Church History 5.19–5.23
Greek text: PG 67 (OCR text layer from the Bavarian State Library, cleaned for this site).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 2 (1890).
Chapter 5
5.19PG 67:613–619
Ὑπὸ δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον, ἔδοξε καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς μετανοίας περιελεῖν πρεσβυτέρους τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, δι' αἰτίαν τοιαύτην. ᾿Αφ' οὗ Ναυατιανοὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διεκρίθησαν, τοῖς ἐπταικόσιν ἐν τῷ ἐπὶ Δεκίου διωγμῷ κοινωνῆσαι μὴ θελήσαντες, οἱ ἐπίσκοποι τῷ ἐκκλησιαστικῷ κανόνι τὸν πρεσβύτερον τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς μετανοίας προσέθεσαν, ὅπως ἂν οἱ μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα πταίσαντες, ἐπὶ τοῦ προβληθέν τος τούτου πρεσβυτέρου ἐξομολογῶνται τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Οὗτος ὁ κανὼν κρατεῖ μέχρι νῦν ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις αἱρέσεσι. Μόνοι δὲ οἱ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου φρονήματος, καὶ οἱ τούτοις κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὁμόφρονες Ναυατιανοὶ, τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς μετανοίας πρεσβύτερον παρῃτήσαντο. Ναυατιανοὶ μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν τὴν προσθήκην ταύτην ἐδέξαντο. Οἱ δὲ νῦν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν κρατοῦντες, ἕως πολλοῦ φυλάξαντες, ἐπὶ Νεκταρίου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου μετέθεσαν, τοιούτου τινὸς ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν συμβάντος. Γυνή τις τῶν εὐγενῶν προσῆλθεν τῷ ἐπὶ τῆς μετανοίας πρεσβυτέρῳ· καὶ κατὰ μέρος ἐξομολογεῖται τὰς ἁμαρτίας, ἃς ἐπεπράχει μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα. Ὁ δὲ πρεσβύτερος παρήγγειλε τῇ γυναικὶ, νηστεύειν καὶ συνεχῶς εὔχεσθαι, ἵνα σὺν τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ καὶ ἔργον τι δεικνύειν ἔχῃ τῆς μετανοίας ἄξιον. Ἡ δὲ γυνὴ προβαίνουσα, καὶ ἄλλο πταίσμα ἑαυτῆς κατηγόρει. Ἔλεγε γὰρ, ὡς εἴη συγκαθευδήσας αὐτῇ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διάκονος. Τοῦτο λεχθέν, τὸν μὲν διάκονον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἐκπεσεῖν παρεσκεύασε. Ταραχὴ δὲ κατέσχε τὰ πλήθη· ἠγανάκτουν γὰρ οὐ μόνον ἐπὶ τῷ γενομένῳ, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι καὶ τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ βλασφημίαν ἡ πρᾶξις καὶ ὕβριν προὐξένησεν. Διασυρομένων δὲ ἐκ τούτου τῶν ἱερωμένων ἀνδρῶν, Εὐδαίμων τις τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πρεσβύτερος, ᾿Αλεξανδρεὺς τὸ γένος, γνώμην τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ δίδωσι Νεκταρίῳ, περιελεῖν μὲν τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς μετανοίας πρεσβύτερον· συγχωρῆσαι δὲ ἕκαστον, τῷ ἰδίῳ συνειδότι τῶν μυστηρίων μετέχειν· οὕτω γὰρ μόνως ἔχειν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τὸ ἀβλασφήμητον. Ταῦτα παρὰ τοῦ Εὐδαίμονος ἀκούσας ἐγὼ, τῇ γραφῇ τῇδε παραδοῦναι ἐθάῤῥησα. Ὡς γὰρ πολλάκις ἔφην, πᾶσαν σπουδὴν παρ' ἑκάστου τῶν εἰδότων ἐθέμην μανθάνειν τὰ πράγματα, καὶ ἀκριβῶς ἐρευνᾷν, ἵνα μὴ ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας τι γράφοιμι, ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς τὸν Εὐδαίμονα πρότερον ἔφην Ἡ συμβουλή σου, ὦ πρεσβύτερε, εἰ συνήνεγκε τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἢ εἰ μὴ, Θεὸς ἂν εἰδείη· ὁρῶ δὲ ὅτι πρόφασιν παρέσχε τοῦ μὴ ἐλέγχειν ἀλλήλων τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, μηδὲ φυλάττειν τὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου παράγγελμα τὸ λέγον· Μηδὲ συγκοινωνεῖτε τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς ἀκάρποις τοῦ σκότους, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐλέγχετε. Περὶ μὲν οὖν τούτων αὐτάρκως εἰρήσθω.
Hypo de ton auton chronon, edoxe kai tous epi tēs metanoias perielein presbyterous tōn ekklēsiōn, di' aitian toiautēn. ᾿Aph' hou Nauatianoi tēs Ekklēsias diekrithēsan, tois eptaikosin en tǭ epi Dekiou diōgmǭ koinōnēsai mē thelēsantes, hoi episkopoi tǭ ekklēsiastikǭ kanoni ton presbyteron ton epi tēs metanoias prosethesan, hopōs an hoi meta to baptisma ptaisantes, epi tou problēthen tos toutou presbyterou exomologōntai ta hamartēmata. Houtos ho kanōn kratei mechri nyn en tais allais hairesesi. Monoi de hoi tou homoousiou phronēmatos, kai hoi toutois kata tēn pistin homophrones Nauatianoi, ton epi tēs metanoias presbyteron parę̄tēsanto. Nauatianoi men gar oude tēn archēn tēn prosthēkēn tautēn edexanto. Hoi de nyn tōn ekklēsiōn kratountes, heōs pollou phylaxantes, epi Nektariou tou episkopou metethesan, toioutou tinos epi tēn ekklēsian symbantos. Gynē tis tōn eugenōn prosēlthen tǭ epi tēs metanoias presbyterǭ; kai kata meros exomologeitai tas hamartias, has epeprachei meta to baptisma. Ho de presbyteros parēngeile tę̄ gynaiki, nēsteuein kai synechōs euchesthai, hina syn tę̄ homologią kai ergon ti deiknyein echę̄ tēs metanoias axion. Hē de gynē probainousa, kai allo ptaisma heautēs katēgorei. Elege gar, hōs eiē synkatheudēsas autę̄ tēs ekklēsias diakonos. Touto lechthen, ton men diakonon tēs Ekklēsias ekpesein pareskeuase. Tarachē de katesche ta plēthē; ēganaktoun gar ou monon epi tǭ genomenǭ, all᾽ hoti kai tę̄ Ekklēsią blasphēmian hē praxis kai hybrin prouxenēsen. Diasyromenōn de ek toutou tōn hierōmenōn andrōn, Eudaimōn tis tēs Ekklēsias presbyteros, ᾿Alexandreus to genos, gnōmēn tǭ episkopǭ didōsi Nektariǭ, perielein men ton epi tēs metanoias presbyteron; synchōrēsai de hekaston, tǭ idiǭ syneidoti tōn mystēriōn metechein; houtō gar monōs echein tēn Ekklēsian to ablasphēmēton. Tauta para tou Eudaimonos akousas egō, tę̄ graphę̄ tę̄de paradounai etharrhēsa. Hōs gar pollakis ephēn, pasan spoudēn par' hekastou tōn eidotōn ethemēn manthanein ta pragmata, kai akribōs ereunąn, hina mē exō tēs alētheias ti graphoimi, egō de pros ton Eudaimona proteron ephēn Hē symboulē sou, ō presbytere, ei synēnenke tę̄ Ekklēsią, ē ei mē, Theos an eideiē; horō de hoti prophasin paresche tou mē elenchein allēlōn ta hamartēmata, mēde phylattein to tou Apostolou parangelma to legon; Mēde synkoinōneite tois ergois tois akarpois tou skotous, mallon de kai elenchete. Peri men oun toutōn autarkōs eirēsthō.
About the same time it was decided to do away also with the presbyters in charge of penance in the churches, for the following reason. Ever since the Novatians separated from the church, refusing to hold communion with those who had fallen in the persecution under Decius, the bishops added to the church's canon the presbyter in charge of penance, so that those who had fallen after baptism might confess their sins before this appointed presbyter. This canon prevails to this day in the other sects. Only those of the 'same essence' mind, and the Novatians who share their faith, have given up the presbyter in charge of penance. The Novatians never accepted this addition at all; but those who now hold the churches, after keeping it for a long time, changed it under Nectarius the bishop, when something of the following kind happened to the church. A woman of noble family came to the presbyter in charge of penance and confessed one by one the sins she had committed after baptism. The presbyter instructed the woman to fast and pray continually, so that together with her confession she might show some work worthy of repentance. But the woman, going further, accused herself of another fault as well: she said that a deacon of the church had slept with her. When this was told, it brought about the deacon's expulsion from the church. But turmoil seized the people; they were indignant not only at what had happened, but because the deed had brought blasphemy and insult on the church. As the consecrated men were being reviled on this account, Eudaemon, a presbyter of the church, an Alexandrian by birth, advised the bishop Nectarius to do away with the presbyter in charge of penance and to allow each person to share in the mysteries according to his own conscience; for only so, he said, would the church be free from reproach. Having heard this from Eudaemon, I have ventured to set it down in this writing. For, as I have often said, I have taken every care to learn the facts from each of those who know them and to inquire accurately, so that I might write nothing outside the truth. I said to Eudaemon at the time: 'Whether your advice, presbyter, has benefited the church or not, God knows. But I see that it has given a pretext for not rebuking one another's sins, and for not keeping the precept of the Apostle that says, "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even rebuke them."' So much about these things.
Eph 5:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 3:8 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nectarius abolishes the office of penitentiary presbyter at Constantinople after a woman's confession exposes a deacon's sin; Socrates doubts the wisdom of the change.
- Socrates heard this from Eudaemon himself; Sozomen, Church History 7.16, tells the same story with other details.
- The quotation is Eph 5:11. 'Work worthy of repentance' echoes Luke 3:8 / Acts 26:20.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): ὅπως ἂν ἀ μετὰ → ὅπως ἂν οἱ μετὰ.
Topics: Church office, Ethics, Fasting, Prayer
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.19 (PG 67:613–619; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-19
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-19) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
5.20PG 67:619–621
῎Ἄξιον δὲ ἡγοῦμαι, μὴ ἀμνημόνευτα καταλιπεῖν " καὶ τὰ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις γενόμενα, φημὶ δὴ ᾿Αρειανοῖς καὶ Ναυατιανοῖς, καὶ τοῖς ἀπὸ Μακεδονίου καὶ Εὐνομίου τὰς προσωνυμίας εἰληφόσιν. Ἡ γὰρ Ἐκκλησία διαιρεθεῖσα, ἐπὶ τῇ ἅπαξ γενομένῃ διαιρέσει οὐχ ἵστατο· ἀλλὰ στραφέντες καθ' ἑαυτῶν πάλιν ἐχώρουν· καὶ μικρᾶς καὶ εὐτελοῦς προφάσεως λαβόμενοι, ἀλλήλων διεχωρίζοντο. Ὅπως μὲν οὖν καὶ πότε, καὶ δι᾽ ἂς αἰτίας ἕκαστοι καὶ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς διαιρέσεις πεποίηντο, προϊόντος τοῦ λόγου δηλώσομεν. Τοῦτο δὲ ἰστέον, ὡς βασιλεὺς Θεοδόσιος οὐδένα τούτων ἐδίωκε ·, πλὴν ὅτι τὸν Εὐνόμιον ἐν Κωνσταντί νου πόλει ἐπὶ οἰκίας συνάγοντα, καὶ τοὺς συγγρα φέντας αὐτῷ λόγους ἐπιδεικνύμενον, ὡς ταῖς διδα σκαλίαις πολλοὺς λυμαινόμενον, εἰς ἐξορίαν πεμφθῆναι ( ἐκέλευσε. Τῶν μέντοι ἄλλων οὐδένα οὔτε ἔσκυλ[λ]εν, οὔτε αὐτῷ κοινωνῆσαι ἠνάγκαζεν· ἀλλ᾽ ἑκάστους συνεχώρει κατὰ τοὺς ἰδίους τόπους συνάγεσθαι, καὶ δοξάζειν τὰ τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ, ὡς καταλαβεῖν ἕκαστοι τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν δόξαν ἠδύναντο. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἔξω τῶν πόλεων συνεχώρησε εὐκτηρίους οἴκους κατασκευάζειν · Ναυατιανοὺς δὲ ὡς ὁμόφρονας τῇ αὐτοῦ πίστει, ἐντὸς τῶν πόλεων τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἐκκλησίας θαῤῥοῦντας ἔχειν ἐκέλευσεν, ὥς μοι καὶ πρότερον εἴρηται. Περὶ ὧν μνημονεῦσαι μικρὰ εὔκαιρον εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι, ἀναλαβόντας βραχύ.
᾿Axion de hēgoumai, mē amnēmoneuta katalipein " kai ta para tois allois genomena, phēmi dē ᾿Areianois kai Nauatianois, kai tois apo Makedoniou kai Eunomiou tas prosōnymias eilēphosin. Hē gar Ekklēsia diairetheisa, epi tę̄ hapax genomenę̄ diairesei ouch histato; alla straphentes kath' heautōn palin echōroun; kai mikras kai eutelous prophaseōs labomenoi, allēlōn diechōrizonto. Hopōs men oun kai pote, kai di᾽ as aitias hekastoi kai eis heautous diaireseis pepoiēnto, proïontos tou logou dēlōsomen. Touto de isteon, hōs basileus Theodosios oudena toutōn ediōke ;, plēn hoti ton Eunomion en Kōnstanti nou polei epi oikias synagonta, kai tous syngra phentas autǭ logous epideiknymenon, hōs tais dida skaliais pollous lymainomenon, eis exorian pemphthēnai ( ekeleuse. Tōn mentoi allōn oudena oute eskyl[l]en, oute autǭ koinōnēsai ēnankazen; all᾽ hekastous synechōrei kata tous idious topous synagesthai, kai doxazein ta tou Christianismou, hōs katalabein hekastoi tēn peri autōn doxan ēdynanto. Kai tous men allous exō tōn poleōn synechōrēse euktērious oikous kataskeuazein ; Nauatianous de hōs homophronas tę̄ autou pistei, entos tōn poleōn tas heautōn ekklēsias tharrhountas echein ekeleusen, hōs moi kai proteron eirētai. Peri hōn mnēmoneusai mikra eukairon einai hēgoumai, analabontas brachy.
I think it worth not leaving unmentioned what happened among the others too, I mean the Arians and the Novatians, and those who took their names from Macedonius and Eunomius. For the church, once divided, did not stop at the single division; they turned and went against themselves again, and seizing on small and trivial pretexts they separated from one another. How and when and for what reasons each made divisions among themselves we shall show as the account proceeds. But this should be known, that the emperor Theodosius persecuted none of them, except that he ordered Eunomius, who was holding assemblies in a house in Constantinople and giving readings of the discourses he had written, to be sent into exile as one who corrupted many by his teachings. Of the others he harassed no one and compelled no one to communicate with him, but allowed each to assemble in their own places and to hold the things of Christianity as each was able to understand them. The others he allowed to build houses of prayer outside the cities; but the Novatians, as sharing his faith, he ordered to hold their churches within the cities without fear, as I have said before. About these it seems timely to mention a few things, going back a little.
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates notes that the dissenting sects divided among themselves, and that Theodosius persecuted none of them except by exiling Eunomius.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.20 (PG 67:619–621; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-20
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-20) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
5.21PG 67:621–625
Τῆς ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει τῶν Ναυατιανῶν Ἐκκλησίας ἐπὶ ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα προέστη ᾿Αγέλιος, ἀπὸ τῶν Κωνσταντίνου χρόνων ἕως εἰς τὸ ἕκτον ἔτος τῆς βασιλείας Θεοδοσίου, ὡς που καὶ πρότερον ἐμνημόνευσα. Τελευτῶν δὲ, χειροτονεῖ εἰς τὸν τόπον ἑαυτοῦ Σισίννιον ἐπίσκοπον· ὃς πρεσβύτερος μὲν ἦν τῶν ὑπ᾿ αὐτῷ ταττομένων· ἐλλόγιμος δὲ ἄλλως, καὶ : ὑπὸ Μαξίμου τοῦ φιλοσόφου ἅμα Ἰουλιανῷ τῷ βασιλεῖ τὰ φιλόσοφα παιδευθείς. Τοῦ δὲ λαοῦ τῶν Ναυατιανῶν μεμψαμένου τὴν χειροτονίαν, ὅτι μὴ μᾶλλον Μαρκιανὸν ἐπ᾿ εὐλαβείᾳ ἐκπρέποντα ἐχειροτόνησε, δι' ὃν ἐπὶ Οὐάλεντος οἱ Ναυατιανοὶ ἀτάραχοι μεμενήκεσαν, ὁ ᾿Αγέλιος τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ παραμυθήσασθαι λύπην βουλόμενος, ἐπιχειροτονεῖ τὸν Μαρκιανόν. μικρὸν ῥαΐσας τῆς νόσου, πρόεισιν εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ προσεφώνει δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ εἰπών. Μαρκιανὸν μὲν, φησὶν, ἔχετε μετ' ἐμέ· μετὰ δὲ Μαρκιανὸν, Σισίννιον. Ταῦτα προειπὼν, καὶ μικρὸν ἐπιβιοὺς χρόνον, ἐτελεύτησε. Μαρκιανοῦ τοίνυν ἐπισκόπου τῶν Ναυατιανῶν καθεστῶτος, διηρέθη καὶ ἡ αὐτῶν Ἐκκλησία, ἐξ αἰτίας τοιαύτης· Σαββάτιος ἀπὸ Ἰουδαίων Χριστιανίσας, ὑπὸ Μαρκιανοῦ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου προβληθεὶς ἀξίαν, οὐδὲν ἦττον τῇ Ἰουδαϊκῇ προλήψει δουλεύειν ἐσπούδαζε· σὺν δὲ τούτῳ, καὶ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ὠρέγετο δράξασθαι. Προσλαβὼν οὖν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἑαυτοῦ συνίστορας δύο πρεσβυτέρους, Θεόκτιστον καὶ Μακάριον, τὴν καινοτομηθεῖσαν ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας Οὐάλεντος τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτὴν ἐν Πάζῳ κώμῃ τῆς Φρυγίας, ὥς μοι καὶ πρότερον εἴρηται, διεκδικεῖν ἐβουλεύετο. Καὶ πρότερον μὲν προκαλύμματι χρώμενος τῇ ἀσκήσει, τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὑπανεχώρει, λυπεῖσθαι λέγων πρός τινας · ὑπονοεῖν γὰρ αὐτοὺς μὴ ἀξίους εἶναι τῆς τῶν μυστηρίων κοινωνίας· προϊὼν δὲ καὶ φανερὸς ἐγίνετο κατ' ἰδίαν συνάγειν βουλόμενος. Ταῦτα γνοὺς ὁ Μαρκιανὸς, ἐμέμφετο μὲν τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ χειροτονίᾳ πλάνην, ὅτι οὕτω κενοδόξους ἀνθρώπους εἰς πρεσβυτέριον προηγάγετο· καὶ δυσφορῶν ἔλεγε, βέλτιον ἦν ἐπ᾿ ἀκάνθαις τεθεικέ ναι τὰς χεῖρας τὰς ἑαυτοῦ, ἢ ὅτε τοὺς περὶ Σαββάτιον εἰς τὸ πρεσβυτέριον προεβάλλετο. Παρασκευάζει δὲ σύνοδον Ναυατιανῶν ἐπισκόπων γενέσθαι ἐν ἀδιάφορον, ᾿Αγγάφῳ ἐμπόριον δὲ τοῦτο Βιθυνίᾳ, πλησίον τῆς Ἑλενουπόλεως κείμενον. Ἔνθα συναχθέντες, μεταπέμπονται πὸν Σαδύάτιον, προτιθέναι ἐπὶ τῆς συνόδου τὰς αἰτίας τῆς λύπης ἐκέλευον. Τοῦ δὲ τὴν διαφωνίαν τῆς ἑορτῆς αἰτίαν τῆς λύπης εἶναι λέγόντος" δεῖν γὰρ ἐπιτελεῖσθαι αὐτὴν ὡς Ἰουδαῖοι παρατηροῦσι, καὶ ὡς οἱ ἐν Πάζω συνελθόντες ἐτύπω" ὑπονοήσαντες οἱ τῆς συνόδου φιλοχαθεδρίας ἕνεκεν προφασίζεσθαι τὸν Σαθδάτιον, ὄρχῳ αὐτὸν χατασφαλίζονται, ὡς οὐδέ ποτε τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν καταδέξαιτο. Τοῦ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις ὁμόσαντος, ἐχφέρουσι χγανόνα περὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ Πάσχα, ὃν ἐκάλεσαν ἀδιάφορον" φήσαντες μὴ ἀξιόλογον εἶναι αἰτίαν πρὸς χωρισμὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τὴν διαφωνίαν τῆς ἑορτῆς μηδὲ μὴν τοὺς ἐν Πάζῳ συναχθέντας, πρόκριμα τῷ χαθολιχῷ κανόνι γενέσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἀρχαίους τοὺς ἐγγὺς τῶν ἀποστόλων, διαφωνοῦντας περὶ ταύτῆς τῆς ἑορτῆς, κοινωνεῖν τε ἀλλήλοις, καὶ μηδαμῶς διαφέρεαθαι. "Αλλως τε καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῇ βασιλευούῬώμῃ Ναυατιανοὺς μηδέ ποτε ἠχολουθηχέναι Ἰουδαίοις ἀλλὰ ποιοῦντας ἀεὶ μετ᾽ ἰσημερίαν τὸ Πάσχα, μὴ διακρίνεσθαι πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως, τοὺς μὴ τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον αὐτοῖς ἐπιτελοῦντας τὴν τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτήν. Ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα πολλὰ λογισάμενοι, ὁρίζουσι τὸν ἀδιάφορον, ὡς ἔφην, περὶ τοῦ Πάσχα κανόνα, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ τε μὲν κατὰ τὴν συνήθειαν ἣν προλήψεως ἔχει ποιεῖν τὸ Πάσχα, εἰ βούλοιτο" μὴ διαφέρεσθαι δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἀλλὰ τοὺς διαφόρως ἑορτάζοντας εἶναι πάλιν ἐν ὁμοτῆς Ἐκκλησίας. Τοῦ ὄρου τοίνυν τούτου περὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ Πάσχα παρ᾽ αὐτῶν τότε βεδαιωθέντος, 6 Σαθδάτιος τοῖς ὄρχοις δεθεὶς, εἴποτε διαπεφωνημένη ἐγένετο ἡ τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτὴ, αὐτὸς καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν λαμδάνων ἐνήστευε, καὶ νυχτερεύων, τὴν νενομισμένην τοῦ ἡμέραν ἐπετέλει τοῦ Πάσχα" καὶ πάλιν τῇ ἑξῆς ἅμα πᾶσι κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν συνήγετο, καὶ τῶν μυστηρίων μετελάμθανεν " ἐποίει τε τοῦτο ἐπὶ ἔτη πολλά· καὶ διατοῦτο λανθάνειν τοὺς πολλοὺς οὐκ ἠδύνατο. Διὸ καὶ τινες τῶν ἁπλουστέρων, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ ἐκ τῆς Φρυγίας καὶ Γαλατίας ὁρμώμενοι, νομίζοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐκ τούτου δικαιωθήσεσθαι, ἐζήλουν τε αὐτὸν, καὶ τὸ Πάσχα τὸν ἐκείνου τρόπον ἐπετέλουν λαθραίως. ᾿Αλλὰ Σαββάτιος ὑστέροις χρόνοις καὶ παρασυνῆξε καθ' ἑαυτὸν, μικρὰ τοῦ ὅρκου φροντίσας, καὶ τῶν ἀκολουθησάντων αὐτῷ κατέστη ἐπίσκοπος, ὡς προϊόντες δηλώσομεν.
Tēs en Kōnstantinou polei tōn Nauatianōn Ekklēsias epi etē tessarakonta proestē ᾿Agelios, apo tōn Kōnstantinou chronōn heōs eis to hekton etos tēs basileias Theodosiou, hōs pou kai proteron emnēmoneusa. Teleutōn de, cheirotonei eis ton topon heautou Sisinnion episkopon; hos presbyteros men ēn tōn hyp᾿ autǭ tattomenōn; ellogimos de allōs, kai : hypo Maximou tou philosophou hama Ioulianǭ tǭ basilei ta philosopha paideutheis. Tou de laou tōn Nauatianōn mempsamenou tēn cheirotonian, hoti mē mallon Markianon ep᾿ eulabeią ekpreponta echeirotonēse, di' hon epi Oualentos hoi Nauatianoi atarachoi memenēkesan, ho ᾿Agelios tēn tou laou paramythēsasthai lypēn boulomenos, epicheirotonei ton Markianon. mikron rhaïsas tēs nosou, proeisin eis tēn ekklēsian, kai prosephōnei di᾽ heautou eipōn. Markianon men, phēsin, echete met' eme; meta de Markianon, Sisinnion. Tauta proeipōn, kai mikron epibious chronon, eteleutēse. Markianou toinyn episkopou tōn Nauatianōn kathestōtos, diērethē kai hē autōn Ekklēsia, ex aitias toiautēs; Sabbatios apo Ioudaiōn Christianisas, hypo Markianou pros tēn tou presbyterou problētheis axian, ouden ētton tę̄ Ioudaïkę̄ prolēpsei douleuein espoudaze; syn de toutǭ, kai tēs episkopēs ōregeto draxasthai. Proslabōn oun tēs epithymias heautou synistoras dyo presbyterous, Theoktiston kai Makarion, tēn kainotomētheisan epi tēs basileias Oualentos tou Pascha heortēn en Pazǭ kōmę̄ tēs Phrygias, hōs moi kai proteron eirētai, diekdikein ebouleueto. Kai proteron men prokalymmati chrōmenos tę̄ askēsei, tēs ekklēsias hypanechōrei, lypeisthai legōn pros tinas ; hyponoein gar autous mē axious einai tēs tōn mystēriōn koinōnias; proïōn de kai phaneros egineto kat' idian synagein boulomenos. Tauta gnous ho Markianos, emempheto men tēn epi tę̄ cheirotonią planēn, hoti houtō kenodoxous anthrōpous eis presbyterion proēgageto; kai dysphorōn elege, beltion ēn ep᾿ akanthais tetheike nai tas cheiras tas heautou, ē hote tous peri Sabbation eis to presbyterion proeballeto. Paraskeuazei de synodon Nauatianōn episkopōn genesthai en adiaphoron, ᾿Angaphǭ emporion de touto Bithynią, plēsion tēs Helenoupoleōs keimenon. Entha synachthentes, metapempontai pon Sadyation, protithenai epi tēs synodou tas aitias tēs lypēs ekeleuon. Tou de tēn diaphōnian tēs heortēs aitian tēs lypēs einai legontos" dein gar epiteleisthai autēn hōs Ioudaioi paratērousi, kai hōs hoi en Pazō synelthontes etypō" hyponoēsantes hoi tēs synodou philochathedrias heneken prophasizesthai ton Sathdation, orchǭ auton chatasphalizontai, hōs oude pote tēn episkopēn katadexaito. Tou de epi toutois homosantos, echpherousi chganona peri tēs heortēs tou Pascha, hon ekalesan adiaphoron" phēsantes mē axiologon einai aitian pros chōrismon tēs Ekklēsias, tēn diaphōnian tēs heortēs mēde mēn tous en Pazǭ synachthentas, prokrima tǭ chatholichǭ kanoni genesthai. Kai gar tous archaious tous engys tōn apostolōn, diaphōnountas peri tautēs tēs heortēs, koinōnein te allēlois, kai mēdamōs diaphereathai. "Allōs te kai tous en tę̄ basileuouRhōmę̄ Nauatianous mēde pote ēcholouthēchenai Ioudaiois alla poiountas aei met᾽ isēmerian to Pascha, mē diakrinesthai pros tous oikeious tēs pisteōs, tous mē ton auton tropon autois epitelountas tēn tou Pascha heortēn. Tauta kai toiauta polla logisamenoi, horizousi ton adiaphoron, hōs ephēn, peri tou Pascha kanona, eph᾽ hǭ te men kata tēn synētheian hēn prolēpseōs echei poiein to Pascha, ei bouloito" mē diapheresthai de pros tēn alla tous diaphorōs heortazontas einai palin en homotēs Ekklēsias. Tou orou toinyn toutou peri tēs heortēs tou Pascha par᾽ autōn tote bedaiōthentos, 6 Sathdatios tois orchois detheis, eipote diapephōnēmenē egeneto hē tou Pascha heortē, autos kath᾽ heauton lamdanōn enēsteue, kai nychtereuōn, tēn nenomismenēn tou hēmeran epetelei tou Pascha" kai palin tę̄ hexēs hama pasi kata tēn ekklēsian synēgeto, kai tōn mystēriōn metelamthanen " epoiei te touto epi etē polla; kai diatouto lanthanein tous pollous ouk ēdynato. Dio kai tines tōn haplousterōn, kai malista hoi ek tēs Phrygias kai Galatias hormōmenoi, nomizontes heautous ek toutou dikaiōthēsesthai, ezēloun te auton, kai to Pascha ton ekeinou tropon epeteloun lathraiōs. ᾿Alla Sabbatios hysterois chronois kai parasynēxe kath' heauton, mikra tou horkou phrontisas, kai tōn akolouthēsantōn autǭ katestē episkopos, hōs proïontes dēlōsomen.
Agelius presided over the Novatian church in Constantinople for forty years, from the times of Constantine until the sixth year of the reign of Theodosius, as I have mentioned somewhere before. When dying, he ordained Sisinnius bishop in his place, who was a presbyter of those under him, a learned man besides, and taught philosophy by Maximus the philosopher together with the emperor Julian. When the Novatian people found fault with the ordination, because he had not rather ordained Marcian, who was distinguished for his piety and through whom the Novatians had remained untroubled under Valens, Agelius, wishing to console the people's grief, ordained Marcian too. Then, recovering a little from his illness, he went into the church and addressed them himself, saying: 'You have Marcian after me, and after Marcian, Sisinnius.' Having said this beforehand, and having lived a short time longer, he died. When Marcian had been made bishop of the Novatians, their church too was divided, for the following reason. Sabbatius, a convert to Christianity from the Jews, who had been advanced by Marcian to the rank of presbyter, was nonetheless eager to remain a slave to his Jewish preconception; and besides this he longed to seize the episcopate. So, taking two presbyters, Theoctistus and Macarius, as accomplices in his desire, he planned to champion the feast of Easter introduced as an innovation at the village of Pazus in Phrygia in the reign of Valens, as I said before. At first, using asceticism as a cloak, he withdrew from the church, saying to some that he was grieved, for he suspected that some were not worthy of communion in the mysteries; but as he went on, it became plain that he wished to hold assemblies of his own. When Marcian learned this, he blamed his own mistake in the ordination, that he had advanced such vainglorious men to the presbyterate, and in his vexation he said that it would have been better to have laid his hands on thorns than when he advanced Sabbatius and his friends to the presbyterate. He arranged for a synod of Novatian bishops to be held at Angarus, a market town in Bithynia lying near Helenopolis. Assembled there, they sent for Sabbatius and told him to set out before the synod the causes of his grief. When he said that the disagreement over the feast was the cause of his grief, for it ought to be celebrated as the Jews observe it and as those who met at Pazus had laid down, the members of the synod, suspecting that Sabbatius was making excuses out of love of the chief seat, bound him by an oath that he would never accept the episcopate. When he had sworn to this, they issued a canon about the feast of Easter which they called 'indifferent', saying that the disagreement over the feast was not a sufficient reason for separation from the church, and that those who met at Pazus had not set a precedent for the general canon. For the ancients too, close to the apostles, though they disagreed about this feast, communed with one another and were not at variance at all; and especially the Novatians in imperial Rome had never followed the Jews but always kept Easter after the equinox, yet did not separate from those of their own faith who did not keep the feast of Easter in the same way. Reasoning these and many such things, they defined, as I said, the 'indifferent' canon about Easter: that each might keep Easter according to the custom he held beforehand, if he wished, but that they should not be at variance with one another; rather, those who celebrate it differently should again be in the concord of the church. When this definition about the feast of Easter had been confirmed by them then, Sabbatius, bound by the oaths, whenever the feast of Easter fell on a different day, would take it upon himself to fast, keep vigil, and celebrate the customary day of Easter by himself; and then again on the next day he would assemble with everyone in the church and share in the mysteries. He did this for many years, and for this reason he could not escape the notice of many. So some of the simpler people, especially those from Phrygia and Galatia, thinking that they would be justified by this, imitated him and secretly celebrated Easter in his way. But Sabbatius in later times held his own separate assemblies, caring little for his oath, and became bishop of those who followed him, as we shall show further on.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Notes and citation
Summary: Agelius names Marcian and then Sisinnius as his successors; Sabbatius, a convert from Judaism, splits the Novatians over keeping Easter on the Jewish date, and a synod at Angarus declares the date a matter of indifference.
- Socrates writes of Sabbatius's 'Jewish preconception' about the Easter date; the phrase is his and is translated as written.
- Several words are lost in the scan near the end of the canon of Angarus ('with one another', 'concord'); translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray footnote numeral): σύνοδον 1 Ναυατιανῶν → σύνοδον Ναυατιανῶν.
Topics: Church office, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.21 (PG 67:621–625; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-21
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-21) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
5.22PG 67:625–645
Ὁ δὲ ἡμῖν ὑποπίπτει περὶ τοῦ Πάσχα, οὐκ ἄκαιρον, ὡς ἡγοῦμαι, διὰ βραχέων εἰπεῖν. Οὗ μοι δοκοῦσιν οὔτε οἱ πάλαι περὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς ταύτης εὐλόγως πεφιλονεικηκέναι, οὔτε οἱ νῦν Ἰουδαίοις ἐσπουδακότες ἀκολουθεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ εἰς νοῦν ἐβάλλοντο, ὅτι τοῦ Ἰουδαῖσμοῦ μετατιθεμένου εἰς Χριστιανισμὸν, τὰ ἀκριβή καὶ τυπικὰ τοῦ Μωσαϊκοῦ νόμου ἐπαύσατο · τοῦτο αὐτόθεν ἔχει τὴν οἰκείαν ἀπόδειξιν. Ἰουδαΐζειν γὰρ Χριστιανοῖς οὐδὲ εἷς τοῦ Χριστοῦ νόμος ἐπέτρεψεν. Ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου δὲ καὶ ὁ ᾿Απόστολος ἐκώλυσεν, οὐ μόνον τὴν περιτομὴν ἐκβάλλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ἑορτῶν μὴ διακρίνεσθαι παραινῶν. Διὸ Γαλάταις γράφων φησί · Λέγετέ μοι, οἱ ὑπὸ νόμον θέλοντες εἶναι, τὸν νόμον οὐκ ἀκούετε; καὶ βραχέα περὶ τούτου διαλεχθεὶς, δοῦλον μὲν δείκνυσι τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων λαόν· ἐπ᾿ ἐλευθερίᾳ δὲ κεκλῆσθαι τοὺς προσεληλυθότας Χριστῷ. Παρήνει δὲ καὶ μηδαμῶς παρατηρεῖσθαι ἡμέρας καὶ μῆνας καὶ ἐνιαυτούς. ᾿Αλλά καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κολασσεῖς ἱ· μεγάλῃ φησὶ τῇ φωνῇ, σκιὰν εἶναι τὰ παραφυλάγματα· Διὸ, φησί, μηδεὶς ὑμᾶς κρινέτω ἐν βρώσει, ἢ ἐν πόσει, ἢ ἐν μέρει ἑορτῆς, ἢ Νουμηνίας, ἢ Σαββάτου, ἅτινά ἐστι σκιά τοῦ μέλλοντος. Καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ἑβραίους δὲ, ὁ αὐτὸς ἐπισφραγιζόμενος τὰ τοιαῦτά φησι · Μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς Ερωσύνης, ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθε¹? Ει ". σὲς γίνεται. Οὐδαμοῦ τοίνυν ὁ ᾿Απόστολος, οὐδὲ τὰ Εὐαγγέλια, ζυγὸν δουλείας τοῖς τῷ κηρύγματι ελθοῦσιν ἐπέθηκαν" ἀλλὰ τὴν ἑορτὴν τοῦ Πάσχα τὰς ἄλλὰς ἑορτὰς τιμᾷν, τῇ εὐγνωμοσύνῃ τῶν εὐεργετηθέντων κατέλιπον. Ὅθεν ἐπειδὴ φιλοῦσι τὰς ἑορτὰς οἱ ἄνθρωποι, διὰ τὸ ἀνίεσθαι τῶν πόνων ἐν αὐταῖς, ἕκαστοι κατὰ χώρας, ὡς ἐβουλήθησαν, τὴν μνήμην τοῦ σωτηριώδους πάθους ἐξ ἔθους τινὸς ἐπετέλεσαν. Οὐ γὰρ νόμῳ τοῦτο παραφυλάττειν ὁ Σωτὴρ, ἣ οἱ [ἀπόστολοι ἡμῖν παρήγγειλαν " οὐδὲ καταδίκην τιμωρίαν ἣ χατάραν, ὡς ὁ Μωῦϊσέως νόμος τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ἡμῖν τὰ Εὐαγγέλια ἣ οἱ ἀπόστολοι διηπείλησαν ἱστορικῶς δὲ μόνον πρὸς διαβολὴν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι ἐμιαιφόνουν κατὰ τὰς ἑορτὰς, ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις καιρῷ τῶν ᾿Αζύμων “πεπονθέναι ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀναγέγραπται. Σχυπὸς μὲν οὖν γέγονε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις οὐ περὶ ἡμερῶν ἑορταστιχῶν νομοθετεῖν, ἀλλὰ βίον ὀρθὸν καὶ τὴν θεοσέθδειαν εἰσηγήσασθαι. Ἐμοὶ δὲ φαίνεται, ὅτι ὥσπερ ἄλλα πολλὰ κατὰ χώρας συνήθειαν ἔλαθεν, οὕτω ἡ τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτὴ παρ᾽ ἑκάστοις συνηθείας τινὸς ἰδιάζουσαν ἔσχε τὴν παρατήρησιν, διὰ τὸ μηδένα τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὡς ἔφην, μηδενὶ νενομοθετηχέναι περὶ αὐτῆς. Ὅτι δὲ ἐξ ἔθους μᾶλλον ἣ ἀπὸ νόμου παρ᾽ ἑκάστοις ἐξ ἀρχαίου τὴν παρατήρησιν ἔλαθεν, αὐτὰ τὰ πράγματα δεικνύει. Πλεῖστοι γὰρ περὶ τὴν μικρὰν ᾿Ασίαν ἐξ ἀρχαίου τὴν τεσσαρεσχαιδεχάτην ἐτήρησαν, τὴν τοῦ Σαββάτου ὑπεριδόντες ἡμέραν. Καὶ ποῦτο ποιοῦντες, πρὸς τοὺς ἑτέρως τὴν ἑορτὴν τοῦ. Πάσχα ἐπιτελοῦν τὰς οὐδέποτε διεφέροντο ἕως ὁ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐπίσκοπος Βίχτωρ ἄμετρα θερμανθεὶς, ἀχοινωνησίαν τοῖς ἐν τῇ ᾿Ασίᾳ Τεσσαρεσχαιδεκατίταις ἀπέστειλεν. Ἔφ᾽ ᾧ γενομένῳ Εἰρηναῖος ὁ Λουγδούνου τῆς ἐν Γαλλίᾳ ἐπίσκοπος, τοῦ Βίχτορος δι᾽ ἐπιστολῆς γενναίως ἐδραμεν, μεμψάμενος “μὲν αὐτοῦ τὴν θερμότητα, διδάξας δὲ, ὡς οἱ πάλαι διαπεφωνημένως ἐπιτελοῦντες τὴν τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτὴν, τῆς κοινωνίας οὐδαμῶς ἐχωρίζοντο. Καὶ ὅτι Πολύκαρπος ὁ τῆς Σμύρνης ἐπίσκοπος, ὃς ὕστερον ἐπὶ Γορδιανοῦ μαρτυρήσα:, ᾿Ανιχήτῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐκοινώνει, μηδὲν διαχρινόμενος περὶ ἑορτῆς πρὸς τὸν, αὐτὸς ἐξ ἐγχωρίου τῆς ἐν Σμύρνῃ συνηθείας τῇ τεσσαρεσχαιδεχάτῃ τὸ Πάσχα ἐπιτελῶν, ὡς ἐν τῇ πέμπτῃ τῆς Ἐχχλησιαστιχῇς Ἱστορίας Εὐσέδιος λέγει. Τινὲξς μὲν οὖν, ὡς ἔφην, κατὰ τὴν μικρὰν ᾿Ασίαν, τὴν τεσσαρεσχαιδεχάτὴν παρετήρουν " τινὲς δὲ περὶ τὰ ἀνατολικὰ μέ, τὸ μὲν τῆς ἑορτῆς ἑτήρουν, διεφώνουν δὲ περὶ τὸν μῆνα. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ Ἰουδαίοις, τὴν ἀχριδείαν μὴ σώζουσι, δεῖν ἕπεσθαι περὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἔλεγον " οἱ δὲ, μετ᾽ ἰσημερίαν ἐπετέλουν, τὸ συνεοῤτάζειν Ἰουδαίοις ἐκτρεπόμενοι - φάσχοντες ἀεὶ τοῦ ἡλίου ἐν χριῷ ὄντος χαθήχειν τὸ Πάσχα ἐπιτελεῖν, τῷ Ξανθιχῷ μὲν κατὰ ᾿Αντιοχέας μηνὶ, ᾿Απριλλίῳ δὲ κατὰ Ῥωμαίους καὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖν, πειθομένους, μὴ τοῖς νῦν κατὰ πάντα πεπλανημένοις Ἰουδαίοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀρχαίοις καὶ Ἰωσήπῳ 8, καθὰ ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ τῆς Ἰουδαϊχῇς ᾿Αρχαιολογίας φησίν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὗτοι μὲν οὕτως πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς διεφώνουν. Πάντες δὲ οἱ λοιποὶ, ἄχρι τῶν ἑσπερίων μερῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ ὠχεανοῦ, μετὰ ἰσημερίαν ἐξ ἀρχαίας τινὸς παραδόσεως τὸ Πάσχα ποιήσαντες εὑρίσκονται. Οὗτοι γὰρ πάντες τοῦτον ποιοῦντες τὸν τρόπον, οὐδέποτε πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς διεφώνησαν. Καὶ οὐχ ὥς τινες ἐπεθρύλλησαν, ἡ ἐπὶ Κωνσταντένονυ σύνοδος τὴν ἑορτὴν ταύτην παρέτρεψεν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ Κωνσταντῖνος τοῖς διαφωνοῦσι περὶ ταύτης τῆς ἑορτῆς γράφων, παρήῇνεσεν ὅπως ἂν αὐτοὶ ὀλίγοι ὄντες μιμῶνται τοὺς πλείονας. ᾿Αλλὰ τὴν μὲν ὅλην τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιστολὴν, ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ βιδλίῳ τῶν Εἰς τὸν Κωνστανπίνου εὑρήσεις. Τὸ δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ περὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ Πάσχα μέρος, τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον" «"Ἔστι τε τάξις εὐπρεπὴς, ἣν ἅπασαι αἱ τῶν δυτικῶν μεσημῦρινῶν ἀρκτῴων μερῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης παραφυλάττουσιν Ἐκκλησίαι, χαί τινες τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἑῴαν τόπων " οὗ ἕνεκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος καλῶς ἔχειν πάντες ἡγήσαντο, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ τῇ ὑμετέρᾳ ἀγχινοίᾳ ἀρέσειν ὑπεσχόμην " ἵν᾽ ὅπερ δ᾽ ἂν κατὰ τὴν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν, Ἰταλίαν τε ᾿Αφρικὴν, καὶ ἅπασαν Αἴγυπτον, Ἱσπανίας, Γαλλίας, Βρεττανίας, Λιδύας, ὅλην Ἑλλάδα, ᾿Ασιανῆν τε διοίκησιν καὶ Ποντικὴν, καὶ • Κιλικίαν, μιᾷ καὶ συμφώνῳ φυλάττηται γνωμῃ, ἀσμένως τοῦτο καὶ ἡ ὑμετέρα προσδέξηται σύνεσις· λογιζομένη μὴ μόνον ὡς πλείων ἐστὶ κατὰ τοὺς προειρημένους τόπους Ἐκκλησιῶν ἀριθμὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς τοῦτο μάλιστα κοινῇ πάντας ὁσιώτατόν ἐστι βούλεσθαι, ὅπερ καὶ ὁ ἀκριβὴς λόγος ἀπαιτεῖν δοκεῖ, καὶ οὐδεμίαν μετὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἐπιορκίας ἔχειν κοινωνίαν.» Τοιαύτη μὲν ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπιστολή· Τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατῖται δέ φασιν, ὑπὸ Ἰωάννου τοῦ ἀποστόλου τὴν παρατήρησιντῆς τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτης παραδεδόσθαι αὐτοῖς · οἱ δὲ κατὰ τὴν Ῥώμην καὶ τὰ ἑσπέρια μέρη, τοὺς ἀποστόλους Παῦλον καὶ Πέτρον τὴν ἐκεῖ παραδεδωκέναι συνήθειαν λέγουσιν. Αλλ' οὐδεὶς μὲν τούτων ἔγγραφον ἔχει παρασχεῖν τὴν περὶ τούτων ἀπόδειξιν. Ὅτι μέντοι ἐκ συνηθείας τινὸς μᾶλλον κατὰ χώρας ἐπιτελεῖται τοῦ Πάσχα᾿ ἑορτὴ, ἐκεῖθεν τεκμαίρομαι · Οὐδεμία τῶν θρησκειῶν τὰ αὐτὰ ἔθη φυλάττει, κἂν τὴν αὐτοῦ περὶ τούτων δόξαν ἀσπάζηται. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ τῆς αὐτῆς πίστεως ὄντες, διαφωνοῦσι περὶ τὰ ἔθη πρὸς ἑαυτούς. Διὸ μικρὰ περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἐθῶν παραθέσθαι οὐκ ἄκαιρον. Αὐτίκα τὰς πρὸ τοῦ Πάσχα νηστείας, ἄλλως παρ᾿ ἄλλοις φυλαττομένας ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐν Ῥώμῃ, τρεῖς πρὸ τοῦ Πάσχα ἑβδομάδας, πλὴν Σαββάτου Η καὶ Κυριακῆς, συνημ μένας νηστεύουσιν. Οἱ δὲ ἐν Ἰλλυριοῖς καὶ ὅλῃ τῇ Ἑλλάδι, καὶ οἱ ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ, πρὸ ἑβδομάδων ἓξ τὴν πρὸ τοῦ Πάσχα νηστείαν νηστεύουσι, Τεσσαρακοστὴν αὐτὴν ὀνομάζοντες. ῎Ἄλλοι δὲ παρά τούτους, ἄλλοι ἱ πρὸ ἑπτὰ τῆς ἑορτῆς ἑβδομάδων τῆς νηστείας ἀρχόμενοι, καὶ τρεῖς μόνας πενθημέρους ἐκ διαλειμμάτων νηστεύοντες, οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ αὐτοὶ Τεσσαρακοστὴν τὸν χρόνον τοῦτον καλοῦσι. Καὶ θαυμάσαι μοι ἔπεισι, πῶς οὗτοι περὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν διαφωνοῦντες, Τεσσαρακοστὴν αὐτὴν ὀνομάζουσι ⅰ. Καὶ ἄλλος ἄλλον λόγον τῆς ὀνομασίας εὑρεσιλογοῦντες ἀποδιδόασιν. Ἔσται δὲ εὑρεῖν οὐ μόνον περὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν διαφωνοῦντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀποχὴν τῶν ἐδεσμάτων οὐχ ὁμοίαν ποιουμένους. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ, πάντη ἐμψύχων ἀπέχονται · οἱ δὲ, τῶν ἐμψύχων ἰχθῦς μόνους μεταλαμβάνουσι. Τινὲς δὲ σὺν τοῖς ἰχθύσι, καὶ τῶν πτηνῶν ἀπογεύονται, ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ αὐτὰ κατὰ τὸν Μωῦ - σέα γεγενῆσθαι λέγοντες. Οἱ δὲ καὶ ἀκροδρύων καὶ ὠῶν ἀπέχονται. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ ξηροῦ ἄρτου μόνου μεταλαμβάνουσιν · ἄλλοι δὲ οὐδὲ τούτου. Ἕτεροι δὲ ἄχρις ἐννάτης ὥρας νηστεύοντες, διάφορον ἔχουσι τὴν ἐστίασιν. ῎Αλλως τε παρ' ἄλλοις φύλοις καὶ μυρίαι αἰτίαι οὖσαι τυγχάνουσι. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐδεὶς περὶ τούτου ἔγγραφον ἔχει δεῖξαι παράγγελμα, δῆλον ὡς καὶ περὶ τούτου τῇ ἑκάστου γνώμῃ καὶ προαιρέσει ἐπέτρεψαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ἵνα ἕκαστος μὴ φόβῳ, μηδὲ ἐξ ἀνάγκης τὸ ἀγαθὸν κατεργάζοιτο. Τοιαύτη μὲν περὶ νηστειῶν διαφωνία κατὰ τὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἐστί, Περὶ δὲ συνάξεων, ἕτερα τοιαῦτα. Τῶν πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης Ἐκκλησιῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ | βάτων, κατὰ πᾶσαν ἑδδομάδος περίοδον ἐπιτελουσῶν | τὰ μυστήρια, οἱ ἐν ᾿Αλλεξανδρείᾳ οἱ ἐν Ῥώμῃ, ἔκ τινος ἀρχαίας παραδόσεως τοῦτο ποιεῖν παρῃτήσαντο. Αἰγύπτιοι δὲ γείτονες ὄντες ᾿Αλεξανδρέων, καὶ οἱ τὴν Θηθαῖΐδα οἰκοῦντες, ἐν Σαββάτῳ μὲν ποιοῦνται συνἀξεις" οὐχ ὡς ἔθος δὲ Χριστιανοῖς, τῶν μυστηρίων μεταλαμβάνουσι. Μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εὐωχηθῆναι, καὶ παντοίων ἐδεσμάτων ἐμφορηθῆναι, περὶ ἑσπέραν φέροντες, τῶν μυστηρίων μεταλαμθάνουσιν. Αὖθις δὲ ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ, τῇ τετράδι Καὶ τῇ "λεγομένῃ Παρασχευῇ Γραφαί τε ἀναγινώσχονται, καὶ οἱ διδάσχαγοι ταύτας ἑρμηνεύουσι, πάντα τε τὰ συνάξεως γίνεται, δίχα τῆς τῶν μυστηρίων τελετῆς. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ ἔθος ἀρχαῖον. γὰρ Ὠριγένης τὰ πολλὰ ἐν ταύταις ταῖς ἡμέραις φαίνεται ἐπὶ τῆς Ἐν. κλησίας διδάξας. “Ὅστις σοφὸς ὧν διδάσκαλος, κατιδὼν ὅτι τὸ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμον ! Μωῦσέως ἀσθενεῖ πρὸς τὸ γράμμα ἀποδοθῆναι, τὸν περὶ τοῦ Πάσχα λόγην εἰς θεωρίαν ἀνήγαγεν, ἕν Πάσχα μόνον ἀληθινὸν γεγενῆσθαι λέγων, ὅπερ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐπετέλεσεν, γήσας κατὰ τῶν “ἀντιχειμένων δυνάμεων, διὰ τοῦ προσομιλῆσαι τῷ σταυρῷ, τροπαίῳ τούτῳ κατὰ τοῦ διαδόλου χρησάμενος. Ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ δὲ ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ ἀναγνῶσται καὶ ὑποδολεῖς ἀδιάφορον, εἴτε χατηχούμενοί είσιν, εἴτε πιστοί· τῶν πανταχοῦ Ἐκκλησιῶν Α' πιστοὺς εἰς τὸ τάγμα τοῦτο προβαλλομένων. Ἔγνων δὲ ἐγὼ καὶ ἕτερον ἔθος ἐν Θεσσαλίᾳ, γενόμενος κληρικός ἐκεῖ΄· ὧν νόμῳ γαμήσας πρὶν κληρικὸς γένηται, μετὰ τὸ κληρικὸς γενέσθαι συγκαθευδήσας αὐτῇ, ἀποκήρυκτος γίνεται τῶν ἐν ᾿Ανατολῇ πάντων γνώμῃ ἀπεχομένων, καὶ τῶν ἐπισκόπων, εἰ καὶ βούλοιντο, οὐ μὴν ἀνάγκῃ νόμου τοῦτο ποιούντων. Πολλοὶ γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς καὶ παῖδας ἐκ τῆς νομίμης γαμετῆς πεποιήκασιν. Ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὲν ἐν Θεσσαλίᾳ ἔθους ἀρχηγὸς Ηλιόδωρος η, Τρίκκης τῆς ἐκεῖ γενόμενος, οὗ λέγεται πονήματα ἐρωτικά βιβλία, ἃ νέος ὢν ἔταξε, καὶ Αἰθιοπικά προσηγόρευσε. Φυλάσσεται καὶ Ἑλλάδι. Καὶ ἄλλο δὲ ἔθος ἐν Θεσσαλίᾳ οἶδα γινόμενον· Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ Πάσχα μόνον βαπτίζουσι. Διὸ σφόδρα πλὴν ὀλίγων, οἱ λοιποὶ μὴ βαπτισθέντες ἀποθνήσκουσιν. Ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ δὲ τῆς Συρίας ἡ Ἐκκλησία ἀντίστροφον ἔχει τὴν θέσιν.. Οὐ γὰρ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς τὸ θυσιαστήριον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς δύσιν ὁρᾷ π· ἐν Ἑλλάδι δὲ, καὶ Ἱεροσολύμοις, καὶ Θεσσαλίᾳ, τὰς ἐν ταῖς λυχναψίαις εὐχὰς παραπλησίως τοῖς ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει Ναυατιανοῖς ποιοῦνται. Ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἐν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Καππαδοκίας καὶ ἐν Κύπρῳ, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ Σαββάτου καὶ Κυριακῆς, ἀεὶ περὶ ἑσπέραν μετὰ τῆς λυχναψίας ο, οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ ἐπίσκοποι τὰς Γραφὰς ἑρμηνεύουσιν. Οἱ ἐν Ἑλδὲ τοῦτο τὸ ἔθος ἐν Θεσσαλονίκῃ, καὶ αὐτῇ Μακεδολησπόντῳ Ναυατιανοὶ οὐχ ὁμοίως κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει ποιοῦνται τὰς εὐχάς. Παραπλησίως δὲ παραπολλὰ τῇ κρατούσῃ Ἐκκλησίᾳ. Καθόλου μέντοι πανταχοῦ καὶ παρὰ πάσαις θρησκείαις, τῶν εὐχῶν οὐκ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν συμφωνούσας ἀλλήλαις δύο ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό. Πρεσβύτερος ἐν ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳ οὐ προσομιλεῖ Ρ· καὶ τοῦτο ἀρχὴν ἔλαβεν, ἀφ᾿ οὗ "Αρειος τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐτάραξεν. Ἐν Ῥώμῃ πᾶν Σάββατον νηστεύουσιν. Ἐν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Καππαδοκιας τοὺς μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ἡμαρτηκότας ἐξωθοῦσι τῆς κοινωνίας, ὡς οἱ Ναυατιανοί. Τὸ αὐτὸ δὲ καὶ Μακεδονιανοὶ ἐν Ἑλλησπόντῳ ποιοῦσι, καὶ οἱ ἐν Ἀσίᾳ Τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατίται. Οἱ Ναυατιανοὶ οἱ περὶ Φρυγίαν, διγάμους οὐ δέχονται. Οἱ δὲ ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει, οὔτε φανερῶς δέχονται, οὔτε φανερῶς ἐκβάλλουσι. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς ἐσπερίοις μέρεσι φανερῶς δέχονται. Αἴτιοι γὰρ, ὡς ἡγοῦμαι, τῆς τοιαύτης διαφωνίας οἱ κατὰ καιρὸν τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν προεστῶτες. Οἱ δὲ ταῦτα παραλαβόντες, ὡς νόμον τοῖς ἐπιγινομένοις παρέπεμψαν. Πάντα δὲ τὰ ἐν ταῖς : Ἐκκλησίαις ἔθη κατὰ πόλεις καὶ χώρας γενόμενα ἐγγράφειν, ἐργῶδες, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀδύνατον. Ἱκανὰ μέντοι καὶ τὰ παρατεθέντα πρὸς ἀπόδειξιν, τοῦ τὴν ἑορτὴν τοῦ Πάσχα ἐκ συνηθείας τινὸς κατὰ χώρας διάφορον ἐσχηκέναι τιμήν. Διὸ περιττολογοῦσιν οἱ τὴν ἐν Νικαίᾳ σύνοδον παρατρέψαι τὸ Πάσχα ἐπιθρυλλή- 298 σαντες. Οἱ γὰρ ἐκεῖσε συνελθόντες, τοὺς λαοὺς εἰς συμφωνίαν ἄγειν ἐσπούδασαν πρὸς τοὺς πολλῷ πλείονας διαφωνοῦντας τὸ πρότερον. Ὅτι δὲ εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν χρόνων πολλαὶ διαφωνίαι διὰ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐγίνοντο, οὐδὲ αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀποστόλους διέλαθεν, ὡς μαρτυρεῖ ἡ βίβλος τῶν Πράξεων. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι ταραχὴν ἐκ τῆς διαφωνίας τῶν ἐθνῶν κινουμένην τοῖς πιστεύουσι, πάντες ἄμα γενόμενοι θεῖον νόμον ἐθέσπισαν, ἐν τύπῳ ἐπιστολῆς καταγράψαντες · δι' οὗ τῆς βαρυτάτης μὲν περὶ τῶν τοιούτων δουλείας τε καὶ ἐρεσχελίας τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἠλευθέρωσαν · ὑποτύπωσιν δὲ ἀσφαλῆ τῆς ὀρθῆς πολιτείας, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀληθῆ θεοσέβειαν ἄγουσαν ἐδίδαξαν, μόνα ὅσα ἀναγκαίως δεῖ φυλάττειν μηνύσαντες. ᾿Αλλ᾿ ἡ μὲν Ἐπιστολὴ ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἀποστόλων Πράξεσιν ἀναγέγραπται. Οὐδὲν δὲ κωλύει καὶ ἐνταῦθα προσκεῖσθαι· Οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ, τοῖς κατὰ ᾿Αντιόχειαν καὶ Συρίαν καὶ Κιλικίαν ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν, χαίρειν. Ἐπειδὴ ἠκούσαμεν, ὅτι τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξελθόντες ἐτάραξαν ὑμᾶς λόγοις, ἀνασκευάζοντες τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, λέγοντες περιτέμνεσθαι, καὶ τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον, οἷς οὐ διεστειλάμεθα· ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν γενομένοις ὁμοθυμαδὸν, ἐκλεξαμένους ἄνδρας πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, σὺν τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς ἡμῶν Βαρνάβᾳ τε καὶ Παύλῳ, ἀνθρώποις παραδεδωκόσι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου ) ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἀπεστάλκαμεν οὖν Ἰούδαν καὶ Σύλαν, καὶ αὐτοὺς διὰ λόγου ἀπαγγέλεἰ ταῦτα. "Εδοξε γὰρ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι ἡμῖν, μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιτίθεσθαι βάρος, πλὴν τῶν ἐπάναγκες τούτων " ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδω.οθύτων, καὶ αἵματος, καὶ πγικτῶν, καὶ πορνείας" ἐξ ὧν διατηροῦγτες ἑαυτοὺς, εὖ πράξετε. "Εῤῥωσθε. Ταῦτα μὲν ἔδοξε τῷ Θεῷ" τοῦτο γάρ φησιν ἡ Ἐπιστολὴ, ὅτι "Εδοξε τῷ ἀγίῳ Πνεύματι, μηδὲν ἐπιτίθεσθαι ὑμῖν βάρος, πιιὴν τῶν ἐπάναγκες ὀφειλόντων φυλάττεσθαι. Τινὲς δὲ τούτων ἀμέλήσαντες, ἀδιάφορον μὲν πᾶσαν πηρνείαν ἡγοῦνται " περὶ δὲ ἡμερῶν ἑορτῆς, ὡς περὶ ψυχῆς ἀγωνίζονται" ἀντιστρέψαντες μὲν τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ παραγγέλματα, καὶ νομοθετοῦντες ἑαυτοῖς, παρ᾽ οὐδὲν δὲ τὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων νομοθεσίαν τιθέμενοι " λανθάνοντες ἑαντοὺς, ὅτι ἐναντία οἷς τῷ Θεῷ ἔδοξε, πράττουσι. Δυνατὸν μὲν οὖν τὸν περὶ τοῦ Πάσχα λόγον ἔτι πλέον ἐχτεῖναι, καὶ δεῖξαι ὡς οὐδὲ Ἰουδαῖοι τῶν περὶ τοῦ Πάσχα χρόνων τὴν ἀκρίβειαν ἢ τύπον φυλάττουσιν " ὅπως τε Σαμαρεῖς, ἀπόσχισμα ὄντες Ἰουδαίων, ἀεὶ μετ᾽ ἰσημερίαν τὴν ἑορτὴν ταύτην ἐπιτελοῦσιν. ᾿Αλλὰ ἡ τοιαύτη ὑπόθεσις, ἰδιαζούσης χρήζει καὶ μαχροτέρας ἐκθέσεως. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ μόνον φημὶ, ὅτι οἱ φιλοῦντες Ἰουδαίοις ἀκολουθεῖν, περὶ τοὺς τύπους ἀκριβολογούμενοι, οὐδενὶ τρόπιμ τούτων ἐχπίπτειν ὀφείλουσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ὅλως ἀχριθολογεῖσθαι προΐήρηνται, οὐχ ὀφείλουσιν ἡμέρας μόνον μῆνας παρατηρεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα ὁ Χριστὸς ὑπὸ νόμον γενόμενος, Ἰουδαϊκῶς ἔπραττεν, 7| ὑπέμεινεν ὑπὸ ᾿Ιουδαίων ἀδιχούμενος, ἢ εὐεργετῶν τοὺς πάντας τυπιχῶς χατειργάζετο. Ἐν πλοίῳ εἰσελθὼν ἐδίδασκεν " εἰς ἀνώγεον οἴκημα τὸ Πάσχα εὐτρεπισθῆναι ἐχόλευσεν " ὄνον δεδεμένην λυθῆναι προσέταττεν" τὸν βαστάζοντα χεράμιον ὕδατος σημεῖον ἐδίδου τοῖς εἰς τὸ Πάσχα σπουδάζουσι" καὶ ἄλλα ὅσα μυρία ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις γέγραπται. Καὶ τούτων οὐδὲν σωυματιχῶς παραφυλάττειν σπουδάζουσιν, οἱ διὰ ἑορτὴν δικαιωθῆναι νομίζοντες. Οὐ γάρ τις τῶν διδασχάλων ἐχ πλοίον ποτὲ τὴν διδασκαλίαν πεποίηται" οὐχ εἰς ἀνώγεόν τις οἴκημα παντὸς τελέσαι τὸ Πάσχα ἐσπούδασεν " οὐχ ὄνον δεδεμένην δήσαντες αὖθις ἐπέλυσαν" οὐ χεράμιον ὕδατος βαστάσαι τινὶ ἐπέτρεψαν, ἵνα τὰ σύμβολα πληρωθῇ. Ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, Ἰουδαϊχὰ μᾶλλον ἡγήσαντο. Ἰουδαῖοι γὰρ τὰ συμθαίνοντα ἐν τοῖς σώμασι μᾶλλον, 7 ταῖς ψυχαῖς σώζειν σπουυδάζουσι. Διὸ ἔνοχοι τῇ κατάρᾳ γίνονται, ὅτι τὸν νόμον Μωῦσέως ἐν τύποις, οὐ μὴν πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἐκλαμθάνουσιν. Οἱ δὲ φίλοι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ταῦτα μὲν εἰς θεωρίαν ἄγουσι 4" περὶ δὲ ἡμερῶν μηνῶν ἄσπονδον αἱροῦνται λεμον, τὴν περὶ τούτων θεωρίαν πατήσαντες " ἐξ ἀνάγκης αὐτοὺς κατὰ τοῦτο τὸ μέρος ὅμοια Ἰουδαίοις χαταδιχάζεσθαι, τὴν τῆς κατάρας Ψῇφον αὐτοῖς ἐπιφέροντας. ᾿Αλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτων ἐξαρχεῖν ἡγοῦμαι. Ἐπαναδράμωμεν δὲ εἰς τὸ προχείμεοὗ μικρὸν ἔμπροσθεν πεποιήμεθα μνήμην ὡς ἡ διαιρεθεῖσα, οὐχ ἐνέμεινε τῇ γενομένῃ πρώτῃ διαιρέσει" καὶ ὡς οἱ διαιρεθέντες ἑαυτῶν πάλιν ἐχώρουν " μικρᾶς τε εὐτελοὺς προφάσεως λαμιθανόμενοι, ἀλλήλων διεχωρίζοντο. Νανατιανοὶ μὲν οὖν, ὡς ἔφην, διὰ τὴν τοῦ Πάσχα ἑορτὴν διηρέθησαν, καὶ περὶ τούτου οὐ μίαν μόνην διαίρεσιν ἔχουσιν " ἄλλοι! γὰρ ἄλλως κατὰ ἐπαρχίας, οὐ μόνον περὶ μηνὸς, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ περὶ ἑβδομάδος ἡμερῶν, περὶ ἑτέρων εὐτελῶν διαφερόμενοι, πὴ μὲν διαχρίνονται, πὴ δὲ καὶ ἐπιμίγνυνται. ἡ :
Ho de hēmin hypopiptei peri tou Pascha, ouk akairon, hōs hēgoumai, dia bracheōn eipein. Hou moi dokousin oute hoi palai peri tēs heortēs tautēs eulogōs pephiloneikēkenai, oute hoi nyn Ioudaiois espoudakotes akolouthein. Ou gar eis noun eballonto, hoti tou Ioudaismou metatithemenou eis Christianismon, ta akribē kai typika tou Mōsaïkou nomou epausato ; touto autothen echei tēn oikeian apodeixin. Ioudaïzein gar Christianois oude heis tou Christou nomos epetrepsen. Ek tou enantiou de kai ho ᾿Apostolos ekōlysen, ou monon tēn peritomēn ekballōn, alla kai peri heortōn mē diakrinesthai parainōn. Dio Galatais graphōn phēsi ; Legete moi, hoi hypo nomon thelontes einai, ton nomon ouk akouete? kai brachea peri toutou dialechtheis, doulon men deiknysi ton tōn Ioudaiōn laon; ep᾿ eleutherią de keklēsthai tous proselēlythotas Christǭ. Parēnei de kai mēdamōs paratēreisthai hēmeras kai mēnas kai eniautous. ᾿Alla kai en tę̄ pros Kolasseis hi; megalę̄ phēsi tę̄ phōnę̄, skian einai ta paraphylagmata; Dio, phēsi, mēdeis hymas krinetō en brōsei, ē en posei, ē en merei heortēs, ē Noumēnias, ē Sabbatou, hatina esti skia tou mellontos. Kai en tę̄ pros Hebraious de, ho autos episphragizomenos ta toiauta phēsi ; Metatithemenēs gar tēs Erōsynēs, ex anankēs kai nomou metathe¹? Ei ". ses ginetai. Oudamou toinyn ho ᾿Apostolos, oude ta Euangelia, zygon douleias tois tǭ kērygmati elthousin epethēkan" alla tēn heortēn tou Pascha tas allas heortas timąn, tę̄ eugnōmosynę̄ tōn euergetēthentōn katelipon. Hothen epeidē philousi tas heortas hoi anthrōpoi, dia to aniesthai tōn ponōn en autais, hekastoi kata chōras, hōs eboulēthēsan, tēn mnēmēn tou sōtēriōdous pathous ex ethous tinos epetelesan. Ou gar nomǭ touto paraphylattein ho Sōtēr, hē hoi [apostoloi hēmin parēngeilan " oude katadikēn timōrian hē chataran, hōs ho Mōyïseōs nomos tois Ioudaiois, hēmin ta Euangelia hē hoi apostoloi diēpeilēsan historikōs de monon pros diabolēn Ioudaiōn, hoti emiaiphonoun kata tas heortas, en tois Euangeliois kairǭ tōn ᾿Azymōn “peponthenai ho Sōtēr anagegraptai. Schypos men oun gegone tois apostolois ou peri hēmerōn heortastichōn nomothetein, alla bion orthon kai tēn theosethdeian eisēgēsasthai. Emoi de phainetai, hoti hōsper alla polla kata chōras synētheian elathen, houtō hē tou Pascha heortē par᾽ hekastois synētheias tinos idiazousan esche tēn paratērēsin, dia to mēdena tōn apostolōn, hōs ephēn, mēdeni nenomothetēchenai peri autēs. Hoti de ex ethous mallon hē apo nomou par᾽ hekastois ex archaiou tēn paratērēsin elathen, auta ta pragmata deiknyei. Pleistoi gar peri tēn mikran ᾿Asian ex archaiou tēn tessareschaidechatēn etērēsan, tēn tou Sabbatou hyperidontes hēmeran. Kai pouto poiountes, pros tous heterōs tēn heortēn tou. Pascha epiteloun tas oudepote diepheronto heōs ho tēs Rhōmēs episkopos Bichtōr ametra thermantheis, achoinōnēsian tois en tę̄ ᾿Asią Tessareschaidekatitais apesteilen. Eph᾽ hǭ genomenǭ Eirēnaios ho Lougdounou tēs en Gallią episkopos, tou Bichtoros di᾽ epistolēs gennaiōs edramen, mempsamenos “men autou tēn thermotēta, didaxas de, hōs hoi palai diapephōnēmenōs epitelountes tēn tou Pascha heortēn, tēs koinōnias oudamōs echōrizonto. Kai hoti Polykarpos ho tēs Smyrnēs episkopos, hos hysteron epi Gordianou martyrēsa:, ᾿Anichētǭ tǭ episkopǭ tēs Rhōmēs ekoinōnei, mēden diachrinomenos peri heortēs pros ton, autos ex enchōriou tēs en Smyrnę̄ synētheias tę̄ tessareschaidechatę̄ to Pascha epitelōn, hōs en tę̄ pemptę̄ tēs Echchlēsiastichę̄s Historias Eusedios legei. Tinexs men oun, hōs ephēn, kata tēn mikran ᾿Asian, tēn tessareschaidechatēn paretēroun " tines de peri ta anatolika me, to men tēs heortēs hetēroun, diephōnoun de peri ton mēna. Hoi men gar Ioudaiois, tēn achrideian mē sōzousi, dein hepesthai peri tēs heortēs elegon " hoi de, met᾽ isēmerian epeteloun, to syneortazein Ioudaiois ektrepomenoi - phaschontes aei tou hēliou en chriǭ ontos chathēchein to Pascha epitelein, tǭ Xanthichǭ men kata ᾿Antiocheas mēni, ᾿Aprilliǭ de kata Rhōmaious kai touto poiein, peithomenous, mē tois nyn kata panta peplanēmenois Ioudaiois, alla tois archaiois kai Iōsēpǭ 8, katha ekeinos en tę̄ tritę̄ tēs Ioudaïchę̄s ᾿Archaiologias phēsin. ᾿All᾽ houtoi men houtōs pros heautous diephōnoun. Pantes de hoi loipoi, achri tōn hesperiōn merōn kai autou ōcheanou, meta isēmerian ex archaias tinos paradoseōs to Pascha poiēsantes heuriskontai. Houtoi gar pantes touton poiountes ton tropon, oudepote pros heautous diephōnēsan. Kai ouch hōs tines epethryllēsan, hē epi Kōnstantenony synodos tēn heortēn tautēn paretrepsen. Autos gar Kōnstantinos tois diaphōnousi peri tautēs tēs heortēs graphōn, parēę̄nesen hopōs an autoi oligoi ontes mimōntai tous pleionas. ᾿Alla tēn men holēn tou basileōs epistolēn, en tǭ tritǭ bidliǭ tōn Eis ton Kōnstanpinou heurēseis. To de en autę̄ peri tēs heortēs tou Pascha meros, touton echei ton tropon" «"Esti te taxis euprepēs, hēn hapasai hai tōn dytikōn mesēmyrinōn arktǭōn merōn tēs oikoumenēs paraphylattousin Ekklēsiai, chai tines tōn kata tēn heǭan topōn " hou heneken epi tou parontos kalōs echein pantes hēgēsanto, kai autos de tę̄ hymeterą anchinoią aresein hypeschomēn " hin᾽ hoper d᾽ an kata tēn Rhōmaiōn polin, Italian te ᾿Aphrikēn, kai hapasan Aigypton, Hispanias, Gallias, Brettanias, Lidyas, holēn Hellada, ᾿Asianēn te dioikēsin kai Pontikēn, kai • Kilikian, mią kai symphōnǭ phylattētai gnōmę̄, asmenōs touto kai hē hymetera prosdexētai synesis; logizomenē mē monon hōs pleiōn esti kata tous proeirēmenous topous Ekklēsiōn arithmos, alla kai hōs touto malista koinę̄ pantas hosiōtaton esti boulesthai, hoper kai ho akribēs logos apaitein dokei, kai oudemian meta tēs Ioudaiōn epiorkias echein koinōnian.» Toiautē men hē tou basileōs epistolē; Tessareskaidekatitai de phasin, hypo Iōannou tou apostolou tēn paratērēsintēs tessareskaidekatēs paradedosthai autois ; hoi de kata tēn Rhōmēn kai ta hesperia merē, tous apostolous Paulon kai Petron tēn ekei paradedōkenai synētheian legousin. All' oudeis men toutōn engraphon echei paraschein tēn peri toutōn apodeixin. Hoti mentoi ek synētheias tinos mallon kata chōras epiteleitai tou Pascha᾿ heortē, ekeithen tekmairomai ; Oudemia tōn thrēskeiōn ta auta ethē phylattei, kan tēn autou peri toutōn doxan aspazētai. Kai gar hoi tēs autēs pisteōs ontes, diaphōnousi peri ta ethē pros heautous. Dio mikra peri tōn kata tas Ekklēsias ethōn parathesthai ouk akairon. Autika tas pro tou Pascha nēsteias, allōs par᾿ allois phylattomenas estin heurein. Hoi men gar en Rhōmę̄, treis pro tou Pascha hebdomadas, plēn Sabbatou Ē kai Kyriakēs, synēm menas nēsteuousin. Hoi de en Illyriois kai holę̄ tę̄ Helladi, kai hoi en ᾿Alexandreią, pro hebdomadōn hex tēn pro tou Pascha nēsteian nēsteuousi, Tessarakostēn autēn onomazontes. ᾿Alloi de para toutous, alloi hi pro hepta tēs heortēs hebdomadōn tēs nēsteias archomenoi, kai treis monas penthēmerous ek dialeimmatōn nēsteuontes, ouden hētton kai autoi Tessarakostēn ton chronon touton kalousi. Kai thaumasai moi epeisi, pōs houtoi peri ton arithmon tōn hēmerōn diaphōnountes, Tessarakostēn autēn onomazousi ⅰ. Kai allos allon logon tēs onomasias heuresilogountes apodidoasin. Estai de heurein ou monon peri ton arithmon tōn hēmerōn diaphōnountas, alla kai tēn apochēn tōn edesmatōn ouch homoian poioumenous. Hoi men gar, pantē empsychōn apechontai ; hoi de, tōn empsychōn ichthys monous metalambanousi. Tines de syn tois ichthysi, kai tōn ptēnōn apogeuontai, ex hydatos kai auta kata ton Mōy - sea gegenēsthai legontes. Hoi de kai akrodryōn kai ōōn apechontai. Tines de kai xērou artou monou metalambanousin ; alloi de oude toutou. Heteroi de achris ennatēs hōras nēsteuontes, diaphoron echousi tēn estiasin. ᾿Allōs te par' allois phylois kai myriai aitiai ousai tynchanousi. Kai epeidē oudeis peri toutou engraphon echei deixai parangelma, dēlon hōs kai peri toutou tę̄ hekastou gnōmę̄ kai proairesei epetrepsan hoi apostoloi, hina hekastos mē phobǭ, mēde ex anankēs to agathon katergazoito. Toiautē men peri nēsteiōn diaphōnia kata tas Ekklēsias esti, Peri de synaxeōn, hetera toiauta. Tōn pantachou tēs oikoumenēs Ekklēsiōn en hēmerą | batōn, kata pasan heddomados periodon epitelousōn | ta mystēria, hoi en ᾿Allexandreią hoi en Rhōmę̄, ek tinos archaias paradoseōs touto poiein parę̄tēsanto. Aigyptioi de geitones ontes ᾿Alexandreōn, kai hoi tēn Thēthaiïda oikountes, en Sabbatǭ men poiountai synaxeis" ouch hōs ethos de Christianois, tōn mystēriōn metalambanousi. Meta gar to euōchēthēnai, kai pantoiōn edesmatōn emphorēthēnai, peri hesperan pherontes, tōn mystēriōn metalamthanousin. Authis de en ᾿Alexandreią, tę̄ tetradi Kai tę̄ "legomenę̄ Parascheuę̄ Graphai te anaginōschontai, kai hoi didaschagoi tautas hermēneuousi, panta te ta synaxeōs ginetai, dicha tēs tōn mystēriōn teletēs. Kai touto estin en ᾿Alexandreią ethos archaion. gar Ōrigenēs ta polla en tautais tais hēmerais phainetai epi tēs En. klēsias didaxas. “Hostis sophos hōn didaskalos, katidōn hoti to adynaton tou nomon ! Mōyseōs asthenei pros to gramma apodothēnai, ton peri tou Pascha logēn eis theōrian anēgagen, hen Pascha monon alēthinon gegenēsthai legōn, hoper ho Sōtēr epetelesen, gēsas kata tōn “anticheimenōn dynameōn, dia tou prosomilēsai tǭ staurǭ, tropaiǭ toutǭ kata tou diadolou chrēsamenos. En tę̄ autę̄ de ᾿Alexandreią anagnōstai kai hypodoleis adiaphoron, eite chatēchoumenoi eisin, eite pistoi; tōn pantachou Ekklēsiōn A' pistous eis to tagma touto proballomenōn. Egnōn de egō kai heteron ethos en Thessalią, genomenos klērikos ekei΄; hōn nomǭ gamēsas prin klērikos genētai, meta to klērikos genesthai synkatheudēsas autę̄, apokēryktos ginetai tōn en ᾿Anatolę̄ pantōn gnōmę̄ apechomenōn, kai tōn episkopōn, ei kai boulointo, ou mēn anankę̄ nomou touto poiountōn. Polloi gar autōn en tǭ kairǭ tēs episkopēs kai paidas ek tēs nomimēs gametēs pepoiēkasin. Alla tou men en Thessalią ethous archēgos Ēliodōros ē, Trikkēs tēs ekei genomenos, hou legetai ponēmata erōtika biblia, ha neos ōn etaxe, kai Aithiopika prosēgoreuse. Phylassetai kai Helladi. Kai allo de ethos en Thessalią oida ginomenon; En tais hēmerais tou Pascha monon baptizousi. Dio sphodra plēn oligōn, hoi loipoi mē baptisthentes apothnēskousin. En ᾿Antiocheią de tēs Syrias hē Ekklēsia antistrophon echei tēn thesin.. Ou gar pros anatolas to thysiastērion, alla pros dysin horą p; en Helladi de, kai Hierosolymois, kai Thessalią, tas en tais lychnapsiais euchas paraplēsiōs tois en Kōnstantinou polei Nauatianois poiountai. Homoiōs de kai en Kaisareią tēs Kappadokias kai en Kyprǭ, en hēmerą Sabbatou kai Kyriakēs, aei peri hesperan meta tēs lychnapsias o, hoi presbyteroi kai episkopoi tas Graphas hermēneuousin. Hoi en Helde touto to ethos en Thessalonikę̄, kai autę̄ Makedolēspontǭ Nauatianoi ouch homoiōs kata panta tois en Kōnstantinou polei poiountai tas euchas. Paraplēsiōs de parapolla tę̄ kratousę̄ Ekklēsią. Katholou mentoi pantachou kai para pasais thrēskeiais, tōn euchōn ouk estin heurein symphōnousas allēlais dyo epi to auto. Presbyteros en ᾿Alexandreią ou prosomilei R; kai touto archēn elaben, aph᾿ hou "Areios tēn Ekklēsian etaraxen. En Rhōmę̄ pan Sabbaton nēsteuousin. En Kaisareią tēs Kappadokias tous meta to baptisma hēmartēkotas exōthousi tēs koinōnias, hōs hoi Nauatianoi. To auto de kai Makedonianoi en Hellēspontǭ poiousi, kai hoi en Asią Tessareskaidekatitai. Hoi Nauatianoi hoi peri Phrygian, digamous ou dechontai. Hoi de en tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei, oute phanerōs dechontai, oute phanerōs ekballousi. En de tois esperiois meresi phanerōs dechontai. Aitioi gar, hōs hēgoumai, tēs toiautēs diaphōnias hoi kata kairon tōn Ekklēsiōn proestōtes. Hoi de tauta paralabontes, hōs nomon tois epiginomenois parepempsan. Panta de ta en tais : Ekklēsiais ethē kata poleis kai chōras genomena engraphein, ergōdes, mallon de adynaton. Hikana mentoi kai ta paratethenta pros apodeixin, tou tēn heortēn tou Pascha ek synētheias tinos kata chōras diaphoron eschēkenai timēn. Dio perittologousin hoi tēn en Nikaią synodon paratrepsai to Pascha epithryllē- 298 santes. Hoi gar ekeise synelthontes, tous laous eis symphōnian agein espoudasan pros tous pollǭ pleionas diaphōnountas to proteron. Hoti de euthys epi tōn apostolikōn chronōn pollai diaphōniai dia ta toiauta eginonto, oude autous tous apostolous dielathen, hōs martyrei hē biblos tōn Praxeōn. Epei gar egnōsan hoi apostoloi tarachēn ek tēs diaphōnias tōn ethnōn kinoumenēn tois pisteuousi, pantes ama genomenoi theion nomon ethespisan, en typǭ epistolēs katagrapsantes ; di' hou tēs barytatēs men peri tōn toioutōn douleias te kai ereschelias tous pisteuontas ēleutherōsan ; hypotypōsin de asphalē tēs orthēs politeias, kai pros tēn alēthē theosebeian agousan edidaxan, mona hosa anankaiōs dei phylattein mēnysantes. ᾿All᾿ hē men Epistolē en tais tōn apostolōn Praxesin anagegraptai. Ouden de kōlyei kai entautha proskeisthai; Hoi apostoloi kai hoi presbyteroi kai hoi adelphoi, tois kata ᾿Antiocheian kai Syrian kai Kilikian adelphois tois ex ethnōn, chairein. Epeidē ēkousamen, hoti tines ex hēmōn exelthontes etaraxan hymas logois, anaskeuazontes tas psychas hymōn, legontes peritemnesthai, kai tērein ton nomon, hois ou diesteilametha; edoxen hēmin genomenois homothymadon, eklexamenous andras pempsai pros hymas, syn tois agapētois hēmōn Barnabą te kai Paulǭ, anthrōpois paradedōkosi tēn psychēn autōn hyper tou onomatos tou Kyriou ) hēmōn Iēsou Christou. Apestalkamen oun Ioudan kai Sylan, kai autous dia logou apangelei tauta. "Edoxe gar tǭ hagiǭ Pneumati hēmin, mēden pleon epitithesthai baros, plēn tōn epanankes toutōn " apechesthai eidō.othytōn, kai haimatos, kai pgiktōn, kai porneias" ex hōn diatērougtes heautous, eu praxete. "Errhōsthe. Tauta men edoxe tǭ Theǭ" touto gar phēsin hē Epistolē, hoti "Edoxe tǭ agiǭ Pneumati, mēden epitithesthai hymin baros, piiēn tōn epanankes opheilontōn phylattesthai. Tines de toutōn amelēsantes, adiaphoron men pasan pērneian hēgountai " peri de hēmerōn heortēs, hōs peri psychēs agōnizontai" antistrepsantes men ta tou Theou parangelmata, kai nomothetountes heautois, par᾽ ouden de tēn tōn apostolōn nomothesian tithemenoi " lanthanontes heantous, hoti enantia hois tǭ Theǭ edoxe, prattousi. Dynaton men oun ton peri tou Pascha logon eti pleon echteinai, kai deixai hōs oude Ioudaioi tōn peri tou Pascha chronōn tēn akribeian ē typon phylattousin " hopōs te Samareis, aposchisma ontes Ioudaiōn, aei met᾽ isēmerian tēn heortēn tautēn epitelousin. ᾿Alla hē toiautē hypothesis, idiazousēs chrēzei kai machroteras ektheseōs. Ekeino de monon phēmi, hoti hoi philountes Ioudaiois akolouthein, peri tous typous akribologoumenoi, oudeni tropim toutōn echpiptein opheilousin. Ei gar holōs achrithologeisthai proïērēntai, ouch opheilousin hēmeras monon mēnas paratērein, alla ta alla hosa ho Christos hypo nomon genomenos, Ioudaïkōs epratten, 7| hypemeinen hypo ᾿Ioudaiōn adichoumenos, ē euergetōn tous pantas typichōs chateirgazeto. En ploiǭ eiselthōn edidasken " eis anōgeon oikēma to Pascha eutrepisthēnai echoleusen " onon dedemenēn lythēnai prosetatten" ton bastazonta cheramion hydatos sēmeion edidou tois eis to Pascha spoudazousi" kai alla hosa myria en Euangeliois gegraptai. Kai toutōn ouden sōymatichōs paraphylattein spoudazousin, hoi dia heortēn dikaiōthēnai nomizontes. Ou gar tis tōn didaschalōn ech ploion pote tēn didaskalian pepoiētai" ouch eis anōgeon tis oikēma pantos telesai to Pascha espoudasen " ouch onon dedemenēn dēsantes authis epelysan" ou cheramion hydatos bastasai tini epetrepsan, hina ta symbola plērōthę̄. Tauta gar kai ta toiauta, Ioudaïcha mallon hēgēsanto. Ioudaioi gar ta symthainonta en tois sōmasi mallon, 7 tais psychais sōzein spouydazousi. Dio enochoi tę̄ katarą ginontai, hoti ton nomon Mōyseōs en typois, ou mēn pros alētheian eklamthanousin. Hoi de philoi tois Ioudaiois, tauta men eis theōrian agousi 4" peri de hēmerōn mēnōn aspondon hairountai lemon, tēn peri toutōn theōrian patēsantes " ex anankēs autous kata touto to meros homoia Ioudaiois chatadichazesthai, tēn tēs kataras Psę̄phon autois epipherontas. ᾿Alla peri men toutōn exarchein hēgoumai. Epanadramōmen de eis to procheimeou mikron emprosthen pepoiēmetha mnēmēn hōs hē diairetheisa, ouch enemeine tę̄ genomenę̄ prōtę̄ diairesei" kai hōs hoi diairethentes heautōn palin echōroun " mikras te eutelous prophaseōs lamithanomenoi, allēlōn diechōrizonto. Nanatianoi men oun, hōs ephēn, dia tēn tou Pascha heortēn diērethēsan, kai peri toutou ou mian monēn diairesin echousin " alloi! gar allōs kata eparchias, ou monon peri mēnos, all᾽ ēdē kai peri hebdomados hēmerōn, peri heterōn eutelōn diapheromenoi, pē men diachrinontai, pē de kai epimignyntai. hē :
What occurs to me about Easter it is not out of place, I think, to say briefly. Neither the ancients, it seems to me, had good reason to quarrel over this feast, nor have those now who are eager to follow the Jews. For they did not consider that when Judaism was changed into Christianity, the strict and typical observances of the Mosaic law ceased; and this carries its own proof on its face. Not one law of Christ permitted Christians to Judaize; on the contrary, the Apostle forbade it, not only rejecting circumcision but also urging that there be no disputes about feasts. So, writing to the Galatians, he says, 'Tell me, you who wish to be under the law, do you not hear the law?' and after a brief discussion of this he shows that the people of the Jews is a slave, while those who have come to Christ are called to freedom. He also urged them by no means to observe days and months and years. And in the letter to the Colossians he says with a loud voice that the observances are a shadow: 'Therefore', he says, 'let no one judge you in food or in drink or in respect of a feast or a new moon or a sabbath, which are a shadow of what is to come.' And in the letter to the Hebrews the same writer, setting his seal on such things, says, 'For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity a change of the law also takes place.' Nowhere, then, did the Apostle or the Gospels lay a yoke of slavery on those who came to the preaching; but they left the honouring of the feast of Easter and the other feasts to the gratitude of those who had received the benefits. Hence, since people love feasts because in them they get relief from their labours, each in their own region, as they wished, celebrated the memory of the saving passion according to some custom. For neither the Saviour nor the apostles commanded us by law to observe this; nor did the Gospels or the apostles threaten us with condemnation, punishment or curse, as the law of Moses did the Jews. It is recorded in the Gospels only as history, to the reproach of the Jews because they committed murder at the feasts, that the Saviour suffered at the time of the Unleavened Bread. The aim of the apostles, then, was not to legislate about feast days but to introduce a right life and piety. And it seems to me that, just as many other things took hold by local custom, so the feast of Easter received a particular observance among each people by some custom, because none of the apostles, as I said, legislated to anyone about it. That the observance took hold among each from of old by custom rather than by law, the facts themselves show. Very many in Asia Minor from of old kept the fourteenth day, disregarding the day of the Sabbath. And in doing so they never quarrelled with those who celebrated the feast of Easter otherwise, until Victor, the bishop of Rome, grown immoderately heated, sent an excommunication to the Quartodecimans in Asia. When this happened, Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyons in Gaul, nobly rebuked Victor by letter, blaming his heat and teaching that those of old who celebrated the feast of Easter differently were in no way separated from communion; and that Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who later suffered martyrdom under Gordian, communicated with Anicetus, bishop of Rome, and had no quarrel with him about the feast, though he himself, by the local custom of Smyrna, celebrated Easter on the fourteenth day, as Eusebius says in the fifth book of the Church History. Some, then, as I said, in Asia Minor observed the fourteenth day; but some in the eastern parts kept the Sabbath of the feast but disagreed about the month. For some said that one should follow the Jews about the feast, though they do not keep exactness; others celebrated it after the equinox, avoiding keeping the feast with the Jews, saying that Easter ought always to be celebrated when the sun is in Aries, in the month Xanthicus according to the Antiochenes and in April according to the Romans; and that in doing this they followed not the Jews of today, who are in error in all things, but the ancients and Josephus, as he says in the third book of the Jewish Antiquities. These, then, disagreed among themselves in this way. But all the rest, as far as the western parts and the ocean itself, are found to have kept Easter after the equinox by some ancient tradition; and all who do it in this way have never disagreed among themselves. Nor, as some have rumoured, did the synod under Constantine alter this feast. For Constantine himself, writing to those who disagreed about this feast, urged that they, being few, should imitate the majority. You will find the emperor's whole letter in the third book of the Life of Constantine; the part of it about the feast of Easter runs as follows:
'There is a seemly order which all the churches of the western, southern and northern parts of the world observe, and some of the places in the East. For this reason all thought it well at present, and I myself promised that it would please your understanding, that what is observed with one agreeing judgment in the city of the Romans, in Italy and Africa, in all Egypt, the Spains, the Gauls, the Britains, the Libyas, all Greece, the dioceses of Asia and Pontus, and Cilicia, your wisdom too should gladly accept, considering not only that the number of churches in the places named is greater, but also that it is most holy for all in common to wish what exact reasoning seems to require, and to have no fellowship with the perjury of the Jews.'
Such is the emperor's letter. The Quartodecimans say that the observance of the fourteenth day was handed down to them by the apostle John; those in Rome and the western parts say that the apostles Paul and Peter handed down the custom there. But none of them can produce written proof of these things. That the feast of Easter is celebrated in each region rather by some custom, I infer from this: none of the religions keeps the same customs, even if it holds the same opinion about them; for even those who are of the same faith disagree among themselves about customs. So it is not out of place to set down a few things about the customs in the churches.
To begin with, one can find the fasts before Easter kept differently among different people. Those in Rome fast three successive weeks before Easter, except Saturday and Sunday. Those in Illyricum and all Greece, and those in Alexandria, fast the fast before Easter for six weeks before it, calling it the Forty Days. Others besides these, beginning the fast seven weeks before the feast and fasting only three periods of five days at intervals, nonetheless also call this time the Forty Days. And I cannot help wondering how these, disagreeing about the number of days, call it the Forty Days; and different people, inventing reasons, give different explanations of the name. One can find them disagreeing not only about the number of days but also not keeping the same abstinence from foods. Some abstain altogether from living creatures; others, of living creatures, take only fish. Some take birds as well as fish, saying that according to Moses these too came from water. Others abstain even from fruits and eggs. Some take only dry bread; others not even this. Others, fasting until the ninth hour, have various kinds of meal. And among different peoples there are countless other reasons. Since no one can show a written command about this, it is plain that the apostles left this too to each person's judgment and choice, so that each might do the good not out of fear or by necessity. Such is the disagreement about fasts in the churches.
About assemblies there are other such differences. Though the churches throughout the whole world celebrate the mysteries on the Sabbath day in every weekly cycle, those in Alexandria and those in Rome, from some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this. The Egyptians, neighbours of the Alexandrians, and those who live in the Thebaid, hold assemblies on the Sabbath, but do not partake of the mysteries in the way usual among Christians; for after feasting and filling themselves with all kinds of food, toward evening they bring offerings and partake of the mysteries. Again, in Alexandria, on Wednesday and on the day called Friday the Scriptures are read and the teachers interpret them, and everything belonging to an assembly is done except the celebration of the mysteries. This is an ancient custom in Alexandria; for Origen appears to have taught in the church mostly on these days. He, being a wise teacher, seeing that the impossibility in the law of Moses is too weak to be rendered according to the letter, raised the account of the Passover to a spiritual sense, saying that there has been only one true Passover, which the Saviour accomplished when he triumphed over the opposing powers by being joined to the cross, using it as a trophy against the devil. In the same Alexandria readers and cantors are appointed without distinction, whether they are catechumens or believers, whereas the churches everywhere appoint only believers to this order. I have also known another custom in Thessaly, having become a cleric there: one who married lawfully before becoming a cleric, if he sleeps with his wife after becoming a cleric, is deposed; whereas in the East all abstain of their own judgment, and the bishops too, if they wish, but they do not do this by compulsion of law; for many of them have even had children by their lawful wife during their episcopate. The author of the custom in Thessaly was Heliodorus, bishop of Tricca there, whose works are said to include love stories, which he composed when young and called the Aethiopica. The custom is also kept in Thessalonica, in Macedonia itself and in Greece. I know of another custom too in Thessaly: they baptize only in the days of Easter, so that, except for a very few, the rest die without being baptized. At Antioch in Syria the church has the reverse orientation: the altar faces not east but west. In Greece, Jerusalem and Thessaly they say the prayers at the lighting of the lamps much as the Novatians in Constantinople do. Likewise at Caesarea in Cappadocia and in Cyprus, on Saturday and Sunday, always toward evening with the lighting of the lamps, the presbyters and bishops interpret the Scriptures. The Novatians in the Hellespont do not say the prayers entirely like those in Constantinople, but for the most part like the dominant church. In general, everywhere and among all religions, one cannot find two churches agreeing with each other about the prayers. In Alexandria a presbyter does not preach; and this began from the time Arius troubled the church. In Rome they fast every Saturday. At Caesarea in Cappadocia they exclude from communion those who have sinned after baptism, as the Novatians do; the Macedonians in the Hellespont do the same, and the Quartodecimans in Asia. The Novatians in Phrygia do not admit the twice-married; those in Constantinople neither openly admit nor openly expel them; in the western parts they openly admit them. The cause of such disagreement, I think, was those who presided over the churches at various times; and those who received these things handed them on as law to their successors. To write down all the customs in the churches in every city and country would be laborious, or rather impossible. But what has been set down is enough to show that the feast of Easter has received different honour in different regions by some custom. So those who rumour that the synod at Nicaea altered Easter talk idly; for those who met there were eager to bring into agreement the peoples who had earlier disagreed with the far greater number.
That many disagreements arose over such things right from apostolic times did not escape even the apostles themselves, as the book of Acts testifies. For when the apostles learned that a disturbance was being stirred up among believers by the disagreement of the Gentiles, they all came together and decreed a divine law, writing it down in the form of a letter, by which they freed believers from the heaviest slavery and wrangling about such things, and taught a sure outline of right conduct leading to true piety, declaring only the things that must necessarily be observed. The letter is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles; but nothing prevents setting it down here too:
'The apostles and the elders and the brothers, to the brothers from the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, greeting. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying that you must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no instructions, it seemed good to us, having come to one mind, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will themselves report these things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these necessary things: to abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.'
These things, then, seemed good to God; for the letter says, 'It seemed good to the Holy Spirit to lay on you no burden except the things that must necessarily be observed.' But some, neglecting these, regard all sexual immorality as indifferent, yet fight over the days of a feast as if for their lives, turning upside down the commands of God and making laws for themselves, while counting the legislation of the apostles as nothing, not perceiving that they are doing the opposite of what seemed good to God. It would be possible to extend the discussion about Easter further still, and to show that not even the Jews keep exactness or the type in the times of the Passover, and how the Samaritans, an offshoot of the Jews, always celebrate this feast after the equinox. But such a subject requires a separate and longer treatment. I say only this: those who love to follow the Jews, being precise about the types, ought not to depart from them in any way. For if they have chosen to be precise at all, they ought to observe not only days and months, but all the other things that Christ, born under the law, did in the Jewish way, or suffered when wronged by the Jews, or did typically in benefiting all. He entered a boat and taught; he ordered the Passover to be prepared in an upper room; he commanded a tied donkey to be loosed; he gave the man carrying a jar of water as a sign to those hurrying to the Passover; and the countless other things written in the Gospels. Yet none of these do those who think they will be justified by a feast eagerly observe in a bodily way. For none of the teachers has ever given his teaching from a boat; no one has been eager to celebrate the Passover in an upper room of a house; they have not tied up a donkey and loosed it again; they have not allowed anyone to carry a jar of water so that the symbols might be fulfilled. For they regarded these and the like as rather Jewish. For the Jews are eager to keep what happens in bodies rather than in souls; for this reason they become liable to the curse, because they take the law of Moses in types and not according to the truth. But the friends of the Jews take these things in a spiritual sense, yet about days and months they choose a truceless war, trampling on the spiritual sense of them; so that of necessity in this respect they are condemned like the Jews, bringing the sentence of the curse upon themselves. But I think enough has been said about these things. Let us return to our subject. We mentioned a little before that the church, once divided, did not remain in the first division that took place, and that those divided turned against themselves again and, seizing on small and trivial pretexts, separated from one another. The Novatians, as I said, were divided over the feast of Easter, and they have not just one division about this; for different ones in different provinces differ not only about the month but also about the day of the week and other trivial things, and in some places they separate, in others they mix with one another.
Gal 4:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 4:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 5:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gal 5:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · Col 2:16–17 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 7:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 15:23–29 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 5:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 14:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 21:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Mark 14:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 4:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gal 3:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 9:7 (echo, low confidence) · Col 2:15 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Socrates digresses on the diversity of church customs: the date of Easter, the Lenten fast, Saturday and Sunday assemblies, clerical continence, baptism, and other local usages, arguing that such things rest on custom, not apostolic law.
- The opening word of the scan text (the end of Valesius's chapter title) is removed.
- Quotations: Gal 4:21; Gal 4:10; Col 2:16–17; Heb 7:12; the apostolic letter Acts 15:23–29 (with 15:28 again). The Gospel details at the end are Luke 5:3, Mark 14:15, Matt 21:2, Mark 14:13.
- Constantine's letter on Easter is in Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3.18–20. Irenaeus's letter to Victor is quoted in Eusebius, Church History 5.24. Josephus, Antiquities 3.248.
- Socrates' statement that Polycarp was martyred under Gordian is an error (Polycarp died about 155–160).
- On married clergy, Socrates reports that in Thessaly a cleric who resumed relations with his wife after ordination was deposed, while in the East abstention was voluntary and many bishops had children during their episcopate; he reports this as fact without judging. The Novatian practice on the 'twice-married' (digamoi) concerns those who remarried after the death of a spouse or, possibly, after divorce; Socrates does not specify.
- Socrates' judgments on the Jews in this chapter are his own and are translated as written.
- Several passages of the scan text are damaged or displaced (e.g. 'kept the Sabbath of the feast'; 'the Novatians in the Hellespont'; 'the custom is also kept in Thessalonica'); they are translated in the order the sense requires.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (end of the printed chapter title leaked into the text): σεων. Ὁ δὲ → Ὁ δὲ.
Extrabiblical texts: Eusebius, Vit. Const. 3.18-20 (Life of Constantine; quotation); Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 5.24 (Church History; allusion); Josephus, Ant. 3.248 (Josephus (works); allusion)
Topics: Fasting, Eucharist, Baptism, Marriage, Divorce and remarriage, Church office, Prayer, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.22 (PG 67:625–645; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-22
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-22) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.
5.23PG 67:645–647
Γίγνονται δὲ ἐν διαιρέσεις, δι᾽ αἰτίαν τοιαύτην Αἱ καθ᾽ ἐχάστην παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς ἐριστιχαὶ ζητήσεις, εἰς ἄτοπά τινα τοὺς λόγους αὐτῶν προΐγαγον. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἐντῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ πεπίστευται ὁ Θεὸς Πατὴρ εἶναι Υἱοῦ τοῦ Λόγου, ζήτημα ἐνέπεσεν εἰς αὐτοὺς, εἰ δύναται καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ὑποστῆναι τὸν Υἱὸν, ἐ Θεὸς καλεῖσθαι Πατήρ" Ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον οὐκ Πατρὸς γεννᾶσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ οὐχ ὄντων ὑποστῆναι ἐδόξαζον, περὶ τὸ πρῶτον καὶ ἀνωτάτω κεφάλαιον σφαλέντες, εἰκότως περὶ Ψιλοὺ ὀνόματος εἰς ἄτοπον φιλονεικίαν ἐξέπεσον. Δωρόθεος μὲν οὖν τῆς ᾿Αντιοχείας ὑπ᾽ αὐτῶν μετασταλεὶς, ἔλεγε μὴ δύνασθαι Πατέρα εἶναι ἣ καλεῖσθαι, μὴ ὑφεστῶτος Υἱοῦ Μαρῖνος δὲ, ὃν ἔκ πρὸ Δωροθέου κεχλήχεισαν, εὐκαίρου δραξάμενος ἀφορμῆς (ἐλυπεῖτο γὰρ ὅτι αὑτοῦ Δωρόθεος προΞχέχριτο), τοῦ ἐναντίου λόγου προΐστατο. Διατοῦτο γίνεται εἰς αὑτοὺς διαίρετις ^ καὶ χωρισθέντες διὰ τὸ προλεχθὲν λεξίδιον, χατ᾽ ἰδίαν ἐκάτερος τὰς συναγωγὰς ἐποιοῦντο " τῶν ὑπὸ Δωρόθεον ταττομένων, κατὰ τοὺς οἰκείους τόπους μεινάντων" οἱ δὲ ἀκολουθήσαντες Μαρίνῳ, ἰδίους κατασκευάσαντες εὐκτηρίους οἴκους, τὰς συναγωγὰς ἐποιοῦντο, λέγοντες τὸν Πατέρα, ἀεὶ εἶναι Πατέρα, μὴ ὑφεστῶτος τοῦ Υἱοῦ, Ἐχαλοῦντο δὲ οὗτοι (στα Ψαθυριανοί, ὅτι Θεόκτιστός τις ψαθυροπώλης, Σύρος τὸ γένος, διαπύρως τῷ λόγῳ τῷδε συνίστατο. Ἐπηκολούθησε δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ Σεληνᾶς ὁ τῶν Γότθων ἐπίσκοπος, ἀνὴρ ἐπίμικτον ἔχων τὸ γένος. Γότθος μὲν ἦν ἐκ πατρός - Φρὺξ δὲ κατὰ μητέρα. Καὶ διατοῦτο ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς διαλέκτοις ἑτοίμως κατὰ τὴν έκκλησίαν ἐδίδασκε. Καὶ οὗτοι δὲ μικρὸν ὕστερον διηρέθησαν, Μαρίνου πρὸς ᾿Αγάπιον διενεχθέντος, ὃν αὐτὸς εἰς ἐπισκοπὴν τῆς Ἐφέσου προβέβλητο. Οὗτοι δὲ οὐ περὶ θρησκείας, ἀλλὰ περὶ προεδρίας μικροψυχήσαντες, ἐπολέμουν ἀλλήλοις, τῶν Γότθων προσθεμένων τῷ ᾿Αγαπίῳ. Διὸ πολλοὶ τῶν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῖς κληρικῶν, μισήσαντες τὴν ἐκ κενοδοξίας τεχθεῖσαν μαχην αὐτοῖς, ἀποστάντες αὐτῶν, τῇ ὁμοουσίῳ πίστει προσέθεντο. ᾿Αρειανοὶ μὲν δὴ ἐπὶ τριακονταπέντε ἔτη χωρισθέντες ἀλλήλων, ὕστερον ἐπὶ τῆς ὑπατείας τοῦ νέου Θεοδοσίου, κατὰ τὴν ὑπατείαν τοῦ στρατηλάτου Πλίνθα, [οἰ]τῆς Ψαθυριανῶν αἱρέσεως, πεισθέντες τῆς φιλονεικίας ἐπαύσαντο, καὶ ἡνώθησαν, ὥσπερ νόμον ὁρίσαντες, μηδέποτε μνημονεῦσαι τοῦ κεφαλαίου, δι᾽ ὁ ἐχωρίζοντο. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐν μόνῃ τῇ Κωνσταντίνου πόλει ποιῆσαι δεδύνηνται. Οἱ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ἄλλαις πόλεσιν, εἴ που καὶ τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες, ἐπιμένουσι χωριζόμενοι. Τοιαῦτα μὲν καὶ περὶ τῆς ἐν ᾿Αρειανοῖς διαιρέσεως.
Gignontai de en diaireseis, di᾽ aitian toiautēn Hai kath᾽ echastēn par᾽ autois eristichai zētēseis, eis atopa tina tous logous autōn proïgagon. Epei gar entę̄ Ekklēsią pepisteutai ho Theos Patēr einai Huiou tou Logou, zētēma enepesen eis autous, ei dynatai kai pro tou hypostēnai ton Huion, e Theos kaleisthai Patēr" Epei gar ton tou Theou Logon ouk Patros gennasthai, all᾽ ex ouch ontōn hypostēnai edoxazon, peri to prōton kai anōtatō kephalaion sphalentes, eikotōs peri Psilou onomatos eis atopon philoneikian exepeson. Dōrotheos men oun tēs ᾿Antiocheias hyp᾽ autōn metastaleis, elege mē dynasthai Patera einai hē kaleisthai, mē hyphestōtos Huiou Marinos de, hon ek pro Dōrotheou kechlēcheisan, eukairou draxamenos aphormēs (elypeito gar hoti hautou Dōrotheos proXchechrito), tou enantiou logou proïstato. Diatouto ginetai eis hautous diairetis ^ kai chōristhentes dia to prolechthen lexidion, chat᾽ idian ekateros tas synagōgas epoiounto " tōn hypo Dōrotheon tattomenōn, kata tous oikeious topous meinantōn" hoi de akolouthēsantes Marinǭ, idious kataskeuasantes euktērious oikous, tas synagōgas epoiounto, legontes ton Patera, aei einai Patera, mē hyphestōtos tou Huiou, Echalounto de houtoi (sta Psathyrianoi, hoti Theoktistos tis psathyropōlēs, Syros to genos, diapyrōs tǭ logǭ tǭde synistato. Epēkolouthēse de autois kai Selēnas ho tōn Gotthōn episkopos, anēr epimikton echōn to genos. Gotthos men ēn ek patros - Phryx de kata mētera. Kai diatouto amphoterais tais dialektois hetoimōs kata tēn ekklēsian edidaske. Kai houtoi de mikron hysteron diērethēsan, Marinou pros ᾿Agapion dienechthentos, hon autos eis episkopēn tēs Ephesou probeblēto. Houtoi de ou peri thrēskeias, alla peri proedrias mikropsychēsantes, epolemoun allēlois, tōn Gotthōn prosthemenōn tǭ ᾿Agapiǭ. Dio polloi tōn hyp᾿ autois klērikōn, misēsantes tēn ek kenodoxias techtheisan machēn autois, apostantes autōn, tę̄ homoousiǭ pistei prosethento. ᾿Areianoi men dē epi triakontapente etē chōristhentes allēlōn, hysteron epi tēs hypateias tou neou Theodosiou, kata tēn hypateian tou stratēlatou Plintha, [oi]tēs Psathyrianōn haireseōs, peisthentes tēs philoneikias epausanto, kai hēnōthēsan, hōsper nomon horisantes, mēdepote mnēmoneusai tou kephalaiou, di᾽ ho echōrizonto. Touto de en monę̄ tę̄ Kōnstantinou polei poiēsai dedynēntai. Hoi gar en tais allais polesin, ei pou kai tynchanousin ontes, epimenousi chōrizomenoi. Toiauta men kai peri tēs en ᾿Areianois diaireseōs.
Divisions arose among the Arians for the following reason. The contentious inquiries held among them every day led their arguments into absurdities. Since it is believed in the church that God is the Father of the Son, the Word, a question fell among them whether God could be called Father even before the Son existed. For since they held that the Word of God was not begotten of the Father but came to exist out of things that are not, having erred about the first and highest point, they naturally fell into an absurd quarrel about a bare name. Dorotheus, whom they had summoned from Antioch, said that he could not be or be called Father when the Son did not exist. Marinus, whom they had called in before Dorotheus, seized a convenient opportunity, for he was aggrieved that Dorotheus had been preferred to him, and championed the contrary argument. For this reason a division arose among them; and separated over this little word, each held his own assemblies. Those ranged under Dorotheus remained in their own places; but those who followed Marinus built their own houses of prayer and held their assemblies there, saying that the Father was always Father even when the Son did not exist. These were called Psathyrians, because one Theoctistus, a cake-seller (psathyropoles), a Syrian by birth, ardently supported this argument. Selenas, bishop of the Goths, also followed them, a man of mixed race: a Goth on his father's side and a Phrygian on his mother's, and for this reason he readily taught in the church in both languages. These too were divided a little later, when Marinus quarrelled with Agapius, whom he himself had promoted to the bishopric of Ephesus. They fought with one another not about religion but out of pettiness about precedence, the Goths siding with Agapius. So many of the clergy under them, hating the strife born of vainglory, left them and joined the faith of the 'same essence'. The Arians, after being separated from one another for thirty-five years, later, in the reign of the young Theodosius, in the consulship of the general Plintha, who was of the Psathyrian sect, were persuaded and ceased their quarrel, and were united, laying down as a law, as it were, never to mention the point over which they had separated. They were able to do this only in Constantinople; those in the other cities, wherever they happen to be, still remain separated. Such, then, about the division among the Arians.
Notes and citation
Summary: The Arians of Constantinople split over whether God was Father before the Son existed, into Dorotheans and Psathyrians, and are reunited only in 419.
- The consulship of Plintha (with Monaxius) is 419. The scan reads 'in the consulship of the young Theodosius'; translated 'reign' by sense.
- Words lost at the start of the chapter ('among the Arians') and in the account of the Arian doctrine ('of the Father') are supplied by sense.
Cite (SBL): Socrates, Hist. eccl. 5.23 (PG 67:645–647; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-23). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/socrates-historia/5-23
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-socrates-historia-5-23) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from Valesius's Greek text as printed in Migne PG 67 (Bavarian State Library OCR and Tesseract re-OCR); every chapter compared afterwards with Zenos's English in NPNF² 2.