Bishop In Upper Thebias Paphnutius
Bishop In Upper Thebias Paphnutius [1]
Paphnutius (2) , bp. in Upper Thebias, who suffered mutilation and banishment for the faith (Socr. H. E. i. 11; Theod. H. E. i. 7). At the council of Nicaea a.d. 325, he was much honoured as a confessor, specially by Constantine (Socr. u.s. ), and earnestly opposed the enforcement of the law of clerical celibacy, on the ground of both principle and expediency, and prevailed ( ib. ). He closely adhered to the cause of St. Athanasius, and attended him at the council of Tyre, a.d. 335. Rufinus ( H. E. i. 17), followed by Sozomen ( H. E. ii. 25), tells a dramatic story of his there reproaching Maximus of Jerusalem for being in Arian company and explaining to him the exact position of affairs. Fleury, H. E. xv. c. 26; Ceill. Aut. sacr. iii. 420, 450; Boll. Acta Ss. Sept. 11, iii. 778.
[[[J.G.]]]
