駁亞流派辯護辭 第 1 章 第 6/7 段

For knowing the things which John had accused against him, and having received letters of his repentance, he wrote as follows:

Constantine, Greatest Augustus, to John.

The letters from your prudence have been very welcome to me.

For I learned from them, what I especially longed to know: that you had laid aside all pettiness, and had, as was fitting, entered into communion with the Church, and had come, to the fullest degree, into concord with the most reverend bishop Athanasius.

Know well, then, that on account of these things I hold you greatly commended, because, having laid aside all contentiousness, you have done what was pleasing to God, laying hold of union with the Church.

In order, then, that you may also seem to have obtained what you desire, I have thought it right to permit you to make use of the public conveyance and to hasten to the encampment of my clemency.

Let it be your part, then, to delay nothing; but since this letter grants you the authority of the public conveyance, come to us at once, so that you may both fulfill your own desire, and, having seen us, enjoy the fitting gladness.

God will preserve you, beloved brother.

Thus, then, did the plot come to an end, and the Melitians, put to shame, turned away; but the party of Eusebius did not rest even so.

For it was not the Melitians who concerned them, but the party of Arius; and they feared that, if the former should cease, they would no longer find those who played the accusers, through whom they might be able to introduce these men.

They therefore stirred up the Melitians again, and persuaded the emperor to order that a synod again be held at Tyre.

And Macarius was sent bound, under military guard, to Tyre; and the emperor wrote to me and laid a compulsion upon me, so that we were sent even against our will.

Now the whole plot can be known from what the bishops of Egypt wrote:

but how it was concocted by them from the beginning, it is necessary to relate:

for from this too it is possible to perceive the malice and the villainy that were practiced against us.

There are bishops in Egypt and Libya and the Pentapolis nearly a hundred in number.

None of these accused us; no presbyter found fault; no one of the people spoke against us; rather, it was the Melitians who had been expelled by Peter, and the Arians, who divided the plot between themselves.

And the one party claimed for themselves the role of accusing, the other that of judging.

We, then, objected to the party of Eusebius as being enemies on account of their heresy; and next we showed, as follows, that the so-called accuser was not a presbyter at all:

When Meletius was received back — would that he never had been! — the late Alexander, knowing his villainy, demanded of him a register of the bishops he claimed to have in Egypt, and of the presbyters and deacons in Alexandria itself, and whether he had any in its territory.

And Pope Alexander did this, so that Meletius, having received the confidence of the Church, might not sell many and lie daily, foisting in whomever he wished.

This, then, is the register he made of those in Egypt:

In Ptolemaïs, Pachymes; in Tentyra,

in Maximianopolis, Theodore; in Coptos [in the Thebaid], Kales; in Hermethis, Kollouthos; in Upper Cynopolis, Pelagius; in Oxyrhynchus, Peter; in Herakleopolis, Theon; in Neilopolis, Isaac; in Letopolis, Herakleides; in Nikiou, Isaac; in Kleopatris, Melas; in the Arsinoite [nome],

in Heliopolis, Amos; in Leontopolis, Ision; in Athribis,

in Pharbaithos, Harpokration; in Boubastos, Moses; in Phakousai, Kallinikos; in Pelousion, Eudaimon; in Tanis, Ephraim; in Thmuis,

in Sais, Hermaion; in Cynopolis and Bousiris, Soterichos; in Sebennytos, Pininouthes; in Phthenegy, Kronios; in Metelis, Agathammon; in the territory of Alexandria, in Memphis, John (who was ordered by the emperor to be with the archbishop). These, then, were the bishops in Egypt; and of the clergy at Alexandria he had the following:

But of the man called Ischyras he made no mention at all, nor did he ever acknowledge having had any presbyter whatsoever in the Mareotis.

And yet even so our enemies would not desist, and the man who was no presbyter was fashioned up as a presbyter.

For it was a count who compelled us, and soldiers who dragged us along.

But even so the grace of God prevailed:

for they did not convict Macarius concerning the cup; but even Arsenius, whom they had noised abroad as having been murdered by us, stood there alive and displaying their false accusation.

in order to send [a commission] into the Mareotis, in case they might be able to find something there against the presbyter — or rather, so that, having gone off, they might stitch together whatever they wished in our absence.

For this was what they were eager to accomplish.

Indeed, when we said that the journey to the Mareotis was superfluous — for as to the matters they have long been rehearsing, let them not pretend to have spoken inadequately, nor put the matter off; for they have said what they supposed they had to say, and now, being at a loss, they make excuses —

or, if there is indeed need of the Mareotis, that at least those under suspicion should not be sent —

the count was persuaded concerning those under suspicion, but they did everything rather than this.

Again there were letters to the prefect of Egypt, and a military escort, and — what is indeed astonishing and full of every arrogance — they made Macarius, the one accused, remain behind under guard of soldiers, while they took the accuser away with themselves.

Who, then, henceforth does not perceive the plot from these facts? Who does not clearly discern the malice of the party of Eusebius? For if there was need of a judicial inquiry in the Mareotis, the accused ought also to have been sent; but if they were not departing for the sake of a judicial inquiry, why did they bring along the accuser? For it was indeed enough that he had failed to prove his charge.

But they did this so that, since they had not been able to convict the presbyter when he was present, they might, in his absence, contrive against him and concoct whatever seemed good to them.

For indeed, when the presbyters of Alexandria and of the whole region complained that they had gone alone, and requested that they themselves also might be present at what was being done (for they said that they knew both the matter and the facts concerning the man called Ischyras), they did not permit it; instead, they had with them Philagrius, the apostate prefect of Egypt, and heathen soldiers, examining matters which it was not fitting even for catechumens to witness, but they did not allow the clergy to be present, so that they might not, even there as at Tyre, have men to refute them.

But not even so were they able to escape detection.

For the presbyters of the city and of the Mareotis, perceiving their villainies, wrote and solemnly testified as follows:

To Theognis, Maris and Macedonius, Theodore and Ursacius and Valens, the bishops who came from Tyre, from the presbyters and deacons of the catholic Church of Alexandria under the most reverend bishop Athanasius.

It was fitting that you, in coming and bringing the accuser with you, should also have brought Macarius the presbyter.

For judicial inquiries are so constituted, according to the Holy Scriptures, that the accuser stands together with the accused.

But since you neither brought Macarius, nor did our most reverend bishop Athanasius enter along with you, we requested that we ourselves at least might be present at the inquiry, so that, with us present, the examination might be conducted securely, and that we too might be convinced.

But since you did not grant even this, but wished, alone with the prefect of Egypt and the accuser, to do whatever you pleased, we confess that we saw an evil suspicion in the matter, and we perceived that your coming was nothing but a plot and a conspiracy.

For this reason we deliver to you this letter, which shall be a testimony before a true synod, so that it may be made known to all that you acted one-sidedly, as you wished, and desired to contrive nothing else than a plot against us.

And copies of these we have also delivered to Palladius, the confidential agent (curiosus) of the Augustus, that they may not be hidden by you.

For the things you have done make us henceforth suspect and think such things concerning you.

Marcellinus, deacon; Appianus, deacon; Theon, deacon; Timothy, deacon; and another Timothy, deacon.

These, then, are the letters and names of the clergy from the city; and what the clergy of the Mareotis, who knew the character of the accuser and were with me on my visitation, also wrote, is as follows:

To the holy synod of the blessed bishops of the catholic Church, all the presbyters and deacons throughout the Mareotis, greeting in the Lord.

Knowing what is written, that you should say what your eyes have seen, and that a false witness shall not go unpunished, we testify to what we have seen — the more so because the plot contrived against our bishop Athanasius has made our testimony necessary.

For we marvel how Ischyras was ever reckoned within the measure of the church at all; concerning him we deem it necessary first to give an account.

Ischyras never was a minister of the church, but before this he gave himself out as a presbyter of Colluthus, and had none who obeyed him except his own kinsmen alone.

For he never had a church, nor was he reckoned a cleric at all by those who dwelt but a little apart from his village, except only, as we said before, by his own kinsmen.

Yet nonetheless, though he arrogated to himself such a title, he was deposed at the synod convened at Alexandria in the presence of our father Hosius, and was received back into communion as a layman, and so he has remained ever since, cast out even from the false pretence of the presbyterate.

As for his character, we deem it superfluous to speak, since all are able to know such things.

But since he has calumniated our bishop Athanasius concerning the breaking of a cup and a table, we have made haste to give you an account of this matter also, as being necessary.

For we have already said that he never had a church in the Mareotis; and, as before God our witness, neither was any cup broken nor was any table overturned by our bishop, nor by any other of those who were with him, but all that is said is calumny.

And we say this not as being far absent from the bishop, for we are all with him whenever he makes his visitation of the Mareotis;

and he never makes his rounds alone, but together with all of us presbyters and deacons and a considerable number of the people.

Therefore, as having been present with him on every visitation which he has made among us, we say and testify that neither was any cup broken nor was any table overturned, but he lies in everything, as he himself also testifies by his own hand.

For when he wished to be received back into communion, after he had gone off with the Melitians and had spread such reports against our bishop Athanasius, they would not receive him — even though he had written and confessed with his own hand that none of these things had occurred, but that he had been suborned by certain persons to say them.

For no one of the people spoke against the bishop, but they themselves, out of fear of Philagrius, the prefect of Egypt, and by his threats and the patronage of the Ariomaniacs, did what they wished.

For when we came to refute the calumny, they did not permit us; instead, they rejected us, but received those whom they wished, contriving matters, and agreed with them out of fear of the prefect Philagrius — on whose account they did not even allow us to be present, so that we might be able to refute those suborned by them, whether they belonged to the church or were Ariomaniacs.

But you also know, beloved fathers, as you yourselves teach us, that the testimony of enemies has no force.

We speak the truth: the very hand of Ischyras testifies to it, and the facts themselves testify, that although we knew of nothing of the sort having occurred, they brought Philagrius along with them, so that by fear of the sword and by threats they might contrive whatever they wished.

These things we testify as before God; these things we say knowing that there will be judgment from God, wishing indeed to come to you all together, but content that some of our number should go, so that our letter might fulfil the presence of those not able to attend.

We submit this document, attested by the signatures of those subscribing below:

Since Theognis and Maris and Macedonius and Theodore and Ursacius and Valens, having been sent by all the bishops assembled at Tyre, came into our parish, declaring that they had received orders to investigate certain ecclesiastical matters — among which they spoke also of a cup of the Lord's table that had been broken, a charge laid before them by Ischyras (whom they brought with them), who says that he is a presbyter, though he is not a presbyter (for he was appointed by Colluthus the presbyter, who had arrogated to himself an episcopate, but was afterward, by a joint synod of Hosius and the bishops with him, commanded to be only a presbyter, as he had been before; and accordingly all those appointed by Colluthus reverted to the very rank in which they had previously stood, just as Ischyras himself too was seen to be a layman); and as for the church which he claims to possess, no church has ever existed there at all, but only a small dwelling-room belonging to an orphan child named Ision — for this reason we have made use of this solemn deposition, adjuring you by almighty God and by our lords Constantine Augustus and his most illustrious sons the Caesars, to bring these very facts to the knowledge of their piety.

For he is neither a presbyter of the catholic Church, nor has he a church, nor was any cup ever broken, but all is falsehood and fabrication.

In the consulship of Julius Constantius, the most illustrious patrician, brother of the most pious emperor Constantine Augustus, and of Rufinus Albinus, the most illustrious [consuls], on the tenth of Thoth.

These, then, are the things the presbyters wrote; and what the bishops also, who came with us to Tyre, perceiving the plot and the conspiracy, wrote and solemnly attested, is as follows:

To the bishops assembled at Tyre, our most honoured lords, we of the catholic Church who came from Egypt with Athanasius, greeting in the Lord.

We no longer think that the plot devised against us by Eusebius and his associates — Theognis, Maris, Narcissus, Theodore, and Patrophilus — is unclear.

...through our fellow-minister Athanasius, [we objected] to the hearing taking place in their presence, knowing that the presence of even a single enemy, let alone many, is able to disturb and damage a hearing.

For you yourselves also know their enmity, which they hold not toward us alone, but toward all the orthodox, because on account of the madness of Arius and his impious teaching they rise up against all and plot against all.

But when we, trusting in the truth, wished to expose the calumny raised against the Church by the Melitians, we do not know how it was that Eusebius and his party tried to disturb what we said, and were exceedingly eager to have our statements thrown out — threatening those who judged with integrity, and even insulting others — solely that what was being pursued against us might succeed for them.

And perhaps your godly reverence, most honoured lords, was unaware of the plot contrived by them; but now we believe it has become manifest.

For behold, they have openly revealed the plot themselves.

For they wished to send those of their own number who were under suspicion to the Mareotis, so that, while we were absent and remaining here, they might throw the people into confusion and accomplish whatever they wished.

For they saw that the Ariomaniacs and Colluthians and Melitians are enemies of the catholic Church;

therefore they were eager to send these men, so that, with enemies present, they might stitch together against us whatever they wished.

For indeed the Melitians here sent out some of their own number four days before, as if knowing beforehand that this scheme was going to take place, and by evening sent two couriers as well, in order to gather Melitians together from Egypt into the Mareotis — since there is no one of that sort there at all — and Colluthians and Ariomaniacs from other places, and to have them stitch together statements against us.

For you yourselves also know that Ischyras himself confessed before you that he had no more than seven persons gathering with him.

Since, therefore, after they had contrived what they wished and sent off the suspected men, we heard that they were going about to each one of you demanding your signature, so that it might appear to have been done by the deliberation of you all — for this reason we have hastened to write to you and to present this testimony, bearing witness that we are being plotted against and are suffering conspiracy from them and through them; and we ask that, taking to heart the fear of God and recognizing that they sent whom they wished apart from us, you should not sign, lest what they themselves stitch together on their own be said to have been done by you.

For it befits men who are in Christ not to look to human considerations, but to prefer the truth above all things.

And fear neither the threat which they employ against everyone, nor their plotting, but rather fear God.

For it was necessary, if it were indeed at all fitting for men to be sent to the Mareotis, that we also be present, so that we might refute the enemies of the church and expose the strangers, and that the investigation of the matter might be conducted without bias.

For you know that Eusebius and his party contrived to have a letter submitted, written as though by the Colluthians, Melitians, and Arians against us; and it is clear that these enemies of the catholic Church say nothing true about us, but everything against us.

But the law of God does not wish an enemy to be either a witness or a judge.

Therefore, as men who are about to give account on the day of judgment, having received this testimony and having come to know the plot contrived against us, we entreat and exhort you to be on your guard, to do nothing against us, and not to lend your support to the design of Eusebius and his party.

For you know again, as we said before, that they are our enemies, and also why Eusebius of Caesarea has been our enemy since last year.

We pray for your good health, most beloved lords.

...the plot devised against us by Eusebius and Theognis and Maris and Narcissus and Theodore and Patrophilus to be unclear...

For at the outset we all objected, through our fellow-minister Athanasius, to the hearing taking place in their presence, knowing that the presence of even a single enemy, let alone many, is able to disturb and damage a hearing.

For their enmity is manifest, which they have held not toward us alone, but toward all the orthodox as well, in that they rise up against all and plot against all.

But when we, trusting in the truth, wished to expose the calumny raised against the Church by the Melitians, we do not know how it was that Eusebius and his party themselves tried to disturb what we said, and were exceedingly eager to have our statements thrown out — threatening those who judged with integrity, and even insulting others — solely that what was being pursued against us might succeed for them.

And perhaps your excellency was unaware of the plot devised against us by them; but now we believe it has become manifest.

For behold, they have openly revealed the plot themselves.

For they wished to send those of their own number who were under suspicion to the Mareotis, so that, while we were absent and remaining here, they might throw the people into confusion and accomplish whatever they wished.

For knowing that the Ariomaniacs and Colluthians and Melitians are enemies of the church, for this reason they were eager to send these men, so that, with enemies present, they might stitch together against us whatever they wished.

For indeed the Melitians here already sent out some of their own number four days before, as if knowing beforehand that this scheme was going to take place, and by evening sent two couriers as well, in order to gather Melitians together from Egypt into the Mareotis — since there is no one of that sort there at all — and Colluthians and Ariomaniacs from other places, and to have them stitch together statements against us.

And your excellency knows that Ischyras himself confessed before you that he had no more than seven persons gathering with him.

Since, therefore, after they had contrived what they wished and sent off the suspected men, we heard that they were going about to each one of the bishops demanding a signature, so that it might appear to have been done by the deliberation of them all — for this reason we have hastened to report this to your excellency and to present this testimony, bearing witness that we are being plotted against and are suffering conspiracy from them and through them; and we ask that, taking to heart the fear of God and the pious commands of the most God-beloved emperor, and recognizing that they sent whom they wished apart from us, you should not tolerate them.

Seeing many plots being made against us, and conspiracies arising from the machination of Eusebius and Narcissus and Flacillus and Theognis and Maris and Theodore and Patrophilus — whom, though we wished to object to them from the outset, we were not permitted [to exclude] — we are compelled to have recourse to this solemn protest.

For indeed we see much zeal being shown on behalf of the Melitians, and a conspiracy against the catholic Church in Egypt being carried out through us.

...guarding the command of the most God-beloved emperor Constantine, to reserve the hearing of our affairs for the most pious emperor himself.

For it is reasonable, since you were sent by his majesty, and since we have appealed to his piety, that the matter should be reserved for him.

For we can no longer bear being plotted against and conspired against by Eusebius and his aforementioned associates.

And for this reason we request that the matter be reserved for the most pious and most God-beloved emperor, before whom we are able to set forth both the rights of the church and our own case.

For we believe that his piety, having heard the case, will not condemn us.

And again, therefore, we adjure you by almighty God and by the most pious emperor — ever victorious and in health for many cycles of years, together with the children of his piety — to do nothing further, nor to permit yourself to raise any question in the synod concerning our affairs, but to reserve the hearing for his piety.

And concerning these same matters we have also made a declaration to my lords the orthodox bishops.

I see that a manifest plot has been contrived against Athanasius.

For all those whom he had objected to, these — I know not for what reason — they wished to send, without even so much as informing us.

For it had been resolved that it should be considered jointly whom it would be necessary to send.

Advise, then, that nothing rash be done — for they have come to me in great agitation, saying that the beasts have already been let loose, and are about to set out.

For a rumor was spread that John had sent certain men, for fear that, if we did not forestall them, they might concoct matters just as they pleased.

For you know that the Colluthians, who are enemies of the Church, and the Arians and the Melitians—all these, having become of one mind with one another, are able to work great evils.

Consider, therefore, what is expedient, lest something grim arise and we be subjected to the charge of not having judged according to justice.

And they especially suspect that, in passing through the churches whose bishops are here, they may strike fear and throw all Egypt into confusion, as though it had been handed over to the Melitians.

For I observe that this happens for the most part.

These were the things I was just now discussing with my lords, those about Flacillus, because Athanasius came forward and made accusation:

whom I declined to accept, saying that these were the men who should be sent; and while he cried out that he was being wronged and defrauded, my most beloved lord Alexander likewise sent word of this.

And that you may know that what has been written to me accords with reason, owing to his goodness, I have appended it below to be read to you.

But remember also the things written by me previously:

For I wrote to your goodness, my lords, that those who are sent ought to be sent by common judgment and common decree.

See to it, then, that what is done does not fall under accusation, nor give a pretext for just complaint to those who wish to charge us.

For just as it is not fitting that the party of the accusers be borne down upon, so neither that of the defendants.

But I consider it no small occasion for reproach against us, when my lord Alexander appears not to consent to what is being done.

While these things were thus taking place, we withdrew from them as from a synod of men who set the truth at naught:

for whatever they wished, that also they did.

Now that what is done by one party alone has no validity, there is no one among all men who is ignorant of this.

For this is what the divine law also commands, and this is what the blessed apostle also demanded when he suffered such a plot and was being tried, saying:

It is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man as a favor, before the accused has his accusers face to face and receives opportunity to make his defence concerning the charge.

But the partisans of Eusebius dared even to falsify the law, and have become more unjust than the wrongdoers themselves.

For they did not act by themselves from the beginning, but when, in our presence, they found their case failing, then at last they went out, like the Jews, and took counsel by themselves alone, so that they might destroy us and introduce their heresy, just as those men demanded Barabbas.

For this reason they themselves confessed to having done all these things by their own doing.

And even if these things suffice for a complete defence, nevertheless, in order that their wickedness might be shown all the more, and the freedom of truth as well, it was no trouble to remind you again and to show how they acted contrary to themselves, and how, deliberating in darkness, they stumbled against their own devices, and how, wishing to destroy us, they wounded themselves like madmen.

For in inquiring about the mysteries, they interrogated Jews and examined catechumens:

"Where were you when Macarius came and overturned the table?" And they answered that they happened to be inside.

Therefore there was no offering, if the catechumens were inside.

Then, having written everywhere that the presbyter was standing and performing the rite when Macarius entered and overturned everything, they interrogated whomever they wished, asking where Ischyras was when Macarius arrived.

And they answered again that he was lying ill in his cell.

Therefore, the man lying down was not standing, nor did the one lying ill in his cell make the offering.

Moreover, when Ischyras said that books had been burned by Macarius, the witnesses who had been suborned said that no such thing had happened at all, but that Ischyras was lying.

And, what is astonishing, having again written everywhere that those able to testify had been made to disappear by us, when these very persons appeared, they interrogated them, and were not ashamed to see themselves shown up on every side as false accusers, and that too while acting alone, just as they wished.

For they kept nodding signals to the witnesses, and the prefect kept threatening, and the soldiers kept goading them, yet the Lord uncovered the truth and showed them to be false accusers.

For this reason they also hid the official minutes; they themselves kept them, but instructed those who had written them to destroy them and to give them to no one at all.

But they were deceived in this too:

for the one who wrote them is Rufus, who is now a speculator in the Augustamnica, and he can bear witness; and the partisans of Eusebius sent them to Rome by their own agents, and Julius the bishop sent them on to me.

And now they rage, because what they wished to conceal, we have obtained and read.

Having devised these things and others like them, they immediately also made manifest the reason for which they did this.