Letter 374

To Plato the Archimandrite. The leaders of our order, having become zealous imitators of the apostles, were as lamps shining in the darkness, and fixed stars illuminating the lightless night of human life, and forerunners of harbors for those who in their own selves were untouched by storm, easily showing to all how to escape unharmed the assaults of the passions. But you, having so many souls under your hand, have banished virtue and driven it far away, while in the darkness of wickedness and of evil character you gladly hide your own face; and you cast the brethren into bad condition, and storm, and ceaseless turmoils, and you are eager to destroy those who ought to be saved. And who, then, will ransom you from the eternal punishment? For "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." [Hebrews 10:31]

Οἱ μὲν ἀρχηγοὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας τάξεως, ζηλωταὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων γενόμενοι, λύχνοι τινὲς ὑπῆρχον ἐν σκοτίᾳ φαίνοντες, καὶ ἀστέρες ἀπλανεῖς, τὴν ἀφεγγῆ τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου βίου καταυγάζοντες νύκτα, καὶ λιμένων πρόδρομοι τῷ καθ’ ἑαυτοὺς ἀχειμάστῳ, πᾶσιν εὔκολος ὑποδεικνύντες τὸ διαφυγεῖν ἀβλαβῶς τὰς τῶν παθῶν προσβολάς. Αὐτὸς δὲ τοσαύτας ψυχὰς ὑποχειρίους ἔχων, ἐξώρισας μὲν τὴν ἀρετήν, καὶ μακρὰν ἐφυγάδευσας, τῷ δὲ σκότει τῆς πονηρίας, καὶ τῆς κακοηθείας, τὸ σαυτοῦ πρόσωπον ἡδέως ἐγκαλύπτεις, καὶ εἰς κακοεξίαν, καὶ χειμῶνα, καὶ ταραχὰς ἀπαύστους ἐμβάλλεις τοὺς ἀδελφούς, καὶ ἀπολέσαι σπεύδεις τοὺς σωθῆναι ὀφείλοντας. Καὶ τίς σε ἄρα λυτρώσει τῆς αἰωνίου κολάσεως; «Φοβερὸν γὰρ τὸ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας Θεοῦ ζῶντος.»