Letter 490: Theodore Studite, Letter 490; Greek heading: Θεοκτίστῳ ἐρημίτῃ.

Having received the letter of your honored self and having read it aloud in the hearing of the most God-beloved archbishop and my brother, together with the brethren who are with us, I, the lowly one, gave thanks to the Lord, who inclined your heart to write down rightly the symbol of the faith [the creed]. For to confess that one receives the Old and the New Testament and all the things handed down to the Church of God by the holy Fathers is, in sum, the rightness of the faith. But since heretics too can say these very things, yet are not found, according to their own words, to be rightly dividing the word of truth, for this reason we also inquired into the exact matter both from the brethren who were sent and especially from the abba Sosipatros, just as you also asked in your letter, since the letter could not set forth everything; and we found, by the grace of Christ, that they reported in a right-minded way the things that had been put before them by you. And what are these things? For they must be marked out under headings. First, concerning the holy Theotokos [Mother of God]: for they say that you say that the Virgin existed before the ages. Since you deny this and neither say it nor hold it, but confess that she was begotten of a man and a woman, Joachim and Anna, it would be well. Second, concerning the Lord, that he was not crucified: since you confess that he was crucified according to the Scriptures, it would be well. Third, concerning the angels and the demons, that after the judgment there will again be a restoration [apokatastasis] and there will come to be one flock and one shepherd: and since you renounce this and confess that both the judgment and the kingdom of the heavens are eternal, it would be well. Fourth, concerning a certain single monk, that he is able to rescue from punishment a hundred and fifty who are being judged: and since you renounce this and say that there is neither repentance after death nor anyone able to deliver from the punishment apportioned by God to each, it would be well. Fifth, concerning the book entitled the book of Antony, that you say it is acceptable, in which there are many blasphemies, as we ourselves came to know when we read it: and this too, since you confess that you cast it out as alien to the Church of God, and that neither you nor those with you will any longer either possess it or read it, it would be well. And blessed be God, who has wrought in you a cleansing of the aforementioned stumbling-blocks, and blessed be the name of his glory, which persuaded you to say that you are a rustic and unlearned man and to yield in all things and to be persuaded by the word of my humility. But I will counsel or set forth nothing beyond the things divinely declared to the holy apostles and prophets and Fathers, but only this very thing: that, as you have written, you believe in the Holy Trinity, which is undivided in essence but distinguished by its characteristics into Father and Son and Holy Spirit, one God, one Lord, inasmuch as there is also one faith. And the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Spirit is God, not three gods (God forbid), but one God, just as also one Lord. This is the doctrine of theology. Concerning the dispensation [oikonomia, the divine plan of the Incarnation], to believe that the One of the Trinity, by the good pleasure of the Father and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, was made flesh from the holy Theotokos, the Holy Spirit having come upon her and thus the power of the Most High having overshadowed her according to the Gospel; from whom he was also born a perfect man, being at the same time also perfect God, one in hypostasis, twofold in nature, as the God-bearing Fathers and the seven holy ecumenical councils set forth; and to confess the Virgin as Theotokos, who is higher and more honored than all and is able to intercede maternally with her own Son and Lord on behalf of the whole world; and to confess the angels as angels, they too being needed by all human beings; and that the demonic race is, unto endless ages, wholly unmingled with them, since they abandoned their own dwelling through apostasy and have been condemned by God to just punishments; and to confess also all the saints as servants of God, able to intercede with God for our salvation; and further to confess that the holy icons [eikones, sacred images] of our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and of his Mother, and of the angels and of all the saints, are to be venerated [proskynein] and received according to what was dogmatically defined at the Second Council in Nicaea; and to anathematize all the heretics who are anathematized by the councils, and to proclaim all the orthodox who are commended by them. This is the sincere faith of Christians; this is the testimony of the confession of Christ. Whoever holds anything contrary to these things, let him be anathema from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. As Paul says: even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel to you contrary to what we preached to you, let him be anathema. As I have said before, so I say again: if anyone preaches a gospel to you contrary to what you received, let him be anathema. Since, therefore, you yourself did not set these matters out in detail in your letter, it is altogether necessary that you confess that you hold this faith. And how shall this be done? That in the completion of this very letter you subscribe according to the enclosed note. And so the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard and govern both us and you to believe and worship the Holy Trinity in one spirit and one heart, for the salvation both of your own souls and of the people who have been divided into two parts, in the presence of the lord Ioannikios, our spiritual father, and of you, our honored father and brother.

Δεξάμενος τὸ γραμματεῖον τῆς τιμιότητός σου καὶ ἀναγνοὺς εἰς ὑπήκοον τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου ἀρχιεπισκόπου καὶ ἀδελφοῦ μου ἅμα τοῖς συνοῦσιν ἀδελφοῖς εὐχαρίστησα ὁ ταπεινὸς τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὃς ἔκλινεν τὴν καρδίαν σου γράψαι ὀρθῶς τὸ τῆς πίστεως σύμβολον· τὸ γὰρ ὁμολογεῖν δέχεσθαι τὴν παλαιὰν καὶ νέαν διαθήκην καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων παραδεδομένα τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ κεφαλαιωδῶς ἡ ὀρθότης ἐστὶ τῆς πίστεως. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ αἱρετικοῖς ἔστι ταῦτα λέγειν, οὐ μὴν εὑρίσκεσθαι κατὰ τοὺς λόγους αὐτῶν ὀρθοτομοῦντας τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ παρὰ τῶν πεμφθέντων ἀδελφῶν, καὶ μάλιστα παρὰ τοῦ ἀββᾶ Σωσιπάτρου, ἐπεζητήσαμεν τὸ ἀκριβές, καθὰ καὶ ἐζήτησας ἐν τοῖς γράμμασι, διὰ τὸ μὴ πάντα ἐγχωρεῖν ἀπαγγέλλειν τὴν ἐπιστολήν, καὶ εὕρομεν χάριτι Χριστοῦ ἀπαγγέλλοντας αὐτοὺς ὀρθοφρόνως τὰ παρὰ σοῦ αὐτοῖς παρατεθέντα. Τίνα δὲ ταῦτα; δεῖν γὰρ ἐν κεφαλαίοις ἐπισημανθῆναι. πρῶτον περὶ τῆς ἁγίας Θεοτόκου· φασὶ γὰρ λέγειν σε ὅτι πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων ἡ παρθένος. τοῦτο ἐπειδὴ ἀρνεῖσαι μήτε λέγειν μήτε δὲ φρονεῖν, ἀλλ' ὁμολογεῖν ἐξ ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικὸς Ἰωακεὶμ καὶ Ἄννης τετέχθαι αὐτήν, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι. δεύτερον περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου, ὅτι οὐκ ἐσταυρώθη· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁμολογεῖς ἐσταυρῶσθαι αὐτὸν κατὰ τὰς γραφάς, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι. τρίτον περὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων, ὅτι μετὰ τὴν κρίσιν ἀποκατάστασις ἔσται πάλιν καὶ γενήσεται μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμήν. καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἀπαρνεῖσαι καὶ ὁμολογεῖς αἰώνιον εἶναι καὶ τὴν κρίσιν καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι. τέταρτον περὶ μοναχοῦ ἑνός, ὅτι δύναται τῆς κολάσεως ῥύσασθαι ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα κρινομένους. καὶ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ἀπαρνεῖσαι καὶ λέγεις μήτε μετάνοιαν εἶναι μετὰ θάνατον μήτε τινὰ τὸν δυνάμενον ἐξελέσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς θεοῦ ἀπονεμηθείσης ἑκάστῳ κολάσεως, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι. πέμπτον περὶ βιβλίου τοῦ ἐπιλεγομένου τοῦ Ἀντωνίου, ὅτι λέγεις εὐαπόδεκτον εἶναι, ἐν ᾧ πολλὰ βλάσφημα, ὡς ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἀναγνόντες ἔγνωμεν. καὶ τοῦτο ἐπείπερ ὁμολογεῖς ἀποβάλλεσθαι ὡς ἀλλότριον τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ μηκέτι μήτε ἔχειν μήτε ἀναγινώσκειν μήτε σὲ μήτε τοὺς μετὰ σοῦ, εὖ ἂν ἔχοι. καὶ εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεός, ὁ ποιησάμενος καθαρισμὸν ἐν ὑμῖν τῶν προειρημένων σκανδάλων, καὶ εὐλογημένον τὸ ὄνομα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, τὸ πεῖσάν σε εἰπεῖν χωρικὸν εἶναι καὶ ἀμαθῆ καὶ εἴκειν κατὰ πάντα καὶ πείθεσθαι τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ταπεινώσεώς μου. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδὲν παρὰ τὰ θειωδῶς ἐκπεφασμένα τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις καὶ προφήταις καὶ πατράσι παραινέσω ἢ διατυπώσω, ἀλλ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο, καθὼς γέγραφας, πιστεύειν σε εἰς τὴν Ἁγίαν Τριάδα, τὴν ἀμερῆ κατ' οὐσίαν, διαιρουμένην δὲ τοῖς χαρακτῆρσιν εἰς πατέρα καὶ υἱὸν καὶ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ἕνα θεόν, ἕνα Κύριον, καθὸ καὶ μία πίστις. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ θεὸς καὶ ὁ υἱὸς θεὸς καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα θεός, οὐ τρεῖς θεοὶ (μὴ γένοιτο), ἀλλ' εἷς θεός, ὥσπερ καὶ Κύριος. τοῦτο τῆς θεολογίας τὸ δόγμα περὶ τῆς οἰκονομίας πιστεύειν ὅτι ὁ εἷς τῆς Τριάδος εὐδοκίᾳ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ συνεργίᾳ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐσαρκώθη ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Θεοτόκου, προσεισεληλυθότος τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ οὕτως ἐπισκιάσαντος τῆς τοῦ ὑψίστου δυνάμεως κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον· ἐξ ἧς καὶ ἐτέχθη ἄνθρωπος τέλειος, ὢν ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ θεὸς τέλειος, εἷς τῇ ὑποστάσει, διπλοῦς τῇ φύσει, καθὼς οἱ θεοφόροι πατέρες καὶ αἱ ἑπτὰ ἅγιαι οἰκουμενικαὶ σύνοδοι ἐξέθεντο, ὁμολογεῖν τε τὴν παρθένον Θεοτόκον, πάντων οὖσαν ὑψηλοτέραν καὶ τιμιωτέραν δυναμένην τε πρεσβεύειν μητρικῶς τῷ αὐτῆς υἱῷ καὶ Κυρίῳ ὑπὲρ παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου, ὁμολογεῖν τε τοὺς ἀγγέλους ὡς ἀγγέλους, ὑπερδεομένων καὶ αὐτῶν πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τό τε δαιμόνιον φῦλον ἀμιγὲς εἶναι εἰς αἰῶνας ἀτελευτήτους πρὸς αὐτούς, τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον δι' ἀποστασίαν ἀπολιπόντας καὶ καταδεδικασμένους ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἐνδίκοις κολάσεσιν· ὁμολογεῖν καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους πάντας ὡς θεράποντας θεοῦ, πρεσβεύειν τῷ θεῷ δυναμένους εἰς σωτηρίαν ἡμῶν· ἔτι ὁμολογεῖν τὰς ἁγίας εἰκόνας αὐτοῦ τε τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τῆς τε αὐτοῦ μητρός, ἀγγέλων τε καὶ πάντων ἁγίων, προσκυνεῖν καὶ ἀποδέχεσθαι κατὰ τὸ δογματισθὲν τῇ ἐν Νικαίᾳ τὸ δεύτερον συνόδῳ, ἀναθεματίζειν τε πάντας αἱρετικοὺς τοὺς ὑπὸ τῶν συνόδων ἀναθεματιζομένους, ἀνακηρύττειν πάντας τοὺς ὀρθοδόξους παρ' αὐτῶν εὐφημουμένους. Αὕτη ἡ εἰλικρινὴς πίστις τῶν Χριστιανῶν, τοῦτο τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς Χριστοῦ ὁμολογίας· παρὰ ταῦτα ὁ φρονῶν ἤτω ἀνάθεμα ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. καθά φησιν ὁ Παῦλος, ὅτι, κἂν ἡμεῖς ἢ ἄγγελος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ εὐαγγελίζεται ὑμῖν παρ' ὃ εὐηγγελισάμεθα ὑμῖν, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. ὡς προείρηκα, καὶ πάλιν λέγω· εἴ τις ὑμᾶς εὐαγγελίζεται παρ' ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω. ἐπεὶ οὖν αὐτὸς λεπτομερῶς ταῦτα οὐκ ἐξεκάλυψας ἐν τοῖς γράμμασί σου, δέον πᾶσα ἀνάγκη ὁμολογῆσαί σε οὕτως φρονεῖν. τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται πῶς; ἵνα ἐν τῷ πληρώματι τῆς ἐπιστολῆς αὐτῆς ταύτης ὑπογράψῃς κατὰ τὸ ἐμφερόμενον πιττάκιον. καὶ οὕτως ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡ ὑπερέχουσα πάντα νοῦν, φρουρήσει καὶ βραβεύσει ἡμᾶς τε καὶ ὑμᾶς ἐν ἑνὶ πνεύματι καὶ μιᾷ καρδίᾳ πιστεύειν καὶ λατρεύειν τῇ Ἁγίᾳ Τριάδι ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν τε οἰκείων ψυχῶν καὶ τοῦ διαιρεθέντος λαοῦ εἰς δύο μέρη, ἀπέναντι τοῦ κυρίου Ἰωαννικίου, τοῦ πνευματικοῦ ἡμῶν πατρός, καὶ σοῦ τοῦ τιμίου καὶ πατρὸς καὶ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν.