A Likewise, they are vain who ascribe passibility to His divinity, or who do not have faith in His humanity, or who say the one is two; or those who attempt to measure His flesh, and dare to speak beyond the Scriptures concerning how much, or in what manner. For by such conjectures the mind of the heretics has slipped: Marcion, by declining from the truth through immoderate blasphemy; Manichaeus, by being seduced on account of an opinion about sin; Valentinus, by being misled through a pretense of knowledge; Paul of Samosata, and the one called Photinus, and those following them, by falling away from the deity on account of unbelief; and Arius, by blaspheming due to his own madness. But you, using similar cavils, speak of things which are not written, and in that way you subvert the simple. For it is sufficient to believe what is written and what has come to pass, as Paul says, "To the likeness in all things, without sin" (Hebr. IV, 15). And Peter says, "Christ therefore having suffered for us in the flesh, do you also arm yourselves with the same thought" (I Petr. IV, 1), and by inquiring no further, reject not the truth.
NOTICE CONCERNING THE TWO FOLLOWING EPISTLES.
At almost the same time, that is, either near the end of the year 371 or at the beginning of 372, we believe these letters were written to John and Antiochus and to Palladius: on this occasion, as one may conjecture. Basil, in order that he might accommodate himself to the state of the times, even though he ascribed to the Holy Spirit all things that can properly be ascribed to God, nonetheless abstained from the name "God," lest it be an offense to the hearers who were unaccustomed to that appellation. Since some monks bore this with difficulty, and were decrying the holy Doctor everywhere on this account, Athanasius most severely represses their audacity in the first epistle. In the second, however, he warns Palladius that he should be the author of peace by reconciling the monks who were disputing with Basil for the reason mentioned above: and he testifies that he highly approves of that pious simulation of Basil, who for the sake of the infirm became as an infirm person himself; he mentions also a letter written by himself to those same monks, which now, by the injury of time, is nowhere extant. Furthermore, who John and Antiochus are, as well as Palladius, Innocentius, and Dianias, mentioned here, is drawn out, as opportunity allows, in the Life of Athanasius.
Letter of our Holy Father ATHANASIUS, Archbishop of Alexandria, to JOHN and ANTIOCHUS the presbyters.
Athanasius to John and Antiochus, beloved sons and fellow-presbyters, greeting in the Lord.
1. I received your letter with joy, especially because you wrote from Jerusalem; and I am grateful to you, because you informed me C about the brothers gathered there, and about those who, under the pretext of raising questions, endeavor to trouble the simple. But concerning these, let the Apostle give instruction, "not to heed"