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.

PHAEBADIUS.

PHAEBADIUS a 1.1, Bishop of Agen, having seen the Second Creed of Sirmium, compos'd in the Year 357, by Hosius and Potamius, wrote immediately a Treatise against this Creed. He * 1.2 assisted afterwards at the Council of Ariminum, held in 359, wherein he defended until the End of the Council, the Nicene Creed, and refus'd to Sign that which was there propos'd. Neither Fear nor Threatnings could change his Resolution; but the Governor Taurus, seeing that his Constancy was

not to be overcome by these means, us'd Entreaties, and beseech'd him with Tears to take more mo∣derate Courses, that so he might release a great Number of Bishops, who had been shut up for the space of seven Months in one City, where they were distress'd by the Rigor of the Winter, and the want of all things. He remonstrated to him, That if all the Bishops did not sign the Creed that was brought from the East, there would be no hopes, that they should ever have permission to return from thence: In short, That he must fix his Resolution, and that he ought to follow the Example and Authority of many that had already sign'd. Phaebadius, answered, That he was ready to go into Banishment, and suffer all sorts of Punishment, rather than do that which was desir'd of him, and that he would never receive a Creed made by the Arians. Some days pass'd in these Debates; but at last, seeing that there was no hopes left of obtaining Peace, he departed from his Resolution, after that Ursacius and Valens had declar'd, That the Profession of Faith, which they propos'd, was Ca∣tholick, and that those to whom it appear'd not sufficient, might add to it what they thought fit. This Proposition was favourably receiv'd by all the Western Bishops: Phaebadius and Servatio Tungrensis, drew up Declarations, wherein they condemn'd Arius and his impious Doctrine, acknowledging that the Son of God was without Beginning, and that he was not a Creature. But Ursacius and Valens, added maliciously, that he was not a Creature as others are; and so deceiv'd the Bishops who sign'd with those Declarations, the Creed compos'd at Nice by the Bishops of the East. Phaebadius, being upon his return to his own Country, was one of those Bishops who were most troubled for their Fault, and who aton'd for it, by Declarations and Protestations against what they had done by Sur∣prise: He assisted at the Council of Valentia in 374. We have a Letter of St. Ambrose, address'd to him and Delphinius, Bishop of Bordeaux. St. Jerom assures us in his Book of Illustrious Men, That Phaebadius liv'd in his time, and that he was then extremely old: He adds, That he also wrote some other Books, besides that which we have already mention'd. The Memory of this Saint, is particu∣larly honoured at Agen, where he is commonly call'd St. Fiari.

We have still extant in the Bibliothecae Patrum, a Treatise of this Bishop, against the Second Creed of Sirmium, which was first publish'd by Pithaeus, in a Collection of Ancient French Ecclesiastical Authors, printed by Nivelle, in the Year 1589. This Treatise is a refutation of the Second Creed of Sirmium, compos'd by Potamius, Bishop of Lisbon, and Sign'd by Hosius Bishop of Corduba. In the Exordium, he says, That if the greater part of Christians had not been circumvented by the Ar∣tifices of the Devil, who makes them take Heresy for Faith, and condemn the Faith for Heresy; he had not undertaken to say any thing of this Writing, which was sent a little while ago into France: That he could be content to continue Firm in his own Faith, without medling with the Examina∣tion of other Men's:

But since, says he, we are reduc'd to this Condition, that we must necessa∣rily embrace Heresy, that we may be call'd Catholicks, or cease to be Catholicks by not rejecting Heresy, we find our selves oblig'd to discover the Poyson of Heresy hid under the appearance of Religion, and to lay open that Error, which is wrapt up in such Terms, as appear at first fight to be Innocent, that so Falshood being discover'd, the oppress'd Truth may at last take breath. We must destroy the Opinions of Strangers, that ours may be believ'd, and so in refuting Error, I shall prove at the same time, the Truth of my Creed, and demonstrate my self to be a Catholick to those that are not over-aw'd by Fear, nor brib'd by Ambition.

After this, he Examines the Se∣cond Creed of Sirmium, discovers the Malignity of it, and refutes by Testimonies of Scripture, the Errors that it contains about the Trinity. He speaks also occasionally of the Mystery of the Incar∣nation, whilest he refutes a Letter of Potamius; who had affirm'd, That by the Incarnation of the Word, God was render'd passible, and that the Son of God, and the Flesh of Man, were become as it were, a Third Person, who was neither God nor Man. He Disputes against this Opinion, showing by Scripture. That the Two Substances, or the Two Natures, continued without mixture in the Person of Jesus Christ; That the Word did still preserve the Properties of the Divine Nature, and the Humanity of the Humane Nature. He is very angry afterwards, that they suppress'd the word Sub∣stance, which was order'd by the Creed, that he examines. The Bishops, says he, make an Edict, whereby they decree, That no Person shall speak of One Substance.

Alas, What have you done, O ye, Holy Bishops Assembled at Nice from all parts of the World? You have to no purpose Com∣pos'd with admirable Circumspection, a Creed which should be the Infallible Rule of Truth? To what End was your Labour design'd? What is the Fruit of your Care? 'Tis now forbidden to teach in the Church, the only Thing which you commanded to be taught there for the Con∣founding of Error. That is now condemn'd, which you approv'd; and that is now approv'd, which you condemn'd; Falshood is maintain'd, and the Truth is oppos'd. But in vain do they strive to do it, for Truth shall never be destroy'd, it shall remain eternally without Change, and shall punish those that set themselves against it. Let no Man, say they, make use of the Word Substance. Ha, What Evil, what Crime is it, to make use of this Word? Wherein does it wound the Faith? Is it the Sound? Is it the Sence?

Afterwards he makes it appear, That this Word is us'd in Scripture; That the Sence of it is most Catholick; and, That 'tis most proper to expound the Faith of the Church in such a manner, as it may not be capable of any further Explication. At the End of this Treatise, he refutes those that say, The Word of God suffer'd Pain. At last, he concludes with saying, That there is but One only God in Three Persons.

This is what we believe, this is what we defend, what the Prophets have taught us, what the Gospel preaches to us, what the Apostles left us by Tradition, what the Martyrs confess'd in their Sufferings. This is the Faith which is engraven on the Hearts and Minds of the Faithful; and when an Angel shall descend from Heaven and teach the contrary, he shall be accursed.

He adds afterwards, as a kind of an Appendix, when he speaks of Hosius, Bishop of Corduba;

I know very well, says he, that the Name of Hosius, that ancient Bishop, may

be objected to me, whose Faith was always so Firm, and I doubt, not but they will make use of his Authority, as a Buckler to cover the Opinion that is contrary to ours. But I answer in a word to those who will make use of these Arms, that his Authority cannot be alledg'd as an unanswerable Argument, because either he is at present in an Error, or else he always was so. The World knows what he believ'd till this present time, with what Assurance he approv'd the Sardican and Nicene Doctrine which I defend, and with what Rigor he condemned the Arians. But if he be at present of another Opinion, if he maintains now what he always condemned heretofore, if he condemns now what he always maintained; How can his Authority be objected to me? If he was in an Er∣ror for 82 Years together, How comes it to pass, that I must believe, that at this Age he found out the Truth? But suppose I could believe it, What Judgment can be given of those who died in the Faith of the same Doctrine which he maintained before he altered his Opinion? What Judgment would he have given of himself, if he had died before that Council wherein he changed? And so the prejudice drawn from the Arthority of Hosius, is of no Consideration, because it opposes it self: Besides that, we read in the Scripture, that the Righteousness of a Judge, shall not save him, when he shall depart from it.

I was very willing to set down this Passage entire, because it may be of great use to weak Persons, who suffer themselves to be drawn into Errors, by the Authority of those whom they highly Esteem and Value. It serves also to discover, that the greatest Men are subject to great Infirmities, and that therefore we must not follow their Example blindly, especially, when Religion is the Matter in que∣stion; and that the only Infallible Rule to which we should adhere, is the Authority of the Church, to which we ought to pay a blind Obedience, and without reserve.

To Conclude, This Tract is written very politely, the Stile is clear and clean, the Subject is hand∣led very plainly; and there are sometimes Sallies of Wit, which discover that the Author wrote with much Vigour and Easiness.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Phaebadius.] Sulpitius Severus, calls him Fega∣dius; in St. Jerom, and the Greek Translator of his Book, he is call'd Saebadius, which is a Fault in the Latin, and ought to be read Phaebadius, as it is in the Manuscripts. There is also by mistake in St. Ambrose Fygadius.
• * 1.2

  Phaebadius.