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Translated by Ch. Browne and J. Swallow.
Gregory Theologian Bilingual Anthology, Resources Online and in Print
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21 Pages
Page 13
22. The crowning feat of this faction was the council which sat first at Seleucia, the city of the holy and illustrious virgin Thekla, and afterwards at this mighty city, thus connecting their names, no longer with noble associations, but with these of deepest disgrace; whether we must call that council, which subverted and disturbed everything, a tower of Chalane, [3338] which deservedly confounded the tongues—would that theirs had been confounded for their harmony in evil!—or a Sanhedrim of Caiaphas [3339] where Christ was condemned, or some other like name. The ancient and pious doctrine which defended the Trinity was abolished, by setting up a [3340] palisade and battering down the Consubstantial: opening the door to impiety by means of what is written, using as their pretext, their reverence for Scripture and for the use of approved terms, but really introducing unscriptural Arianism. For the phrase "like, according to the Scriptures," was a bait to the simple, concealing the hook of impiety, a figure seeming to look in the direction of all who passed by, a boot fitting either foot, a winnowing with every wind, [3341] gaining authority from the newly written villany and device against the truth. For they were wise to do evil, but to do good they had no knowledge. [3342]
23. Hence came their pretended condemnation [3343] of the heretics, whom they renounced in words, in order to gain plausibility for their efforts, but in reality furthered; charging them not with unbounded impiety, but with exaggerated language. Hence came the profane judges of the Saints, and the new combination, and public view and discussion of mysterious questions, and the illegal enquiry into the actions of life, and the hired informers, and the purchased sentences. Some were unjustly deposed [3344] from their sees, others intruded, and among other necessary qualifications, made to sign the bonds of iniquity: the ink was ready, the informer at hand. This the majority even of us, who were not overcome, had to endure, not falling in mind, though prevailed upon to sign, [3345] and so uniting with men who were in both respects wicked, and involving ourselves in the smoke, [3346] if not in the flame. Over this I have often wept, when contemplating the confusion of impiety at that time, and the persecution of the orthodox teaching which now arose at the hands of the patrons of the Word.
[3338] Gen. xi. 4.
[3339] S. John xi. 47 et seq.
[3340] charaka lit. "a pale"—one of the many which formed the palisade. Perhaps there is play on the word charaktera "a letter" in reference to the insertion of the letter iota in the Nicene formula—which then became Homoiousion, i.e., "Like in substance." This action on the part of the Semi-Arians (who formed the majority of the Council of Seleucia a.d. 359), was the first step to the Homoion of the Acacian party, who prevailed at the council of Constantinople, a.d. 360, and professed great devotion to the use of Scriptural terms.
[3341] Eccles. v. 9.
[3342] Jer. iv. 22.
[3343] Condemnation, i.e., of Aetius, who was banished by Constantius after the Council.
[3344] Deposed. Cyril of Jerusalem, Eustathius of Sebaste, Basil of Ancyra and others.
[3345] To sign, etc. Cf. Orat. xviii. 18.
[3346] The smoke, etc. Cf. Orat. xvi. 6; Ps. xviii. 9; cv. 32.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/gregory-nazianzen/athanasius-alexandria.asp?pg=13
