Letter 67

67. To Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria.

To me it seemed sufficient, in my former letter, to indicate this much to your honour: that all that is sound in the faith among the people of the holy Church of Antioch must be brought into one agreement and union — meaning thereby to make clear that the parts now divided into many should be joined to the most God-loving bishop Meletius. But since this same beloved fellow-deacon of ours, Dorotheus, has sought a clearer expression on these matters, we necessarily note that it is the prayer of all the East, and is desired by us who are bound to him in every way, to see him guiding the Church of the Lord — being blameless in faith, admitting no comparison with the others in his life, and presiding, so to speak, over the body of the whole Church, while the rest are like the cut-off portions of parts.

So that from every side it is both necessary and profitable that the others be joined to this man, as the lesser rivers to the great; and that some arrangement be made concerning the others, fitting for them too, bringing peace to the people, and suited to your understanding and renowned skill and zeal. And surely it has not escaped your surpassing wisdom that these same things have already seemed good to those of like mind with you in the West, as the letters brought to us by the blessed Silvanus show.