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To Jovianus Augustus most devout, most humane, victorious,
Athanasius, and the rest of the bishops assembled, in the name of all
the bishops from Egypt to Thebaid, and Libya. The intelligent
preference and pursuit of holy things is becoming to a prince beloved of
God. Thus may you keep your heart in truth in God's hand and reign
for many years in peace. Since your piety has recently expressed a
wish to learn from us the faith of the Catholic Church, we have given
thanks to the Lord and have determined before all to remind your
reverence of the faith confessed by the fathers at Nicaea. This faith
some have set at nought, and have devised many and various attacks on
us, because of our refusal to submit to the Arian heresy. They have
become founders of heresy and schism in the Catholic Church. The
true and pious faith in our Lord Jesus Christ has been made plain to
all as it is known and read from the Holy Scriptures. In this faith
the martyred saints were perfected, and now departed are with the
Lord. This faith was destined everywhere to stand unharmed, had not
the wickedness of certain heretics dared to attempt its falsification;
for Arius and his party endeavoured to corrupt it and to bring in
impiety for its destruction, alleging the Son of God to be of the
nonexistent, a creature, a Being made, and susceptible of change.
By these means they deceived many, so that even men who seemed to be
somewhat, were led away by them. Then our holy Fathers took the
initiative, met, as we said, at Nicaea, anathematized the Arian
heresy, and subscribed the faith of the Catholic Church so as to
cause the putting out of the flames of heresy by proclamation of the
truth throughout the world. Thus this faith throughout the whole
church was known and preached. But since some men who wished to start
the Arian heresy afresh have had the hardihood to set at naught the
faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea, and others are pretending
to accept it, while in reality they deny it, distorting the meaning of
the omoousion and thus blaspheming the Holy
Ghost, by alleging it to be a creature and a Being made through the
Son's means, we, perforce beholding the harm accruing from blasphemy
of this kind to the people, have hastened to offer to your piety the
faith confessed at Nicaea, that your reverence may know with what
exactitude it is drawn up, and how great is the error of them whose
teaching contradicts it. Know, O holiest Augustus, that this faith
is the faith preached from everlasting, this is tile faith that the
Fathers assembled at Nicaea confessed. With this faith all the
churches throughout the world are in agreement, in Spain, in
Britain, in Gaul, in all Italy and Campania, in Dalmatia and
Mysia, in Macedonia, in all Hellas, in all the churches throughout
Africa, Sardinia, Cyprus, Crete, Pamphylia and Isauria, and
Lycia, those of all Egypt and Libya, of Pontus, Cappadocia and
the neighbouring districts and all the churches of the East except a
few who have embraced Arianism. Of all those above mentioned we know
the sentiments after trial made. We have letters and we know, most
pious Augustus, that though some few gainsay this faith they cannot
prejudice the decision of the whole inhabited world.
After being long trader the injurious influence of the Arian heresy
they are the more contentiously withstanding true religion. For the
information of your piety, though indeed you are already acquainted
with it, we have taken pains to subjoin the faith confessed at Nicaea
by the three hundred and eighteen bishops. It is as follows.
We believe in one God, Father Almighty, maker of all things
visible and invisible; and in one 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, being of one substance with the Father, by whom
all things were made both in Heaven and in earth. Who for us men and
for our salvation came down from Heaven, was incarnate and was made
man. He suffered and rose again the third day. He ascended into
Heaven, and is coming to judge both quick and dead. And we believe
in the Holy Ghost; the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
anathematizes those who say there was a time when the Son of God was
not; that before He was begotten He was not; that He was made out
of the non-existent, or that He is of a different essence or
different substance, or a creature or subject to variation or change.
In this faith, most religious Augustus, all must needs abide as
divine and apostolic, nor must any strive to change it by persuasive
reasoning and word battles, as from the beginning did the Arian
maniacs in their contention that the Son of God is of the non
existent, and that there was a time when He was not, that He is
created and made and subject to variation. Wherefore, as we stated,
the council of Nicaea anathematized this heresy and confessed the faith
of the truth. For they have not simply said that the Son is like the
Father, that he may be believed not to be simply like God but very
God of God. And they promulgated the term "Homousion" because it
is peculiar to a real and true son of a true and natural father. Yet
they did not separate the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son,
but rather glorified It together with the Father and the Son in the
one faith of the Holy Trinity, because the Godhead of the Holy
Trinity is one.
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