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WHEN the maintainers of the 'homoousian' doctrine had been thus
severely dealt with, and put to flight, the persecutors began afresh
to harass the Macedonians; who impelled by fear rather than violence,
send deputations to one another from city to city, declaring the
necessity of appealing to the emperor's brother, and also to Liberius
bishop of Rome: and that it was far better for them to embrace their
faith, than to communicate with the party of Eudoxius. They sent for
this purpose Eustathius bishop of Sebastia, who had been several
times deposed, Silvanus of Tarsus in Cilicia, and Theophilus of
Castabala in the same province; charging them to dissent in nothing
from Liberius concerning the faith, but to enter into communion with
the Roman church, and confirm the doctrine of the homoousian. These
persons therefore proceeded to Old Rome, carrying with them the
letters of those who had separated themselves from Acacius at
Seleucia. To the emperor they could not have access, he being
occupied in the Gauls with a war against the Sarmatae; but they
presented their letters to Liberius. He at first refused to admit
them; saying they were of the Arian faction, and could not possibly
be received into communion by the church, inasmuch as they had rejected
the Nicene Creed. To this they replied that by change of sentiment
they had acknowledged the truth, having long since renounced the
Anomoean Creed, and avowed the Son to be in every way 'like the
Father': moreover that they considered the terms 'like' (homoios)
and homoousios to have precisely the same import. When they had made
this statement, Liberius demanded of them a written confession of
their faith; and they accordingly presented him a document in which the
substance of the Nicene Creed was inserted. I have not introduced
here, because of their length, the letters from Smyrna, Asia, and
from Pisidia, Isauria, Pamphylia, and Lycia, in all which places
they had held Synods. The written profession which the deputies sent
with Eustathius, delivered to Liberius, is as follows:
'To our Lord, Brother, and fellow-Minister Libefius:
Eustathius, Theophilus, and Silvanus, salutations in the Lord.
'On account of the insane opinion of heretics, who cease not to
introduce occasions of offense into the Catholic Churches, we being
desirous of checking their career, come forward to express our
approbation of the doctrines recognized the Synod of orthodox bishops
which has been convened at Lampsacus, Smyrna, and various other
places: from which Synod we being constituted a deputation, bring a
letter to your benignity and to all the Italian and Western bishops,
by which we declare that we hold and maintain the Catholic Faith which
was established in the holy council at Nicaea under the reign of
Constantine of blessed memory, by three hundred and eighteen bishops,
and has hitherto continued entire and unshaken; in which creed the term
homoousios is holily and devoutly employed in opposition to the
pernicious doctrine of Arius. We therefore, together with the
aforesaid persons whom we represent, profess under our own hand, that
we have held, do hold, and will maintain the same faith even unto the
end. We condemn Arius, and his impious doctrine, with his
disciples, and those who agree with his sentiments; as also the same
heresy of Sabellius, the Patripassians, the Marcionites, the
Photinians, the Marcellians, that of Paul of Samosata, and those
who countenance such tenets; in short all the heresies which are
opposed to the aforesaid sacred creed, which was piously and in a
Catholic spirit set forth by the holy fathers at Nicaea. But we
especially anathematize that form of the creed which was recited at the
Synod of Ariminum, as altogether contrary to the before-mentioned
creed of the holy Synod of Nicaea, to which the bishops at
Constantinople affixed their signatures, being deceived by artifice
and perjury, by reason of its having been brought from Nice, a town
of Thrace. Our own creed, and that of those whose delegates we are,
is this:
' "We believe in one God the Father Almighty, the Maker of all
things visible and invisible: and in one only-begotten God, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God; begotten of the Father; that
is of the substance of the Father; God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God; begotten not made, of the same substance with
the Father, through whom all things were made which are in heaven,
and which are upon the earth: who for us men, and for our salvation,
descended, became incarnate, and was made man; suffered, and rose
again the third day; ascended into the heavens, and will come to judge
the living and the dead. [We believe] also in the Holy Spirit.
But the Catholic and Apostolic Church of God anathematizes those
who assert that 'there was a time when he was not,' and 'that he was
not before he was begotten,' and that 'he was made of things which
are not'; or those that say 'the Son of God is of another
hypostasis' or 'substance than the Father,' or that 'he is
mutable, or susceptible of change.'
'"I, Eustathius, bishop of the city of Sebastia, with
Theophilus and Silvanus, delegates of the Synod of Lampsacus,
Smyrna, and other places, have voluntarily subscribed this confession
of faith with our own hands. And if, after the publication of this
creed, any one shall presume to calumniate either us, or those who
sent us, let him come with the letters of your holiness before such
orthodox bishops as your sanctity shall approve of, and bring the
matter to an issue with us before them; and if any charge shall be
substantiated, let the guilty be punished."'
Liberius having securely pledged the delegates by this document,
received them into communion, and afterwards dismissed them with this
letter:
The Letter of Liberius Bishop of Rome, to the Bishops of the
Macedonians.
To our beloved brethren and fellow-ministers, Evethius, Cyril,
Hyperechius, Uranius, Heron, Elpidius, Maximus, Eusebius,
Eucarpius, Heor-tasius, Neon, Eumathius, Faustinus,
Proclinus, Pasinicus, Arsenius, Severus, Didymion,
Brittanius, Callicrates, Dalmatius, AEdesius, Eusto-chius,
Ambrose, Gelonius, Pardalius, Macedonius, Paul, Marcellus,
Heraclius, Alexander, Adolius, Marcian, Sthenelus, John,
Macer, Charisius, Silvanus, Photinus, Anthony, Aythus,
Celsus, Euphranon, Milesius, Patricius, Severian, Eusebius,
Eumolpius, Athanasius, Diophantus, Meno-dorus, Diocles,
Chrysampelus, Neon, Eugenius, Eustathius, Callicrates,
Arsenius, Eugenius, Martyrius, Hieracius, Leontius,
Philagrius, Lucius, and to all the orthodox bishops in the East,
Liberius bishop of Italy, and the bishops throughout the West,
salutations always in the Lord.
Your letters, beloved brethren, resplendent with the light of faith,
delivered to us by our highly esteemed brethren, the bishops
Eustathius, Silvanus, and Theophilus, brought to us the much
longed-for joy of peace and concord: and this chiefly because they
have demonstrated and assured us that your opinion and sentiments are in
perfect harmony with those both of our insignificance, and also with
those of all the bishops in Italy and the Western parts. We
knowledge this to be the Catholic and Apostolic faith, which until
the time of the Synod at Nicaea had continued unadulterated and
unshaken. This creed your legates have professed that they themselves
hold, and to our great joy have obliterated every vestige and
impression of an injurious suspicion, by attesting it not only in
word, but also in writing. We have deemed it proper to subjoin to
these letters a copy of this their declaration, lest we should leave
any pretext to the heretics for entering into a fresh conspiracy, by
which they might stir up the smouldering embers of their own malice,
and according to their custom, rekindle the flames of discord.
Moreover our most esteemed brethren, Eustathius Silvanus, and
Theophilus, have professed this also, both that they themselves, and
also your love, have always held, and will maintain unto the last,
the creed approved of at Nicaea by 318 Orthodox Bishops; which
contains the perfect truth, and both confutes and overthrows the whole
swarm of heretics. For it was not of their own will, but by Divine
appointment that so great a number of bishops was collected against the
madness of Arius, as equaled that of those by whose assistance blessed
Abraham through faith destroyed so many thousand of his enemies. This
faith being comprehended in the terms hypostasis and homoousios, like a
strong and impregnable fortress checks and repels all the assaults and
vain machinations of Arian perverseness. Wherefore when all the
Western bishops were assembled at Ariminum, whither the craft of the
Arians had drawn them, in order that either by deceptive persuasions,
or to speak more truly, by the coercion of the secular power, they
might erase, or indirectly revoke what had been introduced into the
creed with so much prudence, their subtlety was not of the least
avail. For almost all those who at Ariminum were either allured into
error, or at that time deceived, have since taken a fight view of the
matter; and after anathematizing the exposition of faith set forth by
those who were convened at Ariminum, have subscribed the Catholic and
Apostolic Creed which was promulgated at Nicaea. They have entered
into communion with us, and regard the dogma of Arius and his
disciples with increased aversion, and are even indignant against it.
Of which fact when the legates of your love saw the indubitable
evidences, they annexed yourselves to their own subscription;
anathematizing Arius, and what was transacted at Ariminum against the
creed ratified at Nicaea, to which even you yourselves, beguiled by
perjury, were induced to subscribe. Whence it appeared suitable to us
to write to your love, and to accede to your just request, especially
since we are assured by the profession of your legates that the Eastern
bishops have recovered their senses, and now concur in opinion with the
orthodox of the West. We further give you to understand, lest ye
should be ignorant of it, that the blasphemies of the Synod of
Ariminum have been anathematized by those who seem to have been at that
time deceived by fraud, and that all have acknowledged the Nicene
Creed. It is fit therefore that it should be made generally known by
you that such as have had their faith vitiated by violence or guile,
may now emerge from heretical darkness into the Divine light of
Catholic liberty. Moreover whosoever of them, after this council,
shall not disgorge the poison of corrupt doctrine, by abjuring all the
blasphemies of Arius, and anathematizing them, let them know that
they are themselves, together with Arius and his disciples and the
rest of the serpents, whether Sabellians, Patripassians, or the
followers of any other heresy, dissevered and excommunicated from the
assemblies of the Church, which does not admit of illegitimate
children. May God preserve you steadfast, beloved brethren.
When the adherents of Eustathius had received this letter, they
proceeded to Sicily, where they caused a Synod of Sicilian bishops
to be convened, and in their presence avowed the homoousian faith, and
professed their adherence to the Nicene Creed: then having received
from them also a letter to the same effect as the preceding, they
returned to those who had sent them. They on their part, on the
receipt of the letters of Liberius, sent delegates from city to city
to the prominent supporters of the doctrine of the homoousion,
exhorting them to assemble simultaneously at Tarsus in Cilicia, in
order to confirm the Nicene Creed, and terminate all the contentions
which had subsequently arisen. And indeed this would probably have
been accomplished had not the Arian bishop, Eudoxius, who at that
time possessed great influence with the emperor, thwarted their
purpose; for on learning of the Synod that bad been summoned to meet
[at Tarsus], he became so exasperated that he redoubled his
persecution against them. That the Macedonians by sending legates to
Liberius were admitted to communion with him, and professed the
Nicene Creed, is attested by Sabinus himself, in his Collection of
Synodical Transactions.
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