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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


from its origins to circa AD 700, across the entire Christian world


An anonymous Latin sermon on the Creed ('Eusebius Gallicanus', Sermones extravagantes 2) condemns those who believe that saints and martyrs and their relics and shrines should not be venerated. Probably composed in Gaul in the 5th century.

Evidence ID

E08517

Type of Evidence

Literary - Sermons/Homilies

[Eusebius Gallicanus], Sermones extravagantes 2: On the Creed (De symbolo), § 10

Sequitur, ut transeamus ad sanctorum communionem. Illos hic sententia ista confundit, qui: "sanctorum et amicorum dei cineres <non> in honore debere esse" blasphemant; qui: "beatorum martyrum gloriosam memoriam sacrorum reuerentia monumentorum colendam esse" non credunt.

'[The next clause] follows, as we pass to the communion of the saints. This sentence confounds those who blaspheme that "the remains of the saints and friends of God should not be held in honour"; who do not believe that "the glorious memory of the blessed martyrs should be honoured through reverence for their holy monuments".'


Text: Glorie 1971, 833.
Translation: David Lambert.

Rejection, Condemnation, Sceptisism

Scepticism/rejection of the cult of saints
Rejection of the cult of relics

Theorising on Sanctity

Considerations about the veneration of saints
Considerations about the validity of cult forms

Source

This is one of nine additional sermons (the sermones extravagantes) printed by Glorie as an appendix to his edition of Eusebius Gallicanus. These sermons were not transmitted as part of the Eusebius Gallicanus collection, but Glorie included them because he thought they originated from the same general milieu in 5th or 6th century Gaul (Glorie 1970, xxi).

The sermon is attributed in the manuscripts to a 'Bishop Faustinus', which may indicate Faustus of Riez (ob. c. 485), but it is not clear how reliable this is. There is no other indication as to authorship or place of origin.


Discussion

This sermon is a line-by-line exposition of the Apostles' Creed. This passage comments on the clause "I believe in the communion of saints". The beliefs condemned here are those generally associated with Vigilantius (see E08325).


Bibliography

Edition:
Glorie, F., Eusebius 'Gallicanus'. Sermones extravagantes (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina 101B; Turnhout: Brepols, 1971), 829-834.


Record Created By

David Lambert

Date of Entry

06/12/2023