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135 - Montanist

Montanism was a reactionary movement against the innovations that were being introduced into the churches through the influence of Gnosticism and of paganism in general ; especially against the emphasizing of knowledge at the expense of faith, against laxity of discipline in the churches, and consequently of morals in the members, against the merging of the churches in the world, against the growth of hierarchy, against the growing disbelief in contemporaneous special providences and revelations.

As a movement Judaistic in its tendencies : not in the sense of exalting Judaism above Christianity, for the Montanists are decided in their preference for Christianity as a higher stage of divine revelation than Judaism ; nor in the sense of adhering to Jewish forms and customs, for many things approved of in the Old Testament, as repeated marriages, the use of wine, etc., are reprobated by the Montanists ; nor in the sense of Ebionitic denial of the divinity of Christ, for they maintained this most persistently. But in spirit the Montanists were Judaistic. They were legalists, attempting to make religion to consist largely in outward observances. They regarded themselves as occupying a position similar to that of the prophets of the 'Old Testament, with thei. ecstatic visions, etc.

While in a sense Montanism was a reaction against innovation, it was yet innovating in its tendencies, and anticipated the post-Nicene churches that considered themselves "Catholic" in many of its most distinctive features. In general, the very features of Montanism which led to its rejection by the churches of the time were, within two centuries, part and parcel of the doctrine of these churches: e.g., exaltation of virginity and widowhood, arbitrary division of sins into mortal and venial, undue exaltation of martyrdom, etc. Hence, Montanism may be regarded as in one sense a forerunner of later reformatory bodies, but in a more important sense as a forerunner of the ascetic Christianity of the fourth and following centuries.

The Montanists exaggerated the opposition between Christianity and the world. They had an almost Gnostic contempt for the flesh, and believed that sensual pleasure of any sort was hurtful to the spiritual life. The present life they regarded as of no consequence except as a time of preparation for the life beyond. Montanism was, therefore, an impracticable system. In the nature of things, Christianity, in that form, could never become a universal religion.

Montanism may be contrasted with Gnosticism thus: Gnosticism was occupied chiefly with speculations as to the origin of the universe; Montanism with speculations as to the approaching end of the world. Montanism may be contrasted with Catholicism ol the time thus: Montanism insisted upon holiness - a legalistic and arbitrary holiness, it is true - at the expense of catholicity ; Catholicism, vice versa.

Montanism, as an organized party, originated in Phrygia, about 135-160. Montanus, with two women, Priscilla and Maximilla, claimed to have been especially enlightened by the Paraclete ; and to have been divinely commissioned to proclaim the setting up of the kingdom of Christ on earth and to inveigh against the laxity and worldliness of the churches of the time. Their denunciation of the clergy, whom they stigmatized as psychical in contrast with their own spirituality, aroused the opposition of the clergy and the less earnest laymen. The Montanists were cut off from the communion of many Phrygian churches. Believing themselves to be the only true apostolic Christians, they appealed to their brethren at Rome and elsewhere for recognition. The Roman Church was about to recognize them, but owing to unfavorable representations o* their doctrines and practices by Praxeas, noted for Patripassian views of the Godhead, the recognition failed and the prophets were rejected. The Montanists, against their desire and original intention, were thus forced into the position of schismatics. The movement was one that appealed forcibly to the more earnest Christians throughout the empire, and Montanistic churches multiplied in Asia Minor, in Proconsular Africa, and in the remote East.

The Phrygians were strongly predisposed to extravagance in religion. Their worship of Cyhele was grossly immoral, and was accompanied by ecstatic visions, wild frenzy, and fearful self-mutilations. The enthusiastic, perhaps fanatical, character of early Montanism may have been due in part to this national characteristic.

In general, the Montanists did not differ widely in point of belief from the orthodox churches of the time. Says Tertullian :* "They [the psychical] make controversy with the Paraclete; on account of this the new prophecies are rejected, not that Montanus and Priscilla and Maximilla preach another God, nor that they do away with Jesus Christ, nor that they overthrow any rule of faith or hope." We can best get at their peculiarities of view by observing the charges made against them by their adversaries.

One of the most distinctive features of the Montanists is their doctrine of the Paraclete. They claimed to be the recipients, while in a state of ecstasy, of special divine revelations. They supposed that in their time and in them was fulfilled the saying of Christ: " I have still many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now, but when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you into the whole truth," etc. Accordingly, they regarded their own dreaming as of more importance than the written word. Says Tertullian:1 "If Christ abolished what Moses taught, because from the beginning it was not so (Matt. 19 : 8), . . why should not the Paraclete abolish what Paul indulged, because second marriage also was not from the beginning?"

The points in which they claimed to be especially instructed by the Paraclete are chiefly those in which the Scriptures are not sufficiently ascetical, showing that the most fundamental thing was their legalistic asceticism, and that the Paraclete was with them an expedient for obviating the authority of Scripture in favor of greater rigor.

The Montanists claimed the authority of the Paraclete for making second marriages equivalent to adultery, and hence mortal sin, which the church is incompetent to forgive ; for rejecting entirely the use of wine and insisting on frequent and long-continued fasts, especially the xerophagies (or abstinence from moist food of any kind) ; for making flight in persecution or denial of the faith under any circumstances mortal (by the church unpardonable) sin; for expecting the speedy end of the present dispensation. Indeed, the motive for the Montanistic asceticism was the vivid expectation of the end of the world.

Few of the teachings and practices for which the Montanists are distinguished were new creations of the Montanists. Special prophetical gifts, e.g., are spoken of by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus as appearing in their time, and millenarianism was by no means peculiar to Montanism. But the Montanists brought forward their ideas and claims in an enthusiastic and one-sided way, having been aroused to fanaticism by the increasing corruption and worldliness of the churches. As worldliness and corruption continued to increase, so reactionary movements continued to appear until, when the great churches as such were thoroughly secularized by the union of Church and State, the reactionary spirit culminated hereafter in monasticism.