St. Jerome had thought that finally, he would be left in peace.
Finally, he could be left to his exegetical work on the prophets.
Finally, he could see to the spiritual affairs of his fellow ascetics.
Finally, he could live out his last few years with his reputation intact.
No more accusations. No more polemics. Now, only the Lord’s work.
Jerome had been engaged in bitter controversy for nearly fifteen years, first against the Jovinians, the “Christian Epicureans,” and then against Rufinus of Aquileia, his old friend and colleague, and other Origenists. The polemics against Jovinian, had not gone well. Jovinian claimed that the ascetic life disparaged marriage, and that monogamy was not inferior to celibacy. Jerome, in turn, had to repeat his reply to Helvimuim once again that the issues put to rest were being brought up once again, and put his pen to the page to write against Jovinian and his high view of marriage. However, Jerome’s strong use of language was unflattering, creating the impression that Jerome was against marriage. Though the Jovinians were condemned by two councils (one in Rome and another in Milan) in 393, the experience left Jerome’s reputation damaged.
Then, there was that nasty business with his old friend, Rufinus of Aquileia. Rufinus of Aquileia was a Roman ascetic. He was born in the city of Julia Concordia around 344, the child of two Roman Christians. By 370, he had taken up residency in a monastic community in Aquileia (which was nearby), and made the acquaintance of Jerome. From there, Rufinus traveled to Alexandria, where he met some of the Coptic ascetics, but ended up traveling with his patron, Melania the Elder, to Palestine. The year was 380 c.e.
Jerome, on the other hand, had traveled through Thrace and Asia Minor into Northern Syria. He stayed in Antioch, where he was eventually convicted in a dream to lay aside his secular studies and pick up the Holy Scriptures. He ended up being ordained in 378, and went to Constantinople to study the scriptures under Gregory of Nazianzus. He then left, to be secretary for the bishop of Rome, and did more translations of the biblical works there.
However, this was not to last. Because he had influenced some of the rich Roman patronesses into embracing lives of ascetic tendencies, and because of his sharp criticism of the secular clergy, Jerome was soon forced to leave Rome. He traveled back to Antioch, and visited the Holy Land, and then made way towards Alexandria. Allegedly detecting traces of Origenism in Alexandria, he finally retired to Jerusalem for good. The year was 386 c.e.
Together again, Jerome and Rufinus were both enthusiastic translators and commentators, and both had an affinity for the work of Origen: Thus, the two became close friends.
However, such a friendship was not to last. 392 is the year when the hiccups began.
In that year, a monk from Sceta arrived in Jerusalem and accused both Jerome and Rufinus of Origenism. Jerome took this very much to heart, and was very much afraid that his orthodoxy was in jeapordy. So, two years later, when the first fires of the First Orgenist Controversy began to blaze in the near east, Jerome was going to make sure that he was on the right side.
And blaze the fires did. In 394, the Bishop of Salamis, St. Epiphanes, indirectly preached against John II, Bishop of Jerusalem, in his (John’s) own holy see. The topic of his sermon: the condemnation of Origenism (which everyone believed John to be a proponent of) John responded in kind, preaching a sermon against the Anthropomorphism which was thought to be held dear by Epiphanes. And so, discord erupted in the eastern Mediterranean basin, as the divide between the two parties widened.
St. Jerome, sensitive already, sided with Epiphanes, translating Epiphanes’ sermon against the Bishop John into Latin privately. Rufinus became aware of this translation, and so he worked to translate an edition of Origen’s De Principiis into Latin, with his preface following a similar preface written by Jerome.
The implication: Rufinus was tying Jerome to Origen, even as Jerome was trying to distance himself from him.
What followed was bitter controversy, as Jerome attempted to maintain his own orthodoxy, while placating his genuine love for Origen and Rufinus. But having to choose between the two, Jerome chose his orthodoxy.
Responding to a boast in one of Jerome’s letters to Pammachius and Oceanus (in which he vindicated his orthodoxy against Origen maintained that there was no trace of the heresy in his Commentary on Ephesians), Rufinus wrote his Apology, in which he proceeded to show that Jerome had relied on Origen for his commentary on Ephesians, and that Jerome had been a lover of Origen and Origen’s theology. His basic reproach: Come back to your old teacher and master, and stop this nonsense.
Jerome’s response was a scathing three volumes against Rufinus, two of which he wrote before even actually reading Rufinus’ Apology. Rufinus responded once more, and there, unresolved, the controversy waned. Rufinus was summoned to Rome to vindicate his orthodoxy in the beginning of the fifth century, but rather sent a letter as his own Apologia as his defense. The reply from the Pope was an expressed condemnation of Origen’s doctrines, but the allowance to leave Rufinus’ orthodoxy up to his own conscience.
Rufinus spent the rest of the fifth century translating Origen’s works into Latin, including Origen’s Commentary on Romans (405-406 c.e.; this translation would have a place to play in continuing the discussion of grace and free will going on in Roman circles since the 390s and, ultimately, the Pelagian Controversy).
I think this is an adequate place to stop. Hopefully, next week, we’ll tie up any loose ends and move on to other matters.
