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Translated by Cardinal Newman.
100 Pages
Page 70
60. When upon this I wrote and endeavoured to convince the Emperor, that that anti-Christian heresy had no communion with the Catholic Church, Eusebius forthwith, availing himself of the occasion which he had agreed upon with the Meletians, writes and persuades them to invent some pretext, so that, as they had practised against Peter and Achillas and Alexander, they might devise and spread reports against us also. Accordingly, after seeking for a long time, and finding nothing, they at last agree together, with the advice of Eusebius and his fellows, and fabricate their first accusation by means of Ision, Eudaemon, and Callinicus [671] , respecting the linen vestments [672] , to the effect that I had imposed a law upon the Egyptians, and had required its observance of them first. But when certain Presbyters of mine were found to be present, and the Emperor took cognizance of the matter, they were condemned (the Presbyters were Apis and Macarius), and the Emperor wrote, condemning Ision, and ordering me to appear before him. His letters were as follows [673] .
Eusebius, having intelligence of this, persuades them to wait; and when I arrive, they next accuse Macarius of breaking the cup, and bring against me the most heinous accusation possible, viz. that, being an enemy of the Emperor, I had sent a purse of gold to one Philumenus. The Emperor therefore heard us on this charge also in Psammathia [674] , when they, as usual, were condemned, and driven from the presence; and, as I returned, he wrote the following letter to the people.
[671] Infr. S:71 fin. Sozom. ii. 25.
[672] sticharia, ecclesiastical. [See D.C.A. p. 1933.]
[673] They are lost.
[674] Suburb of Nicomedia, infr. S:65.
Reference address : https://elpenor.org/athanasius/defence-against-arians.asp?pg=70