6 As he wrote much against the Arian doctrine, he was banished in the time of the emperor Constantine to Trajanopolis in Thrace, where he lies buried to this day. There are extant his volumes concerning the soul, of the Pythoness against Origen, and an infinite number of epis'tles, which it would be tedious to reckon up.' 2. Eustathius is placed by Cave at the year 325, when the council of Nice met: but as Eustathius was before that bishop of Beroa, if not also of Antioch, and was then so considerable, as to be thought by many to be the bishop who complimented Constantine in a short oration at his entrance into the council; I presume he ought to be placed sooner, about the year 320. 3. For a particular account of him I refer to Cave, and others. I observe some few of the more material things, and briefly only. 4. By means of the intrigues of Eusebius of Nicomedia, and Theognis of Nice, he was deposed by a synod at Antioch, about the year 328, as a Sabellian, and otherwise unworthy of the pastoral office: after which he was banished. The time of his death is not certain: some think he did not die before the year 360. Sozomen says, he had been assured, that Eustathius bore the hard treatment he met with very patiently. 5. Eustathius is placed by Jerom, in his letter to Magnus, among those christian writers, who were remarkable for secular learning, as well as for their knowledge of the scriptures: but Socrates reckons him among those obscure persons, who had endeavoured to raise their own reputation by opposing Origen. Sozomen, however, commends him for his eloquence, as well as piety, and says, that his works were in his time well esteemed. Theodoret calls hims the great Eustathius. 6. I need not give a particular account of Eustathius's works: the inquisitive may find sufficient satisfaction in the writers before referred to. The fragments collected by h Fabricius deserve to be read. adversum Origenem, et infinitæ epistolæ, quas enumerare longum est. De V. I. c. 85. b Vid. Cav. Hist. Lit. Fabr. Bib. Gr. T. viii. p. 166. &c. Tillemont, Mem. Ec. T. vii. Pagi Crit. in Baron. Ann. 324. n. 26, &c. 325. n. 17. 327. n. 3. 340. n. 19. c Vid. Socr. l. i. c. 24. Soz. 1. ii. c. 19. Thdrt. d Soz. l. ii. c. 19. fin. e Socr. 1. vi. c. 13. 1. i. c. 21. f Ανηρ τα τε άλλα καλος και αγαθός, και επι ευγλωττία δικαίως θαυμαζόμενος, ως εκ των φερομένων αυτό λόγων συνιδείν εσιν. Soz. 1. ii. c. 19. fin. B -της αλήθειας πρόμαχος ὁ μεγας Ευταθιος. Theod. 1. i. c. 21. p. 52. Α. Bib. Gr. T. 1. p. 172, &c. 6 7. Eustathius's enmity to Arianism is well known: whether he was not a Sabellian is doubtful. 6 8. Eusebius of Cæsarea accused him of Sabellianism soon after the council of Nice. Socrates' expressions in his account of the sentence passed upon Eustathius by the synod at Antioch are remarkable: That' he was deposed, as rather adhering to the doctrine of Sabellius, than of the 'council of Nice.' And he presently afterwards owns, that George of Laodicea, in his history of Eusebius of Emesa, relates, that Eustathius was deposed, Cyrus of Berœa accusing him as a Sabellian. The fragments collected by Fabricius may be thought to countenance this supposition: and there are learned moderns whom think, that Eustathius of Antioch was of the same opinion with Marcellus of Ancyra, and that neither of them were orthodox. Eustathium nostrum, qui primus Antiochenæ ecclesiæ episcopus contra Arium clarissimâ tubâ bellicum cecinit. Hieron. ad Evang. T. ii. p. 571, in Vid. et. Theod. 1. i. c. 8. in. k Διαβάλλει δε Ευσταθιον, ως την Σαβελλις δοξαν εισαγοντα. Socr. l. i. c. 23. f. Conf. Soz. 1. ii. c. 18. 1 Καθαίρεσιν Ευταθιον, ως τα Σαβελλιε μαλλον φρονέντα, η άπερ ἡ εν Νικαια σύνοδος εδογματισεν. Socr. 1. i. c. 24. in. Pour Marcel, le fait passe à présent constant. Il fût Sabellien. Ar égard d'Eustathe, des savans le defendent, d'autres l'accusent. Pour moi, je ne croi pas qu'on puisse l'excuser. Beausobre Hist. de Manich. T. i. p. 543, not. (2.) Vid. ib. p. 542. et Worm. Histor. Sabellianismi, cap. 5. n. 19, 20. CHAP. LXXV. ATHANASIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA. I. His history. II. Select passages. III. His testimony to the scriptures in his Festal Epistle. IV. In his other works: 1. To the Gospels. 2. The Acts. 3. Paul's Epistles. 4. Catholic Epistles. 5. The Revelation. V. Of the Doctrine of the Apostles, and the Shepherd of Hermas. VI. Various readings. VII. A Bible sent by Athanasius to the Emperor Constans. VIII. General titles and divisions, and respect for the scriptures. IX. The sum of his testimony. X. The Synopsis of sacred scripture. I. ATHANASIUS succeeded Alexander in the see of Álexandria in the year 326, and died in the year 373, when he had been bishop 46 years complete. There is no need that I should write the history of Athanasius, or give a particular account of his works: the nature of my design allows me now to contract, since the life of Eusebius of Cæsarea; nor shall I transcribe Jerom's chapter from his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers, because it is not very important. I have referred to divers learned moderns, who have bestowed laudable pains in writing at large the history of this celebrated bishop; and the reader may also consult the Testimonies or Elogies of ancient writers, prefixed to the Benedictine edition of his works. As I do not there see the name of Epiphanius, I insert here his character of Athanasius; that he was the father of orthodoxy. II. Though I do not write the life of Athanasius, I may be allowed to transcribe some remarkable passages. 1. Ond account of the doctrine of the Trinity, he says, the heathen people of his time thought that the christians taught a plurality of Gods. Vid. Pagi Ann. 326. n. 3. 372. n. 9-11. Basnag. Ann. 373. n. 9. Cav. H. L. Athanas. Vit. a Benedictin. adornat. Tillem. Mem. Ec. T. viii. της ορθοδοξίας. Η. 69. n. 2. p. 728. Β. Ελληνων - φασκόντων και νομιζόντων, δια την τριάδα, λεγειν και ήμας πολλες θεες. Or. iii. Contr Arian. n 15. p. 564. C. e 2. Athanasius's enmity to Arianism is well known: I formerly cited a passage where he speaks of it as the worst of all heresies. He elsewhere says, the devil was the father of it: nor will he by any means allow, thats Arians can be rightfully called Christians. 3. When he declaims against Arianism, ash the worst and most hateful of all heresies, he makes this its peculiarity, that whilst other heretics endeavoured to support their opinions by sophistry, these men have invented a new way, and have endeavoured to carry their point by external, that is, civil authority, or the power of the magistrate. Whenever any man differs from them, they have him before the governor, or the general: whom they cannot subdue by reason and argument, they take upon them to convince by whippings and imprisonments; which is enough to show, that their principles are any thing rather than religion: for it is the property of religion not to compel, but to persuade. Our Lord himself does not use violence, but leaveth men to the freedom of their own choice. Speaking to all, he says : “ If any man will come after me:” and to the disciples : « Will ye also go away ?” D And on account of these violent methods in particular, he says, that this sect, or heresy, had put on the devil complete. 4. Athanasius observes, that? christian people never took their denomination from their own bishops, but from the Lord, in whom we believe. And though the blessed apostles are our masters, and have ministered to us the gospel of our Lord, we are not named from them. For from Christ -ὡς ὁ πατηρ αυτης ὁ διάβολος. 8 Αλλα και οἱ τότες e Vol. iii. p. 276. Cont. Arian. Or. i. n. 1. p. 405. C. f καλοντες Χρισιανες, πολυ και λιαν πλανώνται. Ib. p. 406. Α. h * Η δε νεα και μυσαρα τετων αίρεσις. Hist. Arian. ad Monach. n. 67. p. 384. Β. ρ. i Οἱ δε προςαται ταυτης, όρωντες ἑαυτες λοιπον ασχημονώντας, και μηδεν ευλογον έχοντας, αλλην όδον επενόησαν, και δια της έξωθεν εξεσίας εκδικειν ταυτην επεχειρησαν. Ib. n. 66. p. 383. D. Ε. k Και μόνον τις αυτοις αντειρηκεν, έλκεται προς τον ἡγεμονα; η τον τρατηλάτην. Ib. p. 384. Β. 1 λοιπον, ως μη δεδύνηται πεισαι λόγοις, τότες τη βία, και πληγαις, και δεσμωτηρίοις έλκειν επιχειρεί, γνωρίζεσαι ἑαυτην και έτως, ώς παντα μαλλον επιν, η θεοσεβης. Θεοσεβειας μεν γαρ ιδιον, μη αναγκάζειν, αλλα πείθειν, ὥσπερ ειπαμεν. κ. λ. Ib. n. 67. p. 384. C. ma Matt. xvi. 24. • Ο καινης αἱρεσεως, ολον ενδύσαμενης τον διαβολον εν ασεβεια και πράξει. Ib. n. 66. in. p. 383. C. - John vi. 67. * Ουδε πωποτε γαρ λαος απο των οικείων επισκοπων έσχε την επωνυμίαν, αλλ' απο το Κυριν, εις όν και την πιςιν εχομεν-αλλ' απο το Χρισε χρισιανοι και εσμεν, και ονομαζόμεθα. Οἱ δε περὶ ἑτερων εχοντες την αρχην ἧς νομίζεσι πίςεως, εκείνων εικότως εχεσί και την οικονομίαν, ως αυτων γενόμενοι κτημα. Contr. Arian. Or. i. n. 2. p. 406. C. we are, and are called christians. But they who receive from others a new faith, are justly denominated from them, whose property they are. III. I proceed to his testimony to the scriptures: and here I begin with transcribing at large the fragment, which we have, of what is called a Festal, or Paschal Epistle. But since we have spoken of heretics as dead persons, and of ourselves as having the divine scriptures for salvation: and I fear, lest, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, some few of the weaker sort should be seduced from their simplicity and purity by the cunning and craftiness of some men, and at length be induced to make use of other books called apocryphal, being deceived by the similitude of their names, resembling the true books: I therefore entreat you to bear with me, if I by writing remind you of things which you know already, as what may be of use for the church. And for the vindication of my attempt, 1 adopt the form of the evangelist Luke, who himself says: Forasmuch as some have taken in hand to set forth writings called apocryphal, and to join them with the divinely inspired scriptures of which we are fully assured, as they delivered them to the fathers, who were eye-witnesses and ministers of the word: it has seemed good to me also, with the advice of some true brethren, and having learned it from the beginning, to set forth in order these canonical books, which have been delivered down to us, and believed to be divine scripture: that every one who has been deceived, may condemn those who have deceived him: and that he who remains uncorrupted may have the satisfaction to be reminded of what he is persuaded of. The books of the Old Testament, then, are all of them in number two and twenty for so many are the letters of the Hebrew alphabet said to be. The names and order of each one are thus: The first Genesis, the next Exodus, then Leviticus, after that the Numbers, and then Deuteronomy. After that is Joshua the son of Nun, and the Judges, and after that Ruth. And again, the next in order are the four books of the kingdoms: of these the first and second are reckoned one book; and in like manner the third and fourth are one book. After them, the first and second of the Remains [or Chronicles] are in like manner accounted one t Ejusdem, ex trigesima nonâ epistolâ festali, initio mutilâ. T. i. p. 961. D. απατώμενοι τη ομωνυμία των αληθινων βιβλιων. p. 961. Ε. και μαθοντι ανωθεν, έξης εκθεσθαι τα κανονιζόμενα, και παραδοσ θεντα, πιςευθεντα τε θεια ειναι βιβλια. p. 962. Α. |