Nicene/Post-Nicene, Series II, Volume 28

Athanasius, 298 - 373

1. I supposed that, after so many proofs of my innocence had been given, my enemies would have shrunk from further enquiry, and would now have condemned themselves for their false accusations of others. But as they are not yet abashed ... I therefore thought it necessary to make my defence unto you ... . First of all, it was tried in my own country in an assembly of nearly one hundred of its Bishops; a second time at Rome, when, in consequence of letters from Eusebius, both they and we were summoned, and more than fifty Bishops met; and a third time in the great Council assembled at Sardica by order of the most religious Emperors Constantius and Constans, when my enemies were degraded as false accusers, and the sentence that was passed in my favour received the suffrages of more than three hundred Bishops ... .
Defence Against the Arians, Part I, Introduction, § 1

2. ... The holy Council assembled at Alexandria out of Egypt, the Thebais, Libya, and Pentapolis, to the Bishops of the Catholic Church everywhere, brethren beloved and greatly longed for in the Lord, greeting.
20. Thus wrote the Bishops of Egypt to all Bishops, and to Julius, Bishop of Rome.
Defence Against the Arians, Part I, Introduction, §§ 2, 20

Eusebius and his fellows wrote also to Julius [bishop of Rome], and thinking to frighten me, requested him to call a council, and to be himself the judge, if he so pleased. When therefore I went up to Rome, Julius wrote to Eusebius and his fellows as was suitable ... . But they ... were thrown into confusion, as not expecting my going up thither; and they declined the proposed Council ... in truth they were afraid lest the things should be proved against them ... . However, more than fifty Bishops assembled ... and they acknowledged my defence, and gave me the confirmation both of their communion and their love. On the other hand, they expressed great indignation against Eusebius and his fellows, and requested that Julius would write to the following effect to those of their number who had written to him. Which accordingly he did ... .
¶ Julius to his dearly beloved brethren, Danius, Flacillus, Narcissus, Eusebius, Maris, Macedonius, Theodorus, and their friends, who have written to me from Antioch, sends health in the Lord.
22. ... The Bishops who assembled in the great Council of Nicaea agreed, not without the will of God, that the decisions of one council should be examined in another ... .
30. ... For what canon of the Church, or what Apostolical tradition warrants this, that when a Church was at peace, and so many Bishops were in unanimity with Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria, Gregory should be sent thither, a stranger to the city, not having been baptized there, nor known to the general body, and desired neither by Presbyters, nor Bishops, nor Laity—that he should be appointed at Antioch, and sent to Alexandria, accompanied not by presbyters, nor by deacons of the city, nor by bishops of Egypt, but by soldiers?...
35. ... O beloved, the decisions of the Church are no longer according to the Gospel, but tend only to banishment and death. Supposing, as you assert, that some offence rested upon those persons, the case ought to have been conducted against them, not after this manner, but according to the Canon of the Church. Word should have been written of it to us all, that so a just sentence might proceed from all....
¶ And why was nothing said to us concerning the Church of the Alexandrians in particular? Are you ignorant that the custom has been for word to be written first to us, and then for a just decision to be passed from this place? If then any such suspicion rested upon the Bishop there, notice thereof ought to have been sent to the Church of this place ... . For what we have received from the blessed Apostle Peter, that I signify to you ... .
36. Thus wrote the Council of Rome by Julius, Bishop of Rome.
Defence Against the Arians, Part I, Chapter II, §§ 20, 22, 30, 35, 36

37. ... when they came to the city of Sardica, they were unwilling to meet the Council of all the holy Bishops. From this it became evident that the decision of our brother and fellow-Bishop Julius was a just one; for after cautious deliberation and care he had determined, that we ought not to hesitate at all about communion with our brother Athanasius. For he had the credible testimony of eighty Bishops ... .
44. ... Accordingly, the grace of God assisting them, our most religious Emperors have themselves assembled us together out of different provinces and cities ... . When therefore Eusebius and his fellows wrote long ago to Julius our brother and Bishop of the Church of the Romans, against our fore-mentioned brethren ... .
¶ ... when they were invited to a Council by our dearly beloved fellow-minister Julius ... .
Defence Against the Arians, Part I, Chapter III, § 44
{When Athanasius here refers to Julius as "our brother" and "fellow-Bishop" and "our dearly beloved fellow-minister" there is no flavor of the papal pomp or presumption that has become customary in later times.}

51. When the most religious Emperor Constantius heard of these things, he sent for me, having written privately to his brother Constans of blessed memory, and to me three several times in the following terms.... we have therefore addressed to your fortitude letters full of our bounty, to the end that you may use all speed and without fear present yourself in our presence, thereby to obtain the enjoyment of your wishes, and that, having experience of our kindness, you may be restored again to your own....
¶ Such was the tenor of the Emperor's letters; on receiving which I went up to Rome to bid farewell to the Church and the Bishop ... . The Church was filled with all joy, and the Bishop Julius rejoiced with me in my return ... .
54. The Emperor ... received me kindly, and sent me forth to my country and Church addressing the following to the Bishops, Presbyters, and People.
¶ Constantius, Victor, Maximus, Augustus, to the Bishops and Presbyters of the Catholic Church.
¶ The most reverend Athanasius ... is restored by the will of the Most High, and by our sentence, at once to his country and to the Church, over which by divine permission he presided....
Defence Against the Arians, Part I, Chapter IV, §§ 51, 54
{Here Athanasius is restored to his see at Alexandria by the emperor.}

Ursacius and Valens to the most blessed lord, pope Julius.
Whereas it is well known that we have heretofore in letters laid many grievous charges against the Bishop Athanasius, and whereas when we were corrected by the letters of your Goodness, we were unable to render an account of the statement we had made; we do now confess before your Goodness, and in the presence of all the Presbyters our brethren, that all the reports which have heretofore come to your hearing respecting the case of the aforesaid Athanasius, are falsehoods and fabrications, and are utterly inconsistent with his character. Wherefore we earnestly desire communion with the aforesaid Athanasius ... .
Defence Against the Arians, Part I, Chapter IV, § 58

63. ... To the Blessed pope Athanasius [bishop of Alexandria], Ischyras sends health in the Lord.
67. ... Constantine, Victor, Maximus, Augustus, to the pope Athanasius.
69. ... To the blessed Pope Athanasius, Arsenius, Bishop ... .
¶ Being earnestly desirous of peace and union with the Catholic Church, over which by the grace of God you preside [at Alexandria] ... . we write unto you, dearly beloved Pope, and declare in the name of the Lord, that we will not for the future hold communion with those who continue in schism ... . neither yet without the consent of you, the bishop of the metropolis ... .
¶ ... I, Arsenius, pray for your health in the Lord for many years, most blessed Pope.
Defence Against the Arians, Part II, Chapter V, §§ 63, 67, 69

71. ... When Meletius was admitted into communion (would that he had never been so admitted!) the blessed Alexander who knew his craftiness required of him a schedule of the Bishops whom he said he had in Egypt, and of the presbyters and deacons that were in Alexandria itself, and if he had any in the country district. This the Pope Alexander [bishop of Thessalonica] has done, lest Meletius ... .
89. ... if they had been ordinary men, and not the Bishops of illustrious cities, and the heads of great Churches ... . and one of them is Liberius, Bishop of Rome ... and since there is also the great Hosius, together with the Bishops of Italy, and of Gaul, and others from Spain, and from Egypt, and Libya, and all those from Pentapolis ... .
Defence Against the Arians, Part II, Chapter VI, §§ 71, 89

... Why, Peter, who calls Christ a man capable of suffering ... confesses, `Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'...
On the Opinion of Dionysius, § 8

... they spoke against him in the presence of his namesake Dionysius the Bishop of Rome. And he, upon hearing it, wrote simultaneously against the partisans of Sabellius and against those who held the very opinions for uttering which Arius was cast out of the Church ... Dionysius, Bishop of Rome, having written also against those who said that the Son of God was a creature and a created thing ... .
On the Opinion of Dionysius, § 13

... the faithful Christian and true disciple of the Gospel, having grace to discern spiritual things, and having built the house of his faith upon a rock ... .
To the Bishops of Egypt, Chapter I, § 4

... When I left Alexandria, I did not go to your brother's [the emperor] head-quarters, or to any other persons, but only to Rome; and having laid my case before the Church (for this was my only concern), I spent my time in the public worship.
Defence Before Constantius, § 4

... a report suddenly reached me ... . It was rumoured everywhere that Liberius, Bishop of Rome, the great Hosius of Spain, Paulinus of Gaul, Dionysius and Eusebius of Italy, Lucifer of Sardinia, and certain other Bishops and Presbyters and Deacons, had been banished because they refused to subscribe to my condemnation. These had been banished: and Vincentius of Capua, Fortunatian of Aquileia, Heremius of Thessalonica, and all the Bishops of the West, were treated with no ordinary force, nay were suffering extreme violence and grievous injuries, until they could be induced to promise that they would not communicate with me....
Defence Before Constantius, § 27

... while the Churches were at peace, and the people worshipping in their congregations, Liberius, Bishop of Rome, Paulinus, Metropolitan of Gaul, Dionysius, Metropolitan of Italy, Lucifer, Metropolitan of the Sardinian islands, and Eusebius of Italy, all of them good Bishops and preachers of the truth, were seized and banished, on no pretence whatever, except that they would not unite themselves to the Arian heresy ... .
Defence of His Flight, § 4

... But since they have conspired against so many other Bishops of high character, and have spared neither the great confessor Hosius, nor the Bishop of Rome, nor so many others from the Spains and the Gauls, and Egypt, and Libya, and the other countries ... .
Defence of His Flight, § 9

Eusebius and his fellows, however, seeing the declension of their heresy, wrote to Rome, as well as to the Emperors Constantine and Constans, to accuse Athanasius ... when the persons who were sent by Athanasius disproved the statements which they had written, they were put to shame by the Emperors; and Julius, Bishop of Rome, wrote to say that a Council ought to be held ... .
History of the Arians, Part II, § 9

... a report of the Council held at Rome, and of the proceedings against the Churches at Alexandria, and through all the East, came to the hearing of the Emperor Constans. He writes to his brother Constantius, and immediately they both determine that a Council shall be called ... Accordingly there assemble at the city of Sardica both from the East and West to the number of one hundred and seventy Bishops, more or less; those who came from the West were Bishops only, having Hosius [bishop of Córdoba] for their father ... .
History of the Arians, Part III, § 15

... immediately the holy Council, of which the great Hosius [bishop of Córdoba] was president ... .
History of the Arians, Part III, § 16

Ursacius and Valens to my Lord the most blessed Pope Julius.
History of the Arians, Part III, § 26

... they spared not even Liberius, Bishop of Rome, but extended their fury even to those parts; they respected not his bishopric, because it was an Apostolical throne; they felt no reverence for Rome, because she is the Metropolis of Romania; they remembered not that formerly in their letters they had spoken of her Bishops as Apostolical men....
History of the Arians, Part V, § 35

... This is no Ecclesiastical Canon; nor have we had transmitted to us any such tradition from the Fathers, who in their turn received from the great and blessed Apostle Peter....
History of the Arians, Part V, § 36

For after the Emperor had frequently written to Rome, had threatened, sent commissioners, devised schemes, on the persecution subsequently breaking out at Alexandria, Liberius is dragged before him, and uses great boldness of speech towards him. 'Cease,' he said, 'to persecute the Christians; attempt not by my means to introduce impiety into the Church. We are ready to suffer anything rather than to be called Arian madmen. We are Christians; compel us not to become enemies of Christ.
History of the Arians, Part V, § 39

... Thus they endeavoured at the first to corrupt the Church of the Romans, wishing to introduce impiety into it as well as others. But Liberius after he had been in banishment two years gave way, and from fear of threatened death subscribed....
History of the Arians, Part V, § 41

... these impious men thought they had accomplished nothing, so long as the great Hosius [bishop of Córdoba] escaped their wicked machinations. And now they undertook to extend their fury to that great old man. They felt no shame at the thought that he is the father of the Bishops ... .
History of the Arians, Part VI, § 42

... Hosius, while he endured their insults was unmoved by any fear of their designs against him, and remaining firm to his purpose, as one who had built the house of his faith upon the rock, he spake boldly against the heresy ... .
History of the Arians, Part VI, § 43

... can you endure Valens and Ursacius ... . they voluntarily went up to Rome, and in the presence of the Bishop and Presbyters wrote their recantation ... . Athanasius, whom both we and the Church of the Romans and the whole Council pronounced to be guiltless.
History of the Arians, Part VI, § 44

... our beloved Athanasius also is persecuted for the Truth's sake, and Liberius, Bishop of Rome, and all the rest, are treacherously assailed....
History of the Arians, Part VI, § 45

... The fathers of the people and the teachers of the faith are taken away, and the impious are brought into the Churches? Who that saw when Liberius, Bishop of Rome, was banished, and when the great Hosius, the father of the Bishops, suffered these things, or who that saw so many Bishops banished out of Spain and the other parts, could fail to perceive ... that the charges against Athanasius also and the rest were false, and altogether mere calumny?
History of the Arians, Part VI, § 46

... Our fathers called an Ecumenical Council, when three hundred of them, more or less, met together and condemned the Arian heresy, and all declared that it was alien and strange to the faith of the Church....
History of the Arians, Part VIII, § 66
{The bishop of Rome did not attend this Council of Nicaea, but sent representatives}

... Now it is written, 'Become my strong rock and house of defence, that Thou mayest save me.'... If then they apply these passages to the Son, which perhaps is nearest to the truth ... . For then did He become 'a strong rock and house of defence,' when He bore our sins in His own body upon the tree ... .
Four Discourses Against the Arians, Discourse I, Chapter XIII, § 62

73. ... when the Apostles were questioned, that Peter answered, saying, `Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.'...
74. For He says not, `Before the world He founded me as Word or Son,' but simply, `He founded me,' ... that not for His own sake but for those who are built upon Him does He here also speak... . the Apostle also writes, `Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ; but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon ... . Therefore ... He is founded, that we, as precious stones, may admit of building upon Him, and may become a temple of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in us. And as He is a foundation, and we stones built upon Him ... . Now what is founded is founded for the sake of the stones which are raised upon it ... a stone is first transported from the mountain and set down in the depth of the earth. And while a stone is in the mountain, it is not yet founded; but when need demands, and it is transported, and laid in the depth of the earth, then forthwith if the stone could speak, it would say, `He now founded me, who brought me hither from the mountain.'...
76. ... How then ... save in the Lord who `before the world' was founded for this purpose; that we, as built upon Him, might partake, as well-compacted stones, the life and grace which is from Him?
Four Discourses Against the Arians, Discourse II, Chapter XXII, §§ 73, 74, 76

... it was none other than God Himself that David too besought ... . To Him also giving thanks he spoke ... saying, `I will love Thee, O Lord my strength; the Lord is my strong rock and my defence and deliverer.'...
Four Discourses Against the Arians, Discourse III, Chapter XXV, § 13

46. ... He asks of the disciples, on coming into the parts of Caesarea, though knowing even before Peter made answer. For if the Father revealed to Peter the answer to the Lord's question, it is plain that through the Son was the revelation, for `No one knoweth the Son,' saith He, `save the Father, neither the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.' But if through the Son is revealed the knowledge both of the Father and the Son, there is no room for doubting that the Lord who asked, having first revealed it to Peter from the Father, next asked humanly; in order to shew, that asking after the flesh, He knew divinely what Peter was about to say....
52. ... And by degrees His body increasing, and the Word manifesting Himself in it, He is confessed henceforth by Peter first, then also by all, `Truly this is the Son of God' ... .
Four Discourses Against the Arians, Discourse III, Chapter XXVIII, §§ 46, 52

... Solomon too says openly, knowing that the Word was also called Wisdom, `Wisdom builded herself an house;' which the Apostle interprets when he says, `Which house are we,' and elsewhere calls us a temple, as far as it is fitting to God to inbabit a temple, of which the image, made of stones ... . but the Church is firmly established; it is `founded on the rock,' and `the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.'...
Four Discourses Against the Arians, Discourse IV, § 34

... when the council was assembled at Milan, the presbyters of the Roman Church being also present ... . For the information therefore of your clemency [the emperor], we have instructed our legates to acquaint you with the judgment of the Council by our letter ... . For how is it possible for peace-breakers to bring peace? on the contrary, by their means strife and confusion will arise not only in the other cities, but also in the Church of the Romans....
Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia, Part I, § 10

16. ... To Our Blessed Pope and Bishop, Alexander [bishop of Alexandria], the Presbyters and Deacons send health in the Lord.
Our faith from our forefathers, which also we have learned from thee, Blessed Pope, is this ... .
... as thou too thyself, Blessed Pope, in the midst of the Church and in session hast often condemned ... .
17. ... Why complain of Alexander the Pope, saying, that the Son is from the Father?...
Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia, Part II, §§ 16, 17

... a charge had been laid by some persons against the Bishop of Alexandria before the Bishop of Rome, as if he had said that the Son was made, and not coessential with the Father. And, the synod at Rome being indignant, the Bishop of Rome expressed their united sentiments in a letter ... .
Councils of Ariminum and Seleucia, Part III, § 43

Senders: the Pope Athanasius [bishop of Alexandria], and those present with him in Alexandria ... .
Tome or Synodal Letter to the People of Antioch, § 10. Signatures

The letters are sufficient which were written by our beloved fellow-minister Damasus, bishop of the Great Rome, and the large number of bishops who assembled along with him; and equally so are those of the other synods which were held, both in Gaul and in Italy, concerning the sound Faith which Christ gave us, the Apostles preached, and the Fathers, who met at Nicaea from all this world of ours, have handed down....
To the Bishops of Africa, § 1

... For ancient bishops, of the Great Rome and of our city, some 130 years ago, wrote and censured those who said that the Son was a creature and not coessential with the Father....
To the Bishops of Africa, § 6

... we wrote, both to our beloved Damasus, bishop of the Great Rome, giving an account of Auxentius who has intruded upon the church at Milan ... . we thanked [Damasus] for his piety and that of those who assembled at the Great Rome, in that by expelling Ursacius and Valens, and those who hold with them, they preserved the harmony of the Catholic Church....
To the Bishops of Africa, § 10

... For such men, being confirmed in the Lord ... are founded upon a rock, which is Christ ... .
Letters of Athanasius, Letter XI, § 4

... But ye are blessed, who by faith are in the Church, dwell upon the foundations of the faith ... . For it has come down to you from Apostolic tradition, and frequently has accursed envy wished to unsettle it, but has not been able.... For this is it that is written, 'Thou art the Son of the Living God,' Peter confessing it by revelation of the Father, and being told, 'Blessed art thou Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to thee, but 'My Father Who is in heaven,' ... .
Letters of Athanasius, From Letter XXIX (For 357.)

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