Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume IV/Against the Arians/Against the Arians/Discourse I/Chapter 1

Four Discourses Against the Arians.

Discourse I.

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.&#8212;. Reason for writing; certain persons indifferent about Arianism; Arians not Christians, because sectaries always take the name of their founder.

1. all other heresies which have departed from the truth it is acknowledged that they have but devised a madness, and their irreligiousness has long since become notorious to all men. For that their authors went out from us, it plainly follows, as the blessed John has written, that they never thought nor now think with us. Wherefore, as saith the Saviour, in that they gather not with us, they scatter with the devil, and keep an eye on those who slumber, that, by this second sowing of their own mortal poison, they may have companions in death. But, whereas one heresy, and that the last, which has now risen as harbinger of Antichrist, the Arian, as it is called, considering that other heresies, her elder sisters, have been openly proscribed, in her craft and cunning, affects to array herself in Scripture language Vid. infr. &#167;4 fin. That heresies before the Arian appealed to Scripture we learn from Tertullian, de Pr&#230;scr. 42, who warns Catholics against indulging themselves in their own view of isolated texts against the voice of the Catholic Church. vid. also Vincentius, who specifies obiter Sabellius and Novation. Commonit. 2. Still Arianism was contrasted with other heresies on this point, as in these two respects; (1.) they appealed to a secret tradition, unknown even to most of the Apostles, as the Gnostics, Iren. H&#230;r. iii. 1 or they professed a gift of prophecy introducing fresh revelations, as Montanists, de Syn. 4, and Manichees, Aug. ''contr. Faust.'' xxxii. 6. (2.) The Arians availed themselves of certain texts as objections, argued keenly and plausibly from them, and would not be driven from them. Orat. ii. &#167;18. c. Epiph. H&#230;r. 69. 15. Or rather they took some words of Scripture, and made their own deductions from them; viz. &#8216;Son,&#8217; &#8216;made,&#8217; &#8216;exalted,&#8217; &amp;c. &#8216;Making their private irreligiousness as if a rule, they misinterpret all the divine oracles by it.&#8217; Orat. i. &#167;52. vid. also Epiph. H&#230;r. 76. 5 fin. Hence we hear so much of their &#952;&#961;&#965;&#955;&#955;&#951;&#964;&#945;&#8054; &#966;&#969;&#957;&#945;&#8054;, &#955;&#8051;&#958;&#949;&#953;&#962;, &#7956;&#960;&#951;, &#8165;&#951;&#964;&#8048;, sayings in general circulation, which were commonly founded on some particular text. e.g. infr., &#167;22, &#8216;amply providing themselves with words of craft, they used to go about,&#8217; &amp;c. Also &#7940;&#957;&#969; &#954;&#945;&#8054; &#954;&#8049;&#964;&#969; &#960;&#949;&#961;&#953;&#966;&#8051;&#961;&#959;&#957;&#964;&#949;&#962;, de Decr. &#167;13. &#964;&#8183; &#8165;&amp; 208&#903;&#964;&#8179; &#964;&#949;&#952;&#961;&#965;&#955;&#955;&#8053;&#954;&#945;&#963;&#953; &#964;&#8048; &#960;&#945;&#957;&#964;&#945;&#967;&#959;&#8166;. Orat. 2. &#167;18. &#964;&#8056; &#960;&#959;&#955;&#965;&#952;&#961;&#8059;&#955;&#955;&#951;&#964;&#959;&#957; &#963;&#8057;&#966;&#953;&#963;&#956;&#945;, Basil. ''contr. Eunom.'' ii. 14. &#964;&#8052;&#957; &#960;&#959;&#955;&#965;&#952;&#961;&#8059;&#955;&#955;&#951;&#964;&#959;&#957; &#948;&#953;&#945;&#955;&#949;&#954;&#964;&#953;&#954;&#8053;&#957;, Nyssen. ''contr. Eun.'' iii. p. 125. &#964;&#8052;&#957; &#952;&#961;&#965;&#955;&#955;&#959;&#965;&#956;&#8051;&#957;&#951;&#957; &#7936;&#960;&#959;&#8164;&amp; 191&#903;&#959;&#8053;&#957;, Cyril. Dial. iv. p. 505. &#964;&#8052;&#957; &#960;&#959;&#955;&#965;&#952;&#961;&#8059;&#955;&#955;&#951;&#964;&#959;&#957; &#966;&#8061;&#957;&#951;&#957;, Socr. ii. 43., like her father the devil, and is forcing her way back into the Church&#8217;s paradise,&#8212;that with the pretence of Christianity, her smooth sophistry (for reason she has none) may deceive men into wrong thoughts of Christ,&#8212;nay, since she has already seduced certain of the foolish, not only to corrupt their ears, but even to take and eat with Eve, till in their ignorance which ensues they think bitter sweet, and admire this loathsome heresy, on this account I have thought it necessary, at your request, to unrip &#8216;the folds of its breast-plate ,&#8217; and to shew the ill savour of its folly. So while those who are far from it may continue to shun it, those whom it has deceived may repent; and, opening the eyes of their heart, may understand that darkness is not light, nor falsehood truth, nor Arianism good; nay, that those who call these men Christians are in great and grievous error, as neither having studied Scripture, nor understanding Christianity at all, and the faith which it contains.

2. For what have they discovered in this heresy like to the religious Faith, that they vainly talk as if its supporters said no evil? This in truth is to call even Caiaphas a Christian, and to reckon the traitor Judas still among the Apostles, and to say that they who asked Barabbas instead of the Saviour did no evil, and to recommend Hymen&#230;us and Alexander as right-minded men, and as if the Apostle slandered them. But neither can a Christian bear to hear this, nor can he consider the man who dared to say it sane in his understanding. For with them for Christ is Arius, as with the Manichees Manich&#230;us; and for Moses and the other saints they have made the discovery of one Sotades, a man whom even Gentiles laugh at, and of the daughter of Herodias. For of the one has Arius imitated the dissolute and effeminate tone, in writing Thali&#230; on his model; and the other he has rivalled in her dance, reeling and frolicking in his blasphemies against the Saviour; till the victims of his heresy lose their wits and go foolish, and change the Name of the Lord of glory into the likeness of the &#8216;image of corruptible man ,&#8217; and for Christians come to be called Arians, bearing this badge of their irreligion. For let them not excuse themselves; nor retort their disgrace on those who are not as they, calling Christians after the names of their teachers, that they themselves may appear to have that Name in the same way. Nor let them make a jest of it, when they feel shame at their disgraceful appellation; rather, if they be ashamed, let them hide their faces, or let them recoil from their own irreligion. For never at any time did Christian people take their title from the Bishops among them, but from the Lord, on whom we rest our faith. Thus, though the blessed Apostles have become our teachers, and have ministered the Saviour&#8217;s Gospel, yet not from them have we our title, but from Christ we are and are named Christians. But for those who derive the faith which they profess from others, good reason is it they should bear their name, whose property they have become Vid. foregoing note. Also, &#8216;Let us become His disciples, and learn to live according to Christianity; for whoso is called by other name besides this, is not of God.&#8217; Ignat. ad Magn. 10. Hegesippus speaks of &#8216;Menandrians, and Marcionites, and Carpocratians, and Valentinians, and Basilidians, and Saturnilians,&#8217; who &#8216;each in his own way and that a different one brought in his own doctrine.&#8217; Euseb. Hist. iv. 22. &#8216;There are, and there have been, my friends, many who have taught atheistic and blasphemous words and deeds, coming in the name of Jesus; and they are called by us from the appellation of the men, whence each doctrine and opinion began.&#8230;Some are called Marcians, others Valentinians, others Basilidians, others Saturnilians,&#8217; &amp;c. Justin. Tryph. 35. Iren. H&#230;r. i. 23. &#8216;When men are called Phrygians, or Novatians, or Valentinians, or Marcionites, or Anthropians, or by any other name, they cease to be Christians; for they have lost Christ&#8217;s Name, and clothe themselves in human and foreign titles.&#8217; Lact. Inst. iv. 30. &#8216;A. How are you a Christian, to whom it is not even granted to bear the name of Christian? for you are not called Christian but Marcionite. M. And you are called of the Catholic Church; therefore ye are not Christians either. A. Did we profess man&#8217;s name, you would have spoken to the point; but if we are called from being all over the world, what is there bad in this?&#8217; Adamant. Dial. &#167;1, p. 809. Epiph. H&#230;r. 42. p. 366. ibid. 70. 15. vid. also H&#230;r. 75. 6 fin. Cyril Cat. xviii. 26. &#8216;Christian is my name, Catholic my surname.&#8217; Pacian. Ep. 1. &#8216;If you ever hear those who are called Christians, named, not from the Lord Jesus Christ, but from some one else, say Marcionites, Valentinians, Mountaineers, Campestrians, know that it is not Christ&#8217;s Church, but the synagogue of Antichrist.&#8217; Jerom. adv. Lucif. fin. .

3. Yes surely; while all of us are and are called Christians after Christ, Marcion broached a heresy a long time since and was cast out; and those who continued with him who ejected him remained Christians; but those who followed Marcion were called Christians no more, but henceforth Marcionites. Thus Valentinus also, and Basilides, and Manich&#230;us, and Simon Magus, have imparted their own name to their followers; and some are accosted as Valentinians, or as Basilidians, or as Manichees, or as Simonians; and other, Cataphrygians from Phrygia, and from Novatus Novatians. So too Meletius, when ejected by Peter the Bishop and Martyr, called his party no longer Christians, but Meletians, and so in consequence when Alexander of blessed memory had cast out Arius, those who remained with Alexander, remained Christians; but those who went out with Arius, left the Saviour&#8217;s Name to us who were with Alexander, and as to them they were hence-forward denominated Arians. Behold then, after Alexander&#8217;s death too, those who communicate with his successor Athanasius, and those with whom the said Athanasius communicates, are instances of the same rule; none of them bear his name, nor is he named from them, but all in like manner, and as is usual, are called Christians. For though we have a succession of teachers and become their disciples, yet, because we are taught by them the things of Christ, we both are, and are called, Christians all the same. But those who follow the heretics, though they have innumerable successors in their heresy, yet anyhow bear the name of him who devised it. Thus, though Arius be dead, and many of his party have succeeded him, yet those who think with him, as being known from Arius, are called Arians. And, what is a remarkable evidence of this, those of the Greeks who even at this time come into the Church, on giving up the superstition of idols, take the name, not of their catechists, but of the Saviour, and begin to be called Christians instead of Greeks: while those of them who go off to the heretics, and again all who from the Church change to this heresy, abandon Christ&#8217;s name, and henceforth are called Arians, as no longer holding Christ&#8217;s faith, but having inherited Arius&#8217;s madness.

4. How then can they be Christians, who for Christians are Ario-maniacs ? or how are they of the Catholic Church, who have shaken off the Apostolical faith, and become authors of fresh evils? who, after abandoning the oracles of divine Scripture, call Arius&#8217;s Thali&#230; a new wisdom? and with reason too, for they are announcing a new heresy. And hence a man may marvel, that, whereas many have written many treatises and abundant homilies upon the Old Testament and the New, yet in none of them is a Thalia found; nay nor among the more respectable of the Gentiles, but among those only who sing such strains over their cups, amid cheers and jokes, when men are merry, that the rest may laugh; till this marvellous Arius, taking no grave pattern, and ignorant even of what is respectable, while he stole largely from other heresies, would be original in the ludicrous, with none but Sotades for his rival. For what beseemed him more, when he would dance forth against the Saviour, than to throw his wretched words of irreligion into dissolute and loose metres? that, while &#8216;a man,&#8217; as Wisdom says, &#8216;is known from the utterance of his word ,&#8217; so from those numbers should be seen the writer&#8217;s effeminate soul and corruption of thought. In truth, that crafty one did not escape detection; but, for all his many writhings to and fro, like the serpent, he did but fall into the error of the Pharisees. They, that they might transgress the Law, pretended to be anxious for the words of the Law, and that they might deny the expected and then present Lord, were hypocritical with God&#8217;s name, and were convicted of blaspheming when they said, &#8216;Why dost Thou, being a man, make Thyself God,&#8217; and sayest, &#8216;I and the Father are one ?&#8217; And so too, this counterfeit and Sotadean Arius, feigns to speak of God, introducing Scripture language, but is on all sides recognised as godless And so godless or atheist Aetius, de Syn. 6, note 3, cf. note on de Decr. 1, for an explanation of the word. In like manner Athan. says, ad Serap. iii. 2, that if a man says &#8216;that the Son is a creature, who is word and Wisdom, and the Expression, and the Radiance, whom whoso seeth seeth the Father,&#8217; he falls under the text, &#8216;Whoso denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.&#8217; &#8216;Such a one,&#8217; he continues, &#8216;will in no long time say, as the fool, There is no God.&#8217; In like manner he speaks of those who think the Son to be the Spirit as &#8216;without (&#7956;&#958;&#969;) the Holy Trinity, and atheists&#8217; (Serap. iv. 6), because they really do not believe in the God that is, and there is none other but He. Cf. also Serap. i. 30. Eustathius speaks of the Arians as &#7936;&#957;&#952;&#961;&#8061;&#960;&#959;&#965;&#962; &#7936;&#952;&#8051;&#959;&#965;&#962;, who were attempting &#954;&#961;&#945;&#964;&#8134;&#963;&#945;&#953; &#964;&#959;&#8166; &#952;&#949;&#8055;&#959;&#965;. ap. Theod. Hist. i. 7. p. 760. Naz. speaks of the heathen &#960;&#959;&#955;&#8059;&#952;&#949;&#959;&#962; &#7936;&#952;&#949;&#8147;&#945;. Orat. 25. 15. and he calls faith and regeneration &#8216;a denial of atheism, &#7936;&#952;&#949;&#8147;&#945;&#962;, and a confession of godhead, &#952;&#949;&#8057;&#964;&#951;&#964;&#959;&#962;,&#8217; Orat. 23. 12. He calls Lucius, the Alexandrian Anti-pope, on account of his cruelties, &#8216;this second Arius, the more copious river of the atheistic spring, &#964;&#8134;&#962; &#7936;&#952;&#8051;&#959;&#965; &#960;&#951;&#947;&#8134;&#962;.&#8217; Orat. 25. 11. Palladius, the Imperial officer, is &#7936;&#957;&#8052;&#961; &#7940;&#952;&#949;&#959;&#962;. ibid. 12. Arius, denying the Son, and reckoning Him among the creatures.