The Sacred Writings of Dionysius the Great

Dionysius the Great, Stewart Dyngwall Fordyce Salmond

• Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
• Year: 2012
• eBook ISBN: 9783849621148
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

"The Sacred Writings Of..." provides you with the essential works among the Christian writings. The volumes cover the beginning of Christianity until medieval times. Contents: Part I.-Containing Various Sections of the Works. I.-From the Two Books on the Promises.II.-From the Books on Nature.III.-From the Books Against Sabellius. On the Notion that Matter is Ungenerated.IV.-Epistle to Dionysius Bishop of RomeV.-The Epistle to Bishop Basilides. Part II.-Containing Epistles, or Fragments of Epistles. Epistle I.-To Domitius and Didymus.Epistle II.-To Novatus.Epistle III.-To Fabius Bishop of Antioch.Epistle IV.-To Cornelius the Roman Bishop.Epistle V., Which is the First on the Subject of Baptism Addressed to Stephen, Bishop of Rome.Epistle VI.-To Sixtus, Bishop.Epistle VII.-To Philemon, a Presbyter.Epistle VIII.-To Dionysius.Epistle IX.-To Sixtus II.Epistle X.-Against Bishop Germanus.Epistle XI.-To Hermammon.Epistle XII.-To the Alexandrians.Epistle XIII.-To Hierax, a Bishop in Egypt.Epistle XIV.-From His Fourth Festival Epistle.Elucidations. Exegetical Fragments. I.-A Commentary on the Beginning of Ecclesiastes.II.-The Gospel According to Luke.III.-On Luke XXII. 42, Etc.IV.-An Exposition of Luke XXII. 46, Etc.V.-On John VIII. 12.VI.-Of the One Substance.VII.-On the Reception of the Lapsed to Penitence.Footnotes

The Sacred Writings of Dionysius the Great

Contents:

Dionysius the Great – A Biography

The Sacred Writings of Dionysius

THE WORKS OF DIONYSIUS EXTANT FRAGMENTS

Part I.-Containing Various Sections of the Works.

I.-From the Two Books on the Promises.¹

II.-From the Books on Nature.³⁰

I. In Opposition to Those of the School of Epicurus Who Deny the Existence of a Providence, and Refer the Constitution of the Universe to Atomic Bodies.

II. A Refutation of This Dogma on the Ground of Familiar Human Analogies.

III. A Refutation on the Ground of the Constitution of the Universe.

IV. A Refutation of the Same on the Grounds of the Human Constitution.

V. That to Work is Not a Matter of Pain and Weariness to God.

III.-From the Books Against Sabellius.¹⁰⁷ On the Notion that Matter is Ungenerated.¹⁰⁸

IV.-Epistle to Dionysius Bishop of Rome¹¹¹

From the First Book.

From the Same First Book.

From the Same First Book.

From the Second Book.

From the Same Second Book.

From the Same Second Book.

From the Third Book.

From the Fourth Book.

About the Middle of the Treatise.

And Again:

The Conclusion of the Entire Treatise.

V.-The Epistle to Bishop Basilides.¹³⁵

Canon I.

Canon II.

Canon III.

Canon IV.

Part II.-Containing Epistles, or Fragments of Epistles.

Epistle I.-To Domitius and Didymus.¹

Epistle II.-To Novatus.⁸

Epistle III.-To Fabius Bishop of Antioch.¹¹

Epistle IV.-To Cornelius the Roman Bishop.⁵⁴

Epistle V., Which is the First on the Subject of Baptism Addressed to Stephen, Bishop of Rome.⁵⁵

Epistle VI.-To Sixtus, Bishop.⁶⁴

Epistle VII.-To Philemon, a Presbyter.⁶⁷

Epistle VIII.-To Dionysius.⁷¹

Epistle IX.-To Sixtus II.⁷²

Epistle X.-Against Bishop Germanus.⁷⁴

Epistle XI.-To Hermammon.⁹⁹

Epistle XII.-To the Alexandrians.¹²⁹

Epistle XIII.-To Hierax, a Bishop in Egypt.¹⁴¹

Epistle XIV.-From His Fourth Festival Epistle.¹⁵⁰

Elucidations.

Exegetical Fragments.¹

I.-A Commentary on the Beginning of Ecclesiastes.¹

II.-The Gospel According to Luke.

III.-On Luke XXII. 42, Etc.¹

IV.-An Exposition of Luke XXII. 46, Etc.¹

V.-On John VIII. 12.¹

VI.-Of the One Substance.¹

VII.-On the Reception of the Lapsed to Penitence.¹

Footnotes

The Sacred Writings of Dionysius the Great

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ISBN: 9783849621148

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Cover Design: © Sue Colvil - Fotolia.com

Dionysius the Great – A Biography

Bishop from 247-8 to 264-5

Called "the Great" by Eusebius, St. Basil, and others, was undoubtedly, after St. Cyprian, the most eminent bishop of the third century. Like St. Cyprian he was less a great theologian than a great administrator. Like St. Cyprian his writings usually took the form of letters. Both saints were converts from paganism; both were engaged in the controversies as to the restoration of those who had lapsed in the Decian persecution, about Novatian, and with regard to the iteration of heretical baptism; both corresponded with the popes of their day. Yet it is curious that neither mentions the name of the other. A single letter of Dionysius has been preserved in Greek canon law. For the rest we are dependent on the many citations by Eusebius, and, for one phase, to the works of his great successor St. Athanasius.

Dionysius was an old man when he died, so that his birth will fall about 190, or earlier. He is said to have been of distinguished parentage. He became a Christian when still young. At a later period, when he was warned by a priest of the danger he ran in studying the books of heretics, a vision-so he informs us-assured him that he was capable of proving all things, and that this faculty had in fact been the cause of his conversion. He studied under Origen. The latter was banished by Demetrius about 231, and Heraclas took his place at the head of the catechetical school. On the death of Demetrius very soon afterwards, Heraclas became bishop, and Dionysius took the headship of the famous school. It is thought that he retained this office even when he himself had succeeded Heraclas as bishop. In the last year of Philip, 249, although the emperor himself was reported to be a Christian, a riot at Alexandria, roused by a popular prophet and poet, had all the effect of a severe persecution. It is described by Dionysius in a letter to Fabius of Antioch. The mob first seized an old man named Metras, beat him with clubs when he would not deny his faith, pierced his eyes and face with reeds, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him. Then a woman named Quinta, who would not sacrifice, was drawn along the rough pavement by the feet, dashed against millstones, scourged, and finally stoned in the same suburb. The houses of the faithful were plundered. Not one, so far as the bishop knew, apostatized. The aged virgin, Apollonia, after her teeth had been knocked out, sprang of her own accord into the fire prepared for her rather than utter blasphemies. Serapion had all his limbs broken, and was dashed down from the upper story of his own house. It was impossible for any Christian to go into the streets, even at night, for the mob was shouting that all who would not blaspheme should be burnt. The riot was stopped by the civil war, but the new Emperor Decius instituted a legal persecution in January, 250. St. Cyprian describes how at Carthage the Christians rushed to sacrifice, or at least to obtain false certificates of having done so. Similarly Dionysius tells us that at Alexandria many conformed through fear, others on account of official position, or persuaded by friends; some pale and trembling at their act, others boldly asserting that they had never been Christians. Some endured imprisonment for a time; others abjured only at the sight of tortures; others held out until the tortures conquered their resolution. But there were noble instances of constancy. Julian and Kronion were scourged through the city on camels, and then burnt to death. A soldier, Besas, who protected them from the insults of the people, was beheaded. Macar, a Libyan, was burnt alive. Epimachus and Alexander, after long imprisonment and many tortures, were also burnt, with four women. The virgin Ammomarion also was long tortured. The aged Mercuria and Dionysia, a mother of many children, suffered by the sword. Heron, Ater, and Isidore, Egyptians, after many tortures were given to the flames. A boy of fifteen, Dioscorus, who stood firm under torture, was dismissed by the judge for very shame. Nemesion was tortured and scourged, and then burnt between two robbers. A number of soldiers, and with them an old man named Ingenuus, made indignant signs to one who was on his trial and about to apostatize. When called to order they cried out that they were Christians with such boldness that the governor and his assessors were taken aback; they suffered a glorious martyrdom. Numbers were martyred in the cities and villages. A steward named Ischyrion was pierced through the stomach by his master with a large stake because he refused to sacrifice. Many fled, wandered in the deserts and the mountains, and were cut off by hunger, thirst, cold, sickness, robbers, or wild beasts. A bishop named Chæremon escaped with his súmbios (wife?) to the Arabian mountain, and was no more heard of. Many were carried off as slaves by ...

Table of contents

• Dionysius the Great – A Biography
• V.-The Epistle to Bishop Basilides.135
• Elucidations.
• III.-On Luke XXII. 42, Etc.1