1

Letter to Flacillus

2 To the most honorable and beloved fellow-minister Flacillus, Eusebius, greetings in the Lord.

If our brief words sufficed against the idle and verbose writing of Marcellus, one ought not to be surprised; for many words were not needed for the refutation of things that were self-evidently and by chance condemned. Therefore in the first two [books], using only the juxtaposition of the man's sayings without any rebuttal, I made the refutation against them evident from them. But now, in addition to that detection, I have also brought forward the refutation of the same things through the three books at hand. For he, having composed one very long and most erroneous treatise, says that he did this for the purpose of acknowledging one God, lest he might inadvertently give a place of hypostasis to the Son of God by dividing the scripture. But we, honoring the all-holy and thrice-blessed Trinity, have comprehended the whole subject in so many [books], refraining from much speaking, but in short and brief [words] presenting the true theology. If, therefore, what has been written is sufficient, you yourself may judge when you read it; but if anything is lacking, you might supply these things also, as a brother remedies the shortcomings of a brother, healing by correction wherever a cure is needed. I pray that you may be well and always remember me in the Lord.

1

Epistula ad Flacillum

2 Τῷ τιμιωτάτῳ καὶ ἀγαπητῷ συλλειτουργῷ Φλακίλλῳ Εὐσέβιος ἐν κυρίῳ χαίρειν

Εἰ πρὸς τὴν ἀδόλεσχον καὶ πολυεπῆ Μαρκέλλου γραφὴν τὰ παρ' ἡμῶν ἐν

βραχέσιν ἤρκεσεν, οὐ χρὴ θαυμάζειν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ πολλῶν ἔδει λόγων πρὸς ἀνατροπὴν τῶν αὐτόθεν καὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν κατεγνωσμένων. διὸ δὴ ἐν δυσὶ τοῖς πρώτοις μόνῃ τῇ παραθέσει τῶν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ῥημάτων χρησάμενος δίχα πάσης ἀντιρρήσεως ἐξ αὐτῶν τὸν κατ' αὐτῶν ἔλεγχον φανερὸν ἐποιούμην. νυνὶ δὲ πρὸς ἐκείνῃ τῇ φώρᾳ καὶ τὴν ἀνατροπὴν τῶν αὐτῶν διὰ τριῶν τῶν μετὰ χεῖρας προσήγαγον. ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἕν τι διωλύγιον καὶ πολυπλανὲς σύγγραμμα συντάξας τοῦτό φησιν πεποιηκέναι διὰ τὸ ἕνα γνωρίζειν θεόν, μή πη λάθῃ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ χώραν διδοὺς ὑποστάσεως διελὼν τὴν γραφήν. ἡμεῖς δὲ τὴν παναγίαν καὶ τρισμακαρίαν τιμῶντες τριάδα ἐν τοσούτοις τὴν πᾶσαν ὑπόθεσιν συνειλήφαμεν, φεισάμενοι μὲν πολυλογίας, ἐν ἐπιτόμοις δὲ καὶ βραχέσιν τὴν ἀληθῆ παραστήσαντες θεολογίαν. εἰ μὲν οὖν αὐτάρκως ἔχει τὰ γραφέντα, κρίνειας ἂν αὐτὸς ἐντυγχάνων· εἰ δέ τινα λείποι, καὶ ταῦτα ἂν ἀναπληρώσειας, δηλαδὴ ἃ δὴ ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφοῦ τὰ ὑστερήματα, εἴ που καὶ θεραπείας δέοιτο, δι' ἐπανορθώσεως ἐξιώμενος. Ἔρρωσθαί σε καὶ μνημονεύειν μου τῷ κυρίῳ διὰ παντὸς εὔχομαι.