Saint Barsanuphius

the Lord. Just as happens to a fish ^A coming out of the water, the same happens to the mind when it emerges from the memory of God and wanders in thoughts of worldly things. He is a terror to demons and beloved by God, who with burning zeal uproots from himself the thorns grown from the sowing of the enemy. This is Jerusalem, this is the kingdom of God hidden within us, according to the word of the Lord. This same state and region is, as it were, a cloud of the glory of God for the soul, into which only the pure in heart enter, to see the face of their Lord.

IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 550. SAINT BARSANUPHIUS. NOTICE.

The distinguished Montfaucon published a small work from a codex of the Coislinian library inscribed thus: *The Doctrine of Saint Barsanuphius under Aurelian, Bishop of Gaza, concerning the opinions of Origen, Evagrius, and Didymus.* Concerning this, the aforementioned learned man prefaces the following: "It is not an unworthy little work to offer to those who study ecclesiastical history; it is the responses of the Father of the monks in Palestine, Barsanuphius, to certain brethren who had questioned him about the writings of Origen and Didymus, and about the 'Hecatontades' of Evagrius, which are called there the *Hecatontades* of the Gnostics. All of these men said that souls were not created with bodies, but that evil angels had been condemned to animate human bodies; and likewise that there would be a restitution of all things to their pristine state, and that the punishment of the damned would have an end. From these questions, furthermore, it is clear that these Origenist opinions had permeated through the monasteries of Palestine; and also that some monks falsely thought they had found this doctrine of restitution in the writings of Gregory Nazianzen." Thus says he.

Now indeed, from the inscription of this same work, by which it is reported to have been consigned to writing under Aurelian, Bishop of Gaza, the most learned Lequien seized the opportunity to inquire at what time this prelate sat upon the see of Gaza; and he noted that, by the decree of the synod of the three Palestines, gathered against the heretic Anthimus under the Patriarch Peter in the year 536, Marcian had subscribed in these words: "Marcian, Bishop of Gaza, defining, I have subscribed." Nor did the learned man stop here; but proceeding further, he consulted Evagrius, who tells these things concerning the holy anchorite, the author of this work: "Barsanuphius, by race an Egyptian, lived a life devoid of the flesh while still in the flesh in a certain monastery near the town of Gaza; to such a degree that he performed very many miracles, which it is difficult to recount: and it is believed by all that he is even now living, enclosed in a cell, although fifty and more years have already passed since he was last seen by anyone, nor has he tasted anything earthly. Since Eustochius, the prelate of Jerusalem, believed these things to be false, and had ordered the cell in which the man of God had enclosed himself to be dug up, fire leapt out from it and burned almost everyone who was present." So says Evagrius. Lequien, calling this narrative to account, argues roughly thus: "Since Evagrius brought his history to the twelfth year of the Emperor Maurice, which is the year of our Lord 594, and then, with fifty and more years having already elapsed since Barsanuphius ceased to be visible to men, it is understood that Aurelian, Bishop of Gaza, under whom he wrote the aforementioned work...

Barsanuphius, fifty and more years before them, namely in the year 540 or thereabouts, had resided there, and consequently was probably the immediate successor of Marcian. » ^A Since matters stand thus, with Aurelianos ruling the Church of Gaza about the year of Christ 540, it remains that this holy Father of monks delivered his Doctrine in writing either at that same time or rather shortly before; and consequently, neither the conjectures of Cave (6) nor of Fabricius (7) are to be admitted; the former of whom thinks Barsanuphius flourished about the year 548, the latter indeed in 550. But more appropriately, Pagius assigns the year 540 (8). ^B This man, however, had almost neglected to remember that Nicephorus Callisti had delivered an account of Barsanuphius almost consonant with the narrative of Evagrius (9), or rather that he had transcribed the same Evagrius, except that he inserted Salustius into his narrative in place of Eustochius, the prelate of Jerusalem. The very learned Papebrochius, however, in writing the eulogy of Saint Barsanuphius, preferred to follow Nicephorus, who was seven hundred and more years younger than Evagrius; and thus he thoroughly persuaded himself that Barsanuphius was contemporary with Salustius rather than Eustochius (10). But that this learned man wandered far from the truth is sufficiently evidenced not only by his calculations—which were drawn up less correctly, as Pagius shows (11)—but also by the records which he reports regarding both prelates of Jerusalem. ^C But that illustrious Bollandist companion, having been taught better things later, is to be considered to have wiped away with a sponge what he had previously discussed—whether about Salustius or about Eustochius—in his chronological History of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem (12). But the learned Lequien seems to me to have set forth more detailed and simultaneously clearer accounts of these, which indeed it would be worth the effort to consult (13). For the nature of our task does not allow us to be led any further from our set purpose. Furthermore, regarding the remaining literary monuments of the holy Father that are still extant but not yet published, the aforementioned illustrious men Cave and Fabricius are to be consulted.

SECOND NOTICE

Barsanuphius, monk and anchorite of Palestine, circa A.C. 550, *Responses to ascetic questions*, manuscript in various libraries. See Lambecius, IV, p. 189; and V, p. 100 (1); Labbeum, and vol. V, p. 213. Koll. n. 1 cod. 240, in cod. vol. V, p. 23. Koll. in cod. 241, n. 1, are in the *Ascetic Eclogues* of John, Patriarch of Antioch. Fragments of S. Barsanuphius. ^D Chapters of the same (κεφάλαια τοῦ ἁγίου Βαρσανουφίου inc. Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Βαρσανούφιος, etc.) in the Moscow Synod codex V, V. Matthaeus, *Notitia codd. Gr. Mosq.* p. 17, n. 14. — At Oxford, in the Baroccian codex 5, in a collection of certain canons, are scattered ascetic maxims and precepts from Barsanuphius and many others. — In cod. 13 and 91, *Excerpts from the questions and responses of Barsanuphius*. In cod. 213 of the same, *Responses to the questions of a certain monk*: inc. Πῶς τις τηρεῖ τὴν. — Ibid. in cod. 98, n. 12, or according to the catalogue of the MSS. of England etc., vol. I, n. 277, the *Doctrine useful to the soul of the abbot Barsanuphius and his disciple John*, which they published for the sake of the brethren consulting them, by way of questions and responses. — Ibid. in cod. 107, or n. 286, cited in the *Catalogues*, *Sayings of the holy old men*, by way of dialogue, where various questions are proposed by an anonymous person, to which John, Barsanuphius, Arsacius, etc., respond. — In the same catalogue, vol. II, n. 6157, in the Th. Gale codex 323, ascetic excerpts from Barsanuphius and others, in the book *On curing the affections of the soul*. — At Paris, in the public library codices 875 and 2500, responses of the same and his disciple John to various ascetic questions. — In cod. 60 of the Mazarin library, excerpts from Barsanuphius and others on prayer. See Montfaucon, *Bibl. biblioth. mss.* p. 1513. Id. p. 1502. He reports a codex preserved in the monastery of the Holy Trinity near Constantinople, in which it is said to be written by another hand that: "It must be known that there were two Dorothei and two Barsanuphii, of whom some followed the heresy of Severus, others the orthodox Church, and the latter are discussed in this book." The same is noted in the Coislin codices 125, 281 and 238. See Montfaucon, *Bibl. Coislin.* p. 199, 393 and 397. — Ibid. p. 400, in Coislin codex 284, *Interrogations of S. Dorotheus to S. Barsanuphius*. — P. 312, in cod. 268, from the same, are excerpts in the *Scholia on the ascetic sermons of Isaac the Syrian*. — Ibid. p. 595, in cod. 281, *Dialogue of Barsanuphius with his disciple John, who was surnamed the Prophet*: there follows the *Doctrine of S. Barsanuphius under Aurelian, or to Aurelian the bishop of Gaza, concerning the Opinions of Origen, Evagrius and Didymus*, by way of dialogue. And Montfaucon, p. 394 sqq., brought this little work of the *Responses of Barsanuphius* into the light from that Greek codex, with a Latin version added. In the end, however, much is missing. [This is repeated in Galland, *Bibl. PP.* XI, p. 592 sqq.] In other codices, passages occur from the writings of Barsanuphius: see ibid. p. 111, 186, 191, 198. *Epistle of Barsanuphius to those who were questioning him*, at Venice in the Marcian library codex 503. See *Cat. codd. Gr. Marc.* p. 265. At Florence, in the Laurentian library codex 4, plut. 6, which contains *Expositions of sacred precepts from the Fathers of the Church and councils*, many passages from the writings of Barsanuphius and his life occur. See Bandinius, *Cat. codd. Gr. Laurent.* p. 98 and in vol. XIII, p. 847. Hart.