Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 11: The Fourth Century: Basil, Andrew of Caesarea, Gregory Nazianzen, Damasus, Faustinus, Epiphanius, Philo of Carpasia
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, fourth century. 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. Basil. 370
St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, flourished in the reign of Valens and died under Gratian, as St. Jerome testifies in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers. His works are most splendid, and are contained in four volumes in the Basel edition of the year 1540.
The first volume: on the work of the six days, 11 homilies; on the Psalms, 17 homilies; homilies on various subjects, 28.
The second volume: On virginity, 2 books; On paradise, 1; Against Eunomius, 3 books; Against the Sabellians and Arians, 1; On the Holy Spirit, 1; On free will, 1; On Baptism, 2.
The third volume: the ascetic sermons, 7; On the Judgement of God, 1; On the confession of faith, 1; the summaries of Morals, 80; the Questions explained at length, 55; the Questions explained briefly, 313; the monastic constitutions.
The fourth volume: the Letters of Basil and Gregory the Theologian, 180; the letter to Chilo on the solitary life; other letters of his; the Oration against those who slander us that we say three Gods.
Note on the works of St. Basil. In the first volume are placed eleven homilies on the work of the six days; but only nine are judged by some to be Basil's, because St. Jerome mentions only nine. The last two are attributed to Gregory of Nyssa, who took pains to complete Basil's unfinished work. But those seem mistaken who attribute the tenth and eleventh homilies to Gregory and deny they are Basil's. For Gregory himself, at the end of his book on the work of the six days, says indeed that he composed, as a supplement to Basil's work, a book On the making of man, but not two homilies; and that book is extant among the works of Gregory of Nyssa, but wholly different from those two homilies of Basil. St. Jerome writes in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers that Basil's homilies on the work of the six days are nine; but he says this because Basil at first wrote only nine, but afterwards added two others, whose beginning is, “The payment of an old debt,” and so on. See below in the note on the works of Gregory of Nyssa. In the second volume is placed one book On paradise; but in the Antwerp edition of the year 1568 [“4568” printed] four homilies are placed. Likewise in the second volume are placed three books against Eunomius; but in the Antwerp edition five books; and though Erasmus removed the last two books as unworthy of Basil, yet others judge them not unworthy of Basil. In the third volume are the Questions explained briefly, which are not undoubted. For Nicephorus, book 9, chapter 16, and book 13 [11?], chapter 29, and Sozomen, book 5 [3?], chapter 43 [14?], say that the ascetic works of Basil are attributed by many to Eustathius of Sebaste; which seems to be understood of the Questions explained briefly. For question 1 and 93 seem to condemn traditions, which Basil sharply defends in the book On the Holy Spirit, chapter 27; likewise questions 4 and 293 seem to take away the distinction of mortal and venial sin, which certainly cannot be attributed to St. Basil. There is added also in the Antwerp edition a Commentary of St. Basil on sixteen chapters of the Prophet Isaias, and certain other lesser things are added both in that edition and in others.
Andrew, Bishop of Caesarea
Andrew, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, a learned man, wrote commentaries on the Apocalypse, which are extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 1 of the second edition. When he lived is not altogether certain; but we have placed him here because he was Bishop of Caesarea after St. Basil, and often cites him, and by the consent of all is held an ancient writer; from whom Arethas of Caesarea drew his compendium on the Apocalypse.
St. Gregory Nazianzen. 370
St. Gregory, Bishop of Nazianzus, surnamed the Theologian, the contemporary of St. Basil and companion of his studies, flourished under Valens, and died in the 11th year of Theodosius, on the witness of St. Jerome On Ecclesiastical Writers. He wrote many things, in which he wonderfully joined wisdom with eloquence. Those extant, published at Cologne in the year of the Lord 1570, are these.
Books written in prose: Apologetic books, 4 [1?]; Orations to various persons, 3; Funeral orations, 7; Oration in praise of Hero the Philosopher, 1; Orations on peace, 3; Orations, or books, on theology, 3 [5?]; Orations against the emperor Julian, 2; Letters to Cledonius, 2; Orations on feast days, 7; Treatise on faith, 1; Treatise on the faith of the Nicene Synod, 1; Orations on various subjects, 17; Exhortation to a virgin, 1; Metaphrase on Ecclesiastes, 1; Letters, 80.
Poems: the Tragedy, Christ Suffering, 1; On his own affairs, 2; On various subjects of the old and new Testament, 9; a notable poem on virginity, 1; On the precepts to be kept by a virgin, 1; Spiritual epigrams, 13; Spiritual sentences written in verse, 3 books.
Note on the works of St. Gregory. The Oration in praise of Hero the Philosopher should be entitled In praise of Maximus the Philosopher, as St. Jerome testifies in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers, under Gregory Nazianzen, where he blames those who changed the name of Maximus into the name of Hero. The Metaphrase on Ecclesiastes is not Gregory Nazianzen's but Gregory the Wonderworker's, as we showed above. The Tragedy, Christ Suffering, does not seem to have the weight usual to Nazianzen; especially where the wailing of the mother of Christ is described, who was most prudent and most steadfast.
St. Damasus. 367
St. Damasus, the Roman Pontiff, died in the sixth year of Theodosius, and wrote on virginity and other things, which St. Jerome mentions in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers. But his true writings are not extant, except a few letters, some of which are among the Letters of St. Jerome, some in the history of Theodoret, book 2, chapter 22, and book 5, chapters 10 and 11. There is attributed to St. Damasus a book on the lives of the Pontiffs, which is extant in the first volume of the Councils; but that book is Anastasius the Librarian's, not Damasus's, as is well known.
Faustinus the Deacon. 367
Faustinus the Deacon lived in the time of Pope Damasus, and was twice a schismatic: once in the schism of Ursicinus against Damasus, and again in the schism of the Luciferians, as Gennadius testifies On Illustrious Men, and Cardinal Baronius, Annals volume 4, at the year 1 of Damasus and 4 of Siricius. Yet it has pleased us to put him in this catalogue because he wrote to the empress Flaccilla seven [as printed] quite learned books against the Arians, which are extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 4 of the second edition.
St. Epiphanius. 370
St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, flourished under the Augusti Valens, Gratian and Theodosius. St. Jerome writes in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers that Epiphanius was still alive in the fourteenth year of Theodosius, and wrote books even in extreme old age. His works extant are these: the Panarion against all heresies, which were then counted at about eighty; the book entitled Ancoratus; the Anacephalaeosis, or summary of the Panarion; the book On measures and weights; a short History of the life of the Prophets; the letter to John, Bishop of Jerusalem, given a Latin dress by St. Jerome. Of these works there is no doubt. Epiphanius is said to have written the life of St. Hilarion, but it is not extant. At the end of the letter to John of Jerusalem something seems to have been added by the Iconoclasts; on which see our Controversies, book 2 On the saints, chapter 9.
Philo of Carpasia. 374
Philo of Carpasia was ordained Bishop by St. Epiphanius, as is read in the life of St. Epiphanius. He wrote commentaries on the Canticle of Canticles, which are extant in the first volume of the Library of the Holy Fathers, second edition. But many things seem to be inserted from the commentary of Pope St. Gregory on the Canticles, which do not hang together much with the rest of the explanation. [In the scan the list of the first three volumes of St. Ambrose's works stands before this entry, the columns of the page having been merged; it is given on the next page with Ambrose.]
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De S. Basilio. 370. Sanctus Basilius magnus Archiepiscopus Caesariensis in Cappadocia, Valente impe¬ rante floruit, et sub Gratiano obiit, ut S. Hie¬ ronymus testatur in lib. de script. Eccles. Opera ejus praeclarissima sunt, et quatuor tomis continentur in editione Basileensi an¬ ni 1540. Tomi primi haec sunt : In opificium sex dierum homiliae 1 1 In Psalmos homiliae, 17 Variorum argumentorum homiliae. 28 Tomi Secundi. De virginitate lib. 2 De paradiso, 1 Contra Eunomium libri, 3 Contra Sabellianos et Arianos lib. 1 De Spiritu sancto, 1 De libero arbitrio, 1 De Baptismate, 2 Tomi Tertii : \ Sermones ascetici, 7 De Judicio Dei, \ De confessione fidei, 1 Moralium summae, 80 Quaestiones ftise explicatae. 55 Quaestiones compendio explicatae, 313 Constitutiones monasticae, Quarti tomi : Epistolae Basilii, et Gregorii Theo¬ logi, 180 Epistola ad Chilonem de vita solita¬ ria, Aliae ejusdem epistolae, Oratio adversus eos qui calumniantur, quod tres Deos dicimus. Observatio in opera S. Basilii. In primo tomo ponuntur homiliae undecim de opificio sex dierum : sed novem fantum censentur a nonnullis esse Basilii, quia San¬ ctus Hieronymus novem tantum meminit. Duae postremae tribuuntur Gregorio Nysse- no, qui opus Basilii imperfectum perficere studit. Sed falli videntur, qui decimam et undecimam homiliam Gregorio tribuunt, et Basilii esse negant : nam ipse Gregorius in libro suo de opere sex dierum extremo dicit quidem in supplementum operis Basilii com¬ posuisse se librum de opificio hominis, sed non duas humilias : et liber ille exstat inter opera Gregorii Nysseni, sed diversus omnino ab illis duabus homiliis Basilii. Scribit S. Hie¬ ronymus in libro de script. Eccles. homilias Basilii de opere sex dierum, esse novem: sed hoc dicit quia Basilius novem tantum initio scripsit; sed postea addidit alias duas, qua¬ rum initium est. «Veteris debiti solutionem, etc. » Vide infra in observatione in opera Gregorii Nysseni. In secundo tomo ponitur liber unus de pa¬ radiso : sed in editione Antuerpiensi anni 4568. ponuntur homiliae quatuor. Item in secundo tomo ponuntur libri tres contra Eunomium : sed in editione Antuer¬ piensi libri quinque : et quamvis duos ulti¬ mos libros Erasmus sustulerit, ut indignos Basilio : alii tamen Basilio non indignos cen¬ sent. In tertio tomo sunt quaestiones compendio explicatae, quae non sunt indubitatae. Nice- phorus enim lib. ix. cap. 16. et lib. xm.cap. 29. et Sozomenus lib. v. cap. 43. dicunt, a multis tribui Eustachio Sebasteno ascetica Basilii: id quod de quaestionibus compendio explicatis intelligendum videtur : nam. q. 1 . AB ANNO DOM. 300. AD 400. 381 et 93. videtur damnare traditiones, quas Basilius acriter defendit in libro de Spiritu sancto cap. 27. item. q. 4. et 293 videtur tollere de medio discrimen peccati mortalis, et venialis : quod certe S. Basilio tribui non potest. Additur etiam in editione Antuer- piensi Commentarius S. Basilii in xvi. capita Isaiae Prophetae : et alia quaedam minutiora, tum in ea editione, tum in aliis adduntur. De Andrea Episcopo Caesareae. Andreas Episcopus Caesareae Cappadociae vir doctus scripsit commentaria in Apocaly- psim, quae exstant in bibliotheca S. Patrum tomo primo editionis secundae. Quando vi¬ xerit non est omnino certum : sed hoc loco eum posuimus, quia post S.Basilium Episco¬ pus Caesariensis fuit, eumque saepe citat, et omnium consensu antiquus scriptor habetur: ex quo Arethas Caesariensis compendium suum decerpsit in Apocalvpsim. De S. Gregorio Nazianzeno, 370. Sanctus Gregorius Episcopus Nazianzenus, cognomento Theologus, S. Basilii aequalis et studiorum comes, floruit sub Valente, et anno 11. Theodosii obiit, teste Sancto Hieronymo de script. Eccles. Multa scripsit, in quibus sapientiam cum eloquentia mirifice copula¬ vit. Quae exstant Coloniae edita, anno Do¬ mini 1570. haec sunt : Libri scripti soluta Oratione : Apologetici lib. 4 Orationes ad diversos, 3 Orationes funebres, 7 Oratio in laudem Heronis Philoso¬ phi, 1 Orationes de pace, 3 Orationes sive libri de theologia, 3 Orationes in Julianum imp. 2 Ad Clidonium epistolae, 2 Orationes in dies festos, 7 Tractatus de fide, 1 Tractatu, de fide Nicaenae Synodi, 1 Orationes variorum argumentorum, 17 Ad virginem exhortatio, 1 Metaphrasis in Ecclesiastem, 1 Epistolce, 80 Carmina : Tragoedia, Christus patiens, 1 De rebus suis, 2 De variis argumentis veteris et uovi Testamenti, 9 De virginitate insigne carmen, 1 De praeceptis a virgine servandis, 1 Spiritualia epigrammata, 13 Sententiarum spiritualium carmine scriptarum libri 3 Observatio in opera S. Gregorii. Oratio in laudem Heronis Philosophi, de¬ bet inscribi, in laudem Maximi Philosophi, ut testatur Sanctus Hieronymus in libro de script. Eccles. in Gregorio Nazianzeno, ubi reprehendit eos qui mutaverunt nomen Ma¬ ximi in nomen Heronis. Metaphrasis in Ecclesiastem non est Gre¬ gorii Nazianzeni, sed Gregorii Thaumaturgi, ut supra ostendimus. Tragoedia , Christus patiens, non videtur habere gravitatem so¬ litam Nazianzeno, praesertim cum describi¬ tur ejulatus matris Christi, quae prudentissi- ma et constantissima erat. De Sancto Darnaso. 367. Sanctus Damasus Romanus Pontifex anno sexto Theodosii obiit, et scripsit de virgini¬ tate, et alia, quorum meminit S. Hieronymus in libro de script. Eccles. Sed vera ejus scri¬ pta non exstant, exceptis paucis epistolis, quarum aliquae sunt inter Epistolas S. Hie¬ ronymi , aliqua? in historia Thedoreti lib. ii. cap. 22. et lib. v. cap. 10. et 1 1. Tribuitur Sancto Damaso liber de vitis Pontificum, qui exstat in primo tomo Conciliorum: sed liber ille est Anastasii bibliothecarii, non Damasi ut notum est. De Faustino Diacono . 367. Faustinus Diaconus vixit tempore Damasi Pontificis, et bis schismaticus fuit semel in schismate Ursicini contra Damasum; et ite¬ rum in schismate Luciferianorum, ut testan¬ tur Gennadius de viris illustribus, et Card. Baronius tomo iv. Annalium ad annum Da¬ masi I. et Sirici IV. placuit tamen eum in hoc catalogo ponere, quoniam scripsit ad Flacillam imperatricem libros septem contra 382 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS Arianos satis eruditos, qui exstant in biblio¬ theca sanctorum Patrum tom. iv. edit. 2. De Sancto Epiphanio. 370. Sanctus Epiphanius Salamise Cypri Epi¬ scopus floruit sub Yalente, Gratiano et Theo¬ dosio Augustis. Scribit Sanctus Hieronymus in libro de script. Eccles. Epiphanium anno quartodecimo Theodosii adhuc superfuisse, et in extrema etiam senectute libros scri¬ psisse. Opera ejus heec exstant : Opus panarium contra omnes hsereses, qu£e tunc ad octoginta numerabantur. Liber inscriptus Ancoratus. Anacephalseosis, sive summa panarii. De mensuris et ponderibus liber. Historia brevis de Prophetarum vita. Ad Joannem Episcopum Hierosolymita¬ num epistola, a Sancto Hieronymo latinitate donata. De his operibus nulla dubitatio est. Dicitur Epiphanius scripsisse vitam S. Hi- larionis : sed ea non exstat. Ad finem epistolse ad Joannem Hierosoly¬ mitanum videtur aliquid additum ad Icono- clastis : de quare vide controversias nostras lib. ii. de sanctis cap. 9. De Philone Carpathio. 374. Tomi primi : De officiis, lib. 3 De virginibus, 3 Ad virgines exhortatio. 1 Institutio virginis, 1 Ad virginem devotam, 1 Ad virginem lapsam, 1 De viduis, 1 De poenitentia, 2 Exhortatio ad poenitentiam, 1 De fuga saeculi, 1 De bono mortis, 1 Tomi secundi : De vocatione gentium, lib. 2 De fide ad Gratianum, 5 De Spiritu sancto ad eumdem, 3 De fide contra Arianos, 1 De incarnationis Sacramento, 1 De mysterio Paschae, 1 Tomi tertii : Oratio funebris de obitu Valentiniani. Alia de obitu Satyri. De fide resurrectionis oratio. Alia de obitu Theodosii. Epistolarum ad diversos lib. 10 Conciones ad populum. 92 Philo Carpathius a S. Epiphanio Episcopus ordinatus est, ut in vita S. Epiphanii legitur. Scripsit commentaria in cantica canticorum, quae exstant in primo tomo bibliothecae san¬ ctorum Patrum, secundae editionis. Sed vi¬ dentur multa inserta ex commentario S. Gregorii Papae in cantica, quae cum reliqua explicatione non multum cohaerent.