Letter 71: Among the pagans — though the devil led them wherever he pleased, even into idolatry — and among the Jews — though...

To Roigonios the Bishop. Since you have written that Eusebius the bishop is contesting the point, not by withdrawing from offenses too grave for pardon, but by making a show of defending himself, behaving shamelessly when he says, "In want of what was I selling the ordinations? For of those things that anyone might ask for, I enjoy even more than one could pray for, both glory and honor"; one of my friends, of those renowned for their hatred of wickedness, who happened to be present, said: That the office of the episcopate, which he has enjoyed beyond his desert, is the limit of all the things men pray for, this too I affirm. But for those who incline toward vice and are prepared for taking gain, nothing is sufficient. Nor would any of the rulers become base and evildoers, if they were content with what they possess and knew how to keep their prosperity within measure. But I think that often even more of them come to ruin from these prosperities than from more straitened circumstances. For in proportion as they are exalted above the rest, and inflamed with arrogance, and claim to think themselves above the many, and reckon being given counsel an insult, by so much also self-will, and the desire for more, and the boldness of supposing that, even if caught, they will pay no penalty, enter into them. Let him therefore contest the point [openly], and let him not think he is defending himself by an unconvincing plea. For he is not acquitted of the charges, but moreover incurs ridicule besides.

Ἐπειδὴ γέγραφας ὅτι Εὐσέβιος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, οὐ τῷ ἀποστῆναι τῶν συγγνώμης μειζόνων πταισμάτων γνωσιμαχεῖ, ἀλλὰ τῷ δοκεῖν (56) ἀπολογεῖσθαι, ἀναίσχυντεῖ φάσκων· Τίνος ὧν ἐνδείῃ ἐπίπρασκον τὰς χειροτονίας; ὧν γὰρ ἐξαιτ’ ἂν ἕκαστος, εἰ μὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ εὐχὴν, ἀπολαύω καὶ δόξης καὶ τιμῆς· παρὼν τις φίλων τῶν μισοπονηρίας ἕνεκεν διαβοήτων, ἔφη· Ὅτι μὲν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἡ λειτουργία, ἧς παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἀπέλαυσε, πάντων ἐστὶ τῶν ἀνθρώποις εὐκταίων ὅρος, οἷα καὶ σύμφημι. Τοῖς δὲ πρὸς κακίαν ῥέπουσι, καὶ λήμματος ἡτοιμημένοις, οὐδέν ἐστιν αὐταρκες. Οὐδ’ ἂν ἐγίνοντο ἐκ τῶν ἡγεμόνων τινὲς μοχθηροὶ καὶ κακοῦργοι, εἰ τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν ἠρκοῦντο, καὶ συμμετρεῖσθαι τὰς εὐημερίας ἤδεσαν. Ἀλλ’ οἶμαι πολλάκις γίνεσθαι καὶ πλείους ἀπὸ τούτων, ἢ τῶν καταδεεστέρων. Ὅσῳ γὰρ καὶ ἐπῃρμένοι παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους εἰσὶ, καὶ φλεγμαίνουσι τῷ τύφῳ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοὺς πολλοὺς φρονεῖν ἀξιοῦσι, καὶ τὸ συμβουλεύεσθαι ὕβριν ἡγοῦνται· τοσούτῳ καὶ αὐθάδεια, καὶ ἐπιθυμία πλειόνων, καὶ θάρσος τοῦ μηδ’ ἂν ἁλῶσι δίκην ὀφλέξειν, αὐτοῖς εἰσέρχεται. Γνωσιμαχείτω τοιγαροῦν, καὶ μὴ δοκέτω ἀπιθάνῳ ἀπολογεῖσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ ἀπολύεται τὰ ἐγκλήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ γέλωτα προσπολισκάνει.