The Letters and Decrees of Pseudo-Felix II

To the most reverend and most beloved brothers, Athanasius and all the bishops of the Egyptians, the Thebans, and the Libyans, assembled in the holy Alexandrian synod, Felix, bishop of the nurturing city of Rome and of the universal Church, and the holy synod which assembled in the city of Rome, greeting in the Lord.

We gladly received, for the sake of your holiness honored by God, your sacred synodal letter, written through the grace of the Holy Spirit and with zeal pleasing to God, and we straightway ordered it to be read out in the synod point by point, and we commanded all to gather its words attentively: over which, while we hoped and desired to rejoice, our harp was turned into mourning, our song into weeping, and the whole joy of the synod was turned into grief; because it was not fitting that those who daily make the body of Christ with their own mouth should suffer so great a persecution, since the Lord our God, providing for the salvation of the human race, commanded that persecutions not take place, nor disturbances be brought in, nor those laboring in the field of the Lord be envied, nor the stewards of the great King be vexed or expelled.

"Be still," says the holy great Nicene synod, "and do not persecute those who minister perfectly to God, and who with sincere will keep the commandments of the God above, and who are subject to our laws; because it is neither fitting nor does order permit that the unjust and carnal persecute the spiritual." For everyone who resists another, now twisting, now hiding the truth, lies against him with whom he contends. And whoever is hostile to another acts wholly as an enemy, and moreover strives to speak against him. We admonish you, therefore, brothers, that you ought to be as watchmen, so that, as far as you are able, and as the Lord grants aid, you resist such men with our apostolic authority and your own, and let none of you withdraw himself from aiding a brother, but let each render assistance according to his strength.

For although you are few, if you are of one mind, you will by no means be overcome, with justice supporting you and the Lord also bringing help, because a threefold cord is not easily broken. For if human law comes to the aid of secular offices, how much more ought the divine and catholic law to come to the aid of ecclesiastical matters and the priests of the Lord, and especially the bishops, who are called the pupil of the Lord's eye! For the divine word says of bishops: "He who touches you touches the pupil of my eye." And if secular men are examined in many ways by human law, and delays and postponements of many months are granted to them, lest they be unjustly condemned, how much more ought far greater periods of time to be granted to bishops, who are nearer to God, and set over these matters, and placed in the heavenly army, which is to be weighed all the more earnestly, lest they be burdened, oppressed, or suddenly condemned by certain persons!

Let us begin, then, with God's help, and that of the holy apostle Peter, through whom the apostolate and episcopate in Christ took its beginning, since many cases have often arisen which in some instances were not cases but crimes; because, as we have found, they have more often been imposed upon the brothers out of iniquity than out of charity. And so that for the future there may be care that such things do not happen, let us set forth certain chapters established by the holy fathers both in the Nicene synod and also in this see, by which our brothers and fellow bishops, supported, may be able, with the Lord's help, to escape the snares of enemies; and, as far as the Lord grants us ability, let us imitate in fewer words a summary of such great evils, and briefly review what we have found in the volume of your letters, and add certain other matters necessary for the present time, as you request.

If anyone has a case against a bishop, let him not first approach other bishops to accuse him, until he has privately made known his complaint to him, and has received from him either a just amendment or a reasonable excuse, truth itself instructing us: "If your brother has sinned against you, go and rebuke him between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. If he does not hear you, take with you one or two more; and if he does not hear them, tell it to the Church," that is, accuse him publicly, and not before, and so on.

If anyone thereafter should choose to accuse a bishop, let him make known his case to the highest primates of the bishops, and not to secular men, who would call them back more to peace than to judgment, so that charity may be preserved in all things and by all. If the primates are wholly unable to reconcile the accusers with the bishops privately, then let them at a lawful time canonically summon them to a synod canonically convened, not within too short a period, and not before they signify to them in writing what is alleged against them, so that they may come prepared for their defense. For if they have been driven out by force or fear, or despoiled of their goods, they can neither be canonically summoned to a synod, nor ought they to answer their rivals, before they are canonically restored and all their goods lawfully returned to them.

If any bishop has been despoiled of his goods, or expelled from his church by force or fear, which is hostile to the whole Christian name, it is fitting and right that the proposal concerning bishops always yield first place to this, that all things which were taken from him be lawfully restored to his power, and that the prelate be restored first, and only afterward—not at once, but after a long and ample interval, once his own affairs have been powerfully arranged and prepared for his needs—that he come in due time to the case; and if it seems just, let him answer his accusers.

If someone will not be satisfied with anything except accusing a bishop, he must proceed by the tenor set forth above, because otherwise the accusation cannot stand as valid. First, then, let the accuser bring the case of the one accused canonically before the primates. Nor let the accused be barred from communion, unless, having been canonically summoned to the judgment of chosen judges, he delays coming within three, six, or more months to give account for himself. But if he can prove that he was not unwilling but unable to come, this shall not harm him. But he who has been driven from his see by force or fear, or despoiled of his goods, shall not be summoned to the synod before all things are restored to him according to the laws. And he shall remain in his own see peacefully and with full authority, arranging all things, for as long as he appeared to be deprived of his goods by expulsion or despoiling.

But when he comes to judgment, if he wishes and it is necessary, let delays established by the fathers be granted to him at his request without hindrance, and let judges chosen by himself be assigned to him, so that in the place from which the accused comes, or if elsewhere he fears the violence of some rash multitude, he may choose a place suitable to himself, where he may, without fear, if necessity demands, have his own witnesses, and bring his case to a canonical conclusion without hindrance, since many things tend to happen by underhanded means.

Detraction prevails greatly when the detractor is believed. Therefore it is not fitting that a primate be shaken by various detractions and accusations, but rather that he be strengthened by the rules of the fathers. Nor let him presume to accept accusations readily or indiscriminately, the Lord saying: "You shall not entertain a false report"; but he ought first to test the suspicion and the case, or with what mind this is done, and only afterward suspect; because the profession of truth is wont to be hindered, and adverse things brought upon the brothers, by intent arising from kinship, enmity, fear, love, hatred, and cupidity.

Always, first, in every accusation of bishops, let the life, person, and conduct of the accusers be examined in detail; and only afterward let the matters alleged be faithfully treated: since nothing ought to be done otherwise, except that the faith, persons, life, and deeds of those who bring the charge be first examined; for the life of the innocent ought not to be torn apart by the malice of depraved or scheming men. Indeed, quite often the good are persecuted by the wicked, who do not cease to disparage others by their own calamities. Therefore the utmost care must be taken lest these things happen.

Let no slave, no freedman, no untrustworthy person, no one entangled in crimes, no calumniator, no one devoted to enmities, no one who frequently litigates and is quick to accuse or detract, no infamous person, or anyone whom the public laws do not admit to accuse public crimes, be permitted to accuse bishops; since I cannot find on what principle the priestly order ought to accept accusers and accusations which the laws of the world do not receive, seeing that these things were forbidden even in the Nicene synod, and that the former ought rather to be judged by the latter, not the latter by the former; and the Apostle says: "The spiritual man judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one."

Heretics, by whom we are greatly oppressed, and excommunicated persons, murderers, evildoers, thieves, sacrilegious men, robbers, poisoners, adulterers, and those who have committed rape or given false testimony, or who have resorted to sorcerers and magicians, shall in no way be admitted to accusation or to testimony.

As often as a bishop is accused of certain crimes, if the accusers are such as ought justly and canonically to be received, let him be canonically heard by all the bishops who are in the provinces, at a lawful synod assembled at its proper time. But if the accusers are not lawful, let the bishop not be troubled: for priests ought to be free for the offering of sacrifice, not for litigation. Nor ought those who are called the thrones of God be disturbed by the snares of wicked men, but should serve Christ the Lord freely.

Although it is permitted to bishops of the same province, together with their metropolitan, to handle the cases of bishops of their province with charity and in harmony, it is not permitted, nevertheless (as was established in the aforesaid synod, in your presence), to render final judgment without the authority of the Roman pontiff. And if this should be presumed otherwise by certain persons, let those who have done this bear the loss of their own presumption; and let those who have been wrongly excommunicated or condemned by them be absolved and restored by the authority of this holy see, and by the power of blessed Peter our teacher, the key-bearer. For the Lord himself says: "Whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven."

As often as bishops shall have thought themselves oppressed by their fellow-provincials, or by the metropolitan, or shall have held them suspect, let them forthwith appeal to the Roman see, to which it shall be lawful for them to go freely, without any detention or removal of their goods. And while they shall have appealed to the aforesaid Roman mother Church, or shall have demanded to be heard by her, let no one presume either to excommunicate them, or to seize their sees, or to take away their goods, or to inflict any violence upon them, before their case is decided by the authority of the Roman pontiff. But if anything otherwise shall have been presumed by anyone, it shall be null, and shall be void of force.

For we do not presume this wrongly, but you know well, Athanasius, that this very thing was established in the Nicene synod, and that our predecessors so acted: since when you and Paul of Constantinople, Asclepius of Gaza, and Lucian of Adrianople, were condemned by the Eastern bishops without consulting Julius of holy memory, our predecessor, and fled to him as to the head of the whole world (as has always been lawful for this see), he, having recognized their wickedness and your justice, received you into communion, and, caring for you all, on account of the dignity of his own see, restored to each his own church. He wrote to the Easterns, blaming them for not having dealt rightly, in expelling blameless men from their churches, and for not at all preserving the decrees of the Nicene council. He commanded certain of them to appear before him on a fixed day, so that they might render a clear account of such presumptions, and that he might show before them that he had pronounced a just decree concerning them.

He also declared that the brethren would not suffer such things thereafter, and that unless they ceased from presumptions of this kind, they would be removed from their own ranks. For by such a privilege of this holy see, you and your brethren recovered your own churches, with all things pertaining to them. By these and very many other documents it is manifest that no bishop ought to be condemned, or despoiled of his goods, who has appealed to this holy see, or has taken it as his defender, until he acknowledges the judgment concerning him of our apostolic authority, that is, of Peter, prince of the apostles, since Christ Jesus committed this to this holy see alone, that is, the apostolic see, inasmuch as the aforesaid prince of the apostles alone, and before all, was trusted, and deserved to receive from Christ, the King of kings and God, the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

Concerning the delays granted to bishops, about which you consulted us, we find various rules established by the fathers. For some have ordained that a year, or six months, be granted for repelling the machinations of accusers, for preparing their own responses, for confirming witnesses, and for seeking the counsel of bishops and friends; others, however, a year, in which most agree. But I have not found less than six months granted, since this is allowed even to laymen—how much more to the priests of the Lord! For it has often been forbidden by our predecessors and the rest of the holy fathers, that anyone bring detractions against the priests of the Lord; how much more accusations, not brought forth from the root of charity! Be still, they say, and do not persecute those who serve God perfectly, by whose prayers even earthly wars are stilled, and the assaults of the angels who have fallen away from God are repelled, and who confound by the assiduity of their prayers all the demons who have become corrupt.

For delays are to be granted not for a short time, but for a long space, so that the accused may be able to prepare themselves, and to bring together all those in communion who are placed throughout the provinces, to prepare witnesses, and to arm themselves fully against those who lie in wait.

For judges and accusers ought to be free from all suspicion, and desire to bring forth their sentence from the root of charity. These things, then, having been set forth both according to law and canon, we ask also that the reverence of all Christians rejoice together with them, with spiritual love and fear of the Lord intervening, through which human offense is removed, and the edification of the churches is preferred above all things, so that all may labor rather for the edification of the brethren than for their condemnation; since the Lord says: By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. For we have already given a rule, and we know it to have been given by our predecessors, that if anyone recognize himself to be a Christian, let him keep that which is known to have been handed down by the apostles, the apostle Paul saying: If anyone shall announce to you other than what you have received, let him be anathema.

For Christ the Son of God, our Lord, by His own passion granted to the human race the fullest salvation, that He might free us. And if God so loved us that He did not even spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, that He might free us: why then do we not love the brethren, or why do we rashly judge them, since the aforesaid apostle says: Judge not one another, but judge this rather, that you put not a stumbling-block or scandal before a brother? For if those who love the brethren are born of God, and see God: what then shall become of those who persecute them, and by detraction, by machination, by accusation, by harassment, strive to condemn them? If those are sons of God, without doubt these are sons of the devil, who, as a roaring lion goes about seeking whom he may devour, so pursue the brethren, that they may destroy them.

But those who refuse to help the brethren incur a greater burden of sins, and become guilty of withholding the comfort due to brotherhood. Woe, says the prophet, to him who gives drink to his friend, mixing in his own gall. And again the most wise Solomon says: For he who speaks iniquitous things cannot be hidden, nor shall the judgment that reproves him pass him by. For in the thoughts of the impious there shall be inquiry: and the report of his words shall come to God, to the correction of his iniquities: for the ear of zeal hears all things, and the tumult of murmurers shall not be hidden. For if they had wished to embrace these things with a right and sound mind, they would by no means have fallen into reprobation, but through fear of God, guarding the custody of their words, they would surely have kept the pious definition of the holy fathers without any presumption of harm: since the sacred word says: Good counsel shall keep you, and a good mind shall guard you.

For such accusations and detractions do not proceed spiritually from healthful fountains toward the acquisition of eternal life, and therefore the blessed Paul fittingly admonishing us, says: One ought not to be wise beyond what it behooves one to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety. Let us persevere in the definition of piety. For those who transgress it are not only themselves falling from their own strength, but they have left to all a memory of their folly, so that in the very things in which they sinned they could by no means remain hidden. For glory and reproach are in speech: and in the tongue of man is his downfall. Therefore it is fitting that this demonstration of their reproof be inserted in our acts, that you may no longer suffer such things, while they sow tares and scandals, but that you may deserve to rejoice in your offices and doctrines.

Let such men, therefore, be ashamed, and let them hasten to withdraw such blasphemy, if they do not wish to be separated from our sacerdotal college, and torn away from the fellowship of the Christian people. Although we could have said and written many more most necessary things concerning these matters, which are found established in the decrees of the apostolic see, and by the apostles and their successors, namely our predecessors, yet it seemed better to us to close this letter with a prayer.

May Almighty God, and His only-begotten Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, grant you this incitement, that you may succor with all your strength all our brothers and fellow bishops, whatever tribulations they may labor under, and, sympathizing with them, may bear the cross of the same Lord and Savior, that you may appear before all as His true disciples, so that both you and those who are with you may possess here and in the future those better things, which eye has not seen, nor have entered into the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love Him, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom, to Almighty God the Father be glory forever and ever, amen. I wish you well, dearest brothers. Given on the Ides of February, in the consulship of Agarius and Julian, most illustrious men.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the strengthening and communion of the Holy Spirit, so that, progressing in him from glory to glory, we may proclaim the virtues of him who called us out of darkness into his admirable light, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of turning. We exhort you, brothers, to bear persecutions and tribulations patiently, that you may be found sons of him whom you daily call your Father, God in heaven; and that in him you may overcome all things, who for our sake has overcome all things: who did not even spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. It is fitting also that imitators of God imitate God in every word and deed. And therefore we ought to say that which the Lord himself testified concerning himself: The prince of this world will come, and will find nothing in me.

They too have come who persecute you and us, because they cannot persecute you without us, since we are members of one God, and hold the one priesthood of him through his sanctification, and they have found nothing of their own in us: because whatever we are, we are by the grace of God, although for this reason they have striven to slander us unreasonably, as enemies are wont to do, hastening thereby to cover their own madness, so that through falsehood they might be able to obscure the truth. For I wrote to you, says the blessed apostle, through many tears, not that you should be made sorrowful, but that you should know what abundant charity I have toward you. For it is not good to detract from those who detract, lest, moved by what has been written, we make ourselves a contest of injury.

We ought not at all to fear the reproach of men, nor to be conquered by their revilings, since the Lord commands us this through the prophet Isaiah, saying: Hear me, you who know judgment, my people, in whose hearts is my law. Fear not the reproach of men, and be not afraid of their blasphemies. Considering also what is written in the psalm: Shall not God search this out? For he himself knows the hidden things of the heart, and the thoughts of such men, since they are vain. For everyone has spoken vain things to his neighbor, and deceitful lips are in the heart, and with the heart they have spoken evil things. But the Lord will destroy all deceitful lips, and the boastful tongue. Who have said, our lips are our own; who is lord over us? For if they kept these things in memory, they would by no means rush into such iniquity.

For they do not do this out of approved and paternal teaching, but that they may exercise their vengeance upon the servants of God. For it is written: The way of a fool is right in his own eyes. And there are ways which seem just to a man, but their end leads to death. For we who suffer these things ought to reserve them for the judgment of God, who will render to each according to his works. Who also thundered through his ministers, saying: Vengeance is mine, I will repay. Do you, in right faith and with pure and good will, help one another in turn, nor let anyone withdraw his hand from supplying his brother’s need: since by this, says the Lord, all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. Whence also he himself speaks through the prophet, saying: Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.

I mean the spiritual dwelling and concord which is in God, and the unity of this delightful faith, according to the truth of that indwelling which was indeed the more adorned in Aaron, and in those who put on the priestly dignity, like ointment upon the head, watering the principal understanding, and leading even to the utmost knowledge. For in this dwelling the Lord promised blessing and eternal life. Embracing therefore the merit of this prophetic utterance, we have set forth the present brotherly discourse, seeking nothing of our own for the sake of charity, nor shall we seek it. For it is not good to detract from those who detract, nor, according to the common fable, to knock out one stake with another. Far be it. These things are not ours: wherefore may the Divinity avert them.

We have not been taught to conquer in such a manner, but in the patience of longsuffering and in the spirit of humility: because, as the black cumin (to speak prophetically) is by no means purged by harshness, so neither is the soothing fruit of the understanding of peace expressed through asperity. For this reason we have endured also the blows of words, that we might be able, even little by little, to imitate him who deigned to humble himself for our sake, and that through this affliction we might turn aside the words of that final vengeance. Let us therefore hearken, and agree with the orator of the Church, who with the tongue of the Holy Spirit cries aloud with a clear voice, saying: Let all things be done among you in charity. Therefore whether we seek, or merely speak, and are merely heard, let charity intervene. Let some art exist for the composition and conjunction of good concord.

For it is fitting that we, who seek God with the spirit of rectitude of our mind, numbering our intentions, should peacefully inhabit the temple in him for the sake of the Lord, who spoke through the prophet: Seek diligently, and dwell with me. For God has given us as a mirror to his people, and it is fitting that those who are appointed by God to obtain the priesthood should, in humility of the steps of the mind, so bear themselves toward one another, that those who look to us may be edified for the better, rather than (which it grieves us to say) have the path of their feet shaken through our discord. Let us incline ourselves toward concord, and be of one mind in charity. Let us venerate humility, by which loftiness of spirit is wont to be attained.

For if until now we have loved silence more than garrulity of words, we have indeed judged this to be well, lest, by responding in kind to your letters, we should encourage the kindling of injury, and be judged by him who has proclaimed that all things should be directed to charity, as men of little spirit. We prayed indeed then that a door of circumspection be set upon our lips, and that we might conceive an unspoken word rather than a spoken one: and yet this is a gift to me from the Lord, and I have become as a man not hearing, and having no rebukes in his mouth. But since there is a time to speak and a time to be silent, I open the word, and I close the door through silence, praying fittingly: Lord, open my lips, and I shall answer a word to those who reproach me. For although we have been silent, yet we shall not always be silent, the Lord opening to us the keys of the word.

Therefore the apocrisiarii sent at present by your fraternity’s beatitude, after many discordant discourses held between us concerning an ecclesiastical inquiry, came in the end to this point, admonishing and exhorting us to interpret the understanding of the will of the one true Christ our God, and to send such an interpretation to your most sacred veneration.

We, however, having received with good conscience the admonition of the aforesaid venerable men, and knowing also what the summit of the primacy of the apostles teaches, being ready to give satisfaction to everyone who asks a word concerning the hope that is in us, according to the fear of God, tempering it with meekness unto good knowledge, we set forth our mind by these lines only concerning such an inquiry, avoiding and guarding against superfluous exercise and altercation of words, on account of the tedium and unsuitability of the present time, understanding, uttering, or saying nothing whatsoever other than what we have heard and learned from the holy and universal great apostles and their successors, and what our fathers have related to us, and, having heard, we have preached, tending toward the heavenly calling. Our zeal is this: that where the establishment of peace remains for those who are in the arena of piety, one and the same glory and crown are duly given to the intercessor.

We have been made manifest to God, who judges and approves all things. We do not stand contentiously, we do not look to contradiction, nor do we embrace empty favor: but in the word of God set before us, we are known to have made this resolution of the inquiry, trusting that the Lord God of peace will preserve unity and love between us both, to the glory of his most benign majesty. We, both ourselves and those who are with us, greatly salute all the brotherhood existing with your beatitude in Christ. Given on the 8th of the Kalends of November, in the consulship of the most illustrious men Philemon and Atticus.