Letter 250

250. To Patrophilus, bishop of the church at Aegae.

Late, indeed, I received the answers to my earlier letter, yet I received them nevertheless through the most longed-for Strategius, and I gave thanks to the Lord that you remain the same in your love toward us. And the things you have now seen fit to write concerning the same subject hold proof of your good purpose, that you think what is fitting and counsel us what is profitable.

But, since again I see my discourse becoming longer for me, if I should mean to answer each of the things written by your discernment, I say only this: that the good of peace, if it is circumscribed in the name of peace alone, is ridiculous—to choose this man and that man, and to share the keeping of peace with these alone, but to shut out countless others from fellowship in the good. And if agreement with the harmful, under the appearance of peace, makes those who receive them do the work of enemies, consider who they are with whom they have mingled themselves. It is not those who hated us with unjust hatred, but those of the party of those who are out of communion with us; for I have no need now to mention them by name. These men were both invited by them to Sebasteia, and took over the church, and ministered at the altar, and shared their own bread with all the people, being proclaimed bishops by the clergy there and throughout the whole country, and sent on their way by them as holy men and in communion. If one must choose their party, it is ridiculous to begin from the claws and not to converse with their very heads.

If, then, one must in general consider no one a heretic, nor turn away from anyone, for what reason, tell me, do you separate yourself and withdraw from communion with certain men? But if there are some to be avoided, let them tell us, by the rule of strictness—they who are exact in all things—of what party are those whom they brought to themselves from Galatia.

If, then, these things appear to you worthy of grief, reckon the separation to the authors of them; but if you judge them indifferent, forgive us for not consenting to become part of the leaven of those who teach otherwise. So that, if it seems good, leaving aside those fair-faced arguments, with all freedom of speech refute those who do not walk uprightly toward the truth of the Gospel.