Church History 6.45.1
Summary: Dionysius urged Novatian to end the schism: dying to avoid schism is a greater martyrdom than dying to avoid idolatry.
Greek text · Dindorf 4:295–296
Ἴδωμεν δὲ ὁ αὐτὸς ὁποῖα καὶ τῷ Νοουάτῳ διεχάραξε, ταράττοντι τηνικάδε τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀδελφότητα. ἐπειδὴ οὖν τῆς ἀποστασίας καὶ τοῦ σχίσματος πρόφασιν ἐποιεῖτο τῶν ἀδελφῶν τινας, ὡς δὴ πρὸς αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τοῦτʼ ἐλθεῖν ἐκβεβιασμένος, ὅρα τίνα τρόπον αὐτῷ γράφει· ‟Διονύσιος ‟Νοουάτῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ χαίρειν. εἰ ἄκων, ὡς φῄς, ‘ἤχθης, δείξεις, ἐὰν ἀναχωρήσῃς ἑκών. ἔδει μὲν γὰρ ‟καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ διακόψαι τὴν ἐκ- “κλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἦν οὐκ ἀδοξοτέρα τῆς ἕνεκεν ‟τοῦ μὴ εἰδωλολατρῆσαι γινομένης ἡ ἕνεκεν τοῦ μὴ σχίσαι μαρτυρία, κατʼ ἐμὲ δὲ καὶ μείζων. ἐκεῖ μὲν ‟γὰρ ὑπὲρ μιᾶς τις τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, ἐνταῦθα δὲ ‟ὑπὲρ ὅλης τῆς ἐκκλησίας μαρτυρεῖ. καὶ νῦν δὲ εἰ ‟πείσαις ἢ βιάσαιο τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς εἰς ὁμόνοιαν ἐλ- ‟θεῖν, μεῖζον ἔσται σοι τοῦ σφάλματος τὸ κατόρθωμα, ‟καὶ τὸ μὲν οὐ λογισθήσεται, τὸ δὲ ἐπαινεθήσεται. ‟εἰ δὲ ἀπειθούντων ἀδυνατοίης, σώζων σῶζε τὴν ‟σεαυτοῦ ψυχήν. ἐρρῶσθαί σε ἐχόμενον τῆς εἰρήνης ῾ἐν κυρίῳ εὔχομαι.” ταῦτα καὶ πρὸς τὸν Νοουάτον.
English · Claude translation
Let us see also what the same man wrote to Novatus, who was then troubling the brotherhood of the Romans. Since he made some of the brothers his pretext for the apostasy and schism, as though he had been forced by them to come to this, see how he writes to him: “Dionysius to Novatus his brother, greeting. If you were led on unwillingly, as you say, you will show it if you withdraw willingly. For one ought to suffer anything whatever rather than divide the church of God; and martyrdom to avoid schism would be no less glorious than that incurred to avoid idolatry — in my judgment, even greater. For there one bears witness for one's own single soul, here for the whole church. And even now, if you persuade or compel the brothers to come to concord, your right action will be greater than your fault; the one will not be reckoned, the other will be praised. But if you are powerless because they disobey, save, save your own soul. I pray that you may be well, holding fast to peace in the Lord.” This he wrote to Novatus.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- Quotation from Dionysius of Alexandria, Letter to Novatian. The digital text reads ἐγών for ἑκών (“willingly”).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (misread letter in the digital text; wrong accent in the digital text): ἀναχωρήσῃς ἐγών → ἀναχωρήσῃς ἑκών; καὶ πὰν ὁτιοῦν → καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν.
Cite this passage
Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 6.45.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-historia/6/45/1/).
Plain text
Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 6.45.1 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/eusebius-historia/6/45/1/).
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