The Confession of the Macedonian Envoys to Liberius

“To Liberius, our lord, brother and fellow minister, Eustathius, Silvanus and Theophilus send greeting in the Lord. [a] “Because of the mad opinions of the heretics, who never stop sowing offenses against the catholic churches, we, who bring all their attacks to nothing, confess the council held at Lampsacus, the one at Smyrna, and the councils held in other places by the orthodox bishops. We have provided letters and come as envoys to your Goodness, as also to all the other bishops of Italy and of the West, to confirm and preserve the catholic faith that was established at the holy Council of Nicaea by the blessed Constantine and three hundred and eighteen God-fearing fathers. [b]

“This faith remains until now, by a pure and unshakable settlement, and will remain forever. In it the term ‘of one substance’ is fixed, in all holiness and reverence, as a witness against the perversity of Arius. We confess, each with his own hand, that we, together with those named, have always held this same faith, that we still hold it, and that we will hold to it to the end. “We condemn Arius, his ungodly teachings and his disciples. We also condemn the heresies of Patropasianus, of Photinus, of Marcellus, of Paul of Samosata, and all who hold such doctrines. We anathematize all heresies opposed to the faith we have named, established by the holy fathers at Nicaea. We anathematize Arius above all, and condemn all the decrees passed at Ariminum against that same faith established by the holy Council of Nicaea. “We were once deceived by the trickery and perjury of certain people, and signed these decrees when they were sent to Constantinople from Nike, a city of Thrace.” [c]

After this confession they attached a copy of the whole Nicene formula to their own creed. Then, having received from Liberius a written account of all they had done, they sailed to Sicily.