Philosophumena; or, The refutation of all heresies, Volume II
David Hume · en
[Footnote 31: There can be little doubt as to the source of this
chapter. The quotations from Heraclitus are taken from some book of
extracts, like the work of Diogenes Laertius, and much corrupted in the
taking: the words put into the mouth of Noetus on the other hand are
doubtless taken from some written note of the arraignment of Noetus
before “the blessed presbyters” who expelled him from the Church as
described in Hippolytus’ own tract against Noetus, mentioned in n. on
p. 118 _supra_. In c. 3 of this, Hippolytus declares that Noetus made
use of the same passages of Scripture as “Theodotus,” which explains
the allusion in the Table of Contents, and he uses other phrases to
be found in our text. As the whole controversy between himself and
Callistus was doubtless familiar to his readers, there was therefore no
reason for him to refer to any written document containing the opinion
of Noetus or his successors.]
[Footnote 32: In this chapter, as has been said, Hippolytus discloses
his chief reason for the publication or republication of the whole
work. The controversy which raged round the evidence of schism in
the Primitive Church which it affords has now died down, and we are
therefore able to examine such evidence dispassionately. The suggestion
that the Callistus here mentioned had been confused with another person
has now been given up, and there is little doubt that Hippolytus’
adversary was the Pope of that name who presided over the Church of
Rome between the primacies of Zephyrinus and Urbanus, this last being
quickly succeeded by Pontianus. In estimating the worth of the story
which Hippolytus here tells against him, the way has been cleared by
the frank acceptance by contemporary Catholic writers such as Monsignor
Duchesne (_Hist. ancienne de l’Église_, Paris, t. I,) and Dom. Chapman
(_The Catholic Encyclopædia_, New York, 1908, s.v. “Callistus”), of the
view that the calumnies against Callistus here put forward, although
much exaggerated and coloured, have a basis of fact. In this, they
follow the line taken by the celebrated Dr. Döllinger at the first
appearance of our text, and no modern scholar has yet been found to
seriously controvert it. It therefore only remains to draw attention to
the points in which Hippolytus has, in Dr. Döllinger’s opinion, garbled
or added colour to the facts, and on the whole, it has seemed more
satisfactory to do this in the footnotes than here. The references,
except when otherwise stated, are to the English edition of Döllinger’s
_Hippolytus and Callistus_, Edinburgh, 1876. Callistus’ primacy appears
from several testimonies to have lasted from A.D. 218 to 223, when he
was killed apparently in a riot.]
[Footnote 33: Zephyrinus appears to have been Pope from A.D. 202 to
218.]
[Footnote 34: τῳ ὑφ’ ἡμῶν παραινεῖσθαι. It is thought that this is a
_pluralis majestatis_ consequent on Hippolytus’ claim to be himself
Bishop of Rome.]