Page 5 - Adiabene letters_Neat

46 ISIK/YAHB ill OF ADIABENE

rulers,12 and have already done enough to cut off all hope of a life
in the Church.
God’s Church, therefore, that is to say, this holy synod, which
is gathered at this lime in the city of the Catholicos’ see, has now
done to you what you yourselves had already done to yourselves,
namely, removing you from the honour and rank’3 *through which

you have become renowned. For it is right that those who have cut
themselves off from the supreme source11 of priestly life flowing
from heaven, and considered that the mere empty title of
priesthood is enough for them, conferring it on one another,15
should be completely deprived of that empty title, that they may
not become the cause of empty error for Christians’6 straying
through ignorance.
However, J who have often experienced that the dead can also
be recalled to life by God,17 have delayed the punishment18 against
you a little,19 until I have sent and visited you through this letter,
and if it is that your death has not approached the corruption of
ruin20 from true hope as was said of Lazarus by his sister,21 the
power of our Lord perhaps might call you back, like him, and you
might return to life in the Church, just as he (came back to life).22
But if it is not so, rather there is no hope for you concerning your
death from the Church of God, we shall mourn you just as we
mourned for your friends the Mazunayc.23 Therefore, let us know

13 X .A
13
11
15
16 kriwCS.
17 Hebrews 11:19.
18 Ja. us
19 XxX-ft
20 Ik-x
21 John 9:39.
22 ooi, oikosous
23 L»oux>. Very probably the inhabitants of Mazun (Oman) is meant;
in Syriac texts Maron and Mazon arc often confused.