Panarion (Against Heresies) 1 part 54/82

But if they were killed on his account, without having managed to compete or to receive the prize, then his coming, which took place for salvation, would rather have become harmful to the world — since it became the cause of the infants exchanging their life prematurely, being punished and falling under the king's threat, without having managed to reach the contest, so that they might carry off the prizes.

But let us also look at other considerations.

Call for me the blessed and most wise Solomon, to refute this Hierakas.

Come, most blessed of the prophets, you who received from the Lord an outpouring of heart and wisdom, like the sand upon the shore of the sea — what would you think concerning children? And he says: 'For honorable old age is not that of long duration, nor is it measured by number of years.'

But understanding is gray hair for men, and a spotless life is the true age of old age. Having become blameless, he was beloved of God, and while living among sinners he was translated.

He was caught up, lest wickedness should change his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul.

For the bewitchment of wickedness darkens what is good, and the wandering of desire perverts a guileless mind. And that he indeed speaks concerning children, he goes on next to say: 'Being made perfect in a short time, he fulfilled long years' — meaning that, having died young, he fulfilled long years.

'For his soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore he hastened to take him out of the midst of wickedness.' And to Jeremiah the Lord says: 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you.'

Let us now look at the Savior himself, the mouth that cannot lie, that knows all things;

Come, Lord, help our understanding, and refute Hierakas and his rashness.

'The little children came to him,' it says, 'that he might lay hands on them and bless them.'

But the disciples pushed them away and forbade them.

'Let the little children come, and do not forbid them to come to me;'

'for of such is the kingdom of heaven.' And so that the kingdom of heaven should not be understood as belonging only to little children, and not to every age, he makes the beginning from them, but grants to those who are like them to have the inheritance together with them.

For if those who are like them are to reign, how much more the archetypes of those who exist in their likeness? And so his fanciful argument has fallen.

'For the Lord preserves the little ones,' and 'Praise the Lord, O children,' and the children cried out, 'Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,' and 'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise.'

But concerning the resurrection of the flesh — how can there not be a resurrection of the flesh, O would-be philosopher Hierakas? For the very name of the expression shows its meaning.

For 'resurrection' is not the term for that which has not fallen.

But what is it that fell? What is it that was buried? What is it that was dissolved, if not the body, and not the soul? The soul, then, does not fall, nor is it buried.

And how much more could be said on this subject? For 'resurrection' is not said of the soul, but it is the body that is raised.

As for the choice selection which the Savior came to gather out — virginity, continence, and purity — to whom is it not clear that it is a chosen thing, and a boast of the holy catholic and apostolic Church, along with those who live in honorable marriage?

for it is accustomed to save each one according to his own rank.

For how shall marriage not be honorable, and possess in God a share in the kingdom of heaven, seeing that the Savior was invited to a wedding, in order to bless marriage? For if he had refused to enter into the marriage feast, then he would have been an abolisher of marriage, and one who did not accept each person according to a concession for his weakness.

Marriage, then, is honorable, because he himself established it.

For this reason he comes to a wedding, in order to shut the mouths of those who speak against the truth.

For there Jesus performed his first sign, in Cana of Galilee, turning water into wine.

For just as he rose from a virgin, so as to show the light that rose from a virgin to the world, so too he performed his first sign at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, in order both to honor virginity through the childbearing and the shining forth of the light that arose through her, and to honor honorable marriage through his divine signs, accomplishing his first sign at a wedding, turning water into unmixed wine.

Likewise, if marriage were foreign to the faith, how does the teacher of the Gentiles command, as he says, 'Refuse younger widows'?

'For when they have grown wanton against Christ, they wish to marry, having condemnation, because they have set aside their first pledge.'

What then does he say? 'Let them rather marry, bear children, manage households.'

If, then, he accepts these things, how is it, Hierakas, that in your view marriage is to be cast out after the incarnate coming of Christ?

But concerning Melchizedek, as to your assertion that he is the Spirit:

then, by your logic, the Spirit came and took flesh.

Then the Only-begotten is no longer alone in having been born according to the flesh, but the Spirit also.

But if the Spirit has been born according to the flesh, then behold, Mary is the one who bore the Savior;

Let Hierakas say where is the one who bore the Spirit.

And by the very statement, 'being made like unto the Son of God, he remains a priest forever,' the word no longer concerns the Holy Spirit.

For it did not say 'like unto the Son of God,' but 'made to resemble' him.

But that which has been made like it possesses its manner of existence afterward.

But if the Spirit is likened to Christ only after the time of Abraham, then it did not always exist, and it is for this reason that it is likened to the Son of God.

And how can it be fatherless? For if the Spirit is self-existent and is not of the proper essence of the Godhead, then it might reasonably be shown to be fatherless.

For indeed the Son is truly only-begotten and has no brother, yet he is the Son of God.

But even though we do not call the Spirit begotten, since the Son is only-begotten, yet he is the Spirit proceeding from the Father and receiving of mine, as Christ says.

At any rate, that which proceeds from the Father and receives of mine cannot be fatherless.

Motherless in heaven and fatherless on earth—for this too can be said of the Savior—how then does the Apostle declare at the end, saying: 'but he who is not reckoned by genealogy from them has received tithes from Abraham the patriarch'?

For the phrase 'from them' is indicative of precision.

For since he was not reckoned by genealogy from the sons of Israel, he certainly had his genealogy from other nations.

But because his mother or father was not recorded, the slanderers of the truth imagine one thing instead of another.

But we have found in the traditions both his mother and his father.

For this man was of the races of Sidon and of the Canaanites.

Therefore their mythical account concerning him has collapsed;

and their manner of life [built upon it] is in vain also.

For to be content with lifeless things, joined with false belief, is not a school of life and of the hope of salvation.

For, as it is said, 'let all things be done to the glory of God.'

But concerning these matters, I think it right to be content even at this point.

For we have crushed the wings of the scorpion, and pulled down its powers.

For this is a winged serpent and a scorpion, having wings in many ways and flying, imitating the virginity of the Church, yet not having a pure conscience.

For in this man, and in those like him, is fulfilled the saying of those 'seared in their own conscience,' who forbid marriage and command to abstain from foods, which God made for partaking.

For it is sanctified through the word of the living God and intercession, since all things are good and pleasant, and nothing is to be rejected before God.

But they are most thoroughly mocked on account of the 'introduced' women each of them keeps, whom they are accustomed to take pride in having for their service.

But having, as I said, pulled down the wings of this creature as well, and crushed its head with the tree of life, that is, with the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us proceed to what follows, calling upon God himself as our helper, for the refutation and overthrow of the remaining heresies and of the things vainly set forth by them to the world.

Against the schism of Meletius the Egyptian: [Heresy] 48, but 68th in the series.

There exists in the land of the Egyptians a certain order of Meletians, [named] from a certain Meletius, a bishop in the Thebaid, who belonged to the catholic Church and to the orthodox faith.

For his faith did not at any time deviate from that of the holy catholic Church.

This Meletius was contemporary with, and flourished alongside, the aforementioned Hierakas, and succeeded him in turn; he was likewise contemporary with the holy Peter, bishop of Alexandria.

Now the affair concerning Meletius proceeded in the following manner.

He created a schism, yet it did not come about through any change in the faith.

This man, at the time of the persecution, was arrested together with Peter, the holy bishop and martyr, and the other martyrs, by those appointed for this purpose by the emperor—the governors at that time of Alexandria and Egypt, Culcianus being prefect of the Thebaid, and of Alexandria, Hierocles.

And Meletius was confined in prison, he himself and the aforesaid martyrs, together with the aforesaid Peter, archbishop of Alexandria.

And Meletius seemed to be foremost among those throughout Egypt and second to Peter in the archiepiscopate, as it were for the sake of assisting him, being under him and referring ecclesiastical matters to him.

For this is the custom, that the archbishop in Alexandria should have ecclesiastical administration over all Egypt and the Thebaid, Mareotis and Libya, Ammoniace, Marmarica, and the Pentapolis.

Since, then, all these men, having been arrested for the sake of martyrdom, were engaged in this struggle in prison, and remained confined for a considerable time—while others, delivered up before them, were martyred and had received the end of the prize, and fell asleep—

these men, as being foremost and of greater rank, were kept back for a later time.

While some had been martyred, and others had fallen away from martyrdom and committed the unlawful act of idol-worship, having under compulsion even touched the sacrifices—these, then, having lapsed, sacrificed, and transgressed, came to the confessors and martyrs, that they might obtain mercy through repentance, some being from among the soldiers, others from among the clergy of various rank, presbyters and deacons and others—a commotion arose among the martyrs, and a disturbance that was no small one: some saying that those who had once lapsed and denied the faith, and had not remained steadfast in courage nor contended to the end, ought not to be deemed worthy of repentance, lest those still remaining, caring less for the penalty because of such swift forgiveness granted to these, should be turned aside and come to the denial of God and the unlawful practice of paganism.

And what was said by the confessors themselves was reasonable.

Now those who said this were Meletius and Peleus, and several others among the martyrs and confessors together with them.

Having thus manifested a zeal on behalf of God, it is clear that they were moved in this way when saying these things.

But they asserted that if, after the persecution had ceased, after a considerable time, repentance should be granted to the aforesaid at a time when peace had come—provided that they truly repented and showed forth the fruit of their repentance—it should be not that each should be received back into his own clerical rank, but that after an interval of time they should be gathered together in the church and in communion, yet in the order of the laity and not among the clergy.

And this proposal was truth-loving and full of zeal.

But the most holy Peter, being compassionate and being as a father to all, entreated and earnestly implored them, saying:

Let us receive them as they repent, and let us appoint for them a period of repentance so that they may take their place beside the church, and let us not turn them away, not even from the clergy, as the proposal that has reached us contains—lest it become a matter of shame to them, and lest, through the prolonging of time, those who once, out of cowardice and weakness, were shaken by the devil and made to totter, should be entirely turned aside and not be healed, according to what is written: 'let not that which is lame be turned out of the way, but rather let it be healed.'

And Peter's argument was on behalf of mercy and loving-kindness, while that of Meletius and those with him was on behalf of truth and zeal.

From this, under the guise of the seemingly pious position held by both sides, the schism arose, some asserting the one thing, others the other.

For when archbishop Peter saw that those around Meletius, being carried away more exceedingly by a divine zeal, resisted the counsel of his loving-kindness, Peter himself made a curtain in the middle of the prison, spreading out a garment—that is, a blanket, or rather a cloak—and proclaimed through a deacon: 'Let whoever is of my opinion come over to me, and whoever holds the opinion of Meletius, let him go to Meletius.'

And the multitude was divided: the greater part went with Meletius—bishops, monks, presbyters, and those of other ranks;

but only a very few remained altogether with Peter the archbishop—a few bishops and a few others.

And from then on these prayed separately, and those prayed separately, and likewise each performed the other sacred rites separately.

Then it came to pass that Peter was martyred, and the blessed man was made perfect, leaving Alexander behind as his successor in Alexandria.

For he succeeded to the throne after the aforesaid Peter.

But Meletius and many others fell under exile, being banished to the mines of Phaeno.

And then, from that point on, the confessors who were being dragged along together with Meletius—and Meletius himself, both in the prison and during the journey—passing through each region and each place, appointed clergy, bishops and presbyters and deacons, and built churches of their own, and neither did these commune with those, nor those with these.

[Calling] the already existing ancient churches 'the catholic Church,' while those from Meletius were called 'the church of the martyrs.'

Hence also, passing through Eleutheropolis and Gaza and Aelia, this same Meletius ordained many in this manner.

And it came to pass that he spent a long time in the aforesaid mines.

But meanwhile the confessors were released from the mines, both those of Peter's party—for there were still many of them—and those of Meletius.

For not even in the mines did they commune with one another or pray together.

And it came to pass that Meletius still spent time in the world, so that he was even contemporary with Alexander, the successor of Peter, and maintained friendly relations with him;

and he was concerned about matters pertaining to the Church and to the faith.

For I have said many times that he held nothing that deviated from the faith.

For this very Meletius, having come to Alexandria and spending time there, having his own assembly along with his own followers, detected Arius, reporting to Alexander how it had been made known to him that Arius, in his expositions, had stepped outside the bounds of the faith that had been set forth.

For this man was a presbyter in the church of Alexandria called Baucalis.

For in each church one presbyter is appointed—for there were many churches, and now even more—and this church had been entrusted to him, even though another presbyter might also have been with him;

concerning these matters, when we come to that place, we shall speak in detail, when there is need concerning it.

Since, then, Alexander earnestly investigated Arius, having summoned bishops and convened a synod, he inquired concerning the faith and demanded of Arius an account of the corruption of false doctrine that had been conceived within him.

But Arius did not deny it at all; rather, with a brazen face, he answered just as he actually held.

And Alexander expelled him from the Church, and along with him a great multitude was also expelled—those tainted by association with him, of consecrated virgins and other clergy.

But Arius, having fled, directed his journey to the land of the Palestinians, and having gone up to Nicomedia, and writing letters from there to Alexander, he did not depart from the mad mindset of his false doctrine.

But after a short interval of time, the same Alexander, the holy bishop of Alexandria, having taken pains and moved the blessed Constantine, convened a council in the city of Nicaea.

And the heresy of Arius is indeed anathematized;

but after he had died

for at first he denied his heresy to the face of the blessed emperor Constantine, and with oaths, in dissimulation, feigned the words of orthodoxy.

And when the emperor said to him, 'If indeed you swear most justly, may your oath be confirmed as true, and you shall be innocent;

but if deceitfully, may God, by whom you have sworn, execute vengeance upon you.'

And this indeed came to pass for him not long after, as we shall relate later.

This Arius, then, colluding with Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia, who held the same opinions as himself, was brought before the same emperor as one who supposedly denied and anathematized his own heresy.

Whereupon he commands and permits Eusebius to receive him into communion at Constantinople, under Alexander the bishop—namesake of the bishop in Alexandria, but being bishop of Constantinople.

Now the blessed Alexander of Alexandria, after the death of Meletius the aforementioned confessor, having taken up zeal against the schism of the church, was thought everywhere to trouble and constrain—indeed to compel by force—those who gathered on their own, having been left behind by Meletius, so that they should not break away from the one church.

But those who were unwilling caused disturbances and stirred up troubles.

Being pressed and constrained by this on the part of the blessed Alexander, some of them who were of the strictest sort and held the first rank in piety and in life undertook the matter, and were sent to the imperial court for the sake of petitioning, in order to petition and be permitted to gather separately and not be hindered

in the confession—namely John, bishop of the same [Meletians], a man himself most honored, and Callinicus, bishop in Pelusium, and certain others who undertook this;

who, having gone and petitioned the emperor, were turned away and cast out.

For those in the palace, on hearing the name 'Meletians,' and not knowing what such a thing might be, did not permit them to gain audience with the emperor.

And in this way it happened that Paphnutius, John, and the rest spent a long time in the region of Constantinople and Nicomedia.

Then they made friends with Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia, and reported to him the matter concerning this affair; for they knew that he had free access to the emperor Constantine, and they asked that through him they might be made known to the emperor.

But he, after promising them that he would report to the emperor and accomplish for them the matter of their petition, asked of them this request in return: that they should receive Arius into communion with themselves, as one supposedly repenting, though in fact only pretending and dissembling.

And thereupon he brought them before the emperor, and Eusebius instructed him concerning their case, and from then on it was permitted to the Meletians to gather by themselves and not be troubled by anyone.

Would that these same Meletians, who had laid claim to the utmost righteousness of the truth, had rather entered into communion with those who had lapsed but repented, than with Arius and his followers!

For this happened to them just as the proverb says, that fleeing the smoke they fell into the fire.

For Arius could not have gained standing and boldness of speech except through this kind of affair, which has proved for them, even to this day, a baneful alliance.

For the Meletians, who were once pure and most exact in the faith, mingled themselves with the disciples of Arius.

And the greater part of them have already been defiled by the false belief of Arius, having turned aside from the faith in these times;

but some, even though they have remained holding the true faith, do indeed hold it, yet they are not freed from the mire-like filth on account of their communion with Arius and the Arians.

And it was from the aforementioned affair that the association of Meletius and the Meletians with these men found its pretexts.

But within a short time—for as I promised to relate the matter, I shall narrate it here—when Alexander, bishop of Constantinople, was being compelled to receive Arius into communion, and was praying and groaning and bending his knees about the ninth hour on the Sabbath before the altar, while Eusebius was saying, 'If you are not willing of your own accord to receive him into communion yourself, against your will he shall enter with me on the morrow'—and it was dawning toward the Lord's Day—as I said, when Alexander had prayed and besought our Lord either to take him away, so that he might not be defiled together with Arius who had blasphemed against the Lord, or else to do some marvel, as He is wont to work marvels in generation after generation, it was not long before the saint's prayer was fulfilled.

For in the night, Arius, having gone into a latrine to relieve his needs, burst asunder, just as Judas once did.

And thus his end came to pass in a foul-smelling place of uncleanness.

After this time, then, the plot against the church was thenceforth being stitched together by his disciples.

Now Alexander of Alexandria died after the council in Nicaea.

But Athanasius was not present after the death of Alexander;

for at that time he was a deacon under Alexander, and had been sent by him to the imperial court.

And Athanasius arrived not long after the death of Theonas.

And from every side a council of the orthodox was convened.

And thus his establishment took place, and the throne was rendered to him who was worthy and for whom it had been prepared, according to the will of God and according to the testimony and charge of the blessed Alexander.

From this point Athanasius began to endure his life laboriously and to grieve on account of the division of the church, between the Meletians and the catholic church.

He persuaded, he exhorted, and they would not yield;

and, visiting them, he would often go to the neighboring churches, especially those in the region of Mareotis.

And once, while the Meletians were holding their assembly, it happened that a certain deacon from the crowd accompanying Athanasius, together with some of the people, burst in and, as the report has it, broke a lamp, and a fight broke out.

From this arose the plot against Athanasius, the Meletians accusing him and slandering him, saying one thing instead of another, while the Arians conspired and joined themselves together, out of envy toward the holy faith of God and orthodoxy.

And they laid the matter before the emperor Constantine.

And it was Eusebius, the aforementioned bishop of Nicomedia, who was the minister of their whole scheme and the contriver of the harm done against the church and against pope Athanasius.

The accusers, then, came before the emperor, alleging that a certain vessel used for the mysteries—which some, as I said before, called a lamp—had been broken.

They also brought other accusations, alleging that a certain presbyter of Mareotis, Arsenius, had been beaten, and that his hand had been cut off with a knife by the people of Athanasius, or indeed by Athanasius himself.

For they even brought a hand into the imperial court and displayed it, which was kept in a small box.

When the emperor heard these things, he was indeed roused to anger;

for the blessed emperor possessed a godly zeal;

yet he did not know that they were slanderers, because of the aforementioned zeal of the Arians against orthodoxy.

He commanded that a council be convened in Phoenicia, in the city of Tyre.

And he ordered Eusebius of Caesarea and certain others to preside as judges;

but these were somewhat more inclined toward the vulgar rhetoric of the Arians;

And bishops of the catholic Egypt were summoned, those who were under Athanasius, certain men of the highest rectitude and eminence, whose life shone forth in God, among whom was the blessed Potamon the Great, bishop of Heraclea and confessor;

but also those of the Meletians, especially those who were accusing Athanasius.

Now the aforementioned blessed Potamon, being a zealot for truth and orthodoxy, speaking with the boldness of free speech—he who had never shown partiality to any man's person (for he had been blinded in one eye during the persecution on account of the truth)—when he saw Eusebius sitting as judge and Athanasius standing accused, being overwhelmed with grief and weeping, as happens among those who are truthful, cried out with a loud voice, saying to Eusebius: 'Do you sit as judge, Eusebius, and is Athanasius, who is innocent, being judged by you? Who could bear such things? But tell me—

were you not with me in prison during the persecution? I indeed lost an eye for the sake of the truth, but you appear to have suffered no mutilation in your body, nor did you bear witness [as a martyr], but you stand alive, mutilated in nothing.

How did you get out of prison, unless it was because you promised those who had imposed upon us the compulsion of persecution that you would do—or indeed did do—the unlawful thing?' When Eusebius heard this, he was roused to indignation, and rising up, he dissolved the tribunal, saying, 'If you have come here and speak against us in such a manner, then indeed your accusers speak the truth.

For if you act so tyrannically here, how much more in your own homeland!'

—and so on, regarding the other matters of the dispute.

But those who departed did not report those things which were true, but, substituting one thing for another, they lied and slandered the blessed pope Athanasius.

And having fabricated those things as though they were true, they brought them in writing and reported them to the council presided over by Eusebius and the others—as Ursacius and Valens later showed by repenting, when they came with written petitions to the blessed Julius, bishop of Rome, making excessive apology for their own error;

saying: 'We slandered pope Athanasius; but receive us into communion and into repentance.'

And they also addressed to Athanasius himself their own written letters of recommendation, expressing repentance.

But pope Athanasius, seeing, while he was in Tyre, how grievous the plot against him was from every side, before he entered the tribunal or the slanderous charges could be confronted face to face, departed by night and went up to Constantine at the imperial court, and laid before him the matters concerning himself, instructing him fully.

But he, still being carried along by grief, and supposing that perhaps the accusers were telling the truth after all and that the one defending himself was lying, was still displeased.

And while he was still displeased, pope Athanasius directed a weighty word toward the emperor;

saying: 'The Lord shall judge between me and you, seeing that you yourself agree with those who slander our humble self.'

From this it came about that he fell under exile, both because of what had been written to the emperor by the council—for in his absence they carried out his deposition—and because of the things by which the emperor, being provoked against him, was grieved; and he remained in the regions of Italy for more than twelve or fourteen years.

And afterward a widely told story was recounted, how Arsenius, who had long ago been declared among the dead by the slanderers, and was said to have had his hand cut off, was found in the regions of Arabia, and how Arsenius himself entirely disclosed himself to pope Athanasius, who was then in exile;

and pope Athanasius, having secretly summoned him, as the report that has come down to us relates, and Arsenius himself having come to the same blessed Athanasius, both of them came together to the presence of Constans and Constantius, the sons of Constantine, when they had come together;

and Athanasius showed Arsenius alive and possessing both his hands, so that thereafter the accusers were found guilty not only of slander, but even of grave-robbery, on account of the dead hand that had once been carried about.