Section 529
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COUNCIL OF NICE. 4/ F. The Synodical Epistle. The bishops assembled at Nice, constituting the great and holy Synod, to the church of Alexandria, by the grace of God holy and great, and to the beloved brethren in Egypt, Lybia, and Pentapolis, greeting in the Lord. Seeing that, by the grace of God, and the favor of Constantino, a prince greatly beloved by him, we have met together from va rious cities and provinces, and have holden a great and sacred Council at Nice, we considered it highly necessary that a letter should be sent to you from the holy Synod, that you might un derstand what things were proposed and examined, and what was decided and established. In the first place, then, the impiety and iniquity of Arius and his associates was inquired into, in the presence of our most religious prince, Constantine. It seemed good to all, that his ungodly opinion should be anathematized, and the blasphemous words and expressions which he made use of, saying, that the Son of God was from nothing ; that there was a time when he was not ; and that by his freedom of will he was capable of virtue and vice. He also called him a being created and made. All this was condemned by the holy Synod, who could not patiently listen to a doctrine so impious or absurd, and to language so blasphemous. You have already been made acquainted Avith the result of the proceedings against him, or will shortly be informed ; and we would not seem to insult a man who has received the just reward of his own error. But so great was the influence of his impiety, that it involved Theonas, of Marmarica, and Secundus, of Ptolemais, in the same ruin with himself, for they shared the same condemnation. But after the grace of God had delivered us from that perni cious opinion, from impiety and blasphemy, and from those men who had the presumption to excite discord and divisions among a people heretofore at peace, the rashness and petulance of Mele