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.

HESYCHIUS.

AUthors are much divided about this Author's Age and Profession, whose chief Work is a Commentary upon Leviticus. Cardinal Perron ascribed it to Hesychius, Bishop of * 1.1 Salone, * 1.2 who lived under the Empire of Honorius, in the Time of Pope Zosimus, and of S. Austin, because there is a Letter of that Pope directed to this Hesychius Bishop of Salone, and a Letter of that Bishop to S. Austin. Trithemius and Sixtus Senensis did believe, that this we now speak of, was a Disciple of S. Gregory Nazianzen. Bellarmin, Possevin and Miraeus ascribe the Works, bearing Hesychius's Name, to Hesychius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, to whom the Fourth Letter of the First Book of S. Gregory's Letters is directed. The most common Opi∣nion is, That this Hesychius was a Priest only, and of Jerusalem (but some place him in the Fifth, others in the Seventh Century, which is plain) for, 1. The Author discovers himself to be so, in the Preface and Book which he wrote at Jerusalem a 1.3. And, 2. in an old Manu∣script of the King's Library, it is observed in the Title, That this Hesychius was of Jeru∣salem; and the Title of the Letter, which is instead of a Preface, shews he was but a Priest. It is worded thus; To the Deacon Eutychianus, Isychius, a Sinner, Servant of Jesus Christ and Presbyter: Notwithstanding which, he might possibly have been afterward raised to the dignity of Patriarch of Jerusalem; but there are no other Proofs of it, but the Authority of some Manuscripts, and some new Authors, in the Title of which he is called by the Name of Bishop; which is not very convincing: And Photius, who made some Extracts of this Author's Sermons, calls him no other than Presbyter. As for the Time in which he liv'd, there's no question but he is much later than the Bishop of Salone, seeing he writes against the Eutychians and Nestorians: Nay, he seems to have lived after S. Gregory, because he mak∣eth use of S. Hierom's Translation; but he was before the Ninth Century, because his Com∣mentary is quoted by Amalarius, l. 14. of Divine Offices, c. 36. and by Rabanus, in his Pre∣face upon Leviticus, as well as by Freculphus and Strabo; yea, and before the Eighth, if he be the same which Photius quoteth, as very likely he is: Which makes me think, he lived in the End of the Sixth or in the Beginning of the Seventh Century: It is true, there was one Hesychius, Priest of Jerusalem, in the Fifth Century, in the Time of S. Cyril, mentioned in Euthymius's Life, and in Theophanes's Chronicle; but this does not seem to be so ancient, for in S. Cyril's Time S. Hierom's Translation was not used in the Church. I know, it may be answer'd, that that Quotation is none of that Author's, but the Translator's, because we have not the Greek Original of that Work: But I am persuaded, it was written in Latin by its Author, who does carefully mark the Differences between the Vulgar Edition and that of the Septuagint, and likewise of the Translations of Aquila and Theodotion, and sometimes quotes the Greek Terms of those Translations, which he renders into Latin. This Commentary is clear and plain, he gives the literal Sence, adding now and then to that Explication, some short Allegorical or Moral Reflections. It is divided into Seven Books. It hath often been observ'd, That this Author speaks of a Practice of the Church of his Time: That they burnt the

remainder of the Oblation after the Celebration of the Mysteries, and the Communion of the Faithful.

In the Bibliotheca Patrum there are Two Homilies in Greek and Latin, upon the Virgin, bearing the Name of Hesychius, Presbyter of Jerusalem.

Combefis attributes, moreover, to this Author, the second Sermon of S. Gregory of Nyssa, upon Christ's Resurrection; and he proves his Opinion, 1. By the Authority of a Manuscript of the King's Library, where this Sermon is found under Hesychius's Name, Priest of Jerusalem. 2. Because it seems to be of a meaner, more close and dogmatical Style than that of Gregory of Nyssa. Lastly, because it sets down an Opinion directly opposite to that which is brought in the first Sermon on the same subject, bearing also the Name of S. Gregory of Nyssa; for the Author of this supposes, That Christ rose from the Dead on Saturday in the Evening, and gives that Sence to S. Matthew's Words, Vespere autem Sabbathi: Whereas the Author of the second Sermon supposes, That he rose on Sunday Morning, and shews these Words (Vespere autem, Sabbathi, or Sabbathorum) are to be understood thus, When the Week was past. But if this Ho∣mily be Hesychius's, it is not his of whom we speak, but his who lived in the Beginning of the Fifth Century. To the End of that Homily Combefis hath added the Fragment of a Place of Hesychius's Harmony of the Gospels, touching the Hour of Christ's Death. Cotelerius hath made an Abridgment of it in the beginning of his Third Volume Of the Monuments of the Greek Church. This Work contains the solutions of several Difficulties about the seeming Con∣tradictions of the Evangelists.

Hoeschelius hath published, with Adrian's Introduction, the Titles of the Chapters of the Twelve lesser Prophets, and of Isaiah, bearing the Name of Hesychius also. This Work might also be his, who lived in the Fifth Century.

The Treatise of Temperance and Vertue, dedicated to Theodulus, which contains Two hundred Maxims of the Spiritual Life, is the same Hesychius's, for in the Thirty first Maxim of the first hundred, it is observed, That the Author dwelt in a Monastery, and lived under the Conduct of a Superior.

It is probable likewise that Hesychius's Church-History, a Fragment whereof is quoted about Theodorus Mopsuestenus, in the Fifth Council, Collection V. p. 470. and in Justinian's Edict, belongs to the Monk of the Fifth Century.

Lastly, we may attribute to this the Two Sermons, of which Photius recites some Frag∣ments in the 269th. and 275th. Volumes of his Bibliotheca: The one is taken out of a Ser∣mon upon S. Andrew, and the other out of a Sermon upon S. James, the Lord's Brother: I say the first is taken out of a Sermon upon S. Andrew, tho' in Photius's Title there is the Name of S. Thomas, because the Extract contains really a Commendation of S. Andrew, and there is now extant a Latin Translation of that whole Discourse on S. Andrew, in which Photius's Ex∣tracts are found. He says, in that Sermon, That S. Andrew is the first of the Apostles, the first Pillar of the Church, even before S. Peter, the Foundation of the Foundation it self. In the Sermon upon S. James, he says also almost the same Things of that Apostle, calling him, The Prince of Bishops, the Head or Chief of the Apostles, the Top of the Heads them∣selves, the most shining Lamp, the brightest Star. Thus they always extol the Saint, of whom they speak, above the others. Cotelerius tells us, in his Notes, He had collected many other Manuscript Pieces of this Hesychius, which he would have publish'd, if he could have hoped for a Life long enough.

There was another Hesychius, Presbyter of Constantinople, mention'd also by Photius in the 51st. Volume of his Bibliotheca.

I have read, says he, Four Discourses of Hesychius's, Pres∣byter of Constantinople, upon the Brazen Serpent: The Style of them is full of Ostentation, and calculated to stir up the Passions. He brings in the People of Israel spèaking to Moses, and that Prophet making Speeches to the People. He relates also some Discourses of God to the People, and to Moses, and the Answers of Moses and the People, in the Form of Prayers or Excuses. These Speeches take up the greatest part of his Work, which maketh up a large Volume.

That Author was Catholick, as far as one can judge by his Work.

We have none of those Discourses now, nor any Tract of that Author, but the loss of these Declamations is not very considerable.

Notes

• * 1.1

  [A City in Dalmatia]
• * 1.2

  Hesychius.
• a 1.3

  Which he wrote at Jerusalem.] These are his Words in the Preface: Deprecare ut fiat oblatio verbi mei acceptabilis, non sol•••• in Jerusalem, sed & in omni terra. And in the Sixth Book, Quod manifest at Templum, & civitas haec Jerusalem. And in the Se∣venth Book, Cognoscis autem ea quae ipsis Judaeis eve∣••erunt, ex Josephi historia, quorum plurima etiam nunc nostris ad cernendum adjacent visibus.