The patriarch Abraham won a victory in his old age. [1931] The great Moses was now an old man when, so long as he stretched out his hands in prayer, he vanquished Amalek. [1932] The divine Samuel [1933] was an old man when he put the aliens to flight. These are emulated by your venerable old age. In our wars for true religion's sake you are playing the man, and championing the cause of the gospel doctrines, and putting young men in the shade by the vigour of your spirit.

I rejoice to hear it, and am glad, and long to embrace your right venerable gray hairs. This I cannot do, for your reverence is kept at home by your years, and I am kept in durance here by the imperial decree. But I cheat my love by this letter, and give your piety this most loving embrace. I call upon you in your prayers to help the churches now whelmed in the storm, and to win for me the divine support, assailed as I am for the sake of the doctrines of the gospel, and standing sorely in need of help from above.

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Footnotes:

[1930] Jobius was an orthodox archimandrite of Constantinople, and subscribed the deposition of Eutyches by the hand of his deacon Andreas at Constantinople in 448. (Labbe iv, 232) In 450 Leo addresses him with other archimandrites (Ep. 71 page 1012). This letter seems to have been written about the time of the Latrocinium.

[1931] Genesis 13:15

[1932] Exodus 17:13

[1933] 1 Samuel 7:12