Accused of Cowardice

I hear that Leontius, now at Antioch, Narcissus of the city of Nero, and George, now at Laodicea, together with the Arians who are with them, are spreading many slanderous reports about me. They charge me with cowardice because, if you please, when I was being hunted by them, I did not hand myself over to them. Now as to their charges and slanders, there are many things I could write which even they cannot deny, and which everyone who has heard of their doings knows to be true. Yet I will not be persuaded to make any reply to them, except only to remind them of the words of our Lord and of the declaration of the apostle, that “a lie is of the devil,” and that “revilers will not inherit the kingdom of God.” That is enough to prove that neither their thoughts nor their words agree with the good news, but that, following their own pleasure, whatever they themselves want, that they think is good. [a]