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.

PHOTINUS.

PHOTINUS Bishop of Sirmium, was originally of Galatia. When he was Deacon and Disci∣ple of Marcellus of Ancyra, he follow'd some of his Errors: He did not distinguish the Per∣son * 1.1 of the Word from the Person of the Father, and said, That we ought not to give him the Name or Title of the Son of God, before he was Born of Mary a 1.2: He had hardly discover'd his Error b 1.3, but it was condemn'd by the Bishops of the East, in a Council held at Antioch in the Year 345, and by the Bishops of the West in the Council of Milan in 346. These last assembled two Years after at Sirmium to depose him, but they could not compass their Design, because of the Opposition that was made by the People of that City, and therefore they were contented to draw up a Sentence against him, and to write of it to the Bishops of the East: But at last, the Eastern Bishops being assembled at Sir∣mium in the Year 351, when the Emperour Constantius was Master of this City, after the Defeat of Vetranio—they deposed Photinus, and procur'd his Banishment. He died in Galatia the place of his Exile, under the Reign of Valentinian and Valens, towards the Year 376. This Heretick was a great Master of Wit and Eloquence, was acute and subtle in his Reasonings, and led an unblameable Life. He wrote many Books, but the chief of them were his Treatise against the Gentiles, and his Books address'd to the Emperour Valentinian. St. Epiphanius relates in Haeres. 71. some Extracts of the Conference he held with Marcellus of Ancyra, in the Council of Sirmium; and we have nothing else of his. Vincentius Lirinensis assures us, That he had much Wit, Learning and Eloquence, and that he spoke Greek and Latin equally well, as may be seen, says he, in his Works, whereof he wrote part in Greek, and part in Latin.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Photinus.
• a 1.2

  He did not distinguish, &c.] After this manner St. A∣thanasius in his Second Apology, in his Book of Councils, and St. Epiphanius in Haeres. 51. explain the Error of Photinus. He is commonly accus'd of renewing the Er∣rors of Paulus Samosatenus and Ebion; but though he speaks like them, yet he was not wholly of their Opinion. For he did not believe with Ebion and Paulus Samosate∣nus, That Jesus Christ was a mere Man; but he said, That the Son of God was Born of Mary, because he did not believe that he had the Title of the Son of God, be∣fore he was Born of the Virgin. He comes nearer to the Error of Sabellius, because he did not distinguish the Word, before he was Born of Mary.
• b 1.3

  He had hardly discover'd his Error.] Some say, That he begun to publish it under the Reign of Constantine, which they ground upon the Authority of Severus Sul∣pitius. But Socrates, B. II. Ch. 18. and St. Hilary in his Book of Fragments, testifie, That the Error of Photinus was not known till a little while before the Council of Antioch in the Year 345. All that we have said of the History of Photinus, is taken out of the Fragments of St. Hilary, and what we have observ'd about his Writings, is taken out of St. Jerom in his Catalogue.