Letter 541: Theodore Studite, Letter 541; Greek heading: Ὀλβιανῷ πατρικίῳ.

George, the God-loving and most glorious man, the notary, having brought us a greeting from your all-praised and renowned Excellency, has demanded that we make our return greeting in writing, since your Beatitude commands this. And we, having persuaded ourselves to yield in the duties of friendship, inscribe this letter, first of all greeting you as is fitting, lowly as we are, accepting and more than accepting this very thing: that you long to hear our voice, pitiable and sinful though we are (for this is no ordinary token of piety, that one lofty in eminence bends down toward the voice of the humble, and especially in the present season, when the many turn away and shun even their close friends, let alone the more obscure); and then, reminding you with reserve to rule and to govern the subject people in a manner befitting God. For if all rule and authority is ordained by God, to speak in the words of the Apostle [cf. Romans 13:1], it is plain that the one who rules and exercises authority ought to conduct the people under his hand in a godly way: on the one hand, with incorruptible judgments in matters disputed in the courts; and on the other, to be seen with a kindly and peaceable countenance by those who approach, and to grant, by an accessible reception, courage to those before you to utter what is at hand (for a poor man, it says, does not endure a threat); then also to bend down toward the poor and the lowly portion, and indeed to discipline, whenever need compels, but to discipline not in anger, but with the aim of correction, calmly, and not with many lashes (for harshness is unfriendly to God), but with discernment, and only so far as to check what is uninstructed and to procure what is corrective, as a father to a child and as a physician to one who is sick. And blessed is the one who thus leads the people and commands as a general, since Moses too, the servant of God, was a ruler, and Joshua the son of Nun was a general; and it is much to say how many, not only among kings but also among judges and rulers, both before the Law and under the Law and after the gift of grace, taking the lead and holding first place, were well-pleasing to the Lord, conducting themselves with piety. By this very token, then, we love you also, our all-praised and longed-for master, and we ask you to govern, and to become numbered among these saved and most admirable ones. And do not, we pray, receive our reminder as presumption, but as a loving manner, since we love you, who love God; and it is a token of a friend to utter what is profitable to the one he loves, which is what our lowly letter has shown. May our good God count us worthy to come at last to conversation face to face and to enjoy the good things in you, so that whatever the word of hearing does not present, these things the eyewitness account may set forth and render us more vigorous in the bond of friendship, since we have been instructed by the worthy letter-bearer that your piety has been marked by not a few accomplishments; which may the Lord also preserve as the apple of his eye, surpassing every harmful injury, and may he save you into his heavenly kingdom.