History of the Arians

 a wild beast has come forth upon the earth, this heresy. For not only does it harm the innocent with its words as with teeth, but it has also hired ex

 Nevertheless, since Eusebius was lusting after and wanting to seize the episcopate of the city (for thus also he had moved from Berytus to Nicomedia),

 seeing themselves, who happened to be suspected in all things, not prevailing in an ecclesiastical judgment, they approach Constantius alone and then

 you deemed them worthy to have communion from them, they were not worthy of blows but if you were beating them as wicked men, why were you summoning

 of the accusers, as they themselves had suborned everything and contrived such things. Seeing these things, although they had come with haste, thinkin

 deeds to be revealed. For since those in Adrianople did not wish to have communion with them, as men who had fled from the Synod and had become liable

 wonderful and daring in all things, as they have seen them in Antioch, they plotted together, but Stephen alone undertook the drama as being well-suit

 the people of Alexandria. Making our aim your good order in all things ... (This too was likewise written in the same 65th oration and because it vari

 having received letters from him. And having gone up also to Rome, they were repenting, confessing that everything whatsoever they had done and said a

 present, not with palace officials or notaries having been sent, such as they themselves now do, but not even when the emperor was present, nor having

 the emperor commanded.” How many were harassed by them in every city, so that they might not 31.6 condemn them as friends of the bishops. For letters

 Lucifer the bishop from the metropolis of Sardinia, and Eusebius from Vercelli in Italy, and Dionysius 33.7 from Milan, which is also a metropolis of

 Accept these things.” 36.1 But the bishop, persuading by speech, was teaching: “How is it possible for this to happen against Athanasius? For how can

 of the gates, so that no orthodox person, entering, might see Liberius? Rome also had experience of the Christ-fighters and knew at last what it had n

 with 40.3 Constantius’ soldiers. Truly, wickedness is blind for in that by which they thought to vex the confessors by separating them from one anoth

 he might write against us, but hold communion with the Arians. 43.2 But the old man, finding the hearing of it unpleasant and being grieved that he sh

 What courtier of his compelled him to subscribe against anyone, that Valens and his party should say such things? Cease, I beseech you, and remember t

 (for he was now a hundred years old) the heartless one was put to shame. For the new Ahab, another Belshazzar who had arisen among us, overlooked all

 he writes evil things again to the council and the people of Alexandria, inciting the younger men, so that they all might come together and either exp

 to Felicissimus, the then duke, and to Nestorius the prefect, so that if either Philip the prefect or anyone else should dare to plot against Athanasi

 ordered the church to be handed over.” And while all were marveling at this and nodding to one another and saying, “Has Constantius become a heretic?”

 the miracle had a more manifest proof. For a certain licentious young man, running in and daring to do so, sat upon the throne. And sitting down, the

 And to their women they have given authority to abuse whomever they wish. And the respectable and faithful women would turn aside and yield the way to

 And they, seeing the man blind from birth now seeing, and the man who had been a paralytic for a long time made well, they accused the Lord who had do

 the evils that have come to pass, after the persecution which occurred through Heraclius, they again do not cease slandering to the emperor. For they

 the antichrist himself? For he himself, because of his heresy, was the first to hasten to rival Saul in cruelty. For that one, when the priests had gi

 writing, he repents, and repenting, he is provoked, and again he laments and not having what he should do, he shows the desolation of his soul's mind.

 For they did not even pity them when they were sick, but even drove them on when they were bearing up with difficulty on account of their weakness, so

 he is, such as that one might become. For he speaks words against the most high, being the head of the impious heresy, and he makes war against the sa

 to the man. But if you speak having heard from these men, it is just for you to believe also the things said by him, but if you do not believe him, bu

 having caused the Arian heresy to be so much as 78.5 named in it. For still only in the whole of Egypt was there freedom of speech for orthodoxy, and

 It is good to be content with the divine scripture and for all to be persuaded by it as it commands, both because of the other heresies and especially

 as the soldiers were coming on, and men were being shot with arrows and killed. And some of the soldiers also turned to plundering and stood the virgi

of the gates, so that no orthodox person, entering, might see Liberius? Rome also had experience of the Christ-fighters and knew at last what it had not believed when hearing of it before, how the other churches in every 38.3 city were laid waste by them. And it was eunuchs who were instigating both these things and the things against all. And this is the paradox of the plot, that the Arian heresy, which denies the Son of God, has its support from eunuchs, who, just as in nature, so also in their soul 38.4 are barren of virtue and cannot bear to hear at all about a son. Now the eunuch from Ethiopia, not understanding what he was reading, was persuaded by Philip teaching about the Savior; but the eunuchs of Constantius do not endure Peter confessing, but they also turn away from the Father showing the Son and rage against those who say the Son of God is genuine, avenging a heresy of eunuchs, that nothing genuine 38.5 and true is from the Father. For this reason the law also prevents them from being received into ecclesiastical counsel, and yet now he has considered these men to be lords of ecclesiastical judgments, and whatever seems good to them, this Constantius decrees and the so-called bishops play their part. O who could become the chronicler of these things? Who could report these things to another generation? Who then would believe on hearing that eunuchs, who are barely trusted with domestic services (for their kind is pleasure-loving, and they care for nothing else than to obstruct that which nature has taken away from them), that these men now rule over ecclesiastical matters, and that Constantius, submitting to them, plotted against all and exiled Liberius? 39.1 For since he was much engaged in writing, threatening, sending, plotting against Rome, and the persecution against Alexandria had at last also occurred. Liberius is also dragged before the em 39.2 peror and he himself also used great boldness of speech; "Cease," he said, "persecuting Christians; do not attempt through us to introduce impiety into the Church. We are ready to endure all things rather than be called Ariomaniacs. Do not compel us who are Christians to become 39.3 Christ-fighters. This we also advise you: do not fight against Him who has given you this empire; do not be impious toward Him in return for His grace; do not persecute those who believe in Him; lest you too hear, 'it is hard for you to kick against the goads.' But would that you might at least listen, so that 39.4 you too might be persuaded like the holy Paul. Behold, we are present, we have come, before they might invent a pretext; for on this account we have also hastened, knowing that exile awaits us from you, so that, before we suffer by pretext, it might also be shown openly to all that all the others have suffered just as we have, and that the pretexts alleged against them were fabricated by their enemies, and all things concerning them are slander and false." 40.1 Thus then Liberius, speaking at that time, was admired by all; but he, instead of answering, only gave the command and exiled them, separating each one, which he had also done in the case of the former ones. For he himself established this manner of exiling, so that even in his punishments he might become more 40.2 cruel than the tyrants and persecutors before him. For in the former persecution Maximian at that time, by ordering many confessors to be exiled together at once, lightened the punishment, consoling them with companionship; but this one has become more cruel even than that one, and has separated those who spoke boldly and confessed together, and has parted those who were bound together by faith, so that even in dying they might not see one another, thinking that the separation of the body also completely separates the disposition of the soul, or that being separated from each other they would forget their mutual concord and unity of soul; not knowing that, even if each one remains apart, yet he has with himself again the Lord whom they confessed when they were together, who also will cause more to be with each one (as he did in the case of Elisha the prophet) than there are

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τῶν πυλῶν, ἵνα μή τις ὀρθόδοξος εἰσελθὼν θεωρήσῃ Λιβέριον; ἔσχε καὶ Ῥώμη πεῖραν τῶν χριστομάχων καὶ ἔγνω λοιπὸν ὅπερ οὐκ ἐπίστευεν ἀκούουσα πρότερον, πῶς καὶ αἱ ἕτεραι ἐκκλησίαι κατὰ 38.3 πόλιν ἐπορθήθησαν παρ' αὐτῶν. εὐνοῦχοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ κατὰ πάντων κινοῦντες. καὶ τὸ παράδοξον τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι ἡ ἀρειανὴ αἵρεσις ἀρνουμένη τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξ εὐνούχων ἔχει τὴν βοήθειαν, οἵτινες ὡς τῇ φύσει οὕτως καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν 38.4 ἀρετῆς ἄγονοι τυγχάνοντες οὐ φέρουσιν ἀκούειν ὅλως περὶ υἱοῦ. ὁ μὲν οὖν ἐκ τῆς Αἰθιοπίας εὐνοῦχος μὴ νοῶν ἃ ἀνεγίνωσκεν ἐπείσθη τῷ Φιλίππῳ διδάσκοντι περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος, οἱ δὲ τοῦ Κωνσταντίου σπάδοντες οὔτε τοῦ Πέτρου ὁμολογοῦντος ἀνέχονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν πατέρα δεικνύντα τὸν υἱὸν ἀποστρέφονται καὶ μαίνονται κατὰ τῶν λεγόν των γνήσιον εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκδικοῦντες σπαδόντων αἵρεσιν, μηδὲν εἶναι γνήσιον 38.5 καὶ ἀληθινὸν ἐκ τοῦ πατρός. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ νόμος εἴργει τούτους εἰς ἐκκλη σιαστικὴν συμβουλίαν προσλαμβάνεσθαι, καὶ ὅμως τούτους νῦν τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν κρι μάτων κυρίους ἐλογίσατο, καὶ ὅπερ ἂν αὐτοῖς δόξῃ, τοῦτο Κωνστάντιος κρίνει καὶ οἱ λεγόμενοι ἐπίσκοποι ὑποκρίνονται. ὦ τίς ἂν γένοιτο τούτων λογογράφος; τίς ἀπαγγείλαι ταῦτα εἰς γενεὰν ἑτέραν; τίς ἄρα πιστεύσειεν ἀκούων ὅτι σπάδοντες οἱ οἰκειακὰς ὑπηρεσίας μόγις πιστευόμενοι (φιλήδονον γὰρ τὸ τούτων εἶδος, καὶ οὐδὲν ἄλλο μεριμνῶσιν ὡς τοῦθ', ὅπερ αὐτοὺς ἡ φύσις ἀφείλατο, ἐμποδίζειν) οὗτοι νῦν τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν κατάρ χουσι, καὶ τούτοις ὑποπίπτων Κωνστάντιος πᾶσιν ἐπεβούλευσε καὶ Λιβέριον ἐξώρισεν; 39.1 Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολὺς ἦν εἰς Ῥώμην γράφων, ἀπειλῶν, ἀποστέλλων, ἐπιβουλεύων, λοιπὸν δ' ἐγεγόνει καὶ ὁ κατὰ Ἀλεξάνδρειαν διωγμός. ἕλκεται καὶ Λιβέριος πρὸς βασι 39.2 λέα καὶ πολλῇ καὶ αὐτὸς κέχρηται τῇ παρρησίᾳ· «παῦσαι», λέγων, «διώκων Χριστιανούς· μὴ πείραζε δι' ἡμῶν εἰσάξαι τὴν ἀσέβειαν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν. πάντα ὑπομένειν ἐσμὲν ἕτοιμοι ἢ Ἀρειομανῖται κληθῆναι. Χριστιανοὺς ὄντας ἡμᾶς μὴ ἀνάγκαζε χριστομάχους 39.3 γενέσθαι. τοῦτο καὶ σοὶ συμβουλεύομεν· μὴ μάχου πρὸς τὸν δεδωκότα σοι τὴν ἀρχὴν ταύτην· μὴ ἀντ' εὐχαριστίας ἀσεβήσῃς εἰς αὐτόν· μὴ δίωκε τοὺς πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτόν· μὴ ἀκούσῃς καὶ σύ·» σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν «. ἀλλ' εἴθε κἂν ἀκούσῃς, ἵνα καὶ 39.4 σὺ πεισθῇς ὡς ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος. ἰδοὺ πάρεσμεν, ἤλθομεν, πρὶν πλάσωνται πρόφασιν· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐσπεύσαμεν εἰδότες ὅτι ἐξορισμὸς ἡμᾶς μένει παρὰ σοῦ, ἵνα, πρὶν προ φάσεως πάθωμεν, καὶ πᾶσι δειχθῇ φανερῶς ὅτι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι πάντες οὕτω πεπόνθασιν ὡς ἡμεῖς καὶ αἱ λεχθεῖσαι κατ' αὐτῶν προφάσεις ἐπλάσθησαν παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν καὶ πάντα τὰ κατ' αὐτούς ἐστι συκοφαντία καὶ ψευδῆ». 40.1 Οὕτω μὲν οὖν ὁ Λιβέριος τότε λέγων ἐθαυμάζετο παρὰ πάντων, ὁ δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀπο κρίνασθαι μόνον ἐκέλευσε καὶ ἐξώρισεν ἕκαστον διαστήσας, ὅπερ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν προτέρων πεποίηκε. τοῦτον γὰρ ἐξορίζων τὸν τύπον αὐτὸς ἐποίησεν, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ταῖς τιμωρίαις ὠμό 40.2 τερος τῶν πρὸ αὐτοῦ τυράννων καὶ διωκτῶν γένηται. τῷ μὲν γὰρ προτέρῳ διωγμῷ κοινῇ καὶ πολλοὺς ἅμα κελεύων ὁ τότε Μαξιμιανὸς ἐξώριζεν ὁμολογητὰς καὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπεκούφιζε παραμυθούμενος αὐτοὺς τῇ συνουσίᾳ, οὗτος δὲ κἀκείνου γέγονεν ὠμότερος καὶ διέστησε τοὺς κοινῇ παρρησιασαμένους καὶ ὁμολογήσαντας καὶ διεχώρισε τοὺς συνδεθέντας τῇ πίστει, ἵνα καὶ ἀποθνήσκοντες ἀλλήλους μὴ βλέπωσι, νομίζων ὡς ὁ χωρισμὸς τοῦ σώματος πάντως καὶ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς διάθεσιν διίστησιν ἢ χωρισθέντες ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπι λάθωνται τῆς ἀλλήλων ὁμοφροσύνης τε καὶ ὁμοψυχίας· οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅτι, κἂν ἕκαστος ἀπο μείνῃ, ἀλλ' ἔχει μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ πάλιν ὃν κοινῇ συνόντες ὡμολόγησαν κύριον, ὃς καὶ πλείους εἶναι ποιήσει μεθ' ἑκάστου (ὡς πεποίηκεν ἐπὶ Ἑλισσαίου τοῦ προφήτου) ἤπερ εἰσὶ

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