ON ST. HERMAS
BISHOP OF PHILIPPI.
CENTURY I
CommentaryHermas, Bishop of Philippi (S.)
G. H.
[1] The holy Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans,
chapter XVI, which is the last,
as he is wont in the conclusions of his epistles,
commends and salutes various friends, memorial in St. Paul, writing thus in verse XIV: Salute Asyncritus,
Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes,
and the brethren that are with them. Of these there are inscribed in the Roman
Martyrology Asyncritus and Phlegon on the day
VIII of April, Patrobas on IV of November, and Hermas
on this IX of May; and Hermes placed in the last position is omitted;
whom we have also reported as joined by the Greeks to Asyncritus and Phlegon on VIII of April. in the Latin Martyrologies But concerning this St. Hermas
on this IX of May Usuard writes: At Rome the birthday of St.
Hermas, of whom the Apostle Paul writing to the Romans
makes mention. He worthily sacrificed himself to God,
and being made an acceptable victim to God,
most clearly grounded in virtues, sought the kingdoms of heaven. The same things
are confirmed in the Roman Martyrology, and are read everywhere among other
Martyrologists. Ado treats of him in his little book on
the festivities of the Apostles and their disciples, and
adds many things about his writings from St. Jerome, as will soon be said.
The Greeks celebrate the same on the day VIII of March in
the printed and manuscript Menaea and Synaxaria with this approximate
phrase. and the Greeks. On the same day the memory of the holy Apostle Hermas,
of whom the Apostle Paul makes mention in his Epistle to the Romans:
and this distich is added,
Ἑρμῇ
θανόντι
τῷ
μαθητῇ
Κυρίου
Ἑρμαῖον
ἔμπνουν
ἐκ
λόγων
διαγλύφων.
A spiritual gain from various sermons
Befell to Hermas dying, the disciple of the Lord.
The allusion is made to his books and to the name which he has in common
with the name of Mercury, whence also gain is said in Greek, just as
among the ancient Belgians the same Mercury was called Won,
and the fourth weekday was called from him Wonsdagh,
the name being taken from the past imperfect of the verb winnen
to gain, ik won I was gaining.
[2] testimonies concerning his writings from St. Jerome, St. Jerome, in his book on Ecclesiastical writers
chapter 10 hands down these things: Hermas, of whom the Apostle Paul
writing to the Romans makes mention, they assert is the author
of the book which is called the Pastor, and is even publicly read
among certain Churches of Greece. Truly a useful book,
and many of the ancient writers have made use of testimonies
from it, but it is almost unknown among the Latins. Among
the ancient writers is Origen, Origen, who brings forward various testimonies of his,
and in book 10 of the Commentaries on chapter 16 of St. Paul
to the Romans, I think, he says, that this Hermas is the writer
of that little book which is called the Pastor: which writing
seems to me very useful, and as I think divinely inspired.
The same in book 1 περὶ
ἀρχῶν chapter 3 from the little book which is called Pastoral,
which Hermas wrote, cites those words.
First of all believe, that there is one God, who
created and composed all things, who, when nothing existed
before, made all things, who is containing all things, but is himself
contained by no one. Which is the commandment of book 2. And what
is reported in vision 2 of the first book about the command made by the Pastor
to write two booklets the same Origen reports in book 4
περὶ
ἀρχῶν chapter 2, And you shall give, he says, one to Clement,
and one to Grapte: and let Grapte indeed admonish
widows and orphans; but let Clement send through all
the cities which are abroad: but you shall announce to the Presbyters
of the Church. From which it is sufficiently established about the time at which these little books
were written. I omit other testimonies
of the same Origen, as also of St. Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria,
of Eusebius and Theodoret, which collected by Margarinus de la Bigne
are printed before the little books of St. Hermas in the Bibliotheca Patrum.
and others To these could be added the Life of St. Genoveva published by us
on the day III of January, where she herself in num. 15 is said to have had
those whom Hermas in his book described as inseparable
companions, who are thus named: Faith, Abstinence,
Patience, Magnanimity, Simplicity, Innocence,
Concord, Charity, Discipline, Chastity, Truth
and Prudence. These were inseparable and undivided to
Genoveva. book 3 simil. 9 But although various things from the said little books
were wont to be read among certain churches of the Greeks;
yet it is established that they are not to be held among sacred
and canonical Scriptures, but rather among the apocryphal: as Gelasius
the Roman Pontiff once judged in his decree on canonical and apocryphal
Scriptures. Consult Bellarmine and Labbe
on Ecclesiastical Writers.
[3] Episcopate of Philippi. We said above that St. Patrobas is reported on IV of November,
to whom then on the said day in the Menology of Basil the Emperor
is joined St. Hermas, and he is called Bishop of Philippopolis,
or of the Philippians, where he is handed down in the Catalogues,
ascribed to Hippolytus Martyr and Dorotheus, also to have been
Bishop. another from him is Hermes brother of Pope Pius. Different from this disciple of St. Paul is Hermes the brother of St.
Pius the Roman Pontiff, to whom an Angel in the habit
of a shepherd also appeared, and ordered that holy Easter
be celebrated on the Lord's day: of which command he is indicated to have
written that book in the ancient Catalogues of Pontiffs published by
us before tome I of April, likewise in Anastasius
the Librarian and others in the Life of St. Pius the Pontiff. But
Labbe and others observe that his said book has perished. This
Hermes the author of the Florarium MS. assigned to the Kalends of March,
and then was sent back here by us, because he was not sufficiently distinguished
from others. But if no other day of veneration occurs,
he can still be treated of on XI of July with St. Pius his brother.