Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers Series 2 - The Still Small ...

To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria.
Letter LXIX. 2246
1. As time moves on, it continually confirms the opinion which I have long held of your
holiness; or rather that opinion is strengthened by the daily course of events. Most men are
indeed satisfied with observing, each one, what lies especially within his own province; not
thus is it with you, but your anxiety for all the Churches is no less than that which you feel
for the Church that has been especially entrusted to you by our common Lord; inasmuch
as you leave no interval in speaking, exhorting, writing, and despatching emissaries, who
from time to time give the best advice in each emergency as it arises. Now, from the sacred
ranks of your clergy, you have sent forth the venerable brother Peter, whom I have welcomed
with great joy. I have also approved of the good object of his journey, which he manifests
in accordance with the commands of your excellency, in effecting reconciliation where he
finds opposition, and bringing about union instead of division. With the object of offering
some contribution to the action which is being taken in this matter, I have thought that I
could not make a more fitting beginning than by having recourse to your excellency, as to
the head and chief of all, and treating you as alike adviser and commander in the enterprise.
I have therefore determined to send to your reverence our brother Dorotheus the deacon,
of the Church under the right honourable bishop Meletius, being one who at once is an
energetic supporter of the orthodox faith, and is earnestly desirous of seeing the peace of
the Churches. The results, I hope, will be, that, following your suggestions (which you are
able to make with the less likelihood of failure, both from your age and your experience in
affairs, and because you have a greater measure than all others of the aid of the Spirit), he
may thus attempt the achievement of our objects. You will welcome him, I am sure, and
will look upon him with friendly eyes. You will strengthen him by the help of your prayers;
you will give him a letter as provision by the way; you will grant him, as companions, some
of the good men and true that you have about you; so you will speed him on the road to
what is before him. It has seemed to me to be desirable to send a letter to the bishop of
Rome, begging him to examine our condition, and since there are difficulties in the way of
representatives being sent from the West by a general synodical decree, to advise him to
exercise his own personal authority in the matter by choosing suitable persons to sustain
the labours of a journey,—suitable, too, by gentleness and firmness of character, to correct
the unruly among us here; able to speak with proper reserve and appropriateness, and
thoroughly well acquainted with all that has been effected after Ariminum to undo the violent
measures adopted there. I should advise that, without any one knowing anything about it,
2246 Of the same period as the preceding.
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria.
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