Defence Against the Arians 1 part 3/7

First of all, then, the letters written against him by you conflict with one another, and the later ones have no agreement with the earlier ones; rather, in many points the earlier are refuted by the later, and the later are discredited by the earlier;

and since the letters are inconsistent with one another, there is no credibility whatsoever in what is alleged.

[they] affirming in every point that he had suffered a contrived plot [against him].

And again, a certain bishop Arsenius was at one time said to have been murdered by Athanasius; yet we have learned that this man is alive, and moreover, that he is on friendly terms with him.

He affirmed that the records drawn up in the Mareotis had been made ex parte, one-sidedly;

for neither was Macarius the presbyter, who stood accused, present there, nor was his own bishop, Athanasius, present there either.

And this we learned not only from his own words, but also from the official records which Martyrius and Hesychius and their companions brought to us.

For upon reading them we found that the accuser Ischyras was present there, but neither Macarius nor the bishop Athanasius;

but also that the presbyters of Athanasius, though requesting to be present, were not permitted.

But it was necessary, beloved, if the inquiry was conducted in truth, that not only the accuser but also the accused be present.

For just as at Tyre Macarius the accused was present, and Ischyras the accuser, and nothing was proved, so also at the Mareotis it was necessary that not only the accuser go, but also the accused, so that being present he might either be convicted or, not being convicted, might expose the calumny.

But now, since this did not happen, but only the accuser went, together with those whom Athanasius had recused, the matter appears suspect.

He also charged that those who went to the Mareotis had gone against his wish.

For he said that they had sent Theognis and Maris and Theodore, Ursacius and Valens and Macedonius, though they were suspect.

And this he showed not from his own words alone, but also from the letter of Alexander, the late bishop of Thessalonica.

He also produced a document in the accuser Ischyras' own handwriting, authentic and holograph, in which, calling God the Almighty to witness, he said that neither the breaking of a chalice nor the overturning of a table had taken place, but that he had been suborned by certain persons to fabricate this accusation.

Presbyters of the Mareotis also came and affirmed both that Ischyras was not a presbyter of the catholic Church, and that Macarius had committed no such offense as that man had alleged.

The presbyters and deacons who came here bore witness on behalf of the bishop Athanasius, not a little but a great deal, affirming that nothing of what was said against him was true, but that he had suffered a conspiracy.

And all the bishops from Egypt and Libya, writing, affirmed both that his appointment had been lawful and ecclesiastical, and that everything said by you against him was false;

for neither had a murder taken place, nor had anyone been killed because of him, nor had a chalice been broken, but all these things were false.

And also from the records made one-sidedly at the Mareotis, the bishop Athanasius showed that one catechumen, when examined, said he was inside with Ischyras when Macarius, the presbyter of Athanasius, as they say, came upon the place; and that others, when examined, said that Ischyras, then ill, was lying down, one saying in a small cell, another behind the door, at the time when they say Macarius arrived there.

From these things which he said, we likewise reason as follows: how could one lying ill behind the door at that time be standing and ministering and making the offering? Or how could an offering have been set forth while catechumens were still inside? For if the catechumens were still inside, the time for the offering had not yet come.

These things, as has been said, the bishop Athanasius stated and showed from the records, while those with him also affirmed that Ischyras had never at any time been a presbyter in the catholic Church, nor had he ever assembled in the church as a presbyter;

and they affirmed that when Alexander, in accordance with the humane policy of the great synod, received those of the schism of Melitius, this man had not been named by Melitius among his own [clergy].

which is also the greatest proof that he belonged not even to Melitius.

For if he had been, he would certainly have been numbered among them.

Moreover, in other matters too, Ischyras was shown by Athanasius, from the records, to have lied;

for having accused him of burning books at the time when, as they say, Macarius came upon the place, he was convicted of lying by the very witnesses whom he himself had brought forward.

Since, then, these things were so stated, and there were so many witnesses on his behalf, and so many just proofs brought forward by him, what were we to do? Or what does the ecclesiastical canon demand, but that we should not condemn the man, but rather accept him and hold him as bishop, just as we did hold him? For besides all this, he remained here a year and six months, awaiting your arrival or that of those willing to come;

and by his very presence he put all to shame, since he would not have been present unless he had confidence [in his cause].

For indeed he did not come of his own accord, but having been summoned and having received letters from us, just as we also wrote to you.

And yet, after all this, you blamed us as having acted contrary to the canons.

Consider, then, who are the ones who have acted contrary to the canons: we, who received the man after so many proofs, or those who, out of thirty-six [bishops] gathered at Antioch, named a certain man as a stranger bishop and sent him to Alexandria with military force? This did not happen even when he [Athanasius] was sent into Gaul;

for it would have happened then too, if he had really been condemned.

Indeed, when he returned, he found the church vacant and awaiting him.

But now I do not know in what manner the things that happened came about.

For in the first place, if the truth must be told, since we had written that a synod should be held, certain persons ought not to have forestalled the judgment that was to come from the synod.

Furthermore, such an innovation ought not to have been made against the Church.

For what ecclesiastical canon or what apostolic tradition is there of such a kind, that while the church was at peace and so many bishops were in concord with Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, Gregory should be sent — a stranger to the city, neither baptized there nor known to the majority, requested neither by presbyters, nor by bishops, nor by the people, but appointed at Antioch and sent to Alexandria, not with presbyters, not with deacons of the city, not with bishops of Egypt, but with soldiers? For this is what those who came here said and complained of.

For even if, after the synod, Athanasius had been found guilty, the appointment ought not to have been made so unlawfully and contrary to the ecclesiastical canon; rather, the bishops of the province ought to have made the appointment from the church itself, from its own priesthood, from its own clergy, and the canons handed down from the apostles ought not now to be dissolved.

For indeed, if such a thing had happened against one of you, would you not have cried out, would you not have demanded vindication on the ground that the canons had been dissolved? Beloved, as in the presence of God, we speak with truth and say:

this is neither pious nor lawful nor ecclesiastical.

And indeed the things said to have been done by Gregory at his entrance show the character of his appointment.

For in such times of peace, as those who came from Alexandria reported, and as the bishops also wrote, the church endured burning, virgins were stripped, monks were trampled underfoot, presbyters and many of the people were maltreated and suffered violence, bishops were imprisoned, many were dragged about, and the holy mysteries — over which they accused the presbyter Macarius — were plundered by pagans and thrown to the ground, in order that some might accept the appointment of Gregory.

This shows who they are that dissolve the canons.

For if the appointment had been lawful, it would not have compelled, through lawlessness, obedience from those who lawfully refused to obey it.

And yet, though such things happened, you write that great peace has come to be in Alexandria and Egypt — unless indeed the meaning of the word 'peace' has been changed, and you now call such things peace.

I also thought it necessary to make known to you this, that Athanasius affirmed that Macarius was kept in custody by soldiers at Tyre, and that only the accuser went with those who went to the Mareotis, and that the presbyters who requested to be present at the examination were not permitted, and that the examination concerning the chalice and the table took place in the presence of the prefect and his staff, with pagans and Jews present.

This, at the outset, was incredible, had it not also been shown from the records — at which we were astonished, and I think that you too, beloved, are still astonished.

Presbyters, who are indeed the ministers of the mysteries, are not permitted to be present, while before a secular judge, with catechumens present, and — worst of all — before pagans and Jews who are hostile to Christianity, an examination concerning the blood of Christ and the body of Christ takes place.

For even if some offense had indeed occurred at all, such matters ought to have been examined in the church by lawful clergy, and not by pagans who abhor the Word and do not know the truth.

How great and how grave this offense is, I am persuaded that both you and all men perceive.

Such, then, is the case concerning Athanasius.

Concerning Marcellus, since you also wrote about him as one impious toward Christ, I have been careful to make known to you that, having come here, he affirmed that what was written about him by you was not true; and moreover, when asked by us to speak concerning the faith, he answered so frankly, in his own words, that we recognized he confesses nothing outside the truth.

For he confessed that he holds such pious belief concerning our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, exactly as the catholic Church also believes;

and he affirmed that he had held these views not only now, but long ago as well — just as our own presbyters, who were present at that time at the council of Nicaea, bore witness to his orthodoxy.

For he maintained firmly that both then and now his mind was set against the heresy of the Arians — concerning which it is right also to remind you, that no one should accept such a heresy, but should abhor it as alien to sound doctrine.

Since, then, he holds right belief and is attested to orthodoxy, what again in his case were we to do but to hold him, just as we did hold him, as bishop, and not cast him out of communion? These things, then, I have written not as defending them beyond measure, but in order that you may believe that we received the men justly and canonically, and that you contend in vain; but it is right that you should be zealous and labor in every way, so that what has been done contrary to the canon may find correction, and the churches may have peace, so that the peace of the Lord given to us may remain, and the churches not be torn apart, nor you incur the blame of being the cause of the schism.

For I confess to you that the things that have happened are occasions not of peace, but of schism.

For it is not only the bishops Athanasius and Marcellus and their companions who have come here alleging that injustice has been done against them, but very many other bishops also, from Thrace, from Coele-Syria, from Phoenicia and Palestine.

They affirmed that similar things had happened to other churches too, not in word only, but in deed.

And presbyters who have again come now from Egypt and Alexandria with letters lamented that many bishops and presbyters, wishing to come to the synod, were prevented.

For even until now, and after the departure of the bishop Athanasius, they said that confessor bishops were being cut down with blows, and others imprisoned, and already even elderly men, who had held the episcopate for a very long time, were being handed over to public liturgies [compulsory civic services], and that almost all the clergy and people of the catholic Church were being plotted against and persecuted.

For they also said that certain bishops and certain brethren had been driven into exile for no other reason than that they might be compelled, even against their will, to communicate with Gregory and the Arians with him.

And we heard, also from others, that not a few things — indeed the same sort of things as happened at Alexandria — had taken place at Ancyra in Galatia as well; and the bishop Marcellus also solemnly attested to this.

Besides these things, those who came here also made such accusations, and so terrible, against certain ones among you — not to name names — which I for my part have declined to write down;

but perhaps you too have heard them from others.

For this reason especially I also wrote urging you to come, so that, being present, you might hear them, and everything might be able to be corrected and healed.

For this reason, those who were summoned ought all the more readily to have come and not declined, lest, if they did not come, they should be thought either suspect regarding what was said, or unable to prove what they had written.

Since, then, these things are so reported, and the churches are so suffering and being plotted against, as those who brought the report affirmed, who are they who have kindled the flame of discord? We, who grieve over such things and suffer together with our suffering brethren, or those who have done such deeds? For I marvel how, when such and so great disorder exists there in each church — on account of which those who came here did come — you write that concord has come to be in the churches.

But such things happen not for the building up of the Church, but for its tearing down.

And those who rejoice in these things are not sons of peace, but of disorder;

but our God is not a God of disorder, but of peace.

Wherefore, as God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ knows, caring both for your good repute and praying that the churches may not be in disorder, but may remain as they were ordained by the apostles, I have thought it necessary to write these things to you, that you may at last put to shame those who, through mutual enmity, have brought the churches into such a state.

For I have heard that there are a few persons who happen to be the cause of all these things.

And be zealous, having a heart of compassion, to correct, as I said before, what has been done contrary to the canon, so that, if anything has been done prematurely, it may be healed by your diligence.

And do not write, 'Choose the communion of Marcellus and Athanasius,' or 'ours'; for such expressions are marks not of peace, but of contentiousness and hatred of the brethren.

For this reason, then, I too wrote the aforesaid things, that, learning that we did not receive them unjustly, you might cease from such strife.

For if, when you had come, they had been condemned, if they were shown not to have reasonable proofs on their own behalf, you would have done well to write such things;

but since, as I said before, we held communion with them canonically and not unjustly, I entreat you for Christ's sake, do not allow the members of Christ to be torn apart; nor put your trust in preconceptions, but prefer the peace of the Lord.

For it is neither holy nor just, on account of the small-mindedness of a few, to cast off those who have not been condemned, and thereby to grieve the Spirit;

but if you think that anyone is able to prove something against them and to convict them face to face, let those who wish come.

for they themselves also professed to be ready both to prove and to refute the things which they reported to us.

Signify to us, therefore, beloved, concerning this matter, that we may write both to them and to the bishops who must again assemble, so that, with all present, those who are guilty may be condemned, and that disorder may no longer arise in the churches.

It is enough that, while bishops were present, bishops were being exiled.

concerning which there is no need to speak at length, lest those who were then present should seem to be burdened.

for if the truth must be told, matters ought not to have reached even so far, nor should such small-mindedness have come to such a pitch.

But grant that Athanasius and Marcellus, as you write, were removed from their own places — what could one say of the others also, the bishops and presbyters who, as I said before, came here from various places? For they too said that they had been seized and had suffered such things.

O beloved, the judgments of the Church are no longer according to the gospel, but henceforth tend to exile and death.

For even if, as you say, some sin had altogether been committed by them, the judgment ought to have been made according to the ecclesiastical canon and not in this manner; word ought to have been written to all of us, that thus justice might be determined by all.

For it was bishops who were suffering, and it was not ordinary churches that were suffering, but those which the apostles themselves had governed in person.

And why especially was nothing written to us concerning the church of the Alexandrians? Or are you ignorant that it was the custom for word to be written to us first, and thus for what is just to be determined from here? If, then, any such suspicion had arisen against the bishop there, word ought to have been written to the church here; but as it is, those who did not fully inform us, but themselves did as they wished, now wish us, who have not condemned him, to be fellow-voters with them.

Not thus are the ordinances of Paul; not thus have the fathers handed down the tradition.

This is another pattern, and a novel practice.

I entreat you, bear this with patience;

what I write is for the common benefit.

For what we received from the blessed apostle Peter, these things I make known to you also.

And I would not have written, considering these things to be plain to all, had not what has happened troubled us.

Bishops are seized and driven from their places; others are set up in opposition from elsewhere, and others are plotted against, so that they mourn for those who have been seized, and are compelled in regard to those sent to them — that they may not seek after those whom they wish, but receive those whom they do not want.

I ask you that such things happen no more; rather, write against those who attempt such things, so that the churches may no longer suffer such things, nor may any bishop or presbyter suffer outrage, or, contrary to his judgment, be compelled to do anything, as they have made known to us; that we may not become a laughingstock even among the heathen, and, before all else, that we may not provoke God to anger.

For each of us shall render an account on the day of judgment for what he has done here.

May it be granted that all think according to God, so that the churches, having received back their bishops, may rejoice continually in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom be glory to the Father for ever and ever.

I pray for your health in the Lord, beloved and most longed-for brethren.

Eusebius, then, meanwhile died; and when very many had assembled from every quarter, we summoned the partisans of Eusebius to judgment, but they, having before their eyes what they had done, and seeing the accusers who had come up against them, feared the judgment;

and when all had come together openly, they again brought with them the counts Musonianus and Hesychius the castrensis, that, as they had been accustomed, they might, by the authority of these men, do whatever they wished.

But since the synod was without counts, and no soldier was present in the midst, they were thrown into confusion, stricken by their conscience.

for they were no longer being judged as they wished, but as the word of truth demanded.

When, then, we had for a long while been challenging them, and the synod of bishops was challenging them and saying:

'You came to be judged; why then, having come, do you hold back? For you ought either not to have come, or, having come, not to hide.'

'for this brings upon you the greatest condemnation.'

'Behold, Athanasius and his companions are present, whom you slandered in their absence, so that, if you think you have anything, you may convict them present; but if you cannot, and yet pretend that you do not wish to, you show yourselves plainly to be calumniators, and this the synod will render as its judgment concerning you.' But they, on hearing this and condemning themselves (for they knew what they had done and had fabricated against us), were ashamed to appear, having thereby proved their own calumny to be great and unseemly.

The holy synod, therefore, having condemned their unseemly and suspicious flight, received us for our defence.

And when we had related, by witnesses and proofs, the things done against us, they marvelled, and all recognized that they had reasonably feared the synod for this reason, lest they should be convicted face to face; and they said too — supposing, perhaps, that Athanasius and his companions would not appear — that this was why they had come from the East; yet when they saw them speaking with boldness and challenging the trial, they fled.

Us, then, they received as men who had been wronged and vainly slandered, and they confirmed toward us all the more their communion and love; but the partners and those who had become the most shameless in Eusebius's wickedness they deposed: Theodore of Heraclea, Narcissus of Neronias, Acacius of Caesarea, Stephen of Antioch, and Ursacius and Valens of Pannonia, and Menophantus of Ephesus, and George of Laodicea.

And they wrote the following to the bishops everywhere throughout the world, and to the see of each of those who had been wronged:

'Even before we received the letters of your piety, we were not ignorant, but it was already manifest to us, that the champions of the ill-named heresy of the Arians were contriving many terrible things, rather to the destruction of their own souls than against the Church.'

'For this was their art and cunning; they have ever been of this death-bearing purpose, namely to strive to drive out and persecute all who, in whatever way, hold the right faith and keep the teaching of the catholic Church which was handed down to them by the fathers.'

'For some they subjected to fabricated charges, others they sent into exile, others they wore down with actual punishments themselves.'

'Wherefore the judgment rendered by them was neither careful, nor made in good faith, nor at all just.'

'Wherefore, having no confidence either in what they had staged, or in what they had bruited about against him, but perceiving that they could not have true proofs concerning these things, though present in the city of Serdica, they were unwilling to appear before the synod of all the holy bishops.'

'From this, then, the judgment of our brother and fellow-bishop Julius has been shown to be manifest and just.'

'For he did not deliberate rashly, but determined with diligence, so as not to hesitate at all concerning communion with our brother Athanasius.'

'For he had eighty bishops as true witnesses; and he had also this just claim, that through our beloved brethren, his presbyters, and through letters, he dealt by due process with the partisans of Eusebius, who relied not on judgment but rather on violence.'

'Whence all the bishops everywhere confirmed communion with Athanasius on account of his purity.'

'And let your charity also consider this:'

'when he had come to the holy synod assembled at Serdica, then, as we said before, both by letters and by unwritten instructions the bishops of the East were reminded and were summoned by us to be present.'

'But they, being condemned by their own conscience, began, by using unseemly pretexts, to flee from judgment.'

'For they demanded that the innocent man be cast out of our communion as though guilty, not perceiving how unseemly — or rather how impossible — this was.'

'And as for the minutes made in the Mareotis by certain most wicked and utterly depraved young men, whom no one would have entrusted with even an ordinary rank of the clergy, it has been established that they were drawn up one-sidedly.'

'For neither our brother Athanasius the bishop, nor Macarius the presbyter who was accused by them, was present.'

'And yet the interrogation conducted by them — or rather, the prompting that took place — was full of every shame.'

'For at one time pagans, at another catechumens, were questioned — not that they might say what they knew, but that they might tell the lies which they had learned from them.'

'For indeed, though you, the presbyters, being concerned on account of the absence of your bishop, and wishing to be present at the examination, both to show the truth and to refute the falsehoods, no regard was paid to you;'

'for they did not permit you to be present, but even cast you out with outrage.'

'And although from these things too the calumny is most evidently plain to all, yet when the minutes were read we found that Ischyras himself, that most wicked man who had received as a reward for his calumny the mere semblance of the episcopate, refuted his own calumny.'

'For Ischyras himself declared, in those very minutes, that at that hour in which he asserted Macarius had come into his cell, he himself was lying sick in bed — although the partisans of Eusebius had dared to write that Ischyras was then standing and making the offering when Macarius arrived.'

'And that calumny and slander also has become manifest to all, which they alleged afterward.'

'For they alleged and loudly declared that Athanasius had committed murder, and that he had slain a certain Arsenius, a Melitian bishop; concerning which, with pretended groaning and feigned tears, they played their part, and demanded that the body of the living man be given up as though he were dead.'

'But their sophistries did not remain unknown.'

'For all came to know that the man was alive and was to be found among the living.'

'And when those who are ready for anything saw themselves convicted concerning these falsehoods (for Arsenius himself, being alive, showed that he had neither been slain nor had died), still they did not keep quiet, but sought out other calumnies in addition to their former calumnies, that, having contrived them, they might again slander the man.'

'What then, beloved? Our brother Athanasius was not disturbed, but again, using great boldness, challenged them also on these charges.'

'We prayed and urged them to come to the trial and, if indeed they could, to prove their case.'

'O terrible arrogance!'

'Or rather, if the truth must be told, O evil and guilty conscience!'

'For this has been made manifest to all.'

Wherefore, beloved brethren, we remind you and exhort you, above all things, to hold fast the right faith of the catholic Church;

for you have suffered many grievous and painful things, and the catholic Church has endured many outrages and injustices; but he that endures to the end shall be saved.

Wherefore, even if they should still dare to do anything further against you, let your affliction be counted as joy to you;

for such sufferings are a part of martyrdom, and such confessions and torments of yours are not without their reward, but you shall receive from God the prizes of victory.

seeing that above all you are contending for the sound faith and for the purity of your bishop Athanasius, our fellow-minister.