How the Arian Heresy Began

The wicked and godless tyrants Maxentius, Maximinus and Licinius were overthrown. Then the storm those destroyers had stirred up like hurricanes was lulled to sleep, the whirlwinds were checked, and from that time on the church began to enjoy a settled calm. This calm was established for her by Constantine, an emperor deserving of all praise, whose calling, like that of the divine apostle, was not from men or through a man, but from heaven. He passed laws forbidding sacrifices to idols and ordering churches to be built. He appointed Christians as governors of the provinces, ordered that honor be shown to the priests, and threatened with death anyone who dared to insult them. Some rebuilt the churches that had been destroyed; others put up new ones, still larger and more magnificent. So for us everything was joy and gladness, while our enemies were overwhelmed with gloom and despair. The temples of the idols were closed, but in the churches assemblies were held often and festivals were celebrated. But the devil, full of all envy and wickedness, the destroyer of humankind, could not bear to see the church sailing on with favorable winds. He stirred up evil plans, eager to sink the ship steered by the Creator and Lord of the universe. He began to see that the error of the Greeks had been exposed, that the many tricks of the demons had been found out, and that most people now worshiped the Creator instead of adoring the creature, as they had done before. So he did not dare to declare open war against our God and Savior. Instead he found some who bore the honored name of Christians but were still slaves to ambition and empty glory. He made them fit tools for carrying out his designs, and through them he drew others back into their old error. He did not do it by the old method of setting up the worship of the creature, but by bringing the Creator and Maker of all things down to the level of the creature. I will now tell where and by what means he sowed these weeds. [a]

Alexandria is an immense and populous city, entrusted with the leadership not only of Egypt but also of the neighboring lands, the Thebaid and Libya. Peter, the victorious champion of the faith, won the crown of martyrdom under the rule of the godless tyrants I have named. After him the church in Alexandria was governed for a short time by Achillas, and he was succeeded by Alexander, who proved himself a noble defender of the teachings of the gospel. At that time Arius had been enrolled in the ranks of the presbyters and entrusted with explaining the Holy Scriptures. When he saw that the helm of the high priesthood had been committed to Alexander, he fell prey to jealousy. Stung by this passion, he looked for chances to quarrel and dispute. He could see that Alexander’s blameless life gave him no grounds for bringing any charge against him, yet envy would not let him rest. In him the enemy of the truth found a tool for stirring up and churning the angry waters of the church, and he persuaded him to oppose the apostolic teaching of Alexander. The patriarch, obeying the Holy Scriptures, taught that the Son is equal in dignity with the Father and of one substance with God who begot him. Arius, in direct opposition to the truth, declared that the Son of God is merely a creature, a made thing, and he added the famous saying, “There was once a time when he did not exist,” along with other opinions that can be learned from his own writings. He taught these false doctrines persistently, not only in the church but also at general meetings and gatherings, and he even went from house to house, trying to make people slaves of his error. Alexander held firmly to the teachings of the apostles, and at first he tried by warnings and advice to convince Arius of his error. But when he saw him raving like a madman and publicly declaring his ungodliness, he deposed him from the order of presbyters. For he heard the law of God declaring loudly, “If your right eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you.” [e]