Epistle 6 (65). To the Subscribed Presbyter

What have you suffered, honorable father? The subscription has been a shipwreck for you. How long did you mourn this fall? For truly the fall is a rebellion against the holy icon of Christ, even if you only sign with your hand. I learned about this from your letter, O man of God, and I was compassionate, sighed, condoled, and cried out bitterly, as befits a friendly disposition.

For we are members of one another (Ephesians 4:25), and if one member suffers, then all the members suffer with it, says the Apostle. - And if one member is glorified, all the members rejoice with it (1 Corinthians 12:26). But, oh, calamity! We have been attacked, we have been afraid, we have feared that which we should not fear and fear, if we really read the words: "Fear not those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul" (Matt. 10:28).

Why, my friend, have you addressed your speech to me, who am useless? What healing can I offer, one who is sick with sins and does not belong to those who are entrusted with the healing of such wounds? God is not a God of disorder; the correction and healing of the presbyters, i.e. the priests, He entrusted to the bishops. You demand from me something that is beyond my strength. You should not do this. However, in order that I may not leave you completely unanswered, I lovingly offer you the following advice.

The good God does not want man to die, but wants him to turn from his way and live (Ezekiel 33:11). Therefore, if your repentance is true, then completely withdraw from the priesthood; only in case of some urgent need can you give the Holy Thing to someone. For sometimes, because of necessity and difficulties, it happens that someone accepts it from himself in order to avoid heresy. Therefore, what you have done by yourself or by the inspiration of another is praiseworthy and good for the propitiation of God.

But there is absolutely no possibility of allowing the priesthood, even if such permission is given by some bishop. And so on until the establishment of peace in the Church of God, when all such things will be duly determined by a conciliar court and will receive a divine decision.

But if you say that, when you signed, you exclaimed that you worship the holy icons, then, forgive me, brother, and Pilate, calling himself innocent of the murder of Christ, confirmed His death with a reed. This is what I advise you, humble as before God.

I ask you to pray for my salvation in your contrite repentance. Console my holy fathers from among the bishops, whom, according to you, you have seen, and greet them as if from me, the unfortunate one.

Notes

1. Probably, this refers to the agreement not to gather together and not to teach the Orthodox veneration of holy icons, which is mentioned above, in the second letter. The present letter was written in the year 816.

Epistle 7(66). To John the Son

I am comforted, son and brother, by your letters, for they come in order and are devoid of unpleasant verbosity. The merit of writing is that it immediately touches upon the proposed subject and speaks of what is necessary, and does not return to what is not so. Let us go further.

What you have asked is not the time to speculate, and it is not for us to teach you, good son. In addition, I am not initiated into incomprehensible subjects. But in order not to grieve you with silence, I will say about the first that none of the other God-bearing Fathers explained this subject in the same way as Gregory of Nyssa. Let us be content with spiritual contemplation of this on the path to contemplation that has already been opened. For what is far from Gadir is inaccessible, as the proverb says [1].

About the second: the prudent is silent at this time, for this is an evil time (Amos 5:13); This does not seem to me bad or wrong. For we have been ordained by the inspired Scriptures a time to speak and a time to be silent (Ecclesiastes 3:7), according to the demand of need, so that we may observe and improve the word of truth. For is not the command given to us: Do not give holy things to dogs, and do not cast pearls before swine (Matt. 7:6)?