Arius (c. 250–336) was a presbyter in Alexandria who taught that the Son of God was not of the same substance as the Father and that he was created out of nothing. His bishop, Alexander of Alexandria, strongly opposed Arius’s teachings. Arius’s heresy was condemned at the Council of Nicaea.
There was also a certain Arius, who wore the habit of piety and was similarly possessed with the ambition to be a teacher. Phileas (c. 307, E), 6.164.
Arius denies the Godhood of our Savior and preaches that He is only the equal of all others. Having collected all the passages that speak of His plan of salvation and His humiliation for our sake, . . . [his followers] ignore altogether the passages in which His eternal Godhood and unutterable glory with the Father is set forth. Alexander of Alexandria (c. 324, E), 6.291.
They drag us before the tribunals of the judges, by relations with silly and disorderly women, whom they have led into error. . . . On account of their concealment, their manner of life, and their unholy attempts, we have—by the common vote of everyone—cast them out of the congregation of the church, which adores the Godhood of of Christ. Alexander of Alexandria (c. 324, E), 6.291.
I have stirred myself up to show you the faithlessness of these men, who say that there was a time when the Son of God was not. And that He who did not exist before came into existence afterwards—becoming such when at length He was made, even as every man is necessarily born. They say that God made all things from things that did not exist, including even the Son of God in the creation of all things rational and irrational. To this, they add that, as a consequence, He is of a changeable nature, capable of both virtue and vice. Having assumed these propositions, that He is made from things that did not exist, they overturn the sacred writings concerning His eternity. For they reveal the immutability and the Divinity of Wisdom and the Word that are Christ. . . . They say that since God foreknew and had foreseen that His Son would not rebel against Him, He chose Him from all. For He did not choose Him as if by nature He had anything special beyond His other sons, or any peculiar properties of His own. For they say that no one is by nature a Son of God. Rather, God chose Him who was of a mutable nature, because of His careful life and practices. For He in no way turned to that which is evil. So, according to this, if Paul and Peter had striven for this, there would have been no difference between their sonship and His. Alexander of Alexandria (c. 324, E), 6.292.
You are not ignorant that this doctrine, which has recently raised its head against the piety of the church, is that of Ebion and Artemas. Nor is it anything else but an imitation of Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch. And he was put out of the church by the judgment and counsel of all the bishops. Alexander of Alexandria (c. 324, E), 6.294.
They boast that they are the only men who are wise and who are divested of worldly possessions. They pride themselves as being the sole discoverers of dogmas and that to them alone are those things revealed that have never before come into the mind of anyone else under the sun. Alexander of Alexandria (c. 324, E), 6.295.
They ignorantly declare that one of two things must necessarily be said: Either that He is from things that are not, or that there are two Unbegottens. These ignorant men do not know how great the difference is between the unbegotten Father and the things that He created out of nothing. Between these two—as holding the middle place—is the Only-Begotten nature of God the Word, by whom the Father formed all things out of nothing. He was begotten of the true Father Himself. Alexander of Alexandria (c. 324, E), 6.295.
They have been excommunicated and anathematized by the church. Alexander of Alexandria (c. 324, E), 6.298.
The words invented by them, and spoken contrary to the mind of Scripture, are as follows: “God was not always the Father.” Rather, there was a time when God was not the Father. The Word of God was not always, but was made “from things that are not.” . . . Therefore, there was a time when He was not. For the Son is a thing created and a thing made. Nor is he like the Father in substance. Nor is He the true and natural Word of the Father. Nor is He His true Wisdom. Rather, He is one of the things fashioned and made. . . . Someone asked them whether the Son of God could change, even as the devil changed. And they were not afraid to answer that He can. For, since He was made and created, he is of changeable nature. Alexander of Alexandria (c. 324, E), 6.297.