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.

St. JOHN DAMASCENE.

JOHN, Sirnamed MANSUR [by the Arabians,] or Chrysorrhoas [from his Eloquence,] was born at Damascus, of rich and godly Parents. He was taught and brought up by Cosmas, a * 1.1 Monk of Jerusalem, who had been taken by the Saracens. After his Father's decease, he suc∣ceeded him in the Place of Counsellor of State to the Prince of the Saracens. Being in that Office, he began to write in the Defence of Images; which did so highly provoke the Emperor Leo, Sirnamed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that he formed a design to destroy him by an unparallel'd piece of Treachery: He caused one to counterfeit the Hand of John Damascene, and to contrive a Letter in his Name, whereby he betrayed his Master, advising Leo to come speedily to Damascus, to take that City. This Letter he sent to the Prince of the Saracens, who, if we believe the Author of St. John Damascene's Life, caused John's Hand to be immediately cut off, and to be for many hours exposed to the sight of the People in the middle of the Town. In the evening John de∣manding it, joyned it to his mangled Arm; afterward having prayed to the Virgin, and thereupon going to sleep, it was found re-united to his Arm when he awoke out of his Sleep. This Mi∣racle struck the Prince of the Saracens with amazement, and forced him to acknowledge John's Innocency; he prayed him to continue in his Court, but John chose rather to withdraw himself from the World, and therefore betook himself into St. Subas's Monastery at Jerusalem, where he was committed to the care of a very severe old Monk, who imposed on him a perpetual Silénce; for the breaking of which, he was turned out of his Cell by that old man, who commanded him, for his Penance, to carry away the Filth of the Cells of the Monastery. When he had made himself ready to obey his Order, the good old man embraced him, and caused him to return. About the end of his Life, he was ordained Priest by the Patriarch of Jerusalem; but he returned immediately again into his Monastery, from whence he did valiantly oppose the Opinion of the Iconodastes. He died towards the year 750. This Author wrote a great number of Works of all kinds: They may be divided into Doctrinal, Historical and Moral, * 1.2 Heor∣tastical, Ecclesiastical and Prophane. Among the Doctrinal Works, we may place in the first Rank the four Books of the Orthodox Faith, in which he hath comprehended the whole substance of Divinity in a Scholastical and Methodical manner.

The first Book is of the Nature, Existence, and Attributes of God, and of the three Persons of the Trinity. In all Points he agreeth with our Divines, except in the Article of the Proces∣sion of the Holy-Ghost, which he believes to proceed from the Father only.

The 2d Book treats of the Creatures, the World, the Angels and Daemons, of Heaven and Earth, and all Things contained therein, of Paradise, and of Man. He teaches, that Man is composed of a Body and Soul, that his Soul is Spiritual and Immortal; he distinguisheth the Faculties of it; he speaks of its Passions, Actions, Thoughts, Will, and Liberty, which he places in the power of doing what we please. He treats also of Providence, Prescience, and Predesti∣nation, or Predetermination. He affirms, that this taketh no place in free Actions; that God permits them, but ordains them not. He concludes with Man's Fall, of which Adam's Sin was the cause.

This leads him to the Incarnation of the Son of God, which is the Subject of his third Book. He explains this Mystery with great exactness; he establisheth the distinction of the Existence of the two Natures; he speaks of their Proprieties, of the Wills of Christ, and of his Free-will, which he believes to be different from ours, in that the Determination of it is without any doubt or deliberation proceeding. He enlargeth upon the two Wills of Christ; he explains in what sense these Expressions are to be understood. There is in Christ an Incarnate Nature, a Theandrick Will, and an Human Nature Deified. He shews, that Jesus Christ was subject neither to Igno∣rance, nor to Temptation; that the quality of Slave does not belong to him; that he increased in Knowledge and Wisdom so far forth only, as it did more appear outwardly, according as he grew

into years. He proves, the Human Nature 〈◊〉〈◊〉 really suffer, whi•…•… the Divinity remained impas∣sible. He maintains, that the Divinity never ceased to be united to Christ's Soul and Body, no, not in the time of his Death.

In the 4th, having discoursed of Christ's Resurrection, and examined some Questions about the Incarnation, he treats of Baptism, of the Faith, the Cross, and the Worship due to it; of the custom of praying towards the East; of the Holy Mysteries, in which we ought not to doubt, but Christ gives us his Body and Blood * 1.3 to feed us, the Bread and Wine being ‡ 1.4 changed into Christ's Body and Blood, and being but one and the same thing. He tells us, with what Purity we ought to receive such a Holy Sacra∣ment. He establisheth Mary's perpetual Virginity, both in and after the Birth, and reconciles the two Genealogies of Christ, after the same manner with Africanus. Then he proves, that Saints ought to be honoured, and their Relicks reverenced. He would also have the Images of Saints, and of Christ, to be honoured, and believeth them to be very useful to remember us of them. He confesses, they do not worship the Matter whereof the Cross or the Images are made, but only that which is represented thereby. He says, That this Custom is established by an ancient Tradition, and thereupon he quotes the Fabulous Story of the Image sent by Christ to King Agbarus. He takes notice, that no Image of God ought to be made. He maketh a Catalogue of the Sacred Books of the Old Testament, agreeable to the Canon of the Hebrews. To the Books of the New, he adds the Canons of the Apostles, which he thinks to have been collected by St. Clemens. Having treated of all these Things, he comes again to some Questions he had forgotten. He explains, how many ways they speak of Christ. He proves, God is not the Author of Sins, and that there is but one Principle of all Things. He renders a Reason, why God created some Men, who would Sin, and not Re∣pent. He shews what's the Law of Sin, and the Law of Grace. He gives some Reasons of the Observation of the Sabbath, and Circumcision. He extols the State of Virginity. He con∣cludes with some Reflections upon Antichrist, the Resurrection, and the Last Judgment: Where∣upon he says,

That Hell Fire shall not be material as that among us, but such as God knows;

Non materià hujusce nostri constantem, sed qualem Dein novit. This Work is in Greek and Latin in the Basil Edition, [in 1548, and 1575.] St. John Damascene wrote many Tracts more upon some particular Doctrines.

A Dialogue between a Christian and a Saracen about Religion.

Another Dialogue under the Name of an Orthodox and a Manichee, in which he disputes against the Errors of those Hereticks.

A Treatise of the two Natures against the * 1.5 Monothelites, who did admit but one Nature in Christ, made up of two.

A Treatise of the Trisagion against the Sedition of Peter the Fuller, where∣in he explains several forms of Speech about the Trinity, and the Inoarna∣tion.

A Treatise of the two Wills in Christ against the Monothelites.

Another upon the Trinity, and the Incarnation.

To these Tracts may be added, the last Article of his Logick, wherein he explains what is the Hypostatick Union, and his Institutes, containing an Explication of the Terms used by him in speaking of the Mysteries, as Essence, Substance, Person, Hypostasis, &c.

The three Orations upon Images belong to the Doctrinal Tracts. He distinguisheth two sorts of Worship and Adoration; the one Supreme, belonging to God only; the other a Worship of Honour and Respect only. He says, The matter of Images is not worshipped, but what is re∣presented by them; that they are in stead of Books to the Ignorant, and that, in worshipping of them, they worship the Saints, of whom they are the Images. He cites St. Basil to Authorize this use of them. He objects to himself St. Epiphanius's Letter, and answers, Either that that Letter is supposititious, or that he caused the Picture he speaks of to be buried, only for some particular Reasons; like as St. Athanasius caused the Relicks of Saints to be buried, to condemn the Profane Practice of the Egyptians. He cites several Passages of the Fathers, to prove, that the Images of Saints are to be honoured; but there is hardly one word proving directly what he maintains, though he relates a great many Passages in those three Orations. He owns, the wor∣ship of Images cannot be established from Holy Scripture, and that it is authorized by the Tradi∣tion of the Church only. Lastly, he confesses, no Image ought to be made of the Trinity, nor of Things purely Spiritual.

The Prayer for the Dead is another Point, which also is not proved but by the Tradition of the Church. S. John Damascene defends it in an Oration made for that purpose. In it he affirms, that the Prayer for the Dead is from the Tradition of the Apostles. He adds, That the Church does do nothing, but what is useful and pleasing to God; from whence he concludes, that by those Prayers they obtain the Remission of those Sins, which remain to be expiated by the Dead. He re∣lates the Fable of Trajan's Deliverance, and a Story that happen'd to St. John the Alms-giver.

We may moreover add to these Tracts, two very short Treatises; the one, in what consists the Image and Similitude of God, in which we were created; and the other, of the Last Judg∣ment. Besides, we may add to these, two Letters about the Mass, and the Consecration; but I do not believe them to be of St. John Damascene's.

The Historical Works of S. John Damascene are fewer in number.

We have a Treatise of Heresies, which bears his Name; but the twenty four first are no∣thing but the Abridgment of S. Epiphanius.

The rest, beginning at the Nestorians, were added by S. John Damascene. He joins to the Hereticks already known, viz. the Nestorians, Eutychians, Monophysites, Aphthartodocites, Theodosians, Jacobites, Agnoetes, Donatistes, Monothelites, Saracens and Iconoclasts. He joins, I say, to these, other unknown Sects of Persons that had extraordinary Opinions and Practices, namely, the Semidalites who taste of the Paste brought to them by Dioscorus's Scholars, and believe this is to them instead of Sacrifice; the Orchistae, which are Monks dancing, when they sing God's Praises; the Gnosimachi, who will not have Men to Write or Study, a good Life being sufficient; the Heliotropites, who believe there is a certain Vertue in the Herb, called Turnsol or Heliotrope; the Thnetopsychites, who believe Men's Souls to be like to the Beasts, and that they die with them; the Theocatochestes, who find fault with some Expressi∣ons in the Scripture; the Christolites, who believe that Christ hath left his Body and Soul in Hell, and that the Godhead only ascended up to Heaven; the Ethnophrones, who retain some Pagan Superstitions; the Ethiproscoptes, who find fault with ancient Usages, and introduce new ones; the Parermeneutes, who interpret several places of the Old and New Testament according to their own fancy; and the Lampetians, living after their own fashion. It is plain, That S. John Damascene gave what Names he pleased to those he thought to be of these Opi∣nions and Practices, tho' they made not a Body nor a Sect. Part of the Greek of this small Tract was published by Billius, at the end of his Edition [at Paris in 1619.] but M. Cotelier published it not long ago whole in his Monuments of the Greek Church, Vol. 1. p. 278.

The History of Barlaam contains a long Narrative of the Conversion of the Son of the King of the Indies, called Josaphat by the Monk Barlaam; 'tis more like a Romance than an History. Some think it is not S. John Damascene's; nevertheless it is like enough to his Stile, and all of it is agreeable to his Doctrine, except in the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son, which may have been added by this Interpreter in the Translation, as also in the Original by some Transcriber.

We have but one of his Moral Works; but it is as considerable in its kind, as the Book of the Orthodox Faith is: For S. John Damascenus hath comprehended in three Books, Intituled, Parallels, an infinite number of Precepts and Maxims of Morality, reduced to different Heads, under which he first citeth some Sentences of the Scripture, and then some Passages of several Fathers.

The Heortastick Works of S. John are very numerous, but few of them are printed. These are printed.

A Sermon on Christ's Transfiguration, in Greek and Latin.

Three Discourses upon the Virgin's Nativity, also in Greek and Latin.

Two upon her Assumption, in Latin only.

A Sermon upon Holy Saturday, published in Greek and Latin by Billius [and in Greek and Latin by Pantinus, at Antw. in 1601.]

His Ecclesiastical Works, or Books of the Divine Service, are,

Some Hymns on the great Festivals; Odes and Proses for the Service of the whole year, distinguished into two Parts. They are not all S. John Damascene's, but some are Metrophane's and other Authors.

Lastly, we have a Book of Logick and another of Physick, of S. John Damascene.

These are the Works contained in the most perfect Editions of S. John Damascene. The First Editions contained but few Works.

His Three Discourses of Image-worship were printed in Greek, at Rome, in 1553. in Latin, at Paris, in 1555. and at Antwerp, in 1556.

The History of Barlaam and Josaphat, at Paris, in 1568. at Colen in 1593. at Antwerp 160••.

His Four Books of the Orthodox Faith were printed in Latin, at Paris, in 1507. in Greek, at Verona, in 1531.

The Dialogue against the Manichaeans, at Basil, in 1578. [at Passaw in 1572, Octavo.]

The Hymns, at Paris, in 1575.

They printed in 1539, 1548 and 1575. at Basil, a Collection of the chief Works of this Father, wherein are found the Books of the Orthodox Faith in Greek. Since that, Billius made a much larger Collection of them, containing all the Works above-mentioned. It was printed at Paris, in 1577, 1603 and 1619. but it hath few Works in Greek.

M. Aubert having published S. Cyril, design'd to undertake a new Edition of S. John Dama∣scene's Works, and having communicated his Design to the Learn'd, had collected several Pieces; among the rest, M. Allatius sent him a great number of his Works, never published before, which he had taken the pains to get copied out from some Manuscripts, and to tran∣slate them himself. M. Aubert dying before he could execute this Design, F. Labbe promised, in 1652. an Edition of S. John Damascene's Works, and printed a Specimen of it, wherein he set down the Names of the Works which Allatius had communicated to M. Aubert, with∣out mentioning what this Learned Man had contributed to it, yea, and intimating, That he eceived no help by his Manuscripts. Allatius having heard of it by F. Goar, complain'd,

That F. Labbe would set himself forth by his Labors, without expressing the least acknowledg∣ment of them; and he published a Catalogue of the Manuscripts of S. John Damascene, which he had sent to M. Aubert, and of them he had by him yet and which he had to send. These are mention'd ••here.

A Panegyrick of S. John Chrysostom, and the following Sermons, on the Virgin's Nativity; on Christ's Presentation in the Temple; on the Virgin's death, and the Fig-tree dried up; a Confession of the Catholick Faith; a Treatise of Malice and Vertue; an historical Tract of Christ's Birth; the Greek Treatise of the Dialogue between a Christian and a Saracen; Defi∣nitions; other Definitions; a Treatise of the Divinity and the Incarnation of Christ; a Trea∣tise of Christ's Body; another against the Jacobites; two Treatises against the Nestorians; a Writing containing the Passages of the Fathers, proving, That Christ is composed of two Natures, and that there be two Natures in him; a Treatise of the two Wills and the two Operations in Christ; a Writing upon Easter; a Prayer; a Sermon on the Annunciation of the Virgin; a Treatise to those that believe two Natures, two Wills and two Operations in Christ. Those are the Works of S. John Damascene, which Allatius had sent two M. Aubert, together with several other Pieces of the Greeks upon S. John Damascene's Works, of the Lives of this Saint, and a Critical Censure upon his Works made by Allatius himself. He was moreover to send him his Lexicon, which he says, is a large Work, rare, and contains in it many things, with several other Greek Pieces, the Titles whereof may be seen in the Catalogue it self, in the end of the Collection of the Greek Works published by Allatius, and printed at Antwerp in 1653.

S. John Damascene writes clearly and methodically; he was a subtle Divine, an able Com∣piler, but a mean Preacher.

Notes

• * 1.1

  St. John Damas∣cene.
• * 1.2

  Such as treat of the Festivals of the Year.
• * 1.3

  Spiritually.
• ‡ 1.4

  In their Use, not Nature.
• * 1.5

  The Acephali, or Monophysites, a sort of Here∣ticks. Dr. Cave.