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

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 saints, exiling the bishops, 74.4 even if for a little while he has this authority for his own destruction. For this man has overcome those before him in wickedness, having devised a new manner of persecution. And having deposed three emperors, Vetranio and Magnentius and Gallus, he immediately became the head of impiety. 74.5 And like a giant against the most high, he dared to be lifted up in his arrogance. This man has intended to alter the law, annulling the ordinance of the Lord through the apostles, and changing the customs of the church and himself devising a new manner of appointments. For from other places and more than fifty stages away, he sends bishops with soldiers to peoples who do not want them, and instead of acquaintance with the peoples, they bring threats and letters to the judges. Thus he sent Gregory from Cappadocia to Alexandria, and to Sirmium from Cyzicus he summoned 75.1 Germinius, and from Laodicea he sent Cecropius to Nicomedia. And a certain Auxentius, a busybody rather than a Christian, from Cappadocia to Milan he summoned, so that, since he had exiled the bishop there, Dionysius, a pious man, on account of his reverence toward Christ, he might order this man to be there, a man who did not yet know the Roman tongue, but only how to be impious. And now again a certain George, a Cappadocian man, who had become a receiver of treasury funds in Constantinople and had embezzled everything and fled for this very reason, he commanded to enter Alexandria 75.2 with a military display and the authority of a general. Then, having found a certain Epictetus, a neophyte and an impudent young man, he loved him, seeing him ready for wickedness, and through him he henceforth plots against whatever bishops he wishes; for that man is ready to do all that the emperor wishes. Using him, at any rate, as a minister, he has done in Rome also 75.3 a strange thing and truly a likeness of the Antichrist’s malevolence. For having prepared the palace instead of the church, and instead of the people he made three of his own eunuchs be present, he then forced three malevolent spies (for one would not call them bishops) to appoint a certain Felix, worthy of themselves, as a supposed bishop in the palace. For all the people, knowing the lawlessness of the heretics, neither allowed them to enter the churches, but withdrew far from them. 76.1 What then has this man left of the Antichrist? or what more could that one do than this man when he comes? or how, when he comes, will he not find the way for deceit made easy and prepared for him by this man? For again, instead of the churches, to the palaces before 76.2 himself he summons the trials. And of these he himself is the leader; but the amazing thing is that, even if he sees the accusers are at a loss, he himself takes up the accusation, 76.3 so that it might no longer be possible for those who are wronged to defend themselves on account of the violence from him. And this he has done in the matters concerning Athanasius. For seeing the boldness of Paulinus and Lucifer and Eusebius and Dionysius, the bishops, and how from the repentance of Ursacius and Valens they were refuting those who spoke against the bishop and were advising that the company of Valens, having repented, should no longer be believed in what they now say, he immediately stood up and said: “I am now the accuser of Athanasius; on my account, believe what 76.4 these men may say.” Then when they said: “How can you be an accuser when the accused is not present? For if you are the accuser, yet he, not being present, cannot be judged. For the trial is not a Roman one, that you should be believed as an emperor, but the judgment is concerning a bishop. And the trial must be equal for the accuser and for the one being judged. And how do you accuse? For you could not have been with him who is far from you

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ἐστιν, οἷος ἂν ἐκεῖνος γένοιτο. λαλεῖ γὰρ λόγους πρὸς τὸν ὕψιστον προιστά μενος τῆς ἀσεβοῦς αἱρέσεως καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους ποιεῖ πόλεμον ἐξορίζων τοὺς ἐπισκόπους, 74.4 εἰ καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐπὶ τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀπωλείᾳ ταύτην τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἔχει. καὶ γὰρ οὗτος τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ νενίκηκεν ἐν κακίᾳ καινὸν ἐπινοήσας τρόπον τοῦ διωγμοῦ. καὶ τρεῖς βασιλεῖς Βρετανίωνα καὶ Μαγνέντιον καὶ Γάλλον καθελὼν εὐθὺς προέστη τῆς ἀσεβείας. 74.5 καὶ ὡς γίγας πρὸς τὸν ὕψιστον ἐτόλμησεν ἐπαρθῆναι τῇ ἀλαζονείᾳ. οὗτος ὑπενόησεν ἀλλοιῶσαι νόμον παραλύων τὴν μὲν τοῦ κυρίου διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων διάταξιν, τὰ δὲ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀλλάττων ἔθη καὶ καινὸν αὐτὸς ἐπινοῶν τρόπον τῶν καταστάσεων. ἐξ ἄλλων γὰρ τόπων καὶ πρὸ πεντήκοντα μονῶν μετὰ στρατιωτῶν ἐπισκόπους ἀπο στέλλει πρὸς τοὺς μὴ θέλοντας λαούς, καὶ ἀντὶ γνώσεως τῆς πρὸς τοὺς λαοὺς ἐκεῖνοι φέρουσι τὰς ἀπειλὰς καὶ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς δικαστὰς γράμματα. οὕτω Γρηγόριον ἀπὸ Καπ παδοκίας ἔπεμψεν εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν, καὶ εἰς μὲν τὸ Σίρμιον ἀπὸ Κυζίκου μετεπέμψατο 75.1 Γερμίνιον, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς Λαοδικείας Κεκρόπιον εἰς τὴν Νικομήδειαν ἀπέστειλεν. καὶ Αὐξέντιον μέν τινα φιλοπράγμονα μᾶλλον ἢ Χριστιανὸν ἀπὸ Καππαδοκίας εἰς Μεδιό λανον μετεστείλατο, ἵν', ἐπειδὴ τὸν ἐπίσκοπον τὸν ἐκεῖ ∆ιονύσιον, ἄνθρωπον εὐλαβῆ, διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν εὐσέβειαν ἐξώρισε, τοῦτον ἐκεῖ κελεύσῃ εἶναι, ἄνθρωπον μήπω μηδὲ τὴν Ῥωμαικὴν εἰδότα γλῶτταν ἢ μόνον ἀσεβεῖν. νῦν δὲ πάλιν Γεώργιόν τινα Καππα δόκην ἄνθρωπον, ὑποδέκτην ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ταμιακῶν γενόμενον καὶ σφετερι σάμενον πάντα καὶ δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο φυγόντα, προσέταξεν εἰς Ἀλεξάνδρειαν εἰσελθεῖν 75.2 μετὰ στρατιωτικῆς φαντασίας καὶ τῆς τοῦ στρατηλάτου ἐξουσίας. εἶτα εὑρὼν Ἐπί κτητόν τινα νεόφυτον καὶ νεώτερον θρασὺν ἠγάπησεν ὁρῶν αὐτὸν ἕτοιμον εἰς κακίαν καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ οἷς ἐθέλει λοιπὸν ἐπισκόποις ἐπιβουλεύει· ἕτοιμος γὰρ ἐκεῖνός ἐστι πάντα ποιεῖν ἃ βούλεται βασιλεύς. τούτῳ γοῦν ὑπηρέτῃ χρώμενος καὶ ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ πεποίηκε 75.3 παράδοξον καὶ ἀληθῶς ὁμοίωμα τῆς ἀντιχρίστου κακονοίας. ἀντὶ γὰρ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τὸ παλάτιον παρασκευάσας καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν λαῶν τρεῖς που θλαδίας ἑαυτοῦ πεποίηκε παρεῖ ναι, καὶ λοιπὸν ἠνάγκασε τρεῖς κακοήθεις κατασκόπους (οὐ γὰρ ἄν τις ἐπισκόπους εἴποι) καταστῆσαι δῆθεν ἐπίσκοπον ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ Φήλικά τινα ἄξιον ἑαυτῶν. οἱ γὰρ λαοὶ πάντες εἰδότες τὴν παρανομίαν τῶν αἱρετικῶν οὔτε συνεχώρησαν αὐτοῖς εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας εἰσελθεῖν, ἀλλὰ μακρὰν ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀνεχώρησαν. 76.1 Τί οὖν οὗτος τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου παραλέλοιπεν; ἢ τί πλέον ἐκεῖνος ἐλθὼν τούτου ποιήσειεν; ἢ πῶς ἐκεῖνος ἐλθὼν οὐχ εὑρήσει πρὸς ἀπάτην εὔκολον προετοιμασθεῖσαν αὐτῷ παρὰ τούτου τὴν ὁδόν; καὶ γὰρ πάλιν ἀντὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν εἰς τὰ παλάτια πρὸς 76.2 ἑαυτὸν τὰς κρίσεις προκαλεῖται. καὶ τούτων μὲν αὐτὸς ἐξάρχει· τὸ δὲ θαυμαστόν, ὅτι, κἂν θεωρήσῃ τοὺς κατηγόρους ἀποροῦντας, αὐτὸς ἀναδέχεται τὴν κατηγορίαν, 76.3 ἵνα μηδὲ ἀπολογεῖσθαι λοιπὸν ἐξῇ τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις διὰ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ βίαν. καὶ τοῦτο πεποίηκεν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Ἀθανασίου. τὴν γὰρ Παυλίνου καὶ Λουκιφέρου καὶ Εὐσεβίου καὶ ∆ιονυσίου τῶν ἐπισκόπων παρρησίαν βλέπων, καὶ ὡς ἐκ τῆς μετανοίας Οὐρσακίου καὶ Οὐάλεντος διήλεγχον τοὺς κατὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου λέγοντας καὶ συνεβούλευον μηκέτι χρῆναι πιστεύεσθαι τοὺς περὶ Οὐάλεντα μεταγνόντας ἐφ' οἷς λέγουσι νῦν, εὐθὺς ἀναστὰς εἶπεν· «ἐγὼ κατήγορός εἰμι νῦν Ἀθανασίου, δι' ἐμὲ πιστεύσατε οἷς ἐὰν 76.4 λέγωσιν οὗτοι». εἶτα ἐκείνων λεγόντων· «πῶς δύνασαι κατήγορος εἶναι μὴ παρόντος τοῦ κατηγορουμένου; εἰ γὰρ σὺ κατήγορος εἶ, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὴ παρὼν οὐ δύναται κρί νεσθαι. οὐ γὰρ Ῥωμαική ἐστιν ἡ κρίσις, ἵν' ὡς βασιλεὺς πιστευθῇς, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἐπισκόπου ἐστὶ τὸ κρίμα. καὶ δεῖ τὴν κρίσιν ἴσην εἶναι τῷ κατηγοροῦντι καὶ τῷ κρινομένῳ. πῶς δὲ καὶ κατηγορεῖς; συνεῖναι γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνασο τῷ μακράν σου

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