Closing exhortation to peace and right glorification of the Spirit
Amphilochius is closing his synodal letter, having just affirmed the Trinity and the Spirit's place in the Godhead.
But since discussing these matters in fine detail would exceed the measure of a letter, and since we have trusted that your love will be satisfied with the main point of our exposition and will add the rest from your own resources—for, as the saying goes, give a wise man an opportunity and he will be wiser—we consider what we have written to be sufficient. To this it is enough to add a brief exhortation.
We urge you to remain sons of peace, so that you may fulfill the apostolic command, being of one soul, thinking the one thing, and sharing in the sufferings endured for Christ. Do not give the evil one a chance to separate what has been well joined together, and do not make yourselves easier prey for the wolves by division, thereby confirming their prayers. For we have learned how many struggles you have undergone for the sake of orthodoxy.
Since you have overcome the threats and the pressures from your adversaries, give no opportunity to division, lest hatred creeping in little by little, if it finds a place, may set great cliffs under you. But in your doxologies you must glorify the Spirit together with the Father and the Son, and know this: those who, through blasphemy against the Spirit, incur the unforgivable sin vainly reject communion with the Arians. For they will be condemned with them.
We pray that you, having kept the body of the church uncut and without quarreling, may pass the remaining time in this present age peacefully, and may stand gloriously before the judgment seat of Christ on the day of judgment.
Greek
Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ μέτρον ἐπιστολῆς ἐκφεύγει τὸ περὶ τούτων λεπτολογεῖν καὶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην
ἐπιστεύσαμεν ἀρκεσθή σεσθαι τῷ κεφαλαίῳ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἐκθέσεως καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ προσθήσειν οἴκοθεν–∆ίδου γάρ, φησί, σοφῷ ἀφορμὴν καὶ σοφώτε ρος ἔσται–, καὶ ταῦτα ἀποχρώντως γεγραφέναι νομίζομεν. Οἷς ἀρκεῖ βραχεῖαν προσθεῖναι παράκλησιν. Παρακαλοῦμεν γὰρ μένειν ὑμᾶς υἱοὺς εἰρήνης, ἵνα πληρώσητε τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ἐντολήν, σύμψυχοι τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες καὶ τῶν παθημάτων τῶν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ κεκοινωνηκότες. Μὴ δῶτε τῷ πονηρῷ διαζεῦξαι τὰ καλῶς συνημμένα μήτε τοῖς λύκοις ἑαυτοὺς εὐαλωτοτέρους ποιήσητε τῇ διχοστασίᾳ τὰς ἐκείνων βεβαιοῦντες εὐχάς. Ἐμάθο μεν γὰρ ὅσους ἄθλους ὑπὲρ τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας ὑπέστητε. Τὰς οὖν ἀπειλὰς καὶ τὰς ἀνάγκας τὰς παρὰ τῶν ὑπεναντίων νικήσαντες μηδένα δῶτε διαστάσει καιρόν, μήποτε κατὰ βραχὺ παρεισρυό μενον μῖσος, ἐὰν σχῇ τόπον, μεγάλους ὑμῖν κρημνοὺς ὑποθήσῃ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ταῖς δοξολογίαις τὸ πνεῦμα πατρὶ καὶ υἱῷ χρὴ συνδοξάζειν καὶ εἰδέναι τοῦτο, ὅτι οἱ τὴν ἀσυγχώρητον ἁμαρτίαν διὰ τῆς εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα βλασφημίας ἐξαμαρτάνοντες εἰκῆ παραι τοῦνται τὴν πρὸς τοὺς Ἀρειανοὺς κοινωνίαν. Μετὰ γὰρ ἐκείνων κατακριθήσονται. Εὐχόμεθα δὲ ὑμᾶς ἄτμητον τὸ σῶμα τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀφιλονείκως φυλάξαντας, εἰρηνικῶς μὲν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι τὸν λειπόμενον διάγειν χρόνον, ἐνδόξως δὲ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως παραστῆναι τῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ βήματι.