Praxeas
Praxeas (
An early anti-Montanist, he is known only by virtue of Tertullian's book "Adversus Praxean". His name in the list of heresies appended to the "De Praescriptionibus" of that writer (an anonymous epitome of the lost "Syntagma" of Hippolytus) is a correction made by some ancient diorthotes for Noetus.[1]
He taught Monarchian doctrine there, or at least a doctrine which Tertullian regarded as Monarchian: "Paracletum fugavit et patrem crucifixit."[2]- "Having driven out the Paraclete, he [Praxeas] now crucified the Father". He was refuted, evidently by Tertullian himself, and gave an explanation or recantation in writing, the "carnal" as he affects to call them, which, when Tertullian wrote several years afterwards, was still in the hands of the authorities of the Carthaginian Church. Monarchianism had sprung up again, but Tertullian does not mention its leaders at Rome, and directs his whole argument against his old enemy Praxeas.
But the arguments which he refutes are doubtless those of Epigonus and Cleomenes. There is little reason for thinking that Praxeas was a heresiarch, and less for identifying him with Noetus, or one of his disciples. He was very likely merely an adversary of the Montanists who used some quasi-Monarchian expressions when at Carthage, but afterwards revised them when he saw they might be misunderstood.
Praxeas is mentioned in the Belgic Confession (1562) as and example of "certain false Christians and heretics... who were rightly condemned by the holy fathers."[3]
See also
References
- ISBN 978-0-06-064952-4 [1]
- ^ Adversus Praxen 1,12, in: CC SL, 2 (E. Kroymann / E. Evans, 1954), p. 1159-1205
- ^ Belgic Confession, Article 9.
External links
- Adversus Praxean in English
- Adversus Praxean in Latin
- Adversus Praxean
- Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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