Athanasius - Arius' Letter to Alexander

ATHANASIUS - THE LETTER OF ARIUS TO ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA

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De Synodis, 16

The Greek text is from Bright, Historical Writings of St Athanasius, pp. 260 - 261 (De Synodis).

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Ἃ δὲ καὶ δι’ ἐπιστολῆς ἔγραψαν πρὸς τὸν μακαρίτην Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, ἔστι ταῦτα·
Μακαρίῳ πάπᾳ καὶ ἐπισκόπῳ ἡμῶν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ διάκονοι ἐν κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν ἡ ἐκ προγόνων, ἣν καὶ ἀπὸ σοῦ μεμαθήκαμεν, μακάριε πάπα, ἔστιν αὕτη· Οἴδαμεν ἕνα Θεόν, μόνον ἀγέννητον, μόνον ἀΐδιον, μόνον ἄναρχον, μόνον ἀληθινὸν, μόνον ἀθανασίαν ἔχοντα, μόνον σοφόν, μόνον ἀγαθόν, μόνον δυνάστην, πάντων κριτήν, διοικητήν, οἰκονόμον, ἄτρεπτον καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον, δίκαιον καὶ ἀγαθόν, νόμου καὶ προφητῶν καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης τοῦτον Θεὸν· γεννήσαντα Υἱὸν μονογενῆ πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων, δι’ οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας καὶ τὰ ὅλα πεποίηκε· γεννήσαντα δὲ οὐ δοκήσει, ἀλλὰ ἀληθείᾳ· ὑποστήσαντα ἰδίῳ θελήματι ἄτρεπτον καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον κτίσμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τέλειον, ἀλλ’ οὐχ ὡς ἓν τῶν κτισμάτων· γέννημα, ἀλλ’ οὐχ ὡς ἓν τῶν γεγεννημένων, οὐδ’ ὡς Οὐαλεντῖνος ‘προβολὴν’ τὸ γέννημα τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐδογμάτισεν· οὐδ’ ὡς Μανιχαῖος ‘μέρος ὁμοούσιον τοῦ Πατρὸς’ τὸ γέννημα εἰσηγήσατο· οὐδ’ ὡς Σαβέλλιος τὴν μονάδα διαιρῶν ‘υἱοπάτορα’ εἶπεν· οὐδ’ ὡς Ἱέρακας λύχνον ἀπὸ λύχνου, ἢ ὡς λαμπάδα εἰς δύο· οὐδὲ τὸν ὄντα πρότερον, ὕστερον γεννηθέντα, ἢ ἐπικτισθέντα εἰς Υἱόν· ὡς καὶ σὺ αὐτός, μακάριε πάπα, κατὰ μέσην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἐν συνεδρίῳ πλειστάκις τοὺς ταῦτα εἰσηγησαμένους ἀπηγόρευσας· ἀλλ’, ὥς φαμεν, θελήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸ χρόνων καὶ πρὸ αἰώνων κτισθέντα, καὶ τὸ ζῆν καὶ τὸ εἶναι παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰληφότα, καὶ τὰς δόξας συνυποστήσαντος αὐτῷ τοῦ Πατρός. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ, δοὺς αὐτῷ πάντων τὴν κληρονομίαν, ἐστέρησεν ἑαυτὸν, ὧν ἀγεννήτως ἔχει ἐν ἑαυτῷ· πηγὴ γάρ ἐστι πάντων. Ὥστε τρεῖς εἰσιν ὑποστάσεις. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Θεὸς, αἴτιος τῶν πάντων τυγχάνων, ἔστιν ἄναρχος μονώτατος. Ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς, ἀχρόνως γεννηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ πρὸ αἰώνων κτισθεὶς καὶ θεμελιωθεὶς, οὐκ ἦν πρὸ τοῦ γεννηθῆναι, ἀλλ’ ἀχρόνως πρὸ πάντων γεννηθεὶς, μόνος ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπέστη. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ἀΐδιος, ἢ συναΐδιος, ἢ συναγέννητος τῷ Πατρί· οὐδὲ ἅμα τῷ Πατρὶ τὸ εἶναι ἔχει, ὥς τινες λέγουσι τὰ πρός τι, δύο ἀγεννήτους ἀρχὰς εἰσηγούμενοι· ἀλλ’ ὡς μονὰς καὶ ἀρχὴ πάντων, οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς πρὸ πάντων ἐστί. Διὸ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἔστιν· ὡς καὶ παρὰ σοῦ μεμαθήκαμεν κατὰ μέσην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κηρύξαντος. Καθὸ οὖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ εἶναι ἔχει, καὶ τὰς δόξας καὶ τὸ ζῆν, καὶ τὰ πάντα αὐτῷ παρεδόθη, κατὰ τοῦτο ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. Ἄρχει γὰρ αὐτοῦ, ὡς Θεὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ ὤν. Εἰ δὲ τὸ, ‘ἐξ αὐτοῦ,’ καὶ τὸ ‘ἐκ γαστρὸς,’ καὶ τὸ ‘ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἥκω,’ ὡς μέρος αὐτοῦ ὁμοουσίου, καὶ ὡς προβολὴ ὑπό τινων νοεῖται, σύνθετος ἔσται ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ διαιρετὸς, καὶ τρεπτὸς, καὶ σῶμα κατ’ αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὸ ὅσον ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς, τὰ ἀκόλουθα σώματι πάσχων, ὁ ἀσώματος Θεός.
Ταῦτα ἀπὸ μέρους ὧν ἤμεσαν ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν αἱρετικῆς καρδίας οἱ περὶ Ἄρειον ἐστιν.

Ἃ δὲ καὶ δι’ ἐπιστολῆς ἔγραψαν πρὸς τὸν μακαρίτην Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, ἔστι ταῦτα·

Μακαρίῳ πάπᾳ καὶ ἐπισκόπῳ ἡμῶν Ἀλεξάνδρῳ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ διάκονοι ἐν κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν ἡ ἐκ προγόνων, ἣν καὶ ἀπὸ σοῦ μεμαθήκαμεν, μακάριε πάπα, ἔστιν αὕτη· Οἴδαμεν ἕνα Θεόν, μόνον ἀγέννητον, μόνον ἀΐδιον, μόνον ἄναρχον, μόνον ἀληθινὸν, μόνον ἀθανασίαν ἔχοντα, μόνον σοφόν, μόνον ἀγαθόν, μόνον δυνάστην, πάντων κριτήν, διοικητήν, οἰκονόμον, ἄτρεπτον καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον, δίκαιον καὶ ἀγαθόν, νόμου καὶ προφητῶν καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης τοῦτον Θεὸν· γεννήσαντα Υἱὸν μονογενῆ πρὸ χρόνων αἰωνίων, δι’ οὗ καὶ τοὺς αἰῶνας καὶ τὰ ὅλα πεποίηκε· γεννήσαντα δὲ οὐ δοκήσει, ἀλλὰ ἀληθείᾳ· ὑποστήσαντα ἰδίῳ θελήματι ἄτρεπτον καὶ ἀναλλοίωτον κτίσμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τέλειον, ἀλλ’ οὐχ ὡς ἓν τῶν κτισμάτων· γέννημα, ἀλλ’ οὐχ ὡς ἓν τῶν γεγεννημένων, οὐδ’ ὡς Οὐαλεντῖνος ‘προβολὴν’ τὸ γέννημα τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐδογμάτισεν· οὐδ’ ὡς Μανιχαῖος ‘μέρος ὁμοούσιον τοῦ Πατρὸς’ τὸ γέννημα εἰσηγήσατο· οὐδ’ ὡς Σαβέλλιος τὴν μονάδα διαιρῶν ‘υἱοπάτορα’ εἶπεν· οὐδ’ ὡς Ἱέρακας λύχνον ἀπὸ λύχνου, ἢ ὡς λαμπάδα εἰς δύο· οὐδὲ τὸν ὄντα πρότερον, ὕστερον γεννηθέντα, ἢ ἐπικτισθέντα εἰς Υἱόν· ὡς καὶ σὺ αὐτός, μακάριε πάπα, κατὰ μέσην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ ἐν συνεδρίῳ πλειστάκις τοὺς ταῦτα εἰσηγησαμένους ἀπηγόρευσας· ἀλλ’, ὥς φαμεν, θελήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸ χρόνων καὶ πρὸ αἰώνων κτισθέντα, καὶ τὸ ζῆν καὶ τὸ εἶναι παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰληφότα, καὶ τὰς δόξας συνυποστήσαντος αὐτῷ τοῦ Πατρός. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ Πατὴρ, δοὺς αὐτῷ πάντων τὴν κληρονομίαν, ἐστέρησεν ἑαυτὸν, ὧν ἀγεννήτως ἔχει ἐν ἑαυτῷ· πηγὴ γάρ ἐστι πάντων. Ὥστε τρεῖς εἰσιν ὑποστάσεις. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Θεὸς, αἴτιος τῶν πάντων τυγχάνων, ἔστιν ἄναρχος μονώτατος. Ὁ δὲ Υἱὸς, ἀχρόνως γεννηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ πρὸ αἰώνων κτισθεὶς καὶ θεμελιωθεὶς, οὐκ ἦν πρὸ τοῦ γεννηθῆναι, ἀλλ’ ἀχρόνως πρὸ πάντων γεννηθεὶς, μόνος ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπέστη. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν ἀΐδιος, ἢ συναΐδιος, ἢ συναγέννητος τῷ Πατρί· οὐδὲ ἅμα τῷ Πατρὶ τὸ εἶναι ἔχει, ὥς τινες λέγουσι τὰ πρός τι, δύο ἀγεννήτους ἀρχὰς εἰσηγούμενοι· ἀλλ’ ὡς μονὰς καὶ ἀρχὴ πάντων, οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς πρὸ πάντων ἐστί. Διὸ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἔστιν· ὡς καὶ παρὰ σοῦ μεμαθήκαμεν κατὰ μέσην τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κηρύξαντος. Καθὸ οὖν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ εἶναι ἔχει, καὶ τὰς δόξας καὶ τὸ ζῆν, καὶ τὰ πάντα αὐτῷ παρεδόθη, κατὰ τοῦτο ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. Ἄρχει γὰρ αὐτοῦ, ὡς Θεὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ ὤν. Εἰ δὲ τὸ, ‘ἐξ αὐτοῦ,’ καὶ τὸ ‘ἐκ γαστρὸς,’ καὶ τὸ ‘ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἥκω,’ ὡς μέρος αὐτοῦ ὁμοουσίου, καὶ ὡς προβολὴ ὑπό τινων νοεῖται, σύνθετος ἔσται ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ διαιρετὸς, καὶ τρεπτὸς, καὶ σῶμα κατ’ αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὸ ὅσον ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς, τὰ ἀκόλουθα σώματι πάσχων, ὁ ἀσώματος Θεός.

Ταῦτα ἀπὸ μέρους ὧν ἤμεσαν ἐκ τῆς ἑαυτῶν αἱρετικῆς καρδίας οἱ περὶ Ἄρειον ἐστιν.