Letter 109: Many are the plots secretly being hatched against me, and through me against the apostolic faith itself.
To Eusebius, Bishop of Ancyra,
Many are the plots secretly being hatched against me, and through me against the apostolic faith itself. But I take comfort from the sufferings of the saints -- prophets, apostles, martyrs, and those famous in the churches for the word of grace -- and above all from the promises of our God and Savior. For in this present life he has promised us nothing pleasant or easy, but rather trouble, toil, danger, and the attacks of enemies: "In the world you shall have tribulation" [John 16:33]; "If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you" [John 15:20]; "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household" [Matthew 10:25]; "The time comes when whoever kills you will think he does God service" [John 16:2]; "Straight is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life" [Matthew 7:14]; "When they persecute you in this city, flee to another" [Matthew 10:23]. The divine apostle too speaks in the same vein: "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, but evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" [2 Timothy 3:12-13].
These words give me the greatest comfort in my distress. Since the slanders uttered against me have probably reached your holiness's ears, I beg you: give no credence to my accusers' lies. I am not aware of ever having taught anyone to believe in two sons. I have been taught to believe in one Only-Begotten, our Lord Jesus Christ, God the Word made man. I know the distinction between flesh and Godhead, and I regard as impious both those who divide our one Lord Jesus Christ into two sons, and those who, traveling in the opposite direction, confuse Godhead and manhood into one nature.
Human translation - New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
Original text not yet available in this corpus.
This letter still needs a Latin or Greek source-text backfill. The source link, when available, is preserved so the text can be checked and added later.
View sourceRevision history
- 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import
Initial corpus import from New Advent / NPNF.
Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2707109.htm
Related Letters
At once and in haste, after your departure, I came to the town. Why need I tell a man not needing to be told, because he knows by experience, how distressed I was not to find you? How delightful it would have been to me to see once more the excellent Eusebius, to embrace him, to travel once again in memory to our young days, and to be reminded o...
1. After receiving the letter of your holiness, in which you said you would not come, I was most anxious to set out for Nicopolis, but I have grown weaker in my wish and have remembered all my infirmity. I bethought me, too, of the lack of seriousness in the conduct of those who invited me.
To his brother and fellow-bishop, Cuthbert [of Canterbury], raised to the dignity of the archiepiscopate, and united...
How could I be silent at the present juncture? And if I cannot be silent, how am I to find utterance adequate to the circumstances, so as to make my voice not like a mere groan but rather a lamentation intelligibly indicating the greatness of the misfortune? Ah me!
I had hoped at this time to receive frequent letters from Your Holiness.