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Answer to Mr. Jacksoit. On the time of Sabellianism. 245
secutus est et errorem. Augustine's words are ; Sabelliaiii
ab illo Noeto,quein supra mcinoraviinuSjdeHuxisse dicuutur.
Nam et discipuluni ejus qiiidain ptrliibcnt f'uisse Sabclliiiin :
so that he speaks doubtfully about it. Many might eall
Sabellius a disciple of Noetus, as he canu; not very long-
after him, and because of the resemblance of their opinions :
but if it was a thing- well known that Nabellius was a scholar
of Noetus, why sliould the (irceksomit to mention it? A«id
if they write nothing about it, how should the Latins know
it ? The silence of Greek authors is of much more importance
than the sayings and reports of a few Latin writers. Had
not Epiphanius and Theodoret, who write of heresies, and
particularly of Noetianism and Sabellianism, an opportcniity
to say where Sabellius learned his doctrine if they knew it '(
Theodoret, H. F. 1. iii. c. 8, mentions some predecessors of
Noetus, and says that Callistus upheld his opinion after him :
TuvTrji ficrn tov ^orpov v7rc(>rj(T7riae KaWtffro^, But says nouiing'
here or elsewhere, that I remendjer, of Sabellius beinga
disciple of Noetus. Epiphanius, H. 62. n. 1. says, that
* Sabellius's doctrine was the same with that of the Noetians,
* excepting- only a few things.' Why does he not add that
Sabellius learned his doctrine from Noetus, if he knew that
also to be true.
Mr. Jackson says, j). 121, ' there is no evidence that
* Sabellianism had its rise in Ptolemais in Egypt.' Where
then had it its rise? It is generally concluded by learned
men, from Eusebius's account of Dionysius's letter to Xystus,
that it had its rise in Ptolemais. Sabellius himself is continually
spoken of by the ancients, who give an account of
liim and his doctrine as a Libyan or African: so Philaster
before cited : and so Theodoret, IJ. F. 1. ii. c. 9. Sa/JeWto?
Se AifSvi h UevTa7ro\n7]v. If Sabellianism had its rise in Asia
Minor, at Ephesus, or Smyrna, or thereabout, why have we
no account of any writers of that country opposing- it?
Athanasius says that in the time of Dionysius, some of the
bishops of Pentapolis held the doctrine of Sabellius, Avhich
occasioned his looking- into the matter. Ev YlevTOTroXei Trjt
avtt) Aifivrjv TijviKama Tiucf twv cTTifTKOTrtuv e(ppovrjaav Ta 2a/36X.X,t«.
De Sent. Dionys. n. 5. p. 24(). And Theodoret, in his
article of Sabellius, takes particular notice that Dionysius
of Alexandria wrote against him. If this principle had
been first taught by Sabellius in some other parts before
it Mas known in Egypt, why does not Dionysius himself;
why did not Eusebius, nor Athanasius, nor Epiphanius, nor
Theodoret, give any hint of it?
Mr. Jackson, p. 125, still insists upon ' the authority of two