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| To Eusebius, Bishop of Ancyra.
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CIX. To Eusebius, Bishop
of Ancyra.1845
Many are the devices secretly
plotted against me, and through me patched up against the faith of
apostles. I am however comforted by the sufferings of the Saints,
Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, and men famous in the churches in the word
of Grace; and besides these by the promises of our God and Saviour, for
in this present life He has promised us nothing pleasant or delightful,
but rather trouble, toil, and peril, and attacks of enemies. “In
the world,” He says, “ye shall have tribulation,”1846
and “if they have persecuted me
they will also persecute you,”1847
and
“If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub how much
more shall they call them of his household,”1848
and “The time cometh when
whosoever killeth you will think he doeth God service,”1849
and “Straight is the gate and
narrow the way which leadeth unto life,”1850
and “When they persecute you in this city flee you into
another,”1851
and I might
quote all similar passages. The divine Apostle too speaks in the same
strain. “Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall
suffer persecution, but evil men and seducers shall wax worse and
worse, deceiving and being deceived.”1852
These words give me the greatest comfort
in this distress. As the calumnies uttered against me have probably
reached your holiness’s ears, I beseech your holiness to give no
credence to the lies of my slanderers. I am not aware of ever having
taught anyone up to the present time to believe in two sons. I have
been taught to believe in one only begotten, our Lord Jesus Christ, God
the Word made man. But I know the distinction between flesh and
Godhead, and regard as impious all who divide our one Lord Jesus Christ
into two sons, as well as those who, travelling in an opposite
direction, call the Godhead and manhood of the master Christ one
nature. For these exaggerations stand opposed to one another, while
between them lies the way of the doctrines of the Gospel, beautified by
the footprints of prophets and apostles, and of all who after them have
been conspicuous for the gift of teaching. I was anxious to adduce
their opinions, and to point out how they bear witness in favour of my
own, but I want more words than a letter allows room for, wherefore I
have written summarily what I have been taught about the incarnation of
the only begotten; I send my statement to your godly excellency.1853
| 1853 Garnerius supposes this to refer to Dial. II. | I have written not with the object of
teaching others, but of making my defence against the accusations
brought against me, and of explaining my sentiments to those who are
ignorant of them. After your holiness has read what I have written, if
you find it in conformity with the apostolic doctrines, I hope you will
confirm my opinion by what you reply—if, on the contrary,
anything that I have said jars with the divine teaching, I request to
be told of it by your holiness. For, though I have spent much time in
teaching, I still need one to teach me. “We know,” says the
divine Apostle “in part,”1854
and again he says, “If any man
think that he knoweth anything he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to
know.”1855
So I hope that I may hear the truth
from your holiness, and that you may also give heed to the calm of the
Church, and fight for the divine doctrines. It is for their sakes that
the very godly bishops, making light of the difficulties of the
journey, and of the winter, have set out for the imperial city, in
the endeavour to bring about some end to the storm. Send them I pray
you, on their way with your prayers and with your prayers too
strengthen me.1856
| 1856 The route of the bishops would be by land, in consequence of the
dangers of the sea voyage in winter time. From Ancyra (Angora) they
would follow the course of the Sangarius into Bithynia, and would cross
thence via Chalcedon to Constantinople. | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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