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Epistles on the Arian Heresy

Alexander of Alexandria

Section 1

About this work

Author: Alexander of Alexandria

1. Since the body of the Catholic Church is

‹ Part 2 · Introduction Section 2 ›

one

,

and

it

is

commanded

in

Holy

Scripture

that

we

should

keep

the

bond

of

unanimity

and

peace

,

it

follows

that

we

should

write

and

signify

to

one

another

the

things

which

are

done

by

each

of

us

;

that

whether

one

member

suffer

or

rejoice

we

may

all

either

suffer

or

rejoice

with

one

another

.

In

our

diocese

,

then

,

not

so

long

ago

,

there

have

gone

forth

lawless

men

,

and

adversaries

of

Christ

,

teaching

men

to

apostatize

;

which

thing

,

with

good

right

,

one

might

suspect

and

call

the

precursor

of

Antichrist

.

I

indeed

wished

to

cover

the

matter

up

in

silence

,

that

so

perhaps

the

evil

might

spend

itself

in

the

leaders

of

the

heresy

alone

,

and

that

it

might

not

spread

to

other

places

and

defile

the

ears

of

any

of

the

more

simple

-

minded

.

But

since

Eusebius

,

the

present

bishop

of

Nicomedia

,

imagining

that

with

him

rest

all

ecclesiastical

matters

,

because

,

having

left

Berytus

and

cast

his

eyes

upon

the

church

of

the

Nicomedians

,

and

no

punishment

has

been

inflicted

upon

him

,

he

is

set

over

these

apostates

,

and

has

undertaken

to

write

everywhere

,

commending

them

,

if

by

any

means

he

may

draw

aside

some

who

are

ignorant

to

this

most

disgraceful

and

Antichristian

heresy

;

it

became

necessary

for

me

,

as

knowing

what

is

written

in

the

law

,

no

longer

to

remain

silent

,

but

to

announce

to

you

all

,

that

you

may

know

both

those

who

have

become

apostates

,

and

also

the

wretched

words

of

their

heresy

;

and

if

Eusebius

write

,

not

to

give

heed

to

him

.

Notes

2
[Elucidation II.]
3
[Imagining. Compare Hippolytus, vol. v. pp. 156 and 158, supra. This expression seems to have been a sort of formula.]