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error. And concerning the origin of all things, they agree with us. For they say there is one unbegotten, and they call him the Creator of all things. But they do not say there is one Christ, but one above, and one below; and that this one had long ago dwelt in many, but later had come down; and he says that Jesus is sometimes from God, sometimes he calls him spirit, and sometimes that he had a virgin for a mother. But in other writings, not even this. And he says that this one is again transmigrated, and goes into other bodies, and at each time is shown differently. And these too have used incantations and invocations of demons, and baptisms upon the confession of the elements. They embraced the error of astrology, and magic, and mathematics, and they called themselves Prognosticators. And they completely denied the Apostle; and they composed a certain book, which they said had fallen from the heavens. He who has heard this receives a remission of sins beyond that which Christ granted. Against this heresy Origen truly wrote. And Alcibiades, originating from Apamea in Syria, organized it. VIII. —Concerning Paul of Samosata. Paul of Samosata was bishop of the Antiochenes. Zenobia being toparch at that time; (for the Persians, having conquered the Romans, had handed over to her the rule of Syria and Phoenicia), he strayed into the heresy of Artemon, thinking thereby to gratify her, since she held Jewish opinions. Learning this, those who guided the Churches did not consider it safe to overlook so great a disease hastening to spread, and having as an accomplice the prominence of the greatest city. And Dionysius, the bishop of the Alexandrians, a man renowned in teaching, put off the journey, on account of the weakness of old age; but through letters he advised him on what was fitting, and spurred on the assembled bishops to zeal on behalf of piety. And of those who had assembled, the chief were Gregory the Great, the much talked of, who performed the miracles sung of by all through the indwelling grace of the Spirit, and Athenodorus his brother, and Firmilianus the bishop of the Caesareans of Cappadocia, a famous 83.396 man, possessing both kinds of knowledge, both the secular and the divine; and in addition to these, Helenus who governed the metropolis of the Cilicians. These were the leaders of the many who had assembled. And first, by proposals and counsels they tried to change Paul from his evil opinion. But since he openly denied that he had held any such opinion, but said he followed the apostolic doctrines, having hymned the Master for the agreement, they returned to their own flocks. But after some time had passed, again the rumor running everywhere informed everyone of Paul's deviation. But not even so did the all-praised men proceed readily to the man's excision; but first they tried to heal the disease by letters; but when they saw the affliction was hard to cure, they again eagerly went to Antioch, and again they applied gentle remedies, both advising, and exhorting, and reminding him of the agreements which had been made. Then, seeing him denying, but the accusers insisting and promising to refute him, they came together to the synod. And when a certain Malchion, who had formerly been a sophist, but was later honored with the ordination of presbyter, held a discussion with Paul, he was caught saying that Christ was a man, who had been deemed worthy of divine grace in an exceptional way. Then, therefore, they justly separated him from the sacred rolls,

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πλάνην. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τὴν τῶν ὅλων ἀρχὴν συμφωνοῦσιν ἡμῖν. Ἕνα γὰρ ἀγέννητον λέ γουσι, καὶ τοῦτον τῶν ἁπάντων καλοῦσι ∆ημιουργόν. Χριστὸν δὲ οὐχ ἕνα λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἄνω, τὸν δὲ κάτω· καὶ τοῦτον πάλαι πολλοῖς ἐνῳκηκέναι, ὕστε ρον δὲ κατεληλυθέναι· τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν ποτὲ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἶναί φησι, ποτὲ δὲ πνεῦμα καλεῖ, ποτὲ δὲ παρθένον ἐσχηκέναι μητέρα. Ἐν ἄλλοις δὲ συγγράμ μασιν οὐδὲ τοῦτο. Καὶ τοῦτον δὲ πάλιν μετενσωμα τοῦσθαι, καὶ εἰς ἄλλα ἰέναι σώματα λέγει, καὶ καθ' ἕκαστον καιρὸν διαφόρως δείκνυσθαι. Ἐπῳδαῖς δὲ καὶ δαιμόνων ἐπικλήσεσι καὶ οὗτοι κέχρηνται, καὶ βαπτίσμασιν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν στοιχείων ὁμολογίᾳ. Ἀστρο λογίαν δὲ, καὶ μαγικὴν, καὶ μαθηματικὴν ἠσπά ζοντο πλάνην, καὶ Προγνωστικοὺς ἑαυτοὺς προσηγό ρευον. Τὸν δὲ Ἀπόστολον παντελῶς ἠρνήθησαν· καὶ βίβλον δέ τινα συντεθείκασιν, ἣν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἔφασαν πεπτωκέναι. Ταύτης τὸν ἀκηκοότα ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν λαμβάνειν παρ' ἣν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐδωρήσατο. Κατὰ ταύτης τῆς αἱρέσεως Ὠριγένης συνέγραψεν ἀληθῶς. Συνεκρότησε δὲ αὐτὴν Ἀλκιβιάδης, ἐξ Ἀπαμείας τῆς Συρίας ὁρμώμενος. Ηʹ. -Περὶ Παύλου τοῦ Σαμοσατέως. Παῦλος δὲ ὁ Σαμοσατεὺς, τῆς μὲν Ἀντιοχέων ἐπίσκοπος ἦν. Ζηνοβίας δὲ κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν τοπαρχούσης· (Πέρσαι γὰρ Ῥωμαίους νενικηκότες ταύτῃ παρέδοσαν τὴν τῆς Συρίας καὶ Φοινίκης ἡγεμονίαν), εἰς τὴν Ἀρτέμωνος ἐξώκειλεν αἵρε σιν, ταύτῃ νομίζων θεραπεύειν ἐκείνην τὰ Ἰουδαίων φρονοῦσαν. Τοῦτο μαθόντες οἱ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἰθύ νοντες, οὐχ ὑπέλαβον ἀκίνδυνον παριδεῖν τοσαύτην νόσον ἕρπειν ἐπειγομένην, καὶ συνεργὸν ἔχουσαν τὴν τῆς μεγίστης πόλεως περιφάνειαν. Καὶ ∆ιονύσιος μὲν ὁ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων ἐπίσκοπος, ἀνὴρ ἐπίσημος ἐν διδασκαλίᾳ γενόμενος, ἀνεβάλετο μὲν τὴν ἐκδη μίαν, διὰ τὴν τοῦ γήρως ἀσθένειαν· διὰ δὲ γραμ μάτων ἐκείνῳ παρῄνεσε τὰ προσήκοντα, καὶ τοὺς συνεληλυθότας ἐπισκόπους εἰς τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσε βείας παρέθηξε ζῆλον. Τῶν δὲ συνεληλυθότων ἐπρώ τευον Γρηγόριός τε ὁ μέγας, ὁ περιθρύλλητος, ὁ τὰς παρὰ πάντων ᾀδομένας θαυματουργίας ἐπιτελέσας διὰ τῆς ἐνοικούσης τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος, καὶ Ἀθη νόδωρος ὁ ἐκείνου γε ἀδελφὸς, καὶ Φιρμιλιανὸς ὁ Καισαρέων τῆς Καππαδοκίας ἐπίσκοπος, περιφα 83.396 νὴς ἀνὴρ, καὶ γνῶσιν ἑκατέραν ἔχων, καὶ τὴν θύρα θεν, καὶ τὴν θείαν· καὶ πρὸς τούτοις Ἕλενος ὁ τὴν Κιλίκων ἰθύνων μητρόπολιν. Οὗτοι πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν συνεληλυθότων ἡγοῦντο. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν εἰσ ηγήσεσι καὶ συμβουλαῖς ἐπειράθησαν τῆς κακοδοξίας μεταθεῖναι τὸν Παῦλον. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠρνήθη προ φανῶς ἐκεῖνος μηδὲν τοιοῦτο πεφρονηκέναι, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς ἔφησεν ἀκολουθεῖν δόγμασιν, ὑμνή σαντες ἐπὶ τῇ συμφωνίᾳ τὸν ∆εσπότην, τὰ σφέτερα κατέλαβον ποίμνια. Χρόνου δὲ διελθόντος, αὖθις ἡ φήμη πανταχόσε διατρέχουσα, ἐμήνυεν ἅπα σι τοῦ Παύλου τὴν ἐκτροπήν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως οἱ πανεύφημοι ἄνδρες προχείρως εἰς τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐχώρησαν ἐκτομήν· ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν ἐπειράθησαν ἰατρεῦσαι γράμμασι τὴν νόσον· ἐπειδὴ δὲ δυσίατον εἶδον τὸ πάθος, πάλιν τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν προθύμως κατέλαβον, καὶ πάλιν ἤπια προσήνεγκαν φάρμακα, καὶ παραινοῦντες, καὶ παρακαλοῦντες, καὶ τῶν γε γενημένων ἀναμιμνήσκοντες συνθηκῶν. Εἶτα ὁρῶν τες τὸν μὲν ἐξαρνούμενον, τοὺς δὲ κατηγόρους ἐν ισταμένους, καὶ διελέγχειν ὑπισχνουμένους, συνῆλ θον εἰς τὸ συνέδριον. Μαλαχίωνος δέ τινος πρό τερον μὲν σοφιστεύσαντος, ὕστερον δὲ τῇ τοῦ πρε σβυτέρου τιμηθέντος χειροτονίᾳ, τὴν πρὸς τὸν Παῦλον ποιησαμένου διάλεξιν, ἐφωράθη τὸν Χριστὸν ἄν θρωπον λέγων, θείας χάριτος διαφερόντως ἠξιωμέ νον. Τότε τοίνυν αὐτὸν ἐνδίκως τῶν ἱερῶν καταλό γων ἐχώρισαν,