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you would permit, but that you would allow us to abide by what was defined and decreed by our forefathers, whom we would say have done all things with sagacity and wisdom and the Holy Spirit. For the innovations now made by them produce unbelief in those who have believed, and cruelty in those who disbelieve. And we beseech that you would command those sojourning in foreign lands, whom both the burden of age and the want of poverty afflict, to make their return to their own homes easy, so that the churches may not remain desolate, their bishops having been taken away. And in addition to all this, we ask this also, that nothing be lacking from what was before, nor anything be added, but that all things remain unbroken, preserved from the piety of your father even to the present time, and that you would not permit us to be further troubled and become estranged from our own dioceses, 143 but that the bishops, with their own people, may in peace be at leisure for prayers and services, beseeching on behalf of your reign and salvation and peace, which the Divinity will grant to you forever. And our envoys bring the signatures and the names of the bishops, who also from the divine scriptures themselves will further instruct your Holiness." When these things were written and the envoys were sent, those who had influence with the emperor and were patrons of the heresy, having received the letter, gave it to the emperor, but they did not bring in the envoys, saying that the ruler was occupied with public cares; and they did these things, supposing that the bishops, annoyed by the length of time and longing to reach the cities entrusted to them, would be compelled to break through and destroy the enclosure devised against the heresy. But the scheme was of no avail; for again the noble champions of the faith sent another letter to the emperor, entreating that the envoys be received and that they themselves be dismissed. And I insert this one also into the history. "To the Victor Constantius, Pious Emperor, the bishops in Ariminum. We have received the letters of your Clemency, most glorious master and emperor, which state that because of public necessity for the time being you were not able to see our envoys, and you bid us await their return, so that your Piety may learn our purpose 144 and the doctrines of our forefathers. But indeed, as to what we professed, we have in no way departed from our own purpose, and now also by these letters we further inform your Clemency, and we entreat that you look with a favorable countenance upon the letters of our humility, in which we now answer your Piety, and that you would gladly receive those things which have been conveyed to your Piety through our envoys, which we instructed them. And how sad and unfitting it would be that in your most blessed times so many churches should seem to be without bishops, your Clemency knows as well as we do. Wherefore again, most glorious emperor, we ask that before the severity of winter, if it please your Philanthropy, you would command us to return to our churches, so that we may be able to God Almighty and to Christ his Son, our Lord and Savior, on behalf of the stability of your rule, together with the peoples, as we have done and are doing, to offer the greatest supplications." After this letter, having sharpened the emperor's anger, they lead most of the bishops unwillingly into a certain city of Thrace (Nike is its name) and persuade them, some having beguiled through their simplicity, others having frightened, to work out the machination long ago devised by them against piety, and to dig out both "substance" and "consubstantial" from the faith, and to insert in their place "like." And I insert this also into the history, not as being well composed, but 145 as refuting the faction of Arius. For not even this do the now impious endure, but instead of "like" they preach "unlike." "The Faith set forth in Nike of Thrace. We believe in one and only

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ἐπιτρέψειας, ἀλλ' ἐάσῃς ἐμμένειν ἡμᾶς τοῖς παρὰ τῶν προ "γόνων ὁρισθεῖσί τε καὶ νενομοθετημένοις, οὓς ἅπαντα μετὰ ἀγχινοίας "τε καὶ φρονήσεως καὶ πνεύματος ἁγίου πεποιηκέναι φήσαιμεν ἄν. "τὰ γὰρ νῦν παρ' ἐκείνων καινοτομούμενα τοῖς μὲν πιστεύσασιν ἀπι "στίαν ἐμποιεῖ, τοῖς δὲ ἀπιστοῦσιν ὠμότητα. "Ἱκετεύομεν δὲ ἵνα κελεύσῃς τοὺς ἐν ἀλλοδαπαῖς διατρίβοντας, "οὓς καὶ τὸ τῆς ἡλικίας ἐπίπονον καὶ τὸ τῆς πενίας ἐνδεὲς τρύχει, "τὴν εἰς τὰ οἰκεῖα ἀνακομιδὴν ῥᾳδίαν ποιήσασθαι, ἵνα μὴ ἔρημοι τῶν "ἐπισκόπων ἀφῃρημένων αἱ ἐκκλησίαι διαμένωσιν. ἔτι δὲ πρὸς ἅπασι "καὶ τοῦτο δεόμεθα, ἵνα μηδὲν μήτε ἐλλείπῃ τι τῶν προϋπαρξάντων "μήτε πλεονάζῃ, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἄρρηκτα διαμένοι ἐκ τῆς τοῦ σοῦ πατρὸς "εὐσεβείας καὶ εἰς τὸν νῦν χρόνον διαφυλαττόμενα, μήτε λοιπὸν ἡμᾶς "μοχθεῖν καὶ τῶν ἰδίων παροικιῶν ἀλλοτρίους ἐπιτρέψειας γενέσθαι, 143 "ἀλλ' ἵνα οἱ ἐπίσκοποι σὺν τῷ ἰδίῳ λαῷ μετ' εἰρήνης εὐχαῖς τε καὶ "λατρείαις σχολὴν ἄγοιεν, ἱκετεύοντες ὑπὲρ τῆς σῆς βασιλείας τε καὶ σωτη "ρίας καὶ εἰρήνης, ἣν ἡ θειότης εἰς τὸ διηνεκές σοι χαριεῖται. οἱ δὲ ἡμέ "τεροι πρέσβεις τὰς ὑπογραφὰς καὶ τὰς τῶν ἐπισκόπων προσηγορίας "κομίζουσιν, οἵτινες καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν θείων γραφῶν τὴν σὴν ὁσι "ότητα ἀναδιδάξουσιν." Τούτων γραφέντων καὶ τῶν πρέσβεων ἀποσταλέντων, οἱ βασιλεῖ παραδυναστεύοντες καὶ τῆς αἱρέσεως προστατεύοντες τὴν μὲν ἐπι στολὴν λαβόντες ἀπέδοσαν τῷ βασιλεῖ, τοὺς δὲ πρέσβεις οὐκ εἰσήγα γον, περὶ τὰς κοινὰς εἰλεῖσθαι φροντίδας τὸν κρατοῦντα φήσαντες· ταῦτα δὲ ἔδρων ἡγούμενοι τοὺς ἐπισκόπους, δυσχεραίνοντας τοῦ χρόνου τὸ μῆκος καὶ τὰς ἐγκεχειρισμένας πόλεις ποθοῦντας καταλα βεῖν, ἀναγκασθήσεσθαι διορύξαι καὶ καταλῦσαι τὸν κατὰ τῆς αἱρέσεως ἐξευρεθέντα περίβολον. ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὤνησε τὸ μηχάνημα· πάλιν γὰρ οἱ γενναῖοι τῆς πίστεως πρόμαχοι ἑτέραν ἐπιστολὴν ἐξέπεμψαν τῷ βα σιλεῖ, καὶ τοὺς πρέσβεις δεχθῆναι καὶ σφὰς ἀπολυθῆναι παρακαλοῦντες. ἐντίθημι δὲ καὶ ταύτην τῇ συγγραφῇ. "Νικητῇ Κωνσταντίῳ Εὐσεβεῖ βασιλεῖ οἱ ἐν Ἀριμήνῳ ἐπίσκοποι. "Τὰ γράμματα τῆς σῆς εὐμενείας ἐδεξάμεθα, δέσποτα ἐνδοξότατε "αὐτοκράτορ, ἅτινα περιέχει ὅτι διὰ τὴν δημοσίαν ἀνάγκην τέως "τοὺς ἡμετέρους πρέσβεις θεωρῆσαι οὐκ ἠδυνήθης, καὶ ἡμᾶς δὲ κε "λεύεις τὴν τούτων ἐπάνοδον ἐκδέξασθαι, ὅπως τὸν ἡμέτερον σκοπὸν 144 "καὶ τὰ δόγματα τῶν προγόνων ἡ σὴ εὐσέβεια ἐπιγνῷ. ἀλλὰ μὴν "ἐκεῖνο ὃ ἐπηγγέλμεθα, οὐδενὶ τρόπῳ ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἰδίας προθέ "σεως ἀναχωρήσαντας, καὶ νῦν δὲ τούτοις τοῖς γράμμασι τὴν σὴν εὐ "μένειαν ἀναδιδάσκομεν, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν εὐμενεῖ προσόψει τὰ γράμ "ματα τῆς ἡμετέρας ταπεινότητος, ἐν οἷς νῦν τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ σου ἀπο "κρινόμεθα, κἀκεῖνα ἅτινα διὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων πρέσβεων τῇ σῇ "εὐσεβείᾳ ἀνήνεκται ἃ ἐνετειλάμεθα, ἡδέως προσδέξῃ. ὡς δὲ εἴη "στυγνὸν καὶ ἀνακόλουθον ἵνα τοῖς μακαριωτάτοις σου καιροῖς το "σαῦται ἐκκλησίαι ἄνευ ἐπισκόπων δοκῶσιν εἶναι, ἡ σὴ εὐμένεια "ὁμοίως ἡμῖν γινώσκει. διὸ δὴ πάλιν, ἐνδοξότατε αὐτοκράτορ, "δεόμεθα ἵνα πρὸ τῆς δεινότητος τοῦ χειμῶνος, εἰ ἀρέσκει τῇ σῇ "φιλανθρωπίᾳ, εἰς τὰς ἐκκλησίας τὰς ἡμετέρας ἐπανελθεῖν κελεύσῃς, "ὅπως δυνηθῶμεν τῷ παντοκράτορι θεῷ καὶ τῷ Χριστῷ τῷ υἱῷ "αὐτοῦ, τῷ δεσπότῃ καὶ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν, ὑπὲρ τῆς καταστάσεως τοῦ "κράτους σου ἅμα μετὰ τῶν λαῶν, καθὼς ἐποιήσαμεν καὶ ποιοῦμεν, "μεγίστας ἱκεσίας προσενεγκεῖν." Μετὰ τήνδε τὴν ἐπιστολὴν τὸν βασιλέως θυμὸν παραθήξαντες ἄγουσιν ἄκοντας τῶν ἐπισκόπων τοὺς πλείστους εἴς τινα πόλιν τῆς Θρᾴκης (Νίκη δὲ ὄνομα ταύτῃ) καὶ πείθουσι, τοὺς μὲν βουκολήσαντες δι' ἁπλότητα τοὺς δὲ δεδιξάμενοι, τὴν πάλαι κατὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας αὐτοῖς ἐξευρεθεῖσαν ἐξεργάσασθαι μηχανήν, καὶ τὴν μὲν οὐσίαν καὶ τὸ ὁμοούσιον ἐξορύξαι τῆς πίστεως, ἐνθεῖναι δὲ ἀντὶ τούτων τὸ ὅμοιον. ἐντίθημι δὲ καὶ ταύτην τῇ ἱστορίᾳ, οὐχ ὡς εὖ ἔχουσαν, ἀλλ' 145 ὡς τὴν Ἀρείου συμμορίαν διελέγχουσαν. οὐδὲ γὰρ ταύτης οἱ νῦν δυσσεβοῦντες ἀνέχονται, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τοῦ ὁμοίου κηρύττουσι τὸ ἀνόμοιον. "Πίστις ἐκτεθεῖσα ἐν Νίκῃ τῆς Θρᾴκης. "Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα καὶ μόνον