A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series • VOL 4 • SECTION 67

6. Since then our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has instructed us by His own mouth, and also hath signified to us by the Apostle concerning

← Athanasius — Select Works and Letters

6. Since then our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has instructed us by His own mouth, and also hath signified to us by the Apostle concerning such men, we accordingly being personal witnesses of their impiety, have anathematized, as we said, all such, and declared them to be alien from the Catholic Faith and Church. And we have made this known to your piety, dearly beloved and most honoured fellow-ministers, in order that should any of them have the boldness [383] to come unto you, you may not receive them, nor comply with the desire of Eusebius, or any other person writing in their behalf. For it becomes us who are Christians to turn away from all who speak or think any thing against Christ, as being enemies of God, and destroyers [384] of souls; and not even to "bid such God speed [385] ," lest we become partakers of their sins, as the blessed John hath charged us. Salute the brethren that are with you. They that are with me salute you.

Presbyters of Alexandria.

7. I, Colluthus, Presbyter, agree with what is here written, and give my assent to the deposition of Arius and his associates in impiety.

Alexander [386] , Presbyter, likewise

Dioscorus [387] , Presbyter, likewise

Dionysius [388] , Presbyter, likewise

Eusebius, Presbyter, likewise

Alexander, Presbyter, likewise

Nilaras [389] , Presbyter, likewise

Arpocration, Presbyter, likewise

Agathus, Presbyter

Nemesius, Presbyter

Longus [390] , Presbyter

Silvanus, Presbyter

Peroys, Presbyter

Apis, Presbyter

Proterius, Presbyter

Paulus, Presbyter

Cyrus, Presbyter, likewise

Deacons

Ammonius [391] , Deacon, likewise

Macarius, Deacon

Pistus [392] , Deacon, likewise

Athanasius, Deacon

Eumenes, Deacon

Apollonius [393] , Deacon

Olympius, Deacon

Aphthonius [394] , Deacon

Athanasius [395] , Deacon

Macarius, Deacon, likewise

Paulus, Deacon

Petrus, Deacon

Ambytianus, Deacon

Gaius [396] , Deacon, likewise

Alexander, Deacon

Dionysius, Deacon

Agathon, Deacon

Polybius, Deacon, likewise

Theonas, Deacon

Marcus, Deacon

Comodus, Deacon

Serapion [397] , Deacon

Nilon, Deacon

Romanus, Deacon, likewise

Presbyters of the Mareotis.

I, Apollonius, Presbyter, agree with what is here written, and give my assent to the deposition of Arius and his associates in impiety.

Ingenius [398] , Presbyter, likewise

Ammonius, Presbyter

Dioscorus [399] , Presbyter

Sostras, Presbyter

Theon [400] , Presbyter

Tyrannus, Presbyter

Copres, Presbyter

Ammonas [401] , Presbyter

Orion, Presbyter

Serenus, Presbyter

Didymus, Presbyter

Heracles [402] , Presbyter

Boccon [403] , Presbyter

Agathus, Presbyter

Achillas, Presbyter

Paulus, Presbyter

Thalelæus, Presbyter

Dionysius, Presbyter, likewise

Deacons

Sarapion [404] , Deacon, likewise

Justus, Deacon, likewise

Didymus, Deacon

Demetrius [405] , Deacon

Maurus [406] , Deacon

Alexander, Deacon

Marcus [407] , Deacon

Comon, Deacon

Tryphon [408] , Deacon

Ammonius [409] , Deacon

Didymus, Deacon

Ptollarion [410] , Deacon

Seras, Deacon

Gaius [411] , Deacon

Hierax [412] , Deacon

Marcus, Deacon

Theonas, Deacon

Sarmaton, Deacon

Carpon, Deacon

Zoilus, Deacon, likewise

[352] Cf. Apol. Ar. §24.

[353] (Eph. iv. 4.) St. Alexander in Theod. begins his Epistle to his namesake of Constantinople with some moral reflections, concerning ambition and avarice. Athan. indeed uses a similar introduction to his Ep. Æg., but it is not addressed to an individual.

[354] paranomoi. vid. Hist. Ar. §71 init. 75 fin. 79.

[355] prodromon 'Antichristou. vid Orat. i. 7. Vit. Ant. 69. note on de Syn. 5.

[356] kai eboulomen men siope....epeide de....ananken eschon. vid. Apol. contra. Ar. §1 init, de Decr. § 2. Orat. i. 23 init. Orat. ii. init. Orat. iii. 1. ad Serap. i. 1. 16. ii. 1 init. iii. init. iv. 8 init. Letters 52. 2, 59. 3 fin. 61. 1. contra Apollin. i. 1 init.

[357] rhupose, and infr. rhupon. vid Hist. Ar. §3. §80, de Decr. §2. Ep. Æg. 11 fin. Orat. i. 10.

[358] akoas, and infr. akoas buei. vid. Ep. Æg. §13. Orat. i. §7. Hist. Ar. §56.

[359] akeraion. Apol. contr. Ar. §1. Ep. Æg. §18. Letters 59. 1, 60. 2 fin. Orat. i. 8.

[360] epophthalmisas also used of Eusebius Apol. contr. Ar. §6. Hist. Ar. §7.

[361] rhematia. vid. de Decr. §8, 18. Orat. i. 10. de Sent. §23 init S. Dionysius also uses it. Ibid. §18.

[362] kakonoian. vid Hist. Ar. §75. de Decr. §1. et al.

[363] ouk aei pater. This enumeration of Arius's tenets, and particularly the mention of the first, corresponds to de Decr. §6. Ep. Æg. §12. as being taken from the Thalia. Orat. i. §5. and far less with Alex. ap. Theod. p. 731, 2. vid. also Sent. D. §16. katachrestikos, which is found here, occurs de Decr. §6.

[364] ousian; ousia tou logou or tou huiou is a familiar expression with Athan. e.g. Orat. i. 45, ii. 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18 init. 22, 47 init. 56 init. &c., for which Alex. in Theod. uses the word hupostasis e.g. ten idiotropon autou hupostasin; tes hupostaseos autou aperiergastou; neoteran tes hupostaseos genesin; he tou uonogenous anekdiegetos hupostasis; ten tou logou upostasin

[365] (2 Cor. vi. 14.) koinonia photi. This is quoted Alex. ap. Theod. H. E. i. 3. p. 738; by S. Athan. in Letter 47. It seems to have been a received text in the controversy, as the Sardican Council uses it, Apol Ar. 49, and S. Athan. seems to put it into the mouth of St. Anthony, Vit. Ant. 69.

[366] tis gar ekouse. Ep. Æg. §7 init. Letter 59. §2 init. Orat. i. 8. Apol. contr. Ar. 85 init. Hist. Ar. §46 init. §73 init. §74 init. ad Serap. iv. 2 init.

[367] John i. 1.

[368] John i. 3, 14.

[369] Ps. xlv. 1. and cx. 3.

[370] Heb. i. 3.

[371] (Joh. xiv. 9, 10; x. 29.) On the concurrence of these three texts in Athan. (though other writers use them too, and Alex. ap. Theod. has two of them), vid. note on Orat. i. 34.

[372] alogon kai asophon ton theon. de Decr. §15. Orat. i. §19. Ap. Fug. 27. note, notes on Or. i. 19, de. Decr. 15, note 6.

[373] (Joh. xiv. 9, 10; x. 29.) On the concurrence of these three texts in Athan. (though other writers use them too, and Alex. ap. Theod. has two of them), vid. note on Orat. i. 34.

[374] (Joh. xiv. 9, 10; x. 29.) On the concurrence of these three texts in Athan. (though other writers use them too, and Alex. ap. Theod. has two of them), vid. note on Orat. i. 34.

[375] (Mal. iii. 6.) This text is thus applied by Athan. Orat. i. 30. ii. 10. In the first of these passages he uses the same apology, nearly in the same words, which is contained in the text.

[376] Heb. xiii. 8; ii. 10.

[377] John x. 15.

[378] chamaileontes. vid. de Decr. §1. Hist. Ar. §79.

[379] Prov. xviii. 3 [cf. Orat. iii. 1, c. Gent. 8. 4, &c.]

[380] 2 Tim. ii. 17.

[381] Luke xxi. 8.

[382] (1 Tim. iv. 1.) Into this text which Athan. also applies to the Arians (cf. note on Or. i. 9.), Athan. also introduces, like Alexander here, the word hugianouses, e.g. Ep. Æg. §20, Orat. i. 8 fin. de Decr. 3, Hist. Arian. §78 init. &c. It is quoted without the word by Origen contr. Cels. v. 64, but with hugious in Matth. t. xiv. 16. Epiphan, has hugiainouses didaskalias, Hær. 78. 2. hugious did. ibid. 23. p. 1055.

[383] propeteusainto. vid. de Decr. §2.

[384] phthoreas ton psuchon. but S. Alex. in Theod. uses the compound word phthoropoios. p. 731. Other compound or recondite words (to say nothing of the construction of sentences) found in S. Alexander's Letter in Theod., and unlike the style of the Circular under review, are such as he philarchos kai philarguros prothesis; christemporian; phrenoblabous; idiotropon; homostoichois sullabais; theegorous apostolous; & 135;ntidiastolen tes patrikes maieuseos; melancholiken; philotheos sapheneia anosiourgias; phlenaphon muthon. Instances of theological language in S. Alex. to which the Letter in the text contains no resemblance are achorista pragmata duo; ho hui& 232;s ten kata panta homoioteta autou ek phuseos apomaxamenos; di' esoptrou akelidotou kai empsuchou theias eikonos; mesiteuousa phusis monogenes; tas te hupostasei duo phuseis

[385] 2 John 10.

[386] Vid. Presbyters, Apol. Ar. 73.

[387] Vid. Presbyters, Apol. Ar. 73.

[388] Vid. Presbyters, Apol. Ar. 73.

[389] Vid. Presbyters, Apol. Ar. 73.

[390] Vid. Presbyters, Apol. Ar. 73.

[391] Vid. Presbyters, ib.

[392] Vid. Presbyters, ib.

[393] Vid. Presbyters, ib.

[394] Vid. Presbyters, ib.

[395] Vid. Presbyters, ib.

[396] Vid. Presbyters, ib.

[397] Vid. Presbyters, ib.

[398] Apol. Ar. 75.

[399] Apol. Ar. 75.

[400] Apol. Ar. 75.

[401] Apol. Ar. 75.

[402] Heraclius? ib.

[403] Apol. Ar. 75.

[404] Ib.

[405] Ib.

[406] Ib.

[407] Ib.

[408] Ib.

[409] Ib.

[410] Ib.

[411] Ib.

[412] Ib.

Epistola Eusebii.

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Historical source

Public Domain • Christian Classics Ethereal Library source edition.

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