phins. Even Tillemont * suspects the story of the dolphins to be fabulous. "Let us not here pass over in silence a law of Arcadius against the Eunomians, those most pestilent heretics (in Eunomianos, pestilentissimos sane hæreticos) who deserved to be detested by all good men, not only for their bad doctrines, but for their bad morals. Eunomius had written many books for the instruction of those of his sect; for which reason Theodosius the Great expelled him from the capital.-Arcadius, using his best endeavours to extinguish this impious heresy, suffered not the Eunomians to hold assemblies either in cities or in villages. He ordered also their books to be destroyed †." Who would not imagine from these words of Basnage, that the Eunomians were most profligate men? They were, as to doctrine, a sect of Arians; in moral respects, they were like their orthodox neighbours; and what is here affirmed of their wickedness seems to have been mere ‡ hearsay, and calumny. Basnage should have considered that the Jesuits and other zealous Papists treated him and the Calvinists, just as he was treating the Eunomians, and in the same sort of language would have said, concerning the revocation of the edict of Nantes; Let us not here pass over in silence a law of Louis the Great against the Calvinists, those most pestilent heretics, &c. John Chrysostom was made bishop of Constantinople. Socrates gives this character of him, that he was a sober, temperate, peevish, passionate, void of worldly wisdom and of dissimulation, incautious, using immoderate freedom in censuring persons of the highest * xii. 39. highest rank, a rigid disciplinarian, desirous of fe forming irregularities in the clergy and the laity, and very ready to deal about his excommunications, shunning the company and conversation of men, and appearing morose, haughty, and arrogant to those who knew him not intimately. By these qualities he disobliged the clergy, the men of rank and power in the state, the empress and the emperor, and lived in continual broils, and at last was deposed. Tillemont and others are extremely offended at Socrates for making so free with the character of this great Saint. Yet the historian's representation of him, upon the whole, seems fair and true enough. He* persecuted the Novatians and the Quartadecimans, which is a blot upon his character. His quarrel with the empress Eudoxia, whom he compar ed in one of his sermons to Herodias who wanted the head of John, shrewed his great indiscretion. Jerom was one of his enemies, and, in a letter to Theophilus, cruelly insulted over him, after he was deposed and banished. Chrysostom had a peculiar affection for St Paul, and he had the singular honour of receiving three visits from this Apostle. But, says Tillemont †, this story, having no better voucher than one George of Alexandria, must be looked upon as very uncertain. However, Baronius, who had a voracious appetite for pious frauds, adopts it, as he doth every thing else that served to delude the stupid populace. arac ided Pts a in to The ad a Theophilus, bishop of Alexandria, thinking it a glorious exploit to humble a bishop of Constantinople, and to trample upon him, brought together a number be of vile, seditious, ignorant Egyptian prelates, and drew drew in Epiphanius also, to condemn Chrysostom. Epiphanius, who had been some time with them at Constantinople on this occasion, seems to have perceived at last that it was mere pride, and impudence, and ambition, and private quarrels, and not religious motives, that stirred up Theophilus and his crew against Chrysostom; and therefore he suddenly left them all, and sailed for Cyprus, and died in the way. Epiphanius, at the instigation of Theophilus, had condemned Ammonius and some other learned monks, as guilty of Origenism. Ammonius therefore and his brethren paid him a visit; and being asked by him, Who they were, replied, Father, we are the brethren who are called Longi; and I beg the favour of you to tell me whether you ever conversed with any of our disciples, or perused any of our writings. No, said Epiphanius. How then, said Ammonius, could you judge those men to be heretics, of whose sentiments you had no proofs? I have been so informed, replied Epiphanius. But we, said Ammonius, have done the reverse of all this; for we have frequently conversed with your disciples, and have read over your works; and having heard many persons make free with your character, and calumniate and censure you as an heretic, we have maintained your innocence, and defended you as our father. You should not therefore have condemned us unseen and unheard, upon reports and hearsays, nor have made so unsuitable a return to us for our good offices to you The old bishop, who was in the main an honest and a well-meaning man, felt the force and the reasonableness of this civil reprimand, and treated these monks very courteously. * Sozomen, viii. 15. Sozomen Sozomen adds; "I have also heard, which is still reported by ma ny, that Chrysostom foretold to Epiphanius that he would die in his voyage homewards; and that Epiphanius foretold to Chrysostom that he would be deprived of his bishoprick; Ἐν ὦ γὰρ διεφέροντο, ὁ μὲν ἐδήλωσεν Ἰωάννη, Ἐλπίζω σε μὴ ἀποθανῶν Ἐπίσκοπον· ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης ἀνεδήλα, ἐδὲ ἐγώ σε τῆς σῆς ἐπιβήσεσ Jai wórews. Nam dum inter se dissiderent, Epiphanius quidem Joanni scripsisse dicitur: Spero te nequaquam Episcopum esse moriturum. Joannes vero rescripsit Epiphanio: Nec ego spero te in urbem tuam ingressurum esse. The meaning seems to be; I am of opinion that you will not die a bishop; that you will not return home. 'Exil means, to expect a thing, whether it be wished, or feared, or only foreseen; and the Latin verb spero having the same ambiguity, Valesius chose it on purpose. Tillemont and Cousin translate it; J'espere que vous ne mourrez point Evesque: and some have rendered it in English; I hope you will not die a bishop. They should rather have rendered it; Je pense, Je croy: I believe, I am of opinion. Tillemont *, and Valesius on † Socrates, reject this story as a fiction; and not without cause. Socrates, Palladius, and other writers agree in describing Theophilus as a prelate guilty of perjury, calumny, violence, persecution, lying, cheating, robbing, bearing false witness. His enmity to Chrysostom caused many to expose his faults, which perhaps they would else have palliated; and few ecclesiastical historians, either ancient or modern, have spared him. Isidorus Pelusiota, an honest writer, represents a considerable considerable number of the Egyptian prelates and presbyters of those days as a set of vile wretches; and Theophilus, and Cyril of Alexandria, as deserving to be censured on many accounts; and, in an epistle to Cyril, speaks his mind freely, and very justly rebukes and reprimands him *. Isidorus † was a monk and a presbyter, and one of the most valuable men of the fifth century. His works consist of a great number of epistles. After Chrysostom's deposition, the people, who were enraged at the loss of their pastor, and would not join themselves to the new-elected bishop, were persecuted with the same inhumanity which the Pa gans of old had shewed towards the Christians. The barbarity of the Christians of the fifth century in their religious quarrels was carried to the utmost excess. The emperor Arcadius had little hand in this persecution, though it was carried on in his name; for he was a poor creature, absolutely governed by his haughty wife, and by the slaves and the eunuchs of the court. When Chrysostom was sent into banishment, and lay at Cæsarea, the monks of that city, instigated by their bishop who hated Chrysostom, invested the place where he lay, threatening to burn the house over his head, if he did not instantly depart. The soldiers quartered in the city came and very civilly desired the monks to be quiet. But the monks set them at defiance, and told them that they had fought before then with their betters, and had beaten and routed the Prætorian troops, and would use them in the same manner, if they made the least opposition. So the soldiers intreated Chrysostom to depart, sick |