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Fragmenta BEATI DIONYSII, CORINTHII EPISCOPI, MEDIO QUI SAECULO SECUNDO

FLORUIT, FRAGMENTA. EX EPISTOLA AD ROMANOS QUAM AD SOTEREM EPISCOPUM EORUM SCRIPSIT.

For from the beginning it has been your custom to do good to all the brethren in various ways, and to send provisions to many churches in every city; here refreshing the poverty of those in need; and there supplying the brethren who are in the mines; by the provisions which you have sent from the beginning, you Romans keeping the ancestral custom of the Romans; which not only has your blessed bishop Soter maintained, but has also increased; both by supplying the bounty which is sent to the saints; and by exhorting with blessed words the brethren who come up, as a loving father does his children. ηαεξ αττυλιτ ευσεβιυς λιβ. ιῃ. ηιστ. ξ. 23. 180 εχ εαδεμ επιστολα. And in this same (epistle) he also makes mention of the epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, (ῃερβα ευσεβιι συντ ιν λοξο μοδο σιγνατο) showing that from the beginning it has been the ancient custom to have it read in the church. for he says (Dionysius): We have therefore passed this holy Lord's day, in which we have read your epistle; which we shall always have to read for our admonition, as also the former one written to us by Clement. εχ εαδεμ επιστολα.

These things (ῃαλεσιυς εμενδατ ταύτῃ) and you also through this great admonition, have blended together the planting that came from Peter and Paul, that of the Romans and of the Corinthians. For both of them, having planted in our Corinth, taught us alike. And in like manner, having taught together in Italy, they suffered martyrdom at the same time. προτυλιτ ηαεξ ευσεβιυς λιβ. ιι. ηιστ. ξ. 25. 181 εχ εαδεμ επιστολα. And the same man also concerning his own epistles (ῃερβα ευσεβιι συντ ιν λιβ. ιῃ. ηιστ. ξ. 23.) as having been corrupted, says these things.

For I wrote epistles when the brethren asked me to write. And these the apostles of the devil have filled with tares; taking away some things, and adding others; for whom woe is reserved. It is not surprising, then, if some (φορ. λεγενδ. τινας) have attempted to corrupt the Lord's Scriptures, when they have laid hands on (αλιι ἐπιβουλεύκασι) these which are not of such a kind. δε ρελιθυις σεπτεμ επιστολις ηαεξ ποσυιτ ιβιδεμ ευσεβιυς. And first, it must be said concerning Dionysius, that he was entrusted with the throne of the episcopate of the parish in Corinth; and how of his godly diligence he communicated abundantly not only to those under him, but also to those in foreign lands; making himself most useful to all in the catholic epistles which he composed to the churches. Of which are,

THE ONE TO THE LACEDAEMONIANS, catechetical on orthodoxy, and hortatory to peace and unity.

182 AND THE ONE TO THE ATHENIANS, rousing to faith and the life according to the gospel; of which he reproves them for having become neglectful, as if they had almost apostatized from the word, since their president Publius suffered martyrdom during the persecutions of that time. And he mentions Quadratus, who was appointed their bishop after the martyr Publius; testifying that through his zeal they were brought together again, and their faith was rekindled; and he shows in addition to these things, that Dionysius the Areopagite, having been converted to the faith by the apostle Paul according to what is declared in the Acts, was the first to be entrusted with the episcopate of the parish in Athens.

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Fragmenta BEATI DIONYSII, CORINTHII EPISCOPI, MEDIO QUI SAECULO SECUNDO

FLORUIT, FRAGMENTA. EX EPISTOLA AD ROMANOS QUAM AD SOTEREM EPISCOPUM EORUM SCRIPSIT.

Ἐξ ἀρχῆς γὰρ ὑμῖν ἔθος ἐστὶ τοῦτο, πάντας μὲν ἀδελφοὺς ποικίλως

εὐεργετεῖν, ἐκκλησίαις τε πολλαῖς ταῖς κατὰ πᾶσαν πόλιν ἐφόδια πέμπειν· ὧδε μὲν τὴν τῶν δεομένων πενίαν ἀναψύχοντας· ἐν μετάλλοις δὲ ἀδελφοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν ἐπιχορηγοῦντας· δι' ὧν πέμπετε ἀρχῆθεν ἐφοδίων, πατροπαράδοτον ἔθος Ῥωμαίων Ῥωμαῖοι διαφυλάττοντες· ὃ οὐ μόνον διατετήρηκεν ὁ μακάριος ὑμῶν ἐπίσκοπος Σωτὴρ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπηύξηκεν· ἐπιχορηγῶν μὲν τὴν διαπεμπομένην δαψίλειαν τὴν εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους· λόγοις δὲ μακαρίοις τοὺς ἀνιόντας ἀδελφοὺς ὡς τέκνα πατὴρ φιλόστοργος παρακαλῶν. ηαεξ αττυλιτ ευσεβιυς λιβ. ιῃ. ηιστ. ξ. 23. 180 εχ εαδεμ επιστολα. Ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ ταύτῃ (επιστολα) καὶ τῆς Κλήμεντος πρὸς Κορινθίους μέμνηται ἐπιστολῆς, (ῃερβα ευσεβιι συντ ιν λοξο μοδο σιγνατο) δηλῶν ἀνέκαθεν ἐξ ἀρχαίου ἔθους ἐπὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν αὐτῆς ποιεῖσθαι. λέγει γοῦν (διονψσιυς)· Τὴν σήμερον οὖν Κυριακὴν ἁγίαν ἡμέραν διηγάγομεν, ἐν ᾗ ἀνέγνωμεν ὑμῶν τὴν ἐπιστολήν· ἣν ἕξομεν ἀεί ποτε ἀναγινώσκοντες νουθετεῖσθαι, ὡς καὶ τὴν προτέραν ἡμῖν διὰ Κλήμεντος γραφεῖσαν. εχ εαδεμ επιστολα.

Ταῦτα (ῃαλεσιυς εμενδατ ταύτῃ) καὶ ὑμεῖς διὰ τῆς τοσαύτης νουθεσίας, τὴν ἀπὸ Πέτρου καὶ Παύλου φυτείαν γενηθεῖσαν Ῥωμαίων τε καὶ Κορινθίων συνεκεράσατε. καὶ γὰρ ἄμφω καὶ εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν Κόρινθον φυτεύσαντες ἡμᾶς, ὁμοίως ἐδίδαξαν. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἰταλίαν ὁμόσε διδάξαντες, ἐμαρτύρησαν κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρόν. προτυλιτ ηαεξ ευσεβιυς λιβ. ιι. ηιστ. ξ. 25. 181 εχ εαδεμ επιστολα. Ἔτι δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς καὶ περὶ τῶν ἰδίων ἐπιστολῶν (ῃερβα ευσεβιι συντ ιν λιβ. ιῃ. ηιστ. ξ. 23.) ὡς ῥᾳδιουργηθεισῶν. ταῦτα φησίν.

Ἐπιστολὰς γὰρ ἀδελφῶν ἀξιωσάντων με γράψαι, ἔγραψα. καὶ ταύτας οἱ τοῦ διαβόλου ἀπόστολοι ζιζανίων γεγέμικαν· ἃ μὲν ἐξαιροῦντες, ἃ δὲ προστιθέντες· οἷς τὸ οὐαὶ κεῖται. οὐ θαυμαστὸν ἄρα εἰ καὶ τῶν Κυριακῶν ῥαδιουργῆσαί τινες (φορ. λεγενδ. τινας) ἐπιβέβληνται γραφῶν, ὁπότε καὶ ταῖς οὐ τοιαύταις ἐπιβεβλήκασι (αλιι ἐπιβουλεύκασι). δε ρελιθυις σεπτεμ επιστολις ηαεξ ποσυιτ ιβιδεμ ευσεβιυς. Καὶ πρῶτόν γε περὶ ∆ιονυσίου φατέον· ὅτι τε τῆς ἐν Κορίνθῳ παροικίας τὸν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἐγκεχείριστο θρόνον· καὶ ὡς τῆς ἐνθέου φιλοπονίας οὐ μόνον τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς ἀλλοδαπῆς ἀφθόνως ἐκοινώνει· χρησιμώτατον ἅπασιν ἑαυτὸν καθιστὰς, ἐν αἷς ὑπετυποῦτο καθολικαῖς πρὸς τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἐπιστολαῖς. ὧν ἐστιν,

Ἡ ΜΕΝ ΠΡΟΣ ΛΑΚΕ∆ΑΙΜΟΝΙΟΥΣ, ὀρθοδοξίας κατηχητικὴ, εἰρήνης τε καὶ ἑνώσεως ὑποθετική.

182 Ἡ ∆Ε ΠΡΟΣ ΑΘΗΝΑΙΟΥΣ, διεγερτικὴ πίστεως καὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πολιτείας· ἧς ὀλιγωρήσαντας ἐλέγχει, ὡς ἂν μικροῦ δεῖν ἀποστάντας τοῦ λόγου, ἐξ οὗπερ τὸν προεστῶτα αὐτῶν Πούπλιον μαρτυρῆσαι κατὰ τοὺς τότε συνέβη διωγμούς. Κοδράτου δὲ μετὰ τὸν μαρτυρήσαντα Πούπλιον καταστάντος αὐτῶν ἐπισκόπου μέμνηται· ἐπιμαρτυρῶν, ὡς ἂν διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ σπουδῆς ἐπισυναχθέντων, καὶ τῆς πίστεως ἀναζωπύρησιν εἰληχότων· δηλοῖ δ' ἐπὶ τούτοις, ὡς καὶ ∆ιονύσιος ὁ Ἀρεοπαγίτης ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου προτραπεὶς ἐπὶ τὴν πίστιν κατὰ τὰ ἐν ταῖς πράξεσι δεδηλωμένα, πρῶτος τῆς ἐν Ἀθήναις παροικίας τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἐγκεχείριστο.