5. In praise of Hosius.

Of the great Hosius21    Hist. Ar. 42., who answers to his name, that confessor of a happy old age, it is superfluous for me to speak, for I suppose it is known unto all men that they caused him also to be banished; for he is not an obscure person, but of all men the most illustrious, and more than this. When was there a Council held, in which he did not take the lead22    [Nicæa and Sardica are specially referred to, but see Prolegg. ch. ii. §3 (1) note 5, sub. fin.], and by right counsel convince every one? Where is there a Church that does not possess some glorious monuments of his patronage? Who has ever come to him in sorrow, and has not gone away rejoicing? What needy person ever asked his aid, and did not obtain what he desired? And yet even on this man they made their assault, because knowing the calumnies which they invent in behalf of their iniquity, he would not subscribe to their designs against us. And if afterwards, upon the repeated stripes above measure that were inflicted upon him, and the conspiracies that were formed against his kinsfolk, he yielded23    [Apol. Ar. 89, Hist. Ar. 45, 357 a.d.] to them for a time24    Gal. ii. 5., as being old and infirm in body, yet at least their wickedness is shewn even in this circumstance; so zealously did they endeavour by all means to prove that they were not truly Christians.

5 Περὶ γὰρ τοῦ μεγάλου καὶ εὐγηροτάτου καὶ ὁμολογητοῦ ἀληθῶς Ὁσίου, περιττόν ἐστιν ἐμὲ καὶ λέγειν· ἴσως γὰρ ἐγνώσθη πᾶσιν ὅτι καὶ τοῦτον ἐξορισθῆναι πεποιήκασιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄσημος, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων μάλιστα καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπιφανὴς ὁ γέρων. Ποίας γὰρ οὐ καθηγήσατο συνόδου; Καὶ λέγων ὀρθῶς οὐ πάντας ἔπεισε; Ποία τις ἐκκλησία τῆς τούτου προστασίας οὐκ ἔχει μνημεῖα τὰ κάλλιστα; Τίς λυπούμενός ποτε προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐ χαίρων ἀπῆλθε παρ' αὐτοῦ; Τίς ᾔτησε δεόμενος καὶ οὐκ ἀνεχώρησε τυχὼν ὧν ἠθέλησε; Καὶ ὅμως καὶ κατὰ τούτου τετολμήκασιν, ὅτι καὶ αὐτός, εἰδὼς ἃς ποιοῦσι διὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἑαυτῶν συκοφαντίας, οὐχ ὑπέγραψε ταῖς καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλαῖς. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὕστερον διὰ τὰς πολλὰς ὑπὲρ μέτρον ἐπιφερομένας αὐτῷ πληγὰς καὶ συσκευὰς κατὰ τῶν συγγενῶν αὐτοῦ εἶξεν αὐτοῖς πρὸς ὥραν ὡς γέρων καὶ ἀσθενὴς τῷ σώματι, ὅμως τούτων ἡ πονηρία καὶ ἐκ τούτων δείκνυται σπουδασάντων πανταχόθεν ἑαυτοὺς δεῖξαι μὴ εἶναι Χριστιανοὺς ἀληθῶς.