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| Letter to the Presbyter Palladius. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Letter
LXIII.—Letter to the Presbyter Palladius4799
4799 On
the general subject and date of this letter see note 1 to Letter
62. Of Palladius, who is clearly a resident at Cæsarea, nothing
further is known. The tone of this letter is more confiding than that
of the previous one. (Migne ib. 1167.) | .
To our beloved son Palladius, presbyter,
Athanasius the Bishop greeting in the Lord.
I was glad to receive also the letter written by
you alone, the more so that you breathe orthodoxy in it, as is your
wont. And having learnt not for the first time, but long ago, the
reason of your staying at present with our beloved Innocent4800
4800 Perhaps a bishop in the neighbourhood of Cæsarea. See D.C.B.
s.v. Innocentius (4). | , I am pleased with your piety. Since then
you are acting as you are, write and let me know how are the brethren
there, and what the enemies of the truth think about us. But whereas
you have also told me of the monks at Cæsarea, and I have learned
from our beloved Dianius4801
4801 Namesake of a predecessor of Basil, otherwise unknown. | that they are
vexed, and are opposing our beloved bishop Basil, I am glad you have
informed me, and I have pointed out4802
4802 The
letter here referred to is lost. The monks in question had raised a cry
against Basil on account of the reserve with which he spoke of the
Divine Personality of the Holy Spirit. (See supr. p.
481.) | to them what
is fitting, namely that as children they should obey their father, and
not oppose what he approves. For if he were suspected as touching the
truth, they would do well to combat him. But if they are confident, as
we all are, that he is a glory to the Church, contending rather on
behalf of the truth and teaching those who require it, it is not right
to combat such an one, but rather to accept with thanks his good
conscience. For from what the beloved Dianius has related, they appear
to be vexed without cause. For he, as I am confident, to the weak
becomes weak to gain the weak4803 . But let our
beloved friends look at the scope of his truth, and at his special
purpose4804 , and glorify the Lord Who has given
such a bishop to Cappadocia as any district must pray to have. And do
you, beloved, be good enough to point out to them the duty of obeying,
as I write. For this is at once calculated to render them well disposed
toward their father, and will preserve peace to the churches. I pray
that you may be well in the Lord, beloved son.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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