Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 1343
Faustinus, the Luciferian presbyter from Rome, sends to Emperor Theodosius the creed to which he adheres. Faustinus, Confessio Fidei, written ca AD 379/384 in the East (in Eleutheropolis or Constantinople?).
Faustini presbyteri confessio uerae fidei quam breuiter scribi et sibi transmitti iussit Theodosius imperator.
 
1. Sufficiebat fides conscripta apud Nicaeam aduersus haeresim Arrianam; sed quia prauo ingenio quidam, sub illius fidei confessione, impia uerba commendant, nobis inuidiam facientes quod uelut haeresim Sabelli tueamur, paucis, et contra Sabellium primae fidei confessione signamus, et contra hos qui, sub nomine catholicae fidei, impia uerba defendunt, dicentes tres esse substantias, cum semper catholica fides unam substantiam Patris et Filii et Spiritus sancti confessa sit. 2. Nos Patrem credimus, qui non sit Filius, sed habeat Filium de se sine initio genitum, non factum; et Filium credimus, qui non sit Pater, sed habeat Patrem de quo sit genitus, non factus; et Spiritum Sanctum credimus, qui sit uere Spiritus Dei. Vnde et diuinae Trinitatis unam substantiam confitemur; quia qualis est Pater secundum substantiam, talem genuit et Filium; et Spiritus Sanctus, non creatura existens sed Spiritus Dei, non est alienus a substantia Patris et Filii, sed est et ipse eiusdem substantiae cum Patre et Filio sicut eiusdem deitatis.
3. Nam qui nos putant esse Apollinaristas, sciant quod non minus Apollinaris haeresim execramur quam Arrianam. Miramur autem illos catholicos probari posse qui Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti tres substantias confitemur. Sed, etsi dicunt non se credere Filium Dei aut Spiritum Sanctum creaturam, tamen contra piam fidem sentiunt cum dicunt tres esse substantias. Consequens est enim ut tres deos confiteantur, qui tres substantias confitentur. Quam uocem catholici semper execrati sunt.
 
(ed. A. Canellis 2006: 103, 105)
The confession of the true faith of the presbyter Faustinu,s which has been demanded by the Emperor Theodosius to be shortly written down and sent to him.
 
1. The faith written down in Nicaea is sufficient against the Arian heresy. But because some men of bad intentions are introducing impious words to this confession of faith, in order to bring us disgrace as though we supported the heresy of Sabellius, we will first briefly declare the confession of faith against Sabellius, and then against those who under the name of the Catholic faith defend the impious words saying that there are three substances, while the Catholic faith has always confessed that there is one substance of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 2. We believe in the Father who is not the Son, but who has the Son without beginning begotten of Him. And we believe in the Son who is not the Father, but has the Father of whom He is begotten, not made. And we believe in the Holy Spirit that is truly the Spirit of God. Hence we also confess the one substance of the divine Trinity. For as the Father is according to the substance the Father such is the Son whom He has begotten, and the Holy Spirit not being a creature but the Spirit of God is not different from the substance of the Father and the Son, but He himself is of the same substance with the Father and the Son as He is of the same Godhead.
3. For those who take us for the Apollinarians, shall know that we no less detest the heresy of Apollinaris than the one of Arius. But we are surprised that those can be approved as Catholic who confess that there are three substances of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Although they say that they do not believe that the Son or the Holy Spirit are creatures, they nevertheless believe against the pious faith because they say that there are three substances. For it follows that they who confess the three substances confess three gods. And such opinion was always detested by the Catholics.
 
(trans. M. Szada)

Place of event:

Region
  • East
  • Rome
City
  • Constantinople
  • Eleutheropolis

About the source:

Author: Faustinus
Title: Confessio fidei, Confession of faith
Origin: Constantinople (East)Eleutheropolis (East),
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
The Confessio Fidei was written by the Luciferian presbyter Faustinus from Rome at the request of the Emperor Theodosius. The accusations of the Sabellianism and Apollinarianism are mentioned in the Libellus precum of Faustinus and Marcellinus, and thus, the Confessio is most probably connected to the same case, see [1342]. The Confessio was transmitted in the manuscript tradition distinct from the one of the Libellus precum. It was edited for the first time by Pasquier Quesnel in the 17th c. He thought that Faustinus might have written the Confessio during his stay in Eleutheropolis where, according to his own relation in the Libellus precum, he was persecuted by the local bishop, Turbo. As the Confessio does not refer to the Council of Constantinople in AD 381, Quesnel suspected that the Confessio had been composed between AD 379 and 381. It is, however, not impossible that Faustinus composed the Confessio later, during his stay in Constantinople.
 
Later it was edited by M. Simonetti and most recently by A. Canellis (see editions).
Edition:
M. Simonetti ed., Faustinus, De confessione uerae fidei, in: V. Bulhart et al. eds., Gregorius Illiberitanus, Gregorius Illiberitanus (Ps.), Faustinus Luciferianus, Opera quae supersunt. Dubia et spuria; Opera, Corpus Christianorum Series Latina 69, Turnhout 1967, pp.
A. Canellis ed., Faustinus, Confessio fidei, in: A. Canellis ed., Supplique aux empereurs (Libellus precum et Lex augusta), Sources Chretiennes 504, Paris 2006, 103-105
Bibliography:
P. Quesnel, Ad sancti Leonis Magni opera appendix, seu Codex canonum et constitutorum Sedis Apostolicae; dissertationes, lectiones variae, notae, observationes, Lyon 1700 [ed. 2], 378.

Categories:

Travel and change of residence
Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
Relation with - Monarch and royal/imperial family
Writing activity
Religious grouping (other than Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian) - Luciferian
Education - Theological interest
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1343, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1343