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for was composed, but was seldom transcribed, and therefore soon lost, as not suiting the taste which not long after prevailed in the church. This may be thought very probable, that if such a relation had been then drawn up, and still preserved, it would be more valuable than any thing written afterwards. A father of the fourth century, destitute of the gifts of the Spirit, whose chief talent is oratory, whose mind is heated with the controversies, and tainted with the credulity and partiality of his age, is not fit to write the life of a man of primitive simplicity, endowed with a large measure of apostolical gifts and virtues.

VI. Nothing farther remains, but that we observe Gregory's testimony to the scriptures of the New Testament.

1. And here, since nothing appears to the contrary, it ought to be taken for granted, that he had the same or very near the same canon of scripture with his master Origen. However, I shall take notice of some particulars, though much cannot be reasonably expected in the few and short pieces of his which we now have.

2. When Gregory came to Origen he was ignorant of the scriptures, as he plainly" intimates; but when he left him he was well acquainted with the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as appears from his quotations and allusions to them in his Panegyrical Oration.

3. In his Canonical Epistle are these words: The apostle says: "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them:" I Cor. vi. 13. And our Saviour also, purifying all meats, says: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth," Matt. xv. 11.

4. The Fragments, formerly mentioned as preserved in a sort of Greek chain, are fine sentences. It is not certain from what work they are taken; but if they are genuine, it appears not improbable that they are taken from some homily or epistle of our Gregory.

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In one of those fragments he says: The scribes and pharisees of the Jewish people would never have received

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Orat. ad Orig.

" Τετο ανεγνων μεν ύτερον εν τοις ἱέροις γραμμασιν. p. 60. A. ν ὁ δε αποτολος φησι, Τα βρωματα Αλλα δε ὁ Σωτηρ ὁ παντα καθαριζων τα βρωματα. κ. λ. Ep. Can. cap. i. p. 38. A. Ουκ αν οἱ γραμματεις και οἱ φαρισαιοι τε λας των Ιεδαίων πολυ το 8αι παρα τε Σωτηρος εκληρονομησαν, ει μη δια την ὑποκρισιν εν γαρ τοις ελεγχοις ἁμαρτιων αυτων εκ επαύσατο κατα πασαν αιτιαν προλέγων ὁ Κύριος" και ύμιν, γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι ὑποκριται, κεκονιαμένες ταφές αποκαλων αυτες· οἱ εξωθεν μεν φαινονται τοις ανθρωποις ωραιοι, εσωθεν δε γεμεσιν οςεων νεκρων, και πασης ακαθαρσίας. ap. Mich. Ghislerium in Jerem. cap. ix. v. 4. T. i. p. 788, 789. Lugdun. 1623.

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such repeated woes from our Saviour, if it had not been for their hypocrisy for our Lord's reproofs of their faults continually begin and are prefaced in this manner: "Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites." And he calleth them" whited sepulchres, which indeed appear to men beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness," Matt. xxiii. 27.

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5. In another of these fragments he says: For if we do any good to our neighbour out of sincere and undissembled love, we shall hear from our Saviour: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," Matt. xxv. 40. What follows in this fragment is a fine reproof of false pretences of kindness, and the practice of artifice and deceit toward honest and undesigning persons. But I must not allow myself to transcribe it here at length.

6. In his Panegyrical Oration he refers to and enlarges upon the history of the poor widow which we have in Mark xii. 41-44; Luke xxi. 1-4; which he says is in the sacred books: referring however, perhaps, more particularly to St. Luke's than St. Mark's gospel; and calling again our Lord's estimation of that poor widow's gifta a determination of the divine word.

7. In the same Oration he has a beautiful allusion b to the parable of the prodigal, which is in Luke xv. He there also alludes to Luke x. 30.

8. It is very probable, from that Oration, that he was ac quainted with St. John's gospel, particularly the beginning of it.

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9. In the Canonical Epistle he says, It is not easy to represent in one letter all that the divine scriptures have said, not only against so horrible a sin as robbery, but even against covetousness, or the love of filthy lucre.' However, he largely quotes one place of scripture, thus: "But "fornication," says he, "and covetousness, let it not be * See Matt. xxiii. 13-15, 23, 25, 27.

* Εαν γαρ τι εις το πλησιον αγαθόν εργασώμεθα δια της ανυπόκριτε αγαπης, ακέομεν παρα τε Σωτηρος, Εφ' όσον εποιησατε ένι τετων των αδελφων με των ελαχίσων, εμοί εποιησατε. κ. λ. ap. eund. in Jerem. cap. ix. v. 8, 9. p. 796.. Όντως εν ἱεραις βιβλοις φέρεται, ὅτι δὴ μικρά τις και πτωχη γυνη. κ. λ. Orat. ad Orig. p. 60. Α. * Ο ίερος λογος εσαθμησατο. ib. D.

c Ib. p. 76. B.

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b Vid. p. 75. A. B.

d Ib. p. 53. D. 54. A.

Δεινη δε πλεονεξία, και εκ εςι δι' επιςολης μιας παραθεσθαι τα θεια γραμματα, εν οίς. κ. λ. Ep. Can. ii. p. 38. C.

f Πορνεια γαρ, φησι, και πλεονεξια μηδε ονομαζεσθω εν ύμιν καρπος το φωτος εν παση αγαθοσύνη, και δικαιοσύνη, και αληθεια yap anоsolos. ib. p. 38. D. 39. A. B.

(ὁ γαρ

-Τοιαυτά

VOL. II.

2 T

named among you: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them: for ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light, (for the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth,) proving what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light." These things says the apostle.' Eph. v. 3-13.

10. Origen, in his Epistle to Gregory, refers to several texts of scripture, and among others to Heb. iii. 14.

11. In the third of the fragments before mentioned it is said, 'Pride cannot but be evil, it being founded in much false conceit. For it is most manifest, that every perfect good cometh from God: nor is it otherwise to be obtained by man.' Here seems to be a reference to James i. 17. and if this fragment is genuine, it may be reckoned a proof that Gregory was acquainted with the epistle of St. James, and had a respect for it.

I have now quoted three of the fragments which I spoke of formerly. I have no occasion at present to make any use of the fourth.

12. In Gregory's Panegyrical Oration is supposed to be a reference either to Rev. iii. 7; or to Isa. xxii. 22.

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13. He speaks of Origen's advices' to attend to God and his prophets. He there likewise makes mention of the assistances Origen gave him for understanding the difficult places of the sacred scriptures. His veneration for which scriptures has appeared in several passages above cited.

14. If the last, or eleventh canon of the epistle had been genuine, I should here have observed somewhat in it: but since it is an addition of later times, it ought not to be taken notice of in this place.

It is needless to add any thing more, considering the re

8 Fruit of the light.] This reading deserves to be taken notice of. It is no uncommon reading, but is found in MSS. versions and writers. Perhaps it is the true reading. See Mill, Grot., Beausobre, and L'Enfant, upon the place. h Orig. Ep. ad Greg. T. i. p. 32. C. Bened.

i Ουκ αγαθον ἡ ὑπερηφανια, ψευδοδοξιαν εχεσα πολλην Δηλον γαρ, δηλον ὡς παν αγαθον τελειον θεόθεν ερχεται και εκ εςι λεπτον αλλως ανθρωπῳ. κ λ. ap. Ghisler. in Jerem. cap. ix. v. 23, 24. p. 831... k P. 73. B.

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Μονῳ δε προσεχειν Θεῳ, και τοις τετε προφηταις, αυτος ὑποφητευων και σαφηνίζων, ότι ποτε σκοτεινον και αινιγματώδες η, οία πολλα εν τοις ἱεραις επε pwvang. ib. p. 72. D.

lation Gregory had to Origen, and his respect for him. They must both have had the same canon of scripture, or very much alike, as was observed before; and undoubtedly they agreed in a peculiar regard for those writings, which they received as sacred and divine.

CHAP. XLIII,

DIONYSIUS, BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA.

1. His history in general. II. Some revelations vouchsafed to him. III. More select passages. IV. His concern in the controversies of that time, as Novatianism. V. The Millennium. VI. The baptism of heretics. VII. Sabellianism. VIII. The affair of Paul of Samosata. IX. Dionysius's works. X. His character. XI. His testimony to the books of the New Testament, as the four gospels. XII. The Acts, Paul's epistles, and to the Hebrews. XIII. The Catholic epistles. XIV. The Revelation, and other books of the New Testament. XV. What Dionysius writes of the Revelation largely examined. XVI. A brief review of that whole argument, with remarks. XVII. The sum of his testimony.

a

I. UPON the promotion of Heraclas to the bishopric of Alexandria, in the year of Christ 231 or 232, Dionysius * succeeded him in the chair of the catechetical school of that city; and Heraclas having died in the year 246 or 247, Dionysius was chosen bishop in his room, in the year b 247, or c 248, and died in the twelfth of the emperor Gallienus, in the year of Christ 264, or at the utmost in a 265. He

a

b

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Dionysius, Alexandrinæ urbis episcopus, sub Heraclâ scholam karnxXNσεwv presbyter tenuit, et Origenis valde insignis auditor fuit.. -Moritur duodecimo Gallieni anno. Hieron. de V. I. cap. 69. Conf. Euseb. H. E. 1. vi. cap. 29, et 35. vii. cap. 28. tandemque anno 247, mortuo Heraclæ in sede Alexandrinâ successit. Cav. Hist. Lit. P. i. p. 95. Heraclæ, qui superiore anno mortem invenerat, successit Dionysius, qui annis xvii. Alexandrinæ præfuit ecclesiæ, initio currente deducto. Basn. ann. • See Tillemont, Mem. Ecc. T. iv. P. ii.

247. n. v.

p. 539, 540. St. Denys d' Alexand. Art. ii. and Fabr. Bib. Gr. T. v. p. 263. ₫ Vid. Pagi, Crit. 265. n. iv. et Fabric. ibid.

is reckoned the thirteenth bishop of Alexandria. He was succeeded by Maximus.

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We may observe some passages of ancient authors concerning the time of his death. Eusebius, speaking of the first council of Antioch in the affair of Paul, bishop of that city, computed to have been held in f 264, says, "At this ' time died Dionysius, in the twelfth year of the reign of Gallienus, having been bishop of Alexandria seventeen years. His successor was Maximus.' Theodoreth says, That Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, a man of uncom'mon learning, in a letter excused his coming thither, be'cause of the infirmities of age.' The bishops of the second council of Antioch, assembled in 269, speak of Firmilian and Dionysius as dead, calling them men of blessed memory. Moreover, Eusebius assures us, that their synodical epistle was sent to Dionysius bishop of Rome, and Maximus bishop of Alexandria, and to all the provinces of the empire. This latter council therefore was not in the time of Dionysius himself, but of his successor.

k

It is generally taken for granted that he was an Alexandrian: and from some things said by himself it has been concluded that hem was of an honourable and wealthy family, and that " for some time he was involved in the darkness and errors of gentilism. He had Origen° for his master, and was one of the most noted of his scholars. His episcopate was full of troubles; there having happened in the time of it the two persecutions of Decius and Valerian, beside a pestilence that ravaged the whole Roman empire, and other calamities in common, and some civil commotions with which Alexandria in particular was affected. It was likewise a busy and active period, on account of the controversies about Novatianism, the millennium, the baptism of heretics, and the doctrine of the Trinity, in all which Dionysius had some concern, and signalized himself by his learning, zeal, moderation, and prudence. This is a sume Alexandrinam ecclesiam tertius decimus episcopus tenuit Dionysius ann. xvii. Euseb. Chron. p. 174. f Vid. Basn. ann. 264. n. iii. &c. ανεβαλλετο μεν την

* Eus. 1. vii.

cap. 28.

h

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εκδημίαν, δια την τε γηρως ασθενειαν. Hær. Fab. 1. ii. c. 8. Conf. Eus. H. E. 1. vii. c. 27. p. 277. D.

271. ii. iii. Basn. ann. 269. n. iv.

ap. Euseb. ib. c. 30. p. 279. D.

m

i Vid. Pagi, Crit. 269. xii. k της μακαριτας. 1 Ibid. B.

πολλα γε ειπειν εχει καθ ̓ ἑαυτε γενομενα, όσας αριθμησαι δύναται περι ήμων αποφάσεις, δημεύσεις προγραφας, ὑπάρχοντων άρπαγας, αξιωματων αποθέσεις, δοξης κοσμικής ολιγωρίας, επαινων ἡγεμονικών και βελευτικών καταpornotus. K.λ. Dionys. ap. Eus. 1. vii. c. xi. p. 260. A. B.

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Και σοι γεγονε τετο εξαρχης, και της πιςεως αιτιον. ap. Εus. l. vii. c. 7. p. 253. C. • See before, note ".

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