Letter 91: An exultant letter from Epiphanius in which he describes the success of his council (convened at the suggestion of Theophilus), sends Jerome a copy of its synodical letter. and urges him to go on with his work of translating into Latin documents bearing on the Origenistic controversy. Written in 400 A.D.

To his most dearly beloved lord, son, and brother, the presbyter Jerome — Epiphanius sends greeting in the Lord. The circular letter addressed to all Catholic believers belongs especially to you; for you, with your burning zeal against every heresy, have been fighting the disciples of Origen and Apollinaris with particular intensity. Their poisoned roots and deeply embedded impiety, God Almighty has now dragged into the light, so that being unearthed in Alexandria they might wither throughout the world. Know, my beloved son: Amalek has been utterly destroyed, and the trophy of the cross has been raised on the hill of Rephidim (Exodus 17:8–14). Just as Israel prevailed when Moses held his hands high, so the Lord has strengthened His servant Theophilus to plant His standard against Origen on the very altar of the Church of Alexandria — fulfilling the word: "Write this as a memorial, for I will blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." Rather than repeat myself and make this letter tedious, I am sending you the actual letter written to me, so that you may see for yourself what Theophilus has said and appreciate what a great blessing the Lord has granted to my final years: the vindication of principles I have always proclaimed, now confirmed by the testimony of so great a bishop. I imagine that by now you yourself have published something on this matter — that, as I urged in my previous letter, you have written a treatise in Latin for your own readers. For I hear that certain shipwrecked souls (1 Timothy 1:19) have also made their way westward. Do not spare them. The truth does not need to be gentle with those who have made a career of deceiving the simple. Please write to me and let me know what you have done. The final years of an old man's life are sweetened by the triumphs of his friends.

From Epiphanius to Jerome An exultant letter from Epiphanius in which he describes the success of his council (convened at the suggestion of Theophilus), sends Jerome a copy of its synodical letter. and urges him to go on with his work of translating into Latin documents bearing on the Origenistic controversy. Written in 400 A.D. To his most loving lord, son, and brother, the presbyter Jerome, Epiphanius sends greeting in the Lord. The general epistle written to all Catholics belongs particularly to you; for you, having a zeal for the faith against all heresies, particularly oppose the disciples of Origen and of Apollinaris whose poisoned roots and deeply planted impiety almighty God has dragged forth into our midst, that having been unearthed at Alexandria they might wither throughout the world. For know, my beloved son, that Amalek has been destroyed root and branch and that the trophy of the cross has been set up on the hill of Rephidim. Exodus 17:8-14 For as when the hands of Moses were held up on high Israel prevailed, so the Lord has strengthened His servant Theophilus to plant His standard against Origen on the altar of the church of Alexandria; that in him might be fulfilled the words: Write this for a memorial, for I will utterly put out Origen's heresy from under heaven together with that Amalek himself. And that I may not appear to be repeating the same things over and over and thus to be making my letter tedious, I send you the actual missive written to me that you may know what Theophilus has said to me, and what a great blessing the Lord has granted to my last days in approving the principles which I have always proclaimed by the testimony of so great a prelate. I fancy that by this time you also have published something and that, as I suggested in my former letter to you on this subject, you have elaborated a treatise for readers of your own language. For I hear that certain of those who have made shipwreck 1 Timothy 1:19 have come also to the West, and that, not content with their own destruction, they desire to involve others in death with them; as if they thought that the multitude of sinners lessens the guilt of sin and the flames of Gehenna do not grow in size in proportion as more logs are heaped upon them. With you and by you we send our best greetings to the reverend brothers who are with you in the monastery serving God. About this page Source. Translated by W.H. Fremantle, G. Lewis and W.G. Martley. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 6. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1893.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3001091.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.