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such an inquiry. 6.23.1 And about this time, when Liberius died, Damasus was entrusted with the throne of the Romans. And a certain deacon, Ursacinus, being a candidate for the ordination, did not bear it when he failed; but having been secretly ordained by some obscure bishops, he endeavored to divide the people and to hold church 6.23.2 by himself. And when the multitude was divided, some thought he should be bishop, and others Damasus; and, as was likely, great strife and sedition took hold of the populace, so that the evil proceeded to the point of wounds and murders, until indeed the prefect of Rome, having subjected many of the populace and of the clergy to punishments, put a stop to 6.23.3 the attempt of Ursacinus. But concerning dogmas, as before, neither the Romans differed nor others throughout the West, but all approved the decisions of those who had assembled at Nicaea and glorified a Trinity of equal honor and equal power, 6.23.4 except for those around Auxentius; who, presiding at that time over the church in Mediolanum, together with certain others, attempted to innovate and, contrary to the common agreement of the priests of the West, to establish the dogma of Arius and to hold the same views as those who glorify the unlike and the Spirit according to the inquiry that later arose. 6.23.5 And when those from Gaul and Venetia and certain others reported that these things were being promoted among them, not much later bishops of many nations, having assembled in Rome, voted that Auxentius and those who held similar opinions to him were foreign to their communion, and that the faith delivered by the synod at Nicaea should remain firm, the decisions at Ariminum which were contrary to it being invalid, since neither the bishop of the Romans nor the others had agreed to them, and since many of those who had assembled there were displeased with the things then decreed by them. 6.23.6 And that these things happened and were decided in this way is also testified by the letter written by Damasus, the bishop of the Romans, and those who had then assembled with him, to the bishops of Illyricum; and it is as follows: 6.23.7 «The bishops who assembled in the sacred council in the city of the Romans to the bishops established in Illyricum, Damasus and Valerius and the rest to the beloved brothers, greeting in the Lord. 6.23.8 We believe that you hold this, your holy faith, which is founded on the teaching of the apostles, and that you declare it to the people, which in no way disagrees with the definitions of the fathers. For it is not fitting for the priests of God, by whom it is right for others to be instructed, 6.23. to think otherwise. But through the report of the brothers in Gaul and Venetia we have learned that some are promoting heresy, an evil which bishops ought not only to guard against, but also whatever, through the inexperience of some or simplicity by vain interpretations, †resists†; therefore, do not be led astray by those who devise different doctrines, but rather hold to the opinion of our fathers, whenever they are carried about by various counsels. Accordingly, it has been written that Auxentius of Mediolanum has been especially condemned in this matter. 6.23.10 It is right, therefore, that all teachers in the Roman world be of one mind and not defile the faith with different doctrines; for when the wickedness of the heretics first began to flourish, as even now most especially—may it not be!—the blasphemy of the Arians, our fathers, three hundred and eighteen chosen men, when the investigation was held at Nicaea, established this wall against the weapons of the devil and with this antidote they repelled the deadly poisons, so that the Father and the Son are believed to be of one divinity, one excellence, and one form; and it is necessary to believe that the Holy Spirit is also of the same substance; And we judged him who thinks otherwise 6.23.11 to be foreign to our communion. which salutary definition and venerable investigation some have wished to defile. But at the very beginning by these very men, who at Ariminum sought to revise it or

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τοιαύτη ζήτησις. 6.23.1 Περὶ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον Λιβερίου τελευτήσαντος ἐπιτρέπεται ∆άμασος τὸν ῾Ρωμαίων θρόνον. ὑπόψηφος δὲ ὢν τῇ χειροτονίᾳ καὶ Οὐρσακῖνός τις διάκονος, ἀποτυχὼν οὐκ ἤνεγκε· λάθρα δὲ ὑπό τινων ἀσήμων ἐπισκόπων χειροτονηθεὶς διασπᾶν τὸν λαὸν ἐσπούδαζε καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκκλη6.23.2 σιάζειν. μερισθέντος δὲ τοῦ πλήθους οἱ μὲν τοῦτον, οἱ δὲ ∆άμασον ἐπισκοπεῖν ἠξίουν· καὶ πολλὴ τὸν δῆμον ὡς εἰκὸς ἔρις εἶχε καὶ στάσις, ὡς μέχρι τραυμάτων καὶ φόνων τὸ κακὸν προελθεῖν, εἰσότε δὴ ὁ τῆς ῾Ρώμης ὕπαρχος πολλοὺς τοῦ δήμου καὶ τοῦ κλήρου τιμωρίαις ὑποβαλὼν ἔπαυσε 6.23.3 τὴν Οὐρσακίνου ἐπιχείρησιν. δογμάτων δὲ πέρι, καθὰ πρότερον, οὔτε ῾Ρωμαῖοι διεφέροντο οὔτε ἕτεροι τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν δύσιν, ἀλλὰ πάντες τὰ δόξαντα τοῖς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθοῦσιν ἐπῄνουν καὶ τριάδα ἰσότιμόν τε καὶ ἰσοδύναμον 6.23.4 ἐδόξαζον, πλὴν τῶν ἀμφὶ τὸν Αὐξέντιον· ὃς προεστὼς τότε τῆς ἐν Μεδιολάνῳ ἐκκλησίας ἅμα τισὶν ἐπεχείρει νεωτερίζειν καὶ παρὰ τὴν κοινὴν συνθήκην τῶν πρὸς δύσιν ἱερέων τὸ ᾿Αρείου δόγμα κρατύνειν καὶ τὰ ἴσα φρονεῖν τοῖς ἀνόμοιον καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα δοξάζουσι κατὰ τὴν ὕστερον ἐπιγενο6.23.5 μένην ζήτησιν. καταμηνυσάντων δὲ τῶν ἀπὸ Γαλλίας καὶ Βενετίας καὶ παρ' ἑτέρων τινῶν ταῦτα σπουδάζεσθαι παρ' αὐτοῖς, οὐ πολλῷ ὕστερον πολλῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπίσκοποι συνελθόντες εἰς ῾Ρώμην ἐψηφίσαντο τῆς αὐτῶν κοινωνίας ἀλλότριον εἶναι Αὐξέντιον καὶ τοὺς ὁμοίως αὐτῷ δοξάζοντας, βεβαίαν δὲ μένειν τὴν παραδοθεῖσαν πίστιν παρὰ τῆς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνόδου, τῶν ἐν ᾿Αριμήνῳ δοξάντων ὑπεναντίων ταύτης ἀκύρων ὄντων, ὡς μήτε τοῦ ῾Ρωμαίων ἐπισκόπου μήτε τῶν ἄλλων συνθεμένων αὐτοῖς καὶ ὡς πολλῶν τῶν αὐτόθι συνελθόντων ἀπαρεσθέντων τοῖς τότε παρ' αὐτῶν δεδογμένοις. 6.23.6 ταῦτα δὲ οὕτως γενέσθαι καὶ δόξαι μαρτυρεῖ καὶ ἡ ἐπιστολὴ ∆αμάσου τοῦ ῾Ρωμαίων ἐπισκόπου καὶ τῶν ἅμα αὐτῷ τότε συνελθόντων πρὸς τοὺς ᾿Ιλλυ-ριῶν ἐπισκόπους γραφεῖσα· ἔχει δὲ ὧδε· 6.23.7 «Οἱ ἐπίσκοποι οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς ῾Ρωμαίων εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν συνέδριον συνελθόντες "7τοῖς ἐν τῷ ᾿Ιλλυρικῷ καθεστῶσιν ἐπισκόποις, ∆άμασος καὶ Οὐαλέριος καὶ "7οἱ λοιποὶ τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ἐν κυρίῳ χαίρειν. 6.23.8 "7Πιστεύομεν τὴν ἁγίαν πίστιν ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τῶν ἀποστόλων "7θεμελιωθεῖσαν ταύτην κατέχειν καὶ ταύτην τῷ λαῷ ὑφηγεῖσθαι, ἥτις ἀπὸ "7τῶν ὁρισθέντων παρὰ τῶν πατέρων οὐδενὶ λόγῳ διαφωνεῖ. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄλλως "7ἁρμόζει διανοεῖσθαι τοὺς τοῦ θεοῦ ἱερεῖς, ὑφ' ὧν δίκαιόν ἐστι τοὺς λοιποὺς 6.23. "7παιδεύεσθαι. ἀλλὰ δι' ἀναφορᾶς τῶν ἐν Γαλλίᾳ καὶ Βενετίᾳ ἀδελφῶν "7ἔγνωμέν τινας αἵρεσιν σπουδάζειν, ὅπερ κακὸν οὐ μόνον παραφυλάττεσθαι "7ὀφείλουσιν οἱ ἐπίσκοποι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅσα ἀπειρίᾳ τινῶν ἢ ἁπλότητι εἰκαίαις "7ἑρμηνείαις †ἀνθίσταται†· ἀπὸ οὖν τῶν διαφόρους διδασκαλίας διανοου"7μένων μὴ παρολισθαίνειν, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν κατέχειν τὴν "7γνώμην, ὁσάκις ἂν διαφόροις βουλαῖς περιφέρωνται. τοιγαροῦν Αὐξέντιον "7τὸν Μεδιολάνου ἐξαιρέτως ἐν τούτῳ τῷ πράγματι κατακεκρίσθαι προγέ6.23.10 "7γραπται. δίκαιον οὖν ἐστι πάντας τοὺς ἐν τῷ ῾Ρωμαίων κόσμῳ διδασκά"7λους ὁμοφρονεῖν καὶ μὴ διαφόροις διδασκαλίαις τὴν πίστιν μιαίνειν· καὶ "7γὰρ ἡνίκα πρῶτον ἡ κακία τῶν αἱρετικῶν ἀκμάζειν ἤρξατο, ὡς καὶ νῦν "7μάλιστα, ὅπερ ἀπείη, τῶν ᾿Αρειανῶν ἡ βλασφημία, οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν τρια"7κόσιοι δέκα ὀκτὼ ἐπίλεκτοι, εἰς Νίκαιαν γενομένου σκέμματος, τοῦτο τὸ "7τεῖχος ὑπεναντίον τῶν ὅπλων τοῦ διαβόλου ὥρισαν καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ἀντιδότῳ "7τὰ θανάσιμα φάρμακα ἀπεώσαντο, ὥστε τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν μιᾶς "7θεότητος, μιᾶς ἀρετῆς καὶ ἑνὸς σχήματος πιστεύεσθαι· χρὴ δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς "7ὑποστάσεως καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον πιστεύειν· τὸν δὲ ἄλλως φρονοῦντα 6.23.11 "7ἀλλότριον εἶναι τῆς ἡμετέρας κοινωνίας ἐκρίναμεν. ὅνπερ σωτηριώδη "7ὅρον καὶ τὴν προσκυνητὴν σκέψιν τινὲς μιᾶναι ἠθέλησαν. ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῇ "7τῇ ἀρχῇ ἀπ' αὐτῶν τούτων, οἵτινες τοῦτο ἐν ᾿Αριμήνῳ ἀνανεώσασθαι ἢ