The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXV. Concerning Didymus, a blind man.

ABout the same times, God produced ano∣ther person, by whose Testimony he thought fit the Faith should be corroborated and confirmed. For Didymus, a man admira∣ble and eloquent, adorned with all sorts of Lear∣ning, flourished at that time. This person being very young, when he had but just learned to read; fell into a distemper of his eyes; where∣with he was sorely troubled, and lost his eye-sight. But God, instead of corporal eyes, gave him those of the mind. For what he could not be instructed in by seeing, he learnt by hearing. For being of an apt and ingenious disposition from his child∣hood, and endued with an excellent wit, he far surpassed even those [a 1.1 ripe-witted children] who had the acutest sight. For he became Ma∣ster of the Rules of Grammar with much ease, and arrived to the knowledge of those of Rheto∣rick with more celerity. Proceeding on from thence to Philosophy, with an admirable facility he learnt Logick, Arithmetick, and Musick; and treasured up within his own mind the other Precepts of the Philosophers, in such a manner, that he could readily dispute against those, who had perfectly learnt those Arts by the benefit of their eyes. Moreover, he was so exactly well∣skilled in the divine Oracles of the Old and New Testament, that he published many discour∣ses upon them: he dictated Three Books con∣cerning the Trinity; and interpreted Origens Books Concerning Principles, setting forth b 1.2 Com∣ments thereupon, wherein he asserts that those Books were incomparably well written, and that their Cavils are frivolous, who accuse Origen, and make it their business to speak reproach∣fully of his Works: for they are not able, says he, to arrive at the knowledge of that Au∣thours perspicacity and prudence. If any per∣son therefore be desirous of knowing Didymus's great Learning, and the fervency of his mind, he may have an account thereof by a perusal of the Books elaborated by him. It's reported, that Antonius [the Monk] discoursed with this Didymus, c 1.3 long before the times of Valens, at such time as he left the desart, and came to Alex∣andria upon account of the Arians; and that perceiving the Learning and knowledge of this person, he spake these words to him; O Didy∣mus! Let not the loss of your bodily eyes trouble you. For you are deprived of such eyes, d 1.4 as the Flies and Gnats can see with. But rejoyce, that you have those eyes, wherewith the Angels see, by which even God himself is discerned, and his Light comprehended. This was the saying of the pious Antonius to Didymus, long before these times [we are treating of.] But at that time, Didymus was look't upon to be the greatest Patron and De∣fender of the genuine Faith, who disputed against the Arians, unravelled their Sophistick Cavills, and confuted their adulterate and fraudulent discourses.

Notes

• a 1.1

  The word [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] which we have ren∣dred [ripe∣witted∣children] must be expunged; which seems to have crept in here, out of the fore∣going line. Epiphanius Scholasticus acknow∣ledges it not. For thus he renders it; Qui cum a puero fuisset ingeniosus, vincebat etiam acutae conspicien∣tes, who be∣ing from a boy of an ingenious disposition, excelled e∣ven those who saw with the greatest a∣cuteness. Vales.
• b 1.2

  Concer∣ning these Comments of Didy∣mus's on Origens books 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Jerome speaks, in his 1^st, and 2^d book against Rufinus. Vales.
• c 1.3

  Epipha∣nius Scho∣lasticus, and the o∣ther translatours have rendred this place ill; as if Antonius the Monk had come to Alexandria in the times of Valens Augustus. But, 'tis ma∣nifest, that Antonius died in the Reign of Constantius. Jerome informs us hereof, in his Chronicon, and in his Life of Hilarion. 'Tis uncertain, in what year of Constantius's Empire Antonius left the Solitudes, and came down to Alexandria; whether it was about the beginning of Constan∣tius's Reign, before the ordination of Gregorius the Arian; or rather, after the Synod of Serdica, and Athanasiu••'s second restitution. Vales.
• d 1.4

  Instead of [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the Flyes and Gnats can see with,] in Cedrenus, at the sixth year of Con∣stantius, the reading is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as the Flyes and Gnats can do harm to. Nor did Epiphanius Schola∣sticus find it written otherwise in his Copy, as 'tis apparent from this his Version: quibus & Muscae & Culices nocere possunt, to which the Flyes and Gnats can do harm. And yet Rufinus, (Eccles. Histor. book 2. chap. 7.) out of whom Socrates borrowed this story, defends the common reading, which we have followed in our Version. And Jerome also does confirm this our reading, in his Epistle to Castrutius. Vales.