A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

HOSIUS.

HOSIUS Bishop of Corduba, a City of Spain, did generously confess the Faith of Christ, in the Persecution of the Emperour Dioclesian. The Donatists affirm, That he was condemn'd for his Crimes by the Bishops of Spain, and was afterwards Absolv'd by those of France: But this is a Noto∣rious * 1.1 Calumny, of which they have no Proof, and which is sufficiently confuted by the great Repu∣tation that Hosius had all his Life-time; besides, that his Enemies never charg'd him with any such thing. His Name is found amongst the Names of those Bishops that Subscrib'd to the Canons, which are believ'd to be made in the Council of Elvira. He was known to Constantine, while this Empe∣rour was in the West, and follow'd him into the East; where he was so much esteem'd by him, that he was chosen to be sent into Egypt, to settle the Controversies that were risen there about the Heresie of Arius, and the Celebration of Easter. There he assembled a Council; to which the Egyptians have not scrupled to give the Name of Oecumenical, and us'd his utmost endeavours to reduce Arius to the Communion of his Bishop Alexander, and to establish Peace: But all was in vain, for 'twas necessary to have recourse to a more Powerful Remedy, which was the General Council of Nice. There he was chosen President, either because of his Eminent Vertues, and Rare Qualities; or because he had a perfect Knowledge of the Matter which was to be handled in that Council. He presided also at the Council of Sardica, and maintain'd for a long time with great Constancy the Faith of the Ni∣cene Council, and the Innocence of St. Athanasius, under the Reign of Constantius. This Emperour did in vain sollicite him with Promises and Threatnings, for he answer'd and wrote to him with un∣shaken Firmness; but at last, he was so far overcome by the Miseries which he suffer'd in Banishment, as not only to Communicate with Ursacius and Valens, in the Year. 357; as St. Athanasius con∣fesses, but also to Subscribe to the Second Creed of Sirmium, which is Arian, as St. Hilary and Rheba∣dius, who liv'd at the same time, do clearly Testify. Yet 'tis true, that St. Athanasius who endea∣vours to excuse the Fault of his Friend, as much as he can, says, That he did not Subscribe to his Condemnation, and that his Friend at his Death, protested by his Last Will and Testament, against what he had done, and expresly condemn'd the Heresy of Arius. These two Authors, whom we cited before, do not speak at this Rate of him; but on the contrary, St. Hilary, says, That his Subscription discover'd what he was formerly, i. e. an Hypocrite, who had no other Religion, but that of the Court.

But it will be better to spare his Memory with St. Athanasius, than to blacken it by Declamations without Ground. His Fault indeed was very great, but then his great Age, and the Violence that was us'd towards him, do render him the less culpable; and I think we ought to believe upon the Testimony of St. Athanasius, that he repented of what he had done before his Death. 'Tis true, that the two Luciferians tell us a Story which would prove the contrary if it were certain; but it looks like a Fable. They say in their Petition to the Emperour Valentinian, that Hosius being return'd in∣to Spain with a Declaration of the Emperour, wherein 'twas ordain'd, That all those that would not Communicate with him, should be cast out of their Sees; One Gregory, Bishop of the Province of Boetica, a dull Man, but a zealous Defender of the Faith, refus'd to Communicate with him; and being forcibly carried away to Corduba by the Governor's Guards, he continued firm in his Opinion, and boldly reproved Hosius. That Hosius being mov'd with a violent Passion, desired of the Gover∣nor to send that Bishop into Banishment: But the Governor answer'd him, That he must first be Con∣demn'd. And that Hosius being ready to pronounce the Sentence of Condemnation against him, he appeal'd to the Tribunal of Jesus Christ, and when Hosius was just beginning to Pronounce the Sen∣tence, he fell into Convulsions, and was cast down Dead upon the Ground, or at least lost his Speech. This is what these two Luciferian Priests say of Hosius's End: But besides that this Relation is refu∣ted by the Positive Testimony of St. Athanasius, which is much more credible than theirs; it has all over the Air of a Fable feign'd by Lucifer's Party, who please themselves, as is usual for the most part with those Devoto's that are too austere, with such kind of Tragical Stories that happen for the Pu∣nishment of some Crime. He liv'd almost 100 Years, and died in the Year 358. St. Athanasius in his Letter to the Egyptians, which is call'd his First Discourse against the Arians, places Hosius in the number of those who had written against the Arians, but we have no more of him but that excellent Letter to Constantius, recited by St. Athanasius in his Letter to those that lived a Monastick Life; of which we have made an Extract, when we discours'd of the Works of St. Athanasius. Isidore of Sevil attributes also to Hosius a Letter to his Sister, in praise of Virginity; which was written, as he says, in a Stile very Eloquent and Polite; and moreover, he says, That he was the Author of a Part of the Canons of the Council of Sardica: Some also have said that he made the Nicene Creed, but without Ground.

We may join with Hosius, some Authors whereof St. Athanasius makes mention in his Letter to the Egyptians, who compos'd very Orthodox Books, which we have not at present, and whereof we have not so much as the Titles. These Authors are Maximinus, of France, Bishop of Triers, and his Suc∣cessor Paulinus; Philogonus, of Antioch; Cyriacus, of Mysia; Pistus and Aristeus, of Greece; Sylvester and Protogenes, of Dacia; Leontius and Eupsychius, of Cappadocia; Caecilian, of Africk; Eustorgius, of Italy; Capito, of Sicily; Macarius, of Jerusalem; Alexander, of Constantinople; Pedarotus, of Heraclea; Meletias, Basil and Longinus, of Pontus and Armenia; Lupus and Appianus, of Cilicia. All these Bishops, and many others, compos'd Letters or Books, which were extant in St. Athana∣sius's time, but now we know nothing of them.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Hosius.