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BESIDES all these the two books on the Promises were prepared by
him. The occasion of these was Nepos, a bishop in Egypt, who
taught that the promises to the holy men in the Divine Scriptures
should be understood in a more Jewish manner, and that there would be
a certain millennium of bodily luxury upon this earth. As he thought
that he could establish his private opinion by the
Revelation of John, he wrote a book on this subject, entitled
Refutation of Allegorists.
Dionysius opposes this in his books on the
Promises. In the first he gives his own opinion of the dogma; and in
the second he treats of the Revelation of John, and mentioning Nepos
at the beginning, writes of him in this manner:
"But since they bring forward a certain work of Nepos, on which they
rely confidently, as if it proved beyond dispute that there will be a
reign of Christ upon earth, I confess that in many other respects I
approve and love Nepos, for his faith and industry and diligence in
the Scriptures, and for his extensive psalmody, with which many of
the brethren are still delighted; and I hold him in the more reverence
because he has gone to rest before us. But the truth should be loved
and honored most of all. And while we should praise and approve
un-grudgingly what is said aright, we ought to examine and correct
what does not seem to have been written soundly. Were he present to
state his opinion orally, mere unwritten discussion, persuading and
reconciling those who are opposed by question and answer, would be
sufficient. But as some think his work very plausible, and as certain
teachers regard the law and prophets as of no consequence, and do not
follow the Gospels, and treat lightly the apostolic epistles, while
they make promises as to the teaching of this work as if it were some
great hidden mystery, and do not permit our simpler brethren to have
any sublime and lofty thoughts concerning the glorious and truly divine
appearing of our Lord, and our resurrection from the dead, and our
being gathered together unto him, and made like him, but on the
contrary lead them to hope for small and mortal things in the kingdom of
God, and for things such as exist now, since this is the case, it is
necessary that we should dispute with our brother
Nepos as if he were present." Farther on he says:
"When I was in the district of Arsinoe, where, as you know, this
doctrine has prevailed for a long time, so that schisms and apostasies
of entire churches have resulted, I called together the presbyters and
teachers of the brethren in the villages, such brethren as wished being
also present -- and I exhorted them to make a public examination of
this question. Accordingly when they brought me this book, as if it
were a weapon and fortress impregnable, sitting with them from morning
till evening for three successive days, I endeavored to correct what
was written in it. And I rejoiced over the constancy, sincerity,
docility, and intelligence of the brethren, as we considered in order
and with moderation the questions and the difficulties and the points of
agreement. And we abstained from defending in every manner and
contentiously the opinions which we had once held, unless they appeared
to be correct. Nor did we evade objections, but we endeavored as far
as possible to hold to and confirm the things which lay before us, and
if the reason given satisfied us, we were not ashamed to change our
opinions and agree with others; but on the contrary, conscientiously
and sincerely, and with hearts laid open before God, we accepted
whatever was established by the proofs and teachings of the Holy
Scriptures. And finally the author and mover of this teaching, who
was called Coracion, in the hearing of all the brethren that were
present, acknowledged and testified to us that he would no longer hold
this opinion, nor discuss it, nor mention nor teach it, as he was
fully convinced by the arguments against it. And some of the other
brethren expressed their gratification at the conference, and at the
spirit of conciliation and harmony which all had manifested."
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