Writings of Alexander of Cappadocia
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Text edited by Rev. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson and
first published by T&T Clark in Edinburgh in 1867. Additional
introductionary material and notes provided for the American
edition by A. Cleveland Coxe, 1886.
Translator's Biographical Notice
[a.d. 170-233-251.] Alexander was at first bishop of a church in
Cappadocia, but on his visiting Jerusalem he was appointed to the
bishopric of the church there, while the previous bishop Narcissus was
alive, in consequence of a vision which was believed to be divine.
[1201] During the Decian persecution he was thrown into prison at
Caesarea, and died there, [1202] a.d. 251. The only writings of his
which we know are those from which the extracts are made. [1203]
From the Epistles of Alexander.
I. An Epistle to the People of Antioch. [1204]
Alexander, a servant and prisoner of Jesus Christ, sends greeting in
the Lord to the blessed church of Antioch. Easy and light has the Lord
made my bonds to me during the time of my imprisonment since I have
learned that in the providence of God, Asclepiades--who, in regard to
the right faith, is most eminently qualified for the office--has
undertaken the episcopate of your holy church of Antioch. And this
epistle, my brethren and masters, I have sent by the hand of the
blessed presbyter Clement, [1205] a man virtuous and well tried, whom
ye know already, and will know yet better; who also, coming here by
the providence and supervision of the Master, has strengthened and
increased the Church of the Lord.
II. From an Epistle to the Antinoites. [1206]
Narcissus salutes you, who held the episcopate in this district before
me, who is now also my colleague and competitor in prayer for you,
[1207] and who, having now attained to [1208] his hundred and tenth
year, unites with me in exhorting you to be of one mind. [1209]
III. From an Epistle to Origen. [1210]
For this, as thou knowest, was the will of God, that the friendship
subsisting between us from our forefathers should be maintained
unbroken, yea rather, that it should increase in fervency and
strength. For we are well acquainted with those blessed fathers who
have trodden the course before us, and to whom we too shall soon go:
Pantaenus, namely, that man verily blessed, my master; and also the
holy Clement, who was once my, master and my benefactor; and all the
rest who may be like them, by whose means also I have come to know
thee, my lord and brother, who excellest all. [1211]
IV. From an Epistle to Demetrius, Bishop of Alexandria. [1212]
And he [1213] --i.e., Demetrius--has added to his letter that this
is a matter that was never heard of before, and has never been done
now,--namely, that laymen should take part in public speaking,
[1214] when there are bishops present. But in this assertion he has
departed evidently far from the truth by some means. For, indeed,
wherever there are found persons capable of profiling the brethren,
such persons are exhorted by the holy bishops to address the people.
Such was the case at Laranda, where Evelpis was thus exhorted by Neon;
and at Iconium, Paulinus was thus exhorted by Celsus; and at Synada,
Theodorus also by Atticus, our blessed brethren. And it is probable
that this is done in other places also, although we know not the
fact. [1215]
Note by the American Editor.
If Alexander died in the Decian persecution, it is noteworthy how far
the sub-apostolic age extended. This contemporary of Cyprian was
coadjutor to Narcissus, who may have seen those who knew St. John. See
, this series; also vol i. p. 568, Fragment ii.
Footnotes
[1202] Epist. 4, to Serapion, sec. 9, vol. i. part ii. p. 702.
[1203] Bibl., cod. 106.
[1204] A fragment. In Eusebius Hist. Eccles., book vi. ch. xi.
[1205] It was the opinion of Jerome in his Catalogus that the Clement
spoken of by Alexander was Clement of Alexandria. This Clement, at any
rate, did live up to the time of the Emperor Severus, and sojourned in
these parts, as he tells us himself in the first book of his
Stromateis. And he was also the friend of bishop Alexander, to whom he
dedicated his book On the Ecclesiastical Canon, or Against the Jews,
as Eusebius states in his Eccles. Hist., book vi. ch. xiii. (Migne).
[But from the third of these epistles one would certainly draw another
inference. How could he, a pupil of Clement, describe and introduce
his master in such terms as he uses here?]
[1206] In Euseb., Hist. Eccles., book vi. ch. xi.
[1207] sunextazomeno's moi dia` ton euchon. Jerome renders it: Salutat
vos Narcissus, qui ante me hic tenuit episcopalem locum et nunc mecum
eundem orationibus regit.
[1208] enuko's.
[1209] The text gives omoi'os emoi` ph`ronesai. Several of the codices
and also Nicephorus give the better reading, homoi'os emoi`
homophronesai, which is confirmed by the interpretations of Rufinus
and Jerome.
[1210] In Euseb., Hist. Eccles., ch. xiv.
[1211] [This contemporary tribute confirms the enthusiastic eulogy of
the youthful Gregory. See p. 38, supra]
[1212] In Euseb., Hist. Eccles., ch. xix.
[1213] 0 Demetrius is, for honour's sake, addressed in the third
person. Perhaps he se` hagio'tes or some such form preceded.
[1214] o`milein.
[1215] [This precise and definite testimony is not to be
controverted. It follows the traditions of the Synagogue (Acts xiii.
15), and agrees with the Pauline prescription as to the use of the
charismata in 1 Cor. xiv. The chiefs of the Synagogue retained the
power of giving this liberty, and this passed to the Christian
authorities.]
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