Letter CXXIX.691    Placed in 373.

To Meletius Bishop of Antioch.692    A refutation of a charge that he was the author of an Apollinarian document.

1.  I knew that the charge which had lately sprung up against the loquacious Apollinarius would sound strange in the ears of your excellency.  I did not know myself, till now, that he was accused; at the present time, however, the Sebastenes, after search in some quarter or another, have brought these things forward, and they are carrying about a document for which they are specially trying to condemn me on the ground that I hold the same sentiments.  It contains the following phrases.  “Wherefore it is everywhere necessary to understand the first identity in conjunction with, or rather in union with, the second, and to say that the second and the third are the same.  For what the Father is firstly, the Son is secondly, and the Spirit thirdly.  And, again, what the Spirit is firstly, the Son is secondly, in so far as the Spirit is the Lord; and the Father thirdly, in so far as the Spirit is God.  And, to express the ineffable with greatest force, the Father is Son in a paternal sense, and the Son Father in a filial sense, and so in the case of the Spirit, in so far as the Trinity is one God.”  This is what is being bruited about.  I never can believe it to have been invented by those through whom it has been published, although, after their slanders against me, I can regard nothing as beyond their audacity.  For writing to some of their party, they advanced their false accusation against me, and then added the words I have quoted, describing them as the work of heretics, but saying nothing as to the author of the document, in order that it might vulgarly be supposed to have come from my pen.  Nevertheless, in my opinion, their intelligence would not have gone far enough in putting the phrases together.  On this account, in order to repudiate the growing blasphemy against myself, and shew to all the world that I have nothing in common with those who make such statements, I have been compelled to mention Apollinarius as approximating to the impiety of Sabellius.  Of this subject I will say no more.

2.  I have received a message from the court that, after the first impulse of the Emperor, to which he was impelled by my calumniators, a second decree has been passed, that I am not to be delivered to my accusers, nor given over to their will, as was ordered at the beginning; but that there has been in the meanwhile some delay.  If then this obtains, or any gentler measure is determined on, I will let you know.  If the former prevails, it shall not be so, without your knowledge.

3.  Our brother Sanctissimus has certainly been with you a long time, and you have learnt the objects he has in view.  If, then, the letter to the Westerns seems to you to contain at all what is requisite, be so good as to have it written out and conveyed to me, that I may get it signed by those who think with us, and may keep the subscription ready, and written out on a separate paper, which we can fasten on to the letter which is being carried about by our brother and fellow presbyter.  As I did not find in the minute anything conclusive, I was in a difficulty on what point to write to the Westerns.  Necessary points are anticipated, and it is useless to write what is superfluous, and on such points would it not be ridiculous to show feeling?  One subject, however, did appear to me to be hitherto untouched, and to suggest a reason for writing, and that was an exhortation to them not indiscriminately to accept the communion of men coming from the East; but, after once choosing one side, to receive the rest on the testimony of their fellows, and not to assent to every one writing a form of creed on the pretext of orthodoxy.  If they do so, they will be found in communion with men at war with one another, who often put forward the same formulæ, and yet battle vehemently against one another, as those who are most widely separated.  To the end, then, that the heresy may not be the more widely kindled, while those who are at variance with one another mutually object to their own formulæ, they ought to be exhorted to make a distinction between the acts of communion which are brought them by chance comers, and those which are duly drawn up according to the rule of the Church.693    The Ben. note adduces this letter and Letter ccxxiv. as shewing two kinds of communion, (1) Personal in the Eucharist and prayer, and (2) by letter.

ΜΕΛΕΤΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΙΑΣ

[1] Ἤ|δειν ὅτι ξενίσει τὴν ἀκοὴν τῆς τελειότητός σου τὸ νῦν ἐπιφυὲν ἔγκλημα τῷ πάντα εἰπεῖν εὐκόλῳ Ἀπολιναρίῳ. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ αὐτὸς τὸν πρὸ τούτου χρόνον ἤμην ἐπιστάμενος ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οἱ Σεβαστηνοὶ διερευνησάμενοί ποθεν αὐτὰ ἤνεγκαν εἰς τὸ μέσον καὶ περιφέρουσι σύνταγμα ἐξ οὗ μάλιστα καὶ ἡμᾶς καταδικάζουσιν, ὡς τὰ αὐτὰ φρονοῦντας, ἔχον ῥήσεις τοιαύτας: «ὥστε πανταχῆ συνεζευγμένως, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡνωμένως τῇ ἑτερότητι νοεῖν ἀναγκαῖον τὴν πρώτην ταὐτότητα, καὶ δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην λέγοντας τὴν αὐτήν. Ὅπερ γάρ ἐστι πρώτως ὁ Πατήρ, τοῦτό ἐστι δευτέρως ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ τρίτως τὸ Πνεῦμα. Αὖθις δὲ ὅπερ ἐστὶ πρώτως τὸ Πνεῦμα, τοῦτο δευτέρως τὸν Υἱόν, καθὸ δὴ καὶ ὁ Κύριός ἐστι τὸ Πνεῦμα: καὶ τρίτως τὸν Πατέρα, καθὸ δὴ Πνεῦμα ὁ Θεός. Καί, ὡς βιαιότερον σημαίνει τὸ ἄρρητον, τὸν Πατέρα πατρικῶς Υἱὸν εἶναι, τὸν δὲ Υἱὸν ὑϊκῶς Πατέρα. Καὶ ὡσαύτως ἐπὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος, καθὸ δὴ εἷς Θεὸς ἡ Τριάς». Ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ θρυλούμενα ἃ οὐδέποτε δύναμαι πιστεῦσαι πλάσματα εἶναι τῶν περιφερόντων, εἰ καὶ ὅτι ἐκ τῆς καθ' ἡμᾶς συκοφαντίας οὐδὲν λογίζομαι αὐτοῖς ἀτόλμητον εἶναι. Γράφοντες γάρ τισι τῶν καθ' ἑαυτοὺς καὶ προσθέντες τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν διαβολὴν ἐπήγαγον ταῦτα, ῥήματα μὲν αἱρετικῶν ὀνομάσαντες, τὸν δὲ πατέρα τῆς συγγραφῆς ἀποκρυψάμενοι, ἵνα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἡμεῖς νομισθῶμεν εἶναι οἱ λογογράφοι. Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν τοῦ μέχρι ῥήματα συνθεῖναι προῆλθεν αὐτῶν ἡ ἐπίνοια, ὥς γε ἐμαυτὸν πείθω. Ὅθεν, ὑπὲρ τοῦ καὶ τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν κρατοῦσαν βλασφημίαν ἀπώσασθαι καὶ δεῖξαι πᾶσιν ὡς οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ἐστι κοινὸν πρὸς τοὺς ἐκεῖνο λέγοντας, ἠναγκάσθημεν μνησθῆναι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ὡς προσεγγίζοντος τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ τοῦ Σαβελλίου. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον.

[2] Ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ στρατοπέδου ἧκέ τις ἀγγέλλων, ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ κινήσει τοῦ κρατοῦντος, ἣν ἐκίνησαν αὐτὸν οἱ τὰς διαβολὰς ἡμῶν καταχέοντες, γεγενῆσθαί τινα καὶ δευτέραν γνώμην, ὥστε μὴ δοθῆναι ἡμᾶς ἐκδότους τοῖς κατηγόροις μήτε παραδοθῆναι ἡμᾶς τῷ ἐκείνων θελήματι, ὅπερ ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁρισθέν, ἀλλά τινα γενέσθαι τέως ἀναβολήν. Ἐὰν οὖν ἢ ταῦτα μένῃ ἢ τούτων τι δόξῃ φιλανθρωπότερον, σημανοῦμέν σου τῇ θεοσεβείᾳ. Ἐὰν δὲ κρατῇ τὰ πρότερα, οὐδὲ τοῦτό σε λήσεται.

[3] Ὁ μέντοι ἀδελφὸς Σαγκτήσιμος πάντως ἐστὶ παρ' ὑμῖν πάλαι καὶ ἃ ἐπιζητεῖ δῆλα γέγονε τῇ τελειότητί σου. Εἰ οὖν φαίνεται ἀναγκαῖόν τι ἔχειν ἡ πρὸς τοὺς Δυτικοὺς ἐπιστολή, καταξίωσον τυπώσας αὐτὴν διαπέμψασθαι ἡμῖν, ὥστε ποιῆσαι ὑπογραφῆναι παρὰ τῶν ὁμοψύχων, καὶ ἑτοίμην ἔχειν τὴν ὑπογραφὴν ἐν χάρτῃ κεχωρισμένῳ ὃν δυνάμεθα συνάψαι τῷ παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν τοῦ συμπρεσβυτέρου περικομιζομένῳ. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν εὑρὼν συνεκτικὸν ἐν τῷ ὑπομνηστικῷ οὐκ ἔσχον ὑπὲρ οὗ ἐπιστείλω τοῖς ἐν τῇ Δύσει. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀναγκαῖα προείληπται, τὰ δὲ περιττὰ γράφειν παντελῶς μάταιον. Περὶ δὲ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐνοχλεῖν μὴ καὶ γελοῖον εἴη; Ἐκείνη δέ μοι ἔδοξεν ὥσπερ ἀγύμναστος εἶναι ἡ ὑπόθεσις καὶ χώραν παρέχειν γράμμασι, τὸ παρακαλέσαι αὐτοὺς μὴ ἀκρίτως δέχεσθαι τὰς κοινωνίας τῶν ἐκ τῆς Ἀνατολῆς ἀφικνουμένων, ἀλλ' ἅπαξ μίαν μερίδα ἐκλεξαμένους, τοὺς λοιποὺς ἐκ τῆς μαρτυρίας τῶν κοινωνικῶν προσλαμβάνεσθαι καὶ μὴ παντὶ τῷ πίστιν γράφοντι ἐπὶ προφάσει δὴ τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας προστίθεσθαι. Οὕτω γὰρ εὑρεθήσονται τοῖς μαχομένοις κοινωνοῦντες, οἳ τὰ μὲν ῥήματα πολλάκις τὰ αὐτὰ προβάλλονται, μάχονται δὲ ἀλλήλοις ὅσον οἱ πλεῖστον διεστηκότες. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἡ αἵρεσις ἐξάπτηται, τῶν πρὸς ἀλλήλους διαστασιαζόντων ἀντιπροβαλλομένων τὰ παρ' αὐτῶν γράμματα, παρακληθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἔδει κεκριμένας ποιεῖσθαι καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων αὐτοῖς κοινωνίας καὶ τὰς ἐγγράφως γινομένας κατὰ τὸν τύπον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας.