Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 13: The Fourth Century: Philastrius, Idacius, Gregory of Nyssa, Amphilochius
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. Philastrius of Brescia. 380
St. Philastrius, Bishop of Brescia, lived in the time of St. Ambrose, as St. Augustine testifies at the beginning of the book On the heresies to Quodvultdeus. He wrote a book on the heresies up to his own times, which book is extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, second edition, volume 4. But this must be observed: that many things are counted by Philastrius among the heresies which are not truly heresies; so he must be read with prudence. That in heresy 65 he mentions the year of the Lord 430 is a printers' error; for this author did not reach that year.
Idacius Clarus. 380
Idacius, or Ithacius Clarus, a Spanish Bishop, of whom Sulpicius says much in the Sacred History when he treats of Priscillian, wrote three books against Varimadus the Arian, which are extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 4, second edition. He wrote also an Apology against the heresies of Priscillian, on the witness of Isidore On Illustrious Men, chapter 15; which book I do not think is extant. He lived about the year of the Lord 380, and in this he was blamed and punished by the bishops, that he accused Priscillian before the secular judges and had him put to death.
St. Gregory of Nyssa. 380
St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, the brother of St. Basil, was still living and writing in the 14th year of Theodosius, on the witness of St. Jerome, book On Ecclesiastical Writers. He was present at the first Council of Constantinople, and wrote the creed of faith published in that Synod, as Nicephorus relates, History book 12, chapter 13. His works, from the Basel edition of the year 1562, are these:
The letter on the name of Christian; On the Lord's Prayer; On the eight beatitudes in Matthew 5, 1; Sermons: on the Nativity; on St. Stephen; on the sixth Psalm; on the octave; on Easter; on the assumption of Christ; On the Trinity, and that the Holy Spirit is God; That there are not three gods; On the difference of essence and hypostasis; On the faith of the Trinity; on the Apostle's saying, Then the Son himself shall be subject to him; On those who sleep; On infants taken away too soon; four orations on the resurrection; On the assumption of the Lord; on the Lord's saying, As long as you did it to one of these my least, you did it to me; the disputation On the soul and resurrection; On the Trinity against the Jews; On holy baptism; orations in praise of Basil; on the 40 Martyrs; on Pulcheria; on Flaccilla; on Gregory of Neocaesarea; on Theodore the Martyr; on Meletius; On the image, or on the creation of man, a supplement to Basil's Hexameron; On philosophy, 8 books; On the life of Moses, 1.
First note on the works of St. Gregory of Nyssa. There seem to be missing from this catalogue of books the books against Eunomius, which St. Jerome mentions in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers. Nor can it be said that the book On the Trinity, and that the Holy Spirit is God, was written against Eunomius; for this is a little book, not several books, and in this little book Eunomius is not even named. I hear that twelve books against Eunomius in Greek have been brought out of the Bavarian library and given a Latin dress by Father Jacob Gretser, of our Society, who has deserved most well of letters and, what is far more, of the Catholic Church. These then are the books which St. Jerome records, and says were read to him by Gregory himself.
Second note. Besides the books numbered above there are extant, from the Paris edition of the year 1573: eight sermons on Ecclesiastes; the explanation of the Canticle of Canticles; On the form of the perfect Christian man; the Catechetical oration, which is called the great; against those who put off baptism; On fleeing fornication; against those who take reproofs ill; on the sinful woman; On loving the poor; On true virginity; the letter to Flavian.
Third note. The eight books On philosophy do not seem to be St. Gregory of Nyssa's. For in book 2 he teaches that the soul is not created in the body but was created before the body, which is the error of Origen; and besides this whole work is philosophical and savours of Pelagianism. Add that this same work is found in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 9, second edition, under the name of a certain Nemesius, a Christian Philosopher; this only excepted, that in Nyssen it is divided into eight books, in Nemesius it is one book divided into 45 chapters and entitled On man, or On the soul. When this Nemesius wrote is unknown; but because he refutes by name the Manichees, Apollinaris and Eunomius, he seems to have lived and written in the time of St. Gregory of Nyssa, or certainly not before.
Fourth note. Someone might ask why Gregory wrote On the creation of man to supply Basil's Hexameron, since Basil himself supplied his own work, adding the tenth and eleventh homilies, in which he explains the creation of man quite fully. We answer that Basil in those two last homilies completed the explanation of the divine Scripture on the work of the six days, but did not dispute exactly of the whole structure of the human body; indeed he only touched on the things that belong to the eyes, so that from them the rest might be gathered. So in the last homily he plainly shows that he had not said everything that could have been said, when he says: “If I had so much leisure left that I could show you the structure of man, you would surely learn from yourself the wisdom of God about you.” Gregory therefore took occasion from these and other words of Basil to write the book On the creation of man; a very long book, I say, in which he might supply what Basil left out, about the voice, the ears, the hands, and lastly the other members or senses, which make the structure of the human body wonderful.
Fifth note. The Heretics who blame pilgrimages to holy places rely chiefly on a very long Oration of St. Gregory of Nyssa, which the Magdeburgers give whole, Century 4, chapter 10. But we have not so far found that oration among the works of St. Gregory of Nyssa. Nor do the arguments the Heretics gather from it prove anything, as we have plainly shown in the Controversies, book 3 On the saints, chapter 8.
Amphilochius. 380
Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, a contemporary of St. Gregory, whom St. Jerome in the letter to Magnus seems to make equal in sacred and profane learning to Basil and Gregory Nazianzen, when he says of these three men that it cannot easily be judged what you should first admire in them, their worldly learning or their knowledge of the Scriptures. He wrote a book On the Holy Spirit and not a few homilies. Of the former book St. Jerome is witness in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers; of the homilies Theodoret is witness, who often cites them in the dialogues. Whether the book On the Holy Spirit and the homilies Theodoret cites are extant at this time I could not know for certain. There is extant indeed under the name of Amphilochius a life of St. Basil the Great, but without doubt false or forged. For first that author tells that Basil was made Bishop before the death of Julian; which is against the histories, and against St. Gregory Nazianzen himself in the oration on St. Basil. Then the author tells that St. Basil was shown by revelation to Eusebius of Caesarea, since before he did not know him [“posset” printed; nosset read]; which too is certainly false, from the fact that Nazianzen writes that Eusebius contended with Basil over the episcopate and for that cause became Basil's enemy. Third, it is certain that St. Basil died in the last year of the emperor Valens and administered the episcopate eight years, from Gregory Nazianzen and others; so he was made Bishop in the sixth year of Valens. But according to the forged Amphilochius, Basil would either have sat fifteen years, or would have died before he became Bishop, if he was already Bishop while Julian was living. I leave out many other things that are wrongly told in that life, both about Libanius and about others.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De S. Philastrio Brixiensi. 380. Sanctus Philastrius Episcopus Brixiae , tempore S. Ambrosii vixit, ut S. Augustinus testatur initio libri de haeresibus ad Quod vult Deus : scripsit librum de haeresibus usque ad sua tempora ; qui liber exstat in bibliotheca S. Patrum secundo edita, tomo iv. Sed illud est observandum, multa a Phi¬ lastrio inter haereses numerari, quae vere haereses non sunt : proindre cum prudentia legendus est. Quod autem in haeresi 65. me¬ minit anni Dom. 430. mendum est typogra- phorum : nam ad eum annum hic auctor non pervenit. De Idacio Claro. 380. Idacius, sive Ithacius Clarus, Episcopus Hispanus, de quo multa Sulpitius in historia sacra, cum de Priscilliano agit, scripsit li¬ bros tres adversus Yarimandum Arianum, qui exstant in bibliotheca S. Patrum t. iv. edit. 2.; scripsit etiam Apologeticum adver¬ sus Priscillian i haereses, teste Isidoro de viris illustribus cap. 15. quem librum exstare non puto. Yixit circa annum Dom. 380. et in eo reprehensus, et punitus ab episcopis fuit, quod Priscillianum apud seculares judices accusaverit, et occidi curaverit. De S. Gregorio Nysseno. 380. Sanctus Gregorius Nyssenus Episcopus, S. Basilii frater, vivebat adhuc, et scribebat anno 14. Theodosii, teste S. Hieronymo lib. de script. Eccles. Interfuit Concilio primo Constantinopolitano, et scripsit symbolum fidei in ea Synodo editum, ut refert Nice- phorus lib. xn. hist. cap. 13. Ejus opera ex editione Basileensi anni 1562, haec sunt : Epistola de nomine Christiani. De oratione Dominica lib. De octo beatitudinibusin cap. V. Matth. 1. Tom. XII. Sermones, de Nativitate. De S. Stephano. In sextum Psalmum. De octava. De Pascha. De Christi assumptione. De Trinitate, et quod Spiritus sanctus si Deus. De eo, quod non sint tres dii. De differentia essentiae, et hypostaseos. ( De fide Trinitatis. In dictum Apostoli, tunc ipse Filius sub j icitur ei. De dormientibus. De infantibus praemature raptis. De resurrectione orationes 4. De assumptione Domini. In dictum Domini Quatenus fecistis uni ex minimis his, mihi fecistis. De anima et resurrectione disputatio. De Trinitate contra Judaeos. De sancto baptismate. Orationes laudatoriae in Basilium. In 40. Martyres. In Pulcheriam. In Placillam. In Gregorium Neocaesariensem. In Theodorum Matyrem. In Meletium. De imagine, sive de creatione hominis, supplementum hexameron Basilii. De philosophia, lib. 8 De vita Mosis, 1 Prima observatio in opera S. Gregorii Nysseni. Deesse videntur in hoc librorum catalogo libri in Eunomium, quorum meminit San¬ ctus Hieronymus in libro de script. Eccle- siast. Neque dici potest, contra Eunomium scriptum esse librum de Trinitate, et, quod Spiritus Sanctus sit Deus : nam hic est li¬ bellus, non libri plures : et in hoc libello Eunomius ne nominatur quidem. Audio, ex Bavarica bibliotheca depromptos Graece li¬ bros duodecim contra Eunomium, eosque latinitate donatos a Patre Jacobo Gretsero nostro, de litteris, et quod est longe amplius de Ecclesia Catholica optime merito. Hi sunt igitur libri, quos commemorat S. Hierony¬ mus, et sibi ab ipso Gregorio lectos fuisse dicit. 25 386 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS Secanda observatio. Prseter libros supra numeratos exstant ex editione Parisiensi anni 1573. In Ecclesiasten conciones octo. In Cantica canticorum explanatio. De perfecti hominis Christiani forma. Catechetica oratio, quse dicitur magna. In eos, qui differunt baptisma. De fugienda fornicatione. In eos qui aegre ferunt reprehensiones. In mulierem peccatricem. De pauperibus amandis. De vera virginitate. Ad Flavianum epistola. Tertia observatio. Libri octo de philosophia non videntur esse S. Gregorii Nysseni : nam in lib. ii. docet, animam non creari in corpore, sed ante corpus fuisse creatam , qui est error Origenis : et praeterea totum hoc opus phi¬ losophicum est, et sapit Pelagianismum. Adde quod hoc idem opus invenitur in bi¬ bliotheca sanctorum Patrum tomo nono, ex editione secunda, sub nomine cujusdam Ne- mesii Philosophi Christiani : eo solum exce¬ pto, quod apud Nyssenum dividitur in octo libros, apud Nemesium est unus liber divisus in capita 45. et inscribitur, de homine sive de anima. Hic autem Nemesius , quando scripserit, ignoratur, sed quia nominatim refellit Manichaeos, Apollinarem , et Euno- mium, videtur vixisse, et scripsisse tempore S. Gregorii Nysseni, aut certe non antea. Quarta observatio. Posset ab aliquo quaeri, cur Gregorius scripserit de creatione hominis ad supplen¬ dum hexameron Basilii, cum ipse Basilius suppleverit opus suum, addens decimam et undecimam homiliam, in quibus creationem hominis satis copiose explicat. Respondemus, Basilium in duabus illis postremis homiliis absolvisse explanationem divinae Scripturae de opere sex dierum ; sed non accurate dis¬ putasse de tota structura corporis humani, imo vero solum attigisse ea quae ad oculos pertinent, ut ex illis caetera colligerentur. Itaque in homilia postrema aperte indicat, se non omnia dixisse , quae dici potuissent, cum ait : « Si mihi tantum superesset otii, ut tibi hominis structuram demonstrare pos¬ sem, ex te ipso sane disceres sapientiam Dei circa te. » Gregorius igitur ex his et aliis Basilii verbis occasionem accepit scribendi libri de creatione hominis, libri, inquam, longissimi, in quo suppleret ea quae Basilius omisit, de voce, de auribus, de manibus, de aliis denique membris, vel sensibus, quae structuram humani corporis admirabilem reddunt. Quinta observatio. Haeretici, qui peregrinationes ad loca san¬ cta reprehendunt, nituntur maxime Oratione quadam valde prolixa Sancti Gregorii Nys¬ seni, quam totam referunt Magdeburgenses centuria quarta cap. 10. Sed eam orationem non invenimus hactenus inter opera S. Gre¬ gorii Nysseni. Neque argumenta, quae inde colligunt Haeretici, aliquid probant, ut nos aperte ostendimus in controversiis lib. m. de sanctis cap. 8. De Amphilochio. 380. Amphilochius Iconii Episcopus S. Gregorii aequalis, quem S. Hieronymus in epistola ad Magnum parem doctrina sacra et profana facere videtur Basilio, et Gregorio Nazian- zeno, cum de his tribus viris dicit, non fa¬ cile judicari posse, quid in illis primum ad¬ mirari debeas, eruditionem saeculi, an scien¬ tiam Scripturarum. Scripsit librum de Spiritu sancto, et ho- milias non paucas : de priore libro testis est Sanctus Hieronymus in lib. de script. Eccles. De homiliis testis est Theodoretus, qui eas in dialogis frequenter citat. An hoc tempore exstent liber de Spiritu sancto, et homiliae, quas Theodoretus citat, equidem certo scire non potui. Exstat quidem sub nomine Amphilochii vita S. Basilii Magni, sed haud dubio falsa, vel supposititia. Primum enim narrat ille auctor Basilium factum Episcopum ante mor¬ tem Juliani. Quod repugnat historiis, et ipsi S. Gregorio Nazianzeno in oratione de S. Basilio. Deinde narrat auctor, Sanctum Ba¬ silium ostensum fuisse per revelationem Eusebio Csesariensi, cum antea eum non pos¬ set. Quod etiam falsum esse certum est, ex eo, quod Nazianzenus scribit, Eusebium cum Basilio de episcopatu contendisse, et ea de causa inimicum Basilio factum. Tertio con¬ stat, sanctum Basilium obiisse anno ultimo AB ANNO DOMT 300. AD 400. 387 Valentis imper. et octo annis Episcopatum administrasse : ex Gregorio Nazianzeno, et aliis : proinde Episcopum factum anno sexto Valentis : at juxta supposititium Amphilo¬ chium, Basilius, vel sedisset annis quinde¬ cim, vel ante mortuus esset, quam Episco¬ pus fieret, si vivente Juliano jam Episcopus erat. - Omitto multa alia, quae perperam nar¬ rantur in illa vita tum de Libanio, tum de aliis.