Letter 197

197. To Ambrose, bishop of Milan.

Great always and many are the gifts of our Master, and neither is their greatness to be measured, nor their multitude to be numbered. And one of the greatest gifts, for those who receive his graces with sensitive hearts, is this present one: that, separated as we are by the very position of our places by the greatest distance, he has granted us to be joined to one another through the address of letters. He has bestowed on us a twofold manner of knowing one another: the one through a meeting, the other through the converse of a letter. Since, then, we have come to know you through what you have spoken — and we have come to know you, not by stamping upon our memory your bodily features, but by learning the beauty of the inner man through the richness of your words, since each of us speaks out of the abundance of his heart — we glorified our God, who in every generation chooses out those who are well-pleasing to him; who formerly raised up a ruler for his people from the flocks of sheep, and, having empowered Amos from the herd of goats through the Spirit, exalted him to be a prophet; but now has drawn a man from the imperial city, one entrusted with the rule of a whole nation, lofty in mind, illustrious in birth, distinguished in life, mighty in eloquence, conspicuous in all the things of this life, to the care of the flocks of Christ; who, having cast away all the advantages of this life and counted them as loss that he might gain Christ, has been entrusted to take the helm of that great and far-famed ship — the Church of Christ, founded upon faith in God. Come then, man of God, since it was not from men that you received or were taught the Gospel of Christ, but the Lord himself transferred you from the judges of the earth to the throne of the apostles: fight the good fight, correct the ailments of the people, if indeed the disease of Arian madness has touched any of them; renew the ancient footsteps of the fathers; and the foundation of love toward us which you have laid, be zealous to build upon by the constancy of your greetings. For thus we shall be able to be near one another in spirit, even if in our dwelling upon the earth we are separated by a vast distance.

Your generosity and zeal concerning the most blessed bishop Dionysius bear witness to all your love toward the Lord, your honour toward those who have gone before, your zeal for the faith. For one's disposition toward the well-disposed among one's fellow-servants refers back to the Master whom they have served; and he who honours those who have contended for the faith is plainly possessed of the same zeal for the faith — so that this one act bears the testimony of much virtue. And we make known to your love in Christ that the most diligent brethren, who were chosen by your reverence for the ministry of this good work, first of all brought praise upon the whole clergy by the gracefulness of their manners; for in their own seemly conduct they made plain the steadfastness common to all. Then, employing all zeal and diligence, they dared an impassable winter, and persuaded with all earnestness the faithful guardians of the blessed body to yield up to them the safeguards of their own life. And know that neither the authorities nor the powers of men could ever have forced those people, had not the earnestness of purpose of these brethren prevailed upon them to consent. And what contributed most of all to the accomplishment of what was sought was the presence of our most beloved and most reverend son Therasius, our fellow-presbyter, who, of his own accord taking upon himself the labour of the journey, stilled the vehemence of the impulse of the faithful there, and, having by reasoning persuaded those who held back, took up the relics with fitting reverence, in the presence of presbyters and deacons and many others who fear the Lord, and brought them safe together with the brethren. Receive them, then, with as much joy as the grief with which those who guarded them sent them forth. Let no one make distinctions; let no one doubt: this is that unconquered athlete. These bones the Lord knows, which contended together with the blessed soul. These he will crown together with it on the day of his just recompense, according to what is written: that we must stand before the judgement-seat of Christ, that each may receive according to what he has done through the body. One coffer it was that received that precious body; no one lay near it; the burial was conspicuous; the honour, that of a martyr. Christians it was who received him as a guest and laid him with their own hands then, and took him up now. These wept as men deprived of a father and a protector, yet sent him forth, counting your joy more precious than their own consolation. Reverent, then, are those who delivered him; exact, those who received him. Nowhere is there falsehood, nowhere deceit. We bear witness; let the truth be free from slander among you.