The Canonical Epistle of St Gregory of Nyssa

Direct English translation

This too is one of the things that contribute to the holy feast: that we consider the lawful and canonical economy concerning those who have transgressed, so that every sickness of soul arising from some sin may be healed. This universal feast of creation is celebrated each year throughout the whole world, according to the appointed return of the yearly cycle, for the resurrection of the fallen. Sin is a fall, and resurrection is the restoration from the fall of sin. It would therefore be good on this day not only to bring to God those who through regeneration are transformed by the grace of the washing, but also to guide toward saving hope those who, through repentance and a turning away from dead works, return again to the living way—the hope from which sin had estranged them. It is no small task to order teaching concerning these matters with right and tested judgment, according to the Prophet’s command that words be ordered with judgment, so that, as the saying has it, the righteous man may never be shaken and may be held in everlasting remembrance. In bodily treatment the aim of medical art is one—to restore the sufferer to health—while the form of care varies, because a method of treatment appropriate to each disease is applied according to the variety of illnesses. So too, since the diseases of the soul contain a great variety of passions, therapeutic care must necessarily take many forms, effecting the cure in proportion to the passion. To give some methodical treatment of the question before us, we shall arrange the discourse as follows. In the first division, three things are considered in our soul: the rational, the desiring, and the incensive. In these are found both the achievements of those who live according to virtue and the falls of those who decline into wickedness. Therefore one who is to apply the proper cure to the diseased part of the soul must first examine where the passion is established and then apply the treatment fittingly to the part affected. Otherwise, through ignorance of the method of healing, one part may be sick while another receives the treatment. We indeed see many physicians, through ignorance of the part first affected, aggravating the illness by their remedies. An illness often arises from an excess of heat. Since warming and reviving treatment benefits those harmed by an excess of cold, physicians who unthinkingly apply the same treatment to those burning with immoderate heat make the illness difficult to cure. Just as physicians have judged knowledge of the distinctive properties of the elements to be most necessary, so that in each condition, good or bad, what has been unnaturally affected may be restored, so we, returning to this division of the things considered in the soul, shall make this general contemplation the beginning and foundation of the proper treatment of the passions. As we said, the distinctive movements of the soul are divided threefold into the rational, the desiring, and the incensive. The achievement of the soul’s rational part is a pious conception of God; discriminating knowledge of good and evil; and a clear and unconfused judgment concerning the nature of things—what among existing things is to be chosen, and what is abominable and to be rejected. The vice in this part will plainly be seen in the contrary condition: when there is impiety concerning God, lack of judgment concerning the truly good, and a reversed and erroneous conception of the nature of things, so as to call light darkness and darkness light, as Scripture says. The virtuous movement of the desiring part is to direct longing toward what is truly desirable and genuinely good, and to occupy there the whole power and disposition of love within us, persuaded that nothing else is desirable by its own nature except virtue and the Nature from which virtue springs. The deviation and sin of this part occur when one transfers desire toward unsubstantial vainglory or toward the beauty painted upon bodies. From this arise love of money, love of glory, love of pleasure, and all like things dependent upon this kind of vice. Again, the achievement of the incensive disposition is hatred of evil, warfare against the passions, and the sharpening of the soul toward courage: not shrinking from things commonly thought fearful, but resisting sin even unto blood; despising the threat of death, painful punishments, and separation from the most pleasant things; and, in a word, becoming superior to everything that through habit and preconception holds most people in pleasure, while fighting in defense of faith and virtue. The falls of this part are evident to all: envy, hatred, wrath, revilings, fights, contentious and vindictive dispositions that prolong resentment and lead many to murders and bloodshed. The undisciplined reason, not finding where it may use the weapon profitably, turns the edge of the sword against itself; and the defensive weapon given us by God becomes destructive to him who uses it badly.

Direct English translation

These matters having been distinguished in the manner stated, all sins that touch the rational part of the soul were judged by the Fathers to be more grievous and worthy of a greater, longer, and more laborious return. Such is the case if someone denied the faith in Christ and was seen to have deserted to Judaism, idolatry, Manichaeism, or some other form of atheism. One who rushed voluntarily into such evil and then condemned himself has the whole span of his life as his time of repentance. He is never deemed worthy to worship God with the people while the mystical prayer is being offered, but shall pray by himself and remain altogether without communion in the Holy Gifts. At the hour of his departure he shall then be deemed worthy of a portion of the Holy Gift. If, contrary to expectation, he continues to live, he shall again remain under the same judgment, without participation in the mystical Holy Gifts until his departure. Those who were cruelly treated by tortures and severe punishments were assigned a definite time of penance. The Holy Fathers used loving-kindness toward them because it was not the soul that fell, but bodily weakness that failed to withstand the torments. Therefore the transgression committed under force and suffering was measured, in their return, by the same standard as those who transgressed through fornication.

Direct English translation

Those who go to sorcerers, diviners, or persons who promise to perform cleansings and protections through demons must be questioned and examined exactly: did they remain steadfast in the faith in Christ but were driven into that sin by some necessity, because ill-treatment or unbearable loss produced this impulse in them? Or did they wholly despise the testimony entrusted to us and run to the alliance of demons? If they did this in rejection of the faith and through disbelief that the God worshipped by Christians is God, they shall plainly be subjected to the judgment of those who transgressed. But if some unbearable necessity mastered their faintheartedness and brought them to this, deluding them through a deceived hope, the same loving-kindness shall be shown them as to those who were unable to withstand torture in the time of confession.

Direct English translation

The sins arising from desire and pleasure are divided as follows: one is called adultery, the other fornication. Some of the more exact have thought that the transgression of fornication should also be considered adultery, because there is one lawful union: of a woman with a man and of a man with a woman. Everything not lawful is altogether contrary to law; and one who does not possess his own plainly possesses what belongs to another. God gave one helper to the man, and one head was joined to the woman. Therefore, if someone has acquired his own vessel, as the divine Apostle calls it, the law of nature permits its righteous use. But if one turns outside his own, he will altogether come into what belongs to another; for everything that is not one’s own belongs to another, even if it does not have an acknowledged owner. Thus fornication did not appear far removed from the transgression of adultery to those who examine the matter more exactly, since divine Scripture also says, “Do not be much with a strange woman.” Nevertheless, because the Fathers showed a certain condescension toward the weaker, the transgression was distinguished by this general division: fornication is the fulfillment of desire without injustice to another; adultery is a plot against and injustice to what belongs to another. Bestial corruption and sexual sin with males are also reckoned in this category, since they are adulteries against nature; for the injustice is done to what is alien and contrary to nature. Once this division has been made in this form of sin, the common treatment is that through repentance the person become clean from the passionate frenzy for such pleasures. Since no injustice is mixed with the sin of those defiled by fornication, the time of return was appointed double for those defiled by adultery and by the other forbidden evils—bestial corruption and frenzy toward a male. In such cases, as I have said, the sin is doubled: one part consists in the unlawful pleasure, the other in injustice against what belongs to another. In sins of pleasure there is also this difference in the manner of repentance. One who of his own accord hastens to confess his sins—by choosing from his own impulse to become the accuser of his hidden deeds—has already begun the cure of the passion and shown a sign of change toward the better; he therefore receives more merciful penances. But one detected in evil, or involuntarily exposed through suspicion or accusation, receives a more extended course of return, so that after being cleansed with exactness he may then be admitted to communion in the Holy Gifts. The rule is therefore this: those defiled by fornication shall for three years be wholly excluded from prayer; for three years they shall participate in hearing alone; for another three years they shall pray with those who fall down in repentance; and then they shall partake of the Holy Gifts. For those who employ a more earnest return and show by their life a restoration toward the good, the steward may, for their benefit and according to ecclesiastical economy, shorten the time of hearing and bring them sooner to the stage of return; he may shorten that time also and restore communion sooner, as his own testing judges the condition of the person being treated. Just as casting the pearl before swine is forbidden, so it is unfitting to deprive of the precious Pearl one who through purity and freedom from passion has already become a man. The lawlessness of adultery and of the other kinds of uncleanness shall, as stated above, be treated in every respect according to the same judgment as the defilement of fornication; only the time is doubled. The disposition of the person being treated must be observed in this case too, as with those caught in the defilement of fornication, so that they may partake of the Good sooner or later.

Direct English translation

It remains to bring the incensive part of the soul under examination when, having failed in the good use of anger, it falls into sin. Though the sins activated by anger are many and all are evil, our Fathers somehow determined not to examine the others with great exactness or to consider every transgression arising from anger worthy of extensive treatment. Scripture indeed forbids not only the bare act of striking but every insult or blasphemy and whatever else anger produces. Yet by their penances the Fathers provided a safeguard particularly against the defilement of murder. This evil is divided according to the distinction between voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary murder is, first, that dared with preparation by one who readied himself for the very purpose of committing the defilement. It was also considered voluntary when someone in a clash and fight, striking and being struck, delivers with his hand a mortal blow against another. For once a man has been overcome by anger and yielded to the impulse of wrath, at the time of the passion he brings to mind nothing capable of stopping the evil. The murder resulting from the clash is therefore attributed to an act of choice, not to a mischance. Involuntary acts have plain marks: a person directing his effort toward something else accidentally does something irreparable. For those healed through return from the defilement of voluntary murder, the period is extended threefold: three times nine years. A period of nine years is assigned to each degree. He spends nine years under complete exclusion, barred from the Church; another equal number of years he remains among the hearers, deemed worthy only to hear the teachers and the Scriptures; and after praying in the stage of return for the final period, he thus comes to participation in the Holy Gift. Plainly, the steward of the Church shall make the same observation in this case, and the length of the penance shall be shortened in proportion to the person’s return. Instead of nine years at each degree, it may be only eight, seven, six, or five, if the greatness of his return overcomes the time and the diligence of his correction surpasses those who during the long term cleanse themselves from the stain more carelessly. Involuntary killing was judged pardonable, though not praiseworthy. I say this to make clear that even if someone incurs the defilement of murder involuntarily, the rule declares him excluded from priestly grace because he has already been profaned by the defilement. The period of cleansing assigned to simple fornication was judged fitting also for those who killed involuntarily. Here too the intention of the penitent is tested; if the return is trustworthy, the number of years need not be observed in every case, but by a shortened course he may be brought to restoration in the Church and participation in the Good. If someone is departing this life before completing the time defined by the canons, the loving-kindness of the Fathers commands that he partake of the Holy Gifts, lest he be sent without provision on that final and long journey. If, after partaking of the Holy Gift, he returns again to life, he must await the appointed time, remaining in the degree in which he stood before communion was given to him by necessity.

Direct English translation

I do not know how the other kind of idolatry—for so the divine Apostle names greed—was overlooked by our Fathers as though needing no cure, although this evil appears to be a passion affecting all three conditions of the soul. The reason errs in its judgment of the good and imagines that good consists in matter, without looking toward immaterial beauty. Desire flows downward, falling away from what is truly desirable. The contentious and incensive disposition takes many occasions from this sin. In short, this disease agrees with the Apostle’s definition of greed, for the divine Apostle declared it not only idolatry but also the root of all evils. Nevertheless this kind of disease has been overlooked, unexamined and uncared for. Consequently the sickness abounds in the churches, and no one carefully examines those being led into the clergy to see whether they have been defiled by this kind of idolatry. Since our Fathers passed over these matters, we consider it sufficient to heal them through public teaching, cleansing the diseases of greed by the word as one treats disorders caused by excess. We regard only theft, grave-robbing, and sacrilege as subjects for canonical treatment, because this is the tradition concerning them that came to us through the succession of the Fathers. Yet according to divine Scripture, profiteering and interest are also forbidden, as is bringing another’s property into one’s possession through abuse of power, even if this occurs under the appearance of commerce. Since our own judgment is not trustworthy enough to possess the authority of canons, we shall add to what has been said the canonical judgment concerning the acknowledged prohibitions. Theft is divided into robbery and secret theft. Both have one aim, the taking away of another’s property, but there is a great difference between their intentions. The robber takes bloodshed as an ally in accomplishing his purpose, preparing for it with weapons, a band of men, and advantageous places. Such a person must therefore be subjected to the judgment for murderers if through repentance he returns to the Church of God. One who secretly appropriates another’s property and then makes his transgression known to the priest through confession shall cure the sickness by zeal for what is contrary to the passion: by giving what he possesses to the poor, so that by relinquishing what he has he may plainly be purified from the disease of greed. If he has nothing and possesses only his body, the Apostle commands that he heal the passion through bodily labor. The saying is: “Let him who steals steal no more, but rather let him labor, working what is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.”

Direct English translation

Grave-robbing is itself divided into what is pardonable and what is unpardonable. If someone, respecting what is holy and leaving the hidden body inviolate so that the shame of nature is not exposed to the sun, uses some stones laid before the tomb for the construction of some work, this is not praiseworthy; nevertheless custom has made it pardonable when the material is transferred to something more honorable and beneficial to the community. But searching the dust of flesh returned to earth and disturbing the bones in the hope of gaining some ornament buried with them is condemned by the same judgment as simple fornication, as distinguished in the preceding discourse. Plainly, the steward shall inspect in the person’s life the healing of the one being treated, so as to shorten the period of penance defined by the canons.

Direct English translation

In the ancient Scripture sacrilege was considered no more tolerable than condemnation for murder, for both one convicted of murder and one who took what had been dedicated to God underwent punishment by stoning. In ecclesiastical custom, I do not know how a certain condescension and accommodation arose so that cleansing from this disease was regarded as more tolerable; for the tradition of the Fathers assigned such persons a penance shorter than that for adultery. In every form of transgression it is fitting above all to observe the disposition of the person being treated, and not to suppose that time is sufficient for healing—for what healing comes merely from time?—but rather the intention of the person who heals himself through return. Man of God, we have composed these things for you with much diligence from what was at hand, because we must obey the commands of the brethren, and have sent them promptly. Do not cease to offer your customary prayers for us to God. As a grateful son, you owe to him who begot you according to God the care of his old age through your prayers, according to the command that says: “Honor your parents, that it may be well with you and that you may live long upon the earth.” Plainly, you will receive this letter as a priestly token and will not dishonor the gift of hospitality, even if something in it falls short of your great natural ability.