To Cornelius, Bishop of Rome, in Reply to a Letter from him about Novatian

([61]Eus., H. E. vi. 45)

If it was against thy will, as thou sayest, that thou wast promoted,
[62] thou wilt prove this by retiring of thine own accord. It were good to suffer anything and everything so to escape dividing the Church of God. And martyrdom [63] to avoid schism is no less glorious than martyrdom to avoid idolatry. Nay, it is to my mind greater. In one case a man is a martyr for his own single soul's sake. But this is for the whole Church. Even now wast thou to persuade or constrain the brethren to come to one mind, thy true deed [64] were greater than thy fall. This will not be reckoned to thee, the other will be lauded. And if thou shouldest be powerless to sway disobedient spirits, save, save thine own soul. [65] I pray for thy health and thy steadfast cleaving to peace in the Lord.

[I have to thank the editors and publishers for leave to reprint the above translation by Archbishop Benson from his Cyprian, p. 142.]

[62] Or perhaps "carried on" (to act as thou didst).

[63] Strictly speaking, Novatian's withdrawal was not very likely to involve actual martyrdom.

[64] The word is katorthoma (success); perhaps "recovery" would bring out the antithesis to "fall" (sphalma) better.

[65] Gen. xix. 17 (LXX).
(circ. 253)

Eusebius ([62]H. E. vi. 46) quotes only one short sentence from Dionysius's letter, which refers to the death of Alexander, Bishop of Jerusalem, one of Origen's distinguished pupils and supporters. Alexander twice boldly confessed Christ in the Governor's Court at Cæsarea and died at last in prison. The sentence is as follows--

"The admirable [66] Alexander entered into a blessed rest whilst in custody."

According to Eusebius, the letter also mentioned the invitation which Dionysius had received from the Bishops of Asia Minor to attend a synod at Antioch at which "they tried to suppress the schism of Novatian."

[66] Another reading gives "blessed" (makarios), which, though less well supported by the MSS., makes the phrase makarios anepausato more pointed.