Defence Against
the Arians.
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1. I supposed that, after so many proofs of my
innocence had been given, my enemies would have shrunk from further
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 no further judgment; for
judgment 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; a second time
at Rome, when, in consequence of letters from Eusebius, both they and
we were summoned, and more than fifty Bishops met; and a third time in the great Council assembled at Sardica 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, Mœsia, 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.
Added to these was the testimony of Ursacius and Valens, who had formerly
calumniated me, but afterwards changed their minds, and not only gave
their assent to the sentence 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 Eusebius and his fellows, 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 to such trifling.
2. 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 judgment, but now have recourse to violence, and in the place of fair reasoning seek to injure 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 while it clears those whom they have injured, condemns themselves.