Letter to the Emperor Jovian on the Faith · §1 · Athanasius of Alexandria

Commendation and the Nicene faith's universal hold

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Athanasius opens his letter to Emperor Jovian, praising his desire to learn the Church's faith and explaining why he presents the creed confessed at Nicaea.

A love of learning and a longing for heavenly things are fitting for a God-loving emperor, for in this way you will truly have your heart in the hand of God. Since your piety has desired to learn from us the faith of the catholic Church, we have given thanks to the Lord for this, and we have resolved above all to remind your piety of the faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea.

Some have rejected this faith and plotted against us in various ways because we would not obey the Arian heresy, and they have become the cause of heresy and schisms in the catholic Church. The true and devout faith in the Lord is clear to all, known and read from the divine Scriptures. In this faith the saints were made perfect and bore witness, and now, having departed, they are in the Lord. This faith would have remained unharmed forever if the wickedness of certain heretics had not dared to falsify it.

Arius and those with him attempted to corrupt this faith and to introduce impiety against it, saying that the Son of God is from nothing, a creature, a thing made, and changeable. They deceived many with these words, so that even those who seemed to be something were carried away with them into their blasphemy. And yet our holy Fathers, when they had gathered, as we said before, at the council in Nicaea, anathematized them and confessed the faith of the catholic Church in writing, so that, as this faith was proclaimed everywhere, the heresy kindled by the heretics might be extinguished.

This faith was known and proclaimed without guile everywhere in every Church. But now some, wishing to renew the Arian heresy, have dared to reject the faith confessed at Nicaea by the Fathers. They pretend to confess it, but in truth they deny it, misinterpreting "of one being" and themselves blaspheming the Holy Spirit by saying that it is a creature and a thing made through the Son. Therefore, seeing the harm that comes upon the people from such blasphemy, we have been eager to present to your reverence the faith confessed at Nicaea, so that your piety may know what has been written with all precision and how greatly those who teach contrary to it go astray.

Know this, most God-loving Augustus: these things have been proclaimed from eternity, and the Fathers who gathered at Nicaea confessed this faith. With it agree all the Churches everywhere in every place—those in Spain, Britain, the Gauls, all Italy, Dalmatia, Dacia, Mysia, Macedonia, all Greece, all Africa, Sardinia, Cyprus, Crete, Pamphylia, Lycia, Isauria, the Churches in Egypt, the Libyas, Pontus, Cappadocia, those near us, and the Churches in the East—except for a few who hold the views of Arius. We have learned the mind of all those mentioned by experience, and we have letters. And you know, most God-loving Augustus, that even if a few oppose this faith, they cannot overrule it, since the whole world holds the apostolic faith.

Greek

ΤΟΥ ΕΝ ΑΓΙΟΙΣ ΠΑΤΡΟΣ ΗΜΩΝ ΑΘΑΝΑΣΙΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑΣ ΠΡΟΣ ΙΩΒΙΑΝΟΝ ΠΕΡΙ ΠΙΣΤΕΩΣ. Πρέπουσα θεοφιλεῖ βασιλεῖ φιλομαθὴς προαίρεσις καὶ πόθος τῶν οὐρανίων· οὕτω γὰρ ἀληθῶς καὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἕξις ἐν χειρὶ Θεοῦ. Θελησάσης τοίνυν τῆς σῆς εὐσεβείας μαθεῖν παρ' ἡμῶν τὴν τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας πίστιν, εὐχαριστήσαντες ἐπὶ τούτοις τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐβουλευσάμεθα μᾶλλον πάντων τὴν παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ἐν Νικαίᾳ ὁμολογηθεῖσαν πίστιν ὑπομνῆσαι τὴν σὴν εὐσέβειαν. Ταύτην γὰρ ἀθετήσαντές τινες, ἡμῖν μὲν ποικίλως ἐπεβούλευσαν, ὅτι μὴ ἐπειθόμεθα τῇ Ἀρειανῇ αἱρέ σει· αἴτιοι δὲ γεγόνασιν αἱρέσεως καὶ σχισμάτων τῇ καθολικῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἀληθὴς καὶ εὐσεβὴς εἰς τὸν Κύριον πίστις φανερὰ πᾶσι καθέστηκεν, ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν γινωσκομένη τε καὶ ἀναγινωσκομένη. Ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἅγιοι τελειωθέντες ἐμαρτύρησαν, καὶ νῦν ἀναλύσαντές εἰσιν ἐν Κυρίῳ· καὶ ἔμεινεν ἂν ἡ πίστις ἀβλαβὴς διὰ παντὸς, εἰ μὴ πονηρία τινῶν αἱρετικῶν παραποιῆσαι ταύτην ἐτόλμησεν. Ἄρειος γάρ τις καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ διαφθεῖραι ταύτην, καὶ ἀσέβειαν κατ' αὐτῆς ἐπεισαγαγεῖν ἐπεχείρησαν, φάσκοντες ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων καὶ κτίσμα καὶ ποίημα καὶ τρεπτὸν εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πολλοὺς δὲ τούτοις ἠπάτησαν τοῖς λόγοις, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς δοκοῦντας εἶναί τι συναπαχθῆναι αὐτῶν τῇ βλασφημίᾳ· καίτοι φθάσαντες μὲν οἱ ἅγιοι Πατέρες ἡμῶν συνελθόντες, ὡς προείπομεν, κατὰ τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδον, ἀνεθεμάτισαν· τὴν δὲ τῆς καθολικῆς Ἐκκλησίας πίστιν ὡμολόγησαν ἐγγράφως, ὥστε, ταύτης πανταχοῦ κηρυττομένης, ἀποσβεσθῆναι τὴν ἀναφθεῖσαν αἵρεσιν παρὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν. Ἦν μὲν οὖν αὕτη πανταχοῦ κατὰ πᾶσαν Ἐκκλησίαν ἀδόλως γινωσκομένη τε καὶ κηρυττομένη· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ νῦν, τὴν Ἀρειανὴν αἵρεσιν ἀνανεῶσαι βουλόμενοί τινες, ταύτην μὲν τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ παρὰ τῶν Πατέρων ὁμολογηθεῖσαν πίστιν ἐτόλμησαν ἀθετῆσαι, καὶ σχηματίζονται μὲν ὁμολογεῖν αὐτὴν, ταῖς δὲ ἀληθείαις ἀρνοῦνται, παρερμηνεύοντες τὸ ὁμοούσιον, καὶ αὐτοὶ βλασφημοῦντες εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἐν τῷ φάσκειν αὐτοὺς κτίσμα εἶναι αὐτὸ, καὶ ποίημα διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ γεγενῆσθαι· ἀναγκαίως, θεωρήσαντες τὴν τῆς ἐκ τοιαύτης βλασφημίας βλάβην γινομένην κατὰ τῶν λαῶν, ἐπιδοῦναι τῇ σῇ εὐλαβείᾳ τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ ὁμολογηθεῖσαν πίστιν ἐσπουδάσαμεν, ἵνα γνῷ σου ἡ θεοσέβεια ἃ μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας γέγραπται, καὶ ὅσον πλανῶνται οἱ παρὰ ταύτην διδάσκοντες. Γίνωσκε γὰρ, θεοφιλέστατε Αὔγουστε, ὅτι ταῦτα μὲν ἐξ αἰῶνός ἐστι κηρυττόμενα, ταύτην δὲ οἱ ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθόντες ὡμολόγησαν Πατέρες, καὶ ταύτῃ σύμψηφοι τυγχάνουσι πᾶσαι αἱ πανταχοῦ κατὰ τόπον Ἐκκλησίαι, αἵ τε κατὰ τὴν Σπανίαν, καὶ Βρετανίαν, καὶ Γαλλίας, καὶ τῆς Ἰταλίας πάσης, καὶ Δαλματίας, Δακίας τε καὶ Μυσίας, Μακεδονίας, καὶ πάσης τῆς Ἑλλάδος, καὶ κατὰ τὴν Ἀφρι κὴν πᾶσαν, καὶ Σαρδανίαν, καὶ Κύπρον, καὶ Κρήτην, Παμφυλίαν τε, καὶ Λυκίαν, καὶ Ἰσαυρίαν, καὶ αἱ κατ' Αἴγυπτον καὶ τὰς Λιβύας καὶ Πόντον καὶ Καππαδοκίαν, καὶ αἱ πλησίον ἡμῶν, καὶ αἱ κατὰ ἀνατολὰς Ἐκκλησίαι, παρὲξ ὀλίγων τῶν τὰ Ἀρείου φρονούντων. Ἁπάντων γὰρ τῶν προειρημένων καὶ πείρᾳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν γνώμην, καὶ γράμματα ἔχομεν. Καὶ οἶδας, ὦ θεοφιλέστατε Αὔγουστε, ὅτι, κἂν ὀλίγοι τινὲς ἀντιλέγωσι ταύτῃ τῇ πίστει, οὐ δύνανται πρόκριμα ποιεῖν, πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης τὴν ἀποστολικὴν πίστιν κρατούσης.

About this text

Athanasius answers the emperor Jovian in 363 with the creed of Nicaea as the apostolic faith, against Arius's teaching that the Son is a creature.

Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 293/298–373) wrote this letter to Emperor Jovian in 363.

The letter presents the creed confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea as the true, apostolic faith. Athanasius explains that Arius and his followers corrupted this faith by teaching that the Son is from nothing, a creature, a thing made, and changeable.

The term catholic Church means the universal Church as opposed to heretical factions, and Holy Trinity refers to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sharing one divinity.

No published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from Migne PG text (Aegean University Digital Patrology, via (Greek)
Also checked Migne PG 26, archive.org scan patrologiae_cursus_completus_gr_vol_026 (Greek machine-read text) (Greek · check (same print; machine-read text compared word by word))

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