True rejection of Arianism and the Sardican document

For this is truly to leap away from the abominable heresy of the Arians: not to divide the holy Trinity, and to say that any part of it is a creature. Those who pretend to name the faith confessed at Nicaea but dare to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit do nothing more than deny the Arian heresy in words while holding to it in their minds. Let the impiety of Sabellius and Paul of Samosata be condemned by all, and the madness of Valentinus and Basilides, and the derangement of the Manichaeans. For when these things are done, every evil suspicion will be removed from all, and the faith of the catholic Church alone will be shown to be pure.

We believe that no one, neither you nor anyone else, is ignorant that we and those who have always shared communion with us hold this faith. But since we rejoice with those who wish to be joined to us—with all of them, and especially with those who gather in the Old Church—we glorified the Lord especially, as in all things, and for the good purpose of these people. We urge you to bring about their unity on these terms, and nothing more than these, as we said before: neither require anything more from those who gather in the Old Church, nor let those around Paulinus put forward anything else or anything beyond what was decided at Nicaea.

And as for the document rumored by some to have been composed about the faith at the Council of Sardica, forbid it to be read or produced at all. For the council decreed no such thing. Some did request that a statement about the faith be written, on the grounds that the Council of Nicaea was deficient, and they attempted this rashly. But the holy council that gathered at Sardica was indignant, and it decreed that nothing further should be written about the faith, but that the faith confessed by the Fathers at Nicaea should suffice, because it lacks nothing and is full of piety, and because a second faith should not be set forth, lest the one written at Nicaea be thought incomplete, and a pretext be given to those who wish to write and decree about the faith repeatedly. Therefore, if anyone puts forward this document or another one, stop such people, and rather persuade them to be at peace. For we agreed that there was nothing more in these matters than mere love of contention.

As for those whom some criticized for speaking of three persons, because the terms were unwritten and therefore suspect, we asked that nothing more be required beyond the confession of Nicaea. Nevertheless, because of the contention, we examined them: did they perhaps say, as the Arians say, that the persons are alienated and estranged from one another, foreign in being to each other, and each person divided by itself, as are the other creatures and those born from human beings? Or did they speak of different beings, as gold, silver, or bronze differ? Or, as other heretics speak of three principles and three gods, did these men think that way and speak of three persons? They affirmed that they neither said nor ever thought such things.

When we asked them, 'How then do you say these things? Or why do you use such terms at all?' they answered: 'Because we believe in a holy Trinity, not a Trinity in name only, but one that truly exists and subsists—a Father who truly is and subsists, a Son who truly is same in being and subsists, and a Holy Spirit who subsists and exists; this we know.' They added that they had never spoken of three gods or three principles, nor did they at all tolerate those who say or think such things, but that they knew a holy Trinity, one divinity, and one principle, and that the Son is same in being with the Father, as the Fathers said, and that the Holy Spirit was not a creature, nor foreign, but proper to and inseparable from the being of the Son and of the Father.