Letter 794

To the same person. In each instance the blessed David declares to us: "In God have I hoped; I will not fear what man shall do to me." [Psalm 56:11 / 118:6] For every faithful man, lifting up the eye of his mind toward the Better, and hoping unshakeably, will surely throw down and bring to nothing the kindred leapings of the flesh, and will dismiss the fury-driven and monstrous thoughts, and will spit out the shameful reasonings. How then is it that you, above all men, fear, and cower, and shrink in dread before the boilings-up and the risings of the skin and the evil thoughts? Rather, it must be examined whether this dread does not come about and arise from unbelief, and one must cry out to the physician of souls: "I believe, Master; help my unbelief," [Mark 9:24] or else say that saying written of old: "Lord, add faith to us." [Luke 17:5]

Φάσκει καθέκαστον ὁ μακάριος Δαυῒδ πρὸς ἡμᾶς· « Ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ ἤλπισα, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι, τί ποιήσει μοι ἄνθρωπος ; » Πᾶς γὰρ πιστὸς ἄνθρωπος, πρὸς τὸ Κρεῖττον ἐπάρας τὸ ὄμμα τῆς διανοίας, καὶ ἀκραιδάντως ἐλπίσας, πάντως ὅτι καταπαλαίσει καὶ καταργήσει τὰ συγγενῆ σκιρτήματα τῆς σαρκὸς, καὶ τοὺς ἐριννυώδεις καὶ τερατώδεις ἀποπέμψει, καὶ τοὺς αἰσχροὺς λογισμοὺς ἀποπτύσει. Πῶς τοίνυν αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ πάντα φοβῇ, καὶ καταπτήσσεις, καὶ δειλιᾷς τοὺς βρασμοὺς, καὶ τὰς ἐπαναστάσεις τοῦ δέρματος, καὶ τοὺς κακοὺς λογισμοὺς ; ᾿Αλλὰ δοκιμαστέον, μὴ ἐξ ἀπιστίας τοῦτο συμβαίνει καὶ γίνεται τὸ δέος, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἰατρὸν τῶν ψυχῶν βοητέον· « Πιστεύω, Δέσποτα, βοήθει μου τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ » ἢ ἐκεῖνο εἰπεῖν τὸ πάλαι γεγραμμένον· « Κύριε, πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν. »