their opinion, those who have not received the rite of baptism in conformity with their mode of administration, are unbaptized; and they confirm this opinion by their practice, inasmuch as they re-baptize1 all those who join their sect, although previously baptized by the Catholic church. These varying dogmas are the sources of innumerable troubles; and many are deterred from embracing Christianity by the diversity of opinion which prevails in matters of doctrine.

The dispute daily became stronger, and the heresy reached a greater height; for its advocates were not deficient in zeal or eloquence; indeed, it appears that the greater part of the Catholic church would have been subverted by this heresy, had not Basil and Gregory of Cappadocia strenuously opposed its further progress. With the view of repressing the heresies that had arisen, the emperor Theodosius, not long after, banished the founders of heretical sects from the populous parts of the empire, to the most desert and thinly-populated regions. But, lest those who read my history should be ignorant of the precise nature of the two heresies to which I have more especially alluded, I think it necessary to state that Aetius, the Syrian, was the originator of the heresy usually attributed to Eunomius; and that, like Arius, he maintained that the Son is dissimilar from the Father, that he is a created Being, and was created out of what had no previous existence. Those who first adopted these erroneous views were called Aetians; but afterwards, during the reign of Constantius, when, as we have stated, some parties maintained that the Son is consubstantial with the Father, and others, that he is like in substance to the Father, and when the council of Ariminum had decreed that the Son is only to be considered like unto the Father, Aetius was condemned to banishment, as guilty of impiety and blasphemy against God. For some time subsequently, his heresy seemed to have been suppressed; for neither he nor Eunomius ventured on undertaking its defence: but when Eunomius was raised to the bishopric of Cyzicus, he found it

I Valesius observes, that the Eunomians had learnt this practice from the Arians, as their forefathers in heresy; for the Arians, too, were accustomed to re-baptize the Catholics who came over to their party; and even re-ordained the Clerics who joined them. In proof of his assertion, Valesius quotes the author of the Life of St. Fulgentius, Marcellinus, Hieronymus, and other ancient authorities.

A. D. 375.] LETTER FROM GREGORY NAZIANZEN.

285

impossible to disguise his sentiments, and openly preached the doctrine of Aetius. Hence, as it often happens that the names of the original founders of heretical sects pass into oblivion, the followers of Eunomius were designated by his own name, although he merely renewed the heresy of Aetius, and promulgated it with greater boldness than Aetius himself.

CHAP. XXVII.-ACCOUNT GIVEN, BY GREGORY THE THEOLOGIAN, OF APOLLINARIUS AND EUNOMIUS, IN A LETTER TO NECTARIUS. THE HERESY OF EUNOMIUS IS OPPOSED BY THE MONKS OF THAT PERIOD.

IT is obvious that Eunomius and Aetius held the same opinions. In several passages of his writings, Eunomius boasts that Aetius was his instructor. Gregory, bishop of Nazianzen, speaks in the following terms of Apollinarius, in a letter addressed to Nectarius, bishop of Constantinople:"Eunomius, who is a constant source of trouble among us, is not content with being a burden to us himself, but would consider himself to blame if he did not strive to drag every one with him to the destruction whither he is hastening. Such conduct, however, may be tolerated in some degree. The most grievous calamity against which the church has now to struggle arises from the audacity of the Apollinarians. I know not how your Holiness could have agreed that they should be as free to hold meetings as we are ourselves. You have been fully instructed, by the grace of God, in the mysteries of our religion, and you are well able to undertake the defence of orthodox doctrine against the attacks of heretics; yet it may not be amiss to inform your Excellency that a book, written by Apollinarius, has fallen into my hands, replete with more evil assertions than were ever advanced by any other heretic. He declares that the body which the Son of God assumed, when he came among us for our redemption, was not one which was prepared for Him; but that this carnal nature existed in the Son from the beginning. He substantiates

this evil hypothesis by a misapplication of the following words of Scripture: No one hath ascended up into heaven except the Son of man, who came down from heaven.' He alleges, from this text, that Christ was the Son of man before He

descended from heaven; and that when He did descend, He brought with Him His own body, which was eternal. This heretic also refers to the following passage:-The second man is from heaven.' He, moreover, maintains that this man who came down from heaven was destitute of mind (vous), but that the Divinity of the only-begotten Son supplied the want of intellect, and constituted the third part of the human compound. The body and soul (ux) formed two parts, as in other men; and the Word of God held the place of the third part that was wanting: but this is not the most dangerous of his errors. The most grievous point of the heresy is, that he asserts that the only-begotten Son of God, the Judge of all men, the giver of life, and the destroyer of death, is Himself subject to death; that He suffered in His Divine nature, which died with the body; and that it was, by the Father, raised again from the dead." It would take too long to recount all the other extravagant doctrines propounded by these heretics. What I have said may, I think, suffice to show the nature of the sentiments maintained by Apollinarius and Eunomius. If any one desire more detailed information, I can only refer him to the works on the subject written by these heretics and by their opponents. I do not profess to understand or to expound these matters. That these heretical doctrines did not finally become predominant is mainly to be attributed to the zeal of the monks of this period; for all the monks of Syria, Cappadocia, and the neighbouring provinces, were sincerely attached to the Nicene faith. The eastern regions, however, from Cilicia to Phoenicia, were nearly subverted by the heresy of Apollinarius. The heresy of Eunomius was spread from Cilicia and the mountains of Taurus as far as the Hellespont and Constantinople. These two heretics found it easy to attract to their respective parties the persons among whom they dwelt, and those of the neighbourhood: but the same fate awaited them that had been experienced by the Arians; for they incurred the full weight of the popular odium and aversion, when it was observed that their sentiments were regarded with suspicion by the monks, whose doctrines were invariably received and followed by the people, on account of the virtue exhibited in their actions. In the same way the Egyptians were led by the monks to oppose the Arians.

A. D. 375.] EGYPTIAN ASCETICS OF THIS PERIOD.

287

CHAP. XXVIII.-OF THE HOLY MEN WHO FLOURISHED AT

THIS PERIOD IN EGYPT.

As this period was distinguished by many holy men, who devoted themselves to a life of philosophy, it seems requisite to give some account of them. There was not, it appears, a more celebrated man in Egypt than John; he had received from God the power of discerning the future and the most hidden things as clearly as the ancient prophets; and he had, moreover, the gift of curing the most desperate and inveterate diseases. Or was another eminent man of this period; he had lived in solitude from his earliest youth, occupying himself continually in singing the praises of God. He subsisted on herbs and roots; and his drink was water, when he could find it. In his old age he went, by the command of God, to Thebaïs, where he presided over several monasteries, and performed many wonderful works. By means of prayer alone, he expelled devils and healed divers diseases. He knew nothing of letters; but whatever might once engage his attention was never afterwards forgotten.

Ammon, the leader of the monks called Tabennesiotians, dwelt in the same regions, and was followed by about three thousand disciples. Benus and Theonas likewise presided over monasteries, and possessed the gift of foreseeing and of foretelling the future. It is said that, though Theonas was versed in all the learning of the Egyptians, the Greeks, and the Romans, he preserved a profound silence for the space of thirty years. Benus was never seen to manifest any signs of anger, and never heard to swear, or to utter a false, a vain, a rash, or a useless word.

He

Coprus, Helles, and Elias also flourished at this period. It is said that Coprus had received from God the power of healing sickness and divers diseases, and of expelling demons. Helles had, from his youth upwards, pursued a life of monastic asceticism, and he wrought many wonderful works. could carry fire in his bosom without burning his clothes. He excited the other monks to the practice of virtue, by representing that purity of life leads to the acquisition of the power of working miracles. Elias, who dwelt near the city of Antinöus, was at this period about a hundred and ten

years of age, of which, he said, he had passed seventy years alone in the desert. Notwithstanding his advanced age, he was unremitting in the practice of fasting and asceticism.

Apelles flourished at the same period, and performed numerous miracles in the Egyptian monasteries, near the city of Acoris. He worked as a smith at the forge; and one night, when he was engaged at this employment, the devil undertook to tempt him to incontinence, by appearing before him in the form of a woman; Apelles, however, seized the iron which was heating in the furnace, and burnt the face of the devil, who screamed wildly, and ran away.

Isidore, Serapion, and Dioscorus, who presided over monasteries at this period, were among the most celebrated men of the æra. Isidore caused his monastery to be closed, so that no one could obtain egress or ingress, and supplied the wants of those within the walls. Serapion lived in the neighbourhood of Arsinoë,1 and had about a thousand monks under his guidance. They lived on the produce of their labour, and provided for the poor. During harvest-time, they busied themselves in reaping; they set aside sufficient corn for their own use, and furnished grain gratuitously for the other monks. Dioscorus had not more than a hundred disciples; he was a presbyter, and applied himself with great diligence to the duties of his ministry; he scrupulously examined those who presented themselves as candidates for participation in the holy mysteries, and excluded those who had not a conscience void of offence. The presbyter Eulogius was still more scrupulous in the dispensation of the mysteries. It is said that, when he was officiating in the priestly office,2 he could discern what was in the minds of those around him; so that he could clearly detect sin, and the secret thoughts of each one of his audience. He excluded from the altar all who had prepetrated crime, or formed evil resolutions, and publicly convicted them of sin; but, on their purifying themselves by repentance, he again received them into communion.

1 Otherwise called Arsenoë.

2

iepúμevov. The present participle, as denoting a person in the act of officiating as a priest: the perfect participle, ispwuśvov, would denote merely one who had been ordained.