Epistula ad Palladium

Of our Father among the saints, ATHANASIUS, archbishop of Alexandria, a letter to PALLADIUS the presbyter.

To my beloved son Palladius the presbyter, Athanasius the bishop, greetings in the Lord. Having received the letter written by you alone, I rejoiced, especially because, as is your custom, you breathed orthodoxy. And the cause for which you are staying with our beloved Innocentius, having learned of it not now for the first time, but long ago, I approved of your piety. Therefore, continuing to act thus, write and inform us how the brethren there are, and what the enemies of the truth are thinking concerning us. And since you also made known matters concerning the monks in Caesarea; and I have learned from our beloved Dianius that they are grieved and resisting our beloved bishop Basil; I approved of you for making it known, and I have made known to them what is fitting; that as children they may obey a father, and not contradict those things which he himself approves. For if he were suspect concerning the truth, they would rightly contend; but if they are confident—and indeed we all are confident—that he is the boast of the Church, striving rather for the truth and teaching those in need; it is not right to fight against such a man, but rather to accept his good conscience. For from what our beloved Dianius has related, they appear to be grieved in vain. For he himself, as I am confident, becomes weak to the weak, that he might gain the weak; but let our beloved ones, looking to the aim of his truth, and his stewardship, glorify the Lord, who has given to Cappadocia such a bishop as every country prays to have. And you also, therefore, beloved, be pleased to make this known to them, so that, as I have written, they may be persuaded. For this establishes them as well-disposed towards a father; this will also preserve the 26.1169 peace for the Churches. I pray that you be well in the Lord, beloved son.

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Epistula ad Palladium

Τοῦ ἐν ἁγίοις Πατρὸς ἡμῶν ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ, ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας, πρὸς ΠΑΛΛΑ∆ΙΟΝ πρεσβύτερον ἐπιστολή.

Ἀγαπητῷ υἱῷ Παλλαδίῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ Ἀθανάσιος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Καὶ τὴν παρὰ σοῦ μόνου γραφεῖσαν ἐπιστολὴν δεξάμενος, ἐχάρην, μάλιστα ὅτι συνήθως ἔπνεες ὀρθοδοξίας. Καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δὲ ἣν μετὰ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ ἡμῶν Ἰνοκεντίου διάγεις, οὐ πρῶτον νῦν, ἀλλ' ἔκπαλαι μαθὼν, ἀπεδεξάμην σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν. Οὕτω τοίνυν πράττων, γράφε καὶ γνώριζε ἡμῖν, πῶς ἐκεῖ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ, καὶ πῶς οἱ ἐχθροὶ τῆς ἀληθείας περὶ ἡμῶν διανοοῦνται. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν μοναζόντων τῶν ἐν Καισαρείᾳ ἐδήλωσας· ἔμαθον δὲ παρὰ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ ἡμῶν ∆ιανίου, ὡς λυπουμένων καὶ ἀνθισταμένων αὐτῶν τῷ ἀγαπητῷ ἡμῶν Βασιλείῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ· σὲ μὲν ἀπεδεξάμην δηλώσαντα, αὐτοῖς δὲ τὰ πρέποντα δεδήλωκα· ἵν' ὡς τέκνα ὑπακούωσι πατρὶ, καὶ μὴ ἀντιλέγωσιν, οἷς αὐτὸς δοκιμάζει. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὕποπτος ἦν περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καλῶς ἐμάχοντο· εἰ δὲ τεθαῤῥήκασι, τεθαῤῥήκαμεν δὲ καὶ πάντες ἡμεῖς, ὡς καύχημα τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐστὶν, ἀγωνιζόμενος μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ διδάσκων τοὺς δεομένους· οὐ χρὴ πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον μάχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον ἀποδέχεσθαι τὴν ἀγαθὴν αὐτοῦ συνείδησιν. Ἐξ ὧν γὰρ διηγήσατο ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ∆ιάνιος, μάτην φαίνονται λυπούμενοι. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ, ὡς τεθάῤῥηκα, τοῖς ἀσθενοῦσιν ἀσθενὴς γίνεται, ἵνα τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς κερδήσῃ· οἱ δὲ ἀγαπητοὶ ἡμῶν, ἀποβλέποντες εἰς τὸν σκοπὸν τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν οἰκονομίαν, δοξαζέτωσαν τὸν Κύριον, τὸν δεδωκότα τῇ Καππαδοκίᾳ τοιοῦτον ἐπίσκοπον, οἷον καὶ ἑκάστη χώρα ἔχειν εὔχεται. Καὶ σὺ οὖν, ἀγαπητὲ, θέλησον αὐτοῖς δηλῶσαι, ἵνα, ὡς ἔγραψα, πεισθῶσι. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὺς συνίστησιν εὐγνώμονας πρὸς πατέρα· τοῦτο καὶ τὴν 26.1169 εἰρήνην ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις διαφυλάξει. Ἐῤῥῶσθαί σε ἐν Κυρίῳ εὔχομαι, ἀγαπητὲ υἱέ.

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