Eusebius Book 7, Section 5

7.5.1

V. “ἴσθι δὲ νῦν, ἀδελφέ, ὅτι ἥνωνται πᾶσαι αἱ πρότερον διεσχισμέναι κατά τὴν ἀνατολὴν ἐκκλησίαι καὶ ἔτι προσωτέρω, πάντες εἰαὶν ὁμόφρονες οἱ πανταχοῦ προεστῶτες, χαίροντες καθ’ ὑπερβολὴν ἐπὶ τῆ παρὰ προσδοκίαν εἰρήνη γενομένῃ, Δημητριανὸς ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ, Θεόκτιστος ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, Μαζαβάνης ἐν Μαρῖνος ἐν Τύρῳ κοιμηθέντος Ἀλεξάνδρου, ῾Ηλιόδωρος ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ἀναπαυσαμένου Θηλυμίδρου, Ἕλενος ἐν Ταρσῷ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ τῆς ἐκκλησίαι, Φιρμιλιανὸς καὶ πᾶσα τοὺς γὰρ περιφανεστέρους μόνους τῶν ἐπισκόπων ὠνόμασα, ἵνα μήτε μῆκος τῆ ἐπιστολῇ μήτε προσάφω τῷ λόγῳ. αἱ μέντοι Συρίαι ὅλαι καὶ ἡ Ἀραβία, οἷς ἐπαρκεῖτε ἑκάστοτε καὶ οἷς νῦν ἐπεστείλατε, ἢ τε Μεσοποταμία Πόντος Βιθυνία καί, συνελόντι εἰπεῖν, ἀγαλλιῶνται πανταχοῦ τῆ ὁμονοίᾳ καὶ φιλαδελφίᾳ, δοξάζοντες ’τον θέον.

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V. “But know now, brother, that all the churches in the East and still further away, which were formerly divided, have been united, and all their presidents everywhere are of like mind, rejoicing above measure at the unexpected arrival of peace: Demetrian at Antioch, Theoctistus at Caesarea, Mazabanes at Aelia, Marinus at Tyre (Alexander having fallen asleep), Heliodorus at Laodicea (for Thelymidres has entered into his rest), Helenus at Tarsus and all the churches of Cilicia, Firmilian and all Cappadocia. For I name only the more eminent bishops, to avoid making my letter long and my discourse tedious. Nevertheless, the Syrians as a whole and Arabia, which ye constantly help and to which ye have now written, and Mesopotamia and Pontus and Bithynia, and, in a word, everywhere rejoice exceedingly in their concord and brotherly love, giving glory to God.”

7.5.2

Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ Διονύσιος· Στέφανον δ’ ἐπὶ δυσὶν ἀποπλήσαντα τὴν λειτουργίαν ἔτεαιν, Ξύστος διαδέχεται. τούτῳ δευτέραν ὁ Διονύσιος περὶ βαπτίαματος χαράξας ἐπιατολήν, ὁμοῦ τὴν Στε- φάνου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπισκόπων γνώμην τε καὶ κρίσιν δηλοῖ, περὶ τοῦ Στεφάνου λέγων ταῦτα· ἐπεστάλκει μὲν οὖν πρότερον καὶ περὶ Ἑλένου καὶ περὶ Φιρμιλιανοῦ καὶ πάντων τῶν τε ἀπὸ Κιλικίας καὶ Καππαδοκίας καὶ δῆλον ὅτι Γαλατίας καὶ πάντων τῶν ἑξῆς ὁμορούντων ἐθνῶν, ὡς οὐδὲ ἐκείνοις κοινωνήσων διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην ἐπειδὴ τοὺς αἱρετικούς, φησίν, καὶ σκόπει τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πράγματος. ὄντως γὰρ δόγματα περὶ τούτου γέγονεν ἐν ταῖς μεγίσταις τῶν ἐπισκόπων συνόδοις, ὡς πυνθάνομαι, ὥστε τοὺς προσιόντας ἀπὸ αἱρέσεων εἶτα ἀπολούεσθαι καὶ ἀνακαθαίρεσθαι τὸν παλαιᾶς καὶ ἀκαθάρτου ζύμης ῥύπον. καὶ περὶ τούτων αὐτοῦ πάντων δεόμενος ἐπέστειλα.

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Such is the account of Dionysius. But when Stephen had fulfilled his ministry for two years, he was succeeded by Xystus. To him Dionysius penned a second letter on Baptism, showing the opinion and decision both of Stephen and of the other bishops. About Stephen he speaks thus: “Now he had written formerly with reference both to Helenus and Firmilian and all those from Cilicia and Cappadocia and, in fact, Galatia and all the provinces that border on these, to the effect that he would not hold communion in future with them either, for this same reason; since, says he, they rebaptize heretics. And look thou at the importance of the matter. For decrees on this question have been actually passed in the largest synods of bishops, as I learn, so that those who come over from heresies are first placed under instruction, then washed and purged again from the stain of the old and impure leaven. And I wrote beseeching him on all these matters.”

7.5.3

Καὶ μεθ’ ἕτερά φηαιν· “καὶ τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ συμπρεσβυτέροις Διονυσίῳ καὶ συμψήφοις πρότερον Στεφάνῳ γενομένοις καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν μοι γράφουσιν, πρότερον μὲν ὀλίγα, καὶ νῦν δὲ διὰ πλειόνων ἐπέστειλα.”

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And, after other remarks, he says: “And to our beloved fellow-presbyters also, Dionysius and fellow-voters, who had formerly been of the same opinion as Stephen and wrote to me about the same matters, at first I wrote briefly, but now at greater length.”

7.5.4

Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τοῦ δηλουμένου ζητήματος·

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So much with regard to the question of which I am speaking.