Letter 485: Theodore Studite, Letter 485; Greek heading: Θεοκτίστῳ ἐρημίτῃ.

The commandment of the Lord, which requires us to love one another, and to such a degree as to lay down our soul on behalf of one another, has compelled me, spiritual brother, to write to you once again, since I am in distress concerning your salvation and have heard that there is a schismatic division between you and other brothers, not a trivial one, but indeed a very grievous one, so that the common people too have been torn apart together with you into two opposed factions, the one party attaching itself to the one side and the other to the other, and standing far off from communion with each other. And all this is the work of Satan, the ancient murderer of mankind, and this is a great offense [skandalon]. And it has been said by the Lord: Woe to the world because of offenses. And again: It is more profitable that a donkey-millstone be hung about his neck and that he be cast into the sea, than that he should give offense to one of these least ones. And I marvel how Your Honor, having practiced asceticism and been devoted to God for so many years, can be unconcerned about this danger, which, unless it be set right through all your zeal and diligence, will not only render the whole of your asceticism empty, but will also set you far from God-which may it not happen. For this reason, brother, having been moved in brotherly love three years ago, when I drew near to those parts while returning from Smyrna and had learned of the schism, I wrote to you the very things I had heard, and how you ought to think concerning the truth, and how you ought to flee the impending danger of the offense; and you did not write back to me. And again I made it plain, and you did not answer me. And this is a manifest accusation that you do not wish to serve God, nor to walk uprightly concerning the truth. And-forgive me-do not be exasperated with me when I speak the truth: it is written, With rebuke you shall rebuke your neighbor, and you shall not incur sin on his account. Behold, I, the wretched one, although I have never seen you, but because you are a brother according to Christ, did not endure the report in the fear of God, but rebuked you with rebuke, and exhorting I have exhorted, putting off the judgment and loving your salvation. How will you yourself, the one accused and the father of the schism, bear the judgment? And how will you make your defense to Christ, being held to account on behalf of so great a people? If you should have the work of John the Forerunner [the Baptist], it will send you away empty of the kingdom of God, unless you should first take care to set things right. And what is the setting-right? If it is at all possible, with you yourself being present; but if not, then through your apostle [your envoy] a written defense concerning the matters of which you were formerly accused, acquitting yourself through the defense and demonstrating that your faith is right and that in all things your rightly-dividing of the word of truth is correct. And concord in the Lord thus coming about-I do not say with this man and that, but with me alone, the humble one-the offense is removed from the midst and the things that were divided are joined together; and the Lord is in the midst of us, and His name is not blasphemed on our account, I do not say among the Gentiles, but among Christians. And even if some are at variance, after the agreement with one another they will be taught and joined together through us ourselves, the humble ones, who defend you as our own selves. And God will be merciful, and your life will thus be blessed, and your end praiseworthy, and your remnants in righteousness. Behold, this is my second letter, this lowly one. And if indeed you do what is needful, declaring and making your defense concerning all the things of which you are accused, our brother has been gained-to speak in the Lord's own words-and we, the humble ones, rejoice greatly over you. But if-which God forbid-you remain in the same silence and disobedience, you would bear the eternal judgment, practicing asceticism to no purpose, or rather destructively rending the people of God through your own self-willed action [idiopragia]. But we, for our part, will give heed to the Apostle, who says: A heretical man, after a first and a second admonition, reject, knowing that such a one is perverted and sins, being self-condemned.

Ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐντολή, ἡ ἀπαιτοῦσα ἡμᾶς ἀγαπᾶν ἀλλήλους καὶ τοσοῦτον, ὅσον τὴν ψυχὴν τιθέναι ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, ἠνάγκασέν με, ἀδελφὲ πνευματικέ, καὶ πάλιν ἐπιστεῖλαί σοι, πονοῦντα περὶ τῆς σωτηρίας σου καὶ ἀκούοντα διαίρεσιν εἶναι σχισματικὴν μεταξὺ ὑμῶν καὶ ἑτέρων ἀδελφῶν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν χαλεπήν, ὥστε καὶ συναπορραγῆναι εἰς δύο μέρη ἀντικείμενα τὸν ἀγελαῖον λαόν, ἑκατέρου ἑκατέροις προσκειμένου καὶ πόρρω ἀφισταμένου τῆς ἀλληλούχου κοινωνίας. καὶ τοῦτο ὅλον ἔργον τοῦ σατανᾶ, τοῦ ἀρχαίου ἀνθρωποκτόνου, καὶ τοῦτο σκάνδαλον μέγα· καὶ λέλεκται παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου· οὐαὶ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπὸ τῶν σκανδάλων. καὶ πάλιν· συμφέρει ἵνα μύλος ὀνικὸς δεθῇ περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ ῥιφῇ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἢ ἵνα σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων. καὶ θαυμάζω πῶς ἡ τιμιότης σου, ἀσκοῦσα καὶ προσκειμένη θεῷ ἐν τοσούτοις ἔτεσιν, ἀφροντίστως ἔχει περὶ τοῦ κινδύνου τούτου· ὅς, εἰ μὴ διορθωθῇ διὰ πάσης σπουδῆς σου καὶ ἐπιμελείας, οὐ μόνον κενὴν πᾶσάν σου τὴν ἄσκησιν ἐργάσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόρρω σε θεοῦ ποιήσει, ὃ μὴ γένοιτο. Διὰ τοῦτο, ἀδελφέ, φιλαδέλφως κινηθεὶς πρὸ τριῶν ἐτῶν, ἡνίκα ἐπλησίασα τοῖς αὐτόθι ἀπὸ Σμύρνης ἐπανιὼν καὶ τὸ σχίσμα μεμαθηκώς, ἔγραψά σοι ἅπερ ἀκήκοα καὶ ὡς δεῖ σε φρονεῖν περὶ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ὡς φυγεῖν τὸν ἐπηρτημένον κίνδυνον τοῦ σκανδάλου καὶ οὐκ ἀντέγραψάς μοι· καὶ πάλιν δεδήλωκα καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθης μοι. καὶ τοῦτο κατηγορία ἐναργὴς τοῦ μὴ θέλειν σε θεὸν θεραπεύειν μηδὲ ὀρθοποδεῖν περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. καί, συγχώρησον, μὴ καταγανακτήσῃς μου λέγοντος τὸ ἀληθές· γέγραπται· ἐλεγμῷ ἐλέγξεις τὸν πλησίον σου καὶ οὐ λήψῃ δι' αὐτὸν ἁμαρτίαν. ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ὁ τάλας, καίπερ μὴ ἰδών σε πώποτε, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀδελφὸς κατὰ Χριστόν, οὐκ ἤνεγκα τὴν ἀκοὴν φόβῳ θεοῦ, ἐλεγμῷ δὲ ἤλεγξα, παρακαλῶν παρε κάλεσα, ἀποδυόμενος τὸ κρίμα καὶ φιλῶν τὴν σωτηρίαν σου. πῶς αὐτὸς ὁ ἐγκληθεὶς καὶ τοῦ σχίσματος πατὴρ οἴσεις τὸ κρίμα; πῶς δὲ ἀπολογήσῃ τῷ Χριστῷ, ὑπὲρ τοσούτου λαοῦ εὐθυνόμενος; Ἰωάννου τοῦ Προδόμου εἰ τὸ ἔργον ἔχοις, κενόν σε τῆς βασιλείας ἀποπέμψει τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰ μὴ προκαταλάβοις διορθώσασθαι. Τίς δὲ ἡ διόρθωσις; εἰ μὲν οἷόν τε, σοῦ αὐτοῦ παρόντος, εἰ δὲ μή, δι' ἀποστόλου σου ἀπολογία γραμματικὴ περὶ ὧν πρότερον ἐνεκλήθης, ἀθωῶν ἑαυτὸν διὰ τῆς ἀπολογίας καὶ ὑποδεικνύων ὀρθὴν τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὴν ἐφ' ἅπασιν ὀρθοτομίαν τοῦ λόγου τῆς ἀληθείας. καὶ οὕτως γινομένης ὁμονοίας ἐν Κυρίῳ, οὐ λέγω μετὰ τοῦδε καὶ τοῦδε, ἀλλὰ μετ' ἐμοῦ μόνου τοῦ ταπεινοῦ, ἤρθη τὸ σκάνδαλον ἐκ μέσου καὶ συνήφθη τὰ διεστῶτα· καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν μέσῳ ἡμῶν καὶ οὐ βλασφημούμενον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς, οὐ λέγω ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς χριστιανοῖς. κἄν τινες διαφέρωνται, μετὰ τὴν εἰς ἀλλήλους συμφωνίαν διδαχθήσονται καὶ συναφθήσονται δι' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν τῶν ταπεινῶν, ὑπερασπιζομένων σου ὡς ἐμαυτῶν. καὶ ἵλεως ἔσται θεὸς καὶ ὁ βίος σου οὕτω μακάριος καὶ τὸ τέλος σου αἰνετὸν καὶ τὰ ἐγκαταλείμματά σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ. Ἰδοὺ δευτέρα ἡ ἐπιστολή μου αὕτη ἡ εὐτελής. καὶ εἰ μὲν δράσεις τὰ δέοντα, δηλῶν καὶ ἀπολογούμενος περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλῇ, ἐκερδήθης ὁ ἀδελφὸς ἡμῶν, κυριολέκτως εἰπεῖν, καὶ χαίρομεν ἐπὶ σοὶ μέγα οἱ ταπεινοί· εἰ δέ, ὅπερ ἀπείη, ἐμμείνῃς ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ σιωπῇ καὶ ἀπειθείᾳ, βαστάσοις τὸ κρίμα αἰώνιον, ἄπρακτα ἀσκῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ ὀλεθρίως σχίζων τὸν λαὸν τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἰδιοπραγίας. ἡμεῖς δὲ προσέξομεν τῷ ἀποστόλῳ λέγοντι, αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ, εἰδὼς ὅτι ἐξέστραπται ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ ἁμαρτάνει ὢν αὐτοκατάκριτος.