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.

HERMAS.

THERE are Three things to be examined in this Book of the Pastor, attributed to Hermas, which is one of the most famous Books of Antiquity. a 1.1 1. Who is the Author thereof? 2. Whether it be Canonical or not? 3. Whether it be a useful Book; as also, whether it deserves the Esteem and Reputation that it formerly had?

The first Question may be easily determined. It bears the Name of Hermas, and all the ancient Writers have cited it under this Name; it appears likewise from the Antiquity thereof, that it might possibly be written by that Hermas, whom S. Paul salutes at the end of his Epistle to the Romans. Origen, Eusebius and S. Jerom have made no difficulty of asserting it; however, it cannot be doubted, but that the Author of this Book was called Hermas, and that the Name of Hermes hath been at∣tributed to him by some Authors through a mistake, which gave occasion to certain Modern Writers, to ascribe this Book to one Hermes, the Brother of Pope Pius I. b 1.2 But this Imagination is suffici∣ently refuted by the Testimony of all the ancient Fathers, who constantly call him Hermas, besides the Author of this Book was a Greek, and his Writings were more known amongst the Greeks, than

the Latins, as is observed by S. Jerom, which would not have happened, if it had been Composed by the Brother of Pope Pius. * 1.3

As for the Authority of this Book, it is certain that it hath been heretofore received in many Churches as Canonical, and that S. Irenaeus, S. Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, and even Tertullian in Lib. de Oratione, cite it as a part of Holy Scripture; nevertheless it cannot be doubted, that it hath been rejected by divers other Churches, c 1.4 and esteemed only as a Treatise, that might be used to very good purpose for the Edification of Christians: But there have been very few ancient Authors, that have not set a high Esteem on this Book, and it hath been almost always cited by the Fathers, as a Work of great Authority d 1.5.

It hath not been so much valued by Modern Authors, and there are very few at present that com∣mend it; or that have the same regard to it, as those that lived in the primitive Ages of the Church. And indeed, if we may judge by the Method according to which it is written, and by the things therein contained, it doth not seem to deserve much Esteem. The First part Entituled the Visions is full of many Revelations, that are explained to Hermas by a Woman representing the Church; they all relate to the State of the Church, and the manners of the Christians. The Second part which is most useful, is called the Ordinances, wherein are comprized divers Precepts of Morality, and pious Instructions, which the Pastor or Angel of Hermas prescribes to him. The Third Part is called The Similitudes, because it begins with several Similes or Comparisons, and concludes with Vi∣sions. These three Books comprehend very many Moral Instructions concerning the Practice of Christian Virtues; but the great number of Visions, Allegories, and Similitudes, make them tedi∣ous, and all these Moral Truths would, in my opinion, have been more useful, if the Author had propounded them simply, as the Apostles have done in their Epistles.

We have lost the Original Greek Text of these three Books; and there remains only a Version which is printed in the Orthodoxagrapha, as also in the Bibliotheca Patrum, and hath been likewise published separately by Barthius, and lastly by Cotelerius, together with the Greek Fragments extra∣cted from ancient Authors. It is not known when, nor by whom this Translation was composed; some attribute it to Ruffinus; and others affirm, that it was made in the Primitive Ages of Christia∣nity, when the Writings of Hermas were not altogether unknown to the Latins. However it be, this Version is not amiss, since it exactly agrees with the Greek Passages cited by St. Clement, Origen, Antiochus, and some other ancient Writers.

[There have been other Editions of Hermas's Pastor, besides these which M. Du Pin mentions: It was first published by Jacobus Faber at Paris, 1513. Then at Strasburg, 1522. And it was lately published from two MS. Copies at Oxon, with short Notes in 12^o. A. D. 1685.]

Notes

• a 1.1

  One of the most famous Books of Antiquity.] The Book of Hermas entituled The Pastor, hath been admitted by many Churches as Canonical. S. Irenaeus cites it under the Name of Scripture, Lib. 4. chap. 3. B••ne erg•• pronunciavit Scriptura quae dicit primò ••mnium cre∣••••, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 De••s, &c. This Passage is found in the Pastor, Lib. 2. Mand. 1. Clemens Alexandrinus produceth several other Expressions, as taken from a Book of great Authority, Lib. 1. Stromat. p. 311, and 356. Lib. 2. p. 360, 379, 384, and 385. Lib. 4 p. 503. Lib. 6. p. 679. It is likewise cited by Origen as a Book of Holy Scripture, Homil. 10. in J••s. Homil. 1. in Psal. 37. Homil. 13. in Ezek. Lib. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, c. 3. Lib. 2. c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Lib. 2. in Matth. c. 24. 42. t. 1. Com∣ment. in Joan••em, Lib. 10. in Ep. ad Rom. where he declares, that the same Hermas mentioned in this place of the Epistle of S. Paul, is the Author of the Pastor, item in Oseam, Phil••c••l. c. 8. Although he observes in other places, that it was not generally received in H••mil. 8. in Numb. Lib. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Philocal. c. 2. and Homil. 35. in Luc. It is reported by Eusebius, Lib. 3. ch. 3. that some reckoned it among the Cano∣nical Writings, and others in the number of good Ecclesiastical Books that were necessary for new Con∣verts, Lib. 3. c. 25. He placeth it amongst the Apo∣cryphal Books, and observes, Lib. 5. c. 8. that it is quoted by S. Irenaeus. St. Athanasius cites it in Lib. de Incarnat. Verbi, and in Lib. de Decret. Synodi Ni∣c••n••, p. 252. Edit. P••ris. 266. where he expresly de∣clares, that it is not included in the Canon. He quotes it again in his Epistle to the Bishops of Phrygia, p. 396. and in his Paschal Epistle he inserts it in the Catalogue of Books that are not Canonical. S. Jerom, in Lib. de Script••ribus, affirms, that it is a useful Book, but almost unknown to the Latins. In his Prologue, he placeth it in the rank of Books that are not Cano∣nical. In Comment. in Hoseam, c. 7. v. 9. he cites it, adding these words, Si cui tamen placet ejus reciper•• L••cti••n••••. In his first Book on Habakkuk, ad c. 1. v. 14. he calls it Apocryphal, and finds fault with a foolish Thought in the Book. Ruffinus on the Creed reckons it among the Ecclesiastical Books, though not Cano∣nical. It is cited by Cassian. Collat. 8. c. 12, 13, and 17. And S. Prosper rejects it as a Book of no Au∣thority. Ut nullius Autoritatis, contra Collat. c. 30. Ge∣l••sius inserts it in the List of Apocryphal Books. And lastly, Maximus cites it in Lib. 4. De divinis nomini∣bus. This shews, that notwithstanding its various fortune, it hath been always very famous.
• b 1.2

  To impute this Book to one Hermes, the Brother of Pope Pius I.] The Author of Dam••sus's Pontifical, Regin••, the Author of the Letter of Pope Pi•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. and some other modern Writers, are in this Error, and they seem to have taken it from the Author of the Poem against Marcion, who affirms, that Hermas, who wrote this Book, was the Brother of Pius; Post hunc deinde Pius, Hermas cui Germine frater Angelicus Pastor cui tradit•• verb•• locutus. But he calls him, Hermas and not Hermes; It is true indeed, that we find in the Version of Origen 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 made by Ruffinus, Lib. 1. c. 3. and Lib. 4. c. 2. Hermes instead of Hermas; but it is a fault of the Transcriber, for in the Greek Text of the last Fragment that is extant of the Phil••calia, it is read Hermas, and not Hermes; and Ruffinus himself in other places calls him Hermas. Moreover all the an∣cient Writers, as St. Clement, Tertullian, Origen, Euse∣bius, S. Jerom, and others above-mentioned, always call him Hermas, and never Hermes. Baronius and some others distinguish two Books, one written by Hermes the Brother of Pius, which Treated of Easter, and the other by our Hermas; but since they ground their Opinion only on the Authority of modern Writers, in attributing a Book to this pretended Hermes, a Person unknown to all Antiquity, their Conjecture seems to be without any probability.
• * 1.3

  Hermas.
• c 1.4

  It cannot be doubted that it hath been rejected by divers other Churches.] Origen acknowledgeth, that it was Thrown out of the Canon of Holy Scripture by many Christians; Turtullian, in Lib. de Pudiciti••, replies to certain Persons, who objected it to him, that this Book was rejected by divers Orthodox Churches. Eusebius, S. Athanasius, S. Jerom, and Ruffinus above-cited, reckon it among those Writings that are not Canonical, yet such as may be useful for the Instru∣ction of Christians; and Gelasius placeth it amongst the Apocryphal Books.
• d 1.5

  It hath been cited as a Book of great Authority.] Tertullian censures it, but after he turned M••ntanist, Origen observes that it was contemned by some Chri∣stians, but that he had a great Esteem for it. S. Jerom in one place accuseth it of Nonsense, but in others he commends it. S. Prosper throws it aside as a Book of no Authority; but it was because he scarce knew it.