεληλυθότων, ξένον πως τῷ καιρῷ, ὡς ἐν χειμῶνι πολύφυλλον ῥόδον, καὶ τῇ ἐμῇ ταπεινώσει χαρίεν ὅτι μάλιστα, ὥστε ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς προγραφῆς σκιρτῆσαί μου τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἀνθομολογήσασθαι Κυρίῳ τὰ εἰκότα· ὃς καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι Ἀχααβικῷ διωγμῷ κατέλιπεν ἑαυτῷ τοσούτους μὴ κάμψαντας γόνυ τῇ Βαάλ. οἶμαι γὰρ τῶν τηνικαῦτα ἰσαρίθμους εἶναι τοὺς νῦν ἀκαμπεῖς οὐ μόνον διὰ τῶν εἰς προῦπτον κειμένων ἐξ ὁμολογίας, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ διὰ τῶν ὧδέ τε κἀκεῖσε διασεσωσμένων ἐν ἐρημίαις καὶ ὄρεσι καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς ἀποστολικῶς εἰπεῖν, καθάπερ καὶ τὴν ὑμῶν ὁμάδα τὸ τρικόρυφον ὄρος ὡς τρισόλβιον κλέος φέρον ὡραΐζεται. Χάρις οὖν τῷ θεῷ, τῷ πλουτοῦντι ὑμᾶς σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· ἐπαινῶ τὴν ἱερὰν φυγαδείαν ὑμῶν, ὑμνῶ τὴν ὀρεινὴν συνοικίαν ὑμῶν, ὅτι, εἰ καὶ τληπαθής, ὅμως θεοποιός. Μωσῆς ἐν ὄρει τῷ Σιναίῳ θεῷ συνωμίλει, Ἠλίας ἐν ὄρει τῷ Χωρὴβ θεὸν ἰδεῖν ὡς δυνατὸν ἠξίωται· Ἰησοῦς αὐτὸς ὁ θεαρχικώτατος εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἄνεισιν ἀνθρωποπρεπῶς προσεύξασθαι. τί τοῦτο; ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ σύμβολον τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀναβάσεως τὸ θεώρημα εἶναι· ὡς γὰρ τὸ ὄρος ὑπερανεστώς ἐστι τῆς ὑπουρείου πεδιάδος τε καὶ κοιλότητος, τοσούτῳ δὴ μέτρῳ ὁ νοῦς τοῦ προσευχομένου ἄνεισι πρὸς θεὸν διὰ τοῦ μετεώρου τόπου. ὁρᾶτε, ὦ τριπόθητοι, οἷον καὶ ἡλίκον ὑμῶν τὸ ἐνδιαίτημα; μιμνήσκεσθε καὶ ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ χαμοζώων ἐντεῦθεν, ὡς ἂν συναναφθείημεν ὑμῖν τοῖς ὑψιπετέσιν ἀετοῖς Κυρίου. Ἀλλ' ἐχέτω μὲν ταῦτα ὧδε, εἰ καὶ ὁ πόθος ᾄττει πλέον λέγειν. τί δὲ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐληλύθατε ταπεινώσεως μέτρον, παρ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἀμαθοῦς μαθεῖν ὧν προετείνατε πεύσεων τὰς ἀποκρίσεις; αὐτοὶ χάριτι Χριστοῦ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν εἰδότες τὸ δέον· εἰ δὲ μή, πρὸς τῶν προεχόντων καὶ ἀξιώματι καὶ λόγῳ. εἰσὶ γὰρ πλεῖστοι, ὡς ὑπέδειξεν ὁ λόγος, ὀφείλοντες ἐκδιδαχθῆναι. ἵν' οὖν μὴ δόξω λυπεῖν ὑμᾶς, ἅμα τε καὶ δεδιὼς τὸ ἀνήκοον, καθίημι ἐμαυτὸν πρὸς τὸ ἐπίταγμα. ἀλλὰ πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο ἔχω λέγειν, ὅτι ἡ αἵρεσις αὕτη, εἰ καὶ τοῖς προλαβοῦσιν ἐφάνη ἄλλως ἢ καί τισι φαίνοιτο νῦν μεσοπόνηρος οὑτωσί πως καὶ οὐ λίαν χαλεπή, ἐμοὶ γοῦν τῷ ἀμύδρωπι οὐδὲν ἄλλο δοκεῖ ἢ ἄρνησις Χριστοῦ εἶναι· εἰ γὰρ ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἐκφαίνεται, ὥς φησιν ὁ πάνσοφος Διονύσιος, καὶ εἰ ἡ τῆς εἰκόνος τιμὴ ἐπὶ τὸ πρωτότυπον ἀναβαίνει, ὥς φησιν ὁ Μέγας Βασίλειος, ἐξουδένωται δὲ νῦν ἡ εἰκὼν Χριστοῦ, ἤρνηται, πεπάτηται παρὰ τῶν χριστομάχων, ἄρα ἐν τῇ εἰκόνι αὐτοῦ καὶ διὰ τῆς εἰκόνος ἠρνήθη Χριστός, ἠτιμάσθη, ἀπεδοκιμάσθη ἰουδαϊκῶς· καὶ ἀλλοίως οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπεξαγαγεῖν τὸ θεώρημα. διὰ τοῦτο θρήνων καὶ κοπετῶν ὁ καιρός, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοσοῦτοι οἱ ἐνιστάμενοι, οὐ μόνον ἄνδρες, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκες, ὡς λογικῶς τε καὶ πραγματικῶς ἀρνουμένου Χριστοῦ, ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν πάλαι αἱρέσεων οὐκ ὦπται· λογικῶς μὲν ἐν τῷ φαίειν τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς μὴ οἷόν τε ἐγγεγράφθαι Χριστὸν σώματος χαρακτῆρι, πραγματικῶς δέ, ὅτι καθαιροῦσι πᾶσαν εἰκόνα ἁγίαν Χριστοῦ, τῆς Θεοτόκου, ἀγγέλων, ἁγίου παντὸς καὶ ἁγίας ἐκ πάσης ἐκκλησίας, ἀπὸ παντὸς ἱεροῦ ἀναθήματος, πυρὶ παραδιδόντες, ἐπιτωθάζοντες, γελῶντες τὸ μέγα τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον, βδέλυγμα Χριστὸν ἐγγεγραμμένον σὺν μητρὶ καὶ θεράπουσιν ἀποκαλοῦντες. ὅπερ φρονεῖν καὶ λέγειν καὶ πράττειν Ἰουδαίων ἐστὶ καὶ Ἑλλήνων· οἱ γὰρ Ἄραβες καὶ Σκύθαιαἰδοῖ χρώμενοι οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐφάνησαν πεποιηκότες. πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄρνησις τῆς οἰκονομίας Χριστοῦ ταῦτα; Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὰς προτάσεις ὁ λόγος. ˉα. τινὲς ἐξ ἰδίας προαιρέσεως ὑπέκυψαν ἄνευ τοῦ καταναγκάζοντος· ˉβ. ἄλλοι μετὰ πληγῶν· ˉγ. ἄλλοι δὲ δι' ἀπειλῆς καὶ μόνης· ˉδ. ἕτεροι ἄνευ ἀπειλῆς καὶ βασάνων, δέει καὶ μόνον· ˉε. ἄλλοι διὰ τὸ μὴ ἐκπεσεῖν τῶν ἰδίων· ˉς. τινὲς δὲ καὶ κατὰ ἄγνοιαν. τούτους ἐπιστρέφοντας πῶς δεῖ ἀποδέχεσθαι; ἐπιδεικνυμένους δῆλα δὴ ἀξίους καρποὺς τῆς μετανοίας ἅπαντας. τίνες δὲ οὗτοι; ἀποχὴ τῶν ἁγιασμάτων μετὰ προσκλαύσεως καὶ ἐπιπόνου δεήσεως, ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν πρώτων τριετίζουσα, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν δευτέρων διετίζουσα· ἐπὶ τῶν τρίτων καὶ τετάρτων καὶ πέμπτων ἡ τῶν πρώτων, ἐπὶ τῶν ἕκτων ἐνιαυσιαία. μετὰ τὴν ἐκπλήρωσιν πῶς δεῖ ἔχειν αὐτούς; εἰ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ πληρώματος καὶ οὐχ ὑπέγραψεν, μηκέτι μετέχων τῆς ἀσεβοῦς κοινωνίας τις, ὡς ἐν ᾧ ἐτέτακτο κλήρῳ· εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπογράψας εἴη, ὡς εἰργόμενος τῆς ἱερουργίας ἕως ὀρθοδόξου συνόδου, κοινωνῶν δ' οὖν ὅμως τῶν ἁγιασμάτων. τοῖς πάντῃ ἀσεβέσιν, εἰ ἔξεστιν κατὰ ἀνάγκην δέους ἕνεκα ἢ διὰ λιμὸν ἢ καὶ ἄνευ ἀνάγκης ἢ καὶ διὰ βίαν ἄλλοις κοινωνοῦσιν, ὀρθοδόξους δὲ ἑαυτοὺς ὁμολογοῦσι συνεσθίειν; οὐδαμῇ οὐδαμῶς, εἰ μή τί γε τοῖς ἐσχάτοις, οὐκ ἀδιαφόρως, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀναγκαίου τινὸς τρόπου ἅπαξ ἢ δίς. εἰ τῶν τούτοις ἐδωδίμων τὰ λείψανα ἐσθίειν κατὰ ἀνάγκην ἢ καὶ ἄνευ ἀνάγκης, διότι προεσχημάτισται ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ σταυρός; εἰ μὲν παρὰ ἱερέως, οὐδαμῶς· εἰ δὲ μή, μεταληπτέον κατὰ βίαν. εἰ δεῖ εἰς εὐκτήριον αὐτῶν εἰσέρχεσθαι εὐχῆς χάριν καὶ εἰ δεῖ τὴν ἁγίαν ἀναφορὰν ἐν αὐτῷ ἐπιτελεῖν μετὰ ἰδίας τραπέζης; οὐδαμῶς ἑκάτερον. εἰ δεῖ χαίρειν αὐτοῖς λέγειν καὶ ἀσπάζεσθαι; οὐδαμῶς, ὥς φησιν ὁ Μέγας Βασίλειος, ὁ Κύριος ἐκώλυσεν τὸν κοινὸν ἀσπασμόν· ὥστε τοῦτο κατὰ σύμβασιν, ὡς δὲ ἐξ ἀγάπης καὶ φιλίας φευκτέον, ἵνα πληρωθῇ ἐν τούτῳ· οὐκ ἔστι λέγειν χαίρειν τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν. εἰσί τινες τῶν μοναστηρίων, οἳ οὔτε ἔργῳ οὔτε λόγῳ συνῆλθον, φυγῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν ποριζόμενοι καὶ πάλιν μετὰ τὴν ὑποχώρησιν τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνθυποστρέφοντες. εὖ ἂν ἔχοι· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐλειτουργήθη ἐκκλησία ὑπὸ τῶν ἀσεβῶν, εἰ μὲν ἅπαξ, εἰσίτωσαν, ἐπιτελοῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ τὰς προσευχὰς μόνον, εἰ δὲ πολλάκις, ὑποχωρείτωσαν ταύτης πόρρω. κοσμικοί τινές εἰσιν ἢ καὶ μοναχοί, σφοδρῶς μυσαττόμενοι ἢ καὶ ἀποδυρόμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν, διὰ δὲ τὰς ἀπειλὰς τῶν ἀθέων προσέρχονται τῇ αὐτῶν κοινωνίᾳ, οἰόμενοι αὐτὴν δηλητήριον εἶναι, αἰτοῦνται δὲ εὐχὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἡμᾶς ποιεῖσθαι· εἰ ἔξεστιν αὐτοῖς μεταδιδόναι τῶν θείων μυστηρίων; εὐχὴν μὲν ποιεῖσθαι ἐξόν, οὐ μὴν μεταδιδεῖν, κἂν ὅ τι ἂν λέγωσιν ἢ πράττωσιν. σταυροὺς ἐὰν ἱστῶσιν κατὰ τὰς λεωφόρους, εἰ δεῖ προσκυνεῖν; οὐ κωλυτέον. εἰ δεῖ τῶν τοιούτων τὰς προσφορὰς προσκομίζειν; οὐδαμῶς. Ταῦτα οὖν, ὡς ὁ Κύριος κατὰ νοῦν ἐπήγαγεν ἡμῖν, ἐφθεγξάμεθα, οὐ νομοθετικῶς (ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἐσμὲν τῶν ἱεραρχούντων· αὐτῶν γὰρ τὸ τυποῦν κανονικῶς), ἀλλὰ συμβουλευτικῶς, ἐπεὶ ἐσμὲν ὑμῖν ὁμοταγεῖς καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐξ ἀπορίας τῶν ἱεραρχικῶς ὀφειλόντων τυπῶσαι ἀναγκασθέντες ὑφ' ὑμῶν ἐληλύθαμεν εἰς τοῦτο. ὑμεῖς δέ, ἁγιώτατοι πατέρες, σύγγνωτε, εἴ τί ἐστιν ἀπαρέσκον ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς εἰρημένοις. πλὴν ὅτι ὁ ἰατρὸς καὶ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος καὶ προσώπου ποιότητα καὶ καιροῦ ἰδιότητα, ἕξιν τε καὶ πάθος, δύναμίν τε καὶ ἀδράνειαν ἐπιτηροίη καὶ οὕτω φαρμακεύοι καὶ ἰᾶται, ἐλλείψεσι καὶ προσθήκαις χρώμενος· ἃ ἐν κεφαλαίῳ περιλαβεῖν οὐχ οἷόν τε κανονικῶς, ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ ἅγιοι πατέρες ἡμῶν ὡρίσαντο.