2. In his Prologue to the Commentaries on the Psalms is a catalogue of the books of the Old Testament, which I need only refer to. b 3. Hilary appears to have received the epistle to the Hebrews, which was not universally received by the Latin Christians. 4. The book of the Revelation was generally received by the Latins: it is several times quoted by Hilary, and as John's: whom he also supposeth to be John the apostle. 5. I need not enlarge farther in the account of this writer. g CHAP. LXXXII. AERIUS, 1. AERIUS, of Pontus, or Lesser Armenia, was living when Epiphanius wrote in 376. He was a thorough Arian: but the principles by which he was distinguished were such as these: He denied the difference between a bishop and a presbyter, saying, they are one order, office, and dignity. He was likewise of opinion, that no offerings ought to be made for the dead: forasmuch as such things tended to make men think that the practice of piety is not necessary; and that if near the period of life, they could by presents or legacies, or somehow or other, procure friends to pray for them after their death, they might escape the just punishment of their sins. They likewise denied the obligation of set fasts and feasts. The keeping of Easter, they said, was unnecessary: for "Christ our passover had been sacrificed for us," 1 Cor. v. 7. To keep Easter [or passover] now, was "to give heed to Jewish fables," Tit. i. 14. and 1 Tim. i. 4, Set fasts too, they said, were Jewish ordinances. If I have a mind to fast, I will take the time that best suits me. Not but that they would sometimes fast on the fourth day of the week, as others do however, they said, they did it not as bound thereto, but only of their freewill: which last particular is sufficient to shew, that what Epiphanius also says of their choosing to fast on the Lord's-day is a calumny, and an unrighteous aggravation of their principle. m 2. These then were the sentiments of the people: this is the institution of Aërius and his followers. But how came they to differ so much from the rest of the world? from most of the Job, quos de Græco Origenis ad sensum transtulit: et alius elegans liber contra Auxentium : & nonnullæ ad diversos Epistolæ. Aiunt quidam, scripsisse eum & in Cantica Canticorum. Sed a nobis hoc opus ignoratur. Mortuus est Pictavis, Valentiniano & Valente regnantibus. De. V. I cap. 100. a Prol. in. libr. Psalm. p. 9. Paris. 1693. b Maxime cum scriptum sit: Sunt enim efficientes spiritus, in ministerium missi propter eos, qui hæreditabunt salutem. [Hebr. i. 14.] In Ps. cxxix. n. 7. p. 440. A. -facturam autem per id quod Paulus ad Hebræos dixit. Tanto melior factus angelis, quanto excellentius ab his possidet nomen. Et rursum: Unde, fratres sancti, vocationis cælestis participes, &c. De Trinit. 1. iv. p. 832. Vid. Hebr. i. 4. iii. 1. Quod autem hæc folia ligni hujus non inutilia sint, sed salutaria gentibus, sanctus Johannes in Apocalypsi-testatur. [Apoc. cap. xxii.] In Ps. i. p. 226. E. electus ex publicano Matthæus in apostolum, & ex familiaritate Domini revelatione cœlestium mysteriorum dignus Johannes. De Trin. 1. vi. n. 20. p. 891. D. Vel ad sepulcrum prior quoque Petro currens adeptus es? vel Intra consessus angelorum, & signatorum librorum insolubiles nexus tam pia tibi hæc per Agnum ducem revelata doctrina est? Ibid. n. 43. p. 90s. C. Epiph. p. 905. B. H. 75. n. 1. p. 905. A. Vid. et Synops. p. 809. B. ε Τη μεν πίσει ων Αρειανος τελειοταίος. Synops. p. 809. Vid. & H. 75. n. i. Η Φασκεί δε μηδε είναι διαφορωτερον επίσκοπον πρεσβύτερο. Synops. p. 809.- - μια γαρ εςι τάξις, και μια, φησι, τιμή, και εν αξίωμα. Η. 75. n. 3. · Μη δειν, φησι, προσφερειν ὑπερ των προκεκοιμημένων. P. 809. B. * Τινι τῳ λόγῳ μετα θανατον ονομαζετε, φησί, ονοματα τεθνεώ Ίων ; Ευχεται γαρ ὁ ζων, η οικονομίαν εποίησε, τι ωφεληθήσεται ὁ τεθνεώς ; Ει δε όλως ευχή των ενταυθα τες εκείσε ωνησεν, αρα γεν μηδείς ευσεβείω, μηδε αγαθοποιείτω, αλλα κιησασίω φιλες, δι' ο βελεῖαι τροπο, ήτοι χρημασι πεισας, ήτοι φιλος αξίωσας εν τη τελευτη, και ευχεσθωσαν περί αυτού, ίνα μη τι εκει παθη, μηδε τα υπ' αυτα γενόμενα των ανηκεςων αμαρτηματων εκζήτηση. H. 75. n. 3. p. 907. A. B. - Τι εςι το πασχα, όπερ παρ' ὑμιν επιτελείται; Ιεδαϊκοις παλιν μύθοις προσανέχετε. Ου γαρ χρη, φησι, το πασχα επί Τελειν. κ. λ. Ib. p. 907. Α. Ει δε τις των αυτε βελοίο νησεύειν, μη εν ήμεραις τελαμε vais, Cyoi, anλ' die Beλelat. Synops. p. 809. C. ναις, φησι, αλλ' ὅτε βελεῖαι. Αλλ' εδε νησεία, φησι, επιτελαόμενη ταυία γαρ Ιεδαϊκα εςι, και ύπο ζυγον δελειας-Ει γαρ όλως βαλομαι νησεύειν, οίαν δ' αν αἱρησομαι ήμεραν απ' εμαυία νηςεύω δια την ελευθερίαν. Όθεν παρ' αυτοις πεφιλοτιμηται μάλλον εν κυριακή νηςεύειν, τεῖραδι δε, και προσαββαίῳ ἐσθίειν. Πολλακις δε και την τεραία νηςεύεσιν, όχι θεσμῳ, αλλ' ίδια προαιρέσει φησί. Η, 75. n. 3. P. 907. B. C. b Arians, as well as the Homoüsians? A necessary inquiry: for all heresy is supposed to spring from some evil root. Well, what was it? Let us attend. It is said, that Aërius was a friend of Eustathius, a man of Arian principles too: and that when Eustathius was made bishop of Sebaste in Lesser Armenia, about the year 355, Aërius was much concerned that he was not bishop likewise. Eustathius endeavoured to oblige him. He ordained Aërius presbyter, and appointed him governor of the hospital in the city: but Aerius was still uneasy, and therefore set up a new discipline: a story that does not seem to me to have the appearance of probability: nor are his principles so unreasonable, but that, without being under the bias of any prejudice, he might think them founded in scripture. 3. These people, as we learn from Epiphanius, met with great difficulties. Aerius and his followers were excluded from churches, and cities, and villages: and being obliged to wander abroad, they suffered great hardships, especially in the winter and cold weather. d с 4. From Augustine's manner of speaking we may be apt to think, that he knew of some such people at the time of writing his book of Heresies in the year 428. I have placed a large part of his article at the bottom of the page. They are also in Philaster: but he does not seem to have been well informed concerning them: however, he says, there were then many of them in Pamphylia. g f 5. Tillemont considers these people as Calvinists. For certain, they went much upon the presbyterian plan: and they may induce us to think, that in most times there have been some who opposed growing superstition in the church, and asserted the freedom of the gospel: but being generally opposed, and with much violence, they could not increase to any great number, and in time they were reduced to nothing. We formerly saw another like instance in the people of Neocæsarea, disciples of Gregory, generally called Thaumaturgus. CHAP. LXXXIII. THE COUNCIL OF LAODICEA. I. A Catalogue of the books of the Old and New Testament. II. Remarks. 1. THE 59th and 60th, or, according to another computation, the 58th and 59th, that is, the two last canons of the council of Laodicea in Lydia, or Phrygia Pacatiana, are to this purpose. That private Psalms ought not to be read [or said] in the church, nor any books, not canonical, but only the canonical books of the Old and New Testament.' k The books of the Old Testament, which ought to be read, are these: 1. The Genesis [generation] of the world. 2. The Exodus out of Egypt. 3. Leviticus. 4. Numbers. 5. Deuteronomy. 6. Joshua the son of Nun. 7. Judges, with Ruth. 8. Esther. 9. The first * and second book of the Kingdoms. 10. The third and fourth book of the Kingdoms. 11. - Πασαν γαρ αίρεσιν κακοβέλια των γενομένων απ' αρχής άχρι τελος η κενοδοξίας, η επάρσεως, ταυία είργασαίο, η επιθυμιας ορεξις, η ζηλος προς τες πέλας, η παροξυσμός, η προπέτεια. Epiph. H. 75. n. 1. p. 904, 905. · Αύτικα ύσερον καθίςα τεῖον πρεσβύτερον, τοτε ξενοδοχειον αυτῳ εμπισεύει, όπερ εν τῳ πονίῳ καλείται πτωχοτροφειον. κ. λ. Ibid. p. 905. C. • Απελαυνείο δε αυτος μεία των αυτ8 απο των εκκλησίων, και αίρων, και κωμων, και των άλλων πόλεων. Πολλακις δε μελα πολλές όχλε τα ίδια νιφομενοι, αδροθεν διείελον, ύπαιθρος τε, και υπο πείρας αυλιζομενοι, εν ύλαις καταφενδονίες. Η. 75. n. 3. p. 906. d Aëriani ab Aerio quodam sunt, qui cum esset presbyter, doluisse fertur, quod episcopus non potuit ordinari; et in Arianorum hæresin lapsus, propria quoque dogmata addidisse The first and second book of the Remains [or Chronicles.] 12. The first and second book of Esdras. 13. The book of 150 Psalms. 14. The Proverbs of Solomon. 15. The Ecclesiastes. 16. The Song of Songs. 17. Job. 18. The Twelve Prophets. 19. Isaiah. 20. Jeremiah ' and Baruch, the Lamentations and the Epistles. 21. Ezekiel. 22. Daniel. The books of ⚫ the New Testament are these: the four gospels, according to Matthew, according to Mark, • according to Luke, according to John: the Acts of the apostles: the seven catholic epistles: of James one, of Peter two, of John three, of Jude one, the fourteen epistles of Paul: to the Romans one, to the Corinthians two, to the Galatians one, to the Ephesians one, to the Philippians one, to the Colossians one, to the Thessalonians two, to the Hebrews one, to Timothy two, to Titus one, to Philemon one.' II. I shall now propose some observations upon this catalogue, and the council to which it is ascribed. 1. In this catalogue are omitted, for the Old Testament, the books of Judith, Tobit, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, the Maccabees: and in the New the Revelation; either not reckoning it a work of John the apostle and evangelist, or not esteeming it proper to be publicly read in the church. a 2. The time of this council is not certain: some have placed it before the council of Nice; others between the council of Antioch held in 341, and the council of Constantinople in 381: some in 365, others in 363, which seems as likely as any. 3. Though the time of this council cannot be exactly settled, I think it cannot be denied, that there was a council held at Laodicea in the fourth century, which made many regulations concerning ecclesiastical discipline. This may be reckoned evident from the notice taken of it in the sixth general council at Constantinople, and other councils: and from it being particularly mentioned by Theodoret, who wrote within sixty or seventy years after the supposed time of it. 4. The chief design of that council appears to have been to deliver rules of church discipline. Nevertheless, the bishops there assembled may have been induced, for some reasons, to publish a catalogue of sacred books, to be publicly read in the churches. Accordingly, the last canon about scripture, is generally received as genuine, though it may not be quite so unquestioned as the other preceding canons. Some have observed, that this canon is omitted by Dionysius Exiguus, and that it is wanting in some ancient manuscripts. In answer to which I would say, that perhaps the omission by Dionysius may be accounted for: or it may be an accidental thing, of which no account can be easily given and his omitting it, however it came to pass, may have been an occasion of its being wanting in some manuscripts. g h 5. Some are of opinion, that this council' consisted of Arian bishops, and that it was conducted by Theodosius bishop of Philadelphia in Lydia, a man of the Arian party: though some dispute this, it may be reckoned no improbable supposition. Tillemont indeed imagines, that " this is a disparagement of this council not to be admitted: and that it would be melancholy to think, that a council, the canons of which have been always received by the church, should have been only a council of men enemies of the faith, and separated from the catholic communion. But Pagi thinks this no just ground of offence. k 6. This council has not been equally esteemed by all. Possibly learned men, according to the different notions of the party they have been engaged in, have been led to disregard the last canon: some, because of its omitting the apocryphal books of the Old Testament, and others, That was the opinion of Marca. See Tillem. Mem. E. • Ὃν δε χαριν και συνελθεσα συνοδος εν Λαοδικεία της ΦρυΓιας νόμῳ κεκωλυκε το τοις αίγελοις προσευχεσθαι. 'Theod. in Coloss. cap. iii. 18. T. 3. P. 355. d I may add, that the canon of scripture, which we go by, groundeth much upon that enumeration subjoined to the last canon of the council of Laodicea, which yet is not found in the very ancient manuscripts. Gretser mentioneth ' one, and I meet with another here at home.' John Gregory's Posthuma, p. 85. Daillé [Use of the Fathers, p. 45, 46. Lond. 1675.] endeavours to account for that omission of Dionysius. ! Pagi Ann. 314. n. 25. 8 Basnag. Hist. de l'Eglise, liv. viii. c. 8. n. ii. p. 437. h Les Ariens, Art. 139. i Nec mirum, concilium ab hæreticis habitum codicis canonum ecclesiæ universæ partem facere, cum ab ecclesiâ receptum fuerit, & nihil ejus moribus contrarium contineat. Pagi Ann. 314. n. 25. Concilii Laodiceni canon ultimus, qui catalogum exhibit librorum scripturæ, apud Dionysium Exiguum non invenitur. Et præterea, si vel admittatur, synodus tamen ipsa exiguæ auctoritatis est, neque censeri potest vocem ecclesiæ Græcæ illius temporis exhibere; tum quod particularis tantum fuit quorundam in Lydià episcoporum, tum quod auctor canonum prædicatur fuisse quidam Theodosius partibus Arianorum favens. Lampe Proleg. in Joann. 1. 1. c. 7. n. 24. because it has not the book of the Revelation. Basnage, in his history of the church, observes, that protestants and catholics have equally disparaged this synod. 7. Finally, it ought to be observed, that this was a particular council only, consisting of thirty or forty bishops of Lydia, and neighbouring countries. Indeed it is said, that the canons of this council were received and adopted by some general councils in after times. Nevertheless, perhaps it would be difficult to shew, that those general councils received the last canon, and exactly approved the catalogue of sacred books therein contained, without any addition or diminution, as we now have it. 8. I have thought it not improper to put down these several observations concerning this famous canon of the council of Laodicea, which are referred to the consideration of the candid and attentive reader. CHAP. LXXXIV. EPIPHANIUS, BISHOP IN CYPRUS. 1. His history. II. Three catalogues of the books of the Old Testament. III. A catalogue of the books of the New Testament. IV. His testimony to the several books of the New Testament. V. General titles and divisions, and respect for the scriptures. VI. Remarkable passages. VII. The sum of his testimony. b I. ST. JEROM has a short chapter for Epiphanius, which I put in the margin without translating it. с d He elsewhere speaks of Epiphanius with high commendations: and also says, that he was a man of five languages: that is, he understood Greek, Syriac, Hebrew, Egyptian, and Latin in part. с Epiphanius was a native of Palestine: he was chosen bishop of Constantia, formerly called Salamis, the metropolis of the island of Cyprus, in 367 or 368. He was living and still wrote, as St. Jerom assures us, in 392, when he composed his catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers. It is supposed that he died in the beginning of the year 403. In the year 373, or the beginning of 374, he wrote the book entitled the Ancorate; his Panarium, or large work against Heresies, he seems to have begun in 374. For learned men have observed from the work itself, that his article against the Montanists was composed in 375, and that in the year 376, he was got as far as that of the Manichees, and more than half of the whole work. In 392, he wrote his treatise of Weights and Measures. For a farther account of Epiphanius's life and writings I refer to others. f h II. In the remaining works of Epiphanius, we find the books of the Old Testament thrice enumerated, and once those of the New. I intend to give an account of all his catalogues. i 1. The catalogue, which I shall first observe, is in the fourth section of the books of Weights and Measures. He reckons the sacred books of the Old Testament to be in number twentyseven, but reduced to twenty-two, the number of the letters of the Jewish alphabet. The books - last mentioned are Esdras, (meaning our Ezra and Nehemiah :) and Esther. After which he bræam & Ægyptiam linguam, ex parte & Latinam, noverit ? Adv. Ruf. 1. ii. p. 417. f. Et Papa Epiphanius wevlafhwrlos. Adv. Ruf. 1. iii. p 443. in. e St. Epiphane. Art. ix. Tillem. Mem. E. T. x. f Tillem. ib. Art. xi. & Petav. Animadv. in Epiph. T.ii. p. 4. 8 Tillem as before, art. 13. h Cav. Hist. Lib. Fabr. Bib. Gr. T. vii, p. 414. &c. Tillem. Mem. Ec. T. x. p. 484. &c. iT. ii. p. 161, 162. adds; For as for those two books, the Wisdom of Solomon, and the Wisdom of Jesus the son of Sirach,-they likewise are useful, but not brought into the same number with the foregoing; and therefore are not placed in the ark of the covenant.' In the next section he observes, that the epistles of Baruch were not received by the Jews, but only the Lamentations, added to the book of Jeremiah. 2. In the twenty-third section of the same work, the Jewish books are again enumerated, and put down in their Hebrew names; where the three last mentioned are the two books of Esdras and Esther. 3. A third catalogue of the books of the Old Testament, is in the Panarium, and not very far from the beginning of it. This I shall now transcribe at large. Now the Jews had these prophets, and books of prophets, until the return from the Babylonish captivity: the first Genesis, the second Exodus, the third Leviticus, the fourth numbers, the fifth Deuteronomy, the sixth the book of Joshua the son of Nun, the seventh the book of the Judges, the eighth • the book of Ruth, the ninth the book of Job, the tenth the Psalter, the eleventh the Proverbs of Solomon, the twelfth the Ecclesiastes, the thirteenth the Song of Songs, the fourteenth the 'first book of the Kingdoms, the fifteenth the second book of the Kingdoms, the sixteenth the third book of the Kingdoms, the seventeenth the fourth book of the Kingdoms, the eighteenth the first book of the Remains, the nineteenth the second book of the Remains, the twentieth 'the book of the twelve Prophets, the twenty-first Isaiah the Prophet, the twenty-second Jeremiah the Prophet, with the Lamentations, and his epistle, and the epistle of Baruch, the twentythird Ezekiel the Prophet, the twenty-fourth Daniel the Prophet, the twenty-fifth the first book of Esdras, the twenty-sixth the second book, the twenty-seventh Esther. And these are the ⚫ seven and twenty books, which were given by God to the Jews: though they are reckoned only two and twenty, according to the number of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet; for ten of the books that are double are reduced to five. There are also two other books among them, which ⚫ are doubted of, the Wisdom of Sirach, and of Solomon, beside certain other that are apocryphal.' III. I do not stay to make remarks upon these catalogues of the books of the Old Testament; the reader is able to do that of himself. I proceed to the catalogue of the books of the New Testament, which is in another article of the same work of this author. с Had you, Aëtius, been born of the Spirit, and been taught by the prophets and apostles, 'you would have read the seven and twenty books of the Old Testament, from the creation of the world to the time of Esther, which are reckoned two and twenty; and also the four holy 'gospels, and the fourteen epistles of the holy apostle Paul, and the Acts of the apostles, and the catholic epistles of James, and Peter, and John, and Jude, and the Revelation of John, and the Wisdoms of Solomon and Sirach, and in a word all the divine scriptures.' IV. I shall add divers passages of Epiphanius, concerning the several parts or books of the New Testament. h 1. Matthew both preached, and wrote a gospel in Hebrew. And he wrote first, because * he had been called from the receipt of the customs, and from many sins. It was therefore fit he should shew, that "Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." See Matt. ix. 13. 2. Matthew' wrote in Hebrew; and he is the only writer of the New Testament who made use of that language. However, Epiphanius had heard, that the gospel of John, and the Acts of the apostles, had been translated from Greek into Hebrew, and were in the library of the * Αί γαρ σιχήρεις δυο βιβλοι, ή τε το Σολομωνίας, ή Παναρείος, - λειομένη· καὶ ἡ το Ιησε το ύια Σιράχ, και αυται χρήσιμοι - p. 162. b και των ονίων εν τῷ Ἱερεμια· φημι δε και των Θρη νων αυτε, και των επιτολων Βαρουχ, ει και ου κεινται επις όλαι παρ' Εβραιοις, η μονον ή των Θρήνων τῳ Ἱερεμιᾳ συναφθείσα. Ib. n. 5. p. 163. A. • Εσχον δε ετοι οι Ιεδαίοι, άχρι της απο βαβυλωνος αιχμα λωσίας επάνοδο, βιβλος τε και προφητας τελες. κ. λ. Η. 8. n. 6 T. i. p. 19. * Εν αμφιλεκίῳ. • Χωρίς άλλων τινων βιβλίον εναποκρύφων. H. 76. p. 941. VOL. II. |