Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| To the Consul Nomus.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
LXXXI. To the Consul
Nomus.1758
| 1758 Cf. Letter LVIII. Nomus was an influential officer of Theodosius
II., being “Magister Officiorum” in 443, consul in
445, and patrician in 449. A friend of Dioscorus, he opposed Theodoret
and was instrumental in procuring the decree which confined the bishop
to his diocese in 449. |
For but a brief portion of a day
I enjoyed the society of your lordship, for I was deprived by
unavoidable circumstances of what I so earnestly desired. I had hoped
that our short interview would have kindled good will and friendly
intercourse, but I was disappointed. I have now written you two
letters, without receiving any reply; and by the imperial decree I am
forbidden to travel beyond the boundaries of Cyrus. For this apparent
punishment cause there is none, except the fact of my convening an
episcopal synod. No indictment was published; no prosecutor appeared;
the defendant was not convicted; but the sentence was given. We submit,
for we know the reward of the wronged. I am aware however that Festus
the Procurator who was entrusted with the government of the Jews when
they demanded the death of the divine Paul, publicly replied, “It
is not lawful to us Romans to deliver any man before that he which is
accused have the accusers face to face, and have license to answer for
himself concerning the crime laid against him.”1759
Now these words were spoken by one who
was no believer in our Master, Christ, but was a slave to the errors of
polytheism. I was never asked whether I was assembling synods or not,
or for what reason I was assembling them, or what umbrage this could
give, either to the Church or to the government; yet just as though I
had been a very guilty criminal I am prohibited from visiting other cities; while
to every one else every city lies open, and that not only to Arians and
Eunomians, but to Manichees and Marcionists, to them that are sick with
the unsoundness of Valentinus and Montanus, aye to pagans and Jews,
while I, a foremost champion of the teaching of the Gospels, am from
every city excluded. Some however maintain that I do not adhere to it.
Then let there be a council: let there be assembled there the godly
bishops who are capable of judging: then let there be assembled those
in office and in rank who have been instructed in divine lore. Let me
state what I hold, and let the judges declare what opinion is agreeable
to the teaching of the Apostles. I have not thus written from any
desire to see the great city, nor from trying to travel to any other.
In fact I rather love the quiet of them whose wish is to administer the
churches in a monastic state. I should like your excellency to know
that neither in the time of the blessed and sainted Theodotus, nor in
that of John of blessed memory, nor in that of the very holy lord
bishop Domnus, did I of my own accord enter Antioch; five or six times
I was invited but I with difficulty assented, and when I did assent it
was in obedience to the canon of the Church which orders him who is
summoned to a synod and refuses to be present to be held guilty. And
when I appeared, what thing unpleasing to God did I do? Was it that I
removed from the sacred lists the names of such and such a man guilty
of unspeakable wickedness? Was it that I ordained to the priesthood men
of character and of honourable life? Was it that I preached the gospel
to the people? If these things are worthy of indictment and punishment,
I gladly welcome yet severer punishments for their sake. My accusers
compel me to speak. Even before my conception my parents promised to
devote me to God; from my swaddling-band, they devoted me according to
their promise and educated me accordingly; the time before my
episcopate I spent in a monastery and then was unwillingly
consecrated1760
| 1760 Cf.
note on page 276. | bishop. Five and twenty years I so
lived that I was never summoned to trial by any one nor ever brought
accusation against any. Not one of the pious clergy who were under me
ever frequented a court. In so many years I never took an obol nor a
garment from any one. Not one of my domestics ever received a loaf or
an egg. I could not endure the thought of possessing anything save the
rags I wore. From the revenues of my see I erected public porticoes; I
built two large bridges; I looked after the public baths. On finding
that the city was not watered by the river running by it, I built the
conduit, and supplied the dry town with water. But not to mention these
matters I led eight villages of Marcionists with their neighbourhood
into the way of truth; another full of Eunomians and another of Arians
I brought to the light of divine knowledge, and, by God’s grace,
not a tare of heresy was left among us. All this I did not effect with
impunity; many a time I shed my blood; many a time was I stoned by them
and brought to the very gates of death. But I am a fool in my boasting,
yet my words are spoken of necessity, not of consent. Once the thrice
blessed Paul was compelled to act in the same way to stop the mouths of
his accusers. Yet I put up with seeming ignominy and count it high
honour, for I hear the voice of the Apostle crying, “All that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”1761
But I beseech your excellency to
give heed to the affairs of the Church, and calm the storm that has
arisen, for in fact not even at the beginning of the dispute was the
Church beset by such confusion. No one informs you of the greatness of
the peril, of the lamentations of the Christians in Phœnicia and
of the wails of our holiest monks. Wherefore I have written to you at
some length, that on learning the agitation of the Church your
excellency might stay it, and reap the fruits of the benefit which such
action will produce. E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
