Priscillian of Avila: The Occult and Charismatic in the Early Church
Henry Chadwick
Number of quotes: 27
Book ID: 378 Page: 2
Section: 4B
Christians should not eat with Jews {50}, a community numerous in Spain by 300, and must not ask the rabbi to bless their fields which would nullify the blessing pronounced by the bishop {49}.*John’s note: From the Council of Elvira*
Quote ID: 8251
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 3
Section: 4B
A five-year excommunication is imposed on parents who marry their daughters to Jews or to heretics unwilling to become catholics {16}. Marriage to a pagan husband is discouraged but carries no penalty unless he is a priest.…*John’s note: See note on page 2.*
Quote ID: 8252
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 8
Section: 2D3B
In the seventies of the fourth century the Spanish churches were stirred by a new voice. A devout cultivated layman of high, probably senatorial, standing, named Priscillianus, {1} began to ask his fellow Christians to take their baptismal renunciation more seriously and to give more time to special spiritual study.
Quote ID: 8254
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 9
Section: 2D3B
Priscillian invited Christians to come aside, to leave the busy city, and to withdraw to special retreats at country villas or up in the hills. Before a great festival like the Epiphany on 6 January, they should prepare themselves by ascetic retirement into the mountains for three weeks.….
What forces lay behind this ascetic movement it is hard to say. The ideals of Egyptian hermits were beginning to exert an influence in the western provinces….
Quote ID: 8255
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 9
Section: 2D3B
Martin (whose life is that of a wandering charismatic) told his disciple Postumianus how Antichrist had already been born and would shortly come to power in the East to make his capital at a rebuilt Jerusalem.{3}
Quote ID: 8256
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 11
Section: 2D3B
Nothing is more certain than that he is not the product of a school.
Quote ID: 8257
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 14
Section: 2C
…from the record of the synod at Saragossa in October, probably of the year 380.The canons of Saragossa deplore many things in the situation: (a) women attending Bible-readings (‘lectio’) in the houses of men to whom they are unrelated (‘alieni’); (b) fasting on Sundays and withdrawal from the worship of the church during Lent and in the period from 17 December to 6 January; (c) receiving the Eucharistic elements in the church without immediately consuming them; (d) recession into cells and mountain retreats (‘latibula cubiculorum ac montium’); (e) walking with unshod feet; (f) clergy abandoning the duties of their office to become monks; (g) virgins taking the veil before the age of forty and without doing so formally in the presence of the bishop; (h) the title of ‘teacher’ being granted to unauthorized persons (presumably laymen).
Quote ID: 8258
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 16
Section: 2A4
One of the complaints against the Priscillianists which Turibius of Astorga reported to pope Leo the Great (below, p. 212) was that ‘they fast on Christ’s Nativity and on Sunday’.{2}
Quote ID: 8259
Time Periods: 45
Book ID: 378 Page: 19
Section: 2A1,2A4
In his 55th letter, to Januarius, Augustine remarks that it is easier to persuade a confirmed drinker to forsake his bottle than to dissuade a man from walking barefoot for eighty days, so great is the force of cultic custom (‘praesumptio’).{3} Early medieval processions at Rogationtide sometimes required unshod feet.{4} The nakedness required of candidates for baptism was sometimes less than total, and then took the form of leaving off shoes, especially for the exorcism, unction, and water rite.{5}
Quote ID: 8260
Time Periods: 45
Book ID: 378 Page: 61
Section: 3A1
…Hydatius and Ithacius, frustrated by the mildness of the council of Saragossa and infuriated by Priscillian’s election to be bishop of Avila, turned to the court of Gratian to obtain a rescript of repression against the Priscillianists.
Quote ID: 8261
Time Periods: 6
Book ID: 378 Page: 72
Section: 2D3B
Priscillian does not deny the possibility of salvation to ordinary Christians living with their wives in a normal married life. Those who wish to pursue their ambitions in this world, or to retain high secular office,{1} or prefer to ignore Christ’s stern call for an abandonment of family ties, may indeed hope for pardon, provided always that their orthodoxy remains intact.
Quote ID: 8262
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 75
Section: 2E4
The observance of special days was highly characteristic of paganism.
Quote ID: 8263
Time Periods: 5
Book ID: 378 Page: 77
Section: 2C
…the complaint against the ‘Binionites’ (that is, those who distinguish between the Father and the Son)….
Quote ID: 8264
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 87
Section: 2C
The abusive term ‘Binionitae’ occurs also in the first tractate (i, p. 5, 10). It is Priscillian’s rejoinder to a charge of being a ‘Unionita’....
Quote ID: 8266
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 127
Section: 3A1
{2} See (e.g.) Ambrose, Ep. 82, for a case transferred by the emperor from a civil court to his arbitration; or canon 9 of Chalcedon, 451.
Quote ID: 8267
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 130
Section: 3A2A
The consistent Christian tradition was to regard capital punishment as in all circumstances unacceptable. Athenagoras declares that the death penalty is intolerable even if in accordance with the code of justice.{1} The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus forbids any Christian in authority to order an execution.{2}
Quote ID: 8268
Time Periods: 2
Book ID: 378 Page: 130/131
Section: 3A2A
Ambrose feels unable to agree with the strict Novatianists who excommunicate those who pass sentence of death, but thinks a Christian judge should avoid it. Moreover ‘even pagan governors commonly boast of having never executed a man’.{6}Nevertheless Ambrose interprets Phineas’ zeal in killing the Israelite who had a Midianite wife (Num. 25 : 8) as a model for bishops to imitate in crushing heresy.
Quote ID: 8269
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 140
Section: 2D3B
The reaction after the death of Julian had seen many trials of distinguished pagans on charges of sorcery which had involved harsh torture and had ended in executions.{6} Under Julian Christian holy men with charismatic powers had been open to like treatment.{7}
Quote ID: 8270
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 144
Section: 3D1
After the first trial Priscillian was imprisoned and the question of sentence was referred to the emperor. Meanwhile, Ithacius had become aware of the depth of resentment against himself as accuser of a brother bishop on a capital charge. He was allowed to withdraw from the prosecution, presumably by the emperor himself. His withdrawal at this late stage is not likely to have been the result of loss of confidence on his part, in view of the fact that to bring a capital charge unsuccessfully was to risk one’s own head.{1}*John’s note: The real reason for the witch hunt was “Arionism”.
Date: AD 386*
….
He was replaced as prosecutor by Patricius, a treasury advocate (fisci patronus). The interest of the state treasury in the trial is underlined by a passing comment in Sulpicius Serverus’ dialogue ‘Gallus’ that Maximus ‘wanted the heretics’ property’.
….
When Maximus condemned Priscillian to be executed on the charge of maleficium, sorcery, there died with him two clergy, Felicissimus and Armenius; his wealthy friend Euchrotia, widow of Delphidius;{3} and Latronianus, a Christian poet of sufficient note to receive an entry in Jerome’s Lives of Illustrious Men, where the name of Julianus is also given as one of those who died.
Tribunes were sent to Spain to carry out a further inquisition there,{4} which resulted in the beheading of Asarivus (or Asarbus) and a deacon named Aurelius. Tiberianus lost all his property by confiscation and was exiled to the island of ‘Sylinancis beyond Britain’ (the earliest reference to the Scilly Isles.{5}
Quote ID: 8271
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 145
Section: 3D1
The great majority of Gallic bishops obediently supported Ithacius, who published an ‘apologia pro vita sua’, painting a lurid picture of Priscillian’s occultism and lecherous morals….
Quote ID: 8272
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 148
Section: 3D1
The fall of Maximus spelt a reversal of policy which was golden news for the Spanish Priscillianists. Ithacius was canonically deposed from his see, the complaint against him being the bringing of an accusation on a capital charge.
Quote ID: 8274
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 150
Section: 2E3
In parts of Spain, especially in Galicia, Priscillian was jubilantly celebrated as a martyr. The bodies of all those executed at Trier were lovingly recovered and taken to Spain for burial. They became deeply valued as relics of holy men. Oaths were solemnly sworn at Priscillian’s shrine,{1}….*John’s note: Phalaris – cruel Greek, had a brass bull made to roast his victims on. Also a cannibal.*
Quote ID: 8275
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 150
Section: 2A4
Professor Peter Brown draws my attention to Optatus ii. 22: Donatist oaths invoking their martyrs imply power to grant rain. For the potency of oaths if taken at particular shrines see Augustine, Ep. 78. 3, deciding to send two quarrelling men, one of whom must be lying, from Hippo to Nola in Campania to swear before St. Felix, such oaths not being effective at African shrines. (It is noteworthy that the saint is here no advocate of mercy but a vessel of wrath.) Gregory of tours required oaths at St. Martin’s tomb (Hist. Franc. 5. 48-9). Philostratus (V. Apoll. Tyan. i. 6) says a Cilician spring could detect perjurers.
Quote ID: 8276
Time Periods: 34567
Book ID: 378 Page: 151
Section: 3D1
A passage in Ambrose’s twenty-sixth letter even compares Priscillian’s accusers to the Jewish high priests handing Jesus over for execution to Pilate. Not surprisingly, some of the Priscillianist martyrs succeeded in finding their way into medieval calendars.
Quote ID: 8277
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: 188
Section: 3A2
From 407 onwards edicts outlawing Priscillianists begin to come from the imperial chancery. A law of that year imposes confiscation of property, ineligibility to accept any gift or legacy or to make contracts, and disqualification from making a valid will. Slaves are declared free to abandon Priscillianist masters. Any estate on which a Priscillianist meeting has been held with the knowledge of the landowner is forfeit to the Treasury. If the landowner was ignorant of it, he retains his land, but his steward or overseer is to be beaten with lashes tipped with lead and sent to the mines for life.{2} A further law of 410 forbids both the enlistment of Priscillianists in the imperial service and the granting to them exemption from any curial duty.{3}
Quote ID: 8278
Time Periods: 5
Book ID: 378 Page: Preface
Section: 3A1,3A2A
In 385, he was tortured and executed by imperial order at Trier, the first, and in antiquity almost the only, heretic to suffer formal capital punishment from the secular arm.*John’s note: The ruler was motivated by need of churchmen support.*
Quote ID: 8248
Time Periods: 4
Book ID: 378 Page: Preface
Section: 2D3B
The twentieth century, skeptical of the very existence of an immaterial order of things….
Quote ID: 8249
Time Periods: 234
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