haer 46. p. 171. Epiphanius affirm that Justin suffered his Martyrdom under Adrian whereas it is on all hands conceded that he dyed for the Testimony of Jesus under M. Aurelius Antoninus Philosophus and Lucius Aelius Verus III. From this we pass to Sect. 3. where the number of the Martyrs Books are reckoned what are genuine what spurious what extant what not and p. 29. we are told that his two Volumes against the Gentiles which are mentioned by Eusebius S. Hierome and others are lost whereas they are certainly the same with his Paraenesis ad Graecos and Oratio ad Graecos sive Elenchus which are p. 30. acknowledged to be extant His â—mment on Genesis in the Centurists is no 〈…〉 than the Comment on the Hexameron â—â—entioned by Anasasius Sinatia his Comment on the Apocalypse no other than an Explanation of the Chiliast Opinion according to the Scheme of that Apostle's Prophetick Vision or if a distinct Book I suppose it to have been the Tractate de Resurrectione Carnis mentioned by Damascene of which sort of make was the Comment on the Revelation which c Biblioth lib. 4. Sixtus Senensis says was writ by Irenaeus and in truth whatever Mr. H. p. 61. say to the contrary they are both joined by d Catal. v. Johannes S. Hierome for I think it will be hard to prove a Commentator on Scripture ancienter than Origen or on that part of it than Aretas the Book it self of the Revelation in S. Justin's time being hardly allowed a place in the Canon and the Question not decided who was its Author whether S. John the Apostle or another John an Asian Presbyter buried also at Ephesus in a distinct Tomb from the Evangelist In the same page he reckons a Comment of this Martyr on Dionysius the Areopagite his Eccles Hierarch out of Possevines Apparatus and that among the number of his genuine Tractates not extant but I cannot but wonder that he allows that counterfeit to be so ancient as here to make him older than Justin Martyr and p. 94. than Clemens of Alexandria asserting after another Jesuite Halloix that Clemens writing obscurely imitated Dionysius of Athens whereas all sober Writers that give the spurious S. Dennis the greatest Antiquity make him not elder than the fourth Century and generally agree that the 〈◊〉 Father was Apollinaris so Laurentius Vallaâ— Sirmondus Petavius Launoy c. among the Romanists and Gerh. Vossius Vsher and Casaubon among the Protestants especially a 〈◊〉 pist â—â— part 1. c. 10. Bishop Pearson Dr. b Answ to Cressy's Apolog chap. 2. Sect. 17. c. Stillingfleet and c Life of S. Dennis Sect. 13 14 c. p. 73 74 c. Dr. Cave to omit Dailleé that hath undertook the task of set purpose P. 34. he accounts the Book De Monarchia now extant not genuine because it differs in the Title from his Tract de Monarchia Dei mention'd by the Ancients but there are greater Differences than this in the Titles of Books among the Fathers and for his Argument that he promises in that Book to fetch Testimonies from the Scriptures and Heathen Autâ—ors it is to me manifest That the Book is imperfect and by that means not able to speak for its self His Treatise entituled Eversio quorundam Aristotelicorum dogmatum is allowed to be genuine by that excellent Judge of Antiquity d Cod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 162. Photius under this Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he calls Disputations full of rational Arguings Vehemency and freedom and is not that other Book which he there mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same with his Questiones ad Orthodoxos and if so the Book hath fallen into foul hands that have foisted in many passages it being apparent that the Book as now it is written hath not a few places in it that relate to the Arian Heresie and matters of the third Saeculum and by that Interpolator is it that Irenaeus and Origen are there quoted which could not have been done by the Author who was Martyred above forty years before Irenaeus's Death and above twenty before Origen was born herein therefore I assent to Mr. H. but must profess my dissent from his Deduction p. 38. that therefore the Doctrine of the lawful use of the Cross of the Virgin Mary's being without Sin keeping Reliques that Baptism is necessary to Salvation c. are unsound and Popish which Doctrines we will severally and a-part consider IV. The Opinion of the Virgin Mary's being without sin we explode as a Novelty unknown to the purer Antiquity her being free from Actual Transgression was first talk'd of doubtingly by a De natur grat c. 36. S. Austin but that she was untainted with Original Sin hath been the late Dream of the Franciscans and since of the Jesuites and that the Fathers universally thought otherwise 〈◊〉 may see their Sentiments quoted by b Respons ad Albert. Pium. Erasmus and c Loc. Theol. l. 7. c. 1. p. 348. c. Melchior Canus and I find d In Rom. 5. disput 51. p. 468. Salmeron himself confessing that some men quote two hundred some three hundred Fathers against this Opinion of the immaculate Conception V. The lawfulness of keeping and honouring Reliques we have already made good the worshipping of them we with the Primitive Church disown As to Religious Vows whatever some great men since the Reformation in opposition to the Romish Church may have opin'd he that knows that the Orders of Hermites and Anchorites were an institution of the third Century and that the Fathers frequently distinguish'd between Precepts Evangelical to which all men aâ—â— bound and Counsels Evangelical Vide Monâ—â—â— Appel Casâ—â— cap. 15 15 17. or Perfections to which only those are obliged that will more strictly testifie their Devotion Self-denyal and Mortification cannot doubt of their allowance of making new engagements beside the General Vow in Baptism a Practice in truth customary among Men of all Religions Christian Jewish Mahometan or Heathen and I would willingly learn why it should not be as lawful to vow under the New as the Old Testament in things not commanded as well as in what is enjoyned since Vows are no part of the Divine Service but the manner only of performing it especially while the ancient and holy Christians understand the Widdows casting off her first Faith of the breaking her Vow 1 Tim. 5.12 that dedicated her Widdowhood to God and why it should be lawful to make Vows about Fasting Prayers and Alms which e Case of Cons l. 2. c. 14. Mr. Perkins allows and not in other matters I profess I cannot understand VI. That Baptism is necessary to Salvation we assert as a Catholick and Orthodox Position and what is impregnably founded on that Doctrine of our Saviour John 3.5 Except a man be born of Water and the Holy Chost he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven notwithstanding the
excellencies of the holy spirit that he may pretend to but cannot really assume XIX And for vindicating these usurp'd Priviledges were the Books of Tertullian justly depriv'd of their esteem says Mr. H. p. 117. out of S. Hierome Bellarmine and others but I will oppose against them the judgment of S. Cyprian who could not live a day without reading some Paragraph in this his Master and from whom in truth he hath borrowed many passages of his excellent Writings and the design of many of them too of which there is no need to give instances and who is there that is a lover of learning and piety who does not heartily bemoan the fall of so eminent a man the errors of whose blind but honest zeal I hope God hath pardon'd and that though the Church allows him no memorial in her Records his name is written in the Book of Life XX. Of his writings which he left behind him many are lost as his Treatise of the troubles attending Marriage which is by Mr. H. made two distinct Books under the same Title in Latine and in English p. 124. and 126. his Tract of the Corporeity of the Soul is the same with that de Anima which is extant and wherein he maintains that Opinion and I believe that Trithemius was also mistaken in entitling him to a Book contra omnes Haereses which I think was only his most acute Book of Prescriptions against Hereticks with another Prologue his Books of the habit of Women and the decking of Women are only two parts of the same discourse de Cultu foeminarum the Tractate de poenitentia accounted suppositious p. 145. is undoubtedly his as Baronius and Pamelius have evinc'd against Erasmus which plainly appears says a Not. p. 120. Rigaltius to any man that is a Reader of Tertullian XXI His Stile is masculine sublime and full of Majesty and such as commands submission making as many Conquests as he finds Readers says b Commonit c. 24. Vincentius Lirinensis of him but it is rough and uneven full of obsure ways of speaking and Novelties in Grammar which call for a very attentive and thoughtful Reader De geniculis adorare to pray kneeling in candido expectare aeternitatis candidatus to look for the day of judgment So Martyrii candida the robes of Martyrdom dies expeditionis dies Christianae exultationis the day of account which day shall supremam carni fibulam imponere Invidiam Deo facere to incline God to repent animam in conficato habere prae sperâsse duricordia imbonitas c. but at the same time full of Elegancies his very Barbarismes being very witty and taking and made very palatable by that salt and sarcastical Vein which runs through all his writings of which the Margin affords a few instances which affected stile of his serv'd much to the introducing so many inconvenient descriptions as happen in his writings for which not a few learned men have turn'd Advocates XXII His Opinion that Montanus was the Paraclete implyed no more but that there were nobler assistances and influences of that holy Spirit shed on Montanus than on others that he might thereby be capacitated in the most perfect and accomplisht manner to explain the Laws of the Gospel to the World as the judicious c Life of Tertull. sect 9. p. 208. Dr. Cave vindicates him for I shall never be perswaded that he took Montanus for the Person of the Holy Ghost as the Pepuzians did who baptiz'd their Proselytes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as says d Tom. 2. Epist Canonic 1. ad Amphiloch p. 758. S. Basil into the name of the Father the Son and Montanus And in truth Tertullian in his Book adversùs Praxeam doth often very plainly distinguish the Holy Ghost and Montanus the Opinions of Free-will the Angels incontinency and the Millennium have been already consider'd and that of second Marriages his Assertion concerning the Lent-fast and Stations is far from being a Maxim of the School of that Novel Paraclete but were of Apostolical Institution as hath been unanswerably prov'd by the most learned Bishop Gunning in his Sermon of the Paschal Fast and the matter of fact deduc'd through all the antient Saecula a Book that hath been scoft at by Mervil and others but never soberly undertook as we have seen a Rat nibling at a hard piece of Cheese which he could not eat XXIII That Martyrdome expiates all a mans transgressions is so far from being an errour of Tertullian's as it is reckon'd p. 167. that it was the belief of the whole Church which by these instances will appear a Apud Euseb hist lib. 6. cap. 4. Origen commending his Scholar Herais who was martyred at Alexandria when as yet she was but a Catechumen says that she was baptiz'd so as by fire which Tertullian calls secunda solatia lavacrum sanguinis elegantly and b Id. hom 11. in Numer vide hom 7. in Judic hom 12. in Matth. taking notice that many times the greatest Zealots of Martyrdome were deprived of that honour of which himself was an instance gives this reason that the Devil hindred the persecution because he knew that Martyrdome brought with it remission of sins This was Catholick Doctrine which he learnt from his Master Clemens Alexandrinus who c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 350. affirms that for this cause we call Martyrdome a state of perfection not that the Martyrs come to the end of their journey as other men do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. Orat. 44. p. 715. but that by this method they give a testimony of the height and compleatness of their love Thus when Saturus was devoured by the Leopards the shedding of his blood was a new baptism say d Acta passion SS Perpetuae Faelicitat the Acts of his Martyrdome Nay this is a more efficacious sublime and honourable baptism says e De Exhort Martyr praefat p. 19⅔ S. Cyprian in which God and his Christ rejoyce and after which no man can sin in that of water we receive remission of sins in that of blood the reward of our Virtues in the first we are Gods servants in the second his friends f Id. de Orat dominic p. 159. for what sin is it which Martyrdome cannot expiate for here men are not typically buried with Christ as in baptism but in reality and truth and need not says g Tom. 2. de Spir. S. c. 15. p. 178. S. Basil the Symbol of water to their salvation being baptized in their own blood for this was the Baptism with which Christ was baptiz'd says h Iom 1. Orat 39. p. 634. vide Nicet comment in loc tom 2. p. 1035. S. Gregory the Divine which is so much more venerable than any other Baptism in that it is never polluted with any succeeding Crimes And this i Contr. Donat l. 4. c. 22. de C. D. l. 13. c. 7.
but very useful Discourse His Church-History mentioned by Volaterran was doubtless a mistake of the meaning of the same Historian who uses only his Books adversus Hareses yet extant as that of his Comment on the Revelation also had its Original from a mistake of S. Hierom who only says that Irenaeus interpreted the Revelation i. maintained the Chiliast Opinion whose Foundation is laid in that Prophecie as he does largely in the end of his fifth Book and though here Mr. H. dislike the judgment of Sixtus Senensis yet on the same grounds does he entitles S. Justin the Martyr to a like Tractate X. And I could heartily wish that we had only lost those imaginary Volumes and that his other most excellent Writings had not perisht to the detriment of the Church of God and the Common-wealth of Learning by which unhappy fate we are depriv'd of all his Epistles the fragments of that Writ to Pope Victor excepted especially that Epistle to Blastus de Schismate which would have been so useful to this Age as would also his Discourses de Monarchia de Ogdoade against Florinus and his darling Opinion which I fear under a cleaner Masque hath appeared in this Age also that God is the Author of sin And here the observation of c Apud Chemnit Loc. Commun part 1. sect de causis peccati p. 145. Nicephorus is very remarkable that besides the Persecutions that harass'd the Church the Devil made use of three very subtle Methods to ruine Christianity 1. Because the prodigious performances of the Son of God were a great confirmation of the Truth and Divinity of his Doctrine he opposed the Impostures of Simon Magus and Apollonius of Tyana to the Miracles of Christ 2. Because the holiness of our Saviour's Life and Precepts was a great perswasive to incline the World to Conversion he introduc'd into the most sacred Offices of Religion all sort of Impurities and Lusts by his Instruments the Gnosticks and Cataphrygians who adopted their Vices into the number of their Mysteries and to whom the promiscuous Mixtures Incests and Eating the Blood of Men which were unjustly laid to the charge of the Primitive Christians must be attributed 3. And lest this also might not do that he might incline the World to be careless and vile he by Blastus Florinus and Marcion gave being to the Opinion that God was the Author of sin that so he might supersede all Laws and enervate the force and vigour of all the Divine Injunctions XI In the end of the Tract de Ogdoade Irenaeus adjures his Transcriber by the coming of Jesus to Judgment diligently to compare his Copy with the Original an Obtestation so sacred that not only Eusebius takes â—rotice of it in his History and S. Hierom in his Catalogue but the former prefixes it to â—â—e first Book of his Chronicon and the latter to his Translation of the same Book as Ruffinus hath also another such for sense though not for words in the Preface to his Translation of Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 requiring his Transcriber neither to add to nor diminish nor change any thing in it but to correct it by the Original and accordingly to publish it and in after Ages a Usher Epist Hebernic sylloge p. â—â— Adamnanus hath such an admonition at the end of his Book of the life of S. Columb a charge like that of Quintilian ad Tryphonem bibliopolam and b Ad fin Apolog. Thesium Dâ— Reynolds's ad transmarinos typographos admon tioâ— and may we not take leave to suppose that Irenaeus who was a Scholar to Papias and Polycarp S. John's Disciples did herein imitate that Apostle who closes his c Apoc. 22.18 19. Apoculypse with the like solemn Obtestation XII And I could heartily wish that we had the Greek Copy of those Books that are left for I know no more of this Father extant in the Language that he writ in than what we have in Epiphanius Eusebius Theodoret c. for no man is now so vain to imagine that Irenaeus writ in Latine although Callasius in his Epistle Dedicatory before his Edition of this Father and d Orat. delect Patrum init Chemnitius affirm that the Greek Copy had been seen in the Vatican and another read at Venice by some learned and good men who when they came to look for the Book a second time found the place empty which Relation if true as Gallasisius more than once mentions it no punishment were too big for such curs'd Villains and Plagiaries For could the World be so happy we should see how disingenuously or rather ignorantly his Latine Translator hath dâ—a't with him dressing his Notions in a style so obscure and rugged so full of Solecisms and barbarous expressions that they not only sully the Beauty but cloud the meaning of this great man whose modesty though it inclined him to make an a Pref. l. 1. Apology for his style as if it were plain and unrhetorical yet to him that reads the passages which Epiphanius against the Valentinians repeats out of him in his own Native Language his style will appear though not affected yet very elegant without that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sublimity which some men would require but not without that gravity clearness and perswasiveness that became a Philosopher on so abstruse a subject XIII I find it the peculiar happiness of S. Irenaeus among the Ecclesiastical Writers that anciently no other Writings were father'd on him than what were genuinely his unless we shall say that he has been abus'd by ome b Vid. Phot. cod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 16. not Haeâ—chel p. 923. imputing to him as others do to Justin Martyr and a third sort to Josephus that Tractate which is truly the Commâ—ntâ—ry of Gajus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there being scarce one besides him of all the Sages of the Church that hath not been imposed upon by the bastard issue of some other men A Crime too notorious to be excused and of which we may say what c Hist lib. 1. p. 413. Tacitus does of the profession of Astrology at Rome That it always will be forbidden but always practised A Design that seems to intimate a great deal of Bounty but betrays an intention of Robbery of debasing the value and impairing the reputation of a worthy man by thus exposing him to the censures of the World in a picture drawn by a wrong hand and martyring him again in Effigie destroying noble Writers as Witches do those whose persons they cannot reach by venting their malice against an Image which themselves have molded The undertaking hath been of long standing and may now plead gray hairs and custom but well it would be with the Interests of Learning and Piety if all such men fell under the chastisement of Theodiscus d Apud Genebr Chrer lib. 3. an 657. whom Vasaeus in his Spanish Chronicle mentions who being the Arch-Bishop of Sevil
Nicen can 30. in cod Arabic being prohibited to give them Heathen names as if they studied all ways to perpetuate and eternize their Memories and induce their posterity to an imitation of those virtues that gave those reverend Men their Immortality Thus it came to pass that there were many Pauls and St. Peter and St. John had not a few namesakes says i Lib. de promis adv Nepot apud Euseb l. 7. c. 25. Lat. 20. St. Dionysius of Alexandria men being desirous to give their Off-spring such names out of love to the holy Martyr and admiration of his stupendious piety out of zeal and earnestness to engage their Children to walk in such steps and because they thought thereby to get an equal share in the divine favour with those beloved Disciples Nor were a Theod. ubi supr they without hopes this way to procure some assistances from the Martyr to that Pupil to whom they design'd the Saint in a sort a Guardian that he might be engaged to his Protection Which custody of what nature they believed it to be I will not now determine XXVII These with other considerations were the great incentives of Martyrdom and engaged all sorts of persons among the Christians to a passionate courting of sufferings Tiberian Palaest 1. Praes Ep. Trajan p. 9. Ed. Usser 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plin. lib. 10. Ep. 97. pervicaciam infleuibilem obstinationem debere puniri Dio Chrys Orat. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucian de morte poregr p 996. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in Epictet lib. 4. cap. 7. p. 417. Ed. Wolfii Colon. 1595. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antonin Imper. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 11. sect 3. p. 134. Edit Xylandr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrius Antoninus apud Tâ—â—tull ad scapul c. 4. Arrius Antoninus in Asia cum persequeretur instanter omnes illius civitatis Christiani ante tribunalia ejuâ—â—e manu jactá obtulerunt cum ille paucis duci jussis reliquis ait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porphyr lib. contr Christian apud Euseb lib. 6. hist Eccles cap. 19. Gr. 13. Lat. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat rude barbarum vitae genus reddit interpres Vide etiam Juliani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oper part 1. p. 528. in as much as their Heathen adversaries admired their courage when they condemn'd their rashness some attributing it to the barbarousness and rudeness of their manners others to custom a third sort to superstition and an ungrounded belief of a Resurrection a fourth to obstinacy and a mind bent to opposition and for these reasons Volentibus mori non permittebatur occidi says St. Cyprian they were debar'd the liberty of taking sanctuary in the grave or advis'd to betake themselves to precipices and halters and not tire out their Governors in denouncing sentences and sealing Writs of Execution for such inforcives of a sudden swelled the Martyrologies and every day made new Candidates for Heaven a Cypr. Exhort mart c. 11. p. 197. For who could think it a matter of difficulty and trouble to be sacrificed for the interests of his Saviour when he saw the holy Catalogue swell'd with names that could not be numbered Hither ran Women and Children as to a Feast and made hast lest they should come too late to partake of that Crown till the Church was forc'd to enjoyn her Sons a prudential care of their Lives by telling them That it was lawful to retire in time of Persecution and to bribe their Heathen Governors that they might live securely by condemning the Marcionites Cataphrygians and Martyriani as Hercticks for their irrational and rash pursuit of this honor and by denying such undertakers a place in the Records of the Church by decreeing not only b Conc. Illiberit can 60. Conc. Laodic can 34. Epiph. haer 80. that no Schismatick or profane person should be accounted a Martyr but also that no man that temerariously or causlesly offer'd himself to his Pagan enemies and fell rather by his imprudent rushing on death than staying till providence called him to be a Witness to the Truth should have a place in the Ecclesiastical Register c Naz. Orat 10. p. 168. For this is the Law of Martyrdom Not indiscreetly to pursue nor cowardly to fly dangers not to be ashamed of our Profession or prodigal of our Lives And now after this long digression we will again return to St. Clemens XXVIII The issue of so pregnant a brain could not but be numerous of which many are lost without hopes of recovery and among them Mr. H. p. 85. reckons his Discourse intitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but this little Tract is extant being Printed in the d Part 1. p. 185. n. 42. an 1672. Auctuarium Bibliothecae Patrum set out by F. Combefis For though the 8th Book of his Stromata hath that Title in some Copies as says e Cod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 154. Photius yet we have another 8th Book to make up the number without this His Books of Hypotyposes are now undoubtedly lost though not very many years since the learned f Ap. Montague against Selden of Tithes ch 3. p. 420. Fronto Ducceus writ to our Sir Henry Savil that they were extant with the Patriarch of Alexandria and g Annot. in Clem. Alexand p. 50. Heinsius thinks the 8th Book of his Stromata now extant to be a part of his Hypotyposes foisted in instead of the last Book of that excellent Work which was lost in which he interpreted the whole Old and New Testament says h Ubi supr Photius which probably is the same Tractate that Cassiodore means in praefat divinar lection wherein he affirms that St. Clemens expounded the whole Scripture from the beginning to the end though i Tom. 2. an 196. p. 280. Baronius would have it to be a distinct Work a part of which perhaps are those Commentaries on St. Peters First Epistle St. Johns Third and that of St. Jude which are fathered on this Alexandrian Catechist and are accounted spurious And whereas Mr. H. mentions it not I must acquaint the Reader that the Epitome of the Oriental Doctrine of Theodotus being excerpta out of his Hypotyposes is still extant in the Edition of this Father by a P. 565 c. Heinsius at Leyden an 1616. And b Ubi supr vide Ruffin de adulterat libror. Origen Photius says the whole eight Books are full of strange and prodigiously blasphemous assertions who reckons many of them but withall professes that he believes the Father hath been abused and so do I. And it is well worth our observation that whereas those Books that were so full of un-Orthodox sentiments are lost those other which were more prudentially and usefully pen'd and wherein the Author testified his greatest accuracy and skill are yet preserv'd XXIX The History of Clemens mention'd p. 88. without doubt is not his but I am inclined to believe
against the Marcionites lately set out by Wetsteinius at Basil 1674. which are only Collections out of the Works of Origen by Maximus or some other Antient and set out in his name we have by the same Editor the Tractate De Martyrio and the Epistle to Julius Africanus perfect which long before was publisht imperfectly by Heschelius at Auspurgh an 1602. and since by the Collectors of the Critici in the 8th Tome The discourse De Engastrimutho was publish'd by Leo Allatius and is doubtless a part of his Comments on 1 Reg. 17. to omit the Treatise De Oratione the MSS. Copies whereof are in the Libraries at Cambridge and elsewhere these of his Tractates are extant in Greek and Mons Huet hath lately at Paris given the World a new Edition of the Comments of this Father where in their native stile we have 17 Homilies on the Prophet Jeremy 7 Tomes on S. Matthew and 9 Tomes on S. Johns Gospel and all these his genuine and uncontroverted Works But I perceive that Mr. H. is a stranger to this last and best Edition and it would be pardonable to a man that lives retired and a great way from such conveniences did a Praef. to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he not tell us that he hath given his reader as full a Catalogue as could be gotten of whatever bears the Fathers name with a hint of what kind they are whether genuine spurious or dubious Which promise how it hath been fulfilled while he never mentions Vossius's Edition of Ignatius or Huets Origen I leave to the reader to judge XI Many also of the Books which he p. 206 207 reckons as lost are extant as for example his discourse of Martyrdome his Epitome of the History of Susanna which is an Epistle of his in answer to Julius Africanus his Homily De Engastrimutho and one Epistle more to Gregory Thaumaturgus exâ—ant in the Philocalia Among his Comments affirm'd to be lost the Homily on the Song of Hannah is extant even in Merlin's Edition as is also that on the second Book of the Kings of Solomon's judgment between the two Harlots in Huets Edition the Comments on Job were written after the Arian Controversie began probably by Maximinus the Homilies on the Canticles are discarded by Erasmus Amerbachius Cook and others but vindicated by Merlin Genebrard and our Reverend b Vindic. Ep. Ign. part 1. c. 7. p. 106. c. Pearson and in truth the judgment of Erasmus whom most men blindly follow and his Acumen which for the most part happily assisted him in censuring the Works of the Latine Fathers wonderfully failed him when he played the Critick with the Greek Mr. H. also p. 217. mentions but 14. Homilies in Jerem. whereas there are 17 extant in the Paris Edition XII Many of his Works which are lost are omitted by Mr. H. as his Homilies on Deuteronomy the Chronicles Ezra and Nehemiah and Daniel his Comments in Veteres Philosophos his Dialogues De Resurrectione and Disputations with Beryllus which were Origen's genuine Writings These supposititious Tractates also are omitted the Commentaries on S. Mark the Scholia on the Lords Prayer c. Origen also is intituled to two Books De Visione 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Gratam which c Prooem in l. 1. Comment in Isai S. Hierome says are falsly father'd on Origen but I think them to be a part of his Comments on the Evangelical Prophet of which d Hist l. 6. c. 25. Eusebius says he saw 30 Tomes as far as the Vision of the Four-footed Beasts in the Desart Some also e Phot. Cod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 16. father'd on him the Book of Gaius the Roman Presbyter called the Labyrinth but wrongly and it were to be wish'd that the Epistle of S. Jerome ad Paulam wherein he designedly enumerates the Works of this Father and compares him with Varro were extant that the great enemies of this most learned man might see of what a treasure their spight and envy hath rob'd the World of wise men and Christians XIII In his discourse of the stupendious undertaking of the Octapla the loss whereof is more easily talk'd of than retriev'd this is omitted that in the Edition of the Psalms a Hist l. 6. c. 12. Eusebius reckons one Version more than the common Interpreters which different Translation I suppose to be that which the Fathers call the Vulgar Translation and which as appears by S. Hierom's Epistle ad Suniam Fretelam was the same with the inemendate Edition of the 70 Consul Woweri syntagm de 70 Interp. c. 11. but vastly different from the more correct Copy of Origen which he who reads that Epistle may see proved at large Nor did the two Anonymous Copies found at Jericho and Nicopolis contain a Version of the whole Old Testament as Mr. H. intimates but only of some certain Books those as I conjecture which we call the Hagiographa which b Ubi supr Eusebius calls the Psalms and c Comment in Tit. 3. S. Hierome Libri qui apud Hebraeos versu compositi sunt The Books among the Hebrews which were writ in Verse Of all which several Versions the Original Copy of Symmachus came to the Fathers hands by the gift of Juliana a Virgin at Caesarea with whom he took refuge during the Persecution and on whom it devolv'd either by right of inheritance or being d Euseb l. 6. c. 14. given her by the Author which very Copy e Hist Lausiac c. 51. Palladius says he saw in which all these particulars were attested under Origen's own hand XIV His style Mr. H. p. 22â…ž commends for its brevity and succinctness whereas it is too luxuriant and he abounds in words and this was a crime which Eustathius lays to his charge and with him Epiphanius whose objection favours of more envy than prudence especially the last who was a profess'd enemy of the name of Origen and will allow him to have done nothing well but his Octapla and yet while he is so severe a Critick to animadvert the stile of this eloquent Priest he that looks into his f Phot. Cod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 162. shall find it rugged and dry and drest in a vulgar way of expressing himself that bids defiance to the ornaments of Language But his manner of speaking was not all which the Bishop of Salamis objected against Origen it being as regular to expect that all mens faces should be alike as their stiles but he with Theophilus of Alexandria Eustathins of Antioch Methodius and Apollinaris a Quarternion of slanderers g Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 7 9 12. Socrates calls them in several Synods condemn'd his writings as Heretical and forbad the reading of them which occasion'd that hot quarrel between S. Chrysostome and Epiphanius wherein we may see an instance of the infirmities of the greatest men when their passions transport them to bitterness and evil speaking and