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.

PAPIAS.

PApias, Bishop of Hierapolis a 1.1, a City of Asia, was a Disciple either of S. John the Evange∣list b 1.2, or of some other Person who bore the same name: He wrote five Books, entituled, The Explications of our Lords Discourses, which were extant even in the time of Trithemius; * 1.3 but at present we have only some few fragments in the Writings of the ancient and modern

Authors. He was the first that promoted the famous Opinion, or rather Dotage of Antiquity c 1.4, concerning the Temporal Beign of Jesus Christ, which they fansied should happen on Earth a thou∣sand years before the day of Judgment, when the Elect should be gathered together after the Resur∣rection in the City of Jerusalem, and should enjoy there all the Delights imaginable during these thousand years.

S. Irenaeus produceth a fragment taken from the fourth Book of Papias, wherein he endeavours to prove this Opinion by a passage of the Prophet Isaiah: And Eusebius having cited a Paragraph of his Preface to these Books, in which he shews the great care that he took to be informed of the Do∣ctrine of the Apostles, by interrogating their Disciples, adds; That this Author hath set down many things, which he pretended to have learnt by an unwritten Tradition, of which sort there are several new Parables and Instructions of our Saviour Jesus Christ, that are not contained in the Gospels, together with other fabulous▪ Histories, among which we may reckon the Reign of Jesus Christ on Earth during the space of a thousand years after the Resurrection of the Body; That which led him into this Error (continu∣eth Eusebius) is that he understood the Discourses and Instructions of the Apostles too literally, not un∣derstanding that a mystical sense ought to be given to this sort of Expressions, and that the Apostles only made use of them as Illustrations; for ••e was a Man of a very mean capacity, as appears from his Books, who nevertheless gave occasion to many of the ancient Fathers, and among others to Irenaeus, to follow this Error, which they maintained by the authority of Papias. Eusebius in the same place relates two Mira∣cles, the account whereof Papias declares that he had received from the Daughter of Philip the Dea∣con, who resided at Hierapolis; That a dead Man was raised at that time, and that Barsabas, sirnamed Justus, Elected to be an Apostle, together with S. Matthias, having swallowed deadly Poison, was not hurt by it! Moreover he assures us, that Papias had collected in his Books divers Explications on some words of Jesus Christ composed by Aristion a Disciple of the Apostles, and the Traditions like∣wise of the venerable Elder S. John; but omitting these things, he is content only to recite a passage wherein this ancient Writer affirms, that S. Mark compiled his Gospel from what he had heard S. Peter tell of the Actions and Discourses of Jesus Christ, and this is the reason that he hath not observed an Historical Method; That S. Matthew wrote his Gospel in Hebrew, and that it was afterward Tran∣slated into Greek. Lastly, Eusebius affirms, that he cited the first Epistles of S. Peter and of S. John, and that he explained the History of a Woman that was accused before our Saviour of several Crimes, which was found in the Gospel according to the Hebrews. Thus we have given an account of all that is recorded by Eusebius concerning Papias. Andreas Caesariensis and Oeoumenius have likewise pro∣duced some Passages d 1.5 of his Works in their Commentaries on the Holy Scripture, but it is not certain whether they were Papias's or no.

The Judgment that ought to be given concerning him, is that which hath been already given by Eusebius, that is to say, that he was a good Man, but very credulous, and of very mean Barts, who delighted much in hearing and telling Stories and Miracles. And since he was exceedingly in∣quisitive, and inclined to believe every thing that was told him, it is not to be admired that he hath divulged divers Errors and extravagant Notions as the Judgments of the Apostles, and hath gi∣ven us fabulous Narratives for real Histories, which shews, that nothing is so dangerous in Matters of Religion, as lightly to believe, and too greedily to embrace, all that hath the appearance of Piety, without considering in the first place how true it is e 1.6.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Hierapolis.] There are several Cities of that Nam••, but this lies between Phrygia and Lydia near Laodice••, being famous for Springs of hot Water.
• b 1.2

  A Disciple of S. John the Evangelist] S. Irenaeus, Lib. 5. cap. 33. Hac Papias Joannis auditor Polycarpi contubernalis. S. Jerom, Ep. 29. Ad Theodorum: Refert Irenaeus vir Apostolicorum temporum & Papiae au∣ditoris Evangelistae Joannis Discipulus. In the Marty∣rologies of Beda, Usuardus, and Ado, as also in the Roman, in the Works of Trithemius and Andreas Ca∣sari•…•…, in Anastas. Sinait. Lib. 7. in Hexamer. Oe∣cumen. in Act. cap. 2. he is called The Disciple of S. John the Evangelist. Eusebius on the contrary re∣citing a Passage of Papias in Hist. Lib. 3. cap. ult. wherein he speaks of two Johns, observes that the Master of Papias was not John the Evangelist, but the other John called the Elder. His Reason, or rather Conjecture, is that this Author in the beginning of his Books doth not assure us, that he was the Disciple of the Apostles, or that he had learn'd any thing from them, but only that he had received that which he declares from those that were familiar with the A∣postles, and who knew them. However, in the Pas∣sage alledged by Eusebius to prove his Assertion, Pa∣pias only affirms, that he interrogated the ancient Men who had seen the Apostles, demanding of them, What says Andrew? What says Philip? What says S. John? What says John the Elder? Therefore if it may be inferred from thence, that he was not the Disciple of S. John the Evangelist, because he informs us, that he enquired of those that had seen him what were the Opinions of this Apostle; it may as well be inferred that he was not the Disciple of John the Elder. However, the words of Papias may be inter∣preted after such a manner, as to signifie nothing else, but that he was carefull whensoever he happened to meet with any one that had familiarly conversed with the Apostles, to desire of them a particular account of their Doctrine or Judgment; Which makes me believe, that he was the Disciple of the Evangelist, and this is confirmed by the Authority of S. Irenaeus, who certainly means S. John the Evangelist; for S. Po∣lycarp was his Disciple, and he asserts that Papias was the Companion of Polycarp, Polycarpi contubernalis.
• * 1.3

  Papias.
• c 1.4

  The famous Opinion, or rather Dotage of Antiqui∣ty.] This was the opinion of S. Justin, Athenagoras, S. Irenaeas, S. Clement, Tertullian, Lactantius, and many other ancient Writers.
• d 1.5

  Andraeas Caesariensis and Oécumenius have like∣wise produced some Passages.] Andraeas Caesariensis in Serm. 12. in Apocalyps cites a Passage of Papias, where∣in he says, that the disposing of Sublunary Things was committed to the Care of the Angels that are round the Earth, but that they did not perform their Duty as they ought to do; Oecumenius upon the Acts observes, that Papias believed that Judas did not end his Life by hanging, but that he was run over with a Chariot, which is the Opinion of Theophylact, Euthymius and Oecumneius.
• e 1.6

  Without considering in the first place how true it is.] This is conformable to an excellent Passage of S. Augustin: Non sit Religio nostra in Phantasmatibus nostris; melius est enim qualecumque verum quàm omne quicqùid pro arbitrio fingi potest, melior est vera stipula, quàm lux inani cogitatione pro suspicantis voluntate for∣mata: De ver. Rel. c. 55.