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Against Porphyry (fragments)

Adversus Porphyrium

Written between about 270 and 311; the place is not known. The date is disputed or rests on weak evidence.

A few sentences from his lost answer to the attack of the philosopher Porphyry on the Christians.

Apology · first written in Greek

Scholars doubt that all of these pieces come from this work.

Translated by William R. Clark (1869). Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 6 (1886); first in Ante-Nicene Christian Library vol. 14 (Edinburgh, 1869) Public domain. Source and rights

About this text (2 notes)

No source line in the file. The text, its translator line and its note numbers match the CCEL copy of this series.

Scholars doubt that all of these pieces come from this work.

How we know the date and place
Date written not sure
After Porphyry's Against the Christians (about 270 or later) and before Methodius died about 311; Jerome, On Illustrious Men 83
Place written not known
No source names a place

546 words. 3 sections.

Contents
  1. I. [2976]
  2. II. [2977]
  3. III. [2978]

From the Works of Methodius Against Porphyry.

I. [2976]

§ 1›

This, in truth, must be called most excellent and praiseworthy, which God Himself considers excellent, even if it be despised and scoffed at by all. For things are not what men think them to be.

II. [2977]

‹§ 2›

Then repentance effaces every sin, when there is no delay after the fall of the soul, and the disease is not suffered to go on through a long interval. For then evil will not have power to leave its mark in us, when it is drawn up at the moment of its being set down like a plant newly planted.

III. [2978]

ܤ 3

In truth, our evil comes out of our want of resemblance to God, and our ignorance of Him; and, on the other hand, our great good consists in our resemblance to Him. And, therefore, our conversion and faith in the Being who is incorruptible and divine, seems to be truly our proper good, and ignorance and disregard of Him our evil; if, at least, those things which are produced in us and of us, being the evil effects of sin, are to be considered ours.

From His Discourse Concerning Martyrs.2979

For martyrdom is so admirable and desirable, that the Lord, the Son of God Himself, honouring it, testified, "He thought it not robbery to be equal with God,"2980 that He might honour man to whom He descended with this gift.

General Note.

The Banquet appears to me a genuine work, although, like other writings of this Father, it may have been corrupted. Tokens of such corruptions are not wanting, and there can be little doubt that Methodius the monkish artist and missionary of the ninth century has been often copied into the works of his earlier namesake.2981

In a fragment, for example, found on a preceding page,2982 there is a passage on God's image in angels and men, which appears in its more probable form in another fragment,2983 discovered by Combefis. As quoted by St. John Damascene, it is enough to say of it, with the candid Dupin, "I very much question whether the passage belongs to Methodius; or, if it does, it must be taken in another sense2984 than that in which Damascene understood it, as the words which immediately precede seem to intimate." That it is a positive anachronism in any other sense, is proved by the history of Images, on which see Epiphanius, quoted by Faber, Difficulties of Romanism, p. 488, ed. 1830. He gives St. Jerome, Opp., ii. p. 177. A learned friend suggests that the Rev. J. Endell Tyler's popular work on Primitive Christian Worship may supply an accessible reference.2985 It is a very good thought, for the whole book is worth reading, on other points also.

10 notes
  1. 2976 From the Parallels of St. John Damascene, Opera, tom. ii. p. 778, ed. Lequien.
  2. 2977 Ibid., p. 784, B.
  3. 2978 Ibid., p. 785, E.
  4. 2979 From Theodoretus, Dial., 1, 'Atrept. Opp., ed. Sirmond, tom. iv. p. 37.
  5. 2980 Phil. ii. 5.
  6. 2981 Murdock's Mosheim, Eccles. Hist., ii. 51.
  7. 2982 P. 369, note 4, supra.
  8. 2983 The Jonah Fragment, p. 378, supra.
  9. 2984 The sense, that is, of the golden image of God in angels, and "in clay or brass, as ourselves." See p. 378, supra.
  10. 2985 See pp. 131, 132, edition of the London Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge.