35

believing it to exist, I tried to seek it both by the inclination of my soul and the activity of my eyes. Therefore, at the same time as the great victory and the true triumph over the enemies, I chose to investigate this first, which I indeed considered to be first and most precious of all things to me. But, O most beautiful and divine providence, what a deadly wound has touched my hearing, or rather my very heart, indicating that the dissension arising among you is far more grievous than what was left there, so that the matters among you already require more healing, from those by whom I had hoped healing 2.68.2 would exist for others. Indeed, as I considered the beginning and the subject of these things, the pretext was found to be exceedingly trivial and in no way worthy of so great a dispute. Therefore, being compelled by the necessity of this letter, and writing to your like-minded sagacity, and having called upon divine providence as a helper in the matter, I fittingly present myself in the midst of your dispute with one another 2.68.3 as a kind of arbiter of peace. For if, with the help of the Almighty, even if there were some greater cause for discord, I could without difficulty, by entrusting my argument to the pious judgments of my hearers, have changed each thing for the better, how will this matter—there being a small and very trivial cause, which stands in the way of the whole—not promise me an easier and much readier correction of the matter? 2.69.1 I learn, then, that from that source the origin of the present question has arisen. For when you, O Alexander, asked of the presbyters what each of them thought concerning a certain passage of those written in the law, or rather, concerning a part of some vain question, you, O Arius, rashly raised an objection to that which it was fitting either not to have considered at all in the first place, or having considered it, to have committed it to silence; from which, dissension having been stirred up among you, the synod was denied, and the most holy people, being split into two parties, was separated from the harmony of the common body. 2.69.2 Therefore, let each of you, granting pardon on equal terms, accept what your fellow servant rightly advises you. And what is this? It was not fitting from the beginning either to ask concerning such things, or, being asked, to answer. For such questions, as many as no necessity of any law prescribes, but the idle talk of useless leisure proposes, even if it should be for the sake of some intellectual exercise, we nevertheless ought to confine within the mind and not rashly bring forth into public assemblies, nor thoughtlessly entrust to the ears of the 2.69.3 people. For how capable is each person of either accurately comprehending the substance of matters so great and exceedingly difficult, or of interpreting it worthily? And even if someone were thought to do this easily, what portion of the people, pray, will he persuade? Or who, in the subtleties of such questions, could stand firm without the danger of slipping? Therefore, in such matters one must refrain from much talking, lest somehow, either because we are unable to explain what has been proposed due to the weakness of our nature, or because the hearers are not capable of arriving at a precise comprehension of what has been said due to their slower understanding, from either of these the people might fall into the necessity of either blasphemy or schism. 2.70.1 Therefore, let both the unguarded question and the inconsiderate answer grant equal pardon to each other on both sides. For neither has the pretext of your contention been kindled over the chief of the commandments in the law, nor has any new heresy been introduced among you concerning the worship of God, but you have one and the same mind, so that you are able to come together for the token of communion. For while you contend with one another over small and very insignificant matters, it is believed to be neither fitting 2.71.2 nor at all lawful for so great a people of God, whom it is proper to be guided by your minds, to be in discord. And that I may remind your understanding with a small example, you know, of course, that the philosophers themselves, while they all agree on one doctrine, often when they disagree on some part of their propositions, even if by the

35

ὑπάρξειν πιστεύων, ὁμοῦ καὶ ψυχῆς νεύματι καὶ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐνεργείᾳ ζητεῖν ἐπειρώμην. ἅμα γοῦν τῇ μεγάλῃ νίκῃ καὶ τῇ κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἀληθεῖ θριαμβείᾳ τοῦτο πρῶτον εἱλόμην ἐρευνᾶν, ὃ δὴ πρῶτόν μοι καὶ τιμιώτατον ἁπάντων ὑπάρχειν ἡγούμην. Ἀλλ', ὦ καλλίστη καὶ θεία πρόνοια, οἷόν μου τῆς ἀκοῆς μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῆς τραῦμα καίριον ἥψατο, πολλῷ χαλεπωτέραν τῶν ἐκεῖ καταλειφθέντων τὴν ἐν ὑμῖν γιγνομένην διχοστασίαν σημαῖνον, ὡς πλείονος ἤδη τὰ καθ' ὑμᾶς μέρη θεραπείας δεῖσθαι, παρ' ὧν τοῖς ἄλλοις τὴν 2.68.2 ἴασιν ὑπάρξειν ἤλπισα. διαλογιζομένῳ δή μοι τὴν ἀρχὴν καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν τούτων ἄγαν εὐτελὴς καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἀξία τῆς τοσαύτης φιλονεικίας ἡ πρόφασις ἐφωράθη. διόπερ ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ταύτης ἀνάγκην ἐπειχθείς, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ὁμόψυχον ὑμῶν ἀγχίνοιαν γράφων, τήν τε θείαν πρόνοιαν καλέσας ἀρωγὸν τῷ πράγματι, μέσον τῆς πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὑμῶν 2.68.3 ἀμφισβητήσεως οἷον εἰρήνης πρύτανιν ἐμαυτὸν εἰκότως προσάγω. ὅπερ γὰρ δὴ συναιρομένου τοῦ κρείττονος, εἰ καὶ μείζων ἦν τις ἀφορμὴ διχονοίας, οὐ χαλεπῶς ἂν ἠδυνήθην, ὁσίαις τῶν ἀκουόντων γνώμαις ἐγχειρίζων τὸν λόγον, εἰς τὸ χρησιμώτερον ἕκαστον μεταστῆσαι, τοῦτο, μικρᾶς καὶ λίαν εὐτελοῦς ἀφορμῆς ὑπαρχούσης, ἣ πρὸς τὸ ὅλον ἐμποδὼν ἵσταται, πῶς οὐκ εὐχερεστέραν καὶ πολλῷ ῥᾳδιωτέραν μοι τοῦ πράγματος τὴν ἐπανόρθωσιν μνηστεύσει; 2.69.1 Μανθάνω τοίνυν ἐκεῖθεν ὑπῆρχθαι τοῦ παρόντος ζητήματος τὴν καταβολήν. ὅτε γὰρ σύ, ὦ Ἀλέξανδρε, παρὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἐζήτεις, τί δήποτε αὐτῶν ἕκαστος ὑπέρ τινος τόπου τῶν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ γεγραμμένων, μᾶλλον δ' ὑπὲρ ματαίου τινὸς ζητήσεως μέρους ᾐσθάνετο, σύ τε, ὦ Ἄρειε, τοῦθ', ὅπερ ἢ μηδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνθυμηθῆναι ἢ ἐνθυμηθέντα σιωπῇ παραδοῦναι προσῆκον ἦν, ἀπροόπτως ἀντέθηκας, ὅθεν τῆς ἐν ὑμῖν διχονοίας ἐγερθείσης ἡ μὲν σύνοδος ἠρνήθη, ὁ δὲ ἁγιώτατος λαὸς εἰς ἀμφοτέρους σχισθεὶς ἐκ τῆς τοῦ κοινοῦ σώματος ἁρμονίας ἐχωρίσθη. 2.69.2 οὐκοῦν ἑκάτερος ὑμῶν, ἐξ ἴσου τὴν συγγνώμην παρασχών, ὅπερ ἂν ὑμῖν ὁ συνθεράπων ὑμῶν δικαίως παραινῇ δεξάσθω. τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; οὔτε ἐρωτᾶν ὑπὲρ τῶν τοιούτων ἐξ ἀρχῆς προσῆκον ἦν, οὔτε ἐρωτώμενον ἀποκρίνασθαι. τὰς γὰρ τοιαύτας ζητήσεις, ὁπόσας μὴ νόμου τινὸς ἀνάγκη προστάττει ἀλλ' ἀνωφελοῦς ἀργίας ἐρεσχελία προτίθησιν, εἰ καὶ φυσικῆς τινος γυμνασίας ἕνεκα γίγνοιτο, ὅμως ὀφείλομεν εἴσω τῆς διανοίας ἐγκλείειν καὶ μὴ προχείρως εἰς δημοσίας συνόδους ἐκφέρειν, μηδὲ ταῖς τῶν 2.69.3 δήμων ἀκοαῖς ἀπρονοήτως πιστεύειν. πόσος γάρ ἐστιν ἕκαστος, ὡς πραγμάτων οὕτω μεγάλων καὶ λίαν δυσχερῶν δύναμιν ἢ πρὸς τὸ ἀκριβὲς συνιδεῖν ἢ κατ' ἀξίαν ἑρμηνεῦσαι; εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτό τις εὐχερῶς ποιεῖν νομισθείη, πόσον δήπου μέρος τοῦ δήμου πείσει; ἢ τίς ταῖς τῶν τοιούτων ζητημάτων ἀκριβείαις ἔξω τῆς ἐπικινδύνου παρολισθήσεως ἀντισταίη; οὐκοῦν ἐφεκτέον ἐστὶν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις τὴν πολυλογίαν, ἵνα μήπως, ἢ ἡμῶν ἀσθενείᾳ φύσεως τὸ προταθὲν ἑρμηνεῦσαι μὴ δυνηθέντων, ἢ τῶν ἀκροατῶν βραδυτέρᾳ συνέσει πρὸς ἀκριβῆ τοῦ ῥηθέντος κατάληψιν ἐλθεῖν μὴ χωρησάντων, ἐξ ὁποτέρου τούτων ἢ βλασφημίας ἢ σχίσματος εἰς ἀνάγκην ὁ δῆμος περισταίη. 2.70.1 ∆ιόπερ καὶ ἐρώτησις ἀπροφύλακτος καὶ ἀπόκρισις ἀπρονόητος ἴσην ἀλλήλαις ἀντιδότωσαν ἐφ' ἑκάτερα συγγνώμην. οὐδὲ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ κορυφαίου τῶν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ παραγγελμάτων ὑμῖν ἡ τῆς φιλονεικίας ἐξήφθη πρόφασις, οὐδὲ καινή τις ὑμῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ θρησκείας αἵρεσις ἀντεισήχθη, ἀλλ' ἕνα καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν ἔχετε λογισμόν, ὡς πρὸς τὸ τῆς κοινωνίας σύνθημα δύνασθαι συνελθεῖν. ὑμῶν γὰρ ἐν ἀλλήλοις ὑπὲρ μικρῶν καὶ λίαν ἐλαχίστων φιλονεικούντων, τοσοῦτον τοῦ θεοῦ λαόν, ὃν ὑπὸ ταῖς ὑμετέραις φρεσὶν εὐθύνεσθαι προσήκει, διχονοεῖν οὔτε πρέ2.71.2 πον οὔθ' ὅλως θεμιτὸν εἶναι πιστεύεται. ἵνα δὲ μικρῷ παραδείγματι τὴν ὑμετέραν σύνεσιν ὑπομνήσαιμι, ἴστε δήπου καὶ τοὺς φιλοσόφους αὐτοὺς ὡς ἑνὶ μὲν ἅπαντες δόγματι συντίθενται, πολλάκις δὲ ἐπειδὰν ἔν τινι τῶν ἀποφάσεων μέρει διαφωνῶσιν, εἰ καὶ τῇ τῆς