Moreover, as regards the relation between Nestorius and the Sardicense another point, too, is to be discussed. I must go a roundabout way to show this. First, attention must be drawn to the fact that the Sardicense had a particular kinship with Marcellus[1]. Like Marcell us, the Sardicense declares that the term πρωτότοκος, if used of Christ, is applied to him as to the new creature, i.e. as to the beginner of the new humanity[2]. Like Marcellus, it understands the eternity of the Logos, not as Origen did as an eternal existence beside God the Father, but as the eternal existence in him up to the time when he issued from God[3]. Like Marcellus, the Sardicense contends that God and his Logos have one ὑπόστασις[4]. Like Marcellus, it identifies the λόγος ἄσαρκος and the Spirit of God[5]; and like Marcellus, it assumes, that from the historical Christ the Spirit of God proceeded and went over to the disciples[6]. Like
- ↑ This, too, is proved in the notes mentioned in the preceding note.
- ↑ Comp. above p. 117, note 4, and Sardicense, 7, p. 9: ὁμολογοῦμεν μονογενῆ καὶ πρωτότοκον· ἀλλὰ μονογενῆ τὸν λόγον, ὃς πάντοτε ἦν καὶ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ πατρί· τὸ πρωτότοκος δὲ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ διαφέρει (i.e. refers to the man) καὶ τῇ καινῇ κτίσει, ὅτι καὶ πρωτότοκος ἐκ νεκρῶν.
- ↑ Comp. the preceding note.
- ↑ Sardicense, 4, p. 7: ἡμεῖς δὲ ταύτην παρειλήφαμεν … πίστιν καὶ ὁμολογίαν· μίαν εἶναι ὑπόστασιν, … τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος.
- ↑ Sardicense, 11, p. 10: καὶ τοῦτο (viz. τὸ πνεῦμα) πιστεύομεν πεμφθέν· καὶ τοῦτο οὐ πέπονθεν, ἀλλ’ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃν ἐνεδύσατο.
- ↑ This cannot be proved by a single quotation; but evidence is given in my papers Die Trinitätslehre Marcells (p. 771 ff.) and Das
