Arius' letter to Eusebius of Nicomedia
"Arius, unjustly persecuted by the Pope Alexander, on account of that all-conquering truth, which you also uphold, sendeth greeting in the Lord to his very dear lord, the man of God, the faithful and orthodox Eusebius. "Ammonius, my father, being about to depart for Nicomedia, I consider myself bound to salute you by him, and withal to address myself to that natural affection which you bear towards the brethren, for the sake of God and of Christ; apprising you that the bishop oppresses and persecutes us most severely, and that he causes us much suffering.
He has driven us out of the city as atheists, because we do not concur in what he publicly preaches; namely, that the Father has always been, and that the Son has always been.
That as the Father, so is the Son; that the Son is unbegotten as the Father; that he is always being begotten, without having been begotten; that neither by thought, nor by any interval, does God precede the Son, God and the Son having always been; and that the Son proceeds from God.
Eusebius' letter to Paulinus of Tyre
Eusebius wrote to Paulinus after receiving Arius' letter
"Eusebius, your brother bishop of Ctesarea, Theodotius, Paulinus, Athanasius [of Anazarbus], Gregory, Etius, and all the bishops of the East, have been condemned because they say that God had an existence prior to that of the Son; except Philogonins, Ilcllauicus, and Macarius, who are unlearned men, and who have embraced heretical opinions.
One of them says that the Son is an effusion, another that he is an emission, the other that he is also unbegotten. These are impieties to which we could not listen, even though the heretics should threaten us with a thousand deaths. But we say and believe, and have taught, and do teach, that the Son is not unbegotten, nor in any way unbegotten, even in part; and that he does not derive his subsistence from any matter; but that, by his will and counsel, he has subsisted before time, and before ages, as perfect God; only begotten and unchangeable; and that he existed not before he was begotten, or created, or purposed, or established; for he was not begotten.
We are persecuted because we say that the Son had a beginning, but that God was without beginning. This is really the cause of our persecution; and, likewise, because we say that he is from nothing [from not any thing].
And this we say, because he is neither part of God, nor of any subjacent matter. For this are we persecuted; the rest you know. Farewell."
Identification of the names mentioned in this letter:
Eusebius- bishop of Caesarea
Theodo- bishop of Laodicca,
Paulinus of Tyre,
Athanasius of Anazarbus,
Gregory of Berea,
Etius of Lydda, which is now called Diospolis.
Philogonius - bishop of Antioch,
Hellanicus of Tripolis,
and Macarius of Jerusalem.