The De haeresibus of Saint Augustine : a translation with an introduction and commentary

258 Pages·1956·5.753 MB·English, Latin

by  of Hippo Saint Augustine, Müller, Liguori G.

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
PATRISTIC STUDIES
Vol. XC
tifp)r-
*~ 0 THE DE HAERESIBUS
OF
SAINT AUGUSTINE
A TRANSLATION WITH AN INTRODUCTION
AND COMMENTARY
A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS
AND SCIENCES OF THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
BY
REVEREND LIGUORI G. MULLER, O. F. M., M. A.
The Catholic University of America Press
Washington, D. C.
1956
. , Nihil Obstat:
C36
' Victor Mills, O.F.M.
»' '0 Censor Deputatus
Beda Dauphinee, O.F.M.
Censor Deputatus
lmprimi Potest:
Celsus R. Wheeler, O.F.M.
Minister Provincialis
Neo Eboraci, N.E.
Imprimatur:
* Patricius A. O'Boyle, D.D.
Archiepiscopus Washinglonii
Washington!!, D.C, die 22 Julii, 1955
Copyright, 1956
The Catholic University of America Press, Inc.
TRINTKD IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BY J. H. FUR3t COMTANY, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
To My Parents
GEORGE AND ANNA MULLER

PREFACE
The De haeresibus is one of the more interesting of the minor
works of St. Augustine, reflecting as it does Augustine's acquaint
ance with and evaluation of the heresies which existed from New
Testament times to his own day. While the data contained in the
De haeresibus have been used in church histories and in histories
of literature and dogma, the work has never been made the subject
of a complete and detailed study, nor has it yet been translated
into English. The recent study on the De haeresibus by the Italian
scholar, Silvia Jannaccone, is welcome. But, though she treats of
matters of general importance for an understanding of Augustine's
method and sources, and discusses the greater heresies in some de
tail, she has not examined the individual sections of the De
haeresibus specifically. It is rather strange that more attention has
not been given to the De haeresibus in itself. In spite of its brevity,
it can really serve—along with the indispensable Retractationes—
as an excellent introduction to the dogmatic-polemical works of St.
Augustine.
The purpose of the present monograph is to present an English
translation of the De haeresibus with an appropriate Introduction
and Commentary, and thus make this important work better known
and easier to use. The Introduction, after presenting an analysis
of the work, considers the pertinent problems connected with it.
One of the problems concerns the identification of the deacon
Quodvultdeus at whose request Augustine presented his catalogue
of heresies. A second problem involves the question of Augustine's
sources, a point which is complicated by Augustine's reference to
unnamed writers. Two points make a reconsideration of Augus
tine's knowledge of Greek imperative in this study of the De haere
sibus, namely, the use which he made of source material in Greek
and the fact that the De haeresibus was written after long years of
effort to improve his knowledge of that language. A relatively long
section of the Introduction has been devoted, naturally, to Augus
tine's concept of heresy. Moreover, certain misconceptions of his
use of the term have been considered.
vii
T1U PKEFACE
Since no modern critical text of the De haeresibus has yet been
published, I have made use of that in the original Benedictine
edition (Tomus VIII, Paris 1688), following in this the example
of the Bibliotheque Augustinienne, edited by R. P. Fulbert Cayre.
It may be observed that, while the Migne reprint is acceptable, the
Oehler reprint in the Corpus Haereseologicum leaves much to be
desired in the accuracy of reproduction. In the present text it is
only in minor matters of punctuation and spelling that there has
been any conscious alteration of the Benedictine text. The variant
readings presented by the Benedictine editors were examined, but
I found no reason for accepting any of these variants in preference
to the readings adopted in the Benedictine text itself.
In the Commentary I have attempted to furnish in brief com
pass whatever information we have on the heresies discussed by St.
Augustine in the De haeresibus. Naturally, I have sought evidence,
not only in the other works of Augustine, but in other ancient
Christian writers also. Modern special studies on the greater here
sies, e. g., Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Priscillianism, and Pelagian-
ism, have been consulted. For many of the minor heresies, and
particularly for the earlier ones, I have considered it sufficient
to refer to the most recent manuals and other reference works.
I am grateful to my superiors, Very Keverend Celsus R. Wheeler,
0. F. M., Minister Provincial of Holy Name Province, and Very
Reverend Thomas Plassmann, 0. F. M., former Minister Provincial,
for the opportunity of studying at The Catholic University of
America, and to my confreres and friends for their kind help in
typing and proofreading. I acknowledge the courteous assistance
of the librarians of the Library of Congress, Princeton Theological
Seminary, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and the
Mullen Library of The Catholic University. I wish to express my
sincere appreciation to Dr. Roy J. Deferrari for suggesting the
topic and for his direction, to Dr. Martin R. P. McGuire for his
constant guidance in my work, and to Dr. Bernard M. Peebles for
his careful reading of the dissertation.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface vii
Abbreviations xi
Select Bibliography xiii
Introduction 1
A. Authenticity and Editions 1
B. The Occasion and Date of Composition 2
C. Purpose and Method 7
D. Outline of the De haeresibus 9
E. Identity of Quodvultdeus 10
P. The Sources of the De haeresibus and Augustine's Use
of Them 22
G. The De haeresibus and Augustine's KnowledgeofGreek 30
H. St. Augustine's Concept of Heresy 37
1. The Meaning ofa'perns Prior to the New Testament 38
2. aiptats in the New Testament 40
3. The Concept of Heresy in Ecclesiastical Writings
from the Apostolic Fathers to Augustine . . 43
4. St. Augustine's Use of the Term 45
Text and Translation 54
Commentary 130
Indices 217
IX

ABBREVIATIONS
ANACEPH. AnacephaleosU
CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum
DHGE Dictionnaire d'histoire et de giographie eccUsiastiques
DTC Dictionnaire de thiologie catholique
EPIPH. KpiphaniuH
FIL. Filastrius
GCS Die Griechischen Christlichen Schriftsteller
L'lliK Lexicon filr Theologie und Kirche
PANAR. Panarion
PG Migne, J. P. Patrologia Oraeca
PL Migne, J. P. Patrologia Latina
RE Realencyolopddie der classichen Altertumswissenschaft
XI