Bellarmine · De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis · On the Ecclesiastical Writers
Chapter 20: The End of the Fifth Century: Prosper, Salvian, Faustus of Riez, Victor of Vita, Gennadius, Gelasius, Gildas, Caesarius
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. XII, De Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis, of the New Testament, fifth 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. Prosper of Aquitaine. 460
St. Prosper of Aquitaine, a contemporary of Hilary and once notary of St. Leo, was Bishop of Reggio [Riez] in Italy or in Gaul. I know that it is commonly thought that St. Prosper was Bishop of Reggio in the province of Aemilia in Italy; but I suspect that he was Bishop of Riez in the province of Provence, a suffragan of the Archbishop of Aix. For I see that St. Prosper signed in the provincial Council of Vaison and of Carpentras; which is an argument that he was a Bishop in a province of Gaul. Further, St. Prosper was succeeded in the episcopate by Faustus of Riez; and all make Faustus a Gallic Bishop, not an Italian, and say he was subject to the metropolitan of Aix, not of Ravenna, to whom the Bishop of Reggio in Aemilia is subject. But whatever may be of this (for I define nothing), St. Prosper wrote many things splendidly for the grace of Christ against the Pelagians, and showed himself a disciple and most ardent defender of St. Augustine.
He wrote three books On the foretellings and promises of God; three others On the contemplative life; two On the calling of the Gentiles; On grace and free will, to Rufinus; Answers to the chapters of the objections of the Gauls, of the Vincentians and of the Genoese; On the grace of God, against the Collator, 1; a book of Sentences of St. Augustine, 1; a book On the providence of God, 1; a letter to St. Augustine on predestination; Commentaries on the Psalms from the hundredth to the hundred and fiftieth; a book of epigrams, among which is the poem against the ungrateful. He continued the Chronicle of Eusebius and St. Jerome.
Note. Gennadius, in the book On Illustrious Men, writes that that famous letter of St. Leo to Flavian against Eutyches is thought to have been written by St. Prosper. But certainly, if any letter is St. Leo's, that one altogether is, whether you look to Leo's style or teaching. The books On the calling of the Gentiles are attributed also to St. Ambrose; but they are truly Prosper's, not Ambrose's, as we showed above when we were treating of the books of Ambrose. The book On the providence of God does not seem to be Prosper's, but of someone of the party of the Gauls who have been called Semipelagians. Let the prudent Reader read and judge.
Arnobius the younger. 445
Arnobius, not the one who wrote against the gentiles and flourished under Diocletian, but another, younger, who seems to have lived a little after Pope St. Leo, wrote a book entitled the Conflict of a Catholic with Serapion on God three and one; likewise on the two substances in Christ in the unity of person; likewise on the harmony of grace and free will; which books were published at Cologne in the year 1596. Nor is it improbable that the Commentaries on the Psalms which are carried about under the name of Arnobius are this younger Arnobius's; on which see what we said above under Arnobius.
Theodore, Presbyter at Raithu. 450
Theodore, Presbyter in the monastery of Raithu, who by Gennadius is called Theodore Presbyter of Antioch, wrote fifteen books on the incarnation of the Lord. Now there is extant a Commentary on the incarnation of the Lord against Nestorius and Eutyches in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 1.
Salvian, Bishop of Marseilles. 460
Salvian, a Presbyter and afterwards Bishop [as printed] of Marseilles, was a contemporary of St. Eucherius of Lyons; since he was the master of the sons of Eucherius (for Eucherius had by lawful marriage, before the priesthood, two sons, who themselves too were Bishops), Veranus and Salonius, Bishops, on the witness of Gennadius in the book On Illustrious Men. Further, Salvian is said to have written very many works. But now there are extant only, so far as I know, eight books On the providence and judgement of God, and four books On the Church, under the name of Timothy; in which he so magnifies the vices of the Christians, and above all of the clergy of his time, that he could seem excessive, if his speech did not proceed from true zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
Salonius the Bishop. 470
Salonius, the son of St. Eucherius and disciple of Salvian, wrote a dialogue on the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes of Solomon, which is extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 1, second edition. Whether he was Bishop of Vienne or not, Cardinal Baronius discusses, Annals volume 6, at the year of the Lord 441.
Faustus of Riez. 480
Faustus, made from a Monk of Lerins Bishop of Riez in Gaul, lived midway in time between St. Prosper and St. Fulgentius. He wrote on the Holy Spirit and against the Arians and Macedonians, which are not extant. He wrote besides two books On grace and free will, which are extant, and which Gennadius, in the book On Illustrious Men, extols with wonderful praises; but Pope Gelasius in the decree on the apocryphal books rejects them altogether, as St. Fulgentius, Peter the Deacon, Alcimus Avitus and others also reject and refute them. Ado of Vienne in the Chronicle, at the year 492, speaks thus: “Faustus, made from Abbot of the monastery of Lerins Bishop at Riez in Gaul, trying to destroy the teaching of the Pelagians, falls into error; so that those who proclaim his views in this part Catholic, as Gennadius writing On Illustrious Men, are altogether wrong. For both Augustine and the other Catholics in the Church of God so teach free will that its enlightening, strength and salvation are from Christ, through Christ and in Christ. But this Faustus tries so to teach the free will of Christians that its enlightening, strength and salvation are not from Christ but from nature. Against him the most blessed Avitus, Bishop of Vienne, wrote with most lucid faith, refuting his error; and likewise John, a most learned man, Presbyter of Antioch.” Isidore On Illustrious Men, under Fulgentius, says that seven books were written by Fulgentius against Faustus, who with wonderful cunning wished to seem a Catholic, though he was a Pelagian. The author of the life of St. Fulgentius, chapter 28, testifies too that the two books of Faustus On grace and free will were refuted by St. Fulgentius. And Peter the Deacon, in the book On the incarnation and grace of Christ, last chapter, says anathema to the books of Faustus. I wanted to give these warnings because of some who in our time contend that Faustus was a Catholic.
Aeneas of Gaza. 490
Aeneas of Gaza, a most learned man, wrote a notable dialogue on the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of bodies, which he entitled Theophrastus, because the chief person in the dialogue is named Theophrastus. He himself discloses his age at the end of the dialogue, where he says he saw those saints who in the Vandal persecution, with their tongues cut out, spoke perfectly well; and that this happened in the reign of Zeno is known from Victor of Utica on the Vandal persecution.
Cerealis. 490
Cerealis, an African Bishop, wrote against Maximinus the Arian Bishop a book on faith, which is extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 4, second edition, and which Gennadius of Marseilles mentions.
St. Victor of Utica. 490
St. Victor, Bishop of Utica [Vita], wrote three books on the Vandal persecution, most worthy to be read for the fortitude of the notable Martyrs who were famous in that persecution. He himself lived in the reign of the emperor Zeno, as he himself testifies in book 3 on the Vandal persecution, that is, about the year of the Lord 490.
Gennadius of Marseilles. 490
Gennadius, Presbyter of Marseilles, and afterwards Bishop [as printed], lived in the time of Pope Gelasius, about the year of the Lord 490; for Gennadius himself testifies at the end of his book On Illustrious Men that he sent his book on faith to Gelasius himself, though Gennadius's book is not found complete in all codices. He wrote the book On Church dogmas, which is extant among the books of St. Augustine; and this is believed to be the book he sent to Gelasius. He wrote also the book On Illustrious Men, in which he left no small suspicion of his not right faith. For he praised Cassian and Faustus, who were Semipelagians, and lowered St. Prosper, who fought most strongly for the grace of God against Pelagius. He wrote besides many other things, which he himself records at the end of the book On Illustrious Men; but they are not extant, or certainly have not come into my hands.
Pomerius. 490
Pomerius, otherwise Julianus Pomerius, a Presbyter, was living when Gennadius wrote his catalogue. He wrote by way of dialogue eight books on the nature of the soul, which seem taken from the eight books of Gregory of Nyssa On philosophy, or rather of Nemesius the Philosopher On the soul. He wrote also a prognosticon comprised in three books, but different from the one St. Julian, Archbishop of Toledo, wrote long afterwards; see Cardinal Baronius in the notes on the martyrology, on the 8th of March.
Pope St. Gelasius. 492
Pope St. Gelasius the first sat in the Apostolic See from the year of the Lord 492 to the year 496. He wrote some notable letters to the emperor and others, which are extant. He wrote a tome On the bond of anathema, which is extant among his decretal letters. He wrote also a book against the Pelagians, which is extant between the fifth and sixth letter in the Roman edition. He wrote also Church hymns in imitation of St. Ambrose, and five books against Nestorius and Eutyches, on the witness of Anastasius the Librarian in the life of St. Gelasius. Of this work there is doubt whether it is extant or has perished. For there is carried about a book under the name of Pope Gelasius On the two natures of Christ, against Eutyches; but this book does not seem to be Pope Gelasius's, and much less to be the one Anastasius speaks of, and of which Gennadius of Marseilles also speaks in the book On Illustrious Men. That this book is not Pope Gelasius's seems manifest, because in this book Eusebius of Caesarea is cited as one of the Catholics and holy Fathers, whom yet St. Gelasius knew to have been an Arian heretic and a most ardent defender of Origen; for which cause he rejected the works of Eusebius of Caesarea in the decree on the apocryphal books. Add that this author was a Greek, not a Latin, since he did not put Jerome, Augustine, Leo and so on among the holy Fathers. That this is not the same book as the one mentioned in Anastasius and Gennadius is gathered from this, that Anastasius says that that work of Gelasius was divided into five books, and Gennadius says it was a great volume; but this is one book, and not a large one.
There are those who will have this book to be of Gelasius of Caesarea, whom St. Jerome mentions in the book On Ecclesiastical Writers, under Gelasius. But that Gelasius did not reach the times of Eutyches; since after his death Paul was Bishop of Caesarea, and after Paul Eulogius, before the heresy of Eutyches appeared, as Cardinal Baronius shows, volume 6, at the year of Christ 496. Further, from the time St. Jerome wrote the book On Ecclesiastical Writers, which was the 14th year of Theodosius the elder, to the rise of the heresy of Eutyches, who first appeared in the 42nd year of Theodosius the younger, there are a little less than sixty years. For Theodosius the elder survived three years; to which if you add the thirteen years of Arcadius and the forty-two years of Theodosius the younger, there will be fifty-eight years. Nor is it credible that Gelasius wrote against Eutyches in the very first year in which he began to show his error, but after his heresy was already published and perhaps even condemned. So it is credible that he either did not survive to the heresy of Eutyches, or was plainly decrepit and unfit to write when the Eutychian heresy had to be refuted; for it is not likely that he was a youth or a boy when he was counted by St. Jerome among the ecclesiastical writers. There are others who believe this book to be Gennadius's, because it was easy to write Gelasius for Gennadius. But neither is this likely, since Gennadius himself wrote a catalogue of his books and did not count this work among the others. Cardinal Baronius, Annals volume 6, at the year of Christ 496, proves by quite plain conjectures that the author of the book was Gelasius of Cyzicus, of whom we shall now speak.
Gelasius of Cyzicus. 495
Gelasius of Cyzicus lived in the time of the emperor, or rather Tyrant, Basiliscus, about the year of the Lord 476, as he himself testifies in the preface of the books on the acts of the Nicene Synod. He wrote a history of the acts of the Nicene Synod comprised in three books, which was lately printed in the first volume of the General Councils published in Greek and Latin at Rome. He is believed also to have written the book On the two natures of Christ against Eutyches, which book has so far been published under the name of Pope Gelasius. The conjectures why the author of this book can be thought to be this Gelasius of Cyzicus are these. First, because no other Gelasius is found to whom that book could be attributed. Second, because in this author the name and the time agree, as is known. Third, because in the preface of the history of the Acts of the Nicene Synod he writes that he disputed with the Eutychians. Fourth, because as Gelasius in the history of the Nicene Synod, book 2, wonderfully praises Eusebius of Caesarea, and affirms that he never adhered to the Arians, so also the author of the book On the two natures of Christ puts the same Eusebius of Caesarea among the holy and most approved Fathers, Athanasius, Nazianzen and others of the same glory. Fifth, because the style is wholly alike, simple and bare of all ornament. And how what this author says in the books On the two natures of Christ, that the nature of bread and wine remains in the Eucharist, is to be understood, we have said in the Controversies, book 2 On the Eucharist, chapter 27.
Gildas the Wise. 495
Gildas, surnamed the wise, wrote on the destruction of Britain, which fell in the year of the Lord 445. He wrote also a sharp rebuke of the clergy of Britain; for because of the sins of the people, and above all because of the sins of the clergy, God in anger sends scourges of this kind. These works are extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 5, second edition.
Vigilius. 495
Vigilius wrote five very learned books against Nestorius and Eutyches, in defence of the letter of St. Leo and of the Council of Chalcedon; from which it is conjectured that he lived in the time of the emperors Zeno and Anastasius, at which time the Council of Chalcedon was gravely attacked. Who this Vigilius was is not well enough known; for he cannot be St. Vigilius, Bishop of Trent and Martyr; for he lived in the time of St. Ambrose, to whom there is also a letter of the same Ambrose; and from his life, which is extant in Lippomano and Surius, it is clear that he was crowned with martyrdom under Stilicho, the general of the emperor Honorius. See on this matter Cardinal Baronius, Annals volume 5, at the year of the Lord 400, discussing it most exactly.
Paschasius, Deacon Cardinal. 469
Paschasius, Deacon Cardinal of the Roman Church, flourished under the Roman Pontiffs Gelasius, Anastasius and Symmachus. He was a man of great holiness and learning, and wrote two books On the Holy Spirit, most correct and very splendid; for so St. Gregory speaks, Dialogues book 4, chapter 40. These books are extant in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 9, second edition.
St. Caesarius of Arles. 499
St. Caesarius, Bishop of Arles, lived in the time of Pope Symmachus and of Theodoric King of Italy, as Cyprian his disciple writes in his life, in Surius on the 27th of August. So it seems false that the third Council of Arles, over which St. Caesarius presided, was held in the era 461, that is, the year of the Lord 423; but (as another reading has it) in the era 492, that is, in the year 454. False too is what Trithemius wrote, that this St. Caesarius flourished in the year 670; and the truth is in the middle; for he reached the year 499. There are extant 46 homilies of his in the Library of the Holy Fathers, volume 2, second edition.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
De Sancto Prospero Aquitano. 460. Sanctus Prosper Aquitanus Hilarii aequa- lis, et S. Leonis quondam notarius, Episco¬ pus fuit Rhegiensis in Italia, vel in Gallia. Scio passim existimari Sanctum Prosperum fuisse Episcopum Rhegii in Humilia provin¬ cia Italiae : sed ego suspicor, Episcopum fuisse Rhegiensem in provincia Provinciae suffraganeum Archiepiscopi Aquensis : nam video Sanctum Prosperum subscripsisse in Concilio provinciali Vasensi, et Carpentora- tensi : quod argumentum est, illum fuisse Episcopum in provincia Galliae. Praeterea Sancto Prospero successit in Episcopatu Faustus Rhegiensis : omnes autem Faustum, Episcopum Gallum faciunt, non Italum, ac dicunt metropolitano Aquensi subjectum , non Ravennatensi, cui subjectus est Epi¬ scopus Rhegii in iEmilia. Sed quicquid de hac re sit (nihil enim definio) Sanctus Pro¬ sper multa praeclare scripsit pro gratia Christi contra Pelagianos, seque S. Augu¬ stini discipulum, et defensorem acerrimum demonstravit. Scripsit libros tres de praedictionibus, et promissionibus Dei. De vita contemplativa alios tres. De vocatione gentium duos. De gratia et libero arbitrio ad Ruffi- num. Responsiones ad capitula objectionum Gallicarum, Vincentianarum, et Ge- . nuensium. De gratia Dei contra Collatorem, I Librum sententiarum S. Augustini, 1 Librum de providentia Dei, 1 Epistolam unam ad Sanctum Augusti¬ num de praedestinatione. Commentaria in Psalmos a centesimo us¬ que ad centesimum quinquagesimum. Librum epigrammatum inter quae est car¬ men contra ingratos. Chronicum Eusebii et S. Hieronymi con¬ tinuavit. Observatio. Gennadius in lib. de viris illustribus scri¬ bit, epistolam illam celebre S. Leonis ad Flavianum contra Eutychem, existimari a Sancto Prospero fuisse scriptam. At certe si ulla epistola Sancti Leonis est, illa omni¬ no est, sive stylum, sive doctrinam Leonis attendas. Libri de vocatione gentium tribuuntur etiam sancto Ambrosio, sed vere Prosperi sunt, non Ambrosii, ut supra demonstravi¬ mus, cum de libris Ambrosii ageremus. Liber de providentia Dei, non videtur Prosperi, sed alicujus ex factione Gallorum, qui Semipelagiani sunt appellati. Legat pru¬ dens Lector, et judicet. De Arnobio juniore. 445. Arnobius, non ille qui scripsit contra gen¬ tes, et sub Diocletiano floruit, sed alius ju¬ nior, qui paulo post Sanctum Leonem Pa¬ pam vixisse videtur, scripsit librum titulo, Conflictus Catholici cum Serapione de Deo trino, et uno. Item de duabus in Christo sub¬ stantiis in unitate personae : item de gratia, et liberi arbitrii concordia : qui libri editi sunt Coloniae anno 1596. Neque est impro¬ babile hujus Arnobii junioris esse Commen¬ tarios in Psalmos, qui sub Arnobii nomine circumferuntur : de quibus vide quae dixi¬ mus supra in Arnobio. De Theodoro Presbytero in Raytu. 450. Theodorus Presbyter in monasterio Raytu, qui a Gennadio dicitur, Theodorus Presby- AB ANNO DOM. 400. AD 500. 409 ter Antiochenus, scripsit quindecim libros de incarnatione Domini : nunc exstat Com¬ mentarium de incarnatione Domini contra Nestorium et Eutychetem in bibliotheca SS. Patrum tomo i. edit. De Salviano Episcopo Massiliensi. 460. Salvianus Presbyter, ac postea Episco¬ pus Massiliensis, aequalis fuit S. Eucherii Lugdunensis, quippe qui filiorum Eucherii (habuit enim Eucherius ex legitimo conjugio ante sacerdotium duos filios, qui ipsi quoque Episcopi fuerunt), Yeranii etSalonii Episco¬ porum, magister fuit, teste Gennadio in lib. de viris illustr. Porro Salvianus plurima opere scripsisse fertur. Sed nunc exstant solum, quod ego sciam, libri octo de providentia, et judicio Dei, et libri quatuor de Ecclesia, sub nomine Timothei , in quibus ita exaggerat vitia Christianorum, et maxime clericorum sui temporis, ut nimius videri posset, nisi ex vero zelo gloriae Dei, et salutis animarum, oratio ejus proficisceretur. De Salonio Episcopo. 470. Salonius Sancti Eucherii filius, et Salviani discipulus, scripsit in Proverbia, et Eccle¬ siastem Salomonis, dialogum, qui exstat in bibliotheca sanctorum Patrum tomo i. edi¬ tionis secundae. An Episcopus fuerit Vien¬ nensis, nec ne, disputat Card. Baronius to¬ mo vi. Annalium, ad annum Domini 441. De Fausto Rhegiensi. 480. Faustus ex Monacho Lirinensi factus Epi¬ scopus Rhegiensis in Gallia, vixit medio tempore inter Sanctum Prosperum et San¬ ctum Fulgentium : scripsit de Spiritu sancto et contra Arianos, et Macedonianos, quae non exstant : scripsit praeterea libros duos de gratia et libero arbitrio, qui exstant, et quos Gennadius in lib. de viris illust. miris laudibus effert : sed GelasiusPapa in decre¬ to de libris apocryphis omnino rejicit : ut etiam rejiciunt et refellunt Sanctus Fulgen¬ tius, Petrus Diaconus, Alcimus Avitus, et alii. Ado Viennensis in Chronico ad annum 492. sic loquitur, « Faustus ex Abbate mo¬ nasterii Lirinensis apud Regium Galliae Epi¬ scopus factus, Pelagianorum dogma destru¬ ere conatus, in errorem labitur : unde qui ejus sensus in hac parte Catholicos praedi¬ cant, sicut Gennadius de viris illustribus scribens, omnino errant » . Ita enim liberum arbitrium tam Augustinus quam caeteri Ca¬ tholici in Ecclesia Dei docent, ut illuminatio, virtus, et salus illi a Christo, per Christum, et in Christo sit. Faustus vero iste ita liberum Christianorum arbitrium docere conatur, ut illuminatio, virtus, et salus non a Christo, sed a natura sit : contra hunc scribit Bea¬ tissimus Avitus Viennensis Episcopus luci¬ dissima fide, ejus redarguens errorem. Simi¬ liter et Joannes vir eruditissimus Antioche¬ nus Presbyter. Isidorus de viris illustribus, in Fulgentio, dicit, a Fulgentio scriptos libros septem con¬ tra Faustum, qui mira calliditate Catholicus videri volebat, cum Pelagianus esset. Auctor quoque vitee Sancti Fulgentii cap. 28. testa¬ tur a Sancto Fulgentio refutatos libros duos Fausti de gratia et libero arbitrio. Et Petrus Diaconus in libro de incarnatione et gratia Christi, cap. ultimo, anathema dicit libris Fausti. Haec admonere volui propter aliquos qui nostro tempore Faustum Catholicum fuisse contendunt. De AZnaea Gazo. 490. vEnaeas Gazus vir doctissimus scripsit dia¬ logum insignem de animae immortalitate, et corporum resurrectione , quem inscripsit Theophrastum, quia persona principalis in dialogo nominatur Theophrastus : aetatem suam ipse aperit in extremo dialogo, ubi dicit, se vidisse sanctos illos, qui in perse¬ cutione Vandalica abscissis linguis optime loquebantur : hoc autem contigisse impe¬ rante Zenone, notum est ex Victore Uticensi de persecutione Vandalica. De Cereali. 490. Cerealis Episcopus Africanus, scripsit con¬ tra Maximinum Episcopum Arianum, librum de fide, qui exstat in bibliotheca sanctorum Patrum, tomo iv editionis secundae, cujus meminit Gennadius Massiliensis. % De Sancto Victore Uticensi. 490. Sanctus Victor Uticensis Episcopus scri¬ psit libros tres de persecutione Vandalica lectu dignissimos ob insignium Martyrum fortitudinem, qui in ea persecutione clarue- 410 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS runt. Vixit autem ipse regnante Zenone im¬ peratore, ut ipse testatur lib. m. de perse¬ cutione Vandalica, id est, circa annum Do¬ mini 490. De Gennadio Massiliensi. 490. Gennadius Massiliensis Presbyter, et po¬ stea Episcopus, vixit tempore Gelasii Papae, circa annum Domini 490. nam ad ipsum Ge- lasium misisse librum suum de fide testatur ipse Gennadius in extremo lib. suo de viris il¬ lustribus, quamvis non in omnibus codicibus liber Gennadii inveniatur completus. Scripsit librum de Ecclesiasticis dogmati¬ bus, qui exstat inter libros Sancti Augustini; et hic esse creditur liber, quem ipse misit ad Gelasium. Scripsit etiam librum de viris illustribus, in quo suspicionem non parvam reliquit suae non rectae fidei. Laudavit enim Cassianum, et Faustum, qui Semipelagiani fuerunt, et Sanctum Prosperum depressit, qui pro gra¬ tia Dei contra Pelagium fortissime dimica¬ vit. Scripsit praeterea multa alia, quae ipse commemorat in extremo libro de viris illustribus, sed ea non exstant, aut certe ad manus meas non venerunt. De Pomerio. 490. Pomerius, alias Julianus Pomerius, Pres¬ byter, vivebat cum Gennadius catalogum suum scriberet ; scripsit autem per modum dialogi libros octo de natura animae, qui videntur excerpti ex libris octo Gregorii Nys- seni, de Philosophia, sive potius Nemesii Philosophi, de anima : scripsit etiam pro- gnosticon tribus libris comprehensum, sed diversum ab eo, quod diu postea scripsit Sanctus Julianus Archiepiscopus Toletanus, vide Card. Baronium in notis martyrologii, die 8. Martii De S. Gelasio Papa. 492. Sanctus Gelasius Papa primus sedit in Apostolica Sede ab anno Domini 492. usque ad annum 496. scripsit epistolas aliquot in¬ signes ad imp. et alios, quae exstant. Scri¬ psit tomum de vinculo anathematis, qui exstat inter epistolas ejus decretales. Scri¬ psit etiam librum contra Pelagianos, qui exstat inter quintam et sextam epistolam. i i editione Romana. Scripsit etiam hymnos Ecclesiasticos ad imitationem S. Ambrosii, et libros quinque contra Nestorium, etEuty- chetem, teste Anastasio bibliothecario, in vita S. Gelasii. De hoc opere dubitatio exi- stit, an exstet, vel perierit : circumfertur enim liber sub nomine Gelasii Papse de dua¬ bus naturis Christi contra Eutychetem ; sed non videtur hic liber esse Gelasii Papse, et multo minus esse ille, de quo loquitur Ana- stasius, et de quo etiam loquitur Gennadius Massiliensis in lib. de viris illustribus. Non esse hunc librum Gelasii Papse, videtur ma¬ nifestum, quia in hoc libro citatur tamquam unus ex catholicis et S. Patribus Eusebius Csesariensis, quem tamen haereticum Aria- num fuisse, et Origenis acerrimum defenso¬ rem, notum eratS. Gelasio, qui hac de causa reprobavit opera Eusebii Caesariensis in de¬ creto de libris apocryphis ; adde - quod iste auctor, Graecus fuit, non Latinus, cum inter S. Patres non posuerit Hieronymum, Augu¬ stinum Leonem, etc. Non esse hunceumdem librum eum cujus mentio est apud Anasta¬ sium, et Gennadium, ex eo colligitur, quod Anastasius dicit opus illud Gelasii divisum fuisse in quinque libros : Gennadius autem dicit fuisse grande volumen : hic vero unius est, et non magnus liber. Non desunt, qui hunc librum velint esse Gelasii Caesariensis, cujus meminit S. Hieronymus in lib. de script. Eccles. in Gelasio. Sed iste Gelasius ad tempora Eutychetis non per¬ venit, cum post ipsum defunctum fuerit Episcopus Caesareae Paulus, et post Paulum Eulogius, antequam haeresis Eutychetis ap¬ pareret, ut Card. Baronius demonstrat tomo vi. ad annum Christi 496. Praeterea ab eo tempore, quo scripsit S. Hieronymus librum de Script. Eccles. quod erat annus d4. Theo¬ dosii senioris, usque ad exortam haeresim Eutychetis, qui primum apparuit anno 42. Theodosii junioris, sunt anni paulo minus sexaginta : nam Theodosius senior supervi¬ xit tribus annis, quibus si addas annos Ar¬ cadii tredecim, et annos Theodosii junioris quadraginta duos, fient anni quinquaginta octo : neque credibile est Gelasium scripsisse contra Eutychetem ipso primo anno, quo errorem suum manifestare coepit, sed post ejus haeresim jam promulgatam, et fortasse etiam damnatam : quare credibile est, eum, aut non supervixisse usque ad haeresim Eu¬ tychetis, aut plane decrepitum fuisse, et ineptum ad scribendum, quando haeresis AB ANNO DOM. 400. AD 500. 41 1 Eutychiana confutanda erat : non enim ve¬ risimile est, eum fuisse adolescentem, aut puerum, quando a S. Hieronymo inter scri¬ ptores Ecclesiasticos numeratus est. Alii sunt, qui librum istum Gennadii esse credunt, eo quod facile fuerit Gelasium pro Gennadio scribere. Sed neque hoc verisimile est, cum ipse Gennadius Catalogum librorum suorum scripserit, et hoc opus inter alios non nume¬ ravit. Gard. Baronius tomo vi. Annalium ad annum Christi 496. probat satis apertis con¬ jecturis, auctorem libri fuisse Gelasium Cy¬ zicenum, de quo nunc dicemus. De Gelasio Cyziceno. 495. Gelasius Cyzicenus vixit tempore Basilici imperatoris, sive potius Tyranni, circa an¬ num Domini 476. ut ipse testatur in praefa¬ tione librorum de actis Nicaenae Synodi. Scri¬ psit historiam de actis Nicaenae Synodi tribus libris comprehensam, quae nuper excusa est in primo tomo Conciliorum generalium Graece et Latine Romae editorum. Scripsisse etiam creditur librum de duabus naturis Christi contra Eutychetem, qui liber hacte¬ nus est editus sub nomine Gelasii Papae. Conjecturae, cur auctor hujus libri existimari possit Gelasius iste Cyzicenus, hae sunt : Prima, quod non inveniatur alius Gela¬ sius, cui liber ille tribui possit. Secunda, quia in hoc auctore conveniunt nomen, et tempus, ut notum est. Tertia, quia in praefatione historiae de Actis Nicaenae Synodi, scribit, se disputasse cum Eutychianis. Quarta, quia sicut Gelasius in historia Ni¬ caenae Synodi, lib. n. mirifice laudat Euse- bium Caesariensem, cumque affirmat nun¬ quam adhaesisse Arianis : sic etiam auctor libri de (Juabus naturis Christi, ponit eum- dem Eusebium Caesariensem inter sanctos, et probatissimos Patres, Athanasium, Na- zianzenum, et alium ejusdem gloriae. Quinta, quia stylus est omnino similis, simplex, et nudus omnibus ornamentis. Quomodo autem intelligi debeat, quod iste auctor dicit in libris de duabus naturis Christi, remanere in Eucharistia, panis et vini naturam, diximus in controversiislib. n. de Eucharist. cap. 27. De Gilda sapiente. 495. Gilda cognomine sapiens scripsit de exci' dio Britanniae, quod incidit in annum Dom. 445. Scripsit etiam reprehensionem acrem in clerum Britanniae : nam propter peccata populi, et maxime propter peccata cleri ira¬ tus Deus immittit flagella hujusmodi. Ex¬ stant haec opera in bibliotheca S. Patrum tomo quinto editionis secundae. De Vigilio. 495. Vigilius scripsit libros quinque valde eru¬ ditos contra Nestorium, et Eutychetem, pro defensione espistolae S. Leonis, et Concilii Chalcedonensis : ex quo conjectura est, eum vixisse tempore Zenonis, et Anastasii impp. quo tempore Concilium Chalcedonense gra¬ viter oppugnabatur. Quis fuerit iste Vigi¬ lius, non satis constat; non enim potest esse S. Vigilius Episcopus Tridentinus, et Martyr : ille enim vixit tempore S. Ambrosii : ad quem etiam est epistola ejusdem Ambrosii ; et ex vita ejus quae exstat apud Lipomanum, et Surium, constat eum martyrio coronatum sub Stilicone Honorii imperatoris Duce. Vide de haere Card. Baronium tomo quinto Annalium ad annum Dom. 400. accuratissi¬ me disserentem. De Paschasio Diacono Cardinali. 469. Paschasius Diaconus Card. Rom. Eccle¬ siae, floruit sub Gelasio, Anastasio, et Sym¬ macho Pontificibus Romanis. Vir fuit magnae sanctitatis, et doctrinae, et scripsit libros duos de Spiritu sancto, rectissimos, et valde luculentos : sic enim loquitur S. Gregorius lib. iv. dialog. cap. 40. Hi libri exstant in bibliotheca S. Patrum tomo ix. edit, se¬ cundae. De S. Caesario Arelatensi. 499. Sanctus Caesarius Episcopus Arelatensi vixit tempore Symmachi Papae, et Theodo¬ rici regis Italiae, ut in ejus vita scribit Cyria- nus ejus discipulus, apud Surium die 27. Augusti : itaque falsum esse videtur, quod Concilium Arelatense tertium, cui praefuit S. Caesarius, celebratum sit aera 461. id est, anno Dom. 423. Sed (ut habet alia lectio) aera 492. id est anno 454. Falsum quoque est, quod Trithemius scripsit, hunc S. Cae- sarium floruisse anno 670. et veritas est in medio ; pervenit enim ad annum 499. Ex- 412 DE SCRIPTORIBUS ECCLESIASTICIS stant ejus homiliae 46. in bibliotheca S. Pa¬ trum tomo ii. edit, secundse.