114 (204). To Cyriacus and His Followers in Tarsus
LETTERS
114. To Cyriacus and His Followers in Tarsus 1 Why should we proclaim among men who are sons of peace how great is the blessing of peace? Since, therefore, this blessing, great and wondrous and eagerly desired by all those who love the Lord, now runs the risk of being reduced to a bare name, 'because iniquity has abounded, the charity of many having now grown cold,'~ I think that those who serve the Lord sincerely and truly ought to have this one ambition
-to bring back to unity the churches which have been severed from each other at 'sundrv times and in divers manners.'3
And, certainly, if I myself should attempt to do this, I should not justly be charged with being a busybody. For, nothing belongs so peculiarly to a Christian as being a peacemaker,4 and therefore the Lord has promised us the greatest reward for it. Accordingly, when I had met the brethren, and beheld their brotherly love and their affection toward you, and their still much greater love of Christ, as well as their exactness and strength in the faith, and when I also saw that they were showing great zeal for two things-not to be separated from your love, and not to betray the sound faith-I approved their good course of action. Further, I am writing to your Dignity, urging with all love that you regard them as truly united and as sharers of all your solicitude for the Church. And I have attested before them to your correctness of faith, and to the fact that you yourself, by the grace of God, with zeal for the truth are ready for everything which you may have to suffer for the true doctrine.
1 Cyriacus is unknown. This letter is on the same subject as the preceding and was written at about the same time.
2 Cf. Matt. 24.1~.
3 Cf. Heb. 1.1. The translation of the Greek po{ymeros is, literally, 'in many portions:
4 Cf. Matt. 5.9.