Section 514
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32 COUNCIL OF NICE. and obtained, with impunity, that of Nicomedia,) has undertaken to protect these apostates, and to write letters in their favor to every quarter,, that he may draw ignorant men into this worst of heresies, and most inimical to Christ ; I thought it was necessary, knowing what is written in the law, that I should no longer for bear, but inform you all, that you may know who these apostates are, and the unfortunate language in which their error is express ed ; and that in case Eusebius should have written to you, you may pay no regard to him. Willing now to renew through them his ancient malignity, which time seemed to have obliterated, he pretends that he writes letters for their sake. He shows, however, by his conduct, that he does this for the furtherance of his own interests. The names, then, of those who have become apostates are these : Arius, Achillas, Carpones, Aithales, another Arius, Sarmates, Euzoius, Lucius, Julianus, Menas, Helladius and Gaius ; and with these, Secundus and Theonas, who were for merly denominated bishops. What they advance in opposition to scripture is this, — God was not always a Father, but there was a time when he was not a Father. The Word of God was not always, but originated from nothing ; for God, who exists, created him, who was not, from that which did not exist. Therefore there was a time when he was not. For the Son is a creature, and was made. Nor is he like the Father with respect to his essence. Neither is he by nature the true Word of God, nor his true wisdom, but he is one of his works and creatures, arid is im properly termed the word and wisdom, since he himself existed by the proper Word of God, and by the wisdom which is in God ; by which, as he created all things, he made the Son. There fore, by his nature, he is exposed to change and alteration, in like manner as other rational beings. The Word is foreign and sepa rate from the substance of God, and the Father cannot be de clared by the Son, and is invisible to him. Neither does the Son know the Father perfectly and accurately, neither can he see him perfectly. Nor does the Son know what the nature of his own substance is. He was made on our account, that God might create us through him, as his instrument ; nor would he iver have existed, unless God had determined to create us. And