DOCUMENTS

RELATING TO THE PRECEDING NARRATIVE.

In the translation of the Letters, which are found in Socrates, with the exception of those of Arius and Eusebius of Nicomedia, which are recorded by Theodoret, the edition of Valesius, by Reading, Cambridge, 1720, has been used.

A.

Letter of Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria.

To our beloved, and most honored colleagues, in all places, in the ministry of the Catholic Church, Alexander, greeting in the Lord.

As the body of the Catholic Church is one, and as it is commanded in the divine scriptures that we should preserve the bond of peace and concord, it is proper that we should write and signify to one another, what happens to any one of us; so that if one member suffer or rejoice, the others may sympathize or rejoice with him. In our jurisdiction, then, there have lately appeared iniquitous men, and enemies of Christ, teaching an apostacy which might be justly thought and called a forerunner of Antichrist. I had intended to bury this matter in silence, that the evil, being confined to the apostates themselves, might haply die away; and that it might not, by passing into other places, pollute the ears of some of the more simple. But since Eusebius, who is now of Nicomedia, imagining that the affairs of the Church depend upon his direction, (because, leaving the

Church of Berytus, he coveted and obtained, with impunity, that of Nicomedia,) has undertaken to protect these apostates, and to write letters in their favor to every quarter, that he may draw ignorant men into this worst of heresies, and most inimical to Christ; I thought it was necessary, knowing what is written in the law, that I should no longer forbear, but inform you all, that you may know who these apostates are, and the unfortunate language in which their error is expressed; and that in case Eusebius should have written to you, you may pay no regard to him. Willing now to renew through them his ancient malignity, which time seemed to have obliterated, he pretends that he writes letters for their sake. He shows, however, by his conduct, that he does this for the furtherance of his own interests. The names, then, of those who have become apostates are these: Arius, Achillas, Carpones, Aithales, another Arius, Sarmates, Euzoius, Lucius, Julianus, Menas, Helladius and Gaius; and with these, Secundus and Theonas, who were formerly denominated bishops. What they advance in opposition to scripture is this,-God was not always a Father, but there was a time when he was not a Father The Word of God was not always, but originated from nothing; for God, who exists, created him, who was not, from that which did not exist. Therefore there was a time when he was not. For the Son is a creature, and was made. Nor is he like the Father with respect to his essence. Neither is he by nature the true Word of God, nor his true wisdom, but he is one of his works and creatures, and is improperly termed the word and wisdom, since he himself existed by the proper Word of God, and by the wisdom which is in God; by which, as he created all things, he made the Son. Therefore, by his nature, he is exposed to change and alteration, in like manner as other rational beings. The Word is foreign and separate from the substance of God, and the Father cannot be declared by the Son, and is invisible to him. Neither does the Son know the Father perfectly and accurately, neither can he see him perfectly. Nor does the Son know what the nature of

his own substance is. He was made on our account, that God might create us through him, as his instrument; nor would he ever have existed, unless God had determined to create us. And when they were asked whether the Word of God could be changed, as the devil is changed, they were not afraid to reply, Yes, he can, since he is mutable by his nature, being begotten and created. Such declarations having been made by Arius with unblushing effrontery, we, with the bishops in Egypt and Lybia, having met together, in number nearly a hundred, have excommunicated him and his followers. But Eusebius has received them, endeavoring to mix falsehood with truth, and ungodliness with piety. He will not, however, prevail. The truth is victorious. Light has no fellowship with darkness, nor has Christ any agreement with Belial. For, who ever heard such things? or who, now hearing them, is not struck with amazement, and does not stop his ears, that the pollution of such expressions may not penetrate into them? Who, when he hears John saying "in the beginning was the Word," will not condemn those who assert that there was a time when he was not? Or who, hearing in the gospel the words "only begotten Son," and "by him all things were made," will not abhor those, who affirm that he is one of the creatures? How indeed can he be

or how can he be the

one* of those who were made by him? only begotten, who, according to their opinion, is to be included in the number of creatures? How can he be made from nothing, when the Father says, "My heart hath sent forth a good Word," and in another place, "I have begotten thee from the womb, before the morning," or how is he unlike the substance of the Father, who is the perfect image and splendor of the Father, and who says,- -"He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father." But if the Son be the reason and wisdom of the Father, how

* The expression in Socrates, is ισος ειναι των δι αντου γενομενων, the equal of those things which were made by him. But the reading of the manuscript of Leo Allatius, εις ειναι των δι αυτου γενομενων, prefered by Valesius, is followed by the translator.

could there have been a time when he was not?

For it is the same as if they should say, that God was once without his Word and wisdom. How can he be subject to change and variation, when he says, of himself, "I am in the Father, and the Father in me," and "I and my Father are one?" He declared also by the prophet, “Behold I am, and change not." And although it might be said that this declaration refers to the Father himself, it may in this instance be more properly understood of the Son, because when he became man he was not changed; but, as the Apostle says, "yesterday, and to-day, is the same, and forever." And what could have persuaded them to say that he was made on our account, when Paul says, "for whom, and by whom, are all things?" But as for their blasphemy, that the Father is not perfectly known by the Son, it is not to be wondered at. For, when once they had resolved to proclaim war against Christ, they despise even the words of our Lord himself, who says, "As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father." If, therefore, the Father knows the Son in part only, it is evident that the Son also knows in part the Father. But if it be nefarious to say this, and if the Father perfectly knows the Son, it is clear, that in like manner as the Father knows his Word, the Son knows his Father, whose Word he is. By these remarks, and by explaining the sacred scriptures, we often gained the advantage over them. But, camelion-like, they again changed their ground, taking pains to bring upon themselves the application of what is written,-" When the ungodly man cometh into the depths of wickedness, he despiseth." Many heresies, indeed, have existed before their time, which have proceeded with licentious daring to great extravagance. But they, having endeavored in all their discourses to subvert the divinity of the Word, have justified, in a manner, these heresies, so far as it was in their power, by their own nearer approach to Antichrist. For this reason they have been publicly expelled from the Church, and condemned by an anathema. We are grieved, indeed, at the ruin of these men ; the more so, that having once

been instructed in the doctrine of the Church, they have now departed from it. We are not, however, greatly surprised. The same thing happened to Hymenæus and Philetus, and before them to Judas, who, having been a follower of the Saviour, afterwards betrayed and deserted him. And even with respect to these persons themselves, we were not without warning, for our Lord himself had said, "Beware lest any one deceive you; for many will come in my name, saying, I am, and the time is at hand; and shall lead many into error. Go not after them." And St. Paul, who had learnt these things from our Saviour, writes, that "in the last days, some shall depart from sound doctrine, giving heed to spirits of error, and to doctrines of demons, turning from the truth." Since, therefore, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ hath himself declared, and hath signified by the apostle, concerning such persons, we having heard their impiety with our own ears, have justly anathematized such men, as we have already said, and declared them to be aliens from the Catholic Church and faith. We have made this known to your piety, beloved and most respected fellow-laborers, that you may neither receive any of them, should they have the presumption to visit you, nor give any credit to what Eusebius or any other person may write respecting them. For we, who claim to be Christians, should turn away from all those who speak and think against Christ, as enemies of God, and corrupters of souls; and not even salute such men, lest by any means we should become partakers of their sins, as is commanded by the blessed John. Salute the brethren who are with you. Those who are with us salute you.

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