A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

(B) Modalistic Monarchianism 201in the incarnation. Such are those called Patripassianists by theRomans and Sabellians by us.(f) Athanasius, Orationes contra Arianos, IV, 9, 25. (MSG,26:480, 505.)For Athanasius, v. infra, § 65, c. Of the four Orations againstthe Arians, attributed to Athanasius and placed between theyears 356 and 362, doubts have been raised against thegenuineness of the fourth. The following quotations are, inany case, valuable as setting forth the Sabellian position. Butthe case against the fourth oration has not been conclusivelyproved. In the passage from ch. 25 the statement is that of theSabellians, not of Athanasius.Ch. 9. If, again, the One have two names, this is the expedientof Sabellius, who said that Son and Father were the same anddid away with both, the Father when there is a Son, and the Sonwhen there is a Father.…Ch. 25. “As there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit,so also the Father is the same, but is dilated into Son and Spirit.”(g) Athanasius, Expositio fidei. (MSG, 25:204.)For the critical questions regarding this little work of uncertaindate see PNF, ser. II, vol. VI, p. 83.For neither do we hold a Son-father, as do the Sabellians, callingHim of one but not of the same essence, and thus destroying theexistence of the Son.[181](h) Basil the Great, Epistula, 210:3. (MSG, 32:772, 776.)Basil the Great, Bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia, was oneof the more important ecclesiastics of the fourth century, and