Dionysius of Corinth
Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth.
Fragments from a Letter to the Roman Church.
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Dionysius, Bishop of
Corinth.
Fragments from a Letter
to the Roman Church.
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[a.d. 170.] Eusebius is almost diffuse in what he tells us of this
Dionysius,1
"who was appointed over the church at Corinth, and imparted freely, not only to
his own people, but to others, and those abroad also, the blessings of his
divine labours." He wrote "Catholic Epistles; "he addressed an epistle to the
Spartans and the Athenians; and, as Eusebius says, Dionysius the Areopagite, the
convert of St. Paul, was the first bishop of Athens.2
He wrote to the Nicomedians, refuting Marcion, and closely adhering to "the rule
of faith." In an epistle to the Gortynians and others in Crete, he praises
Philip for his courageous ministry, and warns them against the heretics. He
seems to recognise Palmas as bishop of Amastris and Pontus, and adds expositions
of Scripture, and rules regarding marriage, its purity and sanctity. He also
inculcates tenderness to penitent lapsers and backsliders. With Pinytus, bishop
of the Gnossians, he corresponds on similar subjects; but Pinytus, while he
thanks him and commends his clemency, evidently regards him as too much inclined
to furnish "food for babes," and counsels him to add "strong meat for those of
full age." He also writes to Chrysophora, his most faithful sister, imparting
spiritual instruction.
I.
For this has been your custom from the beginning, to do good to all the
brethren in various ways, and to send resources to many churches which are in
every city, thus refreshing the poverty of the needy, and granting subsidies to
the brethren who are in the mines.1
Through the resources which ye have sent from the beginning, ye Romans, keep up
the custom of the Romans handed down by the fathers, which your blessed Bishop
Sorer has not only preserved, but added to, sending a splendid gift to the
saints, and exhorting with blessed words those brethren who go up to Rome, as an
affectionate father his children.
II.
We passed this holy Lord's day, in which we read your letter, from the
constant reading of which we shall be able to draw admonition, even as from the
reading of the former one you sent us written through Clement.
III.
Therefore you also have by such admonition joined in close union the
churches that were planted by Peter and Paul, that of the Romans and that of
the Corinthians: for both of them went3
to our Corinth, and taught us in the same way as they taught you when they went
to Italy; and having taught you, they suffered martyrdom at the same
time.4
IV.
For I wrote letters when the brethren requested me to write. And these
letters the apostles of the devil have filled with tares, taking away some
things and adding others, for whom a woe is in store. It is not wonderful, then,
if some have attempted to adulterate the Lord's writings, when they have formed
designs against those which are not such.6