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Epistles on the Arian Heresy

Alexander of Alexandria

Section 5

About this work

Author: Alexander of Alexandria

5. By saying these things, and by unfolding

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

the

divine

Scriptures

,

we

have

often

refuted

them

.

But

they

,

chameleon

-

like

,

changing

their

sentiments

,

endeavour

to

claim

for

themselves

that

saying

:

“

When

the

wicked

cometh

,

then

cometh

contempt

.

”

Before

them

,

indeed

,

many

heresies

existed

,

which

,

having

dared

more

than

was

right

,

have

fallen

into

madness

.

But

these

by

all

their

words

have

attempted

to

do

away

with

the

Godhead

of

Christ

,

have

made

those

seem

righteous

,

since

they

have

come

nearer

to

Antichrist

.

Wherefore

they

have

been

excommunicated

and

anathematized

by

the

Church

.

And

indeed

,

although

we

grieve

at

the

destruction

of

these

men

,

especially

that

after

having

once

learned

the

doctrine

of

the

Church

,

they

have

now

gone

back

;

yet

we

do

not

wonder

at

it

;

for

this

very

thing

Hymenæus

and

Philetus

suffered

,

and

before

them

Judas

,

who

,

though

he

followed

the

Saviour

,

afterwards

became

a

traitor

and

an

apostate

.

Moreover

,

concerning

these

very

men

,

warnings

are

not

wanting

to

us

,

for

the

Lord

foretold

:

“

Take

heed

that

ye

be

not

deceived

:

for

many

shall

come

in

My

Name

,

saying

,

I

am

Christ

;

and

the

time

draweth

near

:

go

ye

not

therefore

after

them

.

”

Paul

,

too

,

having

learnt

these

things

from

the

Saviour

,

wrote

,

“

In

the

latter

times

some

shall

depart

from

the

faith

,

giving

heed

to

seducing

spirits

,

and

doctrines

of

devils

which

turn

away

from

the

truth

.

”

Notes

18
Prov. xviii. 3.
19
[See the signators to this decree in the subjoined fragment.]
20
2 Tim. ii. 17.
21
Luke xxi. 8.
22
1 Tim. iv. 1.