Letter 138

From: Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrrhus To: Anatolius, Patrician at Constantinople Date: ~451 AD Context: After his rehabilitation by the new emperor Marcian, Theodoret thanks Anatolius, details the injustice of his condemnation, and urges that a proper council be summoned to settle the doctrinal disputes once and for all. To Anatolius the Patrician, I have warmly welcomed the rest that has come my way, and I am enjoying its pleasant fruits. Our Christ-loving emperor, having received the empire as the reward of his true piety, has offered as the firstfruits of his reign the calming of the storm-tossed churches, the triumph of the faith under attack, and the victory of Gospel teaching. To these he has added the righting of the wrong done to me. And what a wrong it was! Who ever heard of anything like it? What murderer was ever condemned in his absence? What adulterer was ever sentenced without a hearing? What burglar, grave-robber, sorcerer, or church-thief was ever prevented from appealing to the law, then struck down from afar by his judge's sentence? Nothing of the kind has ever happened. Under our law, plaintiff and defendant stand face to face before the judge, and the judge must wait until the plain truth emerges before either acquitting the innocent or punishing the guilty. In my case the opposite occurred. The emperor's letter forbade me to approach the council. The "most righteous" judges condemned me in my absence -- not after a fair hearing, but after lavishing extravagant praise on the documents produced to incriminate me. Neither the law of God nor shame before men prevented the deed. The presiding bishop gave orders, tossing the truth aside and courting the power of the moment. He was obeyed by men who think as I do, whose doctrines are my doctrines, and who had previously expressed admiration for me and my work. That day exposed some men as traitors and others as cowards, while granting me confidence through my sufferings for the truth. Our Master Christ has given me the gift "not only of believing in Him but also of suffering for His sake" [Philippians 1:29]. The greatest of all graces is suffering for the Master -- the divine Apostle ranks it above even great miracles. In these blessings I glory, humble and insignificant as I am, having no other ground for boasting. I beg your excellency to express my thanks to the Christ-loving emperor and to the most pious Augusta, beloved of God, teacher of goodness -- for she has repaid our generous Lord with such gifts and has made her zeal for true religion the foundation of her reign. Beyond this, urge their majesties to complete the work so well begun and summon a council -- not, like the last, a turbulent mob, but rather, kept entirely clear of such people, an assembly of men who understand and value divine things, who count all human considerations as less important than the truth. If their majesties wish to bring lasting peace to the churches -- and I am sure they do -- urge them to take part in the proceedings. Their presence will overawe the dissenters, and the truth, unopposed, will be able to examine the state of affairs and the character of apostolic doctrine on her own terms. I make this request not because I long to see Cyrrhus again -- your lordship knows what a remote town it is, and how I have somehow managed to disguise its plainness with great expenditure on buildings of every kind -- but so that what I preach may be shown to agree with apostolic teaching, while my opponents' inventions are exposed as counterfeit. Once that is accomplished, by God's help, I will spend the rest of my days in cheerful contentment, wherever the Master bids me live. It is fitting for you, raised as you were in the true faith and blessed with the wealth of goodness, to make this effort. Through your urgent counsel, encourage our most pious emperor and the Christ-loving Augusta -- already zealous as they are -- to strengthen their glorious empire by laudable and righteous action.

Letter 138 Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99... To Anatolius the Patrician. I have cordially welcomed the rest which has fallen to my lot, and am harvesting its beneficial and pleasant results. Our Christ-loving Emperor, after reaping the empire as fruit of his true piety, has offered as first-fruits of his sovereignty to Him that bestowed it, the calm of the storm-tossed churches, the triumph of the invaded faith, the victory of the doctrines of the Gospel. To these he has added the righting of the wrong done to me. Of a wrong so great and of such a kind who ever heard? What murderer was ever doomed in his absence? What violator of wedlock was ever condemned without a hearing? What burglar, grave-breaker, wizard, church-robber, or doer of any other unlawful deed, was ever prevented, when eager to appeal to the law, and slain when far away by the sentence of his judge? In their cases nothing of the kind was ever known. For, by our law, plaintiff and defendant are bidden to stand face to face before the judge, while the judge has to wait for the production of plain truth, and then and not till then, either dismiss the accused as innocent, or punish him as being reached by the indictment. In my case the course pursued has been just the opposite. The emperor's letter forbade me to approach the far-famed synod, and the most righteous judges condemned me in my absence, not after fair trial, but after extravagant laudation of the documents which were produced to incriminate me. Neither the law of God nor shame of man staved the deed of blood. Orders were given by the president, flinging the truth to the winds, and courting the power of the hour. He was obeyed by men who think as I do, whose doctrines are my doctrines, and who had expressed admiration of me and mine. None the less did that day convict some men of treachery; some of cowardice; while to me a ground of confidence was given by my sufferings for the truth's sake. And to me our master Christ has granted the boon not only of believing on Him but also of suffering for His sake. For the greatest of all gifts of grace are sufferings for the Master's sake, and the divine Apostle puts them even before great marvels. In these boons I too glory, humble and insignificant as I am, and having no other ground of boasting. And I beseech your excellency to offer on behalf of my poor self expressions of thanksgiving to the emperor, lover of Christ, and to the most pious Augusta, dear to God, instructress of the good, for that she has requited our generous Lord with such gifts, and has made her zeal for true religion the foundation and groundwork of her sway. Besides this, beg their godly majesties to complete the work that has been so well marked out, and to summon a council, not, like the last, composed of a turbulent rabble, but — kept quite clear of all of these — of men who decide on and highly value divine things, and esteem all human affairs as of less account than the truth. If their majesties wish to bring about the ancient peace for the churches, and I am sure that they do, beg their pious graces to take part in the proceedings, that their presence may overawe those of a contrary mind and the truth may have none to gainsay her, but may herself by her own unaided powers examine into the position of affairs, and the character of the apostolic doctrines. I make this request to your excellency, not because I long to see Cyrus again, for your lordship knows what a solitary town it is, and how I have somehow or other managed to conceal its ugliness by my great expenditure on all kinds of buildings, but to the end that what I preach may be shown to be in agreement with apostolic doctrines while the inventions of my opponents are counterfeit and base. Once let this come to pass, by God's help be it spoken, and I shall pass the remainder of my days in cheerful contentment, wherever the Master may bid me dwell. To you who have been brought up in the true religion, and are dowered with the wealth of goodness it is becoming to make this effort, and by your urgent counsel to render yet more zealous our most pious emperor and the Christ-loving Augusta, zealous already as they are to strengthen their glorious empire by laudable and rightful energy.