various compositions designed for the benefit of Christians in the troublesome time of Julian's reign. His respect for the scriptures is manifest to all, from his numerous commentaries upon them, which have been particularly taken notice of in this chapter.

a

VI. I never intended to draw the character of Apollinarius. Shall I, nevertheless, present the reader with that given by Tillemont? but without adopting it. He seems,' says that laborious writer, to have preserved always the outside of a holy and exemplary life; of which • nevertheless Gregory of Nyssa seems not to have been fully persuaded. But he also maintained to the end his impiety, and died in his heresy. So that we cannot admit the hope of any other lot for him, but the condemnation of hell. Such has been the unhappy condition of this great man, who had received so extraordinary talents of nature, and so great gifts of grace, who had ⚫ combated with so much courage, and so much glory, for the true faith against the enemies of it. But because he trusted in his own wisdom, because he would solve those difficulties, which. human reason cannot clear up, because he gave way to the desires of a vain curiosity; all the ⚫ advantages which he had, became unprofitable to him, and he has deserved to be regarded by all the church, as a schismatic and a heretic.'

It must be owned, that the notions advanced by him in the latter part of his life have greatly diminished his credit: but yet, I would hope, they need not to be understood to have obliterated the merit of his past services for the Christian religion. And I believe, that all my readers ingeneral may concur in a wish, that we still had his confutation of Porphyry, which has been highly commended by learned Christians of different sentiments in former times.

Du Pin having mentioned Apollinarius's Paraphrase of the Psalms, adds: All the other works of this author are lost, except some fragments. His error, in all probability, occasioned, this loss: the catholics had such a dread of the books of heretics, that they have not preserved so much as those which had no relation to their heresy, and which might have been useful to the church: for which reason we have scarce any books of heretics left. And the Euty⚫chians were obliged to put out the works of Apollinarius with the names of catholic authors.'

If that be so, we must acknowledge, that the catholics were to blame; it is like rooting up tares and good corn all together. And we may hence receive this instruction; to be upon our guard, that we admit not too great an aversion for men on account of difference of sentiment, in things of a speculative nature; lest by violence in opposing error we should obstruct the progress of knowledge, and the cause of truth, which we are desirous to serve.

d

I have written the name of this author Apollinarius. I shall here transcribe a note of Du Pin, as it may serve for my justification with those who are but little acquainted with such things. • The Greeks,' says he, always call him Arhivapios. St. Basil alone writes his name with two Aλ. ll. St. Jerom calls him Apollinarius. The generality of the Latin writers give him the name • of Apollinaris, as more soft.' I have chosen to follow the Greeks, and Jerom in the termination of his name: unless I might have dropped the harsh ending, and written his name Apollinaire, as the French do. I shall only add, that in L. Kuster's edition of Suidas, a Greek author, the name is written with a double 1. His name is written. in the like manner, in the Paschal Chronicle.

• Il semble avoir toujours conservé l' extérieur d'une vie sainte et exemplaire. Les Apollinaristes. Art. 13. Mem. T. vii.

De sorte qu'on ne peut espérer d' autre sort pour lui que la condamnation d' enfer. Ibid.

Bib. des Aut. Ec. T. ii. p. 127.

d Bib. des Aut. Ec. ii. p. 127. not. a

e P. 237. C. Paris. 1688.

CII A P. XCVI.

DAMASUS, BISHOP OF ROME.

1. DAMASUS, though not without a warm contest with Ursinus, or Ursicinus, his competitor, succeeded Liberius, bishop of Rome, who died in September 366. The disturbances in the city, occasioned by that competition, are taken notice of by Jerom in his Chronicle, and by Ammianus Marcellinus a heathen author, as well as by our Ecclesiastical Historians. Socrates says, 'there was at that time a great disturbance among the citizens of Rome. Nor was it owing to a contention about any doctrine of the faith, or about heresy, but only who should have the episcopal chair.' Damasus sat in that see above eighteen years, and died in 384, being then' almost eighty years of age.

2. Damasus is in Jerom's Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers: and I transcribe the article below. What he says of him is chiefly this: That he had a good talent for poetry, and wrote several small pieces in verse. In another place he says, that Damasus had written in praise of virginity, both in prose and verse. There are still extant several small poems, which are ascribed to him, but not allowed by all to be genuine, which have been published, together with his epistles, and a history of his life, and numerous testimonies to him, collected out of ancient and later writers.

3. Damasus had a great regard for Jerom, on account of his learning and knowledge of the scriptures. Jerom whilst in the east wrote to Damasus, asking his advice concerning his own conduct. When Jerom came to Rome in 382, Damasus employed him as his secretary, to` write letters for him upon ecclesiastical affairs, in answer to councils or bishops in foreign parts. Here* Jerom stayed three years, that is, till some time after the death of Damasus, and returned into the East in 385.

4. At the desire of Damasus, Jerom corrected the edition of the Latin version of the New Testament, or of the gospels at least. At his request it is also said At his request it is also said that Jerom revised the Latin version of the Psalms, which had been made from the Greek of the Seventy: and it is certain, that this was done by him when at Rome. Damasus put Jerom upon translating

Dydimus's Treatise upon the Spirit out of Greek into Latin: but it was not finished until after his death.

a

5. Damasus often wrote to Jerom letters containing questions concerning difficult texts of scripture. To him is addressed Jerom's explication of the vision of the Seraphim in the sixth chapter of Isaiah. In a letter still extant, Damasus desires Jerom to give him a clear explication of the word Hosanna found in the New Testament, he having met with very different interpretations of it in the Greek and Latin Commentaries of catholic writers, which he had read. This occasioned Jerom to write a letter upon that subject, which we still have. At his request likewise Jerom explained the parable of the Prodigal Son. I shall transcribe below part of Damasus's letter, which is inserted in Jerom's answer: whereby it appears that there were then two common interpretations of that parable: some by the elder and younger sons understanding the Jewish people and the Gentiles, others righteous men and sinners.

с

6. These three epistles or discourses upon the Seraphim, Hosanna, and the Prodigal Son, are mentioned by Jerom in the last chapter of his Catalogue, where he enumerates his own works. To his discourse upon the Hebrew word Hosanna, he refers likewise in his Commentary upon St. Matthew, and to that upon the Seraphim in a letter, written about the year $98

or 399.

h

g

7. There is also still extant another letter of Damasus, written in the last year of his life: in which he says, there could be no higher entertainment, than to confer together upon the holy scriptures: and he desires, that he may propound questions, whilst Jerom makes answers. Here he proposes several difficult texts to Jerom, which 1he afterwards explained. In the same letter Damasus passeth that judgment upon Lactantius, which was formerly taken notice of. 8. Finally, Jerom ' calls Damasus a great man, and says, he was well acquainted with the scriptures.

9. For a fuller history of Damasus, and his works, I refer to several.

CHAP. XCVII.

BASIL, BISHOP OF CÆSAREA IN CAPPADOCIA.

I. His time, and works. II. Books of scripture received by him. III. A passage relating to the epistle to the Ephesians considered. IV. Respect for the scriptures.

I. As St. Basil is in Jerom's Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers, and the chapter is not long, I place it entire at the bottom of the page.

Ep. 142. T. iii. p. 515. ed. Bened.

n

b Commentaria quum legerem Græco Latinoque sermone in Evangeliorum interpretatione a nostris, id est, orthodoxis viris, olim ac nuper scripta de eo quod legitur Osanna Filio David [Matt. xxi. 9,] non solum diversa, sed etiam contraria sibi proferunt. Dilectionis tuæ est, ut ardenti et illo strenuitatis ingenio quid se habeant apud Hebræos vivo sensu scribas. Ep. 144. ap Hieron. T. iv. P. i. p. 145.

с

Ep. 145. ib. p. 145. &c.

Ais: Quis est iste in Evangelio Pater, qui duobus filiis 'substantiam dividit? Qui duo filii? Qui major, quive minor? Addis insuper: Scio multos in hac lectione diversa dixisse: et fratrem majorem Judæum, minorem existimâsse 'Gentilem populum. Sed quæro, quomodo Judaïco populo "possit aptari:Ecce tot annis servivi tibi, et numquam "mandatum tuum præterii. Si autem, ut ais, de justo et peccatore voluerimus esse parabolam, justo non potuit con⚫ venire, ut de salute alterius, et maxime fratris, contristetur.' Ad Damas. ep. 146. Vid. T. iv. P. i. p. 149.

De Seraphim, et Osanna, et de frugi et luxurioso filiis. De V. I. cap. ult.

In Matth. T. iv. P. i. p. 95, 90.

VOL. II.

In lectione Isaïæ, in quâ duo Seraphim clamantia describuntur. Habetur liber in manibus, ante viginti annos editus. Ad Pamm. et Ocean. ep. 41. al: 65. T. ív. p. ii. p. 243. in. Neque vero ullam puto digniorem disputationis nostræ confabulationem fore, quam si de Scripturis sermocinemur inter nos: id est, ut ego interrogem, tu respondeas Quâ vita nihil puto in hac luce jucundius, quo animæ pabulo mella omnia superantur, &c. Ep. 124. Vid. T. ii. p. 561. Ep. 125. p. 262, &c. ib.

i

* See p. 260, 261.

1 Dum adhuc viveret sanctæ memoriæ Damasus, librum contra Helvidium de beatæ Mariæ virginitate perpetuâ scripsimus. Num vir egregius, et eruditus in Scripturis, et virgo, et ecclesiæ virginis doctor, aliquid in illo sermone reprehendit ? Ad Pamm. ep. 30. al. 50. T. iv. P. 2. p. 240. f.

m Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 230, and his Life of Damasus, in the Appendix to the Lives of the primitive Fathers, Vol. ii. P. 30. Du Pin Bib. T. ii. p. 151. Tillem. Mem. T. viii. Pagi ann. 384. n. ii. iii. and Mr. Bower's History of the Bishops of Rome, Vol. i. p. 179–233.

Basilius, Cæsarea Cappadociæ, quæ prius Mazaca vocabatur, episcopus, egregios contra Eunomium elaboravit libros,

30

1

a

It is generally supposed, that Basil, commonly called the Great, was born in Cappadocia in the year 328 or 329. And according to the different apprehensions of learned men, he was ordained bishop of Cæsarea, the capital city of his native country, in 369, or 370, or 371, and died in the very beginning of 378, or 379, or 380, having been bishop eight years, and some

what more.

b

Many writings have been ascribed to Basil without ground. For which reason divers learned moderns have taken commendable pains in distinguishing the spurious from the genuine. In which service none, I think, have excelled Julian Garner, the Benedictine editor of St. Basil's works. I wish, however, that he had been able to reduce his observations into less compass.

II. I know of no reason to doubt, that Basil received all the books of the New Testament that we do; but I cannot say, that he has quoted them all. He has quoted all St. Paul's epistles, particularly that to the Hebrews, as his. He does not much quote the catholic epistles: however, he has several times quoted the first epistle of St. Peter, and the first epistle of St. John. The second epistle of St. Peter is once quoted in the fifth book against Eunomius, not allowed by all to be genuine. The epistle of St. James is very seldom quoted, the epistle of St. Jude, and the first and second epistle of St. John not at all, that I remember. Though there be very little notice taken of the book of the Revelation in his writings, I presume it cannot be said to have been rejected by him: for in his second book against Eunomius, having before quoted St. John's gospel, i. 1, he adds: And the same evangelist in another book says: "Which is,' and "Which was, even the Almighty." [Rev. i. 8.] The same text is also quoted in the fourth book against Eunomius. But that book is not universally allowed to be genuine, some thinking, that Basil wrote no more than three books against Eunomius. I would add, that' Basil is named by Arethas among those who received the book of the Revelation as inspired scripture.

d

с

III. In St. Basil's second book against Eunomius is a very singular passage to this purpose. And writing to the Ephesians, as truly united to him "who is," through knowledge, he 'called them in a peculiar sense "such who are," saying: "To the saints who are, and" [or even] "the faithful in Christ Jesus.' For so those before us have transmitted it, and we

have found it in ancient copies.'

h

It is well known, that there is a question agitated of late among the learned, concerning the persons, to whom the epistle, called to the Ephesians, was written. But I do not now concern myself about that question: I am at present only desirous to settle, as far as I am able, the meaning of this passage of Basil; in which he has been supposed by some to say, that he had seen copies, in which the words Ev Eper, at Ephesus,' were wanting. So particularly Dr. " Mill. But Mr. Lenfant in his remarks upon Mill's New Testament, soon after its publication at Oxford, argues, that Basil does not say, those words, at Ephesus,' were wanting in any copies. Ludolph Kuster in the preface to his edition of Mill's New Testament, justifies Mill, and condemns Lenfant. But this learned author soon replied in a Latin letter, vindicating the interpretation he had given of St. Basil. Mr. Wolff, who approved Mr. Lenfant's opinion, has given a very good account of his argument, with some additional observations of his own in support of it. And I must own, it seems to me likewise, that Mr. Lenfant's interpretation is

the truest.

1

k

Says that ingenious writer, The" various reading consists in the emphatical particle Toi, and not EV EEG, as may appear from these several considerations: 1. St. Basil moves not the ⚫ question, whether that epistle be written to the Ephesians or others. 2. At the beginning of

et de Spiritu Sancto volumen, et in Hexaëmeron homilias novem, et Aoxylixov, et breves variosque tractatus. Moritur imperante Gratiano. De V. I. cap. 116.

Vid. Cav. H. L. Pagi Ann. 369. xvi. 370. ix. x. xxiii. 378. ii. Basnag. A. 370. n. vi. &c. 380. n. viii. ix. Fabr. Bib. Gr. T. viii. p. 60. Du Pin T. ii. p. 154. Tillem. Mem. T. ix.

Vid. Cav. H. L. T. i. Fabr. Bib. Gr. T. viii. p. 69. &c. Tillem. Mem. Ec. T. ix. Du Pin Bib. T. ii. p. 154. &c.

Adv. Eunom. 1. v. in. T. i. p. 296. D.

4 Αλλ' αυτός ήμιν ὁ ευαγγελισης εν ἑτέρῳ λόγῳ τα τ

ὁ ων, και ὁ ην, και ο παντοκρατωρ. Adv. Eunom. 1. ii. Τ. i.

p. 249. E.

• Και εν τη Αποκαλύψει· ὁ wv, xai Adv. Eunom. 1. iv. p. 282. A.

f Vid. Areth. p. 640. ad calcem Commentar. Œcumenii. T. ii.

8. Αλλά και τοις Εφεσίοις επιτέλλων, ὡς γνησίως ηνωμενοις τῳ οντι δι' επιγνώσεως, ονίας αυτες ιδιαζόντως ωνομασεν, ειπων Τοις άξιοις τοις εσι, και πίσοις εν Χρισῳ Ιησε. Ούτω γαρ και οι προ ήμων παραδεδώκασι, και ήμεις εν τοις παλαιοις των αντιSpaqur εiprnaμey. Adv. Eunom. 1. ii. p. 254. E.

Ev Epec.] Omittit Basil. 1. ii. adv. Eunomium, fide patrum, quod dicit, ac veterum exemplarium. Mill. ad Eph. i. 1. Vid. et ejusdem Prolegom. n. 89.

i Bib. Choisie. T. xvi. p. 301. &c.

Bib. Choisie. T. xxi. p. 96. &c.

1 Vid. Prolegom. in ep. ad Ephes. et in cap. i.
Cur. Philol. T. iv.

See, as before, Bib. Ch. T. xvi. p. 301. &c.

P. 10-13.

the passage, he supposeth that it was written to the Ephesians, without saying that there was any contest about it. 3. The design of Basil is to shew, that the Ephesians are justly and properly called ovTES such who are,' because of their union with him who is.' 4. The word diazovias, peculiarly,' must relate to the emphatical article ros, which is necessary to answer to o wv, him who is,' and which, according to Mill's own account, is wanting in one MS. at least. This is the point: Tors was wanting in the common copies in the time of St. Basil, but he had read it in ancient MSS. and he avails himself of it, to authorize his speculation. It is true, that in his quotation he does not put the words at Ephesus,' because that was not the thing in contest, and he had mentioned it before, and he had no occasion to mention it again. Moreover, he might be disposed to omit those words, at Ephesus,' the more to favour his speculation upon T015 81, such who are,' taken in an absolute sense. 5. St. Jerom, who refutes this speculation of St. Basil, makes it turn upon the particle 7, and mentions not any ⚫ various reading upon the place.'

a

Let me enlarge a little farther, and agreeably, as I apprehend, to Lenfant's mind, though without transcribing him.

с

d

The passage of Jerom, just referred to, which is usually alleged, as illustrating the passage of Basil, in my opinion greatly favours Lenfant. Jerom in his comment upon the epistle to the Ephesians mentions Basil's speculation, or forced interpretation, which we have seen and rejects it. Not a few learned men think, that Jerom has a particular reference to Basil; but I see no ground for that supposition. He might find perhaps that observation in Origen, or Apollinarius, or Didymus, whose commentaries upon the epistle to the Ephesians, he mentions in his preface, or in some others. In Basil this interpretation is produced as an argument against the Arians; but nothing of that kind appears in Jerom's account of it: however, Jerom's passage, as I said, favours Lenfant's opinion, that Basil does not say, those words at Ephesus,' were wanting in his copies: because Jerom, mentioning the same interpretation, takes no notice of any various reading. On the contrary, he again and again supposeth the common reading. And he says, that some thought the saints and faithful at Ephesus were said to be such as are.' But others, he says, without stopping at the expression, such who are,' or without laying a stress upon that expression, understood the inscription in a plain manner and continued sense, to the saints and faithful who are at Ephesus.'

с

One thing more to be observed here, and not omitted by Lenfant in his second letter upon this subject, is, that for two hundred years last past, and more, many manuscripts of the New Testament have been discovered, and the various readings have been diligently collected;" but as yet there has not been one copy found to support Basil's account; supposing him to say, that the words ε EQET were wanting in his time, in the ancient copies, and that it had been so transmitted by those of former times: nor is there any version, to confirm that supposition. In a word, it appears to be incredible, that such a various reading, supposing it to have been in many copies in St. Basil's time, should have been totally lost. To which might be added, that there would have been notice taken of it by many remaining ancient writers, beside Basil.

If it should be said, that there are scarce any copies, that bear witness to our supposed various reading: I think, it may be fitly answered, that our various reading is a trifling thing; but a various reading in the words ev eece, is very remarkable, and must have appeared in some remaining copies, if there had been many such in Basil's time.

I should not forget to observe, that elsewhere also Basil quotes this epistle with the title of the epistle to the Ephesians, without hesitation.

a Omisit potius eas, quod ex alterâ parte satis ipsi erat, articulum rois ex antiquis exemplaribus tamquam necessarium vindicare; ex alterâ vero intelligebat expositionem suam pro nullâ facile habitum iri, si voces & Epsow voci 81 subjectæ legerentur. Wolf. Curæ. T. iv. p. 12. m.

Sanctis omnibus qui sunt Ephesi.'] Quidam curiosius quam necesse est, putant ex eo quod Moysi dictum sit: Hæc dices filiis Israël: Qui est, misit me?' [Exod. iii. 14.] etiam eos qui Ephesi sunt sancti et fideles, essentiæ vocabulo nuncupatos. Ut quomodo a sancto sancti, a justo justi, a sapientiâ sapientes: ita ab eo qui est,' hi qui sunt' appellentur, et juxta eumdem Apostolum elegisse Deum ea quæ non erant, ut destrueret ea quæ erant.Alii vcro simplici

ter, non ad eos qui sunt, sed qui Ephesi sancti et fideles sint,
scriptum arbitrantur. Hieron. in Eph. cap. i. T. iv. P, i. p. 323.
c Vid. Benedictin. Annot. ad Basil. loc. T. i. p. 254. not. i
d Denique Basilium hic tantum de articulo ros ante v
cogitâsse, ut suam posterioris vocis interpretationem ingeniose
potius, quam vere stabiliret, ex Hieronymi, expositionem
illam (sive apud Basilium, sive Origenem, Apollinarem et
Dydimum legerit,) aversantis, loco manifestum est.-
Wolff. Curæ in ep. ad Eph. i. ver. i.

f

* See Bib. Ch. T. xxi. p. 112.

Γράφων ο αποςολος προς Εφεσίες φησιν Αληθευοντες δε εν alany: x. λ. [cap. iv. 15.] De Sp. Sto. cap. v. n. 9. T. iii. p. 8. A.