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Epistles on the Arian Heresy

Alexander of Alexandria

Section 9

About this work

Author: Alexander of Alexandria

9. And though I could say much more,

‹ Section 8 Section 10 ›

brethren

beloved

,

I

purposely

omit

to

do

so

,

as

deeming

it

to

be

burdensome

at

great

length

to

call

these

things

to

the

remembrance

of

teachers

who

are

of

the

same

mind

with

myself

.

For

ye

yourselves

are

taught

of

God

,

nor

are

ye

ignorant

that

this

doctrine

,

which

hath

lately

raised

its

head

against

the

piety

of

the

Church

,

is

that

of

Ebion

and

Artemas

;

nor

is

it

aught

else

but

an

imitation

of

Paul

of

Samosata

,

bishop

of

Antioch

,

who

,

by

the

judgment

and

counsel

of

all

the

bishops

,

and

in

every

place

,

was

separated

from

the

Church

.

To

whom

Lucian

succeeding

,

remained

for

many

years

separate

from

the

communion

of

three

bishops

.

And

now

lately

having

drained

the

dregs

of

their

impiety

,

there

have

arisen

amongst

us

those

who

teach

this

doctrine

of

a

creation

from

things

which

are

not

,

their

hidden

sprouts

,

Arius

and

Achilles

,

and

the

gathering

of

those

who

join

in

their

wickedness

.

And

three

bishops

in

Syria

,

having

been

,

in

some

manner

,

consecrated

on

account

of

their

agreement

with

them

,

incite

them

to

worse

things

.

But

let

the

judgment

concerning

these

be

reserved

for

your

trial

.

For

they

,

retaining

in

their

memory

the

words

which

came

to

be

used

with

respect

to

His

saving

Passion

,

and

abasement

,

and

examination

,

and

what

they

call

His

poverty

,

and

in

short

of

all

those

things

to

which

the

Saviour

submitted

for

our

sakes

,

bring

them

forward

to

refute

His

supreme

and

eternal

Godhead

.

But

of

those

words

which

signify

His

natural

glory

and

nobility

,

and

abiding

with

the

Father

,

they

have

become

unmindful

.

Such

as

this

:

“

I

and

My

Father

are

one

,

”

which

indeed

the

Lord

says

,

not

as

proclaiming

Himself

to

be

the

Father

,

nor

to

demonstrate

that

two

persons

are

one

;

but

that

the

Son

of

the

Father

most

exactly

preserves

the

expressed

likeness

of

the

Father

,

inasmuch

as

He

has

by

nature

impressed

upon

Him

His

similitude

in

every

respect

,

and

is

the

image

of

the

Father

in

no

way

discrepant

,

and

the

expressed

figure

of

the

primitive

exemplar

.

Whence

,

also

,

to

Philip

,

who

then

was

desirous

to

see

Him

,

the

Lord

shows

this

abundantly

.

For

when

he

said

,

“

Show

us

the

Father

,

”

He

answered

:

“

He

that

hath

seen

Me

,

hath

seen

the

Father

,

”

since

the

Father

was

Himself

seen

through

the

spotless

and

living

mirror

of

the

divine

image

.

Similar

to

which

is

what

the

saints

say

in

the

Psalms

:

“

In

Thy

light

shall

we

see

light

.

”

Wherefore

he

that

honoureth

the

Son

,

honoureth

the

Father

also

;

”

and

with

reason

,

for

every

impious

word

which

they

dare

to

speak

against

the

Son

,

has

reference

to

the

Father

.

Notes

25
[a.d. 269.]
26
[By the canons three bishops were necessary to ordain one to the episcopate, nor was communion with fewer than these Catholic.]
27
[See p. 292, note 3, supra.]
28
John x. 30.
29
John xiv. 8, 9.
30
Ps. xxxvi. 9.
31
Ps. xxxvi. 9.