CHAPTER XLVI

OF THE APOLLINARISTÆ, AND THEIR HERESY

THERE were at Laodicea in Syria a father and son each named Apollinaris, the former of whom was a presbyter, and the latter a reader in that church. Both taught Greek literature, the father grammar, and the son rhetoric. The elder was a native of Alexandria, and at first taught at Berytus, but afterwards removed to Laodicea, where he married, and the younger Apollinaris was born. Epiphanius the sophist was their cotemporary, with whom they formed an intimate acquaintance; but Theodotus bishop of Laodicea interdicted their intercourse with him, lest such communication should pervert their principles, and lead them into Paganism: this prohibition however they paid but little attention to, their familiarity with Epiphanius being still continued. George, the successor of Theodotus, also endeavoured to prevent their conversing with Epiphanius; but finding them altogether refractory on this point, he excommunicated them. The younger Apollinaris regarding this severe procedure as an act of injustice, and relying on the resources of his rhetorical sophistry, originated a new heresy, which was named after its inventor, and still has many supporters. Nevertheless some affirm that the reason above assigned was not the cause of their dissent from George, but their perception of the unsettledness and inconsistency of his profession of faith; since he sometimes maintained that the Son is like the Father, in accordance with what had been determined in the Synod at Seleucia, and at other times countenanced the Arian view. They therefore made this a pretext for separation from him: but finding no one follow their example, they introduced a new form of doctrine, asserting that in the economy of the incarnation, God the Word assumed a human body without a soul. This however they afterward retracted, admitting that he took a soul indeed, but that it was an irrational one, God the Word himself being in the place of a mind. The followers of these heresies, who from them are termed Apollinaristæ, affirm that this is the only point of difference between themselves and the Catholics; for they recognise the consubstantiality of the persons in the Trinity. But further mention of the two Apollinares will be made in the proper place.