Epistola Synodi Sardiniacensis ad SS Julium I Papam [ex Hilario]

The same letter from Hilary. (Conc. t. II, col. 660, ed. Lab.) What we have always believed, we also now perceive: for experience proves and confirms what each person has heard by hearing. For it is true what the most blessed teacher of the Gentiles, the apostle Paul, said of himself: "You seek the proof of him who speaks in me, Christ" (2 Cor. 13)? Although indeed, because the Lord Christ dwelt in him, it cannot be doubted that the Holy Spirit spoke through his mind and resounded through the instrument of his body. And so you also, most beloved brother, though separated in body, were present in mind, harmony, and will (mind, harmony, will, from the codices of Fossatus and Anicius): and the excuse for your absence was honorable and necessary, lest either schismatic wolves should steal and plunder through treachery, or heretical dogs, roused by rabid fury, should bark insanely, or certainly the serpent, the devil, should pour out the poison of blasphemies. For this will seem best and most fitting, that priests of the Lord from each and every province should refer to the head, that is, to the see of the apostle Peter. Therefore, since everything that was done, transacted, and decreed is contained both in the documents and can be most truthfully and faithfully set forth by the living voices of our most dear brothers and fellow priests Archidamus and Philoxenus, and of our most dear son Leo the deacon, it seems almost superfluous to insert the same into this letter.

It became evident to all who had assembled from the regions of the East, who call themselves bishops—although among them there are certain instigators whose sacrilegious minds the Arian heresy has stained with its pestilential poison—that they long prevaricated, refusing to come to judgment out of distrust, and that they condemned both your communion and ours, which bore no guilt, because we not only believed eighty bishops testifying to the innocence of Athanasius, but also, when summoned through your presbyters and by letter to the synod that was to be held in the city of Rome, they refused to come. And it was sufficiently unjust that, with them holding such contempt, and with so many priests bearing witness, they denied fellowship to Marcellus and Athanasius. There were three matters that needed to be addressed.

For even the most religious emperors themselves permitted that everything be discussed and debated anew from the beginning: first, concerning the holy faith and the integrity of the truth, which they had violated; second, concerning the persons whom they claimed had been deposed, and the unjust judgment, so that if they could prove their case, a just confirmation might be made; and third, a question which truly deserves to be called a question, because they had inflicted grave and bitter injuries, intolerable and even unspeakable outrages upon the churches, when they seized bishops, presbyters, deacons, and sent all clerics into exile, transported them to deserted places, and killed them with hunger, thirst, nakedness, and every deprivation; others they confined in prison, wasting them away with filth and stench, and some they bound with iron chains, so that their necks were strangled by the tightest bonds. Finally, some of those who were bound perished under that same unjust punishment; of these it cannot be doubted that their death was a glorious martyrdom, and they still dare to detain certain persons even now. Nor was there any cause for the crime, except that they resisted and cried out that they execrated the Arian and Eusebian heresy, and refused to have communion with such men; but for those who preferred to think as they did, it was advantageous (but for those who had not wished to serve the world, according to the Paris edition or a manuscript copy: but for those who preferred to serve the world); and those who had previously been deposed were not only received back, but were even [promoted] to the clerical [state].

they were promoted to the dignity of the clergy and received the reward of falsehood. But what was decreed concerning the impious and inexperienced youths Ursacius and Valens, learn, most blessed brother. Because it was evident that they did not cease to scatter the deadly seeds of adulterous doctrine, and that Valens, having abandoned his church, wished to invade another church, and at the time when he stirred up a sedition, one of our brothers who could not flee, Viator (or Victor), overwhelmed and trampled, died on the third day in the same city of Aquileia, a death for which Valens, who disturbed and incited, certainly provided the cause. But when you read what we have communicated to the most blessed Augusti, you will easily perceive that we have omitted nothing, as far as reason allowed; and, lest a long narration be burdensome, we have indicated who did and committed what. Your excellent prudence, however, ought to arrange that, through your letters, our brothers who are in Sicily, in Sardinia, and in Italy may learn what has been done and what has been decreed; and that they not, in ignorance, receive communicatory letters from those whom a just sentence has declared to be outside the episcopate. Let Marcellus, Athanasius, and Asclepius remain in our communion, because an unjust judgment, and the flight and tergiversation of those who refused to come to the judgment of all the bishops who assembled, could not harm them.

Moreover, as we have mentioned above, the full report of the brothers, whom your sincere charity sent, will instruct your unanimity. We have taken care to subjoin the names of those who have been deposed for their crimes, so that your eminent gravity may know who have been deprived of communion, as we have stated before. May you deign to admonish all our brothers and fellow bishops by your letters, that they should not accept their epistles, that is, their letters of communion. Names of the heretics: Ursacius of Singidunum, Valens of Mursa, Narcissus of Neronopolis, Stephen of Antioch, Acacius of Caesarea, Menophanes of Ephesus, George of Laodicea. Theodore also ought to be added here, concerning whom S. Athanasius in his epistle to the solitaries, p. 635, and the fathers of the Council of Sardica in their epistle to all the churches, p. 669, list them in this order: Theodore, Narcissus, Acacius, Stephen, Ursacius, Valens, Menophanes, and George. Likewise the names of the bishops who were present at the Council of Sardica—

and subscribed to the same in the judgment. Osius from Spain, of Corduba. Annianus from Spain, of Castulona. Florentius from Spain, of Emerita. Domitianus from Spain, of Asturica. Castus from Spain, of Caesaraugusta. Praetextatus from Spain, of Barcino. Maximus from Tuscia, of Luca. Bassus from Macedonia, of Diocletianopolis. Porphyrius from Macedonia, of Philippi. Marcellus from Macedonia, of Ancyra in Galatia. Euterius from Proconsularis, of Caindo. Asclepius from Palestine, of Gaza. Moscus from Thessalonica, of Thebes. Vincentius from Campania, of Capua. Januarius from Campania, of Beneventum. Protogenes from Achaea, of Serdica. Dioscorus from Thrace. Hymomus from Thessaly, of Oparata. Lucius from Thrace, of Cainopolis. Lucius from Italy, of Verona. Evagrius from Macedonia, of Heraclea Lyncestis. Dionysius from Achaea, of Lignydon. Julius from Achaea, of Thebes Heptapylos. Athenodorus from Achaea, of Plataea. Diodorus from Asia, of Tenedos. Alexander from Thessaly, of Larissa. Aethius from Macedonia, of Thessalonica. Vitalis from Dacia Ripensis, of Aquae. Paragorius from Dardania, of Scupi. Trifon from Achaea, of Macroce. Athanasius from Alexandria. Gaudentius from Achaea, of Naissus. Jonam from Macedonia, of Particopolis. Alipius from Achaea, of Megara. Macedonius from Dardania, of Ulpiana. Calvus from Achaea Ripensis, of Castra Martis. Fortunatianus from Italy, of Aquileia. Plotarcus from Achaea, of Patrae. Eliodorus from Nicopolis. Eutarius from Pannoniae. Arius from Palestine. Asturus from Arabia.

Cocras from Achaia, of Asapofebiis. Stercorius from Apuleia, of Canusium. Calepodius from Campania. Lerenius from Achaia, of Secorus. Martirius from Achaia, of Neapolis. Dionysius from Arcadia, of Elis. Severus from Italy, of Ravenna. Ursacius from Italy, of Brixa. Partasius from Italy, of Mediolanum. Marcus from Asia, of Fissia. Verissimus from Gaul, of Lugdunum. Valens from Achaia Ripensis, of Scio. Palladius from Macedonia, of Dui. Geruntius from Macedonia, of Brevis. Alexander from Achaia, of Morenis. Euthitius from Achaia. Titius from Asia, of Montones. All the bishops, in number sixty-one.