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IT ought to be known, that they affirmed the Son to be
consubstantial with the Father; and that those are to be
excommunicated and voted aliens to the Catholic Church, who assert
that there was a time in which the Son existed not, and before He was
begotten He was not, and that He was made from what had no
existence, and that He is of another hypostasis or substance from the
Father, and that He is subject to change or mutation. This decision
was sanctioned by Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia; by Theognis,
bishop of Nicaea; by Maris, bishop of Chalcedon; by Patrophilus,
bishop of Scythopolis; and by Secundus, bishop of Ptolemais in
Libya. Eusebius Pamphilus, however, withheld his assent for a
little while, but on further examination assented. The council
excommunicated Arius and his adherents, and prohibited his entering
Alexandria. The words in which his opinions were couched were
likewise condemned, as also a work entitled "Thalia," which he had
written on the subject. I have not read this book, but I understand
that it is of a loose character, resembling in license Sotadus. It
ought to be known that although Eusebius, bishop of Nicomedia, and
Theognis, bishop of Nicaea, assented to the document of this faith
set forth by the council, they neither agreed nor subscribed to the
deposition of Arius. The emperor punished Arius with exile, and
dispatched edicts to the bishops and people of every country,
denouncing him and his adherents as ungodly, and commanding. that
their books should be destroyed, in order that no remembrance of him or
of the doctrine which he had broached might remain. Whoever should be
found secreting his writings and who should not bum them immediately on
the accusation, should undergo the penalty of death, and suffer
capital punishment. The emperor wrote letters to every city against
Arius and those who had received his doctrines, and commanded
Eusebius and Theognis to quit the cities whereof they were bishops;
he addressed himself in particular to the church of Nicomedia, urging
it to adhere to the faith which had been set forth by the council, to
elect orthodox bishops, to obey them, and to let the past fall into
oblivion; and he threatened with punishment those who should venture to
speak well of the exiled bishops, or to adopt their sentiments. In
these and in other letters, he manifested resentment against
Eusebius, because he had previously adopted the opinions of the
tyrant, and had engaged in his plots. In accordance with the imperial
edicts, Eusebius and Theognis were ejected from the churches which
they held, and Amphion received that of Nicomedia, and Chrestus
that of Nicaea. On the termination of this doctrinal controversy,
the council decided that the Paschal feast should be celebrated at the
same time in every place.
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