II.
An Apology
of our
Holy Father Athanasius,
Archbishop of Alexandria,
against the Arians
[The following Apology, or Defence of his
conduct, was written by S. Athanasius between A.D. 349-352, after his
return from his second exile upon the Council of Sardica. It is
scarcely more than a collection of exculpatory documents, which might
serve as a record of his innocence. These documents extend from A.D.
300, to A.D. 350, of which those between 340 and 350, are placed
first. "This Apology," says Montfaucon, "is the most authentic source
of the history of the Church in the first half of the fourth century.
Athanasius is far superior to any other historians of the period, both
from his bearing for the most part a personal testimony to the facts
he relates, and from his great accuracy and use of actual documents.
On the other hand, Ruffinus, Socrates, Sozomen, Theodoret, must not be
used without extreme caution, unless they adduce documents, which is
seldom the case." He proceeds to give instances; for this reason it
will not be worth while in this work, nor was it in the foregoing, to
compare Athanasius's statements with those of other historians, or to
use the latter except in connecting the line of the narrative. The
charges which he notices are as follow:—that he had been
clandestinely consecrated; that he had imposed a duty on Egyptian
linen; that he had assisted Philumenus with money, when in rebellion
against the Emperor; that he had sanctioned the overthrow of a
Communion Table and breaking of one of the Communion Vessels; that he
had killed a Meletian Bishop named Arsenius; that he had been the
cause of many executions or murders after his return from Gaul; that
he had sold for his own benefit the corn bestowed by Constantine on
the widows of the Church, and that he had stopped the supplies of corn
intended for Constantinople.]
———————
Introduction
1. I supposed that, after so many proofs of my
innocence had been given, my enemies would have shrunk from further
{14} enquiry, and would now have condemned themselves for their false
accusations of others. But as they are not yet abashed, though they
have been so clearly convicted, but, as insensible to shame, persist
in their slanderous reports against me, professing to think that the
whole matter ought to be tried over again, (not that they may have
judgment passed on them, for that they avoid, but in order to harass
me, and to disturb the minds of the simple;) I therefore thought it
necessary to make my defence unto you, that you may listen to their
murmurings no longer, but may denounce their wickedness and base
calumnies. And it is only to you, who are men of sincere minds, that I
offer a defence; as for the contentious, I appeal confidently to the
decisive proofs which I have against them. For my cause needs not a
second judgment; which has already been given, and not once or twice
only, but many times. First of all, it was tried in my own country in
an assembly of nearly one hundred of its Bishops [Note
A] a second time at Rome, when, in consequence of Letters from
Eusebius, both they and we were summoned, and more than fifty Bishops
met [Note B]; and a third time in
the great Council assembled at Sardica [Note
C] by order of the most religious Emperors Constantius and
Constans, when my enemies were degraded as false accusers, and the
sentence that was passed in my favour received the suffrages of more
than three hundred Bishops, out of the provinces of Egypt, Libya, and
Pentapolis, Palestine, Arabia, Isauria, Cyprus, Pamphylia, Lycia,
Galatia, Dacia, Mysia, Thrace, Dardania, Macedonia, Epirus, Thessaly,
Achaia, Crete, Dalmatia, Siscia, Pannonia, Noricum, Italy, Picenum,
Tuscany, Campania, Calabria, Apulia, Bruttia, Sicily, the whole of
Africa, Sardinia, Spain, Gaul, and Britain.
2. Added to these was the testimony [Note
D] of Ursacius and Valens, who had formerly calumniated me, but
afterwards changed their minds, and not only gave their assent to the
sentence {15} that was passed in my favour, but also confessed that
they themselves and the rest of my enemies were false accusers; for
men who make such a change and such a recantation of course reflect
upon the Eusebians, for with them they had contrived the plot against
me. Now after a matter has been examined and decided on such clear
evidence by so many eminent Bishops, every one will confess that
further discussion is unnecessary; else, if an investigation be
instituted at this time, it may be again discussed and again
investigated, and there will be no end of this trifling.
§. 2.
3. Now the decision of so many Bishops was
sufficient to confound those who would still fain pretend some charge
against me. But when my enemies also bear testimony in my favour and
against themselves, declaring that the proceedings against me were a
conspiracy, who is there that would not be ashamed to doubt any
longer? The law requires that in the mouth of two or three witnesses
judgments shall be settled, and we have here this great multitude of
witnesses in my favour, with the addition of the proofs afforded by my
enemies; so much so that those who still continue opposed to me no
longer attach any importance to their own arbitrary [Note
E] judgment, but now have recourse to violence, and in the place
of fair reasoning seek to injure [Note
F] those by whom they were exposed. For this is the chief cause of
vexation to them, that the measures they carried on in secret,
contrived by themselves in a corner, have been brought to light and
disclosed by Valens and Ursacius; for they are well aware that their
recantation not only clears those whom they have injured, but condemns
them.
4. Indeed this led to their degradation in the
Council of Sardica, as mentioned before; and with good reason; for, as
the Pharisees of old, when they undertook the defence of Paul, gave
clear judgment against the conspiracy which they and the Jews had
formed against him; and as the blessed David was proved to be
persecuted unjustly when the {16} persecutor confessed, I have
sinned, my son David [1 Sam. xxvi. 21.]; so it was with these men;
being overcome by the truth they became suppliants, and addressed a
letter to that effect to Julius Bishop of Rome. They wrote also to me
desiring to be on terms of peace with me, though they have spread such
reports concerning me; and probably even now they are covered with
shame, on seeing that those whom they sought to destroy by the grace
of the Lord are still alive. Consistently also with this conduct they
anathematized Arius and his heresy; for knowing that the Eusebians had
conspired against me in behalf of their own misbelief, and of nothing
else, as soon as they had determined to confess their calumnies
against me, they immediately renounced also that antichristian heresy
for the sake of which they had falsely asserted them.
A. The Council of Sardica says eighty; which is a
usual number in Egyptian Councils. (vid. Tillemont, vol. 8. p. 74.)
There were about ninety Bishops in Egypt, the Thebais, and Libya. The
present Council was held in 339, or 340. Its Synodal Epistle is
contained below, §. 3. and is particularly addressed to Pope Julius,
§. 20. Return to text
B.
This was held in 341. Julius's Letter is found below, §. 21. Return to text
C.
In A.D.
347, though Marsi, contrary to other writers, maintains its date to be
344. vid. §. 44. infr. Return to text
E.
[hos ethelesan]. vid. infr. §. 14.de Decr.
§. 3. de Syn. §. 13. ad Ep. Ag §. 5. Return to text
F.
This implies that Valens and Ursacius were subjected to some kind of
persecution, which is natural. They relapsed in 351, when Constantius
on the death of Constans came into possession of his brother's
dominions; and professed to have been forced to their former
recantation by the latter Emperor. Return to text