St. Hippolytus of Rome
quotes from Hippolytus of Rome:→
Hippolytus of Rome (170-235) was described by Photios I of Constantinople as a disciple of Irenaeus (Bibliotheca cod. 121). It is said that Origen of Alexandria heard him preach when he was a presbyter in the church of Rome under Pope Zephyrinus (199–217 AD). Hippolytus would later become scandalized when Pope Callixtus I (217–222 AD) extended absolution to Christians who had committed grave sins, such as adultery. Being a rigorist, he then allowed himself to be elected as a rival Bishop of Rome and the first anti-Pope. He continued to attack Pope Urban I (222–230 AD) and Pope Pontian (230–235 AD) for their leniency towards pagan converts.
During the persecution of Emperor Maximinus Thrax, Hippolytus and Pope Pontian were exiled together in 235 to Sardinia, where they died together in the mines. It is believed that, before Hippolytus’ death, he reconciled with Rome and, under Pope Fabian (236–250 AD), his body and that of Pontian were brought to Rome where he was buried and honored as a martyr.
Extant Writings:
- Apostolic Tradition
- The Refutation of All Heresies
- Some Exegetical Fragments of Hippolytus
- Against the Heresy of Noetus
- Discourse on the Holy Theophany
- The Antichrist
Quotes & Excerpts:
The Refutation of All Heresies Book V, Chapter 18
“Justinus was entirely opposed to the teaching of the holy Scriptures, and moreover to the written and oral teaching of the blessed evangelists”
Apostolic Tradition 2:
“When he has been made bisop, all salute him with the sign of peace…
The deacons shall then bring the offering to him; and he, imposing his hands on it, along with all the presbytery, shall give thanks, saying:
‘The Lord be with you.’
And all shall respond:
‘And with your spirit.’
‘Hearts aloft.’
All then say, ‘We lift them up to the Lord!’
‘Let us give thanks to the Lord.’ And all reply,
“It is right and just.”
-Apostolic Traditions Book 2
(Written in 215 A.D.)
Apostolic Tradition 2:
*Eucharistic Prayer ca 200 A.D.*
“We give you thanks, O God, through your beloved
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom. took bread and, giving thanks to You, said,
‘Take, cat,
this is my body broken for you. Likewise, he took the cup, saying,
This is my blood, poured out for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
“Remembering, therefore, His death and resurrection, we offer you this bread and wine and give you thanks for having counted us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. We pray that you send your Holy Spirit upon our offering and gather in the fullness of the Holy Spirit your saints who participate; and confirm their faith in truth so that we might glorify you through Your Son, Jesus Christ, now and through the Ages. Amen.’
-Apostolic Tiadtions 2 (Written 215 A. D.)
Apostolic Tradition 3:
[The bishop conducting the ordination of the new bishop shall pray:] God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . Pour forth now that power which comes from you, from your royal Spirit, which you gave to your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, and which he bestowed upon his holy apostles . . . and grant this your servant, whom you have chosen for the episcopate, [the power] to feed your holy flock and to serve without blame as your high priest, ministering night and day to propitiate unceasingly before your face and to offer to you the gifts of your holy Church, and by the Spirit of the high priesthood to have the authority to forgive sins, in accord with your command.”
Apostolic Tradition 9:
When a deacon is to be ordained, he is chosen after the fashion of those things said above, the bishop alone in like manner imposing his hands upon him as we have prescribed. In the ordaining of a deacon, this is the reason why the bishop alone is to impose his hands upon him: he is not ordained to the priesthood, but to serve the bishop and to fulfill the bishop’s command. He has no part in the council of the clergy, but is to attend to his own duties and is to acquaint the bishop with such matters as are needful. . . .
“On a presbyter, however, let the presbyters impose their hands because of the common and like Spirit of the clergy. Even so, the presbyter has only the power to receive [the Spirit], and not the power to give [the Spirit]. That is why a presbyter does not ordain the clergy; for at the ordaining of a presbyter, he but seals while the bishop ordains.
“Over a deacon, then, let the bishop speak thus: ‘O God, who have created all things and have set them in order through your Word; Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you sent to minister to your will and to make clear to us your desires, grant the Holy Spirit of grace and care and diligence to this your servant, whom you have chosen to serve the Church and to offer in your holy places the gifts which are offered to you by your chosen high priests, so that he may serve with a pure heart and without blame, and that, ever giving praise to you, he may be accounted by your good will as worthy of this high office: through your Son Jesus Christ, through whom be glory and honor to you, to the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and through the ages of ages. Amen
Apostolic Tradition 21:16:
“Baptize first the children, and if they can speak for themselves let them do so. Otherwise, let their parents or other relatives speak for them.”
Apostolic Tradition 21
“When it is time for the baptism,
the bishop shall give thanks over the oil…
this is called the ‘oil of thanksgiving.’
Then he shall take the other oil and exorcise it. This is called the ‘oil of exorcism’
the presbyter then takes hold of
each of those to be baptized and
commands them to renounce saying:
‘I renounce you, Satan, and all
your servants, and all your works.’”
-The Apostolic Tradition 21 (Written 215 A.D.)
Apostolic Tradition 21-22:
The bishop, imposing his hand on them, shall make an invocation, saying, ‘O Lord God, who made them worthy of the remission of sins through the Holy Spirit’s washing unto rebirth, send into them your grace so that they may serve you according to your will, for there is glory to you, to the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit, in the holy Church, both now and through the ages of ages. Amen.’ Then, pouring the consecrated oil into his hand and imposing it on the head of the baptized, he shall say, ‘I anoint you with holy oil in the Lord, the Father Almighty, and Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit.’ Signing them on the forehead, he shall kiss them and say, ‘The Lord be with you.’ He that has been signed shall say, ‘And with your spirit.’ Thus shall he do to each
Apostolic Tradition 22:1
And the bishop shall lay his hand upon them [the newly baptized], invoking and saying: ‘O Lord God, who did count these worthy of deserving the forgiveness of sins by the laver of regeneration, make them worthy to be filled with your Holy Spirit and send upon them thy grace [in confirmation], that they may serve you according to your will
Homilies 11:26
[P]erhaps someone will ask, ‘What does it conduce unto piety to be baptized?’ In the first place, that you may do what has seemed good to God; in the next place, being born again by water unto God so that you change your first birth, which was from concupiscence, and are able to attain salvation, which would otherwise be impossible. For thus the [prophet] has sworn to us: ‘Amen, I say to you, unless you are born again with living water, into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’“
Refutation of All Heresies 9:12
“Women who were reputed to be believers began to take drugs to render themselves sterile, and to bind themselves tightly so as to expel what was being conceived, since they would not, on account of relatives and excess wealth, want to have a child by a slave or by any insignificant person. See, then, into what great impiety that lawless one has proceeded, by teaching adultery and murder at the same time!
Against Beron and Helix: Fragment VIII:
“But the pious confession of the believer is that . . . the Creator of all things incorporated with Himself a rational soul and a sensible body from the all-holy Mary, ever-virgin, by an undefiled conception, without conversion, and was made man in nature, but separate from wickedness. . .”
“The Lord was made without sin,
His human nature made of incorruptible wood, that is to say, of the Virgin Mary and the Holy Spirit, overlaid within and without, as it were, by the purest gold.
Tell me, O Blessed Mary, what it was that was borne by you in a virgin’s womb
– Discourse on Psalm 23 (Written ca 200 A.D.)
“Thus, too, they (the prophets) preached of the advent of God in the flesh to the world, his advent by the spotless and God-bearing (theotokos) Mary in the way of birth and growth.”
– Discourse on the End of the World 1
(217 A.D.)
“Let us believe, then, dear brethren,
according to the Tradition of the Apostles,
that God the Word came down from heaven
into the holy Virgin Mary, and taking
not only flesh from her, but also a soul,
that is a rational soul, and thus becoming
all that man is, cxcept in regard to sin,
so that He might save the fallen
and confer immortality on those
who believe in His name.”
– Against the Heresy of Noetus (ca 200 A.D.)
“Fly to the Catholic Church!
Adhere to the only faith which continues to exist from the beginning, that faith which was preached by Paul and is upheld by the Chair of Peter.”
– Refutation of All Heresies (ca 215 A.D.)