No Quarrels over Trifles

“For as long as you go on quarreling about these small and very unimportant questions, it is not fitting that so large a part of God’s people should be under your direction, divided as you are between yourselves. I believe this is not merely unbecoming, but actually evil. But I will refresh your minds with a small illustration, as follows. You know that philosophers, though they all hold to one school, often disagree on certain points, and perhaps differ in the extent of their knowledge; yet they are called back to harmony by the uniting power of the teachings they share. If this is true, is it not far more reasonable that you, who are the servants of the Supreme God, should be of one mind in professing the same religion? But let us look still more thoughtfully and carefully at what I have said, and see whether it is right that, over some trifling and foolish difference of words between us, brothers should take up the stance of enemies toward one another, and the revered assembly of the synod be torn by unholy division, because of you who wrangle with each other over points so trivial and altogether unessential. This is vulgar, and more like childish ignorance than fitting for the wisdom of priests and men of sense. Let us willingly withdraw from these temptations of the devil. Our great God, the common Savior of all, has given the same light to us all. Allow me, his servant, to bring my task to a successful end under the direction of his Providence, so that by my urging, my diligence and my earnest warning I may call his people back to communion and fellowship. For since, as I said, you have one faith and one understanding of our religion, and since the divine commandment in all its parts lays on all of us the duty of keeping a spirit of harmony, do not let the matter that has caused a slight difference between you, since it does not affect the soundness of the whole, cause any division or schism among you. I say this without in any way wishing to force you into complete agreement on this truly idle question, whatever its real nature may be. For the dignity of your synod can be kept, and the communion of your whole body preserved unbroken, however wide a difference there may be among you over unimportant matters. For we are not all of one mind on every subject, nor is there any such thing as one disposition and judgment common to everyone alike. As far, then, as divine Providence is concerned, let there be one faith and one understanding among you, one united judgment about God. But as for your subtle disputes over questions of little or no significance, even if you cannot come to agree on them, such differences should be committed to the secret keeping of your own minds and thoughts. And now let the preciousness of common affection, let faith in the truth, let the honor due to God and to the keeping of his law remain unshaken among you. Take up again, then, your friendship, love and regard for one another. Give back to the people their accustomed embraces; and you yourselves, having purified your souls, as it were, acknowledge one another once more. For it often happens that when a reconciliation is made by removing the causes of hostility, friendship becomes even sweeter than it was before.