A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

535Condemnation of Origen by Anastasius, bishop of Rome, A.D. 400To his lord and brother, Simplicianus, Anastasius.It is felt right that a shepherd have great care and watchfulnessover his flock. In like manner, also, the careful watchman fromhis lofty tower keeps a lookout day and night on behalf of thecity. In the hour of tempest and peril the prudent shipmastersuffers great distress of mind lest by the tempest and the violentwaves his vessel be dashed upon the rocks. With similar feelingsthat reverend and honorable man Theophilus, our brother andfellow-bishop, ceases not to watch over the things which makefor salvation, that God's people in the different churches may notby reading Origen run into awful blasphemies.Having been informed, then, by the letter of the aforesaid,we inform your holiness that just as we are set in the city ofRome, in which the prince of the Apostles, the glorious Peter,founded the Church and then by his faith strengthened it; to theend that no man contrary to the commandment read these bookswhich we have mentioned and the same we have condemned;and with earnest prayers we have urged that the precepts of theEvangelists which God and Christ have inspired the Evangeliststo teach ought not to be forsaken; but that is to be rememberedwhich the venerable Apostle Paul preached by way of warning:“If any one preach a gospel unto you other than that which waspreached unto you, let him be anathema” [Gal. 1:8]. Holdingfast, therefore, this precept, we have intimated that everythingwritten in days past by Origen that is contrary to our faith is evenby us rejected and condemned.We have written these things to your holiness by the hand ofthe presbyter Eusebius, who, being a man filled with a glowingfaith and having the love of the Lord, has shown me someblasphemous chapters at which we shuddered and which we condemned,but if any other things have been put forth by Origen,[488]