for they have imagined an evil imagination, Saying against their own soul, let us bind the righteous man, because he is not pleasing to us3.’ And full well is it so, my brethren; for when they erred concerning the Scriptures, they knew not that ‘he who diggeth a pit for his neighbour falleth therein; and he who destroyeth a hedge, a serpent shall bite him +.’ And if they had not turned their faces from the Lord, they would have feared what was written before in the divine Psalms: ‘ The heathen are caught in the pit which they made; in the snare which they hid is their own foot taken. The Lord is known when executing judgments: by the works of his hands is the sinner taken 5,’ Let them observe this, and how that ‘the snare they know not shall come upon them, and the net they hid take them®.’ Put they understood not these things, for had they done so, ‘they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 7.’
6. Therefore the righteous and faithful servants of the Lord, who ‘are made disciples for the kingdom of heaven, and bring forth from it things new and old;’ and who ‘meditate on the words of the Lord, when sitting in the house, when lying down or rising up, and when walking by the way®;’—since they are of good hope because of the. promise of the Spirit which said, ‘ Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of corrupters; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night9;’—being grounded in faith, rejoicing in hope, fervent in spirit, they have boldness to say, ‘My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shail be of understanding.’ And again, ‘I have meditated on all Thy works, and on the work of Thy hands has been my meditation.’ And, ‘If I have remembered Thee on my bed, and in the morning have meditated on Thee’.’ Afterwards, advancing in boldness, they say, ‘The meditation of my heart is before Thee at all times*’.’ And what is the end of such an one? He cites immediately; ‘The Lord is my Helper and my Redeemer”.’ For to those who thus examine themselves, and conform their hearts to the Lord, nothing adverse shall happen; for indeed, their heart is strengthened by confidence in the Lord, as it is written, ‘They who trust in the Lord are as mount Sion: he who dwelleth in Jerusalem shall not be moved for ever's.’ For if at any time, the crafty one shall be presump- 3 Is. lii..9, 10, LXX.; cf. Wisd. ii. 12. 8 Matt.
5 Ps; ix. 15. 6 Ib. xxxy. 8. 7 1 Cor. ii. 8. M. xiii. 52; Deut. vi. 7. OUP Sasa. 10 Ib. xlix. 35 cxliii. 5; lxiii. 6. mr Ib, xix. 14. 12 Tb. 13 Ib. cxxv. 1, LXX.
tuously bold against them, chiefly that he may break the rank of the saints, and cause a division among brethren; even in this the Lord is with them, not only as an avenger on their behalf, but also when they have already been beaten, as a deliverer for them. For this is the divine promise; ‘The Lord shall fight for you's.’ Henceforth, although afflictions and trials from without overtake them, yet, being fashioned after the apostolic words, and ‘being stedfast in tribulations, and persevering in prayers's’ and in meditation on the law, they stand against those things (which befall them, are well-pleasing to God, and give utterance to the words which are written, ‘Afflictions and distresses are come upon me; but Thy commandments are my meditation ®®.’
7. And whereas, not only in action, but also in the thoughts of the mind, men are moved to deeds of virtue, he afterwards adds, saying, ‘Mine eyes prevent the dawn, that I might meditate on Thy words*7.’ For it is meet that the spiritual meditations of those who are whole should precede their bodily actions. And does not our Saviour, when intending to teach this very thing begin with the thoughts of the mind? saying, ‘ Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery:’ and, ‘Whosoever shall be angry with his brother, is guilty of murder’®.’ For where there is no wrath, murder is prevented; and where lust is first removed, there can be no accusation of adultery. Hence meditation on the law is necessary, my beloved, and uninterrupted converse with virtue, ‘ that the saint may lack nothing, but be perfect to every good work.’ For by these things is the promise of eternal life, as Paul wrote to Timothy, calling constant meditation exercise, and saying, ‘ Exercise thyself unto godliness; for bodily exercise profiteth little; but godliness is profitable for all things, since it has the promise of the present life, and of that which is eternal?°.’
8. Worthy of admiration is the virtue of that man, my brethren! for through Timothy he enjoins upon allt, that they should have regard to nothing more than to godliness, but above everything to adjudge the chief place to faithin God. For what grace has the unrighteous man, though he may feign to keep the commandments? Nay rather, the unrighteous man is unable even to keep a portion of the law, for as is his mind, such of necessity must be his actions; as the Spirit says, reproving such; ‘The fool hath said in his heart, ames It Cf. Letter 3, § 3, note 17; Afpol. Const, 26, 14 Exod. xiv. 14.
there is no God.’ After this the Word, shewing that actions correspond with thoughts, says, ‘They are corrupt; they are profane in their machinations?.’ The unrighteous man then, in every respect corrupts his body; stealing, committing adultery, cursing, being drunken, and doing such like things. Even as Jeremiah, the prophet, convicts Israel of these things, crying out and saying, ‘Oh, that I had a lodge far off in the wilderness! then would I leave my people and depart from them: for they are all adulterers, an assembly of oppressors, who draw out their tongue as a bow; lying and not truth has prevailed upon the earth, and they proceed from iniquities to iniquities; but Me they have not known3.’ Thus, for wickedness and falsehood, and for deeds, in which they [proceed] from iniquity to iniquity, he reproves their practices; but, because they knew not the Lord, and were faithless, he charges them with unrighteousness.
9. For faith and godliness are allied to each other, and sisters; and he who believes in Him is godly, and he also who is godly, believes the more*. He therefore who is in a state of wickedness, undoubtedly also wanders from the faith; and he who falls from godliness, falls from the true faith. Paul, for instance, bearing testimony to the same point, advises his disciple, saying, ‘ Avoid profane conversations; for they increase unto more ungodliness, and their word takes hold as doth a canker, of whom are Hymenzus and Philetus 5.’ In what their wickedness consisted he declares, saying, ‘Who have erred from the faith, saying that the resurrection is already past®.’ But again, desirous of shewing that faith is yoked with godliness, the Apostle says, ‘And all those who will live godly in Jesus Christ shall suffer persecution 7.’ Afterwards, that no man should renounce godliness through persecution, he counsels them to preserve the faith, adding, ‘ Thou, therefore, continue in the things thou hast learned, and hast been assured of®.’ And as when brother is helped by brother, they become as a wall to each other; so faith and godliness, being of like growth, hang together, and he who is practised in the one, of necessity is strengthened by the other. Therefore, wishing the disciple to be exercised in godliness unto the end, and to contend for the faith, he counsels them, saying, ‘Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal lifes.’ For if a man first put away the wickedness of idols, and rightly confesses Him Who is truly God, he next fights by faith with those who war against Him.
ro. For of these two things we speak of— faith and godliness—the hope is the same, even everlasting life; for he saith, ‘ Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life.’ And, ‘exercise thyself unto godliness, for it hath the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come’®.’ For this cause, the Ario-maniacs, who now have gone out from the Church, being opponents of Christ, have digged a pit of unbelief, into which they themselves have been thrust; and, since they have advanced in ungodliness, they ‘ overthrow the faith of the simple ™,;’ blaspheming the Son of God, and saying that He is a creature, and has His being from things which are not. But as then against the adherents of Philetus and Hymenzus, so now the Apostle forewarns all men against ungodliness like theirs, saying, ‘ The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His; and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity *.’ - For it is well that a man should depart from wickedness and deeds of iniquity, that he may be able properly to celebrate the feast; for he who is defiled with the pollutions of the wicked is not able to sacrifice the Passover to the Lord our God. Hence, the people who were then in Egypt said, ‘We cannot sacrifice the Passover in Egypt to the Lord our God*3.’ For God, Who is over all, willed that they should go far away from the servants of Pharaoh, and from the furnace of iron; so that being set free from wickedness, and having carefully put away from them all strange notions, they might receive the knowledge of God and of virtuous actions. For He saith, ‘Go far from them: depart from the midst of them, and touch not the unclean things*4.’ For a man will not otherwise depart from sin, and lay hold on virtuous deeds, than by meditation on his acts; and when he has been practised by exercise in godliness, he will lay hold on the confession of faithts, which also Paul, after he had fought the fight, possessed, namely, the crown of righteousness which was laid up; which the righteous Judge will give, not to him alone, but to all who are like him.
11. For such meditation and exercise in godliness, being at all times the habit of the saints, is urgent on us at the present time, when the divine word desires us to keep the feast with them if we are in this disposition. For what else is the feast, but the constant 15 The Syriac appears to be a translation of kparnoer THS Omo- “| Noylas THs miarews (cf. Heb. iv. 14).
CELIER XE EASTER, 339. a7 worship of God, and the recognition of godliness, and unceasing prayers from the whole heart with agreement? So Paul wishing us to be ever in this disposition, commands, saying, “Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks*®’ Not therefore separately, but unitedly and collectively, let us all keep the feast together, as the prophet exhorts, saying, ‘O come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us make a joyful noise unto God our Saviour’7.’, Who then is so negligent, or who so disobedient to the divine voice, as not to leave everything, and run to the general and common assembly of the feast? which is not in one place only, for not one place alone keeps the feast; but ‘into all the earth their song has gone forth, and to the ends of the world their words.’ And the sacrifice is not offered in one place, but ‘in every nation, incense and a pure sacrifice is offered unto God*.’ So when in like manner from all in every place, praise and prayer shall ascend to the gracious and good Father, when the whole Catholic Church which is in every place, with gladness and rejoicing, celebrates together the same worship to God, when all men in common send up a song of praise and say, Amen?; how blessed will it not be, my brethren! who will not, at that time, be engaged, praying rightly? For the walls of every adverse power, yea even of Jericho especially, falling down, and the gift3 of the Holy Spirit being then richly poured upon all men, every man perceiving the coming of the Spirit shall say, ‘ We are all filled in the morning with Thy favour, and we rejoice and are made glad in our days#.’
12. Since this is so, let us make a joyful noise with the saints, and let no one of us fail of his duty in these things; counting as nothing the affliction or the trials which, especially at this time, have been enviously directed against us by the party of Eusebius. Even now they wish to injure us, and by their accusations to compass our death, because of that godliness, whose helper is the Lord.. But, as faithful servants of God, knowing that He is our salvation in the time of trouble: —for our Lord promised beforehand, saying, ‘Blessed are ye when men revile you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for your reward is great in heaven 5.’ Again, it is the Redeemer’s own word, that affliction shall not befall every man in this world, but only those who have a holy fear of Him:—on this account, the more the 16 y Thess v. 16—18. S7eSsaxcve Is 1 Ib. xix. 43 Mal. i. II, 2 Fora parallel passage to this, vid. Letter x. 2.
3 Cf. Letter x. 2, note g. Vid. also John vii. 39; Rom. v. 5; John xx. 22, 4 Ps, xc. 14, LXX. att. v. 11, 12, enemies hem us in, the more let us be at liberty; although they revile us, let us come together; and the more they would turn us aside from godliness, let us the more boldly preach it, saying, ‘All these things are come upon us, yet have we not forgotten Thee °,’ and we have not done evil with the Ariomaniacs, who say that Thou hast existence from those things that exist not. The Word which is eternally with the Father, is also from Him.
13. Let us therefore keep the feast, my brethren, celebrating it not at all as an occasion of distress and mourning, neither let us mingle with heretics through temporal trials brought upon us by godliness, But if anything that would promote joy and gladness should offer, let us attend to it; so that our heart may not be sad, like that of Cain; but that, like faithful and good servants of the Lord, we may hear the words, ‘Enter into the joy of thy Lord?.’. For we do not institute days of mourning and sorrow, as some may consider these of Easter to be, but we keep the feast, being filled with joy and gladness. We keep it then, not regarding it after the deceitful error of the Jews, nor according to the teaching of the Arians, which takes away the Son from the Godhead, and numbers Him among creatures; but we look to the correct doctrine we derive from the Lord. For the guile of the Jews, and the unbounded impiety of the Arians, cause nothing but sad reflections, for the former at the beginning slew the Lord; but these latter take away His position of having conquered that death to which the Jews brought Him, in that they say He is not the Creator, but a creature. For if He were a creature, He would have been holden by death; but if He was not holden by death, according to the Scriptures, He is not a creature, but the Lord of the creatures, and the subject® of this immortal feast.
14. For the Lord of death would abolish death, and being Lord, what He would was accomplished; for we have all passed from death unto life. But the imagination of the Jews, and of those who are like them, was vain, since the result was not such as they contemplated, but turned out adverse to themselves; and ‘at both of them He that sitteth in the heaven shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision9.’ Hence, when our Saviour was led to death, He restrained the women who followed Him weeping, saying, ‘ Weep not for Me*;’ meaning to shew that the Lord’s death is an event, not of sorrow but of joy, and that He Who dies for us is alive. For He does not derive His being from those 8 Syr. urdBecus. Cf.
6 Ps, xliv. 17. aa 9 Ps. ii. 4s Letter x. 2, note 8 things which are not, but from the Father. It is truly a subject of joy, that we can see the signs of victory against death, even our own incorruptibility, through the body of the Lord. For since He rose gloriously, it is clear that the resurrection of all of us will take place; and since His body remained without corruption, there can be no doubt regarding our incorruption™. For as by one man ”, as saith Paul (and it is the truth), sin passed upon all men, so by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall all rise. ‘For,’ he says, ‘ this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality 3.’ Now this came to pass in the time of the Passion, in which our Lord died for us, for ‘ our Passover, Christ, is sacrificed 4.’ Therefore, because He was sacrificed, let each of us feed upon Him, and with alacrity and diligence partake of His sustenance; since He is given to all without grudging, and is in every one ‘a well of water flowing to everlasting life 15.’
15. We begin the fast of forty days on the ninth of the month Phamenoth (Mar. 5); and having, in these days, served the Lord with abstinence, and first purified ourselves *°, we commence also the holy Easter on the fourteenth of the month Pharmuthi (April 9). Afterwards, extending the fast to the seventh day, on the seventeenth ’7 of the month, let us rest late in the evening. And the light of the Lord having first dawned upon us, and the holy Sunday on which our Lord rose shining upon us, we should rejoice and be glad with the joy which arises from good works, during the seven weeks which remain—to Pentecost— giving glory to the Father, and saying, ‘ This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it ™, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through Whom to the same, and to His Father, be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the brethren who are with me salute you. That ye may have health in the Lord, I pray, brethren beloved.
Here endeth the eleventh Letter of holy WP SU (Probably for 340 A.D.) Lo the Beloved Brother, and our fellow Minister Serapion *. THANKs be to Divine Providence for those 13 x Cor, 16 Cf, Letter vi.
i This Letter being introduced (as it is in the MS.) after the eleventh, with the remark at the end of it, that there is no twelfth; | together with the exhortations concerning fasting contained in it, was probably written in lieu of a twelfth. Serapion was doubtless the Bishop of Thmuis (see Lette? 54).
things which, at all times, it vouchsafes to us; for it has vouchsafed to us now to come to the ‘season of the festival.
Having, therefore, according to custom, written the Letter respecting the festival, I have sent it to you, my beloved; that through you all the brethren may be able to know the day of rejoicing. But because some Meletians, being come from Syria, have boasted that they had received what does not belong to them, I mean, that they also were reckoned in the Catholic Church; on this account, I have sent to you a copy of one letter of our fellow-ministers who are of Palestine, that when it reaches you, you may know the fraud of the pretenders in this matter. For because they boasted, as I have said before, it was necessary for me to write to the Bishops who are in Syria, and immediately those of Palestine sent us a reply, having agreed in? the judgment against them, as you may learn from this example. That you may not have to consider the letters of all the Bishops one after the other, I have sent you one, which is of like character with the rest, in order that from it you may know the purport of all of them. I know also that when they are convicted in this matter, they will incur perfect odium at the hands of all men. And thus far concerning the pretenders. But I have further deemed it highly necessary and very urgent, to make known to your modesty—for I have written this to each one— that you should proclaim the fast of forty days to the brethren, and persuade them to fast, lest, while all the world is fasting, we who are in Egypt should be derided, as the only people who do not fast, but take our pleasure in these days. For if, on account of the Letter [not] being yet read, we do not fast, we should take away this pretext, and it should be read before the fast of forty days, so that they may not make this an excuse for neglect or fasting. Also, when it is read, they may be able to learn about the fast. But O, my beloved, whether in this way or any other, persuade and teach them to fast the forty days. For it is a disgrace that when all the world does this, those alone who are in Egypt, instead of fasting, should find their pleasure. For even I being grieved because men deride us for this, have been constrained to write to you. When therefore you receive the letters, and have read them and given the exhortation, write to me in return, my beloved, that I also may rejoice upon learning it.
2. But I have also thought it necessary to inform 3 you of the fact, that Bishops have suc- 2 Or, ‘fulfilled the judgment.’ Cureton. _3 There is a similar notification of the appointment‘of fresh Bishops appended to the nineteenth Letter.
PRL LER XII ceeded those who have fallen asleep. In Tanis, in the stead of Elias 4, is Theodorus. In Arsenoitis, Silvanus$’ instead of Calosiris. In Paralus, Nemesion is instead of Nonnus®. In Bucolia? is Heraclius. In Tentyra, Andronicus is instead of Saprion8, his father. In Thebes, Philon instead of Philon. In Maximianopolis, Herminus instead of Atras. In the lower Apollon is Sarapion instead of Plution. In Aphroditon, Serenus is in the place of Theodorus. In Rhinocoruron, Salomon. In Stathma, Arabion, and in Marmarica. In the eastern Garyathis, Andragathius9 in the place of Hierax. In the southern Garyathis, Quintus 9 instead of Nicon *°. So that to these you may write, and from these receive the canonical Letters.
Salute one another with a holy kiss. brethren who are with me salute you.
All the He wrote this from Rome. There is no twelfth Letter.
LETTER XIII.
Coss. Marcellinus, Probinus; Pref. Longinus; Indict. xiv; Laster-day, xiii Kal. Matz, xxiv Pharmutht; Ara Dioclet. 57.
AGAIN, my beloved brethren, I am ready to notify to you the saving feast*, which will take place according to annual custom. For although the opponents of Christ? have oppressed you together with us with afflictions and sorrows; yet, God having comforted us by our mutual faith 3, behold, I write to you even from Rome. Keeping the feast here with the brethren, still I keep it with you also in will and in spirit, for we send up prayers in common to God, ‘ Who hath granted us not only to believe in Him, but also now to suffer for His sake+,’ For troubled as we are, because we are so far from you, He moves us to write, that 4 Larsow writes ‘Ilius.’ Tanis is situate in Augustamnica Prima. Vid. Quatremére Mémoires geogr. et histor. sur l’ Egypte, tom. i. p. 284, &c. (L.) The word Tavs is the LXX. rendering of ‘ Zoan.’ In the Aol. c. Ar. 50, we have a list of ninety-four Egyptian Bishops, among others, who subscribed to the letter of the Council of Sardica. A reference to this list explains some names which otherwise would have been obscure. For a list of the Egyptian Bishoprics, the reader is referred to Neale’s Hist. of the Holy Eastern Church. Gen. Introd. vol. i. pp. 115, 116. To the list there given must be added the names of Bucolia, Stathma, the Eastern Garyathis, the Southern Garyathis. There were two Egyptian Bishops named Elias who subscribed their names to the letter of the Council of Sardica.
5 Silvanus was succeeded by Andreas, as we learn from the postscript to the nineteenth Letter.
6 An Egyptian Bishop named Nonnus was present at the Synod of Tyre. Afol.c. Ar. § 79.; ‘ 7 For a dissertation on the situation of Bucolia, see the treatise by Quatremére, already referred to (tom. 1. pp. 224— 233). In p.233, he writes; La contrée de V'Elearchie ou des Bucolies est, si je ne me trompe, parfaitement identique avec la province de Baschmour.; 8 An Egyptian Bishop of the name of Saprion was at the Synod of Tyre. Afol.c. Ar. § 79. Heis ‘Serapion’ in Vit. Pach. 20.
2 The Arians (01 xpeoropaxor). 3 Cf. Rom. i. 12.
by a letter we might comfort ourselves, and provoke one another to good 4*. For, indeed, numerous afflictions and bitter persecutions directed against the Church have been against us. For heretics, corrupt in their mind, untried in the faith, rising against the truth, violently persecute the Church, and of the brethren, some are scourged and others torn with stripes, and hardest of all, their insults reach even to the Bishops. Nevertheless, it is not becoming, on this account, that we should neglect the feast. But we should especially remember it, and not at all forget its commemoration from time to time. Now the unbelievers do not consider that there is a season for feasts, because they spend all their lives in revelling and follies; and the feasts which they keep are an occasion of grief rather than of joy. But to us in this present life they are above all an uninterrupted passage [to heaven|—it is indeed our season. For such things as these serve for exercise and trial, so that, having approved ourselves zealous and chosen servants of Christ, we may be fellowheirs with the saints5. For thus Job: ‘The whole world is a place of trial to men upon the earth 5°,’ Nevertheless, they are proved in this world by afflictions, labours, and sorrows, to the end that each one may receive of God such reward as is meet for him, as He saith by the prophet, ‘I am the Lord, Who trieth the hearts, and searcheth the reins, to give to every one according to his ways ©.’
2. Not that He first knows the things of a man on his being proved (for He knows them all before they come to pass), but because He is good and philanthropic, He distributes to each a due reward according to his actions, so that every man may exclaim, Righteous is the judgment of God! As the prophet says again, ‘The Lord trieth the just, and discerneth the reins?.’ Again, for this cause He tries each one of us, either that to those who know it not, virtue may be manifested by means of those who are proved, as was said respecting Job; ‘Thinkest thou that I was revealed to thee for any other cause, than that thou shouldest be seen righteous ®?’ or that, when men come to a sense of their deeds, they may be able to know of what manner they are, and so may either repent of their wickedness, or abide confirmed in the faith. Now the blessed Paul, when troubled by afflictions, and persecutions, and hunger and thirst, ‘in everything was a conqueror, through Jesus Christ, Who loved us.’ Through suffering he was weak indeed in body, yet, believing and hoping, he was made strong 4" Cf, Heb. x. 24. 6. Ch Colni.. 12. 5 Job vii. 1, not XX. 6 Jer. xvil. 10. 7 Ib. xx. 12. 8 Job xl. 8, 9, in spirit, and his strength was made perfect in weakness 9°.
3. The other saints also, who had a like confidence in God, accepted a like probation with gladness, as Job said, ‘ Blessed be the name of the Lord *°.’? But the Psalmist, ‘ Search me, O Lord, and try me: prove my reins and my heart '.’? For since, when the strength is proved, it convinceth the foolish, they perceiving the cleansing and the advantage resulting from the divine fire, were not discouraged in trials like these, but they rather delighted in them, suffering no injury at all from the things which happened, but being seen to shine more brightly, like gold from the fire **, as he said, who was tried in such a school of discipline as this; ‘Thou hast tried my heart, Thou hast visited me in the night-season; Thou hast proved me, and hast not found iniquity in me, so that my mouth shall not speak of the works of men*3.’ But those whose actions are not restrained by law, who know of nothing beyond eating and drinking and dying, account trials as danger. They soon stumble at them, so that, being untried in the faith, they are given over to a reprobate mind, and do those things which are not seemly 34, Therefore the blessed Paul, when urging us to such exercises as these, and having before measured himself by them, says, ‘Therefore I take pleasure in afflictions, in infirmities.’ And again, ‘ Exercise thyself unto