The Ecclesistical History of Sozomen - Book I
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comprising a history of the church, from a.d. 323 to a.d. 425.
translated from the Greek.
Revised by Chester d. Hartranft,
Hartford Theological Seminary.
Under the editorial supervision of Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D.,
Professor of Church History in the Union Theological Semimary, New York,
and Henry Wace, D.D., Principal of King's College, London
Published in 1886 by Philip Schaff,
New York: Christian Literature Publishing Co.
salaminius hermias sozomenus.
Book I.
Chapter I.--The Preface of the Book, in which he investigates the
History of the Jewish Nation; Mention of those who began such a Work;
how and from what Sources he collected his History; how he was intent
upon the Truth, and what other Details the History will contain.
My mind has been often exercised in inquiring how it is that other men
are very ready to believe in God the Word, while the Jews are so
incredulous, although it was to them that instruction concerning the
things of God was, from the beginning, imparted by the prophets, who
likewise made them acquainted with the events attendant upon the
coming of Christ, before they came to pass. [1059] Besides, Abraham,
the founder of their nation and of the circumcision, was accounted
worthy to be an eye-witness, and the host of the Son of God. [1060]
And Isaac, his son, was honored as the type of the sacrifice on the
cross, for he was led bound to the altar by his father and, as
accurate students of the sacred Scriptures affirm, the sufferings of
Christ came to pass in like manner. Jacob predicted that the
expectation of the nations would be for Christ, as it now is; and he
likewise foretold the time in which he came, when he said "the rulers
of the Hebrews of the tribe of Judah, the tribal leader, shall fail."
[1061]
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This clearly referred to the reign of Herod, who was an Idumean, on
his father's side, and on his mother's, an Arabian, and the Jewish
nation was delivered to him by the Roman senate and Augustus Cæsar.
And of the rest of the prophets some declared beforehand the birth of
Christ, His ineffable conception, the mother remaining a virgin after
His birth, His people, and country. [1062] Some predicted His divine
and marvelous deeds, while others foretold His sufferings, His
resurrection from the dead, His ascension into the heavens, and the
event accompanying each. But if any be ignorant of these facts it is
not difficult to know them by reading the sacred books. Josephus, the
son of Matthias, also who was a priest, and was most distinguished
among Jews and Romans, may be regarded as a noteworthy witness to the
truth concerning Christ [1063] ; for he hesitates to call Him a man
since He wrought marvelous works, and was a teacher of truthful
doctrines, but openly calls him Christ; that He was condemned to the
death of the cross, and appeared alive again the third day. Nor was
Josephus ignorant of numberless other wonderful predictions uttered
beforehand by the holy prophets concerning Christ. He further
testifies that Christ brought over many to Himself both Greeks and
Jews, who continued to love Him, and that the people named after Him
had not become extinct. It appears to me that in narrating these
things, he all but proclaims that Christ, by comparison of works, is
God. As if struck by the miracle, he ran, somehow, a middle course,
assailing in no way those who believed in Jesus, but rather agreeing
with them.
When I consider this matter it seems reasonably remarkable to me, that
the Hebrews did not anticipate, and, before the rest of men,
immediately turn to Christianity; for though the Sibyl and some
oracles announced beforehand the future of events concerning Christ we
are not on this account to attribute unbelief to all the Greeks. For
they were few, who, appearing superior in education, could understand
such prophecies, which were, for the most part, in verse, and were
declared with more recondite words to the people. Therefore in my
judgment, it was the result of the heavenly preknowledge, for the sake
of the agreement in future events, that the coming facts were to be
made known, not only by his own prophets, but in part also by
strangers. Just as a musician, under pressure of a strange melody, may
treat the superfluous tones of the chords lightly with his plectrum,
or add others to those already existing.
Having now shown that the Hebrews, although in the possession of
numerous and more distinct prophecies concerning the coming of Christ,
were less willing than the Greeks to embrace the faith that is in Him,
let what has been said on the subject suffice. Yet let it by no means
be hence accounted contrary to reason that the church should have been
mainly built up by the conversion of other nations; for in the first
place, it is evident that, in divine and great affairs, God delights
to bring to pass changes in a marvelous manner; and then, be it
remembered, it was by the exercise of no common virtues that those
who, at the very beginning, were at the head of religious affairs,
maintained their influence. If they did not, indeed, possess a
language sharpened for expression or for beauty of diction, nor the
power of convincing their hearers by means of phrases or mathematical
demonstrations, yet they did not the less accomplish the work they had
undertaken. They gave up their property, neglected their kindred, were
stretched upon a cross, and as if endowed with bodies not their own,
suffered many and excruciating tortures; neither seduced by the
adulation of the people and rulers of any city, nor terrified by their
menaces, they clearly evidenced by their conduct, that they were
supported in the struggle by the hope of a high reward. So that they,
in fact needed not to resort to verbal arguments; for without any
effort on their part, their very deeds constrained the inhabitants of
every house and of every city to give credit to their testimony, even
before they knew wherein it consisted.
Since then so divine and marvelous a change has taken place in the
circumstances of men, that ancient cults and national laws have fallen
into contempt; since many of the most celebrated writers among the
Greeks have tasked their powers of eloquence in describing the
Calydonian boar, the bull of Marathon and other similar prodigies,
which have really occurred in countries or cities, or have a mystic
origin, why should not I rise above myself, and write a history of the
Church? For I am persuaded that, as the topic is not the achievements
of men, it may appear almost incredible that such a history should be
written by me; but, with God, nothing is impossible.
I at first felt strongly inclined to trace the course of events from
the very commencement; but on reflecting that similar records of the
past up to their own time had been compiled by those wisest of men,
Clemens [1064] and Hegesippus, successors of the apostles, by
Africanus the historian, and by Eusebius, surnamed Pamphilus, [1065] a
man intimately acquainted with the sacred Scriptures and the writings
of the Greek poets and historians, I merely draw up an epitome in two
books of all that is recorded to have happened to the churches, from
the ascension of Christ to the deposition of Licinius. [1066] Now,
however, by the help of God, I will endeavor to relate the subsequent
events as well.
I shall record the transactions with which I have been connected, and
also those concerning which I have heard from persons who knew or saw
the affairs in our own day or before our own generation. But I have
sought for records of events of earlier date, amongst the established
laws appertaining to religion, amongst the proceedings of the synods
of the period, amongst the innovations that arose, and in the epistles
of kings and priests. Some of these documents are preserved in palaces
and churches, and others are dispersed and in the possession of the
learned. I thought frequently of transcribing the whole, but on
further reflection I deemed it better, on account of the mass of the
documents, to give merely a brief synopsis of their contents; yet
whenever controverted topics are introduced, I will readily transcribe
freely from any work that may tend to the elucidation of truth. If any
one who is ignorant of past events should conclude my history to be
false, because he meets with conflicting statements in other writings,
let him know that since the dogmas of Arius and other more recent
hypotheses have been broached, the rulers of the churches, differing
in opinion among themselves, have transmitted in writing their own
peculiar views, for the benefit of their respective followers; and
further, be it remembered, these rulers convened councils and issued
what decrees they pleased, often condemning unheard those whose creed
was dissimilar to their own, and striving to their utmost to induce
the reigning prince and nobles of the time to side with them. Intent
upon maintaining the orthodoxy of their own dogmas, the partisans of
each sect respectively formed a collection of such epistles as favored
their own heresy, omitting all documents of a contrary tendency. Such
are the obstacles by which we are beset in our endeavors to arrive at
a conclusion on this subject! Still, as it is requisite, in order to
maintain historical accuracy, to pay the strictest attention to the
means of eliciting truth, I felt myself bound to examine all writings
of this class according to my ability.
Let not an impertinent or malignant spirit be imputed to me, for
having dwelt upon the disputes of ecclesiastics among themselves,
concerning the primacy and the pre-eminence of their own heresy. In
the first place, as I have already said, an historian ought to regard
everything as secondary in importance to truth; moreover, the doctrine
of the Catholic Church is shown to be especially the most genuine,
since it has been tested frequently by the plots of opposing thinkers;
yet, the disposal of the lot being of God, the Catholic Church has
maintained its own ascendancy, has reassumed its own power, and has
led all the churches and the people to the reception of its own truth.
I have had to deliberate whether I ought to confine myself to the
recital of events connected with the Church under the Roman
government; but it seemed more advisable to include, as far as
possible, the record of transactions relative to religion among the
Persians and barbarians. Nor is it foreign to ecclesiastical history
to introduce in this work an account of those who were the fathers and
originators of what is denominated monachism, and of their immediate
successors, whose celebrity is well known to us either by observation
or report. For I would neither be considered ungracious [1067] towards
them, nor willing to consign their virtue to oblivion, nor yet be
thought ignorant of their history; but I would wish to leave behind me
such a record of their manner of life that others, led by their
example, might attain to a blessed and happy end. As the work
proceeds, these subjects shall be noted as far as possible.
Invoking the help and propitiousness of God, I now proceed to the
narration of events; the present history shall have its beginning from
this point.
Footnotes
[1059] Cf. Eus. H. E. i. 4.
[1060] Cf. Gen. xviii.
[1061] Cf. Gen. xlix. 10.
[1062] Isa. vii. 14, foretells that "a virgin shall conceive and bear
a son"; but he does not declare, in words, the perpetual virginity of
the mother of God. The Roman Catholic Church, however, infers the
doctrine from certain types in the Old Testament: such as that of "the
bush which burnt with fire, and was not consumed" (Ex. iii. 2).
[1063] See Joseph. Antiq. xviii. 33; xx. 9, 1.
[1064] More probably Clemens Alexandrinus than, as Valesius suggests,
Clemens Romanus.
[1065] See the Life of Eusebius, prefixed to his Eccles. Hist. in this
series.
[1066] These books are not now extant.
[1067] It is scarcely fair with Valesius to infer from this passage
that Sozomen was a monk himself.
Chapter II.--Of the Bishops of the Large Towns in the Reign of
Constantine; and how, from fear of Licinius, Christianity was
professed cautiously in the East as far as Libya, while in the West,
through the Favor of Constantine, it was professed with Freedom.
During the consulate of Constantine Cæsar and Crispus Cæsar, Silvester
governed the Church of Rome; Alexander, that of Alexandria; and
Macarius, that of Jerusalem. Not one, since Romanus, [1068] had been
appointed over the Church of Antioch on the Orontes; for the
persecution it appears, had prevented the ceremony of ordination from
taking place. The bishops assembled at Nicæa not long after were,
however, so sensible of the purity of the life and doctrines of
Eustathius, that they adjudged him worthy to fill the apostolic see;
although he was then bishop of the neighboring Beroea, they translated
him to Antioch. [1069]
The Christians of the East, as far as Libya on the borders of Egypt,
did not dare to meet openly as a church; for Licinius had withdrawn
his favor from them; but the Christians of the West, the Greeks, the
Macedonians, and the Illyrians, met for worship in safety through the
protection of Constantine, who was then at the head of the Roman
Empire. [1070]
Footnotes
[1068] Who this Romanus was is uncertain, as his name does not occur
in the catalogue of bishops of Antioch, according to Hieronymus'
edition of the Chronicon, nor in Nicephorus. In one index at the end
of a codex of Eusebius' History, in Florence, his name occurs as the
twenty-second, in order, and between Philagonius and Eustathius.
Theodoret, H. E. i. 3, gives the succession Vitalis, Philagonius.
[1069] Cf. Soc. i. 23, 24.
[1070] For a narrative of the treatment of the Christians by Licinius,
and the war between Constantine and Licinius on their account, see
Soc. i. 3, 4.
Chapter III.--By the Vision of the Cross, and by the Appearance of
Christ, Constantine is led to embrace Christianity.--He receives
Religious Instruction from our Brethren.
We have been informed that Constantine was led to honor the Christian
religion by the concurrence of several different events, particularly
by the appearance of a sign from heaven.
When he first formed the resolution of entering into a war against
Maxentius, he was beset with doubts as to the means of carrying on his
military operations, and as to the quarter whence he could look for
assistance. In the midst of his perplexity, he saw, in a vision, the
sight of the cross [1071] shining in heaven. He was amazed at the
spectacle, but some holy angels who were standing by, exclaimed, "Oh,
Constantine! by this symbol, conquer!" And it is said that Christ
himself appeared to him, and showed him the symbol of the cross, and
commanded him to construct one like unto it, and to retain it as his
help in battle, as it would insure the victory.
Eusebius, surnamed Pamphilus, [1072] affirms that he heard the emperor
declare with an oath, as the sun was on the point of inclining about
the middle of the day, he and the soldiers who were with him saw in
heaven the trophy of the cross composed of light, and encircled by the
following words: "By this sign, conquer."
This vision met him by the way, when he was perplexed as to whither he
should lead his army. While he was reflecting on what this could mean,
night came; and when he fell asleep, Christ appeared [1073] with the
sign which he had seen in heaven, and commanded him to construct a
representation of the symbol, and to use it as his help in hostile
encounters. There was nothing further to be elucidated; for the
emperor clearly apprehended the necessity of serving God.
At daybreak, [1074] he called together the priests of Christ, and
questioned them concerning their doctrines. They opened the sacred
Scriptures, and expounded the truths relative to Christ, and showed
him from the prophets, how the signs which had been predicted, had
been fulfilled. The sign which had appeared to him was the symbol,
they said, of the victory over hell; for Christ came among men, was
stretched upon the cross, died, and returned to life the third day. On
this account, they said, there was hope that at the close of the
present dispensation, there would be a general resurrection of the
dead, and entrance upon immortality, when those who had led a good
life would receive accordingly, and those who had done evil would be
punished. Yet, continued they, the means of salvation and of
purification from sin are provided; namely, for the uninitiated,
[1075] initiation according to the canons of the church; and for the
initiated, abstinence from renewed sin. But as few, even among holy
men, are capable of complying with this latter condition, another
method of purification is set forth, namely, repentance; for God, in
his love towards man, bestows forgiveness on those who have fallen
into sin, on their repentance, and the confirmation of their
repentance by good works.
Footnotes
[1071] With this Chapter, cf. the parallel account in Soc. i. 2.
[1072] Cf. Eus. V. C. i. 28.
[1073] Cf. Eus. V. C. i. 29.
[1074] id. i. 32.
[1075] That is, for the unbaptized and catechumens; the baptized were
called the "initiated" (oi memuemenoi ).
Chapter IV.--Constantine commands the Sign of the Cross to be carried
before him in Battle; an Extraordinary Narrative about the Bearers of
the Sign of the Cross.
The emperor, amazed at the prophecies concerning Christ which were
expounded to him by the priests, sent for some skillful artisans, and
commanded them to remodel the standard called by the Romans Labarum,
[1076] to convert it into a representation of the cross, and to adorn
it with gold and precious stones. This warlike trophy was valued
beyond all others; for it was always wont to be carried before the
emperor, and was worshiped by the soldiery. I think that Constantine
changed the most honorable symbol of the Roman power into the sign of
Christ, chiefly that by the habit of having it always in view, and of
worshiping it, the soldiers might be induced to abandon their ancient
forms of superstition, and to recognize the true God, whom the emperor
worshiped, as their leader and their help in battle; for this symbol
was always borne in front of his own troops, and was, at the command
of the emperor, carried among the phalanxes in the thickest of the
fight by an illustrious band of spearmen, of whom each one in turn
took the standard upon his shoulders, and paraded it through the
ranks. It is said that on one occasion, on an unexpected movement of
the hostile forces, the man who held the standard in terror, placed it
in the hands of another, and secretly fled from the battle. When he
got beyond the reach of the enemy's weapons, he suddenly received a
wound and fell, while the man who had stood by the divine symbol
remained unhurt, although many weapons were aimed at him; for the
missiles of the enemy, marvelously directed by divine agency, lighted
upon the standard, and the bearer thereof, although in the midst of
danger, was preserved.
It is also asserted that no soldier who bore this standard in battle
ever fell, through any dark calamity, such as is wont to happen to the
soldiery in war, or was wounded, or taken prisoner.
Footnotes
[1076] Eus. V. C. i. 30, 31.
Chapter V.--Refutation of the Assertion that Constantine became a
Christian in consequence of the Murder of his son Crispus.
I am aware that it is reported by the pagans that Constantine, after
slaying some of his nearest relations, and particularly after
assenting to the murder of his own son Crispus, repented of his evil
deeds, and inquired of Sopater, [1077] the philosopher, who was then
master of the school of Plotinus, concerning the means of purification
from guilt. The philosopher--so the story goes--replied that such
moral defilement could admit of no purification. The emperor was
grieved at this repulse, but happening to meet with some bishops who
told him that he would be cleansed from sin, on repentance and on
submitting to baptism, he was delighted with their representations,
and admired their doctrines, and became a Christian, and led his
subjects to the same faith. It appears to me that this story was the
invention of persons who desired to vilify the Christian religion.
Crispus, [1078] on whose account, it is said, Constantine required
purification, did not die till the twentieth year of his father's
reign; he held the second place in the empire and bore the name of
Cæsar and many laws, framed with his sanction in favor of
Christianity, are still extant. That this was the case can be proved
by referring to the dates affixed to these laws, and to the lists of
the legislators. It does not appear likely that Sopater had any
intercourse with Constantine whose government was then centered in the
regions near the ocean and the Rhine; for his dispute with Maxentius,
the governor of Italy, had created so much dissension in the Roman
dominions, that it was then no easy matter to dwell in Gaul, in
Britain, or in the neighboring countries, in which it is universally
admitted Constantine embraced the religion of the Christians, previous
to his war with Maxentius, and prior to his return to Rome and Italy:
and this is evidenced by the dates of the laws which he enacted in
favor of religion. But even granting that Sopater chanced to meet the
emperor, or that he had epistolary correspondence with him, it cannot
be imagined the philosopher was ignorant that Hercules, the son of
Alcmena, obtained purification at Athens by the celebration of the
mysteries of Ceres after the murder of his children, and of Iphitus,
his guest and friend. That the Greeks held that purification from
guilt of this nature could be obtained, is obvious from the instance I
have just alleged, and he is a false calumniator who represents that
Sopater taught the contrary.
I cannot admit the possibility of the philosopher's having been
ignorant of these facts; for he was at that period esteemed the most
learned man in Greece.
Footnotes
[1077] Or Sosipater of Apamea. Cf. Eunap. V. S. (Ædesius).
[1078] The earlier church historians, except Philost. H. E. ii. 4, are
silent as to the cause of his death, while the pagan authorities speak
freely, but variously; later Christian writers take their statements
from the pagans. Cf. Eutrop. Brev. hist. Rom. x. 6.
Chapter VI.--The Father of Constantine allows the Name of Christ to be
Extended; Constantine the Great prepared it to Penetrate Everywhere.
Under the government of Constantine the churches flourished and
increased in numbers daily, since they were honored by the good deeds
of a benevolent and well-disposed emperor, and otherwise God preserved
them from the persecutions and harassments which they had previously
encountered. When the churches were suffering from persecution in
other parts of the world, Constantius alone, the father of
Constantine, accorded the Christians the right of worshiping God
without fear. I know of an extraordinary thing done by him, which is
worthy of being recorded. He wished to test the fidelity of certain
Christians, excellent and good men, who were attached to his palaces.
He called them all together, and told them that if they would
sacrifice to idols as well as serve God, they should remain in his
service and retain their appointments; but that if they refused
compliance with his wishes, they should be sent from the palaces, and
should scarcely escape his vengeance. When difference of judgment had
divided them into two parties, separating those who consented to
abandon their religion from those who preferred the honor of God to
their present welfare, the emperor determined upon retaining those who
had adhered to their faith as his friends and counselors; but he
turned away from the others, whom he regarded as unmanly and
impostors, and sent them from his presence, judging that they who had
so readily betrayed their God could never be true to their king. Hence
it is probable that while Constantius was alive, it did not seem
contrary to the laws for the inhabitants of the countries beyond Italy
to profess Christianity, that is to say, in Gaul, in Britain, or in
the region of the Pyrenean mountains as far as the Western Ocean. When
Constantine succeeded to the same government, the affairs of the
churches became still more brilliant; for when Maxentius, the son of
Herculius, was slain, his share also devolved upon Constantine; and
the nations who dwelt by the river Tiber and the Eridanus, which the
natives call Padus, those who dwelt by the Aquilis, whither, it is
said, the Argo was dragged, and the inhabitants of the coasts of the
Tyrrhenian sea were permitted the exercise of their religion without
molestation.
When the Argonauts fled from Æetes, they returned homewards by a
different route, crossed the sea of Scythia, sailed through some of
the rivers there, and so gained the shores of Italy, where they passed
the winter and built a city, which they called Emona. The following
summer, with the assistance of the people of the country, they dragged
the Argo, by means of machinery, the distance of four hundred stadia,
and so reached the Aquilis, a river which falls into the Eridanus: the
Eridanus itself falls into the Italian sea.
After the battle of Cibalis [1079] the Dardanians and the Macedonians,
the inhabitants of the banks of the Ister, of Hellas, and the whole
nation of Illyria, became subject to Constantine.
Footnotes
[1079] One of the battles in which Licinius was routed by Constantine,
a.d. 314. Eutrop. Brev. hist. Rom. x. 5.
Chapter VII.--Concerning the Dispute between Constantine and Licinius
his Brother-In-Law about the Christians, and how Licinius was
conquered by Force and put to Death.
After this reverse, Licinius, [1080] who had previously respected the
Christians, changed his opinion, and ill-treated many of the priests
who lived under his government; he also persecuted a multitude of
other persons, but especially the soldiers. He was deeply incensed
against the Christians on account of his disagreement with
Constantine, and thought to wound him by their sufferings for
religion, and besides, he suspected that the churches were praying and
zealous that Constantine alone should enjoy the sovereign rule. In
addition to all this, when on the eve of another battle with
Constantine, Licinius, as was wont to be done, made a forecast of the
expected war, by sacrifices and oracles, and, deceived by promises of
conquest, he returned to the religion of the pagans.
The pagans themselves, too, relate that about this period he consulted
the oracle of Apollo Didymus at Miletus, and received an answer
concerning the result of the war from the demon, couched in the
following verses of Homer: [1081]
"Much, old man, do the youths distress thee, warring against thee!
Feeble thy strength has become, but thy old age yet shall be hardy."
From many facts it has often appeared to me that the teaching of the
Christians is supported, and its advancement secured, by the
providence of God; and not least from what then occurred; for at the
very moment that Licinius was about to persecute all the churches
under him, the war in Bithynia broke out, which ended in a war between
him and Constantine, and in which Constantine was so strengthened by
Divine assistance that he was victorious over his enemies by land and
by sea. On the destruction of his fleet and army, Licinius threw
himself into Nicomedia, and resided for some time at Thessalonica as a
private individual, and was eventually killed there. Such was the end
of one who, at the beginning of his reign, had distinguished himself
in war and in peace, and who had been honored by receiving the sister
of Constantine in marriage.
Footnotes
[1080] Cf. Soc. i. 3, 4, and especially various parts of Eus. V. C.
[1081] Iliad,viii. 102.
Chapter VIII.--List of the Benefits which Constantine conferred in the
Freedom of the Christians and Building of Churches; and other Deeds
for the Public Welfare.
As soon as the sole government of the Roman empire was vested in
Constantine, he issued a public decree [1082] commanding all his
subjects in the East to honor the Christian religion, carefully to
worship the Divine Being, and to recognize that only as Divine which
is also essentially so, and which has the power that endures for ever
and ever: for he delights to give all good things ungrudgingly to
those who zealously embrace the truth; he meets their undertakings
with the best hopes, while misfortunes, whether in peace or in war,
whether in public or in private life, befall transgressors.
Constantine then added, but without vain boasting, that, God having
accounted him as a fitting servant, worthy to reign, he had been led
from the British sea to the Eastern provinces in order that the
Christian religion might be extended, and that those who, on account
of the worship of God had remained steadfast in confessions or
martyrdoms, might be advanced to public honors. After making these
statements, he entered upon a myriad other details by which he thought
his subjects might be drawn to religion. He decreed that all acts and
judgments passed by the persecutors of the church against Christianity
should be revoked; and commanded that all those who, on account of
their confession of Christ, had been sent to banishment--either to the
isles or elsewhere, contrary to their own inclination--and all those
who had been condemned to labor in the mines, the public works, the
harems, the linen factories, or had been enrolled as public
functionaries, should be restored to liberty. He removed the stigma of
dishonor from those upon whom it had been cast, and permitted those
who had been deprived of high appointments in the army, either to
reassume their former place, or with an honorable discharge, to enjoy
a liberal ease according to their own choice; and when he had recalled
all to the enjoyment of their former liberties and customary honors,
he likewise restored their possessions. In the case of those who had
been slain, and whose property had been confiscated, he enacted that
the inheritance should be transferred to the next of kin, or, in
default of heirs, to the church belonging to the locality where the
estate was situated; and when the inheritance had passed into other
hands, and had become either private or national property, he
commanded it to be restored. He likewise promised to resort to the
fittest and best possible arrangements when the property had been
purchased by the exchequer, or had been received therefrom by gift.
These measures, as it had been said, having been enacted by the
emperor, and ratified by law, were forthwith carried into execution.
Christians were thus placed in almost all the principal posts of the
Roman government; the worship of false gods was universally
prohibited; and the arts of divination, the dedication of statues, and
the celebration of pagan festivals were interdicted. Many of the most
ancient customs observed in the cities fell into disuse: and among the
Egyptians the measure used to indicate the increase of the waters of
the Nile was no longer borne into pagan temples, but into churches.
The spectacle of gladiators was then prohibited among the Romans; and
the custom which prevailed among the Phoenicians of Lebanon and
Heliopolis of prostituting virgins before marriage, who were
accustomed to cohabit in lawful marriage after the first trial of an
illicit intercourse, was abolished. Of the houses of prayer, the
emperor repaired some which were of sufficient magnitude; others were
brilliantly restored by additional length and breadth, and he erected
new edifices in places where no building of the kind had existed
previously. He furnished the requisite supplies from the imperial
treasury, and wrote to the bishops of the cities and the governors of
the provinces, desiring them to contribute whatever might be wished,
and enjoining submission and zealous obedience to the priests.
The prosperity of religion kept pace with the increased prosperity of
the empire. After the war with Licinius, the emperor was successful in
battle against foreign nations; he conquered the Sarmatians and the
people called Goths, and concluded an advantageous treaty with them.
These people dwelt upon the Ister; and as they were very warlike, and
always ready in arms both by the multitude and magnitude of their
bodies, they kept the other tribes of barbarians in awe, and found
antagonists in the Romans alone. It is said that, during this war,
Constantine perceived clearly, by means of signs and dreams, that the
special protection of Divine Providence had been extended to him.
Hence when he had vanquished all those who rose up in battle against
him he evinced his thankfulness to Christ by zealous attention to the
concerns of religion, and exhorted the governors to recognize the one
true faith and way of salvation. He enacted that part of the funds
levied from tributary countries should be forwarded by the various
cities to the bishops and clergy, wherever they might be domiciled,
and commanded that the law enjoining this gift should be a statute
forever. In order to accustom the soldiers to worship God as he did,
he had their weapons marked with the symbol of the cross, and he
erected a house of prayer in the palace. When he engaged in war, he
caused a tent to be borne before him, constructed in the shape of a
church, so that in case he or his army might be led into the desert,
they might have a sacred edifice in which to praise and worship God,
and participate in the mysteries. [1083] Priests and deacons followed
the tent, who fulfilled the orders about these matters, according to
the law of the church. From that period the Roman legions, which now
were called by their number, provided each its own tent, with
attendant priests and deacons. He also enjoined the observance of the
day termed the Lord's day, [1084] which the Jews call the first day of
the week, and which the pagans dedicate to the sun, as likewise the
day before the seventh, and commanded that no judicial or other
business should be transacted on those days, but that God should be
served with prayers and supplications. He honored the Lord's day,
because on it Christ arose from the dead, and the day above mentioned,
because on it he was crucified. He regarded the cross with peculiar
reverence, on account both of the power which it conveyed to him in
the battles against his enemies, and also of the divine manner in
which the symbol had appeared to him. He took away by law the
crucifixion customary among the Romans, from the usage of the courts.
He commanded that this divine symbol should always be inscribed and
stamped whenever coins and images should be struck, and his images,
which exist in this very form, still testify to this order. And indeed
he strove in everything, particularly in the enactment of laws, to
serve God. It appears, too, that he prohibited many flagitious and
licentious connections, [1085] which till that period had not been
forbidden; as one, who cares about it, may see at a glance from these
few instances what the laws were, which he established about these
points; it appears to me unreasonable now to treat them exhaustively.
I consider it necessary, however, to mention the laws enacted for the
honor and consolidation of religion, as they constitute a considerable
portion of ecclesiastical history. I shall therefore proceed to the
recital.
Footnotes
[1082] gramma demosion. The decree is given at full length in Eus. V.
C. ii. 24-42; and the other legislative Chapters of Bks. ii. and iv.
Cf. Eus. H. E. x. 5-7; Soc. i. 18.
[1083] Musterion , that is to say, the sacraments of the church.
[1084] Eus. V. C. iv. 18, 19.
[1085] He probably alludes to the law of Constantine, "de raptu
virginum vel viduarum." See Codex Theodos. ix. 24.
Chapter IX.--Constantine enacts a Law in favor of Celibates and of the
Clergy.
There was an ancient Roman law, by which those who were unmarried at
the age of twenty-five were not admitted to the same privileges as the
married; [1086] amongst other clauses in this law, it was specified
that those who were not the very nearest kinsmen could gain nothing
from a will; and also, that those who were childless were to be
deprived of half of any property that might be bequeathed to them. The
object of this ancient Roman law was to increase the population of
Rome and the subject people, which had been much reduced in numbers by
the civil wars, not a long while before this law. The emperor,
perceiving that this enactment militated against the interests of
those who continued in a state of celibacy and remained childless for
the sake of God, and deeming it absurd to attempt the multiplication
of the human species by the care and zeal of man (since nature always
receiving increase or decrease according to the fiat from on high),
made a law enjoining that the unmarried and childless should have the
same advantages as the married. He even bestowed peculiar privileges
on those who embraced a life of continence and virginity, and
permitted them, contrary to the usage which prevailed throughout the
Roman empire, to make a will before they attained the age of puberty;
for he believed that those who devoted themselves to the service of
God and the cultivation of philosophy would, in all cases, judge
aright. For a similar reason the ancient Romans permitted the vestal
virgins to make a will as soon as they attained the age of six years.
That was the greatest proof of the superior reverence for religion.
Constantine exempted the clergy everywhere from taxation, and
permitted litigants to appeal to the decision of the bishops if they
preferred them to the state rulers. [1087] He enacted that their
decree should be valid, and as far superior to that of other judges as
if pronounced by the emperor himself; that the governors and
subordinate military officers should see to the execution of these
decrees: and that the definitions made by synods should be
irreversible.
Having arrived at this point of my history, it would not be right to
omit all mention of the laws passed in favor of those individuals in
the churches who had received their freedom. Owing to the strictness
of the laws and the unwillingness of masters, there were many
difficulties in the way of the acquisition of this better freedom;
that is to say, of the freedom of the city of Rome. Constantine
therefore made three laws, enacting that all those individuals in the
churches, whose freedom should be attested by the priests, should
receive the freedom of Rome. [1088]
The records of these pious regulations are still extant, it having
been the custom to engrave on tablets all laws relating to
manumission. Such were the enactments of Constantine; in everything he
sought to promote the honor of religion; and religion was valued, not
only for its own sake, but also on account of the virtue of those who
then participated in it.
Footnotes
[1086] The Lex Papia Poppæa. For its origin under Augustus, see Tacit.
Ann. iii. 25; Eus. V. C. iv. 26.
[1087] Constantine makes mention of this law in his Epistle to the
bishops of Numidia, in Baronius, A. E. a.d. 316; n. lxiv.; Eus. H. E.
x. 7; Cod. Theod. i. 27, de episcopali definitione, 1; xvi. 2, de
episcopes ecclesiis et clericis, 2.
[1088] Cod. Theod. iv. 7, de manumissionibus inecclesia, 1.
Chapter X.--Concerning the Great Confessors who survived.
Since the persecution had recently ceased, many excellent Christians,
and many of the confessors who had survived, adorned the churches:
among these were Hosius, [1089] bishop of Cordova; Amphion, [1090]
bishop of Epiphania in Cilicia; Maximus, who succeeded Macarius in the
church of Jerusalem; and Paphnutius, [1091] an Egyptian. It is said by
this latter God wrought many miracles, controlling demons, and giving
him grace to heal divers kinds of sickness. This Paphnutius, and
Maximus, whom we just mentioned, were among the number of confessors
whom Maximinus condemned to work in the mines, after having deprived
them of the right eye, and the use of the left leg.
Footnotes
[1089] For a further account of Hosius, cf. Soc. i. 7, 13; ii. 20, 29,
31; iii. 7.
[1090] Amphion and Lespus are mentioned as bishops of Cilicia in
Athan. Ep. ad Episc. Æg. et Lib.; another Amphion occurs in Athan. Ap.
cont. Arian, 7, as bishop in Nicomedia.
[1091] Ruf. H. E. i. 4; Soc. i. 8, 11; Theodoret, H. E. i. 7.
Chapter XI.--Account of St. Spyridon: His Modesty and Steadfastness.
Spyridon, [1092] bishop of Trimythun in Cyprus, flourished at this
period. To show his virtues, I think the fame which still prevails
about him suffices. The wonderful works which he wrought by Divine
assistance are, it appears, generally known by those who dwell in the
same region. I shall not conceal the facts which have come to me.
He was a peasant, was married, and had children; yet was not, on this
account, deficient in spiritual attainments. It is related that one
night some wicked men entered his sheepfold, and were in the act of
stealing his sheep, when they were suddenly bound, and yet no one
bound them. The next day, when he went to the fold, he found them
fettered, and released them from their invisible bonds; but he
censured them for having preferred to steal what it was lawful for
them to win and take, and also for making such a great exertion by
night: yet he felt compassion towards them, and, desirous of affording
them instruction, so as to induce them to lead a better life, he said
to them, "Go, and take this ram with you; for you are wearied with
watching, and it is not just that your labor should be so blamed, that
you should return empty-handed from my sheepfold." This action is well
worthy admiration, but not less so is that which I shall now relate.
An individual confided a deposit to the care of his daughter, who was
a virgin, and was named Irene. For greater security, she buried it;
and it so happened that she died soon after, without mentioning the
circumstance to any one. The person to whom the deposit belonged came
to ask for it. Spyridon knew not what answer to give him, so he
searched the whole house for it; but not being able to find it, the
man wept, tore his hair, and seemed ready to expire. Spyridon, moved
with pity, went to the grave, and called the girl by name; and when
she answered, he inquired about the deposit. After obtaining the
information desired, he returned, found the treasure in the place that
had been signified to him, and gave it to the owner. As I have entered
upon this subject, it may not be amiss to add this incident also.
It was a custom with this Spyridon to give a certain portion of his
fruits to the poor, and to lend another portion to those who wished it
as a gratuity; but neither in giving nor taking back did he ever
himself distribute or receive: he merely pointed out the storehouse,
and told those who resorted to him to take as much as they needed, or
to restore what they had borrowed. A certain man who had borrowed in
this way, came as though he were about to return it, and when as usual
he was directed to replace his loan in the storehouse, he saw an
opportunity for an injustice; imagining that the matter would be
concealed, he did not liquidate the debt, but fraudulently pretending
to have discharged his obligation, he went away as though he had made
the return. This, however, could not be long concealed. After some
time the man came back again to borrow, and was sent to the
storehouse, with permission to measure out for himself as much as he
required. Finding the storehouse empty, he went to acquaint Spyridon,
and this latter said to him, "I wonder, O man, how it is that you
alone have found the storehouse empty and unsupplied with the articles
you require: reflect whether you have restored the first loan, since
you are in need a second time: were it otherwise, what you seek would
not be lacking. Go, trust, and you will find." The man felt the
reproof and acknowledged his error. The firmness and the accuracy in
the administration of ecclesiastical affairs on the part of this
divine man are worthy of admiration. It is said that on one occasion
thereafter, the bishops of Cyprus met to consult on some particular
emergency. Spyridon was present, as likewise Triphyllius, [1093]
bishop of the Ledri, a man otherwise eloquent, who on account of
practicing the law, had lived alone while at Berytus. [1094]
When an assembly had convened, having been requested to address the
people, Triphyllius had occasion, in the middle of his discourse, to
quote the text, "Take up thy bed and walk," [1095] and he substituted
the word "couch" (skimpous), for the word "bed" (krabbatos ). Spyridon
was indignant, and exclaimed, "Art thou greater than he who uttered
the word `bed,' that thou art ashamed to use his words?" When he had
said this, he turned from the throne of the priest, and looked towards
the people; by this act he taught them to keep the man who is proud of
eloquence within bounds and he was fit to make such a rebuke; for he
was reverenced and most illustrious for his works: at the same time he
was the superior of that presbyter in age and in the priesthood.
The reception which Spyridon gave to strangers will appear from the
following incident. In the quadragesima, it happened that a traveler
came upon a journey to visit him on one of those days in which it was
his custom to keep a continuous fast with his household, [1096] and on
the day appointed for tasting food, he would remain without
nourishment to mid-day. Perceiving that the stranger was much
fatigued, Spyridon said to his daughter, "Come, wash his feet and set
meat before him." The virgin replying that there was neither bread nor
barley-food in the house, for it would have been superfluous to
provide such things at the time of the fast, Spyridon first prayed and
asked forgiveness, and bade her to cook some salt pork which chanced
to be in the house. When it was prepared, he sat down to table with
the stranger, partook of the meat, and told him to follow his example.
But the stranger declining, under the plea of being a Christian, he
said to him, "It is for that very reason that you ought not to decline
partaking of the meat; for the Divine word shows that to the pure all
things are pure." [1097] Such are the details which I had to relate
concerning Spyridon.
Footnotes
[1092] Ruf. H. E. i. 5; Soc. i. 8, 12. Ruf. gives the first two
stories; Soc. copies and gives credit; Soz. appends three more, and
gives credit to himself only throughout. Ruf. had already said, "sed
et multa alia ejus feruntur gesta mirabilia, quæ etiam nunc ore omnium
celebrantur."
[1093] This Triphyllius is mentioned by Hieron. de vir. illust. i. 92,
as the author of a commentary on the Song of Solomon, which his
biographer had read; and of many other works which had not come into
his hands.
[1094] Berytus in Phoenicia was celebrated for its school of law, in
which, among others, Gregory Thaumaturgus is said to have studied.
Biographers, imitating Valesius, have imagined that Sozomen studied
there.
[1095] Matt. ix. 6.
[1096] tes tessarakostes enstases. While it was Lent and probably Holy
Week. See Tertull. de Pat. 13, and de Jejun. 14.
[1097] Tit. i. 15.
Chapter XII.--On the Organization of the Monks: its Origin and
Founders.
Those who at this period had embraced monasticism [1098] were not the
least in manifesting the church as most illustrious, and evidencing
the truth of their doctrines by their virtuous line of conduct.
Indeed, the most useful thing that has been received by man from God
is their philosophy. [1099] They neglect many branches of mathematics
and the technicalities of dialectics, because they regard such studies
as superfluous, and as a useless expenditure of time, seeing that they
contribute nothing towards correct living. They apply themselves
exclusively to the cultivation of natural and useful science, in order
that they may mitigate, if not eradicate, evil. They invariably
refrain from accounting any action or principle as good, which
occupies a middle place between virtue and vice, for they delight only
in what is good. They regard every man as wicked, who, though he
abstain from evil, does not do good. For they do not demonstrate
virtue by argument, but practice it, and count as nothing the glory
current among men. They manfully subjugate the passions of the soul,
yielding neither to the necessities of nature, nor succumbing to the
weakness of the body. Having possessed the power of the Divine mind,
they always look away to the Creator of the whole, night and day
worshiping him, and appeasing him by prayers and supplications. By
purity of soul and by a life of good works they entered without guilt
upon religious observances, and despised purification, lustral
vessels, and such ceremonials; for they think that sins alone are
blemishes. They are greater than the external casualties to which we
are liable, and hold, as it were, all things under their control: and
are not therefore diverted from the path they have selected by the
disasters or the necessity which sway the life. They are not
distressed when insulted, nor do they defend themselves when suffering
from malice; nor do they lose heart when pressed by sickness or lack
of necessaries but rather rejoice in such trials and endure them with
patience and meekness. They inure themselves through the whole of life
to be content with little, and approximate as nearly to God as is
possible to human nature. They regard the present life as a journey
only, and are not therefore solicitous about acquiring wealth, nor do
they provide for the present beyond urgent necessities. They admire
the beauty and simplicity of nature, but their hope is placed in
heaven and the blessedness of the future. Wholly absorbed in the
worship of God, they revolted from obscene language; and as they had
banished evil practices, so they would not allow such things to be
even named. They limited, as far as possible, the demands of nature,
and compelled the body to be satisfied with moderate supplies. They
overcame intemperance by temperance, injustice by justice, and
falsehood by truth, and attained the happy medium in all things. They
dwelt in harmony and fellowship with their neighbors. They provided
for their friends and strangers, imparted to those who were in want,
according to their need, and comforted the afflicted. As they were
diligent in all things, and zealous in seeking the supreme good, their
instructions, though clothed in modesty and prudence, and devoid of
vain and meritricious eloquence, possessed power, like sovereign
medicines, in healing the moral diseases of their audience; they
spoke, too, with fear and reverence, and eschewed all strife,
raillery, and anger. Indeed, it is but reasonable to suppress all
irrational emotions, and to subdue carnal and natural passions. Elias
the prophet and John the Baptist were the authors, as some say, of
this sublime philosophy. Philo the Pythagorean [1100] relates, that in
his time the most virtuous of the Hebrews assembled from all parts of
the world, and settled in a tract of country situated on a hill near
Lake Mareotis, for the purpose of living as philosophers. He describes
their dwellings, their regimen, and their customs, as similar to those
which we now meet with among the monks of Egypt. He says that from the
moment they began to apply themselves to the study of philosophy, they
gave up their property to their relatives, relinquished business and
society, and dwelt outside of walls, in fields and in gardens. They
had also, he informs us, sacred edifices which were called
monasteries, in which they dwelt apart and alone, occupied in
celebrating the holy mysteries, and in worshiping God sedulously with
psalms and hymns. They never tasted food before sunset, and some only
took food every third day, or even at longer intervals. Finally, he
says, that on certain days they lay on the ground and abstained from
wine and the flesh of animals; that their food was bread, salt, and
hyssop, and their drink, water; and that there were women among them
who had lived as virgins to old age, who, for the love of philosophy,
and from their voluntary judgment, practiced celibacy. In this
narrative, Philo seems to describe [1101] certain Jews who had
embraced Christianity, and yet retained the customs of their nation;
for no vestiges of this manner of life are to be found elsewhere: and
hence I conclude that this philosophy flourished in Egypt from this
period. Others, however, assert that this mode of life originated from
the persecutions for the sake of religion, which arose from time to
time, and by which many were compelled to flee to the mountains and
deserts and forests, and they became used to this kind of living.
Footnotes
[1098] On the origin and growth of the monastic system, see Soc. iv.
23, and cf. Gibbon, Decl. & Fall, ch. 37, and Bingham's Christian
Antiq. Bk. vii.; articles in Herz. R. E. Bk. iv.; D. C. A. Vol. ii.;
Ad Harnack: Das Mönchthum, seine Ideale und seine Geschichte.
[1099] The verb philosophein is constantly used by the early Christian
historians to signify the practice of asceticism.
[1100] Valesius would prefer to read "The Platonist."
[1101] Cf. Eus. H. E. ii. 17, where he attributes to the Christians
what is said by Philo concerning the Therapeutæ, as these ascetics
were called.
Chapter XIII.--About Antony the Great and St. Paul the Simple.
Whether the Egyptians or others are to be regarded as the founders of
this philosophy, it is universally admitted that Antony, [1102] the
great monk, developed this course of life, by morals and befitting
exercises, to the summit of exactness and perfection. His fame was so
widely spread throughout the deserts of Egypt, that the emperor
Constantine, for the reputation of the man's virtue, sought his
friendship, honored him with correspondence, and urged him to write
about what he might need. He was an Egyptian by race, and belonged to
an illustrious family of Coma, which was situated near the Heraclea
which is on the Egyptian borders. [1103] He was but a youth when he
lost his parents; he bestowed his paternal inheritance upon his
fellow-villagers, sold the rest of his possessions and distributed the
proceeds among the needy; for he was aware that philosophy does not
merely consist in the relinquishment of property, but in the proper
distribution of it. He obtained the acquaintance of the devoted men of
his time, and emulated the virtues of all. Believing that the practice
of goodness would become delightful by habit, though arduous at the
outset, he reflected on more intense methods of asceticism, and day by
day he augmented it by self-control just as if he were always
recommencing his undertaking. He subdued the voluptuousness of the
body by labor, and restrained the passions of the soul by the aid of
the Divine wisdom. His food was bread and salt, his drink water, and
he never broke his fast till after sunset. He often remained two or
more days without eating. He watched, so to speak, throughout the
night, and continued in prayer till daybreak. If at any time he
indulged in sleep, it was but for a little while on a short mat; but
generally the bare earth was his couch. He rejected the practice of
anointing with oil, and the use of baths and of similar luxuries
likely to relax the tension of the body by moisture; and it is said
that he never at any time saw himself naked. He neither possessed nor
admired learning, but he valued a good understanding, as being prior
to letters and as being the very discoverer of it. He was exceedingly
meek and philanthropic, prudent and manly; cheerful in conversation
and friendly in disputations, even when others used the controverted
topics as occasion for strife. By his own habit and a kind of
intelligence he quieted contentiousness when on the increase, and
restored them to moderation; he also tempered the ardor of those who
conversed with him, and regulated their manners. Although on account
of his extraordinary virtues, he had become filled with the Divine
foreknowledge, he did not regard foreknowledge of the future as a
virtue, nor did he counsel others to seek this gift rashly, for he
considered that no one would be punished or rewarded according to his
ignorance or knowledge of futurity; for true blessedness consists in
the service of God, and in keeping his laws. "But," said he, "if any
man would know the future, let him continually be purified in soul,
for then he will have power to walk in the light, and to understand
things that are to happen, for God will reveal the future to him." He
never suffered himself to be idle, but exhorted all those who seemed
disposed to lead a good life, to diligence in labor, to
self-examination and confession of sin before Him who created the day
and the night; and when they erred, he urged them to record the
transgression in writing, that so they might be ashamed of their sins,
and be fearful lest any one should find the many things recorded; for
he would be fearful, lest if the document were traced to him he should
become disclosed to other people as a depraved character. He above all
others came forward spiritedly and most zealously for the defense of
the injured, and in their cause often resorted to the cities; for many
came out to him, and compelled him to intercede for them with the
rulers and men in power. All the people felt honored in seeing him,
listened with avidity to his discourses, and yielded assent to his
arguments; but he preferred to remain unknown and concealed in the
deserts. When compelled to visit a city, he never failed to return to
the deserts as soon as he had accomplished the work he had undertaken;
for, he said, that as fishes are nourished in the water, so the desert
is the world prepared for monks; and as fishes die when thrown upon
dry land, so monastics lose their gravity when they go into cities. He
carried himself obediently and graciously towards all who saw him, and
he was careful not to have, nor seem to have, a supercilious nature. I
have given this concise account of the manners of Antony, in order
that an idea of his philosophy may be formed, by analogy, from the
description of his conduct in the desert.
He had many renowned disciples, of whom some flourished in Egypt and
Libya, others in Palestine, Syria, and Arabia; not less than their
master, did each disciple pass his life with those among whom he
dwelt, and regulate his conduct, and instruct many, and wed them unto
kindred virtues and philosophy. But it would be difficult for any one
to find the companions of Antony or their successors by going
carefully through cities and villages to discover them, for they
sought concealment more earnestly than many ambitious men, by means of
pomp and show, now seek popularity and renown.
We must relate, in chronological order, the history of the most
celebrated disciples of Antony, and particularly that of Paul,
surnamed the Simple. [1104] It is said that he dwelt in the country,
and was married to a beautiful woman, and that having surprised her in
the act of adultery, he laughed placidly and affirmed with an oath,
that he would live with her no longer; that he left her with the
adulterer, and went immediately to join Antony in the desert. It is
further related that he was exceedingly meek and patient: and that,
being aged and unaccustomed to monastic severity, Antony put his
strength to the proof by various trials, for he was newly come, and
detected nothing ignoble; and that, having given evidence of perfect
philosophy, he was sent to live alone, as no longer requiring a
teacher. And God himself confirmed the testimony of Antony; and
demonstrated the man to be most illustrious through his deeds, and as
greater than even his teacher in vexing and expelling demons.
Footnotes
[1102] Cf. Soc. i. 21, and his reference to the life attributed to
Athanasius.
[1103] There were two cities of this name, Heraclea the greater and
Heraclea the less.
[1104] Ruf. H. M. 31; Pall. H. L. 27.
Chapter XIV.--Account of St. Ammon and Eutychius of Olympus.
It was about this period that Ammon, [1105] the Egyptian, embraced
philosophy. It is said that he was compelled to marry by his family,
but that his wife never knew him carnally; for on the day of their
marriage, when they were alone, and when he as the bridegroom was
leading her as the bride to his bed, he said to her, "Oh, woman! our
marriage has indeed taken place, but it is not consummated"; and then
he showed her from the Holy Scriptures that it was her chief good to
remain a virgin, and entreated that they might live apart. She was
convinced by his arguments concerning virginity, but was much
distressed by the thought of being separated from him; and therefore,
though occupying a separate bed, he lived with her for eighteen years,
during which time he did not neglect the monastic exercises. At the
end of this period, the woman whose emulation had been strongly
excited by the virtue of her husband, became convinced that it was not
just that such a man should, on her account, live in the domestic
sphere; and she considered that it was necessary that each should, for
the sake of philosophy, live apart from the other; and she entreated
this of her husband. He therefore took his departure, after having
thanked God for the counsel of his wife, and said to her, "Do thou
retain this house, and I will make another for myself." He retired to
a desert place, south of the Mareotic lake between Scitis and the
mountain called Nitria; and here, during two and twenty years, he
devoted himself to philosophy and visited his wife twice every year.
This divine man was the founder of the monasteries there, and gathered
round him many disciples of note, as the registers of succession show.
Many extraordinary events happened to him, which have been accurately
fixed by the Egyptian monks, who did very much to commemorate
carefully the virtues of the more ancient ascetics, preserved in a
succession of unwritten tradition. I will relate such of them as have
come to our knowledge.
Ammon and his disciple Theodore, had once occasion to take a journey
somewhere, and on the road found it requisite to cross a canal called
Lycus. Ammon ordered Theodore to pass over backwards, lest they should
witness each other's nudity, and as he was likewise ashamed to see
himself naked, he was suddenly, and by a Divine impulse, seized and
carried over, and landed on the opposite bank. When Theodore had
crossed the water, he perceived that the clothes and feet of the elder
were not wet, and inquired the reason; not receiving a reply, he
expostulated strongly on the subject, and at length Ammon, after
stipulating that it should not be mentioned during his lifetime,
confessed the fact.
Here follows another miracle of the same nature. Some wicked fathers,
having brought to him a son, who had been bitten by a mad dog, and was
nigh unto death, besought him in their lamentations to heal him. He
said to them, "Your son does not require my healing, but if you are
willing to restore to your masters the ox you have stolen, he will be
healed immediately." And the result was even as had been predicted;
for the ox was restored and the malady of the child removed. It is
said that, when Ammon died, Antony saw his spirit ascending into
heaven, since the heavenly powers conducted him with the singing of
psalms, and on being questioned by his companions as to the cause of
his evident astonishment, he did not conceal the matter from them; for
he was seen to survey the sky intently, because of his amazement at
the sight of the marvelous spectacle. A short time after, certain
persons came from Scitis, and, announcing the hour of Ammon's death,
the truth of Antony's prediction was manifested. Thus, as is testified
by all good men, each of these holy persons was blessed in a special
manner; the one, by being released from this life; the other, by being
accounted worthy of witnessing so miraculous a spectacle as that which
God showed him; for Antony and Ammon lived at a distance of many days'
journey from each other, and the above incident is corroborated by
those who were personally acquainted with them both.
I am convinced that it was likewise during this reign that Eutychianus
[1106] embraced philosophy. He fixed his residence in Bithynia, near
Olympus. He belonged to the sect of the Novatians, [1107] and was a
partaker of Divine grace; he healed diseases and wrought miracles, and
the fame of his virtuous life induced Constantine to keep his intimacy
and friendship. It so happened, that about this period, one of the
royal body-guard, who was suspected of plotting against the sovereign,
fled, and after search, was apprehended near Olympus. Eutychianus was
besought by relatives of the man to intercede on his behalf with the
emperor, and in the meantime, to direct that the prisoner's chains
might be loosened, lest he should perish beneath their weight. It is
related that Eutychianus accordingly sent to the officers who held the
man in custody, desiring them to loosen the chains; and that, on their
refusal, he went himself to the prison, when the doors, though
fastened, opened of their own accord, and the bonds of the prisoner
fell off. Eutychianus afterwards repaired to the emperor who was then
residing at Byzantium, and easily obtained a pardon, for Constantine
was not wont to refuse his requests, because he held the man in very
great honor.
I have now given in few words the history of the most illustrious
professors of the monastic philosophy. If any one desires more exact
information about these men he will find it in the biographies which
have been written of very many of them.
Footnotes
[1105] Ruf. H. M. 30; Pall. H. L. 12; Soc. iv. 23.
[1106] Soc. i. 13, who gives his authority as Auxanon, a Novatian.
[1107] Eus. H. E. vii. 8; Soc. i. 10; iv. 28, &c.
Chapter XV.--The Arian Heresy, its Origin, its Progress, and the
Contention which it occasioned among the Bishops.
Although, as we have shown, religion was in a flourishing condition at
this period, yet the churches were disturbed by sore contentions; for
under the pretext of piety and of seeking the more perfect discovery
of God, certain questions were agitated, which had not, till then,
been examined. Arius [1108] was the originator of these disputations.
He was a presbyter of the church at Alexandria in Egypt, and was at
first a zealous thinker about doctrine, and upheld the innovations of
Melitius. Eventually, however, he abandoned this latter opinion,
[1109] and was ordained deacon by Peter, bishop of Alexandria, who
afterwards cast him out of the church, because when Peter
anathematized the zealots of Melitius and rejected their baptism,
Arius assailed him for these acts and could not be restrained in
quietness. After the martyrdom of Peter, Arius asked forgiveness of
Achillas, and was restored to his office as deacon, and afterwards
elevated to the presbytery. Afterwards Alexander, also, held him in
high repute, since he was a most expert logician; for it was said that
he was not lacking in such knowledge. He fell into absurd discourses,
so that he had the audacity to preach in the church what no one before
him had ever suggested; namely, that the Son of God was made out of
that which had no prior existence, that there was a period of time in
which he existed not; that, as possessing free will, he was capable of
vice and virtue, and that he was created and made: to these, many
other similar assertions were added as he went forward into the
arguments and the details of inquiry. Those who heard these doctrines
advanced, blamed Alexander for not opposing the innovations at
variance with doctrine. But this bishop deemed it more advisable to
leave each party to the free discussion of doubtful topics, so that by
persuasion rather than by force, they might cease from contention;
hence he sat down as a judge with some of his clergy, and led both
sides into a discussion. But it happened on this occasion, as is
generally the case in a strife of words, that each party claimed the
victory. Arius defended his assertions, but the others contended that
the Son is consubstantial and co-eternal with the Father. The council
was convened a second time, and the same points contested, but they
came to no agreement amongst themselves. During the debate, Alexander
seemed to incline first to one party and then to the other [1110] ;
finally, however, he declared himself in favor of those who affirmed
that the Son was consubstantial and co-eternal with the Father, and he
commanded Arius to receive this doctrine, and to reject his former
opinions. Arius, however, would not be persuaded to compliance, and
many of the bishops and clergy considered his statement of doctrine to
be correct. Alexander, therefore, ejected him and the clergy who
concurred with him in sentiment from the church. Those of the parish
of Alexandria, who had embraced his opinions, were the presbyters
Aithalas, Achillas, Carpones, Sarmates, and Arius, [1111] and the
deacons Euzoïus, Macarius, Julius, Menas, and Helladius. Many of the
people, likewise, sided with them: some, because they imagined their
doctrines to be of God; others, as frequently happens in similar
cases, because they believed them to have been ill-treated and
unjustly excommunicated. Such being the state of affairs at
Alexandria, the partisans of Arius, deeming it prudent to seek the
favor of the bishops of other cities, sent legations to them; they
sent a written statement of their doctrines to them, requesting them
that, if they considered such sentiments to be of God, they would
signify to Alexander that he ought not to molest them; but that if
they disapproved of the doctrines, they should teach them what
opinions were necessary to be held. This precaution was of no little
advantage to them; for their tenets became thus universally
disseminated, and the questions they had started became matters of
debate among all the bishops. Some wrote to Alexander, entreating him
not to receive the partisans of Arius into communion unless they
repudiated their opinions, while others wrote to urge a contrary line
of conduct. When Alexander perceived that many who were revered by the
appearance of good conduct, and weighty by the persuasiveness of
eloquence, held with the party of Arius, and particularly Eusebius,
president of the church of Nicomedia, a man of considerable learning
and held in high repute at the palace; he wrote to the bishops of
every church desiring them not to hold communion with them. This
measure kindled the zeal of each party the more, and as might have
been expected, the contest was increasingly agitated. Eusebius and his
partisans had often petitioned Alexander, but could not persuade him;
so that considering themselves insulted, they became indignant and
came to a stronger determination to support the doctrine of Arius. A
synod having been convened in Bithynia, they wrote to all the bishops,
desiring them to hold communion with the Arians, as with those making
a true confession, and to require Alexander to hold communion with
them likewise. As compliance could not be extorted from Alexander,
Arius sent messengers to Paulinas, bishop of Tyre, to Eusebius
Pamphilus, who presided over the church of Cæsarea in Palestine, and
to Patrophilus, bishop of Scythopolis, soliciting permission for
himself and for his adherents, as they had previously attained the
rank of presbyters, to form the people who were with them into a
church. For it was the custom in Alexandria, as it still is in the
present day, that all the churches should be under one bishop, but
that each presbyter should have his own church, in which to assemble
the people. These three bishops, in concurrence with others who were
assembled in Palestine, granted the petition of Arius, and permitted
him to assemble the people as before; but enjoined submission to
Alexander, and commanded Arius to strive incessantly to be restored to
peace and communion with him.
Footnotes
[1108] Eus. V. C. parts of ii. & iii.; Ruf. H. E. i. 1-6; Soc. i.
5-13; Philost. H. E. i. 3-9.
[1109] No one else suggests an early connection of Arius with the
Melitians.
[1110] A doubtful and unsupported assertion. All other testimony makes
Alexander steadfast and exact in his definition.
[1111] There are variations in names, offices, numbers in attendance,
and course of debate in the early as well as later accounts of the
controversy.
Chapter XVI.--Constantine, having heard of the Strife of the Bishops,
and the Difference of Opinion concerning the Passover, is greatly
troubled and sends Hosius, a Spaniard, Bishop of Cordova, to
Alexandria, to abolish the Dissension among the Bishops, and to settle
the Dispute about the Passover.
After there had been many synods held in Egypt, and the contest had
still continued to increase in violence, the report of the dissension
reached the palace, and Constantine was thereby greatly troubled; for
just at this period, when religion was beginning to be more generally
propagated, many were deterred by the difference in doctrines from
embracing Christianity. The emperor [1112] openly charged Arius and
Alexander with having originated this disturbance, and wrote to rebuke
them for having made a controversy public which it was in their power
to have concealed, and for having contentiously agitated a question
which ought never to have been mooted, or upon which, at least, their
opinion ought to have been given quietly. He told them that they ought
not to have separated from others on account of difference of
sentiment concerning certain points of doctrine.
For concerning the Divine Providence men ought necessarily to hold one
and the same belief; but the minute researches in this province,
especially if they do not bring them to the one opinion, must be
retained in secret according to all reason. He exhorted them to put
away all loose talk about such points, and to be of one mind; for he
had been not a little grieved, and on this account he had renounced
his intention of visiting the cities of the East. It was in this
strain that he wrote to Alexander and to Arius, reproving and
exhorting them both.
Constantine was also deeply grieved at the diversity of opinion which
prevailed concerning the celebration of the Passover; [1113] for some
of the cities in the East differed on this point, although they did
not withhold from communion with one another; they kept the festival
more according to the manner of the Jews, [1114] and as was natural by
this divergence, detracted from the splendor of the festal sacrifice.
The emperor zealously endeavored to remove both these causes of
dissension from the church; and thinking to be able to remove the evil
before it advanced to greater proportions, he sent one who was honored
for his faith, his virtuous life, and most approved in those former
times for his confessions about this doctrine, to reconcile those who
were divided on account of doctrine in Egypt, and those who in the
East differed about the Passover. This man was Hosius, bishop of
Cordova.
Footnotes
[1112] Soz. only outlines the letter, given completely in Eus. V. C.
ii. 64-72; of which Soc. quotes the greater part. i. 7.
[1113] Eus. V. C. iii. 5; Soc. i. 8.
[1114] They were called Quartodecimanians. Euseb. H. E. v. 24; Soc. v.
22.
Chapter XVII.--Of the Council convened at Nicæa on Account of Arius.
When it was found that the event did not answer the expectations of
the emperor, but that on the contrary, the contention was too great
for reconciliation, so that he who had been sent to make peace
returned without having accomplished his mission, Constantine convened
a synod at Nicæa, in Bithynia, and wrote [1115] to the most eminent
men of the churches in every country, directing them to be there on an
appointed day. [1116] Of those who occupied the apostolic sees, the
following participated in this conference: Macarius of Jerusalem,
Eustathius, who already presided over the church of Antioch on the
Orontes; and Alexander of Alexandria near Lake Mareotis. Julius,
[1117] bishop of Rome, was unable to attend on account of extreme old
age; but his place was supplied by Vito and Vicentius, presbyters of
his church. Many other excellent and good men from different nations
were congregated together, of whom some were celebrated for their
learning, their eloquence, and their knowledge of the sacred books,
and other discipline; some for the virtuous tenor of their life, and
others for the combination of all these qualifications. About three
hundred and twenty bishops were present, accompanied by a multitude of
presbyters and deacons. There were, likewise, men present who were
skilled in dialectics, and ready to assist in the discussions. And as
was usually the case on such occasions, many priests resorted to the
council for the purpose of transacting their own private affairs;
[1118] for they considered this a favorable opportunity for rectifying
their grievances, and in what points each found fault with the rest,
he presented a document to the emperor, wherein he noted the offenses
committed against himself. As this course was pursued day after day,
the emperor set apart one certain day on which all complaints were to
be brought before him. When the appointed time arrived, he took the
memorials which had been presented to him, and said, "All these
accusations will be brought forward in their own season at the great
day of judgment, and will there be judged by the Great Judge of all
men; as to me, I am but a man, and it would be evil in me to take
cognizance of such matters, seeing that the accuser and the accused
are priests; and the priests ought so to act as never to become
amenable to the judgment of others. Imitate, therefore, the divine
love and mercy of God, and be ye reconciled to one another; withdraw
your accusations against each other; let us be persuaded, and let us
devote our attention to those subjects connected with the faith on
account of which we are assembled." After this address, in order to
make the document of each man nugatory, the emperor commanded the
memorials to be burnt, and then appointed a day for solving the
doubtful points. But before the appointed time arrived, the bishops
assembled together, and having summoned Arius to attend, began to
examine the disputed topics, each one amongst them advancing his own
opinion. As might have been expected, however, many different
questions started out of the investigation: some of the bishops spoke
against the introduction of novelties contrary to the faith which had
been delivered to them from the beginning. And those especially who
had adhered to simplicity of doctrine argued that the faith of God
ought to be received without curious inquiries; others, however,
contended that ancient opinions ought not to be followed without
examination. Many of the bishops who were then assembled, and of the
clergy who accompanied them, being remarkable for their dialectic
skill, and practiced in such rhetorical methods, became conspicuous,
and attracted the notice of the emperor and the court. Of that number
Athanasius, who was then a deacon of Alexandria, and had accompanied
his bishop Alexander, seemed to have the largest share in the counsel
concerning these subjects.
Footnotes
[1115] Eus. V. C. iii. 6.
[1116] Eus. V. C. iii. 7-11; Soc. i. 8; Ruf. H. E. i. 2. The
variations and additions of Theodoret are very noteworthy. H. E. i. 7.
[1117] Mistake for Silvester. Cf. ii. 20.
[1118] Ruf. H. E. i. 2; Soc. i. 8. Soz. here makes, as usual, a free
use of the speech as reported by Rufinus.
Chapter XVIII.--Two Philosophers are converted to the Faith by the
Simplicity of Two Old Men with whom they hold a Disputation.
While these disputations were being carried on, certain of the pagan
philosophers became desirous of taking part in them; some, because
they wished for information as to the doctrine that was inculcated;
and others, because, feeling incensed against the Christians on
account of the recent suppression of the pagan religion, they wished
to convert the inquiry about doctrine into a strife about words, so as
to introduce dissensions among them, and to make them appear as
holding contradictory opinions. It is related that one of these
philosophers, priding himself on his acknowledged superiority of
eloquence, began to ridicule the priests, and thereby roused the
indignation of a simple old man, highly esteemed as a confessor, who,
although unskilled in logical refinements and wordiness, undertook to
oppose him. The less serious of those who knew the confessor, raised a
laugh [1119] at his expense for engaging in such an undertaking; but
the more thoughtful felt anxious lest, in opposing so eloquent a man,
he should only render himself ridiculous; yet his influence was so
great, and his reputation so high among them, that they could not
forbid his engaging in the debate; and he accordingly delivered
himself in the following terms: "In the name of Jesus Christ, O
philosopher, hearken to me. There is one God, the maker of heaven and
earth, and of all things visible and invisible. He made all things by
the power of the Word, and established them by the holiness of His
Spirit. The Word, whom we call the Son of God, seeing that man was
sunk in error and living like unto the beasts pitied him, and
vouchsafed to be born of woman, to hold intercourse with men, and to
die for them. And He will come again to judge each of us as to the
deeds of this present life. We believe these things to be true with
all simplicity. Do not, therefore, expend your labor in vain by
striving to disprove facts which can only be understood by faith or by
scrutinizing the manner in which these things did or did not come to
pass. Answer me, dost thou believe?" The philosopher, astonished at
what had occurred, replied, "I believe"; and having thanked the old
man for having overcome him in argument, he began to teach the same
doctrines to others. He exhorted those who still held his former
sentiments to adopt the views he had embraced, assuring them on oath,
that he had been impelled to embrace Christianity by a certain
inexplicable impulse.
It is said that a similar miracle was performed by Alexander, who
governed the church of Constantinople. When Constantine returned to
Byzantium, certain philosophers came to him to complain of the
innovations in religion, and particularly of his having introduced a
new form of worship into the state, contrary to that followed by his
forefathers, and by all who were formerly in power, whether among the
Greeks or the Romans. They likewise desired to hold a disputation on
the doctrine with Alexander the bishop; and he, although unskilled in
such argumentative contests, and perhaps persuaded by his life, seeing
that he was an excellent and good man, accepted the struggle at the
command of the emperor. When the philosophers were assembled, since
every one wished to engage in the discussion, he requested that one
whom they esteemed worthy might be chosen as spokesman, while the
others were to remain silent. When one of the philosophers began to
open the debate, Alexander said to him, "I command thee in the name of
Jesus Christ not to speak." The man was instantaneously silenced. It
is then right to consider whether it is a greater miracle that a man,
and he a philosopher, should so easily be silenced by a word, or that
a stone-wall should be cleft by the power of a word, which miracle I
have heard some attribute to Julian, surnamed the Chaldean. [1120] I
have understood that these events happened in the way above narrated.
Footnotes
[1119] Ruf. H. E. i. 3; Soc. i. 8. Soz. gives a free rendering of Ruf.
[1120] Suidas says he was a philosopher, and the father of Julian,
called the Theurgist. He was the author of a work concerning demons,
in four books. The son, who flourished under Marcus Aurelius, was so
skilled in the magic art, that he called down rain from heaven, when
the Roman soldiers were perishing from thirst. Arnuphis, an Egyptian
philosopher, was said to have wrought a similar miracle. Suidas, s. v.
Chapter XIX.--When the Council was assembled, the Emperor delivered a
Public Address.
The bishops held long consultations; and after summoning Arius before
them, they made an accurate test of his propositions; they were
intently on their guard, not to come to a vote on either side. When at
length the appointed day arrived on which it had been decided to
settle the doubtful points, they assembled together [1121] in the
palace, because the emperor had signified his intention of taking part
in the deliberations. When he was in the same place with the priests,
he passed through to the head of the conference, and seated himself on
the throne which had been prepared for him, and the synod was then
commanded to be seated; for seats had been arranged on either side
along the walls of the palatial rooms, for it was the largest, and
excelled the other chambers.
After they were seated, Eusebius Pamphilus arose and delivered an
oration [1122] in honor of the emperor, returning thanks to God on his
account. When he had ceased speaking, and silence was restored, the
emperor delivered himself in the following words: "I give thanks to
God for all things, but particularly, O friends, for being permitted
to see your conference. And the event has exceeded my prayer, in that
so many priests of Christ have been conducted into the same place;
now, it is my desire that you should be of one mind and be partakers
of a consentient judgment, for I deem dissension in the Church of God
as more dangerous than any other evil. Therefore when it was
announced, and I understood you were in discord, an unwholesome thing
to hear, I was deeply pained in soul; and least of all does it profit
you, since you are the conductors of divine worship and arbiters of
peace. On this account it is, that I have called you together in a
holy Synod, and being both your emperor and your fellow-physician, I
seek for you a favor which is acceptable to our common Lord, and as
honorable for me to receive, as for you to grant. The favor which I
seek is, that you examine the causes of the strife, and put a
consentient and peaceful end thereto so that I may triumph with you
over the envious demon, who excited this internal revolt because he
was provoked to see our external enemies and tyrants under our feet,
and envied our good estate." The emperor pronounced this discourse in
Latin, and the interpretation was supplied by one at his side.
Footnotes
[1121] Eus. V. C. iii. 10-12.
[1122] Theodoret, H. E. i. 7, places this oration in the mouth of
Eustathius, bishop of Antioch. The variations in the speech as
recorded by Sozomen, show his classic view of reporting. Theodoret's
report of Constantine's address is equally divergent.
Chapter XX.--After having given Audience to both Parties, the Emperor
condemned the Followers of Arius and banished them.
The next debate by the priests turned upon doctrine. [1123] The
emperor gave patient attention to the speeches of both parties; he
applauded those who spoke well, rebuked those who displayed a tendency
to altercation, and according to his apprehension of what he heard,
for he was not wholly unpracticed in the Greek tongue, he addressed
himself with kindness to each one. Finally all the priests agreed with
one another and conceded that the Son is consubstantial with the
Father. At the commencement of the conference there were but seventeen
who praised the opinion of Arius, but eventually the majority of these
yielded assent to the general view. To this judgment the emperor
likewise deferred, for he regarded the unanimity of the conference to
be a divine approbation; and he ordained that any one who should be
rebellious thereto, should forthwith be sent into banishment, as
guilty of endeavoring to overthrow the Divine definitions. I had
thought it necessary to reproduce the very document concerning the
matter, as an example of the truth, in order that posterity might
possess in a fixed and clear form the symbol of the faith which proved
pacificatory at the time but since some pious friends, who understood
such matters, recommended that these truths ought to be spoken of and
heard by the initiated and their initiators [1124] only, I agreed with
their council; for it is not unlikely that some of the uninitiated may
read this book. While I have concealed such of the prohibited material
as I ought to keep silent about, I have not altogether left the reader
ignorant of the opinions held by the synod.
Footnotes
[1123] Eus. V. C. iii. 13, 14; Soc. i. 8.
[1124] mustai kai mustagogoi , as applied to the Christian mysteries.
The principle here adduced is different from that which ruled with
Ruf. H. E. i. 6; Soc. i. 8.
Chapter XXI.--What the Council determined about Arius; the
Condemnation of his Followers; his Writings are to be burnt; certain
of the High Priests differ from the Council; the Settlement of the
Passover.
It ought to be known, that they affirmed the Son to be consubstantial
with the Father; and that those are to be excommunicated and voted
aliens to the Catholic Church, who assert that there was a time in
which the Son existed not, and before He was begotten He was not, and
that He was made from what had no existence, and that He is of another
hypostasis or substance from the Father, and that He is subject to
change or mutation. This decision was sanctioned by Eusebius, bishop
of Nicomedia; by Theognis, bishop of Nicæa; by Maris, bishop of
Chalcedon; by Patrophilus, bishop of Scythopolis; and by Secundus,
bishop of Ptolemaïs in Libya. [1125] Eusebius Pamphilus, however,
withheld his assent for a little while, but on further examination
assented. [1126] The council excommunicated Arius and his adherents,
and prohibited his entering Alexandria. The words in which his
opinions were couched were likewise condemned, as also a work entitled
"Thalia," which he had written on the subject. I have not read this
book, but I understand that it is of a loose character, resembling in
license Sotadus. [1127] It ought to be known that although Eusebius,
bishop of Nicomedia, and Theognis, bishop of Nicæa, assented to the
document of this faith set forth by the council, they neither agreed
nor subscribed to the deposition of Arius. The emperor punished Arius
with exile, and dispatched edicts to the bishops and people of every
country, denouncing him and his adherents as ungodly, and commanding.
that their books should be destroyed, in order that no remembrance of
him or of the doctrine which he had broached might remain. Whoever
should be found secreting his writings and who should not burn them
immediately on the accusation, should undergo the penalty of death,
and suffer capital punishment. The emperor wrote letters to every city
against Arius and those who had received his doctrines, and commanded
Eusebius and Theognis to quit the cities whereof they were bishops; he
addressed himself in particular to the church of Nicomedia, urging it
to adhere to the faith which had been set forth by the council, to
elect orthodox bishops, to obey them, and to let the past fall into
oblivion; and he threatened with punishment those who should venture
to speak well of the exiled bishops, or to adopt their sentiments. In
these and in other letters, he manifested resentment against Eusebius,
because he had previously adopted the opinions of the tyrant, and had
engaged in his plots. In accordance with the imperial edicts, Eusebius
and Theognis were ejected from the churches which they held, and
Amphion received that of Nicomedia, and Chrestus that of Nicæa. On the
termination of this doctrinal controversy, the council decided that
the Paschal feast should be celebrated at the same time in every
place. [1128]
Footnotes
[1125] There are variations in the earlier writers as to the number
and names of the excommunicated and banished.
[1126] Eusebius' attempt at straddling amounts to prevarication here,
and later; Soc. i. 8 copied by the later historians.
[1127] Cf. Soc. i. 9; both borrowed their criticism from Athan. Or.
cont. Arian. i. 4, etc.
[1128] Eus. V. C. iii. 14-24; Soc. i. 8, 9.
Chapter XXII.--Acesius, Bishop of the Novatians, is summoned by the
Emperor to be present at the First Council.
It is related, that the emperor, under the impulse of an ardent desire
to see harmony re-established among Christians, summoned Acesius,
bishop of the church of the Novatians, [1129] to the council, placed
before him the definition of the faith and of the feast, which had
already been confirmed by the signatures of the bishops, and asked
whether he could agree thereto. Acesius answered that their exposition
defined no new doctrine, and that he accorded in opinion with the
Synod, and that he had from the beginning held these sentiments with
respect both to the faith and to the feast. "Why, then," said the
emperor, "do you keep aloof from communion with others, if you are of
one mind with them?" He replied that the dissension first broke out
under Decius, between Novatius and Cornelius, [1130] and that he
considered such persons unworthy of communion who, after baptism, had
fallen into those sins which the Scriptures declare to be unto death;
[1131] for that the remission of those sins, he thought, depended on
the authority of God only, and not on the priests. The emperor
replied, by saying, "O Acesius, take a ladder and ascend alone to
heaven." By this speech I do not imagine the emperor intended to
praise Acesius, but rather to blame him, because, being but a man, he
fancied himself exempt from sin. [1132]
Footnotes
[1129] Soc. i. 10, who derived it from Auxanon, a presbyter, who
accompanied Acesius to Nice. Cf. i. 13.
[1130] Eus. H. E. vi. 43-46.
[1131] 1 John v. 16.
[1132] Socrates' statement of the source of his information is passed
over, as well as his criticism of prejudiced historians. The comment
substituted by Soz. is, nevertheless, a partially correct
interpretation.
Chapter XXIII.--Canons appointed by the Council; Paphnutius, a certain
Confessor, restrains the Council from forming a Canon enjoining
Celibacy to all who were about to be honored with the Priesthood.
Zealous of reforming the life of those who were engaged about the
churches, the Synod enacted laws which were called canons. [1133]
While they were deliberating about this, some thought that a law ought
to be passed enacting that bishops and presbyters, deacons and
subdeacons, should hold no intercourse with the wife they had espoused
before they entered the priesthood; but Paphnutius, [1134] the
confessor, stood up and testified against this proposition; he said
that marriage was honorable and chaste, and that cohabitation with
their own wives was chastity, and advised the Synod not to frame such
a law, for it would be difficult to bear, and might serve as an
occasion of incontinence to them and their wives; and he reminded
them, that according to the ancient tradition of the church, those who
were unmarried when they took part in the communion of sacred orders,
were required to remain so, but that those who were married, were not
to put away their wives. Such was the advice of Paphnutius, although
he was himself unmarried, and in accordance with it, the Synod
concurred in his counsel, enacted no law about it, but left the matter
to the decision of individual judgment, and not to compulsion. The
Synod, however, enacted other laws regulating the government of the
Church; and these laws may easily be found, as they are in the
possession of many individuals.
Footnotes
[1133] Soc. i. 11. Cf. the perverted text of the Canones Nicæni, in
Ruf. H. E. i. 6.
[1134] Soc. i. 11.
Chapter XXIV.--Concerning Melitius; the Excellent Directions made by
the Holy Council in his Complications.
After an investigation had been made into the conduct of Melitius when
in Egypt, the Synod sentenced him to reside in Lycus, [1135] and to
retain only the name of bishop; and prohibited him from ordaining any
one either in a city or a village. Those who had previously been
ordained by him, were permitted by this law, to remain in communion
and in the ministry, but were to be accounted secondary in point of
dignity to the clergy in church and parish. [1136] When by death an
appointment became vacant, they were allowed to succeed to it, if
deemed worthy, by the vote of the multitude, but in this case, were to
be ordained by the bishop of the Church of Alexandria, for they were
interdicted from exercising any power or influence in elections. This
regulation appeared just to the Synod, for Melitius [1137] and his
followers had manifested great rashness and temerity in administering
ordination; so that it also deprived the ordinations which differed
from those of Peter of all consideration. He, when he conducted the
Alexandrian Church, fled on account of the persecution then raging,
but afterwards suffered martyrdom.
Footnotes
[1135] Lycus (Lycopolis) is not named in the letter of the Synod which
says simply that he should reside in his own city. Soz. took the fact
from Athan. Apol. cont. Arian. 71, where Melitius, in the brief to
Alexander, calls himself bishop of Lycus. This is a proof of our
historian's use of the same documents to amplify the statements of
Socrates.
[1136] Soc. i. 9, for text of the letter.
[1137] The best text reads Melitius, not Meletius, so Athanas. and
Soc.; usually the books write Meletius and Meletians. We follow the
reading.
Chapter XXV.--The Emperor prepared a Public Table for the Synod, after
inviting its Members to Constantinople, and honoring them with Gifts,
he exhorted all to be of One Mind, and forwarded to Alexandria and
every other place the Decrees of the Holy Synod.
At the very time that these decrees were passed by the council, the
twentieth anniversary [1138] of the reign of Constantine was
celebrated; for it was a Roman custom to have a feast on the tenth
year of every reign. The emperor, therefore, thought it to be
opportune, and invited the Synod to the festival, and presented
suitable gifts to them; and when they prepared to return home, he
called them all together, and exhorted them to be of one mind about
the faith and at peace among themselves, so that no dissensions might
henceforth creep in among them. After many other similar exhortations,
he concluded by commanding them to be diligent in prayer, and always
to supplicate God for himself, his children, and the empire, and after
he had thus addressed those who had come to Nicæa, he bade them
farewell. He wrote to the churches in every city, in order that he
might make plain to those who had not been present, what had been
rectified by the Synod; and especially to the Church of Alexandria he
wrote more than this; urging them to lay aside all dissent, and to be
harmonious in the faith issued by the Synod; for this could be nothing
else than the judgment of God, since it was established by the Holy
Spirit from the concurrence of so many and such illustrious high
priests, and approved after accurate inquiry and test of all the
doubtful points.
Footnotes
[1138] This feast, called Vicennalia, is mentioned in Eus. V. C. iii.
15, 16.
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