Letter 225

225. To Demosthenes, as from the Community.

We always have much thanks to God, and to the emperors who care for us, whenever at any time we see the government of our country entrusted to a man who is first a Christian, then upright in character, and an exact keeper of the laws by which we order human affairs. And especially on the occasion of your visit have we acknowledged this favor to God and to the God-loving emperor. But perceiving that certain of the enemies of peace were going to trouble your august courts against us, we expected to be summoned by your Magnanimity, so as to be taught the truth from us; if indeed your great prudence would consent to make the examinations of ecclesiastical matters your own concern. But since the court overlooked us, while your authority, moved by the revilings of Philochares, ordered that our brother and fellow minister Gregory be carried off — and he obeyed the order (for how should he not?), but, being held by a pleuritic affection, and at the same time, from the chill that came upon him, the sickness of the kidneys having risen up as usual, he was compelled, being inexorably held by the soldiers, for the care of his body and the relief of his unbearable pains, to be removed to a place that had quiet — for this reason we have all come to supplicate your Greatness, not to be at all displeased at the postponement of the meeting; for neither did any of the public affairs fare the worse from our delay, nor was any of the ecclesiastical matters harmed on this account.

But if the matter concerns money, as though it had been embezzled, his own treasurers of the sacred funds are ready to give account to whoever wishes, and to show the slander of those who have ventured against your exact hearing; for it is easy for them, from the very writings of the blessed bishop, to make the truth plain to those who seek it. But if there is anything else, of a canonical kind, that needs examination, and your Magnanimity consents to undertake the hearing and the judgment of this too, we all have need of it; because if anything has been left undone of the canonical requirements, those who ordained him are responsible, not he who was forced by every necessity to undertake the ministry.

So that we supplicate you to preserve for us the hearing in our own country, and not to drag us into exile, nor to bring us to the necessity of meeting with bishops from whom we have not yet settled the matters concerning the ecclesiastical questions. And at the same time we beg you to spare our old age and our weakness. For you will know by the experience itself, if God wills, that nothing small or great has been omitted of the canonical requirements in the establishment of the bishop. We pray, then, that under your government both concord and peace toward our brethren may be brought about; for, this not yet having come to pass, even the matter of meeting is grievous to us, because many of the simpler folk are harmed in our division from one another.