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who have become beloved to us through change, as it were, to pillory them by the reminder of their error. But may the holy God grant that you visit our regions, so that I may embrace your reverence, and recount the details. For things that were painful in the experience somehow have a way of bringing diversion in the telling. Nevertheless, for the things for which the most God-beloved bishop was moved, praise him—perfectly indeed with regard to his love for us, but principally and firmly with regard to the precision of the canons—and give thanks to the Lord that your nurslings everywhere show the character of your gravity.

128. To Eusebius, Bishop of Samosata

128.1 I, my zeal for the pacification of the Churches of the Lord I have not yet been able to show worthily in deed, but in my heart I profess to have so great a desire that I would gladly even lay down my own life for the flame of hatred kindled by the Evil One to be extinguished. And if I did not endure to approach the region of Colonia on account of my desire for peace, may my life not find peace. Yet I seek the true peace, that which was left to us by the Lord himself, and what I requested to have for my full assurance is the desire of nothing other than true peace, even if some interpret it otherwise, twisting the truth. Therefore, let them use their tongues for whatever they wish; for they will surely one day repent of these words. 128.2 But I beseech your holiness to remember the original proposals and not be led astray by accepting different answers to different questions, nor to give effect to the sophistries of those who, without the power of speech, from their disposition alone most cunningly of all men do violence to the truth. For I proposed simple, clear, and easy-to-remember words: whether we reject for communion those who do not accept the faith of Nicaea, and whether we do not tolerate taking part with those who dare to say the Holy Spirit is a creature. But he, instead of answering the questions point by point, declaimed to us those things which you sent, and this not from simplicity of mind, as one might think, nor from being unable to see what follows. But he reckons this: that by denying our proposal he will make himself manifest to the people, but by agreeing with us he will depart from that middle course, than which nothing has been more precious to him up to now. Therefore, let him not outwit us, nor, along with the others, deceive your prudence, but let him send us a concise answer to the question, either confessing communion with the enemies of the faith or denying it. If you persuade him of these things and send me correct answers, such as I pray for, I am the one who has erred in all that is past, I take all that blame upon myself; then demand from me a display of humility. But as long as none of these things happen, forgive me, most God-beloved Father, for not being able to stand at God's altar with hypocrisy. For if I did not fear this, for what reason did I separate myself from Euippius, a man of such eloquence, so advanced in age, and possessing so many claims on our friendship? But if we did those things well and properly for the sake of the truth, it would surely be ridiculous to appear to be joined to those who say the same things as he, through the mediation of these clever and charming men. 128.3 However, it does not seem to me right to alienate ourselves completely from those who do not accept the faith, but to take some care of the men according to the old rules of charity, and to write to them with one mind, offering every exhortation with compassion, and of the

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μεταβολῆς ἀγαπητοὺς ἡμῖν γενομένους οἱονεὶ τῇ ὑπομνήσει τοῦ σφάλματος στηλιτεύειν. Ἀλλὰ παράσχοι ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς ἐπιστῆναί σε τοῖς ἡμετέροις τόποις, ὥστε περιπτύξασθαι μὲν τὴν σὴν σεμνοπρέπειαν, διηγήσασθαι δὲ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον. Πέφυκε γάρ πως τὰ κατὰ τὴν πεῖραν λυπήσαντα ψυχαγωγίαν ἔχειν ἐν διηγήμασι. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ὧν τελείως μὲν ὡς πρὸς τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην, προηγουμένως δὲ καὶ στιβαρῶς ὡς πρὸς τὴν τῶν κανόνων ἀκρίβειαν ὁ θεοφιλέστατος ἐπίσκοπος ἐκινήθη ἐπαίνεσον αὐτόν, καὶ εὐχαρίστησον τῷ Κυρίῳ ὅτι τὰ σὰ θρέμματα πανταχοῦ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς σῆς σεμνότητος δείκνυσιν.

128.τ ΕΥΣΕΒΙΩ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΩ ΣΑΜΟΣΑΤΩΝ

128.1 Ἐγὼ τὴν περὶ τὸ εἰρηνεύεσθαι τὰς Ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Κυρίου σπουδὴν

ἔργῳ μὲν ἐνδείξασθαι ἀξίως οὔπω δεδύνημαι, ἐν δὲ τῇ καρδίᾳ μου τοσαύτην ἔχειν ἐπιθυ μίαν φημὶ ὥστε ἡδέως ἂν καὶ τὴν ζωὴν τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ προέσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ Πονηροῦ ἐξαφθεῖσαν φλόγα τοῦ μίσους κατασβεσθῆναι. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἕνεκεν τῆς κατὰ τὴν εἰρήνην ἠνεσχόμην ἐγγίσαι τοῖς κατὰ Κολώνειαν τόποις, μὴ εἰρηνευθείη μοι ἡ ζωή. Εἰρήνην μέντοι τὴν ἀληθινὴν τὴν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου κατα λειφθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἐπιζητῶ, καὶ ὃ παρεκάλεσά μοι εἰς πλη ροφορίαν ὑπάρξαι οὐκ ἄλλο τι ἐπιθυμοῦντός ἐστιν ἢ τῆς ἀληθινῆς εἰρήνης, κἂν ἄλλως τινὲς διαστρέφοντες τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐξηγῶνται. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὖν κεχρήσθωσαν ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐφ' ἃ βούλονται· πάντως γὰρ αὐτοῖς ποτε τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων μεταμελήσει. 128.2 Τὴν δὲ σὴν ὁσιότητα παρακαλῶ μεμνῆσθαι τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς προτάσεων καὶ μὴ παράγεσθαι ἄλλας ἀποκρίσεις ἀντ' ἄλλων ἐρωτημάτων δεχομένην, μηδὲ ποιεῖν ἐνεργὰ τὰ σοφίσματα τῶν ἄνευ τῆς περὶ τὸ λέγειν δυνάμεως ἀπ' αὐτῆς μόνης τῆς γνώμης δεινότατα πάντων τὴν ἀλήθειαν κακουργούντων. Προέτεινα γὰρ ἁπλᾶ καὶ σαφῆ καὶ εὐμνη μόνευτα ῥήματα· εἰ τοὺς μὴ δεχομένους τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστιν παραιτούμεθα εἰς κοινωνίαν, καὶ εἰ μετὰ τῶν κτίσμα λέγειν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον ἀποτολμώντων τὸ μέρος ἔχειν οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα. Ὁ δέ, ἀντὶ τοῦ πρὸς ἔπος ταῖς ἐρωτή σεσιν ἀποκρίνασθαι, ἐκεῖνα ἡμῖν ἐρραψῴδησεν ἅπερ ἐπέστειλας, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀφελείᾳ γνώμης, ὡς ἄν τῳ δόξαι, οὐδὲ τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι συνορᾶν τὸ ἀκόλουθον. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο λογίζεται ὅτι ἀρνούμενος μὲν ἡμῶν τὴν πρότασιν τοῖς λαοῖς ἑαυτὸν κατάδηλον ποιήσει, συντιθέμενος δὲ ἡμῖν τῆς μεσότητος ἀποστήσεται, ἧς οὐδὲν αὐτῷ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν γέγονε προτιμότερον. Μὴ τοίνυν ἡμᾶς κατασο φιζέσθω μηδὲ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τὴν σὴν παρακρουέσθω φρόνησιν, ἀλλὰ σύντομον ἡμῖν λόγον ἀποστειλάτω πρὸς τὸ ἐρώτημα, ἢ ὁμολογῶν τὴν κοινωνίαν πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τῆς πίστεως ἢ ἀρνούμενος. Ἐὰν ταῦτα συμπείσῃς αὐτὸν καὶ πέμψῃς μοι ὀρθὰς καὶ οἵας εὔχομαι τὰς ἀποκρίσεις, ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ τὰ κατόπιν πάντα ἡμαρτηκώς, ἐγὼ δέχομαι πᾶσαν τὴν αἰτίαν ἐκείνην ἐπ' ἐμαυτόν· τότε με ἀπαίτει ταπεινοφροσύνης ἐπίδειξιν. Ἕως δ' ἂν μηδὲν γένηται τούτων, σύγγνωθι, θεοφιλέστατε Πάτερ, μὴ δυναμένῳ μετὰ ὑποκρίσεως θυσιαστηρίῳ Θεοῦ παρεστάναι. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἐφοβούμην, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐμαυτὸν ἐχώριζον Εὐιπ πίου, τοιούτου μὲν τὰ περὶ λόγους, τοσοῦτον δὲ χρόνῳ προήκοντος, τοσαῦτα δὲ τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς φιλίας δίκαια κεκτημένου; Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνα καλῶς καὶ προσηκόντως ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπράξαμεν, γελοῖον δή που τοῖς τὰ αὐτὰ ἐκείνῳ λέγουσι, διὰ τῆς τῶν εὐφυῶν τούτων καὶ χαριέντων μεσότητος, συναπτόμενον φαίνεσθαι. 128.3 Οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ παντελῶς μοι δοκεῖ τῶν μὴ δεχομένων τὴν πίστιν ἀλλοτριοῦν ἑαυτούς, ἀλλὰ ποιήσασθαί τινα τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐπιμέλειαν κατὰ τοὺς παλαιοὺς θεσμοὺς τῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ ἐπιστεῖλαι αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ μιᾶς γνώμης πᾶσαν παράκλησιν μετ' εὐσπλαγχνίας προσάγοντας, καὶ τὴν τῶν