Testimonies of the Ante-Nicene Fathers to the Divinity of Chist

"saying, Holy Father, sanctify them, keep them "in the world." (John xvii. 11, 17".)

At p. 277. he says, " But Christ died for all: let

us therefore consider him that endured such oppo"sition to himself for us sinners, that we may not "be weary and faint in our souls: it is he that "came down to Abraham; he came down to Moses "to free the people; and now in the latter times "coming for our sakes, not in the form of fire, but was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, "the Holy Ghost having come upon her

For " the only-begotten God, the Word, who came down " from heaven, was conceived and born of the Virgin "Paradise that possesses all things: the Holy Ghost "came upon her, the power of the Highest over"shadowed her, and the holy thing that was born "was the child Jesus; the mighty God, the powerful, endured the cross despising the shame "."

* Καὶ περὶ τοῦ εἰπεῖν τὸν ἀληθινὸν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Θεὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι οὔπω κ. τ. λ. οὐδέπω ἦσαν θεωρήσαντες αὐτὸν ἀνερχόμενον ὁποῦ ἦν τὸ πρότερον· αὐτοῦ ἐστι φωνὴ τοῦ ἀνθρωπισθέν τος Θεοῦ Λόγου, τὸ, ἐὰν οὖν ἴδητε κ. τ. λ. - αὐτὸς ἐγένετό μοι εἰς Θεὸν καὶ Κύριον Ἰησοῦν ὁ εἷς ὢν Λόγος· μία αὐτοῦ ὑπόστασις καὶ ἓν πρόσωπον αὐτός ἐστιν ᾧ ὑπετάγη τὰ πάντα παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός· οὐκ ὢν ἔλαττον τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προσηύξατο, λέγων, Πάτερ ἅγιε κ. τ. λ.

· Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν· ἀναλογισώμεθα οὖν τὸν τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπομεμενηκότα ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀντιλογίαν, ἵνα μὴ κάμωμεν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἐκλυόμενοι· αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ καταβὰς ἐπὶ ̓Αβραάμ' αὐτὸς ἐπὶ Μωϋσῆ κατέβη ἐξελέσθαι τὸν λαόν· καὶ νῦν δι ̓ ἡμᾶς

ἐπ ̓ ἐσχάτων ἐλθὼν οὐκ ἐν σχήματι πυρὸς, ἀλλὰ συνελήφθη ἐν γαστρὶ παρθένου Μαρίας, τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύμα τος ἐπελθόντος ἐπ' αὐτήν. Ὁ γὰρ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβὰς μονογενής Θεός Λόγος ἐγεννήθη κυοφορηθεὶς ἐκ παρθενικοῦ Παραδείσου ἔχοντος τὰ πάντα· πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπ ̓ αὐτὴν, δύναμις ὑψίστου ἐπισκιάζουσα, καὶ τὸ γεννώμενον ἅγιον τὸ παιδίον Ἰησοῦς, ὁ ἰσχυρὸς Θεὸς, ὁ ἐξουσιαστὴς ὑπέμεινε σταυρὸν αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας.

I have translated this passage according to the reading and punctuation of the edition to which I refer, that of Rome 1796. A Roman editor would be pleased with finding the Virgin Mary called, “ the vira "gin Paradise that possesses "all things." But perhaps we

DIONYSIUS ROMANUS. A. D. 260.

The history of Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, has also led to the mention of his namesake, who was bishop of Rome. Of the writings of the latter, only a few fragments are preserved in the works of Athanasius; nor is much more known of his history than that he succeeded Xystus or Sixtus the Second, as bishop of Rome in the year 259, the see having remained vacant nearly a year. He died in 269.

We have seen that he wrote to the bishop of Alexandria concerning the Sabellian heresy; and Athanasius informs us, that as soon as he heard of the charges which were brought against Dionysius of Alexandria, "he wrote at once against the fol"lowers of Sabellius, and against those opinions for "which Arius was afterwards expelled from the

church; declaring that the opinion of Sabellius, "and of those who say that the Word of God is a creature, or workmanship, and made, though directly opposite to each other, were equally impious P." In another work he tells us, "that when some brought accusations to the bishop of Rome against the bishop of Alexandria, as if he had

should read κυοφορηθεὶς ἐκ παρθενικοῦ Παραδείσου τοῦ ἔχοντος τὰ πάντα πνεῦμα ἅγιον ἐπ ̓ αὐτὴν, the Holy Spirit of Him that possesses all things came upon her. Or if we follow the present punctuation, the words ἔχοντος τὰ πάντα may be taken to signify that Mary bore Jesus in her womb, who might truly be called every thing: Jesus, who was all in all was conceived by the Virgin as Athanasius says, av

τὸς δυνατὸς ὢν καὶ δημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων ἐν τῇ παρθένῳ κατασκευάζει ἑαυτῷ ναὸν τὸ σῶμα. De Incarn. 8. vol. I. p. 54. So also Epiphanius, π ouk av elmoμer taúτην μεγάλην, χωρήσασαν τὸν ἀχώρητον, ὃν οὐρανὸς καὶ γῆ χωρεῖν οὐ δύνανται; Hær. XXX. vol. I. p. 157: and again, Hær. LXXVIII. 8. p. 1040.

P De Sentent. Dionys. Alex. I. p. 252. c. 13.

"called the Son a creature, and not consubstantial "with the Father, the synod at Rome was offended, "and the bishop of Rome sent the judgment of "them all to his namesake 9."

In another work he gives us the sentiments of Dionysius in his own words. The bishop, after having condemned those who opposed the catholic doctrine of the Trinity, continues thus: "Nor would "one find less fault with those who think that the "Son is a creature, supposing that the Lord was "made, like any of the things that are really made; "whereas the holy scriptures testify that he had a "suitable and becoming generation, not a kind of "formation and creation. It is therefore no small

blasphemy, but the greatest, to say that the Lord "was in any sense formed. For if the Son was "made, there was a time when he was not; but he "was always, since he is in the Father, as he him"self says. (John xiv. 11.) — And why should I "discuss this matter more at length to you who are

spiritual, and clearly understand the absurdities "which arise from calling the Son a creature? which, as it appears to me, must have escaped the "attention of those persons who began this doctrine, "and therefore they have altogether erred from "the truth, misunderstanding the meaning of those "words of the holy and prophetical scriptures, The "Lord established me in the beginning of his ways. (Prov. viii. 22.) For there is not one mean

ing only to the word established, (ektiσev,) as you "well know: for we must understand established "in this place to mean, He placed me over the

a De Synodis, p. 757. c. 43.

works which were made by Him, but which were “ made by the Son himself; but established cannot "be taken in this place for made: for there is a "difference between establishing and making: Is "not He thy Father that hath bought thee? hath "He not made thee and established thee? (Deut. " xxxii. 6.) as Moses says in his great song in Deu“ teronomy. In answer to whom we might also say, “O rash and venturous men, is the firstborn of "every creature himself a creature? he that was "conceived of the womb before the morning, who "said in the person of Wisdom, Before all the hills "he begetteth me? (Prov. viii. 25.) and in many

places of the holy scriptures one may find the "Son spoken of as begotten, but not as made: by "which passages those persons are plainly convicted "of forming false notions concerning the generation "of the Lord, who dare to speak of his divine and "ineffable generation as a creation "."

· Οὐ μεῖον δ ̓ ἄν τις καταμέμφοιτο καὶ τοὺς ποίημα τὸν υἱὸν εἶναι δοξάζοντας καὶ γεγονέναι τὸν Κύριον, ὥσπερ ἕν τι ὄντως γενομένων, νομίζοντας· τῶν θείων λογίων γέννησιν αὐτῷ τὴν ἁρμόττουσαν καὶ πρέπουσαν, ἀλλ ̓ οὐχὶ πλάσιν τινὰ καὶ ποίησιν προσμαρτυρούντων. Βλάσφημον οὖν οὐ τὸ τυχὸν, μέγιστον μὲν οὖν, χειροποίητον τρόπον τινὰ λέγειν τὸν Κύριον. Εἰ γὰρ γέγονεν υἱὸς, ἦν ὅτε οὐκ ἦν· ἀεὶ δὲ ἦν, εἴ γε ἐν τῷ Πατρί ἐστιν, ὡς αὐτός φησι Καὶ τί ἂν ἐπὶ πλέον περὶ τούτων πρὸς ὑμᾶς διαλεγοίμην, πρὸς ἄνδρας πνευματοφόρους καὶ σα φῶς ἐπισταμένους τὰς ἀτοπίας τὰς ἐκ τοῦ ποίημα λέγειν τὸν υἱὸν ἀκακυπτούσας; αἷς μοι δοκοῦσι μὴ προσεσχηκέναι τὸν νοῦν οἱ καθηγησάμενοι τῆς δόξης ταύτης, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο κομιδῇ

τοῦ ἀληθοῦς διημαρτηκέναι, ἑτέρως ἢ βούλεται ταύτῃ ἡ θεία καὶ προφητικὴ γραφὴ, τὸ, Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ, ἐκδεξάμενοι. Οὐ μία γὰρ ἡ τοῦ Ἔκτισεν, ὡς ἴστε, σημασία Ἔκτισε γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἀκουστεὸν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Επέστησε τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γεγο κόσιν ἔργοις, γεγονόσι δὲ δι ̓ αὐτοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ· οὐχὶ δέ γε τὸ Ἔκτισε νῦν λέγοιτ' ἂν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἐποίησεν διαφέρει γὰρ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ κτίσαι. Οὐκ αὐτὸς οὗτός σου πατὴρ ἐκτήσατό σε καὶ ἐποίησέ σε καὶ ἔκτισέ σε; τῇ ἐν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ μεγάλῃ ᾠδῇ ὁ Μωσῆς φησι. Πρὸς οὓς καὶ εἴποι ἄν τις, ὦ ῥιψοκίνδυνοι ἄνθρωποι, ποίημα ὁ πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως, ὁ ἐκ γαστρὸς πρὸ ἑωσφόρου γεννηθεὶς, ὁ εἰπὼν ὡς Σοφία, Πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με; καὶ πολλαχοῦ δὲ τῶν θείων λο

325. CONCILIUM ANTIOCHENUM, A. D. 269. We have yet another document connected with the history of these two bishops, in some letters of the council of Antioch concerning the heresy of Paul of Samosata. This council was held in the year 269, as mentioned above; and after many sittings the Fathers excommunicated Paul. Before however they proceeded to this step, they addressed a letter to him, in which their object was to give to Paul a summary of their religious creed, which, as they say, "had been preserved in the catholic "church from the time of the apostles to that day."

The letter is a long one, and it will be necessary to transcribe nearly the whole of it. The Fathers begin with professing their belief in one uncreated invisible God; after which they go on to say, "We " acknowledge and preach, that this begotten Son, "the only-begotten Son, is the image of the invisi"ble God, begotten before all creation, the Wisdom "and Word and Power of God, who was before the "worlds, God, not by foreknowledge, but in essence " and substance Son of God, as we have known him "in the Old and New Testament. But if any one

"should contend, that we are not to believe and acknowledge the Son of God to be God before the "foundation of the world, and should say that we "make two Gods, if we preach the Son of God to "be God, we consider such an one to depart from

γίων γεγεννῆσθαι ἀλλ ̓ οὐ γεγονέναι τὸν υἱὸν λεγόμενον εὕροι τις ἄν· ὑφ ̓ ☎v katapavõç éléyxovtai tà Levồn περὶ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου γεννήσεως ὑπολαμβάνοντες, οἱ ποίησιν αὐτοῦ τὴν

θείαν καὶ ἄῤῥητον γέννησιν λέγειν τολμῶντες. Athanas. de Decret. Syn. Nic. c. 26. p. 231. et apud Routh Reliq. Sacr. tom. III. 180.

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