Letter 89

To Florentius the Patrician. In writing to your Greatness I am overreaching myself — but the cause of my daring is not self-confidence; it is the slanders of those who calumniate me. I have judged it worthwhile to instruct your righteous ears about just how openly my opponents are lying about me. I am guilty, I freely admit, of many errors. But until this moment I have always kept the apostolic faith undefiled, and it is on this ground alone that I cherish the hope of meeting with mercy on the day of the Lord's appearing. For this faith I continue to contend against every form of heresy. This faith I give daily to those who are being formed in piety. By means of this faith I have turned countless wolves into sheep and brought them to the Savior who is the Chief Shepherd of us all. I have learned this faith not only from apostles and prophets, but from the interpreters of their writings: Ignatius, Eustathius, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory, John, and the rest of the lights of the world. And before all of them, from the holy Fathers assembled at Nicaea, whose confession of faith I preserve intact, as an inheritance from my ancestors, calling corrupt and enemies of the truth all who dare to transgress its decrees. I call upon your Greatness: now that you have heard me on these terms, shut the mouths of my calumniators. It is wholly unreasonable, in my view, to accept as true what is charged against men in their absence. It is both lawful and right that those who wish to act as prosecutors should accuse defendants in their presence and attempt to convict them face to face. Under those conditions, the judges will have no difficulty arriving at the truth.

Letter 89 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 Florentius the Patrician. In sending a letter to your greatness I am daring what is beyond me, but the cause of my daring is not self-confidence, but the slanders of my calumniators. I have thought it well worth while to instruct your righteous ears how openly the impugners of my opinions are calumniating me. I have been guilty, I own, of many errors, but up to now I have ever kept the faith of the apostles undefiled, and on this account alone I have cherished the hope that I shall meet with mercy on the day of the Lord's appearing. On behalf of this faith I continue to contend against every kind of heresy; this faith I am ever giving to the nurslings of piety; by means of this faith I have metamorphosed countless wolves into sheep, and have brought them to the Saviour who is the Arch-shepherd of us all. So have I learned not only from the apostles and prophets but also from the interpreters of their writings, Ignatius, Eustathius, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory, John, and the rest of the lights of the world; and before these from the holy Fathers in council at Nicæa, whose confession of the faith I preserve in its integrity, like an ancestral inheritance, styling corrupt and enemies of the truth all who dare to transgress its decrees. I invoke your greatness, now that you have heard from me in these terms, to shut the mouths of my calumniators. It is in my opinion wholly unreasonable to accept as true what is charged against men in their absence; rather is it lawful and right that those who wish to appear as prosecutors should accuse the defendants in their presence, and endeavour to convict them face to face. Under these conditions the judges will without difficulty be able to arrive at the truth.