Letter 42: To Mor Quriaqos the Metropolitan

Letter 42: To the venerable and holy father Mor Quriaqos, the Metropolitan. Ishoʿyahb, by the mercy of the Lord, sends greetings. It is good for a man, or rather for a father, more than for others, that a little tranquility be granted to the Church of God when it prospers. It is good, moreover, for the Church of God, more than a multitude of other aids, that there be a little unity among its members, even if it be small, when it is properly moved by love. For by that same love, ecclesiastical goodness is established as a foundation of the world. By the activity of divine mercies, and by that same foundation of priestly unity, the foundation of the glory of God is made manifest through the confession of fervent hours. As also now, when it is properly moved, as if by a more excellent affection in its power, it has moved toward the humble countenance of my insignificance, the honor of your fatherhood, through the fragrance of the glory of God—that which, with the whole world, is filled, and which, moreover, with the books of the Spirit, is spoken of and exists. I do not know by which wings, as if by a gentle breeze, it has flown lightly, and to the multitude of pursuers, by the powers of its fragrance, it has clung. And to reach toward the word of custom, and to reach toward the confession of the division of faces. For others, those who, by the opposition of their actions without the success of their petitions, are healed, toward the hope of a better countenance. And a gentle opportunity of aid has found their good desire, a praiseworthy confidence of my insignificance toward your fatherhood—that which thus, by the perfect love of your wisdom, God has spread forth that it may be.

and before the multitude of others who are already prepared to be: if then they perceive in the success of my insignificance toward your fatherhood, anticipate on my behalf toward your love, the requests of the blind of your fatherhood. My brothers, both mine and inward, those who, with the eastern wing of your flock, the flock of the land, have arrived. And they graze pleasantly in the western pastures, and are refreshed completely upon the waters of the church that flow from the head that went against Athor. And many sacrifices have turned out well for them. For at the time of the mother of cities, which now through the diligence of your fatherhood is being administered, a sharp and severe anxiety occurred. That same one, for Paul the wondrous, the persuader of angels and the vanquisher of the word of truth. And again, shortly before, and now, while eyes see, to the royal city and to the patriarchal throne, he sent a precious gift. That one, whose excellence even foreign mouths are constrained to proclaim. And these things I said thus: they happened to you that they succeeded well; now set the faces of their thoughts upon the beloved inward one, the honored brother Mor Maruzd the bishop. And ask that he be for them a covenant of time. And when their hope did not succeed in the simplicity of the good, they despaired in smallness and shame and were distressed. And when they found hope as if it were near, that which they found: that not because of the swiftness of the love of your fatherhood toward me, am I able to give them this hope. And that I might write to your fatherhood, I wrote to them in many letters. From them, with my coming to you. And all of them in a letter of writing. And when I was freed from the agitation of thought, and I relied upon the like of your fatherhood toward me, I turned to the service of the matter in the wake of the requests, that I might write to your fatherhood as is possible. Not, however, as is fitting.

...was accustomed, for I would come before you in person. And whatever action needed to be done, it could not be done as is clearly proper; it could only be accomplished for you through a letter, as a sacrifice permits. For this reason, it is fitting for your love, or for your revered fatherhood, that I ask of you. And the request of your fathers is a good second, and it also relieves my insignificance. Let me not speak of my praises in this matter, nor let me be completely exalted in this, which is over every good and praiseworthy thing, and it is the first divine election from the beginning with the election of God. And you have water to add to your own. And if there is anything divine in the pain, like the word of the fathers of medicine, or if human nature is subject to actions, it is easy for me to follow them as I think. For if your fatherhood is concerned with the excellent order, with a peace like this: behold, the honor of the metropolis stands for a person, and not even in a lesser place is it diminished, the solution of the difference is easy from every place. And to leave many things, in this alone, that the peace of the person himself is not diminished. It increases, however, especially when it is eager for the lesser things. Nor does the giving of the request diminish the gift. It increases, however, especially when it repays the request against the petition. Again, it is also good for the honor of your fatherhood, that the fathers who are fathers to you in desire, and metropolitans of others, are adorned by the lesser ones of your disciple. And if not on the face of this, but the necessity of the person being established as a cause for lack of peace, for it is fitting that one of these be placed, and how can they be satisfied with this, for many peoples and famous cities, in which the testimony of the man's knowledge is proclaimed in many languages.

I say also this: that even if he were not such a man in excellence as all who know him say, but rather otherwise with God, and he is well known to the churches, and all this up to all who know him is spoken of in his conduct, and in no way does he cause offense to the churches by a deficiency like this, since for the churches it is not evident. For I do not think it is easy for all the churches like these to think ill now, for the sake of those who in many places previously received testimony of his uprightness. And if not in those like these, then in the lacks of those who are found everywhere: look, not to the perfection of your fatherhood, and stop this order, and what escaped from Querdios? Who then can say that you have conquered my heart, and I have been cleansed of sins? Or why does the revelation of his face not strike against the hidden curtain of his sins? I truly consider myself, that I am not worthy of heaven or earth. And never have I stretched out pure hands, and I have been turned away from the altar of the Lord. And since even I am not worthy of divine mercies, I confess against myself. And I am sorrowful in my head and the humiliation of sufferings. Yet I am greatly sustained by the grace of God. Yet also the Church of God looks upon me with a vital gaze. Yet neither to the excellent tongue nor to these divine ones are my deficiencies hidden. For every intellect of the wise knows how to supply the lacks of others from those of its own. And thus all have to live together and with the Church of God.

And consider this, O my honored father: that even if, beyond these things, it were possible for you to be wise, even more than those who are considered wise concerning them, you are bound to be established. Not indeed for pleasure or profit, from the obstinacy of a peace that is with the hope of a burden, is the affair accomplished. For it is accomplished as it is not, and especially from hasty hours. And immediately, with a trembling name, the affair is covered. That one, then, is shameful and disturbing, both to you and to me and to the whole interior pastorate. Moreover, even outside, among the nations of the Church, stumbling blocks are poured out. And how is it possible for life? Or how is it not constrained to bring forth spirit daily, if he who has a care is moved from shame? Where, my father, may mercy be found before you? And accept the peace of the fathers in my insignificance, and spread, by the power of your perfect wisdom, a superior completion to the affair that stands. And calm the passion of those who seek you with a fair request. And accomplish for your small self a standing that is suitable. And find also for my insignificance a place of acceptable reception of peace, so that you also, in those things that are richer to happen, may rely on the confidence of now and faithfully approach. And when it is well to distinguish with the help of God, also help others from your fatherhood, and also increase the honor of your fatherhood to others. And before the future forgetfulness in this very one that stands. For he who, for two mothers of provinces, for two times was entrusted with the office, is able to extend a course without stumbling and to guide this small and Christian pastorate by the grace of God and with the help of your fatherhood. How, as in him honors increase, and for the Church of God a suitable order, and for my insignificance and for those who strive for good, the cause of thanksgiving to the glory of God increases.

...that he, in his own time, may triumph. The honor of your fatherhood in his church all the days of your life may be complete. Amen. It is finished.