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he received the men kindly and held them in honor and did not prevent them from praying in church, but he did not think it right for them to partake of the mysteries, as it was not lawful to do this before a decision. 8.13.4 He wrote to Theophilus to restore communion to them, as they held correct opinions concerning God; but if their case required a trial, to send whomever he thought fit to judge it. But he made no reply; and after a long time had passed, the party of 8.13.5 Ammonius approached the emperor's wife as she was proceeding, complaining of the measures that Theophilus had plotted against them. She perceived that they had been conspired against and stood still, showing them honor; and leaning out of the imperial carriage, she nodded her head and said, "Bless, and pray for the emperor and me and our children and the empire; and I 8.13.6 will quickly see to a synod and to the arrival of Theophilus." And so she was earnest about these things. But as a false rumor prevailed in Alexandria, that John had given communion to the party of Dioscorus and was eager to help them in every way, Theophilus was considering, if he could somehow, to depose John himself from his episcopate. 8.14.1 Hiding these things in his mind and scheming, he wrote to the bishops throughout the cities, accusing the books of Origen. And considering that it would be of the greatest advantage to him if he could gain as a partner in his endeavors Epiphanius, the bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, a man most distinguished among his contemporaries for the reverence of his life, he made him a friend, though he had previously found fault with him for holding that God was anthropomorphic; 8.14.2 but as if from repentance he had come to know the correct doctrine, he wrote that he was of the same mind with him and stirred up accusations against the books of Origen as being responsible for such doctrines. Epiphanius, however, having long been averse to the writings of Origen, 8.14.3 readily assented to the letter of Theophilus. And having gathered together with the bishops in Cyprus, he forbade the reading of Origen's works. And writing what they had decreed to others, and especially to the bishop of Constantinople, he urged them to hold synods and to vote for the same things. 8.14.4 And Theophilus, perceiving that there was no danger in following Epiphanius, who had many admirers and who was marveled at for whatever he thought on account of the virtue of his life, voted for similar things with the bishops under him. But John did not consider the zeal concerning these matters worthy of mention and held the letters of Epiphanius and Theophilus in secondary importance. 8.14.5 But those who were hostile to him among the powerful and the clergy, learning that Theophilus was eager for his deposition, diligently cooperated and prepared for a very large synod to be held in Constantinople; and Theophilus, knowing this, hurried even more and ordered the bishops from Egypt to sail, and he wrote to Epiphanius and others throughout the East to gather with haste; 8.14.6 but he himself made the journey on foot. Not long after, Epiphanius was the first to sail from Cyprus and landed at the place before Constantinople called Hebdomon. And after praying in the church there, he came into the city. And John honored him as he entered with a reception by the entire clergy. 8.14.7 But Epiphanius was clearly influenced by the slanders against him; for when he was invited to stay in the ecclesiastical residences, he did not consent. And he avoided coming together with John; but privately calling together the bishops residing in Constantinople, he showed them the decrees against the works of Origen, and persuaded some to vote for them; but the majority 8.14.8 refused. But Theotimus, the bishop of Scythia, even openly rebuked Epiphanius. For he said it was not holy to insult one who had long been dead, nor was it free from blasphemy to slander the judgment of the ancients and to set aside what had been approved by them. And as he spoke, he brought forth a certain book of Origen and went through it, and having shown that what was read was useful to the churches, "an absurdity," he said, "do they endure who these things

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ἄνδρας φιλοφρόνως ἐδέξατο καὶ ἐν τιμῇ εἶχε καὶ εὔχεσθαι ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας οὐ διεκώλυε, κοινωνεῖν δὲ μυστηρίων αὐτοῖς οὐχ ἡγήσατο, ὡς οὐ θεμιτὸν πρὸ διαγνώσεως 8.13.4 τοῦτο ποιεῖν. ἔγραψε δὲ Θεοφίλῳ τὴν κοινωνίαν αὐτοῖς ἀποδοῦναι ὡς ὀρθῶς περὶ θεοῦ δοξάζουσιν· εἰ δὲ δίκῃ δέοι κρίνεσθαι τὰ κατ' αὐτούς, ἀποστέλλειν ὃν αὐτῷ δοκεῖ δικασόμενον. ὁ δὲ οὐδὲν ἀντεδήλωσεν· χρόνου δὲ πολλοῦ διαγενομένου προϊούσῃ τῇ βασιλέως γαμετῇ προσῆλθον οἱ περὶ 8.13.5 ᾿Αμμώνιον τὰ κατ' αὐτῶν βεβουλευμένα Θεοφίλῳ μεμφόμενοι. ἡ δὲ ἐπιβουλευθέντας αὐτοὺς ᾔσθετο καὶ τιμῶσα ἔστη· καὶ προκύψασα τοῦ βασιλικοῦ ὀχήματος ἐπένευσε τῇ κεφαλῇ καί «εὐλογεῖτε», ἔφη, «καὶ εὔχεσθε ὑπὲρ τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων παίδων καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς· ἐμοὶ 8.13.6 δὲ ἐν τάχει μελήσει συνόδου καὶ τῆς Θεοφίλου ἀφίξεως.» καὶ ἡ μὲν τοιάδε ἐσπούδαζε. ψευδοῦς δὲ φήμης ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ κρατούσης, ὡς ἐκοινώνησεν ᾿Ιωάννης τοῖς ἀμφὶ ∆ιόσκορον καὶ προθυμεῖται πάντα βοηθεῖν αὐτοῖς, διενοεῖτο Θεόφιλος, εἴ πῃ δύναιτο, καὶ αὐτὸν ᾿Ιωάννην τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς καθελεῖν. 8.14.1 Ταῦτά τε κατὰ νοῦν κρύπτων καὶ συσκευαζόμενος ἔγραφε κατὰ πόλεις 8.14.1 τοῖς ἐπισκόποις τὰ ᾿Ωριγένους βιβλία κατηγορῶν. λογισάμενος δὲ μέγιστον αὐτῷ συνοίσειν, εἰ κοινωνὸν προσλάβοιτο τῶν σπουδαζομένων, ᾿Επιφάνιον τὸν Σαλαμῖνος τῆς ἐν Κύπρῳ ἐπίσκοπον, ἄνδρα τῶν κατ' αὐτὸν αἰδοῖ βίου ἐπισημότατον, φίλον ἐποιεῖτο, πρότερον αὐτῷ μεμφόμενος ὡς ἀνθρωπόμορ8.14.2 φον τὸν θεὸν δοξάζοντι· ὡς ἐκ μετανοίας δὲ τὴν ὀρθὴν δόξαν ἐπιγνοὺς ὁμοφρονεῖν αὐτῷ ἔγραφε καὶ κατὰ τῶν ᾿Ωριγένους βιβλίων ὡς παραιτίων δογμάτων τοιούτων ἐκίνει διαβολάς. ᾿Επιφάνιος δὲ πάλαι ἀποστρεφόμενος τὰ ᾿Ωρι-8.14.3 γένους συγγράμματα ῥᾳδίως προσέθετο τῇ Θεοφίλου ἐπιστολῇ. καὶ συνελθὼν ἅμα τοῖς ἐν Κύπρῳ ἐπισκόποις ἀπηγόρευσε τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τῶν ᾿Ωριγένους λόγων. καὶ τὰ δεδογμένα αὐτοῖς γράψας ἄλλοις τε καὶ τῷ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐπισκόπῳ προετρέπετο συνόδους ποιεῖν καὶ ταὐτὰ ψηφί8.14.4 ζεσθαι. συνιδὼν δὲ Θεόφιλος, ὡς οὐδείς ἐστι κίνδυνος ᾿Επιφανίῳ ἕπεσθαι πολλοὺς ἐπαινέτας ἔχοντι καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ βίου ὅπερ ἂν φρονῇ θαυμάζοντας, παραπλήσια αὐτῷ ἐψηφίσατο σὺν τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἐπισκόποις. ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιωάννης τὴν μὲν ἐπὶ τούτοις σπουδὴν οὐκ ἀξίαν ἡγεῖτο λόγου καὶ τὰ 8.14.5 ᾿Επιφανίου καὶ Θεοφίλου γράμματα ἐν δευτέρῳ ἐποιεῖτο. οἱ δὲ δυσμενῶς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχοντες τῶν ἐν δυνάμει καὶ τῷ κλήρῳ μαθόντες Θεόφιλον σπουδάζειν αὐτοῦ τὴν καθαίρεσιν ἐπιμελῶς συνέπραττον καὶ σύνοδον γενέσθαι μεγίστην ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει παρεσκευάζοντο· καὶ Θεόφιλος δὲ ταῦτα γνοὺς ἔτι μᾶλλον ἠπείγετο καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἐπισκόπους ἐκπλεῦσαι ἐκέλευσε, γράφει δὲ ᾿Επιφανίῳ καὶ ἑτέροις τῶν ἀνὰ τὴν ἕω σπουδῇ συνελ8.14.6 θεῖν· αὐτὸς δὲ πεζὸς ἐποιεῖτο τὴν πορείαν. οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δὲ πρῶτος ᾿Επιφάνιος ἐκπλεύσας ἐκ Κύπρου κατῆρεν εἰς τὸ πρὸ τῆς Κωνσταντινουπόλεως καλούμενον ῞Εβδομον. εὐξάμενος δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐνθάδε ἐκκλησίᾳ ἧκεν εἰς τὴν πόλιν. ὁ δὲ ᾿Ιωάννης εἰσιόντα αὐτὸν τῇ ὑπαντήσει τοῦ παντὸς κλήρου 8.14.7 ἐτίμησεν. ᾿Επιφάνιος δὲ δῆλος ἦν εἴξας ταῖς κατ' αὐτοῦ διαβολαῖς· προτραπεὶς γὰρ ἐν οἰκήμασιν ἐκκλησιαστικοῖς καταμένειν οὐκ ἠνέσχετο. καὶ ᾿Ιωάννῃ μὲν εἰς ταὐτὸν συνελθεῖν ἀπέφυγεν· ἰδίᾳ δὲ συγκαλῶν τοὺς ἐνδημοῦντας ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει ἐπισκόπους ἐπεδείκνυ τὰ ψηφισθέντα κατὰ τῶν ᾿Ωριγένους λόγων, καί τινας ἐπιψηφίσασθαι ἔπεισεν· οἱ δὲ πλείους 8.14.8 παρῃτήσαντο. Θεότιμος δὲ ὁ Σκυθίας ἐπίσκοπος καὶ ἄντικρυς ᾿Επιφανίου καθήψατο. οὔτε γὰρ ἔφη ὅσιον εἶναι τὸν πάλαι τετελευτηκότα ὑβρίζειν οὔτε βλασφημίας ἐκτὸς τὴν τῶν παλαιοτέρων διαβάλλειν κρίσιν καὶ τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων δεδοκιμασμένα ἀθετεῖν. ἅμα τε λέγων καὶ βιβλίον τι τῶν ᾿Ωριγένους προκομίσας διεξῄει, καὶ χρειώδη ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τὰ ἀνεγνωσμένα δείξας «ἄτοπον», ἔφη, «ὑπομένουσιν οἱ ταῦτα