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taking thought. "And something wonderful and extraordinary happened. For when the party of Eusebius "threatened, the bishop prayed, but Arius was confident "in Eusebius’ party; and talking much nonsense he went into a latrine, as "if for a need of the belly, and suddenly, according to what is written, "" falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst ", and falling, he immediately expired, "and was deprived of both communion and life. 58 "Such, then, was the end of Arius. And the party of "Eusebius, being greatly ashamed, buried their like-minded fellow; but the "blessed Alexander, while the church rejoiced, completed the service in piety and orthodoxy, praying with all the brethren "and greatly glorifying God, not as exulting in the death, far "be it from that; for it is "appointed unto men once to "die ", but because this was shown to be beyond human judgments. For the Lord "Himself, judging between the threats of Eusebius' party and the prayer "of Alexander, condemned the Arian heresy, showing it to be unworthy "of ecclesiastical communion and making it clear to all that, even if "it has the testimony and "protection of the emperor and all men, yet it was condemned by the truth itself." Having reaped such sheaves from his evil seeds, and having seen the vestibules of the punishments to come, Arius through his punishment accused his own impiety. But I will turn to the narrative of the emperor’s piety. For he sent letters to all the peoples under the rule of the Romans, exhorting them to be delivered from their former deceit, urging them to learn the teaching of our Savior and guiding all to this truth. And he stirred up the bishops in each city to the building of the churches, not only urging them to this by letters, but also generously giving money and supplying the expenses for the building. The letters written also make this clear, being of the following manner: 59 "Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to Eusebius. "Up to the present time, while an unholy will and tyranny "were persecuting the servants of God the Savior, I have believed and "accurately persuaded myself that the works of all the churches have either fallen into ruin through "neglect or, through fear of the impending injustice, have become less than "their dignity, most beloved brother. But now that liberty has been "restored and that dragon has been driven from the administration of public "affairs by the providence of the most great God and by our service, "I think that the divine power has become manifest to all, and that those who "have fallen into either fear or unbelief or some sins, having come to know "Him who truly is, will come to the true and right ordering of life. "Therefore, as many churches as you yourself preside over, or others "presiding in their place, whether bishops, presbyters, or deacons, "whom you know, remind them to be zealous about the works of the churches, "either to re "pair those that exist, or to enlarge them, or where need may require "to build new ones. And you yourself and through you the rest shall ask for the necess "ary supplies from the governors and the provincial administration. For "they have been instructed to assist with all zeal in the things said by your "Holiness. May God preserve you, beloved brother." These things, then, concerning the building of churches he sent to the bishops in each province. And what things he wrote to Eusebius of Palestine concerning the preparation of the sacred books is easy to learn from the letters themselves. 60 "Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to Eusebius. "In the city that bears our name, by the cooperating "providence of God the Savior, a very great multitude of people has dedicated itself to the most holy "church, so that as all things there have received great "increase, it seems exceedingly fitting that more churches should also be "built in it. Therefore, receive most eagerly what has been decided by "our purpose. For it seemed fitting to make this known to your "Prudence, that you should order fifty copies on prepared parchments, "both easy to read and convenient for use, to be written by

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φροντίζων. "καὶ γέγονέ τι θαυμαστὸν καὶ παράδοξον. τῶν γὰρ περὶ Εὐσέβιον "ἀπειλησάντων, ὁ μὲν ἐπίσκοπος προσηύξατο, ὁ δὲ Ἄρειος ἐθάρρει "τοῖς περὶ Εὐσέβιον· πολλά τε φλυαρῶν εἰσῆλθεν εἰς καθέδρας, ὡς "διὰ χρείαν τῆς γαστρός, καὶ ἐξαίφνης, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, "" πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησε μέσος ", καὶ πεσὼν εὐθὺς ἀπέψυξεν "ἀμφοτέρων τε τῆς κοινωνίας καὶ τοῦ ζῆν ἀπεστερήθη. 58 "Τὸ μὲν οὖν τέλος τοῦ Ἀρείου τοιοῦτον γέγονε. καὶ οἱ περὶ "Εὐσέβιον μεγάλως αἰσχυνθέντες ἔθαψαν τὸν ὁμόφρονα ἑαυτῶν· ὁ δὲ "μακαρίτης Ἀλέξανδρος χαιρούσης τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὴν σύναξιν ἐπετέ "λεσεν ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ ὀρθοδοξίᾳ, σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς εὐχόμενος "καὶ δοξάζων μεγάλως τὸν θεόν, οὐχ ὡς ἐπιχαίρων τῷ θανάτῳ, μὴ "γένοιτο· πᾶσι γὰρ " ἀπόκειται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἅπαξ ἀποθα "νεῖν ", ἀλλ' ὅτι τοῦτο ὑπὲρ τὰς ἀνθρώπων κρίσεις ἐδείχθη. αὐτὸς "γὰρ ὁ κύριος, δικάσας ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς τῶν περὶ Εὐσέβιον καὶ τῇ εὐχῇ "Ἀλεξάνδρου, κατέκρινε τὴν Ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν, δείξας αὐτὴν ἀναξίαν "οὖσαν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς κοινωνίας καὶ πᾶσι φανερώσας ὅτι, κἂν "παρὰ βασιλέως καὶ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἔχῃ τὴν μαρτυρίαν καὶ τὴν "προστασίαν, ἀλλὰ παρ' αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας κατεκρίθη." Τοιαῦτα τῶν πονηρῶν σπερμάτων ὁ Ἄρειος δρεψάμενος δράγ ματα καὶ τῶν ἐσομένων κολαστηρίων ἰδὼν τὰ προαύλια, τῆς οἰκείας ἀσεβείας διὰ τῆς τιμωρίας κατηγόρει. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς βασιλικῆς εὐσεβείας διήγησιν τρέψομαι. πᾶσι γὰρ τοῖς ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαίων τελοῦσιν ἡγεμονίαν ἐπέστειλε δή μοις, τῆς μὲν προτέρας αὐτοὺς ἐξαπάτης ἀπαλλαγῆναι παρεγγυῶν, τὴν δὲ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μεταμαθεῖν διδασκαλίαν προτρέπων καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτην ἅπαντας τὴν ἀλήθειαν ξεναγῶν. τοὺς δέ γε κατὰ πόλιν ἐπισκόπους ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν οἰκοδομίας διήγειρεν, οὐ γράμμασι μόνοις ἐπὶ τοῦτο προτρέπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ χρήματα φιλοτίμως δωρού μενος καὶ τὰ τῆς οἰκοδομίας δαπανήματα χορηγῶν. δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὰ γραφέντα, τοῦτον ἔχοντα τὸν τρόπον· 59 "Νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς Εὐσεβίῳ. "Ἕως τοῦ παρόντος χρόνου τῆς ἀνοσίου βουλήσεως καὶ τυραννί "δος τοὺς ὑπηρέτας τοῦ σωτῆρος θεοῦ διωκούσης, πεπίστευκα καὶ "ἀκριβῶς ἐμαυτὸν πέπεικα πασῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τὰ ἔργα ἢ ὑπὸ "ἀμελείας διεφθάρθαι ἢ φόβῳ τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἀδικίας ἐλάττονα τῆς "ἀξίας γεγενῆσθαι, ἀδελφὲ προσφιλέστατε. νυνὶ δὲ τῆς ἐλευθερίας "ἀποδοθείσης καὶ τοῦ δράκοντος ἐκείνου ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν κοινῶν διοι "κήσεως θεοῦ τοῦ μεγίστου προνοίᾳ ἡμετέρᾳ δὲ ὑπηρεσίᾳ διωχθέντος, "ἡγοῦμαι καὶ πᾶσι φανερὰν γεγενῆσθαι τὴν θείαν δύναμιν, καὶ τοὺς "ἢ φόβῳ ἢ ἀπιστίᾳ ἢ ἁμαρτήμασί τισι περιπεσόντας ἐπιγνόντας τε "τὸν ὄντως ὄντα ἥξειν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ καὶ ὀρθὴν τοῦ βίου κατά "στασιν. ὅσων τοίνυν ἢ αὐτὸς προΐστασαι ἐκκλησιῶν ἢ ἄλλους τοὺς "κατὰ τόπον προϊσταμένους ἐπισκόπους πρεσβυτέρους τε ἢ διακόνους "οἶσθα, ὑπόμνησον σπουδάζειν περὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, ἢ ἐπαν "ορθοῦσθαι τὰ ὄντα ἢ εἰς μείζονα αὔξειν ἢ ἔνθα ἂν ἡ χρεία ἀπαιτῇ "καινὰ ποιεῖν. αἰτήσεις δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ διὰ σοῦ οἱ λοιποὶ τὰ ἀναγ "καῖα παρά τε τῶν ἡγεμονευόντων καὶ τῆς ἐπαρχικῆς τάξεως. τού "τοις γὰρ ἐπεστάλη πάσῃ σπουδῇ ἐξυπηρετήσασθαι τοῖς ὑπὸ τῆς σῆς "ὁσιότητος λεγομένοις. ὁ θεὸς διαφυλάξει σε, ἀδελφὲ ἀγαπητέ." Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν οἰκοδομίας πρὸς τοὺς καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπαρχίαν ἐπισκόπους ἐπέστειλεν. ὁποῖα δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς τῶν ἱερῶν βιβλίων κατασκευῆς πρὸς Εὐσέβιον ἔγραψε τὸν Πα λαιστῖνον ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν γραμμάτων καταμαθεῖν εὐπετές. 60 "Νικητὴς Κωνσταντῖνος Μέγιστος Σεβαστὸς Εὐσεβίῳ. "Κατὰ τὴν ἐπώνυμον ἡμῖν πόλιν, τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος θεοῦ συν "αιρομένης προνοίας, μέγιστον πλῆθος ἀνθρώπων τῇ ἁγιωτάτῃ ἐκ "κλησίᾳ ἀνατέθεικεν ἑαυτό, ὡς πάντων ἐκεῖσε πολλὴν λαβόντων "αὔξησιν σφόδρα ἄξιον καταφαίνεσθαι καὶ ἐκκλησίας ἐν αὐτῇ κατα "σκευασθῆναι πλείους. τοιγάρτοι δέδεξο προθυμότατα τὸ δόξαν τῇ "ἡμετέρᾳ προαιρέσει. πρέπον γὰρ κατεφάνη δηλῶσαι τοῦτο τῇ σῇ "συνέσει, ὅπως ἂν πεντήκοντα σωμάτια ἐν διφθέραις ἐγκατασκεύοις "εὐανάγνωστά τε καὶ πρὸς τὴν χρῆσιν εὐπαρακόμιστα ὑπὸ