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shown to the martyrs. Theodoret justifies it: he says, the Greeks had little reason to make exceptions of that kind. Nors did christians bring sacrifices to the martyrs; they only honoured them as excellent men, who had faithfully served God, and had laid down their lives for the truth.

6. He likewise insists on the celebrity of the martyrs, as an argument in favour of the principles which they professed. The memory, he says, of many triumphant conquerors is almost lost. Nobody knows where Darius, and Xerxes, and Alexander, were buried; nor can any show the sepulchres of Augustus, and the emperors that have succeeded him. But the tombs of the victorious martyrs are well known, and often frequented; and magnificent temples are built to them, with the materials of heathen temples. And God has brought his dead men, the martyrs, into the room of your deities.

So Theodoret: but the scriptures have given no directions for paying such respect to martyrs. And it should be considered, that by this time error had been mixed with truth; and superstition with religion: nor did the martyrs of the primitive times desire such honours to be given to them; or to be placed in the room of heathen deities. They had protested against all idolatry: and laid down their lives, rather than give religious worship to any but God, and his Christ.

8 Ibid. Serm. 8. p. 599. C. i Ibid. p. 605. C. D.

h' Ibid. Serm. 9. p. 604, 605. * Ibid. p. 607. A.

CHAP. CXXXII.

JOHN CASSIAN.

I. His works and time. II. His country. III. His history. IV. In what language he wrote. V. Books of the New Testament received by him. VI. General

titles and divisions of the scriptures, and marks of respect for them. VII. Select observations; and this writer's principles and uncharitableness taken notice of: And concerning Nestorius, against whom he wrote.

I. JOHN CASSIAN, author of Monastic Institutions, in twelve books; Conferences, in number 24; Of the Incarnation of Christ against Nestorius, in seven books, addressed to Leo, then deacon, afterwards bishop of Rome, at whose desire they were composed, reckoned his last work, and written about the year 430; is placed, by Cave, at the year 424, because he computes him to have then begun to write. S. Basnaged speaks of him at the year 429, the time of the rise of Semipelagianism in Gaul, of which Cassian is said to be the parent.

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II. By Cave he is said to have been of Scythian original, born at Athens. Tillemont says, There are difficulties ' about his country; but the most probable opinion is, that 'he was of the Lesser Scythia, a province of Thrace, where ' he might be born about 350, or 360.' Even so ancient a writer as Gennadius, who has placed Cassian in his Catalogue, and given an account of his works, calls him a Scythian as does Trithemius likewise, very expressly. But Pagi, and other learned men, have cleared up this diffiVid. Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 410. Du Pin, Bib. T. iii. p. 2. Tillem. Mem. T, xiv. De Cœnobiorum Institutis: Collationes Patrum in eremo Scheti, seu Sceti, seu Sciti: De Christi Incarnatione adversus Nestorium. Ap. Bib, PP. T. vii.

< Et ad extremum, rogatus a Leone, urbis Romæ episcopo, scripsit adversus Nestorium de Incarnatione Domini libros septem. Gennad. De V. 1. cap. 61. Vid. et Cassian. in Pr. libr. de Incarn. Christi.

d A. D. 429. n. 4.

• Joannes

Cassianus, genere Scytha,

ex Tauricâ Chersoneso oriundus, Athenis natus est. Ubi sup. f Cassien. art. 1. T. xiv.

Cassianus, natione Scytha,

Constantinopoli a Joanne magno episcopo Diaconus ordinatus, apud Massiliam
Presbyter condit duo monasteria, id est, virorum et mulierum. Gennad. De
V. I. cap. 61.
h Johannes Cassianus, natione Scytha, &c,

De Scr. Ec. cap. 111.

* S. Basnag. Ann. 429. n. 4.

i Ann. 404. n. 22-24.

m

culty; they argue, from some expressions in his works, that he was a native of what is now called Provence in France. The opinion of his being a Scythian, seems to have arisen from his having been some while in the desert of Scete, or Schetis, or Scitis, in Egypt; and having also written an account of conferences in that country and learned men, I suppose, do now generally assent to this account. But Du Pin still hesitates. And since him another agreeable writer" very lately speaks of him as a ' native of Thrace;' because, perhaps, he had not observed what has been said by Pagi, or the authors referred to by him. Indeed, the other opinion has prevailed very much; and the common title of these Conferences, in the printed editions, is Collationes Patrum in Scythicâ Eremo commo'rantium' though it is plain, from the work itself, that all those monks or fathers dwelt in Egypt. Moreover, the title of this work in Gennadius, is,° Conferences held with Egyptian Monks.

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It might have been added, as I apprehend, to other observations relating to this point, that the Greeks were wont to write the name of that desert, Scitis; at least it is so written in Valesius's edition of Socrates: which word might be easily turned into Scythia by some, who were not well acquainted with the geography of Egypt; and they would be carelessly followed by many others. Besides, in the first chapter of the first Conference, and in the title of that chapter, the desart is called Schyti, or Schytis, which cannot denote Scythia. This, if duly attended to, might have induced learned men to think of Scete, or Sciti, or Scitis, in Egypt, where the fathers spoken of certainly dwelt; and then they needed not to have gone to Scythia, in quest of Cassian's native country. I have stayed thus long upon this, because mistakes and inaccuracies are too common; and I think it may be of some use to correct them, when there is a fair opportunity.

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III. Cassian entered early into a monastic course of life.

In eremo Scythiæ, seu in eremo Scythicâ:' si ne ullâ controversia scribendum esse in eremo Scheti, seu in eremo Scheticà,' hoc est, ut in versione Græcâ recte legitur, v rηS EKηTEWC. Pagi Ann. 404. n. 22.

m Vid. Fabr. Bib. Gr. T. vii. p. 551, 552.

" Mr. Bower in his Hist. of the Popes, Vol. i. p. 389.

• Digessit etiam Collationes cum Patribus Ægyptiis. Genn. ubi supra.

• Και κατα μερος επληρώθη το της Νιτρίας όρος, και το της Σκιτεος των μονάχων. Socr. 1. iv. c. 23. p. 232. F.

4 Caput primum. • De habitatione Schyti, et proposito Abbatis Möysis.' Cum in eremo Schyti, ubi monachorum probatissimi Patres, et omnium sanctorum morabatur perfectio, &c. Collat. 1.

He was, when young, for some while in a monastery at Bethlehem; afterwards, he and his friend German made a visit to the monks in Egypt. In the year 403, they were at Constantinople, where' Cassian was ordained deacon by St. Chrysostom. In 404, or 405, he came to Rome, and was ordained presbyter by Pope Innocent, as it seems. In the year 410, or soon after, as some think, or, as others, several years before, he came into Gaul, and settled at Marseilles, where he erected two monasteries, one for men, another for women. Thes year of his death is uncertain. However, Cavet says, he died in 448, in the 97th year of his age: Basnage," about 450.

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IV. It has been questioned, whether Cassian wrote in Greek or Latin. Tillemont says, 'that the Institutions ' and Conferences, which were composed for the sake of 'the monks in Gaul, of which perhaps there were not ten 'who understood Greek, were certainly written in Latin. 'If, therefore, a doubt be admitted concerning any of his 'works, it can only relate to his books of the Incarnation; in which, near the end, he addresseth himself to the people of Constantinople.' Nevertheless, I think it very plain, that they also were written in Latin.

a

V. Cassian quotes not only the four gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and other books of the New Testament, which had been all along universally received by catholic christians; but likewise the epistle to the Hebrews, as Paul's; the epistle of James; the second epistle of Peter; the epistle of Jude; and the Revelation: whence we may conclude, that he received all the same books of the New Testament, which we now receive; which is worthy of observation. Cassian, who had been in Palestine, and Egypt, and at Constantinople, as well as in the western part of the

r

studium tamen discipuli affectumque præsumo. Adoptatus enim a beatissimæ memoria Joanne episcopo in ministerium sacrum, atque oblatus Deo. De Incarn. 1. vii. c. 31. sub. in.

S

Pagi Ann. 433. n. 18. See also Tillem. Cassien, art. 14.
Scribere orsus est ab anno 424. Obiit A. 448, ætatis suæ 97. Ubi supra.

u Ann. 429. n. 4.

Incarn. 1. vi. c. 3.

1. v. c. 6. et passim.

▾ Ubi supra.

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w Vid. De * Vid. Institu. 1. vi. c. 16. De Incarn. Chr. efficiamur secundum apostolum [Jac. iv. 11.] Collat. 16. c. 16. Vid. Coll. 5. * Secundum apostoli namque sententiam. A quo quisque superatur, ejus servus efficitur.' [2 Pet. 2. 19.] Collat. 7. c. 25. Conf. Inst. 1. v. c. 13.

'non factores, sed judices legis.'

c. 4. et alibi.

a

Unus quoque apostolorum evidentius dicit: Angelos, qui non servaverunt suum principatum, sed dereliquerunt domicilium suum, &c. [Jud. ver. 6.] Coll. 8. c. 8.

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[Cap. iii. 19.]

Et in Apocalypsi: Ego, quos amo, arguo et castigo.'
Col. 6. cap. 11. Vid. et Inst. 1. 4. c. 17. l. v. c. 17. Col. 22. c. 7. et alibi,

empire, did not follow the peculiar opinions of any of those places; but he received all those books of the New Testament, which appeared to have been received upon good grounds by any christians.

VI. General titles of books of scripture, and marks of respect for them, are such as these.

In his books against Nestorius he proves what he asserts by divine testimonies; from the prophets and apostles; from the words of prophets, apostles, and evangelists. And he thinks that those testimonies are sufficient to satisfy any man; nevertheless, having endeavoured to prove his doctrine by the authority of scripture, he refers Nestorius to the Creed of the church of Antioch, where he had been educated; and quotes also divers ecclesiastical writers; particularly Hilary, Ambrose, Jerom, Rufinus, Augustine, Athanasius, and John, bishop of Constantinople, or St. Chrysostom.

VII. I shall now select a few other things.

1. He styles John the Baptist, the sacred boundary of the Old and New Testament.

2. He speaks of the evangelist Mark, as the first bishop of the city of Alexandria.

3. The apostle Paul, he calls the master of the whole world.

4. Hem sometimes compares the Greek and the Latin copies of the New Testament.

c Nunc interim et Christum Deum, et Mariam matrem Dei, divinis testibus approbemus. De Inc. Chr. l. ii. c. 2.

a Quid ais tu nunc, hæretice? Sufficiuntne hæc testimonia fidei? An aliquid adhuc addendum est ? Et quid vel post prophetas, vel post apostolos, addi potest? Ib. l. iii. c. 16. in.

• Ergo quia superioribus libris Dominum Jesum Christum non propheticis tantum, atque apostolicis, sed etiam evangelicis atque angelicis testimoniis, cum in carne atque in terrâ esset, Deum probavimus. Ib. 1. iv. c. 1. et passim.

f Igitur, quia neganti Deum hæretico abunde jam, ut reor, cunctis superioribus scriptis divinorum testimoniorum auctoritate respondimus; nunc ad fidem Antiocheni symboli virtutemque veniamus. L. vi. c. 3.

• Sed tempus tandem est, finem libro, imo universo operi, imponere, si paucorum tamen sanctorum virorum atque illustrium sacerdotum dicta subdidero; ut id, quod auctoritate testimoniorum sacrorum jam approbavimus, etiam fide præsentis temporis roboremus. Ib. 1. vii. c. 24.

Joannes, Constantinopolitanorum antistitum decus. Ibid. c. 30.

'De Joanne quoque, qui Veteris Novique Testamenti, velut quidam sacratissimus limes, finis initiumque processit. Inst. 1. i. c. 2.

k Inst. l. ii. c. 5.

1 Disce ergo primum ab apostolo totius

mundi magistro. De Inc. Chr. 1. iv. c. 1.

mHabentes autem alimenta et operimenta, his contenti simus.' [1 Tim. vi. 8.] Operimenta' inquiens, non vestimenta,' ut in quibusdam Latinis exemplaribus non proprie continetur; id est, quæ corpus operiant tantum, non quæ amictûs gloriâ blandiantur. Inst. 1. i. c. 3.

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