9. Men are like clouds, shifting hither and
thither in the sky with the change of the winds. cf.
Jude 12. And of all men who have ever come
within my experience these of whom I am speaking are the most
unstable. As to the other business of life, those who have
lived with them may give evidence; but as to what is within my own
knowledge, their inconsistency as regards the faith, I do not know
that I have ever myself observed it or heard from any one else, of
anything like it. Originally they were followers of Arius;
then they went over to Hermogenes, who was diametrically opposed to
the errors of Arius, as is evinced by the Creed originally recited
by him at Nicæa. cf.
Letter lxxxi. p. 172. Hermogenes was bishop of
Cæsarea, in which see he preceded Dianius. He acted as
secretary at Nicæa, when yet a deacon. “The actual
creed was written out and read, perhaps in consideration of
Hosius’ ignorance of Greek, by Hermogenes.”
(Stanley, Eastern Church, p. 140, ed. 1862.)
Hermogenes, fell asleep, and then they went over to Eusebius, the
Coryphæus, as we know on personal evidence, of the Arian
ring. Leaving this, for whatever reasons, they came home
again, and once more concealed their Arian sentiments. After
reaching the episcopate, to pass by what occurred in the interval,
how many creeds did they put forth? One at Ancyra; In 358, when
the ὁμοιούσιον was accepted. another at Seleucia; In 359, when
the Semiarians supported the Antiochene Dedication Creed of
341. another at Constantinople, In 360, when
the Acacians triumphed, and Eustathius with other Semiarians were
deposed. The Creed of Ariminum, as revised at Nike, was
accepted. the famous one; another at
Lampsacus, In 364, when
the Creeds of Ariminum and Constantinople were condemned by the
Semiarians, and the Dedication Creed was reaffirmed. then that of
Nike in Thrace; The Creed of
Nike in Thrace was the Creed of Arminum revised, and it seems out of
order to mention it after Lampsacus. and now again
the creed of Cyzicus. In 375
or 6. This is the formula referred to in Letter ccli.
4, as the latest. On the variety of Creeds, cf. p. 48,
n. Of this
last I know nothing, except that I am told that they have suppressed
the homoousion, and are supporting the like in essence, while
they subscribe with Eunomius the blasphemies against the Holy Spirit.
Although all of the creeds which I have enumerated may not be
opposed to one another, yet they alike exhibit the inconsistency of
the men’s minds, from their never standing by the same
words. I have said nothing as to countless other points, but
this that I do say is true. Now that they have gone over to
you, I beg you to write back by the same man, I mean our fellow
presbyter Strategius, whether you have remained in the same mind
towards me, or whether you have been alienated in consequence of
your meeting them. For it was not likely that they would be
silent, nor that you yourself, after writing to me as you have,
would not use free speaking to them too. If you remain in
communion with me, it is well; it is what I would most earnestly
pray for. If they have drawn you over to them, it is
sad. How should separation from such a brother not be
sad? If in nothing else, at least in bearing losses like this,
we have been considerably tried at their hands.