Project Canterbury
A Letter Sent by Antonio de Dominis to Cyril Patriarch of Alexandria
(This letter was composed to accompany a presentation copy to the Patriarch of Alexandria of the writer’s De Republica Ecclesiastica, published in 1617; this text from Marcus Antonio de Dominis Archbishop of Spalatro, His Shiftings in Religion, London, 1624.)
transcribed by Jack Lynch
AD 2001
To the Most Holy Father and beloved of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the Lord Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, Oecumenical Judge, the lowest of God's servants, Marcus Antonio de Dominis, Archbishop of Spalata, otherwise of Salona.
Most Reverend Father and most worthy all observance. Your Egypt hath sometime felt most gross and palpable darkness under Pharaoh’s hardened heart, and the people of God served with most intolerable bondage under a cursed tyrant, who both vexed bodies of those miserable men with cruel afflictions and hindered them from the true worship of God, which was the proper food of their souls. But yet in those times God Himself did at length overcome the stubbornness and hard-heartedness of them, and revenged Himself of their wickedness by drowning them in the Red Sea, and so tamed and repressed all their impiety. It hath now appeared that you and your most religious Christian Church (whose case we much commiserate) groan under another Pharaoh, under whom ye suffer oftentimes all extremities both in body and goods. But yet he doth not offer to take the service of God from you, nor use any such impediments of it, but that you may offer to God entire and pure sacrifice (though not with pomp and splendour to the sight of men) and enjoy peace and content in your exercises of religion which I hear of with much delight. But as for our Western Churches, the most of them being subject to the Bishop of Rome, are in regard of temporal estate over-glorious; and whereas they were famous heretofore in regard of the purity of and sincerity of their love and all internal values, even under the persecutions and oppressions of tyrants that were infidels, yet now in this age they, exceeding in all riot and excess, by God's most just though secret judgement, are oppressed under your old Pharaoh and brought again to a most miserable bondage. I therefore being born and bred and promoted within the Romish verge and having of long time endured that ancient Egyptian darkness under the Western Egypt and accursed Pharaoh, did a long time study how to convey myself to the land of Goshen where the light of the Gospel shineth most clearly, which at what length by God’s help I have happily accomplished; and nowa year since or thereabouts I renounced the Pope and came into England, where I have liberty to write in defence of truth freely and safely, as in a place where the cause of Christ triumpheth under a most godly and most wise King, a true defender of the true, ancient and Catholic Faith. Now of these my works, the De Republica Ecclesiastica, the first birth being lately published, I send herewith to your Lordships (most religious Father) as a pledge of my hearty desire to enter communion with your Fatherhoods. In this Tractate, I strive to defend and vindicate your Oriental Churches, and that of Constantinople especially, from all Romish calumniations. I defend, moreover, the ancient rights of Patriarchs, and reduce the Bishop of Rome to his right place by taking away from him his absolute supremacy. So that I hope that you shall find in this my book a ready armour of defence against Jesuitical weapons. Accept of me then, most blessed Father, as of your most obedient brother and servant. And I pray and beseech you on all the bowels of Christ that you will enter into serious consideration of uniting your Eastern Churches with this most noble and flourishing Church of England. For by making such a union agaist Pharaoh, or rather Anti-Christ, we shall more easily prevail against him and remove his tyranny far from the Church of Christ. Stir up your zeal them, most Holy Father, and embrace an enterprise so befitting and worthy so great a Patriarch. And if you meet with any difficulty in the business, I pray and beseech you that after mature consideration of it you will be pleased to signify it either to myself or to the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of England, a man most wise and most studious of propagating the glory of Christ. Cast then all the care and strength of your mind to take away, and utterly abolish so inveterate a schism. And so farewell in the Lord. God preserve you long in safety for the good of His Church, most holy and most religious Father, as one of the most noble and principal members of His Holy Church. And God keep you in true charity and true zeal of preserving the unity of the Church.