Archaioskopia, or, A view of antiquity presented in a short but sufficient account of some of the fathers, men famous in their generations who lived within, or near the first three hundred years after Christ : serving as a light to the studious, that they may peruse with better judgment and improve to greater advantage the venerable monuments of those eminent worthies / by J.H.

And the Catholick faith is this;

That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. Neither confound∣ing the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father, ano∣ther of the Son, and another of the holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the holy Ghost is all one; the glory equal, the Majesty Coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son in∣comprehensible, and the holy Ghost incom∣prehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one eter∣nal. As also, there are not three incompre∣hensibles,

nor three uncreated; but one un∣created, and one incomprehensible. So like∣wise, the Father is Almighty, the Son Al∣mighty, and the holy Ghost Almighty; and yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So, the Father is God, the Son is God, and the holy Ghost is God; and yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise, the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the holy Ghost Lord; and yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we be compelled by the Christian verity, to ac∣knowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord: so are we forbidden by the Catholick Religion, to say there be three Gods, or three Lords.

The Father is made of none, neither crea∣ted, nor begotten. The Son is of the Fa∣ther alone; not made, nor created, but be∣gotten. The holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one holy Ghost, not three holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity, none is afore, or after other, none is greater, or less then another. But the whole three Persons be co∣eternal together, and coequal. So that in all things as is aforesaid the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe rightly in the

incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and con∣fess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man. God of the sub∣stance of the Father begotten before the worlds: and Man of the substance of his Mo∣ther, born in the world. Perfect God, and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul, and hu∣mane flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching his Godhead: and inferior to the Father, touching his manhood. Who though he be God and Man, yet is he not two but one Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by taking the man∣hood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of substance; but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one Man; so God and Man is one Christ.

Who suffered for our salvation; descend∣ed into hell; rose again the third day from the dead: He ascended into heaven; he fifteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty: from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies; and shall give account for their own works; And they that have done good, shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholick Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be sa∣ved.

As for the censures annexed hereunto, viz.

1. In the beginning (except a man keep the Catholick faith.) 2. In the middle (he that will be saved must thus think.) and 3. In the end (this is the Catholick faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.) I thought good to give you Dr. Hammond's apprehensions of them, how they ought to be understood: His words are these. I sup∣pose (saith he) they must be interpreted by their opposition to those heresies that had in∣vaded the Church,* 1.1 and which were acts of carnality in them that broach'd and maintain'd them against the apostolick doctrine, and con∣tradictory to that foundation which had been resolved on as necessary to bring the world to the obedience of Christ, and were therefore to be anathematiz'd after this manner, and with detestation branded, and banished out of the Church. Not that it was hereby defi∣ned to be a damnable sin to fail in the under∣standing or believing the full matter of any of those explications before they were pro∣pounded, and when it might more reasonably be deemed not to be any fault of the will, to which this were imputable. Thus he.

2. The canonical books of the old and new Testament owned by him, are the same with those which the reformed Churches acknow∣ledge for such, of which he thus speaks. All scripture of us who are Christians was divinely inspired.* 1.2 The books thereof are not infinite but finite, and comprehended in a certain Canon, which having set down of the Old Testament, (as they are now with us) he adds, the Canonical books therefore of the Old Te∣stament

are twenty and two, equal for number unto the Hebrew Letters or alphabet, for so many elements of Letters there are among the Hebrews. But (saith he) besides these there are other books of the Old Testament not Ca∣nonical, which are read only unto the Cate∣chumens, and of these he names, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Wisdom of Iesus the Son of Syrach, the fragment of Esther, Iudith, and Tobith,* 1.3 for the books of the Maccabees he made no account of them, yet he afterward menti∣ons four books of the Maccabees with some others. He also reckons the Canonical Books of the New Testament, which (saith he) are as it were certain sure anchors and supporters or pillars of our Faith, as having been written by the Apostles of Christ themselves, who both conversed with him, and were instruct∣ed by him.

3. The sacred and divinely inspired Scri∣ptures (saith he) are of themselves sufficient for the discovery of the truth:* 1.4 In the reading whereof this is faithfully to be observed, viz. unto what times they are directed, to what per∣son, and for what cause they are written: lest things be severed from their reasons, and so the unskilful, reading any thing different from them, should deviate from the right under∣standing of them.

4. As touching the way whereby the know∣ledge of the Scriptures may be attained,* 1.5 he thus speaks. To the searching and true un∣derstanding of the Scriptures, there is need of a holy life, a pure mind, and virtue which is according to Christ, that the mind running thorow that path, may attain unto those things

which it doth desire, as far as humane nature may understand things divine.

5. The holy Scripture (saith he) doth not contradict it self, for unto a hearer desirous of truth, it doth interpret it self.

6. Concerning the worshipping of Christ▪ we adore (saith he) not the Creature, God forbid.* 1.6 Such madness belongs unto Ethuicks and Arians, but we adore the Lord of things created, the incarnate Word of God, for al∣though the Flesh be in it self a part of things created, yet is it made the Body of God: Neither yet do we give adoration unto such a body by it self severed from the word, neither adoring the Word do we put the Word far from the Flesh, but knowing that it is said, the Word was made Flesh, we acknowledge it even now in the Flesh to be God.

7. He gives this interpretation of those words of Christ, Mark. 13. 32. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no not the Angels which are in heaven, neither the Son but the Fa∣ther. The Son (saith he) knew it as God but not as man:* 1.7 wherefore he said not, neither the Son of God, lest the divinity should seem to be ignorant, but simply, neither the Son: that this might be the ignorance of the Son as man. And for this cause when he speaks of the Angels, he added not a higher degree say∣ing, neither the Holy Spirit, but was silent here, by a double reason affirming the truth of the thing: for admit that the Spirit knows, then much more the Word as the Word (from whom even the Spirit receives) was not ig∣norant of it.

8. Speaking of the mystery of the two na∣tures

in Christ;* 1.8 What need is there (saith he) of dispute and strife about words? it's more profitable to believe, and reverence: and si∣lently to adore. I acknowledge him to be true God from heaven imp••ssible: I acknow∣ledge the same of the seed of David as touch∣ing the Flesh, a man of the earth passible. I do not curiousty inquire why the same is pas∣sible and impassible, or why God and man: lest being curiously inquisitive why and how, I should miss of the good propounded unto us. For we ought first to believe and adore, and in the second place to seek from above a rea∣son of these things: not from beneath to in∣quire of Flesh and Blood, but from divine and heavenly revelation.

9. What the faith of the Church was con∣cerning the Trinity,* 1.9 he thus delivers. Let us see that very tradition from the beginning, and that Doctrine and Faith of the Catholick Church which Christ indeed gave, but the A∣postles preached and kept: For in this Church are we founded, and whoso falls from thence cannot be said to be a Christian. The holy and perfect Trinity therefore in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, receives the reason of the Dei∣ty, possesseth nothing forraign or superindu∣ced from without, nor consisteth of the Crea∣tor and Creature, but the whole is of the Creator and Maker of all things, like it self and indivisible, and the operation thereof one. For the Father by the Word in the holy Spirit doth all things, and so the unity of the Tri∣nity is kept or preserved, and so one God in the Church is preached, who is above all and through all and in all: viz. above all as the

Father, as the beginning and fountain, but through all by the Word, moreover in all in or by the holy Spirit. But the Trinity is not in name only, or an empty form of speech: but in truth and reason of subsisting, the Tri∣nity: For as the Father is that very thing that he is, so also the Word God over all, is that very thing that he is; so also the Holy Ghost is not any inessential thing, but truly existeth and subsisteth.

10. According to the Ecclesiastical Canons (saith he) as the Apostle commanded,* 1.10 the peo∣ple being gathered together with the Holy Ghost, who constitute a Bishop, publickly and in the presence of the Clergy, craving a Bishop, inquisition ought to be made, and so all things canonically performed.

11. Concerning the lawfulness of flight in time of persecution,* 1.11 he thus speaks. I be∣took me to flight not for fear of death, lest any should accuse me of timidity, but that I might obey the precept of our Saviour whose command it is that we should make use of flight against persecutors, of hiding places a∣gainst those that search for us, lest if we should offer our selves unto open danger, we should more sharply provoke the fury of our persecu∣tors. Verily it is all one both for a man to kill himself, and to proffer himself unto the enemies to be slain: but he that flees as the Lord commands, knows the Articles of the time, and truly provides for his persecutors: lest being carried out even to the shedding of blood, they should become guilty of that pre∣cept that forbids murther. Again concerning the same thing;

12. That law (saith he) is propounded unto all in general,* 1.12 to flee when they are pur∣sued in time of persecution, and to hide them∣selves when they are sought: for neither should they be precipitate and rash in tempting the Lord, but must wait until the time ap∣pointed of dying do come, or that the Judge do determine something concerning them, as shall seem good unto him: But yet would he have us always ready, when either the time calls for it, or we are apprehended to contend for the Church even unto death. These things did the blessed Martyrs observe, who while they lay hid did harden themselves, but being found out they did undergo Martyrdom. Now if some of them did render themselves unto their persecutors, they were not thorough rashness moved so to do, but every where professed unto all men, that this promptness and offering of themselves did proceed from the Holy Ghost.

13. He giveth this character of an heretick,* 1.13 Heresie (sa••th he) or an heretick may thus be known and evinced, that whosoever is dear unto them and a companion with them in the same impiety, although he be guilty of sundry crimes & infinite vices, & they have arguments against him of his hainous acts; yet is he ap∣proved and had in great esteem among them, yea, and is forthwith made the Emperour's friend, &c. But those that reprove their wickedness, and sincerely teach the things which are of Christ, though pure in all things, upon any feigned Crime laid to their charge, they are prefently hurried into Banish∣ment.

§ 6. The defects and blemishes of this e∣minent Father and Champion of Jesus Christ, were neither so many nor so gross, as are to be found in most of the Ancients that were be∣fore him: yet was he not altogether free but liable to error as well as others, as appears from somewhat of this kind that dropt from his pen, which were especially such passages as these in his genuine works, for as for the apparently supposititious, I shall forbear to meddle with them, having in them so much hay and stubble as we cannot imagine should pass thorow the hands of so skilful a Master-builder.

1. He affirms the local descent of Christ into Hell.* 1.14 He accomplished (saith he) the condemnation of sin in the earth, the abolition of the curse upon the Cross, the redemption from corruption in the Grave, the condem∣nation of death in Hell: Going through all places that he might every where perfect the salvation of the whole man, shewing himself in the form of our image which he took up∣on him.

Again. The body descended not beyond the grave,* 1.15 the Soul pierced into Hell, places severed by a vast distance, the Grave receiving that which was corporeal, because the body was there, but Hell, that which was incor∣poreal. Hence it came to pass that though the Lord were present there incorporeally, yet was he by death acknowledged to be a man: that his Soul, not liable unto the bands of death but yet made as it were liable, might break a∣sunder the bands of those Souls which Hell detained, &c.

2. Concerning the state of the Fathers be∣fore Christ,* 1.16 that they were in Hell; he thus speaks. The Soul of Adam detained in or un∣der the condemnation of death, did perpetu∣ally cry unto the Lord, and the rest who by the law of nature pleased God, were detain'd together with Adam, and were and did cry with him in grief. In which passage we have also a third error of his, viz.

3. That men by the law of nature may please God, contrary unto what we find in Heb. 11. 6.

4. He maketh circumcision a note or sign of Baptism.* 1.17 Abraham (saith he) when he had believed God, received circumcision for a note or sign of that regeneration which is obtained by Baptism: wherefore, when the thing was come which was signified by the figure, the sign and figure it self perished and ceased. For circumcision was a sign, but the laver of regeneration the very thing that was signified.

Besides these there are in him some other passages, not so aptly nor warily delivered as they ought to have been, viz.

1. Concerning the freedom of mans will,* 1.18 he thus speaks. The mind (saith he) is free and at it's own dispose, for it can, as incline it self unto that which is good, so also turn from it, which beholding its free right and power over it self, it perceives that it can use the members of the Body either way, both unto the things that are, i.e. good things, and also unto the things that are not, i.e. evil.

2. He is too excessive and hyperbolical in* 1.19

the praise of Virginity. The Son of God (saith he) our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, among other his gifts bestowed upon us in vir∣ginity, an example of angelical holiness. Cer∣tainly Virgins endowed with that virtue, the Catholick Church is wont to call the Spouses of Christ; whom being beheld by them the ve∣ry heathen do prosecute with admiration, as the Temple of Christ.

There is a large encomium hereof, in the end of the treatise of Virginity, which being but a vain rhetorical flourish, and because the Treatise it self is justly suspected not to belong unto Athanasiùs, I shall forbear to set it down as being unworthy to be ascribed unto so grave and found an Author.

3. He seems to assert the worshipping or a∣doration of the Saints,* 1.20 thus: If (saith he) thou adore the man Christ, because there dwel∣leth the Word of God, upon the same ground adore the Saints also, because God hath his habitation in them. It is strange (say the Centurists) that so great a Doctor should so write,* 1.21 but they do erre, (saith Scultetus) not considering that he there speaks upon the sup∣positition of Samosatenus, who thought that Christ as man was to be adored, because of the Word dwelling in him, which is the thing that Athanasius denyeth, convincing Samosa∣tenus of falshood from an absurdity that would follow: For seeing the Word dwelleth also in the Saints, it would thence follow that they are to be worshipped, which Athanasius in the same place affirmeth to be extreme impiety. And indeed he expresly elsewhere saith,* 1.22 that adoration belongeth unto God only.

§ 7. As touching his death, it was very remarkable in this regard: that in the midst of a most vehement storm and tempest (the cruel persecution under the Emperour Valens) he should so quietly arrive at the haven. For being forc'd to hide himself (as hath been said) in his Fathers monument about the space of four months, the people that greatly loved him, and had him in very high esteem, grew so impatient of his absence from them, that they began to be tumultuous, threatning to burn the ships and publick edifices, unless A∣thanasius were permitted to return unto them again.* 1.23 The Emperour hereupon fearing what the issue might be, gave way to their fury (be∣ing a hot and hasty kind of people) and suffer∣ed him to enjoy his Bishoprick again, from that time tempering himself from troubling Alex∣andria and the Country of Aegypt. By this means it came to pass,* 1.24 that after so long la∣bour and sweat for Christ, so many encounters for the Orthodox faith, so frequent and famous flights and banishments, having given many things in charge unto Peter his successor, he did at Alexandria in peace and a good old age,* 1.25 pass from this vale of trouble unto the rest a∣bove, after he had governed that Church by the space (though not without intermissions) of forty and six years,* 1.26 in the seventh year of the Emperour Valens, and of Christ, about 371.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In his trea∣tise of Fun∣damentals.
• * 1.2

  In Synopsi.
• * 1.3

  Whitak. de script. Apo∣cryph. q. 1. c. 6.
• * 1.4

  Orat. contra idola, et or. 2. contra A∣rian.
• * 1.5

  Lib. de in. carnat. verb. Dei.
• * 1.6

  Epist. ad A∣d••lphium.
• * 1.7

  Orat. 4. con∣tra A••ian.
• * 1.8

  In orat. Christum esse unum.
• * 1.9

  Ep. ad Serap. Sp. S. non esse creaturam.
• * 1.10

  Ep. ad Or∣thodox. in persecut.
• * 1.11

  Apol. ad Im∣pe••at. Con∣stantium.
• * 1.12

  De fuga•• sua••.
• * 1.13

  Epist. ad▪ ••o••∣litar. vit. a∣gentes.
• * 1.14

  Epist. de in∣carnat. Chr••∣sti advers. Apollina••.
• * 1.15

  Ibid.
• * 1.16

  Tractat. d•• Salut. Ad∣vent. Christi.
• * 1.17

  In E••ar. in Mat. 11. 27
• * 1.18

  Orat contra idola.
• * 1.19

  In Apolog. ad Constan••▪
• * 1.20

  Lib. de in∣carnat. verb. Dei. contra P. Samosat.
• * 1.21

  Gent. 4. c. 4. in med. part. ••. c. 16.
• * 1.22

  Orat. 3. con∣tra Arian.
• * 1.23

  Socrat. lib. 4. c. 16.
• * 1.24

  In vita ejus ab incerto Authore.
• * 1.25

  Osiard. ep. hist. Eccles.
• * 1.26

  Socrat. lib 4. c. 16. Baron. Annal.