A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

253II. He who was born holy and righteous, having by His struggleand sufferings overcome the sin of our progenitors, and havingsucceeded in all things, was united in character to God, sinceHe had preserved one and the same effort and aim as He for thepromotion of things that are good; and since He has preservedthis inviolate, His name is called that above every name, theprize of love having been freely bestowed upon Him.(f) Epiphanius, Panarion, Hær. LXV. (MSG, 42:12.)The doctrine of Paul of Samosata.Epiphanius was bishop of Salamis, 367-403. His works arechiefly polemical and devoted to the refutation of all heresies,of which he gives accounts at some length. He is a valuable,though not always reliable, source for many otherwise [229]unknown heresies. In the present case we have passagesfrom Paul's own writings that confirm and supplement thestatements of the hereseologist.He [Paul of Samosata] says that God the Father and the Son andthe Holy Spirit are one God, that in God is always His Word andHis Spirit, as in a man's heart is his own reason; that the Son ofGod does not exist in a hypostasis, but in God himself.… Thatthe Logos came and dwelt in Jesus, who was a man. And thus hesays God is one, neither is the Father the Father, nor the Son theSon, nor the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit, but rather the one Godis Father and in Him is his Son, as the reason is in a man.… Buthe did not say with Noetus that the Father suffered, but only, saidhe, the Logos came and energized and went back to the Father.(g) Methodius of Olympus, Symposium, III, 4, 8. (MSG, 18:65,73.)