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.

JULIAN.

JULIAN, born in Apulia a 1.1 about the Year 386. the Son of Memor or Memori∣us, b 1.2, who is thought to have been Bishop of Capua and Julienna, married the Daughter of Aemilius, [Bishop of Beneventum,] named Ja. Afterward he became a Clergyman. He was a Deacon when S. Austin wrote his Thirtieth Letter to his Father: Where he gives a Commendation of Father and Son. He was ordained c 1.3 in 416. by Pope Innocent, Bishop of Eclane d 1.4, a City situate between Campania and Apulia. So long as this Pope lived Julian did not discover his Opinions, but soon after his Death he declared himself for the Doctrine of Coelestius and Pelagius. Gennadius assures us, That before this he passed for one of the most learned Doctors of the Church, but he doth not take notice of any of his Works in particular, and 'tis not certain that he had then composed any. However that be, we have none of his Works but what might have been composed before he declared himself against S. Austin; But we have considerable Fragments of the Writings which he made against the Church.

In the Popedom of Zosimus he began to maintain the Opinions of Coelestius, in his Discourses which he held at Rome. He then set himself to cry down, by Writing, the Doctrine of S. Austin, and the Church, concerning Original Sin.

The First thing he did was, to write in his own Name to Pope Zosimus. We have some Fragments of this Letter in M. Mercator. Not long after he addressed a Second Letter to him, in the Form of a Profession of Faith, written in the Name of Ten Bishops of that Age: F. Garner hath put out this. Julian owns, That he was the Author of it, as well as of that which was directed in the Name of the same Bishops, to Rufinus Bishop of Thessalonica. 'Tis this which S. Austin recites, in his Three last Books to Bonifacius. These Letters were written in 418.

The First Book of S. Austin, concerning Concupiscence and Marriage, falling into the Hands of Julian, he wrote, in 419. Four Books, dedicated to Turbantius, against the First Book of S. Austin. A little after he was banished out of Italy, by the Force of the Emperor's Edict, and was compelled to retire into the East. He went into Cilicia, to find Theodorus of Mopsuesta; and there made, if we may believe M. Mercator, Eight Books, dedicated to Florus, Bishop of Beneventum, against the Second Book of S. Austin, concerning Concu∣piscence and Marriage. Sometime after he withdrew from Cilicia, and, if we give credit to what Mercator says, he was condemned, after his Departure, in a Synod of the Province of Cilicia. It may be, he returned into Italy, but being again banished from thence, he retreated to Constantinople; where he was rejected by Atticus, and afterward by Sisinnius. But Nestorius, a Scholar of Theodorus, being chosen Bishop of Constantinople, favoured them, and sent two Letters in their behalf to Coelestine. At this Time it was that M. Mercator presented his Memoir against Coelestius, Julian, and his Companions; and obtained thus much by his Solli∣citations, that they were banished from Constantinople. They went to the Council of Ephesus, where they were received by John Bishop of Antioch: But the Council condemned them, and confirmed all that had been done against them in the West; so that Julian always remained excluded from the Church, and banished from Italy. He used his utmost Endeavours to gain Entrance into them under Pope Sixtus, but all in vain. Gennadius says, That he died under Valentinian, i. e. before the Year 455. after he had given all his Estate to the Poor, to relieve them by that means in a Famine, and so drew over several Persons to his Party. Some hold, That he was in Sicily, where he spent the last part of his Life in teaching a School, and that this Inscription was put on his Tomb.

Here lieth in Peace JULIAN an Orthodox Bishop.

Which Epitaph was to be seen in the Ninth Age. These are the Works of Julian, of which we are now coming to speak.

Some Fragments of the Letter to Zosimus, in M. Mercator, lib. subn. c. 6. n. 10. &c. 9. n. 3. He owns, in these Fragments, That Death entred into the World by the Sin of Adam. A long Profession of Faith, published by Father Garner, in Dissert. 5. Par. 1. of the Works of M. Mercator. This Profession of Faith hath Four Parts. The First contains the Articles of the Creed explained; among which he placeth the Necessity of Baptism for all Ages. The Second is an Abridgment of his Doctrine about Grace and Free-will: Which may be reduced to Five Propositions. 1. That Man is absolutely free, to do Good or Evil. 2. That to do Good, he hath need of Grace, but that Grace is never wanting to him. 3. That the Nature of Man is good and perfect. 4. That there is no such thing as natural Sin, or by what∣ever Name else it may be called. 5. That the just Men of the Old Testament were justified by their Works, and by Faith in Jesus Christ. The Third Part rejects the Errors of the Arians, Sabellians, Eunomians, Macedonians, Apollinarists and Novatians, to whom are joyned the Jovinianists, such as assert, That Man, justified by Baptism can never sin. Next, he comes to the Manichees, with whose Errors he confounds the Doctrine of the Orthodox, which he exposes after an odious Fashion.

They, saith he, who defend natural Sin, affirm, That the Devil is the Author of Marriages; That Children that are born of them are Children of the Devil; That all Men are born in his possession; That the Son of God did not begin to pour down his Graces upon Men but from the time of his Incarnation; That Sins are not entirely forgiven by Baptism; That the Saints of the Old Testament are dead in a State of Sin; That Man is necessitated to Sin; That Sin cannot be avoided, even with Grace. Lastly, he condemns the gross Errors of the Pelagians, viz. Those, who said, That Men can avoid Sin without the help of God; That Infants ought not to be baptized, or that other Terms ought to be used in baptizing them; That they, who are born of bap∣tized Parents, have no need of the Grace of Baptism; That Mankind died not by Adam, and is not raised by Jesus Christ.

In the last part, the Bishops, in whose name this Profes∣sion was written, declare to Zosimus, That if he still persists to molest them, they will appeal to a fuller Synod; That they could not sign a condemnation passed against the absent, but were ready to suffer the worst rather than forsake Justice and Truth. He ends with a Pas∣sage of S. Chrysostom's Sermon to the Novices.

The Letter of Julian and other Bishop•• to Rufi••us of Thessalonica, is recited almost entire in the 3 last Books of S. Austin to Boniface. It contain'd the Heads of the Accusations, which we have delivered in speaking of that Treatise of S. Austin.

The first Book to Turbantius is recited entire in the second Book of S. Austin of Marriage and Concupisence. There are ••ragments of 3 other Books in the 6 Books of S. Austin against Julian. Lastly, all the 5 Books of Julian to Florus, are copyed out whole in the 6 Books of S. Austin's imperfect Work.

Beda makes mention also of three Books of Julian, * 1.5 A Treatise of Love, A Commentary up∣on the Canticles, and, A Book of † 1.6 Constancy. It appears by the Fragments which Beda hath taken out of those Works, That he delivers the same Principles in them, as in his other Books; That we are absolutely free to do good or evil; That the love of Man inclines him naturally to do good; and, That Man is not born in Sin. He cites in his Last Book a little Treatise of S. Chrysostom, which bears this Title, No Man is Hure but by himself.

Lastly, some attribute to Julian the Translation of the Profession of Faith, which bears the Name of Rufinus, but they bring no proof of it.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Born in Apulia.] S. Austin, lib. 6. op. imperf. c. 18. Non enim quia te Apulia genuit: Because Apulia brought thee forth. Fulgentius says, That he was a Person of Quality.
• b 1.2

  Memorius. S. Austin, in let. 30. Paulinus in the Epitaph of Julian, M. Mercator. This last up∣braids Julian, as unworthy to be the Son of Me∣mor and Julienna, and treats him as a Bastard. He also observes, That he had two Sisters. The An∣cients do not tell us of what City Memorius was Bishop.
• c 1.3

  Ordained.] M. Mercator says, That it was S. Innocent that ordained him. In 408. he was no more than a Deacon. He was young, but it is probable that he was Ordained before 416. for Innocent died in 417.
• d 1.4

  Of Eclane.] Some have read Celane, but it is Eclane. The Testimony of Mercator fully determines this Point of History. This City was near the Lake Ampsanctus, between Campania and Apulia, distant from Beneventum about Twenty Miles: It is called at this Time Fringent.
• * 1.5

  This is a kind of Pre∣fatory Dis∣course to the Com∣mentary up∣on Canticles, and so not a distinct Book.
• † 1.6

  De b••no Constantiae.