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Metiiouius. a. D. 290. 181
CHAP. LVII.
METHODIUS, BISHOP OF OLYMPUS LN LYCIA.
I. His history. II. His icorks. 111. Testimonies to him.
IV. Select passages of Methodius. V. His testimony to
the books of the JSTew Testament : and Jirst, oj' the J'ovr
gospels: VI. Of the Acts of the Apostles: VII. Oj'
St. PauVs epistles : VIII. Oj' the epistle to the Hebrews,
IX. Of the catholic epistles : X. Of the Revelation.
XI. F'orms of quoting, general divisions, and respect for
the scriptures. XII. Texts explained. XIII. The stem
oJ' his Testimony.
I. ' METHODIUS,=^ bishop of Olympus in Lycia, and
* afterwards of Tyre, a man of a neat and correct style,
* composed a work against Porphyry in several books. He
* also wrote a Banquet of ten Virgins ; Concerning the
* Resurrection, against Origen, an excellent book ; and
* against him likewise Of the Pythoness ; and Of liberty,
' [^or free will y] Commentaries also upon Genesis and the
* Canticles ; and many other works, which are in the hands
' of every body. He obtained the crown of martyrdom at
* Chalcis in Greece, at the end of the last persecution ; or,
* as some say, under Decius and Valerian.'
So writes Jerom in his book of Illustrious Men. Eusebius
makes no mention of Methodius in his Ecclesiastical
History. The reason of it has been supposed by many
learned men to be, that Methodius had written against Origen,
whom Eusebius greatly admired. Nay, Valesius says, moreover,
it'' was out of envy and hatred of Methodius, that Eusebius
wrote after him against Porphyry. But this last supposi-
* Methodius, Olympi Lyciae, et postea Tyri episcopus, nitidi compositique
sermonis adversus Porphyriiim confecit libros, et Symposium decem Virginum,
de Resurrectione opus egregium contra Origenem, et adversus eumdem de
Pythonissa, et de Autexusio. In Genesim quoque, et in Cantica Canticonnn
commentarios ; et multa alia, quae vulgo lectitantur. Et ad extrcmum novissimae
persecutionis, sive, ut alii affirmant, sub Decio et Valeriano, in Chalcide
Graeciae, martyrio coronatus est. De V. I. cap. 83.
^ Nam cum omnes ecclesiasticos scriptores in hoc opere accurate commemoraverit,
Methodium tamen de industria praetemiisit, eo quod Origenem,
quern ipse praecipue mirabatur, impugnavisset. Hmc etiam est, quod contra
Poqjhyrii libros, post eumdem Methodium scripsit, quasi aemulatione quadam
et odio adversus Methodium incitatus. Vales. Ann. in Eus. 1. vi. c. 53. p.
128. B.