JACOBUS NISIBENUS.
ST. JAMES, a Native of Nisibis a City of Mesopotamia, which was anciently the Boundary of the Empire between the Persians and Romans, having led a very austere life in the Desart, and be∣coming * 1.1 famous by his Confession under Maximinus, and by the great number of Miracles which he wrought, was chosen Bishop of that City, where he was born: though he did not for that forsake his manner of life, nor work fewer Miracles than before; nay, 'tis said, that he even rais'd up the Dead. He assisted at the Council of Nice, where he condemn'd the Heresie of Arius: and Theodoret says, that being at Constantinople, when they would oblige Alexander Bishop of that Church to receive Arius into Communion, he advis'd the Catholicks to have recourse to God by Fasting and Prayer, and to Pray all together for the space of Seven Days, that they might agree among themselves what was best to be done. The Persians coming about the Year 338, to Besiege the City of Nisibis, St. James upon this occasion did the Office both of a Governor and a Bishop; for he not only made fervent Prayers for his People, but encourag'd them by his Exhortations to Rebuild a Wall in the room of that which the Besiegers had beat down; he mounted upon the Walls of the City, and appear'd Miraculously cloathed with Purple, as if he had been an Emperour. 'Tis said also, That at his Prayer God rain'd an infinite Multitude of Gnats, which so annoy'd the Besiegers, that they were forc'd to retire in dis∣order. This Story is related not only by Theodoret, who has written the Life of this Saint, in his Book entituled, Philotheus [which is an Historical Account of Thirty eminent Asceticks] and who speaks also of this Circumstance in his Hist. Ch. 30. of his Second Book; but also by Philostorgius, who can∣not be suspected of too much favour to so great an Enemy of the Arians.
St. Athanasius speaks of this Saint, as of a Bishop who had written for the Church: And if St. Jerom has not plac'd him among the number of Ecclesiastical Writers, it is because, as Gennadius has ob∣serv'd that this Father understood not the Syriack Tongue, having never read those Syriack Writers, [This, with Gennadius's leave, is something strange: for it is not credible that a Man who lived so long in Palaestine, where Syriack was the Mother-Tongue, and who understood Hebrew so well as St. Jerom did, should not understand Syriack, which is but a different Dialect.] whom he mentions but in their Version; so that we must not wonder, that he says nothing of his Works, because they were never translated into Greek. Gennadius has made a Catalogue, wherein he says, That the Work of this Author contain'd 26 Books, but he names but 23. The 1st. is concerning Faith; The 2d. against all Heresies; The 3d. of Charity in general; The 4th. of Charity towards our Neighbour; The 5th. of Fasting; The 6th. of Prayer; The 7th. of the Resurrection; The 8th. of the Life after Death; The 9th. of Hu∣mility; The 10th. of Patience; The 11th. of Penance; The 12th. of Satisfaction; The 13th. of Virgi∣nity; The 14th. of the Life of the Soul; The 15th. concerning Circumcision; The 16th. concerning the Benediction of the Grape, which is the cause that the Bunch of Grapes is preserv'd, which is mention'd by the Prophet Isaiah, Ch. 65; The 17th. of Jesus Christ, to prove that he is the Son of God and Con-substantial to his Father; The 18th. of Chastity; The 19th. against the Gentiles; The 20th. of the Building of the Tabernacle; The 21st. of the Conversion of the Gentiles; The 22nd. of the Empire of the Persians; The 23th. of the Persecution of the Christians. Gennadius, says also, That this Father made a Chronicle, less studied indeed than that of the Greeks, but more bold; for by using the words of Scripture, he stops the mouth of all those that question the Coming of Jesus Christ upon vain Con∣jectures.
This holy Man, as Gennadius goes on, died under Constantius, and was buried by Constan∣tine's Order in the City of Nisibis, to be a kind of a Defender of it after his Death; but some time after, Julian entring into this City, either because he could not endure the Glory of this Saint, or because he would reproach the Memory of Constantine, commanded, that the Relicks of his holy Body should be thrown out of the City; wherefore in a few Months after the Emperour Jovian was forc'd, to save his Empire, to Surrender it to the Persians, under whose Dominion it still re∣mains. [Theodoret gives us another Account of the removal of St. James's Body:He says, That when Jovian Surrendred up Nisibis to the Persians, the Inhabitants who left the Town, carried the