Athanasius, whom some suppose author of the Synopsis. This author likewise, as many others do, says, that St. Peter's epistles were written to Jewish Christians. (8.) I add here some other things, which are in the latter part of this Synopsis. It is there said, that' Matthew wrote. his gospel in Hebrew, and published it at Jerusalem; and that it was translated [into Greek] by James the Lord's brother according to the flesh, who was ordained by the holy apostle, the first bishop of Jerusalem: that the gospel according to Mark was dictated by Peter at Rome, and published by the blessed apostle Mark, and preached by him in Alexandria and Egypt, and Pentapolis, and Libya: that the gospel of Luke was dictated by the apostle Paul, and written and published by the blessed apostle and physician Luke: as also in like manner the apostle Peter dictated the Acts of the Apostles, but Luke the evangelist wrote them that gospel according to John was dictated by the holy and beloved apostle John, when he was an exile in the island of Patmos, and was published by him at Ephesus, under the care of Gaius his host, and of the other apostles.' But why were not these things mentioned before? They might have been as well taken notice of at the beginning of the abridgments of the several books here spoken of. Moreover, some things here said seem contrary to what was before observed every one must perceive, that what is here said of the Acts of the Apostles, is quite different from what was said at the beginning of the contents or abridgment of that book. u (9.) Here likewise, I mean in the latter part of this Synopsis, are " the symbols of the four evangelists. Matthew's gospel is supposed to be signified by the face of a man, Mark's by that of a calf, Luke's by that of a lion, and John's by that of an eagle. (10.) Thus I have now given a large account of this Synopsis, much fuller than at first I intended. It is a long and laboured work, for which the author is entitled to commendation, though there are in it some inaccuracies. This Synopsis might be compared with the Stichometry of Nice S -Ώσπερ και τας Πράξεις των Αποςόλων υπηγορευσε μεν Πετρος ὁ αποςολος, συναγραψατο δε ὁ αυτος Δεκας. Ib. p. 202. Ε. t Το δε κατα Ιωαννην ευαγγελιον ὑπηγορεύθη τε ὑπ' αυτό το άγιο Ιωάννο το αποτολε και ηγαπημενε, οντος εξόρισε εν Πάτμῳ τη νησῳ, και υπο τε εξεδόθη εν Εφεσῳ, δια Γαις τε αγαπητε και ξενοδοχε των αποςόλων, περι 8 και Παύλος ̔Ρωμαίοις γραφων φησι· Ασπάζεται υμας. κ. λ. Ibid. p. 202. F. "P. 202. C. phorus, published by several, and with the observations of Euthalius upon the books of the New Testament, of which I shall speak more distinctly hereafter. (11.) Upon the whole, I think, this writer, whoever he is, probably of Alexandria, or near it, received no books of the Old Testament, as of authority, beside those of the Jewish canon. And for the New Testament, he received all those which we now receive, and no other. X (12.) Finally, it deserves our particular notice, that this writer, as well as other ancient christian writers in general, professeth the highest respect for the books of sacred scripture. For having put down the catalogue of the canonical and uncanonical books of the Old Testament, and then the canonical books of the New, he adds: So many, even these, are the canonical books of the New Testament, and as it were the first-fruits of our faith, or anchors and fastenings: having been written and published by the apostles of Christ, who conversed with him, and were taught by him. But innumerable other books have been since composed by great, and wise, and holy men, by way of testimony to them, and for explaining and illustrating them, of which I need not now speak particularly.' CHAP. LXXVI. A DIALOGUE AGAINST THE MARCIONITES. 1. I THINK it not best to overlook entirely a book, entitled, Of the right Faith in God, or a Dialogue against the Marcionites, in five parts or sections, ascribed to Adamantius, by some supposed to be the same as Origen. I formerly took some notice of it in the general account of ▾ Vid. Coteler. ap. Patr. Apost. et Montfauç. Bib. Coislin. p. 204. W Ap. Zacagn. Monum. Vet. p. 401, &c. * Τοσαυτα και τα της καινής διαθήκης βιβλια, τα γε κανονιζόμενα, και της πίσεως ἡμων οίονει ακροθινια, η αγκυραι και ερείσματα ὡς παρ' αυτών των αποςόλων τε Χρισε, των και συγγενομένων εκείνῳ, καὶ ὑπ ̓ αυτε μαθητευθεντων, γραφέντα και εκτεθενται επειτοιγε υπερον κατα την εκείνων ακολυθιαν και συμφωνιαν, αλλα μυρια και αναριθμητα βιβλια εξεπονήθησαν υπό των κατα καιρες μεγάλων και σοφωτατων θεοφόρων πατέρων, εις μαρτυριαν των προλαβόντων, και διαφωτισιν. κ. λ. p. 131. Α. Β. See Vol. ii. ch. xxxviii. num. i. Origen's works, and may have occasion to quote it often hereafter in the history of the heretics of the two first centuries. It is fit therefore, that we should observe briefly the author's testimony to the books of the New Testament. But he is not the famous Origen. It appears manifest, from expressions in the first section of the work, that it was written in the time of a christian emperor. And from the confession made near the beginning of the same section by Adamantius the orthodox disputant, it is probable, that it was not composed until after the council of Nice: accordingly, it is the general opinion of learned men, that the author of this Dialogue is different from Origen, and that it may be placed about the year 330. d 2. The author owns four gospels, and no more, written by John, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, disciples of Christ. 3. He calls them all disciples of Christ: for he says, that Mark and Luke were of the number of the seventy or seventy-two disciples. 4. Though there are four evangelists, he says, there is but one gospel. 5. Adamantius, the orthodox disputant, receives also h the Acts of the Apostles. 6. In this work the four gospels are often quoted, and most of St. Paul's epistles, particularly the epistle to the Ephesians, by that title, and the epistle to the Hebrews. 7. The second epistle of Peter is here! quoted. 8. The words of 2 Pet. ii. 19, "Of whom a man is over b Vid. Dialog. p. 30. Basil, 1674. p. 816. Bened. P. 3. Bas. p. 804. Bened. d Vid. Huet. Origenian. 1. iii. Sect. I. n. v. et in App. n. ix. Tillem. Origine, Art. 36. et note 13. Mem. T. iii. et Benedictinor.-Monitum ap. Origen. Ŏpp. T. i. p. 800. Beausob. Hist. Manich. T. ii. p. 84, 85. • Οἱ μαθηται τε Χριςε γεγραφηκασιν, Ιωαννης και Ματθαιος, και Μαρκος, Kat ABкaç. Dialog. sect. i. p. 7. Bas. 806. B. Bened. f Πρώτος απέτειλε ιβ' και μετα ταυτα οβ' ευαγγελισασθαι. Μαρκος εν και Δεκας εκ των οβ' οντες Παυλῳ τῳ αποτολῳ ευηγγελίσαντο. Ib. p. 8. Bas. 306. D. Bened. h 5 Ευαγγελισαι μεν τεσσαρες, ευαγγελιον δε έν. Ib. p. 9. Bas. 807. Bened. Προσαξον αναγνωσθήναι τας των αποςόλων Πράξεις, και τας επιςολας. κ. λ. Ib. Sect. ii. p. 58. Basn. 828. D. Bened. i Εφεσίοις δε επιτελλων, φησι Μνημονευοντες, ότι ποτε υμείς τα εθνη. κ. λ. [Eph. ii. 11-13.] Sect. v. p. 148. Bas. 867. c. Bencd. Eperiois de EISEλXWV, o años dos prov. Ib. p. 152. Basn. 869. A. Ben. -κατα τον αποςολον. Ο γαρ νομος σκια των μελλοντων αγαθών. [Heb. x. 1.] Sect. iv. p. 114. Bas. 853. A. Ben. O per explain capKI, O DE ελιβασθη, και οἱ λοιποι εν φονῳ μαχαιρας απέθανον. Sect. iv. p. 125. Bas. 857. 1 Πη δε υπο Πετρε το αποτολε γεγραμμενον κατα την σοφίαν, φησιν, την δεδομένην τῳ αδελφφ με Παυλφ. Sect. ii. p. 58. Bas. 828, D. Bened. Vid. 2 Pet. iii. 15. Ben. come, of the same is he brought in bondage," are quoted by m Adamantius, not as the words of Peter, but as a saying or maxim of some wise man, not a christian. CHAP. LXXVII. JUVENCUS. 1. AS Jerom has an article for Juvencus in his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers, I shall transcribe it at the bottom of the page. His name at length was C. Vettius Aquilinus Juvencus: he was a native of Spain, and a man of a good family. Jerom mentions a work in four books containing the history of our Lord, as recorded in the four gospels, and another work: the former is still extant. Jerom says, he lived in the time of Constantine: which also appears from the conclusion of the fore-mentioned poem. Juvencus is in Trithemius; who takes particular notice of the two works, mentioned by Jerom; and supposeth, that Juvencus had written others, though he had not seen them. b 2. Jerom seems to have been much pleased with Juvencus; for he has made honourable mention of him in his letter to Magnus, and placed him in his Chronicle, and quoted him in his Commentary upon St. Matthew. That quotation relates to the presents made by the wise men to our Saviour at his nativity, and the design of them: and Πείσει δε σε και ὁ εξωθεν λογος· ὅτι έκατος ᾧ ἡττηται, τετῳ και δεδηλωται. Sect. i. p. 41. Bas. 821. A. Bened. a Juvencus, nobilissimi generis, Hispanus, presbyter, quatuor Evangelia hexametris versibus pene ad verbum transferens, quatuor libros composuit, et nonnulla codem metro ad sacramentorum ordinem pertinentia. Floruit sub Constantino Principe. De V. I. cap. 84. b De Script. Ecc. c. 62. Juvencus presbyter sub Constantino historiam Domini Salvatoris versibus explicavit: nec pertimuit Evangelii majestatem sub metri leges mittere. Ad Magn. ep. 83. T. iv. p. 657. Juvencus presbyter, natione Hispanus, Evangelia heroïcis versibus explicat. Chr. p. 181. • Pulcherrime munerum sacramenta Juvencus presbyter uno versiculo comprehendit Thus, aurum, myrrham, regique, hominique, Deoque Dona ferunt. Ad Matt. cap. ii. p. 9. Conf. Juvenci Historiam Evangel. p. 57. F. ap Bib. Patr. Max. T. iv. may deserve to be compared with the verses of Sedulius,' another Latin poet, in the fifth century, upon the same subject. gos 3. Juvencus is, certainly, a good witness to our four pels, and the things contained in them; but I do not think it needful to make many extracts. I only observe that Juvencus seems to understand Matt. xxviii. 17, as if the evangelist said, some of Christ's disciples "still doubted;" buth Grotius, and some others, think he means only, that 66 some had doubted before," but were now all satisfied. Theophylact well deserves to be consulted upon this text. CHAP. LXXVIII. JULIUS FIRMICUS MATERNUS. 1. JULIUS FIRMICUS MATERNUS, not mentioned by Jerom, or any other writers that we know of, wrote a book against heathenism, still extant, inscribed to the emperors Constantius and Constans. Cave says very well, that his book of the Error of profane Religions was written some time between the years 340 and 350; I therefore place him at the year 345. Julius was a convert from heathenism; 1 Aurea nascenti fuderunt munera Regi, Thura dedere Deo, myrrham tribuere sepulchro. C. Sedulii Carm. Pasch. I. ii. p. 30. ver. 95, 96. edit. Cellar. 1704. Juvenc. Hist. Ev. 1. iv. Ib. p. 77. B. h Vid. Grot. ad Matt. xxviii. 17. ableness of the Christian Religion, p. 53, 54. a De tempore, quo scriptus sit hic liber, nihil certi statui potest: nisi quod intra annum 340, post mortem Constantini junioris, et annum 350, quo interfectus est Constans, scriptus sit. Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 204. Et Conf. Pagi in Baron. Ann. 337. n. 12. et Basn. Ann. 350. n. 9. b At ego nunc sacrarum lectionum institutione formatus, perditos homines religioso sermone convenio. De Error. Profan. Religionum. Cap. 7. p. 168. E. ap. Bib. PP. Max. T. iv. et p. 424. ex edit. Jacob. Gronov. Lugd. Batav. |