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the observance of the legal worship and again a typical high priest after the true high priest and a sacrifice for sins after the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and partial baptisms after the one baptism and the ash of a heifer sprinkling the Church which through faith in Christ has no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, and cleansings of leprosy after the impassibility of the resurrection, and an offering of jealousy, when they neither marry nor are given in marriage, loaves of presentation after the bread from heaven, burning lamps after the true light, and in short, if now the law of commandments in ordinances has been abolished, it is clear that then the dogmas of Christ will be invalidated by the legal ordinances. At these things, shame and confusion have covered our faces, and heavy grief has filled our hearts. Therefore we beseech you, as skilled physicians and taught to instruct in meekness those who oppose, to try to lead him back to the good order of the Church and to persuade him to despise the polyphony of his compositions (for he has confirmed the word of Proverbs that: "From much talking it is not possible to escape sin"), and to present to him strictly the dogmas of orthodoxy, so that his correction may become manifest and his repentance be made known to his brothers. 265.3 It is reasonable also concerning the matters of Marcellus to remind your reverence, that you may not define anything about them inconsiderately or easily. But since he departed from the Church on account of impious dogmas, it is necessary that his followers, having anathematized that heresy, thus become acceptable to the communion, so that those who are united to us through you may be received by the entire brotherhood, since now indeed no moderate grief has possessed the many who have heard that when they came to your honor you both received them and gave them ecclesiastical communion. And yet you ought to have known that by the grace of God you are not alone in the East, but you also have many of your own party, who vindicate the orthodoxy of the Fathers of those at Nicaea who set forth the pious dogma of the faith, and all those of the West are in agreement with you and with us, whose tome of faith we have received and hold among ourselves, following their sound teaching. It was necessary, therefore, for all who are in the same communion with you to be fully informed, so that what was done might be more confirmed by the consent of the many and peace might not be torn apart by the reception of some while others stand aloof. Thus it was fitting for us to deliberate firmly and gently about matters concerning all the Churches throughout the world. For not he who dogmatizes something quickly is praiseworthy, but he who has regulated each thing fixedly and unshakeably so that his judgment, being examined in the time to come, may appear more approved, this man is acceptable both with God and men as one who "orders his words with judgment." These things, as much as communication by letter allowed us, we have addressed to your reverence. May the Lord grant that we may one day come together with one another, so that having arranged all things with you for the building up of the Churches of God, we may receive with you the reward prepared by the righteous Judge for the faithful and wise stewards. Meanwhile, for now, deign to send us the propositions on which you received the followers of Marcellus, knowing this, that even if you make your own position very secure, you ought not to entrust so great a matter to yourselves alone, but it is necessary that those in communion in the West and in the East become joint voters in their restoration.

266. To Peter, Bishop of Alexandria

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τῆς νομικῆς λατρείας τὴν παρατήρησιν καὶ πάλιν ἀρχιερέα τυπικὸν μετὰ τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ θυσίαν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν μετὰ τὸν ἀμνὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν ἄραντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου καὶ βαπτίσματα μερικὰ μετὰ τὸ ἓν βάπτισμα καὶ σποδὸν δαμάλεως ῥαντί ζουσαν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τὴν οὐκ ἔχουσαν διὰ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως σπῖλον ἢ ῥυτίδα ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, καὶ καθαρισμοὶ λέπρας μετὰ τὴν ἀπάθειαν τῆς ἀναστάσεως, καὶ ζηλοτυπίας προσφοράν, ὅτε οὔτε γαμοῦσιν οὔτε γαμίσκονται, ἄρτοι προθέσεως μετὰ τὸν ἄρτον τὸν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, λύχνοι καιόμενοι μετὰ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, καὶ ὅλως, εἰ νῦν ὁ νόμος τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασι κατήργηται, δῆλον ὅτι τότε τὰ δόγματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τοῖς νομικοῖς ἐν τάλμασιν ἀκυρωθή σεται. Ἐπὶ τούτοις αἰσχύνη μὲν καὶ ἐντροπὴ ἐκάλυψεν ἡμῶν τὰ πρόσωπα, λύπη δὲ βαρεῖα πεπλήρωκεν ἡμῶν τὰς καρδίας. ∆ιὸ παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς, ὡς ἐπιστήμονας ἰατροὺς καὶ δεδιδαγμένους ἐν τῇ πραΰτητι παιδεύειν τοὺς ἀντι διατιθεμένους, πειραθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐπαναγαγεῖν πρὸς τὴν εὐταξίαν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας καὶ πεῖσαι αὐτὸν καταφρονῆσαι τῆς πολυφωνίας τῶν συνταγμάτων (ἐβεβαίωσε γὰρ τὸν τῆς Παροιμίας λόγον ὅτι· «Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ πολυλογίας ἐκφυγεῖν ἁμαρτίαν»), στενῶς δὲ αὐτῷ προβάλλειν τὰ τῆς ὀρθοδοξίας δόγματα, ἵνα κἀκείνου ἡ ἐπανόρθωσις φανερὰ γένηται καὶ τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτοῦ γνωρισθῇ ἡ μεταμέλεια. 265.3 Εὔλογον δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν κατὰ Μάρκελλον ὑπομνησ θῆναι ὑμῶν τὴν εὐλάβειαν, ἵνα μηδὲν ἀπερισκέπτως μηδ' εὐκόλως τυπώσητε περὶ αὐτῶν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ δογμάτων ἕνεκεν ἀσεβῶν ἐξῆλθε τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐκεῖνος, τοὺς ἑπο μένους αὐτῷ ἀναγκαῖον ἀναθεματίσαντας ἐκείνην τὴν αἵρεσιν οὕτω δεκτοὺς γενέσθαι τῇ κοινωνίᾳ, ἵν' οἱ ἡμῖν συναπτόμενοι δι' ὑμῶν παρὰ πάσης δεχθῶσι τῆς ἀδελφό τητος, ἐπεὶ νῦν γε οὐ μετρία μετέσχε λύπη τοὺς πολλοὺς ἀκούσαντας ὅτι παραγενομένους πρὸς τὴν ὑμετέραν τιμιό τητα καὶ προσήκασθε καὶ κοινωνίας αὐτοῖς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς μετεδώκατε. Καίτοιγε εἰδέναι ὑμᾶς ἐχρῆν ὅτι τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι οὔτε κατὰ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν μόνοι ἐστέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὺς ἔχετε τῆς ἑαυτῶν μερίδος, οἳ τὴν τῶν Πατέρων ἐκδικοῦσιν ὀρθοδοξίαν τῶν κατὰ Νίκαιαν τὸ εὐσεβὲς δόγμα τῆς πίστεως ἐκθεμένων, καὶ οἱ τῆς ∆ύσεως πάντες σύμ φωνοι ὑμῖν τε καὶ ἡμῖν τυγχάνουσιν, ὧν δεξάμενοι τῆς πίστεως τὸν τόμον ἔχομεν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς ἑπόμενοι αὐτῶν τῇ ὑγιεῖ διδασκαλίᾳ. Ἔδει οὖν πάντας πληροφορεῖσθαι τοὺς ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ συναφείᾳ τυγχάνοντας ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ τὸ γινόμενον μᾶλλον ἐβεβαιώθη ἐν τῇ τῶν πολλῶν συγκαταθέσει καὶ ἡ εἰρήνη μὴ διέσπαστο ἐν τῇ τινων προσλήψει ἑτέρων ἀφισταμένων. Οὕτως ἦν πρέπον βουλεύσασθαι ἡμᾶς στιβα ρῶς καὶ πράως περὶ πραγμάτων πάσαις ταῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ἐκκλησίαις διαφερόντων. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ ταχύ τι δογματίσας ἐπαινετός, ἀλλ' ὁ παγίως καὶ ἀσαλεύτως ἕκαστα κανονίσας ὥστε καὶ εἰς τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα χρόνον ἐξεταζομέ νην τὴν γνώμην δοκιμωτέραν φαίνεσθαι, οὗτος ἀπόδεκτος καὶ παρὰ Θεῷ καὶ ἀνθρώποις ὡς «οἰκονομῶν τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ ἐν κρίσει». Ταῦτα, ὅσα ἐδίδου ἡμῖν ἡ διὰ τοῦ γράμ ματος ὁμιλία, προσεφθεγξάμεθα ὑμῶν τὴν εὐλάβειαν. Παράσχοι δὲ ὁ Κύριος καὶ εἰς ταὐτὸν ἡμᾶς ἀλλήλοις γενέσθαι ποτέ, ἵνα πάντα πρὸς καταρτισμὸν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ μεθ' ὑμῶν οἰκονομήσαντες μεθ' ὑμῶν δεξώμεθα τὸν μισθὸν τὸν ἡτοιμασμένον παρὰ τοῦ δικαίου Κριτοῦ τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ φρονίμοις οἰκονόμοις. Τέως δὲ νῦν καταξιώ σατε ἡμῖν ἀποστεῖλαι τὰς προτάσεις ἐφ' αἷς ἐδέξασθε τοὺς Μαρκέλλου, ἐκεῖνο εἰδότες ὅτι, κἂν πάνυ τὸ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀσφαλίσησθε, μόνοις ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιτρέψαι πρᾶγμα τοσοῦτον οὐκ ὀφείλετε, ἀλλὰ χρὴ καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ ∆ύσει καὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν κοινωνικοὺς συμψήφους αὐτῶν τῇ ἀποκαταστάσει γενέσθαι.

266.τ ΠΕΤΡΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΑΛΕΞΑΝ∆ΡΕΙΑΣ