7. [The fair thing would be to judge of me, not
from one or two who do not walk uprightly in the truth, but from the
multitude of bishops throughout the world, connected with me by the
grace of the Lord. Make enquiries of Pisidians, Lycaonians,
Isaurians, Phrygians of both provinces, Armenians your neighbours,
Macedonians, Achæans, Illyrians, Gauls, Spaniards, the whole of
Italy, Sicilians, Africans, the healthy part of Egypt, whatever is left
of Syria; all of whom send letters to me, and in turn receive them from
me.] From these letters, alike from all which are despatched from
them. and from all which go out from us to them, you may learn that we
are all of one mind, and of one opinion. [Whoso shuns communion
with me, it cannot escape your accuracy, cuts himself off from the
whole Church. Look round about, brethren, with whom do you hold
communion? If you will not receive it from me, who remains to
acknowledge you? Do not reduce me to the necessity of counselling
anything unpleasant concerning a Church so dear to me.] There are
things now which I hide in the bottom of my heart, in secret groaning
over and bewailing the evil days in which we live, in that the greatest
Churches which have long been united to one another in brotherly love,
now, without any reason, are in mutual opposition. Do not, oh! do
not, drive me to complain of these things to all who are in communion
with me. Do not force me to give utterance to words which
hitherto I have kept in check by reflection and have hidden in my
heart. Better were it for me to be removed and the Churches to be
at one, than that God’s people should suffer such evil through
our childish ill-will. [Ask your fathers, and they will tell you
that though our districts were divided in position, yet in mind they
were one, and were governed by one sentiment. Intercourse of the
people was frequent; frequent the visits of the clergy; the pastors,
too, had such mutual affection, that each used the other as teacher and
guide in things pertaining to the Lord.]