Section 190
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 159 then bishop, which happened in the persecutions of those times. He also makes mention of Quadratus, who was bishop after the martyrdom of Publius, bearing witness also that the church was again collected, and the faith of the people revived by his exer tions. He states, moreover, that Dionysius the Areopagite, who was converted to the faith by Paul the apostle, according to the statement in the Acts of the Apostles, first obtained the episcopate of the church at Athens. There is also another epistle of his ex tant, addressed to the Nicomedians, in which he refutes the he resy of Marcion and adheres closely to the rule of faith. Jn an epistle to the church of Gortyna, and to the other churches in Crete, he commends their bishop Philip, for the numerous in stances of fortitude that the church evinced under him, according to the testimony of all, whilst he cautions them against the per versions of the heretics. He also wrote to the church at Amastris, together with those at Pontus, in which he makes mention of Bacchylides and Elpistus, as those who urged him to write. He also adds some expositions of the sacred writings, where he in timates that Palmas was then bishop. He also recommends many things in regard to marriage, and the purity to be observed by those who enter this state, and enjoins upon the church to re ceive again kindly all that return again from any fall ; whether of heresy or delinquency. Among them is also inserted aa epistle to the Gnossians, in which he admonishes Pinytus, the bishop of the church, not to impose upon the brethren without necessity, a burden in regard to purity too great to be borne, but to pay regard to the infirmity of the great mass. To which Pinytus, writing in reply, admires and applauds Dionysius, but exhorts him at the same time to impart some time or other stronger food, and to feed the people under him with writings abounding in more per fect doctrine when he wrote again, so that they might not re main constantly nurtured with milky doctrine, and impercepti bly grow old, under a discipline calculated only for children. In which epistle, also, the correct views which Pinytus cherished, and his solicitude respecting the welfare of those that were com mitted to his care, also his learning and intelligence in divine mat ters is exhibited as in a most perfect image. There is yet another 16*