History of the First Ten Persecutions, History 4 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of Heretiques.
OLDE Heresies before mentioned, such as the Heresies of the Novatians, Sabellians, and Manicheans, did more harme in this CENTURIE, then in the time whereinto they were first propagated, as appeareth by the bookes and Sermons of learned Fathers, seriously insisting to quench the flame of Hereticall doctrine, which was kindled before their time.
In this CENTURIE the plurality of Heretiques did most mightily abound. Meletius a bishop in Thebaida, was deposed by Peter bishop of Alexandria, (who suffered martyrdome vnderunder Meletiani.Dioclesian) because hee was founde to hauehave sacrificed to Socrat. lib. 1 Cap. 6. Theodor. li. 1 cap. 8. August, de heres. Theod. lib. 1. cap. 9.idols. After his deposition, hee was seditious and factious, raising vp tumults in Thebaida, and practising tyrannie against the chaire of Alexandria: and his disciples were founde to hauehave communicated with the Arrians. The Councill of Nice suffered Meletius to enjoy the name of a bishop without power of ordination.
In the yeere of our LORD 324. sprang vp Arrius, a presbyter Arriani.in Alexandria, who denied that the Sonne of GOD was begotten of the substance of the FATHER, but that hee was a creature, and made of things not existant: and that there was a time, whereinto the Sonne was not. Alexander Bishop of Alexandria, dealt with him, to reclaime him from his Hereticall opinions: Theodor. lib. 1 cap. 4.but his trauell was spent in vaine. Therefore Alexander was compelled to use the last remedy, to depose and excommunicate Arrius, with his complices, to wit, Achilles, Euzoivs, Aethales, Lucius, Sarmata, Iulius, Menas, Arrius alter, & Helladius. This excommunication had allowance by the Bishops of Thebaida, Theod. ibid.Pentapolis, Lybia, Syria, Lycia, Pamphylia, Asia, Cappadocia, and manie other places. But Arrius, an head-strong Heretique, was incorrigible: Neither the letters of the good Emp. Constantine, nor the trauailes of Osius bishop of Corduba, coulde worke anie amendement in him. Hee laboured to fortifie himselfe in his Hereticall opinion, especially by the assistance of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia, a perilous and deceitfull man. Arrius was condemned by the Councill of Nice, and was banished by the Emperour Constantine. Albeit hee was reduced againe from banishment by the meanes of Constantia, the Emp. sister, and of an Arrian presbyter, whom she commended to the Emp. her brother when she was concluding her life: Yet the LORD punished the Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 38.insolent pride of this Heretique, with a shamefull and vnquoth death, as hath beene already declared. This heresie was propagated by Constantius, by Iustina, and her sonne Valentinian the second, by the Emp. Valens, and by the kings of Gothes & Vandalles. The principall defenders of this Heresie were Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia, Menophantes, bishop of Ephesus, Theogonius bishop of Nice, Ursatius bishop of Sygdonia, and Valens bishop of Mursa, in vpper Panonia, Theonas b. in Marmarica, Secundus b. of Ptolemaida Socrat. lib. 2. cap. 18.in Aegypt, Maris b. of Chalcedon, Narcissus b. in Cilicia, Theodorus b. of Heraclea in Thracia, and Marcus b. of Irenopolis in Syria. In the number of most impudent Arrian bishops, was Ishyras, the chiefe accus…r of Athanasius, to whom the Arrians gaue the wages of iniquity, and ordained him b. of Mareotis: The Sozom. lib. 2 cap. 25.ouer-throwing of the holy Table, the breaking of the holy Cuppe, the burning of the holy bookes, the slaughter of Arsenius, and many other accusations were all forged against Athanasius by Ishyras, for hope of reward. Eulalius, Euphronius, Placitus, Stephanus, Leontius, Spado, and Eudoxius, Bishops of Antiochia: all these were defenders of the Arrian Heresie, with manie others, of whom I will hauehave occasion to speake hereafter.
Albeit Anomai were a branch of the stocke of the Arrians, Anomaei.yet they differed from other Arrians in this, that they abhorred from the word foreign, which other Arrians embraced. The principall Authors of this Heresie were Acatius, Eunomius, and Aetius, whereof it came to passe, that some called them Ac…tiani, others Eunomiani, and some Aetiani. Acatius in the Councill of Sel…ucia manifested the Hypocrisie of his deceitfull speeches, because in his bookes he had called the Sonne of GOD foreign, that is of like substance with the FATHER: he was demanded in what sence he had so written? he answered, that the Sozom. lib. 4. cap. 22.Sonne of GOD was like vntounto the FATHER in will, but not in substance. Eunomius bishop of Cyzicus in Bithynia, was the first inuenter of this miserable Heresie of Anomaei, a man who delited in multitude of wordes, as many Heretiques doe. Sozomen blames him for altering the custome of thrise dipping in Sozom. lib. 6 cap. 26.water in Baptisme. The people of Syzicus complained to the Emp. Constantius, of the bad and reprobate opinion of Eunomius. The Emp. was offended against Eudoxius bish. of Constantinople, who had placed him in Cyzicus. Herof it came to passe, that Eudoxius Theod. l…b. 2. cap. 29.(who was of that same opinion himselfe, but durst not auow it) he sent secret aduertisement to Eunomius, to flie out of Cyzicus. Basilius Magnus in his fiue bookes written against Eunomius, Basil. contr. Eunomium. Numb. 25. ver, 14. 15.as it were filled with the spirite of Phineas, who with one speare killed Ombri and Cosbi: euen so Basilius with one penne, confounded both Eunomius, & his Maister Aetius. This Aëtius was a Syrian, admitted to the office of a Deacon by Leontius Spado: he spake vnquoth thinges of the Trinitie, and was justlie called an Atheist. The Emp. Constantius, albeit hee loued other Arrians, yet hee disliked Anomei, and procured his deposition Theo. …ib. 2. cap. 28.and excommunication, by the Bishops who came to Constantinople from Ariminum and Seleucia. Eudoxius first Bishop of Germanitia, in the confines of Cilicia, after Bishop of Antiochia, and last Bishop of Constantinople, a hunter for preheminence of places. He was a fauourer of the sect of Arrians called Anomei, or foreign: yet he had the heart of a beast, for neither would hee Theod. lib. 2 cap. 25.embrace the true Faith, neither durst hee defend the Iye whereunto his heart was inclined. But in the Councill of Constantinople, holden after the Councils of Ariminum & Seleucia, he transferred all the blame vponupon Actius, whom the Emp. banished: so that it is a strange thing, that this errour shoulde hauehave had the name also from such a feeble patrone as Eudoxius was, to be called Theod. lib. 2. cap. 27.the errour of Eudoxiani.
Macedonius, rather by the authoritie of the Emp. Constantius, Macedoniani, or foreign.then by the consent of the people, was made bishop of Constantinople. Paulus lawfull bishop of Constantinople, was banished to Cucusus, a towne of Armenia, and there hee was strangled by the Arrians, also 3150. of the people were slaine and troden vnderunder feete, at his violent entrie. This bloody Tyrant denyed the diuinitie of the holy Ghost. Hee was deposed by the Emperours procurement, because hee durst presume at his owne hande to transport the bones of the Emp. Constantine from one Church S…rat. lib. 2. cap. 16.to another. His followers were abhorred more then any other branch of the Arrian Heresie, for their inconstancie. They Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 12.sent Messengers to Liberius Bishop of Rome, and consented in al points to the Nicene Faith: but afterward, like vntounto dogges, they returned to their vomite againe. Hee was damned, as a notable Heretique, by the seconde Generall Councill gathered at Constantinople, by the Emperour Theodosius, anno 386. Hee died in a little Village neere to Constantinople, and Eudoxius obtained his place.
Photinus Bishop of Sirmium in Illyria, was the Disciple of Marcellus Photiniani.Bishop of Ancyra in Galatia: These two renewed both the Heresie of Sabellius and Samosatenus, and augmented the blasphemous opinion of Samosatenus, with this addition, That the Kingdome of CHRIST was not euerlasting, but it had a beginning, Socrat lib. 2. cap. 19.when he was borne of the Virgine, and should hauehave an ende at the latter day. This Heresie hath the name from the disciple, & not from the maister, in regard that Marcellus continued not so obstinately in his errour, as did Phot. his disciple, but renounced his errour, & was receiued into the fellowship of the Church Hist. magd. Cent. 4. cap. 11.in the Councill of Sardica: but Photinus was deposed at the Council of Sirmium, and banished by the Em. Constantius. Neuerthelesse, after his deposition & banishment, he continued obstinately in his errour, & wrote bookes both in Latine & Greeke, in defence of his Heresie: whereby his name became infamous, and he was counted the author of this Heresie.
Audaus was a man of Syria, vnderunder the reigne of Valentinian, and his brother Valens: Hee published an errour, That GOD Audaei, or Anthopomorphitae.was like vntounto the similitude of a mans bodie. This errour hee conceiued through wrong vnderstāding of the words of Scripture, wherein it is saide, Let vsus make man in our owne Image, according to our likenesse. With this errour many vnlearned Aegyptian Genes. 1. verse, 21.Monkes were intangled. They pretended great innocencie and chastitie in thier liues, and separated themselues from the societie of the Church, couering their impietie with this pretext, that they saw usurers and vncleane persons tolerated Theod. compend. heresiumin the Church.
About this time, saith Theodoretus, that is, in the dayes of Valentinianus and Valens, sprang vp the Heresie of Messaliani. Albeit Messaliani.this name bee vnquoth, yet the Greeke names giuen vntounto this Heresie are more significatiue: they were called foreign, bec…use they counted prayer the onelyonly exercise necessary to the children of GOD, euen as if a man could talke with GOD by prayer, before he hath first heard GOD talking with him by the preaching of the Word.
Likewise they were called foreign, that is, men rauished in the spirite, after long continuance in prayer. When they were transported, and out of their wits, then they supposed, that the Theodor lib. 4 …p. 11.holy spirit was sensibly infused into them, whereby their bodies were made free of all perturbations, and their soules were auerted from all inclination to euill, in such sort, that they had no need of fasting to subdue their bodies, nor of Doctrine to restraine the disordered affections of their soules. This pestilent Heresie was ouerspred in many places: but it was mightily suppressed by Letoius B. of Meletina, Amphilochius B. of Iconium in Lycaonia, and Flaviaenus B. of Antiochia, who with great dexteritie drew out a Confession out of the mouth of Adelphius, an Theod. ibid.aged man, and a propagator of this Heresie in Edessa. This Heresie, albeit it had many patrones, such as Dadoes, Sabas, Ad…lphius, Hermas, Simeones, yet from none of them it receiued the name, but rather from the actions and passions whereunto they inclined.
Apollinaris bishop of Laodicea in Syria, gloried in the quickenesse of his ingine, and delited to make contradiction to eueryevery Appollinaristae,thing that any man coulde speake: and so it came to passe (as Ruffinus writeth) Heresim ex contentione generauit, that is to say, Through contention he procreated an Heresie: affirming that Ruffin. lib. 2. cap. 20.in the dispensation of CHRISTES Incarnation, hee assumed the body of a man onelyonly, but not the soule of a man, because his diuinitie supplied the place of his soule. And when hee was argued by euident places of SCRIPTURE, that CHRIST in his humane nature was a perfect man, hauing not onelyonly a body, but also the soule of a man: as when he said, His soule was heauie vntounto the death: lest he should hauehave seemed to bee vtterly conuinced Marke, 14 verse, 34.and ouercome: hee confessed that CHRISTES bodie was quickned with a natural life: but the diuinitie of CHRIST was in place of a reasonable soule. This Heresie was damned in Councils conueened at Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople. He augmented the schisme at Antiochia, where there had bene alreadie three factions, to wit, Eustatiani, Meletiani, and Pauliniani. Now Apollinaris dwelling in Laodicea a towne of Syria, neere Theod. lib. 5. cap. 3.approaching to Antiochia: hee was the author of the fourth faction. In the dayes of Iulian he compiled histories of Scripture, in Greeke Poesie. In the dayes of Valentinian and Gratian, he defended his Heresie. In the dayes of the Emp. Theodosius he concluded Ierom. in Catal. Theod. lib. 5 cap. 4. Sozom. lib. 6 cap. 25.his life. His sonne in name, learning, and bad use of excellent gifts, was like vntounto his father. Vitalius presbyter in Antiochia was a serious defender of the Heresie of Apollinaris, in so much, that the followers of Apollinaris were called Vitaliani.
Donatus was a Bishop in Numidia, who contended with vnsupportable hatred against Cecilianus B. of Carthage, challenging him, that hee had receiued ordination from Foelix Altungensis, August. epist. 152who was proditor: that is, who in time of persecution had deliuered the booke of holy Scripture to bee brunt: or, as others say, because hee admitted to an Ecclesiasticall office, a Deacon, who had committed the like faule. The cause of Cecilianus was oftagitat before the Councill of Carthage, before Miltiades B, of Rome, before the Councill of Arles, and by the Emp. Coustantine: but the Donatistes at all times succumbed in probation. Therefore they were enraged, because they coulde not accomplish their wicked designes against Cecilianus: and they fell from the unitie of the Church. Inucterate schismes oft times turne to Heresies. So the Donatistes in end were defenders of Hereticall opinions: namely, that the Catholicke Church was no where els to be found, but onelyonly in that corner of Africke, whereinto they themselues dwelt: and that Baptisine was not effectuall, except it had beene ministred by one of their societie. Of all the branches of this Heresie, Circumcelliones was the most reprobate branch: a people cruell and sauage, not onelyonly against others, but also against themselues, throwing themselues headlonges August. d… hrres. ad qued vult D. ur….from high places, or casting themselues in fire and water: and this sort of death they count…d Mar…yrdome. The diuersitie of names wherewith this Heresie was pointed out, clearely declares. that the Donatistes wanted not a great number of fauourers: for they were called Parmeniani, Rogatistae, Cirtenses, and Maximianistae. Against this Heresie, and the Heresie of the Pelagians, August. B. of Hippo contended with mightie grace, as likewise against the Heresie of the Manicheans, whereinto he had beene nursed himselfe.
Collyridiani were a sort of superstitious people, who worshipped the Virgine Marie, the mother of our LORD, with diuine Collyridiani.adoration, and with baking little pasties (which in the Greeke language are called foreign) which they offered to the Virgine Marie, as to the Queene of Heauen. Epiphanius counts them Heretiques, because the Virgine Marie, albeit shee bee a blessed Epipban. contra hereses.woman, yet is shee not GOD.
Manie late Heresies are nothing els, but a renewing of old & decayed Heresies. Such was the Heresie of Priscillianus, a man Priscillianistae.of Noble birth in Spaine, verie eloquent, rich, temperate, with great show of humilitie, who easilie insinuated himselfe in the fauour of the people. In his youth he was inclined to Magical Arts, and renewed the filthie Heresie of Gnostici, who disallowed Hist. magd. Cent. 4 cap. 11.Marriage, and commended fornication. Some bishops of Spaine were entangled with this Heresie: such as Iustantius, Salvianus, and Helpidius, whom Adygimus Bishop of Corduba damned in a Councill gathered at Caesar-augusta. This was done in the dayes of the Emp. Gratianus and Valentinian. The great Citie of refuge to Heretiques, was to addresse themselues to the B. of Rome, and to leane vnderunder his shadow: But Damasus, who was bishop of Rome at this time, would not admit these Heretiques to his presence: Neither would Ambrose B. of Millane, to whom they ad dressed next, in any wise accept of them: when al other meanes failed them, last of al with buddes and bribes they sollicited the Emp. cubiculers, & were sent backe againe to enjoy their owne places. Neuerthelesse, GOD suffered not Priscillianus to escape punishmēt, for he was conuict of sorcery, & was punished to the death, after the death of Valentinian the seconde, whether by Maximus an usurper of the Emperiall Soueranitie, or by Theodosius, I am not certaine.
Lucifer was bishop of Calaris in Sardinia. He was present at the LuciferianiCouncill of Millan, and was banished by Constantius, because hee would not consent to the deposition of Athanasius. Hee was reduced from banishment by the Em. Iulian. He visited Antiochia, Sozom. lib 5. cap. 13.a towne miferably distracted with Schismes, and by ordaining Paulinus B. of Antiochia, hee rather augmented then paired the scisme: he perceiued that this his fact was disproued by Euseb. b. of Vercellis, & many others, therefore he & his followers, did not cōmunicate with such as disproued the ordination of Paulinus. This seemes rather to be rekoned in the catalogue of schismes, then of heresies: & Theod. disprouing Lucifer, saith, that he made Theod. compend. heresium.faith to be foreign, but he saith not foreign, that is, a weapon of contentions, but not a weapon of heresie.
These who supposed, that after the Natiuitie of the LORD Antidicomarianitae.the Virgine Marie companied with her husband Ioseph, and did beare childrē to him, were called Antidicomarianitae. In this opinion was Helvidius, a man more curious then wise. The opinion August. d… heres.of the Fathers of the Church, not repugnant to Scripture, was this, That like as no man did lie in the sepulchre wherein Christ was buried before him, Euen so in the wombe wherein hee was conceiued, no man was cōceiued after him: so the Fathers tooke the wordes of the Apostolicke symbole, foreign, as i… it had bene said, foreign, that is, born of Mary a perpetual Virgine. In holy scriptures by the brethren of our LORD is meaned the kinsmen of the LORD according to the flesh, to which exposition the consent of Ancient & Neotericke writers for the most part aggreeth.
Augustine cites out of Philaster a sort of Heretiques, called Metangis. monitae.Metangismonitae, whose heresie sounded to this, That the SONNE is in the FATHER, according to the similitude of a little vessell comprehended within the compasse of a greater vessell: foreign in the Greeke Language signifieth a vessell, and foreign signifieth the entering of one vessel within another, which in our language cānot be expressed by one word, as it is in the Greeke.
From Seleucus and Hermias this heresie had the name: where Seleuciani or Hermiani.they dwelt, or in what Emperours dayes this Heresie was propagated, August. maketh no mention: their opinions were most abominable: namely, that the Masse, whereof GOD created the elements, was coeternall with him: and that the Angels, & not GOD, created the soules of men: that CHRIST in his ascension vnclothed himselfe of the flesh of man, and left it in the globe of the Sunne. They receiued not baptisme by water. They denied the resurrection of the dead, supposing that by new generations, one succeeding to another, that is performed which in Scripture is written concerning the resurrection.
The rest of the Heresies of this age, were all obscure, and had few followers, such as Proclianitae, who denied that CHRIST was come in the flesh: Patriciani, who affirmed, that the bodie Proclianitae Patriciani. Ascitae.of man was formed by the Deuil, & not by GOD: Ascitae, who carried about with them newe vessels, to represent, that they were vessels filled with the new wine of the Gospell: Patalorynchitae, Patalorinchitae, or foreign. Aquarii.foolish men, who counted it religion, to stop their breath with their fingers, and to vtter no intelligible speach: Aquarii, who in stead of wine receiued water in the holy Sacrament. The beginning of this errour seemes to hauehave beene in the dayes of Cyprian. Coluthiani denied, that any euill, either of sinne or punishment, Coluthiani. Flosiani.came of GOD. Floriani, who by the contrarie affirmed, that GOD created creatures in an euill estate. The 8. Heresies which Philaster commemorates without any name, either taken from the Author, or from the heresie it selfe, Augustine scarcely will reacken them into the roll of Heresies.