{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/204/2040453.htm","path":"chr/ecf/204/2040453.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/204/2040453.htm","text":"Letter LVI.\u2014To the Emperor Jovian.\nCopy of a letter of the Emperor Jovian, sent to Athanasius, the most holy Archbishop of Alexandria.\nTo the most religious and friend of God, Athanasius, Jovian.\nAdmiring exceedingly the achievements of your most honourable life, and of your likeness to the God of all, and of your affection toward our Saviour Christ, we accept you, most honoured bishop. And inasmuch as you have not flinched from all labour, nor from the fear of your persecutors, and, regarding dangers and threats of the sword as dung, holding the rudder of the orthodox faith which is dear to you, are contending even until now for the truth, and continue to exhibit yourself as a pattern to all the people of the faithful, and an example of virtue:\u2014our imperial Majesty recalls you, and desires that you should return to the office of the teaching of salvation. Return then to the holy Churches, and tend the people of God, and send up to God with zeal your prayers for our clemency. For we know that by your supplication we, and all who hold with us [the Christian faith], shall have great assistance from the supreme God.\n56. Letter of Athanasius to Jovian 4673 concerning the Faith.\n1. A desire to learn and a yearning for heavenly things is suitable to a religious Emperor; for thus you will truly have \u2018your heart\u2019 also \u2018in the hand of God 4674 .\u2019 Since then your Piety desired 4675 to learn from us the faith of the Catholic Church, giving thanks for these things to the Lord, we counselled above all things to remind your Piety of the faith confessed by the Fathers at Nic\u00e6a. For this certain set at nought, while plotting against us in many ways, because we would not comply with the Arian heresy, and they have become authors of heresy and schisms in the Catholic Church. For the true and pious faith in the Lord has become manifest to all, being both \u2018known and read 4676 \u2019 from the Divine Scriptures. For in it both the saints were made perfect and suffered martyrdom, and now are departed in the Lord; and the faith would have abode inviolate always had not the wickedness of certain heretics presumed to tamper with it. For a certain Arius and those with him attempted to corrupt it, and to introduce impiety in its place, affirming that the Son of God was from nought, and a creature, and a thing made and changeable. But with these words they deceived many, so that even \u2018they that seemed to be somewhat were carried away 4677 ,\u2019 with their blasphemy. And yet our holy Fathers, as we said before, came promptly together at the Synod at Nic\u00e6a, and anathematised them, and confessed in writing the faith of the Catholic Church, so that, this being everywhere preached, the heresy kindled by the heretics might be quenched. This faith then was everywhere in every Church sincerely known and preached. But since now certain who wish to renew the Arian heresy have presumed to set at nought this faith confessed at Nic\u00e6a by the Fathers, and while pretending to confess it, do in fact deny it, explaining away the \u2018Coessential 4678 ,\u2019 and blaspheming of their own accord 4679 against the Holy Spirit, in affirming that It is a creature, and came into being as a p. 568 thing made by the Son, we hasten as of bounden duty, in view of the injury resulting to the people from such blasphemy, to hand to your Piety the faith confessed at Nic\u00e6a; in order that thy religiousness may know what has been written with all accuracy, and how far wrong they are who teach contrary to it.\n2. For know, most religious Augustus, that these things have been preached from time immemorial, and this faith the Fathers who met at Nic\u00e6a confessed; and to it have assented all the Churches in every quarter, both those in Spain, and Britain, and the Gauls, and all Italy and Dalmatia, Dacia and M\u0153sia, Macedonia and all Greece, and in all Africa and Sardinia, and Cyprus and Crete, as well as Pamphylia, Lycia and Isauria, and those in Egypt and the Libyas, Pontus and Cappadocia, and those near at hand to us 4680 , and the Churches in the East, except a few who hold with Arius. For of all those above mentioned we have both learnt the opinion by experience, and we have letters. And you know, O most religious Augustus, that even if some few speak against this faith, they cannot create a demurrer 4681 , inasmuch as the whole world 4682 holds the Apostolic faith. For they having long been infected by the Arian heresy, now the more obstinately oppose the truth. And that your Piety may know, although you know already, yet we hasten to append the faith confessed by the Bishops at Nic\u00e6a. The faith then confessed at Nic\u00e6a by the Fathers is as follows:\u2014\n3. We believe 4683 , &c., &c.\n4. By this faith, Augustus, all must needs abide, as Divine and Apostolic, and none must unsettle it by plausibilities, and contentions about words, which is what the Arian madmen have done, saying that the Son of God is from nought, and that once there was when He was not, and that He is created, and made and changeable. For for this cause, as we said before, the Synod at Nic\u00e6a anathematised such heresy, but confessed the faith of the truth. For they have not merely said that the Son is like 4684 the Father, lest He should be believed merely like God, instead of Very God from God; but they wrote \u2018Coessential,\u2019 which was peculiar to a genuine and true Son, truly and naturally from the Father. Nor yet did they make the Holy Spirit alien from the Father and the Son, but rather glorified Him together with the Father and the Son, in the one faith of the Holy Triad, because there is in the Holy Triad also one Godhead.\nPetition made at Antioch to Jovian the Emperor on the part of Lucius 4685 and Bernicianus, and certain other Arians against Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria.\nFirst Petition which they made as the Emperor was departing to Camp, at the Roman Gate.\nMay it please your Might and your Majesty and your Piety to hear us. The Emperor: \u2018Who are you and where from?\u2019 The Arians: \u2018Christians, my Lord.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018Where from, and from what city?\u2019 The Arians: \u2018Alexandria.\u2019\u2014Emperor: \u2018What do you want?\u2019 The Arians: \u2018May it please your Might and your Majesty, give us a Bishop.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018I ordered the former one, whom you had before, Athanasius, to occupy the See.\u2019 The Arians: \u2018May it please your Might: he has been many years both in banishment, and under accusation.\u2019 Suddenly a soldier answered in indignation: \u2018May it please your Majesty, enquire of them who they are and where from, for these are the leavings and refuse of Cappadocia, the remains of that unholy George who desolated the city and the world.\u2019 The Emperor on hearing this set spurs to his horse, and departed to the Camp.\nSecond Petition of the Arians.\n\u2018We have accusations and clear proofs against Athanasius, in that ten and twenty years ago he was deprived by the ever memorable Constantine and Constantius, and incurred banishment under the most religious and philosophical and blessed Julian.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018Accusations ten, twenty, and thirty years old are now obsolete. Don\u2019t speak to me about Athanasius, for I know why he was accused, and how he was banished.\u2019\n\u2018And now again, we have certain other accusations against Athanasius.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018The rights of the case will not appear by means of crowded numbers, and clamours, but choose two from yourselves, and from the party of the majority other two, for I cannot answer each one severally.\u2019 Those from the majority: \u2018These are the leavings from the unholy George, who desolated our province, and who would not allow a counsellor to dwell in the cities.\u2019 The Arians: \u2018May it please you, any one you will except Athanasius.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018I told you that the case of Athanasius was already settled,\u2019 (and then angrily) \u2018feri, feri 4686 !\u2019 The Arians: \u2018May it please you, if you send Athanasius, our city is ruined, and no one assembles with him.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018Yet I took pains, and ascertained that he holds right opinions and is orthodox, and teaches aright.\u2019 The Arians: \u2018With his mouth he utters what is right, but in his soul he harbours guile.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018That will do, you have testified of him, that he utters what is right and teaches aright, but if he teaches and speaks aright with his tongue, but harbours evil thoughts in his soul, it concerns him before God. For we are men, and hear what is said; but what is in the heart God knows.\u2019 The Arians: \u2018Authorise our holding communion together.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018Why, who prevents you?\u2019 The Arians: \u2018May it please you, he proclaims us as sectarians and dogmatisers.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018It is his duty, and that of those who teach aright.\u2019 The Arians: \u2018May it please your Might; we cannot bear this man, and he has taken p. 569 away the lands of the Churches.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018Oh then, it is on account of property you are come here, and not on account of the faith\u2019\u2014then he added\u2014\u2018go away, and keep the peace.\u2019 Once more he added to the Arians: \u2018Go away to the Church, to-morrow you have a Communion, and after the dismissal, there are Bishops here, and here is Nemesinus 4687 , each one of you shall sign as he believes: Athanasius is here too; whoever does not know the word of faith, let him learn from Athanasius. You have to-morrow and the day after, for I am going out to Camp.\u2019 And a certain lawyer 4688 belonging to the Cynics petitioned the Emperor: \u2018May it please your Majesty, on account of Bishop Athanasius, the Receiver-General 4689 seized my houses.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018If the Receiver-General seized your houses what has that to do with Athanasius?\u2019 Another lawyer, Patalas, said: \u2018I have a complaint against Athanasius.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018And what have you to do with Christians, being a heathen?\u2019 But certain of the majority of them of Antioch took Lucius and brought him to the Emperor, saying: \u2018May it please your Might and your Majesty, look whom they wanted to make a Bishop!\u2019\nAnother petition made at the porch of the palace 4690 on the part of Lucius:\u2014\u2018May it please your Might, listen to me.\u2019 The Emperor stopped and said: \u2018I ask you, Lucius, how did you come here, by sea or by land?\u2019 Lucius: \u2018May it please you, by sea.\u2019 Emperor: \u2018Well, Lucius, may the God of the world, and the radiant sun, and moon, be angry with those men that made the voyage with you, for not casting you into the sea; and may that ship never again have fair winds, nor find a haven with her passengers when in a storm.\u2019 And through Euzoius 4691 the unbelieving Arians asked Probatius and his fellows, the successors of Eusebius 4692 and Bardio as eunuchs, that they might be granted an audience. The Emperor learned this, and tortured the eunuchs and said: \u2018If any one wants to make a petition against Christians let this be his fate.\u2019 And so the Emperor dismissed them.\nCf. Prolegg, ch. ii. \u00a79, and ch. v. \u00a73, h. and supr. p. 487. Athanasius, on the first news of Julian\u2019s death, by a secret and rapid journey, succeeded in meeting Jovian, when still beyond the Euphrates on his return from the East. He thus secured the ear of the new Emperor before the Arian deputation from Alexandria could reach him. The letter before us (Migne xxvi. 813) was drawn up at Antioch, as it would seem in response to a request from Jovian on a doctrinal statement. The short letter of Jovian prefixed to the Epistle is a formal authorisation for the bishop\u2019s return to his see, with which, taught by his experience under Julian, he was careful to arm himself. The documents given as an appendix are notes made at Antioch, and carefully preserved, of the reception given by Jovian to the Arian deputation. They are probably the \u2018exemplaria\u2019 referred to in Hist. Aceph. \u00a714 (see note there). They are characteristic, and interesting in many ways; among others, as shewing how accurately Jovian had been primed by Athanasius with the leading facts of his case.\n567:4674\nProv. xxi. 1. The letter as given by Theodoret adds, \u2018and you will peacefully enjoy a long reign:\u2019 probably the words were erased from our text on account of Jovian\u2019s premature death. If genuine, they stamp the prediction supr. p. 487, as, at least in part, a vaticinium ex eventu.\n567:4675\nVery probably orally, see Prolegg. ubi supr.\n567:4676 567:4677 567:4678\nThis reference is explained above, Prolegg. ch. ii. \u00a79 sub fin.\n567:4679\n\u1fbd\u0391\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u03af, i.e. adding this, as a feature of their own, to the Arianism they shared with their predecessors. Acacius seems to be specially referred to; he had just signed the Homousios with explanations; cf. Pseudo-Ath. de Hypocr. Melet. et Euseb.\n568:4680\nThis points to Antioch as the place of composition, which is fairly certain on other grounds.\n568:4681\n\u03c0\u03c1\u03cc\u03ba\u03c1\u03b9\u03bc\u03b1, a \u2018pr\u00e6judicium\u2019 or prima facie objection in their favour.\n568:4682\nA pardonable exaggeration, but its very use is significant; cf. de Syn. 33, and Bright\u2019s note, Later Treatises, p. 20.\n568:4683\nUt supr. p. 75; the other authorities for the text of the creed in Hahn \u00a773, note. Cf. Hort, p. 54 sqq. The only important variant here not noticed by Hort is \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u1f15\u03bd\u03b1 \u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd.\n568:4684\nSee above, pp. 83 and 84, note 4, also Prolegg. ii. \u00a78 (2) b.\n568:4685\nOriginally Arian deacon (p. 70), and presently bishop of the Arians at Alexandria; see Hist. Aceph. p. 499, and Prolegg ch. ii. \u00a710.\n568:4686\ni.e. strike, strike! probably a direction to the guard to silence the petitioners.\n569:4687\nPossibly an imperial notary or registrar, see D.C.B. iv. 15.\n569:4688 569:4689 569:4690\nIn the New Town, on the island of the Orontes.\n569:4691\nOriginally one of the Arian clergy of Alexandria (supr. p. 70), now Arian bishop of Antioch.\n569:4692","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Ser. II, Vol. IV: Letters...","type":"page"}