Letter 81: Theodore Studite, Letter 81; Greek heading: Ἀνατολίῳ καὶ Σαββατίῳ τέκνοισ.

This is now the third letter of yours that I have received, my longed-for and greatly beloved children, from which I have learned much of your good disposition toward God and your attachment to me, the sinner. For the frequent writing and the making known of your own affairs, and indeed of the brethren who are scattered there, where and how they are settled, which the earlier letter made plain, is a proof of your warm love for your father and of your fervent zeal for God. In which may you be kept for me, O good children, receiving warmth from warmth and being kindled in spirit unto every good work. It is the time of endurance, brethren, the time of hardship; as soldiers of Christ, suffer affliction. Are not the sufferings of this present time unworthy [of comparison] with the glory that is to come, for which our fathers, sweating much, attained their crowns? You know this, that Nektarios, the old traitor, has apostatized, acting worse than Judas; for the one, having become a denier and having betrayed the Lord of glory, hanged himself out of remorse, but the other has of his own accord set Christ at naught also through the denial of His holy icon [image; the venerated representation of Christ, rejected by the iconoclasts], and without remorse, together with his own soul, he has destroyed also [the souls] of many others, demanding the written documents of impiety [the signed renunciations of icon-veneration exacted by the iconoclast authorities]. And indeed Orestes, having deserted from the seven, on account of his foul passions, has given himself over to the bath-house of apostasy. Therefore, my children, let us be on our guard; for when the impious fall, the righteous, it is said, will be filled with fear. Take heed to yourselves, I beseech you, and give no place to the devil, but let the fear of God be a guard over you in all things. I am zealous on your behalf that you should be instructed, but see to it that knowledge puffs up the inattentive, and the puffing-up casts down. To you, then, may both knowledge be added and humility be exalted. They are transferring me from Metope to the fortress of Bonita, into the Anatolic [theme; the military province of the Anatolikon in Asia Minor]. And I rejoice greatly, because it is for the sake of my Lord and God that I am being removed. Pray on my behalf, my children, that I may be saved, I beseech you. Stretch out a hand to your brethren, and especially to the ten, in word, in deed, so far as is possible, that you may be those who fill up what is lacking on my part. Your brethren Hypatios and Nikolaos warmly send greetings. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.