A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 93. The Age of Justinian 593Monophysites, which began even before the Conference withthe Severians in 533, three of the leading Antiochians were condemned.In connection with the two last controversies, the FifthGeneral Council was held A. D. 553.Additional source material: Evagrius, Hist. Ec., Lib. IV-VI; John of Ephesus, The Third Part of His EcclesiasticalHistory, trans. by R. Payne Smith, Oxford, 1860; Percival,Seven Ecumenical Councils (PNF).(a) Justinian, Anathematisms against Origen. Mansi, IX, 533.(MSG, 86:1013; MSL, 65:221.)The Origenistic controversy arose in Palestine, where thelearned monks were nicknamed Origenists by the more ignorant.The abbot St. Sabas was especially opposed to the groupwhich had received this name. But several, among whomthe more important were Domitian and Theodore Askidas,won the favor of Justinian and the latter received promotion,becoming bishop of Cæsarea in Cappadocia. Supportedby them, struggles broke out in various places between theSabaites and the Origenists. Ephraem, patriarch of Antioch,in a synodal letter thereupon condemned Origenism. TheOrigenists tried in vain to win the support of John, patriarchof Constantinople. But he turned to Justinian, who thereuponabandoned the Origenists and issued an edict condemningOrigen and his writings, and appending a summary of thepositions condemned in ten anathematisms. Text in Denziger,nn. 203 f. Synods were ordered for the condemnation of Origen,and among these was the synod under Menas, patriarchof Constantinople, in which were issued fifteen anathematismsbased upon the ten of Justinian (Hefele, §§ 257, 258).With this action, the controversy may be said to be closed,were it not that in spite of the renewed condemnation at theFifth General Council (see below) disputes and disturbancescontinued in Palestine until 563.