Theodoret of Cyrrhus → Anatolius, Constantinopolitan

To the Patrician Anatolius,

The Lord God has given your excellency to us as a great source of comfort in these times, providing a safe harbor in the storm. We therefore have confidence in bringing our distress to your lordship's attention.

Not long ago I informed your excellency that the right honorable Count Rufus had shown me an order written in the emperor's own hand, commanding the general to ensure with prudence and diligence that I remain at Cyrrhus and do not depart to any other city -- on the grounds that I have been assembling synods in Antioch and disturbing the orthodox.

I want you to know that in obedience to the imperial letter I have come to Cyrrhus. After six or seven days they sent the commander Euphronius with a letter requiring me to acknowledge in writing that the imperial order had been shown to me. I promised to remain in Cyrrhus and its surrounding district, and to tend the sheep entrusted to my care.

I therefore beg your excellency to make a thorough inquiry: were these orders actually issued, and for what reason? I am conscious of many sins, but I am not aware that I have offended either the Church of God or public order.

I write this not because I resent living in Cyrrhus -- in truth, she is dearer to me than the most famous cities, because God gave me my office here. But the fact that I am bound to her by compulsion rather than by choice is troubling. It gives the ill-disposed a handle to grow bold and refuse to obey our pastoral guidance.

If no such order was actually issued, I beg your lordship to set the matter right.