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.

LEONTIUS. * 1.1

LEontius, a Native of Constantinople, was an Advocate, and afterwards a Monk in the Laura of St. Sabas; he liv'd till about the end of the sixth Century, for he reckons Eulogius amongst the Bishops of Alexandria, who held this See from the Year 581, to the Year 604. He is different from Leontius Byracenus, who is mention'd in the Life of St. Sabas, and St. Quiriacus; for this Leontius was an Origenian, and defended the Doctrines of Theodorus of Mopsuesta: But he on the contrary declar'd openly against Origen and Theodorus.

The first contains an Abridgment of the History of our Faith, short Remarks upon the Doctrines of Arius, Sabellius, Nestorius, and Eutyches, an Exposition of the Faith of the Church about the Tri∣nity and Incarnation, and the distinction of Nature and Personality.

The second contains a Catalogue of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament, agreeable to that of the Jews, and of those of the New agreeable to ours, and general Proofs of the Coming of the Messias.

The third contains a List of the Fathers, who liv'd from the Birth of Jesus Christ until Constantine, and also of some of those who flourish'd since. He speaks also there of the Principal Heresies which arose in that space of time.

In the fourth Action he inquires into the Origine of the Heresies of Macedonius, Apollinaris, Ne∣storius, Eutyches, and continues this History down to the Condemnation of Dioscorus.

The fifth Action relates the Controversies that arose in the Church, upon occasion of the Council of Chalcedon, which were settled by the Authority of the Emperor, and renew'd again by the Question of the Corruptibility and Incorruptibility of Jesus Christ, to which the Agn•…•…tae and Tritheites succeeded.

The four following Actions contain Answers to the Objections which were made against the Council of Chalcedon: The first answers the Historical Difficulties, the second the Reasoning Part, and the third the Authorities of the Fathers. The last explains the Passages of the Council, which were alledg'd to prove that the Council favour'd the Doctrines of Nestorius.

The tenth Action is against the Gaianites, the Agnoetes and Origenists.

The same Author has also written three Books against the Error of Nestorius and Eutyches. The first is entitled, A Confutation of the contrary Figments of Nestorius and Eutyches, concerning the Di∣vinity and Humanity of Jesus Christ. He proves against Eutyches, that there are two Natures, and against Nestorius, that there is but one Hypostasis, or Person in Jesus Christ: He explains in what sense St. Cyril could say that there is but one Nature of the Word Incarnate; and proves what he affirms by Reasons and the Authorities of the Fathers.

The second Book is against the Error of those who maintain'd that the Body of Jesus Christ was incorruptible before his Resurrection: 'Tis compos'd of two Parts; the first is a Dialogue of one that is Orthodox with one engag'd in that Error; and the second is a Collection of the Authorities of the Fathers, to which he prefixes the Books ascribed to St. Dionysius the Areopagite.

In the third Book he descovers the Artifices which the Nestorians of his time made use of for dis∣guising their Sentiments. He says, That at first they feign themselves to be no wise concern'd for the Memory of Diodorus of Tarsus, and Theodorus of Mopsuesta, that they make a show of appro∣ving the Council of Chalcedon, that they cause the Books of their Authors to be read, that they en∣tice Men with fait Promises, that they make a feint of condemning Nestorius, that they make no scruple to communicate with Catholicks, and even to take the Communion with them, for, say they, the Bread which is offer'd to represent Jesus Christ, has always a greater Blessing then common Bread, or that which the Philomarianites offer in the Name of * 1.2 Mary. After this he is transported to Invectives against the Memory of Theodorus. He accuses him of being one whom St. John Chry∣sostom exhorts to do Penance for his want of Moderation, of having corrupted the Scripture by his Commentaries, of endeavouring to usurp the See of the Church of Tarsus, if he had not been hin∣dred by Theophilus; of having condemn'd the Name of the Mother of God; of scoffing at the Wri∣tings of the Fathers; of giving a mean and low sense to the Scripture, altogether unworthy of the Holy Spirit; of speaking ill of Job, and rejecting the Canonical Epistles; of having interpreted the Psalms after a Jewish manner, by applying them all to the History of the Time, and referring but three of them to Jesus Christ; of interpreting the Canticles of Carnal Amours; of rejecting the Books of Esdras and the Chron••oles; of making another Creed then that of Nice; of making a new Mess; of not believing the last Judgment; of denying Original Sin; of saying with the Manichees, that Darkness was a Substance; of affirming that Antichrist should be annihilated; of affirming that many Events came by Chance; and lastly to load him with Impiety, of affirming that Jesus Christ

was a mere Man, and yet that he ought to be ador'd. After this Leontius quotes some passages ta∣ken from the Writings of Theodorus, to prove that he maintain'd the same Doctrines which were * 1.3 taught by Nestorius.

The same Author wrote a Treatise to prove, That the Letters alledg'd by the Eutychians under the Names of Gregory Thaumaturgus, Julius, and St. Athanasius, were supposititious. This he endeavours to prove by showing the Agreement between some Expressions of this Heretick and his Disciples, and those that are in these Letters. This Argument is not very convincing, for the Fathers may possibly use the same Expressions with Apollinaris and his Disciples, tho in another sense.

There is also a Treatise of his by way of Dialogue, which contains the Objections of the Ace∣phali, and the Answers which may be given them; a Collection of Propositions against those who deny that there are two Natures in Jesus Christ after the Union, and a Sermon on the Festival which is celebrated between Easter and Whitsunday. There are also in the Manuscripts some other Trea∣tises of this Author, as a Treatise of the two Natures against the Monophysites, and a Disputation against an Arian Philosopher. The Treatise of Sects was printed in Greek at Basle 1570, in Octa∣vo, and in Latin translated by Leuvenclavius, with the Embassy of Alexis Commenus; and it has been since inserted into the first Addition to the Bibliotheque of the Fathers. The other Treatises have been publish'd in Latin by Canisius, and put into the last Bibliotheque of the Fathers printed at Lyons, the greatest and largest Collection of the Fathers that ever was made. The Sermon upon the Festival between Easter and Whitsunday was publish'd in Greek by Father Combes••s, in the first Addition to the Bibliotheque of the Fathers, with another Sermon upon the same Subject, written by another Leontius Bishop of Cyprus, which is quoted in the seventh Council, Act 4. He of whom we have now spoken, had a very subtil Wit, but not very sublime; he was moderately learned and much prejudic'd; his style is mean, and not at all pleasant.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Leontius.
• * 1.2

  This passage plainly contra∣dicts Transub∣stantiation by saying that it is Bread which is offer'd, af∣ter conse∣cration, to represent Jesus Christ and comparing it with common Bread; and tho it be spoken by a Heretick, yet it is not censur'd neither by Le∣ontius here who writes severely against all his particular Errors, nor by any other Catholick Writer, which shows that it was a Doctrine then commonly receiv'd, or at least it was not thought a dangerous Error, and much less a Heresy.
• * 1.3

  Fortuna∣tus.