is the most considerable of all his Books which is a Collection of all the Memorable Things which happen'd in the Church from the Birth of Jesus Christ to his own time He has exactly noted the Succession of Bishops to the Sees of all the Great Cities in the World he has given an Account of Ecclesiastical Writers and their Books together with the History of Heresies and some Remarks concerning the Jews He has described the Persecutions of the Martyrs the Controversies and Disputes touching Ecclesiastical Discipline and in a Word all things which concern the Affairs of the Church He Writes nothing of History as from himself but almost every where in his Works he cites the ancient Authors or their Monuments from whence he had his Relations and inserts long Extracts taken out of them as Men usually do when they write Annals or Memoirs This manner of writing History is less agreeable indeed but much more profitable than any other and gains Credit and Weight to that which is related For when a Writer reports the Transactions of Ancient Times without citing the Authors from whence he had them he cannot so easily gain Credit with his Readers as when he cites his Vouchers and produces their Testimonies for the Truth of what he says since those Relations must certainly be agreeable to Truth which are founded on the Authority of unquestionable Witnesses But besides this general Reason there is also a particular one why this way of writing History which is followed by Eusebius is of wonderful Advantage unto us which is this That for the most part those Authors and their Works which were more ancient than Eusebius have been loft since his Death by the injury of time and therefore we are mightily oblig'd to him who hath preserved in his History not only the Memory of those Authors but some considerable Fragments of their Works In short without the History of Eusebius we should scarce have any Knowledge not only of the History of those first Ages of the Church but even of the Authors that wrote at that time and their Works since no other Writer but he has given an Account of those things For it is observable that the Historians who followed after him as Socrates Sozomen and Theodoret begun tâ—… History where he ended his either because they thought that he had Collected in his all that was Remarkable of those first Ages or because they had no other way of coming to the Knowledge of them but by him Nicephorus Callistus who pretended to write a New History in the Fourteenth Century has mixt in it a great many fabulous and uncertain Tales because they were not taken out of Eusebius nor confirm'd by the Authority of any Ancient Author Nevertheless it must be confess'd That even the History of Eusebius is not altogether so perfect as were to be wish'd for it is not written smoothly neither is it always exact l Neither is it always Exact Many Faults are observed in it contrary to the Truth of History and contrary to Chronology In his First Book he saith That the Taxing which Josephus speaks of in his Eighteenth Book of the History of the Jews is the same that St. Luke writes of In the same Book Ch. 9. he says That Lysanias Tetrarch of Abylene was Brother to Philip and Herod the younger which is not true In Ch. 7. he says That Herod Junior was banished to Vienna contrary to the Testimony of Josephus who assures us Book XVIII Ch. 9. That he was sent to Lyons He thinks that Jesus Christ spent Four Years in his preaching He is mistaken in the Epocha of the Voyage of St. Paul to Jerusalem In Book XI Ch. 13. he distinguishes Cephas who was rebuked at Antioch by St. Paul from the Apostle St. Peter tho' he was certainly the same I shall not now mention his other Faults which he committed by taking things upon hear-say nor the Apochryphal Books which he cites very often He mistakes the Jews of Alexandria mentioned by Philo called Therapeutae for Christians B. II. Ch. 10. he confounds Novatus and Novatianus B. VI. Ch. 45. he makes mistakes in the years of the Pontificates of Sixtus and Eutychianus Our Author does often enlarge too much upon those things that ought to be slightly pass'd over and on the contrary sometimes he expresses such things very succinctly which deserve a much larger Account But notwithstanding these Faults it is a most Excellent History and highly to be priz'd There is at the End of the Eighth Book a small Tract of the Martyrs of Palaestine in which he describes the Martyrdom of those that suffered in this Province for the Faith of Jesus Christ. Some have confounded this with the Eighth Book but against Reason for it is a distinct Tract and as it were a Supplement to it Ruffinus is the first who Translated this History of Eusebius but he according to his usual manner took a great liberty in doing it He has past over the whole Tenth Book and has added to it two more which contain the following History down to the Death of Theodosins His Translation is clean neat and elegant enough it gives the Sence and Thought of the Author in a very agreeable Stile and sometimes more faithfully than those Interpreters who have Translated him since This Version has been the great Magazine to all the Latin Authors who have drawn from thence whatever they either wrote or understood of the Ecclesiastical History of the First Ages Musculus the Protestant undertook a new Translation of the History of Eusebius which he perform'd happily enough He ties himself up very much to the Letter and has Translated the Text with much politeness and brevity But he does not always understand his Author aright and so he has committed many Faults in his Version The Translation of Christophorson is more Elegant and his Stile more Ciceronian but it is too Copious for an Historian whose Stile should be concise and close He hath Corrected many Faults of Musculus and yet his own Version is not altogether free The Learned Henricus Valesius having observ'd the Faults of all former Versions undertook to make a new one more perfect He publish'd it with the Greek Text Revis'd by Four Manuscripts and added to it most learned Notes His Version deserves Universal Applause and the singular esteem of all Learned Men for it has two qualities that rarely meet together being both Elegant and Literal And yet the Criticks have observ'd some Faults in it But it is impossible to satisfie all Men and very difficult to avoid all Mistakes in a Work of so great a length It was very fit that the History of Eusebius should be Translated that those who neither understand Greek nor Latin might not be depriv'd of the History of the Church in its Original Purity The President Cousin has done the Publick this Service who has Translated this History into French with as great Purity as Faithfulness and
Letter to Palladius he commends him for being Orthodox and approves of his staying with Innocent He rebukes those Monks that would not obey St. Basil but praises this Bishop saying he was the Glory of the Church for he contended for the Truth and taught those that needed Instruction and none could be good Catholicks that had any Dispute with him He adds That he had written to his Monks to obey him as their Father and that they were to blame for complaining of him Probably 't was about the Question of the Hypostases that the Monks had some Dispute with St. Basil. After we have spoken of his Historical Works let us now come to the Dogmatical The First of these are the two Treatises against the Gentiles whereof the Second is now entituled Of the Incarnation In the First of these two Books he Opposes Idolatry and Establishes the Worship of the true God he discovers the source of Idolatry that it comes from the Corruption of Man's Heart who being created after the Image of God fell under the guilt of Adam's Sin and inherited from him an unhappy Inclination to Sin which the Will does very often follow though it be free to resist it From this Principle he concludes in the first place against the Hereticks That 't is not necessary there should be two Principles or two Gods one Good the Author of Good and another Evil the Author of Evil. He refutes this Impious Opinion by Reason and Authority and concludes that Sin is not a Substance but that it entred into the World by the Fall of the First Man He observes that this is the source of all Idolatry that Men being faln from their first Estate do no longer raise their Heart and Spirit to things Spiritual but fix them on things Terrestrial and Sensible He refutes afterwards the different kinds of Idolatry and shows that we ought not to Worship nor Acknowledge for Divinities either the Gods of the Poets or the World or any part of it After he has thus overthrown all kinds of Idolatry he establishes the Existence and Worship of the true God He demonstrates that God may be known by the Light of Nature 1. From our selves that 's to say by Reflexion upon our own Thoughts that he is neither Corporeal nor Mortal 2. From the Beauty of the Universe which discovers the Existence of him as the Cause of it Then he shows that this God is the Father of Jesus Christ and that he created all things and governs them by his Word The Second Treatise against the Gentiles is that which is entituled Of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ because there he treats of that Mystery For explaining the Causes of it he goes back as far as the Beginning of the World and proves that it was not made by chance nor fram'd of an Eternal Matter but that God the Father created it by his Word After this he speaks of the Fall of Man who being created after the Image of God addicted himself to things corruptible and perishing and so became the Cause of his own Misery and Corruption He says that the Fall of Man was the cause of the Incarnation of the Word because God pitying Man resolv'd to send his Son to Save him and to give him the means of obtaining that Immortality which he had lost Upon this Principle he founds the Necessity of the Incarnation of the Word which he proves First Because the Son being the Essential Image of his Father there was none but he that could render Man like to God as he was before his Fall 2. Because as the Word is the Reason and Wisdom of his Father there is none but he can teach Men and undeceive them of their Errors From the Causes of the Incarnation he passes to its Effects and after he has described the Graces which the Word has merited for Mankind by his Incarnation he speaks of his Death and shows that he was to die as he did by the Torments of the Cross that by his Death he might conquer Death both in himself and us Lastly He proves the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by the wonderful Effects that follow'd his Death and by the contempt of Death wherewith it inspir'd his Disciples After he has thus explain'd the Doctrine of Christians he refutes the Jews and Pagans the former by proving from the Prophets that Jesus is the Messias promis'd in the Old Testament and the latter from the Miracles of Jesus Christ from the destruction of Idolatry and the Establishment of the Doctrine of the Gospel which though contrary to the Lusts and Passions of Men was entertain'd without difficulty and in a little time by the greatest part of the World He concludes these Discourses with an Advertisement to his Friend Macarius to whom they are directed That he should have recourse to the Holy Scripture which is the Fountain from whence these things are drawn to which he adds this Remark that for the better understanding of it we should lead a Life like to that of the Authors of these holy Books St. Athanasius wrote but two Treatises against the Gentiles for his other Dogmatical Treatises are either about the Trinity or the Incarnation The Four Discourses against the Arians are the chief of his Dogmatical Works In the First which is call'd the Second he convicts the Sect of the Arians of Heresie for which end he first makes use of an Argument which he employs against all Hereticks which is the Novelty of their Sect and the Name which it bears Then he explains their Doctrine and proves that 't is Impious full of Blasphemies and comes near to that of the Jews and Gentiles Lastly He refutes their Reasons and clears up a great many difficulties which they propose against the Doctrine of the Church In the Second Treatise which is the Third in the common Editions he explains some of the Passages which the Arians alledge to prove that the Son is a Creature and insists chiefly upon that in Chap. 8. of the Proverbs The Lord hath created me in the beginning of his ways c. He says towards the end That the Arians run a hazard of having no true Baptism because to make this Sacrament valid 't is not sufficient to pronounce the words but we must also have a right understanding of them and a right Faith He adds That if the Baptism of other Hereticks who pronounce the same words be null and void because they have not a true Faith 't is to be thought that we ought to give the same Judgment of the Baptism of the Arians who are become the worst of all Hereticks These words of St. Athanasius shew That in his time those that had been Baptiz'd by Hereticks were Rebaptiz'd in the Church of Alexandria though they had been Baptiz'd in the Name of the Trinity In the Third Discourse which is reckon'd for the Fourth he proves That the Father and the Son have but one and the same Substance and one
it appears that Idacius the Author of the Chronicle who lived in the Fifth Age of the Church and is different from him of whom we have now spoken was deceived and that Turribius succeeded Dictinius after his Death and not after his Deposition For to say as Monsieur Quesnel does that the Acts of the Council of Toledo are falsified or that Dictinius relaps'd a second time after his Retraction is to alledge that which has no Foundation which is contrary to the Testimony of St. Leo who affirms that this Bishop died a Catholick and that we may have a Veneration for his Memory after his Retractation ITHACIUS or IDACIUS THis IDACIUS or ITHACIUS Surnam'd Clarus Bishop of Ossobona a City in the Province of Baetica was as we have already said one of the greatest Enemies of the Priscillianists Ithacius or Idacius St. Isidore of Sevil observes in his Book of Ecclesiastical Writers That he wrote a Book by way of Apology against the detestable Doctrines of Priscillian wherein he discovers the Witchcraft and Infamous Crimes of those Sectaries and shews That a certain Magician call'd Mark a Native of Memphis in Egypt was the Disciple of Manichaeus and Master of Priscillian The same Author adds That this Idacius was depriv'd of the Communion of the Church together with the Bishop Ursacius upon the account of the Death of Priscillian whose Accusers they had been and that he being sent into Banishment ended his Days there under the Reign of Theodosius and Valentinian St. Isidore makes no mention of the Books against Varimadus which bear the Name of Idacius and indeed they do not belong to this Author but to Vigilius Tapsensis as we shall show when we come to speak of Vigilius This Apologetick of Idacius is lost St. Isidore observes that it was well written Idacius and Ithacius are not two different Names for the same Person as here seems to be implied for in Sulpitius Severus they are constantly divided FAUSTINUS GEnnadius assures us that Faustinus a Priest or a Deacon according to others wrote to the Empress Flaccilla Seven Books against the Arians and Macedonians wherein he refutes and confounds Faustinus them by the very same Passages that the Hereticks use to establish their Blasphemies This Work was a long time attributed to Gregory of Baetica but at last the True Author of it was own'd and it was printed under the Name of Faustinus with a Letter to Flaccilla The same Gennadius says also That this same Faustinus wrote a Petition which he presented with the Priest Marcellinus or rather Marcellianus to the Emperours Valentinian and Theodosius which shows evidently that he was engag'd in the Schism of the Luciferians Sirmondus publish'd this little Piece in the Year 1656. Before the Petition there is a Preface written by the same Faustinus wherein he gives a little Historical Abridgment in favour of his own Party There he relates That under the Reign of Constantius almost all the Bishops attempted to condemn St. Athanasius That Liberius of Rome Eusebius of Verceilles Lucifer of Calaris and St. Hilary of Poictiers refusing to approve this unjust Condemnation were sent into Banishment That Damasus who was then Deacon of Rome pretended he would accompany Liberius but returned again immediately That the Clergy of Rome in the presence of the People took an Oath not to receive another Bishop while Liberius liv'd That notwithstanding this in a little time after the Clergy chose the Archdeacon Felix to fill his Place That Liberius having consented to Impiety by subscribing an Arian Confession of Faith return'd about three Years after and was restor'd to the Possession of his See and that Felix was driven away from Rome Upon whose Death which happen'd Eight Years after Liberius came back he received into Communion those of the Clergy that had been of Felix's Party That he died also in a little while after and then the Priests and Deacons who had been Faithful to Liberius in his Banishment chose Ursicinus in his room but the perfidious Party chose Damasus an ambitious Man who had always aspir'd to the Episcopal Chair That this man had committed all sorts of Cruelties and Outrages against those who adhered to Ursicinus and at last had driven them all out of the City That since this time those of the Orthodox Party had been abus'd dispers'd and banish'd and that two of them call'd Marcellinus and Faustinus presented this Petition to the Emperours Valentinian Theodosius and Arcadius They complain in this Petition of the Persecutions and Cruelties which they say they still suffer from their Enemies They affirm That no Error nor Heresy can be charg'd upon them and then accused their Adversaries of having been formerly Hereticks or of having consented to the Condemnation of the Faith of the Church They describe the miserable End of Arius to beget a Horrour of his Impiety and they say That God hath by this visible Judgment approv'd all that was done in the Council of Nice They relate afterwards what pass'd in the Councils of Seleucia and Ariminum and how the Bishops were forc'd to Sign the Heretical Confessions of Faith They bewail their Unhappiness and praise the Faith and Constancy of Paulinus of Triers of Eusebius of Verceilles of Lucifer of Calaris and a very small number of Bishops who chose rather to suffer all things than do any thing against their Conscience They describe the Defection of Hosius Bishop of Corduba and say That he died by a visible Judgment of God for pronouncing Sentence against Gregory of Baetica who had always boldly defended the Faith They say That the same thing happen'd to Potamius of Ossobona They add That these visible Judgments of God do plainly shew that those who would not communicate with the Bishops that were defil'd with these Crimes are so far from being guilty of Impiety that they do great Service to the Church That the great number of those who communicate with them ought to be no Prejudice to others since this Conduct is contrary to Scripture That the Pretence of promoting Peace ought not to make us own Apostates for Lawful Bishops That the Inconstancy of the Catholicks has given occasion to Valens to embrace the Arian Faction They represent afterwards in a most Odious manner the Cruelties which they say were committed against their Party in different places of the World and they conjure the Emperour to put a stop to this Persecution by his Edicts Not add they that we are afraid to Suffer or to Die being persuaded that when we die for a good Cause we shall enjoy after our Death great Tranquility and have a perfect certainty of our Blessedness But we give you Notice of this Disorder for fear lest the Blood of Christians if it still continue to be shed bring down the Wrath of God upon your Government Tho' the Complaints of these Two Priests were injurious to the Church yet Theodosius was mov'd by them and granted a Rescript in their
his Design and he seems to be more vers'd in Profane then Ecclesiastical History But he has one Advantage above the Ecclesiastical Historians that went before him that there is no occasion to upbraid him with being engag'd in some Sect or with falling into some Error about the Faith or Discipline of the Church Robert Stephens publish'd the Original Greek of this Historian from one Manuscript only of the King's Library Valesius revis'd it since by two Manuscripts and has made a new Version of it after those of Musculus and Christopherson Besides this History he wrote two other Pieces which are lost viz. two Books of Epistles Orations c. and a Panegyrical Oration to Mauricius the Emperor upon the Birth of Theodosius both which are mention'd by himself towards the latter end of his History Cave p. 433 434. St. JOHN CLIMACUS ST John surnam'd Climacus because of his Work entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a Scale was born about the Year 525. The ancient Author of his Life tells us That he could not certainly affirm in what place it pleased God he should be born nor in what Country he was educated The Title of St. John Climacus Sholasticus which some Authors give him would make us believe that he had sometime frequented the Bar but having retir'd from the World at the Age of sixteen years there is no probability that he follow'd the Profession of an Advocate The place of his Retreat upon Mount Sina is famous for the great number of Monks which dwell there He himself entred not into a Monastery but put himself under the Conduct of an ancient Hermit call'd Martyrius He continued nineteen years with this holy old Man in an humble and faithful Obedience to him After his death St. John retir'd into the Solitude of Thola about five Miles from the Church which was upon Mount Sina whither he came on Sundays and Saturdays to a assist at Divine Service and to receive the Communion There was a Solitary who put himself under his Conduct Towards the end of the sixth Age he was chosen Abbot of the Monks of Mount Sina and govern'd this Monastery for some years but finding himself near his End he quitted the Government of this Monastery and retir'd into the Solitude leaving his Brother Georgius in his room He died of a great Age at the beginning of the next Century While he was Abbot he compos'd his Scale of the Cloyster at the desire of John Abbot of Raithu This Book was very famous among the Greeks but the Latines had no knowledge of it for the space of 600 years This Scale contains 30 Degrees which are so many Christian and Religious Vertues which the Author explains by holy Maxims and teaches the Practice of them by wiâ—e Counsels The first is of Renouncing the World the second of the Abaracting from the Things of the World the third of Pilgrimage or a Retreat out of the World To these three Degrees he subjoyns some Reflexions to show that we must not give credit to Dreams affirming that the Devil makes use of them to deceive the Solitary The fourth Degree is of Obedience He thinks that it is one of the Effects of this Vertue that a Monk should confess his sins to his Superior who is the true and proper Judge and to him only He would also have a Monk ready to Confess them to all the World if his Superior does order him Upon this Occasion he relates the publick Penance of a Robber who publickly confess'd most enormous sins by the Order of an Abbot of a Monastery near the City of Alexandria whither he had retir'd From hence he takes occasion to describe the admirable Vertues of the Monks of this Monastery and the Penance of one nam'd Isidore whom this Abbot had oblig'd to kneel down before all those who should enter into the Monastery and to continue this Practice for the space of seven whole years He relates also many other Examples of the Patience Humility and Obedience practis'd by the Monks of this Monastery whom this Abbot humbled either by sharp Rebukes or rude Treatment altho they had not deserv'd them But nothing is more horrible then the Examples of Penance which our Saint relates in this Degree and the next which is of Penance and the Representation he makes of the Monastery of Penitents which was but one mile distant from that of which we have now spoken and govern'd by the same Abbot it was call'd The Prison and it did really resemble a Prison for its darkness its stench and filthiness In it were shut up many Monks who having fall'n into some Crimes desir'd to be shut up there that they might expiate their Crimes by voluntary Torments which exceeded all that can be imagin'd Some pass'd Nights and Days standing expos'd to the Injuries of the Weather others were bound and manacl'd others had their Feet in Fetters others were lying upon Ashes Some were beating their Breast with their Fist others were tearing their Face They had all a sadness visible in their Countenance some made dreadful Lamentations others shed abundance of Tears the greatness of Grief hindred others from speaking and they are almost nothing at all Lastly having practis'd all these kind of the Austerities during their Life they desir'd that after their Death the honour of Burial should be deny'd them The sixth Degree is of the Meditation of Death After he has made some Reflexions upon the Usefulness of this Practice he proposes some Examples of the wonderful Effects it has had upon the Minds of some Hermits The seventh is of the Grief of Penance and the Necessity of Tears There he relates as a great wonder the History of a Solitary who on the Eve of his death had a Rapture wherein he imagin'd that he saw Men who demanded an Account of his Life to whom he answer'd with a loud voice telling them what he had done and what he had not done The eighth Degree is of Meekness which should overcome Anger There he describes the deadly Effects of this Poison and prescribes Means for subduing it The ninth teaches the Solitaries to forget Reproaches The tenth condemns Evil-speaking and rash Judging The eleventh recommends Silence The twelfth is against Lying The thirteenth blames Envy and Sloth and chiefly that which a Man is guilty of in the time of Prayer The fourteenth disswades from Intemperance The fifteenth contains the Praises of Chastity There he shows the Consequence of this Vertue and the Enormity of the Crime which is opposite to it He observes that it is more punish'd in the Church then Heresie it self he condemns it even to the Motions of Lust which happen in the time of sleep He prescribes for a Remedy that they should clothe themselves with Sackcloth and cover themselves with Ashes that they should pass the night standing that they should suffer hunger and thirst that they should lodge in the Tombs and be humble and charitable The