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.

METHODIUS.

METHODIUS, Bishop of Olympus or a 1.1 Patara in Lycia, and afterwards of Tyre in Palae∣stine, (who suffered Martyrdom at Chalcis, a City of Greece, towards the end of Dioclesian's Persecution in the Year 302. or 303.) composed in a clear elaborate Style, a large Work against Porphyrius the Philosopher; an excellent Treatise about the Resurrection against Origen; ano∣ther about the Pythonyssa against the same; a Book Entituled, The Banquet of Virgins; one about Free-Will;

Commentaries upon Genesis and the Canticles, and several other Pieces that were extant in St. Je∣rome's * 1.2 time. At present, besides The Banquet of Virgins that was published entire not long ago by Possinus a Jesuit, we have several considerable Fragments of this Author cited by St. Epiphanius and Photius, and others, found in Manuscripts, and collected together by Father Combesis, who has Printed them, together with the Works of Amphilochius and Andreas Cretensis. But afterwards Possinus found The Banquet of Virgins entire in a Manuscript belonging to the Vatican Library, and Translated it into Latin, and sent it into France, where it was Printed in the Year 1657. Revised and Corrected by ano∣ther Manuscript. We cannot doubt, that this is the true genuine Work of Methodius; as well because it carries all the Marks of Antiquity in it, that a Book can possibly have; as also because it contains Word for Word all the Passages that Photius has cited out of this Work of Methodius, and another place cited by St. Gregory Nyssen. 'Tis written by way of Dialogue, in which he introduces a Woman named Gregorium, who tells her Friend Eubulus all the Conversation that passed in a Meeting of Ten Virgins, which she learnt of Theopatra. It was composed by Methodius, in imitation of a cer∣tain Book, very much resembling it, written by Plato, and Entituled, The Banquet of Socrates. After that Gregorium and Eubulus have exchanged the usual Complements, and Gregorium has given a short Description of the Place, where these Ten Virgins were assembled; she feigns that Arete, in whose Gar∣den they were met, requests each of them to make a Discourse upon Virginity; which she repeats one after the other.

The First is that of Marcella, who enlarges very much upon the Greatness and Excellence of Vir∣ginity. She makes it appear how choice a thing Virginity is; and that it is a difficult thing to pre∣serve it amidst so many Thousand Temptations we meet with: That it is necessary to meditate inces∣santly upon the Holy Scripture, in order to keep it unspotted and undefiled: That Virginity was scarce so much as known under the ancient Law, when Men were permitted to Marry even their own Sisters, and to take several Wives: But that God by little and little has taught Men, in the first place to preserve their Chastity, and afterwards to embrace Virginity: That Jesus Christ came into the World to in∣struct them in this Virtue by the Influence of his own Example; that he is the Prince of Virgins, as well as the Prince of Pastors; that the Company of Virgins has the first place in his Kingdom, though they are the least in number: And this she justifies by a Passage out of the Revelations, Chap. the 14th.

Since this Conversation of Marcella might seem to throw some Dis-reputation upon the Sanctity of Marriage, Theophila proves in the second place, that Jesus Christ in making the great Excellencies of Virginity known to the World, did not design thereby to banish Marriage, and entirely abolish so Sa∣cred an Institution. She says, That the Ecstasie of Adam denotes and signifies the Passion of Marriage; that God is the Author of Generation, and that he forms the Infants that come into the World. Here Marcella interrupts the Series of her Discourse, and enquires of her, How it comes to pass, if Infants are conceived and born by the Will of God, that he permits the Children of Adulterers to come into the World; that these Children thrive, and are often more perfect in their Body and Mind, and also become better Christians than others: That nevertheless, Experience daily acquaints us with the truth of this Assertion; so that we ought to understand this Saying in the Scripture, The Children of Adulte∣terers shall be consumed by Fire, only of those that corrupt the Word of God. Theophila returns this An∣swer to the Obejction, That God is not the Author of Adulterers, though he forms the Infants that are born of such Copulations; and this she illustrates by the Example of a Man that makes Earthen Ves∣sels in a place enclosed with four Walls full of Holes, through which he is furnished with Clay, of which he makes his Work: Now if those that serve him are mistaken in taking one hole for another, and it so happen that his Work is not such as it ought to be, the fault would lie neither in the Workman himself, nor in the Clay, but in those that had made a wrong Application of the matter; That after the same manner, we ought not to cast the Sin of Adulterers either upon God that makes Men, or upon the Matter of which they are made, or upon the Power that is given to Men to beget Children, but upon the wicked Inclinations of those Persons that use these things in a dishonest manner; that eve∣ry thing in the World is really Good in it self, but becomes Ill through the ill use and management of it. She continues afterwards to prove, by the admirable Beauty and Harmony that so visibly appears in the Contexture of our Bodies, that God is the Author of them. She observes that all Infants, even those that are begotten in Adultery, have their tutelar Angels to guard them immediately after their Conception; that the Soul is in its Nature immortal; that it is not generated by our Parents, but pro∣ceeds from God who inspireth it. In short, after she has thus answered this Objection, she concludes, That it is permitted for Men to Marry, though Virginity is a more perfect State than Marriage.

The Third Discourse goes under the Name of Thalia, who applies the words of Adam to his Wife in Genesis, to our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, and his Church; and following the Opinion of the Apo∣stle, she adds, That the Word was the Wisdom of God; who existing before all Ages, communicated himself after a very particular manner to the first Man; but that Man having violated and transgressed

the Commandments of God, became Mortal and Corruptible; and that it was necessary for the Word to make himself Man, to deliver him from the Curse and Tyranny he had rendred himself obnoxious to, and save him from Corruption by his own Death and Resurrection. That it is upon this account, that the Son of God came into the World, to unite himself to the Church, as to his Spouse, which through this means became his Flesh and his Botie; that he died for her; that he purified her by Bap∣tism, and by his Holy Spirit; that these words, Increase and Multiply, are accomplished and fulfilled every day in the Church, which encreases in Greatness and Beauty by the Communication of the Word, and by the Union it maintains with him; that Catechumens are as it were Infants, that are as yet in their Mothers Belly, that being perfectly instructed, they are born through Baptism, and at last become perfect full grown Men; that we ought not therefore to abuse these Words, and employ them, to op∣pose Virginity, to which St. Paul exhorts the Fiathful, not allowing Marriage it self, and second Mar∣riages in particular, but as a Remedy for Incontinence; like one that should desire a Person that is Sick and Indisposed to eat on a Fast-day, and say to him, It were to be wished that you were able to East, as all of us have done to day, for you know eating is forbidden; but since you are sick, it is expedient for you to eat, that you may not die.

In the Fourth Discourse, that goes under the Name of Theopatra, it is maintained, That nothing is more efficacious than Virginity, to make a Man enter again into Paradise, and enjoy a blessed Immor∣tality.

In the Fifth, Thalusa endeavours to demonstrate, That the most excellent Gift we can present to God, and the most worthy of Him, is to embrace Virginity; and she gives several Cautions and Ad∣vertisments to Virgins how to preserve their Virginity without Spot or Blemish.

Agatha, that manages the Conference after Thalusa, undertakes to prove in the Sixth Discourse, that Virginity ••••ght to be accompanied with Vertue and good Works; and to this purpose she explains the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

Procilla afterwards begins the Seventh Discourse, wherein she shews the Excellency of Virginity; be∣cause of all Vertues, this is that which has the Honour to be the Spouse of Jesus Christ. She explains a a certain place out of the Sixth Chapter of the Canticles, ver. 7. and 8. There are threescore Queens, and fourscore Concubines, and Virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one.

Thecla, assuming the Discourse after this, observes, That the Greek word that signifies Virginity, only by adding one Letter to it, denotes an Union with God, and a frequentation of Heavenly Things. She takes occasion from t•…•…ce to show. That Virginity elevates us up to Heaven, and makes us de∣spise the Vanity of things below; and having cited a place in the Revelations, Chap. 12. concerning a Woman that is there described, she explains it of the Church. In short, after she has drawn some Allegories from Numbers, she exhorts all Virgins to persevere in their Virginity, and to resist the At∣tacks of the Serpent; that is to say, the Temptations of the Devil. From thence she launches out into other matter, and shows that Men are free Agents, and that they are not necessitated to do good or ill by the Ins•…•…ences and Configurations of the Stars, de••iding the Effects that the Astrologers attribute to the Constellations because of their Names.

For, says she, if there was any such thing as fatal Ne∣cessity from the beginning of the World, it was ••o no purpose for God to place the Stars of Men, and the Stars of Beasts in order; and that if there was, not a necessity at that time, wherefore should God establish it, since the World was then in its full perfection, and in a time which they called the Golden Age? She afterwards demonstrates;

That if we were necessitated by the Fatality of our Nativity un∣der such and such a Constellation, it would follow, that God who is the Author of the Stars, and of their Motion and Disposition, would likewise be the Author of Sin and Iniquity. She adds, That Laws being contrary to things that are done by a fatal Necessity, it is impossible that these Laws should be made by mere Fatality.

For, says she, it is not to be supposed that this Fatality would destroy it self.

Now, if those that had a share in making these Laws, were not subject to this fatal Necessity, why should we not pass the very same Judgment upon others? Besides, if such a Fatality really took place, it would be Injustice either to recompence the Good, or punish the Bad; or rather, there would be neither Good nor Evil in the World, since every one would be constrained to Good or Evil. After∣wards to explain the Cause of Evil, she says, There are two contrary Motions in us; one of which is called the Concupiscence of the Flesh; the other, the Concupiscence of the Spirit; that This is the Original of all Good, and the Other the Cause of all Evil.

After this, Tysians taking up the Discourse, explains in the Ninth Discourse a place of Leviticus, V. 36. Chap. 23▪ where mention is made of the Feast of the Seventh Month; that is to say, the Fifteenth of September, which is the Scenopegia, or Feast of Tabernacles. She reprehends the Jews for stopping at the bare Letter of Scripture, without penetrating into the h••dden mysterious Sence; and for taking the Figures of things to come, as Marks of things that were already past. She instances in the Paschal Lamb, which they did not comprehend to be a Type of Jesus Christ, who at the Day of Judgment shall save Souls marked with his own Blood; That the Law was the Figure of the Gospel; That these Shadows and Representations are no more, but that we shall have a perfect Knowledge of all things when we shall be raised up from the Dead; That Man was created Immortal, but that his Sin causing him to incline towards the Earth, God made him Mortal, lest he should continue a Sinner everlast∣ingly; That for this reason he separated the Soul from the Body; that so the Sin, which is in the Body, being dead and destroyed, he might raise it up again immortal, and delivered from the tyranny of Sin; That we ought to adorn this Body, which may be called a Tabernacle, with Faith, with Charity, Ver∣tue, and particularly with Chastity; That those that live chastly in the state of Marriage, adorn it

in part, but not so perfectly as those that have made a Profession of Virginity; That those Persons who have thus adorned and set out the Tabernacle of their Bodies in this Life, shall enjoy after the Resur∣rection a Thousand Years of Repose and Felicity upon the Earth with Jesus Christ, that afterwards they shall follow him to Heaven; and that this is the promised Beatitude, in which there shall be no more Tabernacles; that is to say, in which our Bodies shall be changed, and become incorruptible, and Men shall be made like Angels.

Lastly, Domnina, to show the Excellency of Virginity, falls into a very obscure Allegory upon a place of Scripture taken out of the Book of Judges. After her Harangue is ended, Arete, assuming the Discourse, tells them, That to be truly a Virgin, it is not sufficient barely to preserve and keep Con∣tinence of Body, but that it is likewise necessary to purifie ones self from all Sensual Desires; That we actually dishonour and fully Virginity, when we abandon our selves to Pride, or permit a Spirit of Va∣nity to possess us, because we have preserved our Bodies chaste; That this is to do like the Pharisees, who made every thing appear clean without, while they were full of Impurities within; That we ought to be Virgins both in Body and Spirit, and that we must watch and labour incessantly, lest Idleness and Negligence give an open entrance to other Sins. After this Discourse, all of them Sing their Prayers, and several times repeat,

I preserve my self chaste for thee, O my Divine Spouse, and desire to walk before thee with a burning Lamp.

At last Gregoriam and Methodius, Surnamed Eubulus, who enter∣tained themselves with the Discourses of these Virgins, discuss this Question, viz. Who were the most perfect Virgins, either those that feel no Motions of Desire, or those that feel them, and though they are assaulted and tormented by them, yet heroically resist and extinguish them? Gregorium gave the preference to the first: But Methodius shews her by the Example of Mariners, Physicians, and Wrest∣lers, that those Virgins who preserve themselves chaste in the midst of those violent Agitations and Tempests that are excited by their Passions, who have the Art to cure the various Diseases of Concu∣piscence, and cannot only resist, but also defeat the disorderly Motions of the Flesh, deserve a great deal more than those that have no Appetites and Inclinations to struggle with.

This Dialogue is full of Allegories, and Citations out of Scripture explained in a mystical Sence; and the Doctrine contained in it is exceeding Orthodox. He does not condemn, or speak dishonoura∣bly of Marriage, even when he is setting out Virginity to the greatest Advantages; a Moderation sel∣dom to be found in the Ancients. Photius tells us, That this Book has been corrupted by the Here∣ticks; and that there are some Expressions in it, which the Arians use. And indeed he tells us in the Seventh Discourse, That the Son who is above all Creatures, made use of the Testimony of the Fa∣ther, who alone is greater than he. But if by reason of this single Expression, we must immediately cry out, that this Dialogue has been abused by the Arians, we must likewise say the same thing of the Gospel of St. John; and there is no greater difficulty in giving a good Sence to this Expression in Me∣thodius, than in the Gospel; and so much the rather, since in the same place, and indeed as often as he speaks of the WORD in this Dialogue, he says, That he was before all Ages: And towards the end of the following Discourse, which is the Eighth, explaining these Words of the Psalmist, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

We ought to observe, cries he, that he says, Thou art my Son; being willing to have it known that he had from all time the quality of the Son, that he will never cease to have it, and that he who was begotten, was, and ever will be the same. As for what concerns the following Passage, this day have I begotten thee; it is to show, that he who was before all Ages in Hea∣ven, was born in time for the good of the World. A little after he takes occasion to speak of the Hereticks, who have erred concerning the Trinity. Some of them, says he, as Sabellius, have erred concerning the Person of the Father, who maintained that it was the Almighty that suffered: Others concerning the Son, as Artemas and some others, that affirm, he was only a Man in outward appear∣ance: Others concerning the Holy Ghost, as the Ebionites, who pretend that the Prophets spoke of themselves: For I will not speak of Marchion, Valentinus, and Helcesaites.

These Words demonstrate, that we may very well defend Methodius from the Imputation of any Errour concerning the Trinity. I cannot spend any more time to observe, that he taught the Opinion of the Millenaries in this Trea∣tise, or to give an exact relation of his Doctrine, which may be learnt out of the Abridgment we have made of his Banquet of the Virgins. The Treatise of the Resurrection was written against Origen's Opinion, who believed that Men were not to be raised up again from the Dead in the Flesh. This Book also was composed in form of a Dialogue between Aglaophon, who maintained Origen's Assertion, and Proclus, and Methodius or Eubulus, who dispute against him. St. Epiphanius has cited a large Frag∣ment of it in his Account of the Heresie of Origen; and Father Cambesis has added some other Frag∣ments to it, taken out of a Manuscript of Sermondus. He first of all proves under the Person of Procius, Th••t Man was created Immortal, that Death was occasioned by his Sin, of which it is the Punish∣ment; That Sin was caused by the Envy of the Devil; and that the Devil himself, who was created in Righteousness like to the other Angels, fell through the Sin of Envy, and an inordinate Passion he had for Women; That our first Parents had a real Body and real Flesh before their Transgression; That the Fig-leaves wherewith they covered themselves, denote that after the Death of Man, Sin shall be en∣tirely rooted out of the Heart: For, though Mens Sins are blotted out by Baptism, yet nevertheless there remains a Root still, that shoots up young Branches in this Life: So that all we can do to hinder these Branches from spreading, is to root them up, and prune them often with the Pruning-knife of the Word of God. He tells us, that Man is like a cast Statue, which having been disfigured by some Accident, the Workman that made it, casts it anew before he erects it again; That after the same manner, God ••lmighty who made Man, was willing that his Work which was disfigured by Sin,

should be destroy'd by Death, that so he might re-establish him by the Resurrection; That it is a folly to imagine a Resurrection of the Soul, since the Soul does not die; That Air, Earth, Heaven and the World shall not be destroy'd at the Day of Judgment, but that they shall only be purged and renewed by the Fire of Heaven; That Men shall not change their Nature at the Resurrection, and that they shall not be transformed into Angels; but that they still have Body and Flesh, though immortal and incorruptible. All this is extracted from the words of Proclus. St. Epiphanius afterwards cites those of Methodius, who continues to refute Origen's Errour about the Resurrection, and who likewise endea∣vours to prove in the same place against the same Author, That the Body cannot pass the Chains and Prison of the Soul; That the Paradice where Adam lived was upon Earth; That Man does not con∣sist of the Soul alone, as Plato believed, but that the Body and Soul are the two parts of him; That 'tis Fabulous to say, that Souls were thrown headlong down from Heaven in their Bodies, or that they passed through Vertices of Elementary Fire, and through the Waters of the Firmament before they came to the Earth. And at last he makes several curious useful Remarks upon the Scriptural No∣tion of Flesh, and of the Sin that dwells in our Bodies, explaining at the same time several places of the Apostle. Photius has cited these Explications all along, and added besides, what the same Author has delivered about those Persons that were raised up to Life before Jesus Christ, about the Apparitions of the Dead, and the Parable of Dives and Lazarus; in which he concludes, that Souls keep the Form of their Bodies in another World, and are there punished and rewarded before the Day of Judgment. There still remains a certain Passage of it, which is supposed to belong to the same Work quoted by St. John Damascene, in his Third Oration concerning Images; wherein he says,

That Christians make Golden Images representing Angels for the Glory of God.

But I very much question whether this Passage belongs to Methodius; or if it does, it must be taken in another sence than that in which Saint John Damascene understood it; and that by Angels, Principalities and Powers, he means the Kings of the Earth, as the Words that immediately precede seem to intimate.

The Treatise of Free-Will was composed in Form of a Dialogue or Dispute between a Valentinian and a Catholick. The former affirms, That Matter which is Eternal, was the cause of Evil, or of Sin. On the other hand, the Orthodox Christian makes it appear, that there could not be two Eternal Principles; that if Matter were Eternal, yet Evil would not be Eternal, because the qualities of Mat∣ter could not be Eternal; that Matter is not the cause of Evil; and that God is not the cause of Evil, because Evil consists not in a real thing, but in the ill use that we make of our Liberty; that Man having been created with a Liberty either to obey, or not to obey the Commandments of God he sins, when using this Liberty the wrong way, he does things contrary to the Law of God.

These are the Works of Methodius, which St. Jerome mentions. Photius has made an Extract of a Treatise about created things, written by Methodius. In the First, he says, That these words of Je∣sus Christ, Cast not Pearl before Swine, ought not to be understood of Doctrine, but of Vertues; and that the meaning is not, that we must conceal Mysteries from the Infidels, but that we must not prophane the Christian Vertues; such as Chastity. Temperance and Justice, with the Pleasures of the World that are signified by the Swine. In the Second, he confutes those that thought the World had no beginning; an Opinion which he attributes to Origen. In the Third, he says, That the Church is so called, because it calls Men to fight against Pleasures. [In the Greek Ecclesia, which signifies a Church, or any Assembly of Men, comes from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to call; because the Publick Assemblies were con∣vened by publick Cryers, who called the People together.] In the Fourth, he says, That there were two Vertues or Powers that concurred to the Creation of the World; the Father that created it of no∣thing, and the Son that polished and compleated the Work of the Father. The Son, says he, who is the Almighty hand of the Father. In the Fifth he asserts, That Moses was the Author of the Book of Job; and he explains the first Words of the Book of Genesis, In principio, in the beginning, of the Wisdom of God. He observes, that God the Father begot the Word, or the Wisdom which was in Him before the Creation of the World; that this Wisdom being a Principle without Beginning, be∣came the Principle of all things; which is a Catholick way of speaking, and far remote from the Arian Opinion; though it does not seem to be altogether conformable to the Expressions of our Age. To conclude, In the last Fragment he cites a Passage of Origen, who would endeavour to prove by Alle∣gories, That the World existed long before the Six Days, that preceded the formation of Adam. Me∣thodius looks upon this as a trifling Opinion.

Theodoret, in his first Dialogue, cites a Passage taken out of a Sermon of Methodius concerning the Martyrs; where he says, that Martyrdom is so admirable, and so much to be desired, that Jesus Christ the Son of God would honour it himself; and that he who was equal to his Father, was willing to Crown Humane Nature, to which he himself was united with that excellent Gift.

The Sermon composed upon the Nativity of Jesus, and upon his being presented in the Temple, en∣tituled, Simeon and Ann, published by Pantinus in the Year 1598, and afterwards Printed by Father Combefis amongst the rest of the Works of Methodius, is neither cited by any of the Ancients, nor men∣tioned by Photius, though it is written in Methodius's Style. The Author of it endeavours to confute the Errours of Origen, and calls himself the Author of the Banquet of Virgins, in the beginning of his Discourse, which shews that it belongs to Methodius. Though we must own that he speaks so clearly of the Mysteries of the Trinity, of the Incarnation, of the Divinity of the Word, whom he calls in several places Consubstantial to the Father, of the Hymn called the Trisagion, of the Virginity of Mary even after her Delivery, and of Original Sin, that it gives us some reason to doubt, whether some thing has not been since added to this Sermon. Besides, the Style of it is more swelling, and fuller of Epithets than that of Methodius.

Besides all this, Father Combefis upon the Authority of a Manuscript in the King's Library, has re∣stored to Methodius another Sermon upon Palm-Sunday, that was formerly Printed under the Name of * 1.3 St. Chrysostom, by Sir Henry Savil, upon the Authority of another Manuscript. It is certain, that it ap∣proaches nearer to the Style of Methodius than of St. Chrysostom; but he explains the Mystery of the Tri∣nity so clearly in one place, and opposes the Hereticks so very plainly, that there is some reason to be∣lieve, that either this place has been since added, or that this Homily was not written by Methodius. Father Combefis has likewise collected some other Fragments attributed to Methodius, cited by St. John Damascene, and by Nicetas, drawn out of his Books against Porphyrie. But besides, that we cannot intirely depend upon the Authority of these two Authors, who are not very exact, these Fragments have nothing considerable, and we think it not worth the while to say any thing more concerning them. We shall not take any notice of some Latin Prophecies about Antichrist attributed to Methodius, that are Printed in the Bibliotheca Patrum, since it is agreed on all hands that they are not his.

The Style of Methodius is Asiatick, that is to say, diffuse, swelling, and full of Epithets. His Ex∣pressions are Figurative, the turn of his Sentences affected, he is full of Comparisons, and far-fetched Allegories, his Thoughts are mysterious, and he says a few things in abundance of Words. Setting these things aside, his Doctrine is sound, and free from some Errours that were common to the An∣cients; particularly concerning the Virginity of Mary, concerning Original Sin, concerning Guardian Angels, and several other Points; as may be observed in the Abridgment that we have made of his Works.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Or Patarah.] St. Jerome tells us, he was Bishop of Olympus; Suidas adds, or of Patara. Though we are not therefore to think that there were two Methodius's. But it is probable that Pa∣tara, which was a City of Lycia, was likewise called Clympus; because it was built upon a Moun∣tain so called. Methodius likewise calls himself Eu∣bulus, and that is the Name he uses in his Banquet of Virgins. Eusebius does not speak of this Author, because he wrote against Origen. St. Jerome reports, That some Persons said, he suffered Martyrdom in the time of Decius and Valerian; which Account is followed by Suidas. But St. Jerome, and the Martyrologies after him, relate, that he suffered Martyrdom at Chalcis towards the End of the last Persecution.
• * 1.2

  Methodius.
• * 1.3

  Lucian.