Letter 43: Theodore Studite, Letter 43; Greek heading: Ἰωσὴφ ἀδελφῷ καὶ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ.

The first letter of your brotherly and fatherly Holiness, even if it was small in the number of its syllables, was nevertheless complete in the breadth of its allegorical thought; and the second was full of all knowledge and humility, having only one blameworthy thing in it, the unworthy praises directed toward me, wretched as I am. For my part, it was not by way of saying the opposite (God forbid), but in truth that I declared you to shine forth in our generation in the dignity of the high priesthood [the episcopal office], in the likeness of the holy fathers. Nor should I err in having called you a pillar and a foundation of the Church, my most excellent brother; for everyone who stands firm and suffers for the truth proves to be its support and its height. It was well done that you examined the quaternions [the folded sheets of writing, the libellus]. For your reminder, or rather your command, became for us the occasion of giving attention to and resolving such a proposition, which, together with other matters submitted through the reminder of our father, I sent to your Holiness in the aforementioned quaternions, having introduced into the whole composition no opinion of my own (since it is not lawful for anything to be made more lawful than the law nor more upright than the canon), but only to lay down and to join together the teachings and injunctions of the divine fathers, however unlearnedly, bearing upon that which the proposition of the antithesis calls for. And, if he does not refuse to read it on account of the labor involved, I know that it would be profitable. That peace is by common confession a good thing (for I love it, even though I am a sinner), and that one must incline toward it as far as it was permitted, we have done, having cast off much of the burden, in accordance with the divine Cyril [Cyril of Alexandria]: on the one hand, at the earlier time when they acquitted the one who joined the adulterous marriage [the priest who blessed the emperor's adulterous union; the 'moechian' controversy], I being present there and, just as we had taken counsel together, keeping silent (and silence is part of assent; which the opposing party, as you know, seized upon and tried to exclude us from our firm stand); and on the other hand, when his second acquittal was being applauded by those who trampled on the laws of God, we saying that "let him only desist from the priestly ministry, while enjoying his rank according to the canon of Basil the Great, since he had already concelebrated with the patriarch during the two years"; which was a fearful thing and beyond economy [oikonomia: the prudential relaxation of strict rule]. I forbear to speak of the false pretexts of withdrawing from him, and of receiving the blessings at the banquets as though from a presbyter, and the commemoration of the patriarch. Yet nevertheless, even though we for the sake of economy were brought down so far, they on the contrary were exalted in their sin by their hardness, God having foreseen something better, so that even we, the humble, should not endure our first exile to no profit, nor should the adultery that had been dared in the sight of the world be in any way diminished through the further economy of the one who joined it together. So that it is now the time, beloved, for us to say that: how long will you practice economy? And: be eager at last to build up; and, according to the divine Basil, to serve in the strictness of the canons (for the words before war are of one kind and those after war of another), and to pass our days in patience, just as you have admonished, and to pray for those who persecuted us. Acceptable to me and of one mind with my own are the three honored sayings of yours: the one, that on account of the falling away of a single man one must not split off from the Church; the one, that one must not have communion in the absolution of such a man; and that one must receive communion from every irreproachable priest, the thought being entirely thus. And forgive me, O brother, who set out the argument not in a teaching manner, but for the common benefit. According to the first point: we do not split off from the Church which is from the north and from the west and from the sea on account of one man, and indeed clearly not from the Church here either, except for those who have ratified the adultery; for these are not the Church of the Lord. But if they are the Church, then we split off from the Church on account of one man joined to it, namely by not admitting the one who joined the adulterous marriage. But since they are not the Church of God, it is they who, in truth, split off on account of one man joined to them, from the Church of God, resembling those persons recorded in the chronicle, while we are not splitting off from it on account of such a man. According to the second point: clearly we do not have communion in his absolution, since we do not have communion with those who manifestly absolved him. But if we do have communion with them, then we share in his absolution. But since, as is fitting before God, we do not share communion with those who absolved him, then assuredly we do not share in his absolution. According to the third point: we receive communion from every irreproachable priest. And for this reason we do not receive communion from Joseph [Joseph, the priest who performed the adulterous marriage], since he has been publicly accused; and those who concelebrate with him, deposed as he is, would surely also be accused. But if we receive communion from such men as from irreproachable persons, then Joseph too, concelebrating with them, would be irreproachable. But since he is in truth accused, and we do not receive communion from him, it is clear that neither do we from those who concelebrate with him, they being likewise accused. The argument of your Holiness is therefore sound, and thus we are of one mind. And let there be for us, through the true concord here, that which cannot be torn asunder in the age to come, my dearest brother, so that even we, the humble, may be counted worthy to carry off some trace of right achievement following our fathers. And concerning your city, you have kindled a pillar of piety, not to be quenched by man unto eternity. And one must not grieve, but rather rejoice, just as I too, the wretched one, in the dissolution of my humble monastery, because the dissolution is for the Lord's sake. And not because so many stood firm uncowed is the glory great, but even if it be one; for one man doing the will of the Lord is better than ten thousand transgressors. And he himself is not the cause of their dissolution, even if some chatter nonsense, but rather I, the miserable one. May there be communion for us, if indeed you bear with it, in respect of us both. And may you have as great a reward in the godly dissolution of the brethren as I may find in the abandonment of Thessalonica according to the law of God. Concerning my jailer there is no word to be said, such a man being he, and one of like soul with Joseph. Do not cease praying mightily for my humility, my good and most holy brother-father. Know that Theosostos took a firm stand not to have communion with the one who unlawfully ascended to your throne, and was vigorously driven out of his monastery. Our brethren around Athanasius are still being held confined there. My jailer, having gone out, brought me an act of obeisance from the patriarch, who said that "God will forgive you for this, that when we had need to have you here as a help to us, you went out and sat there," and that "I envy you." And on hearing this I laughed; for there was no need for me to answer for the present, except only this, that if he envies, let him too go out. He also relaxed the imprisonment, urging it toward repose. For he brought out to me an act of obeisance from Symeon also, and that "he wishes to speak to the emperor that you have toiled in prison." And from Leontius a humbled act of obeisance, saying that "I suffered under compulsion, and may God not separate me from your word." And I said that I have no need of these things from him. They compelled him to go off both to the steward and to Arsenius and to John, saying that the lord Tarasius had released him and that "I have just now recovered my sight." And they slapped him down, in fact. He who is with me greets my shepherd from me with much longing.

Καὶ ἡ πρώτη ἐπιστολὴ τῆς ἀδελφικῆς καὶ πατρικῆς σου ἁγιωσύνης, εἰ καὶ μικρὰ ἦν τῷ πλήθει τῶν συλλαβῶν, ἀλλ' οὖν γε ἀπήρτιστο τῷ πλάτει τῆς ἀλληγορικῆς διανοίας· καὶ ἡ δευτέρα πάσης γνώσεως καὶ ταπεινώσεως, ἓν ἔχουσα μόνον ψεκτόν, τοὺς περὶ ἐμὲ τὸν δείλαιον ἀναξίους ἐπαίνους. ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ κατ' ἀντίφρασιν (μὴ γένοιτο), ἀλλ' ἀληθείᾳ ἐκλάμψαι σε ἐν τῇ καθ' ἡμᾶς γενεᾷ ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης ἀξιώματι καθ' ὁμοίωσιν τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων εἴρηκα. καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοιμι, στύλον καὶ ἑδραίωμα κεκληκώς σε τῆς ἐκκλησίας, κάλλιστέ μου ἀδελφέ· πᾶς γὰρ ὁ ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας ἐνιστάμενος καὶ πανθάνων ἔρεισμα καὶ ὕψωμα αὐτῆς τυγχάνει. Εὖ δὲ γέγονεν, ὅτι ἐπεσκέψω τὰς τετράδας. ὑπῆρξεν γὰρ ἡμῖν ἡ ὑπόμνησις, μᾶλλον δὲ κέλευσίς σου, ἐπιστασίας καὶ διαλύσεως τῆς τοιαύτης προτάσεως ἀφορμή, ἣν μεθ' ἑτέρων ὑποβληθέντων δι' ὑπομνήσεως τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν ἐν ταῖς προγραφεῖσι τετράσιν ἀπέστειλα τῇ ἁγιότητί σου, μηδὲν ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ συντάγματι φρόνημα εἰσκεκομικὼς (ὅτι μηδὲ θέμις τοῦ νόμου νομιμώτερον μηδὲ τοῦ κανόνος εὐθύτερον γίνεσθαι) ἢ μόνον τὸ ὑφεῖναι καὶ συνάψαι τὰ τῶν θείων πατέρων, κἂν ἀμαθῶς, διδάγματά τε καὶ παραγγέλματα εἰς ὅπερ ἡ πρότασις ἐκκαλεῖ τῆς ἀντιθέσως. καί, εἰ μὴ παραιτήσοιτο διὰ κόπον ἀναγνῶναι, οἶδ' ὅτι λυσιτελήσειεν. Ὅτι δὲ ἡ εἰρήνη καλὴ ὁμολογουμένως (φιλῶ γὰρ αὐτήν, κἂν ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι) καὶ ὅτι πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀποκλιτέον, ἕως ἐξῆν, πεπράχαμεν, πολλὰ τοῦ φόρτου ἀποσκευασάμενοι κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Κύριλλον, τοῦτο μὲν ἡνίκα τὸ πρότερον ἠθώουν τὸν μοιχοζεύκτην, παρόντος μου ἐκεῖ καί, καθὰ συνεβουλευσάμεθα, ἀποσιωπήσαντες (ἡ δὲ σιωπὴ μέρος συγκαταθέσεως· ἣν καὶ δραξάμενοι οἱ ἐξ ἐναντίας, ὡς οἶσθα, ἀποκλείειν ἡμᾶς ἐπειρῶντο τῆς ἐνστάσεως), τοῦτο δὲ ἐπειδὰν ἐκροτεῖτο ἡ δευτέρα ἀθώωσις αὐτοῦ παρὰ τῶν πατησάντων τοὺς νόμους τοῦ θεοῦ, λεγόντων ἡμῶν ὅτι "4στήτω μόνον τῆς ἱερουργίας, ἀπολαύων τῆς τιμῆς κατὰ τὸν κανόνα τοῦ Μεγάλου Βασιλείου, ἤδη συλλειτουργήσαντος αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς δυσὶν ἔτεσι τῷ πατριάρχῃ"5· ὃ ἦν φοβερὸν καὶ ὑπὲρ οἰκονομίαν. ἐῶ λέγειν τὰς ψευδοπροφάσεις τῆς ἀπ' αὐτοῦ φυγῆς καὶ τὸ ὡς παρὰ πρεσβυτέρου τὰς εὐλογήσεις ἐν ταῖς ἑστιάσεσιν κοινωνεῖν, τήν τε ἀναφορὰν τοῦ πατριάρχου. ἀλλ' ὅμως, εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς δι' οἰκονομίαν τοσοῦτον κατηγόμεθα, ἐκεῖνοι τοὐναντίον τῇ σκληρότητι συνεπαίροντο τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, τοῦ θεοῦ κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ ταπεινοὶ μὴ ἀνόνητον τὴν πρώτην ἐξορίαν ὑποίσωμεν μηδὲ ἡ τολμηθεῖσα ἐπὶ τοῦ κόσμου μοιχεία ὡς ἔτυχεν διὰ τῆς τοῦ συνάψαντος αὐτὴν περισσοτέρας οἰκονομίας κατασμικρυνθῇ. Ὥστε καιρὸς ἄρτι ἐκεῖνο ἡμᾶς, ἠγαπημένε, λέγειν· ἕως πότε οἰκονομήσεις; καί, οἰκοδομῆσαί ποτε προθυμήθητι· καὶ κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Βασίλειον ἀκριβείᾳ κανόνων ἡμᾶς δουλεύειν (ἄλλοι γὰρ λόγοι πρὸ πολέμου καὶ ἄλλοι μετὰ πόλεμον) ἐν ὑπομονῇ τε διεξάγειν τὰς ἡμέρας ἡμῶν, καθὼς νενουθέτηκας, καὶ εὔχεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῶν διωξάντων. ἀσπασταὶ δέ μοι καὶ ὁμογνωμονικαὶ αἱ τρεῖς σου τιμίαι ῥήσεις, ἥ τε τοῦ δι' ἑνὸς ἀνθρώπου ὑπόπτωσιν μὴ σχίζειν τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἥ τε τοῦ μὴ συγκοινωνεῖν τῇ λύσει τοῦ τοιούτου καὶ ἡ ἐκ παντὸς ἀδιαβλήτου ἱερέως μεταλαμβάνειν, οὕτως ἐχούσης πάντως τῆς διανοίας. Καὶ σύγγνωθί μοι, ὦ ἀδελφέ, οὐ διδακτικῶς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸ κοινῇ συμφέρον διατρανοῦντι τὸν λόγον. κατὰ τὴν πρώτην οὐ δι' ἕνα ἄνθρωπον ἀποσχίζομεν τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἀπὸ βορρᾶ καὶ δυσμῶν καὶ θαλάσσης, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τῆς ἐνταῦθα δῆλον ὅτι, πλὴν τῶν μοιχοκυρώτων· οὐ γὰρ οὗτοι ἐκκλησία Κυρίου. εἰ δὲ ἐκκλησία, ἀποσχίζομεν τῆς ἐκκλησίας δι' ἕνα ἄνθρωπον συνημμένον αὐτῇ, λέγω δὴ τὸν μοιχοζεύκτην μὴ προσιέμενοι. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐκ ἐκκλησία θεοῦ, ἀποσχίζουσιν αὐτοὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς δι' ἕνα ἄνθρωπον συνημμένον αὐτοῖς τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐκείνοις παρεοικότες τοῖς ἐν τῷ χρονογράφῳ κειμένοις, ἡμῶν μὴ σχιζομένων αὐτῆς διὰ τὸν τοιοῦτον. κατὰ τὴν δευτέραν οὐ κοινωνοῦμεν τῇ λύσει αὐτοῦ δῆλον ὅτι, μὴ κοινωνοῦντες τοῖς προδήλως λύσασιν αὐτόν. εἰ δὲ ἐκείνοις κοινωνοῦμεν, συγκοινωνοῦμεν τῇ λύσει αὐτοῦ. ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ ἐκείνοις θεοπρεπῶς οὐ συγκοινωνοῦμεν λύσασιν, ἀσφαλῶς ἄρα οὐ συγκοινωνοῦμεν τῇ λύσει αὐτοῦ. κατὰ τὴν τρίτην ἐκ παντὸς ἱερέως ἀδιαβλήτου μεταλαμβάνομεν. διὰ τοῦτο δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ οὐ μεταλαμβάνομεν, ὡς διαβεβλημένου αὐτοῦ δημοσίᾳ· διαβεβλημένοι δ' ἂν εἶεν πάντως καὶ οἱ τούτῳ συλλειτουργοῦντες καθῃρημένῳ ὄντι. εἰ δὲ ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων μεταλαμβάνομεν ὡς ἐξ ἀδιαβλήτων, ἀδιάβλητος ἂν εἴη καὶ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ συλλειτουργῶν αὐτοῖς. ἐπεὶ δὲ διαβεβλημένος ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ οὐ μεταλαμβάνομεν, δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν συνιερουργούντων αὐτῷ, ὡσαύτως ὄντων διαβεβλημένων. Ἔρρωται τοίνυν ὁ λόγος τῆς ἁγιωσύνης σου, καὶ οὕτως συμφρονοῦμεν. καὶ ἔστω ἡμῖν τὸ ἀδιάσπαστον διὰ τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἀληθοῦς συμφωνίας ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι, φίλτατέ μου ἀδελφέ, ὡς ἂν ἀξιωθείημεν καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ ταπεινοὶ ἀπενέγκασθαί τι ἴχνος κατορθώματος τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ἀκόλουθον. περὶ δὲ τῆς πόλεώς σου στύλον ἀνῆψας εὐσεβείας, οὐ σβεννύμενον παρὰ ἀνθρώπου ἕως αἰῶνος. καὶ οὐ λυπεῖσθαι χρή, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον χαίρειν, ὥσπερ κἀγὼ ὁ τάλας ἐν τῇ διαλύσει τοῦ ταπεινοῦ μου μοναστηρίου, ὅτι διὰ Κύριον ἡ διάλυσις. καὶ οὐχ ὅτι τοσοῦτοι ἔστησαν μὴ κατακαμφθέντες μέγα τὸ κλέος, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ εἷς· κρείσσων γὰρ εἷς ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα Κυρίου ἢ μυρίοι παραβαίνοντες. καὶ οὐκ αἴτιος αὐτὸς τῆς λύσεως αὐτῶν, εἰ καὶ φλυαρῶσί τινες, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ὁ δύστηνος. εἴη δὲ ἡμῖν κοινωνία, εἴπερ ἀνέχῃ, ἐπ' ἀμφοτέροις. καὶ τοσοῦτον ἕξοις αὐτὸς τὸν μισθὸν ἐν τῇ ἐνθέῳ διαλύσει τῶν ἀδελφῶν, ὅσον ἐγὼ εὕροιμι ἐν τῇ κατὰ νόμον θεοῦ καταλείψει τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ φυλακίτου μου οὐδεὶς λόγος, τοιούτου αὐτοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὄντος καὶ συμψύχου τοῦ Ἰωσήφ. μὴ διαλείποις ὑπερευχόμενος τῆς ταπεινώσεώς μου κραταιῶς, ἀδελφοπάτορ μου καλὲ καὶ ὁσιώτατε. γίνωσκε ἐνσταθέντα τὸν Θεόσωστον τοῦ μὴ κοινωνῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἀνιέρως ἀνελθόντος εἰς τὸν θρόνον σου, καὶ ἐκδιωχθέντα νεανικῶς ἐκ τοῦ μοναστηρίου αὐτοῦ. οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀθανάσιον ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν ἀκμὴν κρατοῦνται περιωρισμένοι ἐκεῖσε. ὁ φυλακίτης μου ἐξελθὼν ἤγαγέν μοι προσκύνησιν ἐκ τοῦ πατριάρχου, λέγοντος ὅτι "4ὁ θεὸς συγχωρήσει σοι τοῦ, ὅτε εἴχομεν χρείαν ἔχειν σε ὧδε εἰς βοήθειαν ἡμῶν, ἐξῆλθες καὶ ἐκάθισας αὐτοῦ"5 καὶ ὅτι "4φθονῶ σε"5. καὶ ἀκούσας ἐγέλασα· οὐ γὰρ ἦν χρεία τέως ἀποκριθῆναί με ἢ μόνον ὅτι, ἐὰν φθονῇ, ἐξέλθῃ κἀκεῖνος. ἐχαύνωσεν δὲ καὶ τὴν φυλακὴν προτρεπόμενος εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν. ἐξήγαγεν γάρ μοι καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Συμεὼν προσκύνησιν καὶ ὅτι "4βούλεται λαλῆσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ ὅτι κεκοπίακας ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ"5. καὶ ἐκ τοῦ Λεοντίου τεταπεινωμένην προσκύνησιν, λέγοντος ὅτι "4ἀνάγκην ἔπαθον, καὶ μὴ χωρίσῃ με ὁ θεὸς τοῦ λόγου σου"5. καὶ εἶπον ὅτι οὐ χρῄζω ταῦτα ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. ἠνάγκασαν δὲ αὐτὸν ἀπελθεῖν εἴς τε τὸν οἰκονόμον καὶ τὸν Ἀρσένιον καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην, λέγοντα ὅτι ὁ κῦρις Ταράσιος ἀπέλυσεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὅτι "4ἄρτι ἀνέβλεψα"5. καὶ ἀπερράπισαν αὐτὸν τῷ ὄντι. Ὁ σὺν ἐμοὶ προσαγορεύει πόθῳ πολλῷ τὸν ποιμένα μου ἐξ ἐμοῦ.