tions it not; but it is observable that Eusebius is often short and deficient in his account of the transactions in the western parts.

Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, was deposed for heresy, A. D. 270. If the account given of him by Eusebius be true, which there is no reason to suspect, he well deserved to be turned out of the church even for his wicked behaviour, and for the many proofs which he gave of being only a nominal Christian. Les Evêques du Concile d'Antioche l'accusérent de tous les vices ordinaires aux Evêques des grand Sieges, says Du Pin, very boldly, Bibl. Eccl. i. p. 214. It is absurd to suppose that Paul was fool enough to call himself Jesus Christ; though some have charged him with it. The bishops who condemned him, accuse him of no such crime; and if he had been guilty of it, it would have been a circumstance in his favour, and a proof that he had lost his senses. They charge him indeed with affirming that Jesus Christ was a mere man, and with suffering himself to be called an angel come from heaven.

The synod which was assembled to examine the affair of Paul of Samosata, consisted of all the bishops, presbyters, and deacons, who could conveniently meet together. None were excluded. See Eusebius vii.29,30.

Arnobius, a valuable author, and of whose works a good edition is much wanted, lived in the time of Diocletian, and wrote about the end of the third century. He was a convert to Christianity, somnis compulsus, says Jerom. He makes some objections to paganism, which might have been retorted on Judaism and Christianity. He borrows much from Clemens Alexandrinus for example, he says to the Pagans,

Quis ex reliquis Pelopis compactum esse Palladium prodidit? non vos? Quis Spartanum fuisse Martem? non Epicharmus auctor vester? Quis in Thracite finibus procreatum? non Sophocles Atticus, cunctis consentientibus theatris? Quis mensibus in Arcadia tribus et decem vinctum? non Melee fluminis filius?

Some words are dropped, which should be restored thus-theatris? quis in Arcadia? non vos? Quis mensibus tribus et decem vinctum? non Melee fluminis filius? iv. p. 143.

This is taken from Clemens Alexandrinus, who says, Mars, according to Epicharmus, was a Spartan; according to Sophocles, a Thracian; as others say, an Arcadian ; and, as Homer informs us, was tied neck and heels for thirteen months. Ὁ ἀλλοπρόσαλλος ὗτος, καὶ ἀνάρσιος, ὡς μὲν Επίχαρμος φησι, Σπαριάτης ἦν, Σοφοκλῆς δὲ Θρᾷκα οἶδεν αὐτόν ἄλλοι δὲ ̓Αρκάδα· τᾶτον δὲ Ὅμηρος δεδέσθαι φησὶν ἐπὶ μῆνας τρισκαί δεκα.

Τλῆ μὲν "Αρης κ. τ. λ.

Antony, the monk, aged thirty-five years, retired into a desert in Egypt, A. D. 285. Athanasius hath written his history, his visions, his conflicts with devils, the wonders which he wrought, and his great abomination for all heretics, particularly for the Arians. The eastern monks were in general firmly attached to the doctrine established by the Nicene council, upon which account they suffered much under the Arian emperor Valens. Sozomen iii. 13. Socrates iv. 22. Some modern heretics, so Tillemont calls them, have thought this Life of Antony to be a spurious, or a much corrupted piece, as Rivetus and Basnage in his Exercitationes. If they could have fully proved it, they would certainly have done a singular service to the Manes of Athanasius. Yet Tillemont is quite angry, and

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says,

says, James Basnage, a Calvinist, hath undertaken to prove that this Life is not the work of Saint Athanasius, or that it hath been extremely interpolated and corrupted. He offers no new reason for this assertion that is of the least moment, and nothing remarkable except some silly and stupid, not to say impious jests upon things most holy and most worthy of God. H. E. viii. p. 700. Now Basnage, Dissert, Epist. p. 136, seems to have given into this suspicion, partly through a very favourable opinion of Athanasius, and a persuasion that he could not transmit such things to posterity; for which reason Tillemont should have treated him more civilly.

Socrates iv. 23. says, that Antony saw the soul of Ammon the monk carried up into heaven by angels, and cites Athanasius for it, who has the very story in his Life of Antony. Sozomen relates the same tale i. 14. and is thought to have taken his account of Antony from Athanasius. Du Pin is a little doubtful whether this Life of Antony be genuine, but determines for the affirmative. Bibl. ii. p. 41, and upon the whole, there is far more reason to receive it as genuine, than to reject it as spurious. Ex scriptis Athanasii nullum est cui veterum plures testimonium perhibeant. Laudatur a Nazianzeno, Chrysostomo, Palladio, Hieronymo, &c. In tanta existimatione fuit de vita Antonii Liber, ut eo lecto nonnulli ad pietatem accensi fuerint.-Interea faciles largimur puram non esse, sed lutulentam nonnullis in locis fluere. Illud certe magni esse Athanasi credere non possumus. Antonius bestiam vidit formà humaná ad femora usque; crura et pedes asinum, &c. S. Basnage Ann. iii. 38.

Athanasius loved the monks and the monks loved him. One of them said to his disciples, When you find any fragment of the works of Athanasius, transcribe it;

and

and if you have no paper, write it upon your garments. This makes it probable that Athanasius did not neglect to write the Life of Antony, and that he collected every rumour and report which tended to embellish and magnify his friend.

It is a custom with the Arabs, always to give a man a patient hearing who tells romantic stories, and never to contradict him; and this is reckoned amongst them a rule of civility and politeness. By this rule, we must let the Life of Antony pass uncensured, reserving to ourselves the liberty not to believe all that is related in it.

Antony, as if he had foreseen the tricks of the reliquemongers, desired to be buried where they might not find him, and make money of him. Ingressus montem interiorem, quem incolere solebat, post paucos menses in morbum incidit. Tum accersitis duobus Ascetis, qui propter senium laboranti ministrabant, mandata pietatis inculcat, subjungit dein: Si vobis de me cura est, meique tanquam patris non obliviscimini, corpus meum in Ægyptum transferri ne patiamini, ne forte reservent domi suæ. Meum ergo corpus sepelite, terràque contegite, et nemo præter vos locum sepulcri noscat. Vestes meas sic distribuite. Melotem unam date Athanasio Episcopo, cum stragula, quam ab ipso novam accepi, nunc detritam reddo. Serapioni Episcopo alteram date meloten, vobis cilicium servate. Quodque est reliquum, filii, salvete, Antonius enim hinc migrat, non amplius vobiscum moraturus. Finito sermone, postquam sunt ipsum osculati, pedibus ille porrectis, et quasi amicorum adventantium aspectu admodum lætatus, animam exhalavit. Vit. Ant. Illi vero præceptis Abbatis sui obtemperantes, defunctum sepeliunt, in loco, qui, præterquam binis istis Ascetis, cunc

tis ignoratur mortalibus. At, A. D. 561. mira Reliquiariorum sagacitas locum olfecit, ubi sacræ exuvice recondebantur. Id scripto prodit Victor in Chronico, &c. S. Basnage Ann. ii. 834.

Let us here insert the bold and generous remarks of Melchior Canus, a Dominican monk and a bishop. Dolenter hoc dico potius quam contumeliose, multo a Laertio vitas Philosophorum severius scriptas, quam a Christianis vitas Sanctorum, longeque incorruptius et integrius Suetonium res Cæsarum exposuisse, quam exposuerint Catholici, non res dico Imperatorum, sed Martyrum, Virginum, et Confessorum. Illi enim in probis aut Philosophis, aut Principibus, nec vitia, nec suspiciones vitiorum tacent, in improbis vero etiam colores virtutum produnt. Nostri enim plerique, vel adfectibus inserviunt, vel de industria quoque ita multa confingunt, ut eorum me non solum pudeat, sed etiam tædeat. Hos enim intelligo Ecclesie Christi cum nihil utilitatis adtulisse, tum incommodationis plurimum. Nominibus Nominibus parco, quoniam hujus loci judicium morum etiam est, et non eruditionis tantum, in qua liberior potest esse censura; nam que morum est, hæc debet esse et in vivos cautior, et in mortuos reverentior. Certum est autem, qui ficte et fallaciter Historiam Ecclesiasticam scribunt, eos viros bonos atque sinceros esse non posse, totamque eorum narrationem esse aut ad quæestum, aut ad errorem; quorum alterum fœdum est, alterum perniciosum. Justissima est Ludovici Vivis querela de historiis quibusdam in Ecclesia confictis. Prudenter ille sane ac graviter eos arguit, qui pietatis loco duxerint mendacia pro religione fingere. Id quod et maxime periculosum est, et minime necessarium. Mendaci quippe homini ne verum quidem credere solemus. Quamobrem qui falsis atque mendacibus scriptis mentes mortalium invitare ad Divorum cultum voluere, hi nihil aliud mihi videntur egisse,

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