Letter 84

To the Bishops of Cilicia. Your piety will have heard of the slanders leveled against me. My opponents claim that I divide our one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, into two sons. Some of them claim to find support for this slander in a handful of men among you who actually do hold this view and who divide God the Word made flesh into two sons. These men ought to listen to the words of the Apostle, which plainly declare: "one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things." And again: "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." They ought to have followed the teaching of the Lord himself, who says: "No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven." And again: "What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?" The tradition of holy baptism also teaches us that there is one Son — just as there is one Father and one Holy Spirit. I hope therefore that your piety will see fit, if there really are any among you — though I find it hard to believe — who disobey the apostolic teachings, to close their mouths: to rebuke them as the canons of the Church require, and to teach them to follow the footsteps of the holy Fathers and to preserve undefiled the faith set down at Nicaea in Bithynia, which summarizes the teaching of the Evangelists and Apostles. It is fitting that you who love God should care both for his glory and for our common honor, and not overlook the attacks being made on all of us through the ignorance or the combativeness of these few — if indeed they are guilty, and not themselves, like us, suffering from the sharpened tongues of false accusers. Deign to remember us in your prayers to God, for so the law of love ordains.

Letter 84 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 the Bishops of Cilicia. Your piety has heard of the calumnies directed against me. The opponents of the truth allege that I divide our one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, into two sons, and it is said by some that a ground for their calumny is derived from a handful of men among you who hold these opinions, and who divide God the Word made man into two sons. They ought to listen to those words of the Apostle which openly declare one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things, and again one Lord, one faith, one baptism. They ought to have followed the Master's teaching, for the Lord Himself says And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in Heaven. And again If you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before. And the tradition of holy baptism teaches us that there is one Son, just as there is one Father and one Holy Ghost. I hope then that your piety will deign, if there really are any, though I cannot believe it, who disobey the apostolic doctrines to close their mouths, to rebuke them as the laws of the Church require, and teach them to follow the footsteps of the holy Fathers and preserve undefiled the faith laid down at Nicæa in Bithynia by the holy and blessed Fathers, as summing up the teaching of Evangelists and Apostles. For it becomes you who love God to give heed both to God's glory and our common credit, and not to overlook the attacks which are made upon us all through the ignorance or contentiousness of these few men — if they really are guilty, and if they are not, like ourselves, suffering from the whetted tongues of false accusers. Deign to remember us in your prayers to God, for so the law of love ordains.