111. Pnst-Aicene. — The principal post-Nicene fathers are as follows :
Eusel>ius (I'amphili), born about A.D. 270; bishop of Csesarea, in Palestine, 315; was a learned and labo- rious writer; wrote, besides many other things, the Evangelical Preparation, in fifteen books ; Erangi'li~ cul Demonstration, in twenty books — the half of which is lost^ — but both works belong to Apologetics (q. V.) ; an Ecclesiastical History, in ten books ; died 340. Julius Firmicus JIaternus, who wrote on the error of
])rofane religions ; flourished about 340. Hilary, bishop of Poictiers, born 305 ; banished to Phrygia .'!56 ; wrote on the Trinity, on councils, against the Arians, with a commentary on the Psalms and JIattiiew ; di<MlT.C6. Athanasius, born at Alexandria about 296; present as deacon at the Council of Nicsea 325 ; bishop of Al-
exandria 326 ; fled to Rome 341 ; returned to Alex- andria 346 ; fled to the deserts of Egypt 356 ; wrote a discourse against the Gentiles, on the Incarnation ; against the Arians, on the Incarnation ; against Apollinaris, etc. ; died 373.
Basil, surnamed the Great, born 329; bishop of Caesa/- rea, in Cappadocia, 370 ; wrote homilies, expo.si- tions, panegyrics, llexHimeron, and letters ; died 379.
Ephraini the Syrian, deacon of Edessa ; published a variety of commentaries, polemical treatise, and smaller works ; died about 379.
Cyril of Jerusalem, born 315 ; bishop of .Jerusalem 350 ; wrote catechetical discourses ; died 386.
Gregory of Nazianzus, born 328 ; ordained deacon 361 ; bishop of Suzima 372; bishop of Constantinople S81; wrote discourses, poems, and letters ; died about 390.
Gregory of Nyssa, born 351 ; bishop of Nyssa 372 ; wrote a Hexcemtron, life of Moses, on praj'er, along with orations, panegyrics, tracts, and letters; died about 395.
Amljrose, born .840 ; archbishop of IMilan 374 ; pub- lished annotations on Scripture, discourses, and mis- cellaneous treatises ; died about 397.
Epiphanius, bishop of Salamis, born about 330 ; wrote a Pannarium, or a treatise on heresies, etc. ; died 403.
Chrysostom, born at Antioch about 344 ; ordained pres- b}'ter in that church 386; liishop of Constantinople 398 ; deprived and restored 403 ; banished 404 ; was a most eloquent preacher and voluminous writer; wrote manj' commentaries, homilies, orations, with several controversial pieces ; died 407.
Ruffinus, presbyter of Aquileia, engaged in contro- versy with Jerome 394; published a great many Latin translations, as well as original works ; died 410.
Jerome, born 331 ; in Rome 363 ; ordained presbyter about 378; translated or revised the Latin Vulgate; wrote commentaries on most of the books of Scrip- ture, controversial tracts, an Onomasticon, and lives and works of preceding ecclesiastical writers ; died 420.
Theodorus, bishop of Mopsuestia, in Cilicia, about 392; wrote commentaries, in which he expounded the grammatical sense; but only a few brief fragments remain ; died about 428.
Augustine, born 354 ; baptized 387 ; ordained presby- ter at Hippo 391 ; coadjutor of Valerius, bishop of Hippo, 395 ; began his work, Be Civitate Dei, 402 ; published Confessions ; engaged in controversy with the Pelagians, Donatists, and Manicha^ans ; com- posed a great variety of tracts bearing on systematic theology and prevalent errors ; wrote his Retracta- tiones, or reviews of his own work, 426 ; died 4S0.
Cyril of Alexandria, bishop of Alexandria 513 ; an am- bitious and turbulent defender of orthodoxj' ; wrote on the Pentateuch, on adoration in spirit, some com- mentaries on jiortions of the Old and New Testa- ments, on the Trinity, againft the emperor Julian, and against Nestorius; died 444.
Vincent of Lerins (Vincentius Lirinensis) wrote his Commonitorium, or admonition against profane nov- elties of heretics, 434; died about 448.
Isidore of Pelusium ; wrote tracts on Scripture, on doctrines, on discipline, and on nionachism ; died 449.
Sedulius, j)oet, and Scotsman by birth, wrote several hymns, and a Carmen Puschale, in verse ; flourished about 449.
Theodoret, born 386 (or 393) ; bishop of Cyrus, in Syria, 423 ; deprived 449 ; restored 451 ; wrote questions on Scripture, commentaries, and a Church history, extending from 325 to 429 ;"a religious history, and an epitome of heretical fables ; died 456.
Petrus Clirysologus ; wrote a letter to Eutyches and some sermons; died about 456.
Leo I, surnamed the Great, to whom are ascribed let-
FATHERS OF THE CHURCH 499 FATHERS OF THE CHURCH
ters and sermons ; wrote on morals, on the pastor- ate, and left also homilies, dialotj;ucs, and letters ; died 4G1. Vigiliiis, bishop of Thapsus; wrote against the here- sies of Ariiis, Ncstoriiis, and on the Trinity; flour- ished about 4S0. Bocthius, autlior of the Consolation of Philosophy ; put
to death 025. Procopius of Gaza, a commentator on Scripture ; flour- ished about 625. Aretas, a commentator on the Apocalypse ; flourished
about 549. Evagrius, wi-ote a Church History ; died 594. Gregor^y, bishop of Tours ; died 596. Gregorj' I, surnamed the Great, bishop of Kome 590 ;
died 604. Joannes Moschus, monk, died G20. Isidore of Seville, died 636. Bade, the Venerable, died 735. John of Damascus, Dogmatic Theologi/, c. 775.
Ssc each of the above names in its alphabetical place in this Cyclopaidia.
IV. Use and Authtrity of the Fathers in Theology. — On this subject there are three opinions : (a.) Tha Roman and Pusej'its view, whicli puts tlie "consent of the fathers" (embodying tradition) into the rule of faith, along with Scripture. See Faith, Rule of. (b.) Th:it of the High-Church writers, who, though they acknowledge tlie Scriptures as the only rule of faith, yet appeal to the fathers as the proper exposi- tors of Scripture doctrine, and denounce as arrogant and presumptuous those who attempt to oppose modern opinions to what is held to be tli3 sentiment of Chris- tian antiquity, (c.) The Protestant view, according to which the fathers are to be treatMl, like other theolog- ical writers, witii the deference and respect to which their learning and their virtues maj' entitle them. " In reading the fathers we must always bear in mind that the Scriptures are the only rule of faith, and that we have no right to insist upon the reception, as an article of faith, of any doctrine which is not to bo found clearly revealed in Scripture, or which is not deducil)le from Scripture. Still, the judgment of an- tiquity on disputed points may be useful ; and while we should not put these writers into the position of judges, they may be regarded as competent witnesses. They are also the historians of the Church, and report its customs in successive ages; we must, therefore, have recourse to their writings for information on matters of ecclesiastical antiquity, just as we refer to the writ- ina;s of heathen orators, historians, and poets for infor- mation with respect to Roman or Grecian antiquities" (Riddle, Christian Antiquities, p. 56).