Synodal Letter of the Council of Nicaea to the Church of Alexandria (complete)

To the holy church of the Alexandrians, great by the grace of God, and to the beloved brothers in Egypt, Libya, and the Pentapolis, the bishops gathered at Nicaea, who constituted the great and holy synod: greetings in the Lord. Since, by the grace of God and with the most God-beloved emperor Constantine assembling us from various cities and provinces, a great and holy synod has been held at Nicaea, it seemed altogether necessary that letters be sent to you too from the holy synod, so that you may know what was raised and examined, and what was decided and confirmed. First of all, then, the matter of the impiety and lawlessness of Arius and those with him was examined in the presence of the most God-beloved emperor Constantine; and it was decided unanimously that his impious opinion be anathematized, together with the blasphemous words and terms he had used in his blasphemy, saying that the Son of God is from things that are not, and that there was once when he was not, and saying that the Son of God by his own free will is capable of vice and virtue, and calling him a creature and a thing made. All these the holy synod anathematized, not enduring even so much as to hear the impious opinion, or madness, and the blasphemous words. What end he has met you have surely heard or will hear, so that we may not seem to trample on a man who has received the reward his own sin deserved. So far did his impiety prevail that it also brought ruin on Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais; for they too have met the same end. But since the grace of God has set us free from that evil opinion, impiety, and blasphemy, and from the persons who dared to cause dissension and division among a people that had been at peace from the beginning, there remained the matter of the rashness of Melitius and of those ordained by him; and concerning this part we make known to you, beloved brothers, what the synod decided. It was decided, then, the synod being moved to greater kindness (for by strict reckoning he deserved no pardon at all), that Melitius remain in his own city and have no authority either to lay on hands or to appoint, nor to appear in the countryside or in another city for this purpose, but keep the bare name of his rank.

Those appointed by him, once confirmed by a more sacred laying on of hands, are to be admitted to communion on these terms: that they keep their rank and ministry, but always rank second to all those enrolled in each parish and church who were appointed by our most honoured fellow minister Alexander; so that they have no authority to appoint whomever they please, or to put forward names, or to do anything at all without the consent of the bishops of the catholic church who are under Alexander. But those who, by the grace of God and your prayers, have been found in no schism, but have remained spotless in the catholic church, are to have authority to appoint and to nominate those worthy of the clergy, and in general to do everything according to the law and ordinance of the church. If it happens that any of those in the church die, then those recently received are to advance to the rank of the deceased, provided only that they appear worthy and the people choose them, the bishop of Alexandria voting with them and confirming the choice. This has been granted to all the others; but in the case of Melitius himself the same was not decided, because of his long-standing disorderliness and the hasty and rash character of his mind, so that no authority or power should be given to a man able to produce the same disorders again. These are the matters that are special and of particular concern to Egypt and the most holy church of the Alexandrians. If anything else was laid down by canon or by decree, our lord and most honoured fellow minister and brother Alexander, who was present, will report it to you more exactly in person, since he was himself both a leader in and a sharer of what was done. We also bring you the good news of the agreement on the most holy Pascha: that through your prayers this part too was set right, so that all the brothers in the East who formerly kept it with the Jews will from now on keep the Pascha in agreement with the Romans and with us and with all of you who have kept it with us from of old. Rejoicing, then, in what has been achieved, in the agreement of peace, and in the cutting off of every heresy, receive with greater honour and more abundant love our fellow minister and your bishop Alexander, who gladdened us by his presence and who at so great an age has undergone such labour so that there may be peace among you too. Pray for us all, that what has been judged to be well may remain firm, through God the Almighty and through our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.