Opening
Letter to Rufinianus.
Letter to Rufinianus.
To our lord, son, and most beloved fellow-minister Rufinianus. Greetings in the Lord from Athanasius.
To our lord, son, and most desired fellow-minister Rufinianus. Athanasius greeting in the Lord.
You write as a beloved son ought to write to a father. Accordingly, most desired Rufinianus, I embraced you when you drew near to me through your letter. Though I could have addressed you as a son in the opening, middle, and closing of my letter, I held back so that my commendation and testimony would not become known through writing. For you are my letter, as it is written in 2 Corinthians 3:2, known and read in the heart. Believe this, truly believe it—that this is how you stand. I am writing to you and inviting you to write back, for when you do so, you give me the greatest pleasure. Now, since you ask me in an honorable and churchly spirit—one that befits your piety—about those who were drawn away by necessity but not corrupted by error, and you want me to write what decision has been reached concerning them, whether in synods or elsewhere, know this, most desired lord: First, when the violence ceased, a synod was held with bishops from foreign regions present. Other synods were also held by our fellow ministers in Greece, as well as by those in Spain and Gaul. The same decision was reached here and everywhere: those who had fallen and been leaders of impiety should be pardoned upon their repentance, but not given a position among the clergy. However, those who were not deliberate in their impiety but were drawn away by necessity and violence should not only receive pardon but should also occupy positions among the clergy—especially since they offered a plausible defense and what had happened seemed due to a particular purpose. For they assured us that they had not gone over to impiety, but rather, lest certain most impious persons be elected and ruin the churches, they chose to acquiesce in the violence and bear the burden rather than lose the people. In saying this, they seemed to us to make a plausible case, for they cited as an excuse Aaron the brother of Moses, who in the wilderness acquiesced in the people's transgression and had as his excuse the danger that the people would return to Egypt and remain in idolatry. For there was reason in the view that if they remained in the wilderness they might cease from their impiety, but if they went to Egypt they would be ruined and increase the impiety in their midst. For this reason, then, they have been allowed to rank as clergy, and those who had been deceived and suffered violence have been pardoned. I give this information to your piety confident that you will both accept what has been decided and not charge those who assembled, as I have said, with laxity. Please read this to the clergy and laity under your care, so that they may be informed and not blame you for holding this view concerning such persons. For it would not be right for me to write when your piety is able to do so and to announce our mind regarding them and carry out all that remains to be done. Thanks to the Lord who filled you, according to 1 Corinthians 1:5, with all utterance and with all knowledge. Let those who repent openly anathematize by name the error of Eudoxius and Euzoius, for they blasphemed continually and wrote that He was a creature, being ringleaders of the Arian heresy. But let them confess the faith confessed by the fathers at Nicaea, and let them put no other synod before that one. Greet the brotherhood with you. Those with us greet you in the Lord.
You write what is proper for a beloved son to write to a father: accordingly, I embraced you when you came near me in writing, most desired Rufinianus. And I, though I might write to you as a son both in the opening and the middle and the close, refrained, lest my commendation and testimony should be made known by writing. For you are my letter, as it is written 2 Corinthians 3:2, known and read in the heart. That you then are in such case, believe, yea believe. I address you, and invite you to write. For by doing so you afford me the highest gratification. But since in an honourable and church-like spirit, such as becomes your piety, you ask me about those who were drawn away by necessity but not corrupted by error, and wish me to write what resolution has been come to about them, whether in synods or elsewhere; know, most desired Lord, that to begin with, when violence was ceased, a synod has been held, bishops from foreign parts being present; while others have been held by our fellow-ministers resident in Greece, as well as by those in Spain and Gaul: and the same decision had come to here and everywhere, namely, in the case of those who had fallen and been leaders of impiety, to pardon them upon their repentance, but not to give them the position of clergy: but in the case of men not deliberate in impiety, but drawn away by necessity and violence, that they should not only receive pardon, but should occupy the position of clergy: the more so, in that they offered a plausible defense, and what had happened seemed due to a certain special purpose. For they assured us that they had not gone over to impiety; but lest certain most impious persons should be elected and ruin the Churches they elected rather to acquiesce in the violence and to bear the burden, than to lose the people. But in saying this, they appeared to us to say what was plausible; for they alleged in excuse Aaron the brother of Moses, who in the wilderness acquiesced in the people's transgression; and that he had had as his excuse the danger of the people returning to Egypt and abiding in idolatry. For there was reason in the view, that if they remained in the wilderness they might cease from their impiety: but if they went into Egypt they would become ruined and increase the impiety in their midst. For this reason, then, they have been allowed to rank as clergy, those who had been deceived and suffered violence being pardoned. I give this information to your piety in the confidence that you will both accept what has been resolved upon, and not charge those who assembled, as I have said, with remissness. But be good enough to read it to the clergy and laity under you, that they may be informed, and may not blame you for being thus minded about such persons. For it would not be fitting for me to write, when your piety is able to do so, and to announce our mind with regard to them, and carry out all that remains to be done. Thanks to the Lord that filled you 1 Corinthians 1:5 with all utterance and with all knowledge. Let then those that repent openly anathematise by name the error of Eudoxius and Euzoius. For they blasphemed still, and wrote that He was a creature, ringleaders of the Arian heresy. But let them confess the faith confessed by the fathers at Nicæa, and that they put no other synod before that one. Greet the brotherhood with you. That with us greets you in the Lord.