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Epikleais THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG 184 Epiphaniua klesis is mentioned again in the second so-called Pfaff fragment of Irenaeus, not much later than his time, and by Firmilian of Caesarea (Cyprian, Epist., lxxv.). In the fourth century the evidences be come more numerous; it is mentioned by Basil the Great, most frequently and definitely (as hav ing the force of consecration) by Cyril of Jerusa lem, again by Gregory of Nyssa, Athanasius, The ophilus, Chrysoatom, and Ephraem Syrus. But the moat striking proof of the position which it held in the East is the fact that there is not a sin gle Oriental liturgy in which it is absent or in which it is not regarded as having consecrating force. The earliest Western authority for the epiklesis in the Eucharist is Ambrose (De spiritu sancto, III. xvi. 112 and De fide, IV. x. 124), who shows in these passages not only his acquaintance with it but his belief in its consecrating force. In two other passages he seems to attribute this force to the words of institution, which only shows how little the question was definitely worked out in that period. Augustine was hindered by his symbolic conception of the Eucharist from fully applying Ambrose's ideas on this point to it; but certain phrases of his were taken by a later age as decisive against the consecrating virtue of the epiklesis. It found, however, down to the seventh century, authors who still attribcted to it its earlier importance, such as Fulgentius of Ruape, Optatus of Mileve, Gaudentius of Brescia, and Isidore of Seville. The conclusions indicated by the passages re ferred to are confirmed by the oldest Western liturgies, which exhibit the epiklesis in universal use here as a prayer of consecration for the Eucha rist in the fourth and fifi,h centuries, Western then either disappearing or altered Liturgies. and removed from its original posi tion immediately after the words of institution. The oldest Gallican liturgies known show no trace of this process, whose center-point was probably at Rome. It is true that Gelasius I. (492-496) still knows and approves of the epiklesis; but the simplifying and unifying work which won the name of reformers of the liturgy for him and Gregory the Great eliminated or transformed it in the Roman liturgy, whose acceptance in Gaul and later in Spain ended by bringing about the same results there too. In conclusion it may be safely said that the epiklesis is not primitive, and its origin may be attributed to a combination of Biblical terms with pagan popular notions. The Scriptural formula " to call upon the name of the Lord " (Joel ii. 32, quoted Acts ii. 21 and Rom. x.13; Acts ix. 14, 21, xxii. 16; I Cor. i. 2) recurs in many types of epiklesis. Among the Gnostics the Name (q.v.), as a power ful mystic formula, is of the greatest Conclusion. importance; its possession enables a man to call down the Godhead. Noth ing was to be employed in Christian worship which haft not been previously " hallowed " from demo niac influences; and the Holy Ghost, as the sancti fying power, must thus be called down upon the creatures of water, oil, bread, and wine--a conclu sion the more natural that in the Scriptural narra- tives of the baptism of Christ the Holy Ghost had descended in visible form. The theory that the definite epiklesis originated in Gnostic circles, where it was unquestionably widely used, and then found its way into the practise of the Church, is incapable of demonstration; it may well have originated in both about the same time, and had a more rapid development among the Gnostics. If it were certain that the extant magical papyri of the later mystery-cults were of purely pagan origin, uninfluenced by Gnostic views, they would afford more than a heathen parallel for the Chris tian epiklesis; for in them the words epiklesis, epikaleisthai are the technical terms for the invo cation of the Godhead on all kinds of gifts, such as wine, water, and milk. At least an analogous view may be clearly shown in later paganism in the consecration of statues of the gods, for which again an epiklesis was in use. (P. DREwa.)
BIBLIOGRAPHY: From the Catholic standpoint: L. A. Hoppe, Die Epikleaia der griechiachen and o»entaliachen Liturgien and der romiachen Konaekrat%onakanon, Sahaffhausen, 1884; J. Franz, Der eucharastiache Konaekratiomment, Wiirzburg, 1875; idem, Die euehariatiache Wandlung oral die EpikLeae, ib. 1880; F. Probst, Salcramente and Sakramentalien T6bingea, 1872; idem, Liturgie des 1,. Jahrhunderta, Mtinater, 1893; idem, Die abendlandiache Mesas vam 6. bia zum 8. Jahrhunderte, ib. 1898; Hefele, Conciliengeachichte, vii. 721, 728 aqq.; KL, iv. 686-898.
From the Protestant standpoint: P. Zorn, Diaaertatio. de eVwAqoe&, Rostock, 1705; J. W. F. Hofling, Daa Sakrarnent der Taufe, i. 470 eqq., Erlangen, 1846; G. Anrich, Dag antike Myaterienuxaen in aeinem Einfduea aut daa Chriatentum, Gottingen, 1894.
EPIPHANES. See CARPOCRATEB AND THE CARPOCRATIANa.
EPIPHAftIUS OF CONSTAftTIA: Greek Church
Father; b. at Basanduk (near Eleutheropolis,
the modern Bet Jibrin, 23 m. s.w. of Jerusa
lem), probably between 310 and 320; d. at sea
403. It is very doubtful whether his parents were
Jews, for while still a youth he lived among the
monks of Egypt, where he came into conflict with
Gnostic heretics and succeeded in expelling some
eighty members of the sect. In his
Life. native town he founded a monastery
and was ordained presbyter by the
bishop of Eleutheropolis. He was possibly a close
friend of Hilarion, although the statements in his
Vita concerning their relations are devoid of his
toricity. But there is no doubt that he was a
faithful adherent of the Nicene Creed, and because
of his reputation for learning and piety he was made
bishop of Constantia in Cyprus and metropolitan
of the island in 357. He established monasticism
in his see, and was so deeply venerated that his
judgment was sought on all sides. Thus originated
many of his works such as his epistle on the per
petual virginity of Mary, his " Fast-anchored,"
his " Medicine Chest," and his " Twelve Gen-is."
Next to his zeal for monasticism, Epiphaniua
was characterized by his orthodoxy. He regarded
Origen as the father of all heresies, and made the
task of his life the crushing of his opponent. His
hatred was based on the fact that Origen was the
source of Arianism and had also received a Greek
training, with which was connected a spiritualism