26. He acted according to the example of the Saints. Character of his accusers.

Being careful to avoid such an offence, and instructed by these examples, I so ordered my conduct; and I do not undervalue the favour and the help which have been shewn me of the Lord, howsoever these in their madness may gnash their teeth115    Sent. Dion. 16. Hist. Ar. §§68. 72. against us. For since the manner of our retreat was such as we have described, I do not think that any blame whatever can attach to it in the minds of those who are possessed of a sound judgment: seeing that according to holy Scripture, this pattern has been left us by the Saints for our instruction. But there is no atrocity, it would seem, which these men neglect to practise, nor will they leave anything undone which may shew their own wickedness and cruelty. And indeed their lives are only in accordance with their spirit and the follies of their doctrines; for there are no sins that one could charge them with, how heinous soever, that they do not commit without shame. Leontius116    Hist. Arian. §28 [but see D.C.B. iii. 688]. for instance being censured for his intimacy with a certain young woman, named Eustolium, and prohibited from living with her, mutilated himself for her sake, in order that he might be able to associate with her freely. He did not however clear himself from suspicion, but rather on this account he was degraded from his rank as Presbyter. [Although the heretic Constantius by violence caused him to be named a Bishop117    [The bracketed passage is omitted by some good witnesses to the text. The respectful tone of the ‘Apology to Const.’ is exchanged for cold reserve in this ‘Apology,’ and for unmeasured invective in Hist. Ar.].] Narcissus118    De Syn. 17, &c., besides being charged with many other transgressions, was degraded three times by different Councils; and now he is among them, most wicked man. And George119    Apol. Ar. 8, note 3., who was a Presbyter, was deposed for his wickedness, and although he had nominated himself a Bishop, he was nevertheless a second time deposed in the great Council of Sardica. And besides all this, his dissolute life was notorious, for he is condemned even by his own friends, as making the end of existence, and its happiness, to consist in the commission of the most disgraceful crimes.

26 Τοῦτο γοῦν εὐλαβούμενος κἀγώ, καὶ ταῦτα μαθὼν οὕτως ἐμαυτὸν ἤγαγον καὶ οὐκ ἀθετῶ τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ γενομένην παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου χάριν καὶ βοήθειαν, κἂν οὗτοι μαινόμενοι τρίζωσι τοὺς ὀδόντας καθ' ἡμῶν. Καὶ γὰρ τοιοῦτος ὁ τρόπος τῆς ἀναχωρήσεως ἡμῶν γέγονε, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι μηδεμίαν αὐτὴν ἔχειν μέμψιν παρ' οἷς ἐστιν ὁ λογισμὸς ὑγιής, ὅπουγε καὶ κατὰ τὴν θείαν γραφὴν οὗτος ἡμῖν παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων εἰς διδασκαλίαν ὁ τύπος παρεδόθη. Ἀλλ' οὗτοι, ὡς ἔοικεν, οὔτε τι τῶν ἀτολμήτων παρορῶσιν, οὔτε παραλιμπάνειν τι βούλονται, ὃ μὴ τὴν πονηρίαν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν ὠμότητα δείκνυσι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ βίος αὐτῶν τοιοῦτός ἐστιν, οἷοί εἰσι καὶ τῷ φρονήματι καὶ ταῖς φλυαρίαις· καὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴποι τις τοιαῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτα κατ' αὐτῶν, οἷα καὶ ὅσα πράττοντες αὐτοὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνονται. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Λεόντιος, διαβαλλόμενος μετὰ γυναικός τινος νεωτέρας λεγομένης Εὐστολίου καὶ κωλυόμενος συνοικεῖν αὐτῇ, δι' αὐτὴν ἑαυτὸν ἀπέκοψεν, ἵν' ἐπ' ἀδείας ἔχῃ διατρίβειν μετ' αὐτῆς. Καὶ τὴν μὲν ὑποψίαν οὐκ ἀπενίψατο, διὰ τοῦτο δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ πρεσβύτερος ὢν καθῃρέθη, εἰ καὶ Κωνστάντιος ὁ αἱρετικὸς ἐβιάσατο λέγεσθαι αὐτὸν ἐπίσκοπον· ὁ δὲ Νάρκισσος ἄλλα τε πολλὰ κακὰ ἔχων καὶ τρίτον ἐν διαφόροις συνόδοις καθῃρέθη· καὶ νῦν αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ πονηρότατος. Ὁ δέ γε Γεώργιος καὶ πρεσβύτερος μὲν ὢν διὰ τὴν κακίαν αὐτοῦ καθῃρέθη, καὶ ὀνομάσας δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἐπίσκοπον οὐδὲν ἧττον πάλιν καθῃρέθη ἐν τῇ κατὰ Σαρδικὴν μεγάλῃ συνόδῳ. Ἔχει δέ τι καὶ πλέον, ὅτι καὶ ζῶν ἀσώτως οὐκ ἔλαθεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ τῶν οἰκείων καταγινώσκεται τὸ τέλος τοῦ ζῆν καὶ τὴν εὐθυμίαν ἐν τοῖς αἰσχίστοις μετρῶν.