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ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΗΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ ΤΟΜΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ

ηʹ.

Ἔλεγχος τῶν Ἀρειανιζόντων ἐκ τῶν Εὐσταθίου τοῦ μεγάλου καὶ Ἀθανασίου συγγραμμάτων.

«Βαδιοῦμαι δὲ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ πεπραγμένα. Τί οὖν; ἐπειδὴ διὰ ταῦτα σύνοδος εἰς τὴν Νικαέων ἀφικνεῖται μεγίστη, διακοσίων μήτι γε καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὁμόσε συναχθέντων (τὸ γὰρ σαφὲς διὰ τὸν τῆς πολυανδρίας ὄχλον οὐχ οἷός τέ εἰμι γράφειν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ πάντη τοῦτο περισπουδάστως ἀνίχνευον), ὡς δὲ ἐζητεῖτο τῆς πίστεως ὁ τρόπος, ἐναργὴς μὲν ἔλεγχος τὸ γράμμα τῆς Εὐσεβίου προὐβάλλετο βλασφημίας. Ἐπὶ πάντων δὲ ἀναγνωσθέν, αὐτίκα συμφορὰν μὲν ἀστάθμητον τῆς ἐκτροπῆς ἕνεκα τοῖς αὐτηκόοις προὐξένει, αἰσχύνην δ´ ἀνήκεστον τῷ γράψαντι παρεῖχεν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ ἐργαστήριον τῶν ἀμφὶ τὸν Εὐσέβιον σαφῶς ἑάλω, τοῦ παρανόμου γράμματος διαρραγέντος ὑπ´ ὄψει πάντων ὁμοῦ, τινὲς ἐκ συσκευῆς, τοὔνομα προβαλλόμενοι τῆς εἰρήνης, κατεσίγησαν μὲν ἅπαντας τοὺς ἄριστα λέγειν εἰωθότας. Οἱ δ´ Ἀρειομανῖται, δείσαντες μή πη ἄρα τοσαύτης ἐν ταὐτῷ συνόδου συγκεκροτημένης ἐξοστρακισθεῖεν, ἀναθεματίζουσι μὲν προπηδήσαντες τὸ ἀπηγορευμένον δόγμα, συμφώνοις γράμμασιν ὑπογράψαντες αὐτοχειρί. Τῶν δὲ προεδριῶν διὰ πλείστης ὅσης περιδρομῆς κρατήσαντες, δέον αὐτοὺς ὑπόπτωσιν λαμβάνειν, τοτὲ μὲν λεληθότως, τοτὲ δὲ προφανῶς τὰς ἀποψηφισθείσας πρεσβεύουσι δόξας, διαφόροις ἐπιβουλεύοντες τοῖς ἐλέγχοις. Βουλόμενοι δὲ δὴ παγιῶσαι τὰ ζιζανιώδη φυτουργήματα, δεδοίκασι τοὺς ἐπιγνώμονας, ἐκκλίνουσι τοὺς ἐφόρους καὶ ταύτῃ τοὺς τῆς εὐσεβείας κήρυκας ἐκπολεμοῦσιν. Οὐχ οὕτως δὲ πιστεύομεν ὡς ἀνθρώπους ἀθέους δύνασθαι κρατῆσαι πώποτε τοῦ θείου. Κἂν γὰρ πάλιν ἰσχύσωσι, πάλιν ἡττηθήσονται, κατὰ τὸν σεμνόφωνον προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν.»

Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁ μέγας Εὐστάθιος. Ὁ δὲ τούτου συναγωνιστὴς καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας πρόβολος Ἀθανάσιος, ὁ τῆς Ἀλεξάνδρου τοῦ πανευφήμου προεδρίας διάδοχος, οἷς πρὸς τοὺς Ἄφρους ἐπιστέλλων γέγραφε καὶ ταῦτα προστέθεικε·

«Τῶν γὰρ συνελθόντων ἐπισκόπων βουλομένων τὰς μὲν παρὰ τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ἐφευρεθείσας τῆς ἀσεβείας λέξεις ἀνελεῖν, τὸ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων καὶ τὸ λέγειν κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν καὶ ὅτι τρεπτῆς ἐστι φύσεως, τὰς δὲ τῶν γραφῶν ὁμολογουμένας γράψαι, ὅτι τε ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ υἱὸς φύσει μονογενής ἐστι, λόγος, δύναμις, σοφία μόνη τοῦ πατρός, »θεὸς ἀληθινός«, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἰωάννης, καὶ ὡς ἔγραψεν ὁ Παῦλος »ἀπαύγασμα τῆς δόξης καὶ χαρακτὴρ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς ὑποστάσεως«, οἱ περὶ Εὐσέβιον ὑπὸ τῆς ἰδίας κακοδοξίας ἑλκόμενοι διελάλουν ἀλλήλοις· »συνθώμεθα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν· «εἷς γὰρ θεὸς ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα», καὶ «τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδού, γέγονε τὰ πάντα καινά. Τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ». Ἐλογίζοντο δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ Ποιμένι γραφέν· «πρῶτον πάντων πίστευσον ὅτι εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός, ὁ τὰ πάντα κτίσας καὶ καταρτίσας, καὶ ποιήσας ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι». Ἀλλ´ οἱ ἐπίσκοποι, θεωρήσαντες τὴν κακουργίαν ἐκείνων καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀσεβείας κακοτεχνίαν, λευκότερον εἰρήκασι τὸ ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἔγραψαν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι τὸν υἱόν, ἵνα τὰ μὲν κτίσματα, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀφ´ ἑαυτῶν χωρὶς αἰτίου εἶναι ἀλλ´ ἀρχὴν ἔχειν τοῦ γίνεσθαι, λέγηται ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς μόνος ἴδιος ἐκ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς οὐσίας. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἴδιον μονογενοῦς καὶ ἀληθινοῦ λόγου τοῦ πατρός. Καὶ περὶ μὲν τοῦ γεγράφθαι ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας ἡ πρόφασις αὕτη.

Πάλιν δὲ τῶν ἐπισκόπων ἐρωτώντων τοὺς δοκοῦντας ὀλίγους εἰ λέγοιεν τὸν υἱὸν οὐ κτίσμα, ἀλλὰ δύναμιν σοφίαν τε μόνην τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ εἰκόνα ἀΐδιόν τε καὶ ἀπαράλλακτον κατὰ πάντα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ θεὸν ἀληθινόν, κατελήφθησαν οἱ περὶ Εὐσέβιον διανεύοντες ἀλλήλοις ὅτι· «καὶ ταῦτα φθάνει καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς « Εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα θεοῦ» λεγόμεθα, καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν εἴρηται « Ἀεὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οἱ ζῶντες »· καὶ δυνάμεις πολλαί εἰσιν, καὶ « Ἐξῆλθε μὲν πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου», « Ἡ δὲ κάμπη καὶ ἡ ἀκρὶς« λέγεται »δύναμις μεγάλη», καὶ « Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων μεθ´ ἡμῶν, ἀντιλήπτωρ ἡμῶν ὁ θεὸς Ἰακώβ ». Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἰδίους ἡμᾶς εἶναι τοῦ θεοῦ ἔχομεν οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ´ ὅτι καὶ ἀδελφοὺς ἡμᾶς ἐκάλεσεν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ θεὸν ἀληθινὸν λέγουσι τὸν υἱόν, οὐ λυπεῖ ἡμᾶς· γενόμενος γὰρ ἀληθινός ἐστιν».

Αὕτη τῶν Ἀρειανῶν ἡ διεφθαρμένη διάνοια. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα οἱ ἐπίσκοποι, θεωρήσαντες ἐκείνων τὸ δόλιον, συνήγαγον ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν τὸ ἀπαύγασμα τήν τε πηγὴν καὶ ποταμὸν καὶ χαρακτῆρα πρὸς τὴν ὑπόστασιν, καὶ τὸ «ἐν τῷ φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς», καὶ τὸ «ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν». Καὶ λευκότερον λοιπὸν καὶ συντόμως ἔγραψαν ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρὶ τὸν υἱόν. Τὰ γὰρ προειρημένα πάντα ταύτην ἔχει τὴν σημασίαν.

Καὶ ὁ γογγυσμὸς δὲ αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἄγραφοί εἰσιν αἱ λέξεις, ἐλέγχεται παρ´ αὐτῶν μάταιος· ἐξ ἀγράφων γὰρ ἀσεβήσαντες (ἄγραφα δὲ τὸ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων καὶ τὸ ἦν ποτε ὅτε οὐκ ἦν), αἰτιῶνται διότι ἐξ ἀγράφων μετ´ εὐσεβείας νοουμένων λέξεων κατεκρίθησαν. Αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἐκ κοπρίας εὑρόντες ἐλάλησαν ἀληθῶς ἀπὸ γῆς, οἱ δὲ ἐπίσκοποι, οὐχ ἑαυτοῖς εὑρόντες τὰς λέξεις ἀλλ´ ἐκ τῶν πατέρων ἔχοντες τὴν μαρτυρίαν, οὕτως ἔγραψαν. Ἐπίσκοποι γὰρ ἀρχαῖοι, πρὸ ἐτῶν ἐγγύς που ἑκατὸν τριάκοντα, τῆς τε μεγάλης Ῥώμης καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας πόλεως, ᾐτιάσαντο τοὺς ποίημα λέγοντας τὸν υἱὸν καὶ μὴ ὁμοούσιον τῷ πατρί. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐγίνωσκεν Εὐσέβιος ὁ γενόμενος ἐπίσκοπος τῆς Καισαρείας, πρότερον μὲν συντρέχων τῇ Ἀρειανῇ αἱρέσει, ὕστερον δὲ ὑπογράψας τῇ ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνόδῳ· ἔγραψε καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις διαβεβαιούμενος ὅτι καὶ τῶν παλαιῶν τινας λογίους καὶ ἐπιφανεῖς ἐπισκόπους καὶ συγγραφέας ἔγνωμεν ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ θεότητος τῷ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου χρησαμένους ὀνόματι.»

Οὗτοι μὲν οὖν κατακρύψαντες τὴν νόσον (ἔδεισαν γὰρ τῶν ἐπισκόπων τὸ πλῆθος) τοῖς ἐκτεθεῖσι συνέθεντο, τὴν προφητικὴν κατηγορίαν ἐπισπασάμενοι. Βοᾷ γὰρ καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός· »ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσί με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ´ ἐμοῦ«. Θεωνᾶς δὲ καὶ Σεκοῦνδος, τοῦτο δρᾶσαι μὴ βουληθέντες, παρὰ πάντων συμφώνως ἀπεκηρύχθησαν, ὡς τὴν Ἀρείου βλασφημίαν τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς προτετιμηκότες διδασκαλίας. Αὖθις δὲ συνελθόντες εἰς τὸ συνέδριον περὶ τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς πολιτείας νόμους ἔγραψαν εἴκοσι.

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The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret (CCEL)

Chapter VIII. Facts relating to Meletius the Egyptian, from whom originated the Meletian Schism, which remains to this day. Synodical Epistle respecting him.

After Meletius ¹ had been ordained bishop, which was not long before the Arian controversy, he was convicted of certain crimes by the most holy Peter, bishop of Alexandria, who also received the crown of martyrdom. After being deposed by Peter he did not acquiesce in his deposition, but filled the Thebaid and the adjacent part of Egypt with tumult and disturbance, and rebelled against the primacy of Alexandria. A letter was written by the council to the Church of Alexandria, stating what had been decreed against his revolutionary practices. It was as follows:—

Synodical Epistle.

“To the Church of Alexandria which, by the grace of God, is great and holy, and to the beloved brethren in Egypt, Libya, and Pentapolis, the bishops who have been convened to the great and holy council of Nicæa, send greeting in the Lord.

The great and holy council of Nicæa having been convened by the grace of God, and by the most religious emperor, Constantine, who summoned us from different provinces and cities, we judge it requisite that a letter be sent from the whole Holy Synod to inform you also what questions have been mooted and debated, and what has been decreed and established.

In the first place, the impious doctrines of Arius were investigated before our most religious emperor Constantine; and his impiety was unanimously anathematized, as well as the blasphemous language and views which he had propounded, alleging that the Son of God was out of what was not, that before He was begotten He was not, that there was a period in which He was not, and that He can, according to His own freewill, be capable either of virtue or of vice. The holy council anathematized all these assertions, and even refused so much as to listen to such impious and foolish opinions, and such blasphemous expressions. The final decision concerning him you already know, or will soon hear; but we will not mention it now, lest we should appear to trample upon a man who has already received the recompense due to his sins. Such influence has his impiety obtained as to involve Theonas, bishop of Marmarica, and Secundus, bishop of Ptolemais, in his ruin, and they have shared his punishment.

But after Egypt had, by the grace of God, been delivered from these false and blasphemous opinions, and from persons who dared to raise discord and division among a hitherto peaceable people, there yet remained the question of the temerity of Meletius, and of those ordained by him. We now inform you, beloved brethren, of the decrees of the council on this subject. It was decided by the holy council, that Meletius should be treated with clemency, though, strictly speaking, he was not worthy of even the least concession. He was permitted to remain in his own city, but was divested of all power, whether of nomination or of ordination, neither was he to shew himself in any province or city for these purposes: but only to retain the bare name of his office. Those who had received ordination at his hands were to submit to a more religious re-ordination; and were to be admitted to communion on the terms of retaining their ministry, but of ranking in every diocese and church below those who had been ordained before them by Alexander, our much-honoured fellow-minister. Thus they would have no power of choosing or nominating others to the ministry, according to their pleasure, or indeed of doing anything with out the consent of the bishops of the Catholic and Apostolic Church, who are under Alexander. But they who, by the grace of God, and in answer to your prayers, have been detected in no schism, and have continued spotless in the Catholic and Apostolic Church, are to have the power of electing, and of nominating men worthy of the clerical office, and are permitted to do whatsoever is in accordance with law and the authority of the Church. If it should happen, that any of those now holding an office in the Church should die, then let these recently admitted be advanced to the honours of the deceased, provided only that P. 47 they appear worthy, and that the people choose them, and that the election be confirmed and ratified by the catholic bishop of Alexandria. The same privilege has been conceded to all the others. With respect to Meletius, however, an exception has been made, both on account of his former insubordination, and of the rashness and impetuosity of his disposition; for if the least authority were accorded to him, he might abuse it by again exciting confusion. These are the chief points which relate to Egypt, and to the holy Church of Alexandria. Whatever other canons were made, or dogmas decreed, you will hear of them from Alexander, our most-honoured fellow-minister and brother, who will give you still more accurate information, because he himself directed, as well as participated in, every thing that took place.

We also give you the good news that, according to your prayers, the celebration of the most holy paschal feast was unanimously rectified, so that our brethren of the East, who did not previously keep the festival at the same time as those of Rome, and as yourselves, and, indeed, all have done from the beginning, will henceforth celebrate it with you. Rejoice, then, in the success of our undertakings, and in the general peace and concord, and in the extirpation of every heresy, and receive with still greater honour and more fervent love, Alexander, our fellow-minister and your bishop, who imparted joy to us by his presence, and who, at a very advanced age, has undergone so much fatigue for the purpose of restoring peace among you. Pray for us all, that what has been rightly decreed may remain steadfast, through our Lord Jesus Christ, being done, as we trust, according to the good pleasure of God and the Father in the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Notwithstanding the endeavours of that divine assembly of bishops to apply this medicine to the Meletian disease, vestiges of his infatuation remain even to this day; for there are in some districts bodies of monks who refuse to follow sound doctrine, and observe certain vain points of discipline, agreeing with the infatuated views of the Jews and the Samaritans.