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| Of Sisinnius Bishop of the Novatians. His Readiness at Repartee.
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Chapter XXII.—Of
Sisinnius Bishop of the Novatians. His Readiness at Repartee.
It will not be out of place
here, I conceive, to give some account of Sisinnius. He was, as I have
often said,897
a remarkably eloquent man, and well-instructed in philosophy. But he
had particularly cultivated logic, and was profoundly skilled in the
interpretation of the holy Scriptures; insomuch that the heretic
Eunomius often shrank from the acumen which his reasoning displayed. As
regards his diet he was not simple; for although he practised the
strictest moderation, yet his table was always sumptuously furnished.
He was also accustomed to indulge himself by wearing white garments,
and bathing twice a day in the public baths. And when some one asked
him ‘why he, a bishop, bathed himself twice a day?’ he
replied, ‘Because it is inconvenient to bathe thrice.’
Going one day from courtesy to visit the bishop Arsacius, he was asked
by one of the friends of that bishop, ‘why he wore a garment so
unsuitable for a bishop? and where it was written that an ecclesiastic
should be clothed in white?’ ‘Do you tell me first,’
said he, ‘where it is written that a bishop should wear
black?’ When he that made the inquiry knew not what to reply to
this counter-question: ‘You cannot show,’ rejoined
Sisinnius, ‘that a priest should be clothed in black. But Solomon
is my authority, whose exhortation is, “Let thy garments be
white.”898
And our Saviour in the Gospels appears clothed in white raiment:899
| 899Matt. xvii.
2; Mark ix. 3; Luke ix. 29.
On the clothing of the clergy, see Bingham, Christ. Antiq. VI.
4. 18.
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moreover he showed Moses and Elias to the apostles, clad in white
garments.’ His prompt reply to these and other questions called
forth the admiration of those present. Again when Leontius bishop of
Ancyra in Galatia Minor, who had taken away a church from the
Novatians, was on a visit to Constantinople, Sisinnius went to him, and
begged him to restore the church. But he received him rudely, saying,
‘Ye Novatians ought not to have churches; for ye take away
repentance, and shut out Divine mercy.’ As Leontius gave
utterance to these and many other such revilings against the Novatians,
Sisinnius replied: ‘No one repents more heartily than I
do.’ And when Leontius asked him ‘Why do you repent?’
‘That I came to see you,’ said he. On one occasion John the
bishop having a contest with him, said, ‘The city cannot have two
bishops.’900
| 900The canons forbade the existence of two
authoritative bishops in one city. Cf. V. 5, note 3. It was supposed to
be an apostolic tradition that prescribed this practice, and the
faithful always resisted and condemned any attempts to consecrate a
second bishop in a city. Thus ‘when Constantius proposed that
Liberius and Felix should sit as co-partners in the Roman see and
govern the church in common, the people with one accord rejected the
proposal, crying out “One God, one Christ, one bishop.” The
rule, however, did not apply to the case of coadjutors, where the
bishop was too old or infirm to discharge his episcopal duties.’
See Bingham, Christ. Antiq. II. 13.
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‘Nor has it,’ said Sisinnius. John being irritated at this
response, said, ‘You see you pretend that you alone are the
bishop.’ ‘I do not say that,’ rejoined Sisinnius;
‘but that I am not bishop in your estimation only, who am such to
others.’ John being still more chafed at this reply, said,
‘I will stop your preaching; for you are a heretic.’ To
which Sisinnius good-humoredly replied, ‘I will give you a
reward, if you will relieve me from so arduous a duty.’ John
being softened a little by this answer, said, ‘I will not make
you cease to preach, if you find speaking so troublesome.’ So
facetious was Sisinnius, and so ready at repartee: but it would be
tedious to dwell further on his witticisms. Wherefore by means of a few
specimens we have illustrated what sort of a person he was, deeming
these as sufficient. I will merely add that he was celebrated for
erudition, and on account of it all the bishops who succeeded him loved
and honored him; and not only they but all the leading members of the
senate also esteemed and admired him. He is the author of many works:
but they are characterized by too great an affectation of elegance of
diction, and a lavish intermingling of poetic expressions. On which
account he was more admired as a
speaker than as a writer; for there was dignity in his countenance and
voice, as well as in his form and aspect, and every movement of his
person was graceful. On account of these features he was loved by all
the sects, and he was in especial favor with Atticus the bishop. But I
must conclude this brief notice of Sisinnius.
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