Arius

Thalia
(excerpt quoted by Athanasius, De Synodis, Part II, Chapter 15)
God Hise!" then, in His o#n nature, is ine""ab!e by a!! en$ %qua! or !i&e Hise!" He a!one has none, or one in '!ory$ And In'enerate
#e ca!! Hi, because o" Hi #ho is 'enerate by nature$ (e praise Hi as #ithout be'innin' because o" Hi #ho has a be'innin'$
And adore Hi as e)er!astin', because o" Hi #ho in tie has coe to be$ *he +nbe'un ade the Son a be'innin' o" thin's
ori'inated, and ad)anced Hi as a Son to Hise!" by adoption$ He has nothin' proper to God in proper subsistence$ -or He is not
equa!, no, nor one in essence #ith Hi$ (ise is God, "or He is the teacher o" (isdo$ *here is "u!! proo" that God is in)isib!e to a!!
bein's, both to thin's #hich are throu'h the Son, and to the Son He is in)isib!e$ I #i!! say it express!y, ho# by the Son is seen the
In)isib!e, by that po#er by #hich God sees, and in His o#n easure, the Son endures to see the -ather, as is !a#"u!$ *hus there is a
*riad, not in equa! '!ories$ .ot interin'!in' #ith each other are their subsistences$ /ne ore '!orious than the other in their '!ories
unto iensity$ -orei'n "ro the Son in essence is the -ather, "or He is #ithout be'innin'$ +nderstand that the 0onad #as, but the
Dyad #as not, be"ore it #as in existence$ It "o!!o#s at once that, thou'h the Son #as not, the -ather #as God$ Hence the Son, not
bein' ("or He existed at the #i!! o" the -ather), is God /n!y1be'otten, and He is a!ien "ro either$ (isdo existed as (isdo by the #i!!
o" the (ise God$ Hence He is concei)ed in nuber!ess conceptions2 Spirit, Po#er, (isdo, God3s '!ory, *ruth, Ia'e, and (ord$
+nderstand that He is concei)ed to be 4adiance and 5i'ht$ /ne equa! to the Son, the Superior is ab!e to be'et, but one ore
exce!!ent, or superior, or 'reater, He is not ab!e$ At God3s #i!! the Son is #hat and #hatsoe)er He is$ And #hen and since He #as, "ro
that tie He has subsisted "ro God$ He, bein' a stron' God, praises in His de'ree the Superior$ *o spea& in brie", God is ine""ab!e to
His Son$ -or He is to Hise!" #hat He is, that is, unspea&ab!e$ So that nothin' #hich is ca!!ed coprehensib!e does the Son &no# to
spea& about, "or it is ipossib!e "or Hi to in)esti'ate the -ather, #ho is by Hise!"$ -or the Son does not &no# His o#n essence, -or,
bein' Son, He rea!!y existed, at the #i!! o" the -ather$ (hat ar'uent then a!!o#s, that He #ho is "ro the -ather shou!d &no# His o#n
parent by coprehension6 -or it is p!ain that "or that #hich hath a be'innin' to concei)e ho# the +nbe'un is, or to 'rasp the idea, is
not possib!e$
Letter of Arius
(excerpt quoted by Athanasius, De Synodis, Part II, Chapter 17)
To Our Blessed Pope and Bishop, Alexander, the Presbyters and Deacons send health in the Lord.
/ur "aith "ro our "ore"athers, #hich a!so #e ha)e !earned "ro thee, 8!essed Pope, is this29(e ac&no#!ed'e /ne God, a!one
In'enerate, a!one %)er!astin', a!one +nbe'un, a!one *rue, a!one ha)in' Iorta!ity, a!one (ise, a!one Good, a!one So)erei'n, :ud'e,
Go)ernor, and Pro)idence o" a!!, una!terab!e and unchan'eab!e, ;ust and 'ood, God o" 5a# and Prophets and .e# *estaent, #ho
be'at an /n!y1be'otten Son be"ore eterna! ties, throu'h #ho He has ade both the a'es and the uni)erse, and be'at Hi, not in
seb!ance, but in truth, and that He ade Hi subsist at His o#n #i!!, una!terab!e and unchan'eab!e, per"ect creature o" God, but not
as one o" the creatures, o""sprin', but not as one o" thin's be'otten, nor as <a!entinus pronounced that the o""sprin' o" the -ather #as
an issue, nor as 0anich=us tau'ht that the o""sprin' #as a portion o" the -ather, one in essence, or as Sabe!!ius, di)idin' the 0onad,
spea&s o" a Son1and1-ather, nor as Hieracas, o" one torch "ro another, or as a !ap di)ided into t#o, nor that He #ho #as be"ore,
#as a"ter#ards 'enerated or ne#1created into a Son, as thou too thyse!", 8!essed Pope, in the idst o" the Church and in session hast
o"ten condened, but, as #e say, at the #i!! o" God, created be"ore ties and be"ore a'es, and 'ainin' !i"e and bein' "ro the -ather,
#ho 'a)e subsistence to His '!ories to'ether #ith Hi$ -or the -ather did not, in 'i)in' to Hi the inheritance o" a!! thin's, depri)e
Hise!" o" #hat He has in'enerate!y in Hise!", "or He is the -ountain o" a!! thin's$ *hus there are *hree Subsistences$ And God, bein'
the cause o" a!! thin's, is +nbe'un and a!to'ether So!e, but the Son bein' be'otten apart "ro tie by the -ather, and bein' created
and "ounded be"ore a'es, #as not be"ore His 'eneration, but bein' be'otten apart "ro tie be"ore a!! thin's, a!one #as ade to
subsist by the -ather$ -or He is not eterna! or co1eterna! or co1unori'inate #ith the -ather, nor has He His bein' to'ether #ith the
-ather, as soe spea& o" re!ations, introducin' t#o in'enerate be'innin's, but God is be"ore a!! thin's as bein' 0onad and 8e'innin'
o" a!!$ (here"ore a!so He is be"ore the Son, as #e ha)e !earned a!so "ro thy preachin' in the idst o" the Church$ So "ar then as "ro
God He has bein', and '!ories, and !i"e, and a!! thin's are de!i)ered unto Hi, in such sense is God His ori'in$ -or He is abo)e Hi, as
bein' His God and be"ore Hi$ 8ut i" the ters >"ro Hi,3 and >"ro the #ob,3 and >I cae "orth "ro the -ather, and I a coe3
(4o$ xi$ ?7, Ps$ cx$ ?, :ohn x)i$ @A), be understood by soe to ean as i" a part o" Hi, one in essence or as an issue, then the
-ather is accordin' to the copounded and di)isib!e and a!terab!e and ateria!, and, as "ar as their be!ie" 'oes, has the
circustances o" a body, (ho is the Incorporea! God$
(Deposition o" Arius, A!exander o" A!exandria, Section @)$
.o# those #ho becae apostates are these, Arius, Achi!!es, Aeitha!es, Carpones, another Arius, and Sarates, soetie Presbyters2
%uBoius, 5ucius, :u!ius, 0enas, He!!adius, and Gaius, soetie Deacons2 and #ith the Secundus and *heonas, soetie ca!!ed
8ishops$ And the no)e!ties they ha)e in)ented and put "orth contrary to the Scriptures are these "o!!o#in'29 God #as not a!#ays a
-ather, but there #as a tie #hen God #as not a -ather$ *he (ord