Church of Alexandria: وعكر الاضطهاد سلام الكنيسة في الإسكندرية. ففي السنة 306 صنف بطرس أسقفها رسالة في كيفية قبول الجاحدين فعارضه ملاتيوس أسقف أسيوط “وخطابه سفه الرأي إلى المنابذة والخلاف مع أنه داجى الوثنيين وسجد لأصنامهم فيما قبل”. ثم اشتدت وطأة الاضطهاد فتخفى بطرس فانطلق ملاتيوس يحرك قضية التوبة واجترأ على سيامة الكهنة ورجال الاكليروس في غياب الأساقفة وفي أبرشيات غير أبرشيته. فعنفه على عمله هذا أساقفة أربعة كانوا معتقلين يتوقعون الشهادة. وقطعه بطرس وحرمه. قم نال بطرس اكليل الشهادة في خريف 311. فخلفه أخيلاس بضعة أشهر ثم ألكسندروس. وحاول الاثنان معالجة قضية ملاتيوس فلم يفلحا. وتجرأ كاهن يدعى كولوثوس على سيامة الكهنة والشمامسة. وحلَّ الشقاق كنيسة مصر وتراشق الأساقفة الحرمان. ثم تجرأ كاهن آخر يدعى آريوس على أسقف الاسكندرية، فكانت مشادة أدت إلى شقاق عظيم في كنائس الشرق دام مدة طويلة.
Arius: (256-335). We know almost nothing about Arius before he rebelled against Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria. All we know is that he was born and raised in Libya, that he went to Alexandria and studied there, and that he supported Melatius when he rebelled against Peter. Then he retracted and was ordained a deacon. Then he criticized his superior for the matter of the repentance of the apostates, so he was cut off. He sought refuge with Achillas, who ordained him a priest. Then Alexander trusted him and made him a servant of the church in Falk.
Arius was apparently an ascetic and devout scholar who was good at preaching and guidance. A large number of believers gathered around him, especially the virgins of Alexandria who dedicated themselves to good works, and they became the pride of the Church of Egypt. A large number of clergymen joined them, who found in his preaching nourishment for their souls, and they preferred to listen to him despite the difference in teaching between him and the bishop, the head of the church.
ووافق آريوس لوقيانوس المعلم الأنطاكي وأخذ عنه. ولعله درس عليه، ولا نعلم بالضبط وتمام الوضوح ما علّمه لوقيانوس. كما أنه لم يبقَ من تعاليم آريوس إلا مقتطفات يسيرة جاءت في بعض “الردود” عليه! ولا سيما ما كتبه القديس اثناثيوس الكبير وما أورده القديس امبروسيوس.
What can be said about the doctrine of Arius is that it was a new attempt to affirm the oneness of the Father and to reduce the status of the Son (Subordinationisme) and the Holy Spirit.
In the view of Arius, the Father alone deserved the title of God. As for the Son, he was only a secondary god created from nothing by the will of the Father. However, he was distinguished from all other creatures in that he was the image of the Father in essence, will, power, and glory. In the view of Arius, the Trinity is three in person, but they are not one except by the agreement of wills.
One of the things that the historian Sozomenus took against Arius was that he was an extremist linguist and logician, whose extremism led him to fall into error.