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The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret (CCEL)
Chapter VI. General Council of Nicæa.
The emperor, who possessed the most profound wisdom, having heard of these things, endeavoured, as a first step, to stop up their fountain-head. He therefore despatched a messenger renowned for his ready wit to Alexandria with letters, in the endeavour to extinguish the dispute, and expecting to reconcile the disputants. But his hopes having been frustrated, he proceeded to summon the celebrated council of Nicæa 1; and pledged his word that the bishops and their officials should be furnished with asses, mules, and horses for their journey at the public expense. When all those who were capable of enduring the fatigue of the journey had arrived at Nicæa, he went thither himself, with both the wish of seeing the multitude of bishops, and the yearning desire of maintaining unanimity amongst them. He at once arranged that all their wants should be liberally supplied. Three hundred and eighteen bishops were assembled. The bishop of Rome [^15], on account of his very advanced age, was absent, but he sent two presbyters 2 to the council, with authority to agree to what was done.
At this period many individuals were richly endowed with apostolical gifts; and many, like the holy apostle, bore in their bodies the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ 3. James, bishop of Antioch, a city of Mygdonia, which is called Nisibis by the Syrians and Assyrians, raised the dead and restored them to life, and performed many other wonders which it would be superfluous to mention again in detail in this history, as I have already given an account of them in my work, entitled “Philotheus 4.” Paul, bishop of Neo-Cæsarea, a fortress situated on the banks of the Euphrates, had suffered from the frantic rage of Licinius. He had been deprived of the use of both hands by the application of a red-hot iron, by which the nerves which give motion to the muscles had been contracted and rendered dead. Some had had the right eye dug out, others had lost the right arm. Among these was Paphnutius of Egypt. In short, the Council looked like an assembled army of martyrs. Yet this holy and celebrated gathering was not entirely free from the element of opposition; for there were some, though so few as easily to be reckoned, of fair surface, like dangerous shallows, who really, though not openly, supported the blasphemy of Arius.
When they were all assembled 5, the emperor ordered a great hall to be prepared for their accommodation in the palace, in which a sufficient number of benches and seats were placed; and having thus arranged that they should be treated with becoming dignity, he desired the bishops to enter in, and discuss the subjects proposed. The emperor, with a few attendants, was the last to enter the room; remarkable for his lofty stature, and worthy of admiration for personal beauty, and for the still more marvellous modesty which dwelt on his countenance. A low stool was placed for him in the middle of the assembly, upon which, however, he did not seat himself until he had asked the permission of the bishops. Then all the sacred assembly sat down around him. Then forthwith rose first the great Eustathius, bishop of Antioch, who, upon the translation of Philogonius, already referred to, to a better life, had been compelled reluctantly to become his successor by the unanimous suffrages of the bishops, priests, and of the Christ-loving laity. He crowned the emperor’s head with the flowers of panegyric, and commended the diligent attention he had manifested in the regulation of ecclesiastical affairs.
The excellent emperor next exhorted the Bishops to unanimity and concord; he recalled to their remembrance the cruelty of the late tyrants, and reminded them of the honourable peace which God had, in his reign and by his means, accorded them. He pointed out how dreadful it was, aye, very dreadful, that at the very time when their enemies were destroyed, and when no one dared to oppose them, they should fall upon one another, and make their amused adversaries laugh, especially as they were debating about holy P. 44 things, concerning which they had the written teaching of the Holy Spirit. “For the gospels” (continued he) , “the apostolical writings, and the oracles of the ancient prophets, clearly teach us what we ought to believe concerning the divine nature. Let, then, all contentious disputation be discarded; and let us seek in the divinely-inspired word the solution of the questions at issue.” These and similar exhortations he, like an affectionate son, addressed to the bishops as to fathers, labouring to bring about their unanimity in the apostolical doctrines. Most members of the synod, won over by his arguments, established concord among themselves, and embraced sound doctrine. There were, however, a few, of whom mention has been already made, who opposed these doctrines, and sided with Arius; and amongst them were Menophantus, bishop of Ephesus, Patrophilus, bishop of Scythopolis, Theognis, bishop of Nicæa, and Narcissus, bishop of Neronias, which is a town of the second Cilicia, and is now called Irenopolis; also Theonas, bishop of Marmarica, and Secundus, bishop of Ptolemais in Egypt 6. They drew up a formulary of their faith, and presented it to the council. As soon as it was read it was torn to pieces, and was declared to be spurious and false. So great was the uproar raised against them, and so many were the reproaches cast on them for having betrayed religion, that they all, with the exception of Secundus and Theonas, stood up and took the lead in publicly renouncing Arius. This impious man, having thus been expelled from the Church, a confession of faith which is received to this day was drawn up by unanimous consent; and, as soon as it was signed, the council was dissolved.
[^15] : Sylvester.
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Originally named Antigonea, after its founder; then Nicæa after the Queen of Lysimachus; now Isnik. ↩
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Vitus and Vincentius. ↩
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Cf. Gal. vi. 17. The “stigmata” here meant are the marks of persecution. ↩
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i.e. The Φιλόθεος ἱστορία , “Religious History,” a work containing the lives of celebrated ascetics, composed before the Ecclesiastical History. For Dr. Newman’s explanation of its apparent credulity, Vide Hist. Sketches, iii. 314, and compare his Apologia pro Vita sua, on his own acceptance of the marvellous, Appendix, p. 57. ↩
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On the circumstances and scene of the opening of the Council consult Stanley’s Eastern Church, Lecture IV. ↩
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Menophantus was one of the disciples of Lucianus ( Philos. H.E. ii. 14). He accepted the Nicene decision, but was excommunicated by the Sardican Fathers. Cf. Book II. Chap. 6. Patrophilus, bishop of Scythopolis, the Bethshan of Scripture, was an ardent and persistent Arian. Theodoret mentions his share in the deposition of Eustathius (I. 20). Theognis was sentenced to banishment on account of the Arian sympathies he displayed at Nicæa, but escaped by a feigned acceptance. Narcissus of Irenopolis, a town of Cilicia Secunda, took an active part in the Arian movement: Athanasius says that he was thrice degraded by different synods, and is the worst of the Eusebians ( Ath. Ap. de fuga, sec. 28). Marmarica is not a town, but a district. It lay west of Egypt, about the modern Barca. There were two cities in Egypt named Ptolemais, one in Upper Egypt below Abydos; one a port of the Red Sea. After the time of Constantine, Cilicia was divided into three districts; Cilicia Prima, with Tarsus for chief town; Secunda, with Anazarbus; Tertia, with Seleuceia. ↩
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Histoire de l'Église
CHAPITRE VI.
Lettre d'Eusèbe Evêque de Nicomédie : à Paulin Evêque de Tyr.
Eusèbe: à Paulin son Seigneur : Salut en notre Seigneur.
« NOUS n'avons pas ignoré combien le Seigneur Eusèbe a témoigné de zèle pour la défense de la vérité, ni de quelle manière vous êtes demeuré dans le silence. Si son zèle nous a donné de la joie, votre silence nous a causé de la tristesse, parce que nous n'avons pu regarder le silence d'un aussi grand homme que vous, que comme la perte de notre cause. C'est pourquoi comme vous savez que c'est une chose indigne d'un homme sage d'être dans un autre sentiment que les autres, et de taire la vérité, je vous exhorte autant que je puis, à exciter en vous-même l'esprit d'intelligence, et à écrire des choses qui seront utiles, et à vous, et à vos lecteurs, principalement, si vous suivez le sens et l'intention de l'Ecriture sainte. Nous n'avons jamais ouï parler de deux êtres non engendrés, ni d'un divisé en deux, et nous n'avons jamais ni appris, ni cru qu'il eût souffert quelque chose de corporel, mais qu'il y a un non engendré, et un autre qui procède véritablement de lui, qui n'est point fait de sa substance, et ne participe en aucune sorte à sa nature, mais est tout-à-fait différent en nature, et en puissance, et est fait néanmoins à la ressemblance de la nature, et de 119 la puissance de son Auteur. Nous croyons non seulement qu'il ne peut être exprimé par aucun langage, mais encore qu'il ne peut être compris, ni par l'esprit de l'homme, ni par aucun autre esprit d'un ordre plus élevé. Nous disons ceci, non après l'avoir inventé de nous-mêmes, mais après l'avoir appris de la sainte Ecriture. Nous avons appris de la bouche du Seigneur: qu'il est créé, fondé et engendré dans la souffrance et dans l'immuable et ineffable nature, et ressemblance, qu'il a avec son Auteur, lorsqu'il dit: Dieu m'a créé dans le commencement de ses voies, il m'a fondé avant les siècles, et m'a. engendré avant les collines. Que s'il était de lui, et sorti de lui comme une de ses parties, comme par un écoulement de subsistance, on ne dirait plus qu'il serait créé ni fondé. Certainement vous n'ignorez pas ce que je dis. Car ce qui procède de ce qui n'est point engendré ne peut être créé ni fondé, ni par celui-là, ni par un autre ; puisqu'il n'a été engendré que d'une génération éternelle. Mais si l'on veut croire qu'il est né de la substance du Père, parce qu'il est dit qu'il a été engendré, nous savons que ce n'est pas de »lui seul que l'Ecriture dit qu'il a été engendré, mais qu'elle le dit aussi des autres qui sont d'une nature toute différente de la sienne. Car elle dit en parlant des hommes, J'ai engendré des enfants, et je les ai élevés, et ils m'ont méprisé : Et dans un autre endroit : Vous avez abandonné Dieu qui vous a engendré. En parlant des autres créatures, elle dit aussi . Qui est-ce qui a engendré les gouttes de la rosée ? Ce n'est pas à dire que la nature de la rosée soit une partie de la nature Divine. C'est- à-dire seulement que rien n'a été produit que par sa volonté. Il n'y a aucune créature qui soit de sa substance, bien qu'il n'y en ait aucune qui n'ait été faite par sa volonté, et qui n'existe 120 de la manière qu'elle a été faite. Mais pour les créatures, elles ont été faites à sa ressemblance, et selon sa volonté par le Verbe. Toutes choses ont été faites par le Verbe, mais c'est Dieu qui les a faites. Quand vous aurez lu ma Lettre, et que vous l'aurez polie selon la lumière et la grâce que vous avez reçue de Dieu, je vous supplie d'écrire le plus promptement qu'il vous sera possible, à Alexandre mon Seigneur. Si vous prenez cette peine, je ne doute point que vous ne lui persuadiez ce qu'il vous plaira. Saluez tous nos frères en notre Seigneur. Que la grâce de Dieu vous conserve en santé, et qu'elle vous fasse prier pour nous. »
Voila comment ils s'écrivaient pour s'instruire mutuellement des moyens d'attaquer la vérité. Lorsque la semence de ces blasphèmes eût été répandue dans les Eglises d'Orient, il s'émut dans chaque Ville et dans chaque Bourg des contestations et des disputes touchant la nature de Dieu. Le peuple fut spectateur de ce qui fut fait, et juge de ce qui fut avancé de part et d'autre. Les uns louaient un parti, et les autres l'autre. C'était un spectacle tout-à-fait tragique, et digne de larmes. Car l'Eglise n'était pas attaquée comme autrefois par des étrangers. Elle l'était par ses enfants, qui étaient assis à la même table, qui ne composaient qu'un corps, et qui s'armaient cependant les uns contre les autres, et se battaient avec leurs langues, comme avec des traits.