CENT. folded the moral duties and obligations of Chris IV. tians [d]. PART II. Besides the learned men now mentioned, there are several others, of whose writings but a small number have survived the ruins of time; such as Pamphilus, a martyr, and an intimate friend of Eusebius; Diodorus, bishop of Tarsus; Hosius, of Cordova; Didymus, of Alexandria; Eustathius, bishop of Antioch; Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium; Palladius, the writer of the Lausiac History [e]; Macarius, the elder and the younger; Apollinarius the elder; and some others, who are frequently made mention of on account of their erudition, and the remarkable events in which they were concerned. X. The Latins also were not without writers of considerable note, the principal of whom we shall point out here: Hilary, bishop of Poictiers, acquired a name by twelve books concerning the Trinity, which he wrote against the Arians, and several other productions. He was a man of penetration and genius; notwithstanding which, he has, for the most part, rather copied in his writings Tertullian and Origen, than given us the fruits of his own study and invention [ƒ]. Lac [d] There is a large and accurate account of this excellent writer in the Biblioth. Oriental. Vaticana of Joseph Simon Asseman, tom. i. p. 24. Several works of Ephraim have been published in Greek, at Oxford, of which Gerard Vossius has given a Latin edition. An edition in Syriac, of the same works was published at Rome, not long ago, by Steph. Euod. Asseman. [e] This is the history of the solitaries, or hermits, which derived the name of Lausiac history from Lausus, governor of Cappadocia, at whose request it was composed, and to whom it was dedicated by Palladius. [f] There is a very accurate and ample account of Hilary, in the Histoire Litteraire de la France, tom. i. Siecle iv. p. 139-193. The best edition we have of his works is that published by the French Benedictines. IV. PART II. Lactantius [g], the most eloquent of the Latin CENT. writers in this century, exposed the absurdity of the Pagan superstitions in his Divine Institutions, which are written with uncommon purity and elegance. He wrote also upon other subjects, but was much more successful in refuting the errors of others, than careful in observing and correcting his own [h]. Ambrose, prefect, and afterwards bishop of Milan, was not destitute of a certain degree of elegance both of genius and style; his sentiments of things were, by no means, absurd; but he did not escape the prevailing defect of that age, a want of solidity, accuracy, and order [i]. Jerome, a monk of Palestine, rendered, by his learned and zealous labours, such eminent services to the Christian cause, as will hand down his name with honour to the latest posterity. But this superior and illustrious merit was accompanied, and, in some measure, obscured, by very great defects. His complexion was excessively warm and choleric; his bitterness against those who differed from him, extremely keen; and his thirst of glory insatiable. He was so prone to censure, that several persons, whose lives were not only irreproachable, but even exemplary, be came [g] See a complete account of Lactantius, Histoire Litte◄ raire de la France, tom. i. Siecle iv. p. 65. [[h] Lactantius considers Christ's mission as having no other end, than that of leading mankind to virtue by the most sublime precepts, and the most perfect example. The charge of Manicheism brought against this eminent writer, is refuted in the most evident and satisfactory manner by Dr. Lardner, in the seventh volume of his Credibility of the Gospel History, where the reader may find an ample and interesting account of his character and his writings. Among those who have been editors of the works of Lactantius, the most reputed are Bunemann, Heumann, Walchius, and Languet de Fresnoy.] [i] The works of St. Ambrose have been published, by the Benedictines, in two volumes in folio. CENT. came the objects of his unjust.accusations. All IV. this joined to his superstitious turn of mind, and PART II. the enthusiastic encomiums which he lavished upon a false and degenerate sort of piety which prevailed in his time, sunk his reputation greatly, and that even in the esteem of the candid and the wise. His writings are voluminous, but not all equally adapted to instruct and edify. His interpretations of the holy scriptures, and his epistles, are those of his productions which seem the most proper to be read with profit [k]. The fame of Augustin, bishop of Hippo, in Africa, filled the whole Christian world; and not without reason, as a variety of great and shining qualities were united in the character of that illustrious man. A sublime genius, an uninterrupted and zealous pursuit of truth, an indefatigable application, and invincible patience, a sincere piety, and a subtile and lively wit, conspired to establish his fame upon the most lasting foundations. It is, however, certain, that the accuracy and solidity of his judgment were, by no means, proportionable to the eminent talents now mentioned; and that upon many occasions, he was more guided by the violent impulse of a warm imagination, than by the cool dictates of reason and prudence. Hence that ambiguity which appears in his writings, and which has sometimes rendered the most attentive readers uncertain with respect to his real sentiments; and hence also the just complaints which many have made of the contradictions that are so frequent in his works, and of the levity and precipitation with which he set himself [] The defects of Jerome are exposed by Le Clerc, in his Questiones Hieronymiana, published at Amsterdam in 12mo, in the year 1700. The Benedictine monks have given an edition of the works of this father in five volumes, which was republished, at Verona, by Vallarsius, with considerable addi himself to write upon a variety of subjects, before CENT. he had examined them with a sufficient degree of attention and diligence [7]. Optatus, bishop of Milevi, in Numidia, acquired no small degree of reputation, by a work which he wrote in six books against the Schism of the Donatists [m]. Paulinus, bishop of Nola, left behind him some poems and epistles, which are still extant; but are not remarkable either for their excellence or their meanness [n]. Rufinus, presbyter of Aquileia, is famous on account of his Latin translations of Origen, and other Greek writers, his commentaries on several passages of the holy scriptures, and his bitter contest with Jerome. He would have obtained a very honourable place among the Latin writers of this century, had it not been his misfortune to have had the powerful and foul-mouthed Jerome for his adversary [o]. As [7] An accurate and splendid edition of the works of St. Augustin, has been given by the Benedictines, since that of the divines of Louvain. This elegant edition bears the title of Antwerp, where it was published, with some augmentations, by Le Clerc, under the fictitious name of Jo. Phereponus. The Jesuits, however, pretend to have found many defects in this edition. [m] Since the edition of Optatus, published by Albaspinæus, another has appeared, which we owe to the care and industry of Du Pin, doctor of the Sorbonne. [n] The best edition of Paulinus, is that which was published at Paris, in the year 1685, by Le Brun. [o] Rufinus and Jerome had lived for many years, in the most intimate and tender friendship, which ended in a violent rupture, on occasion of a translation which the former made of some of the works of Origen, particularly his Book of principles. For an account of Rufinus, see Rich. Simon, Critique de la Bibliotheque des Auteurs Eccles. par. M. Du Pin, tom. i. p. 124, &c. An ample account of the same writer is given by Justus Fontaninus, Hist. Literar. Aquileiensis, lib. v. p. 149. IV. PART II. CENT. As to Philastrius, Damasus, Juvencus, and other writers of that obscure class, we refer the PART II. reader, for an account of them, to those authors whose principal design is to give an exact enumeration of the Christian writers. We shall add, nevertheless, to the list already given, Sulpitius Severus, by birth a Gaul, and the most eminent historical writer of this century [p]; as also Prudentius, a Spaniard, a poet of a happy and elegant genius. The state CHAP. III. Concerning the Doctrine of the Christian church in this century. of religion. I. THE fundamental principles of the Chris tian doctrine were preserved hitherto uncorrupted and entire in most churches, though, it must be confessed, that they were often explained and defended in a manner that discovered the greatest ignorance, and an utter confusion of ideas. The disputes carried on in the council of Nice, concerning the three persons in the Godhead, afford a remarkable example of this, particularly in the language and explanations of those who approved of the decisions of that council. So little light, precision, and order, reigned in their discourses, that they appeared to substitute three gods in the place of one. Nor did the evil end here; for those vain fictions, which an attachment to the Platonic philosophy, and to popular opinions, had engaged the greatest [p] See Histoire Litteraire de la France, tom. ii. p. 95; as also Hieron. a Prato, who has written, with great accuracy, the life of this historian. |