Letter CCV.1015    Placed in 375.

To Elpidius the bishop.1016    Of what see is uncertain.  He was in friendly relations with Basil, and therefore was not in communion with Eustathius of Sebaste.  (Letter ccli.)

Once again I have started the well-beloved presbyter Meletius to carry my greeting to you.  I had positively determined to spare him, on account of the weakness which he has voluntarily brought upon himself, by bringing his body into subjection for the sake of the gospel of Christ.  But I have judged it fitting to salute you by the ministry of such men as he is, able to supply of themselves all the shortcomings of my letter, and to become, alike to writer and recipient, a kind of living epistle.  I am also carrying out the very strong wish, which he has always had, to see your excellency, ever since he has had experience of the high qualities you possess.  So now I have besought him to travel to you, and through him I discharge the debt of the visit I owe you, and beseech you to pray for me and for the Church of God, that the Lord may grant me deliverance from the injuries of the enemies of the Gospel, and to pass my life in peace and quiet.  Nevertheless, if you in your wisdom, think it needful that we should travel to the same spot, and meet the rest of our right honourable brother bishops of the sea board regions, do you yourself point out a suitable place and time where and when this meeting may take place.  Write to our brethren to the end that each and all may, at the appointed time, leave the business they may have in hand, and may be able to effect something for the edification of the Churches of God, do away with the pain which we now suffer from our mutual suspicions, and establish love, without which the Lord Himself has ordained that obedience to every commandment must be of none effect.

ΕΛΠΙΔΙῼ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠῼ

[1] Πάλιν ἡμεῖς τὸν ἀγαπητὸν καὶ συμπρεσβύτερον Μελέτιον ἐκινήσαμεν ἐπὶ τὴν σὴν ἀγάπην προσηγορίας ἡμῶν διακομίζοντα. Οὗ εἰ καὶ πάνυ ἐγνώκειμεν φείδεσθαι διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἣν ἑκουσίως ἑαυτῷ ἐπηγάγετο δουλαγωγῶν τὴν σάρκα διὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅμως καὶ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς πρέπον εἶναι κρίνοντες διὰ τοιούτων προσφθέγγεσθαί σε, τῶν δυναμένων ὅσα διαφεύγει τὸ γράμμα παρ' ἑαυτῶν ῥᾳδίως ἀναπληρῶσαι καὶ οἱονεὶ ἀντ' ἐπιστολῆς ἐμψύχου γενέσθαι τῷ τε γράφοντι καὶ τῷ δεχομένῳ, καὶ τὸν αὐτοῦ δὲ πόθον ἀναπληροῦντες ὃν ἔχει ἀεὶ περὶ τὴν σὴν τελειότητα ἀφ' οὗ εἰς πεῖραν ἀφίκετο τῶν ἐν σοὶ καλῶν, καὶ νῦν αὐτὸν ἐλθεῖν ὡς σὲ ἐδυσωπήσαμεν, δι' οὗ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἐπισκέψεως ἀποπληροῦμεν χρέος καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν προσεύχεσθαί σε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα δῷ ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγειν, τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἐχθρῶν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐπηρείας ἀπαλλαγεῖσιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τῇ σῇ συνέσει ἀκόλουθον καὶ ἀναγκαῖον καταφαίνεται εἰς ταὐτὸν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις ἐλθεῖν καὶ συντυχεῖν καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς τιμιωτάτοις ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς τὴν παραλίαν κατοικοῦσιν ἐπισκόποις, αὐτὸς καὶ ἡμῖν ἀπόδειξον τόπον καὶ καιρὸν καθ' ὃν ἔσται τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐπίστειλον, ἵνα ἐπὶ ὡρισμένοις καταλιπόντες ἕκαστος τὴν ἐν χερσὶν ἀσχολίαν δυνηθῶμέν τι τῶν εἰς οἰκοδομὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιῆσαι, καὶ ἀνελεῖν μὲν τὰς ἐξ ὑπονοιῶν νῦν ἡμῖν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐγγινομένας λύπας, κυρῶσαι δὲ τὴν ἀγάπην ἧς ἄνευ ἀτελῆ εἶναι πάσης ἐντολῆς ἐργασίαν αὐτὸς ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος διωρίσατο.