Letter CXXVI.682    Placed in 373.

To Atarbius.683    Bishop of Neocæsarea.  VideLetter lxv.

On arriving at Nicopolis in the double hope of settling the disturbances which had arisen, and applying a remedy, as far as possible, to measures taken in a disorderly manner and in violation of the law of the Church, I was exceedingly disappointed at failing to meet you.  I heard that you had hurriedly withdrawn, and actually from the very synod which was being held by you.  I am, therefore, under the necessity of having recourse to writing, and by this letter I bid you present yourself before me, that you may in person apply some remedy to the pain which I felt, even unto death, on hearing that you had ventured on action, in the very middle of the church, of the like of which I hitherto have never heard.  All this, although painful and serious, is endurable, as having happened to a man who has committed the punishment due for his sufferings to God, and is wholly devoted to peace and to preventing harm falling from any fault of his on God’s people.  Since, however, some honourable brethren, worthy of all credit, have told me that you have introduced certain innovations into the faith, and have spoken against sound doctrine, I am under the circumstances the more agitated, and above measure anxious, lest, in addition to the countless wounds which have been inflicted on the Church by traitors to the truth of the Gospel, yet a further calamity should spring up in the renewal of the ancient heresy of Sabellius, the enemy of the Church; for to this the brethren have reported your utterances to be akin.  I have, therefore, written to charge you not to shrink from undertaking a short journey to come to me, and, by giving me full assurance in the matter, at once to alleviate my pangs, and to solace the Churches of God, which are now pained to a grave, nay an unendurable extent, at your actions and your reported words.

ΑΤΑΡΒΙῼ

[1] Παραγενόμενοι μέχρι τῆς Νικοπόλεως ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τοῦ καὶ τὰς κινηθείσας ταραχὰς ἐπανορθώσασθαι καὶ τὴν ἐνδεχομένην ἐπαγαγεῖν παραμυθίαν τοῖς ἀτάκτως καὶ παρὰ τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικὸν θεσμὸν γενομένοις, σφόδρα ἠθυμήσαμεν μὴ καταλαβόντες σου τὴν χρηστότητα, ἀλλὰ μαθόντες ἐξεληλακέναι σε πρὸς πᾶσαν ἔπειξιν καὶ ταῦτα μεσούσης σχεδὸν τῆς συνόδου τῆς παρ' ὑμῶν τελουμένης. Διὸ ἀναγκαίως ἐπὶ τὸ γράμμα ἤλθομεν δι' οὗ ὑπομιμνήσκομεν ἀπαντῆσαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ἵνα αὐτὸς διὰ σαυτοῦ παραμυθήσῃ ἡμῶν τὴν λύπην ἣν μέχρι θανάτου λελυπήμεθα ἀκούσαντες ἐπὶ μέσης τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τετολμῆσθαι πράγματα οὔπω μέχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης εἰς ἀκοὴν ἡμετέραν ἐλθόντα. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν εἰ καὶ λυπηρὰ καὶ βαρέα, ἀλλ' ἔτι φορητὰ διὰ τὸ εἰς ἄνθρωπον γεγενῆσθαι ὅς, τὴν ὑπὲρ ὧν πέπονθεν ἐκδίκησιν τῷ Θεῷ ἐπιτρέψας, ὅλος ἐστὶ τῆς εἰρήνης καὶ τοῦ μηδὲν παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ αἰτίαν βλαβερὸν γίνεσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ δέ τινες τῶν τιμίων καὶ πάσης πίστεως ἀξίων ἀδελφῶν ἀπήγγειλαν ἡμῖν ὡς περὶ τὴν πίστιν καινοτομουμένων τινῶν καὶ λαλουμένων παρὰ σοῦ ὑπεναντίως τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ, ἐπὶ τούτοις πλέον συγκινηθέντες καὶ πολὺν ἀγῶνα ἀγωνιάσαντες μή πού τι πρὸς τοῖς μυρίοις τραύμασιν οἷς πέπονθεν ἡ Ἐκκλησία παρὰ τῶν εἰς τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐξαμαρτόντων ἔτι καὶ ἄλλο ἀναφυῇ κακόν, ἀνανεωθείσης τῆς παλαιᾶς τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας Σαβελλίου αἱρέσεως (τούτοις γὰρ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ ἀπήγγελον ἡμῖν συγγενῆ εἶναι τὰ εἰρημένα), τούτου ἕνεκεν ἐπεστείλαμεν, ἵνα μὴ ὀκνήσῃς μικρὸν διάστημα κινηθεὶς καταλαβεῖν ἡμᾶς καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις πληροφορίαν παρασχόμενος ἡμῶν τε τὴν ὀδύνην καταπραῧναι καὶ τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίας παραμυθήσασθαι τὰς νῦν ἀφορήτως καὶ βαρέως ἐπί τε τοῖς πεπραγμένοις καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς θρυλουμένοις εἰρῆσθαι παρὰ σοῦ λυπουμένας.