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220 - Sabellianism

Heretics of the latter half of the third century, who took their name from a priest named Sabellius, and who opposed the doctrine of the Holy Trinity by maintaining that God is One Person only, though He manifesta Himself in three modes or by the differing operations of three Divine energies. Sabellianism was thus the doctrine of One God exercising three Offices, as opposed to the doctrine of One God in Three Persons. Philaster states that Sabellius was a disciple of Noetus, that the Noetians were called also Praxeans and Sabellians as well as Patripassians and Hermogenians : and Augustine professes himself unable to understand why Epiphanius reckons Sabellianism and Noetianism as distinct heresies. That the Sabellians were called Hermogenians implies no more than that they had adopted Hermogenes' tenet of the existence of an eternal subject-matter, inherently evil, out of which the world was made : it does not prove that the Hermogenians were Sabellians. Tertullian's tract, "Adversns Hermogenem," not only contains no charge of Sabellianism or of Patripassianism (which the author of the treatise against Praxeas would hardly have omitted had there been any foundation for it), but it contains a testimony to the belief of Hermogenes in Christ as the Son of God. The testimony of Hippolytus to the same point is still stronger.

Sabellius was a native of the Libyan Pentapolis, probably of the city of Ptolemais, and is first heard of at Rome in the time of Zephyrinns. There he was perverted by Callistus to the heresy of Noetus, and was forward among those who were striving to gain Zephyrinus to their side. There were doubtless differences of opinion, formed or forming, between Noetus, Callietus, and Sabellius, but it is clear that Sabellius was the legitimate successor of Praxeas and Noetus, and was taken for the representative of their school. As such he appears in Novatian's treatise Concerning the Trinity, in which his heresy is stated simply to be the assertion that Christ is the Father, without any mention of the later speculations or modification of the heresy.

It has been usual to date the Sabellian heresy from its outbreak in Pentapolis, and consequently to assign a late date to Novatian's treatise. Now that the "Refutation" of Hippolytus has been recovered, there can hardly be a doubt that Novatian wrote this treatise before his schism ; and that Sabellianism, though as a doctrine it is of an earlier time [praxeans], is to be dated as regards its name, from the time when Sabellius became the leader of the Noetian school Noetus died about the year 220, at which time Isidore of Hispalis fixes the rise of Sabellianism. The outbreak of Sabellianism in Pentapolis occurred about the year 257. Dionysius of Alexandria sent legates to that province ; and wrote three letters in refutation of the heresy, in which he was betrayed into expressions unorthodox in the other extreme. Complaint being made of this to Dionysius of Rome, he wrote four books in refutation both of the Sabellian heresy and of tbat which was ascribed to himself. These books were allowed to be orthodox.

These Fathers give the heresy of Sabellius in terms as brief and simple as Novatian gives it. Dionysius of Rome states that Sabellius assert the Son Himself to be the Father, the Father to be the Son ; Diuiiysius of Alexandria, that Sabellius asserts it was the Father, not the Son, Who became man for us.

On the other hand, it appears from an extract from the work of Dionysius against Sabellius occurring in Eusebius, that Sabellius borrowed from Hermogenes this tenet of the eternity of matter. The inadequate conception of the Deity which this simple form of Sabellianism involves has already been pointed out. It may be noticed further, that to this form, more properly even than to the subsequently modified form, belongs that conception of the Trinity which is the very essence of Sabellianism ; namely, that it is a Trinity not of distinct Persons, but of action and office. The Scriptures which speak of the Son cannot possibly be ignored. They are met by the pretended explanation that the one to Whom as the Source of all things the name Father is given, going forth to the work of redemption, united Himself with Jesus, and was then called the Son. In like manner, going forth to the work of sanctification, He is called the Holy Spirit. These are names only of office, expressing the relations in which God puts Himself to created beings.

To this form again only the first degree of Patripassianism is attributable, which does not assert the Divine Nature itself to be passible, but asserts only the Person of Jesus Christ, in which the human nature was assumed by the Father, to have suffered " ratione human» natura?." The difficulties of this creed, if any authority be allowed to Holy Scripture, are so great that it cannot long be held in its simple form. It is plainly contrary. This charge conducts to the remarkable fact that, starting from the tenet of the identity of the Father and the Son, they arrived at the conclusion that the Father is separable and separate from the Son. These seemingly contradictory propositions they appear to have held together.