Letter to Flacillus

1If our brief response sufficed against Marcellus' babbling, wordy treatise, there is no need to wonder. For no lengthy arguments were needed to refute things condemned on the spot even by ordinary people. Therefore, in the first two books I used only the quotation of the man's words, without any counter-argument, and made the exposure against them evident from the words themselves. Now, in addition to that exposure, I have also brought forward the refutation of the same points through the three books at hand. For he composed one enormous, much-wandering treatise and says he did this because he makes one God known, dividing the treatise so that it might not somehow escape him to give the Son of God room for a distinct person. But we, honoring the all-holy and thrice-blessed Trinity, have gathered the whole subject into these few books, sparing lengthy speech and presenting the true theology concisely and briefly. If, then, what has been written is sufficient, you yourself may judge as you read. But if anything is lacking, you may fill these gaps too—clearly, as a brother would supply a brother's deficiencies—making up for it through correction wherever healing may be needed. I pray that you fare well and remember me before the Lord always.