Section 191
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160 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. epistle ascribed to Dionysius, to the Romans, and addressed to Soter the bishop of that city, from which we may also subjoin some extracts, viz., from that part where he commends a practice of the Romans retained even to the persecution in our day, and writes as follows : " For this practice has prevailed with you from the very beginning, to do good to all the brethren in every way, and to send contributions to many churches in every city. Thus refreshing the needy in their want, and furnishing to the brethren condemned to the mines, what was necessary, by these contributions which ye have been accustomed to send from the be'ginning, you preserve, as Romans, the practices of your ancestors the Romans. Which was not only observed by your bishop Soter, but also increased, as he not only furnished great supplies to the saints, but also encouraged the brethren that came from abroad, as a loving father his children, with consolatory words." In this same letter he mentions that of Clement to the Corinthians, show ing that it was the practice to read it in the churches, even from the earliest times. " To-day," says he, " we have passed the Lord's holy day, in which we have read your epistle. In read ing which we shall always have our minds stored with admoni tion, as we shall, also, from that written to us before by Cle ment." Besides this, the same author writes respecting his own epistles as having been corrupted : " As the brethren," says he, " desired me to write epistles, I wrote them, and these the apos tles of the devil have filled with tares, exchanging some things, and adding others, for whom there is a wo reserved. It is not, therefore, matter of wonder, if some have also attempted to adul terate the sacred writings of the Lord, since they have attempted the same in other works that are not to be compared with these." There is also another epistle attributed to this Dionysius, address ed to his most faithful sister Chrysophora, in which he writes what was suitable to her, and imparts also to her the proper spiritual food. And thus much respecting Dionysius.