Early Church History

Lucian of Antioch (ca. 250-312 A.D.)

He condemned Gnosticism and Manicheanism (i.e. Paul of Samostoa). He was invovled in the translation of the NT and OT scriptures in Greek and he rejected the Apocrypha. He also held a high standard of scripture above tradition. His Syrian text influenced the Textus Receptus which our Authorized Version is translated from. He believed and followed all fundamental concepts of Biblical Christianity.

He supported the literal interpretation of the scriptures not allegorical. For centuries Lucian's theology involving Christianity has been defended by such great scholars as Caear Cardinal Beronius, George Bishop Bull, and Henry Melville Gwatkin. Lucian was obliged to take his stand against the error that was rising in his day. He was diametrically opposed to the school of theology at Alexandria, whose teachings exalted tradition. According to Dr. Wiliston Walken thus describes:

"With Antioch of this period is to be associated the foundation of a school of theology by Lucian, of whom little is known of biographical detail, save that he was a presbyter, held aloof from the party in Antioch which opposed and overcame Paul of Samosata, taught there from c. 275 to 303, and died a martyr's death in 312.... Like Origen, he busied himself with textual and exegetical labors on the Scriptures, but had little liking for the allegorizing methods of the great Alexandrian. A simpler, more grammatical and historical method of treatment both of text and doctrine characterized his teaching"

Lucian wanted to exhort people to follow God's commandments Worshipping God on Saturday or Sunday is no crime or sin.

Aeris of Pontus (300's A.D.)

He was once an asectic of Eustathius, but later left ascetic pratices to preach truthful doctrines. He became a bishop at 355 A.D. He believed that bishops are not distinguished from presbyters or elders by divine right because their office and authority according to the NT was the saem. He felt no needs to celebrate Easter (a pagan holiday) from the authority of God's word as a religious solemnity. He thought of it as a Jewish superstitution.

Fasts in his mind ought not to be prefixed to the annual return of days, as the time of Lent and the week preceding Easter. His purppose was to send Christianity to its primitive simplicity. He also felt that it was useless to pray for the dead and it was wrong to prescribe fasts or abstineces by law. He had many followers at Sebaste. he was presecuted by Papists and many of his followers had to live in caves.

Vigilantius (364-408 A.D.)

Vigilantius was born in South France near the Pyrenees Mts. He was converted by Christian travelers and associated with Sculpicius Severus, a writer who feed the hungry , clothe the poor, and visited the sick, while he engaged in many literary labors. He later met Martin, bishop of Tours where he began to be against Monasticism. Sculpicius reluctantly followed asceticism, a way of life that undermined the doctrine of Christ's one sacrifice, etc. He later became a messenger to Paulinus of Nola, Italy.

He witnessed paganism firsthand. Monasticism is from Buddhism and Egypt not Christianity popularized by heretic Anthony from Egypt. He later meet Jerome of Bethlehem and developed a good relationship in the beginning. He also visited Rufinus at Jerusalem then he broke his silence to publicly speak out against monasticism and asceticism to promote the gospel's simplicity.

At 404 A.D., Jerome began his propaganda campaign lies about Vigilantius. At the Cottian Alps, Vigilantius started to end pagan ceremonies. That region was against mandatory celibacy and vows of continence as well. The Apline Church of France and Italy welcomed Vigilantius with open arms and his preaching was powerful. According to Jerome's letter to Reparius, Vigilantius denounced:

-church celibacy -lighted tapers
- worhsip of relics -all-night vigils
-prayers to the dead

He just opposed false supperstitutions which is biblical. He also opposed relics on bones, institution of monks, etc. Unfortunately, none of his writings exist today. He wrote literature opposed to Arians not making him an Arian.

More in coming.

By TruthSeeker24

SOLA SCRIPTURA
SOLA FIDE
SOLA GLORIA DEO
SOLA CHRISTO
SOLA GRATIA

October 28, 2003
10:08 am. EST

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Helvidius (300's-420 A.D.)

He was a pupil of Auxentius, bishop of Milan. Auxentius was an Arian, but Helvidius wasn't one. he became a great scholar of northern Italy and accused Jerome when the Pope had empowered to form a Bible in Latin for Catholicism, with using false manuscripts. Jerome like he did with other dissenters of Catholic's false doctrines resorted to character assassination calling him having "a fetid mouth, fraught with a putrid stench, against the relics and of the martyrs."

In ca. 380 A.D., Helvidius in a work now lost refuted the prepetual virginity of Mary. In his work, he mentions Mary having other children besides Jesus so as to make her a model for mothers of larger families. At 383 A.D. Jerome wrote a tract in response against Helvidius in an "attempt" to support Mary being an "evervirgin" By jerome's writings, he was probably against relics as well. Helvidius was against the new supperstitutions developing in the chruch influencing the false apostate church. He died in 420 A.D. Helvidius probably had authentic Greek manuscripts to criticize Jerome.

Well I have info on Waldensians, Benegarius, St. Patrick, Jovinian, Henry of Laussane, etc. if you want it I will show it here.

By TruthSeeker.