twelve Books on the Trinity, and for other writings. He possessed a considerable degree of perspicuity and ingenuity, but the bishopric of Alexandria in 341; but soon after accepted that of Emesa, and died about A. D. 360. He leaned towards semi-Arianism ; wrote much and elegantly on the Scriptures, and against the Jews. What has been published as his, has been much questioned. George, bishop of Laodicea, a staunch Arian, and active in all their measures, from A. D. 335 to 360. He wrote against the Manichæans; the life of Eusebius Emessenus; and several epistles, one of which is preserved by Sozomen, Hist. Eccles. 1. iv. c. 13. Pachomius, (died 350,) Theodorus, his successor, and Oresiesis, were distinguished contemporary monks of Tabbennesis in Thebais, Egypt. They flourished from A. D. 340-350. Monastic rules, some epistles, and several discourses, are extant under the names of one or more of them. Serapion, a monk of Thebais, distinguished for his learning and eloquence, was the friend of Athanasius, who made him, bishop of Thmuis. He died about A. D. 358. Of his once popular writings, only his Liber contra Manichæos is extant; Latin, in the Biblioth. Patr. tom. iv. p. 160. Basil, bishop of Ancyra, from 336 to 360, was a semi-Arian, highly esteemed by Constantius, and very active against the orthodox. Contention between him and Acacius preceded his deposition and banishment to Illyricum in the year 360. He wrote much, and in particular against Marcellus, his predecessor; but none of his works are extant. Leontius, the Arian bishop of Antioch, A.D. 348-358, a crafty and deceptive man, who was active in the contentions of his times. Of his writings, only a fragment of one discourse remains. Marcus, an Egyptian bishop, and a friend of Athanasius, banished in 356, by George, bishop of Alexandria. He wrote an oration against the Arians, which is published, with Origen's tract on the Lord's prayer, by Wetstein, Amsterd. 1695, 4to. Aëtius of Syria, a goldsmith, physician, deacon at Antioch, bishop somewhere, and finally a heretic. He held Christ to be a mere creature. He died about the year 366. His book, de Fide, in forty-seven chapters, is transcribed and refuted in Epiphanius, Hares. 76. Eudoxius, bishop of Germanicia on the Euphrates, and (356) of Antioch, and (360) of Constantinople; died A. D. 370. He was successively an Arian, a semi-Arian, and an Aëtian; a learned, but a verbose and obscure writer. Large fragments of his discourse, de Incarnatione Dei Verbi, are extant. Eunomius, the secretary and disciple of Aëtius, but more famous than his master. He was made bishop of Cyzi cum A. D. 360, banished soon after, wandered much, and died about A. D. 394. He wrote on the epistle to the Romans, many letters, his own creed, and an Apology for it. Only the two last are extant. He held Christ to be a created being, and of a nature unlike to that of God. Meletius, bishop of Sebaste in Armenia, and (360) of Antioch. He was banished A. D. 361, returned under Julian; was banished again under Valens, and restored by Gratian, and died while attending the general council of Constantinople, A. D. 381, at an advanced age. There is extant (in Epiphanius, Hæres. 73, c. 29-34,) an able discourse, which he delivered at Antioch in 361, when, holding up three fingers, and then closing two of them, he said: "We conceive there are three persons, but we address them as one." Titus, bishop of Bostra in Arabia, was driven from his see, under Julian, A. D. 362; returned under Valentinian ; and died about the year 371. He wrote contra Manichæos libri iii. which are extant in a Latin translation, in Biblioth. Patr. tom. iv. A discourse, likewise, on the branches of palm, Gr. and Lat., and a commentary on Luke, in Latin, have been published under his name, but are questioned. Paphnutius, a celebrated Egyptian monk, who flourished A. D. 370. He wrote the life of St. Onyphrius, and of several other monks, still extant. Cæsarius, younger brother of Gregory Nazianzenus, was a learned physician of Constantinople, and was elevated to civil office. He is said to have written several works, and particularly a treatise against the pagans. There are extant, under his name, four Dialogues, Gr. and he was often disposed to borrow from Tertullian and Origen, whom he greatly admired, rather than to tax his own genius." Lat. on 195 questions in theology; in Fronto le Duc's Auctarium Biblioth. Patr. 1624, tom. i. But they are supposed not to be his, as they show the head of a well-read theologian. Evagrius, archdeacon of Constantinople, in 381, and after 385, an Egyptian monk. He was a pious and learned man, and a considerable writer. Several of his devotional and practical works are extant, in the different collections of the works of the fathers. Nemesius, bishop of Emesa, after being a Christian philosopher. He flourished A. D. 380, and with Origen, held the pre-existence of human souls; as appears from his book, de Natura Hominis, extant in the Auctarium Biblioth. Patr. 1624. tom. ii. also printed Gr. and Lat. Oxford, 1671, 8vo. Nectarius, bishop of Constantinople A. D. 381-398, orthodox and pious. One of his discourses is extant, inter Opp. Chrysostomi, who was his successor. Flavianus, a monk, and bishop of Antioch A. D. 381-403. He first divided the choir, and taught them to sing the Psalms of David responsively. He was strenuous against the Arians; but fragments only of his discourses and letters remain. Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria A.D. 385-412, was famous for his contention with the Nitric monks, and for his opposition to Origenism. Of his works only a few epistles, and considerable extracts from his other writings, are extant. John, bishop of Jerusalem A.D. 386 -416, famous for his contests with Epiphanius and with Jerome, respecting Origen's character. Numerous works, perhaps without foundation, are published as his. They consist of Commentaries on Scripture, and homilies. The homilies are printed among the works of Chrysostom; and the whole are published as his works, Brussels, 1643, 2 vols. fol. Hieronymus of Dalmatia, a presbyter, and a monk, who flourished A. D. 386. He is author of Lives of the Egyptian Monks; the original Greek, though preserved, has not been published, because the Lausiac History of Palladius is nearly a literal translation of it. Sophronius, the friend of Jerome, and translator into Greek of some of his works, particularly of his book, de Viris Illustribus. He flourished about A. D. 390; and was, as Jerome says, apprime eruditus;" yet he is little noticed by other contemporary writers. Tr.] 66 Concerning Hilary, the Benedictine monks have given an accurate account in their Histoire Littéraire de la France, tom. ii. [tom. i. pt. ii.] p. 139-193, [à Paris, 1733, 4to.] The best edition of his works is that of the French Benedictines, [by Coutant, Paris, 1693, fol. revised and improved by Scip. Maffei, Verona, 1730, 2 vols. fol. Hilary of Poitiers in France, was a native of Gaul, of respectable parentage, and well educated. He was a pagan till he had attained to manhood. His consecration to the episcopal office was about the year 350. For twenty years he stood preeminent among the Gallic bishops, and did much to arrest the progress of Arianism in the West. In the council of Bessieres, A.D. 356, he handled the Arian bishops, Saturninus, Ursacius, Valens, and others, so roughly, that they applied to the emperor Constantius, and had him banished to Phrygia. During the four years he was an exile in Asia, he wrote most of his works, and was so active in opposing Arianism there, that the heretical clergy, to get rid of him, procured his release from banishment. He returned to his church a more able and more successful antago nist to the Gallic Arians than he was before. He was the principal means of rolling back the Arian current, which was sweeping over the West. His great work is his de Trinitate libri xii. He also wrote three different tracts addressed to the emperor; an account of the synods in the East against the Arians; concerning the councils of Arimini and Seleucia, and the events that followed to the year 366; Commentaries on Matthew, and on the Psalms. Besides these, he wrote several works which are lost, such as commentaries, hymns, epistles, &c. See Jerome, de Viris Illustr. c. 100. Fortunatus, de Vita Hilari, libri ii. (prefixed to the Opp. Hilarii, ed. Bened.) Coutant, Life of Hilary, prefixed to the Benedictine edition of his works; Tillemont, Mémoires à la Hist. Ecclés. tom. vii. p. 442, &c. 745, Lactantius, the most eloquent of the Latin Christians in this century, assailed the superstition of the pagans, in his Divine Institutions; and likewise wrote on other subjects. But he is more successful in confuting the errors of others, than in correcting his own.8 Ambrose, first governor, and then bishop of Milan, is not rude in diction or conception, nor is he destitute of valuable thoughts; yet he is chargeable with the faults of the age, a deficiency in solidity, accuracy, and good arrangement. Jerome, a monk of Palestine, has undoubtedly merited &c.; s Of Lactantius also, the Benedictines An English translation of this valuable treatise, with a long preface, was published by Gilb. Burnet, 1637, 18mo. Symposium; a juvenile performance, extant as the work of a fabled Symposius. The Carmen de Phanice, is perhaps his. His lost works are, Grammaticus; ddoiTорikov, a poetic account of his voyage to Nicomedia; ad Asclepiadem libri ii.; ab Probum Epistolarum libri iv.; ad Severum Epistolar. libri ii.; ad Demetrianum Epistolar. libri ii. See Jerome de Viris Illustr. c. 80. Cave, Historia Litterar. Lardner, Credibility, &c. vol. vii. Schroeckh, Kirchengesch. vol. v. p. 220 -262. Tr.] The Benedictine monks of France published his works in two large folio volumes [1686-1690. Ambrose was the son of a prætorian prefect of the same name, who was governor-general of Gaul, Britain, and Spain. After a good education for civil life, he became an advocate, counsellor to Probus, his father's successor, and at last governor of Liguria, and Acmelia, resident at Milan. In the year 374, Auxentius, bishop of Milan, died; and the Arians and orthodox became tumultuous in the church, when met to elect a successor. Ambrose entered the church to quell the riot, and a little child happening to "Ambrose bishop," the mob presently cried out, "Let him be the bishop." He was constrained to submit; gave up all his property, and his worldly honours, was baptized, and became a laborious and self-denying bishop. An irruption of barbarians in 377 obliged him to flee; and he went to Illyricum, and thence to Rome. In the year 381, he presided in the council of Aquileia. In 383, the emperor Valentinian sent him as ambassador to Maximus the usurper in Gaul. Next came his contest with Symmachus, prefect of Rome, respecting the rebuilding the pagan altar of Victory in that say, esteem from the Christian world by many of his productions; but at the same time, his bitterness towards those who differed from him, his eagerness after fame, his choleric and ungovernable temper, his unjust aspersions on good and innocent persons, and other defects of character, have disgraced him not a little, in the view of those who are neither uncandid nor incompetent judges. Among his various writings, those which interpret the Holy Scriptures, and his epistles, are the most valuable.' Augustine, bishop of Hippo in Africa, is not city. In 386, he had much contention with the Arians of Milan. Afterwards he was sent on a second embassy to Maximus. Three years after, he debarred the emperor Theodosius the Great from Christian ordinances, and required him to do penance, for the slaughter of the citizens of Thessalonica by his order. In 392, civil war obliged him to leave Milan for a time. He soon returned, but died A. D. 397, aged sixty-four years. He was devout, energetic, orthodox, and a very useful bishop. His knowledge of theology was great; but he was able to read the Greek fathers, and he knew the world. His writings were numerous. On the Scriptures he wrote much, but nothing that is valuable. He wrote several treatises and discourses on monkery; de Officiis libri iii.; de Mysteriis liber; de Sacramentis libri v., which are greatly corrupted, if not altogether supposititious; de Pœnitentia libri ii.; also de Fide, or de Trinitate libri v.'; and de Spiritu Sancto libri iii.; the two last were, in great measure, compilations from Greek fathers, and were addressed to the Emperor Gratian. Several discourses and eulogies, and about ninety epistles, of his production, are extant; besides a great number of short sermons, scholia on the canonical epistles, and tracts of different kinds, which are falsely ascribed to him. His life, written by Paulinus, his private secretary, is stuffed with accounts of miracles and wonders performed by him. See Opp. Ambrosii, tom. ii. Appendix, ed. Benedict. Cave, Historia Litterar. Tillemont, Mémoires à la Hist. Ecclés. tom. x. p. 78-306. 729, &c. G. Hermant, Vie de S. Ambroise, à Paris, 1678, 4to. Schroeckh, Kirchengesch. vol. xiv. p. 148-332, and Jos. Milner, Church History, cent. iv. ch. 12-16. 18. Tr.] The defects of Jerome are learnedly He exposed by Jo. le Clerc, in his Quastiones Hieronymianæ, Amstelod. 1700, 12mo. His works have been published by the Benedictines, [ed. Martianay, Paris, 1693-1706,] in five volumes folio. This edition was republished, with considerable additions [and improvements in the arrangement, the prefaces, and the explanatory notes,] by Vallarsius, Verona, [1734-43, eleven volumes, folio. -Hieronymus Stridonensis, or Jerome of Stridon in Dalmatia, was born of Christian parents, about the year 331. His father, Eusebius, gave him the best advantages for education. was early sent to Rome, where he studied many years, and under the best masters. About the year 363 he was baptized, and left Rome to travel for improvement in knowledge. He journeyed through Gaul, and resided a few years at Treves, where he became a monk, and devoured many books. On his return he spent some time at Aquileia, where he formed a close friendship with Rufinus. In 373 he left Aquileia, and embarked for Syria, in company with several friends, and carrying his own large collection of books. Landing in Thrace, he passed the Bosphorus, and travelled over land to Antioch, Here his friend Innocentius died, and he himself was dangerously sick. After recovering, he was induced by a dream to renounce for ever the reading of the pagan classics. From Apollinaris the younger he obtained farther instruction in biblical interpretation. In 374 he retired into the wilderness eastward of Antioch; and, supported by his friends, he there spent about four years in the character of a learned hermit and author, who, nevertheless, held correspondence with the world, and took part in the passing religious controversics. In 378 or 379, he returned to Antioch, and was ordained a presbyter. one whose fame is spread throughout the Christian world. And he certainly possessed many and great excellencies, a superior genius, an unfailing love of truth, admirable patience of labour, unquestionable piety, with a delicacy and an acuteness by no means contemptible. But his power of judging was not equally great; and often a sort of constitutional warmth had more power over this excellent man than reason and prudence. He has, therefore, afforded many, abundant means for controversy on his real sentiments, and others, for taxing him with inconsistency, and a headlong speed in The next year he visited Constantinople, to enjoy the instructions of Gregory Nazianzen. Here he continued two or three years, formed a better acquaintance with the Greek fathers, and translated some of their works; in particular, Eusebius' Chronicon, which he continued down to A. D. 378; and Origen's Homilies on Jeremiah. In 382 he accompanied Paulinus and Epiphanius to Rome, respecting the contests in the church of Antioch. Damasus, bishop of Rome, was much pleased with him, employed him occasionally as a private secretary, and prompted him to write on several biblical subjects, and, at length, to undertake a correction of the vulgar Latin Bible. Jerome likewise did much to promote monkery in Italy. But the ardour that he kindled upon this subject among the Roman ladies, created him enemies among the other sex. He also gave offence to the clergy of Rome, and thought it best to leave Italy in 385, and return to the East, with Paula, and Eustochium her daughter, wealthy Roman ladies, whom he had rendered enthusiastic in regard to monastic institutions. He first went to Antioch, and thence to Jerusalem, where he and his ladies performed a winter's pilgrimage. In the spring of 386 they went to Alexandria, and thence to visit the Nitric monks. Returning the same year to Palestine, they took up their permanent residence at Bethlehem. Here Paula erected four monasteries, three for nuns, and one for monks. In this last, Jerome passed the remainder of his days in reading, composing books, and contending with all who presumed to differ from him on any subject in which he took interest. He is said to have died on the 30th of September, A. D. 420, aged ninety years. Jerome was the best informed of all the Latin fathers, in sacred literature. The VOL. I. Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages, were all familiar to him; and he had a very extensive acquaintance with the best writers of both the Latin and the Greek churches. He likewise possessed genius, industry, and literary enterprise, in no ordinary degree. He was also acute and discriminating; but his vivid imagination, and his choleric temper, which scorned all restraint, rendered him one of the most caustic and abusive controversial writers that ever pretended to be a Christian. When he has no antagonist, and sees no enemy, he is a charming writer, yet enthusiastic, and often hasty and injudicious. The greater part of his works, and particularly his translations and commentaries on the Bible, were written while he resided at Bethlehem. As given to us in the Benedictine edition, in five volumes, vol. Ist contains his translations of the whole Bible; namely, the canonical books of the O. T. from the Hebrew; also Job, Psalms, Tobit, and Esther, translated from the Greck; and the whole N. T. with copious notes, from the Greek. Vol. IInd contains some glossaries, and numerous tracts and letters on a variety of subjects in sacred literature. Vol. IIIrd contains his commentaries on all the prophets. Vol. IVth contains his commentary on Matthew, and on the Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Titus, and Philemon; and about 120 Letters and Essays, narrative, polemic, apologetic, &c. The Vth vol. contains only works falsely ascribed to Jerome. See Cave, Historia Litterar. Tillemont, Mémoires à l'Hist. Ecclés. tom. xii. p. 1-356. Martianay, Vide de St. Jerôme, Paris, 1706, 4to. J. Stilling, Acta Sancetor. Septembris, tom. viii. p. 418-688. Antw. 1762, fol. Schroeckh, Kirchengesch. vol. xi. p. 3–239. J. Milner, Church Hist. cent. iv. ch. 10. Tr.] |