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by the grace of God and of the most God-beloved emperor "Constantine, who has gathered us from different provinces and cities, "the great and holy synod was convened in Nicaea, and from the whole "holy synod it seemed necessary also to send letters to you, "so that you may know what things were raised and examined, and what things were decided and 39 "confirmed. First of all, the matters concerning the impiety of Arius were examined in the presence "of our most God-beloved emperor Constantine, and it was unanimously "decided to anathematize his impious doctrine and his words and "his blasphemous thoughts which he used in blaspheming the Son of "God, saying He is from things that are not, and that before He was begotten He was not, and "that there was a time when He was not, and that the Son of God is capable of vice and virtue by his own free "will. All these things the holy synod has anathematized, "not even enduring to hear the impious doctrine and the madness and the "blasphemous words. And what end the matters concerning him have met with, "you have either heard or will hear, lest we should seem to be treading "upon a man who has received the just recompense for his own sin. "And so powerful has his impiety been as to ensnare Theonas "of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais; for "they too have met with the same fate. "But since the grace of God has freed Egypt from that evil doctrine and "blasphemy and from the persons who have dared to make a dissension "and division of the people who from of old had been at peace, "there remained the matter of the rashness of Meletius "and of those ordained by him, and concerning this we inform you, beloved brethren, of what was decided "by the synod. It was therefore decided 40 "concerning Meletius, the synod being moved to greater clemency (for in strict "justice he deserved no pardon), that he should remain in his own "city and have no authority either to make appointments or to ordain, "nor to appear in any country or city for this "purpose, but that he should possess the bare title of his rank; but as for those appointed "by him, having been confirmed by a more sacred ordination, they are to be received into communion "on these terms: that they may indeed have their rank and minister, but that they be "second in every respect to all those in each parish and church who were examined "and previously ordained by our most honored fellow-minister Alexander; "so that these men have no authority to appoint those whom they please "or to propose a name or to do anything at all "without the consent of the bishop of the catholic and apostolic Church "who is under Alexander; but those who by the grace of God and your "prayers have been found in no schism, but are blameless in the "catholic and apostolic Church, shall have authority both to appoint "and to nominate those worthy of the clergy, and in general "to do all things according to ecclesiastical law and ordinance. But if "it should happen that any of those in the Church should fall asleep, then "those recently received are to ascend into the honor of the one who has died, "only if they should appear worthy and the people should choose them, with "the bishop of the catholic church of Alexandria also voting with and confirming "them. 41 This was conceded to all the others; but in the case "of Meletius himself, this was no longer decided, on account of his disorderliness from the beginning "and on account of the rashness and precipitancy of his judgment, so that no "power of authority be given to him, a man able to cause the same "disorders again. These are the particular matters which pertain to Egypt "and to the most holy church of Alexandria. And if any other canon was established "or decree made, our lord and most honored [and] fellow-minister "and brother Alexander being present with us, he himself will report it when he comes, "since he is indeed both a master and a sharer in what has taken place. "And we bring you the good news also concerning the agreement about our most holy "Pascha, that by your prayers this matter also has been set aright, "so that all the brethren of the East, who previously were not "in agreement with the Romans and with you and with all those who from the beginning "observe the

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τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ χάριτος καὶ τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου βασιλέως "Κωνσταντίνου συναγαγόντος ἡμᾶς ἐκ διαφόρων ἐπαρχιῶν καὶ πόλεων "ἡ μεγάλη καὶ ἁγία σύνοδος ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνεκροτήθη, ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς "ἱερᾶς συνόδου ἀναγκαῖον ἐφάνη καὶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀποσταλῆναι γράμματα, "ἵν' εἰδέναι ἔχοιτε τίνα μὲν ἐκινήθη καὶ ἐξητάσθη, τίνα δὲ ἔδοξε καὶ 39 "ἐκρατύνθη. πρῶτον μὲν ἐξητάσθη τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν Ἀρείου ἐπὶ "τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου βασιλέως ἡμῶν Κωνσταντίνου, καὶ παμψηφὶ "ἔδοξεν ἀναθεματισθῆναι τὴν ἀσεβῆ αὐτοῦ δόξαν καὶ τὰ ῥήματα καὶ "τὰ νοήματα αὐτοῦ τὰ βλάσφημα οἷς ἐχρῆτο βλασφημῶν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ "θεοῦ, λέγων ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων εἶναι καὶ πρὶν γεννηθῆναι μὴ εἶναι καὶ "εἶναί ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν, καὶ αὐτεξουσιότητι κακίας καὶ ἀρετῆς δεκτι "κὸν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ. ταῦτα πάντα ἀνεθεμάτισεν ἡ ἁγία σύνοδος, "οὐδὲ ὅσον ἀκοῦσαι τῆς ἀσεβοῦς δόξης καὶ τῆς ἀπονοίας καὶ τῶν "βλασφήμων ῥημάτων ἀνασχομένη. καὶ τὰ μὲν κατ' ἐκεῖνον οἵου "τέλους τετύχηκεν ἢ ἀκηκόατε ἢ ἀκούσεσθε, ἵνα μὴ δόξωμεν ἐπεμ "βαίνειν ἀνδρὶ δι' οἰκείαν ἁμαρτίαν ἄξια τὰ ἐπίχειρα κομισαμένῳ. "τοσοῦτον δὲ ἴσχυσεν αὐτοῦ ἡ ἀσέβεια ὡς καὶ παραπολαῦσαι Θεωνᾶν "τὸν ἀπὸ Μαρμαρικῆς καὶ Σεκοῦνδον τὸν ἀπὸ Πτολεμαΐδος· τῶν γὰρ "αὐτῶν κἀκεῖνοι τετυχήκασιν. "Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ χάρις τῆς μὲν κακοδοξίας ἐκείνης καὶ "τῆς βλασφημίας καὶ τῶν προσώπων τῶν τολμησάντων διάστασιν "καὶ διαίρεσιν ποιήσασθαι τοῦ εἰρηνευομένου ἄνωθεν λαοῦ ἠλευθέ "ρωσε τὴν Αἴγυπτον, ἐλείπετο δὲ τὰ κατὰ τὴν προπέτειαν Μελιτίου "καὶ τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ χειροτονηθέντων, καὶ περὶ τούτου τὰ δόξαντα "τῇ συνόδῳ ἐμφανίζομεν ὑμῖν, ἀγαπητοὶ ἀδελφοί. ἔδοξε μὲν οὖν 40 "Μελίτιον, φιλανθρωπότερον κινηθείσης τῆς συνόδου (κατὰ γὰρ τὸν "ἀκριβῆ λόγον οὐδεμιᾶς συγγνώμης ἄξιος ἦν), μένειν ἐν τῇ πόλει "ἑαυτοῦ καὶ μηδεμίαν ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν μήτε προχειρίζεσθαι μήτε χειρο "θετεῖν μήτε ἐν χώρᾳ ἢ πόλει τινὶ φαίνεσθαι ταύτης τῆς προθέσεως "ἕνεκεν, ψιλὸν δὲ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς τιμῆς κεκτῆσθαι· τοὺς δὲ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ "κατασταθέντας, μυστικωτέρᾳ χειροτονίᾳ βεβαιωθέντας, κοινωνηθῆναι "ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐφ' ᾧ τε ἔχειν μὲν αὐτοὺς καὶ λειτουργεῖν, δευτέρους δὲ "εἶναι ἐξ ἅπαντος τῶν ἐν ἑκάστῃ παροικίᾳ καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐξεταζομένων "ὑπὸ τὸν τιμιώτατον καὶ συλλειτουργὸν ἡμῶν Ἀλέξανδρον προκεχει "ροτονημένων· ὡς τούτοις μὲν μηδεμίαν ἐξουσίαν εἶναι τοὺς ἀρεσκο "μένους αὐτοῖς προχειρίζεσθαι ἢ ὑποβάλλειν ὄνομα ἢ ὅλως ποιεῖν τι "χωρὶς τῆς γνώμης τοῦ τῆς καθολικῆς καὶ ἀποστολικῆς ἐκκλησίας "ἐπισκόπου τῶν ὑπὸ Ἀλέξανδρον· τοὺς δὲ χάριτι θεοῦ καὶ εὐχαῖς "ὑμετέραις ἐν μηδενὶ σχίσματι εὑρεθέντας, ἀλλ' ἀκηλιδώτους ἐν τῇ "καθολικῇ καὶ ἀποστολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ὄντας, ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν καὶ προ "χειρίζεσθαι καὶ ὄνομα ἐπιλέγεσθαι τῶν ἀξίων τοῦ κλήρου καὶ ὅλως "πάντα ποιεῖν κατὰ νόμον καὶ θεσμὸν τὸν ἐκκλησιαστικόν. εἰ δέ "τινα συμβαίη ἀναπαύσασθαι τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, τηνικαῦτα συνα "ναβαίνειν εἰς τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ τετελευτηκότος τοὺς ἄρτι προσλη "φθέντας, μόνον εἰ ἄξιοι φαίνοιντο καὶ ὁ λαὸς αἱροῖτο, συνεπιψηφί "ζοντος αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐπισφραγίζοντος τοῦ τῆς καθολικῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας 41 "ἐπισκόπου. τοῦτο δὲ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις ἅπασι συνεχωρήθη· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ "Μελιτίου προσώπου οὐκέτι ταῦτα ἔδοξε διὰ τὴν ἀνέκαθεν αὐτοῦ "ἀταξίαν καὶ διὰ τὸ πρόχειρον καὶ προπετὲς τῆς γνώμης, ἵνα μηδεμία "ἐξουσία αὐθεντίας αὐτῷ δοθῇ, ἀνθρώπῳ δυναμένῳ πάλιν τὰς αὐτὰς "ἀταξίας ποιῆσαι. ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ ἐξαίρετα καὶ διαφέροντα Αἰγύπτῳ "καὶ τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ Ἀλεξανδρείας. εἰ δέ τι ἄλλο ἐκανονίσθη "ἢ ἐδογματίσθη, συμπαρόντος τοῦ κυρίου καὶ τιμιωτάτου [καὶ] συλλει "τουργοῦ καὶ ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν Ἀλεξάνδρου, αὐτὸς παρὼν ἀνοίσει, ἅτε "δὴ καὶ κύριος καὶ κοινωνὸς τῶν γεγενημένων τυγχάνων. "Εὐαγγελιζόμεθα δὲ ὑμᾶς καὶ περὶ τῆς συμφωνίας τοῦ ἁγιωτάτου "ἡμῶν Πάσχα, ὅτι ταῖς ὑμετέραις εὐχαῖς κατωρθώθη καὶ τοῦτο τὸ "μέρος ὥστε πάντας τοὺς τῆς Ἑῴας ἀδελφούς, τοὺς τὸ πρότερον μὴ "ποιοῦντας σύμφωνα Ῥωμαίοις καὶ ὑμῖν καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς φυ "λάττουσι τὸ