More Letters of Dionysius

That is what he wrote to Novatian. He also wrote a letter on repentance to those in Egypt, in which he sets out his decisions about those who had fallen, describing the degrees of offenses. [a] A private writing of his on repentance, addressed to Colon, who was bishop of the church community of Hermopolis, is also in circulation, and another letter of exhortation to his own flock at Alexandria. Among these too is the one written to Origen on martyrdom. He also writes on repentance in the same way to the brothers at Laodicea, over whom Thelymidres presided as bishop, and to those in Armenia, whose bishop was Meruzanes. [b] On top of all these, he writes to Cornelius of Rome after receiving his letter against Novatian. In it he indicates that he had been invited by Helenus, bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia, and the others with him, Firmilian in Cappadocia and Theoctistus in Palestine, to come to the synod at Antioch, where some were trying to strengthen Novatian’s schism. [e] He writes besides that he had been told that Fabius had fallen asleep and that Demetrianus had been appointed his successor as bishop of Antioch. He also writes about the bishop of Jerusalem, saying in these very words: “The wonderful Alexander, after being held in prison, went to his rest in blessedness.”

Next to this another letter of Dionysius to those at Rome is in circulation, a letter on service, sent through Hippolytus. To the same people he composes another on peace, and likewise one on repentance, and yet another to the confessors there who still agreed with Novatian’s opinion. To these same men he writes two more after they had come back over to the Church. And he talked with many others too by letter in the same way, and so has left all kinds of help to those who still take pains over his writings today. [f]