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| Epiphanius Bishop of Cyprus convenes a Synod to condemn the Books of Origen.
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Chapter X.—Epiphanius
Bishop of Cyprus convenes a Synod to condemn the Books of
Origen.
He moreover renewed his
friendship with Epiphanius862
| 862There were thirty-five bishops, besides several
presbyters and laymen of some distinction in the ancient church, who
bore the name of Epiphanius. The bishop here mentioned is the most
illustrious of them all, being the author of the well-known treatise
de Hæres. His see—that of Constantia in
Cyprus—was the old ‘Salamis’ of Acts xiii. 5.
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bishop of Constantia in Cyprus, with whom he had formerly been at
variance. For Theophilus accused Epiphanius of entertaining low
thoughts of God, by supposing him to have a human form.863
| 863It seems strange that Epiphanius should be classed
with the Anthropomorphitæ as Epiphanius himself repudiates their
views according to the testimony of Jerome. Cf. Jerome, ad
Pammachium, 2 et seq. Socrates must have been imposed upon
by some Origenist, as the Origenists were accustomed to call all who
condemned their views Anthropomorphitæ. Cf. above, chap. 7.
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Now although Theophilus was really unchanged in sentiment, and had
denounced those who thought that the divinity was human in form, yet on
account of his hatred of others, he openly denied his own convictions;
and he now professed to be friendly with Epiphanius, as if he had
altered his mind and agreed with him in his views of God. He then
managed it so that Epiphanius by letter should convene a Synod of the
bishops in Cyprus, in order to condemn the writings of Origen.
Epiphanius being on account of his extraordinary piety a man of simple
mind and manners was easily influenced by the letters of Theophilus:
having therefore assembled a council of bishops in that island, he
caused a prohibition to be therein made of the reading of
Origen’s works. He also wrote to John, exhorting him to abstain
from the study of Origen’s books, and to convoke a Synod for
decreeing the same thing as he had done. Accordingly when Theophilus
had in this way deluded Epiphanius, who was famous for his piety,
seeing his design prosper according to his wish, he became more
confident, and himself also assembled a great number of bishops. In
that convention, pursuing the same course as Epiphanius, he caused a
like sentence of condemnation to be pronounced on the writings of
Origen, who had been dead nearly two hundred years: not having this as
his first object, but rather his purpose of revenge on Dioscorus and
his brethren. John paying but little attention to the communications of
Epiphanius and Theophilus, was intent on instructing the churches; and
he flourished more and more as a preacher, but made no account of the
plots which were laid against him. As soon, however, as it became
apparent to every body that Theophilus was endeavoring to divest John
of his bishopric, then all those who had any ill-will against John,
combined in calumniating him. And thus many of the clergy, and many of
those in office, and of those who had great influence at the court,
believing that they had found an opportunity now of avenging themselves
upon John, exerted themselves to procure the convocation of a Grand
Synod at Constantinople, partly by sending letters and partly by
dispatching messengers in all directions for that purpose.
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