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his father and mother marvelled.' The same reading was then in some Latin copies, particu larly Augustine's, and is still in the Latin Vulgate, and some other versions. See Mill upon the place.

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4. The words of Luke xxii. 43, 44, were in some Greek and Latin copies in Jerom's time. 5. In many Greek and Latin copies was the history of the woman taken in adultery, which we have at the beginning of the 8th chapter of St. John's gospel, and with that particular, of our Lord's writing with his finger on the ground.' Concerning which may be seen Mill, and other editors of the New Testament, with various readings, and also Dr. Heumann's Dissertation upon it, who with great care and diligence has considered the objections against the genuineness of this paragraph.

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6. În one place he quotes Acts viii. 39, as if it were written: and when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit came upon the eunuch.' But in his Latin edition of the New Tes tament, as published by Martianay, there is only our common reading.

7. St. Jerom, as is allowed, does no where cite the passage concerning the heavenly witnesses, now found in most editions of the New Testament, in the fifth chapter of St. John's first epistle. There is indeed in his works a preface to the seven Catholic Epistles: the design of which is to shew the genuineness of that clause. But that prologue is now universally rejected, not only by R. Simon, but also by Mill, and Martianay, the Benedictine editor of St. Jerom's works. I need not mention any others.

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XIII. I shall now transcribe some observations of our author relating to the scriptures. 1. In his letter to Paulinus he says of Isaiah, that his book is rather a gospel than a prophecy. He speaks to the like purpose elsewhere.

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2. In the same letter he says, that among the Jews the beginning and end of Ezekiel, and the beginning of Genesis were not to be read by any before they were thirty years of age.

3. Jerom often says, that the writers of the New Testament, when they take passages from the Old, do not quote from the Greek version of the Seventy, but from the original Hebrew; so he says, particularly, of John the evangelist.

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4. So he says likewise of the evangelist Matthew, in a passage, which I place below somewhat at length: and it is plain, that he speaks of Matthew's Greek gospel. And having spoken of him, he adds, that generally, when the evangelists and apostles allege passages of the Old

Græcis habentur, assum.serint, &c. Adv. Helvid. T. iv. P. ii. vaticinari, sed de præteritis historiam texere crederetur. Adv. p. 134. f. Ruf. I. ii. p. 431.

a Vid. De Consens. Evang. 1. ii. cap. 1. n. 3. T. iii. In quibusdam exemplaribus, tam Græcis quam Latinis, invenitur, scribente Luca: Apparuit illi angelus de cœlo, confortans eum:' haud dubium, quin Dominum Salvatorem. Et factus in agoniâ, prolixius orabat, factusque est sudor ejus sicut guttæ sanguinis decurrentis in terram.' Adv. Pelag. 1. ii. T. iv. p. 521.

In evangelio secundum Johannem, in multis et Græcis et Latinis codicibus, invenitur de adulterâ muliere, quæ accusata est apud Dominum. Accusabant autem et vehementer urgebant Scribæ et Pharisæi, juxta legem eam lapidare cupientes. At Jesus inclinans digito scribebat in teriâ.' Ibid. p. 521,

522.

d Vid. Diss. v. in Nova Sylloge Dissertationum, Part i. p. 173, &c. Rostochii, 1752.

....De quo scriptura ita loquitur: Et descenderunt ambo in aquam, et baptizavit eum Philippus. Et quum ' abscederet ab aqua, Spiritus Sanctus venit in eunuchum.' Adv. Lucif. T. iv. p. 295. Et Conf. Mill. in Loc.

f Hieronymus, qui in operibus indubitate genuinis, loci hujus nusquam meminit. Mill. ad 1 Joh. v. p. 581. a. & Hist. Crit. du N. T. ch. xviii.

h Mill. ubi supra, p. 582. b.

i Vid. Opp. S. Hieron. T. i. p. 1670, &c.

* Quorum primus non prophetiam mihi texcre videtur, sed evangelium. Ad Paulin. T. iv. p. 573.

Veniam ad Isaïam,.... Quem quum magis evangelistam quam prophetam dicerem, eo quod universa Christi ecclesiæ mysteria sic ad liquidum persecutus esset, ut non de futuro

Tertius principia et finem tantis habet obscuritatibus involuta, ut apud Hebræos istæ partes cum exordio Geneseos ante annos triginta non legantur. Ad. Paulin. ep. 50. al. 103. p. 573.

"Johannes autem evangelista, qui de pectore Domini hausit sapientiam, Hebræus ex Hebræis, quem Salvator amabat plurimum, non magnopere curavit, quid Græcæ literæ continerent; sed verbum e verbo interpretatus est, ut in Hebræo legerat. Et tempore dominicæ passionis dixit esse completum. In Zach. xii. 10. T. iii. p. 1784. Conf. Joh. xix. 37.

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• Ex quo apparet, Matthæum evangelistam, non veteris interpretationis auctoritate constrictum, dimisisse Hebraicam veritatem; sed quasi Hebrææum ex Hebræis, et in lege Domini doctissimum, ea Gentibus protulisse, quæ in Hebræo legerat ....Quod beatum Matthæum non solum in hoc testimonio, sed in alio loco, fecisse legimus: Ex Ægypto vocavi filium ' meum.' [Mat. ii. 15.] Pro quo Septuaginta transtulerunt: Ex Ægypto vocavi filios ejus,' [Ose. xi. 1.] Quod utique, nisi sequamur Hebraïcam veritatem, ad Dominum Salvatorem non pertinere manifestum est.... Rursumque quod apud Hebræos legitur: Et in lege ejus sperabunt insula. [Is. xlii. 4.] Matthæus, sensum potius quam verba interpretans, pro lege' et insulis,'' nomen' posuit, et gentes.' [xii. 21.] Et hoc non solum in præsenti loco, sed ubicumque de veteri instrumento evangelista et apostoli testimonia protulerunt, non eos verba sequutos esse, sed sensum: et ubi Septuaginta ab Hebraico discrepant, Hebræum sensum suis expressisse sermonibus. Ad Algas. Qu. 2. T. iv. P. i. p. 190. al. cp. 151.

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Testament, they do not exactly follow the words, but the sense: and that where the Seventy differ from the Hebrew, they express the sense of the Hebrew in their own words.

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5. In another place he speaks again to the like purpose of the evangelists Matthew and John: but supposeth that Luke quotes the Seventy, sometimes at least. He also allows, that St. Paul's quotation of Isaiah, vi. 9, 10, in his discourse with the Jews, recorded Acts xxviii. 26, 27, is more agreeable to the Seventy, than to the Hebrew. He there also says, that the quotations of the Seventy in the epistle to the Hebrews, caused doubts in the minds of some, whether it was Paul's.

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6. Again, he says, that for the most part the writers of the New Testament, excepting St. Luke in some places, quote not according to the Seventy, but the Hebrew.

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7. Sometimes he expresseth himself in this manner: That the apostles in their citations of the scriptures of the Old Testament follow the Greek version of the Seventy, when it does not differ from the Hebrew.

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8. Once more, with regard to this matter, he says, that the writers of the New Testament, when they quote the ancient scriptures, follow no translation whatever; but as they speak, or write, translate from the Hebrew for themselves: and oftentimes express the sense only, instead of translating word for word.

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9. In his preface to the Latin translation of the New Testament, which had been corrected by him, he says, It is certain, that all the books of the New Testament were written in Greek, except the gospel of the apostle Matthew, who first wrote in Judea in the Hebrew 'language.'

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9. In another place he says, that as the versions of the Old Testament are to be corrected by the Hebrew, so those of the New Testament are to be compared with the Greek: and to the like purpose in another letter.

10. So writes Jerom. And though he says, the gospel of St. Matthew was written in Hebrew; and he often speaks of the gospel according to the Hebrews, as thought by some to be St Matthew's authentic gospel; it does not appear that he consulted it, when he corrected the Latin version before in use. But in the account which he gives of that service among his other works, he says, he had published the New Testament agreeably to the Greek: or, he had cor

Ac primum solvenda est illa quæstio, quæ nobis objici potest: quare apostolus Paulus, cum Hebræis disputans, non juxta Habraïcum, quod rectum esse cognoverat, sed juxta lxx. sit loquutus Evangelistam Lucam tradunt veteres Ecclesiæ tractatores Medicinæ artis fuisse scientissimum, et magis Græcas literas scisse quam Hebræas. Unde...magisque testimoniis Græcis utitur quam Hebræis. Matthæus autem et Joannes, quorum alter Hebræo, alter Græco sermone, evangelium texuerunt, testimonia de Hebræo proferunt. Ut est illud: Ex Ægypto vocavi filium meum: et, Quoniam 'Nazaræus vocabitur:' et, Flumina de ventre ejus fluent 'aquæ vivæ,' et, Videbunt in quem compunxerunt:' et cætera his similia. Pauli quoque idcirco ad Hebræos epistolæ contradicitur, quod, ad Hebræos scribens, utatur testimoniis, quæ in Hebraïcis voluminibus non habentur. In Is. cap. vi. T. iii. p. 63, 64.

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b Legimus in Apostolo [1 Cor. xiv. 21.]: In aliis linguis, et in labiis aliis, loquar populo huic, et nec sic exaudient 'me, dicit Dominus. Quod mihi videtur juxta Hebraïcum de præsenti sumtum capitulo [Is. xxviii. 11.] Et hoc in Novo observavimus Testamento (absque paucis testimoniis, quibus Lucas solus abutitur, qui magis Græcæ linguæ habuit scientiam:) ubicumque de Veteri Instrumento quid dicitur, non eos juxta Septuaginta, sed juxta Hebraïcum ponere, nullius sequentes interpretationem, sed sensum Hebraïcum suo sermone vertentes. In Is. cap. xxviii. T. iii. p. 237, 238.

Longum est nunc revolvere, quanta Septuaginta de suo addiderint, quanta dimiserint;. ... Et tamen jure Septuaginta Editio obtinuit in ecclesiis, vel quia prima est, et ante Christi facta adventum, vel quia ab apostolis (in quibus tamen ab Hebraïco non discrepat) usurpata. Ad Pamm. et 33. al. 101. p. 255. in.-Apostolici viri scripturis utuntur Hebraicis. Ipsos

VOL. II.

apostolos et evangelistas hoc fecisse perspicuum est. Dominus atque Salvator ubicumque veteris scripturæ meminit, de Hebraïcis voluminibus ponit exempla. . . et multa his similia. Nec hoc dicimus, quod Septuaginta Interpretes fugillemus, sed quod apostolorum et Christi major sit auctoritas: et ubicumque Septuaginta ab Hebræo non discordant, ibi apostolos de interpretatione eorum exempla sumsisse: ubi vero discrepant, id posuisse in Græco quod ab Hebræis didicerant. &c. Adv. Rufin. 1. ii, T. iv. p. 433.

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Paraphrasin hujus testimonii, quasi Hebræus ex Hebræis, assumit apostolus de authenticis libris in epistolâ ad Corinthios. [1 Cor. ii. 9.] non verbum verbo reddens, quod facere omnino contemnit, sed sensuum exprimens veritatem, quibus utitur ad id quod voluerit roborandam. In Is. lxiv. 4. T. iii. p. 473. Vid. supr. not. *, p. 564.

De novo nunc loquor Testamento: quod Græcum esse non dubium est, excepto apostolo Matthæo, qui primus in Judæâ Evangelium Christi Hebraïcis literis edidit. Præf. in iv. Evang. T. i. p. 1426.

f Novum Testamentum Græcæ reddidi auctoritati. Ut enim veterum librorum fides de Hebræis voluminibus examinanda est, ita novorum Græci sermonis normam desiderat. Ad Lucin. ep. 52. al. 28. T. iv. p. 579.

* Sicut autem in Novo Testamento, si quando apud Latinos quæstio exoritur, et est inter exemplaria varietas, recurrimus ad fontem Græci sermonis, quo Novum scriptum est Instrumentum: ita in Veteri Testamento, si quando inter Græcos Latinosque diversitas est, ad Hebraïcam confugimus veritatem. Ad Sun. et Fret. T. ii. p. 627. al. ep. 135.

h Novum Testamentum Græcæ fidei reddidi. De V. I. cap. 135. Vid. supr. not. ", p. 565.

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rected it by the Greek. Yea, he expressly says, somewhat lower in the preface before cited, that he had corrected the Latin translation of the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, by the Greek copies, and those ancient.

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11. In the same preface to the four gospels he speaks of a great disorder in the common editions of the Latin translation of the four gospels. He says, that the copies were very different from each other, and that there was great confusion in them: several passages of Luke's and Matthew's gospels being inserted in Mark's, to make it more complete; and in Matthew's gospel. many passages of John and Mark; and in like manner of the rest. Many things belonging to one gospel were inserted in the others. And it must be allowed that there was some ground for these complaints; otherwise Jerom would not have made them. At the same time it may be supposed, that he makes use of strong expressions, and aggravates beyond the truth.

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12. St. Jerom says, that the apostle Paul was a man of quick understanding and ready wit. He also says, that Paul had some acquaintance with secular learning. This, he says, appears from his quoting divers Greek poets: Epimenides, Aratus, and Menander.

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13. St. Paul's quotations of those Greek poets are taken notice of by Jerom more than once. 14. He says, that there appear in Paul's epistles several words peculiar to the dialect of his own city and country; meaning Tarsus and Cilicia. He mentions several instances: one intended by him, as it seems, is the word, rendered by us, "Let no man beguile you of your reward" [Col. ii. 18]. The Greek word for which, used by St. Paul, appears to me a very elegant word. If the Cilicians had such words in their dialect they might be used by any man without reproach.

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15. Jerom says, moreover, that the apostle makes use of low and trivial expressions. He instanceth in Gal. iii. 1. "Who has bewitched you?" And, if the Greek word exactly corresponds with the English, it must be owned to be a trivial expression. But still the apostle might have good reason for using it: which, I think, Jerom does not deny. And therefore he says,

a Igitur hæc præsens præfatiuncula pollicetur quatuor tantum evangelia; quorum ordo est Matthæus, Marcus, Lucas, Johannes codicum Græcorum emendata collatione, sed veterum Pr. in iv. Evang. T. i. p. 1426.

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b Si enim Latinis exemplaribus fides est adhibenda, respondeant, quibus. Tot enim sunt exemplaria pene, quot codices. Sin autem veritas est quærenda de pluribus, cur non ad Græcam originem revertentes, ea quæ vel a vitiosis interpretibus male edita.... corrigimus?.... Magnus siquidem hic in nostris codicibus error inolevit, dum quod in eâdem re alius evangelista plus dixit, in alio quia minus putaverint, addiderunt. Vel dum eumdem sensum alius aliter expressit, ille qui unum e quatuor primum legerat, ad ejus exemplum cæteros quoque æstimavit emendandos. Unde accidit, ut apud nos mixta sint omnia, et in Marco plura Lucæ atque Matthæi : rursum in Matthæo plura Joannis et Marci: et in cæteris reliquorum quæ aliis propria sunt, inveniantur. Ibid.

Paulus apostolus homo erat acuti et acris ingenii; et qui ad primos quosque disputationum conatus sagaci mente quæ erant inferenda prænosceret. In Ephes. cap. iv. T. iv. P. i. p. 366.

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d Quippe qui et seculares literas aliquâ ex parte contigerat .... Scisse autem Paulum licet non ad perfectum ipsius verba testantur: Dixit quidam ex eis, proprius eorum propheta : ⚫ Cretenses semper mendaces, mala bestia, ventres pigri.' [Tit. i. 12.] Hic versus heroïcus Epimenidis Poëtæ est, cujus et Plato, et cæteri scriptores veteres recordantur. Apud Athenienses quoque, quum in Areopago satisfaceret, hæc addidit: Sicut et quidam de vobis Poëtæ dixerunt: Ipsius I enim et genus sumus.' [Acts xvii. 28.] Hoc hemistichium fertur in Arato, qui de cœlo stellisque conscripsit. Nec non et illud: Corrumpunt bonos mores confabulationes 'pessimæ.' [1 Cor. xv. 33.] Trimeter Iambicus de comœdia sumtus est Menandri. Ex quibus, et aliis, evidens est, Paulum non ignorâsse literas seculares. In ep. ad Galat. iv. 24. T. iv. P. i. p. 280.

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e Sed et Paulus Apostolus Epimenidis Poëtæ abusus versi◄

culo est, scribens ad Titum: Cretenses semper mendaces,
'mala bestiæ, ventres pigri.' Cujus heroïci hemistichium
postea Callimachus usurpavit.... In alia quoque epistolâ
Menandri ponit senarium: Corrumpunt mores bonos confa
'bulationes pessimæ.' Et apud Athenienses in Martis Curiâ
disputans, Aratum testem vocat: Ipsius enim et genus sumus.'
Quod Græce dicimus: τε γαρ και γενος εσμεν. Et est claus
sula versus heroïci. Ac ne parum hoc esset, Ductor Christiani
exercitûs, et orator invictus, pro Christo causam agens, etiam
inscriptionem fortuitam arte torquet in arguimentum fidei. Ad
Magn. Orat. ep. 83. T. iv. P. ii. p. 654, 655. Vid. et Comm.
in Tit. cap. i. v. 12... 14. T. 4. P. i. p. 420, 421.

f Conabimur itaque wapappasınws sensus ejus evolvere, et tricas implicati eloquii suo ordini reddere et juncturæ. ... Nemo vos superet.' Col. ii. 18.] id est nemo adversum vos bravium accipiat. Hoc enim Grace dicitur xalalpalevelw quando quis in certamine positus iniquitate Agonothetæ, vel insidiis Magistrorum, Beaslov et palmam sibi debitam perdit, Multaque sunt verba, quibus juxta morem urbis et provincia suæ familiarius apostolus utitur. E quibus, exempli gratiâ, pauca ponenda sunt. Mihi autem parum est judicari ab humano die, hoc est, amo avtowns nepas. [1 Cor. iv. 3.] Et, humanum dico,' hoc est xala avigwπov λɛyw. [Gal. iii. 15.] Et, ou xalɛvapnyoa iμur hoc est, non gravavi vos.' [2 Cor. xii. 13.]... Quibus, et multis aliis verbis, usque hodie utuntur Cilices. Nec hoc miremur in apostolo, si utatur ejus linguæ consuetudine, in quâ natus est et nutritus: quum Virgilius, alter Homerus apud nos, patriæ suæ sequens consuetudinem, sceleratum frigus' appellet. Ad Algas. Qu. x. T. iv. P. i. p. 204. al. ep. 151.

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& Quod autem sequitur: Quis vos fascinavit:' digne Paulo (qui etsi imperitus sermone, non tamen scientiâ) debemus exponere; non quo scierit esse fascinum, qui vulgo putatur nocere; sed usus sermone sit trivii, et, ut in cæteris, ita et in hoc quoque loco verbum quotidianæ sermocinationis assum serit. In ep. ad Galat. iii. I. T. iv. P. i. p. 248.

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that we ought to understand it worthily of Paul; who, though he was rude in speech, yet certainly not in knowledge:' however, he again affirms, that in his epistle to the Galatians the apostle willingly condescended to some vulgar, and almost trivial expressions.

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16. Again, he says, the apostle either despised the Greek eloquence, or chose not to avail himself of it; that the success of his preaching might not appear to depend upon human wisdom, but the power of God. See 1 Cor. ii.

17. And farther he says, that the apostle was not able to express, especially in Greek, all the grandeur and sublimity of his sentiments: and that when he says, he was rude in speech though not in knowledge' [2 Cor. xi. 6,] he should not be understood to speak thus of himself by way of humility, but truly..

18. Finally he says, that Paul, not being fully acquainted with the rules of grammar, has some expressions contrary to them. And he even says, that there are some solecisms in his style; which, however, he does not say with a view of disparaging the apostle: for it affords a certain evidence of the wisdom given him from above, and of his preaching the gospel with the power of God; otherwise, it had been impossible for him to convert the world to the faith of Christ, without the ornaments of language, and the charms of eloquence.

19. Upon Gal. iv. 12, he supposeth it likely, that when the apostle was first in Galatia, he had some sickness. Moreover, he says, there was a tradition, that Paul often had a violent head-ach: and that was the "thorn in the flesh, and messenger of Satan," which he speaks of 2 Cor. xii. 7. .

XIV. 1. Jerom seems to have despised popular preaching, and, advises Nepotian, in the letter cited some while ago, not to aim to please men, and those mean and ignorant, but to teach them important truths out of the scriptures, and to endeavour to make them better. He speaks to the like purpose in another work."

'Fratres secundum hominem dico.',.. Apostolus, qui omnibus omnia factus,... Galatis quoque, quos paulo ante stultos dixerat, factus est stultus. Non enim ad eos his usus est argumentis, quibus ad Romanos, sed simplicioribus, et quæ stulti possent intelligere, et pene de trivio... Unde manifestum est, id fecisse apostolúm quod promisit; nec reconditis ad Galatas usum esse sensibus, sed quotidianis, et vilibus, et quæ possent, nisi præmisisset, secundum hominem dico,' prudentibus displicere. In Galat. iii. 15. T. iv. P. i. p. 261.

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Ille Hebræis literis eruditus, et ad pedes doctus Gamalielis, quem non erubescit, jam apostolicæ dignitatis, magistrum dicere. Græcam facundiam contemnebat, vel certe, quod erat humilitatis, dissimulabat; ut prædicatio ejus non in persuasione verborum, sed in signorum virtute consisteret. Adv. Ruf. I. i. T. iv. p. 367.

Illud quod crebro diximus: et si imperitus sermone, non tamen scientiâ:' nequâquam Paulum de humilitate, sed de conscientiæ veritate dixisse, etiam nunc approbamus. Profundos enim et reconditos sensus lingua non explicat. Et quum ipse sentiat quid loquatur, in alienas aures puro non potest transferre sermone. Ad Algas. Qu. x. T. iv. P. i. p. 204 M. -Qui putant, Paulum juxta humilitatem, et non vere dixisse, et si imperitus sermone, non tamen scientiâ;' defendant hujus loci consequentiam Debuit quippe secundum ordinem dicere: Vos, qui spirituales estis, instruite hujusmodi in 'spiritu lenitatis, considerantes vosmet ipsos, ne et vos tentemini;' et non plurali inferre numerum singularem. Hebræus igitur ex Hebræis, et qui esset in vernaculo sermone doctissimus, profundos sensus alienâ linguâ exprimere non valebat: Nec curabat magnopere de verbis, quum sensum haberet in tuto. In Gal. cap. vi. 1. ibid. p. 309.

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Sequitur: Quæ sunt rationem quidem habentia sapientiæ. [Col. ii. 23.] Hoc loco quidem conjunctio superflua est Quod in plerisque locis propter imperitiam artis Grammatica Apostolum fecisse reperimus, &c. Ad. Algas. Qu. x. T. 4. P. i p 207. al ep. 151.

• Puto autem, quod et vitiosa in hoc loco elocutio est.... Si vero quis potest etiam juxta sermonis et eloquii contextum docere apostolum fuisse perfectum, et in artis Grammaticæ

vitia non incurrisse, ille potius auscultandus est. Nos quotiescumque solæcismos, aut tale quid annotamus, non apostolum pulsamus, ut malevoli criminantur, sed magis apostoli assertores sumus, quod Hebrææus ex Hebræis, absque rhetorici nitore sermonis, et verborum compositione, et eloquii venustate, nunquam ad fidem Christi totum mundum transducere valuisset, nisi evangelizâsset eum non in sapientiâ verbi, sed in virtute Dei. Nam et ipse ad Corinthios ait... [1 Cor. ii. 1.]... et rursum.... [ib. ver. 4, 5] Iste igitur, qui solocismos in verbis facit; qui non potest hyperbaton reddere, sententiamque concludere, audacter sibi vindicat sapientiam, et dicit: Quoniam secundum revelationem coguitum factum ⚫ est mihi mysterium.' [Ephes. iii. 3.] In Eph. iii. T. iv. P. i. p. 348.

Aut certe suspicari possumus, apostolum eo tempore, quo primum venit ad Galatas, ægrotâsse, et aliquâ corpusculi infirmitate detentum. Nam tradunt, eum gravissimum capitis dolorem sæpe perpessum, et hunc esse angelum Satanæ, qui appositus ei sit, ut eum colaphizaret in carne, ne extolleretur. In Gal. iv. T. iv. P. i. p 274.

Docente te in ecclesia, non clamor populi, sed gemitus suscitetur. Lacrymæ auditorum laudes tuæ sint. Sermo Presbyteri Scripturarum lectione conditus sit. Nolo te declamatorem esse et rabulam, garrulumque, sine ratione, sed mysteriorum peritum, et sacramentorum Dei tui eruditissimum. Verba volvere, et celeritate dicendi apud imperitum vulgus admirationem sui facere, indoctorum hominum est... Præceptor quondam meus, Gregorius Nazianzenus, rogatus a me ut exponeret, quid sibi vellet in Lucâ devieporçulov, id est, secundo-primum, eleganter lusit, docebo te, inquiens, super hac re in ecclesiâ; in quâ mihi omni populo acclamante, cogeris scire quod nescis. Aut certe si solus tacueris, solus ab omnibus stultitia condemnaberis. Nihil tam facile, quam vilem plebeculam et indoctam concionem linguæ volubilitate decipere, quæ quidquid non intelligit, plus miratur. Ad Nepot. ep 34. al. 2. T. iv. P. ii. p. 262.

Jam enim et in ecclesiis ista quæruntur. Omissâque apostolicorum simplicitate et puritate verborum, quasi ad Athenæum, et ad auditoria conventtur, ut plausus circumstantium exci

2. Jerom* censures the superstition of some women, who wore about them pieces of the wood of the cross, and small gospels, or passages of them. He says it may be a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge; and that the faults of the Pharisees, who made broad their phylacteries, had descended to Christians.

3. He complains of the excessive pride of some bishops in his time.

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4. Jerom seems to allow, that some of the Antenicene writers of the church had so expressed themselves, as to give countenance to the Arian doctrine.

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5. He triumphs in the progress of the Christian religion; which was become the religion of the emperors, and of many other great men, and of a large part of the city of Rome, and had spread all over the world, in Egypt, India, Persia, Armenia, Ethiopia, Scythia, and other parts.

CHAP. CXV.

RUFINUS.

I. His time. II. A catalogue of the books of the Old and New Testament.
III. Remarks upon it.

1. RUFINUS, presbyter of Aquileia, and contemporary with Jerom, according to Cave flourished about the year 390. He died in 410. He' is supposed to have begun to publish writings about the year 397. For a farther account of him I refer to others.

II. I proceed to transcribe immediately his catalogue of the books of scripture, which is in his Explication of the Apostles Creed, a work highly commended by Gennadius, and Du

h

Pin. ·

• This' then is the Holy Spirit, who in the Old Testament inspired the law and the prophets,

tentur; ut oratio, rhetoricæ artis fucáta mendacio, quasi meretricula procedat in publicum, non tam eruditura populos, quam favorem populi quæsitura. Pr. 3. in ep. ad. Galat. T. iv. P. i. p. 287.

Væ nobis miseris, ad quos Pharisæorum vitia transierunt. Hoc apud nos superstitiosæ mulierculæ in parvulis evangeliis, et in crucis ligno, et istiusmodi rebus, quæ habent zelum Dei, sed non juxta scientiam, usque hodie factitant. Ad Matt. xxiii. T. iv. P. i. p. 108, 109.

Quae quidem et nos ad humilitatem provocant, et supercilium decutiunt episcoporum, qui velut in aliquâ sublimi speculâ constituti, vix dignantur videre mortales, et alloqui conservos suos. In Gal. iv. T. iv. P. i. p. 273.

Vel certe antequam in Alexandriâ, quasi dæmonium meridianum, Arius nasceretur, innocenter quædam et minus caute loquuti sunt, et quæ non possint perversorum hominum calumniam declinare. Adv. Ruf. 1. ii. T. iv. P. ii. p. 411.

Solitudinem patitur et in Urbe Gentilitas. Dii quondam nationum cum bubonibus et noctuis in solis culminibus remanserunt. Vexilla militum crucis insignia sunt. Regum purpuras, et ardentes diadematum gemmas, patibuli salutaris pictura condecorat. Jam Ægyptius Serapis factus est Christia

nus.

Marnas Gazæ luget inclusus, et eversionem templi jugiter pertimescit. De Indiâ, de Perside, Æthiopia, monachorum quotidie turbas suscipimus. Deposuit pharetras Armenius. Hunni discunt Psalterium. Scythiæ frigora fervent calore fidei. Getarum rutilus et flavus exercitus ecclesiarum circumfert tentoria. Ad. Læt. ep. 57. al. 7. T. iv. P. ii. p. 591. M.

Claruit præcipue circa ann. 39o. Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 186. ! See Tillem, Mem. T. xii. S. Jérom, art. 129. beginning.

• Du Pin. Bib. T. iii. p. 240, &c. Tillem. Mem. T. 12. S. Jérome, art. 12, 13. 125..... 130. Pagi ann. 395. n. xxi. 397. n. ii. xviii... .xiii. 399. vi. 410. xxvi. et alibi. Basnag. ann. 399. n. xiii. et alibi.

h Expositio in Symbolum Apostolorum. Apud S. Cyprian. Opp. in Append. ad S. Hieron. Opp. T. v. p. 127. . . 146. .

Proprio autem labore, imo gratiâ Dei et dono, exposuit idem Rufinus Symbolum, ut in ejus comparatione alii nec exposuisse credantur. Gennad. De V. I. cap. 17. al. 18.

Et en effet, il seroit difficile de trouver un traité sur le Symbole plus parfait que celui-ci.

Hic igitur Spiritus Sanctus est, qui in veteri testamento legem et prophetas, in novo evangelia et apostolos inspiravit. Unde apostolus dicit: Omnis scriptura inspirata utilis est ad docendum. Et ideo quæ sunt novi ac veteris testamenti volumina, quæ secundum majorum traditionem per ipsum Spiritum Sanctum inspirata creduntur, et ecclesiis Christi tradita, competens videtur hoc in loco evidenti numero, sicut ex patrum monumentis accepimus, designare. Itaque veteris testamenti omnium primo Möysi quinque libri sunt traditi, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numerus, Deuteronomium. Post hæc Jesus Nave, et Judicum, simul cum Ruth. Quatuor post hæc regnorum libri, quos Hebræi duos numerant. Paralipomena, qui Dierum dicitur Liber, et Esdræ duo, quia apud illos singuli computantur, et Hester. Prophetarum vero Isaïas, Jeremias, Ezechiel, et Daniel. Præterea duodecim prophetarum liber unus. Job quoque, et Psalmi David singuli sunt libri. Salomon vero tres ecclesiæ tradidit, Proverbia Ecclesiasten, Cantica Canticorum. In his concluserunt numerum librorum veteris testamenti. Novi vero quatuor evangelia, Matthæi, Marci, Lucæ, et Joannis: Actus Apos

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