Vigilantius

Vigilantius (fl. 400) the Christian presbyter, wrote a work, no longer extant, which opposed a number of common 5th-century practices, and which inspired one of the most violent of the polemical treatises of Jerome (died 420). Vigilantius was born about 370 at Calagurris (current Saint Martory) in Aquitania, where his father kept an inn on the great Roman road from Gallia Aquitania to Spain. While still a youth his talent became known to Sulpicius Severus ( – ), who had estates in that neighborhood, and in 395 Sulpicius, who probably baptized him, sent him with letters to Paulinus of Nola, where he met with a friendly reception. Some Protestant historians regard Vigilantius, along with Jovinian, Aerius of Sebaste and Helvidius, as 4th-5th century early proto-protestants.

On his return to Severus in Gaul he was ordained; and, having soon afterwards inherited means through the death of his father, he set out for Palestine, where Saint Jerome received him with great respect at Bethlehem. The stay of Vigilantius lasted for some time; but, as was almost inevitable, he became involved in the dispute then raging about Origen of Alexandria ( – ), in the course of which Vigilantius accused Jerome of Origenism.