EPISTLES ON THE ARIAN HERESY AND THE DEPOSITION OF ARIUS. II.--EPISTLE CATHOLIC
II.--EPISTLE CATHOLIC.(6)
To our beloved and most reverend fellow-ministers of the Catholic Church in
every place, Alexander sends greeting in the Lord:
1. Since the body of the Catholic Church is one,(7) and it is commanded in
Holy Scripture that we should keep the bond of unanimity and peace, it follows
that we should write and signify to one another the things which are done by
each of us; that whether one member suffer or rejoice we may all either suffer
or rejoice with one another. In our diocese, then, not so long ago, there have
gone forth lawless men, and adversaries of Christ, teaching men to apostatize;
which thing, with good right, one might suspect and call the precursor of
Antichrist. I indeed wished to cover the matter up in silence, that so perhaps the
evil might spend itself in the leaders of the heresy alone, and that it might not
spread to other places and defile the ears of any of the more simple-minded.
But since Eusebius, the present bishop of Nicomedia, imagining that with him
rest all ecclesiastical matters,(1) because, having left Berytus and cast his eyes
upon the church of the Nicomedians, and no punishment has been inflicted upon
him, he is set over these apostates, and has undertaken to write everywhere,
commending them, if by any means he may draw aside some who are ignorant to this
most disgraceful and Ant;christian heresy; it became necessary for me, as
knowing what is written in the law, no longer to remain silent, but to announce to
you all, that you may know both those who have become apostates, and also the
wretched words of their heresy; and if Eusebius write, not to give heed to him.
2. For he, desiring by their assistance to renew that ancient wickedness
of his mind, with respect to which he has for a time been silent, pretends that
he is writing in their behalf, but he proves by his deed that he is exerting
himself to do this on his own account. Now the apostates from the Church are
these: Arius, Achilles,(2) Aithales, Carpones, the other Arius, Sarmates, who were
formerly priests; Euzoius, Lucius, Julius, Menas, Helladius, and Gains,
formerly deacons; and with them Secundus and Theonas, who were once called bishops.
And the words invented by them, and spoken contrary to the mind of Scripture, are
as follows:--
"God was not always the Father; but there was a time when God was not the
Father. The Word of God was not always, but was made 'from things that are
not;' for He who is God fashioned the non-existing from the non-existing;
wherefore there was a time when He was not. For the Son is a thing created, and a thing
made: nor is He like to the Father in substance; nor is He the true and
natural Word of the Father; nor is He His true Wisdom; but He is one of the things
fashioned and made. And He is called, by a misapplication of the terms, the Word
and Wisdom, since He is Himself made by the proper Word of God, and by that
wisdom which is in God, in which, as God made all other things, so also did He
make Him. Wherefore, I He is by His very nature changeable and mutable, equally
with other rational beings. The Word, too, is alien and separate from the
substance of God. The father also is ineffable to the Son; for neither does the Word
perfectly and accurately know the Father, neither can He perfectly see Him. For
neither does the Son indeed know His own substance as it is. Since He for our
sakes was made, that by Him as by an instrument God might create us; nor would
He have existed had not God wished to make us. Some one asked of them whether
the Son of God could change even as the devil changed; and they feared not to
answer that He can; for since He was made and created, He is of mutable nature."
3. Since those about Arius speak these things and shamelessly maintain
them, we, coming together with the Bishops of Egypt and the Libyas, nearly a
hundred in number, have anathematized them, together with their followers. But those
about Eusebius have received them, earnestly endeavouring to mix up falsehood
with truth, impiety with piety. But they will not prevail; for the truth
prevails, and there is no communion betwixt light and darkness, no concord between
Christ and Belial.(3) For who ever heard such things? or who, now hearing them,
is not astonished, and does not stop his ears that the pollution of these words
should not touch them? Who that hears John saying, "In the beginning was the
Word,"(4) does not condemn those who say there was a time when He was not? Who
that hears these words of the Gospel, "the only-begotten Son;"(5) and, "by Him
were all things made,"(6) will not hate those who declare He is one of the things
made? For how can He be one of the things made by Him? or how shall He be the
only-begotten who, as they say, is reckoned with all the rest, if indeed He is
a thing made and created? And how can He be made of things which are not, when
the Father says, "My heart belched forth a good Word;"(7) and, "From the womb,
before the morning have I begotten Thee?"(8) Or how is He unlike to the
substance of the Father, who is the perfect image and brightness of the Father, and
who says, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father?"(9) And how, if the Son is
the Word or Wisdom and Reason of God, was there a time when He was not? It is
all one as if they said, that there was a time when God was without reason and
wisdom. How, also, can He be changeable and mutable, who says indeed by Himself:
"I am in the Father, and the Father in Me,"(1) and, "I and My Father are
one;"(2) and by the prophet, "I am the Lord, I change not?"(3) For even though one
saying may refer to the Father Himself, yet it would now be more aptly spoken of
the Word, because when He became man, He changed not; but, as says the
apostle, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and for ever."(4) Who hath induced
them to say, that for our sakes He was made; although Paul says, "for whom are
all things, and by whom are all things?"(5)
4. Now concerning their blasphemous assertion who say that the Son does
not perfectly know the Father, we need not wonder: for having once purposed in
their mind to wage war against Christ, they impugn also these words of His, "As
the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father."(6) Wherefore, if the Father
only in part knoweth the Son, then it is evident that the Son doth not perfectly
know the Father. But if it be wicked thus to speak, and if the Father
perfectly knows the Son, it is plain that, even as the Father knoweth His own Word, so
also the Word knoweth His own Father, of whom He is the Word.
5. By saying these things, and by unfolding the divine Scriptures, we have
often refuted them. But they, chameleon-like, changing their sentiments,
endeavour to claim for themselves that saying: "When the wicked cometh, then cometh
contempt."(7) Before them, indeed, many heresies existed, which, having dared
more than was right, have fallen into madness. But these by all their words have
attempted to do away with the Godhead of Christ, have made those seem
righteous, since they have come nearer to Antichrist. Wherefore they have been
excommunicated and anathematized by the Church.(8) And indeed, although we grieve at
the destruction of these men, especially that after having once learned the
doctrine of the Church, they have now gone back; yet we do not wonder at it; for
this very thing Hymenaeus and Philetus suffered,(9) and before them Judas, who,
though he followed the Saviour, afterwards became a traitor and an apostate.
Moreover, concerning these very men, warnings are not wanting to us, for the Lord
foretold: "Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in My flame,
saying, I am Christ; and the tithe draweth near: go ye not therefore after
them."(10) Paul, too, having learnt these things from the Saviour, wrote, "In the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils which turn away from the truth."(11)
6. Since, therefore, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has thus Himself
exhorted us, and by His apostle hath signified such things to us; we, who have
heard their impiety with our own ears, have consistently anathematized such men,
as I have already said, and have declared them to be aliens from the Catholic
Church and faith, and we have made known the thing, beloved and most honoured
fellow-ministers, to your piety, that you should not receive any of them, should
they venture rashly to come unto you, and that you should not trust Eusebius or
any one else who writes concerning them. For it becomes us as Christians to
turn with aversion from all who speak or think against Christ, as the adversaries
of God and the destroyers of souls, and "not even to wish them Godspeed, lest
at any time we become partakers of their evil deeds,"(12) as the blessed John
enjoins. Salute the brethren who are with you. Those who are with me salute you.
SIGNATORS.
PRESBYTERS OF ALEXANDRIA.
I, Colluthus, presbyter,(13) give my suffrage to the things which are
written, and also for the deposition of Arius, and those who are guilty of impiety
with him.
Alexander, presbyter, in like manner.
Arpocration, presbyter, in like manner.
Dioscorus, presbyter, in like manner.
Agathus, presbyter.
Nemesius, presbyter.
Dionysius, presbyter, in like manner.
Longus, presbyter.
Silvanus, presbyter.
Eusebius, presbyter, in like manner.
Perous, presbyter.
Apis, presbyter.
Alexander, presbyter, in like manner.
Proterius, presbyter.
Paulus, presbyter.
Nilaras, presbyter, in like manner.
Cyrus, presbyter, in like manner.
DEACONS.
Ammonius, deacon, in like manner.
Ambytianus, deacon.
Gaius, deacon, in like manner.
Macarius, deacon.
Pistus, deacon, in like manner.
Alexander, deacon.
Dionysius, deacon.
Athanasius, deacon.
Agathon, deacon.
Eumenes, deacon.
Polybius, deacon, in like manner.
Apollonius, deacon.
Olympius, deacon.
Theonas, deacon.
Aphthonius, deacon.
Marcus, deacon.
Athanasius, deacon.(14)
Commodus, deacon.
Macarius, deacon, in like manner.
Serapion, deacon.
Nilus, deacon.
Paulus, deacon.
Romanus, deacon, in like manner.
Petrus, deacon.
PRESBYTERY OF MAREOTIS.
I, Apollonius, presbyter, give my suffrage to the things which are
written, and also for the deposition of Arius, and of those who are guilty of impiety
with him.
Ingenius, presbyter, in like manner.
Dioscorus, presbyter.
Sostras, presbyter.
Ammonius, presbyter.
Theon, presbyter.
Tyrannus, presbyter.
Boccon, presbyter.
Copres, presbyter.
Agathus, presbyter.
Ammonas, presbyter.
Achilles, presbyter.
Orion, presbyter.
Paulus, presbyter.
Serenus, presbyter.
Thalelaeus, presbyter.
Didymus, presbyter.
Dionysius, presbyter, in like manner.
Heracles, presbyter.
DEACONS.
Sarapion, deacon, in like manner.
Didymus, deacon.
Ptollarion, deacon.
Justus, deacon, in like manner.
Seras, deacon.
Gaius, deacon.
Didymus, deacon.
Hierax, deacon.
Demetrius, deacon.
Marcus, deacon.
Maurus, deacon.
Theonas, deacon.
Alexander, deacon.
Sarmaton, deacon.
Marcus, deacon.
Carpon, deacon.
Comon, deacon.
Zoilus, deacon, in like manner.
Tryphon, deacon.
Ammonius, deacon.