EPISTLE TWO—THREE

1. I was of the opinion that, even as it was, I had written briefly; indeed, I taxed myself with great weakness, that I could not put into writing all that it is humanly possible to say against those who are guilty of impiety toward the Holy Spirit. But since, as you write, some of the brethren have actually asked that it should be abridged, so that they may have the means readily and briefly both to answer those who inquire concerning the faith that is in us, and to refute those who are impious, I am composing this as well, being confident that if here too there is anything lacking, you will not scruple to supply it. The Arians, being engrossed in themselves, and thinking with the Sadducees that there is nothing greater or beyond themselves, have met the inspired Scripture with human arguments. When they hear that the Son is the Wisdom, Radiance, and Word of the Father, they are accustomed to rejoin, ‘How can this be?’, as though nothing can be unless they understand it. At that rate, they should occupy their minds with similar questions about the universe as well. How can creation, which once was not, come into being? How can dust of the earth be fashioned into a rational man? How can the corruptible become incorruptible? How has the earth been founded ‘upon the seas’, and how did God ‘prepare it upon the floods’? Then, last of all, they ought to add to themselves, ‘Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die’: that it may be clear that, when they perish, their insane heresy will perish with them !

ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΠΡΟΣ ΤΟΝ ΑΥΤΟΝ ἘΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΝ ΣΕΡΑΠΙΩΝΑ ΚΑΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΛΕΓΟΝΤΩΝ ΚΤΙΣΜΑ ΤΟΝ ΥΙΟΝ.
Ἐγὼ μὲν ἐνόμιζον καὶ οὕτως ὀλίγα γεγρα φέναι· καὶ κατηγόρουν ἐμαυτοῦ πολλῆς ἀσθενείας, ὡς μὴ δυνηθέντος τοσοῦτον γράψαι, ὅσον ἀνθρώποις ἔξεστι λέγειν κατὰ τῶν ἀσεβούντων εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· ἐπειδὴ δὲ, ὡς γράφεις, τινὲς τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἠξίωσαν καὶ ταῦτα ἐπιτεμεῖν, ἵνα ἔχωσιν ἐξ ἑτοίμου καὶ δι' ὀλίγων ἀπολογεῖσθαι μὲν τοῖς ἐρωτῶσι περὶ τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν πίστεως, διελέγχειν δὲ τοὺς ἀσεβοῦντας· ἐποίησα καὶ τοῦτο θαῤῥῶν, ὅτι συνείδησιν ἔχων ἀγαθὴν, εἴ τι καὶ ἐν τούτοις παραλέλειπται, ἀναπληρώσεις. Οἱ Ἀρειανοὶ, εἰς ἑαυτοὺς στραφέντες, καὶ μη δὲν πλέον ἢ ἔξωθεν ἑαυτῶν νοοῦντες κατὰ τοὺς Σαδδουκαίους, ἀνθρωπίνοις λογισμοῖς ἐξεδέξαντο τὴν θεόπνευστον Γραφήν. Ἀκούοντες γοῦν σοφίαν, καὶ ἀπαύγασμα, καὶ Λόγον εἶναι τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν Υἱὸν, εἰώθασιν ἐπιλέγειν· Πῶς δύναται τοῦτο εἶναι; ὥσπερ οὐ δυναμένου εἶναι, ὃ μὴ δύνανται αὐτοὶ νοεῖν. Ὥρα γὰρ αὐτοὺς καὶ περὶ τοῦ παντὸς τοιαῦτα διανοεῖσθαι· Πῶς δύναται ἡ κτίσις, μὴ οὖσά ποτε, γε νέσθαι; ἢ πῶς δύναται χοῦς γῆς πλασθῆναι λογικὸς ἄνθρωπος; ἢ πῶς τὸ φθαρτὸν ἄφθαρτον γενέσθαι; ἢ πῶς ἡ γῆ ἐπὶ θαλασσῶν τεθεμελίωται, καὶ ἐπὶ ποτα μῶν ἡτοίμασεν αὐτὴν ὁ Θεός; Καὶ λοιπὸν ἐπιλέγειν αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς· «Φάγωμεν καὶ πίωμεν· αὔριον γὰρ ἀποθνήσκομεν·» ἵνα δηλονότι, φθειρομένων αὐ τῶν, συμφθαρῇ καὶ ἡ τῆς αἱρέσεως αὐτῶν μανία.