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having, we have written this "our letter, both concerning the bishops who are being appointed or the "fellow-ministers who have been appointed, if they should be, from among the "bishops who have died sound in the faith, but if not, from the presbytery itself; and likewise "presbyters and deacons, from the sacred order itself, "that they may be blameless from every quarter, both from the council and "from military office. Therefore, on this very point we did not wish to write at 227 "length, because one from all, our lord "and fellow-minister Elpidius, has been sent, to learn diligently your "preaching, if indeed it is as we have heard from our lord "and fellow-minister Eustathius. "Therefore, if you were ever in error, having put off "the old man, put on the new. For the same "brother and fellow-minister Elpidius will also teach you to preach the "true faith; that the holy Trinity, consubstantial with God the Father, "with the Son and the Holy Spirit, has been hallowed, has been glorified, has been revealed, "Father in Son, Son in Father, with the Holy Spirit for ever. "For when this is revealed, we shall be able openly to confess the holy Trinity "consubstantial, according to the faith long ago set forth in "Nicaea, which the fathers also confirmed. Therefore, when this "faith is preached, we shall be able to escape the "wiles of the wicked demon; for when this is extinguished, we shall be able with letters of peace "to greet one another, living in peace. We have written to you, therefore, that "you may know the deposed Ariomanites, who do not confess "the Son to be from the substance of the Father, nor the Holy Spirit, whose "names we have subjoined: Polychronius, Telemachus, Faustus, Asclepiades, "Amantius, Cleopatrus. And these things thus for the glory "of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever, "amen. We pray for your health in the Father and in the Son, the Savior "Christ, with the Holy Spirit, for many courses of years." The all-praised emperor indeed took such great care for the apostolic 228 dogmas. But a certain Audaeus, a Syrian both in race and in speech, became an inventor of new dogmas at that time, having long ago begun the wicked birth-pangs, but then becoming manifest. For first, having foolishly understood the words "Let us make man in our image and likeness," he supposed that the Godhead has a human form, and he conjectured that it is encompassed by the parts of the body, not having perceived the meaning of the divine scripture. For it often applies the names of human parts to the divine operations, since those who are unable to understand more subtle things learn of the providence of God more easily through these. He has added to this impiety other similar things. For having borrowed from the error of Manes, he said that the God of all is the creator of neither fire nor darkness. But these and all such things the members of his party conceal. But they say they have separated from the ecclesiastical assemblies, because some exact the accursed usury, and some cohabit with women not by the law of marriage and live unlawfully, while those who are free from these things associate with them without fear. For these reasons, they say they live by themselves, hiding the blasphemy of their dogmas. However, their pretext is also full of arrogance and an offspring of the Pharisaical teaching. For they too accused the physician of souls and bodies, saying to the holy apostles: "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" And through the prophet God says concerning such people: "Those who say, 229 'I am pure, do not touch me'; this is smoke of my wrath." But to refute the folly of these men is not for the present occasion; for which reason I will proceed to the remaining parts of the narrative. At this time the heresy of the Messalians also sprang up; those who translate the name into the Greek language call them Euchites. But they also have another name from the

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ἔχοντες ἐχαράξαμεν τουτὶ "ἡμῶν τὸ γράμμα, καὶ περὶ τῶν καθισταμένων ἐπισκόπων ἢ κατα "σταθέντων συλλειτουργῶν, ἐὰν μὲν εἶεν, ἐκ τῶν τέλει χρησαμένων "ἐπισκόπων ὑγιεῖς, εἰ δὲ μή, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πρεσβυτερίου· ὁμοίως τε "καὶ πρεσβυτέρους καὶ διακόνους, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ τάγματος, "ἵνα ὦσιν ἀνεπίληπτοι πανταχόθεν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ βουλευτηρίου καὶ "στρατιωτικῆς ἀρχῆς. εἰς τοῦτο οὖν αὐτὸ οὐκ ἠβουλήθημεν διὰ 227 "πολλῶν ἀποχαράξαι, διὰ τὸ ἀποσταλῆναι ἕνα ἐκ πάντων τὸν κύριον "ἡμῶν καὶ συλλειτουργὸν Ἐλπίδιον, ἐπισπούδως καταμαθόντα τὸ "κήρυγμα ὑμῶν, εἴ γε οὕτως ἔχει ὥσπερ ἀκηκόαμεν παρὰ τοῦ κυρίου "ἡμῶν καὶ συλλειτουργοῦ Εὐσταθίου. "Λοιπὸν εἰ καί ποτε ἐν πλάνοις γεγενημένοι ἦτε, ἀποθέμενοι "τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐνδύσασθε τὸν καινόν. καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς "ἀδελφὸς καὶ συλλειτουργὸς Ἐλπίδιος διδάξει ὑμᾶς κηρῦξαι τὴν "ἀληθῆ πίστιν· ὅτι ἡ ἁγία τριάς, ἡ ὁμοούσιος τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρί, "σὺν υἱῷ καὶ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι ἡγίασται, δεδόξασται, πεφανέρωται, "πατὴρ ἐν υἱῷ, υἱὸς ἐν πατρί, σὺν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. "φανερωθέντος γὰρ τούτου, φανερῶς δυνησόμεθα τὴν ἁγίαν τριάδα "ὁμολογεῖν ὁμοούσιον, κατὰ τὴν πάλαι ἐκτεθεῖσαν πίστιν τὴν ἐν "Νικαίᾳ, ἣν καὶ οἱ πατέρες ἐβεβαίωσαν. κηρυττομένης οὖν τῆς "πίστεως ταύτης, δυνησόμεθα τοῦ ἀλιτηρίου δαίμονος ἐκφυγεῖν τὰς "μεθοδίας· σβεσθέντος γὰρ τούτου, δυνησόμεθα εἰρηνικοῖς γράμμασιν "ἑαυτοὺς προσκυνεῖν ἐν εἰρήνῃ διάγοντες. ἐγράψαμεν οὖν ὑμῖν, ἵνα "εἰδέναι ἔχητε τοὺς καθαιρεθέντας Ἀρειομανίτας, τοὺς μὴ ὁμολογοῦν "τας ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν υἱὸν μήτε τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, ὧν "τὰ ὀνόματα ὑπετάξαμεν· Πολυχρόνιος, Τηλέμαχος, Φαῦστος, Ἀσκλη "πιάδης, Ἀμάντιος, Κλεόπατρος. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν οὕτως εἰς δόξαν "πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου πνεύματος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, "ἀμήν. ἐρρῶσθαι ὑμᾶς εὐχόμεθα τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ υἱῷ σωτῆρι "Χριστῷ, σὺν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, πολλαῖς ἐτῶν περιόδοις." Ὁ μὲν δὴ πανεύφημος βασιλεὺς τοσαύτην τῶν ἀποστολικῶν 228 δογμάτων ἐποιεῖτο φροντίδα. Αὐδαῖος δέ τις, Σύρος καὶ τὸ γένος καὶ τὴν φωνήν, καινῶν εὑρετὴς δογμάτων κατ' ἐκεῖνον ἐγένετο τὸν καιρόν, πάλαι μὲν τῶν πονηρῶν ὠδίνων ἀρξάμενος, τότε δὲ δῆλος γενόμενος. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἀνοήτως νενοηκὼς τὸ " ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατ' εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν ", ἀνθρω πείαν ἔχειν μορφὴν τὸ θεῖον ὑπέλαβε, καὶ τὰ τοῦ σώματος περι κεῖσθαι ἐτόπασε μόρια, τῆς θείας γραφῆς οὐ κατιδὼν τὴν διάνοιαν. πολλάκις γὰρ ταῖς θείαις ἐνεργείαις τὰ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων μορίων ὀνόματα περιτίθησιν, ἐπειδὴ ῥᾷον οἱ τῶν λεπτοτέρων ἐπαΐειν οὐ δυνάμενοι διὰ τούτων τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν προμήθειαν μανθάνουσι. προσ τέθεικε δὲ τῇδε τῇ δυσσεβείᾳ καὶ ἕτερα παραπλήσια. ἐκ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Μάνεντος πλάνης ἐρανισάμενος, οὔτε τοῦ πυρὸς οὔτε τοῦ σκό τους ἔφη εἶναι δημιουργὸν τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεόν. ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα κατακρύπτουσιν οἱ τῆς ἐκείνου συμμορίας. φά σκουσι δὲ τῶν ἐκκλησιαστικῶν ἀπεσχοινίσθαι συλλόγων, ἐπειδὴ τινὲς μὲν τὸν ἐπάρατον εἰσπράττουσι τόκον, τινὲς δὲ γυναιξὶν οὐ νόμῳ γάμου συνοικοῦντες παρανόμως βιοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ τούτων ἀπηλλαγμένοι τούτοις ἀδεῶς κοινωνοῦσι. διὰ ταῦτά φασιν ἐκεῖνοι καθ' ἑαυτοὺς βιοτεύειν, τὴν τῶν δογμάτων ἀποκρύπτοντες βλασφημίαν. ἔστι μέν τοι καὶ ἡ σκῆψις ἀλαζονείας μεστὴ καὶ τῆς Φαρισαϊκῆς διδασκαλίας ἀπόγονος. καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι κατηγόρουν τοῦ τῶν ψυχῶν καὶ σωμάτων ἰατροῦ, τοῖς ἱεροῖς λέγοντες ἀποστόλοις· " ἵνα τί μετὰ τῶν τελω νῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν ;" καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου δὲ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων φησὶν ὁ θεός· " οἱ λέγοντες 229 καθαρός εἰμι, μή μου ἅπτου· οὗτος καπνὸς τοῦ θυμοῦ μου ". ἀλλὰ τὴν τούτων διελέγχειν ἄνοιαν οὐ τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ· οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα ἐπὶ τὰ λοιπὰ βαδιοῦμαι τῆς διηγήσεως. Κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον καὶ ἡ τῶν Μεσσαλιανῶν ἐβλάστησεν αἵρεσις· Εὐχίτας δὲ τούτους προσαγορεύουσιν οἱ εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν τοὔνομα μεταβάλλοντες. ἔχουσι δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν προσηγορίαν ἐκ τοῦ