A. D. 539, 540.

sovereigns whose ruling ambition has been to shine in theological disputes, and to acquire, by superior orthodoxy and austere mortifications, the proud epithet of The Pious. Nothing could be more gratifying than this reference of the affair of Origenism to his judgment and decision. He lost no time, therefore, in ordering a long Edict to be drawn up, addressed to Mennas, archbishop of Constantinople, and published as early as the year 540. "We are told," says he, "of some who not having the "fear of God before their eyes, have for"saken the truth, without which there is no salvation, "and departed from the doctrine of the scriptures and "of the Catholic fathers, by adhering to Origen, and "maintaining his impious notions, which are like those "of the Arians, Manicheans, and other heretics." He then proceeds to recount, in a formal catalogue, and under six heads, the errors attributed to Origen: "1. "That the Father is greater than the Son, and the Son "greater than the Holy Ghost, as the Holy Ghost is "superior to other spirits; and that the Son cannot be"hold the Father, nor the Holy Ghost see the Son. "2. That the power of God is limited, because he can 66 create and govern only a certain number of souls, and "a certain quantity of matter; that every species of "being was coeternal with the Deity; that there have "already been, and that there will hereafter be, several "worlds in succession, so that the Creator has never "been without creatures. 3. That rational spirits were "clothed with bodies, only for their punishment; and "that the souls of men, in particular, were at first pure

"and holy intelligences, who becoming weary of divine " contemplation, and inclining to evil, were confined in 66 earthly bodies, as a retribution and chastisement for "their former follies. 4. That the Sun, the Moon, the "Stars, and the Waters above the heavens, are animated ❝ and rational creatures. 5. That in the resurrection "human bodies will be changed into a spherical shape. "6. That wicked men and devils will at length be dis"charged from their torments, and re-established in "their original state." Each of these six errors, Jus

tinian attempts to refute by authorities from the scriptures, and from the fathers; but he directs his labors more particularly against the third, concerning Preexistence, and against the sixth, concerning the Restoration. Then, addressing Mennas, he adds, "we "therefore exhort you to assemble all the bishops and "abbots of Constantinople, and oblige them to anathe"matize in writing the impious Origen Adamantius, "together with his abominable doctrines, and especially "the articles we have pointed out. Send copies of "what shall be transacted, to all other bishops and "to all superiors of monasteries, that they may follow "the example; and for the future let there be no bishops, "nor abbots ordained, who do not first condemn Origen "and all other heretics, according to custom. We have "already written thus to Pope Vigilius, and to the rest of "the Patriarchs." After a collection of heretical extracts from the books of Origen, the emperor subjoins nine anathemas: six, against the forementioned errors; and three against the following on the Incarnation. "1, That the "human soul of Jesus Christ existed long before it

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"was united to the Word; 2, that his body was formed, "in the Virgin, before its union either with the Word, or with his own soul; and 3, that he will, hereafter, “be crucified for the salvation of the devils." То conclude, their. is a tenth anathema against the person of Origen and against those of his followers ".

This sweeping decree, which aimed full against Universalism, went forth, of course, as a law of the realm; and Justinian's ambition to shine in the church conspired with his natural jealousy as a sovereign, to see that his orders were rigidly enforced. Accordingly, the bishops then residing at Constantinople, were immediately assembled in council, by the patriarch Mennas, to subscribe the Edict; and soon afterwards, Pope Vigilius at Rome, Zoilus on the archiepiscopal throne of Alexandria, Ephraim at Antioch, and Peter at Jerusalem, obeyed the mandate and followed the example. Even Domitian of Ancyra and Theodorus of Cappadocia, though favorites, were obliged to yield to the imperial command; and rather than suffer expulsion, they affixed their names to the anathemas which condemned some of their own sentiments ".

A. D. 540, to 546.

VII. In Palestine, however, there were some bold and determined enough to withstand the emperor's authority. Alexander, bishop of Abyla, who is known only by the

m See Du Pin's Biblioth. Pat., Vol. v. Art. Hist. of Fifth Gen Council. And Fleury's Eccl. Hist. Book xxxiii. chap, 4. I know not where to look for an entire copy of this very important docu ment, Justinian's Edict to Mennas, except in Harduin's Concilia, Tom. iii. p. 243; and this valuable collection is out of my reach.

n Fleury's Eccl. Hist. Book xxxiii. ch. 4. And Du Pin's Biblioth. Patrum Vol, v. Art. Hist. of Fifth Gen. Council. o There were

part he bore in this affair, refused to subscribe the decree; and Nonnus, together with his party in general, remained faithful to their cause, at the expense of exclusion from the catholic communion, and of banishment from Nova Laura. But their powerful patron, Theodorus of Cappadocia, soon heard of their treatment; and sending for certain agents from the church of Jerusalem who resided at Constantinople, he angrily threatened to deprive their bishop, Peter, of his See, unless he should give satisfaction to the outcasts, and restore them to their former standing. At the same time he sent to Nonnus and his adherents, advising them to propose to their bishop a sort of compromise, in which he should only pronounce some indefinite form of words, annulling, in general terms, all anathemas which were not agreeable to the will of God. As the real and manifest intent, however, of this equivocal formality, was to imply a censure of the emperor's late Edict, Peter at first refused; but fearing the dangerous influence of Theodorus at court, he at length privately pronounced the sentence, readmitted the Origenists into their Laura, and finally appointed two of their leading members his suffragans, or bishops in immediate attendance on his person: Emboldened by the success of this attempt, the partizans of Nonnus did not hesitate openly to preach their doctrine from house to house; and it would have been honorable to them had they proceeded no farther. But remembering with resentment the indignities they had

several cities or villages, by the name of Abyla, or Abila, in the northern part of Palestine (See Relandi Palæst Illust.;) and this was probably one of them.

suffered from the orthodox, they unhappily turned back upon them the tide of contempt and abuse. Disputes and violent altercations were quickly succeeded by stripes, which fell, of course, on the catholic or weaker party; and it soon became unsafe for them to appear abroad, especially in the city of Jerusalem. Finding their numbers unequal to the quarrel, they procured a reinforcement of a savage race of monks from the banks of the Jordan. When these arrived at the Holy City, and joined the orthodox host, an engagement ensued; but the Origenists succeeded at last in putting them all to flight, and in driving them as far as the great Laura of Sabas. Here, the vanquished retreated into a fortified place, and their pursuers were, in their turn, obliged to fly, after one of the most valorous of their enemies had fallen, the only victim of the combat.

The public had long been too familiar with scenes of this shameful character, to regard them with that abhorrence they merited; and it was probably the urgent motive of self-preservation alone, which induced the remnant of the orthodox, on the present exigency, to seek the prevention of these disorders. Accordingly, Gelasius, the Abbot of the great Laura, set out on a journey to Constantinople, in order to lay the affair before Justinian. But Theodorus of Cappadocia, having notice of his arrival, contrived to prevent all access to the emperor, so that after several ineffectual attempts, Gelasius was obliged to depart without accomplishing his purpose. Returning towards Palestine, he died at a small city in Phrygia; and with him expired, for a season, the hopes of the orthodox party in the Desert