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.

THEOGNOSTUS

THEOGNOSTUS of Alexandria, is an Author, (unknown to Eusebius and St. Jerome) whom St. Athanasius cites with Commendation, and whose Books were extant in Photius's time, who read them over. We don't precisely know the time when he liv'd, though we can∣not doubt but he was some time after Origen, and long before the Council of Nice. Photius informs us, That he composed Seven Books, Entituled, Hypotyposes; that is to say, Instructions; and he gives us this Account of that Work: In the first Book he treats of the Father, and endeavours to shew,

That he is the Creator of all things, against the Opinion of those that suppose Matter to be Eternal.

In the Second Book he advances some Arguments, whereby he pretends it necessarily follows, that the Father had a Son; but speaking of this Son, he says,

That he is a Creature above all Creatures that have Reason: He likewise attributes to the Son of God several other Qualities of the like Nature, as Origen has done: Whether he was of the same Opinion, or whether he speaks after that manner, ra∣ther by way of Disputation, than a Design to propose his own true Doctrine; or in short, whether he was somewhat mistaken in the Truth, and that to accommodate himself to the weakness of his Audi∣tors, who having no Knowledge of the true Religion, were not capable of comprehending a perfect Instruction, he supposed it most expedient to give them an imperfect Knowledge of the Son of God, than not to speak of him at all. But though a Man may follow this Method in a Dispute, or in a Discourse, when he is constrained to say the same things often, that are not altogether conformable to his own Opinion of the matter; yet 'tis a Weakness to make use of this Pretence, to excuse those Er∣rours that are published in any Book, where we are obliged to speak the Truth to all the World. In the Third Book, speaking of the Holy Ghost, he brings some Arguments to prove, that there is an Holy Ghost; but in the rest he falls into the same Extravagancies with those of Origen in his Book of Principles. In the Fourth Book he talks erroneously about Angels and Daemons, and assigns small, Bodies to them. In the Fifth and Sixth, he treats of the Incarnation, and uses all his Endeavours to demonstrate after this manner, That it was possible for God to make himself Man. This Book likewise is full of several groundless Fancies: As for Example, when he has a mind to prove that the Son of God is circumscribed in Place by our Imagination; though in Truth he cannot be known there. In the Seventh Book, which he wrote concerning the Creation of God, he discourseth of mat∣ters of Religion after a manner conformable to the Doctrine of the Church, and especially of the Son of God, of whom he treats in the Last Part. His Style is elevated, and very 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: His Discourses have the Beauty of Old Athens, but without Affectation, so that in his Compositions he does not go very far from the ordinary manner of Conversation; and yet he avoids saying mean things.

Thus I have shown you what Photius has informed us of this Author. St. Athanasius calls him an Admirable Man, Studious and Eloquent; and is so far from accusing him for having any Unorthodox Sentiments about the Divinity of the Word, that he cites him as a Witness of Consubstantiality.

Learn. says he, O Arians, ye Rebels to Jesus Christ, that the Eloquence of Theognostus has made use of the Word Substance; for behold after what manner he discourseth in his Second Book of In∣structions:

The Substance of the Son is not a strange Substance, he was not produced of nothing, but was begotten of the Substance of the Father, as the Raye is of the Light, or a Vapour of Water; * 1.1 for the Vapour is not Water, not is the Ray Light; but neither one nor the other is a Stranger to that which produces it: Thus the Son is as it were the gentle running of the Substance of the Father; yet so as that the Father suffers no Division: For as the Sun is not diminished, though it produces Rayes continually; so likewise the Father is not diminished in begetting the Son, who is his Image.

This Passage, and the Authority of St. Athanasius, ought to convince us, that Photius has wrongfully accused Theognostus to have erred concerning the Divinity of the Son, upon the score of a few Expressions that did not agree with those of his own Age; without taking notice, that though the Ancients have spoken differently as to this Point, yet the Foundation of the Doctrine was always the same; and that it is an horrid Injustice to require them to speak as nicely, and with as much precaution, as those that lived after the Birth and Condemnation of Heresies. But 'tis an ordinary Fault with Photius, who lived in an Age when these Mysteries were illustrated, and in which People talk'd with a great deal of exact∣ness, to condemn the Ancients almost all along with too much Severity.

The same St. Athanasius in another Work concerning the Explication of these words in the Gospel; He that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost shall receive forgiveness of his Sin, neither in this World, nor in that to come; tells us, that Origen and Theognostus have written, that the Sin against the Holy Ghost was falling away after Baptism, and after he has delivered the Passage out of Origon: He likewise adds that out of Theognostus, who says,

That he who has passed only the First or Second Bounds is less cul∣pable; but he that passes the Third, has no hopes of Pardon.

That the First and Second Bound is the Knowledge of the Father, and that the Third is Baptism, which makes us Partakers of the Holy Ghost; which is confirmed by these Words of the Gospel, I have still many things to tell you, &c. after which, continues he,

Our Saviour levels, if I may so say, his Discourse in favour of those who cannot compre∣hend the most perfect things; whereas the Holy Ghost dwells in those that are perfect. But we must not therefore conclude, That the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost surpasseth that of Jesus Christ, but that our Saviour abaseth himself in favour of those that are not altogether perfect; whereas the Holy Ghost is the Seal of Perfection, which we receive in Baptism: Thus it is not that the Holy Ghost is more excellent than the Son, because the Sin which is committed against him, is without hopes of Remission; but it is, that these imperfect Men, that is to say, those that are not baptized, may ob∣tain Forgiveness of their Sin; whereas those that have once tasted the Celestial Gifts, and once are touched, have no more excuse, nor means to avoid Punishment.

St. Athanasius afterwards confutes this Explication, which appears to be very agreeable to the Opinion of Novatian, and gives another Interpretation, which is far more Natural.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Theognostus