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.

PETER of Alexandria.

ST. Athanasius dying in the Year 373, the Catholicks chose in his room Peter, whom St. Athana∣sius had design'd for his Successor. He had no sooner taken Possession of his Church, but he was * 1.1 forc'd away from it by the Governor of the Province nam'd Palladius, and necessitated to fly to Rome. Some time after Euzoius of Antioch brought with him one nam'd Lucius, whom he Ordain'd Bishop of Alexandria, and caus'd the Churches to be given to him. This Man being an Enemy to the Do∣ctrine of his Predecessor, was hated by all the Christians of Alexandria, who would not afterwards come any more to the Assemblies of the Church: Whereupon Lucius was oblig'd to get a Guard of Pagan Souldiers, who committed by his Order infinite Outrages against the Catholicks. Peter of Alexandria wrote at this time a Letter against the Exorbitances that were done by the Arians, which

Theodoret produces in the Fourth Book of his History, Chap. 22. It charges them with causing a Mul∣titude of Infidel Souldiers to enter into the great Church of St. Theonas, who vomited up Thousands of Blasphemies, violated Virgins, and put to Death many Christians. He adds, That they had com∣mitted abominable Sacrilege, in making a Young Man dance upon the Altar in Womans Apparel, and making him go up into the Pulpit, where he utter'd Infamous and Impious words. Afterwards he charges the Arians with carrying away Lucius to place him in the Episcopal See, though he had neither been chosen by the Suffrages of the Clergy and the People, nor Ordain'd by a Lawful Synod, as the Ecclesiastical Canons requir'd. Afterwards he gives an account of the manner in which he entred into the Church, being accompanied with Euzoïus, and the Chief Treasurer of the City; how he would have forc'd the Priests and Deacons to approve Arianism, to please the Emperour Valens; with what Boldness and Constancy they answer'd him, and how they were Imprison'd, Tormented, and sent a Shipboard without Victuals. In short, he relates the Cruelties committed against the People of Alexandria, against the Deacon sent by Pope Damasus, and against Eleven Bishops of Egypt banish'd to Diocaesarea, together with a great number of Priests and Deacons. We have in Facun∣dus, two Fragments of another Letter written by the same Father to those that were banish'd. The First, is in Chap. 2. of the Fourth Book, against Timotheus the Disciple of Apollinarius, whom he accuses of having Anathematiz'd St. Basil, St. Paulinus, St. Epiphanius, and Diodorus, that he might communicate with Vitalis only. The Second Fragment is in Chap. 2. of B. XI. where he commends the Epistle of St. Athanasius written to the Antiochians. We have not any other Frag∣ment of the Letters of this Saint, though 'tis probable, that he wrote many more during the space of Six Years that he stay'd at Rome. But when Valens being to march against the Goths, gave leave to the banish'd Bishops to return, he came to Alexandria with a Letter of Recommendation from Pope Damasus. The People receiv'd him and drove away Lucius. Sometime after, Peter indiscreetly Ordained Maximus the Cynick Bishop of Constantinople, though he had approv'd by a Letter the Care which Gregory Nazianzen took of that Church. He died about! the End of the Year 381. The Stile of the Letter produced by Theodoret is Simple and Natural, and also very Significant.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Peter of A∣lexandria.