Euthymius Zigabenus, Panoplia Dogmatica; Theodoretus, Historia Religiosa

truly impregnable. And the book shall have the title, Dogmatic Panoply of the Orthodox Faith; or Arsenal of Dogmas. So that when time calls to battle; and when the soldiers are roused, it persuades one to be shielded even against the forms of the enemies with the weapons stored within; for these are many and abundant; and sufficient for every kind of war. And every speech being twofold, as the Theologian Gregory says; the one, establishing its own side; the other, overthrowing the opponent; we too, having set forth our own side first; in this way we will attempt to overthrow the arguments of the opposites. Both, through the all-wise who, as it has been said, labored first for the word; and what kind of title they have left for us from them in their own words; and the various entanglements from these against the adversaries, and with the manners of their noble deeds. They shall be set forth, in a certain order according to the times of the holy men, as is analogous to the evils, having chosen also the heresies; having their overthrows following; and having stood the ones who excelled afterward, out-generalizing them through their own refutations, and striking them down. The older ones, therefore, as having rotted long ago; and having been destroyed entirely, we have passed over; but the more notable ones; and those whose evil flame has faded, yet still cause pain to the church, we have set these as targets; so that they might be struck and burned. And if any of those in between and near were found, as offshoots of these, or suckers, they were released from the fall of those already put forward; sufficiently even to cast these down together. From where, therefore, must we begin our proposed compilation and where shall we stop? From where else, than from where the great Gregory says in theology: "Three are the highest opinions, speaking about God: anarchy; and polyarchy; and monarchy."