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THE condemnation of this formula by all the champions of the truth,
and specially those of the West, is shewn by the letter which they
wrote to the Illyrians . First of the signatories was Damasus, who
obtained the presidency of the church of Rome after Liberius, and was
adorned with many virtues . With him signed ninety bishops of Italy
and Galatia , now called Gaul, who met together at Rome. I would
have inserted their names but that I thought it superfluous.
"The bishops assembled at Rome in sacred synod Damasus and
Valerianus and the rest, to their beloved brethren the bishops of
Illyria, send greeting in God.
"We believe that we, priests of God, by whom it is fight for the
rest to be instructed, are holding and teaching our people the Holy
Creed which was founded on the teaching of the Apostles, and in no
way departs from the definitions of the Fathers. But through a report
of the brethren in Gaul and Venetia we have learnt that certain men
are fallen into heresy.
"It is the duty of the bishops not only to take precautions against
this mischief, but also to make a stand against whatever divergent
teaching has arisen, either from incomplete instruction, or the
simplicity of readers of unsound commentators. They should be minded
not to slide into slippery paths, but rather whensoever divergent
counsels are carried to their ears, to hold fast the doctrine of our
fathers. It has, therefore, been decided that Auxentius of Milan
is in this matter specially condemned. So it is right that all the
teachers of the law in the Roman Empire should be well instructed in
the law, and not befoul the faith with divergent doctrines.
"When first the wickedness of the heretics began to flourish, and
when, as now, the blasphemy of the Arians was crawling to the front,
our fathers, three hundred and eighteen bishops, the holiest prelates
in the Roman Empire, deliberated at Nicaea. The wall which they
set up against the weapons of the devil, and the antidote wherewith
they repelled his deadly poisons, was their confession that the Father
and the Son are of one substance, one godhead, one virtue, one
power, one likeness , and that the Holy Ghost is of the same essence
and substance. Whoever did not thus think was judged separate from our
communion. Their deliberation was worthy of all respect, and their
definition sound. But certain men have intended by other later
discussions to corrupt and befoul it. Yet, at the very outset, error
was so far set right by the bishops on whom the attempt was made at
Ariminum to compel them to manipulate or innovate on the faith, that
they confessed themselves seduced by opposite arguments, or owned that
they had not perceived any contradiction to the opinion of the Fathers
livered at Nicaea. No prejudice could arise from the number of
bishops gathered at Ariminum, since it is well known that neither the
bishop of the Romans, whose opinion ought before all others to have
been waited for, nor Vincentius, whose stainless episcopate had
lasted so many years, nor the rest, gave in their adhesion to such
doctrines. And this is the more significant, since, as has been
already said, the very men who seemed to be tricked into surrender,
themselves, in their wiser moments, testified their disapproval.
"Your sincerity then perceives that this one faith, which was founder
at Nicaea on the authority of the Apostles, ought to be kept secure
for ever. You perceive that with us, the bishops of the East, who
confess themselves Catholic, and the western bishops, together glory
in it. We believe that before long those who think otherwise ought
without delay to be put out from our communion, and deprived of the
name of bishop, that their flocks may be freed from error and breathe
freely. For they cannot be expected to correct the errors of their
people when they themselves are the victims of error. May the opinion
of your reverence be in harmony with that of all the priests of God.
We believe you to be fixed and firm in it, and thus ought we tightly
to believe with you. May your charity make us glad by your reply.
"Beloved brethren, farewell."
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