a presbyter, who adhered to the sect established by the intemperate Lucifer of Cagliari,
flourished towards the close of the fourth century.
Works
Of his personal history we know almost nothing, except in so far as it can be gleaned from
three tracts which bear his name.
1.
Faustini de Triniate s. De Fide contra Arianos ad Flacillam
Imperatricem Libri VII.This treatise, the subject of which is sufficiently explained by the title, has been
erroneously ascribed to the Spanish bishop Gregorius. It is divided into seven books, or
rather chapters, and must have been composed not later than A. D.
385, since Flacilla, the first wife of Theodosius, died in that year.
2.
Faustini Fides Theodosio Imperatori oblata.A short Confession of Faith, written probably between the years 379-381, at which period
Faustinus appears to have resided at Eleutheropolis.
3.
Libellus PrecumThe
Libellus Precum was presented to Valentinianus and
Theodosius about
A. D. 384. It contains a defence of the tenets of
the Luciferiani, craves the protection of the emperors, and is believed to have been the
joint work of Faustinus and Marcellinus. Attached to it we find a
Praefalio, from which we learn that the authors had twenty years before taken a most
active part in favour of Ursinus against Damasus [
DAMASUS], and
had suffered much persecution in consequence. This introduction, which is extremely violent
in its representations, appears not to have been drawn up until after the publication of the
favourable rescript by Theodosius to the petitions of the Libellus.
Further Information
The De Trinitate was first printed in the
Orthodoxograph. of Heroldus, fol. Basil. 1555; the
Libellus, by Sirmond (8vo. Paris, 1650, and Sirmond,
Oper. vol. i. p. 230. fol. Paris, 1696), together with
the rescript of
Theodosius and ancient testimonies regarding the controversy between Damasus and
Ursinus;
the Fides by Quesnel in the
Canones et Constitut. Eccl. Rom., vol. ii. p. 138, 4to. Paris, 1675.
The collected works of Faustinus will be found in the Bibl. Max.
Patrum, Lugdun. 1677, vol. v. p. 637, and under their best form in the
Bibl. Patrum of Galland, vol. viii. p. 441.