Letter
LXVII.
2242
To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria
.
In
my former letter it
seemed to me sufficient to point out to your excellency, that all that
portion of the people of the holy Church of Antioch who are sound in
the faith, ought to be brought to concord and unity. My object
was to make it plain that the sections, now divided into several parts,
ought to be united under the God-beloved bishop Meletius. Now the
same beloved deacon, Dorotheus, has requested a more distinct statement
on these subjects, and I am therefore constrained to point out that it
is the prayer of the whole East, and the earnest desire of one who,
like myself, is so wholly united to him, to see him in authority over
the Churches of the Lord. He is a man of unimpeachable faith; his
manner of life is incomparably excellent, he stands at the head, so to
say, of the whole body of the Church, and all else are mere disjointed
members. On every ground, then, it is necessary as well as
advantageous, that the rest should be united with him, just as smaller
streams with great ones. About the rest,
2243
however, a certain amount of management
is needed, befitting their position, and likely to pacify the
people. This is in keeping with your own wisdom, and with your
famous readiness and energy. It has however by no means
escaped your intelligence, that this same course of procedure has
already recommended itself to the Westerns who are in agreement with
you, as I learn from the letters brought to me by the blessed
Silvanus.
2242
Of the same
year as the preceding.
2243
i.e.
Paulinus and his adherents.