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Homoüsian doctrine, or the sect that believed three equal persons in the Deity, and of the same substance: where he compares them to heathen idolaters.

3. As this author often speaks very harshly of the Homoüsians, and others, whom he calls heretics, I think it not amiss to take some of those passages.

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4. All heretics, he says, are armies of antichrist, but especially that, which has seized the place of the church, and stands in the holy place, so as to seem to have the word of truth, but is indeed the abomination of desolation, and the army of antichrist, which has ruined many souls. Insomuch that, perhaps, this is what the apostle means in those words: "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God," 2 Thess. ii. 4.

5. The heresy of the Homoüsians, he says, persecutes not only the church of Christ, meaning the author's own church, but likewise all other heresies that differ from them.

6. He says, that his ancestors, of the same sect, had suffered greatly from heretics: meaning the Homoüsians. This he speaks of as a thing well known.

7. And now I shall transcribe below, somewhat at length, the passage before referred to, where the author complains of the proceedings in the reigns of Constantine and Theodosius.

8. The Lord represents all heresies as briars and thorns; but especially the triangular impiety, which he foresaw would most prevail in the world.'

Exercitus autem antichristi sunt omnes hæreses, præcipue ista quæ obtinuit ecclesiæ locum, et stetit in sancto loco, ita ut videatur verburn veritatis stetisse, cum non sit verbum veritatis, sed abominatio desolationis, id est, exercitus antichristi, qui multorum animas reddidit desolatas a Deo. Et hoc est forte quod apostolus dicit: qui adversatur, et extollitur supra omne quod dicitur Deus,' &c. Hom. 49. p. 202. C. D.

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Hæresis Homoüsianorum non solum Christi ecclesiæ adversatur, sed et omnibus hæresibus non similiter sentientibus. Hom. 48. p. 200. D.

Quanta passi sunt ab hæreticis patres nostri, nullus ignorat. Hom. 46. p. 194. D. P Et nos exposuimus hic auditiones prœliorum, et fames, et terræ motus-et concussiones christianorum-quæ ante præcesserant a tempore Constantini usque ad tempus Theodosii. Abominationem autem desolationis diximus hanc hæresim, quæ occupavit sanctæ ecclesiæ loca, et multos desolavit a fide, et ipsum exercitum antichristi-intelligat esse omnia hæc mala spiritualia, quæ facta sunt tempore Constantini simul et Theodosii usque nunc. In Matth. xxiv. Hom. 49. 202. E.

Et verum est quidem, quia spinas et tribulos omnes iniquos hæreticos appellavit. Tamen forsitan sciens Dominus hanc hæresim prævalituram præ omnibus tribulos eos appellavit, quasi Trinitatis professores, et triangulam inıpietatem in suâ perfidiâ bajulantes. Hom. 19. p. 95. D.

9. Heresies have the outward appearance of churches: but they are not churches, any more than apes are men.'

10. Heretics are worse than heathens: for heathens blaspheme Christ ignorantly; heretics knowingly oppose the true doctrine of Christ.' He speaks to the like purpose in another place.

11. As a member cut off from the body cannot live, in like manner all heretics cut off from the body of the one church, cannot have the life of Christ, nor any spiritual good things. But their church is deserted, not by men indeed, for it abounds with evil men, who are always the most; but it is deserted by all good men, and by God himself, and all the things that are of God.'

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12. Explaining the parable of the virgins in Matth. xxv. he says: The foolish virgins are such as have the faith entire, but want works of righteousness. Whereas Jews and heretics have not faith, nor works; nor can have them: and if they had the oil of works, it could not profit them, because they have not faith to enkindle it.'

13. Upon Matth. vii. 27. "And great was the fall of it:" he says, that heresy is worse than fornication, adultery, or murder. For if a christian should offend in any of those points, he may repent, as David did: but if a christian

"Quoniam et simia hominis habet membra, et per omnia hominem imitatur, numquid propterea dicenda est homo? Sic et hæresis omnia ecclesiæ habet et imitatur mysteria. Sed non sunt ecclesiæ. Hom. 19. p. 93. C.

Hæreticos Gentibus esse pejores, dubitat nemo; primum, quia Gentiles per ignorantiam Christum blasphemant, hæretici autem scientes Christi laniant veritatem. Hom. 30. p. 128. C.

* Quoniam Gentiles veritatem spernunt, quam non audierunt; Judæi autem, quam non crediderunt; Hæretici autem, quam audierunt et didicerunt. Hom. 41. p. 176. C. u Sicut autem membrum, a

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corpore præcisum, vivere non potest-sic et omnes hæretici, præcisi a corpore unius ecclesiæ, nec vitam Christi in se habere possunt, nec viriditatem gratiæ spiritualis sed est ecclesia eorum deserta; non ab hominibus; abundat enim perversis hominibus, quomodo semper malorum major est copia quam bonorum sed deserta est a sanctis, deserta est a sanctitate, a fide, a veritate, a gratiâ, a Spiritu, deserta denique est ab ipso Deo, et a bonis omnibus quæ sunt Dei, &c. Hom. 46. p. 197. B. C. D.

▾ Fatuæ autem virgines sunt, quia fidem Christi integram habent, opera autem justitiæ non habent. Judæi vero et hæretici neque fidem habent, neque opera possunt habere. Sed etsi operum oleum habent, nihil eis prodest, quia lampades fidei non habent, quas accendant. Hom. 52. p. 217. È.

Et erit ruina ejus magna-sic et christianus, si aut fornicatus fuerit, aut adulteratus, aut homicidium fecerit, cecidit quidem; tamen ruina ejus magna non est, quia iterum pœnitentiâ surgere potest, sicut David. Si autem de fundamento fidei aliquid fuerit passus; id est, si prævaricatus fuerit, et ad Gentiles aut hæreticos transierit, tunc est ruina ejus magna, quia totus funditus ruit. Hom. 20. p. 99. C. D.

turns Gentile, or heretic, his fall is great and his ruin complete and final.

14. Descanting upon Matth. xxii. 33, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers:" he resembles heretics to serpents on more accounts than one. Where he also observes, what is commonly said of heretics, that they are not uniform and consistent, but very various and unsteady in their sentiments.

15. He decries the baptism of heretics, as altogether invalid, and of no use to them who have it: upon this point he declares his opinion again and again.

16. I do not transcribe these things with approbation, nor with a view of recommendation: far from it. I think that severity of judgment, and bitterness of spirit, toward people of different sentiments ought to be disliked in all men, whatever be their denomination. But as 1 have taken the liberty, in the course of this work, to observe the defects of moderation in Amphilochius, Gregory Nazianzen, b Jerom, Cassian, and others; I have thought it not improper to transcribe all these passages, for showing the temper of this writer also which appears to me to be far from being commendable, or deserving imitation.

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III. My chief concern is with the New Testament: nevertheless I shall take some notice of this writer's regard for the Old Testament also.

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1. He has quoted most or all the books of the Old Testament: particularly the book of Ruth, and the Canticles.

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Serpentes enim sunt et omnes hæretici, prudentes in malo, et stulti in bono. Et sicut serpentes varii sunt in corpore suo, sic hæretici varii sunt in erroribus suis, et multiplices in malignitate. Hom. 41. p. 191. D. E.

Vide, doctores hæretici quid dicuntur a Christo? Devoratores. Si ergo eruditus es ab hæreticis, raptus es, non eruditus, non pastus. Si baptizatus ab eis es, devoratus es, non salvatus. Nam luporum est devorare, non salvare. Hom. 19. p. 94. C. D.—Quomodo autem nudus vestiat nudum, aut quomodo mendicus faciat alterum divitem? Sic et ipse, qui baptizatus non est, quomodo alteri potest baptismum dare? Secundum hoc et de hæreticis dicimus: Quia ubi est fides, illic est ecclesia: ubi ecclesia, ibi Sacerdos: ubi Sacerdos, ibi baptismum: ubi baptismum, ibi christianus. Ubi autem fides non est, ibi nec ecclesia est: ubi ecclesia non est, nec Sacerdos est: ubi Sacerdos non est, nec baptismum: ubi baptismum non est, nec christianus fit aliquis. Hom. 6. p. 51. B. C. Vid. et Hom. 3. p. 38. B.

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a The same, ch. xcviii. num. iii. 6. See this vol. p. 32.

See Vol. iv. ch. xcix. num. iii. b The same, ch. cxiv. num. ii. d Hic itaque Booz accipit

uxoren Moabitidem, nomine Ruth. Quomodo accepit eam, exponere existi mavi superfluum, cum de his scriptura sit omnibus manifesta. Hom. 1. p. 16. Sic in ecclesià, quæ hortus est Christi, Salomone Hom. 20. p. 95. C.-Sicut in Canticis ex persona Hom. 13. p. 75. E.

dicente. [Cant. iv. 12.] ecclesiæ Sapientia dicit.

2. The book of Ecclesiasticus is often quoted in this work sometimes as Sirach's, several times as Solomon's. 3. The book of Wisdom is quoted as Solomon's.

4. This author quotes the second book of the Maccabees.

5. He has also quoted Tobit.

6. There are several other apocryphal books, relating to the Old Testament quoted by him.

7. As the book of Seth.

8. Another book, how called, is not quite clear; whether Isaiah, or Hezekiah.

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9. From some apocryphal book, though not expressly named by him, he had learned the names of the two daughters of Adam, married to Cain and Abel.

IV. I now proceed to take this writer's testimony to the books of the New Testament.

1. It may be worth while to observe somewhat particularly what he says of the evangelists Matthew and John, in the Prologue or Introduction to his Commentary upon St. Matthew's gospel.

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2. The occasion of Matthew's writing was said to be Nam in Sirach Libro adventum Christi sic deprecatur. Hom. 30. p. 126. 8 Vid. Hom. 2. p. 33. C. Hom. 12. p. 67. D. Hom. 17. p. 89. B. C. Hom. 28. p. 120. D. E. Hom. 29. p. 123. A. p. 154. C. Hom. 41. p. 174. E. Hom. 51. p. 215. D. Hom. 1. p. 25. C. h Hom. 39. p. 163. B. Hom. 24. p. 105. A. i Hom. 25. p. 112. C.

p. 26. C. Hom. 13. p. 74. C. D.

Hom. 36.

* Hom. 26. p. 115. B. Hom. 1.

Audivi aliquos referentes de quâdam scripturâ, etsi non certâ, tamen non destruente fidem, sed potius delectante, quoniam erat quædam gens sita in ipso principio Orientis juxta Oceanum, apud quos ferebatur quædam scriptura, inscripta nomine Seth, de appariturâ hac stellà et muneribus ei hujusmodi offerendis. Hom. 2. p. 28. D. E.

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Denique cum ægrotâsset Ezechias in tempore quodam, et venisset ad eum Esaïas propheta visitandum, vocavit Ezechias filium suum Manassen, et cœpit ei mandare, quod debeat Deum timere, quomodo regere regnum, et alia multa. Et dixit ad eum Esaïas: Vere quia non descendunt verba tua in cor ejus; sed et meipsum oportet per manum ejus interfici. Quod audiens Ezechias, volebat filium suum interficere, &c. Hom. 1. p. 21. A.

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quomodo aliquando licuit et sorores habere uxores? quomodo habuerunt Cain et Abel? Hæc nomina filiarum Adam, quas in initio habuit post Cain et Abel, Risam et Edoclam, et non peccaverunt. Hom. 1. p. 24. A.

Sicut referunt, Matthæum conscribere evangelium causa compulit talis. Cum facta fuisset in Palæstinà persecutio gravis, et periclitarentur dispergi omnes, ut carentes forte doctoribus fidei non carerent doctrinâ, petierunt Matthæum, ut omnium verborum et operum Christi conscriberet cis historiam, ut, ubicunque essent futuri, totius secum haberent fidei statum. Quod autem ab humanâ ejus cœpit nativitate, et humanam ejus generationem exposuit, compulit impia impudentia Judæorum, denegantium Jesum Christum de David semine ducere genus. Corpus autem narrationis suæ ordinavit hoc modo. Primum nativitatem, deinde baptismum, tertio tentationem,

this; There being a great persecution in Palestine, so that there was danger, lest all the faithful should be dispersed; that they might not be without teaching, though they should have no teachers, they requested Matthew to write for them a history of all Christ's words and works, that wherever they should be, they might have with them the ground of their faith. That he began with Christ's nativity, according to the flesh, was owing to the unbelieving Jews, who denied Jesus to be descended from David. The body of his history is disposed in this manner; First, he relates Christ's nativity, then his baptism, after that his temptation, in the fourth place his doctrine, in the fifth place his miracles, in the sixth his passion, in the seventh his resurrection and ascension. Matthew is an evangelist of saints, but more especially of sinners; who preached the gospel to sinners not only in word, but by the example also of his own repentance; nor would be, who had been a publican, employed in collecting perishable riches, have been made an evangelist, to write words that should endure for ever, unless by his example he had encouraged sinners to hope for mercy.'

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3. In his first homily upon St. Matthew, that is, in the beginning of his Commentary, he says, John wrote for the Gentiles, when he was in banishment among them. He wrote for Gentiles, and therefore he wrote in Greek. Matthew wrote in Hebrew for the Jews, that they might be edified in the faith. John began his gospel as he does, because the Gentiles did not know, that God had a Son, nor how he was begotten.' So this writer.

4. I would observe farther, that in this work all the four gospels are largely quoted; and that the author frequently

in quarto doctrinam, in quinto miracula, in sexto passionem, in septimo resurrectionem et ascensionem ejus-Matthæus, sanctorum quidem, præcipue tamen peccatorum evangelista, qui non solum sermone, sed etiam ipsâ vitæ suæ correctione peccatoribus evangelium prædicavit. Nunquam enim telonarius constitutus, qui consueverat pecunias colligere perituras, factus fuisset evangelista, ut sermones conscriberet in æternum mansuros, nisi suo exemplo peccatores ad misericordiam poenitentiæ invitaret, &c. Prolog. ib. p. 11.

P Quoniam Johannes, inter Gentes in exilio constitutus, Græco sermone evangelium causâ Gentium scripsit: quæ non cognoscebant, si Deus filium habet, aut quomodo genitum habet.-Matthæus autem evangelium Judæis Hebraico sermone conscripsit, sicut jam diximus supra, ut Judæi legentes ædificarentur in fide. Hom. 1. p. 11, et 12.

Sciendum est, quod Lucas quidem et Marcus statim in primis ponunt dæmoniacum curatum, &c. Hom. 21. p. 100. A. B.-Verius autem, quid sit abominatio desolationis, Lucas evangelista interpretatur. Nam in quo loco Marcus et præsens Matthæus ponunt: Cum videritis abominationem desolationis,' in ipso loco Lucas sic ponit: Cum videritis circumdari ab exercitu

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