28. I might spend the day in speaking to the same effect, and dry up all the streams of argument with the single Sun of the Church. But as we have already had a long discussion and the protracted controversy has wearied out the attention of our audience, I will tell you my opinion briefly and without reserve. We ought to remain in that Church which was founded by the Apostles and continues to this day. If ever you hear of any that are called Christians taking their name not from the Lord Jesus Christ, but from some other, for instance, Marcionites, Valentinians, Men of the mountain or the plain, [4167] you may be sure that you have there not the Church of Christ, but the synagogue of Antichrist. For the fact that they took their rise after the foundation of the Church is proof that they are those whose coming the Apostle foretold. And let them not flatter themselves if they think they have Scripture authority for their assertions, since the devil himself quoted Scripture, and the essence of the Scriptures is not the letter, but the meaning. Otherwise, if we follow the letter, we too can concoct a new dogma and assert that such persons as wear shoes and have two coats must not be received into the Church.
L. You must not suppose that victory rests with you only. We are both conquerors, and each of us carries off the palm,--you are victorious over me, and I over my error. May I always when I argue be so fortunate as to exchange wrong opinions for better ones. I must, however, make a confession, because I best know the character of my party, and own that they are more easily conquered than convinced.
[4049] The Sardinian cloak of skins is contrasted by Cicero (pro Scauro) with the Royal purple:--Quem purpura regalis non commovit, eum Sardorum mastruca mutavit. Jerome's meaning is that Christ came not to win the lowest place on earth, but the highest. The fact that Lucifer was Bishop of Cagliari in Sardinia gives point to the saying.
[4050] That is, of Jupiter, whose temple was in the Capitol.
[4051] Ps. lvii. 6.
[4052] Sacerdotium.
[4053] Apoc. i. 6.
[4054] 1 Pet. ii. 9.
[4055] That is diocese. The word diocese was in early times the larger expression, and contained many provinces. See Canon II of Constantinople, Bright's edition, and note.
[4056] Matt. v. 13.
[4057] Lev. ix. 7.
[4058] Tit. i. 7.
[4059] 1 Cor. xi. 28.
[4060] Matt. vii. 6.
[4061] Numb. xvi. 26.
[4062] Hos. ix. 4.
[4063] Matt. vii. 22.
[4064] Matt. v. 15.
[4065] Matt. vi. 23-24.
[4066] Matt. vi. 23-24.
[4067] 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15.
[4068] Levit. xxi. 17.
[4069] Quoted apparently from memory as giving the general sense of passages in Lev. xxi, xxii.
[4070] Quoted apparently from memory as giving the general sense of passages in Lev. xxi, xxii.
[4071] Gen. i. 2.
[4072] John v. 2 sq.
[4073] xix. 2.
[4074] Is. xi. 3; Matt. iii. 3.
[4075] John i. 29.
[4076] Luke i. 43.
[4077] Acts ix. 17.
[4078] Matt. xi. 11.
[4079] Matt. xi. 10.
[4080] We venture to read decebat' instead of dicebat.' Otherwise, we may render Thus (the Scripture) said that,' etc.
[4081] Mark i. 4.
[4082] Mark i. 5.
[4083] John iii. 31.
[4084] Matt. iii. 11.
[4085] John iii. 30.
[4086] Acts xix. 1, sqq.
[4087] Triple immersion, that is, thrice dipping the head while standing in the water, was the all but universal rule of the Church in early times. There is proof of its existence in Africa, Palestine, Egypt, at Antioch and Constantinople, in Cappadocia and Rome. See Basil, On the H. Sp. § 66, and Apostolical Canons. Gregory the Great ruled that either form was allowable, the one symbolizing the Unity of the Godhead, the other the Trinity of Persons.
[4088] This ceremony together with the kiss of peace and white robes probably dated from very early times. In the fourth century some new ceremonies were introduced, such as the use of lights and salt, the unction with oil before baptism in addition to that with chrism which continued to be administered after baptism.
[4089] At Holy Communion the first prayer of the faithful was said by all kneeling. During the rest of the liturgy all stood. At other times of service the rule was for all to kneel in prayer except on Sundays and between Easter and Whitsuntide.
[4090] The Arians said He was the creature (made out of nothing) through whom the Father gave being to all other creatures.
[4091] The Macedonians, who became nearly co-extensive with the Semi-Arians about 360, held that the Spirit not being very' God must be a creature and therefore a Servant of God.
[4092] Sacerdotium--often used by Jerome in a special sense for the Episcopate. He says of Pammachius and of himself (Letter xlv., 3) that many people thought them digni sacerdotio, meaning the Bishopric of Rome.
[4093] Acts viii. 26 sq.
[4094] "The philosophical relations of Arianism have been differently stated. Baur, Newman (The Arians, p. 17), and others, bring it into connection with Aristotle, and Athanasianism with Plato; Petavius, Ritter, and Voigt, on the contrary, derive the Arian idea of God from Platonism and Neo-Platonism. The empirical, rational, logical tendency of Arianism is certainly more Aristotelian than Platonic, and so far Baur and Newman are right; but all depends on making either revelation and faith, or philosophy and reason, the starting point and ruling power of theology." Doctor Schaff in Dict. of Chris. Biog.
[4095] Baptism was at this time, as a rule, administered by the bishop alone.
[4096] This was, approximately, the Patripassian form of the heresy, according to which the person of the Father who is one with the Son, was incarnate in Christ, and the Father might then be said to have died upon the cross. The personality of the Holy Ghost appears to have been denied. With varying shades of opinion and modes of expression the doctrine was expounded by Praxeas (circ. a.d. 200), Noetius (a.d. 220), Sabellius (a.d. 225), Beryllus and Paul of Samosata (circ. a.d. 250).
[4097] That is the followers of Lucifer, whose see was in Sardinia.
[4098] Ps. xii. 1. The Luciferians believed that few or none outside their own sect could be saved.
[4099] Ps. xxx. 9.
[4100] Mark iii. 27.
[4101] Ps. ii. 8.
[4102] Ps. xviii. 15.
[4103] Lit. In the sun hath he placed his tabernacle, and there is none who can hide himself from the heat thereof. Ps. xix. 6.
[4104] Ps. ix. 6. Sept. Vulg. Syr.
[4105] The allusion is doubtful. It probably refers to some province of Spain (perhaps that of the Ibera or Ebro), in which the views of Lucifer prevailed and which his followers considered almost the sole land of the faithful. The expression, however, is used in a more general sense by Jerome, Letter VI.
[4106] Luke xviii. 8.
[4107] Matt. ix. 22.
[4108] Matt. viii. 10.
[4109] Matt. viii. 26.
[4110] Matt. xvii. 20.
[4111] Matt. ix. 21.
[4112] Matt. ix. 29.
[4113] For an account of the "Dated Creed" here referred to, and of the Councils of Seleucia and Ariminum, a.d. 359, see Bright's History of the Church, a.d. 313-451, fourth edition, pp. 93-100.
[4114] Principium, the equivalent of the Greek 'Arche, which means beginning, or principle, or power.
[4115] These two propositions constituted the essence of the teaching of Arius.
[4116] Usia (ousia) is defined by Cyril of Alexandria as that which has existence in itself, independent of everything else to constitute it. A discussion of both it and its companion term hypostasis may be found in Newman's Arians, Appendix p. 432. Around ousia, or some compound of the word, the great Arian controversy always raged. In asserting that the son was homoousios with the Father, i.e., consubstantial or co-essential, the Church affirmed the Godhead of the Son. But the formula experienced varying fortunes. It was disowned as savouring of heterodoxy by the Council of Antioch (264-269) which was held to decide upon the views of Paulus: was imposed at Nicæa (325): considered inexpedient by the great body of the episcopate in the next generation: was most cautiously put forward by Athanasius himself (see Stanley's Hist. of Eastern Church, 1883, p. 240): does not occur in the catecheses of S. Cyril of Jerusalem (347): was momentarily abandoned by 400 bishops at Ariminum who were "tricked and worried" into the act. "They had not," says Newman, "yet got it deeply fixed in their minds as a sort of first principle, that to abandon the formula was to betray the faith."
[4117] The distinguishing principle of the doctrine of Acacius was adherence to Scriptural phraseology. See Bright's Hist., p. 69.
[4118] The teaching of Ætius and Eunomius, the Anomoeans, who were the extremists of the Arians. See Robertson's Hist. of Chris. Ch., fourth edition, pp. 236-237, etc. The other tenets anathematized are Arian or Semi-Arian.
[4119] Bishop of Singedunum (Belgrade). "He and Valens, bishop of Mursa (in Pannonia) appear at every Synod and Council from 330 till about 370, as leaders of the Arian party, both in the East and West...They are described by Athanasius as the disciples of Arius." Dict. of Chris. Biog.
[4120] Constantius.
[4121] Julian.
[4122] In August 362, "All Egypt seemed to assemble in the city (Alexandria), which blazed with lights and rang with acclamations; the air was fragrant with incense burnt in token of joy; men formed a choir to precede the Archbishop; to hear his voice, to catch a glimpse of his face, even to see his shadow, was deemed happiness." Bright, p. 115.
[4123] Bishop of Poictiers (a.d. 350). Died a.d. 368.
[4124] Bishop of Vercellae in N. Italy. Died about a.d. 370. Both he and Hilary had been sent into exile by Constantius for their opposition to Arianism.
[4125] That is, the creed of Ariminum.
[4126] Said to have been the "most prominent and most distinguished man of the entire movement." Athanasius suggested that he was the teacher rather than the disciple of Arius. He died a.d. 342.
[4127] Regarded as one of the chief opponents of Athanasius. He and others it is said saved themselves from exile by secretly substituting omoiousios for homoousios in the sentence of the Council.
[4128] Born probably, about a.d. 260. He was made bishop of Cæsarea about 313 and lived to be eighty. At the time of the Council he was the most learned man and most famous living writer. He had great influence with Constantine, and was among the most moderate Arians.
[4129] Eudoxius was deposed from the bishopric of Antioch by the Council of Seleucia, a.d. 359; but the immediate predecessor of Euzoius was Meletius, deposed a.d. 361. Baronius describes him as the worst of all the Arians. Euzoius had been the companion and intimate friend of Arius from an early age. Athanasius (Hist. Arian. p. 858) calls him the "Canaanite."
[4130] Saints Athanasius, Hilary of Poictiers, and Eusebius of Vercellae.
[4131] a.d. 328, when Athanasius was consecrated bishop.
[4132] See introduction.
[4133] This Hilary was a deacon of Rome, sent by Liberius the bishop with Lucifer and Pancratius to the Emperor Constantius. He joined the Luciferians, and wrote in their interest on the re-baptism of heretics. He appears, however, to have been reconciled before his death.
[4134] 1 Pet. iii. 20.
[4135] 2 Tim. ii. 20.
[4136] Ecc. xi. 2.
[4137] Vulg. for l ssygyt Psa. vi. xii. and 1 Chron. xv. 21. The meaning is probably "in a lower octave," or, "in the bass." According to others, an air, or key in which the psalm was to be sung, or a musical instrument with eight strings.
[4138] Virg, Georg. i. 154.
[4139] S. Matt. xiii. 24 sq.
[4140] Rom. ix. 22, 23; 2 Tim. ii. 20, 21.
[4141] 1 John ii. 19.
[4142] Prov. xiv. 12.
[4143] Stephen was willing to admit all heretical baptism, even that by Marcionites and Ophites; Cyprian would admit none. The Council was held at Carthage a.d. 255, and was followed by two in the next year.
[4144] Bishop of Rome from May 12, a.d. 254, to Aug. 2, a.d. 257. See note on ch. 25.
[4145] The words of 1 John iv. 3 would appear to support Jerome's remark.
[4146] Acts viii. 10. In the Clementine Homilies and Recognitions Simon is the constant opponent of St. Peter.
[4147] Commonly regarded as the chief among the Egyptian Gnostics. The Basilidian system is described by Irenaeus (101f).
[4148] Acts vi. 5, Rev. ii. 6, 15. As to how far Jerome's estimate of the character of Nicolas is correct, the article Nicolas in Smith's Dict. of Bible may be consulted.
[4149] Jerome here reproduces almost exactly the remark of Pseudo-Tertullian. The Dositheans were probably a Jewish or Samaritan ascetic sect, something akin to the Essenes.
[4150] The name Pharisee implies separation, but in the sense of dedication to God.
[4151] Of Antioch. One of the earliest of the Gnostics (second century).
[4152] The Ophites, whose name is derived from ophis, a serpent, were a sect which lasted from the second century to the sixth. Some of them believed that the serpent of Gen. iii. was either the Divine Wisdom, or the Christ himself, come to enlighten mankind. Their errors may in great measure, like those of the Cainites, be traced to the belief, common to all systems of Gnosticism, that the Creator of the world, who was the God of the Jews, was not the same as the Supreme Being, but was in antagonism to Him. They supposed that the Scriptures were written in the interest of the Demiurge or Creator, and that a false colouring being given to the story, the real worthies were those who are reprobated in the sacred writings.