Letter 126

126. To Atarbius

When we had come as far as Nicopolis, in the hope both of setting right the disturbances that had arisen and of bringing what comfort we could to those whose conduct had been disorderly and contrary to the law of the Church, we were greatly disheartened not to find your Excellency there, but learned instead that you had set off in all haste, and this when the synod you were holding was almost at its midpoint. We were therefore obliged to resort to a letter, by which we remind you to come and meet us, so that you yourself in person may relieve our grief, with which we have been grieved even to death, on hearing that deeds had been ventured in the midst of the Church such as had never until this day come to our ears. And these things, though painful and grievous, are still bearable, because they were done against a man who, having entrusted to God the vindication of what he has suffered, gives himself wholly to peace, and to seeing that no harm comes to the people of God through any fault of his.

But since certain of our honoured brethren, worthy of all credence, reported to us that some innovations were being made by you concerning the faith, and that things were being said by you contrary to sound doctrine, we were on this account more deeply shaken still, and wrestled in great anguish lest, in addition to the countless wounds which the Church has suffered at the hands of those who have sinned against the truth of the Gospel, yet another evil should spring up, with the old heresy of Sabellius, the Church's enemy, being revived — for the brethren reported to us that what was said is akin to it. For this reason we have written, that you would not hesitate to move a short distance and come to us, and, by giving full assurance on these matters, both soothe our pain and comfort the churches of God, which are now grieved beyond endurance, heavily oppressed both by what has been done and by what is rumoured to have been said by you.