But then there appeared in Jerusalem (in 394) St. Epiphanius, bishop of Constantia of Cyprus, who apparently became a bishop in the year 367. He had lived in Egypt for a long time and was an opponent of Origenism, whence he believed Arianism had come. Jerome himself looked with respect at Epiphanius, as speaking 5 languages – πεντάγλωσσος (Jerome himself knew 4 languages). Epiphanius arrived in Jerusalem to venerate the holy places. He also had his own monastery in Palestine, in Eleutheropolis. He was well received by John of Jerusalem, Jerome and the Latins. Epiphanius, according to custom, was invited to perform the sacraments, as well as to preach. During the service, Epiphanius began to speak against Origen. The clergy were almost entirely on Origen's side; he began to grumble, and the matter ended with what was not allowed on the part of the bishop even in relation to a subordinate presbyter: John sent his archdeacon to Epiphanius to tell him to stop talking about this topic. On the same day, they then went to Golgotha in order to serve in the church that was there. Those who accompanied the procession blocked Epiphanius' way, asking his blessing and wishing to touch the sandals and cries of his garments. Out of necessity, Epiphanius stopped for some time. John did not restrain and said aloud that Epiphanius had done this out of ambition, so that the ovation would last longer. Then, in the temple, after the service, when the people were already tired enough, John of Jerusalem began to rant at length against those who represent God with ears, eyes, etc. (i.e., anthropomorphically). John's mouth finally went dry, and the people, who were waiting for the end of the service to receive a blessing from Epiphanius, were very tired. After John came Epiphanius. "Peace be to all," he said, "all that you have heard from your beloved brother in rank and your son in age, all this is true, and I fully agree with him; but let John also anathematize Origen..." There was loud laughter and applause. Everyone understood that John had been killed in the contest. Relations between John and Epiphanius became so strained that the latter was forced to go to Bethlehem, where he said that it was in vain to enter into communion with the heretic Origenist, John of Jerusalem. But he was persuaded to go to make peace, and in the evening he set off for Jerusalem, but John met him in such a way that he returned that same night.

It was decided to break ties, but it was necessary to get sweaters for the Bethlehem monastery; [Jerome himself and another presbyter Vincent had previously decided not to perform presbytery actions]. The choice fell on Paulinian, the brother of Jerome, who did not have the canonical age (30 years) and was not yet free from military service. The consecration took place in a monastery near Eleutheropolis. Epiphanius ordered the mouth of Jerome's brother to be shut, so that he would not pronounce an oath in the name of Christ and would not interfere with the consecration. The consecration took place by the hand of Epiphanius. This was a violation of the rights of the bishop of Jerusalem, i.e. John. However, Epiphanius did not in the least try to conceal this fact and, in a letter to John, himself told the details of the event, persuading John to condemn Origen. Epiphanius soon departed, and the situation of those who remained in the Bethlehem monastery was not entirely good. It was necessary to seek means for reconciliation with John.

There were two attempts at reconciliation. The first belonged to the comitus of Palestine Archelaus. For this purpose he summoned both sides to him (396, Easter). But the people of Bethlehem waited in the house of Archelaus for three days, and John still did not want to come, referring to the fact that the illness of a man had detained him. Then, two months later, Theophilus of Alexandria sent the presbyter Isidore to put an end to the strife, at the request of John. But Isidore sided with John. The consequence of the failure was that Jerome came forward in an attempt to settle the matter by letters. Rufinus alone was reconciled, departing from Jerusalem to the West (397); it was difficult to reconcile with John.

When Rufinus arrived in Rome, he met Macarius, who intended to write a work against mathematicians (who study astrology). Macarius, who had heard much about Origen, wanted to know Rufinus' opinion about him. At his request, Rufinus translated a book in defense of Origen Pamphilus, and then, at his own request, began to translate Origen's own work Περί άρχών. But he understood that the West would not be able to treat this work exclusively from the historical point of view, and therefore, taking advantage of the note he made in the previous translation that Origen's writings had been distorted in some places by heretics, he crossed some points. In the preface he had the imprudence {p. 160} to speak with praise of the presbyter Jerome, as an admirer of Origen.

The consequences of this were not long in coming. Even in the transmitted form, much in the translation resonated with decisive heresy. The Westerners, having read it, were alarmed, suspecting Jerome's Orthodoxy. Jerome got angry and made a literal translation of "Περί άρχων", in which in the preface he resolutely rejected any solidarity with Origen. As a result of this incident, a polemic ensued between the former friends. They began to mutually analyze the past and humiliated everything high in each other. It came to the point that Jerome mocked Rufinus's accent and called it a pig (grunnitus grunt). Rufinus paid in the same coin. Because Jerome had the courage to learn the Hebrew language from a Jew, a certain Barchaninus, Rufinus called him a disciple of Barabbas.

Thus, it can be seen that this dispute flared up due to Western intrigues and had no objective basis. Its further development in the West is of no interest to us. The most important issue is the complications that occurred in Egypt.

2) It is known that in Egypt, in the skete desert, there were many monastics who represented God in a bodily form. In the 11th year of his reign, in the year 399, Theophilus, in his Paschal epistle, burst out against those who represented God in a sensual image (at that time he was on the side of the Origenists). This message caused excitement. One fine day, a huge mass of monks with staffs surrounded Alexandria and demanded Theophilus for an explanation. In a moment of danger, Theophilus found himself, went out to them and said: "Fathers, I look upon you as the image of God." The disputants were satisfied, saw that Theophilus recognized the image of God, accepted the blessing and left calmed. Theophilus now sided with the anti-Origenists and began to smash Origen. But here the matter was complicated by his clashes with Isidore and the nitriotes.

Isidore the presbyter was consecrated under Athanasius. He took the place of the chief and head of church charity. Theophilus owed him much in the following case. In 394, Emperor Theodosius went to war against the usurper Eugene. The battle was supposed to take place in Italy. Theophilus sent Isidore to Italy to greet the victor on his behalf as emperor. Isidore prepared two messages and undertook to carry out this delicate task, which could have cost him his head. His secret was discovered and Isidore escaped in shame. Nevertheless, Theophilus could not help appreciating the devotion of this man and at one time thought of thanking him. In 397 the cathedra of Constantinople became vacant. The court decided not to elect from among the local candidates, but to follow the advice of the eunuch Eutropius, who pointed to the famous John Chrysostom. John was secretly kidnapped and brought to Constantinople, and there it was decided to consecrate him bishop in the presence of a whole host of bishops, among whom Theophilus was invited. But he wanted to leave this place to Isidore, having wider views. He wanted to have on the Constantinople cathedra people devoted to himself, and thus weaken the growing influence of the bishop of Constantinople. But then he was confronted with the will of Eutropius, who made it clear to him that he must agree to the election of a new bishop. Theophilus submitted, and John, the presbyter of Antioch. he became bishop of Constantinople (398).

The excellent relations between Isidore and Theophilus were finally broken, and, as always happens in such cases, because of trifles. Theophilus remembered that 18 years earlier Isidore had taken 1000 chervonets from a woman without declaring it to Theophilus. Isidore openly declared that he had taken 1000 chervonets, but did not tell Theophilus because the woman who gave them had sworn him not to tell Theophilus about them, so that he would not spend the money on church needs, not giving anything to the poor. An investigation was opened, at which such dirty deeds were discovered that Isidore was forced to flee to Nitria, to four famous monks, known for their tall stature άδελφοί μακροί: Dioscorus, Eusebius, Euthymius and Ammonius.

Theophilus' attitude towards them is evident from the following. In general, the monks were most afraid of women and bishops, because neither of them gave them peace. Bishops tried to appoint monks to the highest ecclesiastical places. Thus, Dioscorus was appointed bishop of Hermopolis, and Eusebius and Euthymius were presbyters. Then the choice fell on Ammonius. But when the messengers from Theophilus came for him, the resolute Ammonius snatched a lancet, cut off his left ear and exclaimed: "Now I am carno-eared and – according to the law of Moses – I have no right to the episcopacy!" The messengers returned to Theophilus in despondency, but the latter declared that he would have consecrated Ammonius even if he had been without a nose. The messengers again went after Ammonius, but the latter promised to cut out his tongue and thus make it impossible for himself to be bishopric.

Now Theophilus sent out messages in which he declared that three persons in Nitria should be expelled. Ammonius and his two brothers came to Theophilus, asking the cause of his anger, but Theophilus threw his omophorion around the neck of Ammonius and beat him, saying: "Heretic, pronounce an anathema on Origen." The council was convened by Theophilus (at the beginning of the year 400). The sessions of the council were very stormy. A great many passages from Origen were cited which could not be defended. Some of the Fathers considered these passages to be genuine, while others said that because of these passages it is impossible to reject all the writings of Origen, in which there is undoubtedly much good. However, the conciliar condemnation took place, and Theophilus appealed to the secular authorities to carry out the sentence. The consequence of this was first an attack on Dioscorus and then a night attack on Nitria and plunder. Up to 300 monks fled to Palestine.

(3) The impression of the attack and excommunication of the monks for Origenism was so great that they went farther and farther, and finally fifty of them arrived in Constantinople and appealed to John Chrysostom, who was touched by their unfortunate situation. The monks, the "long brothers," asked him to judge them and said that if John did not judge them, they would appeal to the emperor. John inquired about them from the Alexandrian presbyters who were in Constantinople, who recognized the long brothers as innocent, but asked him not to irritate Theophilus and not to receive them into communion as excommunicated. John did not receive them into ecclesiastical communion, but gave them refuge and wrote to Theophilus.

The latter unfavorably accepted John's interference and sent monks to Constantinople, who before the emperor accused John of violating church rules and of accepting heretics. The long, brothers turned to John with a formal request, and John again wrote to Theophilus, but received a harsh and cold answer. "You must know," he wrote to John, "the decrees of the ecumenical council; it is not you who will judge me, but the bishops of Egypt: cases must be decided within the boundaries of the accused." The exiles petitioned Augusta. Thus, the secular authorities intervened and began to investigate the matter in the praetorium. moreover, such abuses and so much filth were revealed, that many of those sent by Theophilus were worthy of death. True, they recognized themselves only as tools in the hands of Theophilus, but still some died in prison. Bishop Theophilos was summoned to the court of the bishop of Constantinople, because the bishop of Constantinople had the primacy of honor.

Thus, de facto, the bishop of Alexandria submitted to the bishop of Constantinople. John did everything to prevent this, but he did not have time. In fact, it turned out to be quite different: Theophilus became the judge, and John became the accused.