SABELLIANISM. The doctrine of Sabellius and his school. Sabellius was a presbyter at Rome towards the end of the second century. Moda]ism (q.v.) bad been introduced into Rome by Praxeas, who, according to Tertullian. " had put to flight the Paraclete, and crucified the Father." The Medalists received the name Patri passians (q.v.). About 230 A.D. this kind of teaching led to the excommunication of Noetus of Smyrna. Noetus declared: " I know but one God; it is no other than He who was born, who suffered, and who died." Epigonus, a disciple of Noetus, opened a school in Rome and acted as head of it. He was succeeded first by Clecanenes, and then by Sabellius. According to Diony sins, Bishop of Rome, Sabellius blasphemed by " saying that the Son himself is the Father, and vice vcrsd." Novatian refers to Sabellius as being one " who calls Christ. the Father." The Medalists made great use of the term " Monarchy " to describe their strict mono theism, and their movement is known as Medalist Monarchianism. A form of the Apostles' Creed known (c. 400 A.D.) to Tyrannius Rufiuus, Presbyter of Aquilela, begins: "I believe in God the Father Almighty, invisible and impassible." Commenting on
the last three words, Rufinus says: " They were added in our Church, as is well known, on account of the Sabellian heresy, called by us the Patripassian,' that is, which says that the Father Himself was born of the Virgin and became visible, or affirms that He suffered in the flesh " (Commentary on the Apostles' Creed). Sabellius was excommunicated by Callistus, Bishop of Rome (219-222). His doctrine was afterwards developed or, it might be said, modified. The three pro.sOpa. or personae of God came to be regarded as three characters of God. It was held that " the same Person is the Holy Ghost, so far as He manifests Himself in the Christian Church, and by parity of reasoning the Son, so far as He appeared in Christ " (Cath. Diet.). He who gave the law as Father, He who became flesh in Christ as Son, and He who descended on the Apostles as Holy Ghost, was one and the same Person or Hypostasis. See C. A. Heurtley, On Faith, and the Creed, 1889; J. II. BInnt; Prot. Diet.; Cath. Dist.: Louis Duchesne,