Letter CCXXVI.1178    Placed in 375.

To the ascetics under him.

It may be that the holy God will grant me the joy of a meeting with you, for I am ever longing to see you and hear about you, because in no other thing do I find rest for my soul than in your progress and perfection in the commandments of Christ.  But so long as this hope remains unrealized I feel bound to visit you through the instrumentality of our dear and God-fearing brethren, and to address you, my beloved friends, by letter.  Wherefore I have sent my reverend and dear brother and fellow-worker in the Gospel, Meletius the presbyter.  He will tell you my yearning affection for you, and the anxiety of my soul, in that, night and day, I beseech the Lord in your behalf, that I may have boldness in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ through your salvation, and that when your work is tried by the just judgment of God you may shine forth in the brightness of the saints.  At the same time the difficulties of the day cause me deep anxiety, for all Churches have been tossed to and fro, and all souls are being sifted.  Some have even opened their mouths without any reserve against their fellow servants.  Lies are boldly uttered, and the truth has been hidden.  The accused are being condemned without a trial, and the accusers are believed without evidence.  I had heard that many letters are being carried about against myself, stinging, gibbeting, and attacking me for matters about which I have my defence ready for the tribunal of truth; and I had intended to keep silence, as indeed I have done; for now for three years I have been bearing the blows of calumny and the whips of accusation, content to think that I have the Lord, Who knows all secrets, as witness of its falsehood.  But I see now that many men have silence as a corroboration of these slanders, and have formed the idea that my silence was due, not to my longsuffering, but to my inability to open my lips in opposition to the truth.  For these reasons I have attempted to write to you, beseeching your love in Christ not to accept these partial calumnies as true, because, as it is written, the law judges no man unless it have heard and known his actions.1179    cf. John vii. 51.

2.  Nevertheless before a fair judge the facts themselves are a sufficient demonstration of the truth.  Wherefore, even if I be silent, you can look at events.  The very men who are now indicting me for heterodoxy have been seen openly numbered with the heretical faction.  The very accusers who condemn me for other men’s writings, are plainly contravening their own confessions, given to me by them in writing.  Look at the conduct of the exhibitors of this audacity.  It is their invariable custom to go over to the party in power, to trample on their weaker friends, and to court the strong.  The writers of those famous letters against Eudoxius and all his faction, the senders of them to all the brotherhood, the protesters that they shun their communion as fatal to souls, and would not accept the votes given for their deposition, because they were given by heretics, as they persuaded me then,—these very men, completely forgetful of all this, have joined their faction.1180    The events referred to happened ten years before the date assigned for this letter, when the Semi-Arians summoned Eudoxius to Lampsacus, and sentenced him to deprivation in his absence.  (Soc. H.E. iv. 2–4; Soz. H.E. vi. 7.)  On the refusal of Valens to ratify the deposition and ultimate banishment of the Anti-Eudoxians, Eustathius went to Rome to seek communion with Liberius, subscribed the Nicene Confession, and received commendatory letters from Liberius to the Easterns.  Soc. H.E. iv. 12.  Eudoxius died in 370.  No room for denial is left them.  They laid their mind bare when they embraced private communion with them at Ancyra, when they had not yet been publicly received by them.  Ask them, then, if Basilides, who gave communion to Ecdicius, is now orthodox, why when returning from Dardania, did they overthrow his altars in the territory of Gangra, and set up their own tables?1181    On the action of Eustathius on this occasion, cf. Letter ccli.  Basilides is described as a Paphlagonian.  On Ecdicius, intruded by Demosthenes into the see of Paranassus, cf. Letter ccxxxvii.  Why have they comparatively recently1182    So the Ben. ed. for μέχρι νῦν, with the idea that the action of Eusthathius in currying favour with the Catholics of Amasea and Zela by opposing the Arian bishops occupying those sees, must have taken place before he had quite broken with Basil.  Tillemont (ix. 236) takes νῦν to mean 375.  Amasea and Zela (in Migne erroneously Zeli.  On the name, see Ramsay’s Hist. Geog. Asia M. 260) are both on the Iris. attacked the churches of Amasea and Zela and appointed presbyters and deacons there themselves?  If they communicate with them as orthodox, why do they attack them as heretical?  If they hold them to be heretical, how is it that they do not shun communion with them?  Is it not, my honourable brethren, plain even to the intelligence of a child, that it is always with a view to some personal advantage that they endeavour to calumniate or to give support?  So they have stood off from me, not because I did not write in reply (which is alleged to be the main ground of offence), nor because I did not receive the chorepiscopi whom they assert they sent.  Those who are trumping up the tale will render an account to the Lord.  One man, Eustathius,1183    A chorepiscopus; not of course to be confounded with Eustathius of Sebaste. was sent and gave a letter to the court of the vicar, and spent three days in the city.  When he was on the point of going home, it is said that he came to my house late in the evening, when I was asleep.  On hearing that I was asleep, he went away; he did not come near me on the next day, and after thus going through the mere form of discharging his duty to me, departed.  This is the charge under which I am guilty.  This is the sin against which these long-suffering people have neglected to weigh the previous service wherein I served them in love.  For this error they have made their wrath against me so severe that they have caused me to be denounced in all the Churches throughout the world—at least, that is, wherever they could.

3.  But of course this is not the real cause of our separation.  It was when they found that they would recommend themselves to Euzoius1184    cf. note on p. 265. if they were alienated from me, that they devised these pretences.  The object was to find some ground of recommendation with the authorities for their attack upon me.  Now they are beginning to run down even the Nicene Creed, and nickname me Homoousiast, because in that creed the Only begotten Son is said to be homoousios with God the Father.  Not that one essence is divided into two kindred parts; God forbid!  This was not the meaning of that holy and God-beloved synod; their meaning was that what the Father is in essence, such is the Son.  And thus they themselves have explained it to us, in the phrase Light of Light.  Now it is the Nicene Creed, brought by themselves from the west, which they presented to the Synod at Tyana, by which they were received.1185    i.e. after their return from Rome, and another Synod in Sicily, in 367.  But they have an ingenious theory as to changes of this kind; they use the words of the creed as physicians use a remedy for the particular moment, and substitute now one and now another to suit particular diseases.  The unsoundness of such a sophism it is rather for you to consider than for me to prove.  For “the Lord will give you understanding”1186    2 Tim. ii. 7. to know what is the right doctrine, and what the crooked and perverse.  If indeed we are to subscribe one creed to-day and another tomorrow, and shift with the seasons, then is the declaration false of him who said, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.”1187    Eph. iv. 5.  But if it is true, then “Let no man deceive you with [these] vain words.”  They falsely accuse me of introducing novelties about the Holy Spirit.  Ask what the novelty is.  I confess what I have received, that the Paraclete is ranked with Father and Son, and not numbered with created beings.  We have made profession of our faith in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and we are baptized in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Wherefore we never separate the Spirit from conjunction1188    συνάφεια.  cf. note on p. 16. with the Father and the Son.  For our mind, enlightened by the Spirit, looks at the Son, and in Him, as in an image, beholds the Father.  And I do not invent names of myself, but call the Holy Ghost Paraclete; nor do I consent to destroy His due glory.  These are truly my doctrines.  If any one wishes to accuse me for them, let him accuse me; let my persecutor persecute me.  Let him who believes in the slanders against me be ready for the judgment.  “The Lord is at hand.”  “I am careful for nothing.”1189    Phil. iv. 5 and 6.

4.  If any one in Syria is writing, this is nothing to me.  For it is said “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”1190    Matt. xii. 37.  Let my own words judge me.  Let no one condemn me for other men’s errors nor adduce letters written twenty years ago in proof that I would allow communion to the writers of such things.  Before these things were written, and before any suspicion of this kind had been stirred against them, I did write as layman to layman.  I wrote nothing about the faith in any way like that which they are now carrying about to calumniate me.  I sent nothing but a mere greeting to return a friendly communication, for I shun and anathematize as impious alike all who are affected with the unsoundness of Sabellius, and all who maintain the opinions of Arius.  If any one says that Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are the same, and supposes one thing under several names, and one hypostasis described by three persons, I rank such an one as belonging to the faction of the Jews.1191    cf. Letter ccx. p. 249.  Similarly, if any one says that the Son is in essence unlike the Father, or degrades the Holy Ghost into a creature, I anathematize him, and say that he is coming near to the heathen error.  But it is impossible for the mouths of my accusers to be restrained by my letter; rather is it likely that they are being irritated at my defence, and are getting up new and more violent attacks against me.  But it is not difficult for your ears to be guarded.  Wherefore, as far as in you lies, do as I bid you.  Keep your heart clear and unprejudiced by their calumnies; and insist on my rendering an account to meet the charges laid against me.  If you find that truth is on my side do not yield to lies; if on the other hand you feel that I am feeble in defending myself, then believe my accusers as being worthy of credit.  They pass sleepless nights to do me mischief.  I do not ask this of you.  They are taking to a commercial career, and turning their slanders against me into a means of profit.  I implore you on the other hand to stop at home, and to lead a decorous life, quietly doing Christ’s work.1192    cf. 1 Thess. iv. 11.  I advise you to avoid communication with them, for it always tends to the perversion of their hearers.  I say this that you may keep your affection for the uncontaminated, may preserve the faith of the Fathers in its integrity, and may appear approved before the Lord as friends of the truth.

ΤΟΙΣ ΥΦ' ΕΑΥΤΟΝ ΑΣΚΗΤΑΙΣ

[1] Δυνατὸς μὲν ὁ ἅγιος Θεὸς καὶ τὴν διὰ τῆς συντυχίας εὐφροσύνην ἡμῖν χαρίσασθαι τοῖς ἐπιθυμοῦσι καὶ βλέπειν ὑμᾶς ἀεὶ καὶ ἀκούειν τὰ περὶ ὑμῶν: διότι ἐν οὐδενὶ ἑτέρῳ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν τῶν ψυχῶν, ἢ ἐν τῇ προκοπῇ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ καὶ τῇ διὰ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τελειώσει. Ἕως δὲ τοῦθ' ἡμῖν οὐχ ὑπάρχει, ἀναγκαῖον τιθέμεθα διὰ τῶν γνησιωτάτων καὶ φοβουμένων τὸν Κύριον ἀδελφῶν ἐπισκέπτεσθαι ὑμᾶς καὶ γράμμασι προσομιλεῖν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ὑμῶν. Αὐτοῦ οὖν τούτου ἕνεκεν ἀπεστείλαμεν τὸν εὐλαβέστατον καὶ γνησιώτατον ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν καὶ συνεργὸν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου Μελίτιον τὸν συμπρεσβύτερον, ὃς διηγήσεται ὑμῖν τὸν ἡμέτερον πόθον ὃν ἔχομεν ἐφ' ὑμῖν καὶ τὴν μέριμναν τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν, ὅτι νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας δεόμεθα τοῦ Κυρίου περὶ τῆς ὑμῶν εὐδοκιμήσεως, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἔχωμεν παρρησίαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, διὰ τῆς ὑμῶν σωτηρίας, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐκλάμψητε ἐν τῇ λαμπρότητι τῶν ἁγίων, δοκιμαζομένου ὑμῶν τοῦ ἔργου ὑπὸ τῆς δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἅμα δὲ ἡμῖν πολλὴν μέριμναν ἐμποιεῖ τοῦ κατασχόντος καιροῦ τούτου ἡ χαλεπότης, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσαι μὲν Ἐκκλησίαι ἐσαλεύθησαν, πᾶσαι δὲ ψυχαὶ σινιάζονται. Ἤνοιξαν γὰρ στόματά τινες ἀφειδῶς κατὰ τῶν ὁμοδούλων. Λαλεῖται τὸ ψεῦδος ἀφόβως, ἡ ἀλήθεια συγκεκάλυπται. Καὶ οἱ μὲν κατηγορούμενοι καταδικάζονται ἀκρίτως, οἱ δὲ κατηγοροῦντες πιστεύονται ἀνεξετάστως. Ὅθεν κἀγὼ ἀκούσας ὅτι πάλαι κατ' ἐμοῦ περιφέρονται ἐπιστολαὶ στίζουσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ στηλιτεύουσαι καὶ κατηγοροῦσαι ἐπὶ πράγμασιν ὧν τὴν ἀπολογίαν ἑτοίμην ἔχομεν ἐπὶ τοῦ δικαστηρίου τῆς ἀληθείας, ὥρμησα μὲν σιωπῆσαι, ὃ καὶ ἐποίησα. Τρίτον γὰρ ἤδη τοῦτο ἔτος ἐστὶν ἐν ᾧ τυπτόμενος ὑπὸ τῶν διαβολῶν φέρω τὰς τῆς κατηγορίας μάστιγας, ἀρκούμενος ὅτι ἔχω Κύριον, τὸν τῶν κρυπτῶν γνώστην, μάρτυρα τῆς συκοφαντίας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁρῶ ὅτι πολλοὶ ἤδη τὴν σιωπὴν ἡμῶν εἰς βεβαίωσιν τῶν διαβολῶν παρεδέξαντο καὶ οὐ διὰ μακροθυμίαν ἐνόμισαν ἡμᾶς σιωπᾶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν διᾶραι στόμα πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τούτου ἕνεκεν ἐπειράθην ἐπιστεῖλαι ὑμῖν, παρακαλῶν τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀγάπην ὑμῶν ὥστε τὰς ἐξ ἑνὸς μέρους γινομένας διαβολὰς μὴ πάντη παραδέχεσθαι ὡς ἀληθεῖς, διότι, καθὼς γέγραπται, οὐδένα κρίνει ὁ νόμος, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον ἀκούσῃ καὶ γνῷ τί ποιεῖ.

[2] Καίτοι εὐγνώμονι κριτῇ ἀρκεῖ αὐτὰ τὰ πράγματα πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας φανέρωσιν. Ὥστε κἂν ἡμεῖς σιωπῶμεν, ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν διαβλέψαι πρὸς τὰ γινόμενα. Οἱ γὰρ ἡμῖν κακοδοξίαν ἐγκαλοῦντες ἐφάνησαν νῦν ἐκ τοῦ προφανοῦς τῇ μερίδι τῶν αἱρετικῶν προστιθέμενοι: οἱ ὑπὲρ ἀλλοτρίων συνταγμάτων ἡμᾶς κατακρίνοντες ταῖς ἰδίαις ὁμολογίαις, ἃς ἐγγράφους ἡμῖν κατέθεντο, ἐναντιούμενοι φαίνονται. Νοήσατε τὴν συνήθειαν τῶν ταῦτα τολμώντων, ὅτι ἔθος αὐτοῖς ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ δυνατὸν μετατίθεσθαι μέρος, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀσθενοῦντας τῶν φίλων καταπατεῖν, θεραπεύειν δὲ τοὺς κρατοῦντας. Οἱ γὰρ τὰς πολυθρυλήτους ἐκείνας ἐπιστολὰς κατὰ Εὐδοξίου καὶ πάσης αὐτῶν τῆς μερίδος συγγράφοντες καὶ περιπέμποντες πάσαις ταῖς ἀδελφότησι καὶ διαμαρτυρόμενοι φεύγειν τὴν κοινωνίαν αὐτῶν ὡς ὄλεθρον τῶν ψυχῶν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μὴ καταδεξάμενοι τὰς ἐπὶ τῇ καθαιρέσει αὐτῶν ἐξενεχθείσας ψήφους, ἐπειδὴ παρ' αἱρετικῶν ἦσαν γενόμεναι, ὡς ἔπειθον ἡμᾶς τότε, οὗτοι νῦν πάντων ἐπιλαθόμενοι μετ' αὐτῶν γεγόνασι. Καὶ οὐδεμία αὐτοῖς ἄρνησις καταλείπεται: φανερῶς γὰρ ἀπεκάλυψαν ἑαυτῶν τὴν προαίρεσιν, ἐν Ἀγκύρᾳ τὰς κατ' οἶκον αὐτῶν κοινωνίας ἀσπαζόμενοι, ἐπειδὴ εἰς τὸ κοινὸν ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἐκείνων οὔπω ἐδέχθησαν. Ἐρωτήσατε οὖν αὐτοὺς εἰ ὀρθόδοξος νῦν Βασιλείδης ὁ κοινωνικὸς Ἐκδικίου, διὰ τί ἀπὸ τῆς Δαρδανίας ἐπανιόντες τὰ θυσιαστήρια ἐκίνουν ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τῶν Γαγγρηνῶν καὶ ἑαυτῶν τραπέζας ἐτίθεσαν: διὰ τί μέχρι καὶ νῦν ἐπέρχονται ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Ἀμασείας καὶ Ζήλων καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐγκαθιστῶσι πρεσβυτέρους καὶ διακόνους. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ὀρθοδόξοις κοινωνοῦσι, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὡς αἱρετικοῖς ἐπέρχονται; Εἰ δὲ αἱρετικοὺς ὑπειλήφασι, πῶς τὴν κοινωνίαν αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐκτρέπονται; Ταῦτα οὐχὶ καὶ παιδικῇ διανοίᾳ δῆλά ἐστιν, ἀδελφοὶ τιμιώτατοι, ὅτι ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ ἴδιον συμφέρον βλέποντες ἢ διαβάλλειν τινὰς ἢ συνιστᾶν ἐπιχειροῦσι; Καὶ ἡμῶν τοίνυν ἀπέστησαν οὔτε ἀγανακτήσαντες ὅτι οὐκ ἀντεγράψαμεν (τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὑφ' οὗ μάλιστα λέγουσι παροξύνεσθαι), οὔτε ὅτι τοὺς χωρεπισκόπους οὓς λέγουσιν ἀπεσταλκέναι οὐκ ἐδεξάμεθα. Καίτοι δώσουσι λόγον τῷ Κυρίῳ οἱ τοῦτο κατασκευάζοντες. Εἷς γάρ τις Εὐστάθιος ἀποσταλεὶς καὶ γράμματα διαδοὺς τῇ τάξει τοῦ Οὐικαρίου, τρεῖς ἡμέρας ποιήσας ἐπὶ τῆς πόλεως καὶ μέλλων ἀπαίρειν ἐπὶ τὰ ἴδια, ἑσπέρας ἤδη βαθείας, καθεύδοντί μοι λέγεται πλησιάσαι τῷ οἰκήματι ἡμῶν. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὅτι καθεύδω, ἀπελθών, οὐκέτι τῇ ὑστεραίᾳ ἡμῖν προσήγγισεν, ἀλλ' οὕτως ἀφοσιωσάμενος τὸ καθ' ἡμᾶς ἐπανῆλθε. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἔγκλημα ὃ ἠδικήσαμεν ἡμεῖς, καὶ οἱ μακρόθυμοι οὐκ ἀντεστάθμισαν τὴν πρὸ τούτου δουλείαν ἡμῶν, ἣν ἐδουλεύσαμεν αὐτοῖς ἐν ἀγάπῃ, τῷ πταίσματι τούτῳ: ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον ἐβάρυναν τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν ὀργὴν ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὥστε πάσαις ταῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην Ἐκκλησίαις, τό γε εἰς αὐτοὺς ἧκον, ἐκκηρύκτους ἡμᾶς ποιῆσαι.

[3] Οὐ μὴν αὕτη γέ ἐστι κατὰ ἀλήθειαν τῆς διαστάσεως ἡ αἰτία: ἀλλ', ἐπειδὴ ἐνόμισαν εὐδοκιμήσειν τότε παρὰ τῷ Εὐζωΐῳ, εἰ ἡμῶν ἑαυτοὺς ἀλλοτριώσειαν, ἐκείνας ἑαυτοῖς ἐπενόησαν τὰς προφάσεις, ἵνα εὕρωσί τινα σύστασιν παρ' αὐτοῖς διὰ τοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς πολέμου. Οὗτοι νῦν καὶ τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ διαβάλλουσι πίστιν καὶ ὁμοουσιάστας ἡμᾶς ἀποκαλοῦσι διὰ τὸ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ πίστει τὸν Μονογενῆ Υἱὸν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ ὁμοούσιον ὁμολογεῖσθαι, οὐχ ὡς ἀπὸ μιᾶς οὐσίας μερισθείσης εἰς δύο ἀδελφά, μὴ γένοιτο: οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐνόησεν ἡ ἁγία ἐκείνη καὶ θεοφιλὴς σύνοδος, ἀλλ' ὡς, ὅπερ ἐστὶ κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν ὁ Πατήρ, τοῦτο ὀφείλοντος νοεῖσθαι καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡμῖν αὐτοὶ ἐκεῖνοι ἡρμήνευσαν εἰπόντες φῶς ἐκ φωτός. Ἔστι δὲ ἡ ἐν Νικαίᾳ πίστις, ἡ παρ' αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Δύσεως κομισθεῖσα, ἣν ἐπέδωκαν τῇ συνόδῳ τῇ ἐν Τυάνοις, ὑφ' ἧς καὶ παρεδέχθησαν. Ἀλλ' ἔχουσί τι σοφὸν δόγμα εἰς τὰς τοιαύτας ἑαυτῶν μεταβολάς: ὅτι τοῖς ῥήμασι τῆς πίστεως, ὡς ἰατροί, κέχρηνται κατὰ καιρόν, ἄλλοτε ἄλλως πρὸς τὰ ὑποκείμενα πάθη μεθαρμοζόμενοι. Τούτου δὲ τοῦ σοφίσματος τὸ σαθρὸν οὐκ ἐμὲ ἐλέγχειν προσῆκεν, ἀλλ' ὑμᾶς νοεῖν. Δώσει γὰρ ὑμῖν ὁ Κύριος σύνεσιν πρὸς τὸ γνωρίζειν τίς μὲν ὁ εὐθὴς λόγος, τίς δὲ ὁ σκολιὸς καὶ διεστραμμένος. Εἰ γὰρ ἄλλοτε ἄλλας πίστεις δεῖ συγγράφειν καὶ μετὰ τῶν καιρῶν ἀλλοιοῦσθαι, ψευδὴς ἡ ἀπόφασις τοῦ εἰπόντος: Εἷς Κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνα ἀληθῆ, μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς ἐξαπατάτω τοῖς κενοῖς τούτοις λόγοις. Διαβάλλουσιν ἡμᾶς ὡς καινοτομοῦντας περὶ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ Ἁγίου. Ἐρωτήσατε οὖν τίς ἡ καινοτομία. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ὁμολογοῦμεν ὃ καὶ παρελάβομεν, μετὰ Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ τετάχθαι τὸν Παράκλητον, οὐ μετὰ τῆς κτίσεως ἀριθμεῖσθαι. Εἰς γὰρ Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν καὶ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα πεπιστεύκαμεν, καὶ βαπτιζόμεθα εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐδέποτε τῆς πρὸς Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν συναφείας τὸν Παράκλητον ἀποσπῶμεν. Ὁ γὰρ νοῦς ἡμῶν φωτιζόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος πρὸς Υἱὸν ἀναβλέπει καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ὡς ἐν εἰκόνι θεωρεῖ τὸν Πατέρα. Οὔτε οὖν ὀνόματα παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐπινοοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον καὶ Παράκλητον ὀνομάζομεν, οὔτε τὴν ὀφειλομένην αὐτῷ δόξαν ἀθετεῖν καταδεχόμεθα. Ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ ἡμέτερα μετὰ πάσης ἀληθείας. Ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁ κατηγορῶν κατηγορείτω: ὁ διώκων ἡμᾶς διωκέτω: ὁ πιστεύων ταῖς καθ' ἡμῶν διαβολαῖς ἑτοιμαζέσθω πρὸς τὴν διαδικασίαν. Ὁ Κύριος ἐγγύς, μηδὲν μεριμνῶμεν.

[4] Εἴ τις ἐν Συρίᾳ συγγράφει, τοῦτο οὐδὲν πρὸς ἡμᾶς. «Ἐκ γὰρ τῶν λόγων σου δικαιωθήσῃ, φησί, καὶ ἐκ τῶν λόγων σου καταδικασθήσῃ». Οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι ἐμὲ κρινέτωσαν: ὑπὲρ δὲ ἀλλοτρίων ἡμᾶς σφαλμάτων μηδεὶς καταδικαζέτω, μηδὲ τὰς πρὸ εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν γραφείσας παρ' ἡμῶν ἐπιστολὰς εἰς ἀπόδειξιν προβαλλέσθω τοῦ νῦν κοινωνικοὺς ἡμᾶς εἶναι τοῖς ἐκεῖνα συγγράψασιν. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ πρὸ τῶν συγγραμμάτων λαϊκοὶ ὄντες πρὸς λαϊκοὺς ἐπεστέλλομεν, πρὸ τοῦ τινα καὶ ὑπόνοιαν τοιαύτην κατ' αὐτῶν κινεῖσθαι: καὶ ἐπεστέλλομεν οὐδὲν περὶ τῆς πίστεως, οὐδ' οἷα νῦν ἐπὶ τῇ καθ' ἡμῶν διαβολῇ περιφέρουσιν οὗτοι, ἀλλὰ ψιλὰς προσηγορίας ἀγαπητικὴν προσφώνησιν ἀποπληρούσας. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ὁμοίως καὶ τοὺς τὰ Σαβελλίου νοσοῦντας καὶ τοὺς τὰ Ἀρείου δόγματα ἐκδικοῦντας ὡς ἀσεβεῖς ἀποφεύγομεν καὶ ἀναθεματίζομεν. Εἴ τις τὸν αὐτὸν Πατέρα λέγει καὶ Υἱὸν καὶ Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἓν πρᾶγμα πολυώνυμον ὑποτιθέμενος καὶ μίαν ὑπόστασιν ὑπὸ τριῶν προσηγοριῶν ἐκφωνουμένην, τὸν τοιοῦτον ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ μερίδι τῶν Ἰουδαίων τάσσομεν. Ὁμοίως καὶ εἴ τις ἀνόμοιον λέγει κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν τὸν Υἱὸν τῷ Πατρὶ ἢ εἰς κτίσμα κατάγει τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, ἀναθεματίζομεν καὶ ἐγγὺς εἶναι τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς τιθέμεθα πλάνης. Ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν στόματα τῶν κακηγορούντων ἡμᾶς ἐπισχεθῆναι διὰ τῶν ἡμετέρων γραμμάτων ἀμήχανον: μᾶλλον μὲν οὖν εἰκὸς καὶ ἐρεθίζεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀπολογίαις ἡμῶν, καὶ μείζονα καὶ χαλεπώτερα καθ' ἡμῶν κατασκευάζειν. Τὰς μέντοι ὑμετέρας ἀκοὰς φυλαχθῆναι οὐ χαλεπόν. Ὥστε ὅ ἐστιν ἐφ' ὑμῖν, τοῦτο ποιήσατε. Ἀκεραίαν ἡμῖν καὶ ἀπρόληπτον διαβολαῖς τὴν καρδίαν ὑμῶν φυλάξατε, καὶ πρὸς τὰ προβαλλόμενα ἐγκλήματα ἀπαιτεῖτε ἡμᾶς τὰς εὐθύνας. Καὶ εἰ μὲν εὕρητε παρ' ἡμῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, μὴ δῶτε χώραν τῷ ψεύδει: ἐὰν δὲ ἀτονούντων ἡμῶν πρὸς τὴν ἀπολογίαν αἴσθησθε, τότε πιστεύσατε τοῖς κατηγόροις ἡμῶν ὡς ἀληθεύουσιν. Ἀγρυπνοῦσιν ἐκεῖνοι πρὸς τὸ ἡμᾶς κακοποιῆσαι: τοῦτο παρ' ὑμῶν οὐκ ἐπιζητοῦμεν. Ἐμπορικὸν βίον μεταχειριζόμενοι παρεμπόρευμα ποιοῦνται τὴν ἡμετέραν διαβολήν: ὑμᾶς οἴκοι μένειν καὶ εὐσχημονεῖν, ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Κυρίου πληροῦντας, παρακαλοῦμεν, τὰς μέντοι συντυχίας αὐτῶν τὰς δολερῶς ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων γινομένας ἐκκλίνειν, ἵνα καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην ἀκεραίαν φυλάξητε καὶ τὴν τῶν Πατέρων πίστιν ἄθραυστον διασώσητε καὶ παρὰ τῷ Κυρίῳ εὐδόκιμοι φανῆτε ὡς φίλοι τῆς ἀληθείας.