doubt

supposed with Matthai, that the copy of the Gospels preserved at Moscow, is more ancient, which is at least very ful. It was almost destroyed by a fire which happened in the library, in the year 1731; nor is it one of the least singular circumstances respecting this MS. that in consequence of the fire, the capital letters, in which it is written, have been contracted from large into small capitals; and Mr. Dibdin supposes the Illuminations to have undergone a similar metamorphosis.26

This manuscript contained 165 folios or leaves, and 250 most curious paintings, 21 fragments of which were engraved by the Society of Antiquaries of London.

Previous to the publication of the HEXAPLA, Origen composed what is called the TETRAPLA, or Quadruple, containing only the Septuagint, and the versions of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. The original work, which was deposited by him, with his other writings, in the library of Cæsarea, is supposed to have perished when that city was taken and destroyed by the Saracens, in 653, after a siege of seven years.

He died a natural death in the 69th year of his age, at Tyre, in 254: after having suffered much for the testimony of Christ. "A man," says Mosheim, "of vast and uncommon abilities, and the greatest luminary of the Christian world, that this age exhibited to view. Had the justness of his judgment been equal to the immensity of his genius, the fervour of his piety, his indefatigable patience, his extensive erudition, and his other eminent and superior talents, all encomiums must have fallen short of his merit. Yet, such as he was, his virtues and labours deserve the admiration of all ages; and his name will be transmitted with honour through the annals of time, as long as learning and genius shall be esteemed among men.'

(26) Astle's Origin and Progress of Writing, ch. v. part of it in plate 3. fig. 3, of this work. Dibdin's Bibliog. Decameron, I. p. xlviii, note.

(27) Mosheim's Eccles, Hist. I. p. 270.

See a fac-simile of

PAMPHILUS was a presbyter of Cæsarea.

He lived A. D. 294. In him were united the philosopher and the Christian. Of an eminent family, and large fortune, he might have aspired to the highest honours; but he withdrew himself from the glare of temporal grandeur, and spent his life in acts of the most disinterested benevolence. He was remarkable for his unfeigned regard to the Sacred Writings, and for his unwearied application in whatever he undertook. A great encourager of learning and piety, he not only lent books, especially copies of the Scriptures, to read, but when he found persons well disposed, made them presents of his manuscripts, some of which were transcribed with the greatest accuracy by his own hand. "He erected (or rather enlarged) the library at Cæsarea, which, according to Isidore of Seville, contained 30,000 volumes. This collection seems to have been made merely for the good of the church, and to lend out to religiously disposed people. St. Jerom particularly mentions his collecting books for the purpose of lending them to be read;" and "this is, if I mistake not," says Dr. A. Clarke, "the first notice we have of a CIRCULATING LIBRARY."28

Of this library some traces remain even to the present day. Montfaucon assures us, that in the Jesuits' College, at Paris, there is a beautiful MS. of the Prophets, in which there occurs a note, signifying, that it was transcribed from the very copy made by Pamphilus, in which were written these words: "Transcribed from the Hexapla, containing the translations; and corrected by Origen's own Tetrapla, which also had emendations and scholia in his own hand writing. I Eusebius added the scholia; Pamphilus and Eusebius corrected."* The same learned writer mentions also a very ancient MS. of some of St. Paul's Epistles, preserved in the French King's Li

(28) Hieronymi Opera, Tom. I. fol. 132. Basil. 1516, fol.

Clarke's Succession of Sacred Literature, I: p, 227. (29) Montfaucon, Præf. in Hex, Orig. p. 4.

brary, which contains the following note: "This book was compared with the copy in the library at Cæsarea, in the hand writing of St. Pamphilus."90

The death of this

eminent, holy, and useful man, did For when a persecution was raised

not discredit his life. against the Christians, and Urbanus, the Roman president of Cæsarea, an unfeeling and brutal man, required him to renounce his religion or his life; Pamphilus, the gentle Pamphilus, made the latter choice, and cheerfully submitted to imprisonment, to torture, and to death. The reflections of a late writer on the death of Pamphilus, are so appropriate and impressive, that there can need no apology for inserting them.

"When I peruse the account which Eusebius gives of the cruelties, which this gentle and amiable spirit was forced to endure, and which he, and eleven others, who were put to death with him, suffered with the most noble bravery, and undaunted fortitude, I am struck with admiration at the greatness of that power, which could raise men so much above themselves, and enable them so completely to overcome all the weakness of humanity. At all times there have been men ignorant, ferocious, and brutal, who have set death at defiance, and despised pain; but it was reserved for Christianity to exhibit a new kind of sufferers-men who joined cool reason to heroic resolution, and tender sensibility to inflexible fortitude. The tiger and the bear will always retain their own manners; but where is he, who shall give the feelings of the lion to the modest deer, or the gentle lamb?-THEY ONLY CAN NOBLY SUFFER, WHO CAN TENDERLY FEEL. Farewell then, excellent Pamphilus! reluctant we leave thee, bright STAR OF HUMAN EXCELLENCE! obscure in the register of men! illustrious in the CALENDAR OF HEAVEN!""

EUSEBIUS, bishop of Cæsarea, the friend of Pamphilus, (30) Montfaucon. Bib. Coislin. p. 262.

(31) Christie's Miscellanies, p. 174. printed by J. Nichols, 1789, 8vo.

was probably born in Cæsarea, about A. D. 270. Through affection to his friend, he assumed his name, and was ever after termed EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS. Origen excepted, he was the most learned of all the writers of antiquity. He is justly styled the Father of Ecclesiastical History. His most celebrated works are, his Ecclesiastical History, Evangelical Preparation, and Evangelical Demonstration. His History begins at the birth of our Lord, and comes down to the defeat of Licinus. In his Evangelical Preparation he refutes the errors of paganism, demonstrates the excellence of the Hebrew Scriptures, and shews that the most eminent and learned nations, the Greeks especially, transcribed from them whatever dignity or truth is to be met with in their philosophy. His Evangelical Demonstration, designed to prove that JESUS was the MESSIAH, is an invaluable work. Dr. Harwood observes, "It is a treasure of knowledge, and good sense; and contains all the arguments in favour of the credibility, and divine authority of the Christian religion, that have been advanced by Chandler, Leland, Benson, Butler, Brown, and other modern advocates of Christianity against the deists.""

He was made bishop of Antioch, A. D. 313, was present at the council of Nice in 325, and at the council of Antioch in 331. He was high in the favour of the Emperor Constantine, and is supposed to have died about A. D. 338, or 340.

LUCIAN, a presbyter of Antioch, and HESYCHIUS, an Egyptian bishop, flourished about the same period, and are deservedly ranked amongst the Biblical scholars of that age. LUCIAN is generally supposed to have been born at Samosata, a celebrated city of Syria. He lived about the year 290. Eminent for piety, and extraordinary (32) Clarke's Bibliographical Dict. III. p. 209; and Succession of Sacred Literature, I. p. 265.

Houtteville's Method of the Principal Authors who wrote for and against Christianity, p. 92.

knowledge of the Divine Scriptures, as well as for polite learning, he laboured sedulously to produce a faithful and correct edition of the Septuagint version of the old Testament, by collating the common Greek versions, and correcting the collation by the Hebrew. This edition was afterwards read in all the churches, from Constantinople to Antioch. The Autograph of Lucian, is said to have been found, in the reign of Constantine the Great, amongst the Jews, secreted in a wall. He suffered at Nicomedia, for confessing the name of Christ, in the reign of Maximin; and was buried at Helenopolis, in Bithynia.

HESYCHIUS was bishop of a city in Egypt, about the close of the same century. He also formed an edition of the Septuagint version, upon the same plan as that of Lucian, from copies collected in Egypt. To the Old Testament he added an edition of the New. His revision of the Septuagint was received and adopted by the Churches of Egypt; so that the three editions by Origen, Lucian, and Hesychius shared the world among them; and from one or other of them are derived all the manuscript copies of the Septuagint, that are now extant, or at least known. Hesychius obtained the crown of martyrdom in 311, during the persecution of Dioclesian.33

But whilst these pious and learned men were thus indefatigably labouring to promote the knowledge and circulation of the Holy Scriptures, various forms of superstition were insinuating themselves into the church of God. "Being mingled among the Heathen," the Christians "learned their works." (Psalm cvi. 35.) One of the abuses thus introduced was BIBLIOMANCY, or Divination by the Bible.

This kind of Divination was named SORTES SANCTORUM, or SORTES SACRE, Lots of the Saints, or Sacred Lots; and consisted in suddenly opening, or dipping into the (33) Cavei Hist. Literar. p. 108. Lond. 1688, fol.

Owen's Enquiry into the present sate of the Sept. Version, p. 149,

H