Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 8: Victorinus to Macarius: Methodius, Arnobius, Lactantius, Constantine, Eusebius, the Desert Fathers
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, third and fourth centuries. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
St. Victorinus of Pettau. 270
St. Victorinus, Bishop of Pettau and Martyr, a contemporary of St. Cyprian or a little later, wrote many works, on the witness of St. Jerome in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers. Now only a commentary on the Apocalypse is extant, and of this very one there is doubt whether it is Victorinus's work. For St. Jerome writes, in the letter prefixed to Victorinus's Commentary on the Apocalypse, that Victorinus in this commentary of his followed the error of the Chiliasts; which he also wrote in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers, under Papias; for which cause Pope Gelasius counted the works of Victorinus among the apocrypha. But the commentary now extant under the name of Victorinus not only lacks this error, but even fights against it. This blessed man suffered martyrdom under Diocletian in the year of the Lord 303.
St. Methodius, Bishop and Martyr. 285
St. Methodius, Bishop of Tyre, was famous in the time of the emperor Diocletian, and in his 20th year was crowned with martyrdom, from Jerome On Ecclesiastical Writers. He wrote many things, but now only fairly large fragments are extant from his book on the resurrection against Origen, in Epiphanius, heresy 64. Other fragments are extant also in Photius in the Library. A little book of revelations goes about under the name of St. Methodius, but it is judged forged.
The fourth century, from the year 300 to 400
Dorotheus of Tyre
Dorotheus of Tyre is said to have suffered exile in the time of Diocletian, and to have written a Synopsis of the life of the Prophets and of the disciples of Christ; which synopsis is extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers and is often cited. But I have found no mention of this Dorotheus in Eusebius, St. Jerome or Gennadius, or even in John Trithemius, who wrote on illustrious men. And the synopsis itself is full of fables: let the reader consult what this author writes in the lives of Abdias, Jonas, Isaias, Jeremias and Eliseus. Let him consult besides what he writes in the lives of James of Alpheus and of Clement; and in sum let him know that by this man all who are named by the Apostle Paul, even if they were heathen or women, are counted among the 72 disciples of Christ, and all of them made not only disciples of the Lord but also Bishops. I should not have mentioned so fabulous a book had I not seen it cited by many and made much of.
Arnobius. 283
Arnobius flourished under the emperor Diocletian, on the witness of St. Jerome On Ecclesiastical Writers; and to prove that he had truly become a Christian from a pagan, he wrote seven books against the Gentiles. For the eighth which is joined to that work is not the eighth book of Arnobius but the Octavius of Minucius Felix, of which we spoke above. There are carried about also under the name of Arnobius short commentaries on the Psalms. But they do not seem to be this Arnobius's, but another's more recent. For in the explanation of Psalm 118 this author refutes the heresy of the predestinarians, which arose in the time of St. Augustine or later; and in the explanation of Psalm 109 he refutes by name Photinus, the restorer of the heresy of the Ebionites. But Photinus lived in the time of the emperor Valentinian, on the witness of St. Jerome On Ecclesiastical Writers, at which time Arnobius could not be alive. For Arnobius was the teacher of Lactantius; and Lactantius in extreme old age was called by Constantine the Great to teach his son Crispus, on the witness of St. Jerome On Ecclesiastical Writers, under Lactantius. And though the commentaries on the Psalms are not of that Arnobius who flourished about the beginning of Diocletian's rule, yet they are of some old author who was also called Arnobius, as is clear from Bede's Commentaries on the Psalms, in which the explanation of Arnobius is brought in more than once. See below under Arnobius the younger. There are carried about also little notes on various places of the Gospel; but they are of small weight, nor is it certain whether they are Arnobius's.
Lactantius Firmianus. 290
Lactantius Firmianus, a hearer of Arnobius, flourished under Diocletian and reached in old age the rule of Constantine the Great, on the witness of St. Jerome in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers, where he lists many works of his that are not extant. Those that are extant are these: the Divine Institutions, 7 books; On the Anger of God, 1; On the Workmanship of God, 1; the Epitome of his own books; the poem on the Phoenix; another on the Lord's passion; a third on his resurrection and on Easter. And indeed all the works, except the poems, are without controversy Lactantius's; and as they come nearest to Ciceronian eloquence, so they are so disfigured by various errors that not without cause Pope Gelasius in the Roman Council would have them judged apocryphal. The poem on the Phoenix seems to be of a heathen man. Of the poem on the resurrection and Easter, as also of that on the Passion, it is uncertain whether they are Lactantius's, because some deny that they are his; and yet we have no certain argument to prove they are not his.
Constantine the Great, emperor. 306
Constantine, the son of St. Helena, the greatest and most fortunate emperor, though most busy in governing the empire of the world, which he took up in the year of the Lord 306 and held until 337, yet wrote many Latin orations, and recited a great part of them, on the witness of Eusebius, Life of Constantine book 4, chapter 29. Only one now survives, written to the assembly of the saints, which the same Eusebius mentions, Life of Constantine book 4, chapter 32; and it is usually printed after the books of the Life of Constantine themselves. It is truly a fine and splendid oration on the coming and divinity of Christ; where also, in chapter 18, are brought in verses of the Erythraean Sibyl, whose capital letters give this saying: “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour, Cross.” The same emperor wrote also many letters, some of which are extant, both in the History of Eusebius and in the books of the Life of Constantine. But the letters could perhaps be attributed to secretaries; while the orations were written by Constantine's own labour and study, as we have said.
Eusebius of Caesarea. 326
Eusebius Pamphili, Bishop of Caesarea, flourished in the time of Constantine the Great. He wrote very many things, of which these are now extant: the Preparation for the Gospel, 14 books; the Demonstration of the Gospel, 10; the Church History, 10 [“4” printed]; the Life of Constantine, 4 [“l” printed]; against the heresy of Hierocles, 1; on the Disagreement of the Philosophers, 1; the Chronicle, in the version of St. Jerome. Of these, the books of the Preparation and Demonstration of the Gospel are incomplete. For Eusebius wrote, on the witness of St. Jerome On Ecclesiastical Writers, fifteen books of the Preparation and twenty of the Demonstration; but now those are fourteen and these ten. Rufinus, turning the Church History of Eusebius, made nine books, to which he himself added two. But John Christopherson in his translation showed that there are ten books, as St. Jerome also counted. Further, Rufinus did not translate word for word, but added some things and took away some. Gelasius put this history among the apocryphal books, perhaps because of the excessive praises of Origen. Eusebius wrote besides, under the name of St. Pamphilus the Martyr, an Apology for Origen. For though St. Jerome in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers, under Pamphilus, testified that an apology for Origen was written by St. Pamphilus, yet the same St. Jerome, book 2 against Rufinus, says he afterwards found that that apology is part of Eusebius's apology for the same Origen, whose title Rufinus had changed; and he proves this very thing by the testimony of Eusebius, who asserted that St. Pamphilus wrote nothing except some letters.
Further, that this Eusebius of Caesarea was an Arian Heretic St. Athanasius testifies in the book On the Decrees of the Nicene Synod; St. Jerome testifies it in both books against Rufinus, where he calls this Eusebius not only an Arian Heretic but now the standard-bearer, now the chief of the Arians; the seventh Synod testifies it, act 5, where first the Apostolic legates, then the whole Synod, reject the authority of Eusebius Pamphili as an Arian Heretic. So it is strange why some moderns want to defend this Eusebius with such ardour.
Juvencus, the Christian poet. 330
Juvencus the Presbyter, in the reign of Constantine, wrote four books of verse in which he took in the Gospel history. St. Jerome praises this work, both in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers and in the letter to Magnus, and also in the commentary on chapter 2 of Matthew [“vii” printed]. These books are extant in volume 8 of the Library of the Holy Fathers, second edition.
St. Anthony the Abbot. 330
St. Anthony the Abbot flourished under the same emperor Constantine. He wrote seven letters in the Egyptian tongue, but in an Apostolic sense and spirit, as St. Jerome testifies in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers. The letters of St. Anthony are extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers. John Trithemius adds, in his book On Ecclesiastical Writers, that two books of sermons were written by the same Anthony the Great, which are likewise now extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers. But it is strange that Trithemius did not notice that in those sermons Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, Nilus, Photius and others are cited, who were later by many centuries than St. Anthony the Abbot of whom we are speaking.
St. Pachomius. 340
St. Pachomius, from a heathen soldier made a most approved Monk, a contemporary of St. Anthony and perhaps his disciple, wrote a rule for Monks at the dictation of an Angel, which is extant among the works of John Cassian printed at Rome.
St. Orsiesius. 340
Orsiesius the Monk, a contemporary of St. Pachomius, wrote (on the witness of Gennadius in the book On Illustrious Men) a book seasoned with divine salt, on the instruction of the monastic life. This book is extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, second edition, volume 4.
St. Macarius the Elder. 340
St. Macarius the elder, a disciple of St. Anthony, and a contemporary of St. Pachomius and Orsiesius, wrote fifty homilies to Monks, which are extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 2 of the second edition.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De S. Victorino Pictavionense. 270. Sanctus Victorinus Pictavionensis Episco¬ pus, et Martyr, S. Crypriani aequalis, vel paulo posterior, multa opera scripsit, teste S. Hieronymo in lib. de script. Eccles.Nunc solum exstat commentarius in Apocalypsim, et de hoc ipso dubium est, an sit Victorini opus. Scribit enim S. Hieronymus in episto¬ la praefixa Commentario Victorini in Apoca¬ lypsim, Victorinum in isto suo commentario secutum esse errorem Ghiliastarum ; quod etiam scripsit in lib. de script. Eccles. in Papia : qua de causa Gelasius Papa, Victo¬ rini opera inter apocrypha numeravit. At commentarium, quod nunc exstat sub no¬ mine Victorini, non solum hoc errore caret, sed contra hunc errorem etiam pugnat. Hic beatus vir sub Diocletiano martyrium* pas¬ sus est anno Dom. 303. i j De S. Methodio Episcopo , et Martyre. 285. Sanctus Methodius Episcopus Tyri claruit tempore Diocletiani, imperat., et anno ejus 20. martyrio coronatus est, ex Hieronymo de script. Eccles. Is multa scripsit, sed nunc solum exstant fragmenta satis magna ex lib. ejus de resurrectione adversus Orige- nem, apud Epiphanium hseresi 64. Exstant etiam alia fragmenta apud Photium in bi¬ bliotheca. Circumfertur libellus revelatio¬ num sub nomine S. Methodii, sed supposi- titius censetur. AB ANNO DOM. 300. AD 400. 371 De Dorotheo Tyrrhensi. Dorotheus Tyrrhensis dicitur tempore Diocletiani exilium passus et scripsisse Sy- nopsim de vita Prophetarum, et discipulo¬ rum Christi : quse synopsis exstat in biblio¬ theca S. Patrum, et frequenter citatur. At hujus Dorothei nullam mentionem inveni apud Eusebium, S. Hieronymum, vel Gen- nadium, aut etiam Jo. Trithemium, qui scripserunt de viris illustribus. Ipsa vero synopsis plena est fabulis : con¬ sulat lector , quse iste auctor scribit in vita Abdise, Jonse, Isaise , Hieremise, et Elissei. Praeterea consulat, quse scribit in vita Jaco- bi Alphsei, et Clementis : et in summa sciat, ab isto numerari inter 72. discipulos Christi, omnes, qui ab Apostolo Paulo nominantur, etiamsi Ethnici fuerint, vel feminse : 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. De Arnobio. 283. Arnobius sub imp. Diocletiano floruit, teste Sancto Hieronymo de script. Eccles. ac ut probaret, se vere sanctum esse ex pa¬ gano Christianum, scripsit libros septem contra gentes : nam octavus, qui illi operi adjunctus est, non est liber octavus Arnobii, sed octavus Felicis Minutii, de quo supra dictum est. Feruntur etiam sub nomine Ar¬ nobii commentaria brevia in Psalmos. Sed ea non videntur esse hujus Arnobii, sed alterius recentioris : nam in explicatione Psal. cxviii. refellit hic auctor hseresim prae¬ destinatorum, quse tempore S. Augustini, vel postea, exorta est : et in explicatione Psal. cix. nominatim refellit Photinum hae- resis Ebionitarum instauratorem. At Photi- nus tempore Valentiniani imperatoris vixit, teste S. Hieronymo de script. Eccles., quo tempore Arnobius superstes esse non pote¬ rat. Fuit enim Arnobius praeceptor Lactan¬ tii ; Lactantius autem in extrema senectute vocatus est a Constantino Magno, ut Cri¬ spum filium erudiret, teste S. Hieronymo de script. Eccles. in Lactantio. Quamvis autem commentaria in Psalmos , non sint illius Arnobii, qui circa initia principatus Diocletiani florebat : sunt tamen auctoris alicujus veteris, qui etiam Arnobius diceba¬ tur, ut constat ex Commentariis Bedse in Psalmos, in quibus explicatio Arnobii non semel adducitur. Vide infra in verbo, Arno¬ bius junior. Feruntur etiam annotatiunculae in varios locos Evangelii; sed parvi momen¬ ti, neque certum est, an sint Arnobii. De Lactantio Firmiano. 290. Lactantius Firmianus, Arnobii auditor, floruit sub Diocletiano, et ad Principatum Constantini Magni in senectute pervenit, testeS. Hieronymo in libro de script. Eccles., ubi multa ejus opera recenset, quae non exstant : quae autem exstant haec sunt : Divinarum institutionum lib. 7 De ira Dei, 1 De opificio Dei, 1 Epitome in libros suos, Carmen de Phoenice, Aliud de passione Domini, Tertium de resurrectione ejusdem, et Paschate. Et quidem opera omnia, exceptis carmini¬ bus, sine controversia Lactantii sunt : et quemadmodum ad eloquentiam Tullianam proxime accedunt, ita eroribus variis sic deformata sunt, ut non sine causa Gelasius Papa in Concilio Romano apocrypha censeri voluerit. Carmen de Phoenice Ethnici hominis esse videtur. Carmen de resurrectione, et de Paschate, ut etiam de Passione , ambiguum est, an Lactantii sint, quia nonnulli negant illius esse : et tamen non habemus certum argu¬ mentum, unde probetur illius non esse. SiE CULUM QUARTUM AB ANNO 300. AD 400 De Constantino Magno imperatore. 306. Constantinus S. Helenae filius, imperator Maximus, et felicissimus, quamvis occupa¬ tissimus in imperio orbis terrae gubernando, quod suscepit anno Dom. 306. et tenuit usque ad 337 . scripsit tamen multas latinas orationes, earumque magnam partem reci¬ tavit, Eusebio teste libro iv. de vita Constan¬ tini, cap. 29. Una tantum nunc superest, scripta ad sanctorum coetum : cujus memi¬ nit idem Eusebius lib. iv. cap. 32. de vita Constantini , atque eadem excudi solet post ipsos libros de vita Constantini. Oratio sane pulchra et luculenta de Christi adventu, et divinitate : ubi etiam1, cap. 18. inferuntur 372 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS carmina Sibyllae Erythraeae; quarum litterae capitales reddunt hanc sententiam, « Jcsus Christus, Dei filius, Servator, Crux. » Scri¬ psit etiam idem imperator epistolas multas, quarum aliquae exstant tum in hist. Eusebii, tum in libris de vita Constantini. Sed episto¬ lae possent fortasse tribui secretariis ; sed orationes, ipsius Constantini proprio labore et studio scribebantur, ut diximus. De Eusebio Caesariensi. 326. Eusebius Pamphili Episcopus Caesariensis, tempore Constantini Magni floruit ; scripsit plurima, ex quibus haec nunc exstant : De Evangelica praeparatione lib. 14 De Evangelica demonstratione 10 De Historia Ecclesiastica, 4 De vita Constantini, l Adversus haeresim Hieroclis, 1 De Philosophorum dissensione 1 Chronicum interprete S. Hieronymo. Ex his, libri de praeparatione et demon¬ stratione Evangelica imperfecti sunt. Scri¬ psit enim Eusebius, teste S. Hieronymo de script. Eccles. De praeparatione lib xv. De demonstratione lib. xx. Nunc autem illi sunt xiv. isti sunt x. Historiam Eusebii Ecclesia¬ sticam Ruffinus vertens, libros novem con¬ fecit, quibus duos ipse addidit. Sed Jo. Christophorsonus in sua interpretatione li¬ bros decem esse ostendit, quot etiam S. Hie¬ ronymus numeravit. Caeterum Ruffinus non ad verbum vertit, sed aliqua addidit, aliqua detraxit. Hanc historiam Gelasius inter apo¬ cryphos libros retulit, fortasse ob nimias laudes Origenis. Scripsit praeterea Eusebius sub nomine S. Pamphili Martyris Apologiam pro Orige- ne : quamvis enim S. Hieronymus in libro de script. Eccles. in Pamphilo testatus sit, a Sancto Pamphilo scriptam fuisse apolo¬ giam pro Origene : tamen idem Sanctus Hieronymus lib. n. in Ruffinum, se postea comperisse dicit, apologiam illam esse par¬ tem apologiae Eusebii pro eodem Origene, cui R uffinus mutaverat titulum, et hoc ipsum probat testimonio Eusebii qui sanctum Pam¬ philum nihil scripsisse asseruit praeter epi¬ stolas aliquot. Porro Eusebium hunc Caesariensem Aria- num Haereticum fuisse testaturSanctus Atha- nasius in libro de decretis Nicaenae Synodi : testatur Sanctus Hieronymus in utroque li¬ bro adversus Ruffinum, ubi Eusebium hunc non solum Haereticum Arianum , sed nunc signiferum , nunc principem Arianorum vo¬ cat : testatur septima Synodus act. v. ubi primum legati Apostolici, deinde tota Syno¬ dus rejiciunt auctoritatem Eusebii Pamphili, tamquam Haeretici Ariani. Quare mirum est, cur aliqui moderni Eusebium hunc tanto ardore defendere velint. De Juvenco poeta Christiano. 330. Juvencus Presbyter scripsit Constantino imperante libros quatuor carminum, quibus Evangelicam historiam complexus est. Lau¬ dat hoc opus Sanctus Hieronymus tum in libro de script. Eccles. tum in epistola ad Magnum, tum etiam in commentario ad cap. vii. Matthaei. Exstant hi libri in vm. tomo bibliothecae sanctorum Patrum editionis se¬ cundae. De Sancto Antonio Abbate. 330. Sanctus Antonius Abbas eodem impera¬ tore Constantino floruit, scripsit quae episto¬ las septem lingua rEgyptiaca, sed sensu et spiritu Apostolico, ut Sanctus Hieronymus testatur in lib. de script. Eccles. Exstant epistolae S. Antonii in Bibliotheca sancto¬ rum Patrum. Addit Jo. Trithemius in libro suo de script. Eccl. scriptos fuisse ab eodem Magno Antonio duos libros sermonum, qui pariter nunc exstant in bibliotheca sancto¬ rum Patrum. Sed mirum est Trithemium non advertisse, in sermonibus illis citari Ba- silium, Gregorium Nyssenum, Jo. Chryso- stomum, Nilum, Photium, et alios, qui mul¬ tis annorum centuriis posteriores fuerunt S. Antonio Abbate, de quo nos loquimur. De S. Pacomio. 340. Sanctus Pacomius ex milite gentili Mona¬ chus probatissimus effectus, S. Antonii aequa¬ lis, et forte discipulus, scripsit regulam Mo¬ nachorum, Angelo dictante, quae exstat inter opera Joannis Cassiani, Romae excusa. De Sancto Oresiesi. 340. Oresiesis Monachus aequalis S. Pacomi scripsit (Gcnnadio teste in libro de viris illu¬ stribus) librum divino sale conditum, de in¬ structione vitae monasticae : hic liber exstat AB ANNO DOM. 300. AD 400. 373 in bibliotheca SS. Patrum, editionis secun- • ' dse tomo quarto. De Sancto Macario seniore. 340. Sanctus Macarius senior S. Antonii disci¬ pulus, et S. Pacomii, atque Oresiesis aequa¬ lis, scripsit homilias quinquaginta ad Mona¬ chos, quae exstant in bibliotheca sanctorum Patrum tomo secundo editionis secundae.