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Israel of old, whom He led through captivity into the land of the Assyrians, extinguished the idolatry there through the sojourn of the saints. And so now we find on reflection that the Lord, setting before you the prize for piety, on the one hand opened for you through exile a stadium for blessed contests, and on the other hand granted to those who encounter your good purpose clear examples for salvation. Since, therefore, by the grace of God we have learned of the orthodoxy of your faith, we have learned of your care for the brotherhood and that you do not pass over cursorily or negligently matters of common benefit and necessity for salvation, but resolve to do whatever is for the building up of the Churches, we have considered it right to become partakers of your good portion and to join ourselves by letter to your piety. For which reason we have also sent our most beloved son Elpidius the fellow deacon, at once bearing the letter and at the same time able to report to you from himself whatever has escaped instruction by letter. 265.2 But we have been especially strengthened in our desire for fellowship with you by the report of your zeal for the orthodoxy of your piety, that the steadfastness of your heart has been carried away neither by a multitude of treatises nor by a variety of sophistries, but you have recognized those who innovate against the apostolic doctrines, and you have not deigned to restrain in silence the harm being worked by them. For in truth we have found much grief among all who hold to the peace of the Lord at the manifold innovations of Apollinarius of Laodicea, who has grieved us so much the more inasmuch as he seemed from the beginning to be one of us. For to suffer something from an open enemy, even if it be excessive in pain, is somehow bearable to the one afflicted, as it is written: "For if an enemy had reviled me, I would have borne it." But to experience some harm from one of like mind and a friend, this is completely unbearable and has no consolation. For him whom we expected to have as a fellow-champion of the truth, we now find in many things hindering those who are being saved by dragging away their mind and tearing it from the correctness of the doctrines. For what ardent and daring thing has not been done by him in deeds? And what newer and more dangerous thing has not been devised in words? Has not every Church been divided against itself, and especially those governed by the orthodox, with men sent by him to cause schism and to claim a private conventicle for himself? Is not the great mystery of piety mocked, as bishops wander about without people and clergy, carrying a mere name, and achieving nothing for the advancement of the Gospel of salvation? Are not his discourses on God full of impious doctrines, the old impiety of the foolish-minded Sabellius being now renewed by him in his treatises? For if the things which the Sebastenoi circulate have not been fabricated by enemies, but are in truth his writings, he has left no excess of impiety untried, saying the same is Father and Son, and again Son and Father, and other obscure, impious words which we have not deigned even to receive with our ears, praying to have no part with those who uttered those words. Has not the doctrine of the Incarnation been confused by him? Has not the saving dispensation of our Lord become doubtful to many because of his turbid and obscure inquiries about the incarnation? To gather all these things and set them for refutation requires much time and speech. And the topic of the promises, who has so obscured and made it disappear as this man's mythology? He who dared to explain the blessed hope laid up for those who have lived according to the Gospel of Christ so basely and contemptibly that he turned aside to old wives' tales and Judaic myths. He promises from above the renewal of the temple and

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πάλαι Ἰσραὴλ ὃν διὰ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀγαγὼν εἰς τὴν Ἀσσυρίων γῆν ἔσβεσε τὴν ἐκεῖ εἰδωλολατρείαν διὰ τῆς τῶν ἁγίων ἐπιδημίας. Καὶ νῦν τοίνυν οὕτως εὑρίσκομεν λογιζό μενοι ὅτι τὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἆθλον ὑμῖν προβαλλόμενος ὁ Κύριος ὑμῖν μὲν διὰ τῆς ἐξορίας στάδιον ἤνοιξε τῶν μακαρίων ἀγωνισμάτων, τοῖς δὲ περιτυγχάνουσιν ὑμῶν τῇ ἀγαθῇ προαιρέσει ἐναργῆ τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ὑποδείγματα ἐχαρίσατο. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι ἐμάθομεν ὑμῶν τὴν ὀρθότητα τῆς πίστεως, ἐμάθομεν τὸ περὶ τὴν ἀδελφό τητα ἐπιμελὲς καὶ ὅτι οὐ παρέργως οὐδὲ ἠμελημένως παρέρχεσθε τὰ κοινωφελῆ καὶ ἀναγκαῖα πρὸς σωτηρίαν, ἀλλ' εἴ τι πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἐνεργεῖν προαι ρεῖσθε, δίκαιον ἐνομίσαμεν κοινωνοὶ γενέσθαι τῆς ἀγαθῆς μερίδος ὑμῶν καὶ συνάψαι ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τοῦ γράμματος τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ εὐλαβείᾳ. Οὗπερ ἕνεκα ἀπεστείλαμεν καὶ τὸν ποθεινότατον υἱὸν ἡμῶν Ἐλπίδιον τὸν συνδιάκονον ὁμοῦ μὲν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν διακομίζοντα, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμενον ἀναγγεῖλαι ὑμῖν ὅσα τὴν ἐκ τοῦ γράμματος διαπέφευγε διδασκαλίαν. 265.2 Μάλιστα δὲ ἡμᾶς ἐπέρρωσε πρὸς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῆς συναφείας ὑμῶν ἡ ἀκοὴ τοῦ περὶ τὴν ὀρθότητα ζήλου τῆς εὐσεβείας ὑμῶν, ὅτι οὔτε πλήθει συνταγμάτων οὔτε ποικιλίᾳ σοφισμάτων παρηνέχθη ὑμῶν τὸ στερρὸν τῆς καρδίας, ἀλλ' ἐπέγνωτε μὲν τοὺς κατὰ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν δογμάτων καινο τομοῦντας, σιωπῇ δὲ κατασχεῖν τὴν ἐνεργουμένην παρ' αὐτῶν βλάβην οὐ κατεδέξασθε. Καὶ γὰρ τῷ ὄντι πολλὴν εὕρομεν λύπην παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἀντεχομένοις τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου εἰρήνης ἐπὶ ταῖς νεωτεροποιίαις ταῖς παντοδαπαῖς Ἀπολι ναρίου τοῦ Λαοδικέως, ὃς τοσούτῳ πλέον ἐλύπησεν ἡμᾶς ὅσῳ ἔδοξεν εἶναι ἐξ ἡμῶν τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ παρὰ φανεροῦ πολεμίου παθεῖν τι, κἂν ὑπερβάλλῃ τῷ ἀλγεινῷ, φορητόν πώς ἐστι τῷ καταπονουμένῳ, καθὼς γέγραπται· «Ὅτι εἰ ἐχθρὸς ὠνείδισέ με, ὑπήνεγκα ἄν». Τὸ δὲ παρ' ὁμοψύχου καὶ οἰκείου βλάβης τινὸς πειραθῆναι, τοῦτο δύσ φορον παντελῶς καὶ οὐδεμίαν ἔχον παραμυθίαν. Ὃν γὰρ προσεδοκήσαμεν συνασπιστὴν ἕξειν τῆς ἀληθείας, τοῦτον εὕρομεν νῦν ἐν πολλοῖς ἐμποδίζοντα τοῖς σωζομένοις ἐκ τοῦ περιέλκειν αὐτῶν τὸν νοῦν καὶ ἀποσπᾶν τῆς εὐθύτητος τῶν δογμάτων. Τί γὰρ ἐν ἔργοις παρ' αὐτοῦ θερμὸν καὶ τολμηρὸν οὐκ ἐπράχθη; Τί δὲ ἐν λόγοις οὐ παρεπενοήθη νεώτερον καὶ ἐπικεκινδυνευμένον; Οὐ πᾶσα μὲν Ἐκκλησία ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν ἐμερίσθη, μάλιστα δὲ ταῖς παρὰ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων κυβερνωμέναις ἐπιπεμφθέντων παρ' αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸ σχίσαι καὶ ἰδίαν παρασυναγωγὴν ἐκδικῆσαι; Οὐχὶ γελᾶται τὸ μέγα τῆς εὐσεβείας μυστήριον ὡς ἄνευ λαοῦ καὶ κλήρου ἐπισκό πων περιερχομένων, ὄνομα ψιλὸν περιφερόντων, οὐδὲν δὲ κατορθούντων εἰς προκοπὴν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τῆς σωτηρίας; Οὐχὶ οἱ περὶ Θεοῦ λόγοι παρ' αὐτῷ πλήρεις εἰσὶν ἀσεβῶν δογμάτων, τῆς παλαιᾶς ἀσεβείας τοῦ ματαιόφρονος Σαβελ λίου δι' αὐτοῦ νῦν ἀνανεωθείσης τοῖς συντάγμασιν; Εἰ γὰρ ἃ περιφέρουσιν οἱ Σεβαστηνοὶ μὴ συμπέπλασται παρ' ἐχ θρῶν, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ εἰσι συγγραφαί, οὐδεμίαν εἰς ἀσέβειαν ὑπερβολὴν καταλέλοιπε τὸν αὐτὸν Πατέρα λέγων καὶ Υἱὸν καὶ πάλιν Υἱὸν καὶ Πατέρα καὶ ἄλλα σκοτεινὰ ἀσεβῆ ῥήματα ἃ ἡμεῖς οὐδὲ ταῖς ἀκοαῖς ἡμῶν κατεδεξάμεθα παραδέξασθαι εὐχόμενοι μηδεμίαν ἔχειν μερίδα πρὸς τοὺς ἐκεῖνα τὰ ῥήματα φθεγξαμένους. Οὐχὶ συγκέχυται παρ' αὐτῷ ὁ τῆς Ἐνανθρωπήσεως λόγος; Οὐκ ἀμφίβολος γέγονε τοῖς πολλοῖς ἡ σωτήριος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν οἰκονομία ἐκ τῶν θολερῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ σκοτεινῶν περὶ σαρκώσεως ζητημάτων; Ἃ πάντα συναγαγεῖν καὶ εἰς ἔλεγχον καταστῆσαι μακροῦ καὶ χρόνου καὶ λόγου δεῖται. Τὸν δὲ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν τόπον τίς οὕτως ἠμαύρωσε καὶ ἠφάνισεν ὡς ἡ τούτου μυθολογία; Ὅς γε τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην τοῖς πολιτευ σαμένοις κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὕτω ταπεινῶς καὶ ἐρριμμένως ἐτόλμησεν ἐξηγήσασθαι ὥστε εἰς γραώδεις λόγους καὶ ἰουδαϊκοὺς μύθους ἐκτραπῆναι. Ἄνωθεν ἐπαγγέλ λεται τοῦ ναοῦ τὴν ἀνανέωσιν καὶ