7.27.1
XXVII. Ξύστον τῆς ‘Ρωμαίων ἐκκλησίας ἔτεσιν ἕνδεκα προστάντα διαδέχεται τῷ κατ’ Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ὁμώνυμος Διονύσιος. ἐν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ Δημητριανοῦ κατ’ Ἀντιόχειαν τὸν βίον μεταλλάξαντος, τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν Παῦλος ὁ ἐκ Σαμοσάτων παραλαμβάνει. τούτου δὲ ταπεινὰ καὶ χαμαιπετῆ περὶ τοῦ χριστοῦ παρὰ τὴν ἐκκλησιαστικὴν διδασκαλίαν φρονήσαντος ὡς κοινοῦ τὴν φύσιν ἀνθρώπου γενομένου, ὁ μὲν κατ’ ’Ἀλεξάνδρειαν Διονύσιος παρακληθεὶς ὡς ἄν ἐπὶ τὴν σύνοδον ἀφίκοιτο, γῆρας ὁ μοῦ καὶ ἀσθένειαν τοῦ σώματος αἰτιασάμενος, ἀνατίθεται τὴν παρουσίαν, δι’ ἐπιστολῆς τὴν αὐτοῦ γνώμην, ἢν ἔχοι περὶ τοῦ ζητουμένου, παραστήσας, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ποιμένες ἄλλος ἄλλοθεν ὡς ἐπὶ λυμεῶνα τῆς Χριστοῦ ποίμνης συνῄεσαν, οἱ πάντες ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν σπεύδοντες.
XXVII. when Xystus had presided over the church of the Romans for eleven years, he was succeeded by Dionysius, namesake of him of Alexandria. At this time also, when Demetrian had departed this life at Antioch, Paul of Samosata received the episcopate. As this person espoused low and mean views as to Christ, contrary to the Church’s teaching, namely, that He was in His nature an ordinary man, Dionysius of Alexandria was invited to attend the synod, but, pleading as his excuse both old age and bodily weakness, he postponed his coming, and furnished by letter the opinion that he held on the subject in question. But the rest of the pastors of the churches, from various quarters, all hasted to Antioch, and assembled as against a spoiler of the flock of Christ.