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.

ATTICUS Bishop of Constantinople.

ARSACIUS, the Brother of Nectarius, who had been put into the See of Constanti∣nople, in the Place of S. Chrysostom being dead in the Year of his Ordination, Atticus * 1.1 a Monk of Armenia, after some Contests * 1.2, was chosen to fill that See. He entred up∣on it in the Year 406. and enjoyed it peaceably until the Year 427. in which he dyed. Socrates, who had a very particular Esteem for this Bishop, has described him to us as a Man competently learned, but very wise and prudent, endued with abundance of Piety, Meek∣ness and Charity, who not only took care of the Orthodox, but also won over the Hereticks by his courteous and taking Behaviour. He adds; That while he was a Priest he got his Sermons by Heart; and that, after he was a Bishop, he accustomed himself to speak ex tempore, but that his Discourses were not beautiful enough to gain the Applause of the People, nor to deserve to be put in Writing. So true is it that a Discourse must be studied with an Intent to please. Ne∣vertheless he helped forward the Conversion of many Persons, and very much increased the Church. His Liberality contributed much towards it; for the People are much better disposed to hear and believe their Pastor, when they see that he provides as well for their Temporal as Spiritual Wants, and at the same time he dispenses to them the Bread of Life to nourish their Souls, he also gives them liberally that by which they may procure Nourishment for their Bodies: And this he did, not only to the poor of his own Diocess, but likewise to Strangers. Socrates, in the Seventh Book of his History, Chap 25. recites a Letter which Atticus wrote to Calliopius a Priest of Nice; wherein he tells him, That he had sent him Three hundred Crowns, to relieve the Necessities of the Poor of the City of Nice. He admonishes him, at the same time, to bestow his Charity upon the modest * 1.3 Poor, and to give them nothing who made a Trade of Begging: He would not have him, in this Distribution, to have any Regard to Religion: And recommends it to him, to give that which is necessary to support Life, to all that are in Want, not excepting such as are of a different Religion. Socrates further relates some Answers of this Bishop, in favour of the Novatians; but since this Historian was a Friend to that Party, his Testimony is a little to be suspected: However that be, the Answers that are attributed to him are very moderate, for when one said unto him, That he ought not to suffer the Meetings of the Novatians in the Cities: He answered, Do you not know how much they suffered for the Faith under the Emperours Constantius and Valens? They are Wit∣nesses, beyond Exception, of the Truth of our Doctrine, for having separated themselves a long time from the Church, they are found to have the same Faith with us. He commended Asclepiades, an Ancient Bishop of the Novatians, that he had undergone that Charge for the space of Fifty Years: And he said to this Bishop, I praise Novatus, but cannot approve of the Novatians. Ascle∣piades having demanded of him the Explication of this Paradox; he reply'd, Novatus denyed

not Communion but only to those who had fallen into Idolatry during the Persecution; I have done the same thing my self; but I cannot approve of the Novatians, who exclude the Laity from Com∣munion for trivial Sins. Asclepiades answered him; That besides Idolatry, there were many other Mortal Sins, for which the Church deposeth the Clergy for ever: And that the Novatians did also excommunicate the Laity for ever, who had committed those Sins, leaving the Power of Pardoning them to God only. Socrates tells us further. That Atticus foretold his own Death to Callio∣pius; and that he did die indeed, according to his own Prediction, in the Year 427. in the begin∣ning of October. Besides this Letter, of which we have just now spoken, Theodoret, in his Se∣cond Dialogue, cites a Fragment of a Letter to Eupsychius, concerning the Incarnation. He wrote also a Letter to S. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, To perswade him to put S. Chrysostom's Name in the * 1.4 Diptychs, as we understand by the Answer which S. Cyril made to him, related in the Fourth Book of Facundus; by whom we are informed, That Atticus was as moderate as S. Cyril was angry upon that account. We have Atticus's Letter and S. Cyril's Answer to it among the Epistles of the latter. These Fragments of the Writings of Atticus make it evident, That Socrates hath passed a sound Judgment of his Character, Style, and Temper. Gennadius says, That he had made an excellent Book concerning Faith and Virginity, dedicated to the Princesses, the Daughters of Arcadius; in which he condemns the Error of Nestorius before-hand. S. Cyril cites a Passage of it in his Book to the Empresses; which is also repeated, with another, in the Council of Ephesus; altho Vincentius doth not reckon Atticus among those who were alledged for Witnesses of the Faith of the Church in the Council of Ephesus, and says, That these Passages are not to be found in some Manuscripts of that Council.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Atticus.
• * 1.2

  Within six∣teen Months and some odd Days. Altero post anno. Socr.
• * 1.3

  Qui peter•• erubescunt.
• * 1.4

  Ecclesiasti∣cal Tables, wherein the Names of the Living and Dead Saints were written; and out of which they were read, and solemnly commemo∣rated at the publick Prayers, to shew respect to them, and Commu∣nion with them.