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A man finds fault with Athanasius, who perhaps has had no appointment at all, or if he has had one, he himself invalidated it. He was in Berytus from the beginning, but leaving Berytus he came to Nicomedia, leaving the one contrary to law, and entering the other contrary to law, and having unnaturally abandoned his own, he irrationally holds another's, and having disregarded the affection for the first out of desire for another, 6.7 he has not kept for the second even that which he held through desire. For behold, having departed from there as well, he again holds another's see, everywhere coveting other men's cities and thinking that piety consists in wealth and in the size of cities, and considering as nothing the lot of God to which one was appointed, not knowing that "where two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord, there is the Lord in the midst of them," not considering what was said by the Apostle, that "I will not boast in other men's labours," not perceiving his command, "Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed." And if this saying applies to a wife, how much more to a church and the same episcopate, to which he who is bound ought not to seek another, lest he be found an adulterer according to the divine scriptures.

7.1 But though conscious of such things in himself, he has dared to slander the appointment of Athanasius, which is attested by all on good grounds, and he dares to reproach him with deposition, having been deposed himself and having his own replacement's appointment as a witness of his deposition. How then could either he or Theognius depose another, having been deposed themselves and convicted by the appointments made in their places? 7.2 For you know well that Amphion was appointed in Nicomedia, and Chrestus in Nicaea, in their place, on account of their own impiety and their communion with the Ariomanites who were rejected by the ecumenical council. And wishing to abolish that which was truly a council, they attempt to call their own unjust assembly a council, and not wishing the decisions of those others to hold, they want their own to hold, 7.3 and they who do not obey so great a council call theirs a council. Thus they have not cared for a council, but they pretend to care, in order that by destroying the orthodox, they may undo the decisions of the true and great council against the Arians, of whom being leaders both always and now, they dare to lie against Athanasius the bishop. 7.4 For those things are like the present things, which they falsely say, that at his entrance there were riots and dirges and lamentations of the people being displeased at his reception. For nothing of the sort happened, but quite the contrary, joy and gladness and a rush of the people hastening to the longed-for sight of him; and the churches were full of gladness and 7.5 thanksgivings offered up to the Lord everywhere. And all the ministers and clergy saw him in such a way that their souls rejoiced and they believed they had that day as the most cheerful of all. For why should I write of the unspeakable joy of us bishops? For we have already said that we considered ourselves to be suffering with him.

8.1 Since these things are thus confessed and contrarily alleged by them, what credibility does the council or judgment so much talked of by them have? For those who dare thus to intrude upon matters they have not seen, which they have not judged, for which they have not assembled, and to write as if they were fully informed, how can they be believed concerning the matters for which they say they assembled, and will it not be believed that they have done those things as well as these out of enmity? 8.2 For what sort of council of bishops was there then? What sort of assembly holding to the truth? Who of the majority among them was not our enemy? Was it not on account of the Arian madness that the party of Eusebius rushed against us? Did they not bring on the others who agreed with them? Did we not always write against them as holding the opinions of Arius? 8.3 Was not Eusebius of Caesarea in Palestine accused of sacrificing by the confessors with us?

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Ἀθανασίου μέμφεται ἄνθρωπος τάχα μηδὲ κατάστασιν ὅλως ἐσχηκώς, εἰ δέ που καὶ ἔσχεν αὐτὸς ἀκυρώσας αὐτήν. ἐν Βηρυτῷ μὲν ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, Βηρυτὸν δὲ ἀφεὶς εἰς Νικομήδειαν ἦλθε, τὴν μὲν παρὰ νόμον ἀφείς, εἰς τὴν δὲ παρὰ νόμον ἐπιβαίνων, καὶ τὴν μὲν οἰκείαν ἀστόργως καταλελοιπώς, τὴν δὲ ἀλλοτρίαν ἀλόγως κατέχων, καὶ τῆς μὲν πρώτης τὴν στοργὴν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας ἐπιθυ 6.7 μίας παριδών, τῇ δὲ δευτέρᾳ μηδὲ ἣν ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἔσχε τηρήσας. ἰδοὺ γὰρ κἀκεῖθεν ἀποστὰς ἀλλοτρίαν πάλιν κατέχει πανταχοῦ ταῖς ἀλλοτρίαις ἐποφθαλμιῶν πόλεσι καὶ ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ ἐν μεγέθει πόλεων νομίζων εἶναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ τὸν κλῆρον τοῦ θεοῦ, καθ' ὃν ἐτάχθη τις, μηδὲν ἡγούμενος, οὐκ εἰδώς, ὅτι καὶ «ὅπου δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰσὶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ κυρίου, ἐκεῖ ἐστιν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν ὁ κύριος», οὐκ ἐνθυμούμενος τὸ παρὰ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λεχθὲν ὅτι «οὐκ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις καμάτοις καυχήσομαι», οὐ συνορῶν τὸ παρ' αὐτοῦ παράγγελμα «δέδεσαι γυναικί, μὴ ζήτει λύσιν». εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ γυναικὸς τὸ ῥητόν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐπισκοπῆς, ᾗ ὁ συνδεθεὶς ἄλλην οὐκ ὀφείλει ζητεῖν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ μοιχὸς παρὰ ταῖς θείαις εὑρίσκηται γραφαῖς.

7.1 Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοιαῦτα ἑαυτῷ συνειδὼς τετόλμηκε τὴν κατάστασιν Ἀθανασίου τὴν ὑπὸ πάντων ἐπὶ καλοῖς μαρτυρουμένην διαβάλλειν, καὶ καθαίρεσιν ὀνειδίζειν αὐτῷ τολμᾷ καθαιρεθεὶς αὐτὸς καὶ μάρτυρα τῆς καθαιρέσεως ἔχων τὴν ἀντ' αὐτοῦ κατάστασιν. πῶς οὖν ἢ αὐτὸς ἢ Θεόγνιος ἠδύναντο καθαιρεῖν ἄλλον αὐτοὶ καθαιρεθέντες καὶ ταῖς ἀντ' 7.2 αὐτῶν καταστάσεσιν ἐλεγχόμενοι; οἴδατε γὰρ ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι Ἀμφίων μὲν ἐν Νικο μηδείᾳ, Χρηστὸς δὲ ἐν Νικαίᾳ κατεστάθησαν ἀντ' αὐτῶν διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς Ἀρειομανίτας κοινωνίαν τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς συνόδου τῆς οἰκουμενικῆς ἀποδοκι μασθέντας. κἀκείνην τὴν τῷ ὄντι σύνοδον ἀναιρεῖν θέλοντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἄδικον σύστασιν ὀνομάζειν σύνοδον ἐπιχειροῦσι, καὶ τὰ παρ' ἐκείνων κρατεῖν μὴ θέλοντες τὰ παρ' αὐτοῖς 7.3 κρατεῖν βούλονται, καὶ σύνοδον ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ συνόδῳ τηλικαύτῃ μὴ πειθόμενοι. οὕτως οὐ συνόδου πεφροντίκασιν, ἀλλὰ σχηματίζονται φροντίζειν, ἵνα ἀνελόντες τοὺς ὀρθο δόξους τὰ δόξαντα τῇ ἀληθεῖ καὶ μεγάλῃ συνόδῳ κατὰ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν λύσωσιν, ὧν προιστάμενοι καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ νῦν ψεύδεσθαι τολμῶσι κατὰ Ἀθανασίου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου. 7.4 ὅμοια γὰρ κἀκεῖνα τοῖς νῦν, ἃ ψεύδονται, ὅτι πρὸς τὴν εἴσοδον αὐτοῦ στάσεις καὶ θρῆνοι καὶ ὀδυρμοὶ γεγόνασι τῶν λαῶν πρὸς τὴν ὑποδοχὴν αὐτοῦ δυσανασχετούντων. οὐδὲν γὰρ τοιοῦτον γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ πᾶν τοὐναντίον, χαρὰ καὶ εὐθυμία καὶ δρόμος τῶν λαῶν πρὸς τὴν εὐκταίαν αὐτοῦ θέαν ἐπειγομένων· εὐφροσύνης δὲ αἱ ἐκκλησίαι μεσταὶ καὶ 7.5 εὐχαριστίαι πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἀναφερόμεναι πανταχοῦ. λειτουργοὶ δὲ καὶ κληρικοὶ πάντες οὕτως αὐτὸν ἑωράκασιν, ὡς εὐφρανθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς κἀκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν πασῶν εὐθυμοτέραν ἐσχηκέναι πιστεύειν. τὴν γὰρ ἡμῶν τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἀνεκλάλητον χαρὰν τί χρὴ γράφειν; προλαβόντες γὰρ εἰρήκαμεν ὡς σὺν αὐτῷ πάσχειν ἐνομίζομεν.

8.1 Τούτων τοίνυν οὕτως ὁμολογουμένων καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν ἐναντίως προφερομένων ποίαν ἔχει πίστιν ἡ παρ' αὐτῶν θρυλουμένη σύνοδος ἢ κρίσις; οἱ γὰρ οὕτως ἐπιβαίνειν τολμῶντες, οἷς οὐκ εἶδον, οἷς οὐκ ἐδίκασαν, ἐφ' οἷς οὐ συνῆλθον, καὶ γράφειν ὡς πληρο φορηθέντες, πῶς ἐφ' οἷς συνεληλυθέναι λέγουσι πιστευθῆναι δύνανται, ἀλλ' οὐ κατ' ἔχθραν 8.2 κἀκεῖνα πεποιηκέναι καὶ ταῦτα πιστευθήσονται; ποία γὰρ καὶ σύνοδος ἐπισκόπων ἦν τότε; ποῖον συνέδριον ἀληθείας ἐχόμενον; τίς τῶν πλειόνων ἐν αὐτοῖς οὐκ ἐχθρὸς ἡμέτερος ἦν; οὐ διὰ τὴν Ἀρείου μανίαν οἱ περὶ Εὐσέβιον καθ' ἡμῶν ὥρμησαν; οὐ τοὺς ἄλλους συμφρονοῦντας αὐτοῖς ἐπήγοντο; οὐκ ἀεὶ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐγράφομεν ὡς τὰ Ἀρείου 8.3 φρονούντων; οὐκ Εὐσέβιος ὁ ἐν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Παλαιστίνης ἐπὶ θυσίᾳ κατηγορεῖτο ὑπὸ τῶν σὺν ἡμῖν ὁμολογητῶν;