Epistle
LXVI.
To Athanasius, Presbyter.
Gregory to Athanasius, Presbyter of Isauria.
As we are afflicted and mourn for those whom the error
of heretical pravity has cut off from the unity of the Church, so we
rejoice with those whom their profession of the catholic faith retains
within her bosom. And, as it is our duty to oppose the impiety of
the former with pastoral solicitude, so it is fitting for us to bestow
favour on the pious professions of the latter, and to declare their
views to be sound. And accordingly, a suspicion of unsoundness in
the faith having arisen against thee, Athanasius, presbyter of the
monastery of Saint Mile, called Tamnacus, which is established in the
province of Lycaonia, thou, in order that the integrity of the
profession of faith might appear, didst elect to have recourse to the
Apostolical See over which we preside, asserting also that, having been
corporally chastised, thou hadst done some things unjustly and
impetuously. And, although things done under compulsion by no
means fall under the censure of the canons, and they are rightly
accounted to be of no weight (since he himself invalidates them who
compels what is unjust to be confessed and done), and though that
confession is rather to be received and embraced which is shewn to
proceed from the spontaneous will, as is known to be the case in that
which thou madest before us;—yet still, to avoid the possibility
of uncertainty, we took the precaution of writing about thee to our
brother and fellow-bishop,
the prelate of the city of
Constantinople, that he might inform us by letter of what had been
done. He, after being often admonished by us, wrote in reply to
the effect that a volume had been found in thy possession, which
contained many heretical statements, and that on this account he had
been incensed against thee. He having lent this to us in his
desire to satisfy us, we read the earlier portions of it
attentively: and inasmuch as we found in it manifest poison of
heretical pravity, we forbade its being read any more. But, since
thou hast assured us that thou hadst read it in simplicity, and, in
order to cut off all ground for uncertain suspicion, hast handed to us
a paper in thine own handwriting in which expounding thy faith, thou
hast most plainly condemned all heresies in general, or whatever is
opposed to the integrity of the Catholic faith or profession, and hast
declared that thou hadst always received and didst still receive all
that the four holy Ecumenical synods receive, and hadst condemned and
didst still condemn what they condemn, and hast promised also to accept
and hold to that synod which was held in the times of the emperor
Justinian concerning the Three Chapters, and, being forbidden by us to
read that same volume in which the poison of pestiferous error is
interwoven, rejecting also and condemning all that in it is said or
latently implied against the integrity of the Catholic faith, thou hast
promised that thou wilt not read it again;—we, moved by these
reasons (thy faith also having clearly appeared to us from the paper
under thine own hand, guarding thee, to be
catholic), decree thee to be, according to thy profession, free from
all stain of heretical perversity, and catholic; and we pronounce that
thou hast proved thyself, by the grace of Christ Jesus our Saviour to
be in all things a professor and follower of the unadulterated
faith: and we give thee free licence, notwithstanding all, to
return to thy monastery, resuming thy place and rank.
We wish to write also on this matter to our most
beloved brother, the prelate of the city of Constantinople, who has
been ordained in the place of the aforesaid holy John. But, since it is the custom that we should not write before his synodical epistle has reached us, we have therefore delayed. But, after it has reached us, we will inform him of these things when we find a convenient opportunity.