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of such great things which seemed to us to confirm our friendship for one another before, you yourself, over the small matters that have reached you, wrote that you had suffered such great astonishment. Have you then also suffered the fate of the many, who, having abandoned examining the nature of the matters, pay attention to the men about whom the discussions are, and become examiners not of the truth, but testers of the difference of persons, forgetting the advice that “To show partiality in judgment is not good.” 244.2 But since God does not show partiality to man, the defense which I have prepared for the great tribunal, I will not refuse to make this known to you as well. That nothing from us from the beginning, neither small nor great, has become a cause of the division; but men who hate us, for reasons they themselves know (for it is not right for me to say anything about them), were making continuous slanders. And once and twice we repudiated them; but as the matter was endless and there was no benefit in continuous defense, we being settled far away, and the liars being nearby to wound with their slanders against us a heart easily won over and not taught to keep the other ear untouched for the one not present, with the Nicopolitans demanding some full assurance of faith, which you certainly have not been unaware of, it seemed good to us to undertake the service of the letter. For we reckoned we would accomplish two things at the same time: both to persuade the Nicopolitans not to think ill of the man, and to stop the mouths of those who slander us, since the agreement in faith would shut out the false accusations from both sides. And so the creed was written, and was presented by us, and was signed. When it was signed, a place was also appointed for a second synod, and another time, so that our brothers throughout the diocese, coming together, might be united with one another and that for the future the communion might be genuine and without deceit. We, therefore, and the brothers with us, met at the appointed time; some were present, others were streaming in, all cheerful and eager, as if running to peace; and there were letters from us and couriers signifying that we were present; for the place appointed for the reception of those assembling was ours. But when no one from the other side, neither running ahead nor announcing the good news of the arrival of those expected, and those sent by us returned, reporting much dejection and murmuring from those there, as if a new faith had been proclaimed by us; and they were said to be resolving with an oath not to permit their bishop to cross over to us; and someone came, bringing us a letter of excommunication and having no mention of the things agreed upon from the beginning; and my brother Theophilus, worthy of all reverence and honor, sending one of his companions, made known certain things which he thought it was incumbent on him to say and fitting for us to hear. For he did not see fit to write, not so much being suspicious of refutation from a letter as taking care not to come under the necessity of addressing us as bishops, except indeed that the words were harsh and brought forth from an inflamed heart. At this we dispersed, ashamed and dejected in spirit, not having any answer for those who asked. And not a long time was in between, and a journey as far as the Cilicians, and from there a return, and immediately letters containing a prohibition of communion with us. 244.3 The reason for the breach is that, to Apollinarius, he says, we wrote a letter, and that we have our fellow presbyter Diodore in communion. But I never considered Apollinarius an enemy, but there are things for which I even respect the man; however, I have not so attached myself to the man as to accept his faults myself, since I myself have certain charges to bring against him, having come across some of his writings. Indeed, concerning the Holy Spirit, I know neither of asking him for a book nor of receiving one sent.

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τηλικούτων ἃ ἡμῖν ἐδόκει τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους φιλίαν πρότε ρον βεβαιοῦν, αὐτὸς ἐπὶ μικροῖς τοῖς μέχρι σοῦ φθάσασι τηλικαύτην ἔγραφες τὴν ἔκπληξιν πεπονθέναι. Ἄρ' οὖν καὶ σὺ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν πέπονθας, οἳ καταλιπόντες τῶν πραγ μάτων τὴν φύσιν ἐξετάζειν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσέχουσι περὶ ὧν οἱ λόγοι καὶ γίνονται οὐ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐξετασταί, ἀλλὰ τῆς διαφορᾶς τῶν προσώπων δοκιμασταί, ἐπιλαθόμε νοι τῆς παραινέσεως ὅτι «Ἐπιγινώσκειν πρόσωπον ἐν κρί σει οὐ καλόν». 244.2 Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ Θεὸς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου οὐ λαμ βάνει, ἣν πρὸς τὸ μέγα δικαστήριον ἀπολογίαν παρεσκεύασα, ταύτην καὶ σοὶ γνωρίσαι οὐ παραιτήσομαι. Ὅτι οὐδὲν παρ' ἡμῶν τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὔτε μικρὸν οὔτε μεῖζον γέγονε τῆς δια στάσεως αἴτιον· ἀλλ' ἄνθρωποι μισοῦντες ἡμᾶς, δι' ἃς ἴσασιν προφάσεις αὐτοὶ (οὐ γὰρ ἐμὲ χρὴ λέγειν περὶ αὐτῶν οὐδέν), συνεχεῖς ἐποιοῦντο τὰς διαβολάς. Καὶ ἅπαξ μὲν ταύτας καὶ δὶς ἀπεδυσάμεθα· ὡς δὲ ἀπέραντον ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ οὐδὲν ὄφελος τῆς συνεχοῦς ἀπολογίας, ἡμῶν μὲν μακρὰν ἀπῳκισμένων, τῶν δὲ ψευδολόγων ἐγγύθεν ἐχόντων ταῖς καθ' ἡμῶν τιτρώσκειν διαβολαῖς καρδίαν εὐκαταγώνιστον καὶ οὐ δεδιδαγμένην τὴν ἑτέραν τῶν ἀκοῶν ἀκεραίαν φυλάτ τειν τῷ μὴ παρόντι, τῶν Νικοπολιτῶν ἀπαιτούντων τινὰ πληροφορίαν πίστεως, ὃ πάντως οὐδὲ ὑμεῖς ἠγνοήσατε, ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν τὴν διακονίαν τοῦ γράμματος ὑποδέξασθαι. Ἐλογισάμεθα γὰρ δύο κατορθώσειν ἐν ταὐτῷ· τούς τε Νικο πολίτας πείσειν μὴ κακῶς φρονεῖν περὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς καὶ τῶν διαβαλλόντων ἡμᾶς ἐμφράξειν τὰ στόματα, τῆς κατὰ τὴν πίστιν συμφωνίας τὰς ἑκατέρωθεν συκοφαντίας ἀποκλειού σης. Καὶ δὴ καὶ συγγέγραπτο μὲν ἡ πίστις, προσηνέχθη δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν, ὑπεγράφη δέ. Ὡς ὑπεγράφη, καὶ χωρίον ἀπε δείχθη συνόδου δευτέρας καὶ καιρὸς ἕτερος, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς κατὰ τὴν παροικίαν ἀδελφοὺς ἡμῶν συνελθόντας ἑνωθῆναι ἀλλήλοις καὶ γνησίαν καὶ ἄδολον τοῦ λοιποῦ εἶναι τὴν κοι νωνίαν. Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν ἀπηντήσαμεν κατὰ τὴν προθεσμίαν καὶ οἱ σὺν ἡμῖν ἀδελφοί, οἱ μὲν παρῆσαν, οἱ δὲ ἐπέρρεον, φαιδροὶ πάντες καὶ πρόθυμοι ὡς ἐπὶ εἰρήνην τρέχοντες· καὶ γράμματα παρ' ἡμῶν καὶ ἡμεροδρόμοι σημαίνοντες ὅτι πάρεσμεν· καὶ γὰρ ἡμέτερον ἦν τὸ χωρίον τὸ ἀποδεδειγ μένον εἰς ὑποδοχὴν τῶν συντρεχόντων. Ὡς δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἑτέρου μέρους οὐδείς, οὔτε προτρέχων οὔτε εὐαγγελιζόμενος τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν προσδοκωμένων, οἱ δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀποστα λέντες ἐπανῆλθον κατήφειαν πολλὴν καὶ γογγυσμὸν τῶν ἐκεῖ διηγούμενοι, ὡς καινῆς πίστεως παρ' ἡμῶν καταγγελθείσης· καὶ ἐλέγοντο διορίζεσθαι ἦ μὴν μὴ ἐπιτρέψειν τῷ ἐπισκό πῳ αὐτῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαβῆναι· ἦλθε δέ τις καὶ γράμμα φέρων ἡμῖν ἀφωσιωμένον καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἔχον μνήμην τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς συγκειμένων· καὶ ὁ πάσης δέ μοι αἰδοῦς καὶ τιμῆς ἄξιος ἀδελφὸς Θεόφιλος, ἕνα τῶν ἑαυτῷ συνόντων ἀπο στείλας, ἐδήλωσέ τινα ἃ ἐνόμισε καὶ αὐτῷ ἐπιβάλλοντα εἶναι εἰπεῖν καὶ ἡμῖν ἀκοῦσαι πρέποντα. Ἐπιστεῖλαι γὰρ οὐκ ἠξίωσεν οὐ τὸν ἐκ τῶν γραμμάτων ἔλεγχον ὑφορώμενος το σοῦτον ὅσον φροντίζων τοῦ μὴ εἰς ἀνάγκην ἐλθεῖν προσει πεῖν ἡμᾶς ὡς ἐπισκόπους, πλήν γε δὴ ὅτι σφοδρὰ ἦν τὰ ῥήματα καὶ ἀπὸ καρδίας ἐκθερμανθείσης ἐξενεχθέντα. Ἐπὶ τούτοις διελύθημεν κατῃσχυμμένοι καὶ συμπεπτωκότες τῇ γνώμῃ, οὐκ ἔχοντες ὅ τι τοῖς ἐρωτῶσιν ἀποκρινώμεθα. Χρόνος δὲ οὐ πολὺς ἐν τῷ μέσῳ καὶ ἀποδημία μέχρι Κιλί κων, κἀκεῖθεν ἐπάνοδος καὶ γράμματα εὐθὺς ἀπαγόρευσιν ἔχοντα τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς κοινωνίας. 244.3 Ἡ δὲ αἰτία τῆς ἀπορρήξεως ὅτι Ἀπολιναρίῳ, φησίν, ἐπεστείλαμεν καὶ τὸν συμπρεσβύτερον ἡμῶν ∆ιόδωρον ἔχο μεν κοινωνικόν. Ἐγὼ δὲ Ἀπολινάριον μὲν ἐχθρὸν οὐδέποτε ἡγησάμην, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἐφ' οἷς καὶ αἰδοῦμαι τὸν ἄνδρα· οὐ μὴν οὕτως ἐμαυτὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ συνῆψα ὡς τὰ ἐκείνου ἐγκλή ματα αὐτὸς ὑποδέχεσθαι, ὅπου γε ἔχω τινὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγκαλεῖν αὐτῷ ἐντυχών τισι τῶν συνταγμάτων αὐτοῦ. Οὐ μὴν περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ Ἁγίου ἢ αἰτήσας αὐτὸν οἶδα βιβλίον ἢ ἀποσταλὲν ὑποδεξάμενος.