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Metiiodils. a. D. -290. 183
sentiments that were disliked in Orig-en ; and that Methodius
in those more early pieces appeared to be much of the
same opinion with Origen : but afterwards he wrote against
him with a good deal of bitterness ; of his conduct Eusebius
complained. And it has been observed by'' Tillemont, that
in the Banquet of the ten Virgins, probably' one of the first
books published by our author, there are several sentiments
very near resembling* those called Origen's. Methodius,
says that learned writer, in one place'" very nearly follows
the opinion of Origen uj)on the pre-existence of souls, A^hich
are at length sent from heaven into bodies. He" seems also
to say, (as Origen Avas accused,) that in the glory of heaven
men shall be changed into the nature of angels. These
things, not to insist now on any other, are found in that
Banquet.
Upon the whole, as Eusebius was not unacquainted with
Methodius, and has been careful to mention a great nmnber
of ecclesiastical writers in his history, his silence about this
bishop may be very probably ascribed to the cause above
mentioned, his displeasure against him for writing- against
Origen, and treating him roughly : that silence must also
be reckoned an argument, that Methodius did never retract
for that would have been much for Origen's honour; it would
have reconciled his admirers to Methodius, and they would
have spoken of it frequently, and Eusebius would not have
failed to give him an honourable place in his Ecclesiastical
History.
There" are considerable difficulties about the place of
which Methodius was bishop. Jerom said above, that he
was at first bishop of Olympus. Socrates too says expressly,
and at length, that he? was bishop of a city in Lycia, called
Olympus. He^ is now very commonly called bishop of
Patara, and at other times of Tyre. Suidas'^ says, Methodius
was bishop of Olympus in Lycia, or of Patara, and after-
wards of Tyre: in which words there is supposed to be an
for they may mean, that Olympus was sometimes
ambiguity :
called Patara; or, that it is doubtful which of those two
•^ As before, p. 138. ' lb. p. 136.
" Ty rtTTO T