As for the work itself, though it has been too often quoted, it is now generally allowed by learned men to be fabulous, and of little or no value. For preventing such quotations of it for time to come, and that my readers may be the better satisfied about its real character, I shall place divers censures upon it in the margin. One is that of the author of the Collection of the Bibliotheca Patrum maxima, which I make use of; another is taken out of Bellarmine's book of Ecclesiastical writers; and the third from the Annals of Baronius. с C d This Synopsis might be compared with some like books ascribed to Hippolytus, of which I spoke formerly, and with some articles in Epiphanius, and with the last chapter of the second book of the Apostolical constitutions, and Cotelerius's notes upon it. I shall take notice of but very few things in this Synopsis. Among Christ's seventy disciples the first here named is James, the brother of the Lord: of whom he says, that he was stoned by the Jews, and was buried in the temple at Jerusalem, near the altar. Here likewise are absurdly numbered among Christ's seventy disciples the seven deacons, and others, mentioned in the Acts, and Clement, and Timothy, and Titus, and almost all others, mentioned by name in St. Paul's epistles. CHAP. LVI. VICTORINUS, BISHOP OF PETTAW. 1. His history. II. Others of the same name. III. His works, and extracts out of a poem against the Marcionites, ascribed to him. IV. Testimonies to him. V. His opinions. VI. His testimony to the scriptures of the Old and New Testament. h I. VICTORINUS, bishop of Pettaw, or Petaw upon the Drave in Germany, flourished k i according He had the supposed, in Št. Jerom's account of him in his book of Illustrious men is to this purpose: Victorinus, bishop of Pettaw, understood Greek better than Latin: hence his works are excellent for the sense, but mean as to the style. They are such as these: Commentaries upon Genesis, • Exodus, Leviticus, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Habacuc, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, and the Revelation of John, Against all heresies, and many other works. At last he was crowned with 'martyrdom.'. a Dorotheus-Exstat hic sub ejus nomine Synopsis, sed plane fabulosa, nulliusque apud eruditos auctoritatis. Vid. Ind. Alphabet. in Bib. P. P. Max. At hujus Dorothei nullam mentionem inveni apud Eusebium, S. Hieron. vel. Gennadium, aut etiam Joan. Trithemium, qui scripserunt de viris illustribus. Ipsa vero Synopsis plena est fabulis. Consulat lector quæ iste auctor scribit in vità Isaïæ, Hieremiæ, Elisæi.-Præterea consulat quæ scribit in vitâ Jacobi Alphæi, et Clementis, et in summâ sciat, ab isto numerari inter 72, discipulos Christi omnes, qui ab apostolo Paulo numerantur, etiamsi ethnici fuerint vel feminæ; et illos omnes non solum discipulos Domini, sed etiam episcopos facere. Non meminissem libri tam fabulosi, nisi vidissem a multis citari, et non minimi fieri. Ex Bellarmino de Scrip. Ecc. ap. Bib. P. P. Max. T. iii. p. 421, H. c Nomina autem discipulorum, qui a Domino fuerunt electi, dum singula exprimere conati sunt, omnes fere, quorum inve. nerunt in epistolis Pauli fieri mentionem, -inter discipulos Domini adnumerarunt.Primus post Hippolytum (quod invenerimus,) ejus rei auctor fuit Dorotheus, qui falso cognomine Tyri episcopus inscribitur,-Hic inquam Dorotheus Cæsarem quemdam unum fuisse dicit ex discipulis Domini, &c. Baron. Ann. 33, n. 40. d Vol. i. chap. 35. e Vid. Epiph. H. 20, n. iv. et H. 51, n. vi. p. 428. f Jacobus, frater Domini secundum carnem, qui et Justus vocatur, et primus Hierosolymorum episcopus constitutus est. Lapidibus ibi a Judæis, adobrutus occubuit, atque in templo prope altare sepultus est. ap. B. P. P. ib. p. 427, G. 8 Cav. H. L. T. i. h Sixt. Sen. Bib. S. lib. iv. p. 308. i Cav. ib. Vid. et Pagi Ann. 303, ix. Basnag. 303. n. xvi. k Victorinus, Petavionensis episcopus, non æque Latine ut Græce novit. Unde opera ejus grandia sensibus, viliora videntur compositione verborum. Sunt autem hæc: Commentarii in Genesim, in Exodum, in Leviticum, in Isaiam, in Ezechiel, in Abacuc, in Ecclesiasten, in Cantica Cantichorùm, in Apocalipsin Johannis, adversum omnes hæresis, et multa alia, Ad extremum martyrio coronatus est. De V. I. cap. 74. a Cave thinks that Victorinus was a Greek by birth, or else born in the confines of Greece. I suppose that learned man concludes this from what Jerom says concerning Victorinus's style in this and some other places, which will be taken notice of hereafter. Cave likewise supposeth that Victorinus professed rhetoric, or oratory, before he was a bishop. And so Cassiodorus says more than once. d с b Tillemont thinks it probable that Cassiodorus confounded our Victorinus with Victorinus of Africa (of whom we shall speak presently), because what Jerom says of our bishop's style does not agree to one who had been a professor of rhetoric: but I think that cannot be easily admitted: for Cassiodorus appears to have known both these authors, and speaks of them distinctly. It is not likely therefore that he should confound their characters. And, notwithstanding what Jerom says, Victorinus might be a man of good learning, and able to write elegantly in Greek, as he himself seems to allow. Victorinus's disadvantage, therefore, probably was this: that whilst he was well skilled in Greek he wrote chiefly in the Latin tongue, which was in use in the country where he lived, though he was not completely master of the propriety and elegance of that language. I might add, that the style of Victorinus the African is not admired, though he gained so much reputation in his professorship. e We must content ourselves with this short history of our Victorinus, unless some more particulars should offer themselves to us when we come to observe his works, and the testimonies given to him. II. But it is fit that we first take notice of some other ancient writers of this name. Our Victorinus had been long supposed bishop of Poictiers in France, until John Launoy' in the last century published his Dissertation concerning him: and he was so fortunate as to prove his point, and satisfy the learned in general, that Victorinus, bishop and martyr, of whom Jeroin speaks in the forecited chapter of his Catalogue, and often elsewhere, ought not to be numbered among Gallican bishops, but was bishop of Petabion, or Petabium, in upper Pannonia: or, according to the modern division of that country of Pettaw, in the dukedom of Stiria and circle of Austria. At the end of that Dissertation, Launoy added an appendix concerning five illustrious persons of this name; that is, four beside our bishop. The first of which is Victorinus, who wrote in defence of Praxeas, and is mentioned by Tertullian. The second is our Victorinus, bishop and martyr. h i The third is Victorinus, an African, who, after he had long taught rhetoric at Rome with great applause, embraced the Christian religion: he is mentioned by Augustine, Jerom, and * Cassiodorus. According to Cave, he flourished about the year 362, and died in 370, or soon after. m 1 The fourth is Victorinus of Marseilles, likewise professor of rhetoric. He flourished about 434. The fifth is Victorinus Lampadius, of Antioch, who published a piece entitled Consular and Imperial orations, mentioned by Photius. p. 215. d What Cassiodorus writes of our Victorinus may be seen before at note ", or hereafter at k m n under numb. iii. He likewise mentions Victorinus the rhetorician several times. Quorum Commenta a Mario Victorino composita, in Bibliotheca mea vobis reliquisse cognoscor. Cass. de Rhetorica. T. îì. p. 535, b. in. Præterea secundum Victorinum Enthymematis altera est definitio. Ib. p. 536, m. Modum autem hypotheticorum syllogismorum si quis plenius nôsse desiderat, jegat librum Marii Victorini, qui inscribitur de Syllogismis Hypotheticis. Id. de Dialectica, p. 539, Conf. ejusdem Chron. T. i. p. 365, infr. m. VOL. II. e Stylus Victorino parum felix, præsertim in dogmaticis perplexus et ingratus, et qui vix ulla adeo decantatæ eloquentiæ vestigia retinet. Cav. H. L. in Fab. M. Victorino. Scripsit adversus Arium libros more dialectico valde obscuros. Hieron. De V. I. cap. 101. f Joann. Launoii Constantiensis. Paris. Theologi, de Victorino Episc. et Mart. Dissertatio. Ed. Secund. Paris. 1664. 8 Sed post hos omnes etiam Praxeas quidam hæresim introduxit, quam Victorinus corroborare curavit. Tertull. de Pr. Hær. cap. 53, p. 255, A. h Confess. 1. viii. cap. 2. i Victorinus, natione Afer, Romæ sub Constantio principe rhetoricam docuit, et in extremâ senectute, Christi se tradens fidei, scripsit, -Hier. de V. I. cap. 101, Vid. ejusd. Procem. in Ep. ad Gal. Vid. et adv. Ruf. l. i. T. iv. p. 367, in. * See before, noted. 'H. L. m Victorinus rhetor Massiliensis, &c. Gennad. de V. I. cap. 60, Conf. Sidon. Ep. 1. v. ep. 21. 'n Cav. ubi supra. N • Cod. ci. p. 276. There is another author sometimes called Victorinus; but it is now generally thought that his name is more properly Victorius, of Aquitain. He flourished about 457. с Beside these, it is supposed that there were many others of the same name, who bore a glorious testimony to Christ in times of persecution: but it is by no means necessary that I should give any particular account of them at present. III. We saw just now, in Jerom, a catalogue of this writer's works. Trithemius makes no additions: he only names the same pieces in a little different order. We must now take some farther notice of them. e 1. The first work of our author, mentioned by Jerom in his Catalogue of ecclesiastical writers, is a Commentary upon Genesis. In another place Jerom quotes Victorinus as having commented upon the history of Isaac's blessing of Jacob, which is recorded in Genesis, ch. xxvii. The fragment concerning the creation of the world, published by Cave from the library of the archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth, may be a part of this Commentary. f 2. Of the Commentaries upon Exodus, Leviticus, Ezekiel, Habacuc, the Canticles, we have nothing remaining: nor is there any farther notice taken of them, except in such catalogues of his works as have been already mentioned. 3. The Commentary upon Isaiah is again mentioned by Jerom in the preface to his own exposition of that book: he speaks there of Victorinus as the only Latin who had written upon that prophet; or, at least, who had explained any large part of him, whilst several Greek writers had bestowed a great deal of labour that way. In another place he mentions a mystical explication, which Victorinus gives of a passage in Isaiah, ch. vi. 2. h 4. In his Commentary upon the book of Ecclesiastes, Jerom observes Victorinus's explication of Ecc. iv. 13, in which he agreed with Origen. I have put part of Jerom's passage in the margin, as of some use, to shew our author's manner in his Commentaries: and I would likewise refer my readers to what there follows. This Commentary upon Ecclesiastes is expressly mentioned by Cassiodorus: it seems by him that Victorinus had explained some parts or passages k of this book. 5. In his Catalogue, Jerom says nothing of Victorinus's having written upon St. Matthew: but, in the preface to his own Commentary upon that evangelist, he mention's Victorinus with other Latin commentators. Cassiodorus too mentions Victorinus's explication of that gospel. The expressions used both by Jerom and Cassiodorus seem to imply, that Victorinus's performance was no large work; but contained either short notes upon the whole, or else explications of some passages only. 6. The Commentary upon the Revelation is also mentioned by Cassiodorus as well as Jerom. Says Cassiodorus: Victorinus," the bishop, already mentioned by us more than once, explained briefly the most difficult places in this book.' There is still extant a Commentary upon the Revelation, which is ascribed to Victorinus; but its genuineness is not unquestioned. Čave says, it either is not his, or has been greatly inter e • Cav. ib. * Quoniam autem polliciti sumus, et de eo quid significaret in figurâ adjungere, Hippolyti martyris verba ponamus, a quo et Victorinus noster non plurimum discrepat: non quod omnia plenius executus sit, sed quod possit occasionem præbere lectori ad intelligentiam latiorem. Hieron. ad Dam. Qu. 3, p. 569, in. T. ii. Bened. al. Ep. 125. Exstat quidem penes me Victorini tractatus-de Fabricâ Mundi.- Videtur esse hic libellus aroσratuariov quoddam, ex Commentariis vel in Genesin vel in Apocalypsin, decerptum; quod proinde, tum propter venerandam antiquitatem, tum propter celeberrimi martyris famam, hic subjungam. Cav. Hist. Lit. in Victorin. T. i. p. 147, 148. • Magnique laboris et operis est, omnem Isaïæ librum velle edisserere, in quo majorum nostrorum ingenia sudaverunt, Græcorum dico. Cæterum apud Latinos grande silentium est, præter sanctæ memoriæ martyrem Victorinam, qui cum apostolo dicere poterat: Etsi imperitus sermone, non tamen scientiâ. Hier. Pr. in Is. p. 3. Sex alæ uni, et sex alæ alteri,' Victorinus noster duode cim apostolos interpretatus est. Hieron. ad Dam. T. 518. Bened. al. Ep. 142. runt. i Origenes et Victorinus non multum inter se diversa sensePost generalem illam sententiam, quæ omnibus patet, quod melior sit adolescentulus pauper et sapiens, quam rex senex et insipiens; et, quod frequenter evenit, ut ille per sapientiam suam de carcere regis egrediens, imperet pro dominatore perverso; et rex insipiens perdat imperium, quod tenebat; super Christo et diabolo hunc locum interpretati sunt, quod puerum pauperem et sapientem, Christum velint, &c. Hier. in Ecc. T. ii. p. 741, fin. De quo libro [Ecclesiaste] et Victorinus-nonnulla disseruit. Inst. Div. Lit. cap. 5. 1 1 Legisse me fateoret Latinorum, Hilarii, Victorini, Fortunatiani opuscula. Hier. P. in Matth. p. 3, f. m De quo [Matthæo] et Victorinus, ex oratore episcopus, nonnulla disseruit. Cassiod. ib. c. vii. "De quo libro [Apocalypsi] et Victorinus, sæpe dietus episcopus, difficillima quædam loca breviter tractavit. Id. ib. c. ix. Ap. Bib. P. P. T. iii. p. 414, &c. Cav. ubi supr. d i a polated: for Jerom informs us, that Victorinus held the millenarian opinion, which the author of this work dislikes.' Basnage rejected this Commentary. Lampe thought the more probable opinion to be that it is not his. Du Pin, after having observed the arguments for and against the genuineness of this work, concludes: We cannot therefore be positive that this Commentary is not a work of Victorinus: on the contrary, there is some probability that it is his.' Tillemont has treated this question modestly, and carefully as usual. He owns that there are some reasons to doubt of it: but it seems that there are yet more to believe it a genuine remain of the many works of this holy martyr; only it must be allowed that what he had written in favour of the millenarian opinion has been altered: and he offers some reasons for thinking that what is now found in this Commentary upon that point is an interpolation, or addition. That passage is at the end of the piece, and it appears to be of a different style from the rest of the work, Moreover there is some reason to suspect that alterations have been made in divers ancient writers who held that opinion: and what may more especially increase the suspicion here, is, that in this very Commentary there still seem to be some traces of that sentiment; where it is said that all the saints shall be assembled together in Judea to worship Christ. Whether it be Victorinus's or not, it is supposed to have in it divers marks of antiquity. Tillemont * understands the author to speak of the senate of Rome, as still employing its name and authority for persecuting the church. What he says of Nero, that he is to be raised up to be antichrist, is a more common notion of the first than of the latter ages. The author, " reckoning up the epistles of Paul, says nothing of the epistle to the Hebrews: and in the time of our bishop it was common in the West not to consider that as an epistle of St. Paul. It may be also observed that " speaking of the prophet who is to come with Elias, he says nothing of Enoch; but informs us that some suppose him to be Moses, others Elisha; as for the author himself, he thinks it must be Jeremiah, whose death is not related in the scriptures: these may be reckoned marks of antiquity: and the style of the work answers very well to the character which Jerom gives of Victorinus's, as low and mean. So Tillemont: who nevertheless says, the safest way is not to be positive who is the author; and I assent to him. Though therefore I intend to make extracts out of this work, I desire it may be remembered that I do not quote it as certainly, but only probably, Victorinus's. I am willing to allow that in some places it has been interpolated and altered; but I am inclined to think it genuine in the main. P m To this Commentary, as we now have it, is usually prefixed a prologue ascribed to St. Jerom: but there is so little reason to think it is, that no one, so far as I know, believes it to be authentic. 7. Beside these Commentaries Jerom says that Victorinus wrote against all heresies. This book, or these books, if they were several, seem to be referred to by Optatus in Africa, who flourished not long before the year 370. 8. Jerom concludes in this manner: Victorinus wrote many other things. But we have no certain knowledge of any more than those named by him. 9. Cave mentions two poems which have been published as his; but he thinks altogether without ground. A Victorino tamen abjudicandum esse existimamus. Basnag. Ann, 303, n. xvi. Quod eo minus congruum, cum librum hunc falso adscribi Victorino Pictaviensi, seu, ut aliis potius videtur, Petabionensi, qui sub fine seculi tertii floruit, valde sit probabile. Lampe Proleg. in Joan. I. i. c. 4, n. xii. p. 66. Du Pin Bib. des Ant. Ec. T. i. p. 194. Au contraire il y a quelque apparence qu'il est de lui. ibid. • See St. Victorin de Pettau, Mem. Ec. T. v. P. ii. p. 218, et note 2. F Ib. p. 218. Ib. note ii. p. 444, et 445. See Les Millenaires in Mem. Ec. T. ii. P. ii. p. 251. í —————in Judæâ, ubi omnes sancti conventuri sunt, et Dominum suum adoraturi. Victorin. ap. Bib. Patr. T. iii. p. 415. D. *Et vidi, inquit, mulierem ebriam de sanguine sanctorum, decreto senatus illius consummatæ nequitiæ, et omnem contra fidei prædicationem etiam latam indulgentiam ipse dedit deoretum in universis gentibus. Id. ib. p. 420. H. Unum autem de capitibus occisum in morte, et plaga mortis ejus curata est, Neronem dicit. Constat enim, dum insequeretur eum equitatus missus a senatu, ipsum sibi gulam succidisse. Hunc ergo suscitatum Deus mittet regem dignum dignis, et Christum qualem meruerunt Judæi: ib. p. 420, D. m Id. ib. p. 415, E. n Multi putant eum Eliam esse, aut Elizæum, aut Möysen. Sed utrique mortui sunt. Hieremiæ autem mors non invenitur, quia omnes veteres nostri tradiderunt illum esse Hieremiam. p. 418. D. Ubi supra, p. 446. P Ap. Bib. P. P. ib. p. 414. Marcion, Praxeas, Sabellius, Valentinus, et cæteri, usque ad Cataphrygas, temporibus suis a Victorino Petavionensi, et Zephyrino. Urbico, et a Tertulliano Carthaginensi, et ab aliis adsertoribus ecclesiæ catholicæ superati sunt. Optat. 1. i. cap. 9. Tribuuntur autem ei carmina duo, quæ habentur in sacrorum poëtarum collectione Fabriciana. De Jesu Christo Deo et homine, unum. Alteri titulus est, Lignum Vitæ. Sed conjectura plane incerta, et, ut mihi videtur, falsa. Cav. in Victor. H. L. T. i. p. 147, Oxon. a 10. Tillemont says, that many manuscripts ascribe to St. Victorinus of Pettaw a hymn upon the cross, or upon Easter, or baptism; which is among St. Cyprian's works. It has been observed that Bede cites it as Victorinus's. It is a fine poem, and perhaps too fine for him. • We thence perceive that many persons pretended to embrace the Christian religion, who did 'not persevere until baptism.' This is but a short poem: I do not intend to quote any thing out of it. d 11. Tillemont adds, that the poem against the Marcionites, among the works of Tertullian, may be ascribed to Victorinus: and this piece answers well enough to what Jerom says ⚫ of Victorinus's small skill in the Latin tongue.' This piece is of some considerable length. Indeed what Jerom says of our author might dispose us not to expect from him any Latin poetry: however, Bede has actually quoted some verses as his. And, since it is allowed that Victorinus did once teach rhetoric, possibly he might think fit sometimes to exercise his pen in verse as well as prose: but, when he writes Latin verse, we are not to expect that his style should appear very beautiful. g f This poem is joined with Tertullian's works, but fully shewn, by Rigaltius in his preface to it, not to be his: it stands there with this title, Five books of an uncertain author against Marcion. Pearson quotes it as a piece whose age is unknown; but yet, as it seems, not reckoning it to have been written till after the middle of the fifth century. From Cave we understand that Allix supposed this work was not published till after the time of Jerom. Bull asserted it to be a genuine work of Tertullian; which induced Tillemont to say, that by many instances it may be shewn, a critical skill in authors was not Bull's talent.' 6 k I certainly do not think that this poem was written by Tertullian; nor do I perceive that we have sufficient evidence to ascribe it to our Victorinus: but as it is of some considerable length, and I do not now think of a better place for it, I shall here make some extracts, and take notice of several things in it. 1. This writer has a catalogue of the early' bishops of Rome, among whom is Clement; who, he says, was acquainted with the apostles, or apostolical men. 2. He mentions" Hermas, author of the Shepherd, whom he placeth in the time of pope Pius. 3. He takes notice of divers ancient" heretics. 4. Speaking of Isaiah and Jeremiah, he says that the former was sawn asunder, and that the latter never died. * Mem. E. T. v. P. ii. p. 218, 219, S. Victorin. b De Cruce Domini. p. 4. App. Cypr. Oxon. 1682. Quâ ductus opinione Victorinus Pictaviensis, antistes ecclesiæ, de Golgotha scribens ita inchoat, &c. Bed. de locis sanct. c. 2. p. 317, Cantabr. 1722. d Tillem. ib. p. 219. • Apud Tertullian. p. 796. Paris. 1634. Incerti auctoris adversus Marcionem Libri quinque. Ib. p. 797. Primus inter Latinos qui Pium suo loco posuit, erat Pros per in Chronico a Labbéo edito. Quem secutus est Catalogus tertius Pseudo-Tertullianus, cujus ætas ignota est, lib. iii. Pears. Opp. Post. p. 266, 267. h Doctissimus Allix libros adversum Marcionem post Híeronymi ævum natos arbitratur. Cav. in Tertulliano. Hist. L. T. i. p. 93. f. i Def. Fid. Nic. Sect. iii. cap. 10. n. xix. p. 217, * On pourroit montrer par divers exemples, que la critique des ouvrages n'est pas le fort de Bullus. Mem. Ec. T. iii P. i. p. 564. 'Maxima Roma Linum primum considere jussit: Quem sequitur Clemens is apostolicis bene notus. Adv. Marcion. 1. iii. p. 803. ap. Tertullian. Angelicus pastor, quia tradita verba locutus. ib. p. 803. " Hæc vobis per Marcionem, Cerdone magistro. |