They Are Called Philosophers

Φιλόσοφοι δὲ λέγονται παρ' ἡμιν μὲν οἱ σοφίας ἐρῶντες, τῆς πάντων δημιουργοῦ και διδασκάλου, τουτέστι γνώσεως τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ· παρ᾽ Ἕλλησι δὲ, οἱ τῶν περὶ ἀρετῆς λόγων ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι. Εἰη δ᾽ ἂν φιλοσοφία, τὰ παρ᾽ ἐκάστῃ τῶν αἰρέσεων, τῶν κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν λέγω, ἀδιαβλητα δόγματα μετά τοῦ ὁμολογουμένου βίου εἰς μίαν ἀθροισθέντα ἐκλογήν· ἂ και αὐτὰ ἐκ τῆς βαρβάρου κλαπέντα θεοδωρήτου χάριστος, Ἑλληνικῷ κεκόσμηται λογῳ· τῶν μέν γὰρ κλέπται, ὧν δὲ καὶ παρήκουσαν· ἐν δὲ τοὶς ἄλλοις ἂ μὲν κινούμενοι εἰρήκασιν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τελείως ἐξειργάσαντο· τὰ δὲ ἀνθρωπίνῳ στοχασμῷ τε καὶ ἐπιλογισμῖρ, ἐν οἶς καὶ παραπτουσιν. Ἐπιβάλλειν δ᾽ οἰονται τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οὖτοι μὲν τελείως, ὡς δ᾽ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὺς καταλαμβανόμεθα, μερικῶς. Πλέον γ᾽ οὖν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου οὐκ ἲσασιν οὐδεν. Καὶ μὴν ὡς ἡ γεωμετρία περὶ μέτρα καὶ μεγέθη καὶ σχήματα πραγματευομένη διὰ τῆς ἐν τοὶς ἐπιπέδοις καταγραφῆς, ἥ τε ζωγραφία τὸν ὀπτικον ὅλον τόπον ἐπὶ τῶν σκηνογραφουμένων φαίνεται παραλαμβάνουσα· αὔτη δὲ ψευδογραφεῖ τὴν ὄψιν τοὶς κατὰ προσβολὴν τῶν ὀπτικῶν γραμμῶν σημείοις χρωμένη κατὰ τὸ τεχνικόν· ἐντεῦθεν ἐπιφάσεις, καὶ ὑποθέσεις, και φάσεις σώζονται, καὶ τὰ μὲν δοκεὶ προὕχειν, τὰ δὲ ἴσχειν, τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλως πως φαντάζεσθαι ἐν τῷ ὁμαλῷ καὶ λείῳ· οὔτω δὲ καὶ οἱ φιλόσοφοι ζωγραφίας δίκην ἀπομιμοῦνται τὴν ἀλήθειαν· φιλαυτία δὲ πάντων ἁμαρτημάτων αἰτία ἑκάστοις ἑκάστοτε. Διόπερού χρὴ, τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους δόξαν αἱρούμενοι, φιλαυτον εἶναι, ἀλλὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἀγαπῶντα, τῷ ὄντι ὄσιον μετὰ φρονήσεως γίνεσθαι. Εἴ γ᾽ οὖν τις τοίς μερικοῖς ὡς τοῖς καθολικοις χρώμενος τύχῃ, και τὸ δοῦλον ὡς Κύριον, και ἡγεμονεῖται, σφάλλεται τῆς ἀληθείας, οὐ συνεὶς τὸ τῷ Δαβὶδ κατ᾽ ἐξομολόγησιν εἰρημένον· Γῆν σποδὸν ὡσεὶ ἄρτον ἔφαγον.  Κλημεντος του Αλεξανδρεως, Στρωματεων.

Among us they are called philosophers who love wisdom, of all things creator and teacher, that is the knowledge of the Son of God, and among the Greeks, those who engage in accounts of virtue. Philosophy, then, consists of the things found in each sect insofar as they are philosophical and cannot be impugned, with a corresponding life, collected into one selection; and these things, stolen from the grace giving Barbarian God, have been adorned by Greek speech. For some they have purloined, and others they have misheard, and with others they have being moved to speak things they have not yet perfectly worked out; and others come by human conjecture and reasoning in which they err. And yet they think that they have hit the truth perfectly; but as we grasp them, they have done so only in part. They know nothing but what is of this world. And indeed it is like geometry, which concerns itself with measures and magnitudes and forms on flat surfaces; and like painting it seems to take in the whole view in the scenes represented; but it gives a false description of the view, employing the signs that result from the incidents of the lines of vision, according to the art; by this the higher and lower points in the view and those between are preserved; and some things seem to be in the foreground and others in the background and others appear in some other way on the smooth and level surface. So also the philosophers copy the truth after the manner of painting; and self love is the cause of their errors in each one of them always. Thus one should not, seeking human glory, be self loving, but by loving God, be really wise. If, then, one takes things particular as universal, and the servant as the Lord, he stumbles in the truth, not understanding what was spoken by David by way of confession: Earth I ate like bread. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 6, Ch 7.

The Dead And Unburied

Sed utrum aliquid prosit animae mortui locus corporis sui, operosius inquirendum est. Ac primum utrum intersit aliquid ad inferendam vel augendam miseriam post hanc vitam spiritibus hominum, si eorum corpora sepulta non fuerint, non secundum opinionem utcumque vulgatam, sed potius secundum religionis nostrae sacras Litteras est videndum. Neque enim credendum est, sicut apud Maronem legitur, insepultos navigando atque transeundo inferno amne prohiberi: quia scilicet   Nec ripas datur horrendas, et rauca fluenta transportare prius, quam sedibus ossa quierunt.  Quis cor christianum inclinet his poeticis fabulosisque figmentis, cum Dominus Iesus, ut inter inimicorum manus, qui eorum corpora in potestate haberent, securi occumberent Christiani, nec capillum capitis eorum asserat periturum, exhortans ne timeant eos qui cum corpus occiderint, amplius non habent quid faciant? Unde in primo libro de Civitate Dei satis, quantum existimo, sum locutus, ut eorum dentem retunderem, qui barbaricam vastitatem, praecipue quam nuper Roma perpessa est, christianis temporibus imputando, etiam id obiiciunt, quod suis illic non subvenerit Christus. Quibus cum responsum fuerit animas fidelium pro fidei suae meritis ab illo fuisse susceptas, insultant de cadaveribus insepultis.  Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, De Cura Pro Mortuis Gerenda, Cap. 3

But whether something about the place of the body benefits the soul of the dead requires a more laborious inquiry. First, whether to the spirits of men it may cause or increase misery if their bodies be not buried, and this must in no way be considered in accordance with vulgar opinion, but rather according to the sacred scripture of our religion. For we are not to credit that, as it may be read in Virgil, the unburied are prohibited from navigating and crossing the infernal stream, because evidently:   Nor is it given to pass over the hideous banks and roaring waters until bones rest in peace. 1 Who can incline a Christian heart to these poetical and fabulous figments, when the Lord Jesus asserts that under the hands of their enemies, those who should have their bodies in their power, Christians might lie down secure, nor shall a hair of their head perish, exhorting that they should not fear those who when they have killed the body can do nothing more? Whence in the first book of 'The City of God', thinking deeply, I have spoken, that the teeth in their mouths be broken, who, in imputing to Christian times the devastations of barbarians, Rome's recent fall, even this object, that Christ did not there come to help his own. To whom when it is answered that the souls of the faithful were by him received for the merits of their faith, they insult us with unburied corpses. Saint Augustine of Hippo, On the Care One Should Have For the Dead, Ch. 3 1 Virgil, Aeneid, 6.327

A Monk's Encouragement

᾽Αδελφος τις καθεζόμενος εις τα Κελλια ἐταράσσετο καταμόνας· και ἀπελθὼν πρὸς τον ἀββᾶν θεόδωρον τὸν τῆς Φερμης, εἷπεν αὐτῷ. ῾Ο δὲ γέρων εἶπεν· Ὓπαγε, ταπεινωσον τὸν λογισμόν σου, και ὑποτάγηθι, και μεινον μετὰ ἄλλων. Και ὑποστρεφει πρὸς τὸν γέροντα, και λεγει αὐτῷ· Οὑδε μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων αναπαύομαι. Και λὲγει αὐτῷ ὁ γερων· Ει μόνος οὐκ ἀναπαυῃ, οὐδε μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων, διατι ἐξῆλθες εισ τὸν μοναχόν; οὐχι ἵνα ὑποφερῃς τας θλιψεις; εἰπε δέ μοι· Ποσα ἔτη ἒχεις εις τὸ σχῆμα; Λὲγει· Ὀκτώ. Ἐἶπεν οὗν αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· φυσει ἐχω ἐν τᾡ σχήματι ἐβδομὴκοντα ἔτη, και οὐδὲ μιαν ἡμέραν εὗρον ἀνάπαυσιν· και σὺ εις ὀκτω ἔτη θέλεις ἀνάπαυσιν ἔχειν; Και τοῦτο ἀκούσας, ἑδραιωθεὶς ἀπῆλθεν.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

A certain brother dwelling in the region named 'The Cells' was troubled in his solitude. He went out to Father Theodoros of Pherme to speak to him. And the elder said, 'Begone, be humble in your thought, subject yourself, and abide with others.' He came back to the elder and said, ' I am not able to find rest with men'. The elder said to him, 'If you are not able to rest alone or with others, for what reason did you come out to be a monk? That you might endure suffering? Tell me how many years have you been a monk?' He said, 'Eight.' The elder said to him, ' I have spent seventy years in this state and not one day have I found rest. And you wish for peace in eight years?' Hearing this, he went away fortified. Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Suffering and Virtue

Θαυμάζειν δὲ ἄξιον και τῶν Στωικῶν, οἴτινές φασι, μηδὲν τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ σώματος διατιθεσθαι, μήτε πρός κακιαν ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου μήτε πρὸς ἀρετὴν ὑπὸ τῆς ὑγιειας, ἀλλ᾽ ἀμφύτερα ταῦτα λέγουσιν ἀδιάφορα εἷναι. Καιτοι και Ἰοβ, ἐγκρατειας ὑπερβολῇ και πιστεως ὑπεροχῇ πένης μὲν ἐκ πλουσιου, ἄτιμος δὲ ἐξ ἐνδόξου, αἰσχρὸς δὲ ἐκ καλοῦ, και νοσερὸς ἐξ ὑγιεινοῦ γενόμενος, ἡμιν τέ ἐστι παράδειγμα ἀγαθὸν ἀναγεγπραμμένος, δυσωπων τὸν πειρὰσαντα, εὐλογων τὸν πλασαντα· φέρων οὕτω τὰ δεύτερα, ὠς και τὰ προτερα· διδάσκων εῦ μαλα τοις περιστατικοις ἄπασιν οἶόν τε εἶναι καλως χρῆσθαι τὸν γνωστικον. Και ὅτι ψε εἰκόνες τὰ παλαιὰ κατορθώματα εἰς τὰ ἡμεδαπα ἐπανορθώματα ἔκκαινται, ἐμφαινων ὁ ᾽Αποστολος, Ωστε τοὺς δεσμούς μου, φησι, φανεποὺς ἐν Χριστῷ γενέσθαι ἐν ὅλῳ τῳ πραιτωριῳ και τοίς λοιποις πᾶσι, και τοὺς πλειονας τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν Κυριῳ πεποιθότας, τοις δεσμοις μου περισσοτέπως τολμᾷν ἀφοβως τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ λαλειν· ἐπει και τα μαρτύρια ἐπιστροφῆς ἐστι παραδειγματα, ἐνδάξως ἡγιασμενα. Ὄσα γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ λέγει, εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν δασκαλιαν ἐγραφη, ἴνα διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς και τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπιδα ἔχωμεν τῆς παρακλήσεως. Ἔοικε δέ πως, παρσύσης ἀλγνδόνος, ἡ ψυχὴ νεύειν ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς, και τιμιον ἡ εἰσθαι τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῆς παρούσης ὀδύνης. Ἀμέλει κατ᾽ ἐκεινο καιροῦ, και μαθημάτων ῥᾳθυμει, ὁπηνικα και αἰ ἄλλαι ἀπημὲληνται ἀρεται. Και οὐ δήπου τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτὴν πάσχειν φαμέν· οὐδε γὰρ νόσει ἡ αρετή· ὁ δὲ ἀμφοιν μετεσχηκὼς, ἀρετῆς και νόσου, ὑπὸ τοῦ κατεπεινοντος θλιβεται· κὰν μὴ καταμεγαλοφρονῶν τύχῃ ὁ μηδέπω τὴν ἕξιν τῆς ἐγκρατειας περιποιησάμνος, ἐξισταται, ἵσον τε εὑρισκεται τῷ φεύγειν τὸ μὴ οὐ ὑπομειναι.  Κλημεντος του Αλεξανδρεως, Στρωματεων.

Worthy to be admired are the Stoics, who say the soul is not imposed upon by the body, whether vice on account of disease, or virtue on account of health; but both these things are indifferent. And indeed Job, by an excess of self possession, and excellence of faith, when from wealth he came to poverty, from prosperity to dishonour, from being feted to ashamed, and to sickness from being healthy, is depicted to us as a good example, shaming the Tempter, blessing the Creator; bearing later things just as he did former things, and so teaching well that the wise man may make an excellent use of all circumstances. And that the achievements of old are proposed as images for our correction, the Apostle makes clear: 'So that my chains in Christ, he says, have become manifest in all the magistrate's hall, and to all the rest; and several of the brethren in the Lord, growing confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak fearlessly the word of God.'1 Martyrs' testimonies are examples of conversion gloriously sanctified. 'For which things the Scripture say were written for our instruction, that through suffering and the consolation of the Scriptures, we may have the hope of consolation.'2 How it seems that when pain is present, the soul appears to recede, and to deem release from the present distress a worthy thing. At that moment it slackens from studies, when the other virtues also are neglected. And yet we do not assume that it is virtue itself which suffers, for virtue does not sicken. But he who is a partaker of both, of virtue and the disease, is troubled by the pressure of the latter; and if he who has not yet attained the habit of self-command and be not a high-souled man, he is distraught; and flight is found as valuable as endurance. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 4, Ch 5.  1 Phil 1. 13-14  2 Rom 15.4

The World and Wonder

Ἦλθέ τις τῶν γερόντων πρὸς τὸν ἀββᾶν Θεόδωρον, και εἷπεν αὐτῷ· Ἰδοὺ ὁ δεῖνα ὁ αδελφος ὑπέστρεψεν εις τὸν κόσμον. Και εἷπεν αὐτῷ ὁ γερων· Ἐπι τούτῳ θαυμάζεις; μὴ θαυμαζῃς, ἀλλὰ θαύμασον μᾶλλον ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς ὅτι ἠδυνήθη τις ἐκφυγειν ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ ἐχθροῦ.   ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

One of the elders come to Father Theodoros and said to him, 'Behold, a brother has gone back to the world.' And he replied, 'Why are you amazed? Do not be amazed, but rather be astonished when you hear that someone is able to flee from the mouth of the enemy.' Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Epicurus, Faith and Understanding

Ναι μὴν και ὁ ᾽Επικουρος, ὁ μάλιστα τῆς ἀληθειας προτιμήσας τὴν ἡδονὴν, προληψιν ειναι διανοιας τὴν πιστιν ὑπολαμβανει· προληψιν δὲ ἀποδιδωσιν, επιβολὴν ἐπι τι ἐναργες, και ἐπι τὴν ἐναργῆ τοῦ πράγματος ἐπινοιαν· μὴ δύνασθαι δὲ μηδένα μήτε ζητῆσαι μήτε ἀπορῆσαι, μηδὲ μην δοξᾶσαι, ἀλλ οὐδε ἐλεγξαι χωρις προλήψεως. Πῶς ὁ ἀν, μὴ ἐχων τις πρόληψιν οὗ ἐφιεται, μάθοι περι οὗ ζητει; ῾Ο μαθὼν δὲ ἣδη καταληψιν ποιει τὴν πρόληψιν. Ει δὲ ὁ μανθάνων οὐκ ἄνευ προλήψεως μανθανει τῆς των λεγομένων παραδεκτικῆς, αὐτὸς μὲν ὦτα ἔχει τα ἀκουστικα τῆς ἀληθειας· μακάριος δὲ ὁ λέγων εiς ὦτα ἀκουότων· ὤσπερ ἀμέλει μακάριος και αὐτος ὁ τῆς ὑπακοῆς. Τὸ δὲ κατακοῦσαι συνειναι ἐστιν. Ει τοινυν ἡ πιστις οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ πρόληψις ἐστι διανοιας περι τὰ λεγόμενα, και τοῦτο ὑπακοή τε εἰρηται, σύνεσις τε πειθὼ, οὐ μὴν μαθήσεται τις ἄνευ πιστεως· ἐπει μηδὲ ἄνευ προλήψεως, ᾽Αληθὲς δ᾽ οὖν ὄν πάντως μᾶλλον ἀποδεικνυται τὸ ὐπὸ τοῦ προφήτου εἰρημενον· ᾽Εαν μὴ πιστευσητε, οὐδὲ μὴ συνῆτε.  Κλημεντος του Αλεξανδρεως, Στρωματεων.

Why even Epicurus, who greatly preferred pleasure to truth, supposes faith to be a preconception of the mind; and defines preconception to be a grasping at something evident, at the clear understanding of the thing; and that no one can either inquire, or doubt, or judge, or even argue in the absence of preconception, for how, without a preconceived idea of what he is aiming at, does he learn about that which he inquiries? He who has learned has already turned his preconception into comprehension. And if he who learns is learning with a preconception which takes in what is expressed, that man has ears for the hearing of truth; and happy the man who is speaking to the ears of those who hear, as happy certainly also is he who listens. Now to hear plainly is to understand. If, then, faith is nothing else than a preconception of the mind in regard to things said, and this is called attention, understanding and persuasion, no one shall learn anything without faith, since it cannot be without preconception. Truly then here is a more ample demonstration of what was spoken by the prophet, 'Unless you believe, nor will you understand.' 1 Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 2, Ch 4.  1 Is 7.9

Sin and Repentance, Love and Pride

᾽Ειπεν ὁ ἀββας ᾽Ηλιας ὁ τῆς διακονιας· Τι ἰσχύει ἁμαρτια, ὅπου ἐστι μετάνοια; και τι ὠφελει ἀγάπη, ἔνθα ὑπερηφανια;  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Elias said to a deacon, 'How does sin prevail where there is repentance? Of what use is love where there is pride?' Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

The Origin Of Evil

Μὴ τοινυν ἔξωθεν τὸ κακὸν περισκόπει, μηδὲ ἀρχέγονόν τινα φύσιν πονηριας φαντάζου· ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐν ἑαυτῷ κακιασ ἔκαστος ἑαυτὸν ἀρχηγὸν γνωριζὲτω. ᾽Αει γὰρ τῶν γινομένων τὰ μὲν ἐκ φύσεως ἥμιν ἐπιγινεται, οἷον γηρας και ἀσθένειαι, τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ ταυτομάτου, οἷον οἱ ἄλογοι περιπτώσεις ἀλλοτριαις ἀρχαις ἐπισυμβαινουσαι, σκυθρωπῶν τινων πολλάκις ἤ και τῶν φαιδροτέρων· ὡς τῷ φρέαρ ὀρυσσοντι ἡ τοῦ θησαυροῦ εὔρεσις, ἤ τῷ πρὸς τὴν ἀγοραν ὡρμημένῳ ἡ τοῦ λυσσῶντος κυνος ἔντευξις· τὰ δὲ ἐφ᾽ ἡμιν τυγχανει, ὡς τὸ κρατῆσαι τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, ἤ μὴ κολασαι τὰς ἡδονάς· ὡς τὸ κατασχειν ὀργῆς, ἣ χειπας ἐπαφειναι τῷ παροξυναντι· ἀληθεύειν ἣ ψεύδεσθαι· ἐπιεικῆ τὸ ἧθος εἷναι και μέτριον, ἤ ὑπέρογκον και ἀλαζονειαις ὑπέραιρόμενον. Ὡν τοινυν αὐτὸς εἶ κυριος, τούτων τὰς ἀρχὰς μὴ ζητήσῃς ἑτέρωθεν, ἀλλὰ γνωριζε τὸ κυριως κακὸν ἐκ τῶν προαιρετικῶν ἀποπτωμάτων τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰληφός. Ἅγιος Βασιλειος Καισαρείας, Εις Την ῾Εξαημερον Source Migne PG 29.37d-40b

Do not then look about outside for evil, and imagine that there is an original nature of wickedness. Let it be known that each of us is the first author of his own vice. Among the things that occur, some come about naturally, like old age and frailty, others by chance like unforeseen occurrences, the origin being beyond ourselves, often sad, sometimes fortunate, as the discovery of a treasure on digging a well, or encountering a mad dog when going to the market; others depend upon ourselves, such as ruling one's desires, or not putting a check on one's pleasures, or restraining anger, or raising the hand against one who provokes, or telling the truth or lying, or having a reasonable and balanced disposition, or to be bloated and raging with pride. Here you are the master; do not seek the principle outside, but know that the origin of evil, rightly called, is voluntary lapses. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Hexameron, Homily 2, Chapter 5

An Intolerable Accusation

᾽Ελεγον περι τοῦ ἀββᾶ ᾽Αγάθον, ὅτι ἀπῆλθον τινες πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀκούσαντες ὅτι μεγάλην διακρισιν ἔχει· και θέλοντες δοκιμάσαι ει ὀργιζεται, λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Σὺ εἷ Αγαθων; ἀκούμεν περι σοῦ ὅτι πόρνος εἷ, και ὑπερήφανος. ῾Ο δὲ εἷπεν· Ναι, οὔτως ἒχει. Και λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Σὺ εἷ Αγαθων ὁ φλυαρος και κατάλαλος; ῾Ο δὲ εἷπεν· εγω εἰμι. Λέγουσι παλιν· Σὺ εἷ Αγαθων ὁ αἱρετικός; Και ἀπεκριθη· Οὐκ εἰμι αἱρετικός. Και παρεκάλεσαν αὐτὸν, λέγοντες· Εἰπε ἡμιν διατι τοσαῦτα εἰπομεν σοι, και κατεδέξω, τὸν δὲ λόγον τοῦτον οὐκ ἐβαστασας; Λέγει αὐτοις· Τα πρῶτα ἐμαυτῷ ἐπιγράφω· ὄφελος γάρ ἐστι τῇ ψυχῇ μου· τὸ δὲ αἱρετικός, χωρισμος ἐστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, και οὺ θέλω χωρισθῆναι ἀπὸ Θεοῦ. Οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες, ἐθαύμασαν τὴν διάκρισιν αὐτοῦ, και ἀπῆλθον οἰκοδομνθέντες. Ἀποφθέγματα Ἀγίων Γερόντων, Παλλάδιος Γαλατίας Source: Migne PG 65.109c

They said about Father Agathon that no one came to him but hearing him they acquired discernment. Wishing to test if he could be angered, some said to him, 'Are you Agathon? We hear that you are a fornicator and arrogant.' He said to them, ' Yes, so it is.' And then they said to him, 'Are you Agathon the prattler and slanderer?' And he said to them, 'I am.' Again they said to him, 'Are you Agathon the heretic?' And he replied, 'I am not a heretic.' And they cried out to him, saying, 'Tell us why you accepted the first things we said to you and you would not tolerate the last?' He said to them, 'The first things I ascribed to myself since they benefit my soul, but to be a heretic is to be separate from God and I do not wish to be separate from God.' And they were amazed at his discretion and they went away edified. Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Perfect Love

᾽Ελεγον ὁ άββας ᾽Αγαθων, ὅτι εἰ δυνατὸν ἥν μοι εὑρειν κελεφὸν, και δοῦναι αὐτῷ τὸ ἐμὸν σωμα, και λαβειν τὸ αὐτοῦ, ἡδέως εἷχον. Αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τελεια ἀγάπη. Ἀποφθέγματα Ἀγίων Γερόντων, Παλλάδιος Γαλατίας Source: Migne PG 65.116c

Father Agathon said, 'If it were possible, I would find a leper and give him my body and take his own, and do so happily. For this is perfect love.' Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Hearing Prayers

᾽Ειπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ζήνων· ῾Ο θελων ταχὺ ινα εισακούσῃ ὁ Θεος τῆς εὐχῆς αὐτοῦ, ἡνικα ἀναστῇ και ἐκτεινει τάς χειρας αὐτοῦ πρὸς θεον, πρὸ πάντων και πρὸ τῆς ἰδιας ψυχῆς ὑπερ τῶν ἐχθρων αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ ψυχῆς εὔξηται· και δια τούτου κατορθώματος, ει τι ἂν παρακαλέσῃ τῷ Θεῷ ὑπακούει αὐτῷ.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Zeno said, 'He who wishes that God hear his prayer quickly, on rising let him stretch out his hands to God, and before everything, before even his own soul, let him pray for his enemy. For by this righteous deed God shall hearken to whatever he asks.' Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

A Change of Clothing

᾽Ελεγον περι αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὥσπερ οὐδεις παλατιου ἐφορει βελτιονα αὐτοῦ ἐσθητα· οὐτως οὐδε εις τὴν ᾽Εκκλησιαν εὐτελεστεραν τις αὐτοῦ ἐφορει.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

They said about Arsenius that just as no one in the imperial palace was clothed in raiment surpassing his, so now no one in the church was clothed so vilely. Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Confession And Justification

Quid vereris apud bonum dominum tuas iniquitates fateri? Dic, inquit, iniquitates tuas, ut iustificeris. Adhuc reo culpae iustificationis praemia proponuntur; ille enim iustificatur, qui proprium crimen sponte agnoverit: denique iustus in exordio sermonis accusator est sui. Novit omnia Dominus, sed exspectat vocem tuam; non ut puniat, sed ut ignoscat: non vult ut insultet tibi diabolus, et celantem peccata tua arguat: si ipse accusaveris, accusatorem nullum timebis: si te detuleris ipse, etsi mortuus fueris, revivisces. Sanctus Ambrosius Mediolanensis, De Paenitentia, Liber II, Caput VII Source: Migne PL 16.510b

Why do you fear to confess your sins to the good Lord? Speak, He says, your iniquities that you may be justified. To the one guilty of error the rewards of justification are set out; he is justified who of his own accord acknowledges his own sin; and finally, in the beginning of his speech the just man is his own accuser. The Lord knows all things, but He waits for your voice, not that He may punish, but that He may forgive. He does not wish that the devil trample on you and denounce your hidden sins; if you accuse yourself, you will fear no accuser; if you report yourself, even though you were dead, you shall live. Saint Ambrose, On Repentance, Book 2, Chap 7

Was the Devil Good?

Sexta annotatio indicat eos dicere quod diabolos numquam fuerit bonus, nec natura eius opificium Dei sit, sed eum ex chao et tenebris emersisse: quia scilicet nullum sui habeat auctorem, sed omnis mali ipse sit principium atque substantia: cum fides vera, quae est catholica, omnium creaturarum sive spiritulium, sive corporalium bonam confiteatur substantiam, et mali nullam esse naturam: quia Deus, qui universitatis est conditor, nihil bonum fecit. Unde et diablous bonus esset, si in eo quod factus est permeneat. Sed quia naturali excellentia male usus est, 'et in veritate non stetit', non in contrariam transiit substaniam, sed a summon bono, cui debuit adhaerere, descivit; sicut ipsi qui talia asserunt a veris in falsa proruunt, et naturam in eo arguunt in quo sponte delinquunt, ae pro sua voluntaria perversitate damnantur. Quod utique in ipsis malum erit, et ipsum malum non erit substantia, sed poena substantiae.  Sanctus Leo Magnus, Epistula XV

The sixth note indicates that they say the devil never was good, and that his nature is not God's work, but that he emerged out of chaos and darkness; thus it seems that he has no instigator, but is himself the principle and substance of all evil, yet the true Faith, which is the Catholic, acknowledges that the substance of all creatures spiritual or corporeal is good, and that evil has no existence, because God, who is the Maker of the Universe, made nothing that was not good. Thus even the devil would be good, if he had remained as he was made. But because he made a bad use of his natural excellence, and 'stood not in the truth,'1 he did not pass into the opposite substance, but from the highest good, to which he should have adhered, he revolted: just like those who assert such things and run from the truth into error, accusing nature of their own spontaneous delinquencies, and so they are condemned for their voluntary perversity. Certainly this evil is in them, but is itself not a substance but a penalty substance suffers. Saint Leo the Great, Letter 15 1 Jn 8.44

Heretics And Counsel

Ego igitur, ut ante iam scripsi, Christi vestem in Romana urbe suscipiens, nunc barbaro Syriae limite teneor. Et ne putes alterius hanc de me fuisse sententiam, quid mererer, ipse constitui. Verum, ut ait Gentilis Poeta: Caelum non animum mutat, qui trans mare currit, ita me incessabilis inimics post tergum sequutus est, ut maiora in solitudine bella nunc patiar. Hinc enim praesidiis fulta mundi Ariana rabies fremit. Hinc in tres partes scissa Eccleisia ad se rapere me festinat. Monarchorum circa manentium antiqua in me surget auctoritas. Ego interim clamito, si quis cathedrae Petri iungitur, meus est. Meletius, Vitalis, atque Paulinus tibi haerere se dicere, possem credere si hoc unus assereret. Nunc aut duo mentiuntur, aut omnes. Idcirco obtestor Beatitudinem tuam, per crucem Domini, per necessarium fidei nostrae decus, passionem Christi, ut qui Apostolos honore sequeris, sequaris et merito: ita in solio cum duodecim iudicaturus sedeas: ita te alius senem cum Petro cingat: ita municipatum caeli cum Paulo consequaris, ut mihi litteris tuis, apud quem in Syria debeam communicare significes. Noli despicere animam, pro qua Christus mortuus est.   Sanctus Hieronymus, ex Epistola XVI, ad Damasum Papam   Source: Migne PL 22 358-9

I, therefore, as I have already written to you, having received Christ's garb in the city of Rome, am now kept on the barbarous edges of Syria. But do not think a sentence was passed upon me; that which I have merited I decreed for myself. Truly, as the heathen poet says: 'They change not mind but sky who race across the sea,' 1 and so the untiring enemy follows behind me, and greater are the assaults that I suffer in the desert. Here, supported by the protection of the world, the Arian frenzy raves. The Church is rent into three factions, each eager to seize me for its own. The influence of the monks is of long standing, and it is directed against me. I meantime keep crying out: 'He who is bound to the chair of Peter is mine.' Meletius, Vitalis, and Paulinus profess to cleave to you; I could believe if only one of them asserted this. So either two lie, or all of them do. Therefore I implore your blessedness, by our Lord's cross, by the necessary glory of our faith, Christ's passion, as you follow in honour the Apostles, that you may follow in merit: that you may sit enthroned with the twelve to judge, that with Peter you may in old age be girded by another, that you may follow Paul into the heavenly city. Tell me by letter with whom I am to communicate in Syria. Do not despise a soul for whom Christ died. St Jerome, from Letter 16, To Pope Damasus 1 Horace, Epistulae, Book 1, 11.27

Sickness And Rest

Ἔλεγον περὶ τοῦ ἀββα ᾽Αρσενιου, ὅτι, ἀσθενήσαντος αὐτου ποτε εις Σκῆτιν, ἀπῆλθεν ὁ πρεσβύτερος, και ἥνεγκεν αὐτου εις τὴν ἐκκλησιαν, και ἒθηκεν αὐτοῦ. Και ιδοῦ εἱς τῶν γερόντων ἐλθων ἐπισκέψασθαι αὐτὸν και ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εις τὸ Χαλαδπριον, και τὸ προσκεφαλαιον υποκατω αὐτοῦ, ἐσκανδαλισθῃ λεγων· Οὖτος ἐστιν ὁ ἀββᾶς ᾽Απσένιος; και εις ταυτα ἀνάκαιται; Λαβων δὲ αὐτὸν πρεσβύτερος και ἰδὼν αὐτὸν εις τὸ Χαλαδπριον, και τὸ προσκεφαλαιον υποκατω αὐτοῦ, ἐσκανδαλισθῃ λεγων· Οὖτος ἐστιν ὁ ἀββᾶς ᾽Απσένιος; και εις ταυτα ἀνάκαιται; Λαβων δὲ αὐτὸν πρεσβύτερος κατ᾽ ἰδιαν, λεγει αὐτῷ· Τι ἧν το ἕργον σου ἐν τῇ κὠμῃ ῾Ο δὲ εἷπε· Ποιμὴν ἤμην. Πῶς ουν, φησι, διῆγες τὸν βιον σου; ´Ο δε ἒφη· Εν πολλῷ κοπῳ διῆγον. Και λέγει αὐτῷ· Νυν οὖν πῶς διάγεις ἐν κελλιῳ; ῾Ο δὲ ἔφη· Μᾶλλον ἀναπαύομαι. Και λέγει αὐτῷ· Βλέπεις τοῦτον τον ἀββᾶν ᾽Αρσένιον; πατηρ Βασιλέων ὑπῆπχεν ὥν ἐν τῷ κοσμῳ, και χιλιοι δοῦλοι χρυσόζωνοι και ὃλοι μαναιάκια και ὁλοσήρικα φοποῦντες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ· πολύτιμα δὲ στρώματα ὑποκατω αὐτοῦ ἧν· σύ δὲ ποιμην ὥν, οὺκ εἱχες ἀνάπαυσιν· και οὗτος τὴν τροφὴν ἣν εἷχεϝ ἐν τῷ κοσμῳ, ὧδε ούκ εχει. Ιδου οὗν σὺ ἀναπαύῃ, κακεινος θλιβεται. ῾Ο δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα, κατενύγη, και ἒβαλε μετάνοιαν, λέγων· Συγχώρησον μοι, ἀββᾶ, ἡμάρτηκα· ἀληθῶς γὰρ αυτη ἐστιν ἡ ἀληθινὴ ὁδος, ὃτι οὗτοσ ἧλθεν εις ταπεινωσιν, ἐγώ δὲ εις ἀνάπαυσιν. Και ὠφεληθεις ὁ γέρων ἀνεχώρνσεν.   ᾽Αποφθεγματα Των Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Πάλλαδιος Migne PG 65  101, 104

They say of Father Arsenius that when he fell sick in Sketis, a priest went out and brought him into the church and laid him down. And one of the elders coming there and seeing him laying on a reed mat with a pillow beneath him was scandalised, saying, 'This is Father Arsenius? He who is lolling about here?' And the priest took him a little apart and said to him, 'What work did you do in the village?' And he said, 'I was a shepherd.' 'How then,' he said, ' did you pass your life?' He said, 'Working in the fields.' And the priest said,' Now tell me what you do in your cell.' And he said, 'For the most part I am at peace.' And he said, 'You see Father Arsenius? In the world he shone as a teacher of Emperors. He had command of a thousand servants and those wearing grand symbols of office assisted him, and precious cloth was spread beneath him. You were but a shepherd and now you have rest; this man dwelt in a world of luxury which he now lacks. Behold, it is you who lay about, it is this man who suffers.' Hearing this he fell to his knees and was struck with repentance, saying 'Forgive me, Father, I have sinned; truly yours is the true way that one comes to humility; I have but rest.' And being forgiven the old man departed. Sayings of the Fathers, Palladius of Galatia

Some African Confessors

Confessorum autem ingens et plurima multitudo, ex quibus multitudo, ex quibus aliquos narrare tentabo. Erant tunc servi cuiusdam Vandali: fuit autem hic Vandalus de illis, quos Millenarios vocant, Martianus, Saturianus, et eorum duo germanii; erat et quaedam conserva eorum egregia Christi ancilla nomine Maxima, corpore simul et corde decora. Et quia Martianianus armifactor erat, et domino suo satis videbatur acceptus, et Maxima universae domui dominabatur, creditit Vandalus, ut fideles sibi magis memoratus faceret famulos, Martinianum Maximamque coniugali consortio sociare. Martianianus adolescentulorum saecularium more coniugium affectabat; Maximaque, iam Deo sacrata, humanas nuptials refutabat. At ubi ventum est ut cubiculi adirentur secreta silentia, et Martinianus nesciens fiducia quasi cum coniuge cuperet cubitare, viva voce ei memorata famula Christi respondit: Christo ego, o Martiniane frater, membra mei corporis dedicavi, nec possum humanum sortiri coniugium, habens iam coelestem et verum sponsum. Sed dabo consilium. Si velis, poteris et ipse tibi praestare, dum licet, ut cui ego concupivi nubere, delecteris et ipse servire. Ita factum est, Domino procurante, ut obediens Virgini etiam adolescens suam animam lucraretur. Nesciente igitur Vandalo spiritalis secreti commercium, compunctus atque mutatus Martianus, etiam suis fratibus persuasit ut thesaurum quem invenerant haberent, ut pote germani, communem. Conversus itaque cum tribus fratribus suis, Dei quoque puella comitante, nocte clam egredientes, Tabraceno monasterio, cui praeerat tunc nobilis pastor Andreas, sociantur. Illa vero haud procul monasterium incoluit puellarum. Sciscitante igitur barbaro inquisitionibus et muneribus crebris, quod gestum erat celari non potuit. Inveniens itaque iam non sua, sed Christi mancipia, coniicit in vinculis, et variis tormentis Dei famulos insectatur; agens cum eis non tantum ut pariter miscerentur, sed, quod gravius est, per rebaptizationis coenum, fidei suae ornamenta turparent. Pervenit hoc ipsum usque ad notitiam Geserici regis, qui praecepit ut tandiu implacabilis herus servos affligeret, quanddiu illius succumberent voluntati. Iubet in modum ferarum fustes robustos veluit palmatos cum stirpibus fieri, qui quatientibus tergis non solum ossa confringerent, sed etiam tenebrantes aculei intrinsecus remanerent. Qui dum sanguis efflueret, et dissipatis carnibus viscera nudarentur, sequenti die, Christo medente, semper incolumes reddebantur. Hoc saepius ac multo factum est tempore et nulla plagarum vestigia videbantur, sancto Spiritu subinde curante. Post hoc arctantur maxime dura custodia, compedeque crudeli extenduntur, quibus eum Dei servorum visitantium non deesset frequentia videntibus cunctis ingentium lignorum putrescens soluta est fortitudo. Miraculum hoc et voce omnium celebratur, et nobis ille ad quem custodia pertinebat, cum sacramento testatus est ita fuisse. At ubi Vandalus virtutem neglexit cogoscere divinam, coepit in domo eius vindicatrix ira grassari. Moritur ipse simul et filii; familiae atque animalium, quaecunque optima erant, pariter intereunt. Remanens itaque domina vidua, marito, filiis, et substantia destituta, servos Christi cognato regis Srsaoni gratia muneris offert, Qui cum eos, utpote oblatus, cum gratulatione minia suscepisset, filios et domesticos eius sanctorum merito male coepit daemon variis motibus agitare. Ex ordine ille cognatus, ut gestum erat, suggerit regi. Dercenit statim rex cuidam gentili regi Maurorum cui nomen inerat Capsur, religandos debere transmitti. Maximam vero Christi famulam confusus et victus propriae voluntati dimisit; quae nunc superest virgo, mater multarum virginum Dei, nobis etiam nequaquam ignota.  Victor Vitensis, Historia Persecutionis Africae Provinciae

From the great multitude of the confessors, from such a multitude, I shall try to tell of a few. There were some slaves of a certain Vandal, one of those Vandals called the 'Millenari', named Martianus, Saturianus and their two brothers,and also a fellow female slave , a most excellent handmaid of Christ, named Maxima, fair in both body and heart. And because Martianianus was a weapon maker and was well liked by his lord and Maxima held office over the whole house, the Vandal believed that by marrying Martianianus and Maxima he would make them more faithful servants. Martianianus was a young man of worldy ways and wanted to marry but Maxima, already consecrated to God, had spurned human nuptials. When it came about that they approached the private silence of the bedroom and Martianuianus, not knowing, desired to lie with her as a husband, the aforementioned handmaid of Christ, with lively voice responded, ' To Christ' , brother Martianianus, ' I have dedicated the limbs of my body and I cannot partake of human marriage, for I have a heavenly and true spouse. But I will give you some advice: if you wish, you also can stand with him, while it is allowed, so that He who I have desired to marry you might delight in serving.' So it was, by the Lord's care, that the young man's soul was enriched by obedience to a maiden. With the Vandal being ignorant of the commerce of their spiritual secret, Martianus now changed and compunctious, persuaded his brothers that as they were brothers they should have in common the treasure he had discovered. The converted man then with his three brothers and with the young lady of God accompanying them, stole away by night, and they entered the monastery of Tabraca, which was then presided over by the noble shepherd Andreas, and the young lady entered a convent of maidens nearby. The barbarian began to investigate the matter and handed over many gifts, and so what had occurred could not be hidden. He discovered that they were not his but belonged to Christ and he had them thrown into chains and inflicted various torments on them, acting so not that they join together, but, far worse, that through the filth of rebaptism they sully the ornaments of their faith. The matter came to the notice of King Geisric and he ordered that the implacable master should continue to afflict the slaves for as long as it took them to surrender to his will. He commanded that strong clubs shaped like palm fronds be made which when used in beating the back would not only break bones but the jagged edges would remain within. So blood flowed and torn flesh revealed the viscera, and yet on the following day, by the medicine of Christ, they were discovered healthy. This happened very often over a long time and no vestiges of wounds were to be seen, the Holy Spirit instantly curing them. After this a harsh imprisonment was imposed and in shackles they were cruelly stretched out, and those who visited them frequently saw the putrescent wounds caused by the large wood disappear. This miracle was celebrated by every voice, and he who was responsible for their custody testified that it was so under oath. The Vandal refused to recognise the divine power and vengeance began to prowl about his house. He and his chidren died at the same time, and also the finest among his slaves and animals perished. The wife now widowed, of husband and children and property destitue, offered the servants of Christ to a relation of the king named Sersa. He happily took them but then, by the merit of the saints, his sons and servants begin to be troubled by the various acts of a demon. In his turn a relative of his reported the matter to the King and instantly he decided that they should be sent away into exile to Caspur the king of the Moors. Apart that is from Maxima, the handmaid of Christ, she who had confounded and conquered. He dimissed her to do as she wished, and even now the maiden lives, a mother to many maidens, and she is not unknown to us. Victor Vitensis, History of the Persecution of the African Province

Presiding at a Council

Leo Episcopus S. Synodo apud Niceam constitutae. Dilectissimis fratribus in Domino salutem.  Optaveram quidem, dilectissimi, pro nostri charitate collegii, omnes Domini sacerdotes in una catholicae fidei devotione peristere, nec quemquam gratia aut formidine potestatum saecularium depravari, ut a via veritatis abscederet. Sed quia multa saepe, quae poenitudinem possint generare, proveniunt, et superat culpas delinquentium misercordia Dei, atque ideo suspenditur ultio, ut possit locum habere correctio, amplectendum est clementissimi principis plenum religione consitium, quo santam fraternitatem vestram ad destruendas insidias diaboli, et ad reformandam ecclesiasticam pacem voluit convenire, beatissimi Petri apostoli iure atque honore servato, adeo ut nos quoque suis ad hoc litteris invitaret, ut venerabili synodo nostram praesentiam praeberemus: quod quidem nec necessitas temporis nec ulla poterat consuetudo permittere. Tamen in his fratribus, hoc est Paschasino et Lucentio episcopis, Bonifacio et Bosailio presbyteris, qui ab apostolica sede directi sunt, me synodo vestra fraternitas aestimet praesidere, non abiuncta a vobis praesentia mea, qui nunc in vicariis meis adsum, et iamdudum in fidei catholicae praedicatione non desum: ut qui non potestis ignorare quid ex antiqua traditione credamus, non possitis dubitare quid cupiamus.  Leo I, Epistola XCIII

Leo, to the holy Synod, assembled at Nicæa. Dearest brothers, Greetings in the Lord. I have indeed prayed, dearly beloved, in charity for my colleagues that all the Lord's priests would persist in the one Catholic Faith, and that no one, by favour or fear of secular power, would be so corrupted that they depart from the way of truth. But because many things often occur that penitence be produced, that God's mercy surpass the errors of delinquents, and that vengeance be postponed in order that correction may have its place, we must embrace much of our most merciful prince's piously intentioned counsel, in which he wishes your holy brotherhood assemble to destroy the snares of the devil and to restore the peace of the Church, he who also honours the right and dignity of the most blessed Apostle Peter as to invite us too by letter that we provide our presence at your venerable Synod, something, however, not permitted either by the needs of the times nor by any custom. Yet in these brethren, that is Paschasinus and Lucentius, bishops, Boniface and Basil, presbyters, who have been deputed by the Apostolic See, let your brotherhood judge that I am presiding at the Synod; for my presence is not withdrawn from you, who am now here in my vicars, I who have for a long time not be wanting in the proclamation of the Catholic Faith: so that you cannot be ignorant what we believe in accordance with ancient tradition, nor are you able to doubt what we desire. Leo I, from Letter 93