than the rest, ventured to point out a safer path. This is evident from the Epistles of Isidore of Pelusium, who, in various places, censures, in a pertinent manner, such as, disregarding the historic sense, referred all the narrative and prophetic parts of the Old Testament to Christ; and yet he himself was by no means entirely free from the fault of his the love and age pursuit of allegories. No one went further in censuring the imitators of Origen than Theodore of Mopsuestia. He not only wrote a book concerning allegory and history against Origen ', but also, in his own Commentaries on the Prophets of the Old Testament, ventured to explain most of their predictions with reference to events in ancient history. And this his method of explaining the Old Testament perhaps raised as much ill will against him, as those other sentiments which brought on him the charge of heresy. The example of this excellent man was followed especially by the Nestorians 3; nor have they yet ceased to follow it, for they preserve his books with care, and venerate him as a saint of the highest order. § 6. It is very evident that the doctrines of religion were not exhibited with sufficient purity and simplicity by most persons; but were sometimes drawn out with a zeal little to be commended, beyond the limits which divine revelation assigns to them; were anatomised with too much art and subtlety; and were substantiated, not so much by the declarations of the Holy Scriptures, as by the authority and logical reasonings of the ancient doctors. I know of no one who embraced a complete system of Christian doctrines in a single work, unless we may choose to say this of Nicæas of Romacia, in the six books of instruction for Neophytes, which he is said to have composed.* Facundus Hermianensis, de Tribus Capitulis, lib. iii. c. 6. Liberatus, Breviarium, c. xxiv. Acta Concilii Constantinop. II. seu Ecumenici V. tom. iii. p. 58. Concilior. ed. Harduin. 3 One witness, among others, is Cosmas Indicopleustes, a writer of the sixth century, who is known to have been a Nestorian. For he says, in his Topographia, lib. v. (p. 224, 225, of the Collectio nova Patrum Græcor. published by Bernh. Montfaucon,) "Among all the Psalms of David, only four refer to Christ;" and to confirm this sentiment, he does not hesitate to declare, (p. 227,) "That the writers of the New Testament, when they apply the prophecies of the Old Testament to Jesus Christ, follow the words rather than the sense." [See also C. W. F. Walch, Historie der Ketzereyen, vol. v. p. 880. Tr.] 4 Gennadius Massiliens, de Scriptoribus Ecclesiast. cap. 22, p. 14, ed. Fabric. [The work is lost; but from the account of Gennadius, it was no System of Theology. Tr.-Du Pin, in his New Eccl. Hist. iii. 120, has a translation of the account which Gennadius gives of this author's work. He is described as "bishop of some town in Romania." Ed.] But it has been already observed, that various doctrines of religion were laboriously explained, especially in the controversial works against the Nestorians, Eutychians, Pelagians, and Arians. § 7. Of controversial writers, a great number can be mentioned: and, indeed, many of this description were required by the many contests that existed. The worshippers of the pagan images and gods were vigorously assailed by Theodoret, in his book, De curandis Græcorum affectionibus, which displays much genius and erudition; by Orientius, in his Commonitorium; and by Evagrius, in his Disputation between Zachæus and Apollonius. To these may be added Philip of Side and Philostorgius; of whom the former wrote against Julian, and the latter against Porphyry. The Jews were confuted by Basil of Seleucia; by Gregentius, in his Disputation with Herbanus ; and by Evagrius, in his Dialogue between Theophilus and a Jew. Against all the heretics, something was attempted by Voconius, an African; by Syagrius, in his tract de Fide; by Gennadius of Marseilles; and, best of all, by Theodoret, in his work de Fabulis Hæreticorum. Those who attacked only individual sects 'are here omitted.' § 8. Such of these as contended against the Christian sectarists, followed the rules of the ancient sophists, and also (what is truly surprising,) the practice of the Roman courts, rather than the examples and instructions of Christ and his apostles. In the Roman courts, very difficult and doubtful points were decided according to the opinions of certain ancient jurists. If these happened to disagree, that opinion was preferred which was maintained by the greatest number, or by the jurists of most learning and reputation. 5 For an account of Orientius and Evagrius, see the Histoire Littéraire de la France, tom. ii. p. 121, and 252. [Orientius, called also Orontius, and Öresius, was bishop of Aux in France, perhaps also of Tarragona in Spain. His Commonitorium, which is written in heroic verse, was published, book I. by Martin Delrio, Antwerp, 1600, and book II. by Edm. Martene, in his Nova Collectio Operum Ecclesiast. Vet. Paris, 1700. This Evagrius is not the noted Evagrius Scholasticus of the sixth century, but was a French priest, and a disciple of St. Martin. His Altercatio It was very preju Simonis Judæi et Theophili Christiani, is found in Martene's Anecdota; and his Consultationes, seu Deliberationes Zachai Christiani et Apolloni Philosophi, is in the Spicilegium of D'Achery, tom. x. Schl.] 6 [Neither of the works here mentioned is extant. Tr.] [For some account of this Basil, and of his writings, see note, p. 438, above. Tr.] 8 [An account of Theodoret, and of his writings, is given in note, p. 435, above. Tr.] See Codex Theodosianus, lib. i. tit. dicial to the interests of truth, that this usage of the Roman courts was adopted as a rule in the controversies of Christians on subjects of religion, and followed in the deliberations of the councils of this century. For, by it, that was sanctioned and regarded as confirmed, which had been judged true and certain by the major part, or by the most learned and distinguished, of the doctors in former times. This appears from nearly all the Acts of Councils now extant. The other faults of the theological disputants may be easily inferred from what has now been stated. § 9. This imitation, in religious controversies, of the practice among Roman jurists, greatly inflamed the wicked audacity of those who did not blush to palm their own spurious productions on the great men of former times, and even on Christ himself and his apostles, so that they might be able, in the councils and in their books, to oppose names against names, and authorities against authorities. The whole Christian church was, in this century, overwhelmed with these disgraceful fictions. And this, it is said, occasioned the Roman pontiff, Gelasius, to † assemble at Rome a convention of bishops, from all the Latin world, and after examining the books which were professedly the works of persons of the highest authority, to draw up that famous decree, by which so many apochryphal books are completely stripped of reputation. That something of this kind was actually done, cannot well be denied; but men of superior learning maintain, that this pretended decree of Gelasius is of no better authority than those books which it condemns; that is, they believe it not the production of Gelasius, but of some one who abused his name.1 § 10. Among those who treated on the subject of morals, Eucherius, Salvian, and Nilus stand conspicuous. The epistle of Eucherius especially, on Contempt of the world and secular iv. de Responsis Prudentum, p. 32, ed. Ritter. Jo. Pearson, Vindicia Ignatianæ, pt. i. c. iv. p. 189, &c. Wm. Cave, Historia Litter. Scriptor. Ecclesiast. p. 260. Urb. Godofr. Siberus, Præf. ad Enchiridion Sexti, p. 79, and others. [This Decree is ascribed, by most of the MSS., to Gelasius L.; but by some to Damasus, and by others to Hormisdas. It is not quoted by any writer before the ninth century. It mentions some books which were not in being philosophy, will recommend itself to every good man, both from style and matter. The short pieces of Mark, the hermit, breathe a spirit of piety; but do not please, either by choice of subjects, or arrangement, or, in short, by weight of reasoning. Fastidius composed various tracts concerning moral duties and virtues, which are all lost." The productions in this department of Diadochus, Prosper, and Severianus, are interesting, with a few exceptions, for the truth and terseness of the thoughts; but will afford little satisfaction to one fond of solid argumentation and well-digested composition. Indeed, it was a fault common to nearly all the moral writers of those times, that they had no idea of a regular distribution of their subject into parts, or of tracing it back to its first principles. § 11. This fault might indeed be put up with, and be ascribed to the infelicity of the times, by the more candid; but we see other injuries done to the cause of piety by inconsiderate men. In the first place, the mystics, as they are called, who pretended to be more perfect than other Christians, drew many every where among the weak and thoughtless, especially in the eastern provinces, who were allured by the appearance of their extraordinary and self-denying piety, to become of their party. And it is incredible what rigorous and severe laws they imposed on themselves, in order to appease God, and deliver the celestial spirit from the body's bondage. To live among wild beasts,-nay, in the manner of these beasts; to roam about like madmen, in desert places, and without garments; to feed their emaciated bodies with hay and grass; to shun the converse and even the sight of men; to stand motionless in certain places, for many years, exposed to the weather; to shut themselves up in confined cabins, till life ended;-this was accounted piety, this the true method of eliciting the [spark of] Deity from the secret recesses of the soul. The greater part of these people were influenced, not so much by arguments and assignable reasons, as by either a natural propensity to melancholy and austerity, or by the example and opinions of others. For there are diseases of the mind, as well as of the body, which spread 2 [Except his tract On a Christian Life and Widowhood, addressed to a pious widow, which is preserved among the works of Augustine, tom. ix. Tr.] 3 See Moschus, Pratum Spirituale : Palladius, Historia Lausiaca; Sulpitius Severus, Dial. i. and others. like a pestilence. Yet there were some who gave systematic precepts for this austere mode of living; for instance, among the Latins, Julianus Pomerius, in his three books de vita contemplativa; and, among the Syrians, many whose names it is needless to mention. § 12. Among these examples of religious fatuity, none acquired greater veneration and applause than those who were called Pillar-Saints (Sancti Columnares), or in Greek, Stylitæ ; persons of a singular spirit and genius, who stood motionless on the tops of lofty columns, during many years, even to the end, in fact, of life, to the great astonishment of the ignorant multitude. This scheme originated in the present century with Simeon of Sysan, a Syrian; at first a shepherd, then a monk; who, in order to be nearer heaven, spent thirty-seven years in the most uncomfortable manner, on the tops of five different pillars, of six, twelve, twenty-two, thirty-six, and forty cubits elevation; and in this way procured for himself immense fame and veneration. * See the Acta Sanctor. for the month of January, tom. i. p. 261, &c. where is expressly stated (p. 277,) the very reason I have mentioned for his living in this manner. Theodoret also indicates the same by saying, that Simeon desired gradually to increase the altitude of his pillar, that he might get nearer to heaven. Tillemont, Mémoires pour servir à l'Histoire de l'Eglise, tom. xv. p. 347, ed. Paris. The Acta S. Simeonis Stylitæ are most fully related in Steph. Euod. Asseman's Acta Martyrum Oriental. et Occidental. vol. ii. p. 227, Rome, 1748, fol.-[This Simeon, we are told, was born at Sysan in Syria, about A. D. 390. At the age of thirteen, while tending his father's sheep, he heard a public exposition of Luke vi. 21. 25, ("Blessed are ye that weep now, &c. But woe unto you that laugh now, &c.") which determined him to become a monk. Having therefore passed a novitiate of two years, he removed to a monastery near Antioch, where he lived ten years. Here his abstinence and his voluntary mortifications were so excessive, as to draw on him censure from the other monks. He once swathed himself from his loins to his neck, with a rigid well rope of palm during ten days, which caused his whole body to fester and discharge blood. Being expelled the mo His example was afterwards nastery for such austerities, he retired to the adjacent mountain, and let himself down into a dry cave. After five days, the repenting monks sought him out, drew him forth from the cavern, and restored him to their fellowship. But not long after, he retired to a little cell, at the foot of a mountain near Antioch, and there immured himself three years. During this period, having caused his den to be stopped up with earth, he remained buried for forty days, without eating or drinking; and when disinterred, was found nearly dead. pleased was he with this experiment, that he afterwards kept such a fast annually, as long as he lived. He next removed to the top of the mountain; where he chained himself to a rock for several years. So His fame had now be come very great; and crowds of admiring visiters, of all ranks and characters, thronged around him. He instructed them, healed their diseases, and converted heretics, pagans, and Jews, in great numbers. Incommoded by the pressure of the crowd, he erected a pillar on which he might stand; elevated, at first, six cubits; then twelve, twenty-two, thirty-six; and, at last, forty cubits. The top of the pillar was three feet in diameter, and surrounded with a balustrade. Here he stood, day and |