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.

The EIGHTH TOME.

THE Eighth Volume of St. Augustin's Works, contains his Writings against Hereticks, ex∣cepting those that are against both the Donatists and the Pelagians, which make up two distinct Volumes. It begins with the small Treatise of Heresies, composed in the Year 428. at the Request of Quodvultdeus, a Deacon, to whom it is directed.

This Writing was to have had Two Parts: The First, concerning the Heresies raised from Jesus Christ's to St. Augustin's time. He promised to examine, in the Second, what it is that makes a Man an Heretick. This Second should naturally have been the First; because that to know the Heresies that have broken out since Jesus Christ's time, it is necessary to know what is Heresie. But St. Augustin finding this Question hard to be resolved, began with the other that was more easie, and never undertook the Second. Therefore this Treatise is only a very succinct Catalogue of the Names of Heretical Sects, and of their principal Errors. It beginneth with the Symonians, and endeth with the Pelagians, and containeth Eighty eight Heresies: it is by no means exact, and one shall hardly find any thing there which is not taken out of St. Epiphanius and Philastrius.

The Treatise against the Jews, is a Sermon in which St. Augustin proves by the Prophecies, That the Jewish Law was to have an End; That it was to be changed into a New Law; and, That God would reject the Jews, to call the Gentiles.

These Two short Treatises are follow'd by St. Augustin's Writings against the Manichees; which are set down in the first place, because those Hereticks opposed the first Principles of the Christian Religion. The First of all, is that of the Usefulness of Faith, which St. Augustin com∣posed sometime after he was Ordained Priest, in the Year 391. to reclaim his Friend Honoratus from the Errors of the Manichees, wherein he had been engaged as well as St. Augustin; be∣cause those Hereticks had put him in hope, That without making use of Authority, they should discover the Truth to him by the Light of Reason, and by this one only mean bring him to the Knowledge of God, and deliver him from all sorts of Errors. St. Augustin having shewed the difference betwixt the Author of a Heresie, and a Person surprized with it afterwards, doth at first justifie the Old Testament; shewing, That it agreeth exactly with the New, in the History, Morals and Allegories; and that the Church puts such a sense upon it, which the Manichees themselves cannot condemn. He overthroweth the Manichees Principle; proving, That we must Believe before we Know. To this end, he supposes certain Persons having no Religion, and seeking to be instructed in the True, to be like those who should enquire after a Master to teach them Rhetorick or Philosphy. Afterwards he observes, That the only Party which these Persons are to embrace at first, is to side with those who are commonly and generally approved: That it is great Rashness in those who are incapable of themselves to judge of things, to depart from the Common Voice; to preferr the Judgment of some particular Men, before that of the Multitude. So that it is most rational, since one Party or other is to be embraced, to side

with the Catholick Church, especially because it forbids not those that come into her to enquire after the Truth. It saith indeed, That we ought to Believe: But it hath an Authority so to do; for no Man can Believe, but he must be persuaded, That He in whom he believeth, is worthy of Credit; and this makes the difference betwixt a VVise and a Credulous Man. But had it not been better to give convincing Reasons of Things? No; for all Men are not capable of Reason, and some things cannot be understood without the help of a Divine Light. It is very dangerous to follow those who promise to make us comprehend all things; because they often boast of knowing what they are ignorant of, and often make us believe so too. And very shameful is that Condition, for Two Reasons: First, Because such a Person takes no more Pains to learn, being falsely persuaded of his Knowledge: And, Secondly, Because that an in∣considerate readiness to judge of a thing, is a Mark of a weak Understanding. Reason makes us apprehend things, Authority makes us believe, but Error persuades us to affirm rashly that which is false. Upon these Principles St. Augustin proves the Necessity of Faith, in Matters of Civil Life, as much as in Matters of VVisdom: For in the first place, the VVhole of Humane Society is grounded upon the Belief of some certain Things. As for Example: The Honour we render to our Parents, is grounded merely upon our Belief, That they are the Persons from whom we received Life. Secondly, There is no getting of VVisdom, without con∣sulting with VVise Men. But how shall we know these VVise Men, except we trust Others? For unless we are VVise our selves, we can never know True VVisdom. VVherefore, we must Believe, to seek after Religion: For did we not believe that there is such a thing, why should we seek for it? All Hereticks own that we must believe in Jesus Christ: But what Motives have we to believe Jesus Christ's Authority? Are they not the same with those that make us believe the Church? Are they not the Miracles, the Sanctity both of the Doctrine and of the Morals, the Publishing of the Gospel, the Blood of Martyrs, and some other Proofs of this nature, which establish the Authority of the Church no less than that of Jesus Christ? Therefore St. Augustin concludes thus,

Why should we make any difficulty to throw our selves into the Arms of that Church which hath always maintain'd her self by the Succession of Bishops in Apostolick Sees, in spite of all the Endeavours of Hereticks condemned by her, or by Peoples Faith, or by the Decisions of Councils, or by the Authority of Miracles? It is either a matchless Impiety, or a very indiscreet Arrogancy, not to acknowledge her Doctrine for a Rule of our Faith. For if the Spirit of Man cannot attain unto Wisdom, and so to Salvation, but by Faith directing our Reason; is it not to be Ungrateful, and neglect the Succour proffered by God, to resist so weighty an Authority? And truly, if any Science, though common and easie, cannot be learned without a Teacher; it is Presumption, in the highest degree, to refuse to learn the Sence of the Sacred Books from those that understand them; and to condemn them, without hearing what they say.

After this First Book against the Foundation of the Manichaean Heresie, St. Augustin com∣posed the Book Of the Two Souls, against one principal Error of those Hereticks; asserting, That there were Two Souls in each Man; a Good one, of a Divine Substance, the cause of all that is Good in us; and an Evil one, of the nature of Darkness, proper to the Flesh, which is the Principle of all disorderly Motions, and of all the Evil that we doe. St. Augustin proves in this Book, First, That the Soul being a Spirit and Life, is more perfect than Corporeal Light, which the Manichees believe to come from God. Secondly, That there is no Nature or Sub∣stance naturally Evil; and that Evil consists only in the Abuse of our Liberty. Some Passages in this Book attribute much to Free-Will; nay, there are some which may not agree well with the Doctrine of Grace, and of Original Sin, which St. Augustin correcteth in his Re∣tractations.

There was at that time in Hippo a Priest, one Fortunatus, a Famous Manichee, who had se∣duc'd many Inhabitants of that City. The Catholicks engaged St. Augustin, in a Conference with him. What was said on both Sides, was set down in Writing by Notaries, and that Act preserved among St. Augustin's Writings. The Dispute lasted but two Days; and the Questions that were disputed about, were of Nature, and the Original of Evil. St. Augustin affirms, That Evil proceeds from the Abuse of Free-Will. The Manichee pretends, That there is an Evil Nature Co-eternal with God. In the first day's Conference the Manichee defended himself well enough; but he could not Answer St. Augustin's Objections next day, and was obliged to say, That he would conferr about them with the Heads of his Sect. The Shame of being Confuted in that Conference, obliged him to leave Hippo. This Conference is dated the 26th. of August, under the Second Consulship of Arcadius and Rufinus, in the Year 392.

About that time, St. Augustin met with some Works of one Adimantus, who had been a Disciple of Manichaeus, written against the Law and the Prophets; which he affirmed to contain things contrary to the Precepts of the Gospel and of the Apostles. He undertook to Answer the Objections of that Heretick, and to Justifie the Agreement betwixt those Passages of the Old and New Testament which he had produced, as being contrary. This Book is of the Year 394.

St. Augustin having refuted the Disciple, undertakes the Master, and Answereth the Letter which he called, The Epistle of Foundation: shewing, That Manichaeus set forth in it nothing but Falshods and Absurdities. He lays down, at first, the Reasons for his adhering to the Church, in these Terms:

Not to speak (saith he) of that Wisdom and Understanding which

few Men apprehend in this Life, several Motives keep me in the Bosom of the Catholick Church; The general Consent of Nations and People, an Authority grounded upon Miracles, upheld by Hope, perfected with Charity, and confirmed by Antiquity; the Succession of Bishops from St. Peter to our time; and the Name of the Catholick Church, which is so peculiar to the True Church, that though all Hereticks call themselves Catholicks, yet when you ask, in any Country whatsoever, where Catholicks meet, they dare not shew the Place of their Assemblies. These are powerful Motives which keep a faithful Man within the Pale of the Church, though he be not yet arrived to a perfect understanding of the Truth. But among you Manichees, that have none of these Reasons either to invite or to keep me, I hear none but vain Promises, to make me understand the Truth clearly. I confess, That did you perform it, I ought to preferr an evident Truth, which none can doubt of, before all the Motives that make me keep to the Catholick Church. But so long as you do only promise, and not give this Knowledge, you shall not shake that Trust which I have in the Catholick Church, which is grounded upon such powerful Reasons and Motives.

He examines af∣terwards the Principles contained in Manichaeus's Letter; and proves, That he not only fails in the Demonstration of what he affirmeth, but that he is contrary even to Reason and Common S••nce. This Book is placed in the Retractations, among the Books composed bout the Year 397.

The most considerable of all St. Augustin's Works against the Manichees, is, his Treatise against Faustus, divided into Three and thirty Disputes or Arguments; wherein he writes down the Text of this Manichee's Books, which contained most part of the Blasphemies and Impieties of those Hereticks, against both the Old and the New Testament: which St. Au∣gustin strongly and solidly refutes. This Work was compleated about the Year 400. and sent to St. Jerom in 404.

The next Book contains the Acts of a Conference which St. Augustin had at Hippo, in De∣cember, 404. with a Manichee, one Felix. The Dispute lasted three Days, but we have a Re∣lation but of what happened in the two last Conferences. In the Conclusion of the latter, the Manichee was Converted, and Anathematized Manichaeus.

In the same Year, St. Augustin composed a Treatise Of the Nature of Good, against the Ma∣nichees: wherein he shews, That God is of an Immutable Nature: That he hath created all other Beings, whether Spiritual or Corporeal, which are all good in their Nature: That Evil proceedeth only from the Abuse of Free-Will: That the Manichees call Evil Good, and Good Evil.

The Book against Secundinus, is properly an Answer of St. Augustin's to that Manichee, who had exhorted him by a Letter, never to encounter with the Manichees, of whose Opinion himself had been formerly; and he had also urged him to return to their Sect. St. Augustin gives him the Reasons of his Conversion, and discovers some of Manichaeus's Errors.

The following Treatise is against a Heretick who was worse than the Manichees, who in a distinct Treatise asserted, That God did not make the World, nor give the Law. St. Augustin refuteth him, under the Name of The Adversary of the Law and the Prophets, in two Books bearing that Title, composed about the Year 420.

Orosius having consulted St. Augustin, in 415. about the Impieties of the Priscillianists, and some Errors of Origen's Disciples, St. Augustin answered him in a Book directed to him, enti∣tuled, Against the Priscillianists and Origenists. In this small Treatise he rejects these Errors: 1. That the Soul is of a Divine Nature. 2. That the Torments both of the Daemons and of Damned Men shall have an end. 3. That the Reign of Jesus Christ will not be Eternal. 4. That both Angels and Souls are Purified in this World. 5. That the Stars are Animated. 6. That Angels commit Sins.

The rest of St. Augustin's Treatises contained in this Volume are against the Arians.

The First is an Answer to a Discourse of an Arian, containing a great many Objections against the Divinity of the Son of God, and of the Holy Ghost. This Discourse was made the next Year after the Conference with Emeritus, held in 417.

Next to this Treatise, are, The Conference with Maximinus, and Two Books against that Arian Bishop. The Conference was held at Hippo, in the Year 428. whither Maximinus was sent by Count Sigisvultdeus. In the Conference were several Discourses on both Sides; but Maximinus having said many more things than St. Augustin, and spoken last, he bragg'd that he had got the Victory: which obliged this Saint to recollect all that had been said in the Conference, and to refute Maximinus's last Arguments, which he had not had time to answer.

St. Austin's Books of the Trinity, are rather a Dogmatical Treatise, concerning that Mystery, than Polemical Writings against Hereticks; for he insisteth not so much upon refuting their Reasons, or establishing the Doctrines of the Church, as upon subtile Reasonings, to expound and clear this Mystery. He began them in the Year 400. and finished them in 416. The First Book begins with a Preface containing very important Reflections. He observes, at first, That Men have Three false Notions of the Divinity; that some conceive of God as a Corporeal Substance, attributing to him Corporeal Properties; that others have such an Idea of him, as they have of their Souls, and of other Spirits; and so they ascribe to him the like Imper∣fections, as Repenting, Forgetting, and Remembring,; and that others entertain such a No∣tion of God, as may have nothing Common with a Creature; and so they conceive none but

Chimerical Idea's of him. The Holy Scripture condescends to Men's Weakness, ascribing often such Things to God, as belong properly to Bodies, or imperfect Spirits; and seldom makes use of Terms peculiar to God, because it is very difficult to know, in this Life, the Substance, or Essence of the divine Nature perfectly. But because some Persons desire to be informed about this Matter, and ask how Three divine Persons make one and the same Essence, he un∣dertakes two things in this Work: First, To shew, That the Scripture teaches us such Doctrine; and then to raise the Mind, as far as it is capable in this Life, to the knowledge of this My∣stery.

He proves the First Point in the first Seven Books.

In the First, he establishes, by Passages of Scripture, the Unity, and the Equality of the Three Divine Persons; and explains the principal Places that were urged by the Arians, against the Divinity of Jesus Christ. The main Rule which he makes use of, is That Jesus Christ being one only Person, made up of Two Natures, what is said of the humane Nature should be distinguished from that which is spoken of the Divine.

In the Second, he confirmeth the former Rule, and layeth down another. That the Scri∣pture speaks things of the Son, and the Holy Ghost, which are not spoken of the Father, to shew, That they receive their Essence from the Father: As when 'tis said, That the Son doth nothing of himself; that he receiveth Life from the Father. This, saith St. Augustin, doth not shew, That the Son is of a different Nature from the Father, but only, that the Son receiveth his Substance from the Father. And by this Rule, he explains the mission of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. He speaks also of Apparitions; wherein he pretends, That not one single Per∣son, but the whole Trinity, hath either spoken, or operated.

This last Question is the Subject of his Third Book; wherein he examines, Whether God, in his Apparitions, formed Creatures to make himself known unto Men by them; or, Whether th••se Apparitions were by the Ministry of Angels, who made use of Bodies to accomplish them. He concludes, in favour of the latter Opinion, rejecting the former, which had been held by all the Fathers before him.

The Fourth is about Christ's Incarnation, whereby God hath manifested how much he loved us. The Word was made Flesh, to deliver us from the Darkness wherein we lay, to purifie our Hearts, and Minds. His Death delivered us from Two kinds of Death; from that of the Body, by restoring Immortality to us; and from that of the Soul, by washing us from our Sins. Here he makes a Digression, concerning the perfection of the Number Six, which is neither very solid, nor much to the Purpose. He discourses afterwards of the wonderful Ef∣fects of Christ's Mediation; and shews, at last, That the Humiliation of the Son of God, by his Incarnation, hinders him not from being equal with his Father, according to the Divine Nature.

In the Fifth Book, He refutes the Sophisms of Hereticks against the Mystery of the Trinity.

In the Sixth, He considers in what sence the Son is called the Wisdom and Power of the Fa∣ther: Whether the Father be Wise of himself; or, Whether he is only the Father of Wisdom. He puts off the Decision of that Question, and treats again of the Unity and Equality of the Father, of the Son, and of the H. Ghost.

In the Seventh Book he resolves the Question proposed in the Sixth, shewing that the Father is not only the Father of Power and of Wisdom, but that he hath in himself both Power and Wisdom; and that all the Three Persons of the Trinity are Wise and Powerful by the same Power and Wisdom, because they have but one Godhead. Afterwards he explains in what sence God is said to have but one Essence and Three Persons; or, according to the Greeks, three Hypostases.

Having proved in the Eighth Book that the Three Persons together are not greater than any one alone, he enters upon the Second Part of his Work by exhorting Men to raise up themselves to the Knowledge of God, thro' Charity, wherein he finds a kind of Trinity.

In the Ninth, He endeavoureth to find a Trinity in Man, who was created after the Image of God; he findeth there a Spirit, a Knowledge of himself, and a Love wherewith he loves himself: these three Things are equal among themselves, and make but one Essence. This is according to S. Augustin, an Image of the Trinity. Memory, Understanding, and Will, fur∣nish him with another, which he believes is clearer and more like. He explains it in the Tenth Book. He finds some resemblances even in the outward Man, in the inward Senses, in Know∣ledge and Wisdom: and these are the Subjects of the following Books.

He concludeth at last, in the Fifteenth Book, That though we have here below several Re∣presentations of the Trinity, yet we should not seek for it, but in immutable and eternal Things, and that we cannot see it in this Life, but by a Figure, and Enigmatically: And thus he pre∣tends, That we have an Idea of the Generation of the Word, by the production of the Word of our Understanding, and an Idea of the proceeding of the Holy Ghost, by the Love that proceeds from the Will. But he confesseth, That these Notions are very imperfect; and that there is an infinite Difference betwixt these Comparisons, and the Mystery of the Trinity.

The Treatise of the Five Heresies, or rather the Sermon preached against Five sorts of Ene∣mies to the Christians, Heathens, Jews, Manichees, Sabellians, and Arians, which the Louvain Doctors had ascribed to St. Augustin, though Erasmus doubted of it, is thrown in this Edi∣tion, amongst the supposititious Treatises. And this was done with a great deal of Reason;

for the Stile thereof is very different from St. Augustin's: And the Author of that Sermon preached it, when Arianism was the predominant Religion in Africa, as appears by the 6th. and 7th. Chapters; which shews, That St. Augustin is not the Author of it, but some other African who lived at the time of the Vandal's Persecution. The Sermon of the Creed against the Hea∣thens, Jews, and Arians, is also of the same time, and probably of the same Author.

The Suit betwixt the Church, and the Synagogue, is the Work of some Lawyer, who try'd to Exercise himself, in making the Church to condemn the Synagogue, after the same manner that a Judge condemns a Malefactor.

The Book of Faith, against the Manichees, is restor'd to Evodius of Uzala, upon the Autho∣rity of ancient Manuscripts, and the different Stile.

The following Memorial, of the manner of admitting the Manichees, that were converted into the Churth, is very Ancient; and, in all probability, it is an Order of some Council of Africa.

The Book of the Unity of the Trinity, is here restored to Vigilius Tapsensis, the true Author, who citeth it himself in the Preface to his Books, against Varimadus, to whom it is attributed in an ancient Copy.

Both the Books of the Incarnation of the Word, are taken, as it is observed, out of the Tran∣slation of Origen's Principles by Rufinus.

The Treatise of the Unity, and Trinity of God, is made up of Extracts out of several Passa∣ges of St. Augustin's Works, both Genuine, and Spurious.

The Book of the Essence of the Divinity, which is likewise attributed to St. Ambrose, St. Jerom, St. Anselm, and Bonaventure, is partly taken out of a Book, written by St. Eucherius.

The Dialogue of the Unity of the Holy Trinity, was found in Two Manuscripts, Eight Hun∣dred Years old; in one of them it is ascribed to St. Augustin, yet it is clearly written in a diffe∣rent Stile from his.

The Book of Ecclesiastical Maxims, ought to be quite expunged out of St. Augustin's Works, to which it hath no relation; yet it is quoted under that Holy Father's Name, by the Master of the Sentences; and it beareth his Name in several Manuscripts. Trithemius ascribes it to Alcuinus; and Gratian citeth it under the Name of Paterus: But the vulgar Opinion is, That Gennadius writ it, to whom it is attributed by Algerus, Walafridus Strabo, the Master of the Sentences, and Thomas Aquinas in several Places. It is likewise cited, under his Name, in several MSS. This Book contains an Abridgment of the principal Articles of Religion. It is evident, That the Author thereof was not of St. Augustin's Opinion, concerning Grace, and Free-Will. They have left out some Articles which had been inserted after the 21st. and taken out of St. Coelestine's Epistles to the Bishops of Gaul, of the Council of Carthage, and that of Orange.

Notes

• Tom. VIII
• St. Au∣gustin. Tom. VIII